Become a Hype Man (2)

There's a saying: after one mountain, another.

It means you've barely weathered a crisis only to find yourself staring down something even worse.

That was exactly where I stood.

"Are you well, Eugene?"

I'd staked my life to shove the story back onto its original rails, and now the world itself was being held hostage, demanding a true happy ending.

"Eugene?"

Fuck. Dress it up however you want with "the fate of the world" — this is just "do it or I'll kill you."

What the hell am I supposed to do about this?

While I was brooding over the "true happy ending" still glowing on the system window, Rania had already drawn close. She seized my hand and shouted.

"Eugene!!"

"Huh?"

Right. I'm Eugene now.

"Do you have any idea how many times I called you?!"

"Sorry. Had something on my mind."

I said it while looking down. Her hand was mapped with calluses and tiny scars, but the place where our skin met was simply warm.

Rania followed my gaze and lowered her head as well.

"……!!?"

She jerked back as if she'd been burned.

"Ah— I'm sorry, I-I mean, my apologies!!"

She scrambled backward in a panic and even stumbled over her own feet. Watching her flail, I said,

"Of course you should. You're the first woman who's ever beaten the crap out of me, Rania."

A line from the original Eugene, tossed out just in case. In the original, her answer had been crystal clear.

Put it toward your medical bills.

A frigid look and a single gold coin.

Same thing this time, right?

That was what I thought as I lifted my head.

"Pfft. Well now. I am honored indeed."

I witnessed the soft, easy smile that bloomed across Rania's face.

And in the same instant, it came back to me.

And now, once again, the tragic hero who had been forced to hide her heart in the original story was looking at me and smiling.

"You truly are a curious one."

That was when I understood. The happy ending I was going to complete needed that smile. It was indispensable.

And so I moonwalked up to Rania and asked, almost in a whisper,

"So. You hate it?"

"Hardly. If anything, I find it strangely comfortable. As though we were old…"

"Old…?"

"L-like friends."

Friends, huh.

In a way, that was true. Rania Vulcanus. She had been the only friend who reached out a hand to me when I had lost my family and fallen into despair.

And so I could make this vow.

This time, it's my turn.

No matter what hardships came, I would get back on my feet and complete the happy ending I had wished for.

I held out my hand to Rania.

"While we're at it, let's just be friends."

"Friends…?"

"Yeah. I don't have any friends on this side yet. If you're okay with it, I'd like you to be my first."

"Ah."

Rania checked my hair color and nodded. She hesitated a moment, then, instead of answering, carefully extended both hands.

Like a cat that had only ever circled at a distance, finally pressing its face close, Rania gently took my hand.

"Friends…"

She murmured it under her breath and stood still, then put on her usual blank expression and strode out ahead.

"Where are you going?"

"…Are you not an examinee yourself?"

"Ah."

Come to think of it, the entrance exam for Academy Zion was about to start.

Wait, so what about being friends?

No answer. Guess I'd been rejected.

Well. It is Rania we're talking about.

I'd expected it, but it still stung a little. Thinking that, I let myself be led along after her.

"The walk will be dull, so I thought I might explain Zion's entrance examination to you."

"To me?"

I asked back, a little surprised.

The exam contents were common knowledge among noble examinees, but for anyone who wasn't a noble, the information was hard to come by. To receive the informational pamphlet, you had to visit Zion in person and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pay one gold.

O-one gold?!

Listen, this is Zion. If you can't afford it, look into another academy.

One gold was roughly a month's living expenses for a commoner family of four. Which was why the scummier noble brats tried to monopolize that information, blocking any leak of exam details to commoners.

So I refused.

"Nah. I'm good, Rania."

Those same noble cliques spent the entire early story harassing Rania alongside the villainess.

Hey, Rania. Word is you passed the exam info to the commoners?

Is there a problem?

Nah, no problem. Just wondering if making an enemy of our house is really in your best interest…

Are you threatening me?!

If House Vulcanus had still been standing strong, she wouldn't have needed to care. But right now the family head was bedridden thanks to the cultists.

Yeah. That's a threat. Know your place and crawl back in your hole.

The idiots carrying the family name, plus the villainess, had tag-teamed her into genuine misery. Rania knew the current situation too, so she cut straight to the point.

"The noble lot will take it poorly."

But a protagonist is a protagonist. Rania answered without a shred of hesitation.

"I understand what you fear. However — ought there be high and low in the pursuit of learning?"

She was someone who upheld her own chivalry no matter the circumstances. Even if I said something here, even if I hadn't been the one she was sharing the information with, Rania would have spoken it anyway.

Because that was her chivalry. The way of the knight.

And so I offered my thanks.

"Thanks, Rania."

"Eh."

"I said thank you. For a lot of things."

Honestly, gratitude is gratitude.

And…

Those noble bastards, I can just beat them up myself.

Rania muttered as she looked at me.

"Think nothing of it. We are now… th-that is, f-friends? Yes. Friends. No — we have become friends? Ah! We are not friends!"

The same confident bearing as before, but her eyes were shaking uncontrollably.

Ah. I knew it.

"Cute."

Who would have thought the expressionless empress, the Iron-Blood Knight Rania, had a side like this hidden away.

"Mm…?"

She asked again, as if she hadn't heard — or as if she wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

Even if the sky came crashing down, I was going to see this happy ending through.

But…

What even is this? It's been going off since earlier.

"Hold on a second, Rania."

"Hm? We haven't much time."

"Just a sec. A tiny second."

As I said it, I reached a finger toward the blue window floating in front of me.

Tap.

The moment I touched it, the window vanished, and a new system window rose in its place.

"…Eugene? Why are you suddenly poking at empty air?"

The system window seemed to be visible only to me.

"Just thinking."

I said it while reading the letters, and the more I read, the more I smiled.

Looks like I just found my way out.

Imperial Academy Zion.

The main setting of the web novel Protect the Academy!, established as the most prestigious institution on the continent.

Maybe that was why.

"It's seriously huge."

"It is Zion, after all."

Without Rania's guidance, I would have gotten lost long before reaching the exam grounds.

"At any rate, we have arrived."

"This is it?"

The place we'd stopped was in front of a massive stadium that looked like the Colosseum of ancient Rome.

"Well then, Eugene. Before we enter the examination hall, allow me to explain one last time."

She meant she was going to explain the exam contents. I hurriedly opened my mouth.

"The exam is conducted publicly. You attack an 'indestructible' scarecrow with everything you've got. The magic stones inside the scarecrow measure your aura and mana ranks, and the judges ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠calculate a comprehensive grade!"

I rattled it off like a machine gun and stuck up a thumbs-up. Rania nodded.

"Your memory is impressive as well."

"That's because you taught me well."

Thirteen times, no less. At least the walk here hadn't been boring.

"A comprehensive grade is calculated. Ah, and the exam is conducted publicly, and you attack an 'indestructible'…"

"…Rania. That's the eighth time."

"Is it? At any rate, the magic stones inside the scarecrow…"

"GYAAAAH."

I'd come close ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to losing my mind, though.

"I shall go register first."

"Go ahead. I'll wait here."

"Then, a moment."

While Rania went to register, someone cautiously approached me.

"Um…"

"Yes?"

The woman who had approached slipped off her robe. Long beige hair, and golden eyes like a bird of prey.

"When you were shouting the exam contents just now. You made eye contact with me for a second, didn't you?"

"Did I?"

I quietly averted my gaze. She had an innocent-looking face, but for some reason I couldn't stand to meet her eyes.

The woman gave me a smiling look.

"I know you shouted on purpose. You did it so we'd hear, right?"

Before I could even answer, she and the group she'd brought with her bowed at the waist.

"You have our sincere thanks."

"Yeah, well."

Sharp, isn't she.

If I'd been a character in the novel, I would have used this as leverage to squeeze something out of them. Unfortunately, I was an extra.

"Rania put me up to it."

I took a step back and pointed at Rania, who was still registering, but the woman didn't so much as twitch.

"You're the one who told us."

A chilly gaze, directed at Rania. That was when her name came back to me.

"…Yuria."

Yuria. An orphan from the capital's Backstreets, the one who led the commoner students at Zion.

But the truth was…

The discarded illegitimate child of the Marcia Imperial Family.

And at the same time, the early-story villain of Protect the Academy! who hated Rania more than anyone.

Save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me.

I was trembling on the inside, and Yuria's brow furrowed slightly.

"How do you know my name?"

Oops. I hastily fumbled an excuse.

"Your exam ticket."

No good could come from getting mixed up with the villainess. Yuria nodded along readily.

"…That's a good excuse."

A shadow passed over her previously benevolent expression, then vanished as if it had never been there.

"It's almost exam time."

"Yeah. Good luck."

I gave a halfhearted reply and was about to turn away when Yuria seized my wrist.

"I really hope you pass."

"Yeah, well."

"Really. You have to."

Ugh, scary.

I barely swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue and edged aside to let her through. Instead of leaving right away, she rose onto her tiptoes and pulled me in. She put her lips to my ear and whispered in a husky, alluring voice.

"If you pass, come find me."

"Why would I?"

"I think we'd make good friends."

Yeah, well. That's a bit of a problem.

Yuria's group ends up getting expelled together with the nobles who bullied Rania, going down in mutual destruction.

That, more than anything, cannot happen.

If I got kicked out of the academy, everything would flow exactly as it had in the original. And that…

Is absolutely not a happy ending.

Meaning: the world ends.

Until I figure out how to save Yuria, I should keep my distance.

I pulled my hand free and smiled.

"You've already got plenty of friends."

"More is always better, you know."

"I don't know. You just look overwhelmed to me."

For a split second, Yuria's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lips twitched. I seized the opening and struck first.

"Shouldn't you go register?"

Yuria glanced at the group she'd brought, then asked in a whisper.

"…Your name?"

I silently held out my exam ticket, but—

"Number 144. So what's your name?"

She deliberately ignored it. I had no choice but to speak.

"Eugene. No family name."

"Eugene… We share a syllable, don't we."

Yuria layered on a manufactured smile and pulled the robe she'd taken off back over her head.

"I'll see you again soon."

She turned before I could even reply and, as if it were second nature, started directing her companions.

"This is the south entrance, so… let's split up among the remaining three and meet inside."

"Yes, Miss Yuria!"

They vanished in search of another registration desk, steering clear of Rania. At the same time, Rania finished registering and came over to ask.

"Eugene. Did something happen?"

I crossed my arms and answered firmly.

"Nothing… happened…"

Rania looked at me and sighed.

"Then drop the act and go register already."

"…She's not even playing along."

"Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing. I'll be right back."

With Rania's help I registered quickly, then headed for the assigned spectator seats.

The moment time was up, the entrances slammed shut, and one of the examiners walked out to the center of the stadium. A middle-aged man who looked worn down by life swept his unkempt hair aside and glared up at the stands.

"Urgh…"

"I-is that killing intent?"

"There's aura mixed in too…!"

Some of the students were suffering. He was the kind of man whose mere everyday movements carried a pressure that could crush a person.

But I alone—

I know everything about this world.

Now that examiner will look over the stands, and then he'll say the following.

"What?"

Wait. That's not the line.