When we arrived at class we greeted our friends and took our seats. It was already time for a lesson but the teacher was nowhere to be seen. At this point, nobody really cared since we all knew the reason for this behavior.
"Hiyopi! Donipu~, Isapi~, and Ladapi~. Are you ready for today´s lesson?"
"G-Good morning. Miss Isabella. Mister Dominique"
"Good morning!"
"Morning..."
The group that started a conversation with us was none other than the twins and their knight followed close by the accountant. Each of them gave us a greeting, and we responded to them in the same way.
"Good morning, Miss Anna. Miss Emma. You too, Emile and Dorio"
"Donipu?"
"Ladapi?"
Isabella returned the greeting with complete naturality, however, both myself and Lada repeated the strange names that the older twin had given us.
"Those sound cute, don´t they?" Said the girl with a shy smile.
"P-Please forgive my sister, she didn´t do it out of bad intentions"
The younger twin didn´t waste time apologizing on behalf of the oldest. This kind of show was already something regular among them, so there was really nothing to surprise us anymore.
"Ah, don´t worry Emma, we were just a bit taken aback by the nickname. At the very least, I´m not bothered by it"
"I would prefer it if you never called me like that again"
Contrary to my acceptance, Lada chose to go against the games of the twin-tailed girl with a swift stab to the chest.
"Oh... I see... I´m sorry... I won´t do it again..."
Anna was visibly hurt by the response of the girl with a white bow. This urged Emile to step forward.
"Miss Lada! I assure you that the nickname is not to make fun of you! It´s just the way that Lady Anna has to make sure she is a good friend of someone!"
"No, I get that, but it sounds ridiculous"
"I... Can´t deny that, but..."
"S-Stop it, Emile! It´s fine! She has all the right to refuse! Besides, it´s not like we are not good friends, right?"
Everyone turned to see Lada. When she was covered in our eyes she gained a redish color and turned away her head.
"G-Geez. Alright, I get it. Do whatever you want"
"Then... Can I call you Ladapi?"
Lada let go of a long sigh and faced Anna with a tired expression.
"... Only when there´s no people around..."
A bright ray of light came from the white teeth of the twin as she heard the response of the gloomy beauty.
We all felt a wave of relief when she finally gave her consent and resumed the conversation with another topic.
"By the way guys, have you decided which club are you going to join?" Asked Dorio with excitement.
The twins raised their hands and said at the same time: "We are joining the chemistry club!"
Emile followed with her hand punching his chest. "I´m joining the chivalry club"
"Oh? Knowing you, I thought you would join the same club as the twins"
My question gained the focus of the young man, and he answered me as he crossed his arms with a thoughtful face.
"That was my initial intention, but my ladies said that I have to polish my skills to be more useful in the future"
"He´s all brawl and no brains. He´d already be expelled if it wasn´t for his good results in battle"
"We would live with constant worry if he was to join us in the club..."
The twins voiced their reasons for staying in different clubs. Nobody was able to say anything in return since their words were nothing but certain.
"Kgh! It´s painful to hear you say that... But I can´t deny the truth... I will give it my all to be the best!"
The statement of Emile gave us a collective smile. The twins were also looking quite happy at the enthusiasm of their knight and flashed a smile.
"What about you, Dorio?" Asked Isabella
"I´m joining the business club. I think I´ll be able to obtain useful knowledge to help my family"
"I can´t say I´m impressed" Expressed Lada with a sigh.
"I´m sure you´ll do great, Dorio!"
The boy blushed at the comment from Isabella and adjusted his glasses as he averted his face.
"T-Thank you for the kind words..."
"Have you decided which club to join, Ladapi?"
Focusing on the girl, her expression became a bit more stiff.
"I´m joining the same club as Dorio. I also have to gain more skills to take over the family business"
"I thought you would be joining something related to accountability or so"
"I already have plenty of knowledge about that thanks to my sisters. It´s better if I learn something new that is still somehow related to my goals"
"Ladapi is so cool!"
"Y-You are always so focused... It is very comforting to have you with us"
"Geez... Stop it with your adulation... You idiots..."
She said that, but the deep red on her cheeks gave us a good idea of how she was truly feeling.
"A-Anyway, what about you two? I´m sure someone like you already has an answer"
Receiving the flag I rested on the palm of my head.
"I think I´m going with the hunting club"
My words caused a commotion. The smiles of my friends disappeared in a flash as concern took the place of happiness.
"... Are you serious?"
"Dominique, you should reconsider it"
Both Dorio and Lada tried to convince me to take another club, however, I had already taken my decision.
"I am serious. I gave it some thought and the conclusion was this"
"I thought Donipi was going to join the chivalry club..."
"Y-Yes... You want achievements right? Isn´t the chivalry club the best place to gain some?"
The logic of the twins was not wrong. In both the original story and the history of this academy, it´s the chivalry club where most of the notorious soldiers are chosen to join a noble household or even the royal army.
Some of the Yatras have graduated from that club. My new sister is even part of it. But that is because they are nobles whose opportunities keep increasing. They are not irregulars with an unusual appearance like me.
"For most people, yes, that would be the case. But it´s a bit different for someone like me. It would be too difficult to get some recognition among the lines of nobles and purists. I can´t like a situation where having good luck is more important than being competent or skillful"
When my friends heard me, a grim air fell on us. I knew they wanted to say otherwise, but deep down they knew how realistic I was being. And since they are all kind people, no one dared to push the subject any further.
"Then, the only thing left for us is to support you as much as possible, right guys?"
Feeling the change in the environment the heroine appeared to the rescue and calmed the waters with her usual positivity. When the rest of our group heard that they all nodded as if they had reached a common agreement.
"No one can tell you to quit when you are this serious, but as your friends, I think we can at least ask you to be careful when you are out there"
I had nothing to gain by disposing of her kindness, so I smiled and nodded in return. "Of course. I don´t plan on getting expelled by a bad injury"
The group regained its energy, and so, the teacher in turn had finally arrived.
"Forgive my late arrival guys. As always, this school is just too confusing sometimes. Let´s start the lesson, and once we are finished, you can give me your club applications"
Our group separated and went to their own places. In the end, it was just Lada, Isabella, and me.
"I hope you also take into consideration the things you told me"
"... You knew?"
"I had a hunch"
When I turned to see Isabella she was giving me a strange kind of smile. It was subtle but at the same time, intimidating. Her eyes were also sharper than usual as if she was looking at her prey. On her hands was the club application, and on the space where you were supposed to write the name of the club was written: 'Hunting club'.
"Let´s give it our best, Dominique"
She gave that declaration with a soft voice filled with an unknown determination. A chill ran down my spine when I thought of the implications of her words.
"... Do we have any other choice?"