Chapter 23

It's a bonus.

There is an organization called "The Second Fan Club."

It was formed on the very first day he arrived for a short-term study abroad at the Royal Magic School.

Ninety-nine percent of its members are female students, and their number is no less than one hundred.

Their activity is just one thing: "To watch Second from a distance." That's all.

To be more specific, their main activity is "to report on every move of Second they see within the school at regular meetings and to get excited by imagining various scenarios based on those reports."

They never get close to Second, but they never take their eyes off him.

"YES to Second, NO to touching" — it's an ironclad rule.

Incidentally, the regular meetings are held without fail in an empty classroom after school every day, and the number of participants is increasing day by day.

What drives them to such an extent? There are two reasons for this.

The first reason is, of course, Second's beauty. His perfectly chiseled face and flawless physique are truly captivating. Many female students have been captivated from the moment they saw him. His appearance is at a level where a fan club could be formed in a single day.

The second reason is Second's personality. Although Second seems to have no weaknesses at first glance, his true character is revealed in conversations with those he opens up to. For example, he sometimes acts boldly, is unexpectedly playful and mischievous, shows a ruthless and forceful side when it comes to achieving his goals, and always maintains his composure with an elegant air. He appears cool but is actually passionate, and sometimes even a bit silly.

Every time the girls catch a glimpse of Second's hidden personality, they are drawn deeper into the fan club's quagmire.

"Today, Second-sama was relaxing in the courtyard, petting Eco on his lap."

"Aaaah, the contrast is so cute!"

"Respectable."

"It's a scene that should be painted and displayed throughout the school."

"Today, Second-sama was teasing Sylvia."

"Really? I want to be teased too~"

"I understand. I'd rather be stepped on and cursed at with my shoes on."

"Wh-What... Yeah, that's... possible."

"Today, Second-sama was playing with Prince Mein in the sandbox."

"Prince Mein getting flustered and Second-sama toying with him..."

"SeKa x Mein... what a beautiful pairing."

"Huh? No, Mein x SeKa's top-down honorific attack is the ultimate."

"No, no, no, the fixed top is already the answer."

"Huh?"

"Oh? Are you going to do it?"

Occasionally, such conflicts break out.

It's a part of the fan club's daily routine.

Additionally, there is an elite group within the fan club called the "Analysis Team."

After Second completed his study abroad period and left the school, the Analysis Team appeared before the girls, who were still burning with Second fever, with something incredible.

"Regarding the Eco Leaflet mud incident, I will present the general outline of what we have discovered."

During meetings, the Analysis Team sometimes presents reports based on their own investigations.

Since everything is related to Second, the members' interest never wanes.

"Eco, who was called a 'fallen beast' and bullied by many students, including those in 1F, was found lying on the road covered in mud. Our investigation revealed that the cause was the students from 1F."

The classroom buzzed with reactions like "I see" and "Unforgivable."

"The incident started with a male student who forced Eco to do odd jobs. He usually enjoyed forcing odd jobs on her and hindering her, but this time he did it more systematically."

What does "systematically" mean? The Analysis Team explained while drawing a diagram on the blackboard.

"Eco felt a sense of 'accomplishment' in doing odd jobs. She thought that even though she was bad at magic, she could be useful by doing odd jobs. Therefore, she diligently carried out her tasks. The male student probably didn't like this."

On the blackboard, a picture of Eco pushing a cart with bags was drawn. The bags contained a large amount of "soil." Arrows pointed to the soil, and at the source was a picture of a male student with a malicious look.

"Eco, unaware that the bags contained soil, carried them to the school gate. She believed that her classmates were relying on her and were asking her to do odd jobs, so she worked hard to be useful. Then, a friend of the male student came and cast a water attribute magic spell at the soil. The soil and water mixed and splattered, covering Eco in mud."

The classroom suddenly became noisy. The bullying was worse than they had imagined.

"From the way she was with Second-sama, you can see that Eco is a very intelligent person. She probably realized in that instant that the bags contained soil and that she was being used to get covered in mud. She also realized that she had never been genuinely asked to do odd jobs, that she had never been useful to anyone, and that her mistaken belief that she would be recognized if she was useful led to her sitting down in despair."

The atmosphere in the classroom became heavy as the Analysis Team's analysis sank in. Everyone felt sorry for her. However,

"... About 200 meters from the scene, there was a small bloodstain, washed away but still visible."

The mood changed.

"Why Eco clings to Second-sama so much. You all know that Second-sama arrived on the scene heroically. What happened after that, we have investigated."

The atmosphere in the classroom changed dramatically, filled with an unusual excitement.

"Upon discovering Eco covered in mud, Second-sama, trembling with anger, probably said, 'Who the hell did this? Speak up, you damn cat.' Eco, who refused, was met with, 'So, you're defying me?' and a wall push. Eco, blushing and with tears in her eyes, pointed in the direction the male student had gone. 'Good girl, follow me.' Second-sama, without hesitation, carried Eco, covered in mud, under his arm, his blue-black hair flowing in the wind as he ran through the school to catch up with the male student. This is where the bloodstain was found in the alley."

Every time the female student from the Analysis Team spoke in a way that sounded like Second, the audience cheered and clapped.

"Second-sama said, 'To bully someone in front of me, you've got some nerve. I'll let you make the first move.' He approached the male student, who backed away but had nowhere to run. 'Bakaaaaa!' When Second-sama struck, the male student fell to the ground, spitting blood, and said, 'S-Saying you'd let me make the first move...!' To which Second-sama replied, 'It was a lie, baka!'"

Yeaaaaaah!!

Foooooooooooo!!

The classroom was filled with cheers and applause.

"Thus, Second-sama saved Eco, and peace returned to the school. I was once again reminded of how amazing exchange students are."

With that, the presentation ended, and the Analysis Team left the stage to the enthusiastic applause of the fan club members.

"…I, I think I'll pass on joining…"

Prince Mein, who had peeked in, reconsidered joining the fan club after seeing the scene, but no one knew about it yet.

Thank you for reading.

It was a bonus. I apologize for the rough construction.

Starting next time, it will be "Chapter 3: The Slave Chapter."