Chapter 14

Located on the third floor of the main building, the sophomore common class classroom.

I was sitting in the very back seat by the window. It seems that was Max’s designated seat.

A spot befitting someone who has nothing to do with studying.

Next to me were a blond thug and another gang member, a parasitic brother. He seemed like the type who, despite looking unremarkable, sticks close to the bullies, relying solely on his good looks to act tough.

Wait, if you think about it, that means Max is also a bully. The student who had no presence in reality, am I a bully in this other world?

What is this nonsense?

Let’s study, study.

For the first time since graduating from college, I took out something called a book for studying.

[Intermediate Elemental Magic Introduction]

The title sounds like fantasy, but what can I do, this is a fantasy world inside a game.

And it’s intermediate level. Too high a grade for someone who might not have properly completed the basics.

…Of course, for me too.

What is magic studies anyway?

Clicking the mouse makes magic happen, so why would I need to know about magic studies?

Luckily, since I chose the Physical side, I don’t have to cling to magic studies painfully. But until the second year, I had no choice but to learn it as a common subject.

A method out of step with the current trend, where knight academies focus on martial arts and weapon skills, and magic academies concentrate on magic studies. This was due to the founding and educational philosophy of Lepheria Academy.

To cultivate the best talents with both literary and martial skills without lacking in any area.

Sounds quite arrogant.

But it’s a different story for the top academy boasting over a thousand years of history.

Indeed, Lepheria Academy has produced many excellent talents over a thousand years with such an educational method.

Their achievements were not something other academies could easily follow. That’s why they could still firmly adhere to tradition. However, it’s not that they completely reject the changes of the times.

Recognizing the efficiency of selection and concentration, they allowed flexibility on the martial side. From the third year, one could choose to major in either martial arts, weapon skills, or magic studies.

Of course, it’s all up to the individual. It’s okay to double major.

Most choose to major in one field that suits their aptitude, but there are those who choose to double major every year. Those who think they can do well in both, or those who try to cover their mediocrity with the weapon of diversity.

Anyway, that’s where the flexibility ended. Subjects like philosophy, mathematics, history, economics on the literary side were bundled as common subjects and had to be studied without exception.

‘If I have to do it, then I’ll do it, whatever.’

I was confident that I had a good head for studying. Knowledge about the game would also be somewhat helpful. Of course, there were regrets.

I couldn’t make proper use of the test knowledge I had repeatedly taken as the protagonist due to the different school year.

‘Can’t help it.’

I accepted reality as it was. If worrying won’t change anything, then it’s best not to care.

‘But still.’

I lifted my gaze and scanned the faces of my classmates in the classroom.

Even if it’s a wretched common class, I thought there might be someone worth salvaging.

But.

Extras here, extras there, it’s a complete field of extras, a field. Only insignificant extras, the very embodiment of Academy Students A, B, C, were everywhere.

It was to be expected.

After all, the main characters of this game had to be the first year group the protagonist belonged to. Otherwise, the story wouldn’t progress, would it?

While I was looking at my classmates with that in mind,

“Huh?”

My eyes lit up for the first time.

A girl with pale skin and sickly looking black hair. She looked somewhat familiar.

“Where have I seen her before?”

I narrowed my eyes and tried to remember. But it didn’t come to me right away.

If I could see her face from the front, I might recognize her.

That’s when it happened. My eyes met with the black haired girl who had slightly turned her head.

At that moment. I definitely recognized who she was.

“Damn it. Riviera? Why is she here?”

I quickly averted my gaze and hid my agitated emotions.

‘The Witch of Blood’ Riviera.

The successor to the forbidden blood magic and a high ranking officer of the notorious organization <Red Rain>. One of the top Numbers.

A named boss that one must inevitably encounter in Chapter 7, a mandatory event in the game.

But why was she in the sophomore common class?

“Riviera was a student here?”

I had no such memory. I had never encountered her at the academy. If she were a student, someone from the protagonist’s party would have recognized her, but that never happened.

Does that mean she’s someone else?

No, there’s no way I could be mistaken. The protagonist’s party was annihilated dozens of times because she was so difficult to defeat,

Which means…

‘A spell to make one’s presence faint?’

I stealthily turned my gaze back to Riviera. Looking again, it was as if she was a born loner, with no one around her paying any attention. No one spoke to her.

Was she using some kind of mysterious spell after all? While I was racking my brain with various thoughts,

“Hey, what’s up? Why are you drooling over your cash cow already? Are you that thirsty for a drink?”

The blond thug sneered and spoke to me. He was clearly talking about Riviera. It seemed I had to discard the spell theory.

But then.

Cash cow?

What’s he talking about?

Earlier he said their cash cow was Riera… huh?

Riera… Riera… Riviera…?

Damn, was that it?

Swear words came out naturally from within. Of all things to meddle with, why touch such a crazy monster? They must be out of their minds, wanting to die.

Of course, whether these thugs live or die is none of my business. The problem is that Max is also involved.

‘Wait a minute.’

I know Max’s end. Max meets a gruesome death at the hands of an undead summoned by a mad necromancer during the ‘Tragedy of the Red Moon’ in Chapter 5.

It has nothing to do with Riviera.

Which means…

‘What, is it surprisingly safe?’

But it wasn’t something to just let slide. Of course.

I knew all too well how dangerous she was.

And since Max was clearly involved, all the more reason. One thing was certain. I needed more information.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

I stopped what I was about to say. Because the homeroom teacher had entered the room, opening the door.

“…That’s all.”

A middle aged man wearing glasses and looking annoyed at everything gathered his chalk and spoke. He was Lapit, the homeroom teacher of the sophomore common class. His subject was philosophy, and his lectures were notoriously boring.

Having heard them firsthand, it was almost like a human sleeping pill, a sleeping pill. Just the sound of his voice was enough to make one drowsy, as if people with insomnia would be cured just by attending his lectures.

‘He’s not particularly important anyway.’

There were a few quests related to him, but they were just trivial ones like asking to clean the professor’s office.

“If you have any questions, figure it out yourselves. It’s too bothersome.”

In other words, don’t come asking questions, With that, Lapit left the classroom without looking back. The epitome of a laissez faire homeroom teacher. I wondered how he managed not to get fired, being such a dead weight.

Anyway, that’s not what’s important.

“Are there only morning classes today?”

Recalling my memories from the game, I asked the blond thug.

“Of course.”

The blond thug smirked and continued.

“So let’s hurry and go drink, right? Let’s fleece the cash cow and hit the booze.”

“Forget it, come out for a sec.”

Ignoring his words, I dragged him outside. Because I knew that if we talked here, everything would be overheard by Riviera.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean what? Let’s have a smoke.”

There’s nothing like a cigarette to naturally engage in conversation with a thug.

As expected, the blond thug got up in good spirits. The parasitic brother next to him quickly followed. And so, we headed to the rooftop.

‘I think I get the gist of what’s going on.’

I unexpectedly smoked the thugs cigarettes, but I got the information.

Here, Riviera was using the alias Riera. She was posing as the daughter of a wealthy merchant.

I say ‘posing’ because there’s no way that identity is real.

It’s obviously a cover.

Anyway, that disguised identity happened to be a merchant under the direct influence of Max’s family, the Celtrine. Max knew this and often harassed her with his gang, even extorting money.

She probably let it slide for the sake of a perfect disguise. Otherwise, Max and his gang wouldn’t be alive and well.

‘This is a ridiculous situation.’

I shook my head in disbelief. A named boss being extorted by extras. What kind of nonsense is this? And I’m the main bully?

What a dog’s mess this is.

‘Phew, stay calm, stay calm…’

I tried to cool my head as much as possible and thought things through.

One thing’s for sure. Riviera hasn’t achieved her goal of infiltrating the academy yet.

That’s why she’s still playing this ill fitting disguise game. So when will she achieve her goal?

It has to be before Chapter 7.

Because that’s when the life or death battle with the protagonist’s party happens.

And after Chapter 5. The very Chapter 5 where Max loses his life.

If she had achieved her goal before then, Max would have been torn to shreds by Riviera, not the undead.

Which means…

‘Chapter 6?’

At least until before Chapter 6, it’s safe.

But that’s hardly reassuring. Because it means that right after narrowly surviving the destined death in Chapter 5, a life threatening crisis will hit.

‘Can’t it be avoided?’

I’m probably already marked by the Witch of Blood, but if I can soften her feelings from now on…

Would that really work? Honestly, I had no confidence. But whether it works or not, I had to try.

There were only two ways to survive.

Either become strong and invest in relationships to gain power greater than hers, or soften her feelings.

“Hey.”

Having sorted out my thoughts, I crumpled the finished cigarette butt into my pocket and spoke.

The blond thug and the parasitic brother turned their attention this way.

“hmm?”

“Don’t touch her from now on. She’s mine.”

“What?”

The gang looked incredulous. They had been harassing and playing together until now, and suddenly I’m spouting nonsense.

“Where does that come from? You want to monopolize the toy all to yourself?”

The blond thug turned serious. In reality, I might have felt intimidated by such a thug, but this isn’t reality. I am the legitimate son of a prosperous count’s family.

“Monopolize? Yeah, call it a monopoly. So what? Got a problem with that?”

I stared down the blond thug with a flat voice.

“Yeah, I have a problem.”

As expected, the blond thug had a temper and didn’t back down.

But you little…

I already know you guys are even more insignificant than Max, having played the game.

How dare you act so pretentious. I’ll be the only one putting on airs.

Spit.

I spat on the ground.

“Ha, you think you’re on the same level because I’ve been playing nice? Getting too big for your boots? Can you handle the consequences?”

“This bastard?”

The blond thug bristled. But I noticed. His eyes visibly shook for a moment.

He couldn’t just back down out of pride, but he was taken aback by my stronger than expected stance,

It seems my guess was right that in this gang, Max is the firm leader, regardless of family or wealth.

“Hey, hey, stop it! We shouldn’t be doing this among ourselves!”

The parasitic brother finally came to his senses and restrained the blond thug. He seemed even more flustered than the blond thug. He must be the son of the lowestranking family.

“You, keep doing that.”

The blond thug threw one last barb. But his body was retreating, as if grateful to the parasitic brother for giving him an excuse to back off.

“Enough, enough, let’s go. Go. Let’s calm down first.”

Pretending to be pushed by the parasitic brother, the blond thug disappeared below the rooftop.

Watching that farce, I couldn’t help but smirk. Turns out the blond thug isn’t much without an R Rating.

“Well, then.”

All that’s left is to meet her and talk.

“Here’s the money.”

Riviera handed over the money first in a secluded spot behind the supply warehouse. She seemed accustomed to such acts.

“I don’t need it.”

I said.

“I had already dealt with the thug gang on my way here.”

“Huh?”

Riviera seemed a bit flustered. Of course, she would be. It’s not something she’s used to doing.

“Anyway, from now on, we’ll just go our separate ways as if we never saw each other…”

“That was the price of your life.”

She muttered softly.

…What?

A chill ran down my spine in an instant.

Even though she murmured without any killing intent, my heart skipped a beat.

“・・・・・・ What did you just say?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

She feigned ignorance and shook her head.

“If you don’t need the money, I’ll go.”

She turned her back and walked away with heavy steps. Even as I froze, I felt a strange feeling boiling up inside me. It was probably defiance.

Her nonchAlant attitude, as if she had already decided on my death, had touched my pride.

Although I am currently in a pitiful state, I am a man who has broken through the devilish Chapter 10 dozens of times.

I’m not the kind of man to be treated like this by a Chapter 7 boss. Driven by defiance, I crossed a bridge that couldn’t be returned and just blurted out.

“Wait!”

“Why?”

“Give me the money.”