漫画大王

Chapter 25

Of course, maybe it would have been better if I’d been true to my nature and run away, discontinuing the novel, but back then, I had a strange obsession to bring the story to a close somehow.

“If you play around, you pay the price.”

Because of the ridiculous development of the plot, I found myself in a situation where I had to eat the shit I had sown. So whether I liked it or not, I was now thrown into a world where chaos was approaching, minute by minute, through the opening of the gate.

I had three choices.

First, ignore whether the gate opens or not, and wait in a safe place until the ending arrives.

Second, prepare myself so that I’m in a position to fight before the gate opens.

And lastly, use the Revise function to get rid of the situation where the gate opens altogether.

The second choice might have been possible without becoming a student at the Temple, but for the third choice, I had to join the main story to earn achievement points.

Having already experienced multiple life-threatening moments in the prologue event, I didn’t have the confidence to fight and watch more people die. So, I couldn’t choose to prepare for the gate incident. That’s why I wanted to choose the cowardly option of hiding and watching from a safe distance.

You may say that such an act was cowardly, but life is precious.

But Sarkegar, Loyar, and Eleris pushed me forward. Every one of my excuses was met with resistance, and I eventually had no choice but to give up.

No matter what, if this reality I found myself in was all because of the shit I created, then I had to take some responsibility. It might have been impossible to take full responsibility, but I had to at least try to do what I could in each given situation.

I didn’t know if it was possible to delete the gate-opening event using the Revise function. It was better to assume that it would be impossible. However, even if that was the case, I could acquire achievement points and use them to grow stronger, and to fight off as many monsters that came out of the gate as possible.

So anyway, whether by choice or force, I had to somehow change the future of this world that only I knew about.

‘Sigh...’

I arrived at the first page of the main story.

The Temple.

Becoming the strongest individual on the continent, deleting the situation where the gate opened, or ending up as a mediocre talent—these were the options I had.

So, I, who couldn’t even do what I enjoyed properly before, now had to put in effort for something I didn’t even particularly enjoy.

It was infuriating.

***

The Temple was divided into three sections: elementary school education, middle school education, and high school education. It consisted of six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and six years in high school.

In addition to that, there was a graduate school that was responsible for education after high school.

Of course, there were numerous subsidiary facilities and various plots of land used for special purposes scattered around the compound, including sports stadiums and other special facilities such as concert halls.

Naturally, with such a large area to cover, there was a separate tram line that operated only within the campus grounds which was also free to use.

I entered the Temple for the first time, and was able to access the interior of the Temple with my admission permit and pre-issued student ID.

The vast campus of the Temple stretched out before me under the blue sky. However, it didn’t seem like the images in my head had come to life.

“Hah.”

It was so much grander, larger, and cleaner than I had imagined, so much so that my mouth couldn\'t close. The limited descriptions that had appeared in my mind and imagination could never capture the full scale of it in real life.

Standing at the entrance, amidst the students in various school uniforms, I stood there dumbfounded, unsure whether it was in awe or astonishment.

Since there were many schools in the Temple, I had determined that there should be different school uniforms for each school, but seeing the actual variety of uniforms left an indescribable feeling in my heart.

The sculptures and lampposts placed throughout the elaborately-designed paths that made the place seem like a huge park, as well as the educational facilities scattered around, all felt more like individual works of art rather than something you would see at a school.

Add to that the trams that quietly ran along the routes within the vast grounds.

It was a blend of classic and modern, and even a sense of chaos that perhaps only I could feel.

This wasn’t the time for admiration, however. ‘Let’s save it for later.’

The place I needed to get to was the Royal Class dormitory, located on the grounds of the high school education facility.

With over a hundred thousand students, it was inevitable that there would be an immense number of dormitory facilities as well.

The Royal Class of the high school education department consisted of about twenty students per grade, and with six grades in the high school department, there were approximately a hundred and twenty students.

It was a relatively small number, which highlighted the rarity of truly talented individuals.

The sub-class I was to be admitted to would have an average of ten students, and if we combined both Class A and Class B, there would be about twenty students in the class itself. If I was an additional member, there would be twenty-one, or maybe even more.

I followed the guidebook and got off at the designated stop on the internal circular tram line.

Right after getting off, I was greeted by the grand entrance, lined with magnificent pillars, with the dormitory building at the end of it.

The seven-story dormitory building was so big that it was hard to comprehend that it only housed a hundred and twenty residents.

It was unbelievably huge. I’d simply written that the Royal Class would have some kind of “great privilege” as if it was no big deal, but seeing what that meant with my own eyes made it hard to believe.

I mean, it was so big that even high-ranking nobles wouldn’t be able to boast of such a dwelling.

Writing an ambiguous novel brought both joy and suffering, thanks to the number of unexpected situations that it brought forth.

I walked through the pillars, passing under the shadows of each one of them, and as I did so, I unwittingly began to grow more and more tense. It almost felt like I was entering a place I wasn’t supposed to be in.

If I were to feel intimidated like this every day, it would actually become burdensome. I wanted to go back to where I’d been staying before, as I’d felt more at ease there. Maybe not back to the Bronze Gate sewers, but Eleris’ scroll shop.

I stood at the entrance of the dormitory at the end of the row of pillars, staring up at the dome-shaped high ceiling and the marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The lobby was designed as a common area, with staircases on both sides that led to the first and second floors. I knew this because I set it up.

The students were assigned to the respective floors by grade, with the first floor housing the first-year students, the second-floor housing the second-year students, and so on.

That was why it was said that students grew more annoyed as they progressed year-on-year. Of course, there were elevator-like contraptions in the building, operated by levitation magic or something similar.

That thing in the center of the dome seemed to be an elevator.

When looking at it from my perspective, the left side of the building housed the students from Class A, while the right side belonged to the students from Class B.

From this point, I roughly knew what was going to happen.

“You’re a freshman, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

A senior student wearing the same uniform as me approached, holding a folder.

Hmm... the person wearing the female uniform...

“I’m Ceres Van Owenne, a fifth-year student and the student council president of the Royal Class. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you.”

Ah, yeah, that was it. While there was a student council president and vice president for the entire high school education department, each class also had its own student council president and vice president. Therefore, the Royal Class had its own student council president and vice president.

The number of students that the high school council had to manage was immense, with the high school education student population alone exceeding fifty thousand, and so their authority was proportionally formidable as well.

But the Royal Class student council, despite their charges numbering not even one percent of the entire student population, also held significant influence. It was because they were in charge of one of the two top-tier classes.

Of course, due to the relatively small number of members in the Royal Class student council, they could only afford to focus on minor tasks, such as greeting and onboarding freshman students like this.

No matter how much recognition the Royal Class received from the outside, the student council ultimately struggled with a shortage of members.

The senior student who introduced herself as the student council president handed me my student ID and checked my name against the documents she held.

“Reinhart, no middle name... you’re in class 1-A. You’ve been assigned room A-11. Let’s get along well from now on.”

“Yes, sure.”

She reached out her hand, and I shook it. A fifth-year student in high school meant that she was already an adult, since she was twenty-one years old.

Since the student council president would be in the graduating class the following year and would probably be busy, I probably wouldn’t interact with her much. Regardless, there was no need to leave her with a bad impression.

Regardless of actual ability, the student council president of the Royal Class held significant power and authority, as she was ranked just below the staff members in this dormitory.

“Once everyone arrives, we’ll gather in the central lobby for a brief welcome party and to go over various announcements. After you organize your belongings, you can take a break and relax, but try not to fall into a deep sleep if you decide to nap. Got it?” she said with a bright smile.

“Yes.”

I dragged my suitcase down the left corridor. Sunlight poured in from the windows, casting shadows on the floor that very much resembled some kind of net. I never imagined myself having such an experience in my life.

As I passed through the main lobby, the dedicated lobby for class 1-A appeared. It was smaller, but was still considered a large hall, lined with bookshelves, and with sofas and tables where students could sit.

Opposite it, down the corridor behind me, would be a similar lobby for students from Class B to gather to have snacks, chat, and engage in various playful activities.

Radiating out from the lobby I was in were corridors leading to various facilities, such as the individual rooms, magic research lab, library, indoor training ground, and dining hall. This hall served as a secondary hub, with the main hub being the lobby.

Although several facilities were added as the students went higher up in grade, the basic structure was generally similar.

Now that I was finally in a place in this world that I knew well, I felt more at ease than before, but the details still felt unfamiliar and awkward.

It was a complex feeling that was difficult to describe.

I entered the corridor leading to the student dormitories and headed to room A-11. I tapped my student ID, and the door opened immediately.

Technology like this wasn’t even surprising anymore, because magic could make anything in this world possible.

The room was quite spacious for one person. It had a neatly-arranged bed, a spacious wardrobe, and a window. There was even a personal shower.

The interior of the room wasn’t overly extravagant, but it was designed with a clean and modern feel. I actually preferred it this way, as too much extravagance was painful to the eye.

For now, the room only had the basic amenities, but additional amenities could be added to this expansive room according to the students’ needs. For example, exercise equipment for physical training, a research table, or anything else the Temple could provide that would fit in the room.

It was an environment that could be tailored to fit each student as best as possible, so that they wouldn’t need to worry about anything else besides focusing on cultivating their talents.

When I opened the wardrobe, I saw that it was already filled with numerous uniforms custom-made to fit my measurements. This was a service that the Temple’s regular students could only dream of.

I took out my belongings from the suitcase and organized them inside the wardrobe. I hadn’t packed much. After all, most of the necessities could be provided by the school on demand.

The only things I always carried with me were the Dreadfiend’s Ring and the Flame of Fire, just in case.

After quickly organizing my belongings, I lay down on the bed.

I didn’t know how many people had arrived before me, but when I’d gotten off the magical train at the Royal Class dormitory station, I’d been the only one to do so.

When everyone arrived, according to the student council’s roll call, both Class A and Class B members would gather and meet face-to-face. It was called a welcome “party”, but it was probably just a simple greeting and not an actual full-blown party.

There, I would be able to see all the characters I’d written about.

However, there was something bothering me.

My room.

Room A-11.

The Temple, with its love for rankings and competition, did not randomly assign room numbers. Being assigned to Room A-11 meant that the school saw my talent as the worst among the first-year Class A students.

Yeah, just becoming a part of Class A itself was a miracle for me, as I’d been admitted without having any talents, but only potential.

The Royal Class of the Temple, where only the best gathered, and within that, there was another division between Class A and Class B. And then there was me, the bottom of Class A.

Hmm... I could already imagine how other students were going to treat me in the near future.

“Ah, so you’re the guy with the ‘infinite potential’ that everyone’s been talking about? But this soft and flabby body of yours doesn’t seem to have any potential, haha!”

“Hey, you! You look weak already!”

“You got assigned to Class A? How in the world did that happen?”

I could just imagine listening to those words.

Sigh...

I’d rather I was Number 1 in Class B rather than Number 11 in Class A. Wait, no. Were the students ranked lower than me going to bully me for being actually weaker than them?

Ugh... I didn’t want to be last, and I didn’t want to be first either. I just hated this situation altogether.

And for better or worse, I didn’t see anyone who was pushed down or kicked out because of my joining.

I originally set both Class A and Class B to have ten students each, so being Number 11 meant that I had been admitted as an additional member, beyond the original capacity.

Maybe one troublemaker in the class being omitted would have been nice. Although I don’t quite recall who would have dropped out because of my admittance. No, maybe it was possible that the most important student would have been pushed out. It was a relief that I’d been admitted as an extra student, beyond the official class capacity.

I peered out the window and saw a few people getting off the magical train that was visible in the distance. It seemed like the students were slowly arriving, one by one.

If my guess was correct, there were sure to be events that deviated significantly from my expectations right from the beginning.

I wondered how things were going to unfold.

I took out the notebook and stationery I had prepared.

I wanted to organize the thoughts in my mind.

It might be difficult to remember everything, and there was a possibility that I wouldn’t even remember the insignificant characters who had little to no presence. Although I’d set up profiles for all twenty characters, not all of them played important roles. Including all twenty characters so that each of them played a meaningful role would make the story a mess.

However, beyond the point at which the gate opened in the middle of the story, everything became something more than just a mess.

Anyway, Class A and Class B.

I needed to organize the profiles of all the characters as I remembered them.

‘One. Two. Three.’

“....”

I couldn’t recall any of them well enough after seven.

My memory was pure garbage.

I struggled to remember and organize the names of these faceless characters. Fortunately, even if I couldn’t remember the names, I had a vague idea of what kind of character each one was.

***

The afternoon grew late, and it slowly approached early evening.

[All Royal Class students, please gather in the lobby. I repeat. All Royal Class students, please gather in the lobby.]

Finally, the announcement that called all the Royal Class students to gather had started broadcasting. I left my room on the far end of the left corridor and saw the backs of my fellow students as they emerged and began to walk over to the lobby after hearing the announcement.

Elite or not, I now had to act like a first-year high school student.

The thought of needing to hurry crossed my mind, and my footsteps felt heavy. I was already tired.

In the lobby on the first floor, students from Class A and Class B had gathered, and the student council members were standing near the high staircase that led upstairs.

And from the railings that went around each floor, other students were observing us from above.

The sixth-year students on the very top floor usually didn’t even bother participating in this event,but this time, all the students, including the senior students, were observing the arrival of the new students.

I wondered why.

“Now, both Class A and Class B, line up in order from room 1.”

Upon the student council president’s words, everyone lined up in a row. It wasn’t performed with any sort of military precision or speed; they were kids after all.

I was at the back of the Class A line.

The senior-year students usually never bothered to lean forward to get a glimpse of the new students’ faces during crowded events like this. But this time it was different. Everyone, including the senior students, was watching.

Right from the beginning, something unexpected was happening.

“Now, let’s have a quick introduction from everyone. Starting from the student in A-1,” The student council president suggested.

“I am Vertus de Gradias!”

Just hearing that name sent shivers down my spine. It was the voice of the person who had almost killed me multiple times. Vertus de Gradias, an individual who should be considered a villain, had a lively and cheerful voice.

There was no sense of authority to be found in his voice and instead, it seemed as though he was ready to give it his all, like the others. The way he was introduced felt strange.

Vertus had originally hidden his identity and enrolled in the Temple, but now, he was using his full name. That meant that the news of the prince’s entrance had already spread through the Royal Class. And if that was the case, it explained why the senior students were all watching the introduction.

The introduction continued, and when it was my turn, I briefly shouted my name.

Naturally, nobody paid any attention to me.

“Now, shall we start with the introduction of the students in Class B? Alright, student B-1, please introduce yourself.”

With this, the deviation from the original story because of my alteration of the storyline became clear.

“I am Charlotte de Gradias.”

A person who shouldn’t have been here, according to the original story.

Charlotte was in the Temple’s Royal Class.