Arsen (1)
The night I decided to enroll at Arsen, after finishing dinner, I returned to my room.
Knock knock.
A knock sounded right on cue.
“…It’s Salria Depon. I’ve brought the items you requested.”
“Come in.”
Salria Depon was one of the maids who managed my room, just like Armin Dias. She’d probably been waiting for me to return so she could deliver them. I’d given strict orders not to enter my room otherwise.
Her hands were filled with bags stuffed to the brim. They looked too heavy for one person, so I quickly stepped forward and took them from her.
“Um…”
Her face flushed during the exchange, but I ignored it.
“Thanks for bringing them. And tell Sebastian I appreciate everything he’s done too.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure to pass that on to the head butler.”
Upon inspection, it was a suitcase big enough to fit a person inside. And there were two of them. I’d asked for all sorts of things just in case, but after trimming the unnecessary stuff, the actual luggage would be even less.
I carefully opened one of the suitcases.
“Whoa.”
Sure enough, it was packed with all sorts of useless knickknacks. Had Sebastian the butler packed this? Or was it at Mother Dian Esperand’s request?
Shiny bullet casings gleamed under the fluorescent light. They were the “Magic Bullets” refined by the Esperand family. A letter was tucked in with them, stating they’d been handcrafted to fit the caliber of my pistol. The urge to test their performance welled up, but since they were consumables, it was better to save them.
I pushed the ammo to one side of the suitcase. Then I picked up a small ring.
“This must be it…”
It was a plain, unassuming band, but it was actually a mana-assist magitech artifact. No matter how much I trained, my mana reserves were pathetically low. Measured mechanically, they barely topped 2,000. The average incoming cadet in the original story had 4,000 to 5,000—almost double mine. Even assuming full talent activation, it was enough for maybe two casts.
I slipped the ring onto my left ring finger.
Whoosh—
A clear, invigorating energy spread through me instantly. It was like sucking on a concentrated mint extract; my whole body felt refreshed. Stagnant mana circulated, washing away impurities.
This should make up for my deficiency. It didn’t increase my mana pool, but by aiding “mana regeneration,” it reduced the worry of running dry. I didn’t want to feel that nauseating depletion again.
“And…”
There were a couple of top-grade bulletproof vests. Sebastian had said they were standard issue for Esperand assassins in the field.
However.
“I won’t need these.”
With a letter of recommendation to Arsen, enrollment was a done deal. No chance of getting turned away midway. They might come in handy someday, but they couldn’t compare to the cadet uniform Arsen provided. And even without that, bulletproof vests were too conspicuous. With luggage already needing to be cut down, there was no point packing them.
“…If I really need them, I can always have them shipped.”
There were also various lethal poison vials and small ampoules. Not meant for sipping in the car, obviously—they were for their intended use.
“Why’d they pack all this…?”
I sorted through and condensed it all. What had filled two suitcases now fit into one.
At that moment, a stinging pain shot through my shoulder.
“…!”
Touching my left shoulder with my right hand, I could still feel the heat. A dull ache lingered.
I stood before the mirror and removed my shirt. A pattern ran from my shoulder down to my upper left arm.
“…Subspace rune.”
A rune spell to manifest a Subspace within the body. Most cadets would have one engraved by now. Active hunters too. The process had hurt like hell, but for Arsen, it was necessary prep.
Few carried weapons openly. Hunters stored their gear in Subspaces.
It was an annoyingly detailed touch.
Even a Subspace had limited capacity, so I only packed essentials. Size depended on the rune’s scale—usually enough for two or three weapons max. In the game, it was just zap and done, but reality required tattooing it on.
…Yeah, it hurt like hell.
Prep was complete. I redressed and surveyed my room. Spotless as always, but once I left for Arsen, I probably wouldn’t return.
“…”
It hit me anew. In this short time, my body had grown accustomed to life here. It was creepy and fascinating.
I’d become a member of the organization I’d only ever smashed before. The realization crashed over me.
Vroooom—!
A car horn blared outside. I parted the curtains slightly.
A black sedan was pulling into the mansion.
“At this hour…?”
A dozen or so guards appeared, escorting the sedan. I watched through my Telescopic Vision.
A man in a suit stepped out. The moment I saw his imposing figure, my body went numb. I couldn’t move a finger.
“…Duke Esperand.”
One of the original story’s bosses. And the man who was my father.
Enemy or father? I still didn’t know how to treat him. This was our first real encounter, so the confusion was worse.
Then.
“…!”
Duke Esperand turned and looked my way. He must have sensed my gaze, but getting spotted sent chills down my spine.
Hunters in this world were mostly superhumans. And my father, Duke Esperand, was at the pinnacle of them.
He exuded intimidation even through a monitor; up close, it was overwhelming.
“Didn’t expect him to pierce even Telescopic Vision.”
I bowed in greeting. He just glanced over without reacting.
Once his gaze moved on, I drew the curtains.
This was my first time seeing a major original character in person.
Duke Esperand, who’d been away, returned home. The original story’s intro. The main quest trailer scene I’d watched endlessly.
The game’s curtain was finally rising for real.
“…It begins.”
I glanced at the wall clock. 11:59.
The second hand ticked softly toward zero. A faint vibration reached my sight as it hit.
Midnight.
As all hands pointed to 12, a voice echoed in my ear.
Time until event: 00:00:00
Tutorial ended.
Event triggered.
[Main Quest: Enrollment]
The curtain rose on the true game.
Beep—!
The ringing in my ears made me clutch them instinctively. The main story had begun.
That morning, as the sun rose, a message obscured my vision.
Enrollment
The continent’s premier institution, Arsen Academy, is the cradle where heroes are born and raised.
A true hero must enroll at Arsen.
Enroll at Arsen and prove your worth.
You are an exceptional talent worthy of becoming a hero.
Hero… Hardly a word that fit me, a member of the continent’s worst villainous clan, Esperand.
“Got it…”
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them. The message lingered.
It vanished only after I acknowledged it.
Long story short, I didn’t sleep a wink. Father’s sudden visit had thrown everything into chaos.
We’d scrambled for a welcome ceremony without a moment’s rest. And today was departure day for Arsen—talk about fateful timing.
As a top-tier villain emerged, I headed to Arsen, where the protagonists gathered. It felt like destiny, almost drawing a dry laugh.
“…Let’s go.”
But I kept it inside. This was the path I’d chosen—the one I had to take. Irreversible since I’d decided to enroll.
30 minutes to prep. Later than usual today.
Camille Esperand waited outside my door.
“Ready to head out, Shion?”
“About time.”
Suddenly, Camille’s hand dipped into my pocket.
“What the—?”
“Take it.”
He pulled back. I felt inside— a heavy wooden hilt.
I discreetly checked: a small dagger.
“Looks basic, but it severs mana. Artifact, so keep it. You’ll find a use.”
Right, I remembered. The day we picked weapons, this one oozed eerie mana.
I hadn’t realized then, but now it clicked. The original villain’s weapon.
“Snagged it from the forest on the sly. Everyone thinks it’s lost, so no one’ll notice if you’re careful.”
“Wait, this is…”
Relic of a now-vanished villain. Owner was Camille’s loyalist, dropped during training. Felt eerie, like his role had shifted to me.
“Getting caught means suspension.”
“That’s why I’m sneaking it to you. No one else’d use it.”
Unauthorized weapons at Arsen meant severe punishment.
But Camille just said that. Sneaking it because he could.
“Anyway, when’ll you be back?”
“Months at least.”
“That long?”
“Arsen rules. Freshmen can’t leave till later.”
Thud. Thud.
We descended the stairs to the first floor. Elevator was there, but we didn’t use it.
Had I grown attached without realizing? Servants in the halls, framed paintings and statues on the walls—they all looked fresh.
Recalling the game’s end for Esperand Mansion brought a bitter taste. This place would become a battlefield, swallowed by war.
The Esperand children I’d trained with would be thrown into the fray, perishing alongside the Hunter Association.
…All because of Duke Esperand’s ambition.
Still distant, but knowing the end stirred complex thoughts I couldn’t shake. Maybe I could change it. Like how Camille had changed—could I curb the duke’s ambition?
Such thoughts lingered until we reached the first-floor lobby.
“Here we are.”
“…”
Outside the main hall, in the garden, several people waited.
“Bye.”
“Safe travels.”
First were the Esperand children. Sisters Sirena and Sierra Esperand, Yohan behind them, others too.
My instructor Sato was there as well. Maybe even those who’d cursed me in letters a month ago.
Didn’t expect such a send-off. They bowed properly, so I returned the courtesy.
As I mounted the motorcycle.
“…?”
A gaze prickled. I looked up at the mansion.
Third-floor office. Dian Esperand’s face peered through the curtains.
A strangely pitiful look. Nothing to say, so I just nodded.
For an instant, tears welled in her green eyes. She wiped them discreetly, but my Telescopic Vision caught it crystal clear.
Esperand wasn’t as vicious as I’d thought.