Doggone Academy

The middle-aged man cleared his throat before speaking.

Please, go ahead.

I asked politely.

What exactly is the Songbird Club?

You must be from another territory. The Songbird Club is the oldest and most prestigious social club in Rigved.

Is there a condition for joining? Isnt it possible to join right now?

The manager replied with a slightly taken aback tone.

Sorry, but its not something you can do with just the will to join. There must be an introduction and recommendation from an existing member. And theres an appropriate review process as well.

Ladies in the vicinity sneak glances at my face.

I let my hand, which was resting on Lirias shoulder, fall slightly.

This was to make sure that the ring with the Eternia emblem that Silveryn had lent me was visible.

Will we not be allowed even to look around if we are not members?

For the convenience of our members, we kindly ask other guests to leave. I am sorry, but you will need to leave.

Did you hear that, Liria? Theres nothing we can do. Well buy the dress somewhere else.

Yes

I tried to console her.

Lady Erzebet wouldnt think poorly of you for wearing plain clothes.

Mentioning Erzebet, both Liria and the manager wore puzzled expressions. Naturally, as I had blurted it out without context, they wouldnt understand.

?

When its time to prepare for the ball, Ive been referred to a place to visit. If its really disappointing, lets go there now. If we delay any further, the professor will be waiting.

The manager had mentioned other qualifications aside from club membership, but I purposely did not ask.

It was a shot in the dark, but under these circumstances, questioning the qualifications and asking to be deemed eligible felt like begging to stay in the store.

Having become a disciple of a grand sorceress, I couldnt embarrass myself like that.

I led Liria outside and headed toward where the carriage was waiting.

She seemed so fragile, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

Im sorry It was greedy of me

Liria thought she had caused unnecessary shame not just for herself, but for me as well.

Being turned away at the door was a mortifying situation in aristocratic society, which prized honor, but since I had not lived as a noble, I didnt take it as a terrible wound.

Curiosity suddenly struck me, and I asked.

Did you just go to look, or were you actually planning to purchase with money?

Thinking she was being scolded, her voice dwindled into a meek whisper.

Well I thought Id be able to buy it with the money Ive saved from working, but I really had no idea Im so sorry

Hm, show me. How much did you manage to save?

Liria hesitated for a moment before carefully taking out a small pouch from her bosom and handing it to me with both hands.

I received it and peeked inside.

There was a fair amount of silver coinsweighty. Considering Lirias age, it was a significant sum.

But it was still far from enough. I had experience dealing in accessories to get by, so I had some idea of prices. High-end stores like this, which scrutinized clientele and limited access, often charged several times a premium.

I handed the pouch back to Liria and said,

This amount would fall far short. Use the hard-earned money somewhere more worthwhile.

Yes

And its not over yet. Walk with your shoulders back and head high. And no matter who calls out to you, dont turn around until you get into the carriage.

***

The young man and woman swiftly exited before the manager could pose another question.

A peculiar discomfort, difficult to articulate, lingered with the manager, Harvie.

Erzebet?

Mentioning that name so confidently had almost been unsettling.

Among those who didnt meet the qualifications, there were quite a few cases where people used the names of well-known nobles or high-ranking officials to boast of connection, usually as a stunt.

Wasnt it a bit too much for such a young man to be putting on airs? Speaking the name of Erzebet?

It seemed odd.

He sensed he was missing something crucial, and this feeling soon morphed into certainty.

Returning to his post, Harvie was approached by a lady.

Who was that young man just now?

He wont be returning. If you were inconvenienced, I will apologize on your behalf, madam.

There wasnt some kind of misunderstanding, was there?

Harvie narrowed his eyes and replied.

What do you mean?

I heard that the grand sorceresss disciple has entered Eternia recently.

I was already aware of this.

The rumors say he is rather handsome and quite receptive to socializing, more than anything else.

Yes, thats correct, but

The social circles core was always the ladies who reveled in showing off and enjoyed gossip.

Although single old bachelors and potbellied noblemen thirsty for women frequently attended social clubs, they were neither particularly welcome nor able to dominate the scene.

Young ladies were periodically brought in, though they, too, werent warmly welcomed.

The top priority for recruitment were the hot topics of conversationyoung and promising men.

Harvie had already been made well aware of a list of persons of interest.

The grand sorceresss aforementioned disciple was one of the biggest catches in society. Several clubs had already put significant effort into establishing a connection with him.

So, if the rumors are accurate, he has brown hair, is exceptionally handsome, wore an Eternia ring or am I mistaken?

He had an Eternia ring?

That was something Harvie had failed to observe.

Yes. And theres been an Eternia faculty carriage waiting in the square for a while now

A cold sweat trickled down his back as if he had been struck on the head with a hammer.

Was the man who was just turned away the grand sorceresss disciple?

The grand sorceress damn it, the grand sorceress! No wonder he spoke of Erzebet so casually.

This incident could become a reason for him to outright reject a future invitation to the social club.

If it came to the worst, both the stores reputation and its relationship with the club could

***

Someone shouted from behind.

Wait a moment, please!

Liria flinched briefly, but I pushed her forward.

Keep going.

Unsure of what was happening, Liria timidly followed my word without protest.

Ignoring the urgent calls, we went towards the carriage.

I opened the carriage door first, gesturing for Liria to get in.

As she was about to step in, someone from behind called out again.

Please wait a moment!

It was only then that I stopped Liria.

Now, Liria.

Yes?

Turn around now.

We both turned at the same time. The middle-aged man we had seen earlier, along with two clerks, was rushing towards us in haste.

Stopping in front of the carriage, they were panting yet tried to maintain composure, straightening their backs.

Ahem it appears there was a small misunderstanding.

What do you mean?

We have maintained a good relationship with Eternia for many years. We have been providing the finest clothing to graduates and even the newcomers, encompassing all of Eternia. Our history with Eternia has been a source of enormous pride for our store over the decades.

?

The middle-aged man gestured to one of the clerks. He mopped his brow with a handkerchief and said,

This is a gift, a modest apology for the indiscretion.

The clerk handed me a large flat black box.

Theres no need for this, but

No, we insist. Should you have the opportunity, please visit our Stallion and Acacia Flower again. We will tailor a ceremonial robe for you without any charge.

The man sensed my hesitation and grew more adamant.

Our Stallion and Acacia Flower has the best tailors in Rigved creating clothing from the finest fabrics imported from the empire. I dare say, you wont find anywhere better.

Well consider revisiting in the future.

We hope to see you again and sincerely apologize once more, especially to the radiant young lady. As you seem busy, we will take our leave now

The middle-aged man bowed politely and led his clerks away.

Liria stood stunned as if time had stopped, her expression bewildered.

Get in first.

Only then did Liria board the carriage with stiff movements.

I handed the map Silveryn had drawn to the coachman and climbed aboard myself.

Tapping the carriage window as a signal, we started to move forward slowly.

I passed the gift box I had received to Liria.

Open it.

Me?

When Liria opened the box and saw the contents, she gasped, covering her mouth with both hands in shock.

Inside lay the purple dress she had coveted.

How did

I couldnt tell whether she was overjoyed or horrified.

You didnt pay for it all, did you?

Of course not.

***

The carriage came to a halt in front of a large building.

It was one of the most expansive plots Id seen in Rigved.

I stepped down from the carriage and looked up.

There seemed to be about ten chimneys from which steam was endlessly billowing out.

A large, sturdy iron door firmly barred the entrance while robust-looking doormen stood guard.

As I ascended the steps and stood before the entrance, the doormen blocked my path.

Show your invitation.

I presented the Eternia ring, saying, I am here with an introduction from Lady Erzebet.

The doormen exchanged looks, communicating silently.

Soon after, they opened the door and allowed me entry.

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