…Before I knew it, the sun had set along with my balance. The library was steeped in silence.
◆ Total NP Owned: 2,380 NP
9 spells for 160,000 NP. Not bad. Four low-level, three lower-mid-level, and two mid-level… That’s a decent haul.
I could always earn more NP later. Nodding to myself, I got up from my seat.
“Productive.”
As I murmured that and glanced around, sunlight was pouring into the library. With the sheer scale of the place, the view felt almost majestic.
And then it happened.
“…Adel Bliss.”
A voice came from somewhere. I was starting to get used to being called “Adel” so I immediately turned toward the sound.
Someone was sitting at the librarian’s desk, which had been empty when I entered.
“It’s been a while. You’ve been discharged, I take it?”
A girl with short hair was looking at me. Her calm, dark blue hair caught the dusky light and shimmered faintly. She had a quiet and reserved air about her.
“Yes.”
“That’s odd. Polite speech? Did you lose your memory or something? Maybe you need to be admitted again.”
“Uh… yeah.”
“…I see. Well then, have a pleasant walk back.”
I was caught off guard.
So Adel Bliss wasn’t completely hated by everyone. There was at least one person who talked to him somewhat kindly.
Squinting slightly, I glanced at the name tag on her chest. Sure enough, she was a student at the academy too.
“Sasha…?”
Ah.
I let out a soft exclamation.
Only then did I match her appearance with what I’d seen in the CGs.
Short dark-blue hair, blue eyes. She was definitely a playable character. The kind you could encounter at the library.
She was supposed to be really cold, though.
Of course, even now, she didn’t exactly seem kind on the surface. Didn’t she just say something that sounded like a veiled jab?
Yet there she sat with a blank expression, reading a book at the librarian’s desk.
But I knew how she normally responded when you tried to talk to her as a playable character.
This was, without a doubt, her way of speaking when she was being “friendly”.
Maybe she feels comfortable because I’m a fallen noble? I think Sasha was a commoner, if I remember right.
I didn’t know the full context, but I didn’t want to ignore someone’s kindness—
Even if that kindness wasn’t meant for me, but for the original Adel Bliss.
“Thanks for the concern.”
“…Are you talking to me?”
“Is there anyone else here besides you and me?”
“I wasn’t concerned. If someone who seemed fine while reading suddenly started acting crazy and loud, that’d be a problem.”
Isn’t that still concern?
Caught off guard, I nodded vaguely. I knew she didn’t mean anything bad.
“Anyway, thanks. Sorry for bothering you.”
“…You’ve changed a little.”
“Huh…?”
“You seem less gloomy than usual, Adel. I hope you keep it that way.”
With that, Sasha hid her face behind her book, as if to say she wasn’t interested in hearing any reply.
…She doesn’t hate me, right?
“R-Right.”
No answer.
Somehow, I felt like some clingy guy bothering a girl, and with a quiet sigh, I turned and left the library.
***
The game that this world was based on, “Empire of Kohonbach”, was a masterpiece.
Even for me, a true gamer who had played countless titles.
Normally, if a game didn’t hook me in the tutorial, I dropped it without hesitation.
But this game had racked up over hours of my playtime.
Anyway, if I had to name the thing I liked most about “Empire of Kohonbach”, it was always the dynamic interactions.
Even in the same scene, characters’ dialogue would vary slightly and even the same character might react differently depending on their outfit or appearance customization.
Those little details were what made gamers feel like they were really living inside a breathing world.
Unbelievable.
As I recalled this, I found myself staring into a mirror.
She said I looked gloomy… and she was right.
It wasn’t to check the detailed stats.
I just wanted to confirm what “I” looked like now.
Long bangs hanging down, half-covering my eyes.
On top of that, oversized glasses.
With half my face obscured, even the fair skin that could’ve been a plus was hidden, and my frame was scrawny to boot.
I was the textbook image of what people call a “nerd”.
I was too busy being relieved that the status window still worked to even notice earlier…
This was serious.
Considering how stunning his older sister Camilla was, Adel must have had a decent face too.
Was he really walking around looking like this?
They say inner worth matters more than looks, but let’s be honest….at this age, appearance is everything.
Of course, at Tane Academy, a place filled with the elite and gifted, abilities probably weighed heavily in how people were judged.
Still, you couldn’t deny how much appearance influenced social interaction.
Maybe this look was part of why people always compared him to his sister—
Not just because of his abilities, but because of his appearance too.
Wearing glasses is fine, but…
Was there any reason to wear such thick lenses?
Muttering to myself, I thought of the trendy fashion glasses back on Earth.
Either way, I needed to see my real face.
I all but yanked the glasses off.
They were something Adel had apparently never taken off, except when sleeping.
“…What the?”
Even without the glasses, my vision wasn’t bad.
Actually, I could barely tell the difference between wearing them and not.
Did my poor eyesight get fixed?
Was it some kind of visual correction from the gamer system?
If his eyesight was fine all along, then what was the point of wearing glasses…
It was around that moment.
I swept up my bangs to see my bare face.
And then I froze.
“….…?”
[Adel Bliss]
That name was floating above the boy staring back at me from the mirror.
It felt strange.
That reflection was now my face… and yet it still didn’t quite feel like mine.
He was hiding this face the whole time?
The features hidden beneath the messy gray hair were strikingly sharp.
Large eyes with silver irises. A sharp nose. A gentle-looking mouth contrasted by strong, determined eyebrows.
Even the faint dark circles under his eyes added to a strange atmosphere.
Though his appearance was still somewhat delicate, there stood a boy destined to become incredibly handsome one day.
“This’ll… do.”
I didn’t know exactly what would “do”, but it would.
I nodded to myself and looked for scissors. I couldn’t stand it any longer unless I cut off this cursed fringe entirely.
***
The weekend when Adel Bliss collapsed passed in the blink of an eye.
Today again, the citizens of the Empire began their peaceful morning with gratitude—
To Hatzfeld, who guarded the borders, to the Emperor who ruled the Empire, and perhaps even to the farmers in the wheat fields.
And perhaps, to families who didn’t cause any trouble.
“Shouldn’t you be thankful for your little brother, Camilla?”
“…….?”
Camilla glanced sideways at her classmate who had just said something puzzling. They had just finished morning training and were sitting down to eat.
“What are you talking about, Awen?”
“Well~ you know. Your little brother. I heard he collapsed? Didn’t he say anything to you?”
“He’s fine. He’s healthy.”
“Exactly! That!”
Awen tapped the table enthusiastically. Camilla pulled her bowl slightly closer, worried her friend’s messy hair might fall into the soup.
“I mean, come on….he collapsed. There’s no way nothing was wrong. He must’ve been sick or something. But he told you nothing was wrong, right?”
“……”
Awen pouted as Camilla remained unresponsive. Her friend who was so quiet she almost seemed cold always acted like she had no emotions at all.
Even though that’s not true at all.
“Isn’t that so admirable? He didn’t want to be a burden to his genius sister, the rising star of the Academy! Ah, Camilla, isn’t this the very definition of pure devotion?”
“…Adel’s still young. If he’s sick, he says he’s sick. Thinking he hid it because he didn’t want to be a burden is just speculation. Hardly anyone even knows he’s my brother.”
“He’s only a year younger than you, isn’t he?”
“It’s two years.”
A year or two…same difference. Awen, who had been buzzing with excitement at the scent of gossip, felt her spirits sink and let out a sigh.
“Haa… Camilla… You act so stiff, no one ever wants to pick you as a sparring partner.”
“I’ve got you, so it doesn’t matter.”
“…Say things like that to someone else, will you?”
As she spoke, Awen looked at Camilla’s puzzled expression and just went back to eating her soup.
It was hard to read her since her expression barely changed, but if you paid close attention, her emotions were definitely there.
“I wish you’d date someone. Once we graduate, stuff like romance won’t be possible.”
“And you… you broke up with the guy you were seeing.”
“…How’d you know?”
Awen flinched and whispered.
“Was it that obvious?”
“You’re still wearing the pajamas from yesterday. It’s Sunday, so that means you didn’t go out last night, right?”
“Uh…”
Awen looked down at her outfit. Not only was there soup she’d just spilled, but even an old stain. Her face turned red.
“Wait a second…are you calling me someone who goes out all the time—?”
“I’m heading off. Don’t forget we’ve got practical training today.”
With the same unreadable expression, Camilla walked away. Left alone, Awen sniffled and rubbed her flushed face.
Then, all of a sudden, she realized something odd.
“…Wait, two years younger?”
Camilla and Awen were classmates. Both were in their second year.
That meant, at most, her younger brother would be a first-year student.
Normally, that would only make them a year apart in age.
Then… was he an early admission student?
“……”
No way. That couldn’t be it. Awen let out a short laugh.
Getting accepted as an early admission student to the prestigious Tane Academy wasn’t something that happened lightly.
“She’s so funny~.”
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