"Hmph. Do you think, just because that good-for-nothing Edward is your owner, you can do whatever you want?"
Teen sneered as he looked down at Milleia and Jayden, who were silently cleaning up the food he'd knocked over.
He smirked and lowered his hand toward Milleia's bent, unguarded figure.
"You're pretty cocky for a mere viscount's son."
"...!"
His hand froze midair.
He turned slowly.
"Hey, look, it's Edward!"
"Is he gonna fight?!"
"Dunno, but I heard he's weak anyway!"
"Who cares? Teen just insulted him to his face. This is gonna be good."
"Edward…"
Teen glared at me, grey-haired, hands in pockets, not hiding my irritation in the slightest.
'That fucker. How dare he look at me like that? I'm the son of the most powerful Duke in this Kingdom.'
I, in turn, was extremely irritated that a bottom-feeder like Teen Masta dared glare at me like that. With Edward's noble pride and Nyrel's old resentment blended together, I suddenly felt a very real urge to crush him right here.
[
'I'm fine.'
I walked forward until I stood right in front of him.
"Edward?"
Jayden and Milleia straightened, forcing an awkward smile.
They'd originally planned to share a table with me. Right when they finally found an open spot, these three idiots had barged in and shoved them aside.
"What's your name again?" I asked loudly, exaggerating a hand cupped around my ear like I was hard of hearing.
The entire first floor went quiet.
His two cronies stared at me, faces pale.
No one dared answer.
I was a duke's son. And something about the way I moved right now… was not the cowardly, avoidant Edward people thought they knew.
"Edward, you were disowned by your father," Teen sneered, masking his nerves. "You don't scare anyone anymore with that status."
He was sweating.
This was his chance. If I backed down like the rumors said, he'd ride this moment to fame. If not…
-Bam!
My foot slammed into his ankle. Before he could even stumble fully, my fist drove up in a tight uppercut under his jaw.
It all happened in under two seconds.
No one reacted in time.
-BAM!
Teen's body flew backward and crashed into a nearby table, sending plates and food scattering and a group of girls shrieking.
"Kyyaaa!"
"Ah!"
"Get back!"
Chairs scraped. Students darted away. A ring of open space formed.
Milleia clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.
Jayden gave a shaky laugh, eyes glued to me as I walked toward the groaning Teen.
"I asked his name," I said calmly, making sure everyone could hear me, "but he refused to answer someone way, way, way, way higher in the noble hierarchy. So I'll ask again: what is his name?"
""Hiii!"" his two friends squeaked when my eyes landed on them.
"Teen! Teen Masta!" One blurted out.
"Teen. Teen Masta," I repeated, looking down at the boy clutching his bloody mouth.
"Never heard of that house."
I sighed and then narrowed my eyes.
"A nobody from some god-knows-where noble house showing such attitude toward the eldest son of Duke Falkrona?"
I raised my foot over his leg.
"Edward Falkrona. That's enough."
"Hm?"
The moment I was about to stomp down and break something important, the voice cut in.
I turned.
An auburn-haired girl stepped out of the crowd, with beautiful hazel brown eyes. Her hair was tied in a neat French braid, her skirt and pinafore uniform displaying perfectly poised legs and posture.
Louisa Trueheart.
[Sub-Heroine] of the First Game. Student Council President. Also, someone who had known me for years and had no patience for my crap.
"Louisa…" I muttered.
"Fights are prohibited outside sanctioned friendly matches and Eden Battles under a professor's supervision," she said sternly.
"I'm not fighting," I said without missing a beat. "I just tripped and my hand slipped."
Everyone fell silent at my very weak excuse.
Louisa's expression didn't move, but her eye twitched, just barely.
"Then why is your leg raised over him?"
-Ding!
[A] I needed to wipe my shoes. [100 AP]
[B] I was stretching. [30 AP]
[C] I wanted to break his leg. [150 AP]
[D] I saw your beautiful face and jumped in excitement and ended up like this. [250 AP]
"…"
What the hell is this?
I'd been about to honestly tell her I wanted to break his leg.
But the familiar game choice window had popped up.
'Jarvis, AP means—'
[Affection Points. Yes. Reminder: you have less than a week to repay the 440 Affection Points you borrowed for the mask.]
That damned mask.
I snorted inwardly and stared at the options.
Honesty gave 150 AP.
Attempting to flirt with Louisa? 250 AP.
Louisa and seduction?
Yeah, no. Let's not go full clown.
[
'Shut up.'
"Edward…" Milleia whispered.
She was watching me with worried eyes.
I sighed.
"Oh, that?" I said lightly. "I needed a mat to wipe my shoes."
I dragged my sole slowly across Teen's blazer.
"Edward."
Louisa's voice sharpened. She was actually angry now.
Fair. I'd been an ass to her before, but this was another level. The worst part was: we'd actually gotten along when we were kids, before my mother's death and that whole mess with the Trueheart family.
We'd barely spoken in years. Yet, because of that past, she still talked to me like this, using my name so frankly, which she would never do with a stranger.
"This guy shoved Milleia and Jayden," I said, jerking my chin at them. "Knocked over their food. I happened to be here, so, as a noble, I humbled him. That's all. Right, guys?"
"Yes!!" His two cronies blurted, nodding like their necks were on springs.
Status though lost still useful.
[
'Terrified? How did they pass the entrance if they're scared of this?'
"Is that true?" Louisa asked Milleia and Jayden.
""Yes…"" They nodded quietly.
"…"
Louisa shut her eyes for a brief moment.
Then opened them again, all business.
"The First-Year Basilisk Class will have Eden Points deducted for causing trouble on the first day," she declared, gaze moving between me and Teen.
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Thankfully, none of the other major characters decided to jump in. That would've been a headache.
I looked back down.
"Are you proud of yourself, Pasta?" I asked.
"It's Masta!" He snapped.
"Because of you, our class lost Eden Points on day one."
I crouched, bringing my face level with his.
He tried to look away.
I grabbed his cheeks and forced his gaze back to mine.
"You're an ant to me," I said quietly. "I don't have time to play with guys like you. I'm busy enough with bigger, third-rate villains already. So either you fix your pathetic self and actually contribute to our class… or you choose to keep playing the angry villain and…"
I trailed off and patted his cheek lightly, still smiling.
[
'That's called intimidation,' I thought. 'He'll fill in the blank with whatever terrifies him most, and behave himself to avoid it.'
[
My smile twitched.
I'd just defended my friends.
This Goddess was truly annoying.
"Let's find a table. I'm hungry," I said, standing and looking over at Jayden and Milleia.
"But..." Milleia started, glancing at the mess.
"The cleaning staff will handle it. Don't steal their job. They'll get angry."
"I don't think they'll be angry," Milleia protested. "They'll probably be thank—"
"What are you doing, Lyra? Not going up to the fifth floor?" I cut in, noticing Lyra pop up behind us.
"No way. Too much pressure there," she replied immediately.
I smirked.
She was right.
The fifth floor was crawling with [Main Characters].
Trouble central.
…
…
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Lyra Kertalir. Just call me Lyra."
We found an empty table pretty quickly, mostly because the previous occupants bolted the second I walked near it.
Lyra plopped down with us and immediately struck up conversation with Milleia and Jayden.
I had no problem with that. In fact, it was ideal. Lyra was strong and sharp; having her on our class's side would help us climb the rankings. Plus, as a [Sub-Heroine], she was a potential route for Jayden if he played his cards right. He was already fidgeting slightly just sitting near her.
Unlike Milleia's innocent, warm charm, Lyra had that cool, noble aura.
"I'm Milleia, Lady Lyra," Milleia said, bowing her head slightly.
"J-Jayden Rayena, Lady Lyra," Jayden added nervously.
"Hey, drop the 'Lady,'" Lyra said, waving a hand.
"But you're the daughter of a Marquis…" Milleia said, hesitant.
"We're in the academy," Lyra replied with a toothy, almost tomboyish grin. "And we're classmates. Treat me like any other girl."
"Yes!"
They gladly accepted.
They'd never had noble friends or academy friends before. Now, in the most prestigious school in the Celesta Kingdom, they were sharing a table with a Marquis's daughter, talking like equals.
For them, it was the beginning of something big.
For me?
It was the party forming nicely around the protagonist.
Exactly how I needed it.