Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Hero Candidate Leon
A heavy silence settled over the plaza.
I forced down my pounding heartbeat and straightened my posture, placing my right hand over my chest in what I hoped looked like a refined noble greeting.
First impressions decide everything in life…
No, damn it.
It was already ruined.
Evan, this useless gambling-addicted, woman-obsessed failure of a noble.
How are you supposed to clear a quest like this? Is this even a winnable scenario?
Frustration bubbled up inside me, but my expression remained calm.
My body was performing noble etiquette I had never practiced in my life, yet survival instinct pushed it out as naturally as breathing.
“I, Evan of House Veldrek, humbly thank Your Highness, the First Princess, for your just judgment.”
I bowed as respectfully as possible, without appearing weak.
But Princess Eresia simply looked down at me in silence.
Just a single, indifferent glance.
Was that disdain? Or just pure disinterest?
Why is everyone like this?
I can’t even get a single proper reaction.
This is hopeless.
Her gaze held no curiosity, no warmth, nothing.
She hadn’t saved me out of pity. Rather, my words about imperial law and noble honor had simply aligned with the authority of the imperial family.
Convenient timing. That was all.
She gave a brief nod, then turned away without hesitation, escorted by her knights.
I bowed again politely, but secretly stole a glance.
Just a quick one.
That’s normal. That’s human nature.
A faint scent of roses drifted past.
Pretty.
Way too pretty.
The design quality in this world is insane.
The heroines are all absurdly beautiful.
And that authority as the First Princess… it’s overwhelming.
This is what status means.
Nice. Very nice.
If I had to rate her as a heroine… easily ten billion out of ten.
Wait.
Why am I thinking about whether the First Princess wears pure white panties?
Does she give 25 coins per interaction too? Or is it premium royalty pricing?
What about physical contact bonuses?
Stop it.
Damn it, I need to stop thinking like this.
She just saved my life.
“She saved your life, my lord.”
From behind me, Lyria exhaled in relief.
Even she, a skilled swordswoman, had been suffocated by the killing intent from Leon earlier.
The hero was different.
His power came from the goddess herself.
And no mere maid had the authority to intervene in a sacred duel.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my trousers.
When did I start sweating this much?
Am I really still alive?
I touched my neck.
Still attached.
Good.
Stay that way.
Just stay like this.
I let out a shaky breath.
At least I had changed the future.
That alone mattered.
But more importantly…
The future was not fixed yet.
It could still be changed.
And I was the only person in this world who knew the “Record of the Hero’s Collapse.”
If I could change the predetermined outcome…
Then maybe I could even change the world’s destruction itself.
The dark future started to feel slightly less suffocating.
Then I noticed her.
Ilianna.
Standing not far away in the crowd, frozen.
Her eyes were fixed on me.
Confused.
Conflicted.
Something unreadable.
She stepped forward as if to speak.
But I was no longer her fiancé.
Not anymore.
Not in front of Leon.
I turned away first, acting indifferent.
The entrance ceremony ended eventually.
The dean spoke, professors lectured, nobles applauded.
I heard none of it.
Then something felt off.
Very off.
I stood in front of the notice board listing class assignments.
And froze.
My name was there.
Evan von Veldrek
Faculty of Magic
First Year, Class A
Magic?
Not swordsmanship?
Why am I in the magic department?
Wasn’t I supposed to be a swordsman?
Why am I even holding a sword right now?
“Lyria.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“My name is in the magic department… is that correct?”
“Of course. You are a mage, my lord.”
“…Right. I’m a mage. Not a knight.”
“Yes. A mage who has studied magic for fifteen years.”
“Fifteen years… yes… that sounds familiar…”
“And House Veldrek invested over fifty thousand gold coins into your magical education.”
Fifty thousand gold coins.
What the hell kind of Evan is this?
How did he spend that much and still not learn magic?
Unless…
Wait.
Did I actually have hidden abilities?
Maybe this changes everything.
If I can use magic, I might survive the duel.
In the original story, Evan relied on swordsmanship and died instantly.
So there’s hope.
But then why was there not a single magic book in my room?
Did he burn them all?
Eat them?
What kind of study method is that?
“…So what is my favorite spell?”
Lyria stared at me.
“I have been wondering that for fifteen years, my lord. What exactly did you do with fifty thousand gold coins?”
The atmosphere turned cold.
Evan, you absolute piece of trash.
Just die already.
I quickly changed strategy.
“Lyria… look at this. This is alchemy.”
I pulled out a lighter from my inventory.
“The fire spell is nothing special. Even an ordinary person can create fire like this without mana.”
“Waaah…”
Her eyes sparkled.
“As expected of my lord.”
She was back to “my lord” again.
Good.
Stay there.
“Keep this. This is advanced alchemy. Never tell anyone.”
“I understand.”
She nodded solemnly.
Good.
Now then.
Let’s find my dorm room.
That’s the classic academy setup.
Dormitory, roommate, hidden events…
Perfect.
But Lyria pulled me out of the gate instead.
“Huh? Isn’t the dorm that way?”
“You are not assigned a dorm, my lord.”
“What?”
“You insisted on living outside the academy.”
“…I did?”
“Yes. You said you needed a private residence for research.”
Research?
What research?
We walked through the city until we reached the outskirts.
And there it was.
A crumbling wooden house.
Broken windows.
Weeds everywhere.
The door looked like it would collapse if the wind breathed on it.
No.
No way.
This is where I live?
“This is… your residence.”
Lyria said it proudly.
“As expected of my lord. A hidden laboratory for your great alchemy.”
What kind of misunderstanding is this?
I sighed deeply.
My noble academy life was officially over before it even began.
And worse…
My wallet had eight gold coins left.
Eight.
That’s it.
We were broke.
Completely broke.
Lyria bowed slightly.
“I will find work in the capital. I can handle low-rank mercenary jobs. Please focus on your alchemy.”
She looked determined.
That damn lighter.
One small item had changed everything.
And she was still flicking it on and off like it was a sacred artifact.
I stared at the broken house.
Then at my empty future.
“…This is going to be a long story.”
And somewhere far away…
The gears of fate began to move again.