Morning came quickly.
Because of the exhaustion from last night, I slept deeply and almost woke up late.
"I really need to get used to waking up early."
The atmosphere looked bright—perfect for reading books in the library.
But unfortunately, today would be busier than any day before.
The prologue of the story had ended, and now we were entering the beginning of the long main story.
I let out a lazy sigh.
The academy's corridor was long, and it took some time before I finally saw the door to my classroom.
I opened the door and saw that most of the students had already arrived. I also noticed Leon sitting with his friends.
Ignoring them, I stepped inside.
I could feel the gazes of the students directed at me.
"....."
Of course, those weren't friendly stares. Knowing the rumors about me must've made them that way.
But at that moment, I shivered.
My eyes met with a pair of glowing golden pupils.
When our eyes locked, she stared at me coldly.
The daughter of the former Emperor, the student with the strongest raw power at the academy right now—and one of the characters with the most potential to become an enemy in the future.
In the game, she was a character with deadly and powerful skills.
There were many routes where she would become an enemy, and most players avoided those routes.
Besides that, her appearance was on a whole different level.
Many players were captivated and tried to get her into their harem in the game.
Her hair was golden, reaching down to her shoulders. Her pupils were also golden, creating a contrast with her hair.
That made her figure shine like the sun itself.
A perfect and beautiful embodiment.
'Sierin Ciavallas.'
Why was the one character I wanted to avoid the most at the beginning of the game staring at me so intensely?
Cold sweat ran down my body.
Did the previous Farley do something to Sierin that made him earn her hostility?
Or... did Sierin know something about me?
I gulped, pretending not to notice the eye contact, then took a seat far from where Sierin was sitting.
My heart was pounding.
When I looked at Sierin again, fortunately, she wasn't looking at me anymore.
I was finally able to breathe in relief.
'I hope that really was just a coincidence.'
Either way, Sierin was extremely sensitive to certain things.
That's why I tried to avoid her as much as possible.
Being stared at so intensely by her scared me to death.
At that moment, the class professor finally arrived.
Professor Balkan was a close-combat fighter with a bad reputation but was still dependable.
He earned that reputation because of his lazy attitude and fondness for alcohol.
In the game, he was just a comic relief character.
But seeing him in person felt different,
Because Professor Balkan really did look pathetic right now.
Yeah… truly disappointing.
Hiccuping a few times, the professor looked at us before he finally opened his mouth.
"Ah, so... uh, this time there will be a group practical evaluation. Uh, form groups of three, then come to the eastern field. Hm, I'll give you 30 minutes to form your teams."
After saying that, Professor Balkan walked out of the classroom.
He casually tossed his empty alcohol bottle into the air.
Then he stopped for a moment:
"Remember, don't be late."
And then...
Thud—!!
The bottle hit him on the head...
All the students calmly looked at it and then forgot about it as if it had never happened.
After all, this wasn't unusual anymore.
Professor Balkan really was just that pathetic.
***
Within 30 minutes, the students had to form groups consisting of three members.
In the original story, Farley had his own group alongside other minor villains.
But that happened because Farley was a side villain.
As for me?
I'm not the real Farley.
Even in my previous life, I'm sure I was just an idiot who liked to play games and was an introvert.
I was really bad at making friends.
I glanced around—many students had already formed their groups.
The same went for the protagonist, who had already created his own team.
At this point, with a system that's cruel to loners, there was only one path left.
'We loners have no choice but to wait for whoever's left and form a group.'
I smiled bitterly. This really wasn't fair. Damn it.
I then stood up and walked away from my seat.
There was no point in waiting here—I might as well head to the field first.
I stepped out of the noisy classroom and walked down the stairs.
At that moment, I stopped.
"....?"
What was Sierin doing there?
That gentle figure stood, gazing out the window from the side.
Bathed in sunlight, her appearance looked even more breathtaking.
I continued walking.
I didn't know if this happened in the game, but clearly, this was never meant to be a problem—
"Wait."
That voice made me jolt and stop.
'W-What was that?! Her voice was cute! But why did I get so startled by it?!'
I sighed at myself. I glanced toward the stairs—no one else was coming.
It was just me and Sierin.
Did that mean she called out to me?
I looked at Sierin.
Our eyes met.
But she didn't speak right away.
Instead, Sierin grasped the narrow window frame in front of her, as if she were weighing something in her mind.
Right… That must mean she really did call me.
"I greet you, Princess."
I bowed and greeted her as someone under her authority.
At that moment, Sierin, who had been watching me calmly, looked a bit uneasy.
What did that mean?
While I was still trying to figure it out, I heard her soft voice.
"...No need for formalities."
As our eyes met again, she added:
"I have a question for you, Farley Vicius. Why have you changed?"
My heart pounded as if it was beating for the last time.
My expression stiffened, and I didn't even know what kind of reaction I showed in front of Sierin.
One thing was certain—it was very bad.
"W-What do you mean?"
Sweat ran down my cheek, and I clenched my fists behind my back.
My whole body froze, as if it was too difficult to move.
"Farley, I knew you. But that was a few months ago. Why do I not recognize you now?"
What did she mean?
Did Farley know Sierin?
But… how? That wasn't in the game's information.
I had no idea at all.
'Forget it.'
I calmed myself.
Somehow, Farley had a connection with Princess Sierin.
And now, she realized something was off about Farley.
"I'm sorry, Sierin… but I don't know what you're talking about...?"
I smiled as naturally as I could.
Under her cold gaze, I froze, and my thoughts were thrown into chaos.