The moment Raymond, the department head, internally screamed,
the flames blazing in Lunaris’s hand suddenly flickered out.
At the same time, she collapsed weakly to the floor.

In truth, Lunaris was an extremely mana-inefficient mage.
She couldn’t control her mana with any spell, always burning fast and finishing just as quickly—a sloppy, short-lived mage.

“Looks like I won? Oh hohoho!!”

Finally, Raymond’s expression brightened.
Lunaris muttered, exhausted, glaring at the naïve woman who was cheering over just a single student victory.

“N-no… cough! Summoning elementals against a student… is… cheating… cough cough!”
“Weren’t you the one who said to use any means necessary?”
“Unfair…!”

Lunaris let out a pitiful, wronged groan.
Raymond watched her with a satisfied expression.

“Well, still impressive. Teaching you has been worth it.”

Though he said it aloud, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.
What if he had lost?
…Just imagining it was catastrophic.
The more he thought about it, the hotter his head felt.
At the same time, his heart raced.
The girl lying before him was becoming more and more impressive.

This child was the real deal.
Even without a contract with elementals, she could unleash such powerful magic.
If he just guided her properly, her talent would surely bloom, Raymond was certain.

“Ahem—”

At that moment, a conspicuously loud clearing of the throat echoed through the ruined hall.
A maid in neat attire approached, clearing debris.

“Good morning, Department Head Raymond. And you, Miss Lunaris.”

Her cold gaze carried a businesslike smile.
It was Odette, head maid of Linea Hall.

“Seeing you dedicate yourself to studies at this early hour pleases me greatly, as a maid.”

Her polite voice dripped with icy authority.
Raymond flinched involuntarily.
Lunaris, knowing the maid’s temperament, lay on the floor with a ‘I know nothing—’ expression, staring at the ceiling.

“However, I do wonder why you chose to duel in the dormitory rather than the practice building.”
“Well, there were circumstances here…”

Raymond opened his mouth to hurriedly explain.
Lunaris subtly interjected.

“The department head said he’d take full responsibility, so I could go wild.”

A little fabrication, but essentially true.

Raymond shot her a world-weary glare.
“Ughh…”

She feigned a faint, letting out pitiful groans while pretending to pass out.

“Department Head, shall we discuss the restoration work privately for a moment?”

Raymond nodded dazedly, then grabbed the back of his neck.
Facing the thought of receiving a steep bill, submitting reports to the chairman, the mage tower, and the royal family… his mind went blank.

In my previous life, debates over a 4.5-day or 4-day workweek were all the rage.
Work Monday through Thursday, then rest Fridays once every two weeks, or continuously—there were endless discussions.

Of course, none of it applied to me.
I was stuck in a black company with 9-to-9 workdays, six days a week—‘996’ all the way.

Yet here I was, enjoying a four-day system in a medieval fantasy world far behind in civilization.

“Ugh… kyaaaak…!!”

Not a dying sound.
A refreshing stretch sound.

“Ah… slept well…!”

I lazily rose from bed, basking in the warm sunlight.
I had no idea how long it had been since I last overslept until lunch.

“Ahh~ so refreshing!”

Today was Friday.
No classes at the academy.

Crossing the still-under-restoration dormitory main hall, I headed to the dining hall to fill my stomach.
It was 2 PM, technically too late to call it brunch—just lunch.

The dining hall was almost empty.
Aside from the chef and maids, it was practically just me.

“Well, you did sleep in a bit,”
I thought. People were so diligent, even on days off—they must have so much stamina.

“Miss Lunaris, are you here for a meal?”

A familiar voice.
Odette approached from the corner of the dining hall, tidying up.

“Yeah, a bit late,” I said, scratching my messy hair and letting out a big yawn.

“What would you like for your meal?”
“Something hearty. Meat-focused, balanced diet. No vegetables.”
“If you remove the vegetables, the balance is already ruined.”
“Who eats weeds?”

Even saying that, some vegetables would sneak onto my plate.
But it didn’t matter. As long as the meat tasted right, I could forgive the ingredients.

“Understood. I’ll prepare it shortly.”

Odette went to the kitchen, explaining my picky yet balanced requirements to the chef.
Not an easy task catering to a professional picky eater like me.

After placing the order, she returned, hands neatly clasped, and suddenly changed the topic.

“Miss Lunaris, have you joined any clubs yet?”
“Clubs? What’s that?”
“They’re gatherings of students with similar interests. The academy encourages everyone to join at least one club.”

Encouraged doesn’t mean required.

“Then I don’t have to join if I don’t want to.”

Good. After eating, I could read in bed and nap to my heart’s content.

But my hopeful plan was instantly crushed.

“We actually have a special program for students not in any club.”
“???”

I swallowed dryly.
A special program—such ominous wording.

“It’s nothing much. You’ll be doing ‘house activities’ with us maids in the dorm.”
“House activities… what does that involve?”

My voice trembled slightly.
Odette calmly added,

“First, finish your meal, then change into maid attire. We’ll explain today’s schedule afterward.”
“Ah??”

I glanced around.
Finally, I noticed the maids’ expressions scattered across the dining hall.
…Each wore a knowing smile.

“You’ll finally experience a bit of our hardship.”
“Donning maid attire, Miss Lunaris, won’t you be adorable?”

Ugh, that laugh was chilling.

I subtly slid my chair back and stood.

“Miss Lunaris?”
“Oh, right. I forgot—I had a lunch appointment with some new club members.”
“But you just said you hadn’t joined any club…”
“Sorry for wasting your preparation. I’ll be going.”

Without another word, I spun around and dashed—or rather, flew using telekinesis.

The sweet aroma of food tried to tempt me, but I resisted.
No matter what, I was not going to become a maid.

Escaping Linea Hall, I stopped in front of the club recruitment board in the center of the plaza.
I decided to pass the time by checking the postings.

[Swordsmanship Club]

Every Friday, all-day intensive training until collapse
Weekend training participants welcome!

[Volunteer Club]

2-night, 3-day orphanage and monastery experience
Separate sponsorship fees required

[Tea Ceremony Club]

Start from tea leaf cultivation…

Wow, there was nothing remotely relaxing.
Every club was intense training or exhausting work.

I checked other postings just in case, but not a single appealing option.

“Isn’t there a club you can just put your name down in and not show up…”

At this point, I considered just creating a club myself.
Perhaps a post-class dessert-eating club, or a napping—or lucid dream exploration club.

But starting a club would certainly bring endless trouble: recruiting members, reporting activities, and so on…

“Hey? Lunaris, what are you doing here?”

A familiar voice behind me.
Claire.
The girl who sat next to me in the first class.

“Just looking for a club I can join.”
“You’re looking at clubs now? Last week, when seniors were promoting, you were…”
Ah. Last week, I had been fully asleep.
Claire recalled that and frowned slightly.

“Honestly, I’m not too keen on joining clubs…”
But if I didn’t, I’d have to endure the maids’ program.

“So, you’re looking for a ghost club where you can just put your name down?”
“Exactly that.”

Claire’s eyes sparkled.

“Then, why not join mine?”

Surprised, I blinked.

“Uh? What kind of club?”
“Just a quiet room, sit together, chat, and eat some good food.”
“Ohhh…!”

The timeless, historical ‘Room Club’ exists everywhere.

“So? What’s the club called?”
“Ghost Story Research Club.”
“…Huh?”

My mind went blank for a moment.

“I thought it was just a chatting club…”
“Right. We talk about ghosts.”

I had intended to join a club for students with no commitment…
But it looked like I was joining a club that actually dealt with ghosts.

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