My new school life started in the worst possible way.
I'm hated by all the girls in the school. On top of being considered a pervert, every woman here – from the cafeteria ladies to the maids – looks at me with expressions of disgust and contempt.
The guys ignore me too. Apparently, there's a rumor that the girls will hate any guy who talks to me.
Rei is the only one who talks to me, and even then, it's only out of obligation. He looks at me as if he's on the verge of crying blood. To avoid being expelled, he had to lower his head and beg. I imagine the shame he feels isn't because of his noble status, but because he believes no one should have to bow down to anyone.
That explains the pained look in his eyes every time he sees me.
Even Eli, Rei's fiancée, won't speak to me. Whenever we enter each other's field of vision, the light in her eyes dims, as if seeing me is like looking at a creature that shouldn't exist.
This is worse than being laughed at or publicly humiliated. I've essentially become the academy's public enemy number one.
What's worse is that my life back in Japan was better than this! I was ignored there, sure, but no one looked at me with such revulsion.
I've messed up so badly that I even tried to use a skill to turn back time, but all I got was a migraine. It turns out time can't be altered in any way.
Right now, I'm hiding in the library. It's lunchtime, and naturally, no one wants to see me and lose their appetite.
Since there are only a few students in the library, it's easy to hide my face here.
"I just want to die. Please, let me die," I whispered.
I'm seriously contemplating suicide, hoping I might get to reincarnate again. I mean, I've already died once—what's the harm in doing it a second time to fix my mistake?
"…Kurono, there you are," a familiar voice called out.
I raised my tear-streaked face, still smeared with snot, and saw Sig standing there.
Did he come looking for me? Could this be the moment where the prince and protagonist become friends, overcoming this humiliating ordeal together?
"Is something wrong?" I asked, wiping my nose.
Sig looked at me with an expression that clearly showed he couldn't believe I had been crying.
"Well, the next class is going to be held in the forest. Once a month, we go on an expedition in groups to hunt monsters or explore," he explained.
"Since my group needs four members, and we only have three… I was wondering if you…"
Sig's words lifted my gloomy spirits.
"I want to join! No, please let me join!" I blurted out.
"Y-Yeah, no problem," he replied, a bit startled.
"We'll meet at the main gate in an hour. Bring your adventurer gear; if you don't have any, the academy can rent you some."
"Thank you, Sig! You're a great prince!"
I grabbed his hands, my nose still running.
"You're overreacting… Anyway, see you later."
"Yes! I'll be looking forward to it!"
It seems like my school life might finally start to improve.
◇
(I spoke too fast)
"Is Your Highness serious?"
"Yes. I apologize for not consulting you first."
My group consists of four members, just like the others. The members are me, Sig, Alfred, and Sasha...
Apparently, Sasha didn't know I'd be here. Alfred did, though his reluctant glare makes it clear that he wasn't happy about it.
"In that case, I'd like to switch groups," Sasha said.
"I'm sorry, Sasha, but the groups have already been formed, and we're the last ones."
"Your Highness… are you telling me that's why you wanted to wait an extra hour instead of leaving during the break with the others?"
That would explain why no one wanted to see me in the cafeteria today more than usual—they were getting ready to leave.
I stared at the ground, trying to dodge Sasha's sharp gaze, which felt like claws digging into me.
"You said you were going to find a missing group member, so I thought it'd be some sick student who couldn't leave their room… But out of all people, him?"
"I'm sorry, Sasha. But Rei said his group couldn't take on another member, even if they wanted to."
"The worst part is that he begged me both as a duke and as my future brother-in-law… and under the pressure of seeing him kneel, I couldn't refuse."
(So you were going to say no, but Rei convinced you!)
I want to cry—Mom, I want to cry in your lap.
Reality is truly cruel to otakus.
I wish I could turn into a Metapod and never leave my shell, just so I wouldn't have to face their harsh stares.
"I see. If Rei asked for this favor, the least I can do is accept it as well," Sasha sighed.
"Thank you, Sasha."
Sig lowered his head in gratitude, while Sasha exhaled in frustration.
I tried to lift my head, but Alfred's resentful glare pinned me down. His eyes seemed to say, "You made the crown prince bow his head for you; you'd better thank him in your next life too."
It's painful to be hated by everyone.
◇◇◇
"I have a bad feeling."
"What's wrong, Rei?"
Rei's group was already deep in the forest. The mission for each group was to defeat the first monster they encountered and bring back evidence of it. Small, weak monsters like slimes or goblins didn't count—it had to be at least the size of a troll.
The members of his group were naturally Rei, Eli, Oscar, and Isaac. They had specifically asked to be in Rei's group.
In fact, Rei had thought about inviting Kurono, knowing no one else would. But since the others insisted on joining, and with Eli wanting to spend time with him without her escorts, he had no choice but to accept.
Eli's escorts, Emma and Nadine, formed a group with Zoey and a male student.
Isaac noticed Rei glancing anxiously back in the direction of the academy.
"Are you worried about your cousin?"
"Hah? Who'd be worried about that idiot?"
"It's just… I can't help but think he'll do something stupid and get expelled again, or embarrass me."
"So… you are worried about him."
"N-No, I'm not!" Rei protested, though he knew Isaac was right.
Rei's concern about Kurono wasn't really about Kurono himself—it was about the possibility of losing access to his trickster abilities. If Kurono disappeared, it would be like a player stuck with level 1 stats inside a level 50 dungeon.
Rei knew how devastating it would be—both physically and socially—if someone like Kurono lost his powers.
"J-Just forget it."
"Anyway, what were you two talking about?" Rei asked, changing the subject.
Oscar picked up the conversation again.
"We were talking about the news from our parents."
"The war between the Republic and the Empire has escalated," Isaac added, adjusting his glasses.
"My father heard from a contact that the Republic has weapons never seen before, giving them an edge over the Empire."
"Even so, the Empire keeps pressing forward and scoring victories, thanks to their Sword Saints."
"The concern among our parents and other ministers is that the conflict is spreading to the borders of neighboring countries. Even those that don't want to get involved are being dragged into it."
"Our kingdom is small, and we're south of both of these giants. If the war between these two powers reaches us, it'll be a disaster."
The atmosphere grew so tense it felt like it could be cut with a knife.
"Hmph! Stop talking about boring stuff!" Eli suddenly interjected, waving her hands in frustration and pouting.
"All you ever say is that this or that is dangerous."
"If both countries hate each other, that's why they fight, right?"
"Wouldn't it be better if our kingdom got involved secretly and destroyed both of them so they'd stop bothering us?"
"You're all making this sound way too complicated."
"…"
The three boys were left speechless by the princess's words.
(That's… actually not a bad idea.)
(Taking advantage of their focus on each other to launch a secret attack…)
(Of all of us, Eli, you're the one who's most like a cunning fox.)
It was a bold and unexpected suggestion, but Eli had simply listened to the situation and drawn the quickest conclusion to avoid an even bigger conflict.
She puffed out her chest with pride, as if to emphasize how sound her idea was.
"In this kingdom, we have Grandpa Sieghart and my prince. There's no one stronger with the sword than Grandpa, and no one with better magic than my prince."
"There's nothing to fear."
Though she didn't present an official plan, she wasn't wrong either.
The two names she mentioned represented the pinnacle of strength in their country. If they were sent on a covert mission to destabilize either the Republic or the Empire from within, it would guarantee victory.
Rei couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha! You really are something, Eli."
"I wasn't lying. I was telling the truth."
Rei then recounted recent events to back up Eli's words.
"The defeat of Calvin and the Principality… Even the assassination of that idiot Klyde—both of them were serious threats to me and this country. And I got rid of them both."
(With a little help… and a lot of pain along the way.)
"That's why, if those fools really want to declare war on this country, they'll have to go through me first!"
"I agree. Smash the faces of anyone foolish enough to interrupt my precious tea time," Eli declared.
"Is that really what bothers you?"
Despite starting as a discussion about war, which evolved into an infiltration plan and ended with a declaration of a secret conflict, the boys couldn't help but laugh.
Their fear of being dragged into a war for someone else's cause eased.
Because…
(We have Rei on our side.)
Both Oscar and Isaac thought the same thing, feeling reassured by their trust in Rei.
Suddenly, the laughter stopped when the sound of branches snapping reached their ears.
A chimera was approaching, moving slowly toward them.
Rei stepped in front of Eli, while the others readied their weapons.
◇
This is horrible.
We've been walking through the forest for more than 30 minutes now.
But that's not the horrible part. What's horrible is that I asked Sasha if I could borrow her notes to catch up on class. She immediately gave me a look as if to say, "What are you planning to do with my notes?"—like she thought I was going to do something disgusting with them.
I also asked Alfred why he carries a magic staff instead of a sword, considering he's supposed to be better at fencing than magic. He gave me a dirty look, as if I'd insulted him.
We've been silent for 30 minutes, and before I opened my mouth, the three of them were happily chatting among themselves.
If Rei were here, we'd probably be arguing about silly things.
I never thought I'd miss that guy so much.
"Everyone, let's rest for a moment," Sig said. "According to the map, our assigned location is still far away. Let's regain our strength since we still have a long way to go."
Everyone nodded and sat down on some logs they'd placed.
But there was a problem.
"There are no branches nearby to make a fire and warm up our food," Sig muttered, wondering what we could use instead of wood.
We could use magic, but the forest is too dry—one uncontrolled spark could start a fire. A wood fire, however, can be managed.
That's when I had an idea.
"Sig... Your Highness, may I go look for some firewood?"
"You want to do it?"
"Yes! I want to help," I answered, like a scout eager to earn a badge.
"Alright. Please stay close and don't get lost."
"I'll be back in no time!"
I immediately set out to look for wood, something I could easily find using an attraction or location ability.
As I searched, another idea crossed my mind.
(Whenever someone leaves a group, the others always talk about them.)
It's a cliché, but it always happens.
So I intentionally dropped a coin of mine on the ground and used a sound-based ability for this.
"External Hearing."
The coin would act as my ears—thankfully, this world's logic allows it.
Let's see what they say about me…
"Guys, can I ask why you're ignoring Kurono?" That was clearly Sig's voice. Let's use another ability.
"Image Equalization."
This ability would convert the voices into a sonar-like image, showing me everything as if I were there.
It looked like everyone was sitting around.
Sig continued, "I understand you're upset with him for what he said, but he's still one of us, and we should treat him as such."
Sasha crossed her legs with an expression of total displeasure.
"Your Highness, I understand it's your duty to address any problems on campus," she said, "but the problem is that you're defending someone completely unpleasant."
"W-Well, what he said was definitely upsetting," Sig admitted. "I think any girl would feel the same."
"Sig, it's not just that," Alfred added, supporting Sasha.
"That guy has behaved strangely from the start."
"Strange?"
"Didn't you notice?" Alfred asked. "He acts like we've been friends forever, as if we've known each other our whole lives."
"He doesn't respect personal boundaries. He even calls you 'Sig' despite being new here. Not even Rei calls you that, and he's practically family. But Kurono treats you like an equal without respecting your role."
Sasha nodded. "Exactly. Just because he's Rei's relative, he assumes we'll be his friends too."
Sig scratched his head, struggling to argue with their points.
"Yeah, Rei and Kurono couldn't be more different," he admitted. "At first, Rei was weird—and he still is—but after everything we've been through, I've come to appreciate and trust him."
"There you go, Sig," Alfred said. "Rei earned our trust. We were strangers at first, but now we're real companions."
"Even someone as expressive as Oliver knows the difference between becoming friends over time and acting like a complete stranger."
"For heaven's sake, just because he's related to Rei and lives under the same roof doesn't mean we'll automatically be his friends."
"In fact, every time he talks to me, I get the creeps," Sasha added. "It's like he's imagining something weird about me."
"Sasha, you're the last person who should say that," Alfred quipped. "Didn't Rei tell me you once tied him up in a closet?"
"T-That was because our relationship was bad back then! But now I've accepted my feelings and decided to offer myself to him as his concubine. I'm just waiting for my father to complete the paperwork to make it official."
"Seriously?!"
"Why are you so surprised? Naturally, a man like Rei needs a capable woman by his side."
"Ah. I don't mean Princess Elicia isn't capable, but…"
"Haha, Eli is the opposite of capable. Honestly, if she and Rei were left alone, they'd probably empty the royal treasury."
"Hahaha! Sig, do you remember when Eli took Rei to the palace and asked to turn her room into a mini-mansion?"
"Oh, I remember. My mother nearly exploded when she saw all the weird things running through the hallways."
"Huh? When did that happen? Tell me more!"
"Disable."
I turned off the ability, ending the conversation.
I sat down next to a tree, reflecting on what I'd heard.
"So I guess it was to be expected."
"I couldn't become the protagonist, which is why nothing in the game ever happened to me."
"No…"
Once again, the harsh truth hit me: I was never the protagonist.
I'm nobody.
In school, I was ignored by everyone, with no real friends.
I could've joined the manga club or hung out with the other otaku in class.
But I never did. Because…
I was scared.
I never had trouble socializing with my family—we'd laugh and have fun. But when it came to people outside my home, the same question always haunted me:
"What should I say?"
When you meet someone new, what do you say to make them like you?
Depending on your personality, you can either attract others or join them.
But I was different.
I was afraid of interacting with others.
In kindergarten, I remember how we used to play Super Sentai, wearing masks. Everyone wanted to be the Red Ranger—the leader.
Everyone admired the Red Ranger. No one wanted to be the Green, Blue, or Yellow one. Everyone wanted to be the one everyone else looked up to.
As I grew up, I understood my role. I was the loner—the one wearing the black mask, the one nobody wanted in their group because they found him annoying.
At home, I was expressive, but at school, I stayed silent. I only spoke when a teacher asked me something or when it was time for cleaning duty.
I sat in the back of the class to avoid being noticed. It would be a bother if someone like me, who didn't know what to say, was suddenly in the spotlight.
Just the thought of being invited to karaoke or a movie terrified me.
The reason I saved that girl wasn't heroism—it was because, for a moment, I thought people might say, "Hey, that guy saved her. He's a hero."
I wanted people to notice me. I wanted something to talk about that wasn't anime or some sport I watched with my dad.
How do you know if the person you're talking to likes or dislikes the same things as you?
You should just ask, logically. But the fear of being ridiculed or ignored was stronger.
This situation is the same.
I was reincarnated into this world to be someone different from who I was before.
But in the end, nothing changed.
Rei became the Red Ranger, and I became the Black Ranger.
It's funny, considering our colors match exactly.
At least my connection to Rei means he can't be away from me—like I'm a parasite that would die without a host.
That makes my relationship with him worse than I thought.
Now that I think about it…
(Does that mean Rei is my first friend?)
(Does he see me as a friend?)
(I wish I knew what Rei thinks of me.)
I stayed seated, lost in my thoughts, trying to ignore the fact that I'd have to return to a group that didn't want me around.
◇◇◇
"Damn it!"
Rei's group was fighting a chimera—a creature with bat wings, the head and body of a lion with an extra goat head, and a snake for a tail.
The plan was for Oliver and Isaac to distract it while Rei delivered the finishing blow. Eli, specializing in support magic, was providing extra energy to the team. Everyone was counting on Rei to defeat the creature with ease.
That's when things started to go wrong.
"Why won't you just die?!"
Rei was attacking the monster with all his might, hurling powerful explosions that should have inflicted fatal wounds. But the beast barely had a scratch.
"What are you doing, Rei?!"
"Hurry up! We can't hold out much longer!"
Oliver was fending off the beast's fierce claws while Isaac managed the tail. The chimera could spit either fire or acid, depending on which mouth it used.
Rei was sweating profusely, and Eli cast a stress-relief spell to keep him focused, but it wasn't helping.
(I'm using everything from explosive magic to turning rocks into stakes, but nothing is killing it.)
(This thing is such a pain, and the worst part is, I know exactly why I can't defeat it.)
(I need Kuro nearby to use at least half of my power.)
Rei's thoughts were spot on. The reason he couldn't defeat a monster that he would have obliterated before was because Kurono wasn't there.
Together, they were invincible; apart, they were weak.
Since Kurono possessed all the power, Rei could barely tap into 25% of it on his own. As much as Rei hated to admit it, he needed Kurono in his life.
(Even though I know what the problem is, I can't just ask that guy to go back to being a magic stone. He wouldn't agree—and there's no way he'd give up the chance to have a body.)
But something else was nagging at him: the image of Kurono's happy face as he walked alongside everyone.
It frustrated Rei to think about ruining that happiness, though he would never say it aloud—it was too embarrassing.
Then he froze.
(Did I just think of Kuro as a person?)
(This is the first time since we met that I've considered him an actual person. I always saw him as a talking rock, even if he claims to be a god trapped in one.)
"Rei, watch out!"
Rei reacted too late.
The chimera struck the group and lunged at him.
Eli screamed for him to dodge.
At this rate, Rei was going to die.
But that only made him angrier.
(I just thought that I need that guy in my life! A guy?!)
The chimera sank its claws and mouths into Rei.
"Don't mess with me, Kuro!"
"I'm not some damn homo to stress out or worry about another man!"
Rei grabbed the chimera and unleashed all his power.
"You've got to be kidding me, too!"
He used a skill called "Ice Age," freezing the chimera completely.
With sheer force, he broke free from the chimera's claws, then shoved his arm into its lion's mouth.
"Get lost, idiot!"
Rei destroyed the chimera by making it explode from the inside out.
He was injured, and the others rushed to help him, but Rei was fuming—Kurono wouldn't leave his thoughts.
The group had successfully completed the trial.
◇
"I guess I should head back. It's been a while since I left."
"Even if they're only with me because of Rei, anyone would be worried if a team member doesn't show up."
The sun was setting, with about an hour left until nightfall.
I'd probably get a lecture for being late, so I hurried to gather firewood and return to them as soon as possible.
I ran toward the meeting spot as fast as I could.
(When I think about it… None of them came looking for me. That shows how little I matter to them.)
(It's fine. I'll apologize and keep living in Rei's shadow.)
(It's always been like that with him—at least I'll be part of the group, even if I'm in the background.)
Suddenly, I noticed something strange.
Why is it so cold?
Sure, the temperature drops at night, but this was ridiculous.
I could see my breath, and a blizzard seemed to be approaching.
Huh? A blizzard, out of nowhere?
I rushed toward the meeting spot, and that's when everything made sense.
The place was in ruins.
Chunks of ice were scattered everywhere.
Sig and the others lay defeated to the side, and hovering above them was a massive griffin, at least four meters long.
"That's the monster we were supposed to find. Looks like we wandered into its territory—or maybe it just found its next victims."
Sig struggled to get up and shouted at me with all his strength.
"R-Run! G-Go get help!"
That would be the sensible thing to do—run and get help. But I couldn't.
Because I have overpowered abilities.
Besides, they're Rei's friends. If anything happened to them, both Rei and Eli would be devastated.
I had to help them, even if they didn't care about me.
I quickly cast a barrier over where they were lying.
Then I used "Flight" and launched myself straight at the griffin.
The monster was stunned to see someone keeping up with it.
It flew away to gain distance, conjuring large ice shards around its body and in its beak.
Then it hurled them at me like missiles.
I conjured a shield to block the attacks.
Next, I fired a fireball, followed by a rock projectile and a lightning spear.
The attacks collided with the ice shards, but the griffin deftly dodged them.
The cold was intensifying.
The undestroyed ice shards were slowly turning the forest into a frozen wasteland.
I glanced at the others—they were dying from the cold, on top of being injured.
(I have to end this quickly and help them.)
I dove toward the griffin, aiming for a final blow.
It dodged and prepared another long-range attack—that's exactly what I wanted.
I couldn't afford to miss this.
"Close in!"
I reached out, and suddenly, the griffin was right in front of me.
Even it didn't realize what had happened.
Before it could react, I covered its beak. It was about to generate a massive ice shard inside its mouth, and I sealed it with magic before pulling away.
The griffin looked at me, almost as if it was begging for mercy. I felt a little sorry for it.
But that didn't matter. Its head exploded.
The cold began to vanish along with the remaining ice shards.
I landed, removed the barrier, and went over to heal the others, starting with Sig.
He looked at me, having witnessed the fight.
"You… What did you just do?"
"I used magic."
"Magic? Does that mean… you have the same magic ability as Rei?"
Should I tell him the truth?
No, he wouldn't believe me.
"Let's just say Rei shares his magic with me—we have a mutual agreement. Basically, we're allies. I help him when he's in trouble, and he helps me."
"I can only use it for a few minutes a day, though. The full power belongs to Rei."
"…"
After healing Sig and the others, something strange happened.
"Hey, Kurono, give me a hand with this."
"Hey, Kurono, is it true you can fly?"
"You're incredible! I can't believe you fought a griffin alone and won."
It seemed the rumor had spread that I defeated the griffin—and that I could use Rei's powers.
Somehow, that changed how people saw me.
Maybe it was because I protected the prince in close combat, or maybe it was something else.
The girls kept their distance but started talking to me.
The guys finally spoke to me without fear of being judged by the girls.
It made me feel a little better.
It looks like I really have a new chance to do things right—and I'll respect everyone's space.
Maybe I can finally make some friends.
_______________
Fanservice goes to Sasha again for her comments.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/7654722