Why Did I Have to Enroll

Chapter 103:

"I want to join the club too."

In the afternoon, during Magic Combat class.

Ayre, who was sitting next to Ban Yu-won, said this after hearing about what happened in the student cafeteria this morning.

"Did you not hear what I just said? We're teaching people who aren't up to standard."

"That's why I'll join as a teaching assistant. I'm good with educational magic too."

Well, what couldn't she do?

The problem lies elsewhere.

"We don't have enough money to hire you."

"You can pay my participation fee with food. And Professor Yumina..."

"Union Journey was originally a food club, but... wait, you want Professor Yumina?"

"Oh, I just heard everything."

Suddenly, a girl's voice came from behind, and Misty poked her head out.

"Huh?"

"..."

"A-ahem. You, Ban Yu-won!"

While Ayre was looking at her with an expression that seemed to say 'What kind of bug is this?', Ban Yu-won could tell that Misty had jumped in with great determination.

"Is it okay to make a club for such a trivial purpose?"

"It is. Because Professor Yumina is our backing."

Misty starts a conversation with Ban Yu-won.

Ban Yu-won played along with her desperate eye signals.

If this makes Ayre interested in her, the plan will be a success!

"While some of us are wasting precious after-school hours playing cello we don't even want to learn..."

"You guys have it tough too, huh."

"Misty is a noble lady from Melodia, a top-tier dimension, so she has no choice but to socialize with other nobles! Do you know what Melodia is? It's one of the Ten Great Dimensions that stands shoulder to shoulder with Ketius, Lucein Ortima's birth dimension!"

Misty's friend chimed in with a friendly explanation.

Ten Great Dimensions - he remembered hearing about ten dimensions that ranked just below Union in the hierarchy.

And the families that ruled these dimensions (it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them royal, or even imperial families) were known as the Ten Great Families.

Misty, being from such a top-tier dimension and though not from one of the Ten Great Families, was still noble enough to be called a great noble, which certainly made her of precious status by Union Academy standards.

"You're very kind, thanks for the explanation."

"Oh, oh?! This much is only natural...! M-my name is Rushe. From Melodia..."

"I'm Ban Yu-won from Earth. Nice to meet you, Rushe."

"Yeah. N-nice to meet you, Ban Yu-won."

Having lost her initial hostility at Ban Yu-won's words of thanks, Misty's friend introduced herself.

To think the day would come when he'd exchange greetings with the girl who had once considered killing him - Ban Yu-won felt slightly moved.

But Misty seemed to think differently, narrowing her eyes as she glared at her friend.

"Rushe?"

"Ha, n-no! I'm not conspiring with them, Misty! I just thought they seemed a bit okay...!"

"Rushe...?"

"So, can I join? The club."

Just as they were creating a touching scene of youth with newly made friends, Ayre's cold voice blew away the atmosphere.

Looks like today's not going to work out, Ban Yu-won thought with a bitter smile as he replied.

"You really want to join?"

"I thought it was limited to Class 11 members until now, but if that's not the case, I'm definitely joining."

Indeed. Now that they had already accepted special admission students, there was no reason to refuse Ayre.

If she really helped out, there would be no reason to dislike it, and since she often appeared in Rebellion Channel videos anyway, Ban Yu-won nodded readily.

However.

"Don't you have to participate in at least one club? What club were you in originally?"

"Some weird instrument club. I wasn't participating anyway, so I'm going to quit completely this time."

"Oh..."

"Ah..."

For some reason, Misty and Rushe let out wistful voices at Ayre's words.

Ban Yu-won had a feeling he knew which weird instrument club Ayre had been in.

"...Ban Yu-won, we want to join that club too."

"Misty?! But it's full of special admission students!"

"If we say we're following the princess, it should be fine."

Misty and Rushe were having a serious conversation even though Ban Yu-won hadn't agreed to anything yet.

Ban Yu-won stared at the two of them for a while before something occurred to him and he asked Ayre.

"Ayre, which dimension are you from?"

"Melodia."

"Right, of course..."

Although Ayre herself had never mentioned it directly and others didn't gossip about it.

Ayre must be a literal princess born of great lineage, comparable to the Ten Great Families.

That explains why Misty follows Ayre so fervently.

'Wait, so all three people in front of me are from Melodia and are magic users?'

Perhaps just as Dokgo Yeon's homeland of Murim was a world focused on martial arts, Melodia might be a world focused on magic.

...All three are from Melodia?

All from a top-tier dimension?

"Is the Special Class only for people from the Ten Great Dimensions?"

"It's strictly based on ability... or so the Academy says."

Misty replied with an ambiguous expression.

It seems Ban Yu-won's thoughts were correct.

No wonder Cantone and Ryu Cheolmyeong treated the Special Class with such excessive respect - they were discriminating based on dimensional origin!

Of course, since magical capacity and talent differ by birth dimension, it's generally not wrong, but this elitist way of thinking was infuriating.

"The people here are really all the same. It's amazing, truly amazing."

"In that sense, I might be lucky. Thanks to a monster like you appearing in our generation, those prejudices have been properly shattered."

"Misty..."

"..."

Rushe made a sympathetic expression at Misty's self-deprecating mumble.

But in Ayre's expression as she looked at her, there was interest that hadn't been there until just now, so in some ways, it could be called quite successful.

*

"So we gained three new members. Everyone, give them a round of applause!"

"Why are they all women?!"

"Rock Senior, please keep quiet."

"Gah?!"

After school.

In the lecture hall without doors, twenty-four people gathered: the four Rebellion members, Yumina, Mira, Ayre, Misty, and Rushe, plus fifteen Special Class students from second to fourth year.

To be precise, there were five second-years, six third-years, and four fourth-years including Rock Senior.

"Come to think of it, our year only has four people, but the other years generally have more Special Class students?"

"This is what's left after some got expelled or died. That's also why they couldn't properly climb the Tower."

"Ah, thanks for that information I didn't want to hear."

So students really do die here.

Though he had personally killed Erecto, Ban Yu-won didn't feel particularly good hearing about how such things happened so casually.

'Honestly, I thought I didn't care if people I didn't know died... but I'd prefer if people I'm connected to didn't die.'

As he was thinking that this whole thing had been a good decision in many ways, Mira, as if sensing his thoughts, subtly took his hand.

Seeing this, Ruchel grabbed his other hand in response, and Ban Yu-won laughed and shook off both their hands.

He was now certain these two shouldn't be put together.

"Now then, let's discuss our future schedule."

"I heard you were barely goblin-level when you enrolled, but now you're ranked 8th in the comprehensive evaluation matches."

Rock Senior said.

Though it was somewhat rude, since it was actually true, Ban Yu-won nodded straightforwardly, and the senior threw up both hands and shouted.

"You got that strong so quickly because of artifacts and elixirs, right! I want those too!"

"Can I hit you?"

—WHAM!

Ban Yu-won asked reflexively and punched the senior in the face before even hearing the answer.

Thanks to unconsciously using manifestation technique while hitting, it landed as a perfect clean hit.

The senior fell back with a nosebleed.

"Hi-hit me all you want, just give me the artifacts...! Ugh!"

"Where should I even begin with this. Do the rest of you think the same?"

Ban Yu-won asked the others while stepping on the senior.

No fools nodded their heads.

"By the way, is there a reason this person is the representative?"

"It's because of his unique ability."

Another fourth-year senior kindly explained.

"He can enhance group decision-making and slightly strengthen all allies' abilities. That's how he became the leader of our fourth-year party, and somehow ended up representing all Special Class students."

"I see."

Could it be an advanced version of the Leadership concept he had?

Looking at it now, it seems the Special Class students each had their own strong individual characteristics beyond simple magic or martial arts.

Characteristics that, while perhaps too modest to call powers, had unlimited potential for development.

"Indeed... if we just polish it up..."

"Urk, urrgh..."

Ban Yu-won polished Rock Senior until he felt satisfied, then let him go.

Then he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Before joining the club, I'll first make contracts with all of you. The basic conditions are maintaining secrecy and no betrayal, plus following my instructions as long as I'm a student at this Academy."

"W-wow..."

Misty, who was participating as a teaching assistant, wore a horrified expression.

"In return, I'll do my utmost to protect you seniors and help you graduate. Actually, following my instructions is a prerequisite for your growth anyway, so you don't need to worry too much about it."

It was a scam contract that would make even an unethical insurance salesman weep.

Hearing those words, Mira wore a dreamy expression as if recalling her own recent contract with Ban Yu-won.

"Wow, so this is what they call forced selling."

"This is like those situations where you can't leave the room until you sign, right? No wonder there's no door."

Though there was some muttering, not a single student dared to challenge Ban Yu-won in this setting.

First, because day by day his words carried more power, taking away any desire to defy him from those who heard them.

Second, because by the time they gathered here, the Special Class students were already in a situation equivalent to hanging off a cliff.

"Agreeing to the contract means becoming my destiny-bound companions. I'll definitely give you at least one opportunity you've been wanting."

"Oh, what about erotic commands...?"

"Get out."

"I'll do it! Including erotic commands!"

"I said no!"

Making contracts with all fifteen people, including Rock Senior, didn't take very long.

All of Ban Yu-won's words were connected to his power, and as his ability to manipulate language grew stronger, even simple verbal promises carved contract text into all fifteen bodies.

Though not as deep as the contract with Mira due to the time limit, it was just as binding in its restrictions.

"That was simpler than I expected..."

"Didn't you bring them here knowing it would be simple?"

"There's no one else in the world who can so casually make such binding contracts."

Mira, who hadn't properly grasped the situation during her own contract due to being dazed from pain, only now realized Ban Yu-won's potential power and wore a dumbfounded expression.

"You know, if you focused on learning curses, you'd definitely become the strongest curse master in history."

"I'm already learning bit by bit."

Ban Yu-won smiled with satisfaction after confirming the contracts were properly established with all fifteen people.

The Special Class students only started to wonder if they'd been too hasty after seeing his ominous smile... but by then it was too late.

While they certainly wouldn't suffer any losses, Ban Yu-won would clearly gain far greater benefits.

"Now then, let's start with Rock Senior for self-introductions. Name, year, specialties, and abilities in detail."

"It's Cartro, Cartro El Fasis! Not Rock!"

"Understood, Rock Senior. We know your year, so please explain your specialties and abilities in detail."

"Uh, yes..."

At this point, Cartro El Fasis, representative of the Special Class Alliance, finally realized that Ban Yu-won was neither an easy junior nor a kind Santa Claus, and his face fell as he instinctively understood that his life would become dramatically more tiring over his remaining two years.

It would still take quite some time for this rock to evolve into worked stone.