Chapter 93: Club eting (1)
I went towards the exist of the entrance of the supre Hall, I saw Leon and Aiden.
Leon was already waiting at the crossroads outside the Supre Hall, arms crossed, foot tapping. Of course, he looked perfect as always hair neatly combed, uniform pristine, posture screaming noble confidence.
"Michael!" he called, spotting imdiately. "You’re late."
"It’s not even nine yet."
"And yet you’re late," Leon said with the righteous certainty of soone who probably believed the sun rose because he allowed it.
Before I could answer, Aiden ca jogging from the opposite direction, half his shirt untucked, scarf thrown lazily around his neck.
"Oi, oi! Don’t start the lecture without ." He waved cheerfully, grinning ear to ear. "Mornin’, lazybones. Mornin’, prince charming."
Leon’s brows twitched. "Don’t call that."
"What? It suits you. Regal posture, shiny hair, airs of superiority " Aiden grinned wider. "All you need’s a crown and you’d pass for a children’s book illustration."
I couldn’t help it; I snorted.
Leon shot a betrayed glare. "You’re laughing?"
"Not at you. At the accuracy."
He groaned, muttering sothing about uncultured peasants, but Aiden just clapped him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Relax, Your Highness. We’re supposed to be bonding as clubmates. Brotherhood! Camaraderie! You know?"
Leon brushed him off with a scowl, but I noticed he didn’t step away entirely. Progress.
"So, Michael," Aiden said as we started walking toward the Hunting Club building, "ready to show off your rank-one skills today?"
"...Not really."
"Liar. You’re totally gonna make the rest of us look like amateurs."
"That’s not the plan."
"Uh-huh. That’s what all the prodigies say."
I rolled my eyes, but Leon interjected smoothly, "Michael won’t need to prove himself. His reputation already precedes him. What matters today is aligning ourselves with the club’s hierarchy. Establishing our place."
"Spoken like a true politician," Aiden said.
"Next thing we know, you’ll be running for student council president."
Leon smirked faintly. "Not . But perhaps soone else should."
His gaze flicked toward , sharp for just a second.
I looked away. Yeah, not touching that conversation right now.
Instead, I focused on the building coming into view a broad, two-story hall near the edge of the Arcade Academy grounds.
Unlike the pristine white facades of the classrooms, this one was darker stone, with hunting trophies mounted above the entrance. A wyvern skull. The polished horns of a mana bull. Scratches in the wood that weren’t decorative at all.
Aiden whistled low. "Damn. Feels more like a rcenary lodge than a school club."
Leon’s chest puffed out a little. "As it should. Hunting is not for the faint of heart."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don’t faint when you see blood, princeling."
Leon’s glare could’ve killed.
I shook my head, amused despite myself.
For the first ti in a while, I wasn’t thinking about assassins in alleys, dragons in my head, or divine swords whispering promises.
For the first ti, it felt... normal.
Three boys walking to a club eting, arguing over nothing, with the day ahead of them.
And that was enough to make almost forget how fragile "normal" really was.
We went in the building to find the club room.
The heavy oak doors creaked as we pushed them open.
The Hunting Club’s hall slled faintly of leather, steel oil, and sothing earthy—like dried herbs hanging from the rafters. Inside, the main room was wide and open, with long wooden tables pushed to the sides and a noticeboard plastered with maps, mission requests, and bounty flyers.
Students milled about, so already in partial hunting gear with light armor, reinforced boots, gauntlets. They weren’t posturing like the Swordsmanship Club types; this felt rougher, more practical.
"Woah..." Aiden whistled. "This place is legit. Like... half a tavern, half a guild house."
"Professional," Leon corrected. "Exactly the environnt necessary for cultivating serious hunters."
I muttered, "Feels like I walked into an RPG hub."
They both looked at .
I coughed. "Never mind."
Before we could drift further in, soone approached.
He was tall more taller than Leon by a head to toe and broad in the shoulders, his uniform jacket worn open over reinforced leather. A scar cut across his jaw, and his amber eyes were sharp but not unfriendly. He radiated the kind of quiet authority you couldn’t fake.
"Aldric Sterling," Leon whispered beside , as if announcing royalty.
The third-year. Rank 7 overall. Hunting Club president. And from the way the crowd subtly straightened when he walked past, clearly respected.
"New faces," Aldric said, his voice even and asured. "Lionheart, Stromfang, Wilson. I heard you’d be joining us today."
Leon stepped forward imdiately, posture perfect. "It’s an honor, Club Leader Sterling. I look forward to proving my capabilities under your guidance."
Aiden elbowed lightly. "Bet he practiced that in the mirror."
"Probably," I muttered back.
Aldric’s gaze slid to , lingering for a fraction longer than comfortable. "Michael Wilson. The na’s been circulating since the VR Dungeon results."
I stiffened. "Just luck."
One corner of his mouth tugged up whether amusent or disbelief, I couldn’t tell. "Luck is also a kind of strength of hunter. It is also most precious ally. Don’t dismiss it so easily."
Before I could reply, another voice cut in brisk, clipped, and feminine.
"You’re crowding the entrance, Aldric."
We turned.
A girl stood a few steps away, arms folded, fiery red hair tied back in a high ponytail. Her uniform was immaculate, not a crease out of place, and her gaze was the kind that could slice steel.
"Anya Sarfire," Leon murmured again. "Vice leader."
She didn’t bother with introductions. "If you’re joining, find seats. The briefing starts soon."
Aiden raised an eyebrow at , mouthing strict.
I shrugged.
Aldric didn’t seem bothered by her tone. In fact, he gave her a faint nod, then gestured for us to follow him deeper into the hall.
The tables had been arranged in a semi-circle around the noticeboard. By the ti we sat down, a dozen other mbers had taken their places:
Jax Blackwood, second-year, his dark hair tied ssily and a permanent lazy grin on his face. He leaned back in his chair like he was on vacation.
Anjali Sharma, sharp-eyed and focused, already scribbling in a notebook.
Carol Frend, who looked nervous enough to chew her sleeve off.
Silas Sullivan, tapping his boot restlessly, like he wanted to be anywhere else.
Antonio Ford, a third-year with heavy shoulders and a resting scowl that rivaled Leon’s.
The atmosphere was surprisingly... mixed. So looked like hardened hunters, others like students still finding their footing.
Aldric stood at the front, arms crossed. Anya was beside him, holding a clipboard like it was a weapon.
"Alright," Aldric began. His voice carried easily, firm but not harsh. "We’ve got three new mbers today. Leon Lionheart, Aiden Stromfang, and Michael Wilson."
A few heads turned at my na. A couple of whispers flitted around. I kept my expression neutral.
Anya’s eyes narrowed slightly, scanning us like she was assessing weapons on a rack. "Since you’re new, here’s how this works. The Hunting Club isn’t a playground. We’re not here to swing swords in circles or brag about mana output. We take requests. We track beasts. We bring results."
Her tone left no room for argunt.
Aiden leaned closer, whispering, "She sounds fun at parties."
I elbowed him in the ribs before she noticed.
Jax raised a lazy hand. "C’mon, Anya, don’t scare them off on day one. You’ll give the poor freshn a heart attack."
"I’m not here to coddle anyone," Anya shot back.
Aldric cleared his throat, steering things back on track. "The purpose of today’s eting is simple. Orientation. We’ll cover our chain of command, how requests are handled, and set expectations. Tomorrow, we move on to field practice."
Leon straightened, eyes shining with determination. "Understood."
Aiden slouched in his chair. "Field practice, huh? As long as we’re not chasing rabbits all day..."
"Better rabbits than mana hounds tearing your throat out," Antonio grunted from the far end.
"Mana hounds are cute," Aiden countered.
"Cute until one rips your arm off."
The table rippled with muffled laughter. Even Aldric’s lips twitched.
Anya, of course, didn’t crack a smile.
She flicked her clipboard. "We’re divided into squads for missions. Each squad balances strength, utility, and field awareness. New mbers will shadow until we assess their capabilities and follow a senior for doing so mission.
"Which ans," Jax drawled, "you three get to hang out with for a while."
Aiden leaned forward eagerly. "Wait, really?"
"Yup. Executive Manager, baby. ans I babysit rookies."
Leon looked vaguely offended. "We hardly require babysitting."
"Sure you don’t," Jax said cheerfully. "But orders are orders. You’ll tag along with until Sterling says otherwise."
My gut told this "babysitting" was going to be anything but relaxing.
Aldric moved on, outlining how requests ca in scouts spotted dangerous beasts near villages, rchants paid for escorts, the Academy itself issued tasks for rare materials. Each request was logged on the noticeboard, ranked by risk, and assigned to squads. Success earned contribution points, which translated to Academy credit and personal rit.
Simple enough. Familiar, even.
I’d played this system in countless gas. But seeing it applied in a real academy setting gave it weight.
"...and rember," Aldric concluded, "a hunter’s pride isn’t in how loudly he boasts, but in how consistently he returns alive."
Silence fell for a beat, heavy but not oppressive.
Then Jax clapped his hands. "Alright, rules lecture over. How about introductions, huh? Let’s hear from the newbies."
All eyes shifted to us.
Leon stood imdiately, bowing his head just enough to look polite without lowering himself.
"Leon Lionheart. First-year, Class A. Swordsmanship specialization. My goal is to master hunting strategies befitting my lineage and contribute to this club’s prestige."
A smattering of polite nods. Predictable.
Aiden popped up next, grin wide. "Aiden Stromfang, also Class A. First-year. Specialty making Monster cry for there uncle. Hobby is pissing off Leo."
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