The Only Male Student in the Academy

009. Placement Test (6)

Ariel Beheritt.

Death squadron character who dies during the tutorial. A supporting role within a supporting role.

An extra character of misfortune that disappears without having a significant impact on the original story.

But it would never have been a useless character.

If the game could have been established without Ariel, the production team would not have included the character Ariel in the game.

In terms of content, Ariel is also the person who provides the opportunity for Lucius to become a hero.

From the player’s point of view, in the tutorial stage, you can experience skills such as And In advance through Ariel.

From the point of view of the production team, it is also a character that plays the role of ‘introducing the work’ as a ‘fake fellow character’.

Fake fellow characters.

This is a character type mainly used in the death game genre.

As you can see by looking at Ariel, there are various settings attached to the subject, an expendable character who dies as soon as he starts.

The second son of a duke, an exchange student who had an accident, an idiot, etc….

Even the day before the placement test, Ron warned Lucius. Ariel, the wretch of the duchy, told her to be careful.

So the players are misunderstood. Ariel is an important character.

He said that it might be a character who becomes a friend of Lucius.

However, when he opened it, he died during the tutorial.

It’s almost laughable to die so absurdly.

A character who appears to be an important character and then dies from the prologue.

The reason I use this kind of directing is also to evoke the atmosphere.

At the same time, it is also a means to introduce ‘that the genre of the work is never bright’.

[Ariel] “…It was an injury case.”

[Ariel] “Even though it looks like this, I’m still reflecting on it. I really did something meaningless.”

[Ariel] “So I did some crazy things.”

[Ariel] “If I go as far as I can as a human, maybe I’ll get some attention.”

[Ariel] “But the result is like this.”

[Ariel] “I wondered if I could hear swear words in my face, but it ended with just one letter.”

[Ariel] “Isn’t it funny, Lucius?”

He would die after telling the story of how he became such an idiot.

The more the character has a story, the better.

And the lighter the death, the bigger the impact.

That’s a fake fellow character.

But what if you survive?

What happens when a fake fellow character who should have died survives?

Wouldn’t it be just an ordinary fellow character?

“Arial, are you awake?”

When I slowly open my eyes, the first thing I see is Lucius’s face.

“Ugh…”

“You can’t move yet. You’re really hurt.”

I tried to get up, but the pain overtook me.

I remember falling asleep in that pain. He had no recollection that he was doing a placement test.

“I’ll call someone. Wait a minute.”

Lucius put me back on the bed and immediately left the room.

He is not dead.

I am the one who survived.

After a while, Lucius returned with what appeared to be nurses.

In an instant, the atmosphere became chaotic.

Checking my body condition, changing into a new bandage, changing the sap….

While the nurses were busy, I just leaned back on the bed in a daze.

It must have been about 10 minutes.

The nurses left the room all at once.

And there was one person who came in as if to replace those nurses.

A short girl came in.

“Nice to meet you, Student Beheritt. My name is Katherine Elune.”

“……Catherine Elune.”

It was a familiar name.

Short enough to be over 150 cm tall.

Narrow shoulders, short limbs, and a small face.

To be honest, middle school students…… No, it looks like an upper elementary school grade.

Even so, what made her nervous was the atmosphere she created.

An extremely businesslike attitude that can be seen from the facial expression.

It is truly the face of an adult.

Catherine Elune.

A professor who teaches elemental magic and theology at Philea Academy.

His age is over 30 years old.

“……Why are you here?”

I am a little girl…… No, I asked the little ‘woman’ like that.

Then Professor Katherine answered quietly.

“Because I’m your professor.”

“Professor in charge…?”

“Yes. You have been assigned to Class B, Department of Magical Combat. And I am the professor in charge of Class B, Department of Magical Combat.”

It took me a while to understand what that meant.

Apparently, as a result of the class assignment test, I was put into class B.

And Professor Catherine is the homeroom teacher of the so-called B class?

‘Class B….’

That was unexpected. Mang Kane Ariel should be good I thought she was C class.

I don’t know if being in class B is good or bad.

The fact that the homeroom teacher is Catherine is also a factor that worries me.

Above all, there is ‘Marie Ruhelif’ in Class B.

“That means the placement test is over.”

“That’s right. When Beheritt was injured, we stopped once, and three days later, we ran the placement test again.”

“That means…How long have I slept?”

“Five days.”

“5 Days…”

As I was surprised to learn that I had been sleeping for five days, Professor Catherine briefly explained my physical condition.

When first discovered, it was said that one arm had been torn off, plus numerous fractures and organ damage.

It is said that everything has been fixed now.

Using medical magic, he healed broken bones and damaged organs, and it is said that his torn arm was also restored with magic.

“It was a wound that wouldn’t be strange even if it died. It had vitality that a freshman couldn’t believe.”

Looking at my right hand, Professor Catherine said.

If you follow her gaze and look at her hand, there is still a rough ring on it. Apparently, he had already figured out the ring of life.

Fortunately, Professor Catherine didn’t say much more, and she looked at my face again.

Cold eyes meet.

Her eyes are like a finely sharpened knife.

“The treatment went well, so there shouldn’t be any special problems with your body. Even so, you’ll need to rest for a while.”

“…I see.”

“Please stay in the hospital for about 10 days. Going to school is a story after being discharged.”

Saying that, Professor Catherine held out some of her documents.

Documents related to course registration, academy rules, academy profile and map, list of class assignments, etc….

Various manuals and sacred documents.

“Originally, I, the professor in charge, would have to explain one by one, but considering the physical condition, I will skip it for now. Please read at your leisure while you are hospitalized.”

With that said, Professor Catherine rose from her seat. As if the business is over with this.

Perhaps he is trying to be considerate in his own way. She must have thought that she couldn’t bother the patient who had just woken up from the hospital bed.

‘I’m not a bad person, but… , That’s right.’

Would you say that it is too businesslike? It is an impression that makes it difficult to feel closeness.

Thinking so, she sees Professor Catherine about to leave the room, but she stops before leaving and she looks this way again.

“After you are discharged, there will be some consultations.”

“…What kind of counseling is this?”

“It will be mainly about your special status.”

A way of speaking with a unique sense of distance. But I definitely understood the meaning of that voice.

This is a warning. Professor Catherine is giving me a warning under her guise.

Me lying in a hospital bed and Lucius standing vaguely.

After looking at the two of us, Professor Katherine finally opened the door.

“May you lead a healthy life.”

She left the hospital room with those words.

Chin. The door closes obtusely.

“What should I say… Ariel’s professor is a strange person…?”

Lucius, who had been watching quietly until now, suddenly opened his mouth.

“I’m glad you seem like a good person though. He seems to care about Ariel.”

“…Well, is it really fortunate?”

Although he didn’t say it directly, he didn’t seem to like me very much.

That’s right. Professor Catherine values her fairness and order above all else.

You will definitely not like me.

“Rather than that, why are you here?”

I looked towards Lucius.

Lucius, who received my gaze, tilts his head as if wondering.

“Hmm? Did you come to visit me?”

“…Did you come every day for 5 days?”

“Yes. I came once a day with Tia. Tia couldn’t come today because she had business to do.”

“Whoa…”

As soon as I heard the answer, a sigh came out.

It seemed that he was regarded as a ‘friend’ by Lucius.

Not a very good situation.

“Don’t come again. I don’t want to be involved with you.”

Even if you act arrogant, even if you try to be hated, even if you act unlikable, it doesn’t work for Lucius. This guy is such a person.

So what is needed now is honesty.

“What’s wrong with Ariel? What’s wrong?”

“What happened? Stupid question. Look at me.”

“That… I’m sorry. Ariel wouldn’t have been so hurt if I had noticed sooner…”

Lucius bows his head and apologizes. Even though it’s not his fault.

His eyebrows are down as if he is really sorry.

“It’s all thanks to Ariel. Thanks to Ariel, Tia and I saved our lives. So… I’ll definitely repay this favor.”

“If you think so, don’t even come here.”

What’s popping up in my head right now is Unknown Saga’s system.

In Unknown Saga, there is a system called ‘connection’.

The closer you get to know Lucius, the higher the ‘bond level’, and it is a system that gives you various benefits.

Among those benefits, there is something called a ‘facilitator’.

Helpers with a high bond level help Lucius in various situations.

Sometimes he intervenes in the story, and sometimes he saves the Lucius party from danger.

… In some cases, he solves a case together with Lucius.

In other words, getting close to Lucius means becoming her ally.

‘But I’m an extra.’

Ariel Beheritt is a character who should have died in the tutorial if she was originally.

There is no such thing in the original work that such a character becomes a friend of Lucius.

That’s why you should avoid getting close to Lucius.

My first principle was to continue the original story.

“I hate you.”

So I say.

“In the end, the rumors were true. The entanglement with the cursed clan made me so unhappy.”

“That-that…Isn’t it Tia’s fault? It was just a coincidence that the shadow wolf appeared there…”

“It’s a coincidence. It’s a coincidence that works too well.”

“…….”

At my words, even Lucius is at a loss for words.

Shadow Wolf is a monster that cannot be seen near the academy. But he appeared there.

At least at the timing when Tia was about to enter the dungeon.

This is a situation that can only be said to be unfortunate.

“I’ll never party with her again.”

And, I won’t be able to get close to you.

So it is said.

Silence falls.

Uncomfortable air. A different kind of awkwardness echoed through it.

Lucius seems hesitant.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.

His eyes looked this way and then lowered again.

Even in such a repetitive process, he seemed to be thinking about something.

“……I see.”

All Lucius could do was nod his head.

“I wanted to get to know you…It’s a pity. But our academy life has just begun.”

As if bitter or regretful.

But with a kind smile, Lucius slowly gets up.

“Let me say this at least, Ariel. Thank you so much for protecting Tia.”

“…….”

“Please take good care of me for the next 4 years.”

Leaving those words behind, Lucius turned his back.

Footsteps. The sound of opening a door. The sound of a door closing.

Lucius left the room.

I became alone.

Time passed, the long hospitalization was over, and it was the school day.

I go to school about a week later than other students. It’s uncomfortable from that point on.

The problem is not only that.

‘He’s getting a lot of attention.’

The whispers of female students. Every time I pass by the hallway, countless gazes stick to me.

This must be the feeling of bullying in the whole school.

It’s never a pleasant feeling.

‘Don’t shrink.’

I have to spend the next four years here.

Even as a male student named Ariel Beheritt.

Even if you lower your head, it will only become your weakness. Knowing that fact, I stretch my shoulders.

Confidently.

Spread your chest, raise your head, and be confident.

Heading to Class B.

Then the door opened.

Then.

“Oh, you’re finally here.”

As soon as I opened the door, I heard an unfamiliar but familiar voice.

That, too, is an ominous voice.

A voice full of laughter is in front of me.

I can see twin tails dancing.

Although not as tall as Catherine, she is short for her age. Her hair glows golden in the sunlight from her window, and the epaulet on her left arm catches her eye.

She was there with aristocratic arrogance.

“Congratulations on your discharge, Ariel. Let’s get along well with our classmates.”

Saying that, Claire held out her hand.

… Is it real?