Chapter 79
Corpse in the Club
After greeting and shaking hands with Eivass, Allen’s gaze shifted to Lily behind him: “I presume this is Miss Lily? Are you joining our club too?”
“…Hm?”
Lily let out a soft sound of confusion. Nevertheless, she politely returned Allen’s greeting.
Eivass suddenly understood why Allen was being so polite to him and Lily.
To confirm his suspicion, Eivass asked on her behalf, “Do you know Lily too?”
“Of course. I imagine the news of Princess Isabel hosting the two of you last night has spread throughout the entire royal capital by now.”
Allen’s lips curved upwards, a rare sight on his usually stern face, revealing a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “I recall Master Janis was present at that banquet… And after that, His Highness gave you the key to No. 14 Ronin Street.”
He clearly rarely smiled, so his rare smile appeared unusually stiff, making his once comely face look exaggerated and somewhat comical at that moment.
Lily couldn’t help but think of the old butler, Oswald—his smile was just as stiff and terrifying, and a slight smile tugged at her lips. If she hadn’t kept her lips pursed, she would have burst out laughing.
Hearing this, Angela looked at Eivass and then at Isabel with surprise.
It was as if she suddenly understood something, her eyes widening in realization.
Angela reached out and gently tugged at Eivass’s clothes. It took two tugs before Eivass reacted, but he hesitated, glanced at Eivass, and shook his head at her silently.
The blue-haired girl glared at him with frustration, tugging his clothes again. But Eivass still didn’t respond.
“Anyway, I already told President Allen that they were the ones who introduced us…”
Thinking this, Angela took the other person’s hand and left. She was eager to share the juicy gossip she had just heard with her classmates—no wonder Princess Isabel had specifically sought out Eivass!
This left Eivass standing there, somewhat out of place in the current atmosphere. Only he genuinely needed Eivass’s help.
Isabel, who had been thinking hard, finally remembered Allen’s identity: “I’ve seen you before… You’re Carter’s son.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Allen replied, somewhat surprised that Isabel recognized him, but still answered respectfully. “It must have been about ten years ago when I last saw you. Your memory is still as sharp as ever.”
“Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Allen.”
Isabel also addressed him as “Mister,” acknowledging his status.
Then, she leaned in and whispered into Eivass’s ear, “He’s the son of the Minister of Law Enforcement. He should know about us… and about the painting.”
“So that’s why he knew me and Lily, and called me ‘Mister’ instead of ‘classmate’,” Eivass mused. “Or rather, Allen doesn’t actually know Lily. But he knows that the personal maid Eivass brought to the royal banquet was named Lily.”
“…Then again, there’s nothing shameful about our relationship, is there? We don’t need to be so quiet…”
While they were whispering, President Allen directly opened a drawer and placed three badges on the counter. He maintained a distance, not directly touching Eivass or the others.
“I will have someone handle the membership applications for the three of you later. You don’t need to rush on the membership fees; I will mail them to your residence along with the membership roster. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Allen smiled kindly, speaking fluently, “You can order any drinks you wish from here. We’ll have them brought to you shortly—here is the drink menu, and this is the snack menu. There are also copies in the private rooms on the second floor and on the tables. Feel free to ask the students delivering your orders for anything else. All of these are complimentary; the cost is included in your annual membership fee. Please help yourselves and don’t be shy.”
“Also, if you see any GG’s or flyers on the tables, please don’t mind them. We don’t forbid members from personal advertisements.”
This seemingly weak and powerless half-elf president was clearly perceptive.
His style was completely different from Haina’s, who was also a Chief.
He understood that Eivass and Isabel’s sudden joining of the White Dance Shoe Club meant someone had invited them, or they had a purpose for being there. Therefore, Allen didn’t try to curry favor with them or inquire about their intentions.
Instead, he tried to save them time by streamlining the unnecessary procedures as a gesture of goodwill, and by not prying into their reasons for being there, thus maintaining a comfortable and safe social distance.
This approach indeed made people feel more at ease. Even the exceptionally sensitive Isabel didn’t react negatively.
Isabel walked over, picked up the three badges from the table, and handed them to Eivass and Lily, respectively.
Allen explained, “These badges are proof of our members’ identities. Wear them when you come, and no one will stop you. They are also extraordinary equipment; if you happen to slip and fall, they will prevent you from getting injured or dirtying your clothes.”
The badge looked beautiful, made of White Crystal.
It was a slightly elongated, isosceles inverted triangle with rounded edges, somewhat resembling a slightly square, inverted teardrop. It also had faint, crisscrossing indentations like a fishing net.
It looked somewhat like a brand mark on a steak.
“…We received official member badges directly?”
Eivass felt a surge of satisfaction. He accepted it calmly.
A light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Crystal Dancing Shoes]
[Extraordinary Accessory (Blue)]
[Accessory – Badge]
[Spell: Rally (Once per day, 1/1)]
[Requirement: Any 1]
[Instant, Touch, Immediate Effect]
[“—I may be able to save you from a stumble, but I’m powerless to stop a fall.”]
While it held little significance for Eivass, who practically drove his wheelchair daily, it was a good item for Lily and Isabel.
In the game, this was one of the most easily obtainable accessories for the “badge” slot during the early quest progression.
Equipment for the badge slot was very rare, usually serving as identification for an extraordinary organization.
Compared to slots like rings, necklaces, or bracelets, badges had one major drawback—they didn’t directly contact the skin.
This meant the user had to touch it with their fingers to activate its stored spell, making it more cumbersome than a ring.
Because this method of use made it difficult to infuse mana, spells stored in badges typically only had a small amount of mana, allowing for instant activation. And with limited mana consumption, their effects were bound to be inferior.
These extraordinary items, with their complex craftsmanship, expensive materials, and modest effects, served their greatest purpose by increasing the cost of impersonation through intricate alchemy.
However, not all organizational identification came in the form of openly worn badges. For example, the Noble Red Society’s insignia was a more discreet ring, offering more practical effects and easier use.
Due to the “Balance” Path, only one item of each type could be worn simultaneously. Therefore, a badge with practical effects became even rarer.
For an organization like the “White Dance Shoe Club,” one would need to reach a friendly reputation to unlock their reputation store and purchase it. Many players, even at levels thirty to forty, were still using only the “Crystal Dancing Shoes.”
This was because the badges dropped in dungeons were usually not as good.
The “Rally” spell belonged to the most basic Law Spell of the Path of Authority, a very practical low-level spell, almost too good for a Law Master. Its effect was to instantly shed external force and regain balance when in a state of imbalance, stumbling, or falling, thereby rapidly restoring normal posture.
For instance, it could be triggered immediately to save one’s life or even retaliate when being suplexed, stepping on something slippery, or losing balance after a failed block.
It was a classic and practical free crowd-control equipment in online games. However, this could only counter soft crowd control.
The message attached to this badge was also meaningful.
It appeared to be referring to the equipment itself… but also to the nature of the “White Dance Shoe Club” organization.
While it looked like an alumni association, the club was actually a politically organized society with a relatively loose structure.
If one got into minor trouble, everyone could lend a hand and share resources; but if a major incident occurred, the club would definitely not help.
—It was essentially a preemptive disclaimer issued upon joining.
Seeing that the three of them had completed the process and successfully joined the club, Eivass finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Please come with me for a moment, Eivass… I beg you!”
He clasped his hands together and sincerely pleaded, “She should be on the second floor… Just like I said on the way, please help me talk to her! Thank you, Eivass! Frankly, after my classes this afternoon, I’ve forgotten everything you told me this morning!”
On their way to the club after class, Eivass had already explained the situation to Allen.
Although his embarrassed plea for outside help earned him mocking from his classmates, they also offered their blessings to Eivass for “finally finding someone he likes.”
Isabel also hesitated, as she wanted to accompany Eivass. But she was unsure if she would be a burden.
Taking a princess who might die at any moment to meet a stranger she had never seen before was too much pressure.
“You stay here for now,” Eivass said gently, “I’ll help Eivass with his relationship troubles first…”
He primarily wanted to see what kind of bad woman Eivass had gotten involved with this time. And if she was the one from his memories.
Isabel also breathed a sigh of relief and agreed.
Interacting with strangers was also difficult for her.
But just as the two were about to part ways, gasps of surprise and the sudden cessation of violin music interrupted their conversation, drawing their attention.
They saw someone struggling and falling from the railing on the second floor.
It wasn’t a student of a similar age to Eivass and the others, but a middle-aged man holding documents, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and with thinning hair.
He fell heavily but didn’t cry out. There was only a dull thud, and the papers scattered like snow.
Although it was only the second floor, the man only made whimpering sounds, twitched violently, and then lay still. Black blood slowly oozed from his mouth and nose, and a small, extremely thin dark gold dagger was embedded in his back.
It was less like a dagger and more like a needle. It was about the size of the file on fingernail clippers, and had no handle.
It easily pierced his clothes and entered the middle-aged deceased’s back.
Eivass frowned and abruptly looked up at the second floor, but saw no suspicious figures.
“This is not right.”
This was a plot point that had absolutely not appeared in his past life memories.
And the crucial question was… what had Eivass done that caused this deviation in the plot?
