Death Rose club
After listening to Tave’s explanation and gradually understanding how their club usually operates, it was already nighttime when they stepped out.
"The matter of the Aijeka Network isn’t something you can fully grasp in a day or two. Just take your time getting familiar with it." Worried that Thilan might find it too troublesome and give up, Colt reassured her as they left the Black Shirt Wanderers club.
"It’s not that. It’s just a bit novel and unexpected. Logically, this should be a very important industry, yet I’ve barely heard about it in everyday life," the girl said with slight confusion.
"Because ordinary people have no access to it. At the very least, you need to be Sequence 3 just to barely use the equipment, let alone freely explore and experience various things within the network. It’s estimated that only Sequence 4 can truly navigate it, which automatically excludes 95% of people," Colt explained.
"Furthermore, although the Aijeka Network is incredibly powerful in terms of learning and entertainment, it cannot replace real-world practice and training. Overuse can even lead to neglecting reality altogether, causing mental abnormalities. That’s why the network has never been widely promoted."
"I see."
Since it was already nighttime, they exchanged a few more words before parting ways.
The next day, when Thilan and Annelie arrived at the student council, they were greeted by a different girl.
"Hi, Thilan. I’m Glina," she introduced herself. The girl appeared to be around 18 years old, wearing a fitted white top with a black student council jacket draped over it. She held a clipboard in her arms, and a work ID hung on her chest—not from the student council, but from some company.
"Ah, this? Sorry, I forgot to take it off," noticing Thilan’s gaze on her work ID, she quickly removed the triangular-badged card and placed it in a drawer in the student council office.
"I usually work part-time at Marsilan Consulting Firm, so I’ve gotten used to wearing my badge in the morning," she explained simply.
"Today, I’ll be the one taking you on a tour of the internal clubs within the academy. Yesterday, Colt was the one showing you around, right?"
"Yes." Thilan nodded slightly, sensing a hint of nervousness in Glina’s tone, as if she was somewhat wary of her.
Glina continued introducing herself, "I belong to the student council’s accounting department, which means I handle financial matters. But I also occasionally interact with clubs, helping with reimbursements and procurement."
"Let’s get going. We can talk as we walk." She led Thilan and Annelie outside, locking the office door behind her.
The three stood inside the elevator, waiting in silence as it descended.
"About earlier… I hope you don’t mind, Thilan. I always make sure to handle my student council duties properly—I just help out at the firm in my free time," she explained, still feeling uneasy.
"It’s nothing. Do you work because of financial difficulties?" Thilan asked curiously. She had also experienced financial struggles before and had no prejudice against part-time jobs.
"Uh… yes. Most students at Edess Academy come from wealthy backgrounds, but some don’t," her voice softened.
"My tuition is covered, but whether it's for studies or preparing for university, I still need a stable financial reserve."
"University tuition in the Federation isn’t cheap. At the very least, it costs 300,000 Federation Credits per year, and for some, it can go up to 500,000 or even 600,000," Thilan remarked, feeling a sense of empathy. She had once worried about university tuition herself, though fortunately, that was no longer an issue.
"Exactly. That’s why even in high school, I have to start preparing. Even with student loans, it might not be enough." Glina gazed at the transparent glass wall of the elevator, her lips slightly parted as she sighed.
"Anyway, let’s not talk about that now. Yesterday, you visited the large clubs, right? Today, we’ll check out the small and medium-sized ones. Since they have fewer members and simpler structures, this tour will be much quicker."
The elevator reached the first floor, and she stepped out first, leading the way.
"Follow me."
They walked through the corridor until they reached a building with a classical architectural style. From the outside, it resembled a castle, yet its interior was spacious and equipped with modern facilities.
Inside, they saw many students coming and going, chatting in groups of three or five about recent events, occasional bursts of laughter echoing through the halls.
"This castle was originally built for student clubs, so many have their activity rooms here. But as the academy's student population grew, newer clubs were relocated elsewhere," Glina explained while walking ahead.
They stepped onto an escalator to the second floor, where several club rooms were open. Inside, students were engaged in various activities—some played musical instruments, some painted in studios cluttered with canvases and paint-stained paper, some practiced dance with rhythmic footsteps, while others played card games or held quiet discussions over books.
"This is our first stop." Glina halted before a club room. The sign above the door displayed an emblem of a skull biting a blue rose.
"The Death Rose club—a gathering place for Decay Sequence transcendents and art enthusiasts." After introducing it, she knocked on the door and entered.
The interior was decorated in a gothic-death aesthetic, with skull embellishments in various places. The floor was covered with red carpets, and a round black marble table stood at the center, surrounded by twelve stone chairs. The table was engraved with a complex magic circle featuring symbols, text, and faint traces of stars and moons.
Each of the twelve chairs had a distinct design—some were adorned with carvings of monstrous beasts and malevolent spirits, others were entwined with black and blue rose vines, while some bore intersecting swords and axes with blood-red patterns painted underneath.
As they stepped inside, seven figures in black robes sat around the table, while the remaining five seats were empty.
"Good morning, everyone," Glina greeted with a wave. The seven robed figures remained silent, seemingly displeased by her sudden entrance.
"Morning, Glina. What brings you here? We're in the middle of a meeting." One of them pulled back his hood, revealing short gray hair.
"Schringe, morning. Sorry for the interruption, but if I waited, I wouldn’t have been able to come in until the afternoon. So I had to," Glina explained as she stepped forward.
"This is Schringe, the president of the Death Rose club. He’s a well-known artisan in the academy, particularly fond of bone-related art. The anatomical models he creates are highly sought after by the academy’s medical students," she introduced.
"Schringe, this is Thilan, our new student council member. She’ll be handling many matters this year, so I’m bringing her around to get familiar with things."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Thilan." The gray-haired young man had a pale complexion and maintained a composed, indifferent demeanor as he greeted her.
"Nice to meet you, President Schringe."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Glina led Thilan closer to the round table. She ran her hand over its surface—it was exceptionally cold to the touch, resembling black jade with a semi-translucent texture.
"How is it holding up?" she asked.
"It’s excellent. Thanks again for helping us acquire this ritual table last year. It has significantly aided our members in their secret art practices," Schringe nodded approvingly.
"As long as you're satisfied. I just happened to hear that a mine had unearthed a piece of Cimmerian Obsidian. Knowing your club was searching for such materials, I reached out to them."
A few people sat down, and the young girl gradually learned about some past events concerning Glina and this club.
Many members of the Death Rose club were enthusiasts of necromancy. Although the current Decay Sequence evolved from the Necromantic Sequence, much of its past elements had been removed. Nowadays, only a few truly practiced necromantic secret arts.
Because of its niche and obscure interests, the Death Rose club had always had very few members, and even now, there were only seven. However, each of them was quite strong, all being at least Sequence 5. To reach Sequence 5 during high school was an extraordinary feat—among the entire Federation’s population, it was a rarity of one in ten thousand. Even at Edess Academy, not all students managed to advance to Sequence 5 before graduation.
As they gradually discussed the club’s activities, Thilan curiously asked many questions. Some of them were quite in-depth, touching on the history of the Necromantic Sequence and the evolution of certain secret arts.
“I never expected Miss Thilan to be so knowledgeable about the Necromantic Sequence’s history,” Schringe’s initial indifference faded into keen interest. Even the other six members, who had remained silent until now, gradually joined the conversation.
“During the era of the Mercury Dynasty, the constant wars greatly accelerated and catalyzed the development of the Necromantic Sequence. So many geniuses emerged back then—if only I had been born in that era, I would surely have become a world-renowned master of necromancy.”
“Master of necromancy? The Second Epoch was indeed remarkable, but the Third Epoch was far from pleasant,” the girl shook her head slightly. She was quite familiar with that period of history.
“Haha, well, being purged was inevitable. At that time, the Magic Sequence was rising, much like the current resurgence of the Spirit Particle Sequence.”
“But we Necromantic Sequence transcendents are still fortunate—at least we transformed into the Decay Sequence and managed to continue existing. The Magic Sequence, on the other hand, was completely replaced by the Spirit Particle Sequence.”
“In the past, the Magic Sequence was proficient in alchemy, potion crafting, and rune inscription, but now, all of those fields have been overtaken by the Spirit Particle Sequence,” he recalled some past events with a mix of amusement and relief.
Before long, Glina and Annelie were almost entirely sidelined, left only to listen as Thilan and the black-robed members of the club delved deeper into discussions about various necromantic secret arts. Terms like Morta Incantation, Moon Burial Ritual, and Three-Soul Awakening Formula were mentioned—just hearing their names was enough to leave outsiders bewildered.
It wasn’t until noon that Glina finally interrupted the discussion. Schringe was still somewhat reluctant to stop, but it was indeed time for a meal.
“I’ll give Thilan a gift—a Soul Jade Orb I recently crafted myself.” He stood up, walked to a locked cabinet in the corner of the clubroom, and retrieved a black jade-like sphere roughly the size of an infant’s head. Its surface was deep, dark, and semi-transparent.
“I used micron-thin filaments to engrave runes inside it. This allows for easier execution of necromantic secret arts and provides a space where Decay Sequence beings can take refuge in their ethereal forms.”
“This must have been costly to make. Not only would it take a lot of effort, but the materials aren’t cheap either,” Glina said with mild astonishment.
“It’s nothing. It’s rare to meet someone who shares such common interests. There are too few peers nowadays who understand the Necromantic Sequence.” Schringe shook his head, dismissing it as merely a token of goodwill.
“I’ve already mastered the crafting process for these orbs, so making another one won’t be difficult—it just takes time.”
“Thilan, there’s no need to refuse. I’m looking forward to more discussions with you in the future.” With that, he handed the Soul Jade Orb to the young girl.
[Soul Jade Orb] (Rare Radiant Gold-Grade): A sphere crafted by Schringe based on ancient texts. It allows for the easier execution of various necromantic secret arts and can store ethereal beings of the Necromantic Sequence and Decay Sequence, such as ghosts and wraiths.
“…Well, then, thank you, Senior Schringe,” the girl had initially intended to refuse, but then she recalled that she happened to have a pet from the Decay Sequence—that large spider. So she accepted the gift.
If she stored it in the Soul Jade Orb, she could conveniently bring it to Edess Academy. That way, the creature wouldn’t have to spend its time constantly complaining and sulking.
“Come visit often, Thilan. Our club always welcomes companions who are interested in sharing insights.”
After a series of invitations and farewells, the three of them finally left the clubroom.
At noon, they had lunch, and in the afternoon, they continued their tour of the academy. Most of the clubs they visited were hobby-based, such as sports, art, and music clubs—including ones for instrumental performances, dance, and rock music.
…
The Next Day
Once again, Glina led the two of them, but today’s destination was rather unusual.
“This is the Tikos Botanical Research Club. They primarily study the cultivation and catalysis of Tikos Seeds,” Glina explained before pushing open the door.
“Alen? What are you doing here?” Thilan spotted a familiar face from her own club.
The room was filled with transparent glass cases, each containing a variety of plants of different sizes and colors. Some were in full bloom, others had just sprouted, and some flowers displayed bizarre characteristics—some were bright yellow and delicate, others were blood-red like ghastly faces, while some were incomplete, wilting almost as soon as they bloomed.
Aside from Alen, there were five other individuals in white lab coats. Judging by their pointed ears, they all seemed to share elven bloodlines like him.
“Ah, I’m here for academic exchange. President Thilan, you know how much I love plants,” Alen said, still holding a test tube and a seed. He looked up in surprise at the sound of the girl’s voice, pausing for two seconds before responding.
“Alen is an old acquaintance of ours. If it weren’t for an unexpected event last year, it would have been more natural for him to join our club,” a tall woman with sharp brows and an air of mature elegance walked over.
“Hello, I’m Mavis, the president of the Tikos Botanical Research Club.” She wore a badge with a three-flower emblem on her collar, signifying her certification as a professional botanist.
“You must be Thilan. You look a bit small,” she remarked. Compared to the roughly 1.6-meter-tall Thilan, the golden-haired elven woman stood around 1.8 meters. Thilan had to tilt her head slightly to look up at her face.
“Uh, yes, I’m Thilan.”
“I was just surprised. I’m not blaming Alen for being here,” Thilan wondered if the woman’s apparent hostility was some kind of misunderstanding.
“Haha, Mavis, you’re scaring little Thilan,” Alen put down the items in his hands and walked over.
“Alright, maybe I misinterpreted things. So, Glina, what brings you here today?” Mavis rubbed her forehead before turning to the bespectacled girl.
“Thilan just joined the student council, so I’m taking her around to get familiar with things.”
“Oh, just a minor errand,” Mavis waved dismissively, sounding slightly disappointed.
“Well, let Alen show you around. He’s quite familiar with everything.” With that, she leaned back onto a large sofa in the room, casually crossing her legs and tilting her head back as if preparing for a nap.
…
"And so, this is how things turned out." Alen led Thilan and Annelie through the glasshouses filled with various plants, recounting some past events.
It turned out that he had known Mavis for a long time. They were distant relatives, and as children, they became quite familiar with each other due to their families' interactions. Later, Mavis specialized in the field of botany and frequently sought advice from Alen’s father, leading to frequent meetings between the two.
"Originally, I chose Edess Academy because of Senior Mavis. But after enrolling, I ended up joining a different club instead."
"What do you mean by 'a different club'?" Annelie, standing behind Thilan, seemed a bit indignant.
"Was it such a loss for you to be accepted into the Twilight Ensemble?"
"It’s not that. It was just unexpected. At first, I was only planning to be a consultant. But later… well, later, I was convinced by Thilan. Cough, cough." Alen’s explanation finally eased Annelie’s expression.
"Still, I do feel a little guilty towards Mavis, so when she asked me to help out here, I didn’t refuse. I hope President Thilan won’t be upset."
"This kind of thing isn’t worth being so rigid about. Alen is free to come and go as he likes." Tilan shook her head. She didn’t see it as a big deal—after all, the Twilight Ensemble didn’t have that many serious affairs to begin with.
"Such an open-minded and understanding leader—President Thilan truly lives up to being my idol." Alen reverted to his usual playful tone, making Thilan feel an urge to roll her eyes.
"Alright, let’s drop this topic. I’ve been touring the academy’s clubs these past few days, and I’ve realized how many people and things I had never noticed before in Edess Academy."
"That’s true. Most students focus their activities around their own studies, progression, and club interests. If you're not in the same circles, you could be at the same academy for years and never cross paths." Alen explained.
"There’s so much to learn lately. I feel like President Amorth is giving me way too many responsibilities. Am I really supposed to handle all these club liaisons and event arrangements?" Thilan rubbed her temples, feeling like she was struggling to remember all the names and clubs.
"You’ll get used to it, President. You don’t need to memorize every club in detail—just get a general understanding." Alen offered some advice.
"My guess is that President Amorth isn’t actually expecting you to manage all these complex tasks. This is probably just a way to familiarize you with the academy’s different groups so you have a clear picture of everything."
"Mm, I hope so. Otherwise, I feel like one person just isn’t enough to handle all of this." Thilan glanced out the window, then turned her gaze toward Alen, wondering how to rope him into doing some hard labor. Ever since he joined the club, the atmosphere had shifted—she couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy had a subtle tendency to mess with her.
"Uh, ah, ha… haha… Not enough manpower? There are plenty of idlers in the club, you know… like, uh, that kid Jinzerk." Alen averted his gaze, sounding a little guilty.
"Speaking of which, Jinzerk stirred up quite a commotion in Valk during the break."
"What kind of commotion?" Annelie suddenly grew interested.
"Something along the lines of blowing up an abandoned factory, piloting a makeshift mech, and mowing down the local gang forces with machine guns."
In the remote regions of Northern 9th District, someone with Jinzerk’s family background was practically untouchable. He had a great time unleashing his violent tendencies, and since it was technically for a just cause, it fully satisfied his thirst for excitement. The local people even cheered him on, making him feel immensely proud of himself.
"I heard that after receiving thanks from local orphans and children, he even made a grand gesture, donating a large sum for charity projects in the area," Alen recalled from recent rumors.
"I guess that counts as a good thing?" Thilan said uncertainly. It seemed like a lot had changed this semester.