IRHWSDD 18

A Club Was Created in My Name

After finishing her classes, Lukna was heading back to the dormitory.

Behind her trailed Hans and Zwei’s gang, who had been reformed by her influence. The sight of them following her so closely looked almost like subjects escorting their king.

Those guys had never cared about academics in the first place. They had entered the academy with the sole goal of barely graduating.

A gang that used to pass time by bullying the weak was now busy serving Lukna without a moment’s rest. It was astonishing.

“Aaron said those idiots even registered an official club. The club name is ‘Luibbitdong’ or something.”

“Luibbitdong? That’s a strange name.”

“It stands for ‘Lukna Is the Light of This World Club.’ Apparently it’s a volunteer service club. Can you believe those blockheads moved up in the world?”

Why do I even know this much? What’s so likable about those idiots?

Bolton muttered to himself, scratching his head.

In any case, Luibbitdong was gradually growing in size.

Since every delinquent in the academy was gathering under Lukna, she was practically becoming the school’s representative—though in a very different sense. It was something that needed attention.

“Hmmm, did the guys who used to gang up on Luka suddenly repent as a group?”

Ched said that, yet his expression looked oddly disappointed, as if he hadn’t gotten the result he wanted.

His lazy eyes glinted dangerously.

At that moment, Bolton’s eyes widened as he stared at Ched.

“What did you just say?”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say she was bullied as a group? Not just that she failed to fit in?”

Who would even dare bully that tiny blockhead!

Bolton cursed the bastards and glared toward Luibbitdong.

“That was in the past. Now Luka flipped the whole situation in the blink of an eye.”

With half-lidded eyes, Ched observed Lukna carefully.

“Delinquents who bully those weaker than them should get a taste of Bolton’s fist.”

Bolton swung his large fist through the air. The gust it created violently ruffled Ched’s thin hair.

“Haah, are your muscles connected directly to your brain?”

With his bangs now a mess, Ched rolled his eyes upward.

A circular magic array appeared over his irises, and flames suddenly burst to life around Bolton’s fist. It was Ched’s spell.

“Ah! It’s hot!”

Bolton shook his hand frantically. Fortunately, the flames died out quickly, but he glared at Ched.

“If you’re going to do this, just challenge me to a duel!”

“That’s your problem, Bolton. You know perfectly well you’ll end up roasted if you duel me, but you still charge in without thinking.”

“What? You straw-like twig that would snap if I twisted you—have you finished talking?!”

As the tension between Ched and Bolton intensified, Matian, who had just finished assigning demerits, stepped between them.

“Shall we stop there, both of you?”

Smiling gently, Matian looked at them in turn.

Bolton grumbled but immediately backed down. Ched, however, muttered sarcastically, “There you go ordering people around again.”

Lately, Lukna had a headache.

Hans and Zwei’s gang, who followed her around, had established some luxury-brand-sounding club and were now excessively devoted to her.

‘It’s not Louis Vuitton, it’s Luibbitdong? Seriously?’

To boost their sense of belonging, they had even started carrying clutch bags that looked like loan shark pouches. The design was eerily similar to a luxury brand from her previous life, which made her shudder.

Even now, Zwei, clutch tucked under his arm, picked a fight with a passing cadet.

“Hey. How dare you block the path of the radiant Lady Lukna? Should I separate your eyeballs from your skull?”

“S-sorry!”

As the cadet ran off, Lukna let out a deep sigh.

“Please stop following me.”

She halted and appealed to the gang with a tired face.

They were like ducklings imprinted on her, trailing behind her in a cluster.

If her class schedule changed, they somehow shared the information among themselves and even waited in front of her classroom.

‘At this rate, I’ll be labeled the ringleader of this delinquent group.’

Well, with the club named after her, maybe she already was.

Bothered that her name was boldly included in the club title, she had gone to Aaron, the staff member in charge of clubs, to demand a change—but he firmly refused, saying once a name was set, it couldn’t be altered.

“Please, just go around on your own. People keep staring at me because you’re following me.”

Despite Lukna’s plea, the determined eyes of Luibbitdong did not waver.

Yet, perhaps because of the “purification” effect, they diligently picked up litter they found along the way. In that sense, they were surprisingly exemplary.

“Please don’t say that, Lady Lukna. Our Luibbitdong cannot allow filthy flies to swarm around the shining Lady Lukna.”

“What filthy flies?”

“Over there.”

Zwei glared at the student council members who were watching from afar, calling them flies.

Especially that student council president—his face is too sharp and clear. It’s especially irritating, he added.

No, stop. Don’t do that. Don’t make enemies of the student council.

This makes me look like the biggest troublemaker in the school!

“Heh. No matter how strong the student council is, how strong can they really be, Lady Lukna?”

Hans added arrogantly while carefully peeling gum off the building wall.

“No. They’re strong. Much stronger than me. So both of you, please be quiet.”

“Please don’t be so humble. Even that annoying student council president will soon kneel before your holy teachings!”

Hans pointed directly at Matian—with the same hand holding the sticky gum.

You crazy idiot! Not that!

Lukna quickly pushed his hand down, but it was too late.

Though they were far apart, Matian seemed to have heard everything. Pointing to himself, he mouthed, “Fly?”

In that instant, Lukna felt her blood run cold. She smacked Hans and Zwei’s lips with her palm.

“Shut your mouths! If you keep this up, Matian might challenge us to a duel and we’ll die!”

“Don’t worry. We’ll take over this academy and offer it to the radiant Lady Lukna!”

“…Are we even having a conversation?”

“Student council, submit!”

Apparently not. Hans widened his eyes and stuck out his tongue provocatively at the student council.

He looked like a tribesman from a tropical rainforest trying to intimidate an enemy.

At least, thanks to purification by holy power, he wasn’t swearing or making obscene gestures.

“You say you serve me, but you don’t listen to a word I say. Why?”

After staring helplessly at Hans, who was in full provocation mode, Lukna sprinted toward the dormitory.

This was all because of that cursed “influence.”

If it had been simple purification instead, none of this trouble would have happened.

“Eh? Where are you going, Lady Lukna!”

Luibbitdong rushed after her.

Of course, they didn’t forget to neatly dispose of the trash they had collected in a public bin.

The path Luibbitdong passed was spotless, without a speck of dust.

Matian watched Lukna’s hurried retreat, fiddling with his demerit slip with a complicated expression.

Bolton snickered and jabbed Matian’s side.

“How does it feel to be a fly, Matian?”

“I’m not sure whether I should assign demerits or not.”

“They may look like that, but they do a lot of good things. Last time, they even cleaned the road Lukna uses most often.”

“Is that so—ugh!”

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his chest, and Matian clenched his fist.

It throbbed as if someone had driven a needle into his heart.

‘Is it because of the demon fragment?’

He often felt small pains, but such intense agony was rare.

‘Has something gone wrong with the seal on the demon’s egg?’

The missing Holy Sword. The increasing pain.

A bad premonition filled him. It seemed he would need to visit the temple and meet the High Priest.

‘I need to find the Holy Sword as soon as possible and stabilize the demon’s power.’

Matian held his breath, then slowly exhaled.

If he showed weakness here, the good and perfect image he had built up would crumble.

Suddenly, memories of his childhood—when people pointed fingers at him and called him the one with the demon’s heart—flashed before his eyes.

“Are you sick, Matian?”

That was when his eyes met Ched’s. The half-lidded lazy gaze was now sharp, carefully examining him.

“That’s impossible. I’m fine.”

Matian smiled gently and brushed off the concern.

In fact, his posture was straight and proper, not at all like that of someone in pain.

“Hm, you don’t look so well for someone who’s fine.”

“I think the one who’s tired is you, Ched.”

Matian pulled a pocket watch from his coat and showed Ched the time directly. It was long past Ched’s usual nap time.

“Ha, you’re right. Well, of course the great president couldn’t possibly be sick. It’s about time I go take my nap.”

Ched nodded, his eyebrows twitching.

The subtle tension lingering between the two of them stretched taut in the air.