episode_0001

The moment I regained consciousness, I quickly opened my eyes and surveyed my surroundings.

“Where the hell is this again…”

The place I woke up in this time was a room that seemed old and abandoned for a long time.

More than half of the window was broken, and the ceiling and floor were full of holes. There was furniture too, but at least it was in relatively decent shape.

The biggest problem with the room, which looked like it was about to collapse, was the musty smell inside. I frowned at the strong stench.

“To open my eyes to a rotten place like this. I absolutely can’t…”

[“This is absolutely no place for anyone to live. How could your brother possibly…”]

One line suddenly came to mind. It was what the protagonist said when he entered this room.

“So this is…”

The lowest-grade dormitory.

The place where Kyle Arden’s hellish life begins.

“…Shit.”

A curse word slipped out.

From now on, this is where ‘I,’ who became him, not Kyle Arden, will live. Thinking about that made me annoyed. It’s too dirty, even for dirtiness.

“I wish it was just a dream, but…”

I knew better than anyone that this wasn’t a dream. But I’m not stupid enough to deny reality either.

I quickly sorted out my thoughts. The reason I was possessed into the novel, or the curiosity about the being who did it? None of my business.

Kyle Arden the Scoundrel.

This guy is a character in the novel ‘Academy Genius Swordmaster,’ shortened to ‘AcaGenSword.’

Even as a character, he’s not a significant one.

A third-rate villain prepared for the beginning of the novel, an extra who will soon be forgotten. Kyle Arden, or rather, I am just that kind of person.

Even his settings were extra-like. His personality is terrible, and he has no talent. All settings befitting a scoundrel. If there is a setting to covet, it’s that he’s the eldest son of the Arden family, famous for swordsmanship?

Well, even that was just a setting given for fun.

Anyway, to summarize the current situation.

Kyle Arden is on the path to ruin due to a trial. I was possessed at the worst possible timing.

What’s even worse is that this guy dies. Not right away, but a month later, he gets his head chopped off by the protagonist.

“Tsk, I really don’t want to get my head chopped off.”

Just imagining it is terrifying. But it’s not something to make a fuss about.

“Because the solution is simple.”

The cause of death lies with Kyle.

The guy had no talent but was good at feeling inferior. So he tried to kill the protagonist, who was born with talent, and as a result, he died.

It goes without saying that the protagonist is someone who knows how to keep the line. At first, he had no intention of killing, but Kyle’s actions were so heinous that he had no choice but to kill him.

So, if I cut off the cause, it’s a problem that can be easily solved.

Even so, Kyle’s karma doesn’t disappear. If anything, that’s the biggest problem.

“It was brutal.”

I recalled the scene before I fainted. Hundreds of people exuding killing intent towards me. It was an atmosphere where it wouldn’t be strange to kill someone. Things could happen as early as next week.

“Tsk, of all things, it had to be a villain.”

I clicked my tongue briefly. Looking at the situation alone, the role of a villain didn’t feel good.

So, am I upset because of it?

I have no fault, but I’m just possessed at the worst timing, and if you ask if I’m upset that I have to bear the sins of the original owner, I would answer like this.

Not at all upset.

Why?

“Because Kyle Arden is an extra.”

Extra. That’s why I can laugh.

I was tired because of my previous life. It wasn’t a very good life, and I suffered a lot. So I want to rest.

Clearly, the information of this world exists in my head. ‘AcaGenSword’ was popular, and it was a novel that succeeded in webtoons and game adaptations. There’s a lot of known information.

Settings revealed in the webtoon side stories, hidden settings or information unlocked through hidden routes or items. Some readers even compiled those. Of course, I remember them.

But I have no intention of using them.

A life of playing and eating.

A life of becoming a hero.

A life of a powerful person.

I don’t want the lives that others desire and wouldn’t refuse. I want a normal life where I work, marry, and die of old age like others.

So, this body can be considered the optimal environment.

Extras don’t have to bear choices or obligations like the protagonist or main characters, and unless they get forcibly involved, they don’t give room to interfere in their stories. It’s the most suitable body for me, who aims for normalcy.

“So, I need to make a plan.”

For my happy extra life.

The basic policy was quickly decided.

“Is graduating the best option?”

After considering everything, graduating is the only answer.

I’d like to drop out and live in a quiet rural area, but considering I haven’t been expelled, doing as I please is a bit much. On the contrary, it’s highly likely to be rejected.

Still, graduating isn’t entirely meaningless. To live a normal life, I need a job, and there’s nothing better than a diploma from a prestigious academy for that.

Plus, if I have a diploma, the family might give me a position. If that happens, I’ll be closer to my wish.

Well, if I get caught up in an episode, I’ll just avoid it appropriately. I’m confident I can do that.

“Kyle is a second-year student, so 2 years until graduation.”

2 years. I just need to endure that time and graduate.

“I’ll think about the minor things tomorrow. I’m going to, huff…”

I’m done with sorting things out for the most part. I left my body to the bed. My body hasn’t adjusted yet, and using my head made me feel like I was dying, but my mind is at peace.

The back of my head throbbing from being hit by the guard, the dusty bed, and the miscellaneous problems didn’t bother me for now.

“It’s been a while since such peace~”

It’s quiet. That’s what I like.

This dormitory is far from the center of the academy, and no one lives here. Not even the proctor or caretaker is here.

In other words, it’s my own sanctuary.

Of course, the disadvantage is that the facilities are old, and there’s no maid to help with the dormitory work. That means I have to handle all the work in the dormitory, but that didn’t matter.

It’s a life to live as an extra anyway. I could endure such inconveniences.

I checked the wristwatch provided by Tianis Academy. The hour hand was pointing to 5 PM.

“It’s almost dinnertime.”

I suddenly see myself worrying about food. Is it because of my previous life? My adaptability is really fast.

I once thought it was a curse, but now that it’s helpful, my thoughts change. While I was lost in such sentiment.

Knock knock

Someone knocked on the door. I stared blankly at it.

No one ever looks for the lowest-grade dormitory in the academy. That means someone who came here beyond the door is someone related to me.

‘Not good.’

I don’t know who it is, but they probably didn’t come with good intentions.

‘Let’s avoid it for now.’

Knock knock

I held my breath and pretended not to be there. Knowing this guy’s personality, they’ll definitely leave soon.

But I was wrong. Instead of leaving, the door was roughly opened with a bang.

The one who opened the door was a woman in knight attire. When the door opened, the bed was immediately visible, and she made eye contact with me.

“It’s been a while, young master.”

The woman greeted. Her voice seemed to blame me for pretending not to be there.

She came inside before my permission was given. She looked around the room and walked towards me.

‘I think I’ve seen her somewhere.’

I examined her.

Long silver hair and an expressionless face. It was my first meeting, but somehow her face was familiar. I soon knew why.

There was an illustration. Her name was definitely….

“…Ellaime.”

That was the name. She was a popular supporting character, and I remembered her because she was the first illustration target character among the supporting characters.

“…I didn’t expect you to remember the name of a lowly thing.”

I unconsciously called her name, but the reaction that came back wasn’t good.

For a kind person like Ellaime to say such things outright. It’s scoundrel-like if you’re a scoundrel.

I regarded it as Kyle’s karma, and instead, I frowned and asked in an annoyed tone.

“Why are you here?”

“Why do you think, young master?”

“Don’t give me nonsense, just answer!”

“…….”

Ellaime stared at me silently. I glared and urged her to answer.

“The family is in an uproar thanks to you, young master.”

Ellaime explained the current situation.

In fact, the sins Kyle spoke of in the trial were expressed in a euphemistic way. He harassed students, manipulated grades, and tried to distribute illegal drugs like narcotics in the academy. That’s the sin Kyle committed.

The first two were elements that could be overlooked, but narcotics were not. The academy couldn’t just stand by and let it ruin the sacred ground of learning, and the family is working hard to stop it.

“The family has decided that they can’t leave you like this, young master.”

Not only did he tarnish the family’s reputation, but the eldest son was even involved in narcotics. The family said they couldn’t leave me alone.

At those words, I scoffed and said.

“You’ve been leaving me alone until now, and now you’re doing this?”

The Arden family didn’t care about Kyle’s actions, no matter what he did. Even if he caused trouble at the academy, even if any rumors came, they remained silent. He was practically an abandoned child.

“No matter how much, I didn’t know you’d even touch narcotics.”

Ellaime looked at me with a troubled look.

“So. Are you going to drag me back to the family?”

“No. I will be staying by your side for a while to monitor you.”

“You think I’ll accept that!”

I acted even more angry. Kyle often rebelled against the family’s orders, so it wouldn’t be awkward.

Of course, I don’t want surveillance either. A controlled life has many inconveniences.

“The lord of the family gave the order directly, so you don’t have a choice, young master. And you know, right? That you ended up with this much punishment thanks to Ariel Tianis. If it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t have been enough even if you were executed.”

Hearing that name made me feel a strange nausea. It was as if my body was rejecting the princess’s name. The blood rushed to my head, but I exerted my transcendental mental strength and returned to normal.

“…Young master, are you alright?”

“…What. So, is that the end of the business?”

I treated Ellaime, who must have noticed my reaction, coldly. She took out a letter from her bosom with an expressionless face and handed it over.

“This is a letter from the lord of the family.”

“Father’s letter?”

I received the letter and tore off the seal with the family crest. The letter read:

────

To my son, Kyle.

This is the last time. If a similar incident reaches the family’s ears again, all the rights given to you so far will be revoked, and you will be expelled from the family. So stay quiet.

And as punishment for this incident, you will have to provide for your own living expenses.

────

A letter with a hint of bluntness. It showed the personality of his father, Dekal Arden. But the last sentence was very bothersome.

“What does this mean at the end?”

“It means literally. The financial support sent to you will be cut off as of today. Ah, they decided to pay the tuition, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

At Ellaime’s words, my face began to crumple and rot.

I belatedly rummaged through my pockets, but only dust flew out. I looked through the bag next to me to see if there was any hidden emergency money, but there was none. Where did this bastard spend all his money…?

“Anyway, that’s the end of the delivery. Then, I’ll be going.”

“Wait…!”

“For your information, I have no intention of helping you, so do your best, young master.”

And seeing my expression, Ellaime quickly ended the conversation and left the room.

The sound of footsteps moving away outside could be heard, and all traces disappeared completely. Once again, I was left alone.

“She’s resolute….”

The Ellaime I knew wasn’t like that.

No, more than that.

“What am I going to do now.”

I was penniless and had nothing to eat right away, but there was only one answer I could come up with.

“What else can I do? I have to make money.”

I said, creating mana in my hand. Hmm, it moves well.

Fortunately, there are many ways to make money in the academy. That’s because Tianis Academy is friendly to students.

Was I proud of myself for reaching an ordinary way of thinking? The corners of my lips slightly lifted. I was satisfied with this state and got up from the bed.

Growl~

“Should I solve the meal first?”