The World Is Mine For The Taking

I was still stuck in the bronze class.

And so were my friends.

It didn't look like they'd managed to climb up even a little since the last time. They were in the same place, going through the same struggles, and honestly, it was starting to feel suffocating.

Raymond had at least reached the top 10, which was an achievement on its own, but looking at the way he was fighting tooth and nail to stay there, I could tell it wouldn't be long before he slipped back down. He was hanging on, but barely. Duncan, on the other hand, was still sitting steadily in the top 50. He wasn't rising, but he wasn't falling either. It was like he was just… stuck, caught in the middle of mediocrity, neither gaining ground nor losing it.

"It's getting suck," Raymond muttered with frustration, his voice carrying a rough edge as he leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't feel like we're ever gonna graduate to gold class. The only hope we've got is if Princess Myrcella actually manages to push through that thing she promised to implement during her two years of reigning here at the academy."

"Well," Duncan replied, his tone calm, almost resigned, "what she's trying to do is damn near impossible. Even with the power of a princess, it's still unrealistic to erase something that's been here since the very beginning. This academy's been running on that system for a hundred years already. Breaking that isn't just a change, it's like tearing down the foundation itself. And traditions like that… they're nearly impossible to shatter."

I looked at him with mild surprise, but Raymond spoke first. "I'm surprised you even know all that stuff, Duncan."

"Well, Estelle's been telling me about these things," he admitted casually.

"Tsk." Raymond clicked his tongue and shot him a glare. "How come you two haven't broken up yet…?" His voice had a hint of annoyance, though I couldn't tell if he was serious or just sulking.

"She said she's not going to break up with me. That's how much she loves me." Duncan's answer came without hesitation, his expression calm, almost smug.

Well, I wasn't so sure about that. Something about Estelle always made me feel like she was carrying some kind of hidden agenda, secrets buried beneath her soft smiles and sweet words. Things even I had no clue about.

And then, suddenly—my vision went dark. Someone's hands covered my eyes from behind.

"Who do you think it is?" came a bright, cheerful voice, practically dripping with energy.

I didn't even need to think. That voice, that sweetness in her tone, and even more than that—her scent. She smelled faintly sweet, like flowers in the morning, and it was so distinctly her that I couldn't mistake it.

"Selene," I said instantly.

"Boo…! How'd you know it was me? Ah! You must've recognized my voice, huh? Have you memorized my voice already, Leon? Ugh, creepy."

"You're the one who snuck up behind me and covered my eyes," I said, turning my head back toward her with a deadpan look, "and you're calling me creepy?"

She pulled her hands away, and I finally saw her. She was dressed in her academy uniform, neat and crisp, almost too proper. The way she wore it made her look… modest, but at the same time it only highlighted how naturally pretty she was. I could already tell she was going to end up in the silver class with her uniform color.

"Fufufufu… isn't my uniform so crisp? I look really cute, don't I?" she asked, spinning slightly with that playful smile of hers.

Well, she was Zeruel's sister, after all. She didn't even need to try—her beauty was something impossible to ignore. Both of them had that kind of striking charm that made people turn their heads without even realizing it. It wasn't just them either—their mother had that same aura too.

"Yes, you're very cute," I said honestly.

"Hey, Leon. Who's this?" Raymond asked, his tone curious.

"Ah… she's Zeruel's sister," I explained.

"Nice to meet you, seniors. From now on, I'll be your underclassman. I look forward to getting to know all of you," she said, bowing slightly with a smile that radiated politeness and elegance.

She really was polite.

But just as she was talking to us, a voice suddenly called out.

"Selene!"

I looked to the side and noticed a group of girls waving in our direction. Friends of hers, no doubt.

"Y-You're close with this senior?" one of them asked, their voices carrying a mixture of curiosity and caution.

"Yes," Selene answered brightly. "He's like a big brother to me. Right, big bro?"

I didn't answer.

"Um, have you heard the rumors about him?" one of the girls whispered.

"Rumors…?" Selene tilted her head.

"Y-Yes." They threw a side glance at me, hesitant, almost like they were nervous about even speaking. Their voices lowered, but I sharpened my hearing just enough to catch every word. "T-That he's a womanizer who struts around with different women in his arms…?"

Selene blinked, then smiled. "Hm… Well, I already kind of knew that. What of it?"

"W-What of it? D-Does that mean… you're one of them too…?"

Her cheeks turned red, but instead of backing down, she leaned in with that teasing glint in her eyes. "I-It's not like that… but if Leon decided to take me in too, I wouldn't resist~"

I had no idea what she was trying to tell them, but looking at their faces, they didn't seem like they were outright judging me. No, it was more like they were worried—worried that Selene might get herself tangled with the wrong man. But Selene herself seemed determined, almost eager to fall into it willingly, and that left her friends speechless, unable to argue further.

"Well then, Leon! See you soon!" Selene said, waving with the kind of enthusiasm that spread like wildfire. She looked like someone eagerly waiting to receive a present.

And honestly, her energy was infectious. I couldn't help but raise my hand and wave back.

"I didn't know you had someone like her, Leon," Raymond said after she left.

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Closer to a sister, I mean," he clarified. "I didn't know you were capable of smiling at anyone, honestly, much less someone younger. And to put up with her antics too? I can tell. I've got younger sisters myself."

Do I really see Selene like that? I wasn't sure. But I did notice that I felt warmer toward her compared to others younger than me. Maybe it was because she was really cute—hard to treat her coldly when she looked at me like that.

"Come to think of it, didn't you say you also had a real sister?" Raymond asked suddenly.

"Did I really say something like that?" I replied.

"I just felt like you did," he said, shrugging.

I did have real sisters. In the past world, and here too. Four sisters in this world, all of them crucial to the resurrection of Lilith. And the truth was—Estelle was one of them.

But there was no way I was telling them that. If they knew I was connected to Estelle, they'd start swarming me with questions, asking me for details about her, pestering me about how to win her over.

Honestly, that would just be a huge drag.

So for now, I kept my mouth shut, letting the truth stay buried.