Chapter 47
Kwon’s face was still turning sour in real time.
Yes, of course it was. I worked so hard to see that look.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before, how did you get here?”
Kwon Soo-hyeop gritted his teeth in response to my question with a blank expression.
“You planted a spy……so you should know.”
Apparently, he saw Young-jae inside and understood the situation in an instant.
If he didn’t realize it after seeing that, he wasn’t really qualified to be a club president.
“Well, then I guess I don’t have to be respectful, since you probably don’t have good intentions anyway.”
His demeanor changes in an instant, and when I say that, he looks at me with a look of amusement.
“Ha, I thought you’d at least show me some respect as a senior.”
“If you came with goodwill, I would have respected you, but you came with enmity, not goodwill, right?”
After telling him that, I and Haru walked into the clubroom.
“Why, I thought you were here to say hello, come on in and have a look.”
I haven’t even shown them half of what I wanted to show them yet.
“Huh? Mr. President, you’re here, earlier than I thought?”
From the kitchen on one side of the storeroom, Isheri with flour on her body walks out. When she sees the members of the Ranger Club standing at the entrance, she is momentarily surprised, but quickly composes herself and smiles.
“By the way, you said we’re having guests today, so please come inside!”
Kwon Soo-hyeop gives me a strange look when she says this.
“Why, are you surprised that the president of the Recipe Development Club is here, or are you surprised that we have a kitchen in our club? If not that, then…….You’re surprised that the president of the Recipe Development Club is looking fine when she sees you.”
But Kwon Su-hyeop kept his mouth shut and didn’t answer.
“Well, you don’t have to answer. Why don’t all the other seniors come inside, we have enough refreshments.”
After hearing my words, the members of the Ranger Club slowly made their way inside.
I knew they would be coming, so I had set up an ample supply of simple desks and chairs in the largest hall of the room.
Here, they were in for a surprise. After they were all seated, there was still plenty of room.
“By the way,” I said, “you’re not the only guests here today, so please don’t feel uncomfortable.”
I wasn’t expecting much. I just wanted them to see for themselves before I broke them.
In short, it was simple human nature.
And so it began.
“Mr. Eugene, the International Trade Club is here~”
They were twice the number of the Ranger Club and Kwon Su- hyeop face darkens at this.
“What are these people…….?”
“I thought you had received the news? Today, we’re having our club’s initiation ceremony.”
“……Initiation ceremony?”
“Yeah, we’ve invited all the clubs under our umbrella.”
As I was explaining the connection to the International Trade Club to him, I saw Jin-woo’s blonde hair in the distance.
“Boss, I’ve also gathered people from the Board Game Club.”
With the arrival of another club, not only Kwon Su-hyeop, but also the members of the Ranger Club’s facade slowly begin to crumble.
So far, dozens of people have gathered in our club room.
It seems like the Ranger Club came to destroy our spirit, but they’re the ones who got destroyed.
“You haven’t even gotten here yet, and you’re already doing that.”
“…… Shut up.”
And the one that made them realize that──
“I’m here. As I said before, can I borrow the training ground?”
“……You’re welcome.”
It was Ji-hyun’s appearance.
The appearance of the Academy’s most untouchable instructor caused every single member of the Ranger Club to panic.
After a quick glance at them, Ji-hyun let out a smirk and headed straight for the training grounds.
Her arrival didn’t mean much, she was just a starter of sorts. Someone to make sure that the overzealous kids didn’t cross the line.
She hadn’t actually said anything, but she’d announced that she’d be supporting me as soon as she realized that I outfitted the club room with super-luxury equipment.
She’s not the kind of person who wouldn’t come if I stopped her, but she came at just the right time.
Now that she was here I could proceed to the next stage but at that moment, Jin-woo, who had been watching the whole thing from my side, finally burst out laughing.
“Boss, do you see the look on their faces? They came in thinking they’re so good, but it’s backfired on them. They’re actually envious, aren’t they?”
Unable to resist the sound of Jin-woo’s laughter echoing through the silent stale room, Kwon Su-hyeop finally blushed and stood up from his seat.
“……We’ll go first.”
Jin-woo stood in front of Kwon Soo-hyeop and glared at him.
“Miss Isheri food was not served yet. I know you guys love her food.”
“I don’t care, I can eat it……even if it’s not today.”
“Eh? Who’s going to let you eat it later, you’re dreaming.”
After saying that, Jin-woo slowly stretched his head forward and spoke into his ear.
“The food you eat today will be the last food you ever eat, so you’d better eat well.”
Normally, he would have shrugged it off, but Jin-woo had an uncanny talent for provocation.
Not only are there other club members around, but there’s an instructor and a first-year senior on the training grounds, so he can’t do anything but put up with it.
Why?
Because all the other clubs here are non-combat clubs like the Recipe Development Club, and all of them have had the experience of being almost killed by combat-oriented clubs.
If they did anything stupid in that situation, they could end up turning all of the non-combat clubs throughout the academy against them, not just the bronze clubs.
And my job is to get rid of that impatience.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you this, the Inomiya Group, the parent company of the International Trade Club’s Haru, has decided to purchase the patent rights to the ‘Golden Walnut Pie’ recipe…….What are you guys going to do about it? You’re going to be the dogs chasing the chickens after all?”
The sound of grinding teeth gets louder.
“……Why would a group called Inomiya or something want to buy her recipe, there’s no way they’d know about it unless you put it in their mouth.”
But I didn’t stop taunting him, smiling and telling him.
“You’re right, I did put some wind in their sails. Why, you think it’s unreasonable for us to show up in the middle of nowhere? If you do, the answer is simple.”
With that, I put my hand on his shoulder.
“──Let’s go to war. You’re the head of a Bronze Club, you should know that, right?”
All-out war, a battle between two clubs, with all of the club’s rating points they’ve been accumulating, and the club’s fortune on the line, where only one of the two clubs can survive.
“If you come at us with an all-out war, we’re not going to duck. We’re going to go all in. Do you understand? If you’re willing to put everything you have on the line to win, then go all out.”
I said.
“I’m sure the Familia would welcome your challenge.”
I smiled and offered him my hand, but instead of taking it, he glared at me.
“Since we’ve only just formed our club, our protection period will be over roughly next week.”
Protection period was a rule of the Academy that prevented new clubs from competing in duels involving the club’s rating.
“At the end of the protection period, I’ll challenge you to an all-out war. And I’ll take it all away from you. Everything you have, so…… wipe your throats and wait.”
After saying that, Kwon slapped my shoulder and walked out.
“Wow…….That asshole. He hit you on the shoulder to save the last bit of dignity.”
Jin-woo glares at the guys beyond the door of Room Z and mumbles to himself, wondering if Kwon Su-hyeop’s slap on the shoulder was really that bad.
“You see, I was hoping this would make them give up, but from the looks of it……I don’t think it will, so we’re going to have to go to war after all.”
Young-jae nods in agreement.
“Even when I was over there, the guys down below told me that the club president, Kwon Su-hyeop, is a single-minded man, and he has to get what he wants before he’ll let go.”
In other words, he never gives up.
“Well, that’s the way it is. We have to deal with them in our own way, but first…….”
With that, I looked at the members of the International Trade Club and the Board Game Club who had come to visit us today.
At the same time, members of the Recipe Development Club come out of the kitchen with trays full of sweets.
“The food is ready!”
“Please enjoy!”
“Thank you all so much!”
One by one, people’s eyes are drawn to the sweets as the savory smells begin to spread.
“Boss, all these people have come to rely on us, do you think we’ll be strong enough to defeat them by then?”
Jin-woo’s question was valid. An all-out war meant that the four of us would have to take on the entire Ranger Club.
To ease his worries, I quietly advised him.
“Even if they’re bronze, they’re still a combat club with sophomores and juniors. If you ask me, they’re definitely too strong for you guys. I honestly think it’s going to be tough with how you are now. But──”
I had no intention of making it easy for them. If they chose to follow me, they would have to be the best in the Academy.
“Next week I’ll do my best to make you grow.”
And as if to echo my response, the other club leaders spoke up.
“From now on, the Recipe Development Club will help as much as possible!”
“The Board Game club will help if there’s anything we can do.”
“I’m just following Familia leader.”
With so many people offering to help as part of our “family,” what could I be afraid of?
I was helping them, just as they were helping me.
“You’d better not eat much. You might throw up when we duel later.”
As I lightly advise the faces of the men who are just beginning to enjoy their food, turn grim.
“……Boss.”
“Mr. Eugene, that’s too much.”
“Boss, cut us some slack today…….”
For the record, my advice was sincere.
