The Entrance Ceremony
Under the warm sunlight, countless students streamed into the academy. Standing at the main gate, I slowly surveyed my surroundings.
Just like in the game.
A clock tower soaring in the center like a magic tower, surrounded by buildings of every shape and color. Fitting for the empire's greatest academy, its scale dwarfed even five universities combined. A single lap around the place might take more than a full day.
"Young master. I'll be taking my leave now. I hope you have a pleasant entrance ceremony."
"Right. See you later."
After giving Julie a halfhearted reply, I left her behind and stepped into the academy grounds. The nobles' gazes stabbed into me like needles.
"Look at him over there."
"That's Luan Priulri, isn't it?"
"Do you think the rumors are true? They say he forces himself on the maids. Apparently, he's gotten so many pregnant that it takes a whole truck to carry them all."
"Shh! Keep your voice down. He might hear you."
"Ah, yes! Let's go inside quickly."
The noble ladies who had been glancing my way and spouting fabricated rumors scurried off, worried they might get caught.
My reputation is absolute garbage.
At this rate, it would be wiser to give up on making friends inside the academy. Not that I had any intention of doing so in the first place.
I have to keep playing the part of the scoundrel.
I had encountered other transmigrators yesterday. The incident with Alissa Bretes had been so shocking that I hadn't had time to think deeply about it, but after returning to the mansion and reflecting calmly, I reached the conclusion that they were extremely dangerous.
They knew the future of this world and possessed special abilities just like me. I didn't know their individual personalities, but recalling the drug dealer Dane from yesterday made it clear that cheerful cooperation was unlikely. They were rivals, plain and simple.
That meant they had already identified most of the hidden dungeons and hidden pieces I knew about. If I carelessly went after them and ran into one of these people, I might as well consider myself dead. It was hard to believe they had possessed weaker bodies than mine. I had to assume the worst in every situation.
Thanks to that, I had spent the entire previous evening revising my plans and breaking into a sweat.
Things just got a lot more annoying.
Letting out a sigh at my internal complaint, I lifted my head. Before I knew it, I had arrived at the grand auditorium. Teaching assistants were recording visitor information at the entrance. After leaving a quick note, I finally entered the hall.
"New students, please come this way! Thank you for moving to your assigned seats."
Following the guide's instructions, I moved inside and slowly looked around at the students. I recognized several faces.
They're all supporting characters.
Whether by luck or misfortune, none of the main characters were nearby. At best, there were a few people who played active roles in the middle of the main story. Once I finished assessing the situation, I quickly took my seat. If I ran into Alissa here, there was no telling how things would unfold. If word of the rape got out, it would mean immediate expulsion. Entering and getting expelled at the same time? In a way, that would be a historic feat that would go down in Solias Academy's history.
Fortunately, contrary to my worries, time passed without incident. Before long, the entrance ceremony began. A middle-aged man over two meters tall, his entire body packed with boulder-like muscles, stepped onto the stage.
"New students, welcome to Solias Academy. I am Gion Cruise, the headmaster."
The auditorium erupted in cheers. Gion Cruise was the headmaster of Solias Academy, a monster whose level exceeded 400. His primary duty was protecting the academy—more precisely, guarding the heart of the immortal beast Levios sealed in its depths from the Dark Cult. That was why he rarely showed himself. Thanks to that, during the early days after the game's release, there had been endless complaints about where the headmaster was hiding while the Dark Cult ran rampant. And a week later, people were cursing him as an incompetent character who couldn't even stop Levios's resurrection.
"With that, I will conclude my remarks here."
After finishing his welcoming speech, Gion Cruise stepped down, and three men and women took the stage. Leading them was a man with fiery red hair and brilliant golden eyes. He was Crown Prince Demian Solias. In the game, he had a track record of acting as a reliable ally to the protagonist.
"Wow, it's His Highness the Crown Prince. The princess and Lady Isis are behind him too."
"Oh my! All three of them look magnificent!"
"Who do you think Lady Isis will marry? His Highness the Crown Prince suits her best, doesn't he?"
"Who knows? She might end up inheriting the marquisate. After all, you know how the eldest son is."
"Wasn't that the case? Then should I put myself forward as a candidate? Ahaha!"
Irritated by the grating comments, I scratched my ear and focused back on the stage.
Isis.
Isis Priuli, Luan Priulri's older sister and a spear genius who would later become student council president, stood proudly behind the crown prince. Her jet-black hair exuded a noble charm, and her transparent silver eyes shone sharply. Despite being a woman, her ironclad spirit inspired admiration in those who saw her. She was truly a flower blooming on a cliff. In the game, she had topped popularity rankings as if it were routine, yet she remained an unromanceable character that drew complaints.
I thought the expansion pack would make her romanceable…
Regretful as it was, I decided to be content with seeing her with my own eyes instead of through a monitor. The fact that I was her younger brother and a scoundrel was the problem, though.
After passing Isis, my gaze finally landed on the princess's face. Regina Solias. A beautiful girl with the same flame-like red hair and golden eyes as the crown prince. Her appearance was truly stunning, but she had a fatal flaw—her personality was utterly rotten. She caused so many disruptions by picking fights over every little thing that it even interfered with romancing the heroines. Thanks to that, the majority of 19+ manga sites featured content about "educating" the princess.
It's always the thirsty ones who dig wells.
For the record, the princess was also an unromanceable character. Personally, I suspected the developers had some grudge against the student council from their school days.
Perhaps because I had recalled so much information in such a short time, my head started to ache slightly. Leaning back in my chair, I looked up at the ceiling.
Looking at the status window eased some of my fatigue. My fight with the drug dealer Dane and Alissa had raised my level by 2 and increased my stats by a total of 9. Normally, when leveling up once, stats rose randomly between 1 and 5 depending on potential, so this growth rate was quite satisfying. However, since most of the damage I took was physical, my endurance had grown more than expected.
Not bad.
My Rape Declaration only boosted strength, so having a sturdy body was essential to avoid injuring myself with my own power.
Anyway, it seemed my guess had been correct.
So leveling up doesn't come from killing people after all.
More precisely, you didn't gain experience and level up just by killing someone. The game had explained that levels rose and stats increased through self-realization gained from combat. At the time, I thought it was some hipster nonsense, but perhaps this world wasn't simply a game, which was why it took this form. That was something I couldn't know for certain right now.
After dismissing the status window, I stared blankly into the air once more.
When is this going to end…
The crown prince's voice echoed faintly through the grand auditorium.
"Greetings, everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Demian Solias, the student council president of Solias Academy. I sincerely congratulate you on your admission."
The empire's second radiant sun, Crown Prince Demian Solias, began his welcoming speech. While everyone was listening attentively, one female student was focused elsewhere.
Where is he?
She couldn't see any black hair. Alissa Bretes, who had spent the entire previous day in fear, was searching for the one who had taken her virginity. From the moment the academy came into view until now, she had been scanning her surroundings without a moment's rest, but to no avail.
Just then, platinum blonde hair fluttered beside her.
"Alissa Bretes? Who are you looking for so intently?"
A haughty yet lively voice. Turning her head, Alissa spotted a busty noble lady with platinum blonde drill hair. Her name was Felicia Belmore. The daughter of Marquis Belmore, she had first met Alissa at a social gathering when they were twelve. That didn't mean they were close. They weren't exactly enemies, but they weren't friends either—rivals would be more accurate. By unfortunate coincidence, they had been seated next to each other, and Felicia had been bothering her with conversation ever since. Alissa's replies naturally grew curt.
"Mind your own business. I'll handle it myself."
"Oh my? For someone who says that, you've been looking around nonstop since earlier. Don't tell me there's a young master you're secretly fond of?"
Ignoring Felicia's words, Alissa's gaze turned back to her. It was a fierce glare. The intensity was so strong that Felicia's shoulders trembled slightly. Twirling her drill hair with her finger, Felicia looked away.
"Ah, or not. You don't have to glare at me like that, do you?"
"…If you know, then be quiet. I need to concentrate."
"Hmph! I went out of my way to talk to you, too."
Felicia pouted. In her own way, she had been trying to show consideration for Alissa, whose standing in high society was limited as an illegitimate child. Being met with such a cold response naturally left her feeling slighted. Still, thanks to the warning, she stopped bothering her further. Alissa sank into her own world.
Don't tell me he didn't come?
There was no rule stating that skipping the entrance ceremony would result in expulsion, but almost no students went that far to play hooky. However, Luan Priulri the scoundrel was one of the rare few who might. If he really hadn't attended the ceremony, then searching for him with such burning eyes would be nothing but a waste of time.
Alissa clenched her fists tightly.
I absolutely can't let him get away with this.
Luan Priulri had no idea what kind of terror she had endured last night. Worried she might be pregnant, she had inserted her fingers to extract the semen, and even that hadn't been enough to ease her anxiety, so she couldn't sleep. She had soaked her pillow with tears until dawn. If she could, she wanted to storm into the Priulri mansion right now and kill him. She would first cut off the thing that had spread its seed in her belly, burst the eggs, then slice his flesh piece by piece, inflicting pain slowly. She would torture him thoroughly and mercilessly until he begged for death.
Alissa, who had been indulging in half-mad fantasies, suddenly came to her senses.
This isn't right.
It was too early to give up. She hadn't even confirmed that Luan Priulri wasn't here yet, but she had already escaped into denial. Alissa quickly raised her head.
"Next, we will have the new student representative's greeting."
Just then, the student council president's speech had ended, and the new student representative was stepping onto the stage. Brilliant silver hair shattered under the lights. It was a dazzling beauty. Every time her transparent blue eyes, reminiscent of a clear lake, swept across the crowd, it felt as though the temperature dropped several degrees. The audience stirred.
"As expected of Lady Skadia. Even as a new student, that elegance is truly remarkable."
"I heard she got a perfect score on the theory exam too."
"She's worthy of being the treasure of the Maryland family. If only she had chosen her fiancé well…"
Skadia Maryland. She was the daughter of the prestigious magic family Maryland and the famous fiancée of Luan Priulri. Light returned to Alissa's previously dazed eyes.
That's right. There was that girl!
If it was Skadia Maryland, she would surely know whether Luan Priulri had attended the entrance ceremony. It was uncertain whether that haughty young lady would bother with someone who was merely an illegitimate child, but if Alissa lingered nearby, some relevant information might come up. At the very least, it would be far better than giving up based on assumptions.
Alissa felt a spark of hope.