St. Mary's Classmancers Club was less than a year old. Despite that, the clubroom had no shortage of space and equipment. It housed no less than six computers with strong hardware for gaming.
Of course, it was not the school that financed any of this. These machines were far more advanced than the relics the school's computer room had to offer.
The school was still skeptical of this newly formed club, so it was not willing to allocate any extra funds beyond the bare minimum budget. As such, Fiona had to finance everything by herself. Fortunately, her "pocket money" was quite generous compared to the average middle schooler, and it further scaled off with the many athletic achievements that impressed her father.
With all of these assets combined, purchasing six gaming computers was not a big deal for her. Top-shelf gear was always expensive, regardless of the sport. But, it was always a worthwhile investment for the sake of making practice smoother and more efficient.
A newly formed club like the Valkyries needed any advantage it could get to keep up with the competition. As such, everything about the gear was professional from top to bottom. Not only the hardware itself, but also the monitors, mouses, chairs, and even the tables.
Fiona consulted ProCenter on the equipment they used for official games and then she purchased the exact same models. There was nothing more optimal than practicing with the exact same equipment that would be used in the regionals.
In order to justify all these expenses, Fiona made sure to utilize the club room as frequently as possible. As such, she insisted on holding daily practice sessions even though that was uncommon for other clubs.
To her surprise, she was met with a fair amount of resistance at first. Even Karen was taken a little aback by this demand, though she soon came around and sided with Fiona.
"As amateurs with a late start, we must practice at least this much," Fiona explained over and over until she finally persuaded her clubmates. There were still some complaints during the first couple of weeks, but those soon died out. Soon enough, daily practice became a routine.
Humans are adaptable creatures. Even a task that seems incredibly taxing at first can become as natural as coming to school in the mornings. It is all about turning the activity into a routine.
After half a year of training, everybody had grown accustomed to this routine. Even those who initially called the routine "inhuman" eventually acclimated.
With that said, not everybody's attitude toward practice was equal. Some took it more seriously than others.
When Fiona and Karen arrived in the clubroom, Lua was already there, absorbed in the computer's monitor. Every once in a while, she pushed her big glasses and wrote down some notes.
She was so absorbed in the task that she did not even notice Fiona and Karen entering the clubroom. This level of carelessness was a bit alarming, but it went to show just how seriously Lua was researching things.
"Boo!"
"A-Ah!" Lua jumped. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest. "O-Oh, it's you, Karen..."
"Haha, works every time!" Karen laughed at the cartoonish reaction. That girl was so easy to mess around with, haha!
"Watcha doing?" Karen asked as she peered into the screen. "Looking into some weird occult stuff?"
"W-Why would I do something like that?" Lua puffed her cheeks as she pushed her glasses, which almost fell off because of the scarejump. "I was told to study StormBlitz's players, so that's what I've been doing."
"Strom? Why, though?"
"Um, Fiona asked me to...."
"Yes, I did," Fiona said. "Good work."
"Um, thanks. I'm still halfway through, though."
"It is alright," Fiona said. "There is still time."
"Time for what?" Karen raised an eyebrow. "Are we gonna go up against Storm soon or something?"
"We would most certainly face them in the regionals, so I want to be prepared in advance."
"Dang, thinking about the long game, huh."
"Of course." Fiona nodded. "Our goal is to become the regional champions, so we must study all the contenders for the title."
"Winning the regionals would be awesome, but considering how our last scrim went down...." Karen quieted down all of a sudden. The chipperness in her voice was nowhere to be found.
"I see that you are still hung up on that defeat."
"N-Nah, I'm fine!" Karen puffed her chest. "Sure, we lost and stuff. But it's the Leopards, you know? We can't possibly beat them, even when they have a trashy player like Cato."
"Is that how you genuinely feel?"
"Yep."
"Really?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Do you not feel frustrated at all about the fact we lost an official match?"
"N-Not really..." Karen lowered her head and looked at the floor. Her bravado was slowly crumbling apart.
"Is that so." Fiona sighed. "So, even when the team loses an important match, it does not faze you at all. I see how it is."
"T-That's not how I meant it!" Karen jumped. "Of course I was frustrated and stuff! And, I'm still hella salty about that shit and- ah." She stopped after realizing what she had just blurted.
"Do you see?" Fiona smiled meaningfully. "Even though you try to pretend as if it is all in the past, it is clear that the outcome of that scrim left a bad aftertaste. You are not satisfied with losing just because the Leopards are the regional champions, and that's how it should be.."
"Yeah." Karen nodded. "I wanna kick their butts!"
"That is why I asked Lua to research them in advance," Fiona explained. "The regionals may still be far away, but it is never too early to prepare."
"Yep, makes sense."
Lua watched the entire exchange with a complicated smile but she said nothing. Shortly, the conversation moved to a different topic.
"They are late," Fiona commented on the whereabouts of the other club members. "Seriously, wasting our precious training time like this..." Fiona muttered. "I will check if they are around. Knowing Andria, she might have stopped nearby."
"Okay," Karen said. "Then, I'mma call Cornelia and check what's up."
"Thank you."
On that note, the sisters set out to pursue the two troublemakers of the club.
Normally, Fiona would use her phone to get in touch with a missing person. However, in Andria's case, it was unlikely to get a response if the girl was in the middle of one of her "gigs".
As expected, the girl was going at it right outside the clubroom. Instead of hurrying to the practice, Andria stood in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by a few younger girls. From a distance, this looked like an image of a popular boy surrounded by fangirls.
Andria had short hair and she was taller than most girls her age, even a bit taller than Fiona. As such, it was easy to mistake her for a boy from afar. This surely played a big part in why so many younger girls flocked to her. And of course, the other big reason was Andria's acting...
"Oh, is that what's troubling you?" Andria smiled as she addressed one of the younger girls. "It's such a troublesome matter, indeed."
"Right?" the girl nodded repeatedly as she shared her complaints. "I mean, it's just make-up, you know? Everybody uses it, so what's so wrong with it? I really hate my parents sometimes!"
"Yeah, it sounds super strict," another girl commented.
"Whoa." A third girl chimed in. "I wouldn't be able to deal with it if my parents tried to ban make-up. Like, it's not even their business in the first place?"
Next, all three girls turned to Andria in anticipation. It was as if they were waiting for a figure of authority to speak.
"Yes, it is true that your parents are unreasonably strict on this point," Andria said. "But, no need to feel so down about it, my flower." Andria raised the girl's chin and brought their faces closer. "You already possess such natural beauty. Make-up is just an extra for you anyway."
"A-Ah~" the girl blushed and froze in place. The presence of this prince charming overwhelmed her.
"Kyaaa~!" the other girls added noise to the scene with their maidenly excitement.
Once the girls calmed down, Andria continued her speech. "Perhaps your parents simply wish for you to appreciate your own beauty before you start relying too much on cosmetics." She spoke with what could only be considered unfounded confidence. And yet, her dramatic tone and exaggerated hand movements turned everything into a convincing performance that left little room for argument.
Thankfully, the girl in the center of the conversation raised doubt, as she should. But, it was short-lived. "You really think my parents see it that way...?"
"I cannot say for sure," Andria said. "All I can say for certain is that you are here right now, with no make-up to cover up your natural beauty. And yet, I find myself captivated by you."
The girl smiled shyly. "I-Is that so?"
"Yes, it is. In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I would gladly go on a date with you at this very moment! Shall you allow it, I will become a prince who'll whisk you away!"
As usual with these scenarios, Andria weaved some sophisticated-sounding narrative while sidestepping the seriousness of the topic entirely. It was impressive how these girls kept eating up all the theatrical nonsense Andria was feeding them. It stood testament to how convincing Andria's acting was.
But of course, Fiona was not swayed by any of it at all. "I am sorry, but I am afraid you will have to 'whisk away your princess' at a later date."
"Oh, if it's not her majesty!" Andria bowed dramatically. The other girls also recognized Fiona and cleared a path for the "Landbreht Princess". However, they insisted on staying by Andira's side at all times, as declaring their intention of not letting their "prince" go.
"You are late for club practice," Fiona said.
"Oh my, is that time of the day already? Time flies by so fast when I'm in the presence of such beauties~" Andria spouted such cheesy lines so naturally and the younger girls ate it all up. "Kyaa, you're such a flirt~"
Clearly, Andria had these girls around her finger, but that was none of Fiona's concern. "Let us go. The others are waiting."
"Your wish is my command!" Andria bowed again, then she turned to the girls beside her. "I'm sorry, flowers. This is the queen's decree, so I must depart now."
"Eeeh?" "Do you really have to?" "Stay with us a little longer~" The girls begged to no end. But, Fiona merely shot them an indifferent look. "Andria is part of the Classmancers club and we have scheduled practice at this hour. If you wish to hang out with her, please do so when she is available."
"Boo." "So strict." "Not fun." The three girls pouted.
"Don't worry about it, flowers," Andria reassured. "I'll be yours again tomorrow and the day after that. Do not let this momentary separation ruin your mood."
"But, you promised me a date~"
"And I shall deliver on that promise! At a later date, that is. Don't worry, natural beauty. I will escort you thoroughly."
"Then, me next!" "And me!"
"Worry not. I shall accompany each and every one of you without failure. A gentleman ought to be able to do this much."
"I believe that a 'gentleman' also ought to not be late to club practice," Fiona added.
"Normally, that is true," Andria agreed. "However, today I had to aid a lady in peril!"
"That's right, Andri was helping us out!" "Yeah, don't blame Andri." The younger girls mustered the courage to gang up on Fiona here in order to protect their prince.
"Alright, I understand," Fiona gave in in order to sidestep any potential conflict. She did not want to waste any more time than they had already wasted here. "Either way, it is time for club activities now, so I must borrow Andria."
"Okay..." "Not fun..." The girls pouted once again but their objections were weak. Fiona's firm tone left them no choice but to give up.
"Do not worry," Andria reassured. "We shall reunite before long, my flowers!" On that note, Andria finally left the scene, practically dragged away by Fiona.
On the way back to the clubroom, Fiona sighed. "I really do not comprehend the nature of this roleplay you so frequently partake in,"
"I figured you wouldn't." Andria nodded. "You are too much of a realist, my fair lady. You are not like these young girls who wish to indulge themselves in a sweet fantasy in order to forget their problems."
"If you say so." Fiona shrugged. They have had countless similar exchanges on this topic, yet every time Fiona felt like she understood less and less about what Andria was actually trying to accomplish with that acting.
Whose "fantasy" was that in the first place? Was it about fulfilling the girls' yearning for an "ideal prince"? Or, was it about Andria enjoying a make-believe harem?
Perhaps it is both. Fiona concluded. The two fantasies mix together and form one big roleplay. At least, that is how I see it.
It was all rather bizarre but Fiona did not feel like delving any deeper into these matters. The only thing that mattered was for Andria to attend practice on time, which she frequently failed to accomplish because of her roleplay sessions. Perhaps punctuality was not part of being a "gentleman" in her eyes.
"We have returned," Fiona announced as they entered the clubroom. Cornelia had also arrived in the meantime but she looked worse to wear. Despite that, the loud girl wasted no time lighting up a heated argument with Karen...
"Hmph. I'm under no obligation to explain anything to a commoner like you!" Cornelia crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
"You little shit...!" Karen hissed.
"Enough, you two." Fiona stepped in between the two wild animals before they tear each other apart.
"But sis, this dang bitch is-"
"Language, Karen."
"Geh." Karen clicked her tongue and rephrased. "But, listen to this, sis! This... this loudmouth over here wasted so much of your precious time and she won't even apologize for it!"
"I do apologize, Fiona." Cornelia bowed lightly. "It is indeed unbecoming for a noble such as myself to be late like this."
"Say whaaaaat?" Karen's jaw dropped. "Hey now, that's a completely different tune from what you were singing a moment ago! You were all like 'I have no reason to apologize, ohohoho!'"
"Indeed, I have no reason to apologize to the likes of you," Cornelia clarified. "However, as a fellow noble, Fiona's time is as precious as my own, therefore I must apologize for wasting it."
"Huh." Karen sighed. "And what were you doing, anyway?"
"Hmph. That is not your pedestrian business."
"Oh c'mon, you're late by so damn much. You owe us an explanation."
"Any noble lady worth her salt ought to have a secret or two."
"Hah." Karen made a face. "Such a convenient rule you just pulled outta your ass."
"Karen, that is enough." Fiona placed a hand on Karen's head to soothe the feral kitten.
"Mrrr~" Karen enjoyed the head pat a bit too much. "But sis, she always does this! Coming late and not explaining shit!"
"First, language. Second, I am well aware of the matter." Fiona nodded. "Do not worry, I have discussed this many times with Cornelia by now."
"Well, doesn't look like it helped at all."
"That is not correct," Fiona said. "I believe we have made plenty of progress. Alas, days like these still happen, unfortunately."
"Hmph." Cornelia looked away. "Some things are beyond control even for a noble such as myself."
"I see." Fiona nodded. "Did you fall asleep in the nurse's room?"
"W-W-What!?" Cornelia jumped. "H-How did you know I was in the nurse's room!?"
So, I was right. Fiona nodded in satisfaction as her leading question bore fruit. "You looked worse to wear after our tennis match, so I suspected you went to rest until club practice."
"Hmph. I'll have you know I didn't break a sweat during our noble duel," Cornelia insisted. "It was a majestic bout for sure, but not something that would affect a resilient noble such as myself."
"Is that so."
Of course, all of that was a hoax. As always Cornelia poured her everything into the match against Fiona, to the point of breaking herself apart. Truly, this girl did not know the concepts of pacing and restraint. Sigh.
"Pft, seriously?" Karen giggled. "So, lemme get this straight. You were late because you knocked yourself out from fatigue? That's rich, haha!"
"No such a thing happened!" Cornelia was desperate to cover it up. However, the more desperate she was, the more it proved that all the allegations were correct.
The two girls bickered for a while longer. Fiona did her best to calm them down but it was not going as smoothly as she hoped.
Meanwhile, Andria and Lua only watched from the sideline. Lua wore a troubled expression while Andria was enjoying the spectacle with a smile. "Ah, such beautiful friendship, don't you find?"
"Eh?" Lua made a dumb face. "Friendship? Where?"
"Don't you think they can only fight so passionately because they're so close?"
"Um, I'm not so sure about that..."
"It's definitely the case. I have seen this exact pattern countless times by now. First, they fight, then they make up. It's a classic plot."
"I don't know if that applies to these two..."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it." Andria stepped closer and gently pulled Lua by the chin. "Instead of stressing over this inconsequential conflict, why don't you give some of that passionate attention to me, o pretty lady?"
"E-Eh? P-Pretty?" Lua stammered as she looked into Andria's deep eyes. She felt like she was getting sucked into that unwavering, confident gaze.
"Um... I.... eh..."
"Relax. No need to be so nervous. I won't bite."
"R-Right..." Lua gulped. The one in front of her was definitely a fellow girl, so there shouldn't be any reason for Lua to be so nervous. And yet, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
There was something so princely charming about Andria when she was acting like this. Her words were sweet and filled with reassuring confidence. It was so easy for Lua to imagine herself as a fragile princess in the hands of a handsome prince.
Did this illusion work so well because Lua's imagination had a tendency to run wild? Or, was it all thanks to Andria's superb acting skills? Either way, just as Lua started getting cozy with the situation - it burst like a bubble.
"Whew whew!" Karen whistled. "Look at these two flirts~!"
"E-Eh!?" Lua jumped away from the prince. "I-It's nothing like that!"
"Hmph. How shameless." Cornelia lifted her chin. "Acting shamelessly like that in public, and in the clubroom no less."
"I-I'm sorry..."
"There's nothing for you to apologize for, my flower," Andria reassured as she turned to the two attackers. "I merely distracted her for a moment from your friendly quarrel, that is all. You see, she found your bickering very unpleasant for the room's atmosphere."
"I concur with the sentiment" Fiona commented. "You two have a bad habit of ignoring everybody around you when you quarrel. I understand that, for you two, such fights are as natural as breathing at this point. However, for the outlookers, it might seem like a serious fight. It creates an unpleasant atmosphere in the room."
"Sorry, sis..."
"Hmph. I suppose it's unbecoming of a noble, so I apologize for that..."
The two girls gave in against the combined pressure from both Fiona and Andria. It was nigh impossible to stand up to this duo. One of them was the team's captain and the renowned "Landberht Princess", while the other was a senior with professional acting skills. When united, it was impossible to talk back to them in any shape or form.
"Now that everything is sorted out, let us begin our training," Fiona said. "Keep in mind that we are running half an hour late, so we will have to stay overtime to compensate for it."
"Oh, how wonderful..." Andria rolled her eyes.
"I hope you realize you played a big role in this."
"No objections there." Andria bowed elegantly like a gentleman. "It appears I will have to accompany you ladies past the agreed hours."
And so, after a long detour that was unfortunately way too common for this club, everybody finally gathered to practice...
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