An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 61: The Angel Who Creates a Club (14)

Episode 61

Why did Leffrey create the Volunteer Club in the first place?

'To make Soya, Mari, and Wol into heroes...!'

Leffrey no longer waited for Heaven to send down heroes.

He vowed to raise heroes himself.

'Even though the cathedral is important… It was my fault for falling for those girls' temptations and doing bad things from the start.'

Raiding other clubs' warehouses, stealing treasures from the museum, joining forces with large clubs and trampling on smaller clubs.

This wasn't the way of a hero.

'This way, we won't be able to defeat the demon king.'

"First of all, the items we stole… we'll return everything."

"Leffrey, no… We won’t be forgiven...!"

"I don't intend to be forgiven. I'll just return the items."

The three girls and one professor looked at Leffrey with regretful expressions.

"That's impossible..."

Leffrey smiled, looking at them.

"Naiad."

Leffrey whispered.

Gurgle- The sound of rushing water was heard. Water from the surroundings gathered, eventually taking the form of an elegant noblewoman.

And the high-ranking water spirits attended to her like maids.

"Naiad…?"

Hexi muttered.

"Ah, The Princess, you're alive."

Naiad, with her usual arrogant demeanor, looked down at Hexi and the other three girls. And when her gaze fell upon the boy...

"It's been a while, Leffrey-nim."

She greeted him politely. Hexi, who knew Naiad's personality well, was speechless.

"You summoned Naiad just by whispering her name? That arrogant Naiad?"

Soya also seemed in disbelief.

"What can I do for you?"

But Naiad, oblivious to the atmosphere, naturally asked Leffrey what he needed.

"Naiad is using formal speech. She never used formal speech, not even with His Majesty..."

Hexi muttered.

She still couldn't believe it, subtly placing her hand on her bow.

"Naiad-nim, I have a request."

"What is it?"

Naiad's expression was benevolent, as if to say she would grant any wish.

"I would like to hold an event at your lake."

"..."

Yumari and Hongwol subtly took combat stances.

Naiad was a spirit king known for her fickle personality and disdain for humans. She could betray Leffrey and attack at any moment.

But contrary to the girls' judgment, Naiad smiled and said,

"Leave it to me. Like the Blessing of the Spirits… no, I'll prepare an even bigger event."

"Thank you."

Leffrey smiled angelically.

"Then when should the event begin...?"

"Hmm."

Leffrey's voice was filled with mischief.

"Since we can't skip our academy classes, so, when is the next day we have off... Ah, right."

Leffrey opened his mouth.

"The first day of the club fair would be perfect."

* * *

"No, first the Blessing of the Spirits, now the club fair… The academy isn't some playground, is it?"

Grumble grumble-

A reporter who came to cover the club fair started complaining. The academy was a school after all, how could there be so many events? When would they even study?

"Playground? How can you call the world's best academy a playground...?"

Then their junior colleague protested,

"But it's true! To have a festival every few weeks... Where is there a school like this?"

"...Wait, Senior."

"Why?"

The junior pointed at the empty lot where the club fair was being held.

"This year's club fair… It's too empty, isn't it?"

"Hmm, let me see. You're right."

The empty lot north of the academy where the club fair was being held. It was decorated quite extravagantly, but it seemed empty and lacked substance.

What’s the point of being flashy? The true essence of a festival comes from street vendors and small attractions.

But the pampered children of the large clubs… were too obsessed with their achievements to consider such things.

The fact that the smaller clubs weren't prey to be crushed and exploited… but partners to coexist with.

The two reporters, looking around the club fair, said, unable to hide their annoyance,

"What's the point of having fancy decorations if there's nothing to eat? I would rather just go to the movie theater."

The senior grumbled.

Then the junior colleague agreed,

"You're right. This year's club fair is a flop."

"Good. Let the students study."

Brrrt- Brrrt-

Suddenly, the junior's phone rang.

"Yes, Chief. Yes. Yes? Is that true? Yes, I understand."

"...What is it?"

The junior colleague, with an expression of disbelief, said to their senior,

"Senior."

"Why?"

"They're saying another club fair is being held at Naiad's Lake."

"...What? What are you talking about?"

The senior asked in disbelief.

"So, they’re saying that all the clubs participating in the club fair… moved their buildings to Naiad's Lake."

"What? Moved their buildings? Do they think they're Terrans or something? Is that even possible?" (TL Note: Terrans are one of the races in starcraft a popular strategy game. Based honestly)

"I'm not sure either. They’re saying some kind of water spirit moved them."

The junior colleague continued,

"Anyway, there seems to have been a terrorism attack on the club fair. Several clubs were raided, and even the Connoisseurs' Club Museum was robbed."

"Ha, having a museum for a mere school club was the problem."

"Ahh, please listen seriously!"

The junior colleague continued,

"But they’re saying that Naiad and a club called the Volunteer Club recovered all the stolen items. The clubs that were robbed decided to hold the club fair at Naiad's Lake as a token of their gratitude to Naiad and the Volunteer Club."

"Hmph, Naiad… after causing a scandal during the Blessing of the Spirits, is she trying to improve her image? Wait, and who is the Volunteer Club?"

The junior showed his senior the text message sent by the editor-in-chief.

[★Important★ Investigate the Volunteer Club, the main player in this club fair.]

"Tsk, for such a low salary..."

"Senior, shouldn't we hurry? Other newspapers are probably going crazy trying to get a report on the Volunteer Club..."

"No, why are the world's media shaking over a club made by mere students? I don't understand!"

The senior, while saying that, was already running.

The junior colleague shouted, running after him,

"Senior, wait!"

* * *

Naiad's Lake.

A small shop named 'Cookie Club', three girls were inside, happily snacking.

"...This cookie, is delicious."

"It's so black magic-friendly… !"

Hongwol, ignoring the other snacks, picked up a long stick-shaped jelly packet.

"What's this?"

"Ah, it's a jelly stick. You suck on it. Try it." (TL Note: If you want some visual on what it looks like just search up “juicee gummee rainbow pencil”)

"Hmph, looks like an amateurish workmanship at best."

She opened the packet and took a small lick of the jelly.

"Hmm, well."

Lick- Lick-

Before they knew it, Hongwol was silently licking the jelly stick.

Leffrey looked at Yumari and said,

"Mari."

"Yes."

"What do you think about this method? Not fighting with others... not bringing anyone down..."

Yumari, as always, remained expressionless. But she seemed to be thinking for a moment, then muttered in a small voice,

"...I don't know."

"Really?"

At that moment, the president and members of the Cookie Club came out and greeted Leffrey and Mari.

"Ah, so you're that Leffrey!"

"He really is cute, as rumored."

"Leffrey! Leffrey!"

The students of the Cookie Club cheered Leffrey's name.

"To just create a new club fair at a new location. It was a genius idea!"

"Leffrey, you're truly our savior…! I'll give you a one-year free pass to our Cookie Club..."

Then they looked at Yumari, who was next to them.

"Mari, thank you so much for helping us this time."

"...Yes?"

Leffrey had never seen Yumari make an expression like that.

Yumari always wore a faint smile in front of others, and no matter how embarrassing the situation was, she never showed any sign of fluster.

She just stayed expressionless.

But right now...

Yumari looked puzzled.

"If it weren't for you, we would really be..."

"Bankrupt. Seriously."

"We'll give you a one-year free pass too."

Yumari, looking flustered, accepted their offer.

Leffrey asked again,

"What do you think?"

"I... I... I don't know."

Yumari, looking at the one-year Cookie Club free pass in her hand, trailed off.

"The Seocheon Yu never taught me this kind of method..."

"Really? Then..."

Leffrey smiled and reached out his hand to Yumari.

The boy, backlit by the sun, looked as if he had a halo above his head.

"I'll teach you from now on."

Leffrey smiled.

The girl, watching him, as if possessed, opened her mouth...

* * *

On the morning of the club fair, the student council executives gathered inside the large club's temporary building… and waited for Yumari and the other members of the Volunteer Club to arrive.

"So, you're certain?"

"Of course, Vice President. They said they’d bury the Connoisseurs' Club and the other clubs at this club fair… and that we should join forces with the new Volunteer Club."

"And that half-dragon must have sweet-talked and persuaded you to betray the student council."

The president of the large club shook their head and sweated profusely.

"Do you think we would fall for something like that?"

"Hmph, how can I trust you, who just signed a contract with Yumari and are already betraying her?"

Koo Sang-hyuk clicked his tongue and looked around.

The streets were much emptier than during previous club fairs.

"We, the student council, were willing to even sacrifice the success of this club fair to bring down Yumari and her lackeys. We even let Yumari monopolized this club fair."

"Of course, we're grateful for that."

Vice President Koo Sang-hyuk said coldly,

"If you're grateful, then work properly. The moment Yumari and the Volunteer Club come to collect their due… make sure to seize them."

"...Of course."

The club president bowed deeply again.

Koo Sang-hyuk clicked his tongue and left the club president's office.

'Yumari must think she's cornered us. But the one who is truly cornered is you...!'

This time, he would eliminate Yumari, Leffrey, and their friends, all who dared to defy the student council. That was Koo Sang-hyuk's thought.

"Once we capture them, then if we can use the large clubs to prove that the Volunteer Club raided other clubs' warehouses… we can get them suspended at the very least… no, even expulsion is possible."

The failure of this club fair was a price he could pay if he could expel them.

Although the student council's reputation would be tarnished…

"Vice President."

A student council executive rushed in.

"What is it?"

"It's, it's a disaster!"

"Disaster?"

The student council executive quickly spoke,

"The Volunteer Club, joining forces with Naiad, has recovered the stolen treasures of the clubs that were robbed!"

"...What are you talking about?"

"So, as compensation for returning the treasures, the Connoisseurs' Club and other large clubs… are holding the club fair at Naiad's Lake!"

"What?!"

Koo Sang-hyuk's voice became rough.

They returned the treasures?

They returned all the treasures they worked so hard to steal, for no reason?

'No, this makes it almost impossible to prove that they raided the warehouses. We only had circumstantial evidence in the first place… To accuse students who returned stolen treasures of being thieves… only our student council will be ridiculed.'

Wait, there was a bigger problem.

The Connoisseurs' Club and other clubs are going to hold a club fair at a location not designated by the student council? That meant they were no longer under the student council's control.

No, even that wasn't the important part.

"If the Connoisseurs' Club went to Naiad's Lake..."

"It's not just the Connoisseurs' Club. Other smaller clubs, clubs advised by professors, and even the clubs that we cut ties with because we couldn't catch the culprit… all of them…"

"All of them… what?"

"...are participating in the Naiad's Lake Club Fair, organized by the Volunteer Club."

Then what happens to the club fair we organized?

"We've been completely outplayed."

Koo Sang-hyuk's hand trembled slightly.

"This wasn't Yumari's doing. Yumari wouldn't do something like this."

Koo Sang-hyuk, consumed by rage, muttered,

"Whose plan is this? Could it be… Could it be Leffrey, that brat's plan? Has that brat been above us this whole time?"

Thus, Leffrey's evaluation skyrocketed without him knowing.

...Anyway, this was how good deeds always get rewarded.

Meanwhile, Leffrey, oblivious to everything…

[Protecting the dreams of countless students is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

[Doing the right thing despite the risks is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

[Thwarting the evil plan of a powerful force is truly an angelic act!]

[You have gained a large amount of Angelic Power.]

Slurp slurp-

Leffrey, squeezing a jelly stick into Hongwol's mouth… looked at the messages popping up with a puzzled expression.

'Thwarting the evil plan of a powerful force? What's that?'

Leffrey tilted his head in confusion.