Chapter 35: The Club Fair and a Bold Claim

The Next Day

Sion left the dormitory later than usual in the morning.

There were no classes today.

As he rubbed his sleepy eyes, Patrick, who was walking beside him, grinned.

“What, did you go somewhere with the top student? Why are you so tired, huh?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

Patrick smirked, rubbing his nose.

He had been teasing Sion endlessly about his meeting with Serenne after class.

Ignoring his jokes, Sion continued walking through the academy campus.

‘It wasn’t as bad as I thought.’

Serenne Camillea—eccentric and completely in her own world.

Spending time with her had been surprisingly enjoyable.

After their unexpected meal at the couple-themed restaurant, they had taken a magical photo together and exchanged copies.

Then, Serenne had suddenly pulled out Sion’s student ID from his pocket.

— “S-Serenne?”

— “Stick it on. I will too.”

— “Huh? Stick what?”

— “The photo.”

Snap.

Without hesitation, Serenne attached the photo of their awkwardly taken picture to the back of Sion’s student ID.

— “Why so suddenly…?”

— “I’m putting it on mine too.”

— “Uh… okay.”

She then did the same to her own student ID.

And just like that, both of their student IDs now had the same photo on the back.

Afterward, they had gone to a café known for its desserts and had a long conversation.

They talked about their Mystic Eyes, magic, and even casual hobbies.

To Sion’s surprise, talking with Serenne was easier than he had expected.

It turned out to be a good day.

“Hey, why are you so quiet? Thinking about Serenne again?”

“…Don’t you ever get tired of this?”

“Oh? You’re not even denying it. That means I’m right~.”

“Sigh…”

Ignoring Patrick’s relentless teasing, Sion walked for a few more minutes.

Finally, they arrived at their destination.

One of the most famous spots in the academy—Byzantium Park.

Right now, it was filled with people.

“Come watch our magic club’s performance!”

“If you stop by now, you can get free pastries from our confectionery club! Just listen to our introduction!”

The beautiful park was lined with numerous booths made of temporary tents.

That’s right—today was the Club Recruitment Fair.

It was a major event where all the clubs in Byzantium Academy promoted themselves to new students.

“Patrick, which club are you planning to join?”

“The tea ceremony club. It’s great for networking.”

“Really?”

“Why, wanna come with me? But what about Serenne? Leaving her to hang out with me instead?”

“Sigh, just go already.”

“Alright~.”

Sion waved him off dismissively, and Patrick grinned before heading toward the tea ceremony club’s booth.

He had already made up his mind, so there was no point in walking around together.

‘Walking around alone feels a bit awkward… but whatever.’

Patrick had been harping on about Serenne all morning.

If Sion stayed with him any longer, he would never get a moment of peace.

It wasn’t a bad idea to take his time exploring the fair on his own.

‘In the past, I would’ve avoided noisy places like this because of all the aggressive recruitment.’

Glancing around, Sion observed the people working at each club booth.

Their outfits, promotional tactics, and appearances were all different.

But what was clear was that they were all passionate about their clubs.

Something about their enthusiasm shone brightly.

As he wandered around, enjoying the event—

Suddenly, someone placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Hey! Freshman.”

“…Huh? S-Senpai?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot my name? It’s Michelle. Michelle Fontatz. Long time no see.”

The third-year student with violet hair and a slightly delinquent-looking face.

Michelle Fontatz, a senior from the Magic Department, and the one who had helped Sion before, had appeared.

“You came to check out the club fair?”

“Yeah… Oh, are you here for that too, Senpai?”

“Are you stupid? Why would I just be looking around? I’m here to promote.”

“Promote?”

“Yeah. How about stopping by my club’s booth?”

She grinned, her sharp teeth showing slightly.

If someone unfamiliar saw them, they might mistake the situation for some kind of extortion.

But Sion knew better.

“Sure. Where is it?”

“Good answer! Follow me. I’ll show you something amazing.”

Michelle clapped him on the back before leading him away.

Her club’s booth wasn’t too far away.

It was much larger than the other booths.

The reason?

A sparring arena.

“Aah! You lost! But you lasted pretty long. Here’s a participation prize!”

“T-Thank you!”

A small mat, about the size of a studio apartment.

On it, two people dressed in uniforms bowed to each other.

‘What kind of club is this…?’

“Welcome to the Judo Club, freshman.”

“Judo… Club?”

“Yeah. It’s a sport that came from a faraway country in the East. It’s actually pretty cool. I’ve been a member since my first year—three years now.”

Michelle Fontatz’s club was none other than the Judo Club.

She was dressed in a uniform with a belt tied around her waist, making it clear that this was a martial arts club.

“A faraway country in the East? Who created it?”

“Hm? No idea. From what I heard, the previous headmaster of Byzantium Academy brought it back from the East.”

There it was again.

The previous headmaster of Byzantium Academy.

The one who had upgraded student IDs into smartphone-like devices and apparently introduced judo from the East…

‘This is definitely the work of a modern-day reincarnator. Judo? That means Japan… or maybe Korea?’

The introduction of phone magic could have been a coincidence.

But bringing judo into this world?

That was no coincidence.

“What’s with that deep thought? You don’t like judo or something?”

“Ah, no. I wouldn’t say that…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t force you to join. Just participate. If you do, you’ll get a special Byzantium Academy notebook with the academy logo on it!”

Ta-da!

Michelle made a sound effect with her mouth as she proudly held up a notebook.

It was an ordinary notebook with a crudely drawn Byzantium Academy logo on the cover.

Sion stared at it for a moment before whispering,

“The notebook is nice, but… isn’t the academy logo just drawn by hand?”

“…Huh? Is it that obvious?”

“A little… I think the person who drew it might not be very good at art. It might be better to just leave the logo off…”

As soon as Sion finished speaking, Michelle snapped the notebook shut and hid it behind her back.

Curious, Sion glanced at her face—

She was blushing slightly.

…Wait. Could it be?

“Ah. Sorry. I didn’t realize— Ah!”

“J-Just shut up and get in the ring already!”

Whack!

Michelle delivered a solid punch to Sion’s back, sending him stumbling forward.

Before he knew it, he had stepped onto the sparring mat.

There, waiting for him, was a woman dressed in a white judo uniform.

Her red hair was tied in a high ponytail.

Even through the thick fabric of the uniform, her toned muscles and well-developed physique were evident.

She had the undeniable presence of an athlete—someone who trained regularly.

The moment she noticed Sion, she grinned.

“Nice to meet you, kid.”

“B-Been looking forward to it…?”

“Did you come to participate in the event?”

“Uh… yes?”

“Then let me explain the rules.”

She handed him a one-size-fits-all judo uniform along with a piece of paper.

The paper had a rough sketch and a written explanation of the event and judo rules.

…Judging by the quality of the drawing, it was likely done by the same person who drew the notebook’s “academy logo.”

The event’s rules were simple.

“As you can see on the paper, the ‘Defeat the Senior’ event is straightforward—you just have to throw me down.”

“…Throw you down?”

“Yep. Use judo techniques to make me fall. However—”

She placed her right hand behind her back.

“I’ll only be using one hand as a handicap.”

In a sport like judo, where balance and grips were crucial, using only one hand was a huge disadvantage.

But at the same time, it was a clever marketing strategy—

It gave challengers the illusion that they stood a chance.

“For participation, you’ll get a notebook.

If you score a half-point, you’ll get a free coffee coupon for a café near the academy.

If you score a full point, you’ll receive a meal ticket for a restaurant near the academy.

And if—”

She grinned and gestured toward a large transparent container next to the ring.

Inside, a pile of silver coins gleamed.

“If you manage to defeat me within two minutes—”

She smirked.

“I’ll give you all the silver coins we’ve collected from the entry fees.”

“…All of them?”

“That’s right. Now, are you in? Just hand over one silver coin to enter.”

Sion’s gaze was locked on the transparent container.

There were at least a hundred silver coins inside.

Not enough to cover tuition, but definitely tempting.

Sion reached into his pocket, pulled out a silver coin, and handed it over.

“Alright. Here’s your uniform.”

“Wait a second.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Instead of taking the uniform, Sion turned to Michelle Fontatz.

She was still standing nearby, idly fiddling with the drawings on the paper.

Sion pointed at her.

“…Can you fight against Michelle-senpai instead? I’ll pay an extra silver coin.”

“…Huh? Me?”

“Hooh. And why’s that?”

Sion responded immediately.

“If I watch a match once, I think I’ll be able to win.”

“W-What?”

“…!”

It was a bold statement—some might even call it arrogant.

But Sion’s expression remained calm.

He wasn’t boasting—he was stating a fact.

“You’ve lost it. Even if I fight one-handed, I could throw you in an instant…”

“No, I’m serious.”

“…Pfft. Damn, freshmen these days sure are cocky.”

Michelle chuckled in disbelief.

On the other hand, the Judo Club Captain flashed a wide grin.

“Fine. Michelle, step in.”

“Huh? But Captain…”

“That confidence is amusing. And if he’s willing to pay an extra coin, why not?”

“Tch. I really don’t feel like sweating, though…”

Michelle clicked her tongue but put on a judo uniform regardless.

She tightened her belt and took her stance—

And surprisingly, she looked competent.

A fellow club member stepped in as the referee.

Sion focused intently on the two standing in the ring.

“Match, start!”

“Hup!”

“Hraaah!”

The instant their bout began—

A system window popped up in Sion’s vision.

[Skill Identified: Thigh Reap (Harai Goshi)]
[Martial Art: Judo]
[Attribute: None]
[Circle Level: 2]

[Description: A technique used to throw or sweep an opponent off their feet.]

[You have identified a combat skill that matches your current Circle level!]
[A new skill has been added to your Combat Archive.]
[You can now use Thigh Reap.]

Sion’s eyes widened.

A skill had just been copied into his archive.

And it had happened just from watching the fight.

—To be continued.