Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Entrance Exam (1)
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The darkest hour before dawn had settled in.
A lone figure sat on a quiet park bench, lost in thought.
"Haa..."
It had been a week since I'd arrived here.
In that time, I'd wandered all over the city, but I had no choice except to finally accept the truth.
"Is this even possible?"
This was the world of Avillon Academy, my favorite game of all time.
Avillon Academy.
A classic tale of becoming the Hero, gathering companions, and defeating the Demon King.
But it was infamous among players for its brutal difficulty.
"I never thought I'd actually get isekai'd..."
I'd only booted up the game on a whim after hearing about a new DLC.
Then, in a flash of light, I lost consciousness—and when I came to, I was in this world.
I'd been so shocked when I first opened my eyes in that unfamiliar room.
For a full day, I convinced myself it was a dream and tried everything to wake up.
"It was all pointless, of course."
The more I moved around, the more real it felt that I'd possessed someone here.
Thud, thud.
Just look at that little golem wandering around right in front of me.
It was picking up trash on the street without any visible machinery.
How could anyone deny this was another world after seeing that?
Not to mention the streetlamps with mana stones instead of light bulbs.
Or the flower beds that conjured water from thin air to water themselves.
Things that could never exist in my old world were everywhere.
"Sigh... At least it's Avillon Academy. Could've been worse."
I mean, possessing into Avillon Academy wasn't half bad.
Call me biased, but I was something of a veteran when it came to this game.
If I'd been dropped into a world I knew nothing about, I wouldn't be this relaxed.
Calling up my status window in my mind brought up a translucent panel before my eyes.
'...Pathetic.'
It was the kind of trash status that no one would mistake for a protagonist's.
"If you're gonna isekai me, at least make me the hero..."
That's right. The body I'd possessed wasn't the Hero protagonist, but his rival.
And not just any rival—this was Rowen, the notorious weakling from the early game.
Rowen.
The academy's punching bag, mocked and scorned by all.
But he turned all that ridicule into fuel, grinding relentlessly until he reached the top ranks.
"Until his spirit finally broke, anyway."
Rowen challenged the Hero endlessly and earned the title of Hero's Rival.
But despite all his bloody effort, he could never surpass the Hero and ultimately fell to the Demon King's whispers.
-"Ha...! Even now, you say I can't surpass you?!"
Rowen joined the Demon King's Army and appeared in the late game for a showdown with the Hero.
Borrowing the power of a demonic sword, he put up a fierce fight nearly equal to the Hero's—only to lose by a hair's breadth.
-"Keep fighting, Arien... You're number one!"
Turning his back on the exhausted Hero from their battle.
Rowen wiped out the Demon King's forces that pursued him and met a heroic end.
"Eh, doesn't matter now."
I'm not crazy enough to join the Demon King's Army.
Since I'm here, I figured I'd slay the Demon King, rack up achievements, and live peacefully.
Besides, Rowen had so much potential as the Hero's rival that he was a powerhouse in his own right.
If I could just join the Hero's party, beating the Demon King would be a cakewalk.
"If it weren't for that DLC..."
That EX-grade unique trait flaunting itself like it demanded attention.
Seeing a variable that didn't exist in the main story left me deep in thought.
Did it mean enemies strong enough to require an EX trait beyond the top S-rank would appear?
And why hide it behind question marks?
If you're giving me an EX trait, just show it outright.
It was wrapped up so tight, it was driving me crazy with curiosity.
"Sigh... No point dwelling on it now."
Instead of agonizing, my priority was enrolling in the academy.
Swipe.
I looked up and scanned my surroundings. The most striking building caught my eye.
It was more like a castle than a mere building.
Exuding an air of antique elegance, it was preparing for the entrance exam about to begin.
"..."
The main stage of the game, the start and end of every story.
And the place holding all the answers to my questions.
Thump, thump.
Just looking at it filled me with tension and excitement I couldn't suppress.
The day of the entrance exam arrived.
Arriving at the plaza, I couldn't hide my trembling excitement.
Bright morning sunlight illuminated the gathered crowd.
Guards patrolled the perimeter, ready for any mishaps.
And in the distance, academy professors watched over us.
It was the exact opening scene from the game, filling me with that "it's really starting" thrill.
"Hahaha! Loosen up that frown! You'll get wrinkles!"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out.
I turned to look and spotted a familiar face amid the crowd.
A burly build and ruggedly handsome features.
It was Lucas Baren, the player-favorite "country-style tank."
His un-noble-like, easygoing personality made him popular with everyone.
Maybe it was his friendly nature and love of working out.
Players even called him "gym bro supreme."
Right now, he had his arm slung around the guy next to him, chatting away.
Though the other guy didn't look thrilled about it.
"Gah, get off me!"
The scowling one was Darian Lanford.
A textbook noble who looked down on commoners.
Yet he personally embodied noblesse oblige, making him a unique character.
Despite his arrogance, he took good care of his own—a charming contrast.
You could tell from how he hadn't blasted Lucas with magic yet.
Though veins were bulging on Darian's forehead for some reason.
They were definitely friends.
...Probably?
As I watched the two bicker, the seemingly endless line suddenly reached the front.
"Examinees 891 to 896!"
The proctor bellowed my number.
I stepped lightly into the exam room.
A proctor holding a mana orb awaited me inside.
The first exam checked basic stats and traits via the orb.
They sorted students into departments by traits and verified if stats met the minimum for enrollment.
'Total stats need to exceed 20 to pass.'
Luckily, mine barely cleared it, so no worries there.
"Next examinee!"
I stepped forward at the proctor's call.
A bluish orb emanated a strange energy.
Thinking how cool it was, I placed my hand on it.
Shaaa...
A faint light flowed from the orb, and text began to appear within.
[Rowen]
Total Stats:22
Trait:Swordsmanship Lv. 3
Unique Trait:Tenacity (A)
It looked like a simplified version of my status window.
'No surprise the EX trait doesn't show.'
It was hidden even in my status window—fat chance it'd appear here.
"Examinee Rowen, you pass the first exam. Proceed to the Knight Department waiting area."
The proctor delivered the results in a flat tone.
I gave a short reply and turned to leave.
"Ha! What kind of trash stats are those?!"
The guy taking the exam next to me suddenly picked a fight.
'...Huh? That feels familiar.'
The speech pattern rang a bell.
Racking my hazy memory, I glanced at his mana orb.
[Dores Balmont]
Total Stats:31
Trait:Magic Lv. 2
Unique Trait:-
Dores Balmont...
One of the early-game guys, right?
"Hey, peasant! With scores like that, don't you think you're being too greedy for the academy?!"
Ah, now I remembered.
The classic third-rate villain who bullied commoners to feel superior.
His "peasant" catchphrase gave him away.
"Hey! Are you deaf, peasant?!"
"Why do you keep calling me, rat?"
"What?"
"?"
I was focused—why was he bothering me?
His persistence was admirable, so I tossed him a casual reply.
Dores, who looked like a rat and got nicknamed "rat bastard" by players.
Aware of it, his face flushed beet red in an instant as he exploded.
"You bastard! How dare you say that to me?!"
"You called me a peasant first..."
"That's because you are a peasant!"
"And I'm calling you a rat because you look like one."
The more I spoke, the angrier he got.
I was just responding, but he seemed determined to cross the line.
"Argh! Enough of your backtalk! I can't take this anymore...! Fireball!"
"Hmm... I wouldn't recommend that."
The flustered guy, stomping his feet, finally raised his staff to cast.
"That's enough."
The proctor appeared in a flash, grabbing Dores's wrist and cutting off the mana flow to the magic circle.
"Violence is strictly forbidden within academy grounds. If you want to fight that badly, enroll first and apply for an official duel."
The proctor defused the situation swiftly and returned to his post like he had better things to do.
...Ouch. That had to hurt.
Mid-cast interruption caused massive pain from mana backlash.
Probably felt like blood flowing backward.
"...You okay?"
He started it and swung first, but seeing him writhe on the floor tugged at my heartstrings a bit.
"F-fuck... 'You okay' my ass..."
Trembling like it was pain beyond imagination.
He really did look like a rat caught in a trap.
"Sigh... I told you not to. I'm heading out first?"
Someone was waiting in the holding area, so I roughly helped him up.
Then I left the exam room and headed into the academy building.
The second exam waiting rooms separated knights, mages, and priests. The Knight Department one was packed with all sorts. Guys with standard longswords at their hips. A female student holding a shield as big as a grown man. Axes, spears, hammers, even bare fists. All kinds waited for round two.
'He should be around here somewhere...'
Scanning the crowd, I searched for one person in particular. This world's protagonist, the Hero.
'...No way that's him, right?'
In the corner stood someone alone. Silver hair cropped short and neat. Sky-blue eyes darted around anxiously. His crisp uniform and delicate features evoked softness over strength. At first glance, you might just think he was stunningly beautiful.
But the sword at his waist proved who he was. Holy Sword, Lumiere. The blade forged by the Heavenly God himself to slay the Demon King and sent to the mortal world. Even sheathed, it glowed with otherworldly light, proclaiming its divine nature.
'I expected him to look more manly.'
He could easily be mistaken for a girl—which made sense, since the Hero romanced the heroines in-game. Plus, he was supposed to be mingling and building bonds right now... Instead, he huddled in the corner like a total loner.
'...Surely not.'
In the game, the protagonist got a quest to befriend students here. But now that it was real, would he even see a quest window?
'Quest window? Please.'
If he had a status window, he wouldn't be hiding like a frightened kitten. Seeing the Hero glance around nervously, I sighed involuntarily.
'I'm gonna have to stick with the Hero from now on...'
To resolve academy events, the Hero was essential. Only I could see status windows, so I'd have to drag him everywhere.
"Sigh..."
I'd hoped to buddy up with the Hero and coast easy... No such luck. I approached to talk to him. Our eyes met, and I greeted him first.
"Hi?"
"Piss off."
...What?