First day of school. I never got the chance to go to high school for several reasons, and now at age 24 in the body of a teenager, I'll have to find a way to get along with people still undergoing puberty, while simultaneously coming out on top in everything. Should be easy enough.
Information is the first part of every good endeavor. School should be the perfect way to learn more about this Elrev the quickest. Plus, to make this an easier task for me, with the eight years I have in this world, I'll have to make a name for myself as Alice, as well as Aeolus. Well, seeing as I have an SSSS-rank floating dungeon in the sky, and enough power to destroy a whole city with a sneeze, creating a reputation as Aeolus shouldn't be too hard. The real task is increasing my fame as Alice, the orphan commoner that entered Desdan class as a tier 4 mage. Now that I think about it, it shouldn't be as difficult- that is if people get past the 'orphan commoner' part. With all the vile nobility around, it'll be hard to gain as much recognition, enough to affect matters of state, as I'd like, but I guess I'll just have to be that much cooler. If I wrack up a great amount of achievements, I doubt they'd dare question my abilities. Now I just have to find scenarios to gain these 'achievements'.
The highest rank to gain without a noble status is the 'Royal Knight Guard'. Technically, you don't need to be from a noble family to have this rank, but I doubt there's been a case of a commoner holding this title before. A royal guard knight is a knight chosen by a member of the royal family to be their personal guard. Though, one doesn't really have to be an official knight from the order to claim this title, they just have to know the 'practice of a knight'. If I had this rank, controlling this country from the shadows would be a cakewalk. I could basically hand it to myself on a silver platter. The rank would allow me to be close enough to the king of the country, and would grant me a status of authority of certain matters of the country. Which means, I have to get the third prince, Larien, to make me his royal knight. From what I could gather from bits of information I heard in the game, for the Halrio kingdom, the members of the royal house could have their pick of any guard they wanted after they turned 18.
Larien is 17, so I more or less have a little less than a year to get him to choose me. But for that to work without any issues from the nobility and other members of the royal family, I'll have to make one hell of a name for myself. Which means, no matter how much trouble it might get me into, I have to kick Larien's ass at everything! To be the best at anything and everything, including being better than a prince of the kingdom. I'll have to show them that I wasn't the number one at every single game I played for nothing. And I can make a game out of everything, even conquering a world.
I struggle to fix my tie as I make my way past the school entrance. It's the first time I've worn a uniform in a long while, and since I wore a gakuran in middle school, I've never had to wear a tie before. As I walk, I can feel a bunch of stares follow me, accompanied by low murmured whispers.
"Good morning," A voice greets from behind me
I turn around to see Darius walking behind me. "Good morning," I respond.
"Are you having trouble with your tie?" Darius asks, gazing at my awkward fingers trying to knot the black tie around my neck.
"Ah, yeah."
"Here, give it to me," Darius says, extending his hand out to receive my tie.
I accept and remove the tie from my neck, then hand it over to him. He places it around his neck and knots it perfectly before handing it back to me. As expected from someone of high class.
"I guess you've never had to knot one before," He mumbles, watching as I put it around my neck, and slide it up.
He must've heard the rumor about me being a wandering orphan. I guess I'm quite the sight to behold. There are a lot of students here who aren't noble, but most of them are from well to do, middle-class families, so a wanderer like me managing to get in despite my questionable background must make me quite something.
"Yeah," I answer, following Darius into the school and up the stairs to the third floor, where the Desdan classrooms are located.
When we walk into the class we were assigned to, most of the students turn to stare at us. If I'm not mistaken, Larien was assigned to this class as well. This is the desdan class A, the class for top students in the year, among all the desdan classes. We're also the only transfers in the class. It may be why Darius is also garnering this much attention.
As for me, I'm sure they're all aware I'm a commoner. It's probably why their eyes have traced me all the way to the seat I take at the back row. Darius takes the seat beside me.
"I wonder if they realize they're staring," I sigh, resting my chin on my palm.
"Mm. It's probably because you're wearing a red uniform but you don't have a 'sun' badge," Darius replies, pointing at the shiny badge on his chest.
The badge has the design of what looks like a sun on it. I look down at the area my badge is, but it holds the design of a crescent moon instead.
"Hm?"
"The nobility in the school use the mark of the sun to distinguish themselves," Darius continues. "And the rest of the students have the school's crescent moon badge."
"I see," I mutter, staring at my badge.
So that's why I was being stared at everywhere I went. The red and black uniform represents students in the desdan class, while the blue and grey uniform represents the students in the bland class, but because I'm probably the only student in this school who's wearing a red and black uniform but with a crescent moon badge, I was being gawked at like crazy.
"I guess it's a sign of how amazing you are," Darius says, almost with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Uh, thanks?" I respond, not really sure how to handle compliments.
It's weird. I was always showered with compliments in-game and online, but I've never received compliments in IRL before throughout my entire 24 years of living. I still don't know how to fully handle it I guess.
Suddenly, the class breaks out in gasps and whispers, everyone turning towards the class entrance.
After sighting the radiant blond hair, and golden eyes from beyond the heads of the crowd of students gathering at the front side of the classroom, I already know what the commotion is about.
"Prince Larien!"
"It's Prince Larien!"
"This is crazy!"
"I heard he took the exam for our school but I thought it was just a rumor,"
"No, I heard he helped out a lot with the incident yesterday,"
"Me too!"
Larien's eyes and mine come in contact with each other, and he smiles in my direction before walking up to where Darius and I are sitting and takes the seat at my right.
"Good morning," He says, settling into the seat beside me, ignoring all the chatter and whispers that are aimed in our direction.
"Morning," I say, greeting him back as casually as he greeted me, only causing more whispers to erupt.
"Good morning Prince Larien," Darius greets casually as well, but in a more polite tone.
It looks like he's finally more comfortable and relaxed around Larien now.
As the whispers and chatters in the class still go on, many nobles try to talk to Larien and invite him to sit next to them and their groups, however Larien refuses every one and remains beside Darius and I, and we don't say anything about it. It's not like I can tell Larien where he can and can't sit. Besides, all the more better for me if he insists on sitting beside me.
The familiar face of a professor walks in silently, quieting the chatter in the class, as he takes his place behind the teaching desk.
"Good morning class. I am your professor for the year, Lauren Grummel. Let's begin."
The classes ran pretty long but they weren't as boring as I thought they'd be. And I've learnt a lot about spellcasting in the Dremid continent, especially concerning spell circles. Since I was located in the Teskor continent in the game, the formation of spell and magic circles I use are a bit different from the ones used here, though the spells are essentially similar.
Darius and Larien left for the cafeteria a little while ago. I guess I'll go join them now that I'm a little hungry. But before I can stand up, a girl with long blond hair, and piercing blue eyes blocks my way as she stands hovering over me.
"What's your name?" She speaks in a cold tone, not bothering to hide the fact that she's clearly looking down on me with the glare on her face.
I stare at her for a second before replying. "Isn't it common courtesy to introduce yourself first before you ask for mine?"
Her expression turns into a hard scowl at my response, as whispers and gasps echo around us.
"Excuse me? Do you even know who I am?" She retorts.
"Uh... No I don't. Was I supposed to?"
"Ugh!" She scoffs, her expression saying she finds me very rude. "I am Evie Freya Dalton. First daughter of the Dalton family."
"... Okay? I'm Alice Hishaku."
She glares at me with her eyebrows tightened into a strict frown, before she lets out a loud scoff.
"Tsk. I can't say I really expected much from a commoner. You'd think they'd at least have the sense to stand when a noble is talking to them"
"..." This girl, is another noble brat isn't she? "Are you going to keep blocking my way, or are you done now?"
Her eyes widen with anger at my words and she exclaims, "You impudent...!"
I don't let her finish her statement as I stand to leave. "Sorry, but I don't really like having unnecessary conversations with brats so, if that's all, I'll be leaving first."
I can hear her fuming behind me as I walk out of the classroom. Sheesh! I wonder what it is she wanted. Or did she just want to pick a fight with me?
Again, there are a lot of stares on me as I make my way to the cafeteria. As I enter, I can see Darius and Larien seated on the terrace. I wonder if it's okay for me to go there since it looks like a place only noble students are allowed. As if to answer my question, Larien makes sight of me and waves me over to them.
"Lunch is almost over. You should eat something," Darius says as I make my way to them.
"Yeah. I'll have a sandwich," I reply, taking a seat opposite Larien, closer to the edge of the terrace, which is lined by pretty flowers.
Just as I reach out to grab a sandwich sitting on the spread platter on the table, I feel an immense wave of magic through magic detection.
Huh? What is this? No way right? From magic detection, the source of this much presence is supposed to be coming from right below me. Who is it? It can't be who I'm thinking, but I don't think I'd ever mistake this.
My eyes search vehemently on the ground below, and I spot someone I would've never guessed to appear here like this.
His eyes glance up at me and our eyes meet. At contact, his eyes widen and he lets out a breathe of held air.
I can't believe it. It's Damocles, my sword, and one of the guardians of Erandelle. What is he doing here?