episode_0068

“Phew… I don’t know how many months it’s been.”

I stopped in front of the academy’s main gate.

The academy building, which is high, massive, and splendid enough to not fit in a single glance, though not comparable to the imperial palace, comes into view.

Perhaps it was because I had regained my memories of my past life, but even though three years had already passed since I enrolled, standing in this spot again suddenly brought a strange lump to my throat.

The countless incidents and accidents I experienced here flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

Yes… friendship in my youth, something I hadn’t experienced in my past life, or overcoming hardships and adversity, to use a more concise expression, youth itself.

Even before regaining my memories of my past life, it was here that I finally experienced the youth I had only dreamed of.

Thinking of it that way, I feel a mix of joy and regret, my chest swelling with emotion.

No, no, what am I doing thinking like this already? My youth is not over yet.

A precious year, not short but not long either, still remains.

All the dangerous events from the original story that threatened my life have passed during the past three years.

There is only one major event left: the protagonist of the original story, Mark Vissers, defeating the Demon King resurrected by the secret organization that caused incidents throughout the academy and the continent.

Even this is a typical WWE-style story showcase event where the protagonist’s victory is guaranteed no matter what he does in the original story, so I don’t really need to worry about it.

This is even more true from the perspective of a mere extra like myself, and if there’s anything to be cautious about, it would be to be careful not to get caught in the aftermath of that battle.

Thinking that way, there will be no special variables that will arise in my life from now on.

“? Hey, Ropel! What are you standing there spacing out for? We’ll be late if we don’t go quickly~.”

…Ah, come to think of it, one variable has already appeared.

Becoming lovers with Lilith Tistina, one of the heroines of the original story.

No, really, I truly, absolutely did not intend to, but a single night’s mistake led to a deep relationship with her.

I was crazy… Not only did I assault her, the Duke’s daughter, while drunk, but I even took her virginity…

But it’s too late to have such regrets now.

The situation has already occurred, and time cannot be turned back.

And well… honestly, it’s not like I dislike her either, and I intend to take responsibility for her life from now on.

Now that she is my girlfriend, Lilith Tistina, I must consistently increase my value during the remaining short time so that she won’t be ashamed.

Now, except for this part where I unintentionally ended up with her, there really shouldn’t be any variables…!

“Ah, my beloved. What a coincidence.”

…There’s one more.

“Uh… ah… Hello, Seraphina.”

Seraphina Serion, the next Sword Saint and, like Lilith Tistina, one of the main heroines of the original story.

What should I say about my relationship with her… I thought of her as just a close friend, but she didn’t.

I don’t know since when, but Seraphina loved me, and after meeting my current girlfriend Lilith, I couldn’t accept her feelings.

The problem is, Seraphina’s love was deeper and heavier than I imagined, to the point where she forcibly violated and threatened me.

…And now she is enjoying a secret and unilateral tryst with me while hiding it from Lilith.

“…Ah… It’s Seraphina. Hello, nice to see you.”

“….Nice to see you too.”

It was Lilith who spoke first.

She had been cold to Seraphina when I told her about our relationship last time, so she spoke first.

So now Lilith and Seraphina were looking at each other and speaking with a smile…

To be more precise, they were speaking with a smile ‘out of politeness’.

Their lips were curved upwards only at the corners, just feigning a smile, and their eyes were wide and unfocused.

What was certain was that neither of them seemed well or happy to see the other.

It couldn’t be helped, as Lilith is my current girlfriend, and Seraphina is a woman who hasn’t given up on me yet (though Lilith doesn’t seem to know).

If their relationship were good, that would be even more terrifying.

“Come on~ Ropel, let’s go quickly. Today is the first day, and we can’t be late because of the commencement and matriculation ceremony, can we?”

Lilith, who had been conscious of Seraphina, hooked her arm through mine and pulled me along.

I felt the touch of her not-so-small chest, and my face flushed. Noticing this, she smiled.

And as if showing off to Seraphina, she rubbed her body against me and acted flirtatiously.

Like rubbing her face against my chest or holding my hand and kneading it.

Uh… How is Seraphina reacting right now?

“….”

*Grind*

She maintained the same “polite” smile from earlier.

…To be precise, she wasn’t moving from that expression at all, just staring this way.

And it’s slightly subtle, but I also heard a sound of teeth grinding.

Honestly, it’s scary.

I’m worried she might harm me using the magic tool she put on me, but there is a pact she swore with me, so as long as I’m with Lilith, she won’t lay a hand on me first.

At least not today.

…Probably?

Pushing those worries aside, I was led by Lilith’s hand towards the academy auditorium.

. . .

The academy principal, Lium Kitocal, stood on the platform and began reading his speech with the help of a voice amplification spell.

“This semester… absolutely safety first…! Concern for students… exchange students…! Especially the student who is a beastkin discovered by Professor…! This is important in the relationship with beastkin…!”

My eyes were drawn more to the large number of security personnel filling the auditorium, due to repeated increases in personnel, than to his voice echoing in the hall.

Just by visual estimation, I could tell the number was considerable, perhaps similar to, or even more than, the number of personnel in several squads of a regular army.

Especially around Lium Kitocal on the platform, they were circled like a defensive formation.

In addition, the security facilities had been strengthened so much that I had to pass through numerous magic search gates to enter the auditorium.

Not only were my belongings searched using x-ray magic, but the identity verification was also long and complicated.

First, my registered irises were scanned, then my fingerprints, and finally, the flow of my mana was all examined.

All students, staff, and related individuals of the academy had to go through this process, so just entering took a long time.

I heard there were no lectures today except for this matriculation ceremony, was it because of this…?

It felt a bit excessive, but considering the incidents and casualties that had occurred so far, it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand all these processes.

After the long speech ended, the people who had been sitting began to get up one by one and started emptying the auditorium, going through the complex security stages again.

“Ugh… It’s finally over…!”

Coming out of the auditorium at last, Lilith and I stretched our stiff bodies.

“That principal, really, I think this every year, but his speeches are too long…!

I wish he would consider our position too, having to just sit and listen…”

Lilith complained, pouting her lips.

I agree with that part too.

Considering the way he’s shown himself so far, I know he’s a kind person who cares about the students, but he gives too long speeches every year.

Some of the seniors say they pull all-nighters the day before the semester starts because of this.

Saying it’s much more beneficial to sleep soundly than to sit bored while the principal gives his speech.

Huh? What did the principal say during his speech earlier?

To be honest, I wasn’t listening to a single word he said.

Still, it must have been the usual boring and dull content that teachers at every school say, so nothing should go wrong just because I didn’t listen.

The word ‘beastkin’ somehow caught my ear, though…

“By the way, I never thought I’d hear about beastkin again while living at the academy.

Don’t you think so, Ropel?”

Beastkin are a race whose form is a combination of magical beasts and humans, as their name suggests.

Born from the experiments of ancient people before the academy was founded, this race possesses superior physical abilities like magical beasts while being within the human category.

However, they also possess uncontrollable emotions and bestiality, characteristic of magical beasts, which makes them a despised existence in every country and continent.

Of course, there are many more individuals in this race who are fundamentally good and try their best to blend into society.

There are said to be villages where beastkin live together, and although it’s only in form, a separate beastkin nation does exist.

However, in the latter half of the original story, the mastermind causes all sorts of chaos and sabotage, turning the beastkin race into a public enemy.

In response, the beastkin also resist and seek a way to survive, eventually being absorbed by the Demon King’s side, as intended by the mastermind, and appearing as enemies blocking the protagonist.

Having completely turned into magical beasts with no remaining human form, they are defeated and annihilated powerlessly before the protagonist.

Even the few beastkin who survive are reduced to being hunted simply as ‘magical beasts’.

In a way, they are beings of tragedy and misfortune who suffered all sorts of unfair circumstances in the game.

So, I feel very sympathetic towards this race.

Especially, though it was before I recalled my past life memories, I had already met one beastkin.

If my memory serves right, that beastkin showed hostility and a cold demeanor at first, but after getting closer, she was kind-hearted and pure, and a child who laughed and chattered well.

In my second year, she helped me selflessly when I was isolated in a remote area, and we stayed together. When we parted later, we even exchanged goodbyes, promising to meet again.

It was a time when I had an unexpected accident, but I was able to form another good relationship during that short period.

However, according to the scenario of the original game, the beastkin race eventually faces extinction.

Perhaps the mention of their name in the principal’s speech this time was also content that served as a trigger, signaling the beginning of systematic oppression.

I didn’t know it at the time, but thinking about it now is truly bitter.

If I had known this, I would have pushed myself in the third year and definitely gone to see her again.

Their fate is truly mournful, and I feel like I want to change it…

“Surely, I had no idea that the academy was planning to accept beastkin students in the future.”

…Huh?

Wait, what did you say?