Gift

The first day of regular classes began.

Perhaps because it had been so long since the last class, both students and professors passionately engaged in the lessons.

After all the classes were over, I headed to the club room with Lakar.

Aria was already there, lying on the bed reading a textbook, as if she had been waiting. Luna and Kane were sitting in their seats.

“If we just do today, the search of our assigned area will be over, right?”

We hadn’t searched the academy interior yet, but the external search would end today.

“Aren’t we going to end up finding nothing?”

Seeing Aria lying on the bed and speaking in a disappointed voice, I took out a snack from my spatial storage and subtly offered it to her. As if she had never been disappointed, she tore open the snack with a bright face.

“Let’s all cheer up just for today. I’m thinking of resting for about a day before doing the internal search.”

The club members, who were sharing the snack, nodded.

After taking a short break and chatting about various things, we soon continued yesterday’s search.

I wondered if there might be another mask-like object. I carefully looked even up in the trees, but there was nothing particularly visible.

About an hour passed, and as we were heading back with the intention of quickly searching the areas we had already passed through once again.

I heard Lakar’s voice.

“Club president, it looks like Aria found something.”

At Lakar’s words, I hurriedly headed to where Aria was.

Behind a statue located on a path that students heading to the combat department dormitory didn’t use often. Aria was gesturing excitedly.

“I think I found it!!!”

Behind the statue that Aria pointed to, there was a uniquely designed pocket watch.

Certainly, if it were here, Ross could have obtained it by chance. If it were Ross in the novel, he wouldn’t have any friends and would have been wandering around alone in such remote places to kill time.

“I left it alone because I was worried I might get hurt if I touched it carelessly.”

At Aria’s words, I gave her a thumbs up, saying she did well.

Was she just lucky? I wasn’t sure if it was a corrupted artifact, but I didn’t know what might happen if I touched it rashly. I told Lakar and Aria to stay here and guard it, saying I would go and bring Principal Nelson.

Leaving Aria, whose eyes were shining at the mention of bringing Principal Nelson, I headed to the principal’s office as if running. But there was a sign on the door saying he was out.

The timing wasn’t good. As I was wondering what to do, I went to the faculty office.

I found Professor Leora with her usual strict face and approached her. As if she knew, she looked up at me.

“What’s the matter?”

“We found something strange during the Messiah club activity.”

As I was about to open my mouth to explain what it was to Professor Leora, who was looking at me with a strange expression, Professor Leora got up from her chair and said briefly.

“Let’s go.”

When I returned to the statue with Professor Leora, Aria made a slightly disappointed expression.

“The principal…?”

I answered Aria, who was whispering softly, like that. She made a look as if she was disappointed.

“This is what Aria found.”

When I pointed to the pocket watch with my hand, Professor Leora took out a staff from her chest and muttered something, waving the staff.

A green flash flew towards the pocket watch, but for some reason, the magic bounced off.

Seeing that, Professor Leora narrowed her brow and said to us.

“Students, you may return now.”

I nodded at Professor Leora’s firm voice.

“I will investigate this matter separately and contact the club later.”

Saying that, Professor Leora raised her staff towards the sky, and lights that popped out of the staff like fireworks burst with a bang.

Seeing the security knights rushing in from afar after hearing that sound, we left the spot and returned to the club room.

Kane and Luna had also finished their search and returned to the club room a while later.

“You found it, right?”

Aria, who seemed happy that she had found it, asked while rolling around on the bed. When I answered that she did well, Kane asked from the side with a puzzled expression.

“You found it?”

“Yeah, Aria found one. Professor Leora is taking care of it.”

At those words, Kane sent Aria a look of admiration, and Aria, with her shoulders raised, wiggled her hands as if telling her to praise her more.

“Then will there be a reward? Like adding to the club activity budget.”

“Well, I don’t know yet because the principal is out.”

As I answered Kane like that, Aria interjected.

“How about putting a fireplace in the club room!”

“We should do something practical.”

“How is a fireplace not practical! It makes you sleepy!!!”

Ignoring Kane and Aria, who were arguing as always, I said to Luna and Lakar that they had worked hard.

“Our first club activity was still a success, right?”

When I said that with a smile, Luna and Lakar smiled and nodded.

“The treasure hunt is over, so let’s have some free time comfortably now. Ah, Lakar and Kane, receive the club key.”

When I handed over the key and the chicken skewer drink that I couldn’t give them yesterday, Aria, who was arguing with Kane, said with shining eyes.

“Just one bite.”

“Is she crazy.”

In the end, I thought they would end up dating while fighting like that, even though they would reluctantly give her a bite.

When I thought about it, they were like a comedy duo with contrasting personalities, so they surprisingly matched well.

I turned my gaze to Lakar, who was eating a chicken skewer next to me, and said.

“I’m going to train alone today.”

“Okay, I understand. You’re going to do physical training, right?”

“Of course.”

For me now, physical training was essential and had to be done every day without fail.

I said goodbye to the members and headed to the individual training room. I had been itching to test the Spear of Destruction that I received from Bella yesterday since morning.

When I took out the Spear of Destruction from my spatial storage, it was a little longer than the training spear I had been using, but it was lighter.

I got used to the Spear of Destruction and practiced basic thrusts a few times to get a feel for it.

When I thrust the spear towards the training scarecrow placed in the training room, the spear easily pierced the scarecrow’s armor and came out the back, more easily than the existing spear.

The spear’s inherent ability was excellent, but the reason why the Spear of Destruction became a difficult enemy when it fell into the hands of a cadre of the Order was because of the ‘Power of Destruction’.

When the spear blade turned red, the Power of Destruction would dwell in the spear. Just being stabbed or cut by it would cause the body to explode along with the armor.

It was a spear with immense power that even broke magic and barriers, so one of the reasons why Roel’s hero party struggled when facing the Order’s cadre was because of it.

Well, in the end, they couldn’t overcome the protagonist buff, and the Power of Destruction itself was reflected by Roel’s attack, and the Order’s cadre died without a trace….

If I could skillfully use the Power of Destruction and spatial magic, I would have the ability to strike a fatal blow at any time, aiming for the opponent’s back.

When I focused my magic power on the blood-red gem in the middle of the black spear blade. I could see the red light spreading to the black spear blade, starting to turn red around the gem.

At the same time, I felt a rapid depletion of magic power and dropped the spear, collapsing to the floor.

“Crazy….”

I poured out all the magic power I had, but the magic power ran out at the moment the spear blade started to change.

With my current abilities, I couldn’t fully draw out the Power of Destruction.

In the end, I had to find a cure for the Stone Thorns disease. I had to solve the problem related to magic power.

As I was thinking about getting permission for going out and heading to the cafeteria for dinner. I was able to see Principal Nelson returning from his outing.

“Principal.”

“Ross. I heard from Professor Leora that you did a great job.”

Nelson gestured forward as if to walk together with a smile, so I matched his pace and walked.

“Um, I have something to investigate outside, so can I get an outing pass?”

When I got straight to the point, Nelson gave his usual warm smile.

“Yes, I look forward to seeing what kind of troublesome things you’ll get into.”

Saying that, Nelson, who was walking, looked around and whispered softly.

“More than that, how is the club room?”

When I told Nelson, who was making a mischievous expression, that the room was spacious and had beds and sofas, he made a slightly disappointed expression.

“You haven’t properly grasped the club room yet.”

Is there some kind of secret in the club room…? When I made a puzzled expression. Nelson grinned, giving the ominous smile I had seen sometime before, and continued walking and said.

“When I first created the club, there was always something I wanted. That is to create our own perfect hideout. So I made all sorts of things in the club room. Ah, I once read a novel when I was young. The protagonist of that novel could go to another world through a wardrobe. I was so envious of that…. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to become a magician.”

Nelson stopped walking and said to me with an expression as if he was reminiscing about something.

“Then, it seems you haven’t checked the gift yet. I will deliver the outing pass through Professor Leora, so go and have dinner now.”

Looking at Nelson’s back as he headed to the principal’s office with a warm smile, I ran to the club room instead of the cafeteria.

The club room is not the gift, but there is a separate gift? After hearing these words, I couldn’t go to the cafeteria.

When I arrived at the club room, the members were still there, as if they hadn’t headed to the cafeteria yet.

When I appeared, breathing roughly, Lakar and Luna gave me curious looks.

“What’s wrong?”

Without answering Lakar’s question, I passed the members and stood in front of the huge wardrobe.

“Principal Nelson said I haven’t checked the gift yet.”

At those words, Aria, who was lying on the bed, jumped up like a meerkat and looked at me.

“Ne, Nelson Principal-nim’s gift is still left?!”

Aria, who was shouting with eyes twice as big as usual, as well as the other members, approached me with surprised expressions.

Receiving expectant gazes, I opened the door of the wardrobe. I saw old-looking cloaks and clothes.

When I pushed them to one side. There was a door in the wardrobe that should have been blocked at the back.

As I swallowed hard with anticipation for what might be beyond the wardrobe, Aria, who had approached my side at some point, said in a trembling voice.

“Wha, what could be there?”

What was visible when I opened the door was a forest made of dense palm trees. When I crossed the door with the members. I inadvertently turned around after feeling the sand under my feet and let out an exclamation.

I couldn’t help but make a blank expression at the golden sandy beach and the jewel-like sea sparkling in the sunlight that could be seen behind the door we had come out of.

“Like a snow globe…. Is this place also a virtual space?”

At Aria’s words, who was muttering in a weak voice as if she was shocked, I realized that this island was an island created by Nelson.

“To give an island as a gift…. Is the principal amazing or is the club president amazing?”

“They’re both amazing.”

Lakar looked at me and answered Kane’s mutterings.

I lost my words and ran my hand over my face. The fact that such a world existed beyond the wardrobe was truly like magic, as Nelson said.

I finally came to my senses at the gazes of the members who were looking at me with blank faces, and I smiled and looked at the members.

“Shall we go?”

Looking at the members who didn’t understand my words, I smiled and pointed to the sea.

“We have to enjoy the gift.”

Without answering those words, Aria started running towards the sea, shouting cheers.

While Kane and Lakar were running to the sea following Aria, I matched my pace with Luna, who was lagging behind alone.

Luna was admiring the surroundings as if she was amazed. Luna’s blue eyes, which resembled the sea, shone brightly like emeralds in the sunlight.

The salty smell of the waves crashing in, the sound of leaves scattering in the wind. The golden sandy beach leaving footprints and even the unknown birds flying and crying in the sky.

For some reason, Luna’s eyes, who had admired all of that, were filled with tears.

Looking at Luna’s appearance, I, as always.

I walked together, matching my stride without saying a word.