Chapter 10. Royal High Academy Entrance Ceremony – (2)

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At first, I looked to the side, wondering what on earth she was talking about.

“What?”
“Can’t you understand? I’m asking why you’re sitting next to me. There are plenty of other seats right now.”

At the sharp voice snapping at me, before answering, I blinked.

The hair color that came into my view was quite unique.

‘…Pink?’

And even in twin tails at that.

As such a characteristic hairstyle caught my eye first, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Well… because I knew this woman.

Although it’s certainly the first time I’m seeing her, ironically, I knew this woman.

‘Luna Vermont.’

One of the heroines who gets involved with Leonhardt, the protagonist of this novel’s world. Among them, she was also the one with the worst personality.

The hairstyle that came into my view now was so striking that it immediately came to mind.

Even in the novel’s description, it was emphasized as a noticeable hairstyle, so there couldn’t be anyone else with this hairstyle besides Luna.

“Hey! Does what I’m saying not sound like words to you?”

As she spoke fiercely again, I was dumbfounded.

“Is this some kind of assigned seating? What does it matter where I sit? Can’t you see we’re in the same C1 class?”
“What does it matter? I just don’t like it! I hate having to be in the same place as a commoner like you.”

As sharp answers were exchanged, I couldn’t help but laugh.

She’s assigned to C1 class herself, yet what nonsense is she spouting?

Nevertheless, as the gazes around gradually focused on us and drew attention, thinking I couldn’t fight with someone from the entrance ceremony, I stood up.

“Fine. I’ll avoid you because I’m dirty.”
“…What? Did you just say everything you wanted to?”

At Luna’s appearance, shouting loud enough to make my ears ring, I just calmly met her gaze.

“…”
“…”

As our eyes met, Luna hesitated for a moment, but I just looked at her.

My impression has always been able to change quite drastically depending on my mood.

I’ve often been told I look scary when I make eye contact without expression and without speaking.

Sometimes in unnecessary conflicts, I preferred making eye contact rather than speaking.

A person’s impression tends to be more deeply engraved than one might think.

“It’s the entrance ceremony. Let’s stop making each other blush.”

Relaxing my expression and speaking lightly, I turned away.

As I moved to a seat a bit to the side like that. Given how spacious the grand hall was, even though I didn’t move much, the distance widened more than I thought.

“Ha. This is why commoners… are no good.”

Even as I heard Luna’s voice muttering with a snort, I didn’t even give her a glance.

A character representative of a fierce and arrogant personality.
ー Luna Vermont.

More than that, I was more curious about why she was in the same C class as me now.

‘As far as I know, Luna was definitely in B3 or around that class, I think.’

Her getting involved with Leonhardt is a bit later. I knew that it happened around the time when her Talent showed its true value and she rose to A class.

Luna’s Talent grade was Rare, but there was something about it that should be considered beyond its grade.

She had a Talent that didn’t match her fierce personality at all. At first, no one recognized her true value.

[Battle Cure]

The Talent of healing receives the highest evaluation wherever you go. Healing someone is a much more difficult task than causing damage.

But. The ‘Battle Cure’ Talent that Luna possessed had a subtle aspect.

She can heal someone as much as the damage she inflicts. It was often called ‘conditional healing’.

No one at the Academy knows this fact yet, and even Luna herself doesn’t know the true value of her ability.

As I organized my thoughts like that, I realized something unconsciously.

‘Wait. Come to think of it, should I be trying to become friends with Luna?’

From the first words, she treated me unpleasantly, so I responded coldly and snapped back at her.

But thinking carefully… Luna’s ability was far from ordinary.

In the latter half. She has such an excellent healing effect that she sticks to the protagonist almost like a necessity and plays a big role.

“…Ha.”

Wondering if I made a wrong judgment swayed by emotions, a small sigh escaped as I turned my head again.

Then for some reason, my eyes met with Luna’s.

“Hmph!”

She looked at me startled for a moment before immediately snorting and turning her head, and I was dumbfounded watching this.

More than that, I couldn’t understand.

‘Why was she looking at me?’

As I was thinking there was no reason for that.

People slowly started to fill the seats one by one.

“Excuse me, I’ll just pass through.”
“Yes, go ahead.”

Even as I greeted the people arriving around me like that, my gaze flickered to Luna.

‘I wonder who can sit next to Luna with that bad personality.’

Now I was just curious about that.

As I expected, the commotion related to Luna continued.

“Move away.”
“…What did you say?”
“I said move away!”

Whenever someone tried to sit near her, Luna kept making unreasonable fuss to prevent them from sitting, and because of that, people ended up taking seats one space apart from her.

The people pushed away by this and those watching nearby all showed uncomfortable expressions, but Luna was just confident.

‘Being that shameless is also a skill. Really.’

While inwardly admiring, I wondered if Luna was trying to isolate herself.

No matter how much the Academy is based on ability, if she shows such an attitude of rejecting everyone, it was natural for the entire class to distance themselves from her.

At that moment.

“Luna~”

Along with a bright voice, as a woman with short black hair approached Luna, I was a bit surprised.

“Milia. Why did you come so late!?”
“Sorry Luna, I’m very late, right? My mother kept holding me back saying there were better accessories, so I was delayed.”
“Anyway, sit right here. Do you know how awkward it was waiting for you?”

As Luna, with her crooked attitude, spoke softly as if whining, the woman called Milia smiled and sat down right beside her.

They immediately started chatting amicably. For a moment, I felt like my thoughts couldn’t keep up.

The woman sitting next to Luna now.

Short black hair along with a peculiar impression full of mischief, and above all, the name ‘Milia’.

‘She’s in C class too?’

Like Luna, I was seeing her for the first time today, but I already knew this woman.

A woman who appears as Luna’s best friend at the bottom of B class. Moreover, Milia was a character who appears quite often as Luna’s precious best friend.

I couldn’t distinguish her by appearance from the novel’s description, but whether there was some main character’s friend boost or not, she had quite a cute appearance with short black hair.

Then suddenly. I could understand why Luna was assigned to C class now.

Looking at Luna alone, there was no way she could be in C class.

With her family, the Vermont Count family, and a Rare Talent, she would normally be given B class.

Yet the reason she’s in C class.

Considering Luna’s personality, even if she received grades to go to B class, she probably volunteered to come to C class.

‘If her best friend Milia received C class…’

That’s right. Luna is the kind of woman who proudly says she came to the Academy because of Milia.
Luna was the kind of woman who would bet her life, not just following a friend to Gangnam.

After that, as the seats were gradually filled without further commotion. The entrance ceremony seemed to be slowly starting.

Not just C class, but most classes already had many people seated, and the splendid lights illuminating the grand hall were slowly dimming.

That meant the speech was about to begin.

As the stage at the front of the grand hall was brightly lit, and a person who exuded experience ascended to the podium, a solemn atmosphere was created.

“First. I would like to say that it is an honor to see so many cadets who will lead the eternal glory and future of the Empire for the first time. For those of you seeing me for the first time, let me introduce myself as ‘Roswald Develon’, serving as the president of the Central Royal High Academy. This year, even more special cadets who will brighten the future of the Empire…”

As the president with a quite calm voice and considerate tone continued speaking while looking around at the cadets, I started to look around at the people nearby, half-listening.

From the start, Luna and Milia.

I met people who could be called almost main and supporting characters.

Then I wondered if there might be more important people nearby, but as I looked around, there was no one particularly eye-catching.

They all had various hair colors and unique appearances, but there didn’t seem to be anyone with characteristics matching the main and supporting characters I saw in the novel.

‘Well, there’s no way such people would be in C class.’

Thinking there was no one to see in C class, I turned my gaze to B class seated at an interval, when.

“Now, this year’s entrance exam valedictorian! Student representative. Leonhardt Loraiant!”

At the president’s sudden exclamation, I couldn’t help but blankly turn my head to the podium.

Step.
Step.

The sound of calm footsteps echoes faintly over the grand hall stained with silence.

A tall blonde man gradually ascending the podium to face the president.

The impressive student uniform of A class, mixed with white and gold, caught my eye for a moment.

I found myself engraving the man’s appearance in my eyes.

‘That man is…’

Right in this world.

The protagonist of the Royal High Academy.
ー Leonhardt Loraiant.

He was now standing on the podium.

“Leonhardt Loraiant. It is an honor to face the president as the valedictorian of the entrance exam.”
“I am honored as well, Cadet Leonhardt. Then, according to the Academy’s tradition, we will start with a congratulatory speech by Cadet Leonhardt, who took first place in the entrance exam.”

As their voices resonated through the grand hall, I found myself staring blankly, even though I knew everything.

Of course, how I will live at the Academy is important, but I couldn’t deny that my future also depended on that Leonhardt.

‘No, I should say the future of this world depends on him.’

No matter what happens, Leonhardt must survive, and in this world, all hardships and adversities…
That man Leonhardt must certainly overcome them.

“Wow. He’s really handsome.”
“Yeah. He’s very handsome.”
“Is he this year’s valedictorian?”
“I heard he has a Legendary Talent.”

As all kinds of words leaked from the surrounding cadets who had been quiet and solemn until then, I couldn’t help but smirk.

‘Well, this is what a protagonist is like.’

Since I’m not the protagonist of this world.

It felt like I was realizing how different the attention itself was.

As I watched Leonhardt reading his congratulatory speech like that, I felt his gaze was directed somewhere.

As I gently turned my eyes to follow that gaze, I was surprised.

‘Grecia?’

Originally, it should have been a development where Grecia couldn’t be in the same class as him, but now Leonhardt seemed to be looking at where Grecia was.

Moreover, as if they had already made contact, Leonhardt was staring intently at Grecia even as he continued his speech.

And Grecia…

“Huh?”

Why is she looking at me?