Chapter 30: Townsman A is Noticed by the Villainess

Time really flew. Summer vacation was already set to begin tomorrow.

Since there was nothing I could do during this period while the routes remained unverified, I had spent my time focused on information gathering. Meanwhile, it seemed Amy had been making steady progress through her events. She was constantly surrounded not only by the Crown Prince but by all the other capture targets as well—she was living the life of a total princess.

Of course, the capture targets other than the Crown Prince were also high-ranking nobles. With the exception of the international student, Prince Claude Justine de Westadale, every one of them already had a fiancée. Since those girls weren't currently at the academy, the conflict hadn't broken out into the open yet, but I was sure the ripples were spreading beneath the surface. Personally, I thought it would be much more peaceful if Amy just hooked up with Prince Claude, the only one without a fiancée, but things were rarely that simple.

As for Amy herself, she looked like she had firmly entered the reverse harem route.

I didn't have definitive proof yet, mind you.

However, watching them, it was clear that while she was closest to the Crown Prince, the distance between her and the other targets was also shrinking fast. Being this intimate with Prince Claude at this stage only happened in either his specific route or the reverse harem route. Furthermore, if this were the Claude route, the flags for Leonard von Jukes, the son of the Knight Commander, should have been broken by now, and he would be keeping his distance from Amy.

If my hunch was right, the story would follow the same general flow as the Crown Prince route, which at least gave me the advantage of knowing what to expect.

Eventually, I made my way to the auditorium to attend the closing ceremony. A crowd had already gathered near the wall, where the results of the final exams were posted.

1st Place: Allen (500) 2nd Place: Anastasia Kleiner von Ramslett (497) 3rd Place: Amy von Braises (479) 4th Place: Marcus von Beinz (458) 5th Place: Claude Justine de Westadale (438) 6th Place: Margaret von Altmund (423) ... 12th Place: Oscar von Wimlett (413) 13th Place: Heidemarie Asmus (412) 14th Place: Karlheinz Bartille von Sentlaren (411) ... 28th Place: Vandalen von Seeben (386) 29th Place: Isabella von Luyinberg (385) ... 38th Place: Glen Whiteberg (375) 39th Place: Leonard von Jukes (321)

Oh, looks like I managed to pull off a perfect score.

To be honest, the level of the curriculum was such that a Japanese middle schooler was probably studying more advanced material, so a perfect score felt like a given. Even so, I had been diligent—preparation, review, test prep, and homework—I’d done it all by the book.

After all, I was a commoner. If my grades slipped, there was a real chance of expulsion. It was only pragmatic to keep my academic standing as high as possible.

Apparently, the class placements after summer vacation would be determined by a comprehensive evaluation of these test scores, magic and swordsmanship grades, the results of our independent research projects, and, of course, social status.

Sigh. Social status. Figures.

Speaking of which, the Knight Commander’s son’s grades were an absolute disaster. Was he going to be okay?

I recalled a depiction in the game about his poor academic performance. There was supposed to be an event where Amy kindly tutored him, boosting his affection for her. I wondered how that was playing out. Wait, don't tell me he’s only staying afloat at 39th place because Amy tutored him... No, surely it couldn't be that bad?

Anyway, I was getting sidetracked.

In my case, while I lacked status, I had a perfect score on the written exam. For the magic test, I had carefully adjusted my output to appear slightly weaker than the son of the Head Court Magician. As for swordsmanship, I was no match for opponents with Divine Protections or Skills, but I’d likely earned a passing grade. I felt like I was probably a bit above the middle of the pack.

I figured the teachers probably saw me as a reasonably talented Wind Magic user for a commoner.

With these results, I didn't have to worry about being kicked out of school.

I turned on my heel and entered the auditorium. After a wait, the tedious closing ceremony began. Once the big shots finished their long-winded speeches, we returned to our classroom for homeroom.

The teacher began returning our answer sheets one by one.

"Allen, you were the only student with a perfect score. I had heard reports that you were a once-in-a-generation genius since our country’s school system began, and you have certainly demonstrated that talent. Everyone, please, a round of applause for Allen."

When my name was called, I walked to the front, feeling a bit awkward as the teacher sang my praises. While I was happy with the result, I didn't particularly want to stand out this much.

Besides, I figured the nobles wouldn't bother clapping for a commoner anyway.

To my surprise, someone did.

It was Anastasia—the very person I had snatched first place from. As if following her lead, her circle of followers and several other sons and daughters of noble houses who were close to her began to applaud as well.

I bowed deeply to Anastasia and the others, then returned to my seat.

Once all the papers were returned, the teacher explained the requirements for our summer independent research. Apparently, we could choose any topic we liked, and there were no set evaluation criteria.

Ah, I see. So that’s how it works.

This was an academy built on a rigid class system. This "research" was a wildcard used to pad the evaluations for class placement. They couldn't exactly have high-ranking nobles stuck in the lower-tier classes, after all.

Sigh. Honestly.

Well, it didn't really matter to me. I could just summarize some elf lore into a report or claim I’d discovered a Goblin Labyrinth. As long as I turned in something that looked like an achievement, I’d be fine.

There was an upcoming ruin exploration event involving Amy and the capture targets, but there wasn't really a way for me to intervene. My primary goal was simply to prevent Anastasia from losing her temper and triggering the "villainess" events from the game. If I could do that, then Anastasia—who had actually been trying to stop the bullying against Amy—would remain completely innocent.

I didn't know how effective that would be in a country where status and power were everything, but I intended to do what I could.

When homeroom finally ended, I stood up to head back to the dorms. That was when Anastasia actually called out to me.

"You there. Allen, was it?"

I panicked, immediately dropping into a formal bow of subservience. I tucked my left hand behind my back, pressed my right hand to my heart, and knelt.

Her tone was hardly what one would expect from a Duke's daughter, but this was exactly how she had spoken to those of lower status in the game. I felt a brief flash of nostalgia, remembering how I’d been misled by that haughty, "villainess" persona when I first played it.

I kept my face carefully blank, maintaining the humble attitude of a subordinate.

"Yes. I am honored that you have remembered my name, Lady Anastasia."

"Ease up. This is the academy. There is no need for such stiff formality here. Stand."

"As you wish."

I stood up at her command.

"I hear you hold an adventurer’s license," she said.

"I do."

"Then have you ever set foot inside a labyrinth?"

"Only the Goblin Labyrinth, my lady."

"I see. Very well. I shall send a messenger for you later. Forgive me for stopping you."

"Not at all, my lady."

With that, Anastasia turned on her heel and walked away, her entourage of ladies following in her wake.

She’s sending a messenger?

Does this mean I’ve... actually been marked?