“Aaagh! Let me go! I said, let go!”
“Haha….”
“I’ll curse you…! I’ll curse you for life…!”
The student, who had been caught colluding, screamed in despair as they were dragged out by the selection tournament officials.
I let out a bitter smile at their words before turning my gaze back to the remaining participants in the waiting room, lost in thought.
‘No way… after everything we’ve done, there won’t be any more cheating, right?’
Of course, a rematch in the Talent selection tournament was something that never happened in the original story.
From what I heard, a student used forbidden sorcery during the preliminaries, nearly killing several participants.
The exact details were heavily covered up, making it difficult to grasp what really happened.
However, according to a brief mention in Bergen’s report, one thing was certain—the incident involved black magic.
There wasn’t enough data to draw a firm conclusion, but all the students involved were contenders for the championship.
Something about this smelled fishy.
Should I dig deeper?
And to top it off, the most popular playable characters in the original game were involved.
‘Well, at least they all seem to be here in the waiting room for now….’
Robin, Charlie, and Hayden—three traditionally popular characters from ‘Blacktail Fantasy 3’.
True to their default character settings, their identities were all ordinary, and even their appearances and names were androgynous.
Despite the commotion earlier, they remained still in their places, maintaining their silence.
‘I played as Hayden a lot, but Robin was the most popular.’
Reminiscing about my past life, I gave them a friendly smile, wondering if I should strike up a conversation.
“You’ve been quiet for a while. Are you all right?”
“Excuse me, student?”
But then, something unexpected happened.
Unlike Meredia, who was notoriously cold, Hayden—who used to be my favorite character—didn’t even turn his head in response to my words.
Not only that, but Robin and Charlie, standing next to him, also remained completely motionless.
“You’re wasting your time.”
“Huh?”
Scratching my head in slight embarrassment, I turned to find Cecil watching me disapprovingly.
“They’re just naturally quiet people.”
“…Oh.”
“They’re among the top students in the third year, so I tried talking to them a few times, but I eventually gave up when I realized they never spoke to any of the other students either.”
Now that I think about it, playable characters in the game progressed through the story using dialogue choices rather than speaking themselves.
So, is that aspect reflected in reality as well?
For some reason, I felt like the boundary between the game and reality was blurring.
“By the way, that student from earlier… Are they really connected to black magic?”
As I was mulling over these thoughts, Cecil frowned and pressed me for answers.
“You’re not just falsely accusing someone and plotting something shady again, are you?”
“…Cecil, what do you take me for?”
First, she misunderstood my relationship with Runiel, and now she’s full of unnecessary suspicions about me.
I’m starting to worry about her.
It doesn’t affect me personally, but if she keeps doubting people’s good intentions, it could become a problem.
Then again, she does seem to have a lot of friends, so maybe I don’t need to worry too much.
“And there it is again—that ominous smile. Seriously, cut it out….”
“Uh, um.”
Just as I was looking at Cecil with a slightly pitying smile, lost in thought—
“A-Ah, hello.”
I was suddenly addressed by Adele, who had been fidgeting nervously behind Cecil.
“Oh, Lady Adele. It’s nice to see you again.”
“……!”
“How have you been? No injuries, I hope?”
Although she was Cecil’s rival and now my competition in the selection tournament, I still had a duty as a judge.
So, I responded as kindly as possible.
“T-Thanks to you….”
“Haha, it was nothing. I was just doing my job.”
“…I-I wanted to thank you for what you did back then.”
But somehow, her demeanor felt slightly different from before.
“…What are you doing?”
“I-I just need to borrow your back….”
She was hiding behind Cecil, peeking over her shoulder.
It was a stark contrast to the elegant and prideful noblewoman I had seen before.
It was as if a once arrogant villainess had been humbled after a lesson.
“If only Lady Meredia could become this gentle too….”
I mumbled without thinking, imagining the future I had always hoped for Meredia.
At that, Adele widened her eyes in surprise, looking dazed.
“Um… Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“D-Do you… prefer gentle women?”
Wait, why is she suddenly asking about my taste in women?
“I mean, I do have a strong personality….”
“……”
“…But I can adjust. S-Specially for you.”
If she keeps saying things like that, I can already guess how Cecil—who’s standing right in front of me—will react.
Sure enough, Cecil’s face was darkening in real-time as she stood there, having unwillingly lent her back to her rival.
‘This is a little sad….’
But knowing that Adele was likely acting on her father’s orders, given how he had even provided her with magical artifacts, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
‘How does it feel to pretend to be interested in someone you don’t love?’
Regardless of the circumstances, seeing a daughter being used like a pawn by her father made me feel unexpectedly sympathetic.
And soon, an incident would occur that would push the Mage Tower to the brink of destruction—meaning Adele’s downfall was practically inevitable as well.
“Apologies, but I am already engaged to Lady Meredia.”
“…Oh.”
“So, I cannot afford to let my attention stray to another woman.”
At times like this, it’s important to draw clear boundaries.
As someone who has yet to solidify my position, I couldn’t afford to step in and try to “help” her, only to end up getting caught in the crossfire.
“I… I see. I apologize for overstepping.”
“……”
“I’m always second… I expected this….”
Still, as someone who has lived through two lifetimes, I could at least offer some advice to a lost child.
“I don’t know what your true goal is.”
So I took a step forward and patted her on the shoulder.
“But if you really want something, wouldn’t it be better to obtain it with your own strength, without relying on others?”
“……”
“In my eyes, you have limitless potential.”
For a moment, she just stared at me before her expression darkened slightly.
“What if, no matter how hard I try, I never amount to more than just ‘potential’?”
At her words, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.
“There are people in this world who don’t even get the chance to try.”
“What?”
“Some people are forced to accept their fate and silently comply with it.”
Maybe it was because it reminded me of my past, lying in a hospital bed, waiting to die.
My words, meant as encouragement, ended up carrying a weight of emotion I hadn’t intended.
“Wait… are you talking about yourself?”
“…Haha, no comment.”
Realizing the topic was becoming too heavy for students their age, I quickly tried to change the subject.
But at that exact moment—
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, Lady Meredia.”
Hearing Meredia’s voice from beside me, I froze and instinctively turned my head.
“I was running a little late because of the schedule, but why is nothing progressing?”
“…Ahaha, my apologies.”
Now that I think about it, the faculty members preparing to announce the selection round’s instructions had been subtly throwing me looks.
This unintentionally feels like I caused trouble, making me feel a bit awkward.
“If you’re sorry, then stop this trivial talk and follow me. The schedule ahead is tight.”
“…Understood.”
Feeling like a scolded husband, I shrank back and decided to abandon what I was about to say.
As I turned to follow Lady Meredia, I glanced back slightly and opened my mouth.
“Anyway, I hope you stay strong.”
“……”
“Forget about me and walk your own path.”
It was just words, but this was the best I could do for now.
“I’ll be cheering for your dream from behind.”
It stung a little, but I genuinely hoped she would take my words to heart and find strength in them later.
*****
‘Since when was he capable of such a serious expression?’
Cecil, who had been watching her older brother being dragged away by Meredia with a sulky expression, soon scrunched her face and fell into thought.
‘At least he seems to know how to draw the line.’
She had braced herself, expecting him to say something sly as usual, but surprisingly, he had just given a proper, normal piece of advice.
‘But… what was that part?’
Something in his words nagged at her.
‘It didn’t seem like he was talking about him…’
Cecil, who was particularly perceptive, recalled that when Whitney mentioned those who had no choice but to accept their predetermined fate, his expression had darkened significantly.
However, it didn’t quite match his own situation, and if it were meant for her, it wouldn’t make sense since she was currently standing as a contender in the Talent selection tournament.
“Cecil.”
“…Yes?”
“I hate to admit it, but for the first time, I’m envious of you.”
Cecil, who had been furrowing her brows in thought, momentarily set aside her doubts when Adele’s voice suddenly came from beside her.
“You have an amazing older brother….”
“Ugh?”
Cecil immediately recoiled in shock at Adele’s quiet statement.
“But why did someone like that…”
“…”
“Why did he have to catch her eye?”
But just as quickly, Adele’s voice turned icy as she muttered while staring at Lady Meredia walking away with Whitney.
Cecil had no choice but to shut her mouth.
‘Is she out of her mind?’
As far as Cecil knew, the only person who could match her brother was Lady Meredia.
If Whitney was the shadowy mastermind, then Meredia was the kind of villain who didn’t bother hiding her intentions.
Her most infamous act was nearly bringing down Duke Embergreen and, upon becoming the acting head of the family, publicly purging two-thirds of the household staff in what became known as the “Bloody Succession.”
Compared to that, Whitney—who had swiftly seized power after “sending his father somewhere nice” and merely scared his servants into resigning—seemed like a saint.
“Hey, lower your voice…!”
Cecil, aware that Adele was still a troublemaker, was about to whisper a warning when—
—Swish…
Meredia, who had been walking beside Whitney, suddenly turned her head toward them.
‘I knew this would happen!’
Cecil instinctively held her breath, expecting the worst.
But, as she had anticipated, Meredia didn’t stop to confront Adele.
“…Hah.”
She simply gazed at Adele for a few seconds, gave a cold smile, and turned away.
—Grit…
Cecil, who had been dumbfoundedly watching, felt a strange sense of dissonance when she heard the sound of grinding teeth next to her.
“A good, kind, and wonderful person like him shouldn’t be used by a villain like Lady Meredia… Isn’t that right?”
“…No, they actually seem to get along pretty well.”
“Did you not see his expression just now? That sorrowful smile, lamenting the tragedy of a political marriage…?”
Adele, lost in her own interpretation, momentarily paused before continuing.
‘So that’s why the Lingard family has been issuing large amounts of bonds lately.’
It was common for wealthy noble families to issue bonds when funding large ventures.
But the Lingard family, rumored to be on the verge of bankruptcy, suddenly issuing a massive number of bonds was definitely suspicious.
‘My father tried to buy some, but Duke Embergreen had already acquired most of them….’
And from what she had overheard, the Embergreen family had recently purchased nearly all those bonds.
‘They must have made some sort of deal for the sake of their families.’
Perhaps Whitney had chosen this path for the sake of protecting both his family and his younger sister.
By enrolling in the academy as a noble, Cecil had to pay tuition several times higher than commoners.
And if she placed in the selection tournament, she would only become busier.
Maybe Whitney’s decision was made with that in mind.
‘Judging by her reaction, Cecil probably doesn’t know anything about this.’
As the tragic tale of a noble hero forced to give his body and soul to a woman he didn’t love unfolded in Adele’s mind, she clenched her teeth and made a decision.
“…I’ll take Sir Whitney from her.”
“What?”
“I no longer need my father’s orders. With my own will and power, I will save him…”
Fixing her gaze on Meredia, Adele grabbed Cecil’s hand and spoke with a sweet voice.
“So… will you forgive me for everything until now?”
“……”
“And don’t worry about money. I’ll take care of both you and Sir Whitney. I even run my own trading company.”
At her bombshell statement, Cecil’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
And then—
“And unlike some people, I have no intention of making him my live-in husband. I’m more than willing to handle the household chores myself….”
‘…Has the world gone mad?’
Of course, at that moment, this was merely Cecil’s personal opinion on the bizarre events revolving around Whitney.
But just then—
“…I have a question.”
“…!”
A voice suddenly echoed from the front of the waiting room, where the selection briefing was about to begin.
The question instantly spread a wave of unease among everyone present.
“Can I withdraw from the competition now?”
The shock was immense—not just because of the question itself, but because it came from Hayden, a third-year student so silent that most people had never even heard his voice before.
“I’d like to withdraw as well.”
“Me too.”
And when Robin and Charlie, standing beside him, raised their hands as well, the entire waiting room fell into stunned silence.
“…Huh?”
Even Whitney, who had been too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice the strange atmosphere around him, looked on in complete bewilderment.
He had been too busy wondering which of the three would be chosen by the Saint to see this coming.
Cliche Novel 