Erika took a deep breath and entered the academy. Bauer was with her.
She wore the official uniform of the school which was prepared by her father beforehand.
It was a dark blazer with sharp lapels and a high collar. The blazer cinches at the waist with a corset-like design, accentuated by delicate golden buttons running down the front.
Beneath the blazer was a light pink blouse with a high neck, decorated with a delicate ruffled cravat tied with a brooch encrusted with a ruby centerpiece.
A matching dark brown skirt falls to mid-calf, with gold accents at the hem. The fabric was shimmering slightly, hinting at its luxurious material.
As Erika entered through the gates of the academy, she saw many boys and girls about the same as her walking to their respective destinations or talking to their friends.
Many newly enrolled students were also among they group. They were all headed to the main hall building for the entrance ceremony just like her.
Most of them were familiar with each other through various occasions and parties but Erika was never invited into any such ceremony or party.
No one noticed her. Everyone went to the main hall in the center of the vast campus where the welcoming ceremony was to be held.
The hall was vast and was decorated with various artistic works of various colors. Seats were arranged in rows and columns for students to sit. There was large stage prepared with a dias at the center.
All the students soon sat down on the empty chairs they could find with their friends.
Erika sat on a chair at back. Mentally preparing herself for another school life in seclusion.
"Sigh, it seems even after transmigrating and becoming the daughter of a great noble, I will still remain a shut in." She thought.
"Well, it's even better if I can end my three years peacefully and return back home without getting involved in the romance of the capture targets and the heroine."
The almost loud speaking of the students filled the room.
Erika tried to look if the heroine was among the crowd. But in the sea of black blazers, she couldn't see her anywhere. This eased her up.
"Umm.... is the seat n-next to you empty m-miss?"
While Erika was deep in her thought these words from a familiar voice interrupted her.
She looked at the source of the voice and could see that the person she was looking for was standing just beside her.
She was surprised at this development and didn't know how to react.
The girl was slightly trembling. She knew she had asked a noble who she shouldn't have spoken to.
"I-if it's inconvenient then I will look for a-another seat. Sorry for bothering you." The girl said noticing that Erika was surprised and not reacting.
"Oh, no it's alright. You can sit here. It doesn't bother me at all." Erika said forcing a smile in her face.
The girl hesitantly sat down on the chair.
"Thank you very much my lady."
This girl was Meruschka. The heroine of the game 'I belong in your heart'. The girl who Erika wanted to avoid.
"Calm down Erika. You cannot be hesitant now. The heroine you liked in your previous life is sitting right next to you. As a commander of a Wehrmacht I must remain calm and collected. Social statuses doesn't really bother me." She thought.
"W-what should I call you my lady?" Maruschka asked.
Erika didn't reply as she was down in her thoughts.
This made Maruschka hesitant. She didn't know if she should speak any further.
"It doesn't seem like this lady minds particularly." she thought.
She gathered her courage once more and asked Erika.
"My lady, may um... what may I call you?"
Erika's thought was disturbed and she frowned for a bit looking at Maruschka.
"Ah, I am sorry. Please excuse me my lady." Maruschka was trembling even more.
"Ah no need to apologise. I was just lost in my on thoughts. I am General der infanterie Erika Raubenbraum."
"Ah.... gene.... p-please excuse me my lady I couldn't quite catch it."
"Shit. Why did I just say that. I have to be very careful about speaking about that." Erika thought.
She gave a shy smile as if to hide a blunder.
"Just call me Erika." She said.
The smile eased up the tension in Maruschka's mind. She felt that this noble girl may become her friend in an academy full of nobles who would be disgusted to talk to a commoner.
Growing up in the streets as an orphan, she knew how the nobles acted towards the commoners.
She clearly remember how one of her friends were run over by a horse of a noble who instead of helping the poor girl had his guards beat her up, which ended her life.
"Maybe this girl is still thinking that I am a noble. That is why she is talking to me like that." She couldn't help being scared.
Meanwhile Erika was a little afraid as well. Since this girl next to her is the heroine Maruschka.
There was hesitation and fear on both sides.
Finally, Erika decided to break the silence.
"Ahem, So Maruschka how are things at your end in the academy. You know being a commoner without any background and all."
Maruschka's eyes widened she didn't know how to respond or what to say. Her greatest fear was being bullied for her status of commoner. She wanted to keep it a secret from others, though that seems to be a distant dream now.
She was flustered and clearly trembling. She clenched her uniform not knowing how to react or what to do. Finally she let her words out.
"S-sorry, lady E-Erika I d-didn't mean to hide m-my identity." She was almost in tears.
Erika thought that she was over-reacting. And didn't like how she was trembling and her voice was breaking up.
"Come on. I didn't even say anything. Why are you already in tears?" She thought but didn't dare to say.
Her more immediate concern was being accused of bullying the weak by the capture targets.
"Don't fret over it. The Raubenbraums are always known for treating the commoners fairly. And I don't plan on breaking this tradition."
She tried to comfort Maruschka using these words and patting her back.
"Th-thank you Lady Erika for being kind to me." Maruschka said. Her face was full of tears and she was sobbing.
"Oh there is no need to cry over this. We are all fellow students."
Though Erika was a bit annoyed but still she gave her a handkerchief to wipe her face.
"Thank you lady Erika. Sob..." Maruschka wiped the tears off her face.
They talked for a time about their backgrounds. Especially Maruschka narrated her previous experience with the nobles in the streets of the capital.
"Um, lady Erika how did you know about my name and me being a commoner?" Maruschka asked. She seemed curious.
"Ah, actually it's a v-very common knowledge that a commoner enrolled for the first time this year. And I j-just took a wild guess that it might be you from the way you spoke earlier. Yes, it's totally like that."
Erika made up this whole story. She didn't thought that her words would be used to attack her like that. So she hesitated.
"It seems she is satisfied for now." She thought.
"A-anyways, I was always curious how a commoner got enrolled in this academy." She changed the subject.
"Actually a few days ago a teacher from the royal academy got badly injured on the street after falling off from his horse and run over by it. I used my magic to heal him. he later took a notice of my magical powers and recommended me to this academy."
"Wow, even after having bad experiences with nobles, you chose to save one?" Erika asked. She was clearly surprised.
"I also thought so at first. But suddenly I thought that maybe I could get money or food as reward for helping him."
Erika never knew any such backstory about any of the characters.
"Wow, there are so many things in this world that are different from the game. Like the existence of the dark forest, the history of the world and the background of the heroine. Instead of a game, it seems more like a self-sustained parallel world of itself." Erika thought.
The chatter of the students were cut short by the arrival of the Headmaster of the academy.
He want up the stage and stood at the dias. He gave the opening speech to the new comer students.
"Now your homeroom teacher will explain in details about the rules and regulations you must follow your classes and the schedules for this academy. I hope you will abide by them and lead a life of discipline to lead our great nation in the future."
With this he ended his speech and made way for their homeroom teacher.
"Good morning students, I will be the homeroom teacher for the first year students. My name is Kluge."
He explained the rules and regulations and the schedules of the academy. He also assigned the dorms in which every student will live.
Erika was assigned a dorm suitable for a duke's daughter. The special dorm in the second floor of the 1st student residential building while the most of the other capture targets were in the first floor and the prince was in the third.
There were a few female students at the second floor in other rooms as well.
This was worrying enough for her. But what was more worrisome was that Maruschka was also assigned as her roommate.
According to the game and the academy system, only the great nobles are assigned the first building. The rest are distributed to the other four buildings according to their ranks. She could feel some conspiracy in this assignment.
Her premonitions were proven right in the worst possible way in the future.