Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: First Class
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After a bout of commotion, in the late hours when everyone had fallen asleep.
Gazing up at the brightly shining moon, I was lost in thought, wrestling with many worries.
Avillon Academy.
The game where you become the Hero, team up with companions, and defeat the Demon King.
If that's all you heard, you might ask what the problem was.
'As if it were that easy a game...'
It wasn't for nothing that I poured my life into it.
A game that satisfied players with its high degree of freedom and diverse choices.
But those choices weren't exactly normal.
If you didn't help a bullied student, they might suddenly drop out of the academy.
Or a demon might ambush your companions during midterms.
It tormented players with a "you gotta know or you get hit" style.
'Thinking back to the first time it happened...'
The heroine I'd carefully nurtured was suddenly dead.
The shock was so great that I couldn't even look at my computer for a while.
In any case, the world of Avillon Academy wasn't some soft easy mode—it was closer to merciless hardcore.
And ever since I came to this place, I'd wanted to give everyone a happy ending.
What if we defeated the Demon King but I couldn't return to my original world?
Better to struggle now than regret it later.
Besides, as a self-proclaimed veteran, I couldn't let my pride take a hit by giving up already.
I could do it, but skip it because it's hard?
Veterans have always sought out the tougher paths since time immemorial.
I'm beyond veteran—approaching rotten water—and running away isn't in my dictionary.
'It also hits me personally.'
Ever since I was a kid, I'd meddle whenever I saw someone sad or suffering.
...Not the best memories, but.
Anyway, back to the point. In this world, the protagonist Arien's role was crucial.
To defeat the Demon King, the Hero's holy sword was essential.
Aside from its huge help against demons going forward,
it was the only thing that could deal damage in the Demon King extermination battle.
A noob-level passive that nullifies all attacks with the Evil God's blessing.
The lore said you needed a holy sword infused with divine power to pierce that blessing and inflict damage.
Of course, with his top-of-the-class academy entrance, defeating the Demon King shouldn't be an issue...
'The companions are the real problem.'
The companions handle the Demon King's army and demons.
Among them, the heroines showed insane performance, practically essential with their cheat-level abilities.
The issue was that our protagonist, Arien, was a total loner, nerdy shut-in type.
In a world where characters drop like flies at the slightest mistake, that prickly personality was a disaster.
He might not even become friends with the heroines—i'd be lucky if he doesn't make enemies.
Ideally, the Hero heals his emotional wounds and bonds with everyone.
If not, I'd have to step in.
Lost in these thoughts, time flew by before I knew it.
The moment I thought I should get at least a little sleep and lay down on the bed.
"Mom... I'm sorry... Don't go..."
Was he having a nightmare?
Whatever it was, tears streamed from his tightly shut eyes.
After crying for a long while, Arien mumbled as if he had something to say.
"Still... like you told me, Mom, I made a friend. He's a bit lacking and kinda dumb, but he seems like a good guy."
This jerk, calling who dumb?
He'd told me to get lost when he was awake.
But deep down, he thought of me as a friend?
"He approached me first even though I'm such a jerk. Said there's no reason not to make friends. I want to treat him well too... but I'm scared he'll turn on me like everyone else..."
...So that's how it was.
Family, friends, even strangers.
Going from the count's illegitimate child to Hero overnight.
Envy, jealousy, and resentful glares must have all targeted Arien.
Too much shock for a young child to bear.
Maybe spilling his true feelings brought him relief.
Before long, Arien was breathing softly in sleep.
Feeling a mix of emotions, I lay on my bed and made a vow to myself.
To make the Hero—no, Arien Cravel—happy.
I stood in front of the D Class door for my first lesson.
'This should be the place.'
I remembered classes were assigned by entrance exam scores in the first semester.
From S Class down to D Class.
I didn't know the exact criteria, but as the bottom admit overall, D Class was a sure bet.
As I entered the classroom, all eyes turned to me.
"That's the bottom admit, right?"
"Heard he got lucky with good teammates."
"Talentless trash should know his place."
Such an intense welcome already.
Shouldn't backtalk at least be whispered out of earshot...?
They were muttering loud enough for me to hear on purpose.
But it was fine. D Class was actually better for the first event.
The brown-haired girl sitting in the front row.
As I mentioned before, Avillon Academy features all sorts of events threatening the protagonist's companions.
The first one starts right here in D Class.
A commoner student drops out due to group bullying by nobles.
Sure, the academy rules say status doesn't matter, but who follows that in D Class?
In a place full of underqualified nobles who got in through connections,
a commoner who made it purely on merit was an easy target.
And the student who quits is Lea, one of the protagonist's heroines.
She fronts the party but always lacked confidence, earning regrets.
She lives without presence until bullying forces her to drop out.
Of course, if you eliminate the noble bullies and stick with her to rebuild her self-esteem,
her suppressed potential explodes in massive growth.
Later, she follows the protagonist everywhere like a puppy, eager to help.
'She was adorable.'
Seeing her go from perpetually gloomy to brightly smiling after regaining confidence was so rewarding...
Not my top favorite, though!
Anyway, the Hero should be the one saving her from bullying.
That way, Arien bonds with Lea and softens that prickly personality.
Of course, just watching Lea get bullied would be torture...
As someone who truly cherished every heroine in Avillon Academy, letting Lea suffer was agonizing.
While inwardly shedding tears over this painful situation,
the professor entered through the front door.
Glossy silver hair cascading smoothly.
Crimson eyes captivating enough to steal anyone's gaze.
Anyone would think she was beautiful.
'But why are you here...?'
She was supposed to teach S Class.
Why was she in D Class?
"Quiet."
Her single word silenced the noisy classroom instantly.
She scanned the students' faces one by one, as if searching for someone.
As everyone held their breath in tension, her eyes met mine, and she smiled like she'd found what she wanted.
'Why are you looking at me like that?'
I'd never even met her before.
She kept staring at me before finally looking away, satisfied.
"I'm Serin Arjen. I'll be handling D Class from now on."
She introduced herself cheerfully, as if the situation amused her greatly.
Serin Arjen.
The empire's youngest Swordmaster.
Despite her intimidating aura, she cared deeply for students, always sacrificing herself.
That contrast made her hugely popular, even without official heroine status.
Back when I was filled with self-doubt and mistrust,
even if it was just in the game, Serin always believed in me and boosted my confidence.
It helped me tremendously then, so Serin was hands-down my favorite character.
"Consider it an honor to be taught by me, the Imperial Knight Commander."
Serin puffed up proudly as she spoke.
In the game, she inherits the Knight Commander position and is thrilled.
Probably emphasizing it to boast.
How proud was she...?
And that satisfied look on her face.
My favorite character bragging right in front of me.
Plus those constant glances my way.
Every eye contact was murder on my heart.
"Anyway, let's get along well for the year."
My favorite becoming our class prof was great, but I couldn't shake the worry.
Serin's gaze kept lingering on me.
No matter how I thought about it, she'd come to D Class because of me.
I figured I'd followed the story perfectly so far...
The plot changing already.
And for some reason, those eyes kept drifting back to me.
I was definitely marked from day one...