A Vain Person (1)
Two days after the fierce class placement exam.
The final rankings were released, and class assignments were completed based on the results.
I was assigned to Class A.
The elite class that only the top 20 out of 1,000 classmates could enter.
It wasn't surprising that I was sitting here, having taken first place over the princess, who was called the greatest genius on the continent.
It would have been stranger if I had been assigned to a different class.
"Y-Young Master..."
"Hmm? What is it, Miss Regia?"
"A-Am I really... allowed to be here...?"
"Here?"
I chuckled.
The pink-haired girl next to me was trembling.
Perhaps she was quite nervous, as she had been hunching her shoulders since earlier.
It was Regia, who had been assigned to the same class.
'Well... it's understandable.'
Considering how badly she messed up the placement exam.
She must have been worried about being dropped to the lowest class, or even being expelled.
"It's alright. Don't worry."
"But..."
Regia mumbled, biting her lip.
It seemed our protagonist was uncomfortable with the unexpected result.
Perhaps she was feeling burdened.
"There are so many other talented people... I don't know if I deserve to be here."
"I see."
"Huh?"
"I don't think there are many students more talented than you, Miss Regia."
That's because she was the protagonist of this world.
As time passed, she would grow at an alarming rate, and later, she was destined to become a powerhouse surpassing even Charlotte.
She was a student with the greatest potential.
"You are plenty capable, Miss Regia."
"...Really?"
"Of course. There's no way they would have made these class assignments without reason, right? Like I said before, someone must have seen your potential, Miss Regia."
For the record, that someone was Gaston Galimar.
The headmaster of the academy.
Actually, it wasn't that he 'saw' her potential, but rather that he had 'known' it from the beginning.
Anyway, it was a clean job, as expected from someone who had done this a time or two before.
"You can be a little more confident."
"Th-thank you..."
"Don't mention it."
After a brief exchange, the empty classroom began to fill with the presence of other students.
As expected of Class A, the center of the game.
I could see familiar faces here and there.
Charlotte, staring blankly out the window.
Emilia, chatting with her followers in the back.
Finally, even the boy with blue hair, fiddling with his sword alone in the corner.
They were all characters that appeared in the original story.
'As expected, the key figures remain the same.'
I began to observe the students around me one by one.
As I was busy looking around, Regia suddenly asked me a question with a hesitant voice.
"Wh-what kind of person is our homeroom professor?"
"Are you curious?"
"Ah, w-well, yes... I-I'm a little, um, uncomfortable around, older people..."
"Huh. Are you saying there are people you're not uncomfortable around, Miss Regia?"
"Hmph... D-don't tease me..."
The girl sulked, seemingly struck a nerve.
I wanted to tease her a little more for that reaction, but I stopped, thinking she might actually cry.
Instead, I gave her the answer she wanted.
"You'll probably be fine. A young professor is scheduled to come."
Not only was he young.
A handsome male professor was scheduled to come.
A helper who would become a source of strength for the protagonist and her companions for the next three years. He was a bit of a jerk, but a good person nonetheless.
Was his name Kadel?
Creak-!
Just as I was recalling information from the original story, the closed classroom door swung open with a loud noise.
All 20 students were already present.
It seemed their homeroom professor had arrived.
The students' gazes turned to the front in unison. I was no exception.
Click, clack-.
The sound of heels echoed sharply.
The figure that followed was a woman with long, flowing purple hair...
"...Huh?"
Her red eyes were faintly visible.
She held a bottle of alcohol in her hand.
Her body had a violently alluring curve to it, and I couldn't help but question my own eyes.
Was I seeing things right?
I was momentarily stunned, but the woman who stoodat the front of the classroom spoke nonchalantly.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Selena Drunkard, the head professor who will be in charge of the top-ranking class for the next year."
What the hell.
What are you doing here?
***
Two days prior, on the day of the class placement exam.
After Judas and Charlotte had finished their turns, Selena heard the following from the headmaster.
"I thought you'd say that... Is there anything you want?"
"What do you mean by 'want'...?"
"I'll grant it if it's within my power."
"Hmm."
Selena fell into thought for a moment.
She wasn't the type to be particularly greedy, but that didn't mean she was the type to let an opportunity like this pass her by.
She mulled over her options as the scent of alcohol wafted into her nose.
'Well... I guess there's nothing to think about.'
She had already made up her mind.
If, by some slim chance, the boy beat the princess, this was what she would ask for in return.
With a faint smile, Selena opened her lips.
"In that case, I'll tell you. Please allow me to be Judas Snakus' homeroom professor for this year."
"Hmm?"
The headmaster's face contorted in confusion.
It was a completely unexpected request.
"You want to be in charge of this year's top student... Are you saying you want to be in charge of the highest-ranking class?"
"That's right."
"Huh."
Selena had never shown much interest in the students before.
Ever since her beloved younger sister passed away from an incurable disease, her daily life had been filled only with bottles of alcohol.
When it came time to choose homeroom professors, she would often skip it altogether or pick up whatever class was left at the end.
She had always been like that.
"That's surprising."
"Is it?"
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? Since you've taken an interest in someone."
"It's just a whim."
"Is that so?"
The headmaster smiled meaningfully.
He flipped through the documents in his hand a few times, then drew a line across a certain section.
The old man's eyes fell on the woman.
"I'll grant your request."
The white-haired old man glanced around.
He was asking for the opinions of the other professors. Of course, no one dared to object in front of the strongest being in humanity.
The faculty members all avoided his gaze.
Except for one person.
"Headmaster, what do you mean by that...?"
A young man with black hair stepped forward.
He was the man who was originally scheduled to be in charge of the highest-ranking class this year.
"Professor Kadel."
"You're suddenly changing the homeroom assignment? This is unfair!"
"Unfair, you say."
Kadel Evans.
He had been the one who had been most wary of Selena for the past few days.
He had been actively spreading the story of the 'overrated head professor,' trying to pull her down from her position.
The headmaster calmly cut off his protest.
"I will not tolerate any objections."
"But...!"
"And if you say it's unfair, shouldn't you also take responsibility for that?"
"Excuse me?"
"You were the first one to question Selena's work. Because of you, she almost lost her position as head professor... How do you plan to take responsibility for that?"
"..."
"If you have nothing to say, it's best to stay quiet."
His voice was soft, but it hid a sharp edge.
A strange pressure made Kadel break out in a cold sweat.
In the end, Professor Kadel was rendered speechless and had no choice but to back down.
A somewhat suffocating atmosphere lingered in the waiting room, but Selena remained lost in thought.
'Judas Snakus.'
She muttered the name to herself.
His alluring blonde hair, his narrow, smoldering eyes, his skills that surpassed even the princess...
He was a mysterious boy.
Her initial interest in him had stemmed from curiosity, but now it had blossomed into something more.
The moment the boy revealed his power during the class placement exam, Selena saw a certain 'potential' in him.
'If my guess is correct... I'll have to make that child mine, no matter what it takes.'
Perhaps this was a meeting she had been waiting for for a long time.
The woman calmed her pounding heart and brought the bottle of alcohol to her lips.
***
Selena Drunkard.
She was a character who played a significant role in the original story.
Her alcoholic motif, decadent charm, and voluptuous figure, combined with her role as the 'older woman' archetype, had made her quite popular with the players.
Originally, she was not a character you would meet in the early stages of the game, regardless of the route you chose.
In the game, at least half a year had to pass before she appeared.
It had been the same for all 1,943 of my playthroughs, so I thought it would be no different this time.
-"Nice to meet you all."
-"I'm Selena Drunkard, the head professor who will be in charge of the top-ranking class for the next year."
Not only did she appear before the protagonist and her companions, but she even announced that she would be our homeroom professor.
How could I not be bewildered?
The homeroom professor was supposed to be a handsome young man.
'The flow of the original story has been altered.'
Of course, I wasn't surprised by that.
Considering how much I had messed with the original plot, I was already expecting some repercussions.
However, what puzzled me was...
'...She's not the type to take on something like this.'
The Selena I knew was an indifferent person.
I could understand her refusing to take on any class because it was too bothersome, but she was not the type to join the highest-ranking class, which had the tightest schedule.
There had to be a reason why she was so motivated.
'I have a few guesses... but I don't know for sure.'
My contemplation continued for a while.
As I was lost in thought, Regia, who was beside me, called out to me.
"Y-Young Master?"
"Why did you call me?"
"W-well, it's just that... You've been s-spacing out this whole time... I was w-wondering if you were alright..."
"Ah."
It seemed she was worried about me.
Had I been too quiet?
The pink-haired girl cautiously watched my expression.
Touched by her concern, I unconsciously reached out and stroked her hair.
"I'm fine. I just had a lot on my mind."
"Eek...?"
"It's nice to have a friend who worries about me."
"A f-friend... Hehe..."
Was it okay to call her a friend?
Our protagonist, completely disarmed by a single offhand comment.
How on earth was she going to make friends with the other kids?
"Miss Regia, are you interested in beast-kin by any chance?"
"By beast-kin... are you talking about the one we met before? The one with a rather fierce impression and scarlet hair..."
"That's right. Miss Irene."
"I'm interested!"
"Hehe... I'll help you become friends with her."
As our conversation continued, Regia and I walked towards the carriage stop.
We were both heading back to our respective dormitories.
Perhaps it was because it was the first day and everyone was dismissed early, but the area was crowded with students despite the early hour.
We stood waiting for a carriage.
And at that moment.
"What a well-suited pair."
A voice came from somewhere.
A chilling aura sent shivers down my spine. Regia's expression stiffened instantly.
Turning around, we saw a girl with blue hair styled in buns standing there.
"One is an overrated top student... and the other is a clueless outsider."
"Lady Vanity."
Emilia Vanity.
The villainess who had pushed our protagonist to the edge a few days ago had made her appearance.
The girl sneered.
"I didn't expect you to still be shamelessly hanging around the academy."
Her eyes held nothing but blatant hostility.
Perhaps remembering the events of the class placement exam, Regia's body began to tremble slightly.
The villainess who tormented the protagonist.
It seemed this part was unfolding just like in the original story.
Of course, that didn't mean I was going to let her have her way. After all, the protagonist now had a reliable(?) ally by her side.
I pulled the trembling Regia behind me.
"Y-Young Master...?"
"Shh."
It's alright.
This time, I'll protect you.
A playful smile spread across my lips as I stood confidently in front of Emilia.
"Good day to you, Lady Vanity."
My lips curled into a gleeful smirk at the thought of putting the duke's daughter in her place.
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