episode_0011

A place not far from the academy.

There is a city famous for thick fog settling over the entire district, making it impossible to see the sun even during the day.

The Uncrying City, Leqiye.

It boasts the largest slum in the Empire.

With its somber atmosphere combined with its characteristic lack of light, it naturally became a crime-ridden slum.

Leqiye is like a sanctuary for the wicked.

—All dirty money passes through Leqiye.

By name, it was a slum where beggars gathered.

But in reality, it was no different from a hell where assassins, black mages, and murderers ran rampant.

Even the Imperial Guard could not easily patrol it.

As such, it was a place where many villains thrived.

Though there were countless criminal organizations in the city, the most infamous among them was undoubtedly…

—I hear the slum has been overturned once again. —Was it that ‘Astro’ or whatever again this time? —That’s right. —The world is truly ending.

Astro. Sometimes called ‘Starless’.

Now, beyond the city of Leqiye, they were considered one of the most dangerous groups in the entire Empire.

After appearing like a comet about two years ago, they quickly swallowed the slum, becoming the new overlord of the underworld.

For some reason, their activities had been quiet recently.

—Speaking of Astro. There’s no news from them lately. —Did they get taken down by other organizations? —Rumor has it they left the Empire. —I heard there was a split.

Many speculations ran wild, but no one knew the truth.

They had been thoroughly veiled from the very beginning.

All people could do was pray that those nightmares would not reappear.

“…….”

Meanwhile, in a building located in the city center.

In a basement covered in blackout curtains, only one girl sat at a desk.

Long, disheveled silver hair.

Her empty eyes reflected only void.

The girl’s identity was Astro’s vice-captain. The second-in-command of the criminal organization that had swallowed the Empire’s slums.

The girl made no movement.

A living corpse. She was breathing, but that was all.

To her, nothing in the world held meaning. Breathing was merely an act to prolong life.

She resembled a puppet with severed strings.

“……I miss you, Captain-nim.”

Suddenly, the girl mumbled something incomprehensible.

Tears had already welled up in her eyes.

Her deeply sunken pupils were recalling a certain scene.

[This is a temporary farewell. I hope everyone is doing well.]

A hastily scrawled letter.

The captain vanished from the members after that, leaving only this.

The girl fiddled with the innocent paper.

“Where are you, exactly?”

Nearly half a year had passed.

He had always been elusive, but it was the first time contact had been lost for so long.

Perhaps… she had been abandoned.

A terrible assumption suddenly surfaced. The girl desperately tried to erase it.

Just thinking about it felt like her heart was tearing into pieces. Teardrops fell with soft thuds.

“No, he wouldn’t abandon us… I shouldn’t doubt him…”

She tried hard to calm herself.

Yet, in her terribly trembling silver eyes, longing remained.

As she sat there listlessly, a cold sense of loneliness behind her, a noisy commotion suddenly came from outside the door.

Bright laughter rang out.

It soon burst through the open door.

“Neria!!”

*Bang!*

The door was roughly kicked open.

Beyond it stood a middle-aged man with red hair.

Had he had a drink? When his eyes met the girl’s, he flashed a foolish, gaping smile.

“Neria! You were here!”

“……What is it?”

“It finally came! It came!”

“I don’t know what trouble you’ve gotten into again, but please calm down first.”

The girl glared at the man.

Whatever the matter, she didn’t seem pleased with him coming in such a fuss.

The Captain-nim wasn’t here. What was there to be so happy about…?

“The Captain-nim finally contacted us!”

“……Pardon?”

The silver-haired girl was momentarily stunned.

She seemed to be checking in her mind if what she had just heard was correct.

Soon, light returned to her vacant pupils.

“Really?! When, where, how did it come?!”

“Now now, calm down. Look at this letter.”

“Give it to me quickly!”

Neria snatched the letter quickly.

As if he knew she would be happy, the man smiled contentedly.

“The content is simple. He asked us to protect a few children. All ten of them are fox beast-kin.”

The girl quickly checked the letter.

The handwriting, style, composition, and even the habit of dotting periods, all matched the Captain’s.

Jubilation spread across her silver eyes.

“I handled it quickly on my end. I selected only the elite forces and had them bring the guests.”

“Haaah, haaah…….”

“You’re not listening.”

The girl, nose buried in the letter, was smelling it.

On the thin surface of the paper. Faintly, but clearly, the Captain’s scent lingered.

Her shoulders trembled as if in ecstasy.

After breathing it in for a while, the girl commanded.

“……Prepare. The Captain will soon need us.”

Her brilliant silver hair fluttered.

The girl hugged the letter tightly to her chest and bowed her head as if in prayer.

“Everything according to his will.”

It was a reverence solely for her god.

***

A snake and a fox, walking side by side.

We soon reached the academy’s main gate.

It was truly an overwhelmingly majestic building, even on a second look. Even Irene couldn’t stop admiring it for a while.

We would be spending three years in a place like this.

A strange mix of excitement and tension coexisted.

Thus, we entered the academy.

The main building where the entrance ceremony would be held. On the way there, we encountered a familiar face.

I readily offered a greeting.

“Miss Regia! Long time no see.”

“……Young Master Snakers?”

Green eyes looked this way.

Pink hair, fluttering in the spring breeze, resembled fully bloomed cherry blossom petals.

The flight goggles around her neck were like a trademark.

‘Regia Filers.’

The girl who played the protagonist in the original work.

Also, my most beloved character.

When Regia’s eyes met mine, she flinched and froze. Was it still difficult for her to deal with nobles?

I chuckled.

“How have you been?”

“Ah… yes, yes.”

“Oh my~ You’re too stiff. I thought we got quite close last time.”

“S-sorry.”

“Was it perhaps just my imagination?”

“Ah, no… it’s just, this is like a chronic habit…”

Regia frantically offered excuses, perhaps worried about upsetting me.

It would be fine if she just said she was uncomfortable.

Even though she couldn’t properly say anything she disliked.

I thought that was just like a protagonist, and stood beside her.

“It’s a relief that I could keep my promise.”

“Pardon?”

“I told you we’d enter together and meet again.”

“Ah… I just remembered.”

“I almost felt a bit disappointed.”

I added with a mischievous smile.

“Congratulations on your academy admission, Miss Regia.”

A light congratulatory greeting.

At first glance, it might seem like a customary remark, but it held special meaning for me.

‘I really wanted to say it. Even just these words.’

Regia had no family.

Living a wandering life without a home, it was perhaps natural.

That’s why no one congratulated the girl on her admission.

A staggering 1943 times. I had seen this scene in the game.

The girl, standing alone in the entrance ceremony procession every time.

She tried hard to act bright, but beyond the screen, there was clearly a sense of bitterness.

Every time, I wanted to tell her.

“Let’s enjoy a fun academy life.”

Just a warm word.

Regia was stunned, as if she hadn’t expected it.

Her green eyes trembled for a moment. The girl, who had been stiff, then broke into a wide smile.

It was a perfectly pure curve.

“Yes…!”

“Haha, shall we go then?”

We started walking again.

Perhaps her tension had eased a little, as Regia’s demeanor seemed much more relaxed.

The girl, having regained her energy, took an interest in the fox.

“Wah…! This is my first time meeting a fox beast-kin!”

“W-what, what’s wrong with you?”

“I’ve met various beast-kin while traveling the continent, but not a single fox among them! C-could I perhaps touch your tail?”

“Absolutely not?!”

“Hmph…”

Irene hissed fiercely.

Regia, whose eyes had been sparkling, became crestfallen again at the sharp response.

It was quite a sight to behold.

As I enjoyed this two-shot of popular characters from the original work, we soon arrived at the main building.

The place where the entrance ceremony would soon begin.

“Shall we head to the waiting line first? It looks like people are getting instructions over there…”

Inside, students were bustling.

As I was looking around to find a line, someone called my name.

“Student Yuda.”

“……?”

“Yuda Snakers. Is that you?”

Turning my head, I saw a man looking at me. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be a staff member.

I tilted my head but answered the question.

“That’s me… What is it?”

“Student Yuda’s seat is over there. Please take the first chair placed on the dais.”

“Pardon?”

The man stopped me, who was heading for the general seating, and pointed towards the dais.

A question mark popped into my mind at the sudden statement, but the staff member simply pushed my back firmly.

“The entrance ceremony will begin soon. Please hurry.”

“Wait a moment? Could you at least explain what’s going on…?”

“It is as you were informed beforehand. Student Yuda, as the valedictorian of this term, is scheduled to give the freshman representative speech.”

“Pardon…?”

For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.

What, valedictorian? Freshman representative? Speech?

What the hell is this nonsense?

I was quite flustered and questioned the staff member.

“……Valedictorian?”

“That’s right. Were you perhaps not informed?”

Only then did the staff member falter.

“Student Yuda has been admitted as the valedictorian for this term. A speech is also prepared for you as the freshman representative.”

“……?”

Valedictorian? Me?

At this utterly unexpected news, I felt my vision spin.