The First Day of the Academy

Spring had arrived, and with it came my official notification of acceptance.

Naturally, Cynthia made the cut. Lilith passed as well—I wouldn’t call it a total shock, but it was a relief to see her make it through safely.

The one little surprise came from Zebis: Allen, the protagonist I’d absolutely annihilated in our duel, had also been accepted.

Is it the coercive force of the world's plot? Or did someone scout his hidden potential? I couldn't say for sure.

I still hadn't decided what to do with him. Should I try to befriend the guy, or... should I just finish the job and crush him into the dirt?

Maybe I really am a power-tripping menace. Some philosopher once argued that human nature is fundamentally evil; honestly, I was starting to feel the truth of that now.

Well, whatever happens, happens.

I could have commuted to Nobless Academy from the family mansion, but after weighing my options, I decided to move into the dorms.

My father was devastated by the news, but the second I pointed out, "Aren't you always away on diplomatic trips anyway?" he burst into actual tears.

I probably could have made him even more miserable if I’d asked him which was more important: his job or his son.

On the first day of school, I donned the uniform: a pure white surcoat with the emblem of Nobless Academy embroidered on the shoulders in gold thread.

The pants were black, and the shoes appeared to be leather, though they were surprisingly elastic and comfortable.

Naturally, the girls wore skirts, which did wonders for emphasizing Cynthia and Lilith’s incredible figures.

Also, man, those thighs are pale.

However—

"Don't you think three people in one carriage is a bit of a squeeze?" I asked.

"The cramped space is the best part!" Lilith chirped.

"Oh, Weiss, doesn't this make it so much easier to talk?" Cynthia added.

Since my father was using our usual carriage, only the small one had been available. I could have borrowed a larger one if we’d just waited, but the two of them had insisted this was fine and completely overruled me.

It turned out they had both decided to live in the dorms too.

Lilith was a maid, so she traveled light, but Cynthia had to bulldoze through her parents’ fierce opposition to get her way.

The deciding factor, apparently, was the fact that I had chosen to live there.

Finally, I was at the starting line.

This was where the real story began. I had to keep my guard up.

"Lilith, that ring... where did you get it?" Cynthia asked, eyeing her finger.

"Zebis-san gave it to me! He said it's a specialty of the Kingdom of Limiya!"

Watching the two of them chatter away actually made me feel a bit peaceful.

When we arrived and stepped out of the carriage, those massive iron gates were waiting for us once again.

It felt strangely nostalgic.

As we passed through, the vast grounds of Nobless Academy stretched out before us. I saw upperclassmen milling about, but to me, they were all just future enemies.

I decided then and there on a new goal: I was going to be the top student in this Academy.

I wouldn’t use dirty tricks, either.

I’d take them on in fair fights and crush everything in my path head-on.

When I entered the classroom, the other freshmen were already in their seats.

I could feel their gazes piercing into me. Was it because I was the "villainous" Weiss Fancent, or was it because I had a beautiful girl on each arm?

Checking other people's statuses is a complex, annoying process, so I did what Teacher Milk does and let mana surge into my eyes.

A long-haired guy yawning like he’d rather be anywhere else, a burly guy with a buzz cut, a short girl, and a refreshing, handsome blond guy—every one of them possessed a decent amount of mana.

I guess that was to be expected for an elite school with such a high barrier to entry.

To my surprise, I didn't recognize more than half of the faces here. I wasn't sure why the roster had changed, but I was willing to bet it had something to do with my interference in the plot.

Still, my mission remained the same.

Though, I had no idea how many of them would actually manage to remain until the end.

"You're... Weiss, right! I knew you'd pass!"

I turned around to find Allen standing behind me. He greeted me with a bright, refreshing smile, while Shari hovered beside him looking like a nervous wreck.

She was probably terrified after watching my mock battle. Apparently, to a normal observer, I had gone a little too far.

"Yeah. You made it too, I see."

"I did! Even after you thrashed me like that... but I'm glad. I really wanted to see you again, Weiss. To be honest, I think I really just want to fight you again."

He had a bashful look on his face as he scratched his cheek with his right hand. He looked like a total "good guy" without a violent bone in his body, yet he said stuff like that so casually.

I don't know why, but he really irritated me.

"Weiss-sama, the breeze feels lovely. Why don't we sit by the window?" Lilith suggested.

"Yeah, sure."

"The weather is simply wonderful, isn't it?"

I cut the conversation short and took a seat, practically ushered into it by Lilith and Cynthia.

Tension, anxiety, expectation... a whirlwind of emotions made my heart thud in a way that actually felt pretty good.

"Weiss Fancent-kun, Lilith Scarlet-san, and Cynthia Violetta-san."

Right as Cynthia was busy poking my cheek and cooing about how "squishy and cute" it was, a man appeared in front of us.

Refreshing blond hair, a refreshing voice, a refreshing face... Uh, what was his name again?

Oh, right. Louis.

"I am Louis of the Miscent Family. I was watching your exam from the sidelines... it was incredible. Especially you, Weiss-kun. Word is you achieved the highest scores in the history of the school."

That’s the one.

If I remembered the original game correctly, he was the bright, "refreshing" handsome guy character. The Miscent Family specialized in ancestral earth magic.

It wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with him, but I never particularly liked him in the original work.

I was just about to give him a standard "nice to meet you" response when Cynthia spoke up.

"Weiss-sama is currently occupied, so why don't you go find a seat and stare at the ceiling in silence?"

I... I wasn't sure what to say to that. Was my cheek being poked really considered "occupied"?

Actually, looking closer, Lilith was giving him a terrifying stare too. She was probably staying quiet because she didn't have a noble title, but she wasn't doing a thing to hide her bloodlust.

"Uh, sorry, Louis-kun. Maybe another time."

"H-ha... haha... Sorry for d-disturbing you!"

Poor Louis scurried away on the verge of tears. Sorry, man. It's the first day, so give 'em a break.

A moment later, while Cynthia was busy marveling at how soft my earlobes were, the bell rang.

The door swung open.

To my shock, it wasn't the teacher I was expecting.

But for better or worse, if it was her, Allen might be gone by the end of the day.

A tall woman with glasses entered, her silk-like purple hair swaying as she walked. She wore a suit-like outfit that hugged her figure—something that definitely didn't exist in this era. It had to be custom-made.

"First of all, congratulations on your enrollment. My name is Chloe, and I will be in charge of this class. I look forward to working with you."

Her speech was monotone and rapid-fire, the kind that made it clear she wasn't interested in taking questions.

In the original game, she was in charge of a different class, but this might actually work in my favor.

Without another word, she began writing a number on the blackboard.

1,000

As the students began to murmur, Chloe faced us and snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, the backs of our hands began to glow.

A number materialized on my skin, matching the one on the board.

—Well, except for mine.

"1,000. These are the points you have all been issued. However, Weiss Fancent, in light of your entrance exam results, yours is 2,000. This is a reflection of the Academy’s expectations of you."

I was standing out from the very start, but that was fine. A little intimidation goes a long way.

School settings are usually boring. That was the consensus in my old world.

The space is enclosed, the options are limited, and the world-building feels small.

The reason Noblesse Oblige was so popular despite that was because of this specific system.

In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that the reason Weiss Fancent was branded a "villain" was entirely due to how he interacted with this point system.

"What is this? I don't get it."

"What are points? Is it like a grade?"

Naturally, the confused crowd started shouting.

None of them knew the details. The Academy's internal regulations were strictly confidential—leaking them was a serious offense.

Even Cynthia and Lilith had no idea what was happening. However, because they had been training with me, they didn't look nearly as rattled as the others.

"This is a mere yardstick," Chloe said. "But it is one that will haunt you until the day you graduate."

"Teacher, just give us the bottom line."

"Yeah, this makes no sense."

"Explain it already!"

The thing Chloe hated most was being interrupted.

Most of these students were nobles. They weren't necessarily "villains" yet, but plenty of them were arrogant brats.

Chloe adjusted the bridge of her glasses—a clear sign she was annoyed. They were all digging their own graves, but honestly, it was entertaining to watch.

"Very well. I had planned to explain this to you politely, but if you're that eager, let's move straight to the practical test."

At that, the boys and girls in the room cheered.

"Now we're talking! Complicated stuff is a pain."

"Yeah, this is much easier."

"Calculating points sounds like a drag anyway~."

Laugh while you can, I thought. Once you realize what this actually means, you’ll be screaming.

"I told you 'congratulations on your enrollment' earlier, and I meant it," Chloe said, her voice dropping. "But I never said I would look after you until graduation."

The room went dead silent.

Chloe didn't miss a beat.

"The moment your points hit zero, you will be expelled. For today’s test... let’s see. How about we keep going until at least one person's points hit zero?"

The original Weiss was already a villainous noble, but the reason his descent into evil accelerated so quickly was that he resorted to every cowardly, despicable trick in the book just to protect his points.