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Chapter 13 - I\'m the Top Student? (3)

Even after the freshman representative speech ended, the entrance ceremony continued for a bit longer.

There wasn’t anything particularly special.

Simple announcements, introductions of the faculty, a tour of the facilities—just the typical things schools cover on the first day.

The only noteworthy part was the information about dormitory assignments.

The news that we could move in starting today was quite useful.

It meant there was no longer any need to stay at an inn; we could settle into the academy right away.

It really felt like the original story was truly beginning.

It was a moment that made everything feel real.

[This concludes Gallimard Academy’s entrance ceremony.]

[I wish you all the best of luck.]

With the Dean’s final encouragement, the ceremony came to an end.

Students began to slowly file out of the auditorium.

I also joined the flow of people moving out.

As I was walking, a sudden voice made me turn my head.

"Lord Snakes!"

"Over here!"

A pilot with pink hair and a fox with red hair.

They were Regia and Irene, respectively.

The two seemed to have been waiting for me, pacing around near the auditorium.

I waved with a big smile.

"You both waited for me? I’m so touched…!"

The unexpected title of top student.

I was a bit annoyed by the situation, but seeing these two washed that away.

I mean, my favorite characters from the game are welcoming me.

Isn’t this what it means to be a successful fan?

"What are you talking about? You’re the one who told us to wait."

"I had no idea you would care for me so deeply! Are we perhaps all friends after all?"

"No, you just said earlier that—"

"Of course, Miss Irene! I’m truly grateful!"

"…Forget it."

There was a somewhat impure attempt to ruin the mood, but I decided to ignore it.

"Shall we head back now?"

Since the dorms had opened, I thought it would be a good time to check out the room I’d been assigned. It was better to know in advance if there were any issues.

The academy itself was so large that it was practically the size of a small city, so it would be wise to familiarize ourselves with the route to the dorms.

The distance was such that it would be inconvenient without taking a carriage.

The three of us headed toward the nearby carriage stop.

Since it was their first time meeting today, Regia and Irene still seemed a bit awkward with each other.

I tried to ease the tension with some small talk.

"So… What did you think of my speech?"

I casually tossed out the question.

I thought it was a decent speech, like something out of a coming-of-age drama, but I was curious about their thoughts.

"Huh, huh? Yes?"

"Why are you so flustered? I’m just asking without any hidden meaning, so feel free to answer honestly."

"Ah, yes, yes. Um, your, your speech, Lord Snakes…"

Regia’s reaction was strange.

The moment I asked, she started stuttering like a broken machine, stumbling over her words.

What’s wrong? Is there an issue?

"Miss Regia? What’s the matter?"

"Uh, um… It, it was amazing! Your speech really, um, moved me!"

"Haha~! I’m honored that you think so highly of it!"

They say compliments make even a whale dance.

I don’t know about whales, but it seems they can make a snake do a little tap dance. I felt like I could break out into a dance right then and there.

As I hummed a cheerful tune, Irene gave me a tired look.

"You’re really something…"

"Yes? What’s wrong, Miss Irene?"

"…It’s nothing."

"Hmm?"

"Just keep your eyes ahead. What if you trip?"

"My, you’re worrying about me? Could it be that you’re finally opening your heart to me?"

"Absolutely not."

"How can you be so cold…!"

Our childish banter continued.

As we walked, exchanging trivial chatter, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze.

"…?"

Someone was standing in the middle of the path, blocking our way.

What’s this about? I looked up and saw a girl shining brilliantly.

I let out a dumbfounded sound.

"…Oh."

Her appearance was quite familiar.

Platinum blonde hair that reached her shoulders. Blue eyes that reflected the world with a transparent clarity.

"Hello."

She greeted us with a delicate wave.

Even her voice carried a mysterious aura. It was calm, like the quiet of dawn by the sea.

I knew who this girl was.

She was another protagonist from the original [The World Seen By the Little Prince] game.

The character users voted as the best playable character, inspired by the Little Prince.

\'Charlotte.\'

The First Princess of the Empire, Charlotte von Little Stauffen.

In the original story, she entered the academy as the top student, but she was bumped to second place because of me.

I immediately knelt down.

"Greetings to the Star of the Empire."

"Mm, nice to meet you."

Charlotte nodded.

Her tone was somewhat free-spirited. It highlighted her character as a whimsical girl.

I quietly began to think.

Charlotte isn’t usually interested in other people.

It’s rare for her to approach someone like this.

Did something go wrong? Could she be pressuring me because I took the top spot from her?

\'…That can’t be it.\'

Charlotte doesn’t care about rankings.

More precisely, she doesn’t care about anything in the world, except for her precious "rose."

\'Then what is this about?\'

She’s so unpredictable that it’s hard to guess her reasons.

As I stood there frozen, she suddenly spoke.

"I just came because I was curious."

Charlotte took the initiative.

She tapped the top of my head a few times, then casually patted my hair like it was no big deal.

Her sudden action left everyone with question marks hovering over their heads.

"Your hair. It’s soft."

"Pardon?"

"Well, see you later. Let’s meet again."

"…?"

And with that, she turned around as if she was done.

She had approached out of nowhere, greeted us, and then left just as suddenly. The conversation was so bizarre that it felt like my brain had stopped working.

What just happened…?

Did I just experience some sort of strange encounter, like a hit-and-run but with greetings instead?

It happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to feel bewildered. Was this what they call the Little Prince style of conversation?

I stood there stunned for a moment, but Charlotte was already walking far away.

"Is it just me… or did I fail to follow the flow because I’m not smart enough?"

"Huh? Then, th-that must mean I’m not smart enough either…"

The fox and the pilot seemed just as flustered.

Still kneeling on the ground, I let out a small laugh.

It was supposed to be a historic moment of meeting a new character, but she left before I could even feel moved.

"Well… that’s part of her charm, I suppose."

I brushed myself off and stood up.

I could feel the gazes of people around us, but I decided to ignore them.

"Shall we head out?"

I quietly started walking again.

The two, still lost in thought, soon followed.

\'But seriously.\'

What was Charlotte trying to say?

She mentioned being curious… but I didn’t really catch what she was curious about. I wish she had finished her thought.

I pondered the unsatisfied question as I walked.

***

We arrived at the dormitory building after taking the academy carriage.

What awaited us was a series of buildings comparable to—no, perhaps even larger than—a decent mansion.

The quality of the facilities was incomparable to that of ordinary schools.

Since it was everyone’s first time at Gallimard, they couldn’t help but be amazed.

Regia was openly staring out the window in awe, and Irene, though trying to hide it, seemed very interested in the scenery.

Well, it’s rare to see something like this anywhere else.

The academy is practically a small city that can accommodate up to 5,000 people.

\'It’s awe-inspiring.\'

Of course, I was no different.

I’d seen this setting countless times in the game, but seeing it in real life was on another level.

It was a naturally overwhelming experience.

Clatter, clatter—

After driving for a bit longer, we finally arrived at the dormitory we were assigned to.

Specifically, it was the space where Irene and I would be staying.

The building assigned to Regia was located a bit further away.

Because of that, we got off the carriage first. I gave her a light wave as a farewell.

"It was a pleasure today, Miss Regia."

"If it weren\'t for you, I think I would have been lonely at the entrance ceremony today, Lord Snakes. Thank you so much."

"Hehe… I look forward to seeing more of you."

I smoothly told a small lie.

"Let’s meet again, my friend."

"Fr-Friend…?"

"Yes, friend."

After all, we’ve been close companions since the entrance exam, right?

As I whispered those words leisurely, the once-blank expression on Regia’s face gradually brightened.

The line was intended to build rapport, and fortunately, it seemed to work.

Regia nodded, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes! See you next time…!"

Neigh—!

With the girl’s farewell, the carriage set off again.

I watched the retreating figure for a moment before feeling a nudge from beside me.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Miss Irene?"

"Nothing… It just looked like you were smiling in a really suspicious way. I wondered if you were up to something."

"What do you take me for?"

"Someone untrustworthy."

"This is so unfair. My tears are welling up from the sorrow."

I pretended to wipe away tears, but of course, Irene wasn’t buying it.

"Anyway… What did you think?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I’m asking about Miss Regia. Isn’t she a really nice person?"

"She seems naive."

"Well, she’s still young. She hasn’t learned how to hide her true feelings, so her innocence shines through."

"You’re young too."

Irene casually threw out that comment, to which I replied:

"Maybe so, but I don’t exactly come across as innocent, do I?"

A sly grin spread across my face.

Irene stared at me briefly before she quietly turned away as if she had come to a conclusion.

"…Definitely not."

Ouch. That stung a bit.

I kind of expected that response, but it still hurt to hear it.

Is it really fair to judge someone by their looks?

This world is obsessed with appearances.

I’ll have to overturn it all someday.

As I brooded over this small sadness, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"Something just occurred to me."

"What is it?"

"My assigned room is probably the largest in the academy."

Gallimard Academy uses a ranking-based distribution system.

The higher your rank, the more benefits you enjoy, and the better your living conditions.

The dormitory is no exception.

"As the top student’s room, it’s bound to be enormous. Which means there’s a big advantage!"

"Advantage?"

"There’s going to be a lot to clean! You’ll have plenty of space to thoroughly, passionately handle it all by yourself, Miss Irene."

"…How is that supposed to be a good thing?"

"It doesn’t bother me. I’m not the one doing the cleaning."

"…"

I shamelessly teased her, and Irene’s expression soured. We continued to bicker as we walked.

***

After the bustling entrance ceremony, we were given a week of free time.

All scheduled activities at the academy would begin after the class placement exam. In other words, we had a few days with no particular agenda.

It was the academy’s way of giving new students, who were still unfamiliar with the environment, time to adjust.

I welcomed it with open arms.

I’d been itching to explore the academy anyway.

This was the place I had longed to experience over the past three years.

The thought of finally fulfilling that wish filled me with excitement.

So, with the spirit of a field trip, I was wandering around the academy…

"Did you even hear what I said?!"

"…"

"I don’t know how someone like you became the top student, but I\'m telling you, don’t get arrogant!"

Who is this now?