The Academy of Regressions and Broken Logic

In the world of trash-tier dating sims, internal consistency is everything. No matter how beautiful the characters are, if the logic is flawed, the players will tear the game apart. And when the reviews tank, the game doesn't sell. Even an elementary schooler knows that. Yet, developers, blinded by the desperate need to move units, often ruin the experience. They force the narrative: The protagonist has done this much for you, so you must love him! Because of this mindless obsession with forced plot progression, the game was released with an absurdly high difficulty curve.

The Shirai route, considered the hardest in the game, was cleared by only five percent of the total player base. Because of this, every heroine was assigned a "trauma keyword." It was necessary for the veteran players to emphasize these traumas when writing guides for the newbies. Judith’s trauma keyword is "Family Affairs." Crypto Moondust, the head of the Moondust Duchy and Judith’s father, makes a blood pact with a high-ranking demon. The protagonist’s party attends a banquet hosted by the Moondust Duchy in their third year. If the player hasn't chosen the Judith route, Crypto Moondust manifests the demon’s power, intending to swallow the entire mansion—and all the distinguished guests within it—whole. However, the protagonist’s party thwarts the plan, and Crypto, fearing the subsequent punishment, throws himself from the mansion’s rooftop to end his life. The Moondust family collapses beyond any hope of recovery and is stripped of their ducal status. His spouse, Elena Moondust, and their three daughters, including Judith, are acquitted in court thanks to the defense of the protagonist, who became a hero by stopping Crypto.

If you choose the Judith route, the protagonist intervenes before Crypto can complete the pact with the high-ranking demon, triggering a combat event. Crypto is a formidable powerhouse, but the protagonist, having grown exponentially, wins overwhelmingly. During the time the protagonist buys, Judith arrives on the scene. After a deep, intimate conversation with Judith, Crypto realizes his errors, repents for his past sins, and cancels the contract with the demon. Ultimately, the cause of Judith’s "Family Affairs" trauma was a lack of communication. The difficulty is incredibly low, but if you don't raise your intimacy with Judith to the maximum by the time the protagonist reaches his third year, you have to restart. The "Crypto Repentance" route becomes completely locked otherwise.

Muse Fairfield’s trauma keyword is "Revolution." She literally starts a revolution. The problem is that it doesn't stop at the Academy; it spreads to the entire Empire. Since the revolution is a fixed event, the priority isn't to persuade Muse, but to prepare countermeasures. Muse Fairfield’s revolution starts at the Academy and expands its scale like a conqueror clearing out dojos. The protagonist’s role isn't to help the revolution, but to stop it from succeeding. Muse’s revolution events occur multiple times at set intervals. Once or twice—if you're lucky, three or four times—is fine. But if you fail to stop it five times, Muse’s forces grow to rival the Empire, and even the protagonist can't exert any power. After that, the ending credits roll, accompanied by an illustration of Muse heading toward the Imperial Palace. Once the credits finish, the "Bad Ending" text appears in the center of a pitch-black screen. The player is automatically returned to the main menu. It’s an ending that leaves the player feeling unsettled because it never tells you whether the revolution succeeded or not. Considering that the sentencing Muse receives in court increases as her faction grows, even the player, who had been in a position to stop her all along, ends up rooting for her revolution at the very last moment. If she fails, she’s guaranteed to face the death penalty for treason.

In my case, the Muse route was the hardest. I never even cleared it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It wasn't the difficulty; it was just uncomfortable talking to her. It felt like I was talking to a real person, not a character. The dissonance and repulsion I felt during our conversations were just too much. So, I gave up.

Sia Stella doesn't have a set trauma keyword. There are just too many, and my head hurts just thinking about them, so I skip them. To begin with, I don't even know how I solved her trauma in the previous playthrough. I really don't know, no matter how much I think about it. I never did anything that could be called "great," but somehow, I ended up becoming the closest to her among all the heroines, and somehow, it led to a path that prevented her corruption. We were always together at the Academy. Muse was busy with the Merchant Guild, and Yuren and Judith were children of ducal houses with packed schedules. We were always the outsiders at the Academy.

Saintess Shirai’s trauma keyword is "Blindness." It’s considered the most difficult route. The method to resolve the trauma is simple: just restore Shirai’s sight. You have to subdue the Asura Count to obtain RH-null blood. You have to grind a meteorite into powder with a stone until it turns to dust, then mix it with water to create "Selene’s Tears." Then, you must select the correct options when answering the questions of the Heaven-Earth God, whom you can only meet after maximizing your intimacy with Shirai, to obtain the "Holy Water." Mixing these three ingredients creates a panacea, a liquid with a color similar to the sunset. If you drip this panacea into Shirai’s eyes like eye drops, she regains her sight completely. All of this was the hellish struggle I went through in my previous life.

I have no ill feelings toward Shirai. I was the one who delivered the panacea to Yuren, and I was the one who told Yuren to give it to Shirai and claim he made it himself. But Judith and Yuren—those two were the problem. Judith was one thing, but Yuren, that son of a bitch. He had a beautiful wife like Shirai and was still unsatisfied. I knew long ago that he was a spineless bastard who couldn't do anything without the player, but I never imagined he would commit adultery.

A month has already passed since the regression. I’ve been living a boring life in the church all day, but already...

That’s the message written on the banner hanging in front of the school gate. Early spring in March. The season of the new semester is a magic that makes students' hearts flutter. The bright sunlight, the fresh scent of spring tickling the tip of one's nose, and the beautiful sight of cherry blossom petals scattering look like a reward for those who endured the harsh winter. You must prepare your heart before crossing the gate. The moment you step onto the campus, a spectacular sight, unlike anything you’ve ever seen, will offer you a unique experience.

First of all, there are over ten buildings. Compared to other academies where five is the maximum, it’s almost excessive. But you start to think the architect must have been paid double; you might think it would look grotesque to have so many buildings clustered together, but at Lumeris Academy, the varying heights of the buildings make it comfortable to look at, with no sense of repulsion.

The iridescent marble fountain at the center between the gate and the main building. This is the item that perfectly balances the atmosphere of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Academy. Even if the campus mood is grim due to incidents, or if you feel a wall between you and the high-level students and wonder if you made a mistake coming here, the moment you watch the water flowing calmly in front of the fountain, your heart finds peace. Having undergone grueling training since childhood, the emotional turmoil is double that of ordinary people. Perhaps you’ve swung a sword until your palms blistered, or perhaps you’ve obsessively memorized hieroglyphs you didn't even understand and magic circles you hated the sight of. Looking back, the memories of nothing but hardship become a single page in a book. If you are a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠student of Lumeris Academy, the last page of that book is decorated with the same scene for everyone: the sight of yourself, moved to tears after receiving the letter that says, "Congratulations on your admission."

The center of the Lumeris Continent, reachable only by authenticating your student status and boarding a luxury special train. Lumeris Academy. The new semester has begun.

*

Packed. The Academy banquet hall is packed with students in uniforms. The standard uniform: a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a red blazer. The golden badge on the chest of the blazer, depicting an eagle. "This concludes the entrance ceremony." As you can see, the entrance ceremony is underway. All the students' eyes are directed toward one place. Toward Dean Celes, standing on the stage holding a microphone. Silver hair that glows faintly as if it were the embodiment of moonlight. Sharp, straight eyes that are coldness itself, and charismatic red pupils. That is why most people get scared just by making eye contact with her. She has such a youthful appearance that you wouldn't believe she’s middle-aged. Even those who think ill of her would be left speechless by that beautiful appearance. Celes’s frilled off-shoulder dress was the reason the male students were especially attentive to her address.

Where I lived, this was a scene so rare you’d be lucky to see it once even if humans lived for a thousand years. "I will now announce the roster for Class A." Class A. The class for students treated as elites at Lumeris Academy, where just being admitted is a source of pride for their parents. If I were to compare it to a caste system, I’d say it’s the very top floor. Celes receives a single document from someone who looks like a head maid, rolls her eyes, and scans the contents. Some students are holding their breath in anticipation, while others aren't expecting anything at all. Regrettably, I know every single name written on that paper.

1st-year Fencing Department top student, Yuren Stardust. 1st-year Magic Department top student, Erpin von Herta. The owner of the Frey Merchant Guild, Muse Fairfield. Shirai, who can use holy power. Sia Stella, who has the cheat ability to revive even after death. After a long wait, Celes’s lips begin to open.

"Yuren Stardust, Erpin von Herta."

Up to here, it’s the same. It’s what all the students expected. "...That is all."

Two people. Dean Celes only called out two names. "Two people? I wasn't expecting much, but only two?" "Did we turn out to be a trash-tier generation?" Many students began to whisper in doubt, and the banquet hall turned into a crucible of chaos.

"???"

Of all of them, I was the one who couldn't hide my bewilderment. "Saintess?" I looked to my right with a look of disbelief. Pale pink, flowing, silk-like hair. Eyes closed because she can't see ahead. Blind Saintess Shirai, who is receiving the gazes of many students even at this moment. Anything looks good on a great clothes hanger. The ribbon tie and miniskirt are the same color. Red. I told her to stay a little apart because I was worried about what other students would think. She nodded like a bright puppy and stood exactly one meter away. Seeing Shirai standing there in silence, sweating profusely, I was certain.

"I... I am blind, after all."

"..."

"So, to Class C, which is Mate’s class..."

Hmm. So.

"You were originally in Class A, but you intentionally got demoted?"

"Yes!"

She smiles brightly, as if she’s so happy about it. Then, setting Shirai aside, what about the other two? I haven't met the other three heroines even once since the regression. So I don't even know if they’ve regained their memories. I must find out the reason for even the most trivial things about the changed future. Because if the future goes off-track due to the butterfly effect, uncontrollable variables will arise. 'When the opportunity to face Dean Celes comes...' I’ll ask then. Accompanying me with just Saintess Shirai is enough. The burden of seeking them out directly is too great.

"Hey, kid! How did you get in here!?"

Hmm? "I'm not a kid."

"This isn't a place you can just wander into! What are the guards doing outside while a child gets in here?"

The commotion was loud enough to be heard clearly at the very front of the banquet hall, and the gazes of the entire student body naturally turned to the source of the sound. At the very back, where the professors were standing to monitor the students. At the entrance of the banquet hall, a small-statured girl and a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠loud-voiced female professor were locked in a struggle.

"Get out quickly! Do you want to get in real trouble? Huh!?"

"I'm a student here."

"Where are you telling such an obvious lie! Where are your mom and dad?"

"I don't have any."

"Ke, kehum."

"Professor Helojin, this child is wearing a uniform under her robe. It seems she is indeed our student."

"No, not a middle schooler?"

Two strands of hair poking out from under the hood of the robe. Emerald-like eyes. From her snow-white skin to her small stature and a face that looks too youthful for her age. An appearance that looks like a doll brought to life. It’s too familiar. A comrade with whom I shared life and death. It’s inevitable that it’s familiar. Sia takes off her robe, revealing her brilliant silver hair.

"Which class am I in?"

Sia’s gaze, looking up, was directed at Dean Celes on the stage. To be that calm even while receiving everyone’s gaze at once—if that’s a talent, it’s a talent.

"Huu......"

Dean Celes covers both eyes with her hands. And with a deep sigh as if she’s troubled, she presses down on her brow. To think that the noble Dean Celes would show such a side in front of so many students.

"Class C."

She looked like someone who was dying because she couldn't express her troubled feelings.