A Shift in the Story
Why is the plot diverging?
"Lilit, what do you mean by that? A Beastman student is coming to the academy?"
"? Yes, that's right. What's wrong, Rofel? Weren't you listening with me?"
"No, I definitely heard the word 'Beastman,' but I was thinking about something else, so I didn't really..."
The knowledge I had recalled just now—the information from the original game—could only be applied if the game progressed 'normally.'
If some variable caused the world to drift away from the original plot, I would have no way of knowing what lay ahead.
That was why I had to gather as much information as possible whenever this world began to deviate from the game's progression.
In the original game, the narrative at this point should have been moving toward the oppression and eventual extinction of the Beastmen. Instead, the story was heading in the exact opposite direction.
Since this could trigger a butterfly effect I couldn't possibly foresee, I might need to look into it carefully.
Ah... If I had known this would happen, I would have paid closer attention to the speech!
You should have made your speeches a bit more interesting, Principal!
I got bored, looked away, and missed all the crucial information.
"Hmm... Well, the principal's speeches have always been incredibly boring.
I was practically dozing off myself. Honestly, I doubt many students will remember what he said today.
But still, to miss the most important part... What on earth were you thinking about?
Don't tell me you were thinking about another girl with me right next to you?"
"No, what do you take me for? It's nothing like that!"
"I'm just kidding. So you really didn't hear a single thing about the speech?"
"Yeah... I have to admit it. I don't remember anything other than the word 'Beastman.'"
"It's fine, it happens. I guess I'll just have to explain it to you again, won't I?
Since it was the longest part of the principal's speech, I'll keep it brief.
But like I said, I was half-asleep too, so I won't be able to tell you everything."
"Really? That's more than enough. Thanks, Lilit!"
"Alright... To start from the beginning, do you know Professor Bljoa?"
"Professor Bljoa...? Uh... Ah! The one from the Combat Manual Against Magic Beasts...?"
"Exactly. She taught one of our mandatory introductory courses at the beginning of our first year."
Hearing Lilit's explanation, the memory slowly came back to me.
Newly admitted first-year students at the academy had to take mandatory foundational courses alongside their major subjects, whether they were in the Knight Department, Magic Department, or Alchemy Department. One of those courses covered basic knowledge about magic beasts.
That lecture was taught by an elderly woman with unique, sky-blue hair—Professor Bljoa.
She was highly popular among the students because of her caring nature and generous grading. Even I remembered her clearly.
She had been at the academy for a very long time and was widely respected by the faculty.
However, despite her reputation, she was rarely mentioned in the original game.
While she appeared as an instructor during the first year, she completely vanished from the story at some point during the second year.
"I remember her, but the last time I saw her was when we greeted each other a few times at the start of our second year. Since then, she's been away from the academy, so I haven't run into her at all."
"Right. Well, the reason she hasn't been around is because she was away on a business trip.
And the purpose of that trip was to make direct contact with the Beastmen.
It was a top-secret project run by the academy, so nobody knew about it."
So that was it...
This was information I didn't possess from my past life, but it wasn't particularly shocking.
In the original game, Heart-fluttering Stormy Harem Transfer Student, the backgrounds and settings of supporting characters were often conveyed indirectly.
Rather than having an NPC or narrator explain the situation directly, players had to piece together the lore through item descriptions and various metaphors.
For instance, the fall of the Beastmen that I remembered seemed, from the protagonist's perspective, like a sudden, random rampage where they attacked humans.
However, the flavor text of an item dropped by one of the hidden bosses later in the game hinted that someone had intentionally triggered their frenzy.
This led players to deduce that a shadowy organization had pulled the strings behind the scenes to suppress or exploit the Beastmen.
To put it simply, it was similar to the storytelling style of the Dark Souls series.
In any case, since even I, a player of the original game, didn't know every minor detail of the lore, it wasn't strange that I was unaware of this top-secret project.
In other words, even if it was never explicitly mentioned, this project likely existed in the original game as well.
However, the part concerning the main storyline—specifically, the survival of the Beastman race—was different.
This wasn't a matter of whether I knew about it or not; it was a deviation from an inevitable plot point that should have remained identical to the original.
If my memory served me right, while the relationships between the protagonist Marc Visus and the heroines, or even the heroines' behavior patterns, might differ slightly in this world, the way the world itself operated had remained largely the same.
This meant that the major plot points driving this world—such as the terrorist attack during the first-year entrance ceremony or the dungeon outbreak during the practical exam—had unfolded exactly as they did in the original game.
Because of this, I hadn't felt anxious even when minor, unfamiliar incidents occurred.
The main storyline wouldn't change. No matter what happened, the world would eventually reach the happy ending achieved by the protagonist, Marc Visus.
But if one of the major pillars of the original plot—the extinction of the Beastmen—was altered, then the situation changed entirely.
It meant there was now a possibility that this world would drift in a completely different direction from the original game.
If so, I had to suspect one thing.
There was a variable, a specific event somewhere, that had triggered a different outcome from the original story.
What on earth could that variable be...? I need to see it with my own eyes as soon as possible.
"She lived and interacted with a group of Beastmen for a year and a half, and apparently, she gathered surprisingly positive data.
She announced that they might even find a solution to the rampages, which are a chronic issue for the Beastman race."
"Really...? I see..."
"Yeah. She said there was one Beastman in particular who was exceptionally intelligent and friendly toward humans, so they decided to admit that student to the academy starting this semester."
Lilit was kindly explaining everything to me, but at some point, I had stopped listening.
It couldn't be helped; my mind was suddenly flooded with too many theories and suspicions.
Could this be where the divergence from the original story began?
First, a character who had vanished and never reappeared in the original game had made an appearance here.
I couldn't be sure yet, but if I had to make a cautious guess, it probably had something to do with that professor—Professor Bljoa.
Should I meet with the professor later and ask her about the details of her trip?
I might need to find out exactly what happened there.
No, on second thought, she might refuse to tell me, citing confidentiality...
In that case, I might have to approach the Beastman student who's scheduled to enroll.
But how should I go about it...?
"...? Rofel! What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Ah? Oh? Ah, right! Sorry, sorry. My mind just got a bit cluttered."
"You're the one who asked me to explain, so why are you spacing out?"
"Haha, I said I'm sorry. Anyway... so that Beastman student is attending the academy starting this year?"
"Yeah. They haven't arrived at the academy yet, but they're scheduled to enroll as a first-year freshman this year.
Though..."
"Though?"
"...From what I heard, it seems the student is a girl.
Which brings me to this, Rofel. Just in case... and I mean really just in case...
Do you happen to have some sort of interest in that Beastman?"
"...? If you mean interest, then yes, I suppose I do?"
"I mean, now that I think about it, why are you suddenly so obsessed with the Beastmen?
Sure, it's surprising that a persecuted race is enrolling, but it's not something to be that curious about, is it?
...Unless, Rofel... do you have a preference for that sort of thing?"
"W-What?! No, of course not!"
"Hmm... You know, Rofel."
Lilit stepped closer, grabbing my collar and pulling me down to meet her gaze.
"I could easily put on some ears and a tail for you...♥"
Huu~♥
Her hot breath tickled my ear.
At the same time, one of her hands slipped past my shirt to caress my chest, while her other hand slid down to stroke my crotch.
Before I knew it, her eyes had grown hazy with desire.