Just as the three went back down the aisle, Caelus and Archeota had finished up their conversation.
"Thank you, Professor," Caelus said as he bowed.
"No problem at all, child."
"Professor~!" Alicia sang, throwing both arms up as if she were announcing a festival. "We're ready to begin the club meeting!"
"Hmm... are we? Because last I checked, you need five members to become an official club."
And that was all it took for her palpable excitement to fade.
"What?! Five?! B-but surely we don't really need five, right? I mean, you're Professor Archeota! Surely your name alone could — oh, I don't know — sway the faculty with a single word?"
"First off, that's cheating, Alicia," he muttered, earning a quick flinch. "And Rhodeia is unkind to cheaters."
"Eep..."
"And second off, I am honored that you chose me as your sponsor. Truly. But rules are rules. If you can't meet the minimum requirement, there is very little I can do."
"Oh no..."
She swiveled toward Shion, her eyes big and pitiful. He looked back, equally lost, and she groaned like a child denied sweets.
Then, a flicker of light. Hope. Destiny itself pointed the way as her eyes gleamed at the lone figure who had yet to slip out of the room.
Caelus blinked just as Alicia swooped in, draping herself across his shoulder like they were lifelong friends.
"Sup," she greeted, grinning ear to ear.
"...How can I help you, Senior Alicia?" Caelus asked stiffly, clearly unsettled.
"Ohoho~! How very kind of you to ask!"
She wagged a finger before striking a heroic pose.
"And wouldn't you know it? There just so happens to be a way you can help me, my wonderful junior. Care to take an educated guess?"
If she was pouting before, then this time, she was full-on begging. Her eyes were wider than ever before, brows curled in a pleading manner, as stars seemingly sparkled around them.
"I... don't believe I'm the right fit for whatever you have in mind," Caelus coughed. "And besides..."
He turned to Taylor.
"I'd hate to intrude."
"D-don't worry about that anymore!" Alicia exclaimed. "We were off to a rocky start, but Taylor is willing to choke back his prepubescence for the sake of the club! Isn't that right, Taylor?"
"...Prepubescence...?" he muttered, then he locked eyes with Caelus. "Do whatever you want."
"And there ya have it! So? What do you say? Wanna join the Demon Investigation Club?"
Caelus opened his mouth, fully ready to decline. However, nothing came out. In that moment, he thought back to a conversation he had with Rosalina a little while back that dealt with the matter of clubs.
"You should join one," she had said. "It's a great way to boost your rep. If you do well, the upperclassmen can vouch for you during the midterms. It'll bump your evaluation score and raise your odds of passing to the next year."
Up until this point, he hadn't given it much of a thought. It was always a distant notion in the back of his head, never once taking center stage.
There are multiple reasons for that, but the most prominent is that his reputation isn't necessarily well-received. He likely would've been hard-pressed to find a club that would accept him, much less even give him the courtesy of a standard evaluation.
"First, I have a question. What is it exactly that you guys do?" Caelus asked.
"Ooh! He's interested!" Alicia gasped with a giddy smile. "Glad you asked!"
She skipped over to the transparent whiteboard behind Archeota's desk. With a twirl of her wrist, a tangible orb comprised entirely of mana materialized in a palm. Then, she blew it away, scattering the mana like glittery dust as the whiteboard came to life. And written on the board was the club's title as well as a couple of images depicting real-world crime scenes.
"Ta-da~! The Demon Investigation Club!" Alicia mused. "We're a Rhodeia-based club focused on investigating illegal demonic activity within the walls of the capital. Last year, we exposed a representative from the Holy Empire who signed a contract with the Ego of Chaos. Pretty neat, huh?"
Caelus had no visible reaction to such an outlandish claim.
"...Is this a prank?" he asked.
"Eh?!" Alicia exclaimed. "Why do you think so?!"
"Haha, I can see why you would say that," Shion chuckled. "Contrary to how crazy it might sound, it's all true, Caelus. We were quite surprised to find the representative having a private conversation with the Ego of Chaos. As if dealing with one Ego wasn't enough, he went ahead and colluded with another."
Alicia crossed her arms with a disgusted look.
"That damned priest... I should've killed him when I had the chance."
"You would've been in a lot of trouble if you did," Shion said as if to remind her. "He's already been locked up, so let's forget about him."
They weren't lying. At least, that's what it seemed like to Caelus. And if this truly were all an act, then it was one hell of a convincing performance.
"Still unconvinced, Caelus?" Shion asked.
"A little," he replied. "I mean, exposing a representative from the Holy Empire? That sounds like too great a feat for a couple of students."
"Hoho~ And that's where you messed up, my friend," Alicia winked, wagging a finger in front of her face. "We're not just any students. We're Rhodeia students. Even nations from beyond hold this college in high regard, treating the staff as celebrities and the students as certified knights and mages. As such, even the student-run clubs are considered organizations backed by Rhodeia, so we have a lot of authority. One of many reasons why the admission process was so difficult, let alone getting accepted."
A bunch of students having such a massive sway in the politics of the empire? Naturally, it sounded unbelievable, but perhaps this was why clubs were so important. Despite having the ability to shape the very foundation of the empire, students are expected to uphold the standards of Rhodeia.
"Well?" Alicia asked. "What do you say? Wanna join the Demon Investigation Club?"
For a moment, Caelus stared at her welcoming hand. Right now, he was being presented with a free ticket to one of the most essential extracurricular activities of Rhodeia College. From what he had heard just then, he would become the fifth member. That was a far cry from the thirty or so members of another club he had heard of recently. Admittedly, the small number was appealing.
"Sure," he finally said.
"Really?!" Alicia gasped.
"I might as well. I can't imagine anyone else who would want me in their club, so I should take this opportunity while it's dangling in front of my face."
"Yay! Welcome aboard, Caelus!"
"Hah. Good choice," Shion scoffed. "And worry not. Here, you won't face any discrimination due to your status with Professor Archeota as our sponsor. Take Alicia, for example. She's a commoner amongst commoners."
"Hey! You didn't have to add that last bit!"
While Alicia pummeled Shion with aggressive remarks, Caelus wondered if he had made a mistake. Sure, clubs are a great way to move on to the next year, but it isn't the only way. Whether he liked it or not, he just signed up for what could be a massive headache.
"By the way," Caelus mumbled, stopping Alicia before she could pull on Shion's hair. "Didn't Professor Archeota say that we needed five members? I only see four of us."
"Oh, right," Shion said. "Our last member mentioned that she'd be running a little late today. Got caught up with an assignment for her Holy Magic class or something like that. She should be here pretty soon—"
Right before he could finish, the door clicked open. Everyone turned to the top of the aisle to see a fair young lady entering the lecture hall. Her long, luminous hair of gold practically reflected every source of light in the room. Those sparkling, emerald eyes were contained in a sharp, narrow gaze, both gentle and poised.
"Ah, there she is," Shion said as he waved his hand. "Her Imperial Highness, Princess Aria D'Angelica."