episode_0020

Two days after the fierce class placement test ended.

The final approved ranking list was revealed, and class assignments based on performance were completed.

I was assigned to Class A.

An elite class where only the top 20 out of nearly 1000 classmates could enter.

Having defeated the Princess, who was called the continent’s greatest genius, and taken the top spot, it wasn’t surprising that I was sitting in this position.

In fact, it would have been stranger if I had been assigned to a different class.

“L-Lord…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Regia-yang?”

“C-Can I really be, be in a place like this…?”

“Oh dear.”

I let out a chuckle.

The pink creature next to me was trembling.

It seemed she was quite nervous, her shoulders hunched up since earlier.

It was Regia, who had been assigned to the same class.

‘Well… it makes sense.’

Given how badly she’d messed up the class placement test.

She must have been worried about being sent to the remedial class, or even, in the worst case, being expelled.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry.”

“But…”

Regia mumbled with her lips.

Our protagonist seemed uncomfortable with this unexpected outcome.

Perhaps she was feeling burdened.

“There are so many more talented people… I’m not sure if someone like me should be here.”

“Well.”

“Pardon?”

“Because it seems there aren’t many students with talent superior to yours, Regia-yang.”

That’s because she was this world’s protagonist.

As time passed, she would achieve rapid growth, and in the latter half, she was destined to become a powerhouse surpassing Charlotte.

One could say she was a student with the greatest potential.

“Regia-yang, you are more than excellent.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. There’s no way they would have formed the class without a reason, right? As I told you before, someone recognized your potential, Regia-yang.”

For reference, that person was Gaston Gallimard.

He was the Academy’s Dean.

In truth, this old man didn’t ‘recognize’ Regia’s potential, but rather ‘knew’ it from the start.

In any case, it was a neat job, probably because he wasn’t doing it for the first time.

“You can have a little more confidence.”

“T-Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it.”

As we exchanged a few light words, the empty lecture hall slowly began to fill with people.

I suppose this was Class A, the core of the game.

I could see familiar faces everywhere.

Charlotte, staring blankly out the window.

Emilia, chatting with her followers in the back row.

Lastly, even the blue-haired boy, idly toying with a sword in the corner.

They were all characters who appeared in the original work.

‘So the core characters are still the same.’

I systematically sorted through the students I saw around me.

As I diligently scanned my surroundings, Regia suddenly mumbled a question.

“The, the professor who’ll be our homeroom teacher… what kind of person are they, I wonder?”

“Are you curious?”

“Ah, u-uh, yes… I, I have a bit of trouble with, uh, older people…”

“Hehe, was there ever anyone Regia-yang *didn’t* have trouble with?”

“Ugh… D-Don’t, don’t tease me.”

The girl pouted, as if hit right where it hurt.

Her reaction made me want to tease her a bit more, but I stopped, thinking she might actually cry.

Instead, I gave her the answer she wanted.

“It’ll probably be fine. A young professor is scheduled to come.”

Not just young.

A handsome male professor was scheduled to come.

An ally who would be a source of strength for the protagonist’s party for the next three years. He was a decent person, though a bit ill-mannered.

Was his name Cadell?

*Creak!*

While I was briefly recalling information from the original work, the closed lecture hall door swung open with a loud sound.

All 20 students had already entered.

It seemed the homeroom teacher had entered.

The children’s gazes simultaneously shifted forward. Mine did too.

*Click-clack.*

The sharp sound of high heels echoed.

What appeared next was a woman with long, flowing purple hair…

“…Huh?”

Blurry red eyes.

A single liquor bottle in her hand.

As I gazed at her voluptuous figure, a question mark naturally appeared in my mind.

Was I seeing things incorrectly?

I was momentarily dumbfounded.

Regardless, the woman standing at the front of the lecture hall spoke indifferently.

“Hello everyone. I am Selena Drunkerd, the head professor who will be your homeroom teacher for the top-tier class for one year starting today.”

Damn it all.

Why are *you* here?

***

Two days earlier, on the day of the class placement test.

After Yuda and Charlotte’s turns were over, Selena heard the following from the Dean.

“I knew you’d answer that way… Is there anything you desire?”

“When you say ‘desire’…?”

“If it’s something I can grant, I shall grant it.”

“Hmm.”

Selena fell into thought for a moment.

She wasn’t the type to be particularly greedy for anything, but she also wasn’t the type to simply pass up an opportunity like this.

She pondered her dilemma, the scent of alcohol wafting past her nose.

‘Well… I guess there’s nothing to deliberate about, actually.’

There was something she had decided from the start.

It was something she intended to receive as compensation if, by some slim chance, the boy defeated the Princess.

Selena parted her lips with a faint smile.

“In that case, I will tell you. Please allow me to be Juda Snakers’ homeroom teacher for this cohort.”

“Hmm?”

The Dean’s face was tinged with surprise.

It was because the request was completely unexpected.

“If you wish to be the homeroom teacher of this cohort’s top student… are you saying you want to be in charge of the top-tier class?”

“That’s right.”

“Huh.”

Originally, Selena showed little interest in students.

After her beloved younger sister passed away from an incurable illness, her daily life was filled only with liquor bottles.

During the period for assigning homeroom teachers, she would often decline to take on a class, or simply pick up whichever class was left over at the end.

But it was definitely like that.

“How surprising.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, since you’ve shown interest in anyone.”

“It’s merely a whim.”

“Is that so?”

The Dean smiled meaningfully.

He flipped through the documents in his hand a few times, then roughly drew a diagonal line across a certain section.

The old man’s eyes looked at the woman.

“I shall grant your wish.”

The white-haired old man subtly glanced around.

He was asking for the opinions of the other professors. Naturally, no one dared to voice opposition in front of humanity’s strongest being.

The faculty members all deliberately avoided eye contact.

Except for one person.

“Dean-nim, what do you mean by that…!”

Stepping forward was a black-haired young man.

He was the man who had been scheduled to be in charge of the top-tier class for this cohort.

“Professor Cadell.”

“To suddenly change the homeroom teacher assignment! This is an unfair measure!”

“Unfair, you say.”

Cadell Evans.

He was the person who had most vehemently kept Selena in check over the past few days.

He had actively brought up talk of a ‘bubble top student’ and tried to pull her down from her position as head professor.

The Dean quietly cut off his protest.

“I will not entertain dissenting opinions.”

“But…!”

“And if you speak of unfairness, shouldn’t you also bear some responsibility?”

“Pardon?”

“Because you were the first to raise an objection about Selena’s handling of affairs. Thanks to that, Selena almost had her position as head professor revoked… How do you plan to take responsibility for this?”

“…”

“If you have nothing to say, it would be best to remain silent.”

A voice that was soft, yet hid a sharp edge.

Cold sweat ran down him under the subtle pressure.

Professor Cadell was ultimately forced to retreat, silenced as if his mouth were full of honey.

A somewhat ominous atmosphere lingered within the waiting room.

Regardless, Selena merely remained lost in thought.

‘Juda Snakers.’

The woman mumbled the name to herself.

Alluring golden hair, narrow slit eyes, and even a formidable skill capable of overwhelming the Princess.

He was a mysterious boy.

The initial reason she paid him attention was curiosity, but now it was interest.

Because at the moment the boy revealed his power during the class placement test, Selena saw a certain ‘possibility’ in him.

‘If my thoughts are correct… I must make that child mine, no matter what.’

Perhaps it was a meeting she had long awaited.

The woman calmed her pounding heart and brought the liquor bottle she was holding to her lips.

***

Selena Drunkerd.

She was a character who appeared quite significantly in the original work.

I recall her being quite popular in the ‘Noona’ role, with her concept as a drunkard, decadent charm, and sensual figure all blending together.

Originally, she was a character who couldn’t be met in the early stages, no matter which route one took.

In the game, she usually appeared after at least half a year.

Since it had been that way every time during 1943 tries, I thought this time wouldn’t be any different.

“Hello everyone.”

“I am Selena Drunkerd, the head professor who will be your homeroom teacher for the top-tier class for one year starting today.”

Not only had she appeared boldly before the protagonist’s party, but I had also heard that she would be our class’s homeroom teacher.

How could I not be flustered?

The class’s homeroom teacher was supposed to be a handsome young man.

‘The flow of the original story has changed.’

Of course, that wasn’t what surprised me.

Considering how much trouble I’d caused, I naturally expected some backlash.

What made me flustered, however, was this.

‘…She’s absolutely not the type to take on something like this.’

The Selena I remembered was an indifferent person.

While she might not take on any classes out of annoyance, she wasn’t the type to take on the top-tier class, which had the tightest schedule.

There must have been some motive that moved her.

‘I have a few guesses… but I’m not sure exactly.’

My contemplation continued for a while.

As I walked, lost in thought, Regia, who was beside me, spoke to me.

“L-Lord?”

“Why are you calling?”

“I-It’s, it’s nothing, but… you’ve been staring blankly for a while… so I was wondering if you were a-alright.”

“Ah.”

It seemed she had worried about me.

Had I been too quiet?

The pink creature cautiously observed my expression.

Finding her pitiful appearance endearing, I instinctively reached out and stroked the girl’s head.

“I’m fine. I just had a few things to think about.”

“E-Eh…”

“Still, it’s nice to have a friend who worries about me.”

“F-Friend… Hehe, giggle.”

Could the word “friend” be that good?

Our protagonist was completely disarmed by a single casual remark.

How on earth was she planning to get close to the other children?

“Regia-yang, are you perhaps interested in fox beastkin?”

“Fox beastkin, you say? Are you talking about the person we met before? The one with a slightly fierce expression and orange hair…”

“That’s right. Irene-yang.”

“I’m interested!”

“Hehe… I’ll help you get closer.”

Amidst the continuing conversation.

Regia and I walked towards the carriage stop.

It was to return to our respective dormitories.

Perhaps it was the first day and everyone finished early, but students were bustling about despite the early hour.

We stood, waiting for a carriage.

Just then.

“What a truly fitting pair you are.”

A voice came from somewhere.

The chilly resonance of the voice whispered in my ears. Regia’s expression instantly stiffened.

Turning around, I saw a girl with blue drill-like hair standing there.

“One is a bubble top student… and the other is a presumptuous outsider.”

“Lady Benetti.”

Emilia Benetti.

It was the appearance of the villainous lady who had driven our protagonist to the brink just a few days ago.

The girl sneered.

“I didn’t think you’d still be brazenly remaining at the Academy?”

Her eyes held nothing but blatant hostility.

Perhaps recalling what happened during the class placement test, Regia’s body twitched slightly.

The villainous lady tormenting the protagonist.

It seemed this part was flowing exactly as in the original story.

Of course, I had no intention of simply letting her be tormented. After all, a reliable (?) ally was now by the protagonist’s side.

I hid the trembling Regia behind my back.

“L-Lord…?”

“Shh.”

It’s alright.

This time, I’ll protect you.

A sly smile played on my lips. I stood confidently before Emilia.

“A good day to you, Lady-nim.”

My lips were already curving into a wide grin at the thought of utterly humiliating the ducal young lady.