"Oi! Stop it! Why are you treating her like that?" Wade's voice cut through the tension as he stepped in, standing between the two noble girls and the commoner.
The commoner girl, frozen in place, looked at Wade in surprise, her wide eyes reflecting a mix of fear and disbelief. The noble girls sneered at the interruption, their eyes narrowing with disdain. One of them crossed her arms, glaring at Wade.
"Why are you even bothered? She's just a poor commoner!" one of the noble girls scoffed.
"Wait a minute," another noble girl chimed in, her eyes flicking toward Wade's collar. "Look at his collar... Pss, he's just like her! A commoner!" she sneered, her tone dripping with disdain.
I almost forgot about this. Noble students wore a small crest pinned on their collars, a symbol of their family's status. Now, looking at my own group, I noticed that the three boys—including me—were commoners, without any crest. But the girl had it.
"Hm?" The girl noticed my gaze as I tried to discreetly look at her collar. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, there was a flicker of awareness in her expression as if she knew exactly what I was trying to figure out.
I quickly turned my head back toward where Wade was, pretending she hadn't noticed my gaze. Wade was still standing firmly in front of the mistreated girl.
"That doesn't change the fact that you have to treat anyone like that," Wade said, his voice steady but filled with conviction. "We're all students here. You think your status makes you better?"
The noble girls exchanged glances, clearly rattled by Wade's boldness. Their arrogance seemed to falter, but they still clung to their pride, unwilling to back down.
One of the girls scoffed. "Of course it does. Status means everything in this world! It's what separates us from... people like her," she gestured toward the commoner girl, her voice dripping with contempt.
Wade took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "What separates us is not our status, but our actions. How you treat others says more about you than where you come from. And right now, you're showing everyone exactly who you are."
"Y-You...!!" One of the girls stammered, her face flushed with shock and anger as she realized she had been scolded by a commoner. Her pride was clearly wounded, and she struggled to form a proper response, visibly trembling with resentment.
The other noble girl stepped forward, trying to regain their composure. "You have some nerve speaking to us like that," she spat, her voice laced with venom. "Don't think you can get away with it just because you stand here now. A commoner like you will always be beneath us."
"Enough!" Another noble girl, who had been sitting in her seat, stood up and spoke with a calm yet commanding voice, instantly silencing the two others. She carried herself with an air of authority, making it clear that she was the leader of their small group.
Charlotte Amelia—the first villainess of the school. She was one of the primary antagonists in the game, notorious for her manipulative nature and arrogance. However, in the near future, she would transition from enemy to ally after Wade, the protagonist, helped her realize the truth and understand her struggles.
"Who are you to dare speak to us?" Amelia's cold, disdainful eyes locked onto Wade. Her presence exuded superiority.
"Lady Amelia, let us handle this!" one of the noble girls said quickly, her voice filled with deference.
"Yes... yes, we'll handle this," the other girl echoed, their earlier confidence now shattered by Amelia's presence. The two noble girls, who had been so bold only moments before, were now timid and afraid, clearly shaken by the weight of Amelia's authority.
"I don't know who you are, but please, tell your friends not to treat her like that!" Wade's voice was steady, but there was a sharpness in his tone. He stood firm, refusing to be intimidated by Amelia or her entourage.
"You are bold for a commoner," Amelia said, her voice calm but dripping with contempt. She looked at him as though he were beneath her.
"Normally, people would apologize, bow, and leave. But look at you," she sneered. "Do you think you're some kind of hero or something?"
Her words were laced with mockery, and the tension in the room thickened as the crowd watched intently, waiting to see how Wade would respond.
"I know that I'm just a commoner," Wade began, his voice unwavering despite the weight of the room's attention. "But it frustrates me to see how you noble people abuse the power that wasn't even yours to begin with—it's from your family, not something you earned!"
It was fascinating to see Wade and Amelia engage in such an intense confrontation right before my eyes. I had only ever seen this scene play out on a screen, but now, in this world, it felt more real, more charged. Every word between them held weight, and the tension in the dining hall was visible.
"Why don't we have a duel?" Amelia proposed, her voice calm yet challenging. The entire dining hall fell silent in shock, whispers quickly spreading as students turned to watch the unfolding drama.
Wade blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting such a bold suggestion, but he didn't back down. He stood tall, his expression firm as he met Amelia's gaze.
"A duel?" he repeated, as if weighing the implications. "Why? What will that prove?"
Amelia smirked. "It will prove whether a commoner like you has any right to lecture us on power and respect."
"I see, but I don't want to fight a girl," Wade said, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor.
Amelia's eyes narrowed, a hint of irritation flashing across them.
"How noble of you" she replied with a mocking tone.
"But hiding behind chivalry won't save you from the consequences of your words."
Wade remained calm. "I'm not hiding. I just don't believe that fighting will resolve anything. We should treat each other with respect, not resort to duels over disagreements."
Amelia scoffed. "Respect? From a commoner who dares to lecture me on manners? If you won't accept my challenge, it only proves you're all talk."
There was a murmur among the students gathered in the dining hall, the tension thick in the air. Everyone's eyes were on them.
"In that case, why don't you have a duel with me?" A male student slowly spoke up from behind Amelia.
All eyes shifted toward the source of the voice. It was one of the noble boys in Amelia's group, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. He smirked as if he had just found the perfect solution to the standstill between Wade and Amelia.
Amelia turned slightly to glance at the boy. "You think so, Arthur?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Arthur shrugged, still smirking. "It's better to let someone else teach this commoner his place. Why waste your time on him when I can handle it?"
Wade's eyes flicked over to Arthur, now facing a potential opponent. He could tell that this boy, like Amelia, had the arrogance of someone who had always been on top.
Arthur stepped forward, looking at Wade with contempt. "I'll take care of this," he said confidently. "It's a shame you won't fight a girl, but don't worry—I won't hold back. We'll settle this once and for all."
"Sure, why not!" Wade accepted confidently, his voice steady and unwavering.
Arthur's smirk widened, clearly pleased with Wade's decision to take up the challenge. "Then, in four weeks, during the academy's midterm trials," Arthur continued, his tone laced with confidence, "we'll settle this. You, me, and the whole academy watching."
The students murmured in excitement, whispers spreading like wildfire throughout the dining hall. The midterm trials were one of the academy's most anticipated events, where students would showcase their abilities and test their strength. Now, it was not just about proving individual power, but also about settling the rivalry between commoners and nobles.
Amelia remained silent, but a faint smirk played on her lips. It was clear that she was looking forward to seeing how this would unfold.
Wade simply nodded, maintaining his calm demeanor. "Fine, I'll see you there," he said, turning back to comfort the commoner girl, who apologized to him for everything that led to this duel. He reassured her with a kind smile, "It's not your fault. Don't worry about it."
As Amelia's group left the dining hall, their footsteps echoed in the now quiet space. The tension in the air slowly dissolved, but the weight of what had just transpired lingered.
I watched as Wade sat down, his calm and composed expression never wavering. The other students continued to murmur among themselves, clearly excited about the upcoming duel. It wasn't just a battle between Wade and Arthur anymore—it was a clash between noble pride and the commoners' determination.
"It seems everything is unfolding just as it did in the game. I guess I'll just watch it play out... and focus on my own path." I muttered under my breath, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. Watching the events unfold in front of me felt surreal, knowing the paths each character would take.
-----------------------
After the lunch break, we were asked to return to our classrooms for one final session before the day ended. We were seated in the same groups we had been in during the campus tour. As we settled in, Mr. Akito stood in front of the class, his usual calm expression on his face.
"All right, everyone, listen up. The group you're seated with now will be your team for the rest of the year," he announced, gesturing to the groups. "You'll be working together in various tasks and challenges, so it's important that you start getting along and understanding one another."
The room buzzed with quiet murmurs as everyone exchanged glances. It seemed we'd be spending a lot more time with these people than I originally thought.
I glanced over at my group: the three other boys and the quiet girl who still hadn't said much. This could either be a great opportunity or a very long year, depending on how we all got along. Either way, it seemed we had no choice but to make it work.