Chapter 48

There was a time when it was allowed to wield a sword. As she improved day by day, her parents watched her progress with joy. She herself found joy in discovering the fun of swordsmanship. Naturally, the girl’s path became that of a knight. Leana thought that if it weren’t for this man on that day she turned fifteen, her parents would have gladly supported her. “Don’t go around brandishing a sword just because you’re a girl.” Recalling that voice that remained vividly in her memory, Leana asked coldly, with a detached expression. “So, what brings you here?” “If you don’t answer, I’ll assume whatever I want.” Thinking it was not worth speaking to, Leana turned away. But then, a lingering question she had been holding back resurfaced, and she spoke again. “By the way, what did I do wrong?” She had always been curious. She had never made any mistake towards Hersel, who had visited her family as a guest that day. She hadn’t even tried to meet him, instead swinging her sword where no one could see her. Even when he suddenly approached her and picked a fight… “If it makes you uncomfortable to watch, I can do it somewhere else.” “No. That’s not what I want. I’m telling you not to touch a sword at all. Ah, it’s no use saying you’ll give up here and now. You’ll just pick up the sword and mess around where I can’t see, won’t you?” Thinking they would never see each other again, she didn’t bother to respond. “You seem to want to become a knight. How about we make a bet? Let’s see if you can continue holding that sword.” Until she found out what method he had in mind… “Why did you arrange an engagement without my consent? Why?” Compared to the Tenest family, the Derevian family was merely a common noble house. There was nothing to gain from it. However, for her family, an arranged marriage with a grand noble like Tenest was an opportunity they couldn’t refuse. “Because of you, my family kept opposing me. I was forced to take bride lessons that didn’t suit me, and now I’ve been disowned.” Her career path was blocked, and even the only person who had secretly approved her academy admission, her mother, had been sent away to her maternal family. While much of it was due to her stubbornness, the one who had caused this was the man in front of her. “It’s not just because of some petty bet, is it?” Surely, he wouldn’t have done all this for such a trivial reason. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. “…Stop keeping your mouth shut and say something.” A bit of emotion slipped into her voice. Then, Hersel, who seemed like he would never open his mouth, spoke. “Shall I answer honestly?” “I don’t remember anything.” Strength surged into Leana’s hand, but soon dissipated. Whether this man interfered or not, she just needed to keep doing what she always did. “It seems you have no intention of letting me go until the end. Do as you please. Things won’t go the way you want them to…” Leana turned her back. Then Hersel called out. “Leana.” “…What?” “Of all things, I can’t let your last statement pass. You definitely have princess syndrome. Get treatment.” As if to preempt her, Hersel started to leave. As she chewed over his words, Leana felt dazed. At that moment, Selly approached from a distance and greeted. “Master’s test…, oh. Lady Leana, hello? I am Selly Daylden.” Selly lifted her hand, pinching her skirt lightly. Hersel, indifferent, continued on his way. “By any chance, did our master make any mistake?” Leana responded with her eyes. Understanding instantly, Selly wore an apologetic expression and whispered quietly. “Please forgive him. Actually, Master sometimes loses his mind due to a Mania…” “Mania?” “Yes, it’s been about eight months now.” Leana blinked as she watched Hersel disappear into the distance. -“I don’t remember anything.” Maybe what Selly said was true. *** At first, I had no choice but to listen quietly. In the original story I knew, her mother wouldn’t have been chased away. That was probably because this guy died, losing his value in the arranged marriage, leading her father to allow it. My own survival must have had some influence as well. While sorting things out in my head, a slightly excessive statement slipped out. Being treated like a stalker had irked me. The more I heard about his misdeeds, the more fresh and shocking they seemed, but none of it was my fault. “Hmm.” Maybe it was a good thing. Her feelings for me would only worsen, and she would avoid me on her own. If so, the forced connection would naturally dissolve. Reassured, I entered the Schlaphe Hall. The first floor resembled a hotel lobby. The walls and floor were all dark-colored marble. Though it had an antique feel, the cracks and uneven spots made it seem like an old building. People were lined up waiting. At the front, dormitory supervisors checked the identities of new students and handed out rules and keys. Seeing it would take a while for my turn, I observed the first-floor lobby. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling flickered. Half-melted candle wax repeatedly lit and extinguished. On the desk, there were pots with bizarre plants, and the furniture was all wooden with eerie patterns as if ghosts were screaming. The most eye-catching thing was a long grandfather clock, as tall as myself. A black cat trapped inside the clock poked the swinging pendulum. Ah. As soon as our eyes met, the cat turned into smoke and disappeared. “Hersel Ben Tenest.” “Hersel Ben Tenest!” Oh, it was my turn already. A middle-aged man in a suit and monocle, with a stern expression, handed over the rules and key, made of a mirror. “Building 3, Room 303, your luggage has been delivered to your room. If you want to shower, refer to the map in the hallway.” When I saw my face in the mirror, the rules were listed. They changed daily, and today they were like this: [Do not pay any attention to the woman crouching in the corner of the landing. Building 3 is a male-only dormitory with strict female entry prohibition.] [Lock your door at exactly 11:37 PM and do not come out. If you hear the lock being undone, lock it again. This only needs to be done once.] [The dorm supervisor has a colored band on their right arm. Supervisors never wear red bands. If you see even a small red stain, do not approach. If witnessed, report it by morning.] The biggest downside of Schlaphe Hall was this. Situated above a dungeon, the dormitory experienced daily paranormal phenomena. With warning signs changing daily, the stress was overwhelming. Despite the stifling environment, there was no choice but to cope. If it was too much, I could move to the safer fortress of Adelle Hall or the less paranormal Buerger Hall. After showering, I looked around my assigned room. It was only as big as the dressing room in my mansion. The only furniture was an old desk, chair, bed, and wardrobe. I found an old piece of paper while rummaging through the drawers. It was a roughly drawn pamphlet map. At the bottom, it listed purchasable living supplies, with a key point on basic expenses. Monthly heating costs: 10 coins. Monthly dormitory maintenance fee: 5 coins. Monthly living expenses given to Schlaphe Hall students: 30 coins. It implied students here had to work like slaves to make ends meet. Suddenly, reality hit me hard. From living well as a rich man’s son, I was back to the struggling days of a young adult starting out, worried about living expenses. No, this wasn’t the time for self-pity. I recalled the plan I had set upon entering the academy. The goal was to clear the scenario and survive. The key players were, of course, the playable characters. But there was a major headache here. Random elements could result in some dying or living ordinary lives due to twisted narratives. I needed to increase the survival rate of playable characters as much as possible for a higher chance of clearing. I opened the curtain and gazed blankly at the fortress beyond the window. Leaning against the window sill, I thought of Adelle Hall where many playable characters gathered. And I ground my teeth. “If only it weren’t for that guy…” Originally, I planned to enter Adelle Hall from the start. Living in the same building was the best way to monitor if their narratives flowed well. However, my plans were set back a step by Rockefeller’s interference. Using my seething anger as fuel, I clenched my fist. No matter what obstacles that guy placed, I would enter Adelle Hall. Definitely. Adelle Hall’s facilities were overall luxurious. Clean carpets, shiny porcelain, and paintings on the walls. Plus, all sorts of conveniences. *** Riamon wandered aimlessly until reaching a spacious area. Sofas and bookshelves were scattered around. At the counter, a middle-aged woman brewed tea, and the freshmen he had seen before were receiving trays and taking seats. As he turned to leave, a maid sent by his family approached. “Oh, young master Riamon. I’ve been looking for you.” Riamon frowned. “…So you followed me all the way here. Why don’t you just live in the same room?” “How could a woman enter there? More importantly, you should come over and socialize with the others.” He had no good memories of mingling with people. Ignoring her, he tried to walk away, but the maid called softly. “Young master? The head of the family wishes for you to graduate with top honors. To do that, it’s fundamental to form ties with capable people.” Riamon stopped and sighed deeply. Just then, a short-haired woman who had been watching approached. “Hi? Are you Riamon who ranked first in the entrance exam?” Not answering, he stood still, prompting the maid to glare at him. Reluctantly, Riamon nodded and replied. “Well, let’s just say I was lucky.” “Oh, don’t stand here. Come over. We were just introducing ourselves.” When she pointed to a table, Riamon’s usual dark thoughts took over. The maid gently pushed him, and he awkwardly joined the dozen people at the table. “Nice to meet you. I am Riamon of the Rebetura family. Thanks for inviting me.” Forced into formal gestures, he pretended to be polite, and conversations flowed. Simple questions, mostly about how the exam was. Riamon found it all uninteresting and answered briefly, losing their interest quickly. Gradually excluded, they began whispering among themselves. Then, a name pricked his ears from the bespectacled man. “By the way, why did Hersel enroll here?” Riamon glanced at the red-haired woman who flinched at the name. Others’ gazes also fixed on her. Her name was Leana, if he remembered correctly. “Leana, do you know why? You should know.” “I don’t know either. We weren’t exchanging letters or anything.” Her emotionless voice dampened the mood. But the bespectacled man felt compelled to speak seriously. “You’ve all heard it. The rumor that six months ago, he survived a griffon’s breath.” Riamon tilted his head. So that rumor was about that man. While he was understanding, the short-haired woman asked doubtfully. “I heard that too, but… wasn’t it a lie?” “I can’t believe it either. But he passed the third test. Knowing his usual stamina, it’s hard to think the rumor is completely false.” “Really? But he’s still last. I think he passed thanks to that big barbarian. He must have held him back, right?” Riamon blinked at her confident statement. That human held him back? He couldn’t help but speak. “You.” “Yeah?” Then he swallowed his words. He recalled their conversation while crossing the cliff with that guy on his back. -What does the view look like from up there? Curious about his real skill, he had asked, and the guy answered… -It’s dizzying. You can’t see anything unless you go down there yourself. Sёarch* The nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Trying to probe further, he had said… -Being alone up high must be lonely. I can somewhat understand wanting to go down. Then he had threatened to shut up… -Don’t have strange thoughts. Unless you want a short life, I’ve heard the strong often find life boring. He came to the academy to find rivals because there were none to match him. Realizing this, the guy seemed to hide his true worth, seeking new fun by blending in with ordinary people. “Hey, Riamon? Do you have something to say to me?” If he interfered with that act, he would die. Riamon swallowed nervously and stammered. “…Ah, no. Just wanted to say you might be right.” Then Leana spoke. “Still, he’s much more built than before. His walk was well-balanced, and I almost mistook him for someone else.” The bespectacled man asked Riamon. “Come to think of it, Riamon, you escaped around the same time as Hersel. Do you have any insights?” As he tried to fabricate an answer, he was interrupted. “Can’t ignore hearing that guy’s name so much.” A silver-haired man who often bothered Limberton approached. He remembered the guy’s name was Erucel. The bespectacled man pointed to an empty seat. “Perfect timing, Erucel. Sit down. You lived with him, so you must know. Is it true he survived the griffon?” Erucel snorted. “Still believing that nonsense? Knowing him well, he must have forced the servants to spread that lie. He loves showing off.” No matter what anyone said, they were family under the same roof. Seeing others nod, Riamon eyed Erucel. As family, he must know his brother well. …Maybe he was downplaying everything to protect his brother’s secret. Realizing this, his perception of their seemingly bad relationship changed. His acting seemed real though.