ONLY A LITTLE BIT of the term was left, and the parties for each grade were in
full swing. Even at the party for the first-years, words fell short of the luxurious
dishes that lined the tables of the school's most extravagant venue.
Raymond, Daniel, and I mingled mostly with boys who shared our
background. If you counted the first-years from the general class who were with
us, we were an impressive crowd, all told. The guys were decked out in our
school uniforms, but most of the girls arrived in sexy dresses with their demihuman
servants at their heels. The other boys and I exerted real effort to peel
our eyes off the girls' chests.
"I think that girl just now was an F-cup…" I murmured and cleared my throat.
"Ahem, I mean, the food here's great, right?" I turned back to the table where
Daniel was chowing down on a heaping plate of meat.
"This is my first time being at a party this huge," he said between mouthfuls.
"The academy is incredible!"
"Daniel, don't speak with your mouth full." Raymond watched our friend with
exasperation. "Hard to believe they're throwing parties this enormous for each
grade. The capital's on a completely different level. We countryside heirs can't
hold a candle to this."
No kidding—and that was kind of the point. According to Luxion, part of the
reason for these parties was to show off the opulence and power of the capital
to the poorer nobles. But even the rich, pampered noble kids had to be
impressed with this level of extravagance.
Daniel surveyed the other attendees. "Even most of the girls from the general
class are wearing dresses. Almost none of them are wearing their school
uniforms."
Raymond pushed up his glasses. His eyes were fixed on a thin girl that was
just his type. The guy was a total closet pervert.
"The price range for dresses is rather broad," he said. "Apparently you can get
one for two thousand dia."
Two hundred thousand yen for one dress?! Was that supposed to be cheap?
Just then, Marie, the heart of every recent rumor, made her appearance…in
her school uniform. Whispers erupted at the sight of her. Thanks to Marie, no
one else cared that the scholarship student, Olivia, was also here in her
uniform.
Odd. A viscount's daughter should be able to afford a dress, I thought. I
watched her stride over to the prince and the other high lords. These kings of
the school caste system welcomed her warmly, though Prince Julius looked
stunned when he saw her outfit.
"You're not wearing a dress?" he asked.
"Uh, um…I wasn't able to afford one." Marie fidgeted, no doubt in a bid to
entice them.
All of the boys joined in a chorus to say, "If you'd told us sooner…"
Jilk smiled. "The uniform does feel a bit refreshing after this parade of
dresses, but if you'd like, why don't I arrange a dress for you for the next party?
I'm a regular at one of the stores in the capital, and I'm sure they'd find
something perfect for you."
"N-no, I couldn't possibly," Marie insisted with a shake of her head.
Her humble display only fueled the boys' excitement as they each insisted on
helping, almost like the five were competing for her affection.
Not that any of them mattered to me. Background characters had one
mission here and one mission only: finding a partner. This party was the perfect
chance. According to the upperclassmen, couples sometimes formed at these
events.
"All right, you two, are you ready?" I asked, glancing over at my friends.
Daniel set his plate down. "Oh, I'm stuffed."
Raymond readjusted his glasses. "We have our work cut out for us."
"Oh! There's a group of three girls right over there! Let's move in."
As one, we launched into action. Our objective? Approach whatever girls we
could. The atmosphere at the party had put them all in good spirits. Perhaps
some of them would lower their standards enough to agree to marry one of us.
At this point, it didn't even matter if a girl already had a lover.
"Excuse me? Go look in a mirror."
"You're from a baron house in where now? Not interested."
"Hicks like you should look for hick girls. I wouldn't even consider someone
less than viscount rank. And you're from a border region? Don't kid yourself."
"Guys this desperate are so slimy. Do you even realize how shallow you
look?"
"I like a more laidback guy, thanks."
"You don't stand a chance of measuring up to the prince and his inner circle."
Even their demi-human servant-lovers sneered at us. They knew we couldn't
touch them, after all; if a human male laid a hand on a woman's slave, he faced
a strict investigation.
"Um, uh, but if you could just talk to us—"
One of the girls jerked her chin at her servant. The beefcake demi-human sent
us flying. We tumbled across the floor, and girls laughed. Boys either joined in
or sent us sympathetic looks.
"Leave," huffed the girl who owned the demi-human as her friends snickered.
"And try to be a little more presentable at the next party. Or perhaps it's
already too late for you. Maybe your only salvation is to pray you'll be better in
your next life. Farewell, country scum."
***
"Damn those girls, acting so high and mighty!" Daniel bellowed as we moped
outside the venue.
Raymond sank down on a bench, squeezing his knees to his chest as he gazed
vacantly up at the night sky. "She basically told us to die and start all over
again… Do we really deserve to be told that?"
Yeah, and thing was, I was already living my second life. Didn't love hearing
that I might need another.
Cheerful music and laughter spilled out of the party hall. The three of us had
fled the humiliating scene as the higher class girls and their servants cackled.
The girls from the general class had either glanced at us with pity or avoided
meeting our eyes altogether.
How pathetic…
"I'm fed up," I blurted. "With all of it."
Daniel started to say something but thought better of it, closed his mouth,
and looked away. Raymond was silent, too. As barony heirs, we had to marry
one of those noble ladies. We belonged to a house, and therefore we needed a
partner of high standing. If we didn't, the other nobles would treat us like
pariahs. There's just something not right with them, they would say.
My dad married Zola because the risks of doing otherwise outweighed the
misery. If you failed to conduct yourself with the proper decorum, other nobles
called your house uncivilized and barbaric. If society cast you out, surrounding
regions found reasons to justify launching war against you. All of these dangers
fanned the desperation that led to the situation here at the academy.
Daniel and I joined Raymond on the bench and stared up at the sky.
"I'm kind of disgusted with women at this point," Daniel confessed.
"I understand completely," Raymond agreed. "If we fail to get married before
we leave, we'll be the dregs of society. Women just don't face the same
pressure."
It wasn't as if all the girls at the academy were terrible, but proportionally, too
many were. No wonder so many men began to resent their lives here.
"When I heard some guys get so fed up with women they turn to men
instead, I laughed it off," I said, remembering something Lucle told me. "That
was at the beginning of the term. It's not so funny anymore."
Daniel and Raymond nodded. The worst part about that was some of the
women here enjoyed objectifying male-on-male romance. This world really was
beyond saving.
Guy enrolls → Girls are awful to him so he starts to hate them → He turns to
men for basic human companionship → The fujoshi rejoice.
Rinse and repeat in a vicious cycle created by women. You might even call
girls like that…cyclepaths. Get it? Because they're crazy and… No? Okay, well, I
thought it was funny.
Soon, the music inside the hall stopped. I checked my pocket watch, but it
wasn't yet time for the party to end. Maybe the band was taking a break—but
the laughter had faded, too. If I listened closely, I could hear someone…
shouting?
"Hey, is it me or is something weird is going on in there?" I asked.
Raymond glanced over at the hall. "Now that you mention it, sounds like a
ruckus."
"Want to go check it out?" Daniel stood up. "We don't even have to go inside.
We can peek in from the windows."
Raymond hesitated. "Let's not embarrass ourselves any more than we already
have. If they see us, we'll be a laughingstock. Although, I would like to see
what's going on…"
As we discussed how best to satisfy our curiosity, a girl darted out of the
building. She glanced around, then spotted us and hurried over. I noted she was
wearing a school uniform, but I didn't realize it was Olivia until she got closer.
"Leon! It's bad!"
***
We returned to the party hall to find the atmosphere thick with a strange
tension. The nobles retreated to the edges of the room, making way for the fuss
unfolding in the middle of the floor.
"What in the world is going on?" I asked Olivia.
"At first it was just a light argument, but…"
Marie cowered in the center of everything, surrounded by the five love
interests. A new blond-haired, blue-eyed elf servant was also by her side. Well,
well. So game-mechanic Kyle finally showed up.
Angelica stood in front of all of them, her voice trembling with anguish. "Why
won't you listen to me?! I… Everything I've done has been for the prince!"
The prince stared back at her coldly. "I can't bear to listen to your excuses. It's
that simple."
"Wait! You know exactly what kind of person that girl is. Why are you so
accepting of her?!"
Olivia whispered to me. "Um, Miss Angelica saw Marie holding hands with a
boy who wasn't the prince, and she got angry. Then the prince told her it wasn't
worth getting upset over."
So he had no problem with Marie getting handsy with other men? What an
open-minded prince. I'd never be comfortable with that.
Marie, still in her school uniform, hid behind the prince's back. She played the
defenseless victim well; no doubt, it made the men surrounding her want to
protect her. Angelica, on the other hand, shone brilliantly in her gorgeous red
dress and flawless makeup.
The two stood in stark contrast. While Marie had five high-born men and a
handsome slave standing in her corner, Angelica had no one.
Brad stepped forward. "It's pathetic seeing the daughter of Redgrave House
reduced to this. Look around you. Not a single person here approves of your
behavior."
Angelica scanned the hall. Her followers, who had happily reaped the benefits
of aligning with her up until this point, wouldn't look her way. But while her
former entourage eschewed open hostility, other students, who disliked
Angelica, grinned triumphantly.
"Do you even know what that woman has done?" Angelica asked angrily. "It's
not just one of you. She's—"
"We already know," said Chris Fia Arclight, the boy with light-blue hair.
Angelica gaped. "What?!"
Marie trembled as if in fear when Chris glanced back and smiled at her.
Normally pleased to be the solemn, sword-wielding type, he rarely showed such
emotion. The ladies standing on the sidelines blushed.
It's his looks, isn't it? It's gotta be his looks. Yep, it's definitely his looks.
"Marie saved me," Chris said. "She listened to all my worries. And now, I want
to protect her."
It took some crazy self-confidence to blurt out that confession in front of half
the student body. I had to respect him for that.
"Stop beating around the bush," Greg chided. "Be frank and say you like her."
Jilk put a hand over his mouth to hide a grin. "You have a point. Marie is an
incredible woman. Though, I think I am the one who loves her the most."
Speechless, Angelica stared at His Highness.
Prince Julius had a sullen look. "No matter how close we are, Jilk, that's
uncalled for. I'm the one who loves Marie the most."
The girls in the crowd squealed in unison, shrieks ringing off the walls.
"Did you hear that?!"
"I want one of them to say that to me!"
"I'm so jealous! I probably don't feel as bad as the duke's daughter looks,
though."
They snickered.
Angelica's eyes fell to the floor as she fisted her hands. "Am I to understand
you won't be ending this little farce once we graduate, then?"
The prince looked away. "There's no one else like her in the world. I didn't
hate you before we enrolled, Angelica, but I won't go easy on you if you try to
hurt Marie."
Scornful feminine laughter echoed in every corner of the hall.
"Did you hear that? It's all over for you now, Miss High-and-Mighty."
"That means their engagement is basically over, right?"
"I always hated her, to be honest."
"Is this how a girl feels when she sees a harem?" I wondered aloud. "I think
I'm in physical pain."
"Is something wrong, Leon?" Olivia asked, cocking her head to the side.
Daniel and Raymond stared at the fallen duke's daughter in shock.
"Uh, is anyone else getting a bad feeling about this?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah…" Raymond agreed. "She looks like she's about to commit murder."
I thought Angelica mostly looked resigned, as if she'd completely given up.
The light that had once burned brightly in her eyes had extinguished and
darkness crept in to take its place.
But suddenly, she flung out her hand, tossing something at Marie.
"Huh?" Marie stared, dumbfounded, as the object softly smacked against her,
then plopped to the ground.
A white glove.
"Pick it up, harlot," Angelica challenged. "You filthy witch, seducing the prince
and all of his friends!"
"Oh yeah," I muttered to myself. "I forgot about the duel event."
If Marie picked up the glove, she would in effect have agreed to a match.
Raymond panicked. "I have no idea what the words coming out of your mouth
even mean half the time! Do you even understand what a duel is?!"
Actually, now that I thought about it, Marie would be represented by
someone else in the duel. In the end, it'd be Prince Julius and his friends against
Angelica.
Social shame compelled men to represent themselves in duels, but women
got away with using proxies all the time. In the game, the protagonist earned
the protection of whatever love interest she had the highest affection with
when the villainess issued her challenge. But I couldn't shake a bad feeling
about how things were panning out here…
"Angelica, you disappoint me." The prince regarded his fiancée with disdain.
His patience had run out, and anger colored his face. "Marie, pick it up. Don't
worry, you have me with you. I will act as your proxy in this fight."
"I can't let you get away with taking all of the glory, Your Highness," Jilk cut in.
"Per academy rules, a girl isn't limited to one man as her standin. I volunteer as
well."
Greg punched a fist into his open palm. "Sounds interesting. Count me in. I
don't care who my opponent is, bring it on!"
"This is why I avoid meatheads like you," Brad said, sounding annoyed. "That
said, I can't let that 'harlot' insult fly. I'll make you take that back, Angelica.
After the match is over, you can apologize to Marie. I'll be participating, too, of
course."
Chris folded his arms over his chest. "I'm confident in my sword skills. I'll be
Marie's blade in battle."
Marie wiped tears from her eyes. "Thank you, everyone… I'm scared, but
having you with me brings me comfort. I'll accept this duel, Miss Angelica. We'll
fight against you together."
Seeing his mistress play the heroic protagonist, Kyle sighed in exasperation. I
remembered his sarcastic streak, but he had grace to match his handsome
looks. "You truly are a fool, Mistress. Have you forgotten that I'm here, too? I'll
do what I can to support you."
Marie smiled. "Thank you, Kyle."
As I suspected.
"This is the reverse harem route," I said.
"There he goes, saying weird crap again," Daniel grumbled. "Anyway, what's
going to happen to the duke's daughter now? Is there anyone at this school
who'd take on five guys—let alone those five?"
Raymond shook his head. "The prince has top scores, and the rest of them are
pretty impressive in their own right. No guy could take them all. Besides, Chris is
the son of the Sword Saint, and he's expected to inherit the title. No one can
compete with that."
Half the men in our class detested battle to begin with, and no normal person
would willingly fight the prince himself. Even worse, this wasn't a mock battle—
it was a real duel. Even the men who had faithfully followed Angelica wanted no
part in it.
Angelica's eyes swept across the room, but not a single boy would meet her
gaze.
Greg egged them on. "Oh, come on, is there no one out there benevolent
enough to help out a lady in need? Some of you used to trail her everywhere.
You're going to make me feel sorry for her at this rate." He turned to Angelica.
"You asked for this duel. You better not back out just because no one wants to
stand in for you."
People jeered as Angelica's situation became clear. Students were forbidden
from seeking a standin from outside the academy. The unwritten reason behind
the rule was basically, It's a duel between children; we can't let adults intervene.
In the game, Angelica further shamed herself by breaking that rule.
The other noble ladies reacted coldly.
"Hey, who wants to take bets on how much she embarrasses herself?"
"It'll be over when she runs home crying. This isn't even going to be a duel.
She has no one to represent her."
"Who knows, maybe she'll represent herself. I hope they beat her senseless."
When school began, these same girls had been so meek in Angelica's shadow.
I couldn't believe a simple role reversal went to their heads so fast. They likely
thought this the end of Angelica's engagement to the prince, which meant they
could disregard her social status. As far as they were concerned, her life was
ruined.
In the game, I think she ended up with some hideous dude from the
countryside.
Angelica put on a brave face, but as she surveyed the other students, I could
see her panic.
Then our eyes met.
This hot-tempered girl who'd never realized the consequences of her actions
looked at me with desperation. Her eyes pleaded for help, like she knew she
was grasping at straws but couldn't stop herself. After a beat, she turned her
gaze away and gritted her teeth. "Even…even if no one will represent me…"
Greg snorted with laughter. "What's wrong? What happened to all that
bravado a minute ago?"
Greg and the other high lords-to-be regarded her coolly. The most aloof was
the prince. It clearly didn't matter to him anymore that he was speaking to his
former fiancée. "Angelica, I hope you've prepared yourself for this. You can't
take it back now. You threw the glove."
I don't know why, but I stepped forward.
Olivia latched onto my arm and peered up at me anxiously. "Um…what are
you doing?"
Honestly, why isn't she the one over here?
Right now, Marie occupied the spot that belonged to Olivia. No, that wasn't
right. She wasn't simply "occupying"; she'd stolen it.
What am I doing?
I already knew the answer.
Daniel tried to stop me, too. "You idiot. Why are you getting involved? You
can't win!"
Raymond was right beside him. "We already know how this goes. Even if,
theoretically, you could win, there'd be a mountain of consequences. You're up
against the prince!"
I just grinned. "Well, you know…I really, really hate those guys."
I wasn't close to Angelica. While I did sympathize with her for the heaps of
scorn abruptly turned on her, I had my own reasons for going forward.
I pushed people aside and stepped through the crowd. Everyone's eyes
turned to me.
"Okay, okay, here I am! I volunteer to act as her representative in the duel!" I
lifted my hand casually as I strolled into the center of the room.
All around, people shot me looks as if to say, Dude, read the room!
I ignored them all.
Greg studied my face. "Who even are you?"
Apparently he really didn't know. That was me and my sad reality as a
background character.
Brad examined me as well. His tone suggested I was obviously beneath him. "I
think I heard about a young, accomplished adventurer. He left his home and
became a baron. Could you be him?"
Well, considering my lowly status and middling grades, it wasn't a surprise
they hadn't noticed me sooner.
"More importantly, Miss Angelica, recognize me as your proxy in the fight.
Come on, hurry up."
She looked conflicted. "Uh, um…"
"Come on, say it. You won't have anything to worry about once you do."
"I-I recognize you as my standin," she finally stammered, still confused.
Satisfied, I turned to the prince. "There you have it. I, Leon Fou Bartfort, will
act as her representative in this match. You've got five on your side, correct? I'd
like to confirm the rules of the match, but before we do, can we clarify the
stakes?"
Marie gawked at me. Evidently, she hadn't expected anyone to intervene.
But lately, I'd been watching this girl through Luxion, collecting information,
collating my suspicions…and given her shock, I was pretty damn sure I was right.
This Marie was like me—an outsider. She had reincarnated into this world as
well, or something along those lines. She knew how the game was supposed to
go.
I assumed that meant she was probably also a woman in her previous life,
though I guess guys could like otome games. But it'd have to be a guy who was
fine manipulating other dudes into waiting on him hand and foot as he built
himself a reverse harem…
Yeah, you know what, either way, that sucks. But my bet's on girl.
I turned to Angelica. "Why did you decide to challenge her, anyway? I need
you to be honest with me about this."
She stared at me as if she couldn't believe how I'd just thrown myself into
this. Then she composed herself. "My wish is simple—Marie should stay away
from the prince."
Whispers erupted from the crowd.
"Did you hear her?"
"Oh my! Don't tell me she's jealous?"
"She's washed up. She doesn't even have the appeal to win back the prince,
so she's resorting to brute force."
Angelica lowered her eyes and ground her teeth together.
I turned toward Marie. "All right, so what do you want out of it?"
The prince stepped in front of Marie, blocking her from view. "You're really
that desperate to break us apart?" he said to Angelica. "It seems you don't
understand who the real 'witch' here is. Even if you did manage to separate us, I
will never have feelings for you!"
"I am aware," Angelica mumbled. "I understand, but getting her away from
you is the last thing I can do for you as your—"
I clapped my hands together, ignoring the indignant looks from the prince and
his posse. "Save the sentimentality and sniping for later. Hurry up and tell me
your conditions for this duel. I don't have all day."
Marie stepped around the prince and faced Angelica. "I-If I win, I don't want
you to do cruel things like this anymore. I don't think it's right to wield your
house's influence like a weapon and force others to do your bidding."
That line sounded awfully familiar. In fact, I was pretty sure it was supposed
to be the protagonist's. Marie had literally lifted the words straight from the
game.
"Okay," I said, "then if we win, the prince breaks things off with you. If we
lose, Angelica stays away from you. Next, let's discuss how we're going to do
this. How about borrowing the arena and settling it in Armor? That's the usual
way we do things, yeah?"
A few duels, never many, broke out every year. Even if the motivations were
petty, boys got eager to take part for the opportunity to show off to potential
brides. Customarily, we used Armor—powered mobile suits—as even owning
one was ample proof of your wealth. Furthermore, by participating in a duel,
you could prove your combat capability and potentially earn prestige,
conditional on your victory.
Chris looked ready to cut me down right where I stood, never mind his lack of
weapon tonight. "You seriously think you can beat us? If you don't want to get
hurt, you better back off. Someone as weak as you wouldn't even last a minute
against us."
He didn't have any idea who I was, so he lumped me in with others whose
abilities never stood out. He assumed they'd blow me to smithereens.
"Come again?" I asked. "What makes you so sure I'm going to lose?"
Everyone around me burst into laughter.
"Did you hear him?"
"He actually thinks he can win! That boy doesn't know his place."
"He's got a talent for making people laugh, though!"
"Ridiculous. His peerage was clearly a fluke."
It wasn't just women sneering at me now, but men. Not that I could blame
them. These five lordlings were the most talented of the first-years, and their
status far exceeded pretty much everyone's. No one in their right mind would
ever challenge them.
Greg came up close, getting in my face. "Just a little bit ago, some boys called
out to a group of girls. Then one of the girls' servants sent them flying, and they
ran out of here with their tails tucked between their legs. Weren't you one of
them?"
He already knew the answer, of course. What a jerk.
"You won't even put up a proper fight," he spat. "If all you want is the
spotlight, save yourself the humiliation and run home now, pipsqueak."
Now this guy really knew how to tap into real intimidation. He'd had all that
combat experience, after all.
I have to hand it to them. They're a commendable group of men, trying so
hard to protect a poor, defenseless girl.
Although if a clueless bystander were to pass by, they'd think Angelica was
the one being mercilessly bullied.
Yes, commendable, indeed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, are we trying to settle this verbally?" I asked in my most
genteel manner. "Is debate your preferred method of battle? What a shame, I
don't have the skills for that. Then again, our side did demand a duel, so if you
insist, I suppose I have no choice. Words it is, then. We'll settle this on a stage,
moderators and all."
Greg hated people who fought with words rather than weapons. A vein
bulged on his forehead.
Jilk intervened. "Let's do one-on-one with Armor. However, there are five of
us. If you can find more people in time for the duel, you're welcome to select an
additional four to match up against us. And as summer break is almost upon
us…we should be able to borrow the arena the day after the closing ceremony."
I nodded, appreciating how promptly he'd put together the terms. That said,
there weren't many days left. I doubted I'd be able to recruit enough people to
fill out a roster.
"One against five, huh?" I stroked my chin. "Well, as long as I only have to
face one of you at a time, that shouldn't be a problem."
Jilk regarded me with skepticism. "You seriously intend to face us? It's rare
nowadays, but it's not unheard of for a duel to result in fatality."
Once, the rule had been to put your life on the line in a duel, but at the
academy, that was largely obsolete. Nowadays, you only died if you were
particularly unlucky.
"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine," I assured him. "But may I ask you a
question?"
After a pause, he said, "What is it?"
"Why do you all look so confident that you'll come out of this unscathed? I
mean, I get it…you want to look cool in front of the girl you love. But isn't it a bit
naive to assume you won't be the ones dying?"
Jilk's eyes narrowed. It was kind of unsettling to see someone so typically
reserved lose his cool. "I heard of your accomplishments, but it seems everyone
overestimates you. You're not even capable of measuring your opponent's
strength."
"Enough, Jilk." Prince Julius stepped between us and looked at me. "You said
your name was Leon? We aren't playing around. I hope you're ready for this."
Marie watched our interactions with a look of genuine uncertainty on her
face. I was sure she hadn't expected this turn of events at all. Little late to panic
now. If she didn't want to risk this, she shouldn't have egged Angelica on in the
first place. She was the one causing me grief.
For what it's worth, I'm normally a pretty timid person.
"Be sure to bid your farewells in advance to your little lover, Prince," I told
him. "Remember, the other four won't be affected even if your team loses.
Prepare to watch from afar as the rest of them enjoy her without you."
He glared at me.
You're the one who wanted to play ball. Don't get mad at me.
How could he be so unconcerned that he and all of the future high lords of
the kingdom were being seduced by a single woman? Worse yet, now he was
treating Angelica like she didn't even exist.
I wish this stupid prince would realize he's got a fiancée right in front of him.