《Antagonist's Sidekick Becomes the Hero!》


 Prologue: Rebirth? Or transmigration?

    You know, life can be pretty short. No, I don¡¯t mean in the grand scheme of things. I died when I was 23 years old. Lack of proper self-care. Died doing what I loved. Pretty much nothing important.


    However, I saw a strange sight. Balloons and confetti and some strange guy dressed in white.


    ¡°Congratulations, you are the 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000¡­000,000,000,000 thing on this planet to die! You get to participate in our special lottery!¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Um, what?¡±


    The next thing I knew, a strange machine popped up and a ball rolled out. It was golden.


    ¡°Oooh! You get to reincarnate into a video game fantasy world! Have fun!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Cool, I guess? My luck may have been just for this moment, I would have thought, if I wasn¡¯t trying to wrap my head around the fact that God was a game show host. Then, my vision blanked out and I fell asleep.


    And when I woke up, I was a baby, just like in all of those overused web novels.

 Chapter 1: Meeting the Antagonist

    So, the game. Let¡¯s start with that. Thankfully, it was a game I happened to know very well. The main character is nice (sort of)and has the chance to even win the demon girls¡¯ hearts. This game focused on the capability of capturing over 40 different love interests, and some were even guys. Thus, it was a popular game that appealed to both genders, though the girls playing were a minority even among girls.


    Unlike most of these kinds of action/relationship games, this wasn¡¯t a turn based RPG. It was a2Dside-scrolling brawler. The player would walk left to right and venture deeper into dungeons, performing combos and destroying enemies. It wasn¡¯t some major strategy game that involved learning weaknesses.


    The player was capable of just whacking all the enemies to death with punches, kicks, and other such stuff. The player would select a weapon and work on its mastery, increasing the damage output. Otherwise, there was no major difference. Only special equipment would allow for elemental attacks, but they would just be to the effect of enchanting the strikes.


    So later on in the game, your equipment mattered a lot. It also helped impress the girls. People and certain humanoid enemies had the same attack patterns, with the exception of main boss characters or rivals.


    Thus, it was a simple game with only like five Dungeons and most of the time was spent at school winning the favor of the fairer sex. Or not.


    But the world I awoke in had more than just 2 dimensions. There was a left, right, straight, back, diagonal¡­you get the idea. I also had a very good advantage. I was a powerful foe.


    I had to be. I was the son of a noble who had a good backing.


    No, I wasn¡¯t the main character. He was someone who earned the scholarship for commoners. His future was focused on studying so as to keep his grades up and stay in the academy. The Dungeons were for challenging the rivals or trying to stop guys from messing with your girls. Or getting into a sweaty moment with someone else¡­ugh. I quit. You should get the idea by now.


    No, I wasn¡¯t the main character, but I was part of the main story. I was Nolan Deckard. Son of a Duke. Amazing, huh? However, I wasn¡¯t even the main bad guy or a love interest. I am¡­a henchman.


    I am supposed to cower and follow the son of the Prime Minister, Emeril Dukain. Yep, he would constantly hinder the main character and try to mess with his love interests. He would use my money to fund his schemes and throw me away when he was about to pay for his crimes.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Essentially I was the scapegoat.


    But not anymore!


    Nolan was a powerful enemy. He was someone who spent his time reading books, learning the theory behind magic. He also held a really strong crush on pretty much whatever girl was the main heroine at the time of his entrance. I even got him a date several times, but it would always end up sad. She would reject him no matter who the girl was.


    I actually felt a connection with the guy, so I was happy to be reborn as him. Maybe I could change his life for the better!


    First off, I would not allow myself to grovel to Emeril. Instead, I will focus on increasing my own abilities. Nolan is also the smartest guy in the entire school, but if you follow the path to expel him, defeat him, or get him dumped, he would falter and fail, letting you get first place in the school if you wanted that path.


    So the main character always felt like a dick to me.


    But as a baby, what should I be doing?


    Well, I¡¯m not a baby anymore. I am a toddler. I slept through my infant stage. And thank goodness. My mother isn¡¯t all that, you know. That was where Nolan¡¯s roundness comes from, his mom and father. Although they carried a strange charm, like they were cute with their chubby-ness. Weird.


    But, I spent most of my time reading in the library once I could. Unfortunately, it seems my parents are on the Prime Minister¡¯s side. They invited Emeril over to become my friend, apparently.


    I thought I should start here since I wasn¡¯t really doing anything amazing. Well, besides already being able to read, write, and speak perfectly by the time I was five.


    ¡°Here, Little Nolan, we brought a friend for you today! Come on out of the library!¡±


    My parents. I guess they mean well, but they certainly are foolish. Oh well, what can a 5-year-old do to a 28-year-old? Ah, I am referring to Emeril versus me, respectively. I do happen to have a past life, after all. Dealing with a kid will be easy.


    I walk outside after putting down my book and see the blonde haired antagonist of the entire story. He already carries himself with arrogance and pride, but that seems to be a little different from what I expected.


    ¡°Hahaha! It is I, the Great Emerald Knight, Emeril! Where ever Evil goes, I shall follow! Join me, on my quest for justice!¡±


    Hoh? This¡­I never¡­no, I actually remember some small bits of dialogue.


    ¡®He used to be so cute when he was younger.¡¯


    ¡®What happened to that child?¡¯


    ¡®He didn¡¯t use to be like this, oh dear.¡¯


    Huh. I wonder what would happen if I stop him from being a douche bag in the future? Well, I guess I can let off some steam. I have been keeping in my joy of reincarnation for the past five years.


    ¡°Fufufu.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You dare proclaim yourself as a Knight in front of me? I am the great Scholar of the Ages, Keeper of the Tomes and Arrays, Grand Mage Nolan!¡±


    ¡°Whoa! A Mage?! Hahaha! Lily, look! We found a Grand Mage!¡±


    Oh? Who is the little girl? Lily? Hm¡­


    ¡°Great, another weirdo.¡±


    ¡°Ah, come on, Lily! You are the Silent Flower, the amazing Healer, Lily!¡±


    Ah! Lillian Rose! So she actually kept that name? No wonder in the game Emeril would get even more aggressive if the MC went after her. Oh yeah, they used to know each other. But I thought she was the Princess¡¯ maid¡­what? I¡¯m so confused¡­


    ¡°I apologize for Young Master Emeril¡¯s actions, you don¡¯t need to follow his example.¡±


    A 5-year-old girl sounds so mature. No, she was supposed to be a couple years older, wasn¡¯t she?


    ¡°It is of little consequence. You, Knight! Show me your skills! I will not have a shoddy fighter in my presence!¡±


    ¡°Haha! As you say!¡±


    Heh, what is this amazing gap? Oh, I feel weird. I need to throw this emotion away unless I want to change who I am.


    Otherwise, fujoshi girls would flock to me. Ugh.

 Chapter 2: Showing Off

    There was never a concept of levels. It was just leveling up your attacks and equipment. However, if you increased a certain combo, it would be activated faster and deal more damage. Thus, in this world, instead of Player Levels, it was Skill Levels.


    There wasn¡¯t numbers or letters, they were just bars of experience. 10 bars was the maximum for everything, so it would just be safe to say Level 1 to Level 10. It makes it easier for me to explain.


    Nolan used long range magic that had different chant speeds and different elements. Magic was always the most special of combos.


    In the game, the sprite would wave their hands, tome, or staff about, dealing damage to up close enemies while chanting during each strike. Once the combo was completed, a magic attack would appear at the specified location. However, it was always difficult as magic had a specific location where it was cast. Close, mid range, or long range. And it would have different effects depending on the many different combos.


    Mages were hard to control in the game, but it was super easy in real life. I chant the words, infuse magic into the incantation, and select my target location. Super easy. However, I can¡¯t move. I don¡¯t really have a way to defend myself from close range attacks.


    So, I worked on chantless magic. Yep, sounds OP, but it is either weaker, longer to cast, or takes up more energy.


    But, if I chose to just pop spells out here and there, it works as a good deterrent against melee fighters like Emeril. I learned quickly, so while he had won the first several fights, the tides quickly changed and I won every time.


    ¡°Aww, no wonder you are a Grand Mage!¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Seeing Emeril''s childish expression actually frightens me. How could this person ever be evil?


    ¡°Young Master, it is time to go home.¡±


    But his relation to Lily as of now seems completely different as well. I thought he tried to put his hands on her once...was I wrong?


    ¡°Hey! Teach me magic!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Even Lily is surprised by my repsonse to Emeril''s demands.


    ¡°But my father is ¨C¡°


    ¡°You have yet to finish your sword training. You can only have one teacher at a time. Come back again once you are finished.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay! Come on, Lily! I need to see that old gramps!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes, Young Master. And Sir Nolan, thanks for entertaining Young Master Emeril.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Even if he isn¡¯t finished with his training, he is free to come by and hang out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you for your generosity. Well, we¡¯re off.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Hehehe, I haven¡¯t played with kids in forever. Most of the time they are annoying brats, but this kid¡­I guess I have to watch out for him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°How was it, Little Nolan?¡±


    I didn''t even notice my mom and father walk up. They seem to be basic parents, but why would they be so subservient to the Prime Minister or allow old Nolan to partake in such awful activities with old Emeril? Well, they look happy enough.


    ¡°It was fun, mom.¡±


    ¡°Aww, good. See, Emeril is the son of a powerful man, so he might be coming over sometime in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I said they could come whenever.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Oh, okay! I am glad you made a good friend, Nolan!¡±


    Heh, my mom in this world seems so interested in me. In my past life, she would sit and read all the time, letting me ''learn on my own.'' Pah. I would rather take nosy mom than lazy mom any day.


    ¡°Thanks, mom. Well, I am tired.¡±


    ¡°I bet. Go get some sleep, son.¡±


    Dad doesn''t say much, but when he does, it is basic and ordinary. However, it is a lot more than my previous life, so I can''t complain. Actually, I like it.


    ¡°Yes, dad.¡±


    Ah, a good day. Actually, it was really beneficial to me. I have now experienced how to fight in this world. At best, I can only use the four basic elements, but in the future, I could possibly use even lightning or shadow magic! Mmm¡­


    >>><<<


    It''s not even sun up, why did mom and dad wake me up? Oh...


    ¡°Emeril, I know I said you could come back again, but I didn¡¯t think you would come back again the next day.¡±


    ¡°Come on! My teacher wants to see you!¡±


    Oops, am I too strong? I guess that would be too upsetting to have your student lose to a five-year-old.


    Well, it would be the very first time I get to see the outside of the mansion. I wonder if I can go shopping. Oh no, here comes the annoying banter of a child that wants to show off.


    ¡°And then I have to show you the large fountain! We have a Tiger Bear that guards the garden!¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Just smile and nod, that should work.


    ¡°Ooh, and the bath house! It feels really nice especially after a tough day of exercise!¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Oh! How about saying hi to my sister? She should be here today!¡±


    Oh? I may have to actually pay attention. Everyone and their mother had a hard crush on Emeril¡¯s older sister Amethia. She is the gentle and quiet type. And the only one who could somehow rein in Emeril in any of the run-throughs. But, it would usually mean you could only have her and no one else. Otherwise, she would kill you.


    Yep, she¡¯s actually a brocon who turns yandere for you. Most of the dialogue pertaining to Emeril¡¯s past comes from her. She is actually a lot older, around five years older than the main character. She is an alumni who assists the athletics teacher.


    But right now she should be ten. I wonder how cute she is¡­


    ¡°Here we are, Nolan!¡±


    Huh? Isn¡¯t that¡­


    ¡°You! Get over here and pick up a sword! If you are a friend of Emeril¡¯s, then you gotta use a sword!¡±


    Oh dear. This skinny looking old geezer is perhaps the strongest guy I have ever seen! Wait, a sword?


    ¡°But, I¡¯m a Mage¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! Let¡¯s go! Pick up the pace!¡±


    Drat, so the athletic teacher is also Emeril¡¯s private tutor? What a menace! Instructor Ghazi is a Drill Sergeant who normally trains soldiers! This mad man¡­no wonder Emeril is insanely strong.


    Ugh, this is heavy.


    ¡°Now swing! We will do fifteen reps!¡±


    Nooo¡­


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­hah¡­¡±


    So...tired...


    ¡°Hahaha! I guess Nolan isn¡¯t cut out to be a swordsman!¡±


    Leave me be, brat. Don''t think I won''t scold you for kicking a man while he''s down. Though I am currently five.


    ¡°Young Master, move out of the way. I need to apply a new rag to Sir Nolan¡¯s forehead.¡±


    Ah, what a diligent girl. If only Lily would become my maid.


    ¡°But he wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if he hadn¡¯t gotten you riled up.¡±


    Ouch, your words wound me, madam. On second thought, you can remain as Emeril''s maid. You have a poisonous tounge.


    ¡°YOOO EMMY!¡±


    Ouch, those words are literally wounding me¡­my ears¡­


    ¡°Ah, sis! Come here and meet my new friend!¡±


    Amethia?! Where is she?!


    ¡°Ha! So this is the great Grand Mage Nolan, huh? Not so great, now?¡±


    Oh my god, why is my idol so boyish? Amethia, why are you so brutish? Please stop standing on my bloated stomach, it is hard to breathe¡­


    ¡°Teaches you to tease my little brother!¡±


    ¡°Madame Amethia, please cease this. You are hurting Sir Nolan.¡±


    Lily! Help me!


    ¡°Che.¡±


    Why¡­my heart is breaking.


    ¡°He is not that bad, he completed all of Instructor Ghazi''s instructions. He even congratulated Nolan.¡±


    Why are you staring at me like that? I swear,Emeril is speaking the truth, just don¡¯t hurt me again¡­


    I¡¯m delicate.


    But for real, I wonder what caused these people to change? Or maybe, this isn¡¯t quite the same world?


    I wonder¡­

 Chapter 3: Conflict of Interests

    By the way, time skip.


    So for nearly two years, I would duel against Emeril and practice swordplay with him. But, there was another person, someone who definitely fits into the stereotype of grunt. Emeril would be the leader, while I was the chubby and intelligent one. The last one would be the gentle idiot who people can care for.


    In other words, a young son of a small noble family on the edge of the kingdom, Hector Davis. Hector was always smiling and following Emeril around. He was his number one fan. But, he sported a wonderful talent in swordplay. However, he was too content in just doing what Emeril was doing.


    Why was this important? Because he wasn¡¯t in the game. He was never mentioned once. I am starting to figure out something, but I am a little afraid of it. However, nothing happened in these two years, except for what I previously mentioned. My magic was put on hold as I learned how to use a sword alongside Emeril and Hector.


    Then, we had an off day.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go into the forest!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Absolutely not!


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Heck yeah, it is! I can tell where this is going! Look, Hector is just silently nodding his head like a buffoon!


    ¡°But I am the Emerald Knight, Emeril!¡±


    ¡°And I am just a kid who wants to stay alive. Lily, please talk some sense into him.¡±


    However, Lily just places her hands on her hips and smirks at me.


    ¡°Oh, so now you want to be reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡±


    Well, we finally agreed to have Amethia guide us, but she would have rather been off training for the academy. It wouldn¡¯t be long until she went. In fact, she might be going in a couple months.


    We walked around, but we didn¡¯t see much.


    ¡°Okay, time to go home. Let¡¯s go. I am done babysitting.¡±


    Amethia didn¡¯t even last half an hour¡­


    ¡°Aww, but we didn¡¯t see a monster! I want to fight a monster!¡±


    No no no no. NO. Emeril, shut up!


    Wait, I sense something. Even Amethia is getting ready.


    ¡°Hush.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are we going?¡±


    You moron, all of us are quiet, except you, you emerald bozo.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Shut up, Emeril.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rude, Nolan!¡±


    While I turned to hold a hand over his mouth, disaster struck. A fast shadow darted forward, headed towards the weakest person in the clearing, Lily. I was looking away, but Emeril¡¯s face clearly showed me what to expect. He had fallen down onto the ground and nearly pissed himself. I heard a scream and looked behind me, only to see Hector getting his arms bit into by a large cat creature.


    ¡°No!¡±


    I cast several small powered spells, but they just bounce off the fur! This is a Shadow Leopard! This thing is highly resistant to magic! Thankfully, my attacks made it face towards me. I used the chance to call out to Emeril behind me.


    ¡°Emeril, we have to protect Hector!¡±


    ¡°I ¨C No, it¡¯s¡­too scary¡­¡±


    Dammit, now is not the time to act your age!


    ¡°We need the Emerald Knight! A Grand Magus can only do so much! I need someone to guard me while I cast a spell!¡±


    ¡°no¡­No¡­NO!¡±


    Great, he¡¯s having a breakdown. Lily is already healing Hector, and he nods at me and stands up. He gets between me and the leopard, even though Lily is yelling at him to get back. I see the leopard turn towards him slightly, so I sent some dirt into its face, blinding it.


    ¡°Hector, hold it down!¡±


    ¡°Hm!¡±


    The silent tough guy lunges, grappling the leopard and pulling it to the ground. However, his shirt gets stained with more blood. I am afraid this is all he can do, so I ready my strongest magic.


    ¡°When I say so, move away!¡±


    Good, he nodded.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Hector jumps away, but the leopard is already moving. However, it receives a lightning strike to the underbelly where the fur is softer. Now it is stunned! I rush forward and use my weak sword to stab at the eye, but I missed! I instead scratched its face, enraging it even more. Just before its paws reached me, I was pulled back by a really strong arm.


    ¡°Hiya!¡±


    A radiant sword strike appears, stabbing the leopard all the way through the head. It was an instant kill. I look around and spot two more dead leopards and turn back to Amethia who is covered in scratches and blood.


    We¡¯re saved.


    But Emeril has gone silent. I am guessing that before, Amethia wasn¡¯t even here. Hector sacrificed himself so the others, probably including me, could leave. You know, it might have only been a weak monster by itself. With Amethia, only so many monsters would dare attack like this.


    I guess it was like increasing the difficulty when adding party members.


    I helped Lily patch Hector and Amethia up, but when Lily held her hand against my chest, I then realized I had a huge claw mark on it, the leopard having torn through my clothes. I guess since I have magic, I won¡¯t have a scar, which is good.


    But¡­Emeril¡­


    Amethia carries him on her back and we follow her back to the castle.


    >>><<<


    Emeril was grounded, but Hector was given a private tutor of his own and his family received some good compensation. So did mine, but they didn¡¯t need it. I was given the chance to talk with an actual Grand Mage, but it wasn¡¯t that effective. I only learned the theory some more. He wouldn¡¯t teach me actual spells or give me a tome.


    Hector was never around as he was too busy training and Lily had some down time because Emeril was isolating himself.


    So she would spend time with Hector, who was actually the same age as Lily.


    And where was I? I had already read all the books in my home and even the books Emeril¡¯s family would let me read. This meant I was bored. So, I instead spent my time learning under Instructor Ghazi.


    ¡°Where is that damn brat? You, go get him! He hasn¡¯t shown up to practice in days!¡±


    ¡°But ¨C¡°


    ¡°No buts! Go!¡±


    I was never good with pouting kids. I always got frustrated at their annoying misbehavior. Ugh, if only Emeril was manlier like before. Huh, that sounds weird.


    ¡°Hey, Emeril.¡±


    ¡°¡­Go away.¡±


    ¡°Instructor Ghazi wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Dammit! Don¡¯t make me¡­oh, I have an idea. It sucks, but¡­


    ¡°¡­Hector¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hector actually contracted a disease that we couldn¡¯t cure with our magic. It must have been something the leopard had, but Hector¡­Hector is¡­¡±


    BANG!


    ¡°Where is he?!¡±


    Oh, I¡¯m terrible! He looks much better like this.


    ¡°Puh ¨C¡°


    ¡°YOU BASTARD! Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    Pah!


    Ouch, what the hell? You want to hit me? Screw you!


    Pah!


    ¡°Ow! You can¡¯t hit me!¡±


    ¡°Stop being an idiot!¡±


    You hit me first! Don¡¯t be a baby!


    ¡°Grr¡­¡±


    ¡°What a child. Are you even worthy of being a Knight?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey. Fight me.¡±


    Oops. I crossed the line.

 Chapter 4: Graduation Before School Even Begins

    ¡°Hah¡­Hah¡­you¡­bastard¡­¡±


    Shut up¡­


    ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­idiot¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you two going to get up off the ground? And why are you covered in bruises?¡±


    Such a pretty lady¡­why have I never seen her before?


    ¡°Huh, mom! Nolan said mean things and then he hit me!¡±


    Ah, so she¡¯s Emeril¡¯s mom¡­ah, wait! That¡¯s not the important part!


    ¡°What?! You were being stupid and when I said something to get you to come out, you hit me!¡±


    ¡°You were being rude!¡±


    ¡°You are being a moron!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°You stop it!¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±


    ¡°Fa¡­father¡­¡±


    Shit.


    I thought the Prime Minister would be someone a little more¡­evil looking? Why does he look like a powerful soldier?! Geez, he looks like a manly man! No, he looks like one would expect a warrior king to look!


    ¡°Yes, Emeril, Nolan was acting pretty rudely. However, he did it for you. Your actions are worrying your friends. You need to think of how you appear to others.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for hitting you.¡±


    You better be. I only hit you in retaliation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for hitting you.¡±


    ¡°What?! You ¨C¡°


    ¡°But I am sorry for claiming that Hector was sick. I would probably feel upset if someone told me one of my friends was in trouble.¡±


    ¡°¡­okay.¡±


    Well now then. I am starting to see some puzzles fall in place.


    Just as I was about to think deeply on this situation, Emeril¡¯s dad speaks up again.


    ¡°You are upset with yourself, right? You think you aren¡¯t fit to be a knight since you nearly let your friends die? We cannot always be there to help someone. Go ask Instructor Ghazi. He knew some good men that died in the last several wars.¡±


    Yikes, this conversation would have been hard to hear to a child who just lost their friend and blamed themselves. It¡¯s essentially, ¡®You aren¡¯t the only person who lost people, get over it.¡¯Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Wow. That would have sounded pretty dickish if Hector had died.


    But, as it is now, Emeril seems to be a little better. I think he needs a push in a different direction, though.


    ¡°That stuff is irrelevant. Doesn¡¯t a Knight just have to be so strong, so he can protect everyone? As a Mage, all I have to do is trust the person in front of me to last long enough to use my best spell and kill whatever enemy is in front of me. I don¡¯t need someone who will falter.¡±


    ¡°Nolan!¡±


    Shit, why is the dad getting angry?! I was just speaking my mind!


    ¡°No, dad, he¡¯s right. Maybe I was going down the wrong path. I don¡¯t want to be a powerful swordsman, I want to be a true knight! Not the title, but the occupation!¡±


    Oh! I was just being angry, but isn¡¯t this good?! It was true that in the game, Emeril was the best swordsman in the school, but he was just Level 9 if you were to look. He had hit a bottleneck that couldn¡¯t be crossed due to his trauma. Huh, wow. This game was exceedingly deep.


    But wouldn¡¯t this part make the game that much more amazing? We all treated Emeril as the arrogant rich kid who had too much power. This kind of trauma would have ruined anyone!


    ¡°I see. I will let Instructor Ghazi know about the change in your schedule.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, father.¡±


    Eh? Aren¡¯t we forgetting someone? Oh!


    ¡°Wait, Hector is currently in training to be a Knight, but he has better talent in the sword. Why not let someone see which path would be better for him?¡±


    ¡°That is a good suggestion, Nolan. I was thinking about Emeril being a swordsman, but with this, he would need someone who can deal strong attacks around him. Okay, we will adjust the training.¡±


    Oh, the strongest swordsman, the best mage¡­hehehe.


    ¡°Fufufu, doesn¡¯t this seem kind of strange?¡±


    ¡°Nolan?¡±


    ¡°A Knight, a Swordsman, A Mage, and if we count Lily, a Healer. Isn¡¯t that almost a perfect team?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right! Nolan, let¡¯s go find Hector and Lily so we can train some more!¡±


    Good, Emeril is back to normal. However¡­


    ¡°No, let¡¯s take a bath first. I am dirty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to get dirty again!¡±


    Brat! You don¡¯t know the meaning of good hygiene!


    >>><<<


    By the way, another time skip.


    Amethia went to the academy and several years passed.


    Hector grew to be the strongest swordsman in our generation, while Lily was allowed to learn at the Church to further her healing abilities. Emeril joined the soldiers training to become Knights, but only as a sort of substitute. He never really did much, but he got to experience how Knights protected their allies and had to face the enemies¡¯ attacks.


    Emeril had to get over his fear of pain and being killed since all the Knights had to. He learned of their struggles and grew as a person. In fact, he was the one who grew the most out of all of us.


    Me? I was finally relieved of the torture of having to use a sword, but I still knew enough to even challenge a few adults. Sad, I know. But, it gave me a suitable close combat option since quick magic was only for distractions or setting up for a stronger attack. I completely disregarded it as a feasible choice for attack.


    Instead, I would use my now amazing stamina and strength to move around the field, or kite the enemy, and wear down my opponent. I did a good job, too. I had a very versatile selection of attacks and used certain ones depending on the situation. But, as you can guess, all four of us had split up. We were separated.


    Before we knew it, Hector and Lily attended the academy. Then Amethia graduated. And finally, Emeril and I began our first year at the academy.


    Lily and Hector were seniors when we joined, but that was fine. I looked forward to this strange setup, as many things would be completely different. For one, Hector was alive.


    Then Lily wasn¡¯t the Princess¡¯ maid. Emeril wasn¡¯t a douche. And Nolan isn¡¯t a pudgy marshmallow! I am fit! Hahaha! Oh, started imitating Emeril. Huh, I guess I can¡¯t wait to show him how strong I got!


    Let¡¯s see, according to the game, Nolan only had one class with the main character and that was Magic Theory class. It wasn¡¯t an optional class and possibly the most difficult class out of all of them. That was probably because it was on a topic that was mainly fantasy, but now I had all the knowledge. I doubt Zachariah Kenton would be able to challenge me now!


    Oh, and let me get some classes with pretty ladies in them, hehe¡­

 Chapter 5: Class Begins

    Athletics has some physically fit girls. Hmm, those uniforms. Hehe, I don¡¯t mind running laps as long as it is behind Tetra or Enderson. Those two girls are H-O-T! Well, one is literally a flame spirit¡­but the problem here is that old Nolan never took Athletics¡­meh.


    Let me see, I am already taking magic theory¡­I guess that is good enough for the main classes. Knowing how to fight and use magic are the two most important things, after all. But Combat Class is mandatory for everyone, so they split that up into classes after lunch. Then it comes time for an elective.


    A main class in the morning, either Athletics or Magic Theory, then lunch. After that is Combat Class followed by either one of two electives. Hmm, most of the girls are in Art, Music, and House Skills.


    But House Skills is out since I get tired of the girls that go in there. They are all bratty and annoying. Like dramatic children.


    But so is Music, as the girls in there are bossy and aggressive.


    So that leaves Art, but what about my last one?


    Hehehe, Free Period. A difficult class to have since you won¡¯t have that many chances to see the girls that also have a free period every day. However, there is one girl who has a free period on B Days who spends each afternoon in the library. My favorite girl ever, Gina. The Demon King¡¯s Daughter.


    I bet that was a shock, huh? Oh? Did I mention demons already? But, as a country for humans, don¡¯t you think having the Demon King¡¯s daughter is a problem?


    Well, the game¡¯s settings gather all sorts of girls with amazing backgrounds under a barely effective excuse.


    Ah, but for Gina, it is for political reasons. After getting to know her, you might be involved and have to fight off assassins in the late game. Cool stuff, but she is cold, shut off, and distant from everyone else because of that. However, it isn¡¯t because she is afraid of humans, she is afraid for humans. She doesn¡¯t want her friends to be involved in any trouble, so she keeps her distance.


    It helps that people don¡¯t mistreat her.


    But she is my first target. Oh, I can¡¯t wait!


    >>><<<


    The Introduction Ceremony was long and boring, and I saw Emeril was off sleeping. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. However, it seems he didn¡¯t notice me. Maybe it is because I am slim? Nah, that can¡¯t be. I still have my characteristic red hair, after all.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Well, now that that was over, time to go home.


    >>><<<


    So the first day of school, I wonder how things will go. I have Magic Theory, so now I get to see the infamous main character, Zachariah Kenton. Well, that is his default name, the player could select a different name.


    There he is, physically endowed and mentally gifted, the great hero who can make girls swoon by winking. No really, if you raise Zack¡¯s popularity enough, random sprites of school girls will appear and swoon when he taunts. And if he has raised up affection with specific girls, they will sometimes appear too.


    It¡¯s a fun game.


    He is well toned and has brown hair that is shaggy yet not difficult to deal with. It stays just far enough out of his face so as to not hinder people¡¯s sights of him. However, his eyes are sharp and bright. He always has a smile and his complexion does not seem like a rural farmer¡¯s son.


    He has amazing strength and his mother was sickly due to high quantities of magic, so she stayed inside. His father would buy books for her to read and experience the outside world, so Zack would grow up reading and writing his own adventures for his mother to read.


    A nice story, but I don¡¯t really care too much.


    I see several amazing women around me. Hoh! It¡¯s Gina! Haha! Ahem, I can¡¯t approach her in class. She holds too much prestige. Meeting her in class will lower your popularity when she dumps you.


    ¡°Hey, you are cute. My name is Zachariah, but you can call me Zack. Nice to meet you.¡±


    Ugh! What the ¨C


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! That guy got rejected and it¡¯s only the first day!¡±


    The room is filled with raucous laughter, but Zack is only smiling wryly and shrugging his shoulders. For some reason, he sees me and looks confused. And then¡­he sits down next to me.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Zack, what¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nolan.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    I don¡¯t like where this is headed.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°No, I just thought you were someone I knew.¡±


    Bull. I can tell for sure that I am who you thought I was.


    ¡°Oh? Like who?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Nolan I know is well¡­¡±


    ¡°Chubby?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Wait¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Whatever.¡±


    I am moving. I can¡¯t stand him. That, and I don¡¯t know how to act around another person like me. However, I look around and see that there aren¡¯t any open spots. No, someone quickly changed seats to take mine. It seems to be a pretty cute girl ¨C


    Ah, it¡¯s Sandie. She feels like looking at the main character is love at first sight, but she is an art student and merely wants to draw him. She is so innocent, but she eventually gets obsessed with him and can¡¯t help but getting in a relationship with him. I guess he drew her attention with the last scene. However, more seats change and then only one is left.


    Ha! Gina! Here I come!


    Don¡¯t look at her, don¡¯t say anything, if I say anything I will ruin it¡­must continue my chant.


    ¡°Okay, class, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Aaaand snooze fest. However, I have to keep notes, as the tests aren¡¯t just going to be easy to remember trivia like in the game. I actually have to study. But it is like taking an anatomy class and memorizing all of the bones in the body, just to go into a children¡¯s class and list the body¡¯s senses.


    Yes, I already know all of this.


    Well, at least I can take several glances at Gina when she doesn¡¯t notice. Dang, she is so cute.


    Ah, the teacher is looking at me. Did he ask a question?


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Um, no, I was just wondering why you weren¡¯t writing this formula down.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s is because I already memorized it.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Oops, I made a scene.

 Chapter 6: Butting Heads

    ¡°So what you are saying is that you can solve this problem?¡±


    The teacher had erased the formula, much to the other students¡¯ chagrin, and put up a simple problem. And by simple, I mean that there are actually mistakes within the problem itself. It was like writing a complex formula just to find out why 2 + 2 = 4.


    ¡°Yes, in this case, the array would need several different grooves here and here, while if we add a magic symbol here, it would be many times more effective while still only needing a small amount of time to conjure.¡±


    Arrays are special, but not by much. It is like placing a magic trap. In the game, after placing the array, one would walk away and let a monster land on it, suffering from a special condition or taking a lot of elemental damage, making the monster easier to defeat.


    By making a symbol purely out of magic, of course it will be unstable and dangerous.


    ¡°Uh¡­correct. But¡­this is senior level magic theory¡­Why aren¡¯t you in that class?¡±


    ¡°Because I am a freshman.¡±


    I like my place, right here beside Gina.


    ¡°No, you can test out of these easy classes.¡±


    ¡°I am already able to completely graduate no problem. I merely want to experience my youth.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    The old man weakly grinned, as if he too would like to do the same thing now. He nodded and returned to the board while I returned to my seat. Easy peasy.


    Ah, it seems I have gained some influence and popularity amongst the class. Now it seems that people will want me to tutor them. Well, it will give me some pocket money at least.


    Gina gave me a weird look, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She probably wants to learn from me, but she is incredibly shy. As a demon, she should have amazing control over magic, but for some reason, she finds it difficult. Well, I already know her problem, but I can¡¯t just call her out on it.


    After class finishes, I pick my things up only to be blocked by Zack.


    ¡°You are Gina, yes? I heard about you from someone else. But, I can see something wrong with your body. Will you speak to me if I can help you with your problem?¡±


    Screw you! Stop being a douche bag! I know this is a game world made real, so these kinds of things can be approached differently, but you are going about it all wrong!


    ¡°You¡­I have to go.¡±


    Look, she is uncomfortable! I make room for her to leave and wait for everyone to disappear. However, Zack remains.


    ¡°So, you are like me?¡±


    Ah, he asked first. Now I have the upper hand.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Heh, it doesn¡¯t matter. I will find a way to get all the girls! And I will do it amazingly!¡±


    As he starts to leave, I form an ice puddle in front of him, tripping him and making him fall on his face. I step over him and calmly walk out the door.


    ¡°First, learn some manners. You aren¡¯t here to get girls, you are here to make your parents proud, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? I can just use my knowledge to get the human princess to vouch for me!¡±


    Ah, he¡¯s already up. What a sturdy fellow.


    ¡°Hmph. Well, your greed will be your undoing.¡±


    ¡°So, how is Emeril? Or did you drop his ass?¡±


    ¡°Emeril? He is a proud person I wouldn¡¯t mind fighting to the death for.¡±


    ¡°Huh?! What the¡­¡±


    ¡°You will fail because two girls are already unattainable.¡±


    Hahaha, and both are due to Emeril!


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You will know in Athletics.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you taking it too?¡±


    Geez, his face is annoying. I just want to punch it.


    I guess it is time to go. I want food. Great, just as I sit down, Zack walks over. Ugh.


    ¡°So, who are you after? Gina? Too bad, she¡¯s mine. Like, even though she hasn¡¯t grown in yet, I can¡¯t help but imagine that she will have amazing boobs! Oooh, and that tight butt. It¡¯s just, you know!¡±


    Why is he blathering to me? Could it be that he needs a friend?


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t. Leave me be. You will ruin my appetite.¡±


    ¡°Ha! So? Who cares? You are just some nobody! Once I defeat you, you will probably realize how worthless all of your training has been!¡±


    Look at him, acting all smug.


    ¡°Whatever. Just go.¡±


    Ugh, I can¡¯t eat my mashed potatoes in peace. Oh! Hector!


    ¡°Yo, Hector! Let me eat with you!¡±


    ¡°Nolan, is that you? Haha! How has it been? You definitely look much wiser than before! What kind of magic can you cast now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Level 7 spells for now.¡±


    ¡°Oh! How amazing! And¡­this is?¡±


    I look behind me to see a flabbergasted Zack.


    ¡°He¡¯s a nobody, no, he¡¯s actually worse than that. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you have to tell me all about what happened when we split up. How¡¯s Emeril?¡±


    ¡°I heard he is doing okay. Once he graduates from here, he will be given a sure spot in among the Knights.¡±


    That lucky guy. None of the mages have approached me after that guy left the last time. Since no one visited me after the forest incident, I had to go purchase some tomes and staffs myself, using the money I made from special projects!


    ¡°Oh, how amazing! By the way, Lily and I were thinking about something¡­I just wanted to ask Emeril if it was okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you dating now?¡±


    Hehe, a third one that Zack can¡¯t get. Who would let go of the next best swordsman in the country?


    ¡°Well, not yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will help you. I will see him after lunch when we go get split up for Combat Class.¡±


    ¡°Good! Thanks a bunch!¡±


    Ah, seeing this tall and gallant black-haired swordsman who actually seems like a cold hearted killer is amazing! Look, he acts like a splendid person! Oh man, I have an awesome friend.


    And now my appetite is back!


    >>><<<


    After finishing lunch, it is time to head to combat class. We are probably the only large-scale school in the region, but even then, mainly nobles can afford to send their children to it. That means only three classes are formed.


    For the senior class, there are only two, but the junior class has three like us freshmen. Thus, eight instructors watch over the entire student body for an hour.


    I was put into the same group as Emeril and managed to secure him as a sparring partner.


    ¡°Yo, how is it going?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Do I happen to know you?¡±


    Ouch, my pride.


    ¡°Haha, you certainly are funny, Emeril. It¡¯s me, Nolan!¡±


    ¡°Nolan! Hahaha! I haven¡¯t seen you in forever! Come here!¡±


    Yikes, he hugs like a bear. Well, can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like it. Even in real life, I gave some awesome hugs to my few friends. Huh. You know, this is the first time I truly feel like friends with Emeril. Even Hector was already my friend before, he just had that kind of attitude.


    But Emeril? I usually treated him as a kid I played along with. I guess I am becoming Nolan more and more. It wasn¡¯t until Zack started talking about him that I realized the change.


    In my past life, my few friends were not nearly as close. In fact, because I moved around a lot, I never kept my friends.


    I hope I stay with my friends for a while in this world.

 Chapter 7: Defeat and Recovery

    After meeting for so long, Emeril was itching to duel again. How can I say no? I had to prove that I was still amazing.


    However, Emeril has some really good resistance to my sneaky techniques. Plus, he already knows all about my quick cast magic. I guess it is time to show him my current knowledge.


    First, I pull out my favorite magic weapon, the Tome of Entanglement. It is a special magic book that has spells on summoning plants and other such tricky creatures. I can use them to ensnare my opponent and allow me time to cast a strong spell.


    However, it has some tells, or hints. It summons a magic circle where I want it to, but then it takes almost a second for it to take effect. Which means my enemy could dodge quickly if need be.


    So, I place trap arrays around me in all directions.


    ¡°Fufufu, come on, then!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! I will just break through!¡±


    Indeed he does. He charges right through and activates the traps, but they can only hold him for so long. But that was long enough. I use a more powerful spell and keep him locked in place while I chant a super strong lightning spell. He should be able to survive this, right?


    ¡°Orrrya! Haha! You can¡¯t keep me in ¨CWhoops!¡±


    Wow, he just broke out. He even dodged the lightning spell. Sorry, my fellow classmates, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your sparring session.


    Geez, now he is close. I don¡¯t have the advantage in close combat, but I am prepared.


    ¡°Oh? Going for a sword now? Please, then let me see how good you have gotten!¡±


    He pulls out a large shield with only one hand as he rushes towards me. Heh, I guess he got really strong. And I guess I can let loose a little more, huh?


    ¡°Discharge!¡±


    I plant my sword into the ground on top of a lightning array and chant the spell to activate the Lightning Domain. It took me months to figure this out, and it is an amazing technique. One of the Dungeon Bosses was a Dragon, and it used magic arrays to set up a domain of fire. Activating the domain could only be done one at a time, as it required a lot of magic power, but it did give whatever started up the domain a special power.


    And now my sword carries the power of the heavens!Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Ooh! Hahaha!¡±


    Now we don¡¯t even speak, we are too focused on the fight. Each strike of mine weaves around and tries to cut into the openings, but that damnable shield keeps popping up. However, with each hit, my domain weakens and my end draws near. Fortunately, Emeril is slowly taking damage. I think he even has the paralyzed condition. Any moment now, his body will freeze up and I will win¡­


    Come on¡­


    Why you¡­


    It¡¯s been almost an hour! Stop being so tanky!


    Finally, the last bit of lightning exits my sword and I collapse to the ground from exhaustion. But, then I look over and see Emeril drop his shield, his face in a stupid smile like when he was younger.


    ¡°I finally beat you again, haha¡­ha.¡±


    And then he fainted. Was that what was keeping him going? Hot damn, that is incredible! What a monster! Ugh, now I don¡¯t even know if I want to go to art class.


    Oops, we destroyed the training grounds. In fact, it looks like everyone is just watching us with round eyes. And Zack looks kind of¡­lost. Damn, I forgot to tell Emeril about Hector and Lily. Oh well.


    ¡°Ah, Instructor Wilson, I will take Emeril to the infirmary.¡±


    ¡°¡­okay¡­¡±


    Hehe, is he in a daze? In fact, I see a lot of girls looking at us with glowing eyes. Huh, I guess I can¡¯t be silent Nolan who spent his time studying, can I?


    The nurse gave Emeril some powerful potions and he was right as rain. I even received some mana potions, but that was unnecessary as I already had some. Oh well, free stuff is nice.


    ¡°Hey, Hector and Lily got together.¡±


    ¡°Cool! I have to go see them later and congratulate them!¡±


    ¡°Heh, I figured as such. Alright, I am going to art class.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and I have martial arts class to go to.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°You too! Haha, we should fight again! That was close!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect to win next time.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    >>><<<


    Art is a nice and quiet class. However, unlike normal art classes, we are given a model and must create something artistic to represent that model. Most students do drawings or paintings, but I decided to do sculpting. I can create clay now, so I can level up my earth affinity this way.


    Maybe I can combine it with fire and make glass sculptures¡­


    I see that girl Sandie is here. She is a fantastic artist, but she seems to be in a stump. I guess since there isn¡¯t really anyone else I want to talk to today, I will sit next to her. This class doesn¡¯t have assigned seating, as the artist will need to change perspective every now and then.


    ¡°Oh, you are¡­are you okay? That fight was intense.¡±


    ¡°Fu, it was nothing. Emeril and I used to fight a lot. By the way, why do you look so down?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s¡­you know that guy who called out to the Demon Princess in Magic Theory?¡±


    ¡°Zack?¡±


    Well then. Isn¡¯t he popular? Hehehe. Alright, I see where this is going.


    ¡°Yeah, do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    Her eyes widen to the size of saucers as she smiles wide.


    ¡°Can you introduce me?! Oh my goodness, I have to draw him!¡±


    ¡°¡­I will see what I can do, but he isn¡¯t quite that awesome in the thinking department.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, for some reason, it makes him more realistic.¡±


    And then she was off in la la land. She began sketching a face and I quickly realized it was the perverted playboy from this morning.


    The teacher had brought in a little Ratbit, a fuzzy and cute rodent with dangerous looking teeth that we were supposed to emulate into our art. So, when the teacher walked around and saw the person¡¯s face, she was quickly upset, but it soon changed to become awe. She left without scolding Sandie.


    I myself was carving the creature from stone. Maybe next time would be wood, as this is too hard.


    Well, it¡¯s almost time to go to the dorms.

 Chapter 8: Revelation

    Even the girls have a dorm on the other side of the campus. However, that means we also have roommates. Luckily, as I was related to someone rich and important, I got a larger room and only had to share it with one other person.


    ¡°Yo! Hahaha! We get to be roommates, too!¡±


    That night, Emeril and I told each other about our different experiences while also catching up on current events. Emeril completely dropped his sword training, so he must be capped at level 4 or 5 if he hasn¡¯t deteriorated.


    Apparently, he already received some love letters. I haven¡¯t checked my locker, but I probably should. I just take everything to my room, I didn¡¯t even think of looking into my personal locker.


    As we live in the dorms, we have a drop box. This is our personal locker and is used to share information and what goes on around the campus while also giving a place for students to give gifts to each other or stuff like that.


    Lights are almost out, so I may as well check in the morning.


    Emeril finally gets tired so we go to bed.


    In separate beds, of course. Geez.


    As I fall asleep, I think of the people I met today. Gina, Sandie, and even the cute nurse from the infirmary. Dang, I should have caught her name. She was just Nurse in the game, so maybe she has a story related to her as well?


    Mmmm¡­


    >>><<<


    The next day, I woke up due to Emeril heading towards his morning training. I got up, got ready for the day, and left to check my locker.


    Indeed, I received some letters, too. Do I have to read them? Are they going to be embarrassing?


    ¡®I am Valdio Torrez, fight me!¡¯


    ¡®I challenge you!¡¯


    ¡®Please tutor me!¡¯


    ¡®Can you teach me magic theory?¡¯


    Great, no love letters. And most of these are from guys! Even that Valdio guy?! He¡¯s supposed to be one of the male love interests! What the hell?!


    I quit. Time to go to Athletics.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hehe, how is it going, Nolan?¡±


    ¡°Get away from me, Zack.¡±


    ¡°Uh uh, you said I should be on the lookout today. Oh, is that Emeril? Wow, he is strong looking, now.¡±


    ¡°Yep. You saw him yesterday, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know, I was just saying. You didn¡¯t get to hear my thoughts yesterday.¡±


    What a desperate fool.


    ¡°You need friends. Find at least one and leave me alone.¡±


    Please, just shut up.


    ¡°Ooh! It¡¯s her! My idol!¡±


    Hehehe. Your idol my foot. Here she comes, and boy does she look riled up like usual.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Alright, maggots! Time to warm up! We have a long three hours ahead of us, you better work for your lunch today! Come on, get moving! I want five laps around the school!¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    Zack was wobbling at the knees before I slapped his back and started running.


    ¡°Fufufu, the reason she was quiet was that she was constantly worried about her brother. This is her true self and it definitely looks awesome. I like how she is the lead instructor now.¡±


    After getting his attention, he began running after me with a depressed appearance.


    ¡°My idol is ruined! What have you done?!¡±


    ¡°I saved Hector¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If Hector had died, Emeril would have secluded himself and driven himself into a twisted and tormented soul who wouldn¡¯t care about anyone else. Lily was driven away and Amethia became depressed.¡±


    ¡°But¡­what about you¡­you know¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nolan probably blamed himself as well and didn¡¯t want to lose another friend. He probably got so strong so as to protect Emeril as well. He was also willing to do anything for a close friend.¡±


    ¡°Dude, why do you all seem so much cooler now?¡±


    ¡°Because of back story.¡±


    ¡°Sniff!¡±


    Yes, weep at our awesome story! It was tear jerking the first time, too.


    ¡°You two, shut up and get moving! Don¡¯t let me catch you!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Big Sister Amethia!¡±


    ¡°Ah, Nolan! Is that you? Come here, you!¡±


    Ah, crap! Why do you look like a wild beast targeting its prey?!


    ¡°No thank you, bye!¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait for me!¡±


    Hehehe, have fun eating my dust, you barbaric woman. I will prevail today! Ah, oops. She already caught up.


    ¡°Haha, got you! I haven¡¯t seen you in forever! Ah, give big sis a hug!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, can¡¯t breathe, chest¡­too¡­big¡­¡±


    ¡°Oops, sorry. Okay, get back to warming up.¡±


    ¡°O¡­kay¡­¡±


    Ugh. Hehehe, bite me, Zack. Even though I hurt, my face is in bliss from that large chest!


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­¡±


    ¡°Dude, you are already so close to Amethia, no fair. I thought you were going for Gina.¡±


    ¡°Amethia should be too taken by Emeril to actually look at me in a romantic way.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What a stupid expression. Taken, you know? The word you want to use all the time? It means to possess something completely?


    ¡°She¡¯s a brocon.¡±


    ¡°Nooo! Not fair!¡±


    ¡°Stop crying, you child.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Emeril had already completed his laps long ago and moved onto his next set of exercises. Meanwhile, Zack was just doing the bare minimum. Well, that is his decision. However, now after lunch, I will have to fight again, but then I will fight someone different¡­I wonder who¡­


    >>><<<


    Lunch, the best class of the day. Now I can-


    ¡°Hehe, found you.¡±


    Great. Zack found me again. Why aren¡¯t Hector and Emeril here? Ugh.


    ¡°So, who are you aiming for? I mean, there are quite a few pretty ladies available, and I don¡¯t mind letting you have a couple, but Gina¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying that, but your actions prove that you don¡¯t really care.¡±


    ¡°Please, my actions are practiced moves for gaining a harem! All I have to do is be well known as a pervert and a playboy, so girls already know what I want when they meet me! Then, if they fall in love with me, they have no choice but to accept the polygamist life!¡±


    ¡°How gross.¡±


    ¡°Surely you did the harem routes, right?¡±


    ¡°No. I had three girls at once and I didn¡¯t like it. Too difficult. You had to please them all and had no other time for yourself.¡±


    ¡°So who did you normally go for?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, just not at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Wow, so who is your favorite?¡±


    You can¡¯t ask me that kind of question?! That is like asking me how I want to die! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to play favorites! Ah, but I did say Gina was my favorite, huh¡­Welp. Time to change gears.


    ¡°They are all my favorite. Each girl carries a wonderful story and a moving plot that allows for a real relationship to spark, so it is not some fleeting high school love.¡±


    ¡°Meh, you are a romantic, huh?¡±


    ¡°Better than being a slut.¡±


    Oops, I said that out loud.


    ¡°No, if I was allowing girls to do me, then yes. But if girls are wanting to do me, I am not slutty. I am a champion.¡±


    But that is not love, it¡¯s lust. You can¡¯t earn a girl¡¯s heart that way. Actually, I have a different question.


    ¡°Uh huh. You know, there is something I want to know.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What did you do this entire time? You look like you wasted your entire childhood.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I showed up in the middle of the ceremony. Why? Oh, I was the 1,000,000¡­something. It was a really long number. Well, I was the whatever number it was person to die. So I got transmigrated into a game and took over Zack¡¯s life! Cool, huh?¡±


    So¡­there could be more than just us two¡­This will change some things. And it is probably why Zack didn¡¯t seem all that surprised by my appearance. Could he have met others like us? What a surprising twist.

 Chapter 9: Advancing

    I guess I will keep my suspicions hidden.


    ¡°So, who else are you trying to take from me?¡±


    Again with the nonsense. Zack needs to grow up.


    ¡°I keep telling you, don¡¯t even try it. You will fail miserably. This isn¡¯t some game where the right words get you off scot free.¡±


    ¡°Heh, whatever. First will be Gina, then I can go for Ophia, and then maybe even try for Ilya!¡±


    ¡°What do you even see in the demon, human, and beastkin princesses?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty and hot. Well, isn¡¯t Ilya super awesome in a fight? Amazing. Also, Ophia can use her power to call on spirits of the dead to protect her! Awesome! And Gina is a demon, so her control over magic should be crazy!¡±


    ¡°You are wrong on all three accounts.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°Ilya was forced to become strong so no man could force her into marriage. She hates to fight and would like nothing more than to just find a nice and quiet man to hold close at night. Ophia had a severe trauma from her mother¡¯s assassination and managed to unlock her family¡¯s hidden power, only to be used as a tool. She hates it when people like her only for her power. And finally, Gina flunks out if the main character doesn¡¯t help her in some way. She leaves after the first year.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Did he not even read the forums or check for a walkthrough?


    ¡°Yep. Gina has something wrong with her. I thought you knew?¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew something was wrong, but not to that degree! I always ended up starting a fight amongst the girls and getting a bad end, so I never made it far.¡±


    This guy¡­


    ¡°You¡­isn¡¯t that exactly what is going to happen now?¡±


    ¡°No, because I have more options than just text on a screen!¡±


    This asshole looks so smug. What a tool.


    ¡°Look, just give up.¡±


    ¡°What, am I not allowed to love someone? Just because you say so?¡±


    Now he is trying to attack me, saying I am the bad guy, huh? Whatever.


    ¡°No, you are free to love whomever you please, but¡­you try and get with Gina only to break her heart, I will kill you.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Let¡¯s add some frost magic and stuff in the air for good measure. Good, he looks scared.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s time for combat class.¡±


    Last time, everyone just sat and watched, so this day should go by better.


    ¡°Nolan, Emeril, pick someone else. Yeah, I know, just go easy on them.¡±


    Aww, I wanted to show how quickly I figured out his defense. I would have beaten him in half the time and with half the effort!


    ¡°Fine, then I challenge you, Nolan! Fight me!¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    I guess I will entertain these morons for today. Hmmm¡­let¡¯s make some money while I am at it.


    >>><<<


    Mmmm, feels good, man. A nice shower after stomping guys who don¡¯t know any better. Hehe, now if only the girls would challenge me. Well, I can¡¯t lie, going for Ilya sounds pretty good, too, as she is in our combat class and my athletics class.


    However, if you beat Ilya, while she is obligated to marry you, she will actually have a lower affection towards you because of it. The only way to get her heart would be through the best way.


    The stomach.


    She is a canine beastkin, or a wolf girl. She loves to eat meat, so making her food will cause her affection towards you to rise. She will eventually try and challenge you so as to keep you as her personal chef, but that also means she wants you. Well, if you lose, though the marriage isn¡¯t accepted, you do get to spend a lot more time with her. However, her family won¡¯t like you.


    But, if you win and said the right phrase, then she gladly becomes yours¡­your pet, that is. She is one of the few who doesn¡¯t mind being a side chick. She actually only likes you for the food you make, but if you win, she doesn¡¯t mind being yours, as you are now obligated to take care of her.


    I guess it has something to do with just being near the person she likes?


    Hehehe, and I already know how to go about it. Aren¡¯t I a genius? I will try next athletics class as today was just an introduction course. Next time, we will sit down and converse some.


    However, now is the free period, also known as alone time with Gina. Thankfully, Zack is still taking his time in the shower, so I can hurry up and head out.


    Whoops, I am here before she is. I hope Zack doesn¡¯t scare her from the library¡­


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize you would be here.¡±


    Hehehe, she is fast.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, hello, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡­well¡­¡±


    ¡°Doing some studying? Anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Oh, umm¡­no, not yet. I mean! No, not really! Sorry¡­¡±


    Wow, she is nervous. Is it because I caused a scene with my knowledge the other day? Cool!


    ¡°Oh, hey! Fancy meeting you here! Hehehe, it is I, Zack ¨C Ow!¡±


    ¡°Hush, this is the library.¡±


    Ah, that felt amazing. Sorry, book. Your sacrifice was worth it. I will pay the librarian for the damages caused by blood stains.


    ¡°You¡­geez! I gotta go!¡±


    Damn straight, sonny boy.


    ¡°Umm, wasn¡¯t that something that you could get in trouble for?¡±


    ¡°It was his fault for disrupting our study period.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? Thinking about something? You don¡¯t need to worry about that guy, he is a joke.¡±


    ¡°No, well¡­I was thinking about what he told me yesterday. About how there was something wrong with me. But, I don¡¯t think you could help me with that, huh?¡±


    No, I can.


    ¡°Well, that sounds true, but I don¡¯t mind helping you out. What seems to be the problem?¡±


    ¡°¡­Promise not to tell?¡±


    ¡°I have rules about secrets.¡±


    I have to put down the line here. I am very overprotective of my people. I can¡¯t have people getting hurt because of stupid mistakes.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to harm yourself or someone else in some form or fashion, then I won¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°Oh, heh, thanks. See, even though I am a demon, I don¡¯t have a good control over magic.¡±


    Aha, it actually came! In the game, once you read a book about certain demon kings, you would have a special dialogue choice and earn some affection. And I just so happened to read that book. And memorized its contents.


    Just for this moment.

 Chapter 10: In and Out

    ¡°Have you ever read the book ''Demons and Royalty, Volume 2''?¡±


    ¡°Umm, no? Actually, yes, I have.¡±


    Gina is calmly sitting in front of me at the table while we converse. Wow, she has pretty eyes.


    ¡°Well, there is some documentation pointing to the fact that the very first Demon King wasn¡¯t that skilled in magic either. He was a warrior who used physical strength.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re right! But¡­he was an Ogre, if I remember correctly¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not what I am saying. So what if you can¡¯t control magic very well?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Just find something that you can do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    She looks down, but this is a little different from the game, as I wanted to see if I could get some extra affection. Let her know that she can¡¯t be limited in what she feels like she should do. Must not have been what she was looking for...okay, time to move on.


    ¡°Now, there was another Demon King who couldn¡¯t use magic whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Good, look at me with those beautiful purple eyes behind that lilac colored hair. Mm, I feel amazing. This girl is so adorable, I feel weird that we are still teens. Ah, the Demon King.


    ¡°Delgado Lucias von Deeter.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She lunges for a textbook on one of the shelves and flips right to a specific dog-eared page, just like in the game.


    ¡°That is right, he used military might to lead the entire army of demons to victory! But, when the humans came to fight, he actually somehow unleashed a strong energy and managed to push back long enough to retreat to his castle, where the final match took place. How did he use that power?¡±


    ¡°Because of his bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°What was his race?¡±


    ¡°¡­Something mixed with dragon, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he had awoken his dragon heart. The way dragons use magic is much more complex than what we can do. You should probably seek out someone who knows a thing or two about dragons.¡±


    ¡°Ah! So that must be it! I have a dragon heart?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­So that Zack was right after all.¡±


    ¡°That was just a stupid pick up line so he could get closer to you. Just ignore him.¡±


    Please, don¡¯t ever mention him again.


    ¡°Okay, thank you very much!¡±


    And she¡¯s gone. In the game, the main character would have had to work quite a bit to be able to read that book, so it was only by the middle of the year would she be able to be changed. With this, however, I wonder how much the rankings will differ?


    ¡°You bastard, you stole her from me!¡±


    Ack, you again.


    ¡°Look, she is not yours.¡±


    ¡°I said so!¡±


    And then he leaves. How sad for a grown man, er, young man to cry like that. Well, my work here is done. Plus, most of these books I have already read. I guess there isn¡¯t much to do here. Time to go to the dorms¡­no, why not go into the town at the bottom of the mountain? I need to register for a trip to the Labyrinth Dungeon anyway.


    Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t be able to start my next conquest. Hehe.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hello, welcome to the Guild Hall! Oh, a student? I guess you are here to get some experience? Well, I hate to say this, but you need to perform some tests first.¡±


    ¡°That is fine. Here.¡±


    The tests were just some physical stuff like fighting a monster or doing a certain amount of squats in under a minute. Easy stuff.


    ¡°Alright, you are cleared. Have a good day, Mister Nolan.¡±


    Ah, I forgot I am nobility. Of course, they would have records of my achievements¡­Glad I don¡¯t have to perform the tests.


    Well, time to go get some meat!


    The Labyrinth is the weakest dungeon nearby, as it only has five floors. Each floor has a boss, but they are just stronger versions of the monsters that appear on that floor. Like an alpha wolf on a floor filled with wolves.


    Thankfully, I only need to go to floors one and two for the meat I need. I need some boar meat and fish meat.


    The Labyrinth Dungeon is known for its five-element dungeon. The first floor is earth, the second floor is water, the third floor is sky, and the fourth floor is fire. The last floor holds the twin boss of light and darkness, but I don¡¯t need to currently worry about that stuff.


    Earth Boars are delicious. And so are Fatty Sharks.


    >>><<<


    Several hours and thirty-something carcasses later, I walk out of the dungeon. Ah, the lights are so bright. That means it is night time. I guess it is time to go home. But first, time to complete some quests. I only need about five boars and sharks each for the food.


    With some more money in my pocket, I happily walk back to my room and get ready for bed. Emeril seems as joyful as ever, but I guess he is having a hard time with all of the ¡®fan mail¡¯ as well.


    Oh well.


    >>><<<


    The next day, Gina wasn¡¯t in class. Instead, Zack was there. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t take her spot as the seats were now all assigned. However, a different person walked up.


    ¡°H-hello, I am Assistant Instructor Kina. P-please, treat me well!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡±Oooh!¡±¡±¡±¡±


    All of the guys let out a noise at the cute lady who stumbled out her words. She would be available as a love interest, but most people never really cared. That was because it was always troublesome to try and reach her. This Succubus was¡­well¡­nevermind.


    But at least Zack is interested. Hehehe, go get her. I won¡¯t interfere, hehe.


    Oh, oops. Sorry Sandie, I forgot. Don¡¯t worry, I will do something.


    Geez, I can¡¯t believe I already know how she is thinking from her facial expressions.


    >>><<<


    I didn¡¯t make the food today, as it should be used before lunch, during athletics. However, the combat class is already a little different. There is a long line of people who are standing before me and Emeril.


    ¡°Hah, it seems you two caused some problems yesterday. Now we will try a battle of endurance.¡±


    Isn''t it obvious who would win in that situation?


    ¡°Emeril wins.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°But you guys didn¡¯t even fight!¡±


    Sorry, Instructor Wilson.


    Heh, Emeril, how childish. In a good way, mind you. I swear this version of Emeril should be the main character. Geez, he seems like a hero kind of guy. Hm? I hear some trashy sounds.


    ¡°Hey, emerald Idiot! I see you have been getting a lot of attention lately! Let¡¯s take you down a few pegs, why don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Who are these two weirdoes?

 Chapter 11: Advancing too Quickly

    No, I am joking, I know perfectly well who they are, but one seems to be rather¡­different, from how he used to be. The other has just become subservient to the previous guy. All in all, I can take a wild guess what the secret behind idiot number one is.


    Oh, I can give you three guesses, but the first two don¡¯t count.


    Alright, so Bucco Luren is a Knight. Or rather, he was supposed to be. Now he seems to be a Warrior or something barbaric like that. He carries a large ax on his back and his hair is wild and untamed. No, it looks more like bedhead.


    The other is Mico Barship. A son of a wealthy naval merchant, he uses his income to purchase mercenaries and the like. However, at school, he uses small daggers and Rogue skills to get by.


    Bucco used to be calm and collected, the very antagonist of the old Emeril. He was also the toughest and most durable opponent in the game. It would seem that really strong characters in the game are subject to become players. Well, the other person, while he is different from the original, it is not by much. I guess he went on some adventures with Bucco¡¯s family and learned how to be a pirate or something.


    Anyways, this change is too much. Even Zack is bewildered, and he is slow. Actually, he might be worried about the secret getting out. He¡¯s more worried by the fact that Bucco might say something he shouldn¡¯t, not that he is acting strangely.


    But¡­to be angry at Emeril¡­


    ¡°Hm? Do you want to fight me again? Well, I have no problem with that, but your reasoning for holding a grudge against me is irrational.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? Emeril, when did you learn to use such big words?¡±


    ¡°Hush, Nolan!¡±


    Hehe. I like to the ruin the tense air.


    ¡°Grr, you know full well that you butted into the wrong scenario, idiot! I don¡¯t know why you are so different from what I remember, but you are going down!¡±


    Umm, be careful, dude, you may get yourself noticed at this rate.


    Well, he pulls out his axe and lets out a yell, buffing his power and increasing his speed. He rushes forward and sends a flurry of strikes at Emeril who hasn¡¯t even pulled out his shield yet.


    Oh, that is because Emeril caught the damn ax!


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°So cool!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my brother! Kya! Oh, I am so embarrassed!¡±


    Umm¡­Amethia, you should probably go back to your own group. Wait, is this your group? Why bring so many people over here?


    I feel like certain people¡¯s popularity is increasing. Oh well, let¡¯s just sit down and relax.


    ¡­I¡¯m hungry. Let me go get some food.


    >>><<<


    Oh man, I missed the fight.


    ¡°Haha, thanks! I can eat some food while I watch you fight the entire time!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ah, I haven¡¯t even gotten a bite! You little¡­dammit, Emeril! My potatoes!


    ¡°Challenge us!¡±


    Dang. Leave me alone, small fries. Mmmm...fries...


    >>><<<


    Well, before I left for art, I did remember about Sandie.


    ¡°Yo, Zack.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­um, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. Sandie wants to draw you.¡±


    ¡°Gee, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really like clingy girls.¡±


    Are you kidding me? Where did the Harem King go?


    ¡°Then just tell her not to think of you in a romantic way. No, make it a business or something.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Pay her to make posters of you or sculptures of you. Surely you want to increase your popularity, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good idea! Hahaha, I can sell little figurines of myself to my adoring fans! See ya!¡±


    Whatever. Sandie should be happy. He doesn¡¯t deserve a girl like her, though. Sandie happens to be quite the passionate person. In the game, when I went down her route, it was always a lovey-dovey romance between us. It was sickening but cute.


    >>><<<


    Indeed she was happy. However, besides crudely carving monsters out of magic wood I created, nothing happened. Art isn¡¯t a class to be involved in, as it is a link to other side quests. Being in art allows the player to have that extra time to say hi to certain people. For example, I could still go for the Sandie Route, I am sure. However, I am mostly using this class for leveling up my magic and to prepare for the festival.


    Hehe, and that shouldn¡¯t be for another month, but that is fine.


    Well, now I can spend the rest of the day working on Ilya¡¯s brunch; pork chops and shark sauce.


    Mmm mm.


    I have to borrow the home skills rooms, but it should be fine as long as I clean up afterward.


    Wow, this actually smells really good.


    ¡°Wow, something smells really good!¡±


    Two fluffy ears and a happy tail come wagging into the room. I did not expect Ilya to appear here¡­is this fate? Ah, why is she in casual clothes?!


    ¡°Let me eat!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but I am not done yet.¡±


    ¡°Then I can wait!¡±


    And so she promptly sits down and waits, kicking her feet out. Is silence golden? This tension is heavier than that!


    ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯m do-¡°


    ¡°Finally! Time to eat! Nom!¡±


    Hey! Wait, why are you crying? I cooked it as best as I could.


    ¡°Make this for my lunch tomorrow!¡±


    Oh, I guess I did a good job, then. Heh, still got the skills! Ah, but I need to work on the mood.


    ¡°Ahem, why should I? This is supposed to be my lunch.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡±


    What an angry sounding hum.


    ¡°Do it¡­.please.¡±


    ¡°Alright. However, I am going to need more ingredients.¡±


    ¡°What? Just go to the store and buy some.¡±


    ¡°These don¡¯t come from the store, they come from the Labyrinth.¡±


    Her eyes widen and her swishing tail stills.


    ¡°You went to a dungeon already? Wow, you really are strong!¡±


    Duh.


    ¡°Then I will go help you get more food! Take me next time!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then tomorrow after class.¡±


    ¡°Okay! You better be there!¡±


    Hehe, in the game, she is fun to tease. Plus, she is a little dense.


    ¡°Of course, I am never late for a date.¡±


    ¡°A what?! No, this isn¡¯t a date¡­¡±


    Ah, cute. You became so timid all of a sudden.


    ¡°¡­it was a joke.¡±


    No, it wasn¡¯t, I was being completely serious. Does this expressionless face look like it can do humor? Don¡¯t answer that question.


    ¡°Whew, you got me! Hehehe¡­¡±


    Back to normal. This change is kind of¡­stimulating.


    But now I have a date tomorrow after I meet Gina again. Ah, my cooked food is all gone.


    ¡°Get out! Stop eating my lunch!¡±


    ¡°But it tastes so good!¡±


    ¡°Then I will start charging for them!¡±


    ¡°Oh, how much?¡±


    ¡°A kiss.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­it was a joke.¡±


    Not really.


    ¡°Whew, hehe, you are a really funny guy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hilarious.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe!¡±


    Okay, she suddenly seems to get my sarcasm. You know, this is because I look good. If I didn¡¯t, then I would have been treated as gross and stinky¡­


    Wait, there was a strange dialogue that happened between Nolan and Ilya in the game when I tried to get the two to go out with each other.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    Ah, that was why I liked her so much. She didn¡¯t treat Nolan like dirt. I guess she actually liked Nolan enough to stand his presence. No, Nolan was probably her ideal man before meeting Zack. Of course, that was when Nolan was a follower, not a leader.


    A man focused on his work. By trying to build up the relationship between the two, Nolan would put his passion into taking care of Ilya. I guess since she was with Zack first, she couldn¡¯t handle lying to him? Or would it have been lying to herself?


    I couldn¡¯t know anymore, as once they broke up, the event was never spoken of again.


    I would have liked to see old Nolan and Ilya getting together.

 Chapter 12: Morning for Ilya

    After kicking out Ilya, I finished the rest of the food and went to my room to sleep.


    The next day, we had athletics. As it was my fourth day, I was happily looking forward to my future prospects. I had already gotten close to Gina and now Ilya was jumping up and down for me. Heck, all I would need now was¡­hmmm¡­should I?


    Delania is kind of¡­crazy. I have no idea how she would react. In the game, her affection towards Zack was randomly raised each time they met. Sometimes, it would even go negative!


    For this, Delania Doomfist is one of the three untouchable people among the freshmen. No, I am being serious. In the game, there are people in each grade that you don¡¯t mess with whatsoever.


    Talking to Emeril would get you a fight while talking to¡­well, me, would get you an entire wasted day spent on magic theory. But it didn¡¯t even raise relationship levels! Nolan was used to lecturing other students from day one!


    But yeah, Nolan, Emeril, and Delania, we are the three untouchables. My guess is that Delania is a player as well, since the strong characters I have met so far have been players. Emeril is an exception, as he wasn¡¯t categorized as a powerful enemy. Maybe she isn¡¯t, then? Ah, I am confused¡­


    However, at the end of the year, at the tournament, Delania loses her spot to certain girls if they were helped by Zack. In this case, it would be Gina since she will be learning Dragon Magic.


    Oh, since I am already talking about the game...Delania is supposed to randomly increase or decrease affection, right? However, I always somehow managed to get it really high. No exceptions. She is in my magic theory class and athletics. She is also in music, but that is different.


    She is a genius, but a twisted one. She is obsessive and dark, but she is innocent and helpful. She doesn¡¯t mind Zack having multiple partners, as she does what she wants. However, she devotes herself to the guy she likes, so I have never seen an NTR experience with her. Actually, I never get NTRed since I usually go after one girl at a time. Ilya and Delania just sort of appear.


    Delania is the daughter of a powerful foreign noble family and apparently has some sort of hidden agenda for being enrolled at the academy.


    But she is called one of the untouchables because you never know how she will react. There was the time I first spoke to her and I received a gift. I was rather surprised, but happy. I hastily opened the gift right there and my face exploded. I didn¡¯t die or anything, but that was in the game. My character sprite had the soot covered face and everything. Even Delania was laughing hysterically.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Not long after, she kept harassing me. Sometimes there was a rare magic tool, or sometimes it was one of my own items broken in half. There was never a pattern to it, but I always talked to her every day so I could maybe get a good gift.


    Should I go ahead and start? No, let me focus on Ilya for now, and then Gina later. I can find Delania later.


    ¡°Ohh! Gimme!¡±


    ¡°Fine, I get it, here.¡±


    The people around us were surprised, and even Zack was crying over off to the side. Well, he should have paid more attention to how the girls reacted to certain actions.


    ¡°Oi, Ilya, I challenge you to ¨C ¡°


    ¡°Buzz off. You¡¯re ruining my snack.¡±


    And I tossed him away with magic. People were shocked, but Ilya was happily going back to eating. Amethia looked on while chuckling before going back to watch Emeril spar against his classmates. Needless to say, no one interfered.


    Actually, where is Instructor Ghazi?


    Before class ended, I asked Amethia about him.


    ¡°Oh, he said I could do this by myself. He looks forward to when I become a Drill Sergeant too!¡±


    Well then, I guess that is it. Time for lunch. My mid-morning snack was delicious, but small.


    ¡°Hey, Nolan?¡±


    Zack really needs a friend. Or does he think of me as a friend?


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I thought you only liked one girl¡­¡±


    ¡°Zack, I like all of the girls. I appreciate them immensely. I love reading about their lives and helping them through tough times. I felt like I had a purpose when they were smiling.¡±


    I guess I better teach this idiot before he ruins my chances. But, part of what I am saying is true. However, if I were to say it was love, this feels like something different.


    I don¡¯t want to see these girls sad, so I will make them happy. I feel more like an old guy making children laugh when their parents are missing. I used to be quite the guy, as I worked in amusement parks and malls. I twisted balloons back then. And I dealt with a lot of rambunctious little kids who ran away from their parents because they were bored.


    The same thing for Emeril. I felt like an older person just looking out for a child. I played along. However, if I were to say I can walk away from them forever, I would say no. I want every person I care about to have a happy ending, even if it is not with me, you know?


    For example, that Bucco was really popular with the ladies. He was calm, cool, and suave. Now he is rough, wild, and crude. Not many girls like that kind of guy. So I don¡¯t want girls to fall for him or I would be afraid for them.


    But beyond all the enlightening BS, I am no doubt a lover of cute things. I know, it¡¯s a curse.


    After spreading my happiness is love doctrine, we left for combat class. It was another boring day of fighting person after person, but then I saw something weird.


    ¡°Hey, Ilya, I challenge you!¡±


    Again? Someone is being an idiot¡­


    ¡°Nuh uh! Quit it! I already beat you! You have no right to challenge me again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a beast kin, I won¡¯t follow your rules!¡±


    ¡°Then if you expect me to follow those same rules, you are a moron!¡±


    Hell yeah! Oh, I should go help. Who is it this time? Eh? Is it Bucco again? I thought he got trashed by Emeril¡­I guess it is my turn now.

 Chapter 13: Heading towards the Dungeon

    ¡°Are you really starting trouble again? Just stay back and be quiet.¡±


    I am getting tired of people ruining my mood. First, it is Zack, and now this guy? I really don¡¯t want to meet other people like me anymore.


    ¡°You! Why the hell are you all different too?! Argh! This entire setup is stupid! Nothing seems to be going right! I will just fight you! Maybe if I defeat you, things will go back on track!¡±


    ¡°Too late, you should have just continued on the path you as Bucco should have been on originally.¡±


    ¡°YOU! Then you are similar! Fine, I see how it is! Everything is going wrong because of people besides me! If I just kill all of you off, then I alone will remain and everything will go my way!¡±


    Wow, this guy is broken. He¡¯s a lot worse than Zack, and it seems that he and Emeril switched sides, remaining antagonistic towards each other. Dealing with the new Bucco is like dealing with the old Emeril. It always leads to a fight. Meh, he doesn¡¯t seem to have enough attack to break through Emeril¡¯s defense, so I don¡¯t have to worry too much, however, I can¡¯t just mindlessly rush forward. But it is okay, Bucco is doing that for me.


    Slick Puddle. A mixture of water, ice, and wind magic. A combination of three different types of quick spells, it is pretty much a new low leveled regular spell. However, it is easier to prepare for and doesn¡¯t use a lot of mana.


    And down goes Bucco. I planned to use this on Zack the other day, but I must admit I am glad this spell is so effective in combat. Plus, it further increases Bucco¡¯s rage, making it harder for him to focus on the battle.


    He has almost no defense to speak of, as he spent all of his time on fighting with that ax. It¡¯s not even a minute before he falls unconscious. Of course, I had added some other spells besides the puddle, but the repeated act of smashing his head onto the ground probably helped. A lot of people are oohing and awwing, but the only person I actually heard was Emeril.


    ¡°Yo, you beat that guy pretty fast! When I fought him, I was too busy trying to defend from those attacks. I only won due to endurance. Congrats.¡±


    Ouch, don¡¯t just slap my shoulder. Oh well, this is fine. Bucco¡¯s lackey, Mico, helps him up and starts heading towards the infirmary. I guess this will probably start up the Bucco Rival Route.


    In the game, Emeril had a route called the Rival Route. It meant that whenever you two met, there would be a fight. It was terrible and boring, since you would just get your ass handed to you by the level 9 swordsman. But here, Bucco doesn¡¯t have the skill and only seemed to be level 4 or something like that. I could probably beat him with my sword techniques alone.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Ah, shoot. I was planning on using Slick Puddle when I fought Emeril again. I hope he doesn¡¯t remember that¡­damn.


    ¡°Thanks, Nolan.¡±


    Wow, why does she look so cute around food, but boyish everywhere else?


    ¡°Hm? No problem, Ilya.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know of me? Well, who I am?¡±


    Duh, you are one of my targets for conquest.


    ¡°Of course I would know of royalty. I myself am a noble, after all. I must have a suitable appearance of intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. Alright, bring some more food next time! No, bring some tomorrow as well! I will eat with you at lunch!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Did she?


    ¡°Today after class?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yeah, I remember! Don¡¯t worry, I will be there!¡±


    And then she walked away happily, her tail swishing left and right. I wanna touch it¡­


    Hey, stop looking at me like that, Zack! I hate seeing a man¡¯s crying face!


    ¡°Good job, Nolan! Looks like you got a girl!¡±


    Oh, hey, Emeril.


    ¡°Hm? I was just being courteous.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, sure.¡±


    ¡°Then what about yourself? Is there a girl you happen to like?¡±


    Oops, I can feel Amethia staring daggers at me. So, I silently communicate to her.


    ¡®Oi, just listen, this is for your benefit.¡¯


    Even though I remained silent, my thoughts seem to have worked. Plus, writing those words with magic on my back helps a lot.


    ¡°Well, not really, but Princess Ophia is a really nice girl.¡±


    I hear a moan from the back. Sorry, big sis, but it looks like your little boy is growing up. I mean, what would happen for the son of the Prime Minister and the daughter of the King to be married? Crazy. Wait, did I hear Zack moan, too?


    ¡°Oh? And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Well, we knew each other since we were kids. Hey, just between you and me, she is the reason I wanted to be a Knight.¡±


    Oh¡­my¡­gosh¡­so this is why Lily became the Princess¡¯ maid! Oh man, things are getting good. So there was a path like this?! Amazing!


    Oh, but what about Zack? He really wanted to be vouched for by the Princess. Huh, I sense an impending doom for him. I guess he might actually see that assistant teacher for some extra lessons.


    Hehehe.


    >>><<<


    Well, now it is free period. Gina should already have gotten a book for her dragon training and be reading it in the library. She wasn¡¯t there last time as she was busy retrieving all sorts of stuff for her dragon petal bath. A special mixture that helps the growth of her dragon organs.


    Oh?


    ¡°Oh! Nolan, please, I need some help! I thought I could gather all of these ingredients, but one of these can only be found in the Labyrinth!¡±


    Well, that works. I was heading there today, anyway. And with my abilities, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get what we need.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I need the Fire Flower that grows on the fourth floor.¡±


    ¡°¡­oh¡­Okay, we can go, but we need to prepare. I already made plans to go to the Labyrinth today, so we just need to get you ready. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Mhm! Thank you so much! Ah, I can¡¯t wait! My father is so happy to know there is nothing wrong with me and that it is, in fact, the opposite! He also wants to thank you personally!¡±


    Ummm¡­what? That never happened in the game¡­oh, because Zack was a commoner. I guess since I am a noble, I have different standards? No, it must be something else.


    Oh well, now I get to take two pretty girls to the dungeon.


    Eh¡­I hope nothing happens between them¡­

 Chapter 14: Boss Fight

    ¡°Hey! Nolan! Over here!!!¡±


    A bouncing wolf girl is happily waving her hand and tail outside the Labyrinth.


    ¡°Nolan? Why is she here as well?¡±


    Gina was a little apprehensive, but after explaining things to her, she should calm down.


    ¡°She wants me to make her food, so I need to get ingredients. Her helping me is her payment for the food.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±


    Please don¡¯t fight, I am praying for a safe dungeon trip¡­


    ¡°Huh? Nolan, why did you bring her?¡±


    You too? I thought all you wanted was food? Why do you care about Gina?


    ¡°She needs a medicinal ingredient from the fourth floor.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay! Let¡¯s go! For food!¡±


    Whew¡­why am I a little sad? I was building for a conflict, but they actually seem to be okay towards one another¡­ah, they are princesses. They have to maintain a calm outwards ¨C


    ¡°Nolan! These little piggies look really weak! That food you made yesterday and today were from these? I don¡¯t know~.¡±


    Alright, with you jumping all over the place, I don¡¯t see a hint of etiquette from you, Ilya. Calm down.


    ¡°Ilya, hold up. If you get too far, you may get in trouble.¡±


    Thank you, Gina. Especially since there is more than one person in this party now. Ah, speak of the devil¡­


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s a larger piggie! I bet this one will taste amazing!¡±


    Stop drooling! I thought that was one of my own puddles! Shit, this ice magic won¡¯t work well on regular liquid! Whatever. We take it out pretty easily, especially since we now have a dragon mage. Though Gina is just beginning, she already knows about the Dragon¡¯s Roar, the basic dragon magic. It is a group buff and enemy debuff. Easy stuff. I wonder what would happen if Gina became a Dragon Shaman? Holy crap, the buffs would be amazing!


    ¡°Whoa! This thing is huuuuge!¡±


    Not only are there more monsters, there are even boss monsters walking around! What the hell? Of course, this is normal since the game had companions. Having companions made the monsters more difficult, but it was fun and nice to have a healer behind you. Ah, but that would be me in this case, huh?


    Gina uses her tough body to directly contend with the monsters, slashing her winged dragon blade here and there. Ilya just used her canine instincts to ravage her opponents with claw attacks and in some cases, directly biting them.


    ¡°Hey, they taste really good raw, too!¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, what if there is something nasty living in them right now? Wait until we cook it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir~!¡±


    Don¡¯t look so cute! You¡¯re covered in monster blood! Actually¡­so is Gina. But she looks cold and distant as usual, making a really awesome appearance. Ilya¡¯s appearance contradicts with her actions, so that is the discomfort.


    But you know, I was expecting some close moments or deep conversations. Oh well, this is okay too. Nothing like that happened in the game either, so maybe it is similar¡­


    Before we knew it, we were at the second level. I hadn¡¯t fought the boss of the second level, but since the first level boss was stronger than before, then this might be difficult.


    Ah, it was an earth golem covered in vines, by the way.


    You know, ice is a very wonderful magic. Much like lightning, it has so many different uses. Affects the conditions of enemies, can be used to defend, attack, and tamper with the surroundings, and can even be used in art class.


    But I like to use earth or fire for defense or attack, and my final technique is still the lightning domain. In exchange for massive mana consumption, lightning is stronger than fire, faster than wind, more fluid than water, and tougher to destroy than earth. It truly is a cheat like element. I can understand why the hero of stories can use it, the so-called power of the heavens.


    And I may have to use it soon¡­or not.


    We easily fished the sharks out with no scary events happening. Is it just me, or am I walking around with people capable of soloing this dungeon? I know I can, but I can¡¯t go all out with these other two here. I need to work on that, huh. I don¡¯t want to destroy the training fields again¡­


    ¡°Look! The boss room!¡±


    ¡°I can see, Ilya. Remember, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Psh, we are fine. Let¡¯s go, Gina!¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    Well, at least they are enthusiastic. Oh, it¡¯s another golem. Meh, easy peasy.


    ¡°You know, you tell us to be careful and then destroy the enemy! Come on, how are we supposed to fight if you kill everything?!¡±


    Oh, am I the one who is making this really easy? Nah, can¡¯t be¡­alright, so I am. I will try and calm down a little¡­


    >>><<<


    ¡°Wow, we did it already! Congrats, let¡¯s go back!¡±


    ¡°Do we have to walk all the way back?¡±


    Yeah, I¡¯m pretty tired after bussing two cute girls. Let¡¯s make a suggestion, shall we?


    ¡°¡­It would be faster to complete the dungeon and get sent up, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ah, don¡¯t look at me like that! I would rather fight than walk!


    ¡°Okay! We are going to defeat a Dungeon! Yay!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am excited.¡±


    Well then¡­I guess this works?


    We enter the last floor after defeating the fire golem and entered the only room on the floor. Before us are two statues, one black with a white mask and a white one with a black mask. As we step inside, the two statues wake up and pull out each other¡¯s sword. So, the white statue reaches over and pulls out the black one¡¯s sword while the black one does the same to the white one.


    Somehow, their movements seem to twist together. They aren¡¯t moving away from each other and dance around each other, their backs touching.


    ¡°Wow, beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It is enchanting.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, can we learn to dance like that, I wonder?¡±


    I was only thinking aloud, but for some reason, the girls look at me in surprise.


    ¡°Can we? They aren¡¯t fighting us.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Gina, dance with me!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Wait, what about me? Wow, they look just like regular friends. I will let it go this once, you hear?


    They try and copy the statues¡¯ moves, but they keep tripping over each other¡¯s feet. I am absentmindedly doing it too, but by myself. Both are doing the exact same moves, so it shouldn¡¯t be hard to just watch¡­wait.


    ¡°Huh? Nolan, why are you grabbing for a sword?¡±


    Indeed, there are swords on the wall. They aren¡¯t black or white, but they are the same size and shape as the ones the two statues are using. Let¡¯s try dancing with the swords¡­hm, I feel like I am about to fall backward at some points¡­could it be?


    ¡°I guess it is a trust exercise.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You must learn to dance behind each other, holding the other one up while also moving the blade in such a dangerously close manner.¡±


    ¡°Wha! That sounds scary!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Gina?¡±


    ¡°Can¡­can I try?¡±


    ¡°Umm, sorry, I am scared of my ears getting cut off¡­¡±


    Her tail droops, but Gina just weakly smiles.


    ¡°No worries, I can find some other sword style.¡±


    ¡°How about me?¡±


    ¡°Nolan?!¡±


    ¡°That is¡­possible¡­¡±


    Hehe, dancing with a girl¡­

 Chapter 15: Delanias Gifts

    In the game, this boss fight was truly strange. The boss never moved from their starting position, but close combat was never possible. You had to use magic. No matter what. Seeing the dance in 3D, I could tell that there aren¡¯t very many openings. Plus, even though they look calm and pretty, their movements will be extremely quick to react. I remember the sprite movement. They would suddenly jump to counter, no matter where the swords were.


    You literally couldn¡¯t do anything in a melee with them.


    So, I make use of my level 5 swordplay and place myself behind Gina. We are about the same height, so that works, but her horns might get in the way. No, I won¡¯t let them.


    ¡°So¡­how do we start?¡±


    ¡°Easy. It is like music. Not a waltz, since it is in 4/4.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hehe, do you know how much Dark Souls I have played?!


    ¡°Swordplay is like dancing. This definitely looks possible. Watch.¡±


    This is kind of embarrassing¡­


    ¡°1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Okay, let¡¯s try again!¡±


    >>><<<


    Well, it¡¯s getting late and my heels hurt.


    ¡°Sorry, I am clumsy.¡±


    ¡°No, no problem. We can come back on our off day and try again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡±


    Gina seems awfully chipper for someone who kept failing¡­


    ¡°I will come too! I want to try after I get some sword training!¡±


    ¡°You would probably do better with some dancing lessons.¡±


    ¡°Poo! Shut up, Nolan! Let¡¯s just fight this thing and go!¡±


    Ah, crap, she¡¯s running for the boss!


    ¡°NO! Don¡¯t get close!¡±


    Damn, I was careless! Urgh!


    ¡°Ah, Nolan!¡±


    Ow, my back hurts. Heal, heal! Ah, much better.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Only magic can hit them. Let me.¡±


    ¡°¡­alright.¡±


    I attacked from above. That was the only place not guarded by their blades. As soon as they crumbled into dust, a light shone down and the statues were fixed to their original states. Such is the way of a dungeon owned by the academy, I guess. Now it is time to go.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    >>><<<


    Gina quickly left to make her dainty dragon bath while Ilya seemed really resolved for something. Oh well, as long as I keep feeding her, she will keep coming around.


    And so it is time to leave, hahaha! Today was a good da ¨C


    ¡°Oof. Ow, watch where you are going. Oh? So it is the famous Nolan. What do you say to a lady you just bumped into?¡±


    Oh no, Delania.


    ¡°¡­What do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°Pff, hahaha! Can you not even know how to say sorry? Are you really that much of a noble¡¯s son?¡±


    She clutched her sides and laughed, looking every bit the way a twelve-year-old girl is supposed to¡­but a twelve-year-old kid isn¡¯t supposed to have murdered sixteen people already¡­


    ¡°Then it was sorry? Forgive me for not knowing, I have never bumped into a pretty woman in such a way before. Especially when the other party was waiting for me to bump into them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you realized? Hahaha! I guess you aren¡¯t that stupid, huh? Here, a gift!¡±


    Dang¡­is it an explosion? A death threat filled with a horrible curse that will last three days? Or maybe even the panties of a highly popular girl? Crap, that last one might actually be an amazing treasure¡­


    ¡°Your thoughts are everywhere, but you seem to know me really well. I am curious about how you know so much.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°What, gone silent now?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the present.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Just go ahead and open it right here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Oh! It¡¯s a hunk of ore! Doesn¡¯t this blue luster mean it is Orichalcum?!


    ¡°You are indeed knowledgeable. You would be more fun if I got to see your thoughts.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Whew, she left. How was I to know she was actually capable of reading thoughts?! Damn it, that is crazy! No wonder she was completely random towards me. Zack would always be doing something different, so she probably found his random actions strange.


    At least she¡¯s not a player¡­


    It is a good thing I learned how to empty my mind for magic meditation. Damn, that made my heart skip! Ah, but what about this ore? Should I use it for something? Hmm¡­oh, I have an idea!


    >>><<<


    Huh, so they actually make the twin statue¡¯s swords here, but they are replicas. The technology to make the actual swords has long since been lost. Whatever, I guess I can wait to use this for later. We can¡¯t take the other swords out of the dungeon, we already tried, but we can at least use these as practice. I will also get the edges dulled so Ilya doesn¡¯t have to worry about getting hurt.


    I wanted to make Orichalcum weapons for the girls¡­


    But it is now getting pretty late, time to go rest for tomorrow.


    >>><<<


    Ah, a nice and quiet morning, and here I am heading towards class.


    ¡°Yoohoo, Nolan boy, come here!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Tch, whatever. Here, a gift.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Open it.¡±


    ¡­


    BOOM!


    ¡°Hahahaha! Serves you right for ignoring me! Hahaha!¡±


    You know, I should be okay after this, surrounded by a crowd. At least, I hope so. People are asking if I am alright while Zack is laughing his face off. My popularity goes down, but for some reason, my relationship with Delania seems to be going up. I can¡¯t say how I know that, I just do.


    Gina looks concerned, but it was just a bag of soot that exploded, covering my face in black powder for the entire day. I can handle this level of pranking, bring on the next one!


    Eh, don¡¯t smile at me! No! I thought you wouldn¡¯t be able to hear my thoughts from way back there! I apologize!


    Don¡¯t laugh!


    >>><<<


    So I have decided to try and not think about useless things in the classroom¡­


    I handed Gina the sword replica I bought for her at lunch along with Ilya. Hector walked by and said hello along with Lily, but Emeril seems to be hanging out with a lot of people. I guess he seems to be really popular. Oh, he is the Prime Minister¡¯s son, of course. I bet he has to face all sorts of stupid politics every day.


    Or he just gets into fights, like he currently is right now. I must change my opinion, those must be people he has beaten and want to fight him again.


    Oh well. I waved goodbye to the cute Ilya who was eating pork chops before heading towards combat class. Maybe I should try and make bacon next time?

 Chapter 16: Hello, Player

    Ahh, taking a shower after fighting idiots feels good today as well.


    >>><<<


    Mmm, time for art class.


    ¡°Umm, Nolan? It is Nolan, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Oh, so it is Yidris.¡±


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You are¡­well, you used to be the strongest archer I knew.¡±


    ¡°Aha! You are just like me!¡±


    Standing before me is a woman. One of the only important female characters that aren''t a love interest. She is actually a rival if you want to approach the Princess, but it seems that with her absence as a rival, Emeril was able to have smooth sailing.


    ¡°You let Emeril go with Ophia?¡±


    ¡°Ah, was I not supposed to? True, I was supposed to be in love with Ophia, but I don¡¯t swing that way. I caused a lot of commotion the month before this whole thing started.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk while we walk.¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s okay, I have an off period right after this. Anyway, I wanted to check with you and see if we had the same issues.¡±


    ¡°Issues?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like being the 100,000,000,000 whatever person to die or some crap like that.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. And when did you transmigrate to Nolan¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°It is more like I reincarnated, that was how early it took place.¡±


    ¡°Wow! No wonder no one was worried by your dramatic change! People like Bucco and now Zack make a lot of people turn their heads. Well, not like I can talk.¡±


    Her eyes are an amazing red, like flaming orbs that burn into your soul. With her magic eyes, she can spot an enemy from off in the distance. Combining it with her archery, she was said to be better than the elves. Ah, speaking of elves, I haven¡¯t talked to the elven princess. I guess Zack can try. She seemed off to me anyway. Probably an erofu or something. Always liked slimy things.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Nolan?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was thinking about other possible players like ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that doesn¡¯t matter. I was wondering what happens if Zack were to die or when we graduate? Will this world cease to exist? Do we just keep going? What happens?¡±


    She looked a little concerned, but her eyes were quietly watching for any telltale signs. How sneaky.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. To me, if the game ceased to exist from that point on, then why did we all transmigrate at different times? Why not all do it at once?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Good idea! You are much more of a heroic character than Zack.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as Emeril, though.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. He¡¯s too¡­pure. I want someone a little more¡­sinful.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, you into bad boys, Yidris?¡±


    Hoh? I am getting interested. I haven¡¯t really spoken to a person from the other world politely.


    ¡°Hmm, not really, I want that kind of guy who does what he wants, you know? Well, does what he wants and gets away with it.¡±


    ¡°Huh, like a domineering manly man.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! You get me!¡±


    ¡°Not one bit. Well, I have art class.¡±


    I leave the blonde beauty and begin to hasten my pace to class. Never mind, she is strange just like the rest of us.


    ¡°Hey, hey, can you ask Sandie to start working on the Monsternomicon? I want to clear the Labyrinth.¡±


    Hehe, now this seems like something worth being tardy to class for.


    ¡°I already got it made several years ago. I, as a son of a noble family, set up a reward system to adventurers, explorers, and the like to bring back knowledge of monsters, beasts, and enemies from all over along with the detailed artwork. I then collaborated with my father to hire some unemployed people to distribute the book.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Yep, and we make more than what we give out. It is awesome. Plus, it doubles as a textbook.¡±


    ¡°Not fair! Oh well, I guess I can just get one from you.¡±


    ¡°No, go buy that stuff. Anyways, bye for now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, see you later!¡±


    Not if I see you first. The next time I see your long golden hair and tall bow, I am gone.


    Well, when I am not in class, anyway.


    >>><<<


    Sandie seems to be doing well. She took a lot of magic records of Zack so she could continue looking at him in amazement. For now, it doesn¡¯t seem like love, but to be honest, Zack could do with an actual love interest and not some boobs and butt.


    Sure, Sandie is as flat as a washboard, but her braided ponytail and slightly orange hair make her childish, along with her light freckles. Very childlike. Very peppy.


    ¡°Nolan, for some reason, you are making me mess up.¡±


    Ah, a woman¡¯s intuition is a terrible thing.


    >>><<<


    After that, it was time to go borrow the kitchen.


    >>><<<


    Well¡­tonight is uneventful¡­not even Ilya is coming over to bother me¡­


    I¡¯m bored¡­


    >>><<<


    Sleep time¡­huh, Emeril is already asleep. You know, I feel weird. I haven¡¯t been speaking to Emeril in a while. I wonder if something is going on? Is he having trouble? Should I try and talk to him? Nah, I will wait for when we¡¯re free¡­


    Real life is boring.


    I need a game to pass the time, huh.


    Aha! I now know what I must do!

 Chapter 17: Rise to Prominence

    A game is always fun, but there was one thing I liked but never got to see in the game.


    A random something or other! The joy of somehow getting that little sliver that means top prize and receiving¡­oh, that is essentially Delania¡­


    Then, how about¡­something that makes me money? Oh! Hehehe, my art can finally be used to earn me income! Wait, I can run Dungeons and I am already making money from the Monsternomicon. Plus¡­my art isn¡¯t that great yet.


    Or I can just join a club. Geez, I am stupid. I completely forgot. I need to be in one before the first holiday anyway. I wonder which one I should join¡­Emeril is in a combat club. They will be able to fight people who are in the higher grades and even across the continent. However, that is not my thing. And neither is the magical equivalent.


    Those two clubs are only for increasing fighting prowess and not for getting girls. Actually, I think I am going to stop with the girls. Whatever happens from here on out happens. Only when the girls have completely fallen for me or outright hate my guts will I move on.


    But I doubt the latter will ever happen. I am not an evil guy.


    As long as we can be friends, I can still have hope.


    There is stuff like the tea club which focuses on etiquette and conversing, pretty much a noble gossip club for rich girls. Then there are the hobby clubs for strange likes, but let us see what the academy has to offer¡­


    A¡­what?


    ¡®Rise to Prominence, a group dedicated to understanding the perfect game. Must answer a set of questions correctly before being accepted. Current members: Yidris Harrow, Bucco Luren, Zachariah Kenton, Abigail Enderson.¡¯


    Oh shit, even miss flame spirit is a player?! I wonder who else!


    Yeah, it was pretty easy to tell, since Rise to Prominence is the name of this game. Well, I guess this is a good club. It sounds like a go home club to me. What pointless things will we do as people from another world?


    >>><<<


    ¡°You! Grr¡­¡±


    Bucco is as rowdy as ever, huh.


    ¡°Wow, I am glad you came to join! I am the club captain! Well, our club duties are to discuss the greatest game ever, Rise to Prominence! However, it is essentially just a place for us to pool our information.¡±


    ¡°I can deal with that. So that means we can have a truce?¡±


    I am talking to you two, you big baby and stupid idiot.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°As long as you stop taking my women!¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t yours.¡±


    ¡°See?!¡±


    Abigail¡¯s expression never wavered, so I guess she quickly realized I was a player, too.


    ¡°I was transmigrated around the time she was five.¡±


    I guess she noticed my questioning gaze.


    ¡°Nice. Are you built the same way?¡±


    ¡°No, I am stronger. Plus, I fixed her supposed weakness. Don¡¯t think you can just try and conquer me.¡±


    ¡°No problem, you¡¯re too hot to handle.¡±


    And flash! Ahhh~! My joke saved every one of us! Hehe.


    ¡°Pfft ¨C¡° (Zack)


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± (Yidris)


    ¡°Did you just¡­¡± (Bucco)


    ¡°Alright, you got me. That was good.¡± (Abigail)


    Well, that lightened the mood by a butt load.


    ¡°Yeah, we are in this together, so why get angry at each other?¡±


    ¡°Alright, you have a point. Sigh, and I was wanting to be the main character.¡±


    Of course I have a point, Zack. And besides, you could never make it as the main character.


    ¡°Well, the only main character right now should be Emeril.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and his boyfriend.¡±


    Don¡¯t look at me like that! I will break your two front teeth, Bucco! No, all of your teeth!


    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s sit down and have a good meeting. We don¡¯t meet often, and lunch is almost over.¡±


    Thank you, Yidris.


    ¡°Fine, just hurry up.¡±


    For once, I agree with the walking pile of testosterone. Holy crap, those muscles are like tree trunks.


    ¡°Well, Nolan already had the Monsternomicon made, so that helps us. Anybody got plans for helping out in other ways?¡±


    ¡°Oh? So like having a discount at a blacksmith or something?¡±


    She nods at my question, but I am glad this group has a different goal than I thought.


    ¡°Yes, we will have special positions that can cover each other. In the game, we could only follow a specific path, but this way, we can try for all of the routes at once! And with better efficiency, too.¡±


    ¡°But I already finished the Labyrinth. However, I am going again tomorrow with Gina and Ilya. We are trying to discover the secret of the twin boss.¡±


    ¡°Lucky.¡±


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just dance lessons, pretty much.¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Hehehe.


    ¡°Zack!¡±


    Oh, he settled down rather quickly after Yidris yelled at him. Is she actually a scary person?


    ¡°So are you saying that there is something strange going on with the boss?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It seems to be a teaching method for some fighting style, but it requires two people to trust each other to a really high degree.¡±


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this a form of seeing affection levels? If you can complete the dance, then you two should be really good together.¡±


    ¡°That sounds plausible, but it is difficult. Waving a sharp sword around can be pretty scary.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck. Anyone else?¡±


    ¡°I can get us a discount on a naval passage during one of our monthly vacations. Also, my friend Mico can get me some discounts from his store.¡±


    ¡°¡±Ooh!¡±¡±


    Well, Zack and Yidris are happy about that, but it is indeed a good deal. Nice, Bucco!


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your praise! Shut up.¡±


    Aww, he¡¯s blushing. Oh wait, that¡¯s anger. Hehe, my bad.


    ¡°I happen to know some good blacksmiths. They make use of my special fire, so I can get gear up to a certain level for free.¡±


    We all drop our jaws. Isn¡¯t this exactly what we were wanting?!


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s use this.¡±


    I bring out the Orichalcum to present to the group.


    ¡°That is not large enough to make several weapons or armor for us.¡±


    ¡°No, I know. But we could fashion some sort of badge, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah! The logo of the game!¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Everyone is nodding their heads, so I must have said something good. Or is it because I am giving something to everyone for free?


    ¡°Actually, that is awesome, since I happen to be an enchanter!¡±


    Oh, Yidris isn¡¯t a combat type anymore?


    ¡°Well, I still train in my archery, but now I spend my time knitting and sewing magical patterns into the Princess¡¯ clothes. They look really pretty, too.¡±


    Okay, looks we are set. Rise to Prominence is a go!

 Chapter 18: Dealing with Delania

    I say that, but then it is time to go to combat class. It¡¯s okay, I already ate with Ilya, but I am easily getting bored again. My bad habit, I know. However, I just have to look at the fact that things will start going forward soon!


    Probably.


    ¡°Nolan boy, here.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Enough! Just open the damn box!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Woohoo! Wait, who does this belong to?


    ¡°Hoh? You know that it isn¡¯t mine?¡±


    Yeah, why would you wear white ones, you are more into linger ¨C


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    Geez, she hits harder than I thought!


    ¡°Peh! Have fun dealing with the chaos that will follow.¡±


    Don¡¯t walk away while grinning mischievously like that! Wait, so you pulled me over here so no one would know you gave this to me! Dastardly and conniving must be your middle names!


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±


    No! At least tell me who this belongs to!


    ¡°No. You anger me. I mean, I already know you are someone from another world.¡±


    Wait, what? Oh, I can only think of Zack.


    ¡°Well, that is true, but I heard your thoughts since day one.¡±


    Oh. Well, now I feel stupid. Whew, guess I can stop trying to hide my thoughts.


    Hehe, why are you surprised?


    ¡°Wait, was that the only reason for your silence?¡±


    Duh, I didn¡¯t know how you would feel to know in our world, this place is just some story.


    ¡°Well, now you are here, does it feel like some sort of story?¡±


    ¡­no, but¡­


    ¡°See? Now then, I guess since we cleared that up, watch out for Sylvia.¡±


    Che, why do girl names always end with ¨Cia or ¨Ca? The people in this world aren¡¯t creative with their names.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    Ah, crap. That erofu might bring her stupid mob with her. Ophia is someone hard to get close to because she has authority in the human kingdom, while Ilya doesn¡¯t allow men near her for the most part. Even Gina has her distancing trick, but Sylvia is someone who is relatively close to everyone.


    Thus, her fan group is immense.


    ¡°Look over there, we must find the perpetrator who stole Sylvia¡¯s most beloved thing!¡±


    Wait, are you telling me these are the panties made out of her favorite pet¡¯s last silk? No wonder it feels amazing.


    ¡°You even know of that?¡±


    Duh. The game didn¡¯t have sex scenes, as the people were all underage, but it was implied.


    ¡°Huh. Well, good luck.¡±


    Heh, easy. ¡°Hey! I found the person who stole it!¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Where?!¡±


    ¡°It was her! She must have snuck in since she is a woman, after all!¡±


    The guys who were nearby all looked at Delania as she gave them an evil smile.


    ¡°W-well, that is certainly a possibility, but w-why would Miss Shreveport steal underwear¡­¡±


    Oh, he was going to say ¡®too pure for her¡¯ but stopped. Lucky guy. Wait, something wasn¡¯t entirely right in that last sentence¡­


    ¡°Indeed, why would I steal it? This guy is just trying to pin the blame on me, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Oi, she¡¯s obviously intimidating you to look the other way and make me into the bad guy!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­we have the item, and we have a scapegoat, so that should be no problem, right?¡±


    ¡°Then you be the scapegoat! I had nothing to do with this!¡±


    Argh, these assholes are getting on my nerves.


    ¡°Nuh uh, if Sylvia found out, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to be her fan anymore!¡±


    Ugh, so stupid.


    ¡°Fine, then I will just turn it into her.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±NO!¡±¡±¡±


    Wait, they want to be the one to turn it in? Hehehe, this makes it easier. They aren¡¯t united as I thought.


    ¡°So we are at a troublesome point. All of you want to turn it in, but you have only one item. Now what?¡±


    Yes, fight each other so I can run away!


    ¡°Well, we can just turn it in together, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    What. Stop laughing, Delania! This is all your fault! Damn, your affection towards me is rising too fast. I don¡¯t even want Sylvia! Ooooh! I know!


    ¡°ZAAACK!¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, Nolan, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Here. Do you know what this is?¡±


    ¡°Ooh! It¡¯s Sylvia¡¯s! Mmm, smells niiiice¡­¡±


    Ew, that is spider poop right there covered in moldy sweat. No, Sylvia¡¯s not that gross, but it might be covered in slime excrement, too.


    ¡°You! You defiled her sacred garments! That¡¯s it, you are in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, get him!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t run away!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?! No! This isn¡¯t what was supposed to happen!¡±


    Hahaha! Take the fall!


    Good, they¡¯re gone, now.


    ¡°You are evil, huh?¡±


    I just feel like I may be helping Zack get closer to potential love interests¡­


    ¡°Right. Well, that was a good show, thanks.¡±


    Whatever, next time, just give me nice stuff and I will love talking to you.


    ¡°Nope! I can¡¯t guarantee that one bit. See you later!¡±


    Dammit.


    >>><<<


    Well, Sylvia was always a little perverted, as she was one of the ones who gave themselves pretty easily if I remember correctly. Plus, there was no sign of her being a virgin, which meant she had at least played with herself really intensely. So, when Zack finally made it out of her dorm room, he wasn¡¯t upset and actually walked around in a daze.


    Did she actually do him? Ugh.


    ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I missed combat class, oops¡­oh well. Huh? Oh, I¡­I had a wonderful time¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, but it was awesome¡­I can¡¯t stop thinking of her legs¡­¡±


    Did she stomp on him? Is he an M? I never knew Sylvia could be an S, but then again, I never really saw her angry. Which meant that she was probably really angry. This was the last thing she has to remember her favorite spider pet by.


    Huh.


    ¡°Well, as long as you like it.¡±


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡±


    Oookay, I¡¯m going now.


    >>><<<


    And now it is time for learning with Gina.


    She seems to be out, but that is only for a little while. She probably took the entire day off in order to complete her bathing. In the game, she would rush back as soon as possible in order to thank you a lot.


    Hm? Who is this guy? He looks like he is trying too hard to be cool.


    ¡°Are you Nolan, the man who helped my daughter? Hello, I am Rudicus Xeiver, 36th King of the Demons.¡±

 Chapter 19: Enter the Future Stepdad?!

    Umm¡­what?


    ¡°Is it alright for you to be here?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah? I mean, nothing is going on back home.¡±


    Not yet¡­oh! So this is why it seemed weird for him to arrive! Back in the game, you weren¡¯t able to read the book until close to the middle part of the year, when the political strife in the demon kingdom was the highest. He couldn¡¯t leave since there was so much going on, but he seems to be the kind of guy to do things personally.


    Gina had inherited her father¡¯s lilac hair, but his eyes were a deep red, not the purple of the princess. Hmm, he also has straight horns, jutting forward like a¡­dragon¡¯s¡­


    ¡°Are you part dragon?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes and no. I carry the physical appearance, but I do not have any dragon organs, unlike my daughter. It seems she didn¡¯t have just a dragon heart, but also their lungs. I am happy.¡±


    Indeed he looks the part. His scaly tail is swinging all over the place and his wings are twitching. I bet he wants to unfurl them and roar to the heavens about how happy he his. He was that kind of guy, after all. His sprite animation did the same thing, too, when he finally met you and thanked you for your help.


    ¡°¡­Should we go outside?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I am fine.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    I was trying to be courteous, though¡­his pale skin that has a tint of blue makes him look very demonic and it appears darker since we are in the dimly lit library.


    ¡°By the way, it seems that Gina is practicing a new sword style, which I find¡­strange.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have an ancient Labyrinth Dungeon that has a strange boss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the twin statues, correct? I see, I never knew you could imitate them. Huh. I might bring the missus and go on vacation, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, wouldn¡¯t it be best to make sure nothing bad happens back home? Without you to keep everyone in check¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! There was this big issue brewing, but when Gina unlocked her dragon bloodline, everything ceased. Hahaha! If it had happened a little later, they would have gone through with their plans regardless! This way, everything remains quiet. But¡­you know about our situation quite well¡­¡±


    Crap.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Wanna work for me? I can give you a higher position, as someone who the royal family owes a debt to.¡±


    ¡°No, hehe, but thanks. I must worry about my classes.¡±


    ¡°Classes that you are already the top of? Don¡¯t try to fool me, you are a bonafide genius.¡±


    Crap crap.


    ¡°Or is there something else you want¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­Like¡­Gina?¡±


    Oi, calm down! I swear, I am not ready to fight you! Reign in your killing intent!


    ¡°Hoh? You can still stand? Not bad. Alright, then I might allow it in the future. However, you need to be the strongest. I won¡¯t accept anything less for my daughter¡¯s husband.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Ah, Gina! Please save me!


    ¡°What are you talking about?! Nolan is just a friend!¡±


    Ack, the Zone is a lonely place to be - Ack!


    ¡°Is that true? Eh? You, boy. Why do you look like you are about to die?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­because¡­aura¡­too¡­strong¡­¡±


    Why do people want to suffocate me? I actually want Big Sis Amethia back...at least it was softer¡­


    ¡°Dad, stop it! I won¡¯t stand for this!¡±


    ¡°Alright, sweetie. By the way, tomorrow, I am bringing your mom. We want to try our hand at this little dungeon ourselves. See you then! Bye!¡±


    Hah¡­sleepy¡­


    ¡°Nolan! Don¡¯t die! Nooolaaaan!¡±


    ¡°Ow, let me sleep¡­¡±


    ¡°Nolan!¡±


    Why are you being so dramatic? I doubt your dad would actually kill me inside the school.


    ¡°I was so worried, dad doesn¡¯t know how to hold back so I thought your heart had stopped or something!¡±


    Wait, what. I could have actually died? Then¡­yay?


    >>><<<


    I am back in the infirmary, but now I am the patient. Well, at least the pretty nurse is here.


    Since we¡¯re alone¡­


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a name, I am just a Homunculus created by the Principal to help regulate the school''s duties. I am designated as Nurse. Pleased to meet you, Nolan.¡±


    Ah, she sounds so good. Props to you, Mister Principal. Even though your speeches are boring, you know how to make a pretty nurse.


    Wait, are players only limited to students? Could adults become players as well? Hopefully not, or this would be ridiculous.


    So far, we have all been transmigrated to people within the same grade. It may have been at different times, but we were definitely of the same age.


    Is this a condition? Only to those born within a specific year? If that is the case, what are the other requirements? I know they can¡¯t have been too numerous, or else the world would have already experienced a lot of changes and the story would have been completely different, rather than a variant.


    We might not have any demons or beastkin whatsoever in case someone before us tried to defeat the Demon King like in other video games.


    ¡°Nolan, it is nearly time for the school¡¯s services to end. Please make your way to your dormitory or to the nearby city to recuperate.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Nurse.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Have a good day.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I will, because I saw you!¡±


    Hehehe, I am getting a little adventurous now. I need to work on some one-liners to pick up chicks or something. No, no. Then I would become Zack. Argh, just focus on the girls I already have! Shit!


    >>><<<


    ¡°Oh, how is it going, Emeril?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good. Ophia and I are going on a date tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    Thumbs up, my man!


    ¡°However¡­I am afraid I won¡¯t be able to protect her on my own.¡±


    ¡°You want me to come? I mean, it is your date.¡±


    ¡°No, I understand. Plus, I heard about your date¡­or dates, as it were.¡±


    Oi, don¡¯t smirk at me! I will knock your block off!


    ¡°Then why not go on a double date? You bring Ophia, and I will bring Gina¡­and Ilya¡­¡±


    ¡°No one else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡±


    >>><<<


    The next day¡­


    ¡°Heyo, Nolan boy~.¡±


    Shit.

 Chapter 20: Dance to it

    Before me stands the grim reaper, killer of my dreams.


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Why are you here, Delania?


    ¡°Obviously because something cool is happening.¡±


    Gina and Ilya are staring at me expectantly. Why? Do you think I am going to shoo her away?! Hell no! If all of us are going as a party, there is a definite possibility that we are going to fight dragons or some other such nonsense!


    Thus, the need for all three of the untouchables to be here, and that includes the pink haired loli ¨C


    Pah!


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Ouch. At least she didn¡¯t use her weird ax.


    ¡°Oh? You know of Greguldover? Haha!¡±


    That monstrosity is a nightmare. It looks like a regular staff, but it is made entirely of magic steel. With the press of a button, several thin blades pop out and form some sort of geometric double scythe. However, stepping back and looking at it, the shape forms an ax head.


    Greguldover, the Executioner¡¯s Mythic Axe.


    ¡°I like that name, I will keep it!¡±


    No one here knows what is going on, as everyone looks at us weirdly. Gina, Ilya, Emeril, and Ophia are here. Hm? Isn¡¯t that Saintess Josine? Is she after Emeril as well? Damn, I thought he was a hero. I wonder if he will get Tetra, the battle mage. She is surprisingly active for a mage, but she is secretly a magic assassin for¡­the Princess¡­holy shit, Emeril is going to involve himself with the Assassin¡¯s Guild, too? First the Royal Family, then the Church, what¡¯s next, Diedre the young lady of the leading merchant¡¯s clan in the entire continent?


    Please, no.


    Anyway, after opening up a soot box and getting laughed at by passerby, we get stopped right outside the Labyrinth.


    ¡°Why, hello there, friends of my daughter. I am the 36th Demon King, Ru ¨C¡°


    ¡°Honey, leave them alone, they are having fun.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes darling.¡±


    Huh. The Demon Queen is surprisingly¡­endowed. Will Gina get that way, too? I mean, she is a teenager right now, but¡­hmm¡­I am looking forward to it.


    ¡°Oh, and Nolan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°I hope you and my daughter can solve the riddle in the boss room.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.¡°Darling?!¡±


    The Queen chuckles to herself as she wraps around her husband¡¯s arm. They walk away, leaving us feeling quite confused. But then it is time to set off!


    >>><<<


    Alright, so it seems that this dungeon is only meant for at most five people. The bosses weren¡¯t dragons, but they were elementals. Pure ones. Their essence would make for some good alchemical ingredients.


    I watched as Gina used her new roars, which could add elemental effects. It was like enchanting a blade with fire temporarily, but for her shout. She could set enemies aflame by yelling, which is crazy.


    Ilya tried to use a sword, but I told her to go back to bare handed fighting, just focus on dodging the strikes at the last second. Surprisingly, she did amazing. She felt that this method worked really well for her, since it stopped reducing her stamina in a fight. Delania was as jaw-dropping as ever, with her deadly dance. Slow steps, just walking down the path.


    1¡­2¡­1¡­2


    Each step with the beat, every offbeat her ax is swung.


    1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and


    She looked like she was doing etiquette training, trying to walk in a straight line with a stack of books on her head. She just looked forward and kept on walking.


    Meanwhile, Emeril, Ophia, and Josine were working together to fight a couple enemies on their own. Sorry, I thought you could handle it, Princess. Josine didn¡¯t fight and completely focused on recovery spells. Duh, she is a light magician, it¡¯s her forte.


    Ophia used a blade meant for fencing and piercing, so she had to exert more energy. However, her sword skills were definitely above mine, if by only a level. Emeril just defended them both with his powerful defense.


    With the golems running around like sweepers, we earned a lot of drops and loot. By the time we got to the end, our bags were bulging. Good thing I also happen to have an Inventory Ring which increases carrying capacity.


    Oh, the places you will go with money.


    And here we are, the boss room. Nothing looks different, even though we should be on a harder difficulty. In fact, the two statues do the exact same movements as before!


    We have about half a day left, so we stop to eat and rest. However, it wasn¡¯t long until Emeril tried to do the sword dance. He wanted to dance with me! What the hell?!


    ¡°No. Go dance with Ophia.¡±


    ¡°Aww, come on! Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    Ugh, how should I deal with this? Oh, I know!


    ¡°Of course. So why should we express it in such a way?¡±


    ¡°Oh, good point.¡±


    I am not dancing with another guy.


    ¡°Pfft.¡±


    Shut it, you. Hey, if I think reeeeeealy perverted thoughts, will you stop reading my mind like that?


    Oh, okay. I guess that is a no. Can I try? Ow ow ow ow! Let go of my hair! Sheesh, I apologize!


    ¡°Ow¡­Gina, you and Ilya want to give it another go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Come on, Ilya!¡±


    They both pull a couple swords off the wall and stand behind each other. Ilya is trembling, but she resolutely stands her ground. Uh oh, she is a little slow. Time for some words of wisdom.


    ¡°Hey, why are you freaking out? We have healing magic. And really good healing magic, at that.¡±


    Ilya tilts her head and then smiles wide. She nods and happily goes back to practicing. Looks like they are almost there. Go me, say the right words!


    ¡°So, want to dance?¡±


    No thank you, I feel like you are the least trustful person to me right now.


    Why are you pouting? If you are upset, stop sending me smoke bombs!


    ¡°But¡­it¡¯s fun.¡±


    Oi. That¡¯s right, you can read minds. Not even once did you mention that in the game, but you would sometimes say some convenient clues in the middle of a difficult time. Are you being pushed away because of your ability?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Geez, I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t even thinking.


    ¡°So you can apologize, huh? Whatever. I don¡¯t need your pity.¡±


    Oh, come on! I was trying to be nice! Alright, how about that dance? No? Then I guess I can solicit a dance from Josine ¨C


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Hehe, ow.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±

 Chapter 21: Compatibility

    Even though I said I trust her the least, here I am dancing with Delania. In fact, I feel like I found out more about myself.


    I am too lazy to be vigilant towards someone I cannot comprehend. Thus, I just went with the flow. We did pretty good, but¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare start blaming me.¡±


    I am not used to swinging this type of blade around, especially in such a ridiculous manner. Oh well, I have the timing and speed down, so I just need to get the movements, which shouldn¡¯t be too long. Actually, it sometimes feels like Delania pulls me along.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Do you need a rest? Alright.


    ¡°Well then. Anyway, want to give someone else a try?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Nolan, let me! Ilya is apparently dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Gina.¡±


    Or maybe it is because she is super sensitive with her fur and ears.


    Gina and I dance a little, but I had to pull my weight and hers.


    ¡°Now you know my pain.¡±


    Hush, Delania, I am trying to focus.


    Actually, Gina¡¯s back feels nice. I can kind of smell her hair as it swings all over the place¡­


    ¡°Hey, watch out, stupid!¡±


    Ah, thanks, Delania. Hm? Looking over at Emeril, he and Ophia seem to be going faster and faster. Oh, are they about to complete the dance already? Nice, they are almost as fast as the statue.


    Oops, I guess something happened.


    The statues broke away from each other and charged towards Emeril and Ophia. The white one headed towards him while the black one rushed at the princess.


    ¡°Guys, use the dance! Quickly!¡±


    Isn¡¯t this like a tutorial? You work on the moves, then you apply what you learned. If they truly know how to use the dance, then they can easily repel and counter these statues.


    I guess not yet.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    I blasted the two statues when it started to look dangerous, but that meant the dungeon run was finished. I healed up Emeril¡¯s cut on his arm and helped up the fallen Ophia. They tripped on each other at the last moment, though I can see no problem with them. They already managed to figure out the dance!If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Congratulations, bro. It seems you and the Princess have some¡­compatibility.¡±


    Ophia blushes, but the Saintess seems a little jealous. Damn, Emeril. Watch your back.


    ¡°¡­Nolan?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ilya? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it yet with you¡­do you think we could come again next time and do it together?¡±


    Umm¡­oi, watch your word choice, I may need to soak my head and cool off when we get to town.


    ¡°Pfft.¡±


    ¡°Alright, next time we can dance together, just you and me.¡±


    ¡°What?! Nonono, that¡¯s not what I meant at all!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just joking.¡±


    No I¡¯m not.


    ¡°No he¡¯s not.¡±


    Oi, Delania, shut up.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    Well¡­time to make my exit.


    After we leave the dungeon, Emeril took Ophia and Josine back to the academy.


    And I was left with three cute girls.


    Hey, Delania, come here.


    ¡°Hm? A gift for me?¡±


    Yep, hehe.


    ¡°I¡­do I want to open it?¡±


    Oi, open it.


    ¡°Hah¡­fine. Hm? Isn¡¯t this one of those weird swords?¡±


    Yeah, in case you want to practice for the future.


    ¡°¡­Is this some sort of proposition for another date?¡±


    You can take it as such.


    ¡°Hehehe, you are funny! Alright then, I will accept this gift!¡±


    Whatever, it is like handing a person some pig feed only for them to back to buy the pig as well.


    Delania smirked as she walked off and Ilya was a little embarrassed as she skipped back home.


    Only Gina and I were left.


    ¡°Nolan¡­my parents seemed like they completed the dance.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°And you said that completing that first part means the two people have a close connection, right?¡±


    ¡°Seems so.¡±


    ¡°¡­and my mom wanted us to complete the dance together¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Uhh, what I mean to say is, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to listen to my parents! My dad is a brute and mom is always getting involved in the things I do!¡±


    ¡°That just shows they love you.¡±


    ¡°Love¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep. My parents doted on me and gave me whatever I wanted, only because they thought that that was the only way to receive my love to them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I was regarded as a genius.¡±


    ¡°You are one.¡±


    ¡°Well, that must mean I am different and need different things. If I asked for greasy food, my parents were quick to get the chef. It wasn¡¯t because they wanted me to be happy, they thought that being this way was the only way to appear useful. It wasn¡¯t until last year when they realized otherwise.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°My mother broke one of my favorite toys from when I was a kid. I still used it, as it was actually a tool, but my mom was reminiscing too hard and dropped it, making it broken. Mom was about ready to kill herself from the shock.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get angry at her for that, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I would just bring it back to normal. I mean, I made the thing, for crying out loud. I can easily repair it. However, it would never be as good as the old one, so I left that one for her to keep care of. And I gave her a nice big hug.¡±


    ¡°Huhuhu, I never heard of a guy admitting to hugging his mom before.¡±


    ¡°Laugh all you want, I was never really that close to my parents until that point.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I mean, I was really close to my dad when I was growing up, but I was always moving away from mom.¡±


    ¡°That is why she tries so hard to get involved for you. Well, you just need to sit down and pretty much do one thing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Start something new together. If you have already started something, and your mom wants to participate, then just start something together and work for it side by side. Then you have something to talk about and enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then I will try that over the holiday break in the future!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, can I go?¡±


    ¡°¡­of course.¡±


    Oh. Don¡¯t turn shy all of a sudden. You went from determined to withdrawn. Oi, come back!

 Chapter 22: An Unimportant Diary

    And so another couple of weeks passed. I got closer to the girls and their abilities got stronger. I managed to get to the next level with Delania on the sword dance, and I nearly got to it with Gina, but Ilya seems to be hesitant to use a sword. I guess there might be more to her past than I thought. Or she just isn¡¯t suitable to use a sword¡­


    I also expected her to challenge me, but then again, she knows I am clearly stronger than her. Fighting would just be a waste, no matter the outcome. Because if I lost, then she would know I held back.


    I never saw Gina¡¯s parents again, but that was probably because they went back to the demon kingdom. Delania keeps giving me packages, but there are more good ones than bad ones. And if she happens to give me a girl¡¯s underwear or personal belonging, I give them to Zack so he could try and reason with them.


    In the end, he gets treated like a major pervert, but his handsomeness can¡¯t be denied. The easy girls flock to him, wanting to be touched and whatnot. I guess he is not that mad at me anymore.


    I am currently wearing the game logo, a rising sun over a horizon with a sword poking out of the ground.


    Actually, it is a horizontal line with a large semicircle and a sword shape coming out of the middle.


    But, for some reason, Abigail decided to help Bucco learn how to blacksmith. He uses his strength to swing the metal hammer every night, apparently, so we get even more discounts when it comes to forging stuff. Then Yidris comes along and enchants them, making them better.


    All in all, we are a rising group and plan on attending a large meet to show off our abilities. I have seen the other players start heading towards the dungeon and coming out a little bit happier, but they are still behind in terms of combat ability.


    Emeril and I are now even being targeted by the upperclassmen, so we just continue our normal daily spars in combat class. However, we have become famous really easily. I didn¡¯t expect to be really bored, but I got by with trips to the dungeon, making new foods, and selling my magical carvings and sculptures, which were somehow really popular.


    If they mention something like modern art, I will cry.


    Even in the game, a monotonous routine would form, making it extremely difficult to focus. But, this was because it took a while for people to become close. I was really surprised when Ilya and Delania sought me out themselves.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As for their current thoughts towards me, Ilya sees me as a source to admire. I¡¯m flattered, but she is selling herself short and I can¡¯t figure out how to help her. I should probably wait for the first real event that she has to perform.


    Gina has devoted herself to training, so she doesn¡¯t really show up to free period in the library as often. I usually use this chance to go to the dungeon and get some much-needed income.


    But what am I spending my money on?


    Delania. I found that she likes gifts, too. I made it a game to always buy something good for her, even when she pranks me. I¡¯m trying to guilt trip her whenever she tries to prank me. On one hand, she hates it when I show her up, and another, she actually really enjoys the presents I give her.


    Truth be told, Delania is a normal girl. She just has a special ability. Kind of like Ophia¡¯s story, I believe. However¡­according to all the flavor text from the game that I can remember, there was a line about an ancient race.


    ¡®They can see the future and read the mind, their every action furthered the expansion of their domain. When they grew to be too powerful, they suddenly all vanished. To this day, none have ever been found, even though signs their civilization still exist.¡¯


    Sounds cryptic, but fantasy games always have that mythic race card that suddenly disappears but leaves behind special artifacts that are beyond the current technology. However, it says ¡®read the mind¡¯, not ¡®hear thoughts¡¯, so I am not too sure.


    ¡°Well, I always believed I was adopted.¡±


    ¡°AH!¡± Crap, don¡¯t do that.


    ¡°Hehehe. Just writing in a diary?¡±


    Well, since we may not be the only players in this world, I wanted to tell my kids my story so they can help themselves in the future.


    ¡°Kids? And whose kids are they going to be?¡±


    Who do you think?


    Aww, is that a little bit of blush? Hahaha, I like being completely honest. Ouch. Your punches are getting softer.


    ¡°Hmph. I wonder how the other girls will act when they see your perverseness. Will they look at you like they do Zack?¡±


    ¡­You wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Of course not, I like having something of yours all to myself. Even though I don¡¯t act when you are with the others, I can see you clearly hold affection towards us. Also, I want to know more about this world from you. Even though you¡­read a story about us, you know more than what we do.¡±


    Of course. The story explains only the important details to set the world.


    ¡°Hmm, I guess you are right.¡±


    Well, I know you wouldn¡¯t understand the concept, but this world is completely clich¨¦. This fantasy world is just like every other fantasy world, with the politics and magic and schools, but the most important aspect is the fact that all of the most clich¨¦ characters are somehow at this one school.


    ¡°Right, with the princesses, princes, nobles, foreign diplomats, and other such bigwigs.¡±


    Oh, don¡¯t forget the geniuses.


    ¡°True. There are other academies, but none seem to match up to ours in terms of the quality of enrolled students.¡±


    That and everyone seems to be attractive.


    ¡°Haha! I understand that immensely!¡±


    Yep¡­but now the next arc is about to begin¡­the festival events.


    ¡°They can¡¯t be that bad. What is your club doing?¡±


    ¡­a haunted labyrinth.

 Intermission 1: Zacks Time

    Zack was a special kind of weirdo. He liked dabbling in all kinds of things. Cooking, music, computers, he had a lot of interests in his past life. Unfortunately, he was never really ¡®good¡¯ at anything. He could work on something enough to know a lot about it, but he was always below average to everyone else.


    However, in this world, he had knowledge no one else did. He could easily work his way up the ladder and promote all sorts of cool things. Heck, he was the inventor!


    Potions were medicine, so they tasted terrible. He decided to make them flavorful. It turned out, that adding citrus was a good alternative. The necessary vitamins were a better benefit than he imagined. His potions not only tasted great, they were more effective, too!


    He used recording magic tools to capture the various sounds he heard and then played them back in a pattern, making club music. He would play several different recording tools at once, record that sound, and then add it to the final product. It would take a lot longer than making music in his past life¡­or in this life, for that matter.


    Because of this, he brought a new method of music for the people. Recordings of strange sounds would somehow make their way into orchestras with these magic tools and now people could mix and match, playing songs that sounded really good together.


    All in all, he was a party kind of guy.


    When he had gotten in trouble with Sylvia that day, his life had pretty much started off on its much-desired harem route.


    ¡°Y-you stole my¡­panties?!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, I just couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    He knew well enough that he couldn¡¯t implicate his comrade here. This was him giving him a chance with the elven princess at close range!


    However, he wasn¡¯t being punished.


    ¡°¡­why?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to have something of yours. I am sorry, but I couldn¡¯t contain myself.¡±


    She was shy and seemed to be anxious. Her long silver hair and pointy ears quivered when he looked at her strongly.


    ¡°Are you¡­did you do something strange to it?¡±


    ¡°I must confess, I smelled it. Unfortunately, it was already clean.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Well, he wasn¡¯t lying when he said he was going to speak his mind and let everyone know he was a pervert. Surely she had heard some of the rumors about him.


    However, she seemed to squirm and hold herself.


    ¡°Can¡­can I have those back, please? They¡¯re my only pair.¡±


    Suddenly, Zack collapsed on the floor at the thought of this cute girl not wearing anything underneath her long shirt. Sylvia had freaked out and healed him, not expecting that he would start bleeding from his nose so unexpectedly.


    Zack had handed over the panties, but only after being promised that they would go on a date in the future. She embarrassingly agreed and he left with a happy expression.


    The two got to know each other more over time, but then he became aware that something was weird. Whenever he reached her door, wet sounds could be heard from her room. He wanted to look inside, but whenever he touched the door, the sounds would stop, followed by sounds of her cleaning up. The only thing in the room was the tiny slime on her bed.


    However, her face would always be bright red, her face perspiring and her breath quick. It wasn¡¯t that hard to see something was going on. However, the thought of Princess Sylvia doing something naughty actually made him¡­excited.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stay in here today?¡±


    ¡°No! I mean, why don¡¯t we go walk around outside?!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­no. What¡¯s in here?¡±


    He opened the closet, but only silk clothes were silently sitting there. He even parted the clothes, but nothing was hiding. He checked under the bed and even looked out on her balcony. There was nothing. But then he eyed the slime.


    Sylvia was nearly in tears, trying to hold him back. That was when the slime morphed into a person and attacked, lunging at Zack!


    ¡°Leave mistress alone!¡±


    The slime spoke! However, Zack was too busy groping the gelatinous female body in front of him. His face was contorted into something¡­vulgar.


    The covers of the bed were removed and revealed pictures of Zack.


    The struggle stopped, and Zack silently stared at the pictures on the bed.


    ¡°Were you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°¡­do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hot.¡±


    From then on, the two started going out. It turned out that Sylvia was merely having the slime take Zack¡¯s appearance as she interacted with it. But the biggest issue was why she so quickly fell for him. She was a shy person and wanted friends. However, because of her popularity, she became more of an idol that no one could touch.


    Those who got too close were ¡®culled¡¯ and kicked out, and no one was able to express their real feelings for her due to the covenant they all shared. Stupid, yes.


    But for the brazen and seemingly kind Zack, she was happy. Eventually, instead of trying to interact with slime Zack, she took to hugging it when he wasn¡¯t around.


    Sandy eventually spied them dating, and found that she had grown extremely fond of her muse. She felt a strange feeling at the man she liked being with someone else, so her art took on a very strong feeling, and she discovered something new about herself. She knew what Zack was like, with his promiscuity, so she could still be with him, but she liked it better as she watched them from afar. Not wanting to be close, and wanting to be Sylvia, Sandy took on a different personality then she had ever had.


    With these stalkers, Zack¡¯s harem went to three, if one were to count the slime. He was having the time of his life. Heck, with Sylvia¡¯s help, he could even make it through the school year!


    He didn¡¯t realize he had unfortunately begun a very dangerous route.


    The enemy of every single man route. Not really, it was more like a ''possible bad end'' route.

 Prologue for Volume 2

    There she was, sitting in the back of a car, unable to move about, as she was sitting in a car seat. She looked towards her front to see her mother¡¯s pretty face look back at her. The mother reached out and adjusted the seat belt so she could breathe better, but there was a loud horn from outside and the car suddenly lurched to the side before an abrupt pain could be felt all over.


    Then, she woke up. This dream hadn¡¯t appeared since she was younger, so she shook her head and held herself. She looked over at the young woman who was sent here as her guard and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Back at the palace, whenever she had this nightmare, her new father would come running and try to console her. And when she started acting differently or spoke of strange things that didn¡¯t exist in this world, most people treated her just like a child with an overactive imagination.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    She was only five when she died, but the body she took over when she transmigrated was already eight. Over time, she learned how to fight and protect herself. As she got older, she became more independent, but there was still something that felt wrong about this world.


    That is, until she met him. He was nice, strong, fun to be around, but most of all, he seemed to fill that hole. In this world of magic and swords, compassion, especially for her people, was something that wasn¡¯t that used.


    However, he would show her kindness unconditionally. He seemed to know a lot about this world and the people in it. Thanks to him, she could have some real friends. Though they had only been together for a little while, she already started to like him.


    She thought back to the boy who let her live for once and softly went back to sleep with a smile.

 Chapter 23: Falter Not, He Who Seeks Victory

    One man with crimson red hair parted towards the left and combed over to show his intelligent face stood before the empty plot of land before him. He mumbled under his breath the incantation for the magic spell and a gigantic maze made out of hard dirt was pulled up out of the ground.


    Yeah, that¡¯s me. I¡¯m awesome, but I can¡¯t get rid of my previous life¡¯s facial expression, which is this slight smirk. People always tell me I look mad or upset. It¡¯s even worse when I am the son of a Duke.


    But I am too good. We have these three days to prepare for the three-day festival and then one day of rest before we go back to school. Not a bad holiday, if you ask me, though it can¡¯t really be called a holiday.


    I am joined by a walking humanoid flame with a really curvy body. For a twelve-year-old, this flame spirit is too mature.


    ¡°I can feel you looking at me.¡±


    ¡°Just appreciating the fact that your outside is based on your inside. Your soul does form your shape, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    Ow, don¡¯t burn me! Anyways, I will leave her alone, since Bucco keeps glaring at me. The two spent so much time together making gear for the others that I would be surprised if nothing took place between them. But, the walking steroid ad carried a hammer today, not an ax.


    Abigail stretched her hands outwards and scorched the earth, making it black and tough, like glass. Now it won¡¯t wash away if it rains. But, this also gives everything a nice destroyed feeling. The smoke in the air smells of danger.


    Next, Bucco brings out some cheap ore and uses Abigail¡¯s heat to mash the metal. Abigail then starts forming the softened metal into strange and exotic shapes, creating deadly looking torture tools and such.


    Zack was getting Sandie to help with the advertisements and scary artwork to go around the campus. Meanwhile, Yidris was out looking for people to help invest in our project.


    Unlike what most people think, this assignment is actually a way to earn additional income. Most people will run a food stall or have an attraction like ours, but if we make a lot more money than what we spent, then we prove how awesome we are at making money, getting the attention of the merchants and receiving some discounts.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    In the game, these discounts were exceedingly important.


    But here, half of us belonged to prestigious families.


    The best thing about the labyrinth we are doing is that one entrance leads to many paths which lead to one exit. And at the end¡­lies the Overlord, scion of darkness and destruction!


    Yeah, we couldn¡¯t use the demon king for obvious reasons, but each person will take turns confronting the attendees and having them take down the boss. Pretty cool, but I have a feeling that Bucco and Zack might actually get in trouble.


    A pervert and a mad man¡­


    We will alternate this way. One person is on trap duty, placing decorations that move or cause a screeching yell. Another person is the evil Lord at the end. Yet another person gets people to enter the maze. And the last two get to walk around. However, one has to promote the labyrinth. The other gets a break.


    I spoke with the others and we all set a schedule so everyone could see their friends. I told Gina, Ilya, and Delania about it and they said they should be fine. We can all walk around for a little while.


    Unfortunately, we will be doing this three days in a row. Fortunately, the festival is only open 10 hours a day. We each switch every hour. Nice plan, huh?


    Yeah, it is pretty long, but the jobs shouldn¡¯t be too hard. We all chose costumes that were light and with Yidris¡¯ enchantments, they were able to cool us off as well. Super comfortable.


    Yep, we already pretty much got everything ready. Now we just need to set up the maze. Decorating it and rigging the traps would definitely be the most difficult part. However, Yidris also has her archery training, and one part of that was to identify traps and remove them, which required a bit of know-how related to creating traps anyway.


    Simple traps are easy to deduce and their usage can lead to surprising events.


    The festival is open to everyone who pays the entry fee, but that isn¡¯t the main point. It is the fact that people¡¯s parents are going to be coming, and something childish as this probably won¡¯t be as effective as we thought.


    However, I plan on working my hardest for this. I made sculptures of beasts and set up light crystals here and there to keep the lighting high enough to see, but low enough to keep the place covered in shadows.


    I worked in a haunted house before in my previous life, I know some stuff.


    But that was something no one ever did in the game. They usually did food, stores, or other such stalls. There was the one Emeril used to be in, and that was just a ¡®fight me and if you win, you get money!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t lose, which was a thing. This took place too early for the player to ever be able to win in a fight.


    But, he seemed to be taking part in patrolling the grounds and making sure nothing dangerous happens. So he is a member of the disciplinary committee? Huh.


    Well¡­time to get back to work. The faster we finish, the faster we can rest.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hey, it seems like no one is here!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s trash it! These people are all so strong, but if we mess them up here, then they will have trouble in the future, huh?¡±


    Who are these guys? I just fell asleep and you want to trash our maze? Go away.


    ¡°AAAAHH! A ghost! Shit, they actually made it haunted! Run!¡±


    Hm? Oh, oops. I have dust all over me from my sculptures. I do look a little pale, huh? Well, this could actually make for a good effect. Hehehe. I think when I am lord, it should be an amazing act.

 Chapter 24: Spooky Specter 1/3

    Three young men were nonchalantly walking around the campus grounds trying out the various foods and seeing the random sights. One was really tall, over seven feet, the second was rather short, not even 4 feet, while the last was of normal height and had slightly pointy ears with an unfortunately obvious under bite.


    Dale the Giant Halfling, Erik the Dwarf Halfling, and Kayne, the Elf Halfling were probably the most average of all of the visitors at the festival. They were just some guys from the city and were also low leveled adventurers. Even though they were halflings, they still held the racial traits of their parents.


    That is to say that Dale was a warrior, Erik was a fighter with magic spells and a part time engineer, and Kayne was a magic archer. They were around eighteen and were really close friends, deciding to stay beside each other.


    Though people were lenient of different races and even interracial marriages, mixed children were still treated a little¡­subhuman. Dale was the smallest giant and Erik was the tallest dwarf. They stuck out and you know what they say about the nail that sticks out and all that¡­


    But Kayne didn¡¯t really inherit his mother¡¯s appearance, save for her ears. He was not visually attractive, so he was regarded as a faker. Even though he had the racial advantage in magic, he was demotivated due to his face.


    However, if Nolan was here, he would have shared all the fantastic little tips and free knowledge they shared in the game. The trio usually hung out in the bar next to the adventurer¡¯s guild hall, so they always shared information with newbies.


    They were nice and cooperative, regardless of their past. With their united friendship, they were resilient.


    ¡°Hehe, so are we going to see what that last kid can do with that strange maze?¡±


    ¡°Dale, come on, the only good part was the traps and scares in the halls, the last room is always a disappointment.¡±


    ¡°True. All that Zack guy did was talk about his troubles with women. Even that idiot Bucco did a better job as an enemy, even if it wasn¡¯t scary.¡±


    ¡°Right? I get the feeling these kids don¡¯t understand how to be scary. Well, even that archer girl tried to use something, but it was just a cheap puzzle. I feel like this thing is meant for kids.¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right, Erik. I mean, look. They think it is some sort of gag, right? A real labyrinth is nothing like this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Kayne, that might be the whole deal! Maybe it is a manmade dungeon!¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Nice thinking, Dale.¡±


    It was the first day of the festival and the only people who were making a lot of money were the ones with attractions. They could be done multiple times, but the money would just rise.


    The three walked up and spotted a pretty young girl wearing a sorceress¡¯ outfit. Her oversized conical hat and baggy black robes was very clich¨¦ and of no use in actual combat, but her cute body made her look like she was playing dress up.


    ¡°Hey, Yidris, you working the counter now? It¡¯s pretty late.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I know. Hey, why are you always coming by?¡±


    ¡°Just helping out.¡±


    ¡°Alright~.¡±


    Suddenly, out in the dark¡­


    ¡°AAAAAH! GET ME OUT OF HERE!¡±


    The trio looked at each other and shrugged, but they turned to see a couple of pale kids come running out of the exit with wet pants and a strange smell.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The first guy ran up to Dale and grabbed desperately onto his leg.


    ¡°We thought it was just another joke, but this time, it¡¯s really haunted!¡±


    Kayne squinted his eyes and calmly pulled the kid up. It was getting late and the moon was starting to rise. However, there was still over an hour and a half until the festival was officially over. And even then, people would slowly exit the grounds.


    The trio nodded, handed Yidris a couple of coins, and entered the maze.


    Already, they noticed something different. The air was cold and damp, and the surroundings felt¡­suffocating. The pale blue lights had turned grayish, somehow, but the three couldn¡¯t be bothered. They looked at the place where the paths were supposed to separate, but there was only one, which was different from before. There was only one way to go this time.


    The three adopted a formation they commonly used in real dungeons without even saying anything. Dale was in the front while Kayne was in the back. The path was winding around, but the walls had changed from their charred black to a strange plaster that looked like an old house.


    Just when they thought there was something ahead, Erik spoke up.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no traps.¡±


    It was true. There was nothing for them to be weary of, but if there was a real ghost, then there might be something dangerous here. Dale reached for his broadsword, but realized he left it since he wasn¡¯t going to a real dungeon, and scolded himself for not being prepared.


    Thankfully, Erik and Kayne could still cast magic, so they weren¡¯t completely useless.


    However, something was ahead of them, appearing to walk out from a hallway. Whoever it was hadn¡¯t been there before, anyway.


    A white figure that was carrying a long thin blade that looked like a fang of a snake.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find them¡­¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Dale spoke up, prepared to take the brunt of an attack if need be. They had all dealt with vengeful spirits, and the quickest way to get rid of them was to resolve their grudges.


    ¡°Ah, the one who did this¡­¡±


    ¡°Did what?¡±


    Suddenly, the figure stopped and stared straight into Dale¡¯s very soul.


    Then the figure disappeared and Dale¡¯s vision was filled with a pale face and two dreary looking blue eyes.


    ¡°The one who killed me, of course¡­¡±


    Then, the figure disappeared, but Dale felt that his heart was gripped in ice. He collapsed and felt his shirt stick to his back thanks to all the sweat.


    Erik ran forward to see where the ghost had come from, but he put his hand up and felt the hard wall all over, not finding a switch for some sort of gimmick.


    ¡°That¡­was that really a ghost?¡±


    ¡°Whatever it was¡­it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

 Chapter 24: Spooky Specter 2/3

    Dale picked himself up off the ground and shivered for a little, but caught his breath and was able to go on. The others were just fine, so he couldn¡¯t back down here. Plus, if he was with his best friends, then there was nothing bad going to happen.


    As they went on down the path, the air got chillier and their breath could be seen. Suddenly, they come across a room.


    ¡°Hey, this doesn¡¯t feel like those little gimmicks from before, these are toys covered in real blood. I can smell the iron.¡±


    Erik was a dwarf who had a close connection with metals and minerals, so this was easy enough for him, but he couldn¡¯t explain the scene before him as well.


    All around were discarded, torn apart stuffed animals covered in dry blood. There were deep gouges all over here and there, and the paintings of what looked like a noble family¡¯s portrait were cut in half. One of the people looked a lot like the pale figure, but he was just a little boy. What had happened?


    ¡°Is this some sort of hint about the ghost¡¯s resentment? He was killed, wasn¡¯t he? Then¡­who did it?¡±


    ¡°Well, look. He is the son of a wealthy noble. Oh? Is that a baby in the mother¡¯s hands?¡±


    Kayne was right, the mother was indeed holding a bundle in her hands, but the faces were all gouged out, making it hard to determine who the parents were. The only clear image was of the figure.


    Dale wanted to say it was the working of the famous Nolan, but the figure didn¡¯t look completely like him, though there were similarities. For one, the hair of the kid in the picture was black and spiky. Even though it was now white, it was still spiky.


    Not to mention that smiling face. It was nothing like Nolan¡¯s expressionless face. Even the ghostly figure had a lot of emotion on his face.


    The three were looking for clues when a strange laughter filled the room.


    ¡°Hahaha, so did you find them? The ones who killed me?¡±


    Standing there in the middle of the room as if he was always there was the strange translucent figure.


    Kayne spoke up.


    ¡°Did you die here?¡±


    However, the spirit said nothing.


    He just faded out and disappeared. Then, the room went dark. As the men all prepared for the worst, the faint gray lights came back, but the room was void of any marks, including blood and stuffing from the dolls. It was completely empty.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The three were now extremely disturbed, but they had to act. They rushed down the pathway, ignoring any other clues. They had to hurry and move onto the next plan. Erik and Kayne would stall the ghost while Dale went to get his enchanted blade. Then, they would exorcise this evil spirit.


    However, they soon came to the last room. It was nearly empty, but there was one stuffed bear with a sewed up left eye, leaving stitches that looked like a diagonal scar. But the scariest part was the fang that was stabbed into the heart of the doll.


    The temperature in the room dropped to below freezing, and the wet clothes started to harden. Erik cast a flame spell on all of them, melting them and keeping them warm. Over at the exit was a strange pile.


    Dale ran over, but he stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°These are¡­the parents?!¡±


    Certainly, the pile was made of carcasses, but even though there were nearly fifty bodies, they were all dressed in the same way as the picture and the heads were gone.


    Suddenly, screams reverberated around the room.


    ¡°NO! STOP IT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¡±


    It was a woman¡¯s voice, screaming with desperation.


    ¡°YOU MONSTER! MEN! KILL THIS THING! HE IS NOT MY SON!¡±


    Now it was a man¡¯s voice, filled with hatred and fear.


    ¡°Huh? But¡­I saved you. This isn¡¯t my sister, she¡¯s been dead for a while. This is a monster.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T LIE, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN JEALOUS OF HER AND OUR LOVE FOR HER!¡±


    ¡°But¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°SIR!¡±


    ¡°KILL HIM!¡±


    Then a strange vision appeared in the center of the room, almost as if it was coming out of the bear. A young boy was being run through by several large men with spears, but in the next instant, all of their heads came off.


    ¡°Mother, Father, why? I love you, I was only protecting you from the Changeling.¡±


    ¡°AAH!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°STAY BACK!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Then, the small body lying on the floor trembled. It rose, even though its head was gone. Even the soldiers got up.


    ¡°Oh brother¡­we are all Changelings. You are the only one who is different.¡±


    The heads slowly started to reform, becoming a dark image of malice. The child collapsed as the parents also drew close, carrying weapons and striking at the young boy.


    ¡°What the hell is all of this?! This is¡­unreal¡­¡±


    Dale was shocked, and he was surprised Erik could still speak in this situation. What? He could never have suspected this!


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­it was my own family that killed me¡­because they were Changelings¡­no, they were all Changelings¡­¡±


    Behind them, the young boy appeared once more, but he was more tangible as if he wasn¡¯t a ghost anymore. However, the pale white color still struck fear into the trio¡¯s hearts. Then ice crystals started forming in the air and the strange vision dissipated and the little bear doll floated into the air.


    Dale stared at the figure¡¯s expression, as its eyes widened, making its already creepy eyes turn extremely off-putting. Dale felt like he would be sucked into those large eyes and drown.


    ¡°You must be Changelings, too¡­aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Dale! Get back!¡±


    Kayne cast a spell and the giant Halfling was sent spinning, but in his place was that same fanged sword. The figure reached out to the doll and pulled the fang out, but it then transformed into another long blade. He grabbed the blade out of the ground and dual wielded, but the air around the blades was hardening.


    Several strange apparitions appeared and surrounded the room. They were identical to the young boy. Each one carried two blades and had a sinister feeling coming from it.


    And then the one in the center of the room looked at Kayne with a strange expression.


    ¡°You¡­must die.¡±

 Chapter 24: Spooky Specter 3/3

    Kayne shuddered as he stared into those widened eyes and leapt backward, but the apparitions were waiting, swords at the ready.


    He mumbled words under his breath while he agilely danced around the wild specter.


    ¡°He¡¯s not that bad, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be using any real techniques! However, that doesn¡¯t mean we can be complacent! Erik, ready a metal spell!¡±


    ¡°Gotcha!¡±


    Erik quickly cast the metal cuff spell and an iron chain popped up from the ground and latched into the specter. Unfortunately, it was only for a couple of seconds before it froze completely and shattered.


    ¡°Damn, but it works somewhat. They are made of magic, after all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Erik!¡±


    Dale had gotten back up and stood with his arms in a fighter¡¯s stance. He punched outwards and a small gust appeared, sending frost and ice particles flying. He rushed at the specter in order to restrain it as best as possible.


    ¡°Dale, here!¡±


    Kayne cast a holy blessing spell and the giant Halfling was shrouded in a white light. The apparitions shimmered and dimmed, but the main opponent, the specter, shielded his eyes, giving Erik the time he needed to cast a greater spell.


    Large metal chains as thick as rope appeared and approached the figure, but then things started to change. The floating bear doll was ripped to shreds and a mournful yell came from the specter¡¯s mouth. He slashed with one blade, but it shattered upon hitting one of the chains.


    ¡°Damn, even though he doesn¡¯t have that much skill, he still has power! Dale, be careful!¡±


    Kayne was trying to get a good watch on the field, but without his bow, he couldn¡¯t perform many attack spells. He had to focus in order to create the arrow completely with magic. He had to imagine the arrow being notched into the bow and being pulled back in the string.


    Just as he was about to let loose, a strange laughter came from the remains of the bear.


    Then, a little child appeared and disappeared, but the effect it had on the specter was phenomenal.


    ¡°AAARGH!!!¡±


    The specter held the remaining sword in both hands and let loose several flying sword slashes, but each one was clearly made entirely of ice and liquid. Each strike gouged out the wall, but they were without aim, missing the trio by a large amount.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Suddenly, Erik spoke up.


    ¡°Boy, listen up. We aren¡¯t Changelings.¡±


    Even though the specter had stopped, it had refused to say anything. Dale and Kayne calmly stood up and approached the specter.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t Changelings, but you are.¡±


    The spirit shook his head, large blue drops of ice fell from his eyes.


    ¡°You were confused and misguided. Perhaps your monster traits were unlocked and you tried to justify your actions. Either way, you were punished.¡±


    ¡°For being¡­different?¡±


    ¡°No, for killing your sibling.¡±


    The specter didn¡¯t say anything, but the little drops of ice had stopped.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s time for you to go.¡±


    Kayne held up his hand, a small white glow emanating from his palm.


    Even after that, the specter refused to say anything. However, when the light touched the specter, nothing happened.


    ¡°Boo! Ha, did you enjoy our little attraction?¡±


    ¡°You fucker!¡±


    Dale immediately hit Nolan on the head with his fist and sent the white dust flying, showing off his red hair. The temperature began to rise and the apparitions disappeared. Even the room began to fix itself. Abigail came in and tossed several blue bottles to him.


    ¡°Ah, this took way too much mana! Mmm, orange flavored. Care for a sip?¡±


    ¡°You¡­this is too extreme. How did you do all this?¡±


    ¡°Magic. I made use of magic to make little images by refracting light off of the water drops and moisture in the air. In that room with the dolls and such, I used animal blood. The same animals that go into making our meals. However, I used earth magic to clean the place up in an instant.¡±


    The three stood dumbstruck at the amazing capabilities of this mage who could convince these three adventurers they were in some deep trouble. Nolan reverted back to his nearly expressionless face and dusted himself off.


    ¡°Alright, that is the last one for today. I am too exhausted right now. Geez, normally my customers are just students, why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Kayne let out an embarrassed chuckle, but he had to give the group their credit. They did a better job with this one that the others combined.


    ¡°Oh, and how about we close early and go eat something?¡±


    Abigail nodded and left the room. Not long after, Yidris came in.


    ¡°Yeah, after those guys earlier left, no one wanted to come in and several people had gotten their weapons and stood outside the entrance and exit, not listening to a word I said.¡±


    The trio laughed awkwardly, but they agreed to join the five for their break. It was a fun time, but the fatigue and worry the entire group had experienced was a lot more than they thought they could handle.


    But, once the trio explained that it was a hoax, a fraud, and a lie, many people wanted to see the scenario where three adventures acted like their life was on the line. Dale, Erik, and Kayne never spread a word about the reason behind the spooky actions, as the mystery was amazing. The three got free food and left that night after talking with everyone.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Alright guys, we did okay, but we can do better. We already met our goal, earning more than what we spent. So, we need to change plans. We need to have multiple parties since we don¡¯t want a long line tomorrow. Hey, Bucco, come here.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°People will like my dungeon, so let me try a scenario for you. I call it, the generic serial killer is on the loose.¡±


    ¡°Sounds¡­clich¨¦d.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, but now Zack has a better part to play. Are you guys in?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡­Yes?¡±¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±

 Chapter 25: Introducing New Characters

    In the game, no matter which club the player joined, even if they decided to make their own in the last year, there was someone who would try and disrupt their chances at winning. Normally, this would just be to the point of seeing which club did it better, but that was pointless in this case, as the RtP club did a maze, something that no one had done yet.


    So, many clubs which were eyeing that number one prize tried to get involved. They were unsure how much money went into the attraction, but many could agree on one thing¡­


    It needed a lot of magic, and only one person was really controlling it.


    They had seen most of the scares and actions themselves, but they all believed the tricks to be magic once they thought of it.


    To think, they didn¡¯t expect wire traps and pulleys first, oh well.


    Many clubs tried to find something wrong with the attraction, but even if it was a little cheesy at the end, the middle part was still good. Finding yourself in a winding dimly lit path constantly facing dangers felt like a real dungeon, which many youngsters wanted to experience at least once.


    In fact, that was where most of the income for the maze came from¡­adventurers. They had heard the rumors and came to check it out. Most were disappointed in the ¡®boss battles¡¯ but they liked the parts before it. Their reviews got more people to come check it out.


    And the ironic part was that every club sent someone to test it out. Of course, every club did this, save for the ones with low amounts of members, but when they heard their ¡®scouts¡¯ give their report¡­


    They had to see it for themselves!


    Most of the decorations were previously made by members of the art class. All Nolan had to do was pay them. The food they ate while on lunch came from dungeon beasts that they all hunted themselves. The maze and rest of the decorations were made with Nolan¡¯s magic.


    The group only paid for some paintings, sculptures, and the costumes. The rest of that festival night on the first day, Nolan had walked around in his ¡®ghostly form¡¯. It scared most of the people, but then Bucco¡¯s serial killer outfit scared people too. The kids weren¡¯t used to seeing someone dripping in (fake) blood wielding a large ax and wearing a plain white mask.


    With a sign that advertised their maze, the group expected to see a lot of people the next day. However¡­


    ¡°Hey, we have received reports that your attraction is dangerous to people?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Emeril? Oh, did you perhaps want to give it a go?¡±


    ¡°¡­yeah.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu! Let¡¯s go then! I was closing up for the night, but I can let you have a go. Not for free, though.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Alright!¡±


    >>><<<


    That day, everyone found out Emeril was weak to ghosts and scary things. However, when he said that there was no actual harm to a person¡¯s life, everyone had mixed emotions.


    The visitors were glad they could experience it again, while the club¡¯s enemies were angry their little schemes weren¡¯t working. Some had already tried to physically damage the place, but they just got kicked out by Nolan!


    ¡°Ugh, Nolan this, Nolan that. What is so special about him?¡±


    ¡°Well, Princess Ophia is now dating Emeril, and since he is not a player, then that must be due to Nolan¡¯s effort.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t believe they would just make a club like that, what if they get found out?¡±


    Two young girls were chatting with each other. One was in a maid¡¯s uniform and passing out drawings made by their club. She had long brown hair and¡­healthy curves, for a 12-year-old.


    Tetra glanced around the place and angrily stared at the surrounding crowd because she felt a strange look. However, her friend next to her was wearing an apron and resting on a chair. Her striped white and black tail swished a little, but her cat ears were twisting here and there.


    Bailey, the young lady of the White Tiger tribe and daughter of the candidate to become the next Beast King. However, she was also the person who watched out for Ilya and her roommate.


    Her white and black striped hair made for a messy look, but her gentle eyes and calm demeanor made her a target of many people¡¯s affections.


    And both happened to be players.


    One was the strongest magician in the school besides Nolan, but that was a given. Even in the game, that was the same. To be constantly second, Nolan once thought they would make an amazing couple with magic, but she outright hated Nolan¡¯s guts time and again, no matter how he replayed the game.


    That was because he was a natural born son of a duke.


    Tetra was an adopted child. Rather, she was a bastard child. Her mother was a maid and so on. However, she quickly trained in magic and learned how to be a lady. After her initial training, about when she was eight years old, she became a player. But for some reason, no one noticed.


    In her young years, Bailey was a rambunctious beast kin girl just like Ilya and could not be bothered with the upbringing of a woman. But, that changed when she turned ten. She became kind and motherly, choosing to instead learn cooking. Because of this, she became Ilya¡¯s personal attendant.


    In the game, Bailey was even stronger than Ilya, as she was a tiger and not just a wolf. If the player was to help her, then Ilya¡¯s father would lose his position and get his spot taken by Bailey¡¯s father.


    And in the game, she was Ilya¡¯s rival. Now¡­she was Nolan¡¯s.


    The current Bailey¡­was lesbian. And that was it. She kept it a secret, but when Ilya started to see Nolan, Bailey got help from Tetra to teach him a thing or two. And so the duo began, and they vowed to stop that group of weaklings from tampering with this world so much.


    ¡°You know, you need to get stronger. How else are you to beat Ilya and win her over?¡±


    ¡°You just want me to be Ilya¡¯s rival again, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­no.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. Well, even if I became her rival and Nolan stayed away, I doubt she would be just like in the game, you know.¡±

 Chapter 26: A Twist

    It was the second day of the festival, and many people were setting up the next phase of their stores. Something people did to continue receiving customers was to change things up. It was a common tactic, but others just changed the prices in order to meet the supply or demand.


    The maze was no exception. They were now all helping together, since there was no need to advertise. The maze was plenty big enough as it is. However, they had to change that boring ending.


    It was found that Abigail was exceptional at placing and using traps, even if she couldn¡¯t make them. But now she planned to. It was decided she would run the regular maze by herself. Since it could be done without actually having a boss fight now, it became a lot more popular.


    Nolan kept at his Changeling Dungeon, and had slightly changed the story. He liked the idea that he was just projecting onto the family that he was in fact the monster. It made for a well-rounded story line. He felt it weird to have a completely psycho and paranoid person to play as¡­or maybe¡­nah, he was thinking too much.


    Meanwhile, on Bucco¡¯s side.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hey, are you going to see Nolan¡¯s side? It is awesome! I nearly got scared!¡±


    Two kids were walking together, one girl and one boy. The boy and girl were too young by a modern world¡¯s interpretation, but they were currently old enough in this world to be intimately involved. They were children of noble families and they were probably going to be forced into marriage if they weren¡¯t careful.


    ¡°¡­No, I was plenty scared as it was with the regular one.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go see Bucco¡¯s new trip, since I am paying.¡±


    ¡°¡­alright.¡±


    The girl was shy and the boy was reckless. But, he already noticed that going through this kind of thing made girls more susceptible to touching. He already had his arm squeezed tightly in the girl¡¯s embrace last time, what would happen now?


    With lewd thoughts, the boy approached Yidris. He eyed her momentarily, secretly thinking about her body figure underneath all of the robe, but he returned to the girl at his side.


    ¡°Zack, you got a couple headed your way.¡±


    ¡°Ah, great!¡±


    Zack had appeared, but he was dressed in a butler¡¯s uniform. He led the two down a long hallway. They passed several rooms with metal bars as Zack explained several dangerous stories of the unmoving bodies that rested inside. In the last cell, there was the bloody figure of the mass murderer costume wearing Bucco.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Ah, right here we have an astounding specimen. He just so happens to be the great killer¡­Jason.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°He once had a loving mother and a great home, but he went crazy when an opposing army came in and wrecked everything. He was terribly burned in the fire and developed a strong affinity towards it. Well, that is not the worst part. His mother was raped and murdered right in front of him so he went mad and destroyed the entire squadron by himself.¡±


    Indeed, a flame sprouted from the ground and was sent towards Zack, followed by a slam to the bars.


    ¡°Yikes! Be careful! Haha, let¡¯s move on, shall we?¡±


    As Zack led them around a corner, a loud banging could be heard. On the wall behind Zack, a shadow loomed. The girl had turned around at the noise and pointed at the shadow. Zack turned to look and then a large hand came out and grabbed him, pulling him off to the side. After several loud crashes and sounds of destruction, two shadows could now be seen on the wall.


    The girl was too frightened to move, desperately clinging onto the boy¡¯s arm. At first, he was happy. Then the shadows looked strange. A large object was being wielded by Bucco ¨C Jason, and the shadow brought it down onto the shadow of Zack. A squishing sound could be heard and red liquid splattered onto the wall and floor. The shadow moved closer to the wall, becoming smaller and smaller. Then, a hand reached around the corner. It was charred and blackened, but it was definitely a hand.


    The plain white mask loomed over at them and fire seemed to come out of the hole for his mouth.


    It was at this point the boy was scared out of his wits. He collapsed onto the ground and the girl with him. However, this woke her up and she reached over, picked the boy up, threw him over her shoulder, and started running at an extremely fast pace.


    She was a warrior, after all. She developed her strength. But now her fight or flight mode kicked in and she was running to survive. However, loud sounds of walls being broken were coming from all over, and as she turned a corner, the wall to her right broke, revealing the quiet white mask.


    She screamed and kept running for what appeared to be the exit. The entire way, that crazy man never stopped chasing her until she was out. She collapsed onto the ground, ignoring the strange smell on her shoulder. She looked over at the healer she came in with and tightly hugged him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you are safe.¡±


    ¡°M-me t-too¡­¡±


    He clung to her, refusing to let go. He had seen the murderer chasing after them at break neck pace, feeling like his life was about to end more than once. Now that he was safe, he collapsed onto the ground asleep, resting on her shoulder.


    A large man came out of the dungeon, covered in black soot, making him appear burned.


    ¡°Yo, it seems it worked.¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, whatever.¡±


    Bucco went back inside, but the warrior girl calmly brushed the healer¡¯s hair as she obsessively stared at him. After listening to her classmate about being able to get close to the one she loved through this experience, she had quickly got her friend to go with her and become her boyfriend.


    She was not going to let him go. Not when he was now indebted to her. When he woke up, she princess carried him back to the dorms to let him get cleaned up. It was kind of bizarre, but it seemed to be a really common scene now. Girls were luring in the boys by pretending to be scared and then saving the boys when danger arrives, making their feelings come true.


    It would seem men were simpler than the women.

 Chapter 27: Fear and Rampage

    ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t believe it! This is amazing! Who would have thought?¡±


    Zack was laughing while eating some boar meat. The others were all there, but Zack seemed to be having the most fun.


    ¡°Whatever, you have to do the least out of all of us here, so shut up. My fire magic is certainly leveling up, but I fear that I may weaken my strength as a result.¡±


    ¡°Then just practice your strength more than before. That was how I did it with my magic after learning the sword.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, if I need to, then Abigail can just help me out.¡±


    Abigail and Yidris let the guys talk, but they were too busy setting up for when their dinner break ended. They had decided to take a lunch break, a mid-evening break, and a dinner break. This was the last break of the night, and the group was about ready to fall down. They had to buy more mana potions, which were expensive. However, they could now have three groups at once, which meant that they were buying more than they expected. This also meant the money they earned was enough to counteract it.


    But to be constantly using magic like this, it was no surprise when Nolan managed to get to the next level. Everyone looked on in envy and awe, but they had to admit that Nolan was doing the most this time.


    >>><<<


    The night ended and the next day began with some bad news.


    ¡°I apologize, but we are out of mana potions.¡±


    ¡°My bad, I sold out just last night.¡±


    ¡°Oops, a pretty girl already took all that I had.¡±


    It would seem someone was trying to sabotage the maze. Oh well. Then they could only go for one maze run that day. Then, something snapped into place in his head.


    >>><<<


    Bailey and Tetra came to see what the big commotion was all about. The maze had remained close all morning, but there was a sign that said, ¡®come noon, a huge scene will unfurl.¡¯ Yidris wasn¡¯t at the front, and the opening to the maze was closed off. It was just before the appointed time, so they couldn¡¯t wait to see what was going on.


    ¡°Nice, it looks like this will be the only time they go through. Good going, Tetra.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. If the player did nothing to help their club, then the regular group to win would be my very own magic exploration club. This much is necessary.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Well, my cooking club seems to be a close second with my help.¡±


    Tetra looked over with a glare.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be bringing over modern foods just to win a small festival prize.¡±


    ¡°But with this, I can get my ingredients at half off!¡±


    Tetra sighed and returned to the maze.


    ¡°Enough, it looks like the door is opening.¡±


    Indeed, the wall that was the entrance gave way to a large hall with what appeared to be a glass wall on one side. They looked into a terribly dark room and it was difficult to see. Then, once everyone entered the maze, the door closed itself, locking them in.


    ¡°Hehehehe, welcome, everyone. I hope you are enjoying the festivities. I am Nolan! The one who pretty much had complete control over this project! I want to thank everyone for spending their well-earned money on us and I hope you can give us some donations! Hahaha! But first, you came to see some scary stuff, right? RIGHT?¡±


    Some people said yes in response, but the other room was still dark. Even though movement could be seen, they didn¡¯t know what was going on. Then, the lights brightened, revealing a horrific scene.


    Yidris was lying on the ground with a vacant and unmoving expression. That was because her lower half was gone, replaced with a gory scene of her waist and lower body being ripped to shreds. Zack was in the corner tied up and hanging upside down while slowly being lowered into a spinning blade.


    Even a blackened and shriveled corpse was on the ground, surrounded by scorch marks.


    ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡±


    Everyone looked over to see a wide-eyed and creepy Nolan wearing a fake smile that stretched from ear to ear. Before him was Bucco tied to a chair and tears streaming down his face.


    ¡°You killed Abigail and Yidris! You monster!¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha! Whatever it takes for the money, right? We are trying our hardest to win, after all! HahahaHAHAHA!¡±


    And with a flash, and a sword was sticking out of Bucco¡¯s chest. He coughed up red liquid and remained still. Then Nolan sent a flick of his wrist and the chain holding the unconscious Zack was broken, sending him to the blade and ripping him to pieces. Blood and meat splattered everywhere, making several of the onlookers vomit. In fact, many people had already emptied their stomachs. It was too gruesome and realistic.


    No, was it real? Nolan seemed a little crazy.


    Tetra was appalled.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Just because you wanted to win that badly, why?!¡±


    ¡°We need to do something so amazing, you guys spend money, right? However¡­someone messed with our supplies. We had to take drastic measures, of course. Isn¡¯t that right, guys? Oh¡­yeah¡­they¡¯re dead. Oops.¡±


    Then Nolan shrugged and stared hard at Tetra.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­so, everyone, line up to pay!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not paying for this, this is terrible! Call the guards!¡±


    ¡°I want my mommy!¡±


    ¡°This is extortion!¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you all wanted to see our maze. You wanted to be scared. You got that. Now pay up. Then I can let you out. Oh, and don¡¯t forget, we accept donations, too!¡±


    Nolan winked at the crowd and laughed loudly, holding his hands on his hips. He seemed so¡­unnatural, it was scary. The normal Nolan was always quiet looking and acting, not sticking out with his behavior, but with his choice of actions.


    ¡°Tetra, what have we done?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Bailey, we can think of something.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re dead! And¡­are we next?¡±


    Someone heard Bailey and went mad.


    ¡°I want out! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    ¡°Aah! Mommy! Daddy!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­*thud*¡±


    People started to collapse in fear as Nolan slowly walked to the window-like wall.


    And press his hand onto the glass.


    And reach out to the crowd.


    There was no glass. There was no obstacle between them.


    It was unknown who ran first.

 Chapter 28: Winning the Contest

    Nolan slowly chased people all day in the maze, as no one could break through. Only when they paid the price for the maze were they able to leave, but they were discharged outside directly by earth magic, sealing up the maze once more.


    It took a couple of moments after the first person for everyone to also give up their money and leave. Some even gave donations, thinking maybe they would fare better than the people who were launched out of the maze.


    They were wrong.


    For some reason, no one was hurt. Even though they were a mob, no one was caught underneath each other¡¯s feet, as if there was a barrier between people. And when everyone left the maze, five people exited from the entrance and greeted the upset crowd.


    ¡°Bucco? Zack! Even Abigail and Yidris! What the hell?! They weren¡¯t dead?!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Thanks for the fun! And the money!¡±


    Zack was in top form as he gloated and boasted. People who had come to stop Nolan had frozen in their tracks and nearly fainted from relief. It was all just another act. However, the club had made a lot more money than they expected, so they returned the donations to the people. But surprisingly, some refused to take it back, as it was that good to some people.


    ¡°Well¡­with this, I guess we are finished.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Nolan flicked his wrist and the maze was gone. The entire attraction was finished. The group dispersed after splitting the money and went on their separate ways.


    Meanwhile, Tetra and Bailey were feeling remorse. Instead of slowing them down or even stopping them, they only helped them out more! They barely spent anything for that one run and they got way too much money!


    Soon, a dangerous game of tag was created by the students. There would be one person who was it, and the rest would have to run. At the end of the hour, every person who was caught by the ¡®it person¡¯, would have to pay a couple of coins. But, if there were ¡®survivors¡¯, they would receive the money from the ¡®it person¡¯. All of it, if it were one survivor. The empty lot, where the maze used to be, became a good spot for the kids to play at.


    Many times Nolan went to be it, and almost always won. The only time he lost was against Delania.


    Other new things were circulating around, like the rumor that if you go on one of Nolan¡¯s horror trips with the person you love, then you can be successful in your confession.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Of course, since it was done, no one could prove this rumor, but now scary stories were being shared for a future reference. Many people were planning on making their own scary maze for the next festival.


    But the merchants saw something else. The realm of entertainment included not only joy and pleasure but also in experiencing new things. The thrill seekers needed an outlet, too. The RtP club got first place and managed to win the prize. For a group of freshmen, they did a good job.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Hah, now we have tonight and tomorrow before going back to school.¡±


    ¡°Oh cheer up, Nolan. We go to a dungeon tomorrow!¡±


    I know, but I think I have had enough dungeons for now. I am mentally exhausted and physically tired.


    ¡°Aww, or are you just upset I beat you?¡±


    There¡¯s that, too.


    Man, it feels nice to be surrounded by pretty girls, but I can¡¯t even appreciate them like I am.


    ¡°Then just go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Aww, Gina¡¯s lap pillow feels nice. Mmm, and Ilya¡¯s warm fur is so smooth¡­


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    I don¡¯t have to expend effort to talk so that is nice.


    ¡°Hey, Delania, it¡¯s a little late to ask, but who are you talking to?¡±


    ¡°Nolan.¡±


    ¡°You can use telepathy? Let me see!¡±


    No.


    ¡°No, I can read minds, he can¡¯t use telepathy.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­oh, what am I currently thinking of?¡±


    Food?


    ¡°How much you want to eat Nolan¡¯s meat.¡±


    Right, food. Or wait¡­that is kinky, Ilya.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Nolan?¡±


    ¡°Because what you just thought could be misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°Hm? How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, Gina, another name for a man¡¯s thing is his meat.¡±


    At Delania¡¯s words, both of the girls reddened. Cute.


    Ah, but I have things to plan for tomorrow. Hm?


    Two girls approach, one beast kin in a maid outfit and one magic battle assassin dressed in sophisticated clothing for ceremonies. One already has some curves while the other looks really cute and short. It is certain that they will both be really busty in the future. I like how girls mature faster than guys. It means I can start admiring them earlier.


    Ah, but I am not into little girls! Ow, I meant young girls!


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Yikes, don¡¯t look at me in such a scary way! Fine. Well, Bailey and Tetra are both really strong, but they are love interests to Zack and closely related to Princess Ophia. Just like Yidris, if I remember correctly. However, while Bailey is obviously a player, Tetra doesn¡¯t seem that different. No, I guess that is to be expected at this point? If so many people are different, if someone seems too normal to us players, then that must be another player.


    I mean, I met the Halfling brothers! Hahaha! I met the most informed rank C adventurers in the entire game and got to drink with them without even becoming an A Rank adventurer! This means I might get more valuable info in the future!


    But first¡­Delania?


    ¡°Yep, they are like you alright.¡±


    Their faces froze as they looked at Delania in surprise.


    ¡°You¡­you were found out?¡±


    ¡°I read minds, I found out myself.¡±


    At that, the two looked at Delania with hostility. Oi, let me up!


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t start anything here.¡±


    I will keep that in mind.


    ¡°You are exactly what is wrong with this world. You screwed up everything and now the world will have too many variables, making the entire future unknown!¡±


    Tetra sure has a different personality. While she was strict on herself in the regular game, she is now abrasive and¡­scared? Why? Does she happen to know something about this world that we in the club don¡¯t?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Bailey, hi!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ilya! Mwa!¡±


    Ohh¡­two girls getting intimate¡­hehehehe. I want to hug Ilya like that, too!


    ¡°Get a grip, Nolan.¡±


    Sorry.

 Chapter 29: Rise to Prominence: the MMO

    I wish I could say that only the other players and Delania know my perverted tendencies because even then, my expression makes it hard for people to know I am joking unless I laugh. But due to the lack of closeness I feel with Ilya and Gina, I can¡¯t help but think that she told them.


    No, maybe they have already figured it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are friends with Zack that they already realized.¡±


    Damn that idiot. Keep your true feelings inside, they can¡¯t get you in trouble that way.


    ¡°Ah, but that was the reason for¡­nevermind.¡±


    Hm? Is that a quest line? Surely, that was a foreshadow to a future event. Please, continue.


    ¡°No, focus.¡±


    Alright. Before me stands the two girls from earlier. Gina and Ilya left to go get some snacks, so they must have known that I needed to talk to these people alone.


    Wait, could it be that since Delania knows my secret, she got closer to me? And is that part of the reason why I am not close with the others?


    Ah, back to the present, my bad.


    ¡°Cease your actions. No, it would be better for you to also stop meeting the girls.¡±


    Ah, so first up is Tetra. Actually, is she joking?


    ¡°Impossible. I am not changing my whole lifestyle just for the sake of one person.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about me, this is about the world! Do you not know the danger we face?¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to the end? Yeah, I played the MMO. I know it is based on this world. However, Zack never existed in that world.¡±


    ¡°Because he flunked out after trying to get girls instead of focusing on his grades, it was a common story told by developers. Yes, he did exist in the game. You could find him in his hometown and receive a questline to enter several places.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So he is kind of like the info seller? Anyways, are you a developer?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Aha, you hesitated, which means you-¡°


    ¡°I was only trying to not be so rash in front of an NPC!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t some game, you brat.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Alright, I had enough. Don¡¯t be mean to Delania. She has as much a right as we do since I told her everything I knew.


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Case in point, Delania! Tada!


    ¡°What does pointing at an NPC mean?¡±


    ¡°She is not an NPC. She is a person just like you and me.¡±


    ¡°It is part of the programming.¡±


    Fine. Right back at ya.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a game?¡±


    ¡°Because this has to be a game!¡±


    ¡°Did you not see him? God?¡±


    ¡°That must be the guide or something! Surely!¡±


    Ah, she¡¯s flustered. I guess this struck her pretty hard. Wait, is she trying to deny what she feels is true? I wonder what happened¡­


    ¡°Well, a lot of us did get sent here¡­¡±


    She does have a point. But I died, I know that much. I was awake when I had the heart attack. But to have a lottery function and for so many people to get the ¡®transmigrate into a game world¡¯¡­


    ¡°How did you die?¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Hm? Is she confused?


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Bailey interrupted the stumbling Tetra. What a nice friend.


    ¡°I died from a bomb. It wasn¡¯t quick. I bled out.¡±


    Ouch. Wait, was there a war?


    ¡°Yep, I can tell from your face. Yes, there was a war. A lot of people died. I am guessing Tetra here died in the nuclear war against Russia, am I right?¡±


    Huh? Wait.


    ¡°What year did you die?¡±


    ¡°1963. Why?¡±


    At that, both Tetra and I looked at her weird.


    ¡°The cold war never led to actual nuclear warfare. Not in my world, at least.¡±


    Holy shit, even Tetra is actually looking at me weird.


    ¡°What war? We haven¡¯t had war with anybody since almost 100 years before I came here. And¡­the year was only 1770.¡±


    ¡°What the¡­there was no games at either of those years! Only in the 1980s and 90s did electronics go that far!¡±


    Now they both looked at me weirdly.


    Well shit. This is weird. We all come from different timelines, but this game unites us all. Wait, then that would explain why we all come to this specific game and why we all have the lottery won. If there are thousands upon millions of different times and worlds, having a few people getting the top prize several times isn¡¯t that unheard of.


    But to have the game across multiple worlds and with the same story¡­


    Ah, this is indeed too good to be true.


    And I bet these girls understand that now, too.


    But why? Why this world? Why are we living in this world?


    I could think of several different game worlds than this one.


    Is it to prepare for the future MMO world? If so¡­then that means¡­


    ¡°There are going to be more players in the future, but who knows if they will even be people related to the story? They might just be actual players and we are the NPCs.¡±


    If this game was created by the god or gods, then maybe this is his way of making a sequel or a reboot. It is quite an old franchise in my world¡­


    In the MMO, there were always people who did stupid things. It wasn¡¯t one of those fantasy like ultra-reality games, but it was close. I never played it much since it was a cookie cutter MMO. Get the quest, gather the stuff, turn it in, move on to the next place.


    The main reason it was popular was the first come first serve the world had to offer. Essentially, certain quests were one time only while building up a relationship with a character would make them fall in love with you. But, this was a strange part, since if you weren¡¯t keeping your affection high, they could be stolen by another player.


    It was nicknamed Love Wars by players.


    However, the main plot revolved around a terrible monster hell bent on eating the world. Then there was a monster that wanted to cover the world in darkness. Then there was a monster that wanted to kill everything and rule over the dead.


    Yeah, it was just the basic, oh, we capped out, let¡¯s add an expansion with more levels and whatnot.


    But¡­that would mean the game would continue long past our graduation. Oh!


    ¡°Hey, did Nolan ever get a wife in the MMO? Did you meet him?¡±

 Chapter 30: Saying Goodbye?

    ¡°Yes, he was in the game, but he ran the magic college. I don¡¯t think he had time to have a relationship.¡±


    Huh. Unfortunate¡­


    ¡°What about Emeril?¡±


    ¡°He finally became a level 10 swordsman, but he was never the strongest, so he died in a war before the game started, letting the Royal Family win the little battle with the Prime Minister. Not that that is going to happen now, anyway.¡±


    I never invested in it, but this information will be lots of help!


    ¡°Wow. Hey, join us. We need your help!¡±


    ¡°No, I am staying in my club.¡±


    ¡°But we need info on the MMO! Plus, the future is already changed, why worry? If we can prepare for events that take place beyond our control, then what really matters?¡±


    She looks shaken, but she nods. I guess she is one of the people who like being in a situation they can control. Wait, Bucco is the same way¡­


    ¡°¡­I will share all I know, but then I am going back to my club. Besides, I already joined, I can¡¯t quit until the next year.¡±


    ¡°Right, but thanks. Maybe we can prepare to fight those evil bosses before they appear.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hopefully.¡±


    Ilya and Gina came back holding bowls and boxes, and after Bailey kissed Ilya goodbye (on the cheek), the two left. Should I be worried? Nah, Bailey reminds me of a gentle older sister¡­well, an older sister who might be a love interest for the sibling, who is Ilya in this case.


    Magic College principal, huh? That is a lot more specialized than this school. But to hear that Emeril would die¡­That¡¯s upsetting. Ah! I forgot to ask about Delania, Ilya, and Gina! No, I don¡¯t want to know about who married them, that would make my heart break.


    But¡­that would mean I need to become closer to the girls.


    ¡°Hey¡­I have something I must confess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pervert?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I guess? Ilya, hold on wait...¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is because I can smell you, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and Nolan likes to look at my body a lot¡­like¡­a lot.¡±


    Argh! No! Stop snickering, Delania!


    ¡°Hah¡­no, but I am¡­how should I say this? I am Nolan, but at the same time, I am not Nolan.¡±


    ¡°Like you are someone impersonating him?¡±


    Ilya calms down, but it looks like Gina doesn¡¯t understand. Well, I am surprised that Ilya looks a little sad.


    ¡°No, I am Nolan. This is Nolan, the little son of a Duke.¡±


    I point at myself just to try and make the point clear. Then, I point at my head.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m not completely Nolan. No, I have been here for so long, I might as well be Nolan.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Urgh, how do I say this?


    ¡°I¡­sort of reincarnated?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Huh? Does this happen all the time?


    ¡°So you hold memories of your past self?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That makes more sense. That is why you know how to cook when you don¡¯t take classes.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And why you are clearly like a dirty adult with your smell.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°And why you are so smart.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, that is not why. I am smart because I worked for this.¡±


    Gina is laughing at Ilya¡¯s and my conversation.


    Delania stays quiet and eats her food.


    ¡°So, why does that matter?¡±


    Gina finally stopped laughing and asked me something.


    ¡°In my world¡­this whole world is like a story. And this Nolan was supposed to be an antisocial scholar who just so happened to be really strong at magic.¡±


    ¡°Wait, then that means you know a lot about us as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­that was why I knew about your likes and dislikes.¡±


    ¡°And what was wrong with me¡­¡±


    Uh oh¡­


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Delania, were you surprised when you found out?¡±


    Eh? Ignoring me? Gina, please, don¡¯t be mad!


    ¡°Oh, indeed. But I read his mind, so he never told me. When he knew I could read his mind, he blocked me out. He wanted to keep this big secret even from me. He felt like we would hate him for lying.¡±


    ¡°But¡­he didn¡¯t lie?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°True, if not for him, then maybe that Zack would have tried to get us.¡±


    He would, the bastard. Wait. Am I not in trouble?


    ¡°Plus, the food he makes is delicious! You can¡¯t fake that!¡±


    Ilya, oh Ilya! Ah! Praise me more!


    ¡°You know, I feel like the calm, cool, and collected Nolan has degraded.¡±


    Hey, that is mean!


    ¡°Me too, but I like him the way he is. He cares for us and treats us equally. Well, sort of.¡±


    ¡°If you knew what he was really thinking, then you would know that he just said this so you wouldn¡¯t leave him.¡±


    But I am low on self-esteem! I have never had a real girlfriend before! I was scared!


    ¡°Aww, then come here and rest, my wittle bitty Nolan boy.¡±


    Ugh, stop it, your chest is flat and hurts ¨C OW!


    ¡°Hmph. Well, what do we say?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the food, Nolan~!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the training, Nolan.¡±


    ¡°And thank you for caring for us, even if it is selfishly.¡±


    Awww, you¡¯re going to make me cry! Come here ¨C oof.


    ¡°Calm down, now comes the punishment for not telling us this to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Would you have even believed me?!¡±


    ¡°No, but this is how we feel for being kept in the dark while you and Delania got so close.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    No, what are you doing?! Don¡¯t tie me up! Help! Gina has a scary face!


    >>><<<


    The festival is closed and people are removing their stalls and packing their things, but here I am, wrapped up in a blanket, unable to move or feel comfortable, watching while the girls laughed and talked to each other. Oh well, this is nice, too.


    Hm? It¡¯s quiet. Oh, Delania and Ilya have fallen asleep.


    ¡°Nolan?¡±


    ¡°Gina? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±


    Yay, a lap pillow! I feel good.


    ¡°You look happy now.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, haha.¡±


    Wow, she looks so cute in the moonlight.


    ¡°My classes are different now, as I am using dragon magic. Using my heart and lungs requires a technique different from normal magic theory.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I wonder if beast kin have a special type of magic as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it is certainly rare to see a beast kin use magic, but¡­no, maybe that is a thing. Maybe Ilya can try?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    Wait, why is she sad?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can be together.¡±


    Wait, what, why?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think father would like me to marry someone who has two other women. He is different from the human kings with concubines and such. He has always stayed loyal to mother.¡±


    ¡°Just because I like more girls doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it is obvious you and Delania get along really well. More so than me.¡±


    ¡°Bollocks! Hey, come down here! I will show you what I mean!¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to kiss me?¡±


    ¡°Only if it works!¡±


    ¡°¡­heh¡­haha! Fine. Come here, then.¡±


    Heee¡­my forehead is warm. Why not my lips? Meh, she¡¯s still young.


    ¡°But I have to go. Father wants me to leave tomorrow night, but¡­I¡¯m sorry, I guess I will be leaving tonight.¡±


    Wait, no!


    ¡°Gina!¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t know if I love you like you do me.¡±


    That¡­that sounds familiar¡­where¡­no way! Have I already met her before I even came to school?!


    She¡¯s gone. I can¡¯t move! And I don¡¯t have any mana after that stupid show! Dammit!


    Gina! I will come find you again!

 Chapter 31: Going to the Ball

    ¡°Young master, please, it is time to get up.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­whoizzit? Wait¡­Judge?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is I, your humble servant.¡±


    Ah, I haven¡¯t seen this guy in over a month. Huh, it feels longer than that for some reason¡­


    ¡°Ow¡­I feel sore all over.¡±


    ¡°You were sleeping on the ground, young master.¡±


    ¡°So I was. Where is everyone?¡±


    What happened? I see Delania, but she is dressed differently and no one else is here.


    ¡°They are all getting ready for the Royal Ball. It is being hosted by the Royal Family of this kingdom, so we waited for the festival to end before going.¡±


    ¡°Delania, why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the necessary prestige to appear. I didn¡¯t even know about it until Judge told me. In fact, I think we all forgot about it thanks to the festival.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡±


    Well, I did forget, but I was upset that Delania didn¡¯t have an invitation.


    ¡°Young master, you are allowed one guest.¡±


    Oh? It seems Judge is still able to understand what I mean without my explanations. How nice. Less time talking. Ah.


    ¡°Wait, then who else is still here?¡±


    ¡°No one you are related to. Bucco took Zack and Abigail took Yidris. I heard Emeril took Hector and the Princess took Lily.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then what about¡­no, Ilya and Gina should have left to get ready¡­Oh! So that¡¯s why she left! Why did she have to be so weird about it?! I completely forgot!¡±


    Yikes, how embarrassing. Anyways, I guess I better go get ready, too.


    ¡°Judge, bring Delania along. Since I am taking her as my guest, we can provide for her attire and such.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, young master. Right this way.¡±


    It sucks that I don¡¯t get to practice the dance with the girls, but I guess we really need to go. I never went to the ball in my first year since I never knew anyone who would take me. Most of the time, the men would bring a woman and the women would bring women. These kinds of parties were mainly for women to talk anyway, and any man that needs to be there will be invited personally.


    Shame, Bucco brought Zack. That might be a big nono, as he is a commoner.


    Oh well.


    I feel a lot better after realizing I get to see Gina again. I was afraid she was somehow going to leave me forever. But duh, nothing major has happened to have Gina take off. I guess she is dealing with some complex feelings¡­I will need to fix that, huh?The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    On the way home from the academy, riding in the carriage Judge was driving, Delania was talking nonstop.


    ¡°By the way, your butler is actually cool with being your personal servant and was upset he didn¡¯t get to go to school with you.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. He is a pervert who likes little girls.¡±


    ¡°So I could tell. His first thoughts towards me were all indecent, but then they ceased when he realized you and I were together.¡±


    Huh. How do you feel regarding those lewd thoughts?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care. I have dealt with them for a while now, and I just pass it off as something guys normally do. However, when you think dirty about me, I can¡¯t help but pay attention.¡±


    But I don¡¯t think dirty thoughts of you.


    ¡°I know. So get started. They¡¯re all of Gina and Ilya. Where¡¯s mine?¡±


    When you¡¯re not around. Ah, shit. Don¡¯t smile so pervertedly.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Wow, you certainly are the son of a Duke.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes I am. Now then, please follow the maid. She will help you get ready for tonight.¡±


    ¡°The party isn¡¯t until tomorrow though.¡±


    ¡°Huh? It is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master. We sent you a letter, did you not receive it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, oops. I stopped checking the mailbox ever since people wouldn¡¯t stop filling it with challenge letters.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­it seems I may have to go and prepare for you. Otherwise, you may miss other important key information.¡±


    ¡°Judge, that is no problem, I¡¯m fine. Then I guess prepare Delania to meet my parents.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I beat Ilya and Gina to this part!¡±


    Is that something to fight for?


    ¡°No, but I am satisfied.¡±


    Alright then. While Delania is getting ready, I guess I will, too. Oof.


    ¡°Oops, sorry ma¡¯am. Hm? Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Okaaay¡­why did the lady see me and freak out. And now she¡¯s running away. Whatever. Wait, she kind of looked like mom. Family? She can¡¯t be some sort of prearranged marriage partner for me, she¡¯s definitely an adult already.


    Those breasts can¡¯t lie.


    >>><<<


    ¡°Young master, it is time to meet your parents.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go get Delania and meet up.¡±


    ¡°Well, they already are talking to her. She was bored and requested to see them before you did.¡±


    Shit.


    ¡°We have to move, now! Lead the way!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, young master.¡±


    No no no, don¡¯t share embarrassing stuff!


    ¡°Oh, hello there, Grand Magus.¡±


    Oh god, my future. Why? It was an act, I swear! I played along with Emeril!


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s adorable, isn¡¯t it? Look, your mom and dad have a recording crystal.¡±


    Where did they get that?! Did they have someone following me while I was young?! Ah, that makes a lot of¡­who are they? Where are my parents? Wait, that woman¡­I just saw her earlier¡­


    ¡°Mom? Dad?¡±


    Wow, even dad got fit. What happened in the month I was gone?


    ¡°Oh, so you didn¡¯t forget us.¡±


    ¡°Mom, that isn¡¯t possible, you just look completely different. How¡­¡±


    ¡°Well son, we had to make sure it was obvious you were our child, so we had to slim down a bit in order to prepare for the ball. We didn¡¯t want people to think you were adopted!¡±


    Oh¡­is that really important? In order to slim down from what you looked like before¡­that must have taken a while. No, it should have taken a while! What is this get thin quick scheme you used?! It¡¯s only been a month!


    ¡°You seem to be confused. Well, your mom and I actually went adventuring when we were younger, so we knew some tricks to get thin this fast. We just didn¡¯t want to leave the house while you were still here, so we worked on dieting in secret and did some light exercises before you left.¡±


    Ah, I guess the Duke got fat from being home all the time.


    ¡°And you know, I feel amazing! I think your mom and I will have to go on vacation in the future! And maybe get you a little brother or sister!¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­um¡­well, that sounds nice. Hey, it¡¯s nice to see you guys.¡±


    ¡°Aww.¡±


    Group hug. No, you can¡¯t join, Delania.


    ¡°So, son, introduce us to your girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­alright, this is Delania Doomfist.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait! You moron!¡±


    Huh? Why does everyone look so scared? Dude, I know the name sounds a little imposing, but-


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say my real name all over the place! I¡­I have a history.¡±


    Shit, is she part of some persecuted family that murdered an entire kingdom? Is she the next Jason?


    ¡°The Doomfist family is¡­really high up on the list of authority. So high, I had to sneak in as someone of common birth to get into the academy.¡±


    Ah. So it was the opposite. She is so prestigious, it is more like I brought home a literal Goddess to introduce to my family. But¡­I already knew that.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not completely wrong.¡±


    Eh?

 Chapter 32: Doomfist

    Yeesh. While waiting for mom and dad to wake up, the day was heading towards afternoon. I spent time with my family and explained that Delania is a close friend of mine that wasn¡¯t able to be invited. The entire time my parents apologized, but Delania actually looked embarrassed and shy.


    Mmm, cute. She actually looked her age.


    Wait, is she really 12? What if she is like those clich¨¦d lolis that are immortal murderers?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone, though. I just left my family because of how they treated me. By the way, thanks.¡±


    For what? And are you saying that the rumor of you having killed 16 people is fake?


    ¡°Not telling them about my mind reading. And yes. It was for keeping suitors away.¡±


    I thought that was hereditary.


    ¡°Kind of. But it is rare. My family wanted to use it in order to learn of people lying, but then it became hard for me to interact with people because I kept saying their secrets or calling them out for their lies.¡±


    Meh.


    ¡°But that is why I thank you. You don¡¯t desire to use me, even in your unconscious thoughts and you aren¡¯t repulsed by me for invading your privacy.¡±


    I am used to having my everything known. In my past life, the government kept close tabs on everyone¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Sounds¡­strict.¡±


    All for the sake of ¡®freedom.¡¯


    Damn, she looks so fragile right now. Like a glass doll. I want to hold her.


    ¡°You can.¡±


    But¡­my image¡­


    ¡°Pooh. Fine then.¡±


    Ah, wait! Alright!


    Mmm¡­warm¡­soft¡­nice lap pillow.


    ¡°Why, though? I find this uncomfortable.¡±


    I don¡¯t.


    You know, I could use you. If you speak for me, I wouldn¡¯t have to talk anymore. Speaking can be so tiring.


    ¡°You lazy good for nothing.¡±


    Hey, don''t sound so harsh while you''re smiling. What can you tell me about the Doomfist family?


    ¡°They¡­they are supreme. Things like wars between kingdoms are like matches of chess to them. I am surprised your parents hadn¡¯t told you earlier, though I bet they wouldn¡¯t have expected to see a Doomfist in their entire lifetime.¡±


    So running through the Doomfist¡¯s bloodline is the power of this ancient race? And they wanted to use you to further their desires.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Yes, but my parents can do anything, regardless if someone is lying to them. Their intel is probably watching us from this very moment.¡±


    Yikes, will they attack me or my family?


    ¡°Only if they want me. But if they wanted me back, then they just would have taken me. Otherwise, they might be waiting or not caring.¡±


    But¡­a parent that doesn¡¯t care about their kid¡­


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re assholes.¡±


    Well¡­are my parents nice?


    ¡°Ha! Too nice. I want them¡­¡±


    Mmmmm¡­later.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Shut up.


    ¡°Hehehe. Thanks again.¡±


    Ow, flat chest. Ow, strong fist.


    >>><<<


    ¡°So, young master, young lady Doomfist shall be staying in her own room tonight, is that fine?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to know your relationship.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is my butler worried about me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and no. I wanted to know if I could brag that my master is planning on marrying a Doomfist.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no. not yet, at least. But even then, her family may not accept or might even disown her.¡±


    ¡°That¡­that is unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I just have to prove myself.¡±


    ¡°You are correct, young master! Okay, rest easy, I will take care of the minor things.¡±


    ¡°And the major ones, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    >>><<<


    The house is quiet. I can¡¯t sleep. No, it¡¯s not from Delania¡¯s conversation, but it does have to do with her.


    I was woken up by the covers rustling and feeling a strange warmth next to me suddenly. Delania, go to bed.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    In your room.


    ¡°This can be my room, right? I don¡¯t think your family would mind.¡±


    ¡­Why? We have only known each other for a month.


    ¡°So? I like you.¡±


    Eh? Then in this case, I can expect Ilya¡¯s confession shortly, too?


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean? Am I not the first? That demon girl.¡±


    Don¡¯t get mad, she was leaving to get ready, but I may have forced her to confess.


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible.¡±


    My apologies.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Now then, let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    I can¡¯t. Go to a different bed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡­I need to fart.


    ¡°Let me squeeze it out of you.¡±


    Well, thanks for the hug, but now I am too warm to be comfortable. Please go to bed.


    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t send me away.¡±


    Dammit, don¡¯t do that. Fine.


    ¡°Yay~! Thanks, Nolan boy!¡±


    Whatever. What is the worst that can happen?


    >>><<<


    ¡°Sorry, mom, dad¡­nothing like that happened, though.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! You have done something so intimate, she can no longer look another man in the eyes the same! And I know, because I almost left your father!¡±


    ¡°Dear?!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but you were being¡­rude. But when you became a father, you changed!¡±


    Ugh. Well, is this what you wanted?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. If we have to get married because of this, I would actually be very happy, being with the one who is so casual with me, even after knowing what my background is.¡±


    ¡°Son! Stop being disrespectful!¡±


    ¡°Yes, dad!¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be! I like Nolan the way he is!¡±


    Drat. And dad finally had good advice.


    ¡°Okay, at least no one knows you are a Doomfist. With this, we can keep things under wraps.¡±


    ¡°Uh, dad? You may want to check your maids and butlers again. Judge in particular likes to gloat. It would be best to not spread this around.¡±


    ¡°Of course! You, get to it!¡±


    That day, everyone spent way too much time getting ready and prepared for the ball. In the game, Zack was never invited, and I think there was a way to get there, but it meant going for a specific route. One that was incredibly political.


    Also, in the game, Delania said her full name, but that was alone at night. She never spoke of her past and no one related to her ever showed up. But if I think about the game¡¯s circumstances, then Delania wouldn¡¯t trust someone who didn¡¯t have thoughts. Why would she truly become infatuated with Zack?


    However, in this world, with my modern know how, I can understand her regardless of the different traits people have.


    Racism is not okay. Modern people like me are definitely able to be nice to everyone.


    ¡°Actually, all of the other players thought about using my ability to read minds to locate other players. They were thinking of using me for stuff like that.¡±


    Zack too?


    ¡°No, he just wanted to know what the girls wanted so he could quickly increase their affection.¡±


    Typical. Ah, that¡¯s actually a good idea.


    ¡°Are you perhaps actually just an idiot?¡±


    Hush.

 Chapter 33: Grand Entrance

    It was a calm evening and the sun was falling below the horizon. Several carriages were waiting in line to be checked in and the party was just about to start.


    The ball took place in a massive palace specifically meant for meetings such as this. It was gigantic, as several amazing and prestigious academies from the three regions were meeting.


    As one of the famous Trinity Academies, the school Nolan and the others attended, or Westbolt Academy, was a very important and powerful entity. It was essentially the representative of the West Region, or the mixed kingdoms.


    There was the North Region, or the Magic Region as it held many races suitable for magic like elves, dwarves, and elementals. The other was the Human Region, or the place where many uppity and racist fools lived. They still lived in the old days of when everyone was striving to survive.


    Humans were the ones who bred the quickest, so their numbers exploded. Now, times have changed and races like demons and elves can reproduce safely, showing off their abilities once more.


    But that was only on the surface. The masses of that region believed all nonhumans were lower than humans, so that meant the demons, elementals, and other such races thrived in the Western and Northern regions. The nobility liked to keep this charade since if they ever needed to go to war, it would be done without the ire of the civilians.


    The other reason the nobility were not that racist towards the other races was that they were¡­perverted. Many times, a Human Prince would propose to a demon lady and astound the masses, but then she would be labeled a concubine, and many disliked the idea of being wed to these assholes.


    So, many of the female members would invite a personal guard to protect them from these undesirables. In fact, if not for her father, Gina would have already been surrounded by these disgusting fellows. Even Ilya got pestered, but Bailey would kick the snot out of them either way. However, it seemed someone else was guarding her today.


    But then several people looked up when a person¡¯s name being called.


    ¡°Nolan Deckard, son of Duke Deckard and Duchess Emily brings his guest, Delania.¡±


    Standing at the entrance of this huge room were two children of exceptional appearance. One had strange pink hair cut straight and short to her shoulders. On her back was a long staff. However, what attracted people¡¯s gazes was her black dress. No shoulders or straps, no upper back, and it had a frilly short skirt that bunched outwards almost a foot. She looked like a ballerina to some of the people there. Others had no idea what a ballerina was.


    But underneath were black shorts and knee high stockings with pumps. The last and final addition was the black rose in her hair. To most, it was a strange display, but to the players, they recognized a startling visage.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    For this ¡®costume¡¯ was a concept art from when the designers were thinking of her initial character style. It attracted a lot of attention to the players, no matter the world, but in the game, she never wore the outfit.


    Zack actually clapped before embarrassingly walking away to the buffet table.


    The young man next to the pink haired girl was a boy with a bland looking expression. However, his handsomeness could not be denied. He appeared to be a bored genius who looked at people as if they were ants. He appeared to be constantly disappointed in the world and the people in it. For some reason, this appearance was quite popular with the girls. It just meant they were likely to be rejected, so no one approached him, much to his dismay.


    Nolan was dressed in a white suit and a black undershirt. He had two flowers, one light blue, and one a striking purple. They looked weird, but most people ignored those. For on his wrists were strange metal bands that had a strange design in them. Hanging from each one was a small thing that looked like a beast fang. To some, they recognized the fang from the labyrinth at the holiday festival and shivered.


    It was unknown what kind of weapons those were, but if someone didn¡¯t know it, they would probably be pierced by a blade without knowing what even hit them. The two made their way to Ophia, the family of the host of this ball, and made their greetings. Emeril was standing by her side and Josine was standing a little bit away with a depressed expression.


    Nolan nodded in passing to the other players, but he headed right for the girl closest to him, the one scarfing food down at the buffet next to Zack.


    Nolan¡¯s eyes shifted ever so slightly and so did his lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s actually thinking how much better your food is. She wants to eat your meat.¡±


    Nolan turned slightly and tilted an eyebrow at Delania¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes, I know we talked about this. She even remembered the conversation as well. Look.¡±


    Indeed, Ilya had turned red and stuffed food even faster down her throat.


    She was very easy to tease, huh?


    Nolan approached her, but a large beast kin man stopped him. Nolan waved him aside and walked forward, sending the man to the ground on one knee by using wind. Hearing the sound and feeling the change, Ilya stopped eating and looked up.


    ¡°Nolan! It¡¯s not what you think! I was just trying their food out! I like yours the best! I swear!¡±


    Nolan laughed, and the corner of his mouth raised. He reached into his chest pocket and pulled out the light blue flower. He placed it in her hair, much to many of the young men¡¯s anger.


    ¡°Hey, leave her alone!¡±


    A young man had stepped out and confronted Nolan, but the trio had ignored him.


    ¡°Nolan, thanks! It¡¯s pretty! But why this color?¡±


    ¡°It matches your eyes.¡±


    Indeed it did. And if one looked closer, even Delania¡¯s eyes were black. Following behind him, both of the girls walked towards Gina. Her father was a little tense, but Nolan quickly greeted him.


    ¡°Good evening, your majesty. I take it you are Gina¡¯s personal guest?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Since I don¡¯t live here, and I wasn¡¯t personally invited, I had to¡­explain to Gina why my presence here was necessary!¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. So, Gina, how did he beg?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I quickly gave in, but I had him allow you to come visit in the future.¡±


    Gina couldn¡¯t look at Nolan straight, as it seemed she was remembering the other night. Nolan chuckled and pulled out the last rose. He walked up to her and slowly grabbed her hand. The two¡¯s eyes connected and Nolan quietly applied the flower to her hair.


    And then a loud laughter erupted from the crowd.

 Chapter 34: Diplomatic Stupidity

    Nolan turned around to see Emeril holding his sides.


    ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t take it anymore! You¡¯re too cool! Stop it and hurry over here! I can¡¯t believe you would let these three be more important than me, your best friend!¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a guy.¡±


    They bickered, but they clasped hands and started talking in a quieter tone. However, it wasn¡¯t that hard to hear them.


    ¡°So, I want to fight you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go outside. I wanted to try something I learned at the festival.¡±


    ¡°Me too! Hahaha!¡±


    Many people were interested, and all of the ones from Westbolt Academy arrived to watch. The two were standing in a dirt circle set aside for these kinds of disputes. It was pretty much normal to see two uppity young nobles get angry at each other over some petty nonsense or a woman.


    But this time, the two fighting were best friends and had been known to go all out on each other. The air became heavy and people held their breaths to see the first strike. Just as they were about to collide, rushing right into each other, Emeril slipped on an ice puddle! He collapsed to the ground, letting Nolan finish the fight in an instant.


    ¡°Ah, dammit, you win again.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t afford to waste our energy here, right?¡±


    Nolan looked over at the girls and realization came to Emeril.


    ¡°Right! Let¡¯s go! We can redo this later!¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly. Come on.¡±


    Everyone was silent. A few people chuckled to themselves and left the field, but others were upset and wanted to see a major fight.


    The other people were all from different schools and thought the two were actually weaker than they initially believed. Thus, several tried to start problems. By then, Ilya¡¯s guard had arrived and silently stood next to her.


    Delania walked up to Nolan and started talking.


    ¡°You are fine, just go fight. I know you want to.¡±


    Nolan said nothing but ended up smirking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to practice your new techniques? Go. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Now his brows furrowed. It seemed he was debating heavily with himself.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand, why do you want me to fight?¡±


    At that, Nolan looked the other way and his face loosened. Delania was shocked, but her face started to turn red.


    ¡°Ah¡­then I will make sure to look really good today¡­¡±


    Her words were nearly a whisper, but Nolan had barely smiled in return. Delania had pulled out her rod and flicked it, letting the blades extend.


    ¡°I am fighting for myself. Who dares to try and beat me?¡±


    One young man from the south scowled and walked out.


    ¡°You dress strange, you are but a guest, why even bother? No one even wants you.¡±


    At that, something small hit the guy in the chest and he flew. Everyone looked over to see several men with angry faces picking up stones off the gravel path. The one in the lead was Nolan, creating little earth balls with magic.


    However, while that previous guy was just spouting off, her cuteness was definitely apparent. Several guys went forward to prove how cool they were. But they were all nearly killed by Delania¡¯s quick movements. The men who were just chasing after her a second ago all disappeared.


    However, while Nolan was watching Delania, someone approached Gina.


    ¡°If I may, I am Prince Lenhart, and, not to brag, but I am the strongest at my school.¡±


    Gina scoffed, but when she noticed her father wasn¡¯t around, she felt weird. She looked, but then saw him talking to an elderly man.


    ¡°Oh, your father is speaking to my grandfather. He¡¯s a cool guy, you should get to know him. Hey, let me show you something.¡±


    He pulled out a strange magical item, and when it activated, a gust of wind came out, spreading a wonderful smell around. Something purple flashed by and Gina realized it was the rose Nolan gave her! She rushed off to get it, but found her arm was being held.


    ¡°What is wrong? Is there something about this thing you don¡¯t like?¡±


    The boy had a hurt expression, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice the flower.


    ¡°No, my flower.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I can get you many more just like it.¡±


    However, the conversation was interrupted.


    ¡°Oh really? You see, I infused this flower with the power of Lightning. Good luck trying to duplicate that.¡±


    The prince¡¯s eyes widened and his eyebrows caved inwards. He looked at Nolan with some apprehension and anger.


    ¡°You need to move, I was speaking to her first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but I was just returning to her what belongs to her. It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    In his hand was the purple rose. He once again placed it in her hair and the two shared a pink moment.


    The prince was fuming, as he felt he was being humiliated. He reached for Nolan and was about to turn him around. However, he grabbed nothing.


    ¡°Eh? Why is a guy trying to grab me? You aren¡¯t¡­that, are you?¡±


    His voice took on a particular tone and Gina stifled a laugh, but the prince caught it. He was now beyond mad.


    ¡°I challenge you!¡±


    However, the two were gone, practically teleported to a spot several yards away.


    ¡°Ilya, you need to be more mindful of your surroundings.¡±


    Nolan was standing in between the wolf princess and several hungry looking men. However, they weren¡¯t looking at the food. The southern nobles did their homework and knew beast kin royalty had the rule regarding losing and winning. But to have this guy who hadn¡¯t even fought her be so close, they were confused.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just beat her and take her?¡± One stupid guy asked.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    For some reason, Ilya seemed hurt.


    ¡°I will court her however I want. And if I want to court her like I court the demon princess, who is to complain?¡±


    Then her mood brightened considerably. Even Gina couldn¡¯t help but fidget.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re courting me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­maybe I should issue a challenge. It would seem she isn¡¯t as intuitive as I thought.¡±


    Nolan facepalmed and Gina laughed. Ilya stood there with a confused expression, while Delania was dancing around and fighting idiots still.


    That night, Nolan infuriated a lot of foreign nobles.

 Chapter 35: Ballroom Battle 1/2

    While Nolan was busy making the foreign students enraged, Delania was getting enraged, too.


    ¡°Dammit, these people are getting in the way of Nolan watching me be awesome! Fine, I will finish this now so he can fight and I can watch. Goodbye.¡±


    Her opponent was thrown off the stage by the strange ax. Delania had used her dark magic to curse herself. It was one of her many types of attacks, but all it did was lower the damage output.


    For example, if someone were to slash down onto a tree with a greatsword at full strength. It would still move fast and heavily, it would just not do that much damage. It was like swinging a pool noodle that was the same length and weight. The sharpness didn¡¯t matter, as all it would essentially do would be scratching the enemy.


    This way, her enemies were all slammed out of the ring by the weight of her swings. Though the weapon itself was light, momentum still carried on. The opponent just wouldn¡¯t take damage from the impact.


    She walked off the ring and heard Nolan¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡®Dammit, I missed her beautiful dance! You lazy assholes, that does it! If you hadn¡¯t picked on Ilya and Gina, I would have enjoyed the show!¡¯


    Nolan looked over to see Delania walk towards him and handed him a box. Most of everyone¡¯s eyes were on the two, as were some belonging to an elderly man and woman who had just walked outside.


    ¡°Oh? A gift? Where were you hiding this?¡±


    ¡®It can¡¯t be her chest¡­¡¯


    And with that, Delania smacked him on the side of his head. However, she didn¡¯t walk away and waited patiently for him to open the gift. Inside was a small book.


    ¡®Oops, I forgot about the diary.¡¯


    ¡°Wait, what? You weren¡¯t looking for it?¡±


    ¡®Of course not. I can¡¯t focus on something boring like writing my life. After that last night, I completely forgot. Plus, the festival happened. By the way, now that I think about it, how did your tea shop work out?¡¯


    ¡°Relatively good. Someone caught me earlier for a second and told me we made a substantial profit, but not in the top five.¡±


    ¡®Aw. Oh well.¡¯


    ¡°Please.¡±


    The two talked, and the surrounding men were seething. Nolan chuckled at the small talk and walked onto the ring. He pulled at the two fangs and they grew in size, startling many of the would-be attackers. He had used magic earlier, so now that he was using a sword, many people were confused.


    But one stupid brave soul walked up. He was the very same prince who was propositioning Gina earlier.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Allow me!¡±


    Nolan looked unenthused so he just tapped the swords and spoke.


    ¡°The night is short. You would have a better chance if you all attack at once.¡±


    But to Delania¡­


    ¡®Hehehe, I always wanted to say something like that. Come at me, you assholes!¡¯


    However, nobody moved forward.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°I am royalty.¡±


    ¡°And? There is a lot of royalty here. I am surprised so many people showed up since this would make it easier to assassinate people.¡±


    Then a murmur went through the crowd. Some shady people even disappeared never to return. It would seem now that their targets were apprehensive, they wouldn¡¯t get a safe chance to assassinate them.


    But, the prince remained haughty.


    ¡°You are just some low leveled noble with no actual authority! It is obvious why you are trying to get them!¡±


    ¡°Because I like them?¡±


    ¡®Because I like them?¡¯


    To Delania, she already knew that Nolan never cared for authority. He was actually a lazy person and didn¡¯t mind others working for him, but he was gifted enough to take on an entire project by himself if need be. Well, he was also stimulated by the things he wanted to do. Desk work? You would probably never catch him doing that. Stomping idiots into the ground? Sign him up.


    And stomping idiots was about to happen, so Delania knew Nolan was excited behind that calm and sleepy-looking face.


    She looked at Ilya, who was dressed in a yellow dress that matched well with a child, but there were bits of food here and there. Her guard was holding a napkin beside her unsure of how to get her to clean up.


    On the other hand, Gina was dressed in a red gown that was almost pink. It felt like it clashed with her skin, but she made it work in many ways. Her cold demeanor and her imposing stance made her seem like an ice beauty. Delania thought that maybe an icy blue which was nearly white would have worked better.


    However, both of the two were watching Nolan with apt attention, ignoring the people beside them. But unbeknownst to them, several guys were ogling them and having terrible thoughts of taking the girls hostage. So, she stood behind them in order to protect them. The men all walked away with angry expressions.


    Meanwhile, the fight was about to begin.


    The prince had taken out a sword and shield, looking like a soldier or a hero. However, his angry face looked almost like a demon¡¯s. He had waited, keeping a close eye on his surroundings. He didn¡¯t want to be taken by surprise. Those dumb gimmicks wouldn¡¯t work on him!


    But this entire time, Nolan had been waving his hands, placing little strips of paper everywhere. The prince was about to move when someone called out,


    ¡°Above you!¡±


    The prince raised his shield and sword to block an attack from above, but all he felt was a large mass of water falling on his head. He nearly toppled over from the unexpected downpour, but he righted himself and called out to Nolan. He felt a breeze assailing his face, and couldn¡¯t help but yell.


    ¡°You sneaky trickster! Do you not know shame? Fight me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I use magic. I use what I have at my disposal. When you go to war, do you fight the enemy all by yourself? No, you have soldiers and allies. When you go into a duel, do you just use your hands? Obviously not, you use a sword and shield. I am merely using what I have at my disposal. Go ahead, you can, too.¡±


    Being treated like a little child that has yet to experience the world, the prince shouted out and stepped forward, accidentally stepping on one of the slips of paper. It had been blown in front of him by the breeze!


    Suddenly, he collapsed while twitching. Several seconds later, he screamed out in fear. Then, he started thrashing about.


    ¡°Is that the first time you have been electrocuted? Shame. Well, you lost.¡±


    These little slips of paper were an inspiration from something he saw in his old world. They could be activated by channeling magic energy into them, or they could be written to explode upon contact.


    These were set with a weight limit. If something of a certain weight or more stepped on it, it would activate.


    By being dowsed in water, the electricity affected him even more. It was the work of science and magic.


    But now more people were willing to fight. No one liked to have a trickster win, anyway.

 Chapter 35: Ballroom Battle 2/2

    What idiots. Are these guys just now coming up? I already made tons of preparation. Oh well, I need to start on the next domain I was working on.


    Hehehe, playing the Changeling sure made me come up with a few ideas. Refracting images off of the fog and making illusions was a good idea, but if I include ice into it¡­hahaha!


    ¡°Glacial Maze, Perplexing Fog!¡±


    Walls of ice formed around me into a labyrinth. By making one at the festival, I easily determined a suitable method¡­though¡­I may need some fortification. Huh. Let¡¯s add a layer of hardened rock in between the mirrors.


    Yeah, a wall of ice does give off a small reflection. By manipulating the fog and reflections, I could appear in all sorts of places! Hehe, I am evil.


    Oh, how about this?


    An array here, an array there¡­oh, and one there. Yeah, let¡¯s see how these guys perform¡­


    They suck. Have these guys ever been inside a dungeon before?


    They get lost easily, they don¡¯t team up or work together. Oh well. At least the weaklings are going bye bye.


    *gulp*


    Ah, this mana potion tastes like hot chocolate. Nice going, Zack. You have the weirdest successes. Heck, he likes to visit the alchemy club and toss ideas about better tasting potions. But, caffeine and sugar worked well as ingredients in the mana potions. They even became more effective. Since they also taste good, many people are willing to buy them even if they are more expensive.


    But the orange one was good too¡­


    Ah, what am I thinking now? The maze is nearly complete. It seems that there are three people I should watch out for. One is an elf from the North and the others are two powerful nobles from the south. Oops, and here they are. Alright, the maze is done.


    Time to tear it down.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Everyone who was past a certain point was unable to get to me. In fact, once someone reached me, I had already planned to include everyone within the ring. That also included a couple of guys at the beginning. Oh, one is that stupid prince. I guess he had a late start.


    So seven people are in the ring besides me.


    Three are definitely weaklings while one is definitely angry and can¡¯t think ahead. In fact, he is charging at me right now.


    ¡°Freeze.¡±


    Suddenly, I made the entire ring freeze. In that time, I also covered myself in dust and messed with my hair. Hehehe, it is the return of the Changeling!Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Ooh, some people screamed. Nice.


    With one of my mantis blade claws covered in ice, I sheathed the other one to make use of the swordplay I know of. I easily scatter the guys and send the three weak ones out, though I intended to also kick out the others, too.


    So now there are five of us. Every time my sword is swung, a wave of ice and frigid air assault the enemy. It is nice and also slows the enemy, if only slightly. I wonder if I can control the lightning domain at the same time¡­let¡¯s see.


    ¡°Paralyze!¡±


    After pulling the mantis blade out, I can¡¯t help but like its portability. This creature loves to pretend to be a normal mantis until you are passing it. Then it increases in size and bites your head off. Crazy things.


    Anyway, after placing the power on it, I understand that this is too much. My mana is draining incredibly fast and I can only maintain this for about a minute. I know, my previous one was nearly an hour!


    But, this is fine. I had leveled up the power and quality of my magic, so of course the spell would require more to power it now.


    But it worked wonders. There goes the three people I thought were strong. Now it is just the prince. Huh, I guess he has a right to be arrogant? No, there is always someone better. Huh. Maybe I should find someone better than me so I can find my weaknesses.


    Wait, I know my weaknesses.


    Down goes my mana and I cancel the domains in order to stay conscious during this fight. I can¡¯t recklessly attack with spells, since I don¡¯t know when another challenge will come. Damn, these defensive battles are tiring.


    I am not that gifted in swordplay, but then again, I am at the level of a person of some authority within the army. I was taught by the most powerful swordsman in the kingdom, after all.


    Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yeah, Instructor Ghazi is incredible¡­but Emeril¡¯s father¡­damn, that guy is a monster. I may have been repressing some of it...


    Now that I am left with my two blades, I can¡¯t help but think about my fight against the trio adventurers. I was not that strong in dual swords style, and in fact, I just tried using the sword style that I learned for the left hand.


    Just mirrored, you know? But I guess that is a bad way to think about it. You can¡¯t treat the swords as separate like that. No, they are¡­twins? Oh, that¡¯s right. The swords cover each other¡¯s weak spots. Having two blades can mean to defend and attack in either hand¡­


    Oh, I hit something. Let me think. Hold on.


    Aha!


    >>><<<


    The prince was tired and breathing heavily. He was shocked, cold, and angry. However, he had proven to be the best one here today, as no one else was standing besides this trickster. But to think he was this strong?! What a monster!


    But, he was silent. Thinking about something. The prince used this time to catch his breath and rejuvenate in order to keep the fight going.


    But why were his eyes closed?


    Suddenly, Nolan opened his eyes and the stance he was using was different. The two swords which were standing upright and ready to swing were crossing each other. Then Nolan started to dance.


    He ducked and weaved around the ring, the two swords waving here and there. Off to the side, Ilya, Gina, Delania, and the others who had seen the boss of the Labyrinth were shocked. They could clearly tell this was based on the style of the statues, but it felt backwards! Instead of guarding himself, Nolan was trying to keep something in! The two swords moved in a circular motion while also keeping him moving around the prince at a good distance away.


    The prince was good enough to continue, the shock and cold having already left his body. He charged forward, only to meet Nolan¡¯s sword. He hadn¡¯t expected the blade to be there at all! He deflected the blade and quickly dodged back, however he felt a sharp sting and something cool on his arm. He looked over to see a gash from where he had been attacked!


    That was when he noticed the room he had to work with was getting smaller. Nolan was working inwards!


    The prince saw his imminent demise and realized he had already given up. His sword and shield were on the ground and he was on his knees. The fight was over and people were cheering.


    But it was here where Nolan made his swordsmanship reach level 6.

 Chapter 36: Ballroom BOSS Battle 1/2

    ''You know, this gives me an idea. Hold on.''


    Nolan walked away from the crowd and distanced himself from everyone else. He began to reapply the domain array on both of his swords as the others calmly enjoyed the party as it began to calm down.


    ¡®Okay, thinking of two swords as one weapon, then shouldn¡¯t I try the same with magic? Instead of having the two domains act separately, maybe they should be together? Huh¡­¡¯


    The prince was pulled away while Delania was silently sitting and listening to Nolan¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡®Oh, and if I can somehow make it to where the two energies aren¡¯t combatting each other. Wait, should I try fusing the two energies as well? Hmmm¡­¡¯


    He had finished up the arrays and began using both lightning and ice magic at the same time, though they were silently cast so as to not scare the others.


    ¡®Well, running electricity like this, I wonder if I can use it on myself to make me stronger? Or for that matter¡­eh? Ow? What is going on? Wait, ow! Hey, what is this? I can¡¯t control myself!¡¯


    Suddenly, a strange aura filled the courtyard. Lightning erupted from around Nolan¡¯s body and he went completely still. Everyone stared in fear, but Delania didn¡¯t move from her spot. She could still hear Nolan¡¯s thoughts, so maybe it would be alright.


    ¡®No, stop moving! Hey, get out of here! I can¡¯t control myself! Delania! Get the others and go!¡¯


    ¡°But, everything is alright, right?¡±


    ¡®No! Leave! Something doesn¡¯t feel right!¡¯


    Certainly, Nolan had started moving again, but it was stiff and slow, as if he was under someone else¡¯s control. The lightning had almost dispersed by now, but little tendrils of sparks could be seen emitted by his body every now and then. However, he didn¡¯t even twitch. His eyes looked¡­empty.


    ¡°Is someone controlling you?! Who did this?!¡±


    ¡®No one! I accidentally shocked myself and then this happened! Run, now! I am heading your way!¡¯


    Sure enough, Nolan¡¯s target was Delania. She shivered and held herself, as the two other girls stepped in front of her. Nolan¡¯s expression was vacant, not bored. It was as if he had fallen asleep with his eyes wide open.


    ¡®LEAVE NOW!¡¯


    Delania started crying, unsure of what to do. The other girls looked with concerned gazes but didn¡¯t really know what was going on. However, a couple of shadows appeared and stood in front of the girls.


    One was a large wolf man, with fur the same color as Ilya¡¯s. The other was a familiar demon with scaly dragon-like wings and horns.


    ¡°Dad?!¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°Stand back, girls. Something feels dangerous.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The Beast King waved his hand, unsheathing his claws from his fingertips like a superhero.


    ¡°But dad, Nolan wouldn¡¯t hurt us.¡±


    ¡°Ilya¡­that can¡¯t be him right now. He hurt himself with magic, who knows if this is some sort of strange self-defense mode?¡±


    The Demon King said nothing and approached the boy. He merely held his hand up and said some words that were hard to understand. Then, the floor around the boy began to creak and break. Nolan fell to one knee, a pained expression flashing across his face.


    ¡°Father, stop! You¡¯re hurting him!¡±


    ¡°Enough, Gina!¡±


    Just like Gina, Ilya¡¯s father was her guardian. That was how she hadn¡¯t been bothered much. But now, both of these kings were facing Nolan with strong intent. Then, the boy vanished. Little purple sparks arced across the ground here and there.


    ¡°Above you!¡±


    Several of the players had already started wondering how Nolan had done this, but since most knew of magnets and polarities, they could somewhat expect certain outcomes. The one who spoke was actually Bucco.


    When the two kings looked up, they spotted Nolan, hair standing on end, floating in the air. Little lines of electricity could be seen darting from him to the ground or the surrounding palace or trees.


    Only Delania knew how much pain he was in. Nolan wasn¡¯t controlling his body, and it was overexerting itself. His screams filled her head as her screams got louder as well. It would seem that she was trying to drown out the cries, but in reality, more than words were being expressed to her. Images, emotions¡­pain¡­she felt it all.


    She was practically feeling exactly what Nolan felt.


    Not being in control.


    Out of the sky, the air shook. A flash of light struck downwards and the area where the kings stood was enveloped in a terrible attack from the heavens.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    However, they were just fine.


    ¡°Thanks, kid. You are Emeril, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, your majesty. Now please, I need to show my friend the error of his ways.¡±


    The Emerald Knight had jumped forward, protecting the two with a massive shield that seemed to sprout from his arms. It then shrunk to the size of regular vambraces, just enough to protect his arms.


    Meanwhile, the other players also stood up. Bucco carried a large smithy hammer instead of his ax and in the other hand, he carried a small buckler.


    ¡°Dammit, I didn¡¯t want to rely on this stupid old thing.¡±


    Abigail shrouded herself in flames to counteract the freezing snow that started to fall, melting the area and making it easier to move around.


    Yidris was absentmindedly looking at Nolan with awe, but didn¡¯t stop pulling out her favorite bow and applying some magic to it.


    Bailey and Tetra were helping people evacuate, so they weren¡¯t involved in the fight.


    Even Zack did his best by pulling out potions for the others to drink. He also had several strange bottles that had weird symbols on them. He flicked his finger and a small flame caught on the fuse to one of these bottles. He threw it forward and it exploded right in front of Nolan!


    However, a static field blocked the sticky pink liquid. It quickly disintegrated.


    ¡°Drat, if it had hit, then he would be stuck and desire some good loving. Would have been easy to capture.¡±


    The other nearby people all looked at Zack with suspicious eyes, and all silently agreed to confiscate this potion from Zack later.


    But this catalyzed Nolan to attack again, this time aiming for Zack. Bucco knocked him over and brought up his buckler, protecting them both from the massive lightning strike. Not even a scorch mark was left on the shield.


    ¡°Che, I guess I will have to thank grandfather for this Orichalcum Buckler. Dammit.¡±


    Emeril and Bucco defended against the long range attacks from Nolan, while Zack, Yidris, and Abigail tried lobbing potions, shooting arrows, and sending fireballs his way. However, the two kings were joined by a solitary man.


    ¡°As a Sword Saint, I can¡¯t just let my son¡¯s friend go on like this. Let me help, Emeril.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, dad!¡±


    The title of Prime Minister was misleading, for those outside of the kingdom. For in actual meaning and purpose, the king was actually the prime minister and Emeril¡¯s father was more along the lines of commander in chief. He led the military forces. He usually dealt with foreign dignitaries only when they were being tense.


    But now¡­he was fighting Nolan.


    At this point, three powerful men surrounded Nolan as he stood there silently in the sky, his clothes rippling and swaying.

 Chapter 36: Ballroom BOSS Battle 2/2

    Four amazing figures were darting around the courtyard, trading blows. It had come to the point that Emeril, the players, and the girls could do nothing to interfere.


    At one point, Emeril blocked an attack that was about to hit Gina but got hit himself. He was lying on the floor in deep pain until someone helped him up. He was filled with an amazing feeling as he stared at the face of an angel.


    A crying angel, that is.


    ¡°Oh! Emeril, I thought you were going to dieeee!¡±


    Josine was very¡­emotional right now. Emeril patted her head and she buried her face in his shoulder. Ophia looked on with a concerned expression, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She wasn¡¯t capable of helping him out right now and had to temporarily give up her spot next to his side. She felt upset, but she had to look out for the two as the fight continued.


    Delania was now a mess, as she was being consoled by Gina and Ilya. The demon princess had thanked Emeril, but now she was more worried about her friend. She wasn¡¯t making any sort of coherent thought, she just kept crying and screaming. Ilya was hugging her head tightly while Gina was holding her hands.


    ¡°Look at what you are doing, Nolan! You are making my daughter cry!¡±


    The demon king called out, hoping for a change, but only a single tear fell from Nolan¡¯s eye. His expression, however, still appeared¡­dead.


    He was pushing himself immensely, as his body was covered in blood even though none of the three had actually touched him. He was faster than anything they had ever fought before. His sword strikes and attacks were predictable, but it still didn¡¯t get rid of the fact that it held a lot of strength.


    By now, his magic had caused changes in the weather. The cold caused a thick ceiling of fog to descend and the static discharge caused it to sprout pillars of lightning every now and then that attacked the ground. It looked a scene of disaster and fear.


    The three really strong men could easily come up with ways to kill Nolan, but they all knew this boy had a large future ahead of him and he had the ability to make their children¡¯s futures great as well. They couldn¡¯t let their kids¡¯ hearts break from this.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    However, it was difficult. He defended on instinct, but if left alone, he targeted the girls. As he currently was, the air around him made it hard for others to breathe. This was nothing like the domain array, this was a true magic domain, controlled directly by Nolan. The area surrounding him was impossible to get out of unscathed unless they were a powerful existence.


    The other party goers had been evacuated, but most of the students at the West Academy stayed behind to watch. This was a monumental discovery that people could get this strong, but they all knew that taking shortcuts would result in accidents.


    It was getting scary, as Nolan¡¯s domain seemed to be increasing with each moment. Just as the three were about to cut their losses reluctantly, an aged voice called out.


    ¡°Young man, should I take this as disrespectful conduct? You are in need of punishment, young man.¡±


    Behind the old man were two familiar people. They were Nolan¡¯s parents!


    ¡°Nolan, please! Stop this!¡±


    No answer, but the old man nodded with a light smile.


    ¡°I am glad you are so ambitious, but you need to do these kinds of things in the comfort of a controlled environment. Here, come along, child.¡±


    And with one word, the entire battle stopped.


    ¡°Sleep.¡±


    It was a basic spell. One that many people could learn at the beginning of their time as a magician. But to have it be this effective on a rampaging monster, his power was well known.


    The field quieted down, and the whole courtyard felt a strange sense of fear towards this old man.


    ¡°Principal Aguilar! Thanks for your help!¡±


    All three men bowed and showed reverence. The surrounding people also bowed, not out of thanks or respect, but fear. This was one of the most powerful mages in all of the kingdoms, no, maybe in the entire continent! His power was impossible to fathom.


    Right now, anyway.


    The fight was over, but it looked like Nolan would be asleep for a while. The principal had gone over and did something to the boy¡¯s head and walked away, waving at Nolan¡¯s crying parents.


    Delania had fallen unconscious as well, but Gina and Ilya carried her over to Nolan to cry and hug him. Emeril was standing off to the side, both Princess Ophia and Saintess Josine on each of his arms. Their eyes were red, but they stood calmly. The players all had pained expressions, aware that they were not safe from mistakes in this world. It wasn¡¯t like some game where the main character could be safe in his experiments and breakthroughs.


    This was a world where they would have to be cautious and careful.


    After that, Nolan was placed on temporary leave and the others tried to go back to their normal routine.


    The pain was unavoidable and many people were wondering if Nolan was going to survive at all.


    But after a while, they soon forgot about him. Only the players and those close to him visited him many times. However, after a couple of months, they had to focus on other things.


    Like school work. Projects. Events. Even though they didn¡¯t want it to, life went on.


    Nolan was being left behind.

 Intermission 2: Buccos Family 1/2

    The other players all felt a strange feeling the next day at school when Nolan was nowhere to be found. In fact, most of the people closest to Nolan decided to take a small absence from school. Nolan was still in a coma and the Principal had said that the rest period could take up to an entire year. The girls were obviously upset and traumatized, while the guys felt they needed to get stronger.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see my family.¡±


    The RtP club was constantly filled with a gloomy air, but a week after the ball, Bucco was the first to respond within the group. Outside of the group, it was actually the girls followed by Emeril.


    ¡°Let me go as well.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Bucco was surprised that Abigail wanted to go with him, but then he just snarled and snorted.


    ¡°Let me guess, you want to continue teaching me how to smith.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Bucco shook his head but he allowed her to follow. Much different than what everyone was expecting, they didn¡¯t head towards the ocean. Instead, the boat came for them!


    As Abigail was only the adopted daughter of a local Lord and Lady who were too old to have children, she didn¡¯t have a very prominent position. But by being with Bucco, she was able to pretty much go wherever she pleased.


    Looking at the flying ship gave her a strange thrill. Unbeknownst to her, her flames began to grow lively. Many of the sailors looked on in fear and awe, but Bucco stood close by and completely ignored the heat. Instead, he was also admiring the ship.


    ¡°Hoh, it seems you guys managed to fix the sails perfectly. They can now gather much more wind.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Your instructions were sound and precise! We couldn¡¯t mess up even if we wanted to!¡±


    A nearby soldier looked at the 12-year-old muscle head and grinned before winking at him, gesturing silently towards Abigail.


    Bucco glared, scaring the soldier away. But, when he turned to look at Abigail, she was suddenly in strange clothes with a weird triangular hat.


    ¡°Umm¡­Miss Fortune?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Abigail turned back around and noticed her attire. Her outer appearance was based on how her soul felt, so a broken heart was the most dangerous thing for an elemental. Also, the scariest thing was an angry elemental. But her current appearance was a seductive seafaring woman with a low cut blouse and frills. She had knee high boots and her fire had started to sprout from her hat like feathers.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    She looked the part of a swashbuckling pirate.


    And Bucco actually smiled. Abigail was caught off guard because she thought he would look like a villain, but just like in the game, he was handsome. It was a good thing she was covered in flames because she felt her cheeks warm up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word of this to anyone.¡±


    Bucco coughed and turned towards the crew that had finally come to the deck.


    ¡°Alright, men! Captain Abby here wants us to set sail for home!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Yarrr!¡±


    The men realized he was joking and played along, and as they all laughed, Abigail¡¯s hat flame shot into the air like a volcano while she fumed silently.


    But when Bucco turned away, his smile was wiped and he returned to a dark expression as he thought of his home.


    In the game, Bucco was a proper gentleman who desired to protect his friends and family. It was a strong conviction that stemmed from the loss of his younger sister. The people who kidnapped her wanted the plans for the airship the crew was currently sailing.


    While Bucco was away at training, his parents had made the decision to ignore their child¡¯s situation in favor of their kingdom¡¯s future. They were sad and despondent but had made the decision with a heavy heart.


    However, now that Bucco had taken over, he constantly hated his parents for throwing away family. Instead of wanting to protect things, he decided to pursue a strength that was so strong, he could get rid of any enemy in his way.


    Only with power could he protect the ones he loved.


    Though he managed to save her life, his sister nearly killed herself from the humiliation and pain she had suffered thanks to the kidnappers. She was a tainted woman now and even though she was only a year younger than Bucco, her future was already finished in the eyes of others.


    After coming to the academy and discovering everything was crazy, he was scared his sister would be in trouble should she appear. So, originally, he wanted to ¡®fix¡¯ the setting so his sister could live a peaceful life he could control.


    Because of all of the unknown factors, he was sure that something would endanger his sister¡¯s life yet he would be unable to properly react in time. His frustration got out of hand so he began to challenge the others in a desperate attempt to display his dominance. It failed.


    However, now he made some connections with not only the Princess¡¯ attendant Yidris, but he also personally knew Nolan. Through him, he came to know Emeril as well.


    With these people on his side, surely his sister would have an easy time at school. If not, then he would just have to bust some heads.


    Meanwhile, Abigail distracted herself by pretending to be a sky pirate, standing at the prow of the ship and pointing towards the horizon when she thought no one was looking.


    She was wrong, much to the sailors¡¯ delight.


    >>><<<


    At Bucco¡¯s place, there were many servants and people walking all over the place. Abigail was from a small noble family, so she was kind of surprised. Was Nolan¡¯s house like this?


    But what shocked her more than that was his reaction upon seeing a girl around his age.


    ¡°Haha! Cecily!¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Though she didn¡¯t rush in for a hug, she held her hand out softly and timidly, to which Bucco gently grasped it and held himself there for a moment before releasing. Cecily shivered for a moment before nodding somewhat enthusiastically. But, she looked like she wanted to ask something.


    ¡°What is it, sis?¡±


    ¡°Brother, is this your girlfriend?¡±

 Intermission 2: Buccos Family 2/2

    After clearing the misunderstanding with embarrassed expressions, Cecily guided Abigail through the house. She saw the library, the cellar, a small secluded alcove, and when she was shown the small and quiet garden that Cecily had made herself, Abigail realized these were all Cecily¡¯s hiding spots.


    She spent the rest of the day with Cecily who was only a year younger and helped her calm down.


    But that night, at the dinner table, the tension was pretty bad. Bucco only spoke to Abigail and Cecily, outright ignoring his parents who were constantly apologizing for the smallest of things. Bucco would sneer and turn away, refusing to acknowledge their presence. Because of what he believed to be a selfish decision, Bucco hated his parents.


    However, it appeared that the parents were deeply sorry and even Cecily wasn¡¯t that upset with them after a while, though there would probably be an enormous gap between them from now on.


    While the parents had made what seemed to be a noble and honorable decision, from the eyes of a ten-year-old girl, it was a nightmare.


    Before the incident, she claimed she was going to help her family create the best ship, but now she found it difficult to even look at a worker or servant. It didn¡¯t help that the person who kidnapped her was actually a servant who snuck in. Her trust in humans had lowered, but that wasn¡¯t as big of a change as her fear towards men.


    The more Bucco saw the state she was in, the more upset he became, to the point that even Abigail had to calm him down. And that was done by forcing him to create several dozens of items in one night.


    Most of the items were those that helped induce a frenzy state upon the wearer while also receiving affinity to the fire element. Normally, the Frenzy State was a condition that nobody really wanted, but that was the case for normal people.


    Soldiers, hunters, and even assassins would definitely want to buy these items and keep them hidden up their sleeves.


    After a couple of days, Cecily finally worked up the courage to hold a conversation with Bucco.


    ¡°Why¡­why did you come back?¡±


    ¡°Che. An idiot at school got me thinking about getting stronger.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I came back to reaffirm my purpose.¡±


    With those words, he left. Abigail managed to get a hug out of Cecily who whispered something in her ear. The elemental¡¯s fire surged for a split second, but she nodded and regained control.


    On the way back to the ship, Bucco felt an incredible warmth on his back as two soft things pushed forward.


    ¡°Your sister wanted to give you a hug, so I am her proxy.¡±


    However, no reply came. When Abigail looked over to see his face, she couldn¡¯t help but try to hold back her laughter. Sometimes, he still felt like an actual kid, which made her happy.


    Everyone else got younger bodies, while she got her original, pretty much. She never had to think about it before, but she was glad she was good looking before in her previous life.


    She had heard a lot from the others, but their past lives seemed completely different from how they were currently. She felt the same as always.


    For example, Nolan was a single guy who lived to be an adult. However, he was one of the most childish players. Plus, he was no doubt a popular guy. He would talk about how it was so hard for him to talk to a girl, let alone ask her out.


    Now look at him!


    She wanted to know if she had changed, but apparently, she hadn¡¯t. She was a lady who would rather read wonderful stories, alone in her bookstore. As a business owner herself, she was quite capable of knowing what a company needed and ended up being much more mature compared to everyone around her. She was the one who had the most responsibilities in their past life, so she often became a pillar for the people around her.


    Even now, Bucco was relying on her.


    Of course, anyone would be relying on the person who was keeping them from falling to their death.


    ¡°What the hell is that thing?!¡±


    Bucco was barely hanging from the edge of the ship after it had been rammed by what appeared to be a massive scaly whale.


    ¡°A Gigan Drake! To your stations, men!¡±


    The real captain of the ship bellowed out orders as some of the men carted out heavy magic cannons and launchers. They tried their best, but it was of no use. That is, until Bucco and Abigail came to help.


    The average for normal people was somewhere around level 3 or 4. Level 1 was the starting point, while just powering through could probably garner someone the next two levels.


    Thus, to Abigail and Bucco, even they wouldn¡¯t be held back by these guys in true combat. However, they were now using siege tactics on a large beast. The thing itself could probably give Nolan a hard time!


    So, Bucco nodded at Abigail and stood behind her, putting gloves on his hands. He then took a stance like a catcher standing at home base. Abigail turned towards the beast and pulled out what could only be called a gun. Of course, none of the people here knew what it was, but to the players, it was a vital tool.


    However, this one specifically boosted the power of magic to a terrifying degree.


    She put her fire into the chamber and began chanting the spell, several floating runes aligning with the barrel of the gun. She had to use both her hands to stabilize the weapon and nodded without turning around. She nearly jumped when Bucco¡¯s hands grabbed onto her sides, but she continued chanting.


    Just as the large monster was making another round, she fired, a loud explosion filling the air. Instead of a large ball of flame, it was better to call it a pinpoint of absolute heat. The marble sized sphere flew with a dangerous speed and came into contact with the creature. But, the only sound that could be heard was a slight ripping sound before a huge ball of flame appeared far behind the colossal thing. It was soon followed by a deafening explosion.


    Then, its body began to catch fire from a small hole in its chest.


    The bullet had pierced the beast and kept going! The flame was so bad, it didn¡¯t stop burning even in this thin atmosphere! Of course, it still died out, but that was only after it consumed the body of the drake.


    As the sailors exclaimed with surprise and awe, they turned to see two people collapsed on the ground next to the railing. Abigail was unconscious from the overuse of her magic while Bucco had flown backwards from the recoil and smacked himself out cold against the railing.


    Her fire wasn¡¯t burning him, so the sailors left the two sleeping together. When they awoke, it got pretty hectic.

 Intermission 3: The Girls

    After Bucco and Abigail made it back, they were surprised to hear that Emeril had left as well. He went on an adventure to clear his mind and get stronger, so he targeted the tall mountain towards the Northern Region Border. Ophia and Josine wanted to go as well, but they remained behind, as they weren¡¯t strong enough to survive there.


    Nor did the King and Queen want their daughter to do such a thing. The Pope was even more adamant about Josine not leaving as well.


    Meanwhile, Zack was off doing his own thing and Yidris was in a stump. She was absentmindedly looking out the window with some cloth in her hand when the two walked into the club room.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s up, leader?¡±


    Bucco had calmed down a lot since the beginning, as he had some time to think about his situation. He wasn¡¯t so upset at the change in setting since he had made some close friends. Sure, it was a little too soon to call them friends. It would be better to call them partners in crime.


    However, by sharing such an unbelievable fate, the group had banded together. And when one member of that group suffered, it showed that the others could suffer as well. Being in a game world was something that most people wouldn¡¯t mind. Escaping from reality was always an attractive dream.


    But of course, many people imagined the levels and magic and monsters would be easy and fun, instead of depressing and traumatic. In fact, Zack had completely given up on going back to any of the Dungeons out of fear.


    So, to see their leader in name be so down, it was not unusual, but it was a little frustrating.


    ¡°Oh, just thinking about stuff¡­¡±


    She went back to her enchanting, but she looked demotivated and distracted. Abigail waved Bucco away and sat beside the archer in silence.


    So, Bucco decided to walk around. It was the seventh day, so he had the day off again. However, he ended up finding the three girls who were most affected by Nolan¡¯s distress.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Bucco.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Heading towards the Dungeon again?¡±


    ¡°We have to get stronger.¡±


    To Bucco, he wasn¡¯t really thinking of girls. Well, aside from his sister, from a brother¡¯s perspective, and sometimes Abigail, the others appeared too young for him. He had never played the game himself, but his friend had, and wouldn¡¯t shut up about it. So to be reborn in this world with no major knowledge, it was scary and bizarre.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    But to these girls who looked even worse than Yidris, he couldn¡¯t help but think that he was being selfish. Gina was perhaps the strongest one out of the three, spiritually, as she led the others towards the city. Delania looked the worse off.


    As he continued to the school, the girls walked in silence on their own.


    Delania felt partly to blame for the trouble at the ball since she could hear his thoughts and couldn¡¯t do anything. She had panicked and collapsed because she was so used to being connected to him. She ended up experiencing his thoughts and emotions first hand. The feeling he felt was strong and full of angst.


    Meanwhile, Ilya was jittery. She was constantly looking over her shoulder or darting around. Her tail moved erratically while her ears kept moving around. Apparently, she was trying to see if Nolan was going to come running over at any minute.


    For some reason, the affection between Nolan and Gina was a little less than the others, but only because it was hard to raise her affection in the first place. Usually, in the game, one would help her in her problem only after a certain point, and by then, they would have already been close.


    But thanks to this, she was level-headed and knew what she had to do. Certainly, she held feelings for him, but they were at a level where she was capable of making rational decisions. Delania was dependent on him while Ilya admired him. But Gina?


    She didn¡¯t know what he meant to her. She just liked being there with him. So, she felt a little different from the others. However, thanks to this, she was able to pick the two up and bring them here.


    Remembering her words with Nolan before, she began to teach Ilya about using her body as a conduit for magic. There should be some similarities to herself, as beastkin were related to magic beasts or even monsters. Even though she couldn¡¯t use magic, surely she could call upon the power of her body in order to fight better.


    Of course, it was going to need quite a bit of work. But with Delania there, the enemies were easy enough to deal with.


    And so, their training sessions got better. They practiced the sword dance as well and became close. Because of Nolan bringing them together, the three girls ended up becoming something more than some group of girls, they became a team. They understood one another and could feel what they meant.


    They became more than friends, but not in a sexual manner. Instead, they had become almost sisters. The stress they experienced was shouldered by all three, so they bonded and conspired together.


    They trained so they could be together with Nolan, even if he acted up again. So they could keep him safe, they worked. It was a strange notion that Gina came up with, but it managed to feed into the other two¡¯s desires as well.


    For Ilya, who admired him, she wanted nothing more than to be his equal. However, becoming stronger than him became her new goal after some time. Even Delania renewed her vigor. If her family would one day remove her from Nolan¡¯s side, she needed to have the strength to make her own decisions. If she wanted to stay with Nolan, she needed to get strong.


    But for Gina? She desired to understand her feelings towards Nolan. She wanted to know why these two went through so much in order to appreciate him in such a manner.


    She had no idea that she was properly being conditioned to enjoy Nolan by the two hardcore fans. It would have been funny if the situation hadn¡¯t hinted at Gina becoming a little too obsessive over how much she wanted to know why she liked him.


    Oh well.

 Intermission 4: Practically Everyone Else

    Zack was probably the most generic character and yet the most complex character. He was a blank slate in the game yet had that basic charm to appear attractive. Even if all he did was study, he would have attracted a girl towards him in some manner.


    Therefore, he had expected to be surrounded by girls by now. Instead, most were players, taken, or hated him. He had only managed to ensnare two girls at this point.


    But since he focused more on his creations instead of his actual fighting ability, his grades were starting to drop. He began to rely more on external items like tools and consumables, as they would provide a less risky path towards success. If he followed Nolan, then he could suffer from a drawback eventually or even accidentally kill himself.


    So, he went to visit the supposedly still sleeping Nolan in order to discover a possible way to keep going forward.


    However, he was surprised to see the young man in question moving around already.


    ¡°Hehe, wow.¡±


    ¡°What, came to see how I was doing?¡±


    ¡°No, I came to say, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, the girls will be safe with me.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I would kill you if you were serious.¡±


    Zack laughed awkwardly, as a strange pressure emanated from the room Nolan was in. Zack shook his head and began to walk away. Instead of feeling better, he was now being pressured by a guy in chains. He would need to keep moving if he didn¡¯t want to be dragged down.


    And so, he locked himself away to further his creations, outright ignoring his own classes.


    Meanwhile, Bailey and Tetra were sitting in a classroom and cooking something. Rather, Bailey was cooking and Tetra was sitting down off to the side and reading a book.


    ¡°Here, try it out. These cookies were made with Cactuar Milk.¡±


    ¡°Cactuar don¡¯t exist in this game. That is something else.¡±


    ¡°Well, this cactus monster milk tastes amazing. Try it.¡±


    ¡°You should stop interfering with this world and try to act like the original Bailey should.¡±


    Bailey placed the hot plate down and removed her oven mitts. She was a good head shorter now, but in the future, she would become a tall Amazonian-like woman with a voluptuous figure. But, that was due to her many hours of exercise. For now, it was unknown to the others just how strong she actually was.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Hmm? Then what should I do about the hypocrite sitting in front of me who should be practicing her magic spells right about now?¡±


    Tetra smirked before returning to her book. However, she wasn¡¯t really reading. Her eyes were focusing on the cookies. Bailey saw this and sighed before sitting down next to her.


    ¡°You know, I was upset at first when Nolan broke Ilya¡¯s heart, but it was then that I noticed I held no place in her heart.¡±


    Tetra was confused where the conversation was going, so she placed the book down. Her face was kind of sharp as her expression was still in glare mode.


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be the one to ruin a relationship. You know, she came to me the other night and asked what I should do.¡±


    ¡°You told her to stay away from him, right? This way, he will develop a mentality to prepare others and head towards the path of a principal. See, fate always has a way. Even Zack is heading towards flunking, now that he is not going to class.¡±


    Bailey just smiled at Tetra¡¯s words and shook her head.


    ¡°You know, in my past life, I met a guy.¡±


    ¡°You¡­did you like him?¡±


    ¡°Not in that way. He was more of a father figure than my own father who didn¡¯t want to accept me for who I was. Instead, this guy taught me how to work and I ended up meeting the love of my life. We lived happily as I twisted balloons.¡±


    ¡°Balloons? Why does that sound familiar? Anyways, what does this have to do with the current situation?¡±


    ¡°I lived my life in that world. I lived until I died. I wasn¡¯t upset and was actually happy with what I had obtained. So, in this world, I can start over. I expected that the love of my life in this world would be similar to the life I had before, but I now realize that things are different. I cannot expect to live the same way I used to.¡±


    ¡°That is a given.¡±


    ¡°Heh. So, I shouldn¡¯t be looking for a woman who was like my wife. I should be looking for a new person.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    Bailey turned around and grabbed one of the cookies and held it in front of Tetra¡¯s face.


    ¡°Say ahhh...!¡±


    Tetra gulped as she realized what Bailey meant. However, instead of repulsion, her face grew warm as she opened her mouth. The soft cookie tasted sweet and fruity, definitely satisfying her sweet tooth. Before she could stop, her mouth tilted upwards as her cheeks puffed outwards.


    ¡°Mmmm!¡±


    And then Bailey struck. She grabbed onto Tetra¡¯s cheeks and pulled her close, stealing a kiss.


    ¡°Mm¡­delicious indeed.¡±


    Tetra was shocked, but now she was warm all over and unsure of what to do. She stared at Bailey in a shy manner as she swallowed the cookie down¡­and asked for seconds.


    Unlike the pink atmosphere in the kitchen, a dark feeling was coming from Yidris¡¯ room. She was the attendant for Ophia, but rarely ever watched over her, as Emeril was there. Now, it was usually Lily the third year coming by, as she held a close relationship with her for some reason.


    So, Yidris was mostly left alone. Left alone to ponder what she wanted.


    She remembered her past life and wanted so badly to find a guy like ¡®him,¡¯ the guy who did whatever he wanted. She was too young before, dying at around 18 years old. She hadn¡¯t had the chance to ask ¡®him¡¯ out, even if he was over thirty years old. But now, she would never find that man again¡­


    Or so she thought. She never realized the person she was looking for could have been so close. She held up the small picture she had Sandie make of Nolan and held it close. That strong emotion she felt when he stared at her, even if it was for only a moment, enraptured her. Those powerful moves he made, the aura he exerted¡­it all compounded into what she believed to be her ideal man.


    However, she didn¡¯t want to admit it. A big part of her still wanted to believe that she could once again meet ¡®him¡¯, the one from her past life. Even if it was impossible, her dreams still moved on.

 Intermission 5: The Players Level Up

    Bucco was getting tired. Abigail was a slaver, forcing him to hammer out order after order for her. He definitely had the strength for it, but he didn¡¯t know why Abigail needed him for this.


    ¡°I need someone who can make things from our world without me having to explain each part. I want a better magic gun, as it takes too long for me to cast spells like Nolan. The old model is only good for one use as well.¡±


    Bucco was never a patient one, but he found something oddly pleasing about slamming his hammer on the anvil. It felt like he was smashing his enemies¡¯ faces over and over again. Actually, why even use an ax? It would just get stuck when it pierced someone¡¯s skull anyway. Smashing it to bits sounds way better.


    And with that, Bucco and Abigail grew close. Mico came by every now and then, bringing resources and taking the items to be sold. For some reason, Mico was really happy.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°This reminds me of the old you, happily doing what you want. I remember how you wanted to be a knight, so I was always sad when you didn¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°You know why I chose what I did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. But it hurt me to see my best friend have to make such a terrible decision. Well, at least your sister is alive.¡±


    ¡°No joke. But isn¡¯t there something else you¡¯re not saying?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, good luck, Bucco! I¡¯m rooting for you!¡±


    And then the weasel-like guy ran off!


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    The pretty fire elemental walked in, her curves enticing and obvious. She looked like an adult, which was strange for a twelve-year-old. However, these two were definitely older than that.


    ¡°Uhh, nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Alright?!¡±


    Bucco huffed and rushed back into the smelting room. Abigail¡¯s body was entirely covered in flames, but she could adjust her heat. She didn¡¯t follow after him but actually left to go outside. She cooled herself off and turned black, appearing almost like a normal human, if not for the many cracks like cooled off magma. She blushed, which brought flames to her cheeks and ears, but she had a small smile as she looked at the smelting room with a longing gaze. It seemed that Bucco wasn¡¯t the only one to have a change of heart.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Several days later, two girls approached their smithy.


    ¡°I heard that some players are here. I am Tetra and this is Bailey.¡±


    Bucco and Abigail silently stared at the two before shrugging towards each other and sitting down to hear what they had to say. After Nolan had been taken away, these two had pushed their efforts to make all sorts of amazing weapons with special effects, but they were running out of ideas. They were, however, making a lot of money.


    ¡°I am wanting a special set of daggers made. They need to also form a claw-like shape that I can wear, like gloves.¡±


    ¡°I need a chain whip sword something or other.¡±


    ¡°¡±Made of Orichalcum¡±¡±


    The two were surprisingly similar, but maybe they had worked on the unison part. Bucco had calmed down a lot, as he now had a visual goal of what he wanted. With Abigail¡¯s help, he had eventually thrown away that old anger of his. He wasn¡¯t some main character, he was just another spoke in the wheel.


    He knew these two weren¡¯t all that special, but they were plenty strong, just like themselves. Just as they were about to say they needed the resources, Tetra and Bailey pulled out a couple of luminescent chunks of ore.


    ¡°If you complete this for us, we will join your club next year.¡±


    Not caring either way what they did, Abigail and Bucco began their work. As soon as the two girls left, Bucco¡¯s and Abigail¡¯s faces relaxed. They grinned at each other and got to work. They needed a lot more strength and fire power for this job. They couldn¡¯t slack off.


    Meanwhile, Yidris was confused. She wasn¡¯t all that special, but she would sometimes be invited by the duo to enchant special equipment or make things a little more expensive. However, she was being slowly left behind. Even while working, the blacksmith duo trained their combat prowess.


    Even Zack was coming up with new creations to terrorize his enemies. After the Principal sanctioned his experiments, for some reason, his creations had become rather¡­famous amongst the campus. Delicious potions aside, he still made very awkward concoctions. Some that increased the desire to reproduce, some that dissolved clothing, he had put his efforts into the most perverted of things.


    But Yidris felt like she was just¡­there. After seeing the strong and imposing image of that mad Nolan, she would get weak in the knees and get a weird expression on her face. She had found her domineering man, but he was already with three others. Also, he was still recuperating. Not seeing the visage of her newfound crush, she was mostly depressed and wondering what she should do.


    Her archery was amazing, yes, but it wasn¡¯t going up. That was when Princess Ophia approached her.


    ¡°I need you to do something for me. I had no need of you since I was always around Emeril, but now I want you to help me. Please.¡±


    Yidris couldn¡¯t disobey her orders, but they both knew that the current Yidris wasn¡¯t the same Yidris that was in love with the princess just a year ago. So, in order to not be found out by any other NPCs, Yidris would help.


    ¡°What is it, your highness?¡±


    ¡°I need you to go train. I need a capable archer to help when Emeril, Josine, and I go down the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°But the Labyrinth isn¡¯t that hard. Didn¡¯t you complete it already?¡±


    ¡°We did. That is why we are going to the Forest when he comes back.¡±


    Yidris took a sharp breath, unsure of where this was coming from. Yes, the Forest was the next level dungeon after the Labyrinth, but it was immensely dangerous as it had far more monsters than the Labyrinth did.


    And so, against her will, she got stronger the normal way. Lots of practice.


    But Princess Ophia looked on with a sad smile before leaving to go hang out with Emeril. She knew what she was doing. She didn¡¯t want to see the girl who admired her for so long be so depressed, even if she wasn¡¯t the same as before.

 Prologue for Volume 3

    Rise to Prominence.


    Needless to say, it had a cult following in the worlds it was released in. Those who found themselves tired of their useless lives and those that were always alone both found solace in this game.


    Well, that is a game created by gods, so it would have to be amazing.


    Yes, a game created by celestials, those that govern entire worlds or races. Their powers are weak outside of those of the same level since they have managed to rise above mortality completely.


    They have reached a level that makes it impossible to interact with the lower realms. Thus, they created this game. By reaching out to the many worlds, they can find good seeds to join their sides. So, the world of Rise to Prominence is merely a game world created by the many gods in order to not only scout for possible members, but also as entertainment.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Deidrick, the god who welcomed Nolan and the other players in his grade level, was happily sitting down on a strangely shaped tree that matched the contours of his body perfectly. In his hands was a bag of candied nuts that he popped into his mouth from time to time.


    ¡°Hahaha! This is so cool! Being the winner of the last round, I was worried that my life would become difficult after obtaining the right to become a god as well! This is fun!¡±


    Deidrick realized his bag was empty and tossed it aside, letting it disappear into thin air as he got up. The tree stood up straight and tall, almost as if it was never bent in the first place.


    ¡°Well, watching up to here should be enough. I can guess who would be the winner this time. Anyway, it feels weird that so many people are here this time. Are the others doing their jobs correctly? I only had 8 players for the first years. Why are there going to be so many second years? Oh well, not my problem.¡±


    Thus, Deidrick left the room he was in while the image on the screen displayed Nolan standing in an open piece of land, surrounded by what looked like enemies.

 Chapter 37: Recovery 1/2

    A young youth lazily walked down the hall, his messy brown hair covering his forehead. He walked over to a strange door that had a gap at the bottom and a small window with bars on it. Inside, there was a young boy the same age as the youth hiding in the corner.


    ¡°Yo, Nolan, it¡¯s me, Zack. I came to visit again.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Nolan didn¡¯t turn to look at Zack, he just remained there staring at the corner. Zack chuckled and put his hands through the bars and leaned against the door.


    ¡°You know, those girls are going to throw a fit after hearing how you woke up after only a week and you spent the month or so in here.¡±


    ¡°¡­whatever. I didn¡¯t want to hurt them.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I am more worried about you getting hurt! They have been training for this, you know. In fact, we all have. Don¡¯t get left behind, you cocky brat.¡±


    ¡°Spiritually, I think you are younger than I am.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. You know, it would be cool if you could switch that mode on and off.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that¡­¡±


    ¡°I figured. I just thought you would have some sort of like, defense mechanism like in the games, with the special mode. Beep, executing command...eliminate.¡±


    The last sentence was said in a monotone and bizarre tone, but the players would have claimed it was robotic.


    ¡°Look, if something like that existed, the program would be¡­wait¡­No, that¡¯s it! Zack, you know what this means?!¡±


    Nolan had run towards the door and grasped Zack¡¯s hands. He could feel the feeble strength of the boy, but having a boy hold his hands caused him to frown. However, he looked at Nolan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Not one bit.¡±


    ¡°Huh, well, thank you! I must get to work.¡±


    Nolan released Zack and went back to his corner.


    ¡°Haha! Whatever, see you at school.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not your decision anymore. Those girls are on their way here.¡±


    Zack removed himself from the door and tapped on the bars before leaving, whistling a tune as he left. When he exited the building, several servants escorted him to the carriage. That was when he saw three beautiful girls walk by.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him too bad, okay? Haha!¡±


    Zack couldn¡¯t keep it in as he boarded the wagon and left. The girls merely nodded, not saying a word. The servants were sweating buckets from the dangerous aura these three girls were expressing, so they gave way. When they were led to the door Zack was at earlier, a boy could be seen in the corner of the room with his back to the door.Stolen novel; please report.


    The brown haired girl with fuzzy ears stood in front of the door, taking a stance. Her arms and legs seemed to expand slightly, as a strange light surrounded her. Then, she punched outwards, sending the large metal door crashing into the wall. The boy called out in a scared voice.


    ¡°Wait, no! Get away! I am trying to fix this! Don¡¯t!¡±


    The girl with purple hair spoke up.


    ¡°Too late, Nolan, you had almost three months. Now it¡¯s our turn.¡±


    The wolf girl had walked in, stepping over the wreckage she made. She stood in front of the entrance as the purple haired girl with large, leathery wings and a pink haired girl with a black dress walked in. The dress looked familiar, and it was only after he noticed did he realize it was the outfit he had made for her.


    ¡°Girls, no, think about this! I am dangerous right now!¡±


    His eyes were as wide as saucers, scared for the safety of those he cared about. His concentration wavered, and he ''slipped.''


    Suddenly, he jerked upright. The girls silently adopted fighting stances as he walked towards Ilya, the closest one. However, as his hand was outstretched, she moved so fast, he didn¡¯t know where she went. Not until her arms came from behind him, that is. He was restricted and his actions stopped.


    ¡®Huh? Why am I not¡­what¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Unfortunately, his answers weren¡¯t being answered. That¡¯s when his hands moved abruptly, working their way behind Ilya and groping her butt. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his head from a hand chop.


    ¡®Ow?! Hey, I am not controlling myself, still!¡¯


    But, that strike set in motion his defensive maneuvers and Nolan was now fighting to protect himself. He was about to shove off and retreat using the power of electricity, but a black haze surrounded him, making him feel sluggish and weak. Then, an ear piercing screech filled the building as Gina let loose a primal roar, knocking him down to the ground. However, even with that, he was still capable of fighting. He got back up and targeted Delania, who was weakening him. But, fuzzy ears blocked his vision. He struck outwards, using the quick reflexes of his instincts to hit her, though she barely dodged. He could feel her hair brush past his knuckles.


    He cried out in fear and pain as he watched himself fighting the people he cared about.


    But, a fist blocked his sight and he flew backward. He had been hit, even when the three powerhouses from before couldn¡¯t even touch him!


    Delania¡¯s magic must be pretty strong¡­no, Ilya must have perfected her small movements, so as to minimize her stamina output. She could also make room for counters and quick attacks when opponents wouldn¡¯t be expecting it. He had to give her some credit.


    He was too slow, too weak, and Ilya was too quick and too aware. Unlike Nolan, she could also use her knowledge and predict his movements. He, on the other hand, only moved to defend himself or get rid of his attacker.


    It was no problem for the three girls to overpower the weakened and cursed Nolan to this point. However, something was changing.


    One of the small mantis blades was glowing an electric purple. All this time, the arrays had gathered power, waiting to be unleashed. Now, Nolan had unconsciously activated it! A force field of lightning appeared, pushing the trio against the wall. Nolan¡¯s hair was straight up, his clothes in tatters. However, he was now wielding a single sword and seemed to be taking up a stance as well.


    ¡°He has resolved himself. He wants to try and take control so as to knock us out. He will be going all out, now. Be ready.¡±


    Delania, the person who could read his mind, was the commander of the group. She was the person to fill in the blanks of a supporter, long range magic user, or close range melee fighter. With Gina¡¯s support magic, it was clear that the three wouldn¡¯t be in immediate danger. However¡­


    Crash!


    The black aura surrounding Nolan shattered! He suddenly flashed, and flew out of the room! The three followed after him, catching him outside. His face was constantly contorting between pain and vacancy, but it showed that Nolan had gotten mentally stronger over the weeks regarding this strange¡­mode.


    But now it was time for the girls to go all out, too.

 Chapter 37: Recovery 2/2

    Ilya let loose a roar similar to Gina¡¯s, but soon she was joined by the demon princess as well. Both became shrouded in a strange aura, but while Ilya¡¯s took on a bestial form, with long ears, a long tail, and sharp claws, Gina¡¯s horns, wings, and tail became sharper and seemed to have a scaly pattern. They had used Soul Form! This was the power of Gina¡¯s that could be used in the late game when she knew her powers up to a certain point. But that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen until the third year!


    And now that Ilya could use her own, what was the meaning of this?!


    ¡°You look surprised, Nolan. This is what we talked about before, right? You thought Ilya could use something like Beast Magic? This was something we discovered. Good, huh?¡±


    He nearly lost control due to the shock, but he at least managed a slight tilt of his head. Even Delania had pulled out her ax and began casting a stronger curse. The three girls covered each other, filling in when one had to step back to breathe. There were many close calls, but Gina could help with regeneration.


    But, just as they were about to defeat Nolan, he weakly smiled. He activated his other sword, and the air began to change. Back during the ball, the two domains had collided against one another, creating something like two completely separate semicircles around him. But now¡­


    The air was charged with power, as water particles began to form ice and snow. Now, the two domains had merged, becoming a chilling and shocking zone of danger. The girls looked in awe, but they continued to fight. Large ice crystals fell from the sky, sending shockwaves whenever they collided with something.


    These large chunks of ice were electrically charged so when they hit the ground, a small discharge would happen. At one point, Ilya became paralyzed momentarily, causing Nolan¡¯s face to warp in pain.


    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯m fine! Here I come!¡±


    Gina had covered her as the wolf girl downed a yellow liquid. The electrical charge was dispelled and she rushed at Nolan once more. She was faster, stronger, but altogether more dangerous than before. Gina had more energy, as she was capable of casting more support spells. Plus, she could now fly into the sky and oversee the fight. Unfortunately, the sky was a dangerous place to be in this storm.


    The fight wore on and then Nolan found himself surrounded. He ceased his movement, so as to react as best as he could. The girls paused and each pulled out something small and colorful.


    Three multicolored flowers, each with a different color. They silently tossed them all towards Nolan, to which he was confused. Just as the flowers were about to touch the ground, they all lit up. The lightning magic contained in Gina¡¯s purple flower erupted, disturbing his own domain slightly. Ilya¡¯s icy blue flower dispersed a wave of frost, also causing chaos. But Delania¡¯s pitch black flower let loose a terrifying cursed magic, which caused the last defense of his domain to crumble.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The arrays shattered due to an outside force, causing massive damage to both of the blades, making them shatter into pieces. Nolan was without a means to protect himself. But, he had also been starving, depriving himself of sleep and torturing himself to try and control his body. So when the power he had disappeared, his body collapsed. The three girls picked up their respective gray flower and tucked it away. They picked up the unconscious Nolan and carried him back into the building.


    ¡°He¡­reminds me of you when we went back to school, Delania. He blames himself.¡±


    Ilya broke the silence.


    ¡°Well, it is his fault that it started, but we don¡¯t blame him for what happened next. No one was killed, which is good.¡±


    Gina tried to defuse the situation, as she could see Delania¡¯s hurt expression.


    ¡°You two don¡¯t understand. He was awake. The entire time. He watched as he scared us, he cried out as he hurt us. He tore himself up over how he treated us. He could do nothing but blame himself.¡±


    ¡°And how did we help you? I remember we got you back up and running by wanting to prove yourself to him. Surely we can help Nolan out in some way.¡±


    Gina continued to try and console Delania.


    The three remained quiet as they sat around Nolan¡¯s bed. Delania was keeping the fact that he was actually awake a secret, so he could focus on remapping the electrical signals in his brain and body. Apparently, he recognized that his stupid self had created another line of code in a program that counteracted a previous line, causing an error or a bug.


    She didn¡¯t completely understand what he was talking about, but she let him be. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold him. But it would be a couple of days or even weeks, maybe months, as he was having to check over his entire nervous system. His recovery was well received and the girls threw themselves at him in happiness.


    Well, Gina and Ilya did.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry. I couldn¡¯t help at all at the ball. I even heard you calling out to me to get these two away. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Delania.¡±


    She looked at the boy¡¯s face, carving every little mark into her memory. He wasn¡¯t looking at her with pity or anger, but with love. It was a feeling she had never felt from her family. Before she knew it, the feelings she felt at the ball resurfaced and she started to cry.


    Nolan held onto her, hugging her close.


    ¡°Oh? I thought Nolan was going to kiss her.¡±


    ¡°I know. He has been getting rather bold lately. Look, he is groping her butt.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on! Please, forgive me! That is something I am working on! My body seems to still be reacting on its own! It may be why I didn¡¯t automatically hurt Ilya when she touched me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­my rear is sensitive¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡±


    ¡°Warn me next time.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Nolan, are you wanting to grab my rear as well? Do I need to turn around?¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on! Wait, no! Girls! Calm down!¡±


    Nolan¡¯s screams for helped carried across the entire area, but no one came to see what the problem was. They all conveniently stayed back.


    But, Nolan was wondering what had gone on at the academy. How had the school come along now that things have changed so much?

 Chapter 38: Student Council Election

    After recuperating and training for another couple of months or so, Nolan was going back to normal. The girls would constantly visit, but sometimes, it was Emeril or the players who came to knock some sense into him. But they went easy after hearing him promise and vow to do his best to be careful from now on. If not for himself, but for the girls.


    Surprisingly, Nolan found that his magic had leveled up once more to level nine. Even his swordplay had leveled up twice to eight. He learned how to perfect his dual swords and combined it with his magic. In the end, that was probably the best application of his accumulated knowledge up til now.


    After those large fight, his body had used tremendous amounts of magic and incredibly fast swordplay, though it was simple. Because of this, his body was conforming to the usage of powerful magic and strength.


    But what probably pushed his magical knowledge was combining it with the science and modern knowledge from his old life. Over time, he had realized this world was as important as his old life. He completely felt like Nolan, not like his old self. Nolan had become whole.


    The knowledge of the game world was practically unnecessary now, as most of the people had completely changed. Hector had shown off his own amazing swordplay at the Senior Ball, so he was taken under Emeril¡¯s father to learn more about swords. Lily was ¡®adopted¡¯ by the church and brought in to learn even greater magic.


    They were about to graduate, the year was about to pass. If Nolan had any regrets besides hurting the girls, it was missing his second chance as a freshman. But, it was pretty boring, wasn¡¯t it?


    Thankfully, he made it for the largest events of the year. One, the election for the student council. Another, the tournament. And nobody can forget the cross-continental school rumble. One was essentially a popularity contest, while the other two were power rankings.


    The school tournament was to prove yourself throughout the entire school, including the upper classes. The cross-continental school rumble was to see who was the strongest in each grade out of all of the schools.


    Basically, a rematch of the ball.


    Nolan hadn¡¯t interacted with the juniors, but they were always secretive and known as the enemies of Nolan¡¯s¡­uh, Zack¡¯s grade. In the final year, the freshmen would be the next enemies.


    But for now, Nolan would be able to stabilize quickly and get back into the swing of things.


    >>><<<


    In a crowded hall, many students gathered to vote. However, on the stage, several students sat quietly and waited. Suddenly, the voice of the previous president called out.


    ¡°Thank you all for coming, and so we come together today to listen to our candidates for Student Council President! The first Candidate is Zachariah!¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The young man in question jumped to the podium and brought the megaphone-like recording stone to his face.


    ¡°Heyo! If I get elected, the girls¡¯ dress code will be adjusted! Short skirts and low cut blouses! Vote for me and let¡¯s have a fun next year!¡±


    Most of the men cheered, but one certain elemental woman lobbed a fireball at him. He didn¡¯t stay on stage and quickly left after making his speech. Three more people remained...two guys and one girl.


    The girl went up and started.


    ¡°Good morning, my fellow classmates. I am Princess Ophia Cortez. My aim as President will be to alleviate the difficulties we all face and add rules so as to give those who are bullied an easier chance. I will not stand for unfairness!¡±


    Her words were kind of boring, but several people were happy. Especially the guy who stepped up after her.


    ¡°I, Emeril, renounce my candidacy. I will vote for Princess Ophia!¡±


    And that was it. Finally, the last man stood up. Emeril went to stand behind Ophia like a guard, but he nodded at Nolan as he went up.


    His clothes were the school uniform, but his figure was depressing. He had pale skin and thin limbs. He looked like a wreck.


    ¡°As you know, this is my first day back. If you don¡¯t know who I am, then sorry, but I don¡¯t have time to tell you that much.¡±


    His words were quiet, but the entire hall heard him. It was like being in a graveyard.


    ¡°I have unfortunately made a mistake in my pursuit of gaining strength. I was not careful and hurt those close to me. I nearly ruined my entire life. For one little mistake that didn¡¯t seem even remotely bad, I stained my life. If I become President, I will set up a program to hire professionals to come to the school so as to personally give guidance to us students, so we do not ruin our lives by accident. If need be, I will personally use my own earnings to make this happen.¡±


    The room remained silent.


    ¡°That is all.¡±


    And then Nolan turned around, heading towards his seat. Then, several people whistled and called out. Even Princess Ophia had a surprised expression. It was a good idea, but Nolan had just arrived, he didn¡¯t even set up posters or gather sponsors. He just joined at the last moment!


    ¡°Alright, that is all for the last speeches, let¡¯s begin the voting!¡±


    Of course, Ophia won. However, several people voted for Nolan, making him a surprising second and showing their willingness for knowledge. Of course, some people still voted for Emeril, but it was still more than what Zach got.


    ¡°Thank you, my fellow classmates. As thanks, I will bring Nolan into my board as head of the Treasury. Emeril will be head of the Disciplinary Committee while Yidris will be my Vice President. Representative of the current year shall be¡­¡±


    ¡°Ooh! Me!¡±


    The last place person was jumping up and down close by. He dodged insults as he shamelessly garnered attention.


    ¡°Uhh¡­Zack¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    People laughed and cheered, and the election passed without a problem.


    >>><<<


    However, the second years were all sitting around a large building by themselves, talking up a storm. Regardless of how lax they had been regarding the freshmen, they were definitely just as prideful since they were also noble children from all sorts of nearby countries.


    It was an unspoken rule that the people from different grades did not involve themselves with the others. Otherwise, internal strife would increase, tearing down the academy from within.


    But, not a single one of them tried running for student council.


    That position was only open when a previous member of the council was kicked out or about to graduate. Essentially, when the senior class would graduate. This meant that the juniors could have entered, but they decided not to.


    Why?


    It was to take advantage of their position and hold the council in their grasp while also not having to be responsible for any damages incurred.


    But they didn¡¯t know that Nolan was extremely prepared.

 Chapter 39: Implementing Reform

    Five people were sitting in a quiet room. Well, no, it wasn¡¯t quiet at all, even though it was the room of the Student Council. The one making the most noise was the one selected since his background was special.


    He was a commoner.


    The Princess knew that commoners would start arriving at the Academy so she decided to nip any future problems in the bud by selecting Zack as the student representative. However, all he did was make noise and partake in perverted activities like his potion making or confessing to women. Zack had already proposed to Princess Ophia several times, only to be beaten up by not only Emeril but Nolan as well.


    Nolan was currently tapping his fingers on the table as he read the list of payments and allocation of school funds. Apparently, he knew the song well enough, even though the sound was incredibly strange.


    Then, a surprise to all, he started singing! An even bigger surprise, he was actually really good!


    ¡°What? I took voice lessons as the son of a Duke. It was meant more for enunciating magic incantations.¡±


    He had looked a lot better. His skin had regained its pink color and the bags under his eyes were hidden behind thick glasses that made him look very¡­weak, actually. In fact, if people didn¡¯t already know any better, they would have thought him an easy person to bully!


    His hair was unkempt and disheveled, making him look a little unreliable as well. However, he was seriously doing his job. When he wasn¡¯t singing along with Zack¡¯s new creation.


    Zack had used a magical recording stone and recorded various instruments and sounds, putting them together to form music. When he applied magic, the song would play. He had cut the sounds off at times and copied those onto a new stone.


    It was a bizarre activity, but when he had completed his one stone, it was an entire symphony! Unfortunately, the sounds were loud and distracting, much unlike real music, Ophia thought. But why did Nolan know this song as well?! And it spoke of unknown things!


    What the heck did it mean by man-eater? A tiger? A monster? Or was this a song talking about a terrible cannibal?


    ¡°Anyways, since we are planning on hiring professionals for a study period next year, we need to make cuts.¡±


    ¡°But¡­Nolan, many of the clubs need a high amount of income to supply their ever growing need for equipment.¡±


    ¡°That may be, Princess, but I have an idea in place if you will allow me to act upon it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    >>><<<


    ¡°Get that annoying idiot out here! How dare he cut our group¡¯s funding?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, our Eating Club won¡¯t stand for this!¡±


    ¡°Actually, you can go ahead and keep your low funding, the Eating Club sounds completely useless.¡±


    ¡°Hah?! And your Bubble Club isn¡¯t?! All you do is blow Ragweed Water all afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    At the entrance of the Academy, there was a large announcement. As of now, almost everyone¡¯s club got their funding cut!


    Only one club was saved and this was the best club on campus, the one Emeril was in, a close combat club. The one that had its entire funding cut was actually the Rise to Prominence club! Now almost no one will complain if there were three members that agreed to cut the funding of their own club!Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    In order to receive a better funding, prove the club¡¯s worth. The more worthy clubs will be funded and if all the clubs do well, then everyone will get more money. It was a simple incentive plan, but many were upset.


    Mainly the second years.


    The third years were fine and actually nodded their heads. They themselves knew that the useless clubs were a sore sight for good eyes. Thus, no one was able to openly complain, but the lower clubs had started to band together.


    ¡°Nolan, this isn¡¯t fair, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s completely fair. If you gave everyone the same amount of money, that would be unfair. Why would those who worked for where they are, be at the same level as someone who did nothing? I thought you wanted to appeal to the commoners?¡±


    Ophia gasped as she thought about the actions of equality.


    For her, wasn¡¯t equality where everyone was treated the same? Was she wrong? Nolan sounded correct, and even Emeril stood there proudly.


    ¡°We get lazy when things are easy. We must strive through adversity!¡±


    *Click!*


    Nolan activated a recording stone and also snapped an image of Emeril and went off to do something else. Zack chuckled and sat back in his seat to play around with his music. In front of him was a pile stacked high of paper. Yidris berated him and followed Nolan out while looking around strangely.


    After the whole ordeal with Nolan at the ball, Yidris had started acting differently around him. She would silently watch him and follow him if she had nothing else to do. Every time he acted heavy-handedly, her face would turn red and she would shiver. It soon came to light that Yidris either held intense attractiontowards Nolan or hated his guts.


    Nolan ignored the actions of the weirdo and continued knocking down troublesome students. Emeril would help out every now and then, but for the most part, Nolan would work on his control of power and smack the small fry around.


    After the Student Council meeting ended, the members of Rise to Prominence convened. Bucco was actually the one to start the conversation. Nolan was surprised, but he wasn¡¯t shocked. It would seem that Bucco had calmed down a lot since they had first met.


    ¡°Hey, Nolan, what¡¯s going on? You finally got some time to meet us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing much, just reprogramming my brain.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°When I was tampering with lightning magic, I internalized it to fill myself with power, but it went crazy and overwrote several parts of my brain. Now I have a safety mechanism that makes me essentially into an animal. So, I have to either rewrite the connection, which may make me a vegetable or add more, specifically made, electrical signals that can keep that mode under control.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Everyone was paying attention since this was a dangerous field.


    ¡°Well, instead of never unlocking the mode, I set a limit. If the mode is activated, it will switch back off, but the lowest time I can make it is 5 minutes. I also set a condition that it could only activate in times of high stress or when my life or someone else¡¯s life is in danger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad. What else?¡±


    ¡°Well, I rewired the desire to procreate in this mode to eat potatoes.¡±


    At this, everyone was flabbergasted.


    ¡°Well, I found the reason I kept going for the girls is that my pubescent body wanted sex. So, I just changed the target to something else. Simple. You know the basic needs of an animal, right?¡±


    Yidris looked a little lost in thought, but the others couldn¡¯t help chuckling at the weirdness of their strongest person. At the awkward surroundings, Nolan quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Ah, how are those two? Did they come to sign up?¡±


    ¡°Well, not yet, but they may just share info with us instead of joining us. Though they did talk about possibly joining.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Nolan looked around and sighed with a smile. It seemed that everyone here was now close and had gotten stronger since his absence. It had been nearly a week since he had come back, but now that he had finally met his fellow reincarnates, he calmed down.


    Well, not really, as the girls would probably come find him soon. He had evaded them for now, but¡­


    *cough*


    Nolan sat up abruptly and coughed to ease other¡¯s attention away from him as he stood up to go get some water. Unfortunately, Abigail stood in front of him. When he turned around, Bucco was standing, waiting for him. Then he realized everyone was boxing him in.


    ¡°Screw you!¡±


    Nolan clenched his teeth and darted off, applying magic energy into his legs and buzzing out the door, from which came several cries.


    ¡°Where did he go?!¡±


    ¡°He just left! He caught on!¡±


    Three super fast silhouettes could be seen chasing Nolan as he fled around the campus.


    ¡®Whew, they¡¯re still down there, hehe, once the heat cools off I can¡­uh oh¡¯


    One of the seemingly demonic figures stopped and looked right up at him.


    ¡®How can you read my mind from down there?!¡¯


    A shrill laugh came from below as Nolan once again fled. That night, people couldn¡¯t sleep as lightning strikes and evil auras filled the campus.


    Nolan should have greeted the girls when he came back¡­

 Chapter 40: Feeling Fine

    Nolan had been captured, as many people helped that night since no one could sleep. A demotivated red haired young man with glasses laid down on his side, his hands tied behind his back. He looked as if he was kidnapped.


    However, his captors were instead rubbing themselves all over him, hugging him and one girl slid her hand into his pants.


    ¡®Delania, please.¡¯


    ¡°Sorry, couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    It had been several more months since they could be this close to him, of course. He had spent all that time recuperating and as soon as he came back, he joined the student council!


    Ilya was sniffing him all over and didn¡¯t want to let his scent disappear. Even Gina was twirling her fingers in his hair and looking at him. Delania was hugging him like a long pillow and kept blowing into his ear while her legs gripped him with a hard strength.


    He was merely their toy, but he had to be subjected to this. No, the punishment was to not be able to move. This meant his inner self was screaming in frustration. It was actually kind of comedic, but Nolan had other things on his mind.


    ¡®Why? Why do you like me so? I hurt you, I¡¯m a danger. I bet you can find anyone better than me.¡¯


    ¡°Stupid, it¡¯s because there is no one better than you that we act this way.¡±


    Delania couldn¡¯t help whispering into his ear and playfully licking it, making Nolan shiver.


    These girls were special and not to be messed with, however, this guy had treated them, if not normally, then differently from everyone else. Ilya was constantly called strong when she was just as girly as Princess Ophia, wanting to live a nice and quiet life. Nolan cooked for her and didn¡¯t really care if she was strong or not, as he was there to protect her. He was even afraid of hurting her!


    If her father had heard this, then he would have spat up his drink. His daughter, weak?! Impossible! She was the strongest member of the clan and carried the purest of their powerful blood!


    Gina was looked upon as a disgrace, as she couldn¡¯t even cast normal magic effectively. She embarrassed her father, even though he denied it. And when she came to this place and people found out she couldn¡¯t cast magic like a normal demon, she saw something else.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®What? Then what good are you? You¡¯re a demon and can¡¯t even use magic? What a waste.¡¯


    She was pretty and distant, making her a top beauty of the school, but she had a definite flaw. She was useless in the eyes of others. So when Nolan came and gave her a chance to prove herself, she jumped on it. Even if what he said was a lie, she wouldn¡¯t have felt bad and would have still hung out with him for even trying to help her. She didn¡¯t have one friend, but after meeting Nolan, she now had three!


    Even though the Demon King was apprehensive, he couldn¡¯t hate Nolan.


    But Delania was the bad egg. The black sheep. Her past before the Academy was a secret, even if she said some things, it could have been lies. One thing was true and that was the fact she could hear thoughts.


    This made her the opposite of Gina. She was too useful. Her family wanted her to become a tool, while normal people shunned her. Then she came here and met people who had thoughts pertaining to things she had never known of before. When she approached one, he had actually blocked her from reading his thoughts!


    This was the first time it had happened! Not only was she shocked, she had actually become scared! Did he have the ability to block her power? What was this?! But when he realized his secret of being a reincarnate was already found out, he dropped the wall and let her in.


    Sure, he had a lot of faults and his thoughts were perverted, but he didn¡¯t hide it. He was only afraid of causing her problems from knowing things. For someone to be afraid for her? Unheard of. She was a tool. She had to protect herself, so she learned how to wield her ax and use curse magic, but¡­


    This man was the one who let her read his mind. He communicated with her. He liked her. She knew what he was thinking, and even though he had stray thoughts that aggravated her, she couldn¡¯t hate him. He was now hers. Okay, so she would have to share, but if there was a famous painting, then shouldn¡¯t everyone get a chance to appreciate its beauty?


    That was how Delania felt about Nolan.


    These three had attached themselves to Nolan, who had never felt the true concept of love. He liked these girls, but love? Well¡­


    Unknown to him, he was actually a loving person. He may have just spouted nonsense to Zack, but he definitely loved each of the characters in the game. They were all flushed out and had reasons for their actions. Sure, he may not have had true feelings of love for them, as he recognized it was a fictional setting, but now he had a closer relationship with them. He had a brotherly love with Hector and Emeril, while Lily was like a sister.


    His parents were kind and he had a good upbringing. But towards these girls, he would rather die than hurt them willingly. He deluded himself into thinking that he thought of them as dolls or daughters, but he was completely wrong.


    Well, now he was realizing his feelings. The girls had quickly tired themselves out and rested on him. Feeling them close and warming his body, he felt secure and happy. Inside his body, a lot of the weight from the ball and other events were lifted and even some of the remnant damages of the lightning in his head faded. Not enough to change things noticeably, but it had happened.


    It was best to be around the ones you love who also love you.


    That night, Nolan slept with three pretty young women, earning him quite a few dirty looks and even some cheers the next day. But seriously, he was unable to move about, so nothing happened.

 Chapter 41: Being Lazy is Bad

    Zack and Nolan were calmly sitting at the table in the Rise to Prominence clubroom. The others were off doing their own things, but Nolan had already caught back up on his studies. The number one in the school didn¡¯t seem like it would leave Nolan¡¯s position anytime soon, even with his massive absence.


    Zack, on the other hand¡­well¡­


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in class? Have you gotten some good tutoring from Miss Kina?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I forgot about her! No, Sylphia is putting in a good word for me.¡±


    Nolan put down his papers and readjusted his new glasses to look at the deviant Zack.


    ¡°Hm? So you have no qualms being a boy toy or a trophy husband? The way things are going, you will be relying entirely on her. Even your sexy times may suffer. A relationship can only be effective when both put forth the effort.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the words of wisdom, Oh Great Sage!¡±


    Zack chuckled and continued messing with the magic stones in front of him. This was the one thing he had learned from Sylphia, someone who was an elf and endowed in magical control. Though, not as much as a demon.


    Nolan sighed and finished his papers.


    ¡°So, are you thinking about participating in the tournament? How about the Cross Academy Rumble?¡±


    ¡°Meh, maybe the tournament, but that continent-wide battle was always a mess. Completely random each time I played.¡±


    ¡°That was the point. The stages for the matches are all randomly selected, and the teams are all randomly matched up. Thus, the game¡¯s algorithms set up a path.¡±


    ¡°Really? Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, I looked into it. The first variable in the code was the location of the fight. The second was the two teams. Depending on the situation, then one of the two teams would win. It would be definite. However, since I went AWOL at the ball, we can throw that out the window. Who knows what kind of training they all did since then?¡±


    ¡°True. Well, that makes it even more of a hassle.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, I made a list of the outcomes. I was working on it in preparation, so here, you can take a look. I also added the original matchup for the tournament, but you can probably toss out the top ten.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s inevitable. I am sure all of us reincarnates will be popping up in the top ten!¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hmm¡­anyway, my worries are on the second years. None have acted out yet. Even though they are full of conniving sleazebags, they are a cohesive group under the wings of the Second Prince. You surely know that.¡±


    ¡°Duh, and if the main character had made a move towards following Ophia, then Julias would stop at nothing to cause trouble for him! Ah, that¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Emeril, blockhead. It¡¯s obvious that Emeril is the main character.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and then there is you as well.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Nolan scoffed and stood up. He straightened his things and left the room after waving bye to Zack. The potion making music loving trouble maker, on the other hand, hardened his expression.


    ¡°Hehe, I can finally see how far my potions have come! And with these Songstones, surely my special magic can now be on display! I¡¯m not that much of an idiot, Nolan! Though¡­I probably need some tutoring¡­yikes. I would hate to see Sylphia get upset!¡±


    He dashed out of the room, too, but after he left, a strange breeze flew in and the complete recording stone glowed. This was the other major hobby of the flippant womanizer besides potions and women, the Songstone. When applied with magic energy, a complete song would be released. However, these undulations would be special from person to person.


    Then, a calming song filled the clubroom as a strange magical energy seemed to soak into the surrounding furniture. Before long, they too were glowing. A strange sight, but one that Zack had been used to for a while now. All this time that Nolan was beating himself up, Zack was working on taking over as the main character.


    Nolan had fallen. Sure, he had strengthened his bond to his girls, but as a heroic figure, he would probably never reach that point again. Now, the only person who had a chance was Emeril!


    But, Zack knew full well that if he managed to rise to the top, he would be the underdog hero, a commoner who managed to outstrip the nobles by a long way. The common misconception was to believe that the freshmen were enemies when the main character was a senior, but that was from the noble¡¯s perspective! Why would the commoners bow down to the nobles when one was so strong?


    Of course, Zack never made it that far in his own playthroughs, but after reading the guides the other members made, he had created some assumptions. He didn¡¯t realize that the others had made that labeling before they had reincarnated, he just assumed that they would cause problems now that they were nobles.


    No, the freshmen were not all loyal to the kingdoms nearby. If the player had made it to the last year without being famous, then there were others who would fill that position. They were spies and conmen from the other kingdoms. Some would be arriving next year, but they would remain hidden until the final year!


    Sure, the others knew and understood this, but Zack was his own special kind of ridiculous. He focused on the women more than the story and made potions instead of training how to fight. Then, he made music instead of studying. From all over, people saw him as a lazy oaf.


    But when those potions would dissolve an entire stage into nothing or scare even level ten fighters, the people would all look at him differently! When that music that everyone thought was useless ripped people to shreds like invisible swords and cause them to explode like a bug in a microwave, his might as a mage would be unopposed!


    But his time that he should have spent training to fight or at least get used to his tools was left behind, as he would instead chase after skirts once more. If the others knew of his thoughts and actions, they would all shake their heads in wonder and amazement that someone could be so ingenious, yet so stupid.

 Chapter 42: I Hate Tournament Arcs, So I Skipped It

    Most people would try and fight the weaker enemies first before fighting the stronger ones. It would be similar to a game where one would challenge upwards, like a trial. However, the Academy decided to have the tournament before the school meet.


    This way, the freshmen would either learn of defeat now or face higher level opponents and be ready for the school rumble. It was not only a training moment but also a way to make the extremely important cross-continent event seem not as bad. They overhyped the tournament and brought people¡¯s families from all over.


    Even Zack¡¯s parents appeared! Since they were in the beginning of the game, he remembered them, but he just waved and didn¡¯t go to meet them. He didn¡¯t want to, but he couldn¡¯t have gone over even if he did. The fight was about to begin and several fields were separated for duels and team matches.


    The best team by far was Nolan¡¯s team. Afterward, Hector¡¯s team which included Lily and two other powerful seniors got second. Following that was Emeril¡¯s team which consisted of him, Ophia, the Saintess, and even the powerful alumni Amethia! No, she wasn¡¯t on the team, but her support was massive. The actual last member was a small girl who didn¡¯t seem that important to the crowd.


    However, the other reincarnates all gasped. For this was a girl who was a dragon, unlike Gina who only had the organs of one! Her little loli appearance was cute, as she sat on Emeril¡¯s shoulders eating a giant lollipop, but the aura behind this elder dragon¡¯s child was dangerous!


    A couple months before, Emeril was on a mission for his father to see what was going on at one of the large mountains. It turned out to be a dragon who was rampaging around due to her lost egg! An elder dragon going on a rampage was dangerous! Thankfully, the egg was fine. After saving the egg and bringing her back to her mom, she hatched, calling him her father.


    After that, she was sent to the Academy as not only a sign of good faith but as a way to train the little girl quickly. Seeing the outside world would be beneficial.


    So with the baby dragon participating, Emeril¡¯s team only had three suitable people, but they still made third place!


    After that came Bucco, Abigail, and even the two girls who caused trouble during the festival, Bailey and Tetra!


    Yidris was not participating in the team area, as she was instead going to be an announcer. Joining her was the ne¡¯er-do-well Zack as he made dirty jokes and got booed at by the crowd on several occasions. Though for the most part, it was all in good fun.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    He was the person everyone loved to hate. He even knew he wasn¡¯t a saint, so he expected everyone¡¯s reactions.


    To be honest, the solo ranking was pretty similar to the duels. Nolan had squeezed a victory out of Hector, who barely got past Emeril. The trio were at the top of the charts, followed by the other reincarnates and team members of Emeril and Hector.


    But everyone was surprised by the fact that so many first years had gotten so high!


    Even more so was Zack¡¯s display of power, though he didn¡¯t get too far because they were all tricks.


    The potions proved to be really effective, but he couldn¡¯t use poison if there wasn¡¯t an antidote. Even the Songstones weren¡¯t as effective as he had thought. They caused people to be nauseous and dizzy, but since everyone was strong and could use magic, the energy waves could be dispelled after a while.


    So, he made it up high on the list, but he had no other foundation on which to fight on. He used tricks, so he could only go so far.


    Seeing as how Nolan, Emeril, and their friends were all so strong, it would seem that the Academy would not only get the senior victory but also the freshmen victory! However, the biggest upset of all was the fact that none of the second years participated!


    It was so they could say later, ¡®You can¡¯t be stronger than us, you haven¡¯t fought us yet. Oh, you want to fight us? You aren¡¯t worth our time.¡¯


    The nobles would make use of these disgusting ploys to remain above the main class until they graduated, but they were finding it harder and harder to keep themselves from hiding. The strength of Nolan alone was enough to scare nearly half of the juniors out of their pants!


    They definitely had to win this school meet if they wanted to at least look strong!


    Another way to look at the situation was that Nolan scared the juniors into silence. With them not acting out, things had the appearance of calm, but the storm was brewing and once the clouds broke, the torrent would fall, drenching everything in its path.


    The enemy regions, the threat of war, the stupidity of spoiled nobles, and even the chance at something more dangerous approaching were all being recorded by the Rise to Prominence so as to help them be prepared.


    Even minor no names within the game were important now! Everyone banded together to research the stories and paths taken in the game, so as to help alleviate any mishaps in the future.


    Even though they were strong already, professionals were needed. With only a month between the tournament and the class meet, it was time to bring in a professional who would guide the students down a safe path for the future. However, three people answered the calls, much more than Nolan expected.


    One of magic, his control and output heads above any other.


    One of close combat, his strength unrivaled and his will unbreakable.


    And one of swords, his aura was sharp and unforgiving.


    However, Nolan knew all three of these people!


    Demon King.


    Beast King.


    Even the Prime Minister!


    For some reason, the aura they emitted was even stronger than what they showed at the ball! Were they hiding their power, or did they experience a breakthrough after that day?


    Either way, Nolan was shaking from fear! Two of his potential father-in-laws had come!

 Chapter 43: Unfair Advances

    ¡°Oh? Nolan, why are you acting like that? It is I, Ru-¡°


    ¡°Hush, Lizard Breath. Let I, the King of Beasts, speak. Greetings, I am-¡°


    ¡°Hah?! You want to do what now?!¡±


    While those two old guys duke it out, maybe the Prime Minister has something better to add.


    ¡°I look forward to wiping the floor with you.¡±


    Eh?! No way, what is this?!


    No, now even the two rivals are glaring at me!


    ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s right. We have to thank you for pushing us to the level of myths and legends. What better way than to give you what you have given us?¡±


    ¡°I agree. A young boy like you needs to be rather strong in order to wed my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Now listen here, you furry oaf! If anything, your daughter is going to be a concubine! If she has your genes, I would be afraid for my future son-in-law¡¯s welfare!¡±


    More like be afraid for my food expenditure. But wait, what is going on?!


    ¡°Anyways, those two aside, how about marrying my Amethia? She is strong, powerful, robust, and tough.¡±


    Those¡­are all similar¡­actually, aren¡¯t they all synonyms?


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Listen here, Sword Fanatic!¡±


    Ah, these three are essentially all just old fogies. But why are they going to such lengths for me?


    ¡°You look confused.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Rudeus is fine, son.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Someone help.


    ¡°Well, if you must know, the strongest of humanity would probably be us three. In the west, that is. However, you helped us reach a new stage, something that hasn¡¯t been heard of for hundreds of years. We are now up there with Principal Aguilar¡­sort of.¡±


    Thank you, Mister Beast King.


    Wait, so this means there is more than just 10 levels? No, that makes sense, because this will eventually be an MMO world, full of RPG players and such...or something like that.


    But the realm of myths and legends? Are they that strong? And I helped them make a breakthrough? How?


    ¡°Your control over magic and combining it with swordplay was a new insight to us. Even I, as the Demon King, was inspired to follow in your footsteps and combine my magic and sword style. Though I plan to take a different approach.¡±


    ¡°I decided to learn that Soul Force from Ilya and combine it with my martial arts.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°And I decided to use shield abilities and sword abilities.¡±


    Wait, so just by combining different paths, they moved to a greater height? Is it like that? Getting a Job Change? Huh.


    I did start off as a mage but then became a magic swordsman. I wonder what comes after that.


    Well, with these three, we are off to a good start. Once a week, on the first day after the weekly holiday, the three powerhouses will teach one of the three grades. Then they rotate. It takes place instead of the Combat Class after lunch, so it¡¯s not that long.


    But with their experiences and knowledge, people will quickly get stronger.


    This kind of method was usually reserved for royal members even among the royal family. However, now people who were strong and also had the ability to comprehend these guys¡¯ words will grow even better. People like Hector, specifically.


    But that is not until later.


    After managing to evade them, I got to rest by myself in the student council room.


    However, there was someone else I never expected to be there.


    Yidris.


    To me, she was always the person on the side. She never really stuck out at me¡­currently, anyway. In the game, she was the stern bodyguard who constantly stayed by Ophia¡¯s side. Nothing could be said to remove her. But now, she seems to be a normal girl, which makes her appear not as important to me. But she holds the RtP Club together and enchants all of our equipment. I guess I have been taking her for granted, recently.


    I wonder why she is here.


    ¡°Ah! Nolan! Umm¡­hi¡­¡±


    That question aside, I know she ended up falling for the other me. You know, the Switch-Nolan, the one who just wishes to fulfill his desires? Yeah, that kind of overwhelming badass that just wipes the floor with people. Now, she can¡¯t help but see him whenever she sees me. It¡¯s like she keeps waiting for him to appear.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just making sure Zack cleaned up after himself. He was devastated about his fighting style not being as awesome as he expected.¡±


    ¡°That was a given. Cheap tricks are only for people who don¡¯t expect it. For someone like Zack to use cheap tricks, it was a given from the start. If I were to use cheap tricks, however, it would most likely work, since I also have such amazing skills. No one would expect someone as strong as me to lower myself like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°But you did really well. I know you have been practicing your enchanting, but your archery seems to be just as good as usual.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks.¡±


    Now she is blushing. It is such a contrast from the game because she wasn¡¯t even a love interest before. She actually hated Zack and became a rival. However, in some cases, the rivals were also love interests, which was weird. For example, Bucco was one. I never went down that route, so I didn¡¯t really pay attention, but it was the classic guys only club with handsome muscle men routine.


    Ugh, I get shivers imagining it. I am really not into that stuff, I swear. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I don¡¯t hate people who are, I just have that mentality to stay away from things that aren¡¯t me. Like places where death is easy to see, like at the top of a skyscraper or inside a speeding car.


    Not that being next to a gay guy leads to my death¡­but the stress from being misunderstood by the girls would probably drive me to insanity. I was quite the virgin in my past life.


    Ah, but here I am, surrounded by girls. You know, I like this life and all, but I still need to drop some of my past habits. Even though Gina mentioned her father didn¡¯t like the idea of me having multiple wives, he didn¡¯t seem that upset about it. Maybe I just need to talk.


    However, I need to deal with Yidris now. She looks at me with such a burning gaze, I won¡¯t be able to ignore it any longer.


    ¡°Yidris, why do you like me?¡±


    ¡°Eh?! W-w-what?! No, no! I-I-it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you, you know!¡±


    Ah, she¡¯s flustered. She can¡¯t maintain eye contact. She keeps waving her hands around. Her red eyes dart all over the place while her blonde hair swishes back and forth.


    But she also messed up her words.


    ¡°So you do like me.¡±


    ¡°EEEHHH?!?!¡±


    She collapses at my feet, tired and¡­afraid?


    ¡°Yidris, come here.¡±


    I hold my hand out for her, but she sits there in a daze. Wait, did she not even realize it herself? Maybe she had been denying it the entire time. Crap, should I have let it go?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, forgive me!¡±


    And then she hurriedly got up and ran out the door while covering her face. Was she crying? I feel so stupid. I only thought of the other players as friends or acquaintances, since I treated them differently. I acted normal around them, just like Delania. What should I do?


    I skipped a flag somewhere, huh¡­

 Chapter 44: Troublemakers

    Things had changed considerably within the school. There were club duels to compete for club rankings and at the end of each week, the student council would visit the last place club in order to see if they should remain.


    Within the first week, five clubs had been disbanded. But for some reason, no one was too upset. It seemed that the students were working extremely hard and they were beginning to show their passion. Some had to figure out if they wanted to continue in a low ranking club or attend a better club and also work on studying.


    Others could easily find the most popular clubs when they would attend the school in the future. The second years were upset, but they tried to use these rules to undermine the RtP club.


    ¡°Haha! The last club that doesn¡¯t even have an allowance! No funding! What is the point of even keeping it?!¡±


    Pedro, a second year from the coast. His father runs a ship building business and also helps run an auction house. In the game, his antics were pretty much like a thug working for the Crown Prince. Abysmal. He also ended up being a sort of antagonist towards Bucco whose family also deals with making ships.


    He and some other students with hardly any status had come to the club room in order to duel it. They had picked a time when Nolan, Zack, and Yidris were still in the council room. However, that meant Abigail and Bucco were still there. They were packing their things and about to head towards the Dungeon City when they got stopped.


    ¡°We can keep our club since the school is not supporting it. The Rise to Prominence club is funded by our own efforts.¡±


    Abigail was grouchy, so she spoke harshly. However, Pedro smirked at her and looked her up and down. Abigail stood out like a sore thumb since she looked like an adult. And a hot one, especially.


    But before he could say something lewd, he was interrupted.


    ¡°You wanna duel? Come on, then!¡±


    As he turned, a huge chunk of something blocked his vision. Then, he was sent flying into the yard outside. It was good that the clubs were situated in the outside buildings, or the main building would have had a hole in the wall!


    Most duels used the concepts of their purposes instead of brute force, but sometimes, that was the best deterrent. Besides, the Rise to Prominence club focused on gathering knowledge of the game world. How was it to satisfy that purpose? They had already screwed everything up!


    On Bucco¡¯s back was a large buckler, but he held a large hammer in one hand and an ax in the other. He readied himself and let loose a loud yell, scaring the other second years.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Che! Damn! What are you waiting for, get him!¡±


    ¡°Oh? I thought it was a duel. In that case, let me join in.¡±


    Abigail swung her hand gracefully, sending a wave of fire outwards to push the guys back. They felt the heat of the fire at such a close range, one of them actually fell backward and started sliding away.


    For someone looking at the situation, it could be said that the second years were weak, but that would be wrong.


    It normally took people ten years just to hopefully master one style. For example, it was normal for people to master something by the middle of their lifespan.


    So for these people, the members of Rise to Prominence and the other main characters, to be over level six in anything, they were considerably strong. Even in the game, they were strong people.


    But why?


    Well, in the game, Bucco had suffered something terrible that he couldn¡¯t stop, so he ended up focusing his entire life in order to become a knight. Abigail was used as a pawn in order to spy on the western region by the northern region, so she had to deal with a lot of issues.


    But now, Bucco had managed to stop his sister¡¯s murder and Abigail ran away from the northern kingdom herself. In a sense, they were probably even stronger than their original selves!


    Actually, the same could be said for Yidris. She was confined to the Princess, but now she was free to perform her hobbies. Even Nolan had saved Hector and stopped Emeril from turning twisted.


    As the two pummeled the upperclassmen, several other people were watching from the shadows.


    One was the Crown Prince, Julias. He was also being escorted by several strong looking knights. The other was a young boy. Although, he could have been mistaken as a girl.


    ¡°Are you sure this will work? Every single member of that club is strong. And three of them are on the student council. Adding on the toughest freshman, the student council is probably the strongest it has ever been.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hush. If you hadn¡¯t proven useful, then I would have just ignored you. See, I can do this much myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­True. I find it hard to believe your story, but I must, after witnessing your efforts over the months we have worked together. I see. Then what do you think we should do? My sister is getting too strong.¡±


    ¡°Look, all you need to do is get rid of Emeril. His father is the Prime Minster, yes? Surely you can pull some strings in order to get him to do something dangerous during the summer. Then I can go along. Since no one suspects me, then I can get close and finish him off.¡±


    The cute smile of the boy made Julias shudder, but he nodded.


    ¡°Alright, if you can do that, then I can find a way to have you marry Ophia.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Josine! And Yidris! Ahaha!¡±


    The cute boy¡¯s demented laughter filled the room, while the knights put their hands on their blades out of caution.


    ¡°Huh? Are you getting antsy?¡±


    ¡°Stand down.¡±


    One knight didn¡¯t react fast enough, unfortunately, to the prince¡¯s command. The boy jumped up and smacked the knight in the face, sending him into a strange state.


    ¡°I apologize for my men¡¯s actions. Please remove that strange spell!¡±


    ¡°Only because we are partners, okay?¡±


    The boy smiled sweetly and flicked the knight in the head. He woke up as if he had fallen asleep standing up and cowered before the boy.


    The Incubus walked away while swishing his tail, ignoring the whimpers of the knight behind him. As a demon related to one of the factions against the Demon King, the child, a soon-to-be freshman, was happily waiting for his first day of school. He unfurled his small wings and dashed away, his powder blue hair swaying softly in the breeze.


    This was Gideon, the person who would cause trouble for Zack if he had decided to head down the Gina route.


    And he wasn¡¯t the only one. It would seem that with another year, another batch of players would arrive.

 Chapter 45: I Said Skip the Tournaments

    Unbeknownst to the crew, people began to move in the background. However, the continent-wide battle tournament would be taking place soon.


    The top members of the solo battles got ready as well as some other people to fill in for their teams.


    So, for the freshmen, it would be Nolan, Emeril, and surprisingly, Tetra. For the seniors, it was to be Hector, Lily, and another guy who focused on magic. But for support, Gina, Ilya, Delania, and Josine came as well. Ophia was the princess and had to appear for ceremonial purposes, so she came, too.


    The other members of Rise to Prominence worked hard on their studies. It was difficult for Zack, as he needed tutoring. He was sent to the Succubus¡¯ office to receive ¡®personal¡¯ education. However, she was a sadistic woman and tended to get violent. It was a complete difference from her outer appearance of a shy and awkward assistant teacher.


    That was because she would start off earnest and eventually get stricter over time. Then, her provocative self began to like it. Much to Zack¡¯s unfortunate health. He almost quit the tutoring, but when Sylphia mentioned that she could not put in a good word for him, as she was not prestigious enough, he put forth the effort. Otherwise, he would be expelled from the school and lose his harem!


    The crew that left for the tournament went by magical portals. These were expensive to use to travel around the continent in the game, as not only was Zack a child, but he also didn¡¯t have a noble background. Nolan, on the other hand, just had to use some identification and then he could easily use it. However, there weren¡¯t that many portals. Essentially, only five were made. One was located in each region, the Northern, Southern, and Western, but there were two more. One was located in the neutral area between all three regions, which was where the tournament was to be held, and the other was located on a small island off the southern coast.


    This island was home to the last Dungeon available in the game, so it was extremely hard. Thankfully, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult since the people were getting really strong now.


    The neutral territory found itself along the large river the trisected the continent. Instead of building the city outwards from the river, they built it along the river straight to the coast. So, it became the Riverwall City, a place where only the richest could live.


    The matches in Riverwall City were pretty cool, as the arena was placed on a floating ring. No, it didn¡¯t wobble, but it was fun to knock the enemy into the water in the game.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    As easy as it was to win at the Academy, it was also easy here. However, the second years had to actually participate this time, since if they didn¡¯t win, they would lose a lot of face. Think about it, if the seniors and freshmen were the only ones to win, then the second years would look like garbage in comparison, and those snobbish guys wanted nothing to do with bad appearances.


    Even though the various schools all tried to get stronger quickly, thanks to the aftermath of the ball, they still couldn¡¯t handle Nolan who managed to barely control his power.


    The tournament only lasted about three days, but it felt even quicker than that. On the way back home, Emeril received a message from his father.


    ¡°Huh? Dad said I need to head towards the eastern border. Otherwise, we may be in some trouble.¡±


    ¡°Does it say we can come?¡±


    Nolan still had the idea of the awesome team they could make, so he asked Emeril if he could come or bring along Hector and Lily. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid or suspicious because it was often that Emeril would go off during the summer.


    Well, in the game, anyway. It was there to make for some forced conflict. If you were having too good of a time with your girl(s) and/or boy(s), then Emeril would come and ruin the fun.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s all go!¡±


    Before he could laugh, Nolan felt himself get grabbed onto from all sides.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking us with you, right?¡±


    ¡°I want to go exploring, too!¡±


    ¡°What if you meet another girl while you are away?¡±


    ¡®Ah! Delania, don¡¯t jinx it!¡¯


    Emeril laughed at the goofy situation Nolan was in until a little girl and a Saintess latched onto him as well.


    ¡°Aww, drat. We¡¯re in public, so I have to behave myself.¡±


    Ophia was just behind him, staring at Emeril warmly. When Emeril realized his own goofy situation, his laugh sputtered and died out. Hector, on the other hand, actively reached over and wrapped his arm around Lily¡¯s shoulder and pulled her close.


    ¡°I can wrap both of my arms around her! Hahaha!¡±


    Hector had thought they were comparing their hugging power, so he took Lily in a bear hug, practically enveloping her. Her face was red, but at least she wasn¡¯t hurting.


    All of the girls stared at Lily¡¯s expression and then turned towards their guy and looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any extra arms. You will have to take turns.¡±


    ¡°Umm, what?¡±


    Nolan¡¯s reply was quick and understanding, but not very bright. Now the girls wanted to be first to be hugged.


    However, Emeril was dense and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    All in all, the trip was fun and their summer was already planned out.


    That is until they were stopped.


    ¡°Actually, it would be best if the Saintess and Princess remained in the kingdom, sorry.¡±


    Everyone just stared at the Prime Minister who looked upset as well before looking down at the ground.


    ¡°Well, I have to keep little Arga safe, so she can be my fourth member. Hector and Lily can fill in for the other two¡­sorry, Nolan.¡±


    ¡°No, no problem. Thank you for letting me hang out with the girls. You go have fun.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Prime Minister was anxious, as he could feel that this abrupt mission had some strange connotations. He had hoped Nolan would go along with Hector, but it was unfair to split up not just one group, not to mention Hector and Lily. He could only sigh as he filled out the required paperwork for them to travel safely through the land.

 Chapter 46: Rushing Through Summer Break

    The year was over. People could go on vacation for two whole months.


    But where to go? Emeril, Hector, Lily, and the baby dragon girl all left for the northeastern border, while the other players had other plans already. Yidris had been avoiding Nolan, to where he couldn¡¯t even see her, so he decided to take Ilya, Gina, and Delania to a stronger Dungeon.


    During the last few days of school, by using her amazing eyes, Yidris could keep an eye out and run away from Nolan. On the first day of summer break, she had let her guard down and didn¡¯t notice him until he was several yards away. She ended up running away so quickly, she wasn¡¯t paying attention to her surroundings.


    So when several shadows were waiting for her around a corner, she couldn¡¯t react fast enough to avoid the magic that was used to incapacitate her. Julius¡¯ men silently took her away.


    >>><<<


    For Emeril, he was in a better position. They were to take care of a stampede of wild wyverns. Not full blown dragon dangerous, but wyverns were still lesser dragons. They could cause all sorts of problems. And so, the numbers of the wyverns were culled.


    They met up with envoys from other groups, such as the Demon Kingdom and even the Beast Kingdom. However, every little warning sign was going off in Emeril¡¯s head. The monsters never ceased and the most of the fighting was done by the four of them, even though the other groups all had close to ten people.


    So when they turned on him in the middle of a dangerous fight, he wasn¡¯t that surprised, but he was still upset. Thankfully, Hector¡¯s level 10 swordplay was enough to deal with any scoundrel that wanted to mess with him.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?! Why are you at level 10?! Dammit!¡±


    Several of the people responded as such to Hector, but there was no one who was leading them. Instead, it appeared that everyone was almost acting independently. Sure, they were all way above average in strength, but their teamwork was nonexistent.


    Even though the three of them and the baby dragon were all special, they couldn¡¯t really hold off against several tens of fighters. And since they were ¡®allies,¡¯ they couldn¡¯t be killed. So they were saved when a large dragon came down and stopped the fight.


    She apologized for the migrating wyverns and saved Emeril¡¯s group, as her daughter was with him. It would seem this event was still trouble caused by the large dragon.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    So the whole plan was in vain and now they would be disciplined. Many of the people were crying out things like ¡®Game Over¡¯ and ¡®This is unfair!¡¯


    But that didn¡¯t stop the consequences of their actions. They were not really ready to kill people, which was nice, but they were still weird. Emeril couldn¡¯t wait to tell Nolan.


    >>><<<


    Yidris was practically thrown into a gaudy room where a blue haired pretty boy was. He was currently speaking to someone, but Yidris was surprised to see it was Josine and Ophia!


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve arrived. I just got them under my spell, so I haven¡¯t done anything yet, but after I get you, I will have some fun, hehehe. I hate that I was given such a body, but this power isn¡¯t that bad!¡±


    ¡®A player?! I have never seen him before! Is he supposed to be in our grade?! A second year?! No¡­no, this guy¡­that¡¯s it! He is a freshman next year! No way!¡¯


    She readied herself and pulled out two strange rods from some straps on her legs. Her real weapons had been removed, but with these, she should be alright.


    She twisted one rod and it lengthened to become a long and thin staff with weird curves. However, when she pulled some string from one end and connected it to the other, the staff bent and became a bow! She had done this so fast, it was amazing!


    The other rod opened up and revealed several needle thin rods that were the length of crossbow bolts. She grabbed one and pulled it to the string as she enchanted it with fire magic.


    ¡°What?! I have never seen you have that weapon!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind killing you, player.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    For some reason, the incubus started to shiver in place. He had never thought Yidris would come up with something like this, not that she knew he was a player. He knew she was a player because he had done some research.


    If he had found out Hector had become level 10, then he would have called the whole thing off, as no matter how many, level 6s would never defeat him. So it wasn''t just in this case where he didn''t do his research.


    A hastily put together plan is easy to pull apart.


    No, he thought that Yidris was defenseless. He reached for his weapon, but it wasn¡¯t drawn yet and he got a needle stuck in his arm. The fire burned right through and a small black hole marred the incubus¡¯ skin.


    ¡°AAAGH! IT HURTS!!¡±


    He fell down and grasped his arm, giving her the time she needed to rush in and beat him up. Once he became unconscious, she went to the two girls and started to cure them of their bewitched state. It took a little, as she wasn¡¯t well versed in that area, but she soon got it. As she shouldered them to the door, someone¡¯s loud footsteps could be heard.


    They backed up just in time to see Bucco smash through the door wielding two flaming heavy weapons. He was in a berserk state as he looked around, but then he stopped after seeing the girls okay and the enemy on the ground.


    ¡°Oh. My bad. I guess you are already good.¡±


    Abigail slowly came in with grace, but when she saw that the fight was over, she relaxed, dropping her shoulders. She rushed over and hugged Yidris while her fire was out of control.


    Bucco carried the perpetrator while the two girls helped the princess and Saintess to safety.


    Yep¡­things went well¡­


    Except for on Nolan¡¯s side. He was all alone and surrounded by enemies. The Dungeon they had gone to was actually the special island one of the coast, the supposed hardest Dungeon in the game.

 Chapter 47: Tension, Never!

    ¡°Oh? You guys. Why are you trying to head into the dungeon while being bewitched? Here, let me Cure you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thanks¡­?¡±


    Julius and his crew were about to lay the ambush for Nolan and the girls, but they were surprised by the guard at the front. After it was gone, the Second Prince knew that what he was doing was stupid. No way was it going to work. This bewitching power was so strong, it even went above the defensive items he had!


    However, they were all here now, so they might as well try, was what some of them were saying. They still hated Nolan and the other freshmen for their willful ways, so they decided to at least strike some punishment into them.


    They split into two groups. Most of the juniors were in the level 7-8 range, so the upper elites and the couple of 9s went down while the weaker ones stayed hidden at the upper levels.


    This dungeon was massive and could shoulder all sorts of teams, but this led to conflict between them as well. However, it would seem that this kind of conflict would be worse than usual.


    When Nolan arrived, he split up from the girls. Not because he noticed anything wrong, but because he wanted to see how strong he had gotten by himself. He told the girls that they could go in at a slow pace, but he was going to rush ahead and go as far as he could before having to return.


    So, the girls coordinated themselves and tried to follow him, but he had used his lightning speed to quickly enter the lower floors. However, this meant that if the juniors wanted to ambush them, they would have to act soon, or the elites were going to have some trouble.


    >>><<<


    I don¡¯t get it. What makes his power so great? I heard about it from the people who went to the freshmen ball, but¡­I can¡¯t imagine my sister having those guys under her thumb at all, at this point. Just how badly did I get bewitched?


    I hope she¡¯s okay. I will have to apologize profusely. I¡­I might have lost my chance to inherit the throne¡­


    No, that is okay for now. To be toyed with by someone who isn¡¯t even a freshman, how low can I fall? I must at least stand up here. I may lose, but since we are students as well, we shouldn¡¯t end up dying. Of course, if Nolan is as dangerous as they say¡­Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Wait, if he is on anyone¡¯s side, it would be the Prime Minister¡¯s side! How could I be so stupid?


    ¡°Your Highness, it seems he is already here.¡±


    ¡°Already? And the others?¡±


    ¡°He is alone.¡±


    I see. No, this is probably our only chance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Hah, it¡¯s time.


    >>><<<


    Wow, did the juniors do this all for me? How stupid. Well, this is kind of dangerous, to do this in a place that people die in on a regular basis. Thankfully, we are only on the fifth floor.


    First, a greeting. Wait, this isn¡¯t all of them, is it? Ah, are they going after the girls as well? They probably split up to encircle us. Damn, I am getting tense.


    I open the pack on my side and pull out¡­!


    Potato cakes! It would seem that my actions are being affected. This tense situation is affecting me after all. Damn.


    >>><<<


    Is he¡­eating? In this situation? What kind of madman is he?! There¡¯s no way to fight a person who can calmly look at such a situation and eat!


    ¡°Ah, is this going to take a while? I want to go check on the girls.¡±


    Now it is my turn. We should diffuse the situation f-


    ¡°Hehehe, we can¡¯t touch the princesses, but that pink haired lass should be getting punished real good, right about now.¡±


    Oh no¡­that idiot! I am going to punish him real good! Ack, that¡­in context is really¡­no good.


    ¡°Oh? Then I should hurry.¡±


    Huh? Where did he go? Did he just run away?


    *Thud*


    Eh? When did he¡­I see. He moved so fast, he got the guy who wouldn¡¯t shut up and left without being stopped. How much of a mess have we gotten ourselves into? I give up. I am glad it ended here. I need to reevaluate what I am doing.


    Maybe I have been hanging out with the wrong crowd? Hah¡­


    >>><<<


    Hahaha! The look on their faces. Well¡­how far did they get? Should I be seeing them soon?


    ¡°AAAAaaahhh!¡±


    ¡°NOOOOOooo!¡±


    ¡°HEEELP MEEE!¡±


    I see, they are just up ahead.


    ¡°Hey girls.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Nolan.¡±


    Wow, is this even a fight? I know the girls got stronger, but these guys all have something that is Level 7. That is pretty decent, you know. Of course, these girls all have something either really powerful or have a second thing they have leveled up really high as well.


    Whew, I am good. Maybe I should just keep them at my side from now on? No, that is up to them. But¡­oh well.


    Oh, here come the others.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Well, at least one is smart enough.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The silence is awkward, but it is fine. They gather their fallen friends and leave, so it is just us four and the prince with his retainers.


    ¡°Hah¡­to be bewitched by an Incubus. I really am low.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Forgive me. This was supposed to result in my sister, her guard, and the Saintess following that guy.¡±


    I can listen to your story later. Wait, Yidris? Shouldn¡¯t we go back home and save her?


    ¡°Then we should go.¡±


    Ah, thanks for the follow-up, Delania.


    We head back, only to discover that it is fine on their side as well.


    Huh.


    ¡°Hey, Yidris.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Nolan.¡±


    ¡°Sorry I wasn¡¯t here to save you from the trouble.¡±


    ¡°N-no, you¡¯re good.¡±


    I see.


    ¡°So you¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re good?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Whew. Another awkward situation.


    Now, what do we do with all of these troublemakers?

 Balloons 1

    I¡¯m tired. I have been doing too much. We round up all 27 annoying freshmen players, including Gideon. The juniors apologized, as they were all led by Julius. Now, I understand that he was being manipulated, but even in the game, he was a little¡­rough. He has an elder brother who was better than him in everything yet still refused the seat for the throne.


    And¡­that guy became an instructor for the Prime Minister¡­you know, I never knew. I always focused on the girls, so the BL paths I never touched. However, the girls loved to talk about it.


    I learned from Yidris that the feeling she felt towards me was the same as the one she got when Bucco came storming into the room to save her. She said she realized that it wasn¡¯t love and instead was a form of admiration or close to it. But¡­lately¡­she has been hanging out with the other rotten girls¡­


    I don¡¯t feel safe. I can hear her heavy breathing now whenever I talk to Bucco. Has she gone crazy trying to see which of us is cooler and then thought that both of us together would be cool? I don¡¯t get it, but this was what I was worried about. I think I am getting sick from the stress.


    Ah, I am eating chips. I didn¡¯t even notice.


    For kidnapping the princess and Saintess, Gideon was tried and jailed. However, his death wasn¡¯t decided, though Ophia¡¯s father and the Pope both wanted his head upon a pike. He was too busy crying and blubbering like a baby to think or talk, as he just wanted to have all of the girls.


    What a waste of humanity. Is this how he was in his previous life? I am not sure I want to see the rest of the freshmen players. I really don¡¯t think that this is all of them. In fact, there might still be some players in my grade I haven¡¯t found just yet. I wonder who they could be¡­


    >>><<<


    It was back in the real world¡­for him, anyway.


    A young black man was sulking around the park when he saw a guy handing out balloons. They were in all sorts of shapes. Animals, flowers, and even airplanes or mermaids. Thinking of his little sister back home, he decided to buy one with the dirty money burning a hole in his pocket.


    ¡°Hm? You didn¡¯t even clean it off? What if I accidentally overdose while counting money?¡±


    The old man was laughing jovially, but he had cut right to the matter. Hard drugs were still illegal. This guy could call the cops and his life would be over. All of a sudden, the weight of what he was doing fell on him. He collapsed onto the nearby bench.


    The fact that a single person could ruin his whole life. This was the first time he had ever thought of it.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Hm? Has life got you down?¡±


    ¡°¡­yeah. I did some bad things.¡±


    ¡°And? So have I.¡±


    ¡°You? You hand balloons to kids. No, did you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no! I stole stuff before. Back when I was your age.¡±


    ¡°I have done worse.¡±


    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s not a competition.¡±


    ¡°I am saying that you don¡¯t understand what I am dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Oh? But can you understand what everyone else is dealing with? How about your family? You know them a lot, right?¡±


    ¡°My family? Ah, my sister and mother. They¡­they hate what I do. It makes them angry and sad.¡±


    The man twisted a sword and swung it at the black youth, but all it did was bounce off.


    ¡°So those feelings only amount to this much? Do you like what you do?¡±


    ¡°¡­no. Of course not. But, I have to keep my family safe and healthy.¡±


    ¡°Do you need drug money for that?¡±


    He handed the youth the sword and made another, only this time, it was made with multiple balloons and looked pretty cool. The balloon guy swung his blade and easily knocked away the half-hearted youth¡¯s sword.


    ¡°No. I guess not. But how can I get a good job and help my family? I didn¡¯t finish high school.¡±


    This time, the youth kept his sword up and blocked the next swing, but the balloon guy pulled off an actual sword move and twisted around, easily striking the youth on the shoulder.


    ¡°Haha! Ahem. Then go back and finish it.¡±


    ¡°Then when I get out, who would hire me?!¡±


    The youth was getting angry at the flippant behavior of the balloon twister and decided to swing for real. For some reason, he decided not to use the arm of the shoulder that was ¡®cut.¡¯


    ¡°Then just find a job, get experience, and get promoted!¡±


    ¡°Like hell that works! The world doesn¡¯t work that way anymore!¡±


    Suddenly, the man pulled out another sword that the youth recognized as one that was placed on the man¡¯s table.


    ¡°I know. The world is unfair. Are you going to give up?¡±


    His words were infuriating and sharp, cutting right to the point.


    ¡°Like hell! I want my family to be happy!¡±


    ¡°Then! Make! It! So!¡±


    With every word, the man swung his swords and blocked the youth¡¯s strikes as he pushed closer and closer. However, in a last desperate attempt to stop his rush, the youth ducked. With the two swords hanging in midair, the youth struck upwards, poking the man in the chest.


    ¡°Ah! I have died!¡±


    The man collapsed comically onto the ground, but something was turning in the youth¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hehe, sometimes, you have to lower your head to rise to the top.¡±


    The words of the man shocked the youth as he paid for the balloons and rushed home. The man said that if he couldn¡¯t find a job, that the youth could work with him. The next day, he turned himself in and began to clean his slate.


    However, the other members of the gang were furious. They didn¡¯t hurt his family, as he didn¡¯t snitch on anyone, but the fact that he left without saying anything pissed everyone off. The day he got out of jail, in seven years, a car drove by and shot him up. As he laid on the ground awaiting death, he could have sworn that he saw a balloon. With the last of his strength, he turned to see his mother and sister throwing down a welcome home sign.


    As they ran towards him, he even caught the glimpses of the balloon guy heading his way. Even though he hurt, for some reason, he was happy. With his last thought while conscious, he decided to treat his family better.


    Bucco awoke from his dream covered in sweat. He looked around and noticed Mico was still asleep. He sat up, calmly trying to catch his breath. He pondered for a while and decided to head home once more during the summer break.

 Balloons 2 & 3

    Back in her original world¡­


    It was a difficult and trying day in the office. As the inheritor of her father¡¯s company, she had quite the amount of responsibilities. Often times, though, she would get frustrated and leave the building. She headed towards the market place and sat down at her favorite coffee shop. As she sat on the patio and watched the crowd pass, she slowly calmed down and saw the struggles of normal people.


    They had to struggle to make money and purchase food. Some were trying to find jobs in order to get that money. Most of the people had grimacing faces and pained expressions when seeing prices of the food they needed.


    However, a little child smiling gathered her attention. She looked around and saw several more kids happily smiling and laughing. Being young and ignorant was great, she thought. How she wanted to go back in time and be with her father. But, those times were gone.


    Suddenly, someone sat down at the table in front of her. He was dressed in a colorful polo with khaki pants, but he carried around a little cart carrying balloons. He was an elderly man with a large white beard and a wide brimmed hat. The kids ran past and thanked him for the balloons while he just smiled and waved. As soon as they left, instead of changing his expression, it remained. His smile even widened as he soaked up the sun.


    ¡°Excuse me, but why are you happy?¡±


    She couldn''t help but want to know why he was happy.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, because I made them happy.¡±


    ¡°What about your own happiness?¡±


    ¡°I can easily get that with a book and some food. Speaking of which, waiter. Can I get a glass of water?¡±


    The man gestured towards an employee who was outside.


    ¡°Waiter? Haha, I¡¯m not a waiter. I am just taking out the trash. But sure, I will be right back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    He looked like a feeble old man who was getting on in his years. However, he looked happy, just like the children.


    ¡°How did you make them happy?¡±


    ¡°I gave them my happiness.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. Happiness is strange. I can give you as much happiness as you can take, but I can still be happy, too. It is rare, but there are those kinds of people.¡±


    ¡°What kind of people?¡±


    ¡°The ones who give. Children are smarter than you think. They run on instinct and can unconsciously feel negative moods. However, they love to receive things. They are the takers. They take the knowledge around them and work with it. The givers give, the receivers receive.¡±


    ¡°But¡­what do you receive?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t receive a definite thing from them. However, I can feel their gratitude, though they sometimes don¡¯t say it. And that is what I look for.¡±


    ¡°Gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Another way to say it would be a purpose. Because of the purpose of making children happy, I am fulfilling my purpose.¡±


    ¡°But¡­that won¡¯t do anything in the long run.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? What is a balloon?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°A rubber¡­thing? Filled with air¡­right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But that ¡®thing¡¯ part. A balloon cannot be explained so easily, huh? It is like trying to explain what a color is to a blind person.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is that bad.¡±


    ¡°Haha. So. What is this?¡±


    He quickly twisted a balloon into a flower.


    ¡°A flower.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°A balloon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, I am merely proving a point. Yes, it is a balloon, but it is also a flower. Now watch.¡±


    He undid the petals of the flower and it unfurled to become¡­


    ¡°A tree.¡±


    Then he squeezed the leaves and made¡­


    ¡°A butterfly. What is a balloon?¡±


    ¡°¡­It can be whatever you make it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, just like life.¡±


    She looked up with a startled expression. Sure, she had heard the phrase, ¡®life is what you make it,¡¯ but it never really registered with her before. There were all sorts of phrases and tales that had morals, but most were either outdated or too confusing. But now, with such an explanation, it felt like pieces were slowly coming together in her head.


    ¡°Here. Take it. I hope you make something amazing with it someday.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­I should make my life amazing.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? Have you figured something out from my rambling? Well then, live well, young one.¡±


    The old man continued to come to the market every Saturday, so she would often take time off to visit. However, one day, he wasn¡¯t there. She asked around and eventually found his address, but it was a home for the elderly. When she inquired about his whereabouts, he had passed away.


    She visited his funeral and cried. She hadn¡¯t cried ever since her father died, so this was a complete shock to her. She used this feeling to promote her company forward and help the nation. But, on her way to his grave for an anniversary a year later, the plane she was on crashed over the ocean.


    She didn¡¯t make it out.


    Abigail woke up softly, but she was shaking. She looked around and saw her beastkin roommate who happened to be a bug girl, and went back to sleep. However, her flames kept acting up so she left her room to go use the smithy.


    >>><<<


    Back in her original world¡­


    Life was hard. Especially for a lesbian woman at the time. Her family always felt awkward and her dad often blew up into a rage. So, she ran away. She lived her life on the streets fighting for her life. Often times, she would even have to fight in the literal sense.


    She wasn¡¯t that pretty. She wasn¡¯t that attractive. However, she was strong. She used that to get what she wanted. However, one day, she was in a city she had never been in before. She saw a young man handing out balloons to children. The parents of those kids would give him a couple dollars and he would stuff it into his pockets without even looking at how much it was.


    Thus, she decided she would rob him.


    ¡°Give me your money.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    In this situation, that sort of question could pop up, but when a metal pipe is being held high in the air above the person who was knocked down, normally, the tone used would be one filled with fear or anger.


    So why did he not seem to be either? He looked at her in true curiosity.


    ¡°I need it.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Food.¡±


    ¡°What kind of food?¡±


    ¡°Burgers.¡±


    ¡°Burgers aren¡¯t good for you. You should eat some vegetables, too.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then I will eat some vegetables as well.¡±


    ¡°And? Is there anything else you need money for?¡±


    ¡°Clean drinking water.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know what you mean. I live here and I won¡¯t drink from the faucet! Haha!¡±


    He was laughing in such a situation?! How could a guy be so composed?!


    ¡°I also need new clothes.¡±


    ¡°Right? Winter is coming¡­brace yourself. Ah, I guess you don¡¯t watch television, huh.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Of course I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Want to watch some Game of Thrones? I have some food and some old clothes I don¡¯t need. Why commit robbery when you can get it for free?¡±


    It was at this time that her stomach growled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas. I don¡¯t like guys.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Then we have something in common!¡±


    His attitude threw her off, but she hesitantly followed him. She expected something twisted or perverted from a guy who twisted balloons for kids, but his apartment was clean and filled with all sorts of entertainment such as books, movies, and games. She looked around in wonder as she had never seen these things.


    It was part of a culture she would have never seen at home, either, so this was refreshing. The man came back with some peanut butter, bread, and jelly. He even grabbed some crackers. He put in a movie and the two watched television. That night, he went to bed in his room, while she stayed up all night watching what he had.


    The next morning, she woke up to find a letter on the door.


    ¡°If you leave, make sure to lock the door using the key under the floor mat. Oh, and put it back once you¡¯re done. Help yourself to what¡¯s in the fridge.¡±


    For some reason, she could only stare in wonder at the letter left by the man who just left a stranger in his home. She walked around and ended up using the shower. She found the box of old clothes and put on something warm and baggy.


    Then, she got some food and went back to watching tv.


    Eventually, she ended up twisting balloons as well. She learned from him and could go off on her own to make money. It was on one of these excursions where she met her future wife. They clicked and saw each other more often. She moved out of the man¡¯s house and into her lover¡¯s place and lived a happy life twisting balloons until she died because of the war. It was a nice and fulfilled life.


    Bailey awoke and looked around. She saw Ilya resting comfortably so she returned back to sleep and calmed herself with memories of her past.

 Balloons 4

    Back in his original world¡­


    He was on the streets. No, he didn¡¯t run away nor was he going through tough times. His parents had kicked him out for the day and wouldn¡¯t accept him back until after dinner time. They wanted him to either re-enroll in school or find a job. They were tired of taking care of a useless 20 something year old.


    So he meandered around and walked inside places to see if they were hiring. However, he hadn¡¯t worn a suit, he hadn¡¯t cleaned himself up. He was irritable and rude. It was no surprise that he wasn¡¯t able to find a job.


    He hated a lot at that time. His parents, the society, and his own inadequacy. So, he ended up just sitting around and watching people while he waited for the day to end. It was then he saw something that looked relatively easy.


    ¡°Hey, geezer, can I do that?¡±


    He had approached the middle aged man who was twisting balloons.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, can you?¡±


    The man had a bright smile, but his eyes had quickly lost their joy at being questioned in such a way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know unless I try.¡±


    The man tilted his head in thought and then nodded. He handed a balloon to him and the small child next to him. However, the device used to blow up the balloon was handed to the kid.


    ¡°Hey, how do I blow it up without that thing?¡±


    The man took a balloon himself and easily used his own mouth to blow up a similar balloon before twisting it into a dog. The kid tried to pump air into the balloon, but it slipped off the tip of the device and flew into the air. The kid laughed as he chased after it.


    The man stared at him while smirking.


    ¡°Huh, whatever.¡±


    He tried to blow it up, but it didn¡¯t even expand. After tiring himself out, he sat down on the bench and sulked. However, the pump was in front of his face.


    Snatching the pump from the man, he pumped the balloon full of air. However, he went too far and it popped.


    ¡°Oops. Might want to try it again.¡±


    With that, he was handed another balloon. By now, he was aggravated to no end. He wanted nothing more than to go home and play some games. Then he noticed the kid that was there earlier. In his hands was not only the dog the man had made but also an untwisted balloon that was being used as a knock off sword. It wasn¡¯t even blown up all the way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I just tied it up for him.¡±


    The man answered the questioning gaze of his and shrugged. However, he was tired. He ended up getting the balloon filled up and it wasn¡¯t going to pop.


    ¡°Now to tie it off.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°There¡¯s more?!¡±


    ¡°Watch.¡±


    The man blew up another balloon in practically no time at all. He held the nozzle in between his fingers and wrapped it like a shoe string, pulling it through the loop. The man let go of one hand and asked for the balloon the kid had. The man then made an elephant, one balloon meant for the head, trunk, and large ears.


    As he tried to mimic the man¡¯s actions, his fingers slipped and the balloon whistled through the air, causing the kid to laugh hysterically. However, that just ruined his mood. He stomped off and went home.


    For some reason, however, he decided to look up how to twist balloons. He spent the entire night awake. He went and ordered a kit from online and studied how to make the best shapes.


    For three nights, he did this. Every day, he would sit somewhere and practice his balloon twisting. At home, he would continue, much to the annoyance of his parents. However, they thought that this was his next job, so they persevered.


    Finally, he found the balloon guy again. Conveniently enough, that kid was here as well. He brought out all of his balloons and created a very detailed shark that was almost life sized. A lot of people were coming around to watch and admire it. The kid tried to get close to see, but the adults were all in the way. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at how awesome he was.


    However, the kid soon ignored the crowd and went back to the man.


    ¡°Can you do that?!¡±


    He looked up at the man and waited for those words. The words saluting his victory.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°YES!¡±


    He jumped up and down, mocking the man before him.


    ¡°Aww.¡±


    ¡°I usually make smaller ones. Like this one.¡±


    In just three balloons, a dashing shark was made.


    ¡°Look, you can even wear it as a hat!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Cool!¡±


    He was surprised. Didn¡¯t he win? Wasn¡¯t he better? Why was this kid looking at the simple and boring looking creation? The guy had drawn the eyes, teeth, and gills! He hadn¡¯t used balloons! How weak!


    ¡°Alright. Look, even if you don¡¯t want to, you should go back.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s fun here.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your family worried? You should go. If not, I won¡¯t make balloons for you anymore.¡±


    He was confused. What was going on between the man and the kid?


    ¡°But¡­the hospital stinks. And it¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Why are you scared? You have a shark on your head! Rawr! Haha!¡±


    The man joked around with the kid, skirting away from the darkness. He finally understood. This wasn¡¯t some chance to prove he was better. The guy never even cared about that. That guy just did it. There was nothing to it. Where he failed, the balloon guy made the kid happy.


    ¡°So I had the wrong objective.¡±


    While whispering to himself, he sat back down on the bench. While he thought, he continued to fashion more amazing balloon creations such as a castle, two trees and a hammock, and even a large dragon. A lot of people were coming by and giving him tips. In these short few hours, he had amassed more than $200. It was to the point that he was wondering why he hadn¡¯t thought of this before. However, money wasn¡¯t the point.


    He watched the people¡¯s expressions. Their joy and wonder. The kids especially showed a fantastic emotion. The kid had left, but the balloon guy had stayed.


    ¡°So. Interested in twisting balloons?¡±


    ¡°¡­not really.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t do it for the money?¡±


    ¡°At first I did. Then, because I was surrounded by happy people, I too became happy.¡±


    ¡°Happy¡­huh.¡±


    ¡°Want to work together?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I will kick your ass!¡±


    He started laughing, but his eyes were smiling, much different from before.


    That night, he decided what to do with his life.


    The next day, the balloon guy wasn¡¯t there, but the kid was. When he saw the large balloons filling up the courtyard, he dashed over, not seeing the large truck coming down the road. He, for some reason, started to move.


    So many things were going through his head. Was this worth it? No, worth means nothing. This would make them happy.


    ¡®Eh? Hehe, what is this feeling?¡¯


    As he pushed the kid out of the way, he felt the jarring impact.


    Zach woke up with a start and realized that one of his Songstones was playing. He switched it off and sat up in bed.


    ¡°Huh. Wow. I forgot. I mean, not really, but¡­I just kind of threw it out the window. Wasn¡¯t this my life? Wasn¡¯t it meant for me? I can¡¯t think like that anymore. Wow¡­¡±


    Zach stayed up the rest of the night, unable to get some sleep.

 Balloons 5

    Back in her original world¡­


    She was bored. Since her mother was interested in fashion, she took up design classes and even became a model. She had the figure for it. Every day, people looked at her and praised her. Everything was as it should. However, at home, she was a total lazy good-for-nothing. All day she would spend reading, playing games, or hanging out online.


    When she went in to model, that was to appease the rest of the world. No one liked others who were geeky or nerdy. Yet, everyone did it. They all had a favorite thing that they would go crazy for. So why was she distanced for her enjoyments? As a girl, she should be thinking about cooking, dresses, and makeup, right?


    Wrong. She liked stories. She liked how things were supposed to be. The clich¨¦s were her favorite part. She liked the constant scenes that remained the same no matter who wrote the story. Of course, there were often times where people went against the clich¨¦, but it was still in the realm of following a script, the person just didn¡¯t react properly.


    Of course, the script would be the same, regardless of the lines, so the clich¨¦s in those stories happened continuously. She wasn¡¯t too upset.


    It was the stories that resembled stories she liked but ended up tossing the script away and adding completely different scenes that she wasn¡¯t prepared for that made her upset. She hated surprises, she hated changes in her schedule. She had to have things go her way.


    So when she arrived at the location for her next shoot and no one came, she was frustrated. The crew was stuck in traffic so they decided to call it off as rain was supposed to arrive shortly.


    She was left outside in the rain by herself. She would have to take the bus back home if she wanted to sleep in her bed. However, she didn¡¯t bring the money as she expected the crew to drop her off like they normally did.


    She took a seat under the cover of the gazebo in the park and waited for a ride. She had called her mom, but she too was stuck in traffic. So while she thought she was alone, she began reading a new novel that was criticized for its overuse of templates and ideas from other novels.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s here! The newbie adventurer has to deal with a veteran!¡±


    ¡°Ack, that clich¨¦? You know, ¡®Don¡¯t underestimate us adventurers, kid!¡¯ It got old fast. If you want to use that trope, make it a legitimate hurdle or challenge they have to complete before joining, not some showdown with a ruffian.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She was surprised by the words of a young man and turned around. Sitting beside her was a chubby guy with an apron filled with¡­balloons?


    ¡°Uh¡­yes. That is why I like it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Look, in the first place, it is common knowledge that joining the adventurer¡¯s guild is dangerous and can and will result in death. There is no point to have such a thing anyway. Of course, there will always be stupid people, so I can understand if someone wants to be a nice guy. However, in most cases, they are ruffians that just want to cause trouble!¡±


    ¡°So? What works doesn¡¯t need to be fixed.¡±


    ¡°It is because it is broken that it needs to be fixed. For example, a favorite novel of mine is the one where the main character is already known to be strong, so when someone pulls that clich¨¦, the others stop him.¡±


    ¡°But then the main character can¡¯t showcase his skills in a cool manner!¡±


    ¡°He already did the moment he brought a mountain of dangerous rabbits into the building!¡±


    ¡°Eh? I read that one. It was really good.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°No, that only proves my point! Stories need that kind of moment, even if the result is different.¡±


    ¡°No, the result isn¡¯t different.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°In the end, the ruffian gets humiliated or taught a lesson while the main character is paraded as a cool person.¡±


    ¡°You do get it!¡±


    ¡°No! That is why I am saying it sucks!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but be startled at the words of the young man. Then again, she had never spoken so deeply about this topic with anyone face to face before.


    ¡°Look, when you add that to the story, the reader can already tell what is going to happen. If that is the case, the stories can get all mixed up. If I mentioned a story with the guild intro scene, would you know which one I was talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°But you recognized the rabbit mountain.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°See? For a story to be memorable, it needs to strike out at the reader in new ways. It needs to grab the attention and keep them coming back for more.¡±


    ¡°But¡­no, I see.¡±


    The man looked out and saw a car pull up.


    ¡°It looks like your ride is here. Before you go, let¡¯s have a clich¨¦d scene right here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°That destiny moment where we become linked to never forget each other.¡±


    She was weirded out and backed away. The man reached into his apron and started blowing up a balloon. She could feel her phone vibrating, but stayed to watch. He took out another balloon and combined the two into what looked like a rose.


    ¡°A beautiful flower¡­for you.¡±


    She took the flower and felt her face heat up. Was it really that easy to not understand where this was going? This was dangerous! She barely even knew the guy! No, she knew nothing about him!


    ¡°Because you need something to detract from your ugly face! Hahaha!¡±


    He laughed as he got up and walked away. She was surprised and left there in a dazed moment. She pulled out her phone to answer her ride¡¯s call but then noticed her reflection. She forgot to rub off her makeup and it had run down her face from the moisture in the air. She was too busy reading earlier!


    She was so embarrassed, but he was right. She never forgot about him, even though she never saw him again.


    Tetra woke up feeling uncomfortable.


    ¡°I knew I remembered balloons from somewhere. Ugh, now I can¡¯t go to sleep. I get stress just thinking about whether or not my makeup is okay. You¡­I hate you, you pervert!¡±


    >>><<<


    Somewhere in the boy¡¯s dormitory, a person sneezed.


    ¡°Is someone cursing me?¡±

 Balloons 6

    Back in her original world¡­


    She was lonely. Her family constantly moved around and she felt like there was no place for her wherever she went. She was always the new girl and was fine with just being in the background. Eventually, because she was cute, a guy asked her out. She said yes, as she was never asked out before.


    The problem was, though, the guy abused that. Thankfully, she had learned a lesson without losing something vitally important to her. So she broke up with the cheater and found a friend online. Then they said they wanted to meet her. Thankfully, it ended up being a girl, but she was constantly asking for money and wasted it on petty stuff.


    She had a problem. It was a big problem at times, or it could be a trivial problem at others. She was not trusting, she was just too quick to get attached. It was a byproduct of the constant moving around.


    But when her ¡®friend¡¯ tried to get her involved with drugs, she left. She found herself resting inside a restaurant even though she had no money to buy anything. She didn¡¯t even know why she sat down or ordered food. She was upset with her ¡®friends¡¯ and family, so she wasn¡¯t thinking straight.


    It was then that she saw the balloon man twisting animals for kids. She was fascinated by the colors and the laughing, but then he came to her table. She knew deep inside that he was merely making the rounds, but something inside her couldn¡¯t help but imagine that ¡®what if?¡¯


    ¡°Hello. What is a beautiful girl like you doing alone in a place like this? Surely you have a friend or a guy to hang out with.¡±


    ¡°¡­not really.¡±


    Partly because she was talking with a stranger and partly because she was getting lost in her fantasy, she opened up. The guy ended up sitting down and ordering something, to which the people there were a little surprised. Come to find out later, he was used to working here on weekend nights, but he never really took a break or ordered anything before.


    He twisted balloons for the kids who came up and listened to her story. By the end of it, she was in tears and looking at him for feedback.


    ¡°You want my honest opinion.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You already realized it, but yes. You get attached too much. You are probably getting attached to me, too.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, I would say don¡¯t. I am not the kind of man you think I am. I do what I want.¡±


    ¡°And that is blowing up balloons?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Sure. Because it gets me what I want.¡±


    ¡°Which is what?¡±


    ¡°Games. Books. Movies. Whatever it is I want to spend money on.¡±


    ¡°But¡­that doesn¡¯t really change my impression of you.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    He waited until the kids left and whispered to her.


    ¡°They¡¯re not the family friendly games, books, and movies.¡±


    Her eyes widened at the proclamation of the man before her. He just nonchalantly said he watched porn to a person he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Not that it interferes with my job. I keep them as separate as possible. Besides, I am not into children. I like them mature and experienced.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What? You were honest. So was I.¡±


    ¡°You lie! You can¡¯t be like that! You are a nice guy who helps kids laugh!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that is your own misconception. But, you¡¯re right. I did lie.¡±


    ¡°See!¡±


    ¡°About my preference. Anyways, if you are having so much trouble staying distant from people, try and see the darkness within them. For example. That guy sitting behind me looks like a criminal. You know, the guy in the corner by himself?¡±


    ¡°But he is wearing glasses and a suit.¡±


    ¡°Then he is a serial hitman.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a method. Doubt people. Think about whether or not it is beneficial to be with them.¡±


    The conversation was so confusing, she had no idea what to say. The man ended up leaving, placing just enough cash to pay for his and her meal. She didn¡¯t have to worry about dining and dashing.


    For some reason, she came back next week. He was there again. The two talked, but she paid for herself this time. Even though he was weird, he was nice to her. Once again, she was beginning to think that maybe life was looking forward. So, she requested to meet him on one of his days off.


    ¡°Nope. I spend those at home playing my games or watching my movies¡­if you know what I mean.¡±


    With a slightly disgusted face, she sneered at him.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re welcome to join! Haha!¡±


    She actually thought about it. She actually thought about it! She was becoming close to this guy and she never knew anyone so deeply like this guy in her life, is what she thought. Watching her troubled silence, he just shook his head.


    ¡°Look. Alright. You¡¯re cute. However, you¡¯re too young. Go live your life and learn about the world before you think about being with me.¡±


    His words were a little grating, as they lacked any sort of tact, but she understood. She was being too attached again. So she left. And followed him to his house when he wasn¡¯t aware of it. He lived in an apartment building on the first floor. She tried to look inside one of the windows and see what he did, but then realized that he lied.


    He wasn¡¯t playing porn or watching it! He was watching the latest superhero movie! When it was done, he played a normal game! He wasn¡¯t doing anything perverted! He had lied to her! But why?


    Because he was trying to teach her? Because he felt inadequate? These misconceptions further brought her deeper into her hole of no return. It was on her way back home that she met a tragic fate. She was not paying attention and walked in front of a car.


    If she had known that he was merely not in the mood that day, what would she have done? Would she have accepted him? Would she have fallen in the same way?


    Probably. She was an unfortunate person. Quickly caught up with other people she didn¡¯t need to be.


    Yidris woke up in a cold sweat. For her, ¡®he¡¯ was always her target, but then she realized something. Isn¡¯t this what she realized with Bucco and Nolan? It was just a feeling. A feeling that meant admiration. She admired ¡®him¡¯ for being so up front and casual with her. For helping her. For just listening to her.


    She liked him, yes, but it wasn¡¯t love, as she recently found out. She exhaled as if a demon was leaving her body and rested peacefully that night. In her dreams, Nolan and Bucco were in a romantic comedy together, along with the balloon man. She slept with a wicked smile.

 Balloons 7

    Tonight, she didn¡¯t have that dreaded nightmare about her death. Instead, it was a happy memory.


    She and her mother were at the amusement park for a birthday party. She was having fun on the rides and loved seeing the attractions. But at one point in time, she ended up apart from her mother. She cried and cried, yet no one came to help her.


    Well, not until he came. He was the balloon guy. Around his head was a flower hat balloon and it was her favorite color, yellow. She was so excited, she completely forgot about her mother for a moment.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    But it was just a moment.


    ¡°I lost my mommy!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go find her.¡±


    He led her to a location where a pretty lady was at.


    ¡°Another one?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Can you do the honors?¡±


    ¡°Hey there! What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°****¡±


    ¡°What a pretty name. What about your mother¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°******¡±


    The lady pulled at her shirt and spoke into it. Her voice traveled across the amusement park.


    ¡°Miss ******, your daughter, **** is here. Please report to the Lost and Found booth!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long until her mother came over while crying.


    ¡°Ohh, my baby! I thought I was never going to find you!¡±


    The balloon guy nodded his head and then removed the yellow flower hat and gave it to her.


    ¡°Here you go. Make sure to wear this. Your momma will be able to see it better.¡±


    ¡°Tell the nice man thanks.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Haha! No problem. However, I think light blue works better than yellow, hold on.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it matches your eyes.¡±


    Suddenly, the face of the man contorted and became Nolan¡¯s. Ilya woke with a start and rushed out of the room, waking up Bailey. Ilya dashed into the boy¡¯s dormitory and found Nolan through his scent. She crashed through the door and jumped into Nolan¡¯s bed. Without even realizing what she was doing, she started crying without end.


    Nolan woke with a start, unable to completely comprehend what was going on. However, he just petted her ears and held her close. Emeril, who was still asleep, continued to snore loudly, so it was fine.


    Though rumors would spread, that night, all the two did was hug each other and sleep.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    However, the group of players wanted to know what was going on.


    And so, Nolan brought Ilya to the RtP club.


    ¡°It would seem that Ilya is a player like us.¡±


    Only Bailey nodded without surprise. She had noticed the obvious change in Ilya¡¯s attitude way back when, so she wasn¡¯t upset. Everyone else was flabbergasted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Delania didn¡¯t say anything, though.¡± (Nolan [You''re welcome])


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to. I only care about your thoughts.¡± (Delania)


    Two girls had arrived at the club room.


    ¡°Nolan, what is this about you sleeping with Ilya alone last night?¡± (Gina)


    ¡°Hehe, Gina, hold on. This is important.¡± (Nolan)


    ¡°So you don¡¯t deny it! Then tonight you are sleeping with me!¡± (Delania)


    ¡°Delania?!¡± (Gina)


    ¡°Eh? Didn¡¯t we already, though?¡± (Nolan)


    ¡°Che.¡± (Delania)


    ¡°Wait, what?! Hey, is it not my turn, then?!¡± (Gina)


    ¡°Gina?¡± (Nolan)


    ¡°Ah, no, never mind!¡± (Gina)


    ¡°Hey¡­you guys¡­¡± (Bucco)


    Thankfully, Bucco brought everyone back to normal.


    ¡°So what happened?¡± (Abigail)


    ¡°Well, apparently, she is a girl I helped out back in the original world when I twisted balloons at the amusement park.¡± (Nolan)


    ¡°Huh? Balloon twisting? No way¡­¡± (Zack)


    Zack was the first to reply. After that, everyone told their stories about the balloon twister.


    ¡°Well, that sounds like me, but I don¡¯t remember having those conversations¡­I don¡¯t really remember Ilya¡¯s either, but it sounds like something I would do.¡± (Nolan)


    ¡°Could it be? You existed in all of our alternate dimensions.¡± (Bailey)


    Bailey was the one who cast the idea of multiple dimensions in the first place, so it must have been on her mind quite often. At these words, everyone started to tense up.


    Why were they all here if they had a connection to Nolan? What was the meaning of this?


    ¡°Ah, good. You¡¯re all here. I wanted to talk with you before the second year started.¡± (Deidrick)


    Suddenly, a strange apparition appeared behind the group. They all turned to see a familiar looking man.


    ¡°You are the one who brought me here!¡±


    ¡°Me, too!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Everyone, save for Gina and Delania, reacted upon seeing the guy. He was the person who got them a trip to this world in the first place!


    ¡°Hehe, sorry for lying to you. See, there are some important things I can say, and some important things I can¡¯t say as of yet. But for now, I can tell you why I selected you. For one, it was only supposed to be him.¡±


    He pointed at Nolan.


    ¡°When I looked for worlds to select from, I noticed eight worlds where the best candidate was the exact same person. As eight was the maximum amount of people I could select, I was intrigued by the coincidence. So, I decided to try bringing them all. Then I remembered the rule that it would do no good as they would all try and inhabit the same body.¡± (Deidrick)


    All the Nolans would try and compete for the main body, like a multiple personality disorder, probably.


    ¡°However, if I removed this candidate from the list in those worlds, in seven of the worlds, the next best person was someone who was affected by him. So, I decided to leave him in for one and choose the other seven of you to be here as well.¡± (Deidrick)


    ¡°So we were add-ons?¡± (Tetra)


    ¡°No. You can think of yourselves as main characters instead of supporting ones, but your influence is minimal compared to Nolan¡¯s. You can tell by how fast he grows. It is the same with the others that were selected. The other players that will be joining will all be like him and grow fast. That is why I was able to choose first. You don¡¯t have to worry about your classmates and loved ones being taken over, so that is good.¡± (Deidrick)


    ¡°Who are the other players? You said that we are all here, so there were only eight of us this year, right?¡± (Yidris)


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that first question, as even I don¡¯t know yet. But yes. There are only eight of you. The next selection will probably have over four times as much as mine, as he has been a god longer than I have. Then again, it will be a bigger problem the year after that, as the god making the selection will be even stronger.¡± (Deidrick)


    Wait.


    Everyone had stupefied looks on their faces. They only had 27 of the players of the incoming freshmen. More than four times? Isn¡¯t that at least 5 more out there in hiding? Not to mention that in their senior year, there will be even more?! How crazy is that?!


    ¡°But like I said, don¡¯t worry. You are headed down the right track. Have fun.¡± (Deidrick)


    And then he disappeared. Everyone looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions and stayed silent until the girls attacked Nolan and took him away.


    It would appear that their Academy life would get a little turbulent. However, the question as to why they were brought here was still unanswered.