Chapter 35: The World Cracks, But the Clubroom Shines

Club Recruitment Week, Day Two

Robina, wearing a specially crafted artifact mask from Diabel, lifted a chest.

The execution of the plan. The most critical moment for the grand undertaking.

As Diabel’s most trusted confidant, Robina was entrusted with the core of the operation: the Erosion Core.

The goal was to seize control of the academy, where the continent’s brightest talents and highest-ranking nobles gathered.

More precisely, to infect and puppetize the students using Diabel’s power.

The Erosion Core in Robina’s hands was an artifact imbued with Diabel’s authority.

Its immense erosive power was so great that the artifact itself could only withstand it for a day, making the “organization” act swiftly to infect as many students as possible within that time.

If the power were unleashed directly, Archmage Beatrice, the academy’s headmaster, would surely notice.

A great mage like her would easily detect such supernatural energy.

To counter this, Diabel planned to “declare” a special isolated dimension, separated from the academy’s space and the continent’s reality.

A world even someone as powerful as Beatrice couldn’t perceive.

The “declaration” of this dimension, and the moment it formed, would signal the start of the operation.

Robina gripped the Erosion Core tightly, her nerves taut.

She closed her eyes.

Watch over me, sir.

Bisus opened the clubroom door.

He’d expected the dusty, neglected room from the day before, but the sight before him was entirely different.

Pristine window frames.

Polished marble floors gleaming with light.

Elegantly arranged sofas and tables.

Even the walls were freshly papered in crisp white.

The clubroom now resembled a luxurious lounge.

“Sip.”

In the center, Artoria sat gracefully on a sofa, sipping tea.

“You’re here, my lord husband!”

“Artoria? What… happened to this place?”

“Hehe, I put in a little effort.”

Boing

Artoria winked, smiling, and puffed out her chest.

“You… cleaned all this?”

“I told you, no angel in heaven was more of a perfect wife than me!”

With a surge of her holy power, the entire room had undergone a supreme purification.

A miraculous power that high nobles and royals would offer countless tributes to the Holy Kingdom to experience, used here for a mere clubroom.

Come to think of it, the room I shared with Artoria as an archangel was immaculate, even after returning from battle.

I thought it was just heaven’s nature, but it was her power.

“Hihi, I did good, right?”

“Yeah, you did great, Artoria.”

Bisus marveled at the transformed room.

“By the way, my lord husband, you’re wearing an earring?”

“Hm? Oh, this.”

He touched the earring on his left ear.

“It suits you!”

“Haha, thanks. This is…”

Bang

“Bisus, you’re here!”

Sofia burst through the door.

“Sofia? What’s that…?”

She was pulling a cart loaded with massive devices, parked just outside the clubroom.

“Cutting-edge magical engineering from the republic. I brought them for our clubroom.”

Sofia began unloading and setting up the devices: a humidifier, an air purifier, a coffee maker, and a softly glowing lamp, products of advanced magical engineering rarely seen in a fantasy world.

Right, the republic’s magical engineering is so advanced, it produces lifestyle enhancing devices like these.

They’re so rare and coveted that even imperial nobles scramble to get them.

Bisus finally felt the weight of Sofia’s status as a republic elite.

“What do you think? These are the latest models, impossible to get even with piles of money.”

Sofia puffed out her chest proudly.

“Wow… incredible.”

Bisus admired the gadgets, amazed.

Didn’t expect to see stuff like this in this world.

The republic, huh?

“Bisus, you’re wearing an earring?”

“Oh, you noticed too.”

“You look good in anything.”

“Thanks. It’s…”

Bang

“Whoa, everyone’s here.”

Jenice walked in.

“Jenice, good morning.”

“Uh, yeah. I thought this place was supposed to be dusty and needed cleaning…”

This looks better than my dad’s reception room.

Jenice looked around in awe.

“Anyway, I wanted to talk about the ‘dreams’ today.”

Bisus sat at the table with Sofia, Artoria, and Jenice.

Dreams…! He’s really going to tell them about dreaming of me?

Jenice’s eyes shook nervously.

“‘Dreams,’ huh? You called Jenice here, so…”

“Yeah, exactly. Jenice seems to have experienced things from the future or another dimension, like us.”

“Me… too?”

“Yep. Unlike you, Jenice, we get these memories through dreams, but you’re like us.”

Another person besides that lewd saintess and the empire’s mad princess?

Well, if it’s a guy, maybe it’s fine.

My lord husband’s friend has something too?

It feels like our special bond is fading… but our connection is still unique!

Sofia and Artoria had suspected as much when Bisus called Jenice, but another person being involved stirred complex feelings.

Still, thinking Jenice was a guy put them at ease.

“So… both of them?”

“Yeah. Sofia was my lover in her world, adventuring together. Artoria was my lover in a past life.”

“Oh… so that’s why.”

So his dream about me wasn’t because he likes me?

Jenice felt foolish for losing sleep over his words.

“And recently, through my dreams…”

As Bisus started to elaborate—

Boom

A strange sound rang in his ears.

“…? What’s wrong, my lord husband?”

“Something up, Bisus?”

Sofia and Artoria didn’t seem to hear it.

Only I heard it? Then it’s certain.

That sound, it’s the declaration of a hidden dimension.

Bisus touched his earring, the artifact he’d retrieved from the dungeon the previous day, designed for detecting hidden dimensions.

“Sorry, I need to hit the bathroom real quick.”

“Alright.”

“Be safe, my lord husband~.”

Thud

Bisus stepped out, closing the clubroom door behind him.

I can feel it.

The hidden dimension.

Thanks to this earring.

He sensed something alien nearby.

The “organization” is moving already?

I thought I had at least three more days.

Good thing I got this earring yesterday.

He glanced back at the clubroom door.

With their help, he could stop the organization more easily.

But that would put them in danger, something his other selves, the archangel and hero, would never allow.

Both had sacrificed their lives to protect them.

He couldn’t risk their safety just to make things easier.

“I’ll be back.”

Whispering softly, Bisus headed toward the source of the hidden dimension.

Boom

In the center of the isolated dimension, Diabel raised her hands, radiating power.

“Just wait a little longer, Master. I’ll destroy this world and come to you soon.”