Chapter 29 - Main Protagonist
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A gentle tap on my body gradually pulled me from my slumber. As my eyes fluttered open, the figure of a woman with a cascade of pitch-black hair, now streaked with traces of white, pertaining the loss of pigments, swayed gracefully around me, capturing my attention.
"Good morning, Luna," I greeted, my voice tinged with sleepiness.
"Good morning, Master!"
However, Luna, instead of her usual plain black robe or the oftentimes dressing of her Platinum Armor, surprised me by wearing the distinctive uniform of the Imperial Academy. My eyebrow twitched in surprise at the unexpected change.
Luna sported a black coat over a crisp white school polo shirt. A necktie adorned her, featuring a black and white stripe design, and a badge with the academy's logo hung proudly on her left chest—a crown on a shield. Completing the ensemble was a knee-length skirt, mirroring the design of her necktie. The uniform complemented her beautifully.
"You look beautiful in that uniform, Luna," I complimented, appreciating the sight before me.
"Th-thank you," Luna stammered, a blush creeping up her face.
"Good morning, Sai!"
Out of nowhere, another girl emerged behind Luna, offering a cheerful greeting. The striking elf girl displayed golden blonde hair that danced with every enthusiastic movement, complimenting her slender figure. She, too, was adorned in the same Imperial Academy uniform as Luna. I couldn't help but whistle at the stunning combination of two beautiful girls greeting me as I started my morning. What a way to wake up. Sheesh!
"Suddenly waking up with two beautiful girls in front of me, just how blessed am I?" I playfully remarked. At times like this, what am I going to do but to compliment them? Got to play it somehow.
"Haha... you sure know how to compliment, don't you?" Lily replied, her cheeks and the tips of her elven ears turning a charming shade of pink.
"Haha," I chuckled. "Anyway, I'll go get ready. Wait for me to finish, and we'll head off," I announced before making my way to the bathroom for a refreshing morning shower.
I donned a crisp polo shirt, layering it with the academy coat. Descending the stairs, I joined Luna, Lily, and Rina-san for a delicious breakfast before setting off together towards the Imperial Academy.
* * *
"Yay! We're all in the same class, Master, Lily!"
"Right? I had thought we would have a different class, so I was kind of actually worried."
Lily and Luna radiated happiness when they discovered our names on the list for that particular classroom. Their joy was infectious, and I couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm for their first day at the Imperial Academy. While they were beaming with excitement, for me, it was an anticipated event, given that our unity in the classroom was a preordained outcome from the game's storyline.
Regardless, the joy was well-deserved. Yay!
"Very excited early morning, aren't we?" I remarked.
"This is my first time experiencing something like this. I feel so excited," Luna replied.
"Yeah, me too. I also feel so excited," Lily added after Luna.
As we exchanged words, a resounding voice echoed from a nearby speaker.
"ATTENTION, 10-MINUTES UNTIL THE CLASS STARTS. PLEASE GO TO YOUR RESPECTIVE CLASSROOM."
"Ah! Master, Lily, let's hurry. We might be late on our first day," Luna said, pointing towards the building with her index finger, her smile beaming.
"Y-yeah!" Lily replied.
Though I would have liked to follow them and savor the moment of walking alongside these two beautiful girls as we headed to our respective classroom, I have to attend to something worthy of importance.
"Sorry, girls, I have something important to do. Please go ahead without me," I said, excusing myself as I sprinted toward a certain building, leaving them calling after me.
"Master?!"
"Sai?!"
Ignoring their concerned calls, I found my way to a room in a building that was second to the farthest from the entrance of the academy. After a brief moment, I heard distressing cries and a male voice that signaled trouble for a female student. However, I wasn't worried, knowing that certain someone was coming to her aid.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Oh, there he goes.
"Huh?"
"Let that girl go, you bastard!"
"And if I don't want to?"
"If that's the case—"
Upon hearing that sentence, I made my presence known, delivering a swift kick to the man opposite of where the other guy had attacked him.
"Guho—?!" the man spun in a disoriented rotation from our double assault, losing consciousness.
"Hey, miss, it's okay now," I assured the girl, offering a hand to help her stand. "The class already started, so go to your respective room. Be careful, okay?"
The dryad student, expressing gratitude, bowed before leaving.
"Um... thanks for also saving the girl from the guy. And you are?" the guy timidly asked.
I see, so this is the 'Main Protagonist' I mused. Observing the man standing before me, the destined protagonist, he appeared remarkably...ordinary.
The sole distinctive feature was his beautiful snow-white hair, complemented by light-blue eyes that radiated justice and tranquility. I hate to judge, but wearing the academy uniform, he instead, resembled more of a MOB rather than a Protagonist...
Alright, first impressions mattered, no? so, I locked eyes with him. "Sai, Sai Crimsonheart," I declared confidently.
The Protagonist seemed taken aback by my atypical introduction. I gave him a look, implying it was his turn to introduce himself.
"Oh! M-my bad, I forgot to introduce myself." He placed his palms over his chest. "My name is Sora; I don't have any family name, as I am but a commoner."
Well, I already knew that. But for a supposed protagonist, his movements were surprisingly graceful—almost feminine? I see. Could this be one of his charms, the reason why many heroines fell in love with him?
"Well, nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand.
"Y-yeah! Nice to meet you too," he responded, reciprocating with a handshake.
"Ah!" Sora suddenly exclaimed, remembering something. "The class!"
"Ah..." My jaw dropped as I too realized our oversight.
"Shit, let's go!" I shouted, sprinting as fast as I could toward the building where my respective class awaited.
"Eh? W-wait!" Sora followed behind. "We might be in different classes, you know?"
"Don't worry. I think I saw your name in my class," I reassured him.
"Haha..." Sora laughed awkwardly as we rushed towards the classroom.
* * *
"This is the last student, right?"
The female instructor concluded the student count, preparing to commence her discussion. Just as she was about to begin, Sora and I finally managed to reach the class and entered. Walking to the front, we drew the attention of every student, including Lily and Luna, whose eyes were twitching in disbelief.
"Sorry, ma'am, that we're late," Sora apologized. "We got lost trying to find our class and ended up checking every building."
"I see, that's reasonable," the female instructor acknowledged, turning her gaze to me. "And you?"
"I apologize, ma'am. I also got lost (lie)," I replied, scratching my head. "I found him while I was trying to locate my class (also, a lie.). "
"I see... then, since you're both late, how about you two introduce yourselves?"
"I see, then—" Sora took the lead in introducing himself. "My name is Sora; I don't have any family name as I am but a commoner, but I hope we get along."
He repeated the same information as when he first introduced himself to me. Perhaps his social status was a sensitive topic for him? Anyhow, my turn was up next.
"My name is Sai Crimsonheart. Nice to meet you all," I said wryly.
Glancing at every student in the class, I assessed their reactions. Some students shot me nasty looks, but it was okay; others seemed pretty normal.
"Hmm, then both of you, please take the empty chairs at the back," the female instructor declared.
Sora took a seat at the back of the class, and I settled in the chair just in front of him. As I took my seat, I noticed a familiar face in the class beside Lily and Luna. It was the Fox Demi-Human I had saved behind the building yesterday.
"...Oh?" It seemed she had been looking at me for a while and started waving her hands with a beaming smile as soon as I noticed her. I gave her a nod, reciprocating her greetings.
Now that I've seen her properly, she looks pretty familiar...
I would've recognized her immediately if she's one of the characters in the game. Unless she's...
"Now then, the discussion will be starting. My name is Sherry Calmwater," she introduced herself with a warm smile. "And I will be your teacher for magic."
Ah, the class is already starting. I guess I'll put aside my thoughts in the meantime...