After the performance ended, the students gradually dispersed, each heading off to find their assigned classes.
Not long after, Knox learned that both he and Simon had been placed in Class A. Lorain hadn't.
That meant the two of them would be going separate ways.
Before leaving, Knox stopped and glanced back at Lorain, checking on her—just in case she might be sulking. Not that he truly believed she would.
And, as expected, he was right.
Lorain stood there calmly. There was a faint trace of disappointment in her eyes, but it didn't linger. It was quickly swallowed by something firmer—resolve. A quiet determination to improve, to close the gap through her own effort.
Seeing that, Knox felt a small sense of relief.
Yeah… she's different now.
Not just stronger on the outside, but stronger where it mattered most.
Compared to the Lorain from the original story, the girl standing here now had already begun to surpass her former self—inside and out.
As he walked toward the classroom, a thought crossed Knox's mind.
I think I get it now.
Lorain being placed in a different class wasn't an accident.
That loli baba… she did it on purpose.
Nefthis wanted Lorain to grow on her own—away from him. To struggle, to adapt, to become stronger without leaning on Knox's shadow.
That part, he could understand. What he couldn't quite figure out was himself.
Still… why Class A for me?
He wasn't complaining—far from it. Class A was ideal in every way. But knowing Nefthis, there was no such thing as a meaningless decision.
There has to be a reason.
Then—
A quiet sigh came from right beside him.
Knox turned his head and saw Simon walking stiffly, shoulders tense, eyes darting forward like a man headed for the gallows.
And just like that, the answer clicked into place.
…Ah. So that's it.
Knox glanced at Simon again, then looked forward, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
This guy. The main character of the story.
If my guess is right, Nefthis already decided to hand the Seventh Legion over to Simon before the school year even began.
Probably right after Richard—Simon's father and the former Seventh Legion Commander—stepped down from his post.
Which meant, she put me in Class A for one reason.
Knox let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
To babysit him.
Even though it was the entrance ceremony—and literally the first day of school—there were no breaks at all. The very first class started immediately.
Knox stared ahead in disbelief.
This is inhuman.
As a student—no, as a veteran of two lifetimes of schooling—he felt personally attacked.
I demand my basic human rights. Where's the break? Where's the useless orientation talk? Where's the awkward ice-breaking session no one wants?
Kizen Academy, however, showed no mercy.
Knox sighed.
Not long after, Knox and Simon arrived at the door to Class A. They stepped inside.
The moment they entered, it was as if someone had pressed a pause button. Conversations cut off mid-sentence. Movements halted. Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward them at once.
Knox didn't feel a thing. The stares slid right off him like background noise.
Simon, on the other hand, stiffened for half a second—then surprisingly held it together. After everything he'd been subjected to since the opening ceremony, his tolerance for being stared at had clearly gone up a level.
Guess I'm already getting used to this… Simon thought, forcing himself to breathe normally.
Knox swept his gaze across the classroom.
So this is Class A… let's see who's here.
One by one, familiar faces clicked into place.
Meilyn Villenne. Camibarez Ursula. Rick Hayward. Toto Amori. Hector Moore. Cindy Vivace. Claudia Menzies. Jamie Victoria…
Then, his eyes stopped.
…Merida Hugh Ickel.
Knox froze for half a heartbeat.
Wait. What? Merida?
His brows knit together slightly.
She shouldn't be in Class A. In the original story, she wasn't assigned here at all.
For a brief moment, calculations ran through his mind—routes diverging, flags shifting, invisible hands nudging the board.
Then he exhaled quietly.
Well… things have already changed this much.
The corner of his lips twitched.
Guess I'll just accept it.
Suddenly, a girl with red hair tinged with pink bounced over toward them.
It was Cindy Vivace—the same girl they'd run into at the bookstore before. She waved enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey! Special Number Ones!"
Knox and Simon turned at the same time.
"Oh—Cindy! Nice to see you again," Simon said warmly, clearly relieved to spot a familiar face.
Knox followed up with a grin. "Yo. Fancy meeting you again, Ms. Phantom Thief."
Cindy's smile twitched. Then she glared straight at Knox.
"Wow," she said flatly, crossing her arms. "Nice to meet you again, Mr. Liar—who gave a fake name to this beautiful, delicate, and totally innocent girl."
She leaned in just a little, eyes narrowing.
"Am I right… A-M-U-R-O R-A-Y?"
Knox felt a chill run down his spine.
"No wonder," Cindy continued, clicking her tongue, "your face kept bugging me. Especially that ridiculously handsome one of yours."
Her annoyance was obvious—but so was the fact that she'd finally solved the puzzle.
Silence.
For a brief, fragile moment, the air itself seemed to hesitate.
Then, Knox smiled. And, with absolutely zero shame, he tilted his head slightly and went,
"Tee-hee~"
Cindy snapped.
"Tee-hee your head!"
Cindy snapped, her voice echoing lightly through the classroom.
Knox just laughed it off, completely unfazed.
After that little exchange finally died down, the three of them decided to find seats together. Scanning the room, they spotted a cluster of empty desks and headed over.
As they approached, Knox noticed three girls already sitting there.
…No, wait. Two sitting. One very clearly sleeping.
Seeing the chance, Knox took the initiative. He stopped beside the desks and spoke up politely.
"Hello. My name's Knox Aznable. You can just call me Knox. Please take care of me."
He paired the greeting with a gentle, easygoing smile. That was enough to wake something up—at least socially.
The two girls who were awake turned toward him at the same time.
And immediately froze.
Standing there was a white-haired boy with a face so striking it almost felt unfair. The kind of handsome that made you question the balance of the world.
The girl with green hair and glasses stiffened first—then promptly turned red.
The other girl, also green-haired but with long hair flowing down her back, managed to stay composed… mostly. A faint blush still crept onto her cheeks.
The glasses girl recovered just enough to speak.
"I—I'm sorry—! H-Hello!" she said, stumbling over her words before forcing herself to calm down. "My name is Jamie Victoria. You can call me Jamie!"
Then the long-haired girl gave a small nod, her voice steady.
"Hi. I'm Claudia Menzies," she said. "I specialize in poison. Nice to meet you."
Behind them, the third girl remained completely asleep, her head resting on her desk, breathing slow and peaceful—as if none of this concerned her in the slightest.
Knox's gaze drifted to the girl who was still sound asleep.
Noticing where he was looking, Claudia leaned slightly closer and spoke up, her tone a bit teasing and cheerful.
"Oh, that sleeping beauty over there? Her name's Merida Hugh Ickel."
Knox nodded slowly in understanding.
"Hugh Ickel… I see," he said. "So she's the little sister of the student council president."
The moment her brother's name was mentioned, the sleeping girl stirred.
Merida's eyes cracked open just a sliver, her expression half-awake and unfocused. She lifted her head slightly, barely managing to sit up.
"…Hello," she mumbled softly.
"My name is Merida Hugh Ickel. Just Merida is fine."
And with that—
thump.
She gently laid her head back down on the desk and immediately returned to sleep, as if the conversation had never happened.
For a brief moment, the area around them fell into silence.
"…She really just woke up to introduce herself," Simon muttered quietly.
Knox stared at Merida for a second longer before smiling faintly.
"Impressive," he said. "That takes talent."
Claudia let out a small laugh, while Jamie just nodded in agreement.
Class A really was… something else.
————————————
Character Voicelines · Knox: About Cindy, Claudia, Jamie, and Merida
Knox: Hm… what a colorful lineup.
Knox: Should I give them a song and debut them as an idol group? Or maybe a band?
Knox: With how dark necromancers usually are, maybe something ironic—like YOASOBI's Idol.
Knox: …Then again, considering how heavy and unhinged they can be, Ave Mujica might fit just as well.
Knox: …But wait. Neither Hoshino Ai nor Ave Mujica ended very well, did they?
Knox: Hm. Maybe I should give them something cheerful instead.
Knox: Bright, sparkling, ultra-kirakira songs—like Poppin'Party, maybe?
Cindy, Claudia, Jamie: (Why do I suddenly feel a chill…?!) (;￣Д￣)