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Chapter 11 - I\'m the Top Student? (1)

A location not far from the academy.

There is a city known for being so shrouded in thick fog that the sun is rarely visible even during the day.

The City That Never Cries, Lekiye.

It’s the largest slum in the Empire.

The eerie atmosphere and lack of light naturally turned it into a breeding ground for crime, forming a slum teeming with lawlessness.

Lekiye is like a haven for the depraved.

- All dirty money passes through Lekiye.

Though it’s said to be a slum where beggars gather,

In reality, it’s more akin to a hell where assassins, dark mages, and murderers run rampant.

Even the Empire’s patrol forces rarely venture in.

As such, it’s a place where countless villains thrive.

There are many criminal organizations in the city, but the most notorious among them is…

- The slum’s been turned upside down again, I hear.

- Was it that "Astro" bunch behind it this time, too?

- Yes, that’s right.

- The world’s going to hell.

Astro. Sometimes called the “Star Without Light.”

Now, they’re no longer just a force within Lekiye; they’re one of the most dangerous groups in the entire Empire.

They appeared like a comet about two years ago, rapidly swallowing up the slums and rising as the new overlords of the underworld.

Though their activity has been quiet lately…

- Speaking of Astro, you don’t hear anything about them these days.

- Did they get taken down by other organizations?

- Rumor has it they left the Empire.

- I heard they split up.

There are various speculations, but no one knows the truth.

They’ve always been shrouded in secrecy.

All people can do is pray that those nightmares never return.

Meanwhile, in a building located at the heart of the city.

In a basement covered on all sides by blackout curtains, a single girl sat at a desk.

Her long silver hair cascaded down, and her empty eyes reflected nothing but void.

The girl’s identity was the deputy leader of "Astro," the second-in-command of the criminal organization that had taken over the Empire’s slums.

The girl didn’t make the slightest movement.

She was like a living corpse, merely breathing and nothing more.

To her, nothing in the world held any meaning. Breathing was merely an act to prolong life.

She resembled a doll with its strings cut.

"I miss you… Leader."

The girl suddenly muttered something incomprehensible.

Tears welled up in her eyes without her noticing.

Her deeply sunken pupils were recalling a certain scene.

[It’s just a brief farewell. I hope everyone stays well.]

A short note hastily scrawled on a piece of paper.

The leader disappeared without a trace after leaving that letter for the members.

The girl fidgeted with the paper in her hand.

"Where in the world are you?"

It’s been nearly half a year.

Though he was always elusive, it was the first time he’d been out of contact for so long.

Could it be… that he abandoned us?

The horrifying thought surfaced momentarily, and the girl struggled to push it away.

Just the mere idea felt like her heart was being torn into pieces. Tears dropped one by one.

"No… There’s no way he would abandon us… I must not doubt him…"

She desperately tried to calm herself.

Yet, in her trembling silver eyes, there still lingered a longing.

As she sat there helplessly, buried in her icy solitude, a sudden commotion arose outside the door.

Laughter rang out brightly.

It soon came bursting through the door.

"Neria!!"

Bang—!

The door was violently kicked open.

A middle-aged man with red hair stood beyond it.

Perhaps he had been drinking; the moment he locked eyes with the girl, he flashed a foolish grin.

"Neria! You were here!!"

"...What’s going on?"

"It’s here! It’s finally here!"

"I don’t know what kind of trouble you’ve caused this time, but calm down first."

The girl shot him a cold glare.

She didn’t know what was going on, but she clearly didn’t appreciate him causing a ruckus like this.

The leader isn’t here. What’s there to be so happy about…?

"We’ve finally received a message from the Leader!!"

"...What?"

The silver-haired girl was momentarily dumbstruck.

She seemed to be verifying what she had just heard in her head.

Light slowly returned to her previously empty eyes.

"Is it true?! When, where, how did the message arrive?!"

"Whoa, calm down. Here, take a look at this letter."

"Hand it over, now!"

Neria snatched the letter quickly.

As if expecting her joy, the man beamed in satisfaction.

"The content’s simple. He’s asking us to protect a few kids. All ten of them are fox beastkin."

The girl swiftly scanned the letter.

The handwriting, style, structure, even the habit of dotting i’s—all matched the Leader’s.

Joy spread across her silver eyes.

"I’ve already handled it. I selected only the most elite members to bring the guests here."

"Sniff... Hah, sniff... Hah..."

"You’re not listening, are you?"

The girl buried her nose in the letter, inhaling deeply.

Even through the thin paper, she could faintly detect the Leader’s scent.

Her shoulders trembled in bliss.

After breathing it in for a while, the girl gave an order.

"Prepare yourselves… The Leader will need us soon."

Her silver hair fluttered brilliantly.

Clutching the letter close to her chest, the girl bowed her head as if in prayer.

"Everything according to his will."

It was a worship solely for her god.

***

A snake and a fox walking side by side.

Before long, we arrived at the academy’s main gate.

The building’s overwhelming grandeur struck me again. Even Irene couldn’t stop marveling for a while.

We’d be spending the next three years in this place.

It was a strange feeling, a mix of excitement and nervousness.

And so, we entered the academy.

On the path leading to the main building, where the entrance ceremony would be held, we ran into a familiar face.

I greeted her warmly.

"Miss Regia! It’s been a while."

"...Lord Snakes?"

Green eyes looking in my direction.

Her pink hair, fluttering in the spring breeze, resembled fully bloomed cherry blossoms.

The flight goggles hanging around her neck were practically her trademark.

‘Regia Filarts.’

The girl who plays the protagonist in the original story.

She’s also the character I adored the most.

Regia stiffened the moment our eyes met. Is she still nervous around nobles?

I let out a small smile.

"How have you been?"

"Ah... yes, yes."

"Oh, you seem so tense. I thought we got quite close last time."

"I-I’m sorry."

"Was it just my imagination?"

"N-No... it’s, um, like a chronic issue..."

Regia hurriedly stammered out an excuse, perhaps worried that I might be offended.

It’s fine; she could just say if she’s uncomfortable.

Even though she struggled to voice complaints, I found that, too, fitting for a protagonist.

I stepped closer to her.

"I’m glad we could keep our promise."

"Huh?"

"I said we’d meet again after entering the academy together."

"Oh... I just remembered now."

"I almost felt a bit hurt."

I added teasingly with a mischievous grin.

"Congratulations on entering the academy, Miss Regia."

A simple congratulatory remark.

It might seem like just a customary greeting, but it carried special meaning for me.

‘I really wanted to say it. Even if it’s just something like this.’

Regia has no family.

Having lived a wandering life without a home, it was perhaps inevitable.

As a result, no one would congratulate her for entering the academy.

I’ve seen this scene 1,943 times in the game.

Every time, the girl stood alone in the entrance ceremony lineup.

She always pretended to be cheerful, but through the screen, there was a clear sense of loneliness.

Whenever I saw that, I always wanted to say something.

"Let’s enjoy our time at the academy."

Just a single warm word.

Regia, seemingly caught off guard, stared blankly.

Her green eyes wavered briefly. The girl, frozen for a moment, soon broke into a radiant smile.

It was the purest expression of joy.

"Yes...!"

"Haha, then shall we get going?"

We started walking again.

Regia seemed much more relaxed now, her tension easing a bit.

As her energy returned, she grew curious about the fox.

"Wow...! I’ve never met a fox beastkin before!"

"Wh-What’s with you? Why are you staring?"

"I’ve traveled the continent and met many beastkin, but I never encountered a fox! C-Can I touch your tail?"

"Absolutely not!!"

"Aww..."

Irene hissed aggressively.

Regia, whose eyes had been sparkling, looked crestfallen at the cold response.

It was quite a sight to behold.

As I watched the popular characters from the original interact, we soon arrived at the main building.

The entrance ceremony was about to begin.

"Let’s head to the waiting area. It looks like they’re giving out some instructions there..."

The indoor hall was crowded with students.

As we looked around to find the queue, someone called my name.

"Student Judas."

"...?"

"Judas Snakes. Is that you?"

I turned my head to see a man looking at me. Judging by his attire, he appeared to be a faculty member.

I tilted my head but responded anyway.

"Yes, that’s me... What’s this about?"

"Your seat is over there. Please take the first chair on the platform."

"What?"

He stopped me from heading to the general seating area and pointed toward the platform.

Caught off guard by the sudden instruction, I found myself confused, but the faculty member firmly pushed me forward.

"The ceremony is about to begin. Please hurry."

"Wait a moment? Can you at least explain what’s going on...?"

"As informed beforehand, you will be delivering the freshman representative speech as this year’s top student."

"...What?"

I felt like I misheard.

Top student? Freshman representative? Speech?

What the hell is this nonsense?

I was thoroughly bewildered as I asked the faculty member with a hint of disbelief.

"...Did you say top student?"

"That’s correct. Did you not receive the notification?"

The faculty member hesitated for the first time.

"You entered as the top student this year. You’re scheduled to give a speech as the freshman representative."

"...?"

Top student? Me?

This completely unexpected news made my vision blur for a moment.