The Transmigrator Doesn’t Dream of Being the Protagonist – Chapter 22

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I wanted to hurl the cookies at her.

But I couldn’t.

I was a servant, and she was a noblewoman.

Rage simmered inside me, but I had no choice.

I needed some catharsis.

“What are you waiting for? Go exchange them for cake!”

“Yes… I understand.”

I turned and walked away, my fists clenched.

Sepia’s voice followed me.

“What are you doing? I said run!”

Ah…

Was her bitchiness meter full?

I muttered under my breath as I broke into a run.

I ran like I was back in the army.

I exchanged the cookies for cake at the snack bar.

Then I returned to Sepia.

“Did you get the cake?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Good. You can go now.”

Sepia waved her hand dismissively,

As if she were shooing away a bird from her garden.

I bowed and turned to leave.

After taking three steps, Sepia called out to me.

“Ethan.”

“Yes? Did you call me?”

“Do you… want to have some tea?”

“I apologize, but I have a prior engagement. I won’t be able to join you today.”

I politely declined her offer.

I didn’t actually have any plans, but I wasn’t an idiot.

Having tea with Sepia would be stressful.

Even tea with a beautiful noblewoman was still stressful if it was with her.

So, I refused.

“……”

“Perhaps another time…”

“When?”

“I’m free this weekend.”

Her frozen expression softened slightly.

The thought of having tea with Sepia on the weekend filled me with dread.

But I forced a smile.

“Alright. I’ll let you off the hook for today.”

“Thank you.”

I returned to the dormitory and collapsed onto my bed, exhausted.

Arthur returned shortly after.

Our protagonist, having skipped the demon-slaying adventure, looked refreshed and relaxed.

“Ethan, I asked Anya about the club, and she said she’ll join!”

“Ah, is that so?”

I glanced at my communication crystal.

A message from Tesha had arrived.

―Hello, Ethan. It’s Tesha. (۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶

Thank you for today. I hope you got back safely. ٩( ᐛ )

I’m at work right now. ＼\ ٩( ᐛ )و /／

So, my replies might be slow!

Anyway, thanks to you, I was able to stay calm during the demon attack!

They say if you stay calm, you can even survive a dragon’s lair!

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It was a fifteen-line message,

Complete with an assortment of emojis.

It made my head spin.

Tesha still believed that long messages were a sign of courtesy.

It was how they communicated in the imperial palace.

Three-line summaries were essential for effective communication…

Anyway,

The gist of her message was that she would join the club.

I’m so tired.

Didn’t she get tired of typing such long messages?

Did I have to send an equally long reply?

The thought crossed my mind, but I decided to keep it short.

―Woohoo! Great! You made the right choice! (´ー`)ノ

Sending exaggerated messages made me feel nauseous.

But Tesha was joining the club.

We now had four members: Arthur, Anya, Tesha, and me.

We only needed one more.

But I couldn’t think of anyone suitable.

“Hey, Arthur, do you know Tesha?”

“Tesha?”

“Yeah, the girl in our class with short hair who uses a shortsword…”

“Ah, Tesha! I know who you mean.”

Arthur finally seemed to recognize her.

Short hair among girls was definitely noticeable.

“Why are you asking about Tesha?”

“She just messaged me and said she’ll join.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we only need one more member now.”

Ideally, I wanted to recruit two more.

That way, I could excuse myself from club activities…

But only two names came to mind.

Sepia and Tia.

Club activities with Sepia?

The thought of being her personal cookie errand boy made my blood boil.

Recruiting Tia seemed like the better option.

But I was worried about Sepia’s reaction.

She would undoubtedly try to kick me out of the Logness family.

And cut off my financial support.

But so what?

I’d just have to become a wandering hero.

I thought about the stocks I had purchased and my deal with Tia.

Those were my safety nets.

I opened a newspaper and checked the stock prices.

The adventurer guild stocks were soaring.

My total assets had increased by 130%.

My wealth had grown by 30% in just a few weeks.

“Hey, Ethan.”

“Yes?”

“What about asking Sepia to join?”

Our clueless protagonist had asked the worst possible question.

I shook my head.

“That’s not a good idea…”

“Why? Sepia is nice…”

Oh my god.

He had fallen for her act.

There was no scenario in the original story where Arthur developed feelings for Sepia.

Could it be…?

There was only one possibility.

“You like Vivian, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

“You have a crush on Sepia’s maid.”

Arthur lowered his head, his silence confirming my suspicions.

“Sorry, but Sepia has no interest in club activities.”

It was true.

Sepia didn’t join any clubs in the original story.

And she wouldn’t join Arthur’s party until later.

“Recruiting Tia would be a better option.”

“Hmm, r-really?”

I had no intention of interfering with his love life, but I would rather drop out of the academy than participate in club activities with Sepia.

“Okay, I’ll contact Tia.”

“Yeah, good luck.”

I found Tia’s contact information and called her.

“[Hello? This is Tia Erze.]”

“[Tia, it’s Ethan.]”

“[Yes? What is it?]”

Tia’s formal tone was still jarring.

“[I’m planning to form a club with my friend Arthur.]”

“[A club?]”

As far as I knew, Tia hadn’t joined any clubs yet. She was probably gathering information.

“[What kind of club are you forming?]”

“[It’s a hunting, adventure, and social club. We’d like you to join us.]”

“[Who are the other members?]”

I had discussed the club with most of the members, but I didn’t mention that. Arthur, sensing something was off, stared at me with wide eyes. I placed my index finger over my lips, silencing him.

“[There aren’t any other members?]”

“[No, not yet. But if you join, you’ll be our first member.]”

Tia loved being first.

With this, it seemed like I was offering her a special opportunity.

Even though Anya and Tesha had already agreed to join.

Anyway,

It wasn’t like I was recruiting her last minute to fill a vacant spot. I was prioritizing her.

“[I wanted to invite you as our first member.]”

“[Fufu, the first member?]”

Tia fell into thought.

And as I expected,

“[I need some time to consider.]”

“[I understand. Take your time.]”

The call ended.

Arthur looked puzzled.

Did I have to explain this, too?

I sighed.

“Given her personality, she’d be offended if we didn’t make her feel like she was our top priority.”

“Ah…”

Arthur nodded, seemingly understanding.

As expected of our ki… I mean, our righteous and kind protagonist.

“But Ethan, we need a professor’s approval to form a club.”

I nodded.

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

Several names came to mind.

But ultimately…

“Professor Sylvia von Linchester.”

“Ah… Sylvia von Lin… what?”

“I’m planning to ask Professor Sylvia von Linchester.”

We were on friendly terms.

I left that part unsaid.

Arthur’s surprised reaction was understandable.

Sylvia had an intimidating aura, even Anya wouldn’t dare approach her easily. And she didn’t teach any first-year classes, so it was difficult to even meet her.

“The Sylvia you’re talking about is the Professor Sylvia I know?”

I nodded.

“Do you think Professor Sylvia would approve our club?”

“We can at least ask.”

“Well… yeah, that’s true.”

There were other professors I could ask.

Professor Laf Terberg, who taught hand-to-hand combat, or Professor Cassia von Radier, who taught magic and herbology.

But I was closer to Sylvia.

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I took a deep breath, holding the club application form.

“You’re asking me to approve your club?”

Sylvia skimmed through the form.

“Yes, I promise it won’t be a burden.”

Hmm, Sylvia hummed.

“This is the first time anyone has asked me to be a club advisor.”

Sylvia picked up a fountain pen.

I thought she was going to sign the form, but she didn’t.

She tapped the form with the pen, then spoke.

“Ethan, you’ve been making things interesting lately.”

“Interesting? What do you mean?”

“I heard you led a team and defeated a demon.”

Ah.

It wasn’t surprising that news of the demon attack had reached her.

Sylvia smiled, her expression pleased.

“I’m happy to sign the form. But on one condition.”

“A condition?”

“Yes, a condition… First, are you free this weekend?”

I was confused, so I waited for her to continue.

“There’s a social gathering this weekend, and I need you to accompany me.”

“A social gathering? You mean a ball?”

Sylvia nodded.

It was a casual gesture, devoid of any personal feelings.

“Yes, a social ball on Saturday evening.”

“Why are you asking me to be your partner?”

I had a vague idea.

But I had to ask.

Even Sylvia, despite her aloof demeanor, was a member of the Linchester family.

She couldn’t completely ignore social connections, even if she had no political aspirations.

She might be working as an instructor at Neydia Academy, but she was one of the most skilled swordsmen in the empire.

And the Linchester family was one of the ten most prestigious families in the empire.

The Linchester family wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunities presented by social gatherings.

“Attending a social event without a partner is a nuisance.”

As expected.

Countless nobles would be vying for the chance to be Sylvia’s partner.

It would be exhausting to reject them all individually.

“And I’ve already declined two invitations.”

Sylvia sighed.

It was the first time I had ever seen her sigh.

She even massaged her temples.

“My father has given me an ultimatum…”

The head of the Linchester family…

Sylvia’s father, Benek von Linchester.

He was the current commander of the Imperial Knights.

“He threatened to disown me if I don’t attend this one.”

Sylvia’s tone was matter-of-fact,

As if she were talking about what she had eaten for lunch yesterday.

“So, I need a partner.”

I couldn’t refuse after hearing about her predicament.

And I needed her to approve the club application.

I agreed.

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