Circle Open Week and the Succubus Alchemist
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The freshmen who had just entered the academy probably dreamed of a peaceful school life when they came here.
Of course, there would be some students staking their lives on climbing the social ladder, but most had applied to the academy with the goal of earning decent grades and building connections for their future.
This tendency was especially pronounced among the nobility. After all, those kids were born with exceptional talents, so they could achieve top scores without much effort.
For students with such lax mindsets, this incident would hit them like a sucker punch. After all, it involved deaths among their classmates.
In this event, my roommate Axelro dies. Not just him—several other freshmen from our cohort bite the dust too, as far as I know.
I don't remember the names of the others besides Axelro. They're just extras who get a single line before vanishing. Strictly speaking, even Axelro is an extra.
"That concludes today's lesson."
The history class ended. It was the last one of the day.
History was a required core subject, so plenty of students took it. And within the academy, it was notorious for being one of the dullest courses—second to none. As soon as class wrapped up, the brain-fried students erupted into lively chatter with their friends.
"Huuuh... This material is just way too much..."
Bane Jest, the pink-haired vampire beauty, whined gloomily about the history lesson's difficulty. Honestly, the problem wasn't the volume—it was the professor's incompetence. An already boring subject paired with a godawful teacher created some insane synergy.
"Johan. What about you?"
Bane asked me in a voice so quiet it was barely audible. She was the only classmate who really talked to me, the academy's unofficial outcast. My other close contact was my roommate, Axelro.
"Same as always—boring as hell. Makes me wanna kill the prof."
"Heh... That bad, huh."
Bane's pink eyes—matching her hair—sparkled as she stared at the spot where the professor had exited. Her gaze grew unfocused, making her look like she might actually snap and do something crazy.
"Kidding. Totally kidding."
I added that just in case.
Just as I was Bane's one and only classmate buddy, she was mine too.
Among the demihuman races, vampires were feared for their aggression and sneakiness. Even after a month since enrollment, Bane hadn't made any friends. Or rather, she didn't seem to need or want them.
"Bane. Don't you have anyone in the dorm you chat with separately?"
"Huh...? Not really."
"Ibis is four to a room, right."
"We each get a suite with two private rooms."
Totally luxurious compared to Oracle.
"I've got you, Johan—that's enough for me. But... do you have other friends?"
As she said it, Bane's pupils seemed to dilate hugely. Was she always this type of character...? She felt a bit off from the original story.
"Yeah, I do."
"Eh...?"
"My roommate, Axelro. Total immature dumbass."
"Aah~ A guy, huh. Hehe. For a sec, I thought—"
"......"
Yeah, I need to be careful around Bane for a while. In the original, Johan naturally consoles the emotionally scarred Bane, building intimacy through their human connections. Her ice-cold heart thaws as they tackle academy incidents together.
But I pulled a little cheat. I approached her from the start and won her favor early.
So she never got hurt in the first place, and there was no chill between us. Side effect or not, her attitude felt a tad different from what I'd seen in the original.
"Shall we head back to the dorm?"
After the last class, most students returned to their dorms. Circle members stuck around for activities, but most freshmen hadn't joined one yet, so there wasn't much reason to linger on campus.
I packed my textbook to head back when a senior entered the lecture hall. An eagle emblem—the student council insignia—gleamed on their right arm. Naturally, all eyes turned to the council staffer.
"Starting today, it's officially Circle Open Week. Each circle will hold open events, and you freshmen can browse them freely."
Circle Open Week.
The event freshmen had been waiting for was finally here.
"Check your student handbooks for info on the academy's circles. As you know, once you're in, quitting can be tricky depending on the circle. So choose carefully."
At the staffer's words, students pulled out their handbooks. Sure enough, a new section for circle intros had appeared on a blank page.
The academy had over a hundred circles—from major ones you'd recognize by name to wildly niche minors.
Circles meant a lot here. Treating them like casual clubs was a huge mistake. In some ways, they built tighter networks than dorms. For bottom-caste students, they were practically the only shot at hope.
'Of course, even if slave-caste trash joins a top circle, they'll just end up as slaves anyway.'
Reality was brutal. Barring a handful of golden-ticket luckies, academy castes didn't change.
"Choose wisely, everyone. You know how important circles are here."
I already knew which one I'd join. I asked the girl next to me.
"Decided on a circle yet?"
"Yeah. Johan's circle."
"......Any one you're hoping for?"
"Yeah! Johan's circle."
"Any you wanna avoid?"
"Any without Johan!"
"......"
Academy rules required every student to join exactly one circle. That's why everyone scouted obsessively. No one would pick as casually as Bane.
"I've decided. You?"
"Yep."
I answered without hesitation, and Bane's eyes went wide.
"Really? Which one?"
"Secret."
I flashed a playful smile and pressed a finger to my lips. Johan's handsome face was always a plus. If Derek Walker tried that shit, he'd get slapped.
"Even from me...?"
"Kidding, kidding. It's the Sisters of Twilight."
She flipped through her handbook eagerly. Grand name aside, Sisters of Twilight was a tiny minor circle—bottom-tier recognition, tucked at the end of the list.
"Sisters of Twilight... Three members? Goal: original alchemy research... An alchemy circle?"
"Yeah. Other alchemy circles are more famous, like Poison Flower—the top one—or Witch's Labyrinth."
"Why this one specifically?"
I almost said "hot babe," but swallowed it. No need to tank favor.
Plus, with Bane's current vibe, that kinda tease felt extra risky. Even Johan's face-cheat couldn't save dumb moves—better manage affection smartly.
"Heard they do fun experiments the big alchemy majors skip. Totally different from the boring ones."
"Huh... You into alchemy, Johan? Kinda surprising for Martial Club."
Not really. Alchemy was useful for doping potions and consumables, but I had zero interest in learning it. I'd just buy 'em.
"Martial Club, so I'm clueless on alchemy. That's why I'm curious. Planning to check it out today."
"Th-then I'll come too."
Bane flicked her pink hair boldly. Her voice had uncharacteristic steel—no arguments allowed.
"Sure. Let's go."
Bane and I headed to the circle building where Sisters of Twilight was housed.
The circle annex was right by the undergrad campus. More buildings than campus proper, but scattered small ones instead of big complexes.
Circle prestige dictated room size and facilities. Prestigious ones like Lake's Sword had castle-like halls.
Newbies like Sisters of Twilight used the central shared building—and took the basement.
"This must be it."
We reached a shabby basement wooden door. No sign—just a geometric magic circle etched on it.
Felt like a shaman's shop. Bane, staring at the circle, pointed.
"This... looks like Onyx's Necromantic Alchemy Array?"
FYI, Bane was Magic Division—Alchemy Department. Her dream: brew vampire staples without human or animal blood.
"What's that?"
"Black magic array for reviving spoiled materials. Hmm... this volatile smell... what're they brewing in there..."
Clunk!
"Oh! Visitors? Freshmen?"
The door burst open. A blue-haired woman with sleepy eyes poked her head out. Bane, glued to the array, jumped back several steps.
"Yes. Here for a tour."
I answered for the startled Bane. The blue-haired woman clapped delightedly.
"Oh my! Tours on day one! Good omen this year! Come in, both of you! I'll show you alchemy's real fun!"
She wagged her tail—heart-shaped tip. Succubus confirmed.