The long-awaited day had finally arrived. It was not only the start of a new school year for the freshmen but also the beginning of the Otome game that Rex had been so eager to experience.
A tide of students flowed toward the southeast of the capital, where, on the edge of an ancient, whispering forest, stood the imposing Royal Academy of Lynneburg, known to all as Rutheim Academy.
Its architecture was a faithful reflection of the most prestigious institutions the game developers could imagine: Gothic towers piercing the sky, stained-glass windows filtering light into colorful beams, and walls of polished stone that spoke of centuries of tradition.
With over a kilometer of grounds, the campus housed not only classrooms and libraries but also dormitories for students who came from afar. Passing through the main gate was like entering a small university kingdom, even though its purpose was strictly that of a higher education school.
Among the crowd, a thin first-year student gazed upon all that majesty with a mixture of awe and shyness.
His name was Patrick Ford Hogan. His short hair was a deep blue, as were his eyes, which peered out from behind polished glass lenses. His uniform, identical to that of the other first-year students, consisted of a red three-button blazer, blue trousers, black shoes, a pristine white shirt, and a black tie. The tie color was the only thing that differentiated the grades: black for first year, green for second, and red for third.
"It's incredible that I can study here," he murmured to himself, adjusting his glasses. "I never thought my father would actually manage to get me into this academy."
Patrick came from a poor family of urban barons—the kind that held a title but lacked land and wealth. His parents had worked themselves to exhaustion to pay the initial tuition: fifty gold coins, a fortune for them. And that wasn't even counting the monthly fee of thirty coins, the exams, and the ever-present threat of expulsion if he failed too many times.
"My parents sent me here to become a civil servant," he thought with determination. "So I must make a lot of contacts before I graduate."
He was walking absorbed in his thoughts when he accidentally bumped into the back of another boy.
"Sorry! I didn't see where I was going," he apologized immediately.
The boy he had hit turned around slowly. His gaze was intense and challenging, similar to that of a back-alley thug. His skin was tan, as were his hazel eyes, and he had brown hair tied back with a red bandana adorned with a skull. His uniform was disheveled, his tie loose, and his shirt untucked. He was a textbook delinquent.
"Hah? What the hell are you saying?" his vocabulary confirmed the first impression. "You looking for trouble, eh?"
"No, really, it was my fault."
"Huh! You wanna know my name that bad, don't you?" said the boy, completely ignoring the apologies. "Fine, I'll tell you, since you insist so much!"
"But I didn't say—"
Patrick was utterly confused, but the other boy, with unshakable confidence, proudly thumped his chest.
"I am Donner Ford Connor, and I came to this academy to make it mine! I will show this country my greatness!"
His strange self-introduction made several students turn to look at him with disdain or curiosity. Patrick decided to ignore him, as everyone else did, and made his way to the notice board to find his classroom.
There, amid the crowd, he scanned the list of names unsuccessfully, overwhelmed by the number of students. In his frustration, he bumped into someone again.
"Sorry," he muttered, almost by instinct.
"No problem. It's hard to find your class with so many people," replied a friendly voice.
It was Rex, who smiled with genuine warmth.
"Pleasure. My name is Rex—Alex Ford Lyones, and I'm an upstart baronet."
"Ah, pleased to meet you. I'm Patrick Ford Hogan, the eldest son of a baron family."
"Likewise. By the way, who's your friend?"
"Friend?"
Patrick followed Rex's gaze and saw, right behind him, Donner, who seemed on the verge of apoplexy, his face flushed with rage.
"Made friends pretty quick, didn't you?" growled Donner. "Damn it, and here I am, embarrassed and alone!"
"Huh? Where did you come from?" asked Patrick, genuinely perplexed.
"Listen up, you pair of idiots! If Donner-sama can't make friends at the start of the school year, you can't just go ahead without me!"
Rex, upon hearing the name, frowned thoughtfully.
"Donner… Donner… You like donuts that much? I see, I see. Donuts are delicious, but naming yourself after the donut boy is weird… but I won't judge. So I'll call you… Donny? How about that?"
"Who the hell said I like donuts?!"
Patrick, catching on to Rex's game, couldn't help but play along.
"I see, that explains everything. In that case, pleased to meet you, Donny-kun."
"Damn it! Don't add '-kun' to my name as if I'm the donut boy!"
The students around them, seeing the spectacle, prudently stepped aside, creating an opening that Patrick and Rex used to approach the board.
"Look, thanks to Donny, we have space," commented Rex with a sly smile. "Because they think he's a weirdo."
"Thanks, Donny-kun."
"Stop calling me Donny, damn it!"
Donner—now irrevocably "Donny"—looked about ready to spit blood from indignation.
"Oh, what a surprise," said Rex, pointing at the list. "All three of us are in Class E. But… what's this?"
He pointed to a name written in a different font, in a separate section just above theirs.
"There's more than one Class E, but that's weird. Could it be a mistake?" asked Rex, acting naturally.
Patrick, thinking he was unaware, hurried to explain.
"I can see next to your name that you got the scholarship, right? In that case, it's normal you wouldn't know. Let me explain quickly."
"There are three types of classes for students at the academy. The main one is the Advanced Class, focused on the children of high-born nobles, but only the firstborns or those from truly powerful families. Then there's ours, the Regular Class, for students with fewer resources: second or third sons, families of barons or viscounts with little capital, or even wealthy knights and merchants. And finally, the Special Class, for foreign students who will learn other subjects. It's the smallest one."
"Really? I didn't know that!" interjected Donny, who had approached while picking his nose nonchalantly.
"Y-yes… This is something every noble child should know," replied Patrick, slightly exasperated. "Before entering the academy, there's a class at the temple where they teach you how to behave. It lasted two years, by the way."
"Wow, two years to teach you how to behave in school… that's incredible!" Rex exclaimed sarcastically. "Was there a special class on how to lick the nobles' boots?"
"Hehehe, I get your sarcasm, but it's normal in this society."
"Really? I never went to one," confessed Donny. "My old man said it was a waste of time."
"Donny-kun, you really are the special case here, I see."
At that moment, a bell resonated throughout the campus, a clear, metallic sound that announced not the start of classes, but something else.
"Testing, testing," boomed a voice amplified by some magical device. "All first-year students, proceed immediately to the lecture hall as soon as possible. You will receive an entrance briefing. Follow the arrows located throughout the campus. You have five minutes before the doors close."
"We must hurry!" said Patrick, looking around. "Everyone else is already gone."
"Right. Better get a good spot," nodded Rex.
"Hold it right there, you two!"
Donny stepped in front of them, furious.
"I won't ignore that you treated me like some side character! This is the chapter of my life as the protagonist of this academy, so you two, as my subordinates, get behind me and follow my lead as you should!"
"I refuse," stated Rex bluntly.
"Huh?"
"Your attitude of a middle-school gang leader is really annoying. You won't have any friends if you act like you own everyone. Just stop acting like that, and you'll see how people approach you."
Then, Donny spat in his face.
Rex stood still for a second. Slowly, he wiped his cheek with his hand and looked at the saliva on his fingers. Then, he raised his eyes to Donny.
"You spat on me."
Donny whistled, looking away with false innocence.
"Of course not."
He kept whistling until Rex, with a quick and expert move, grabbed him by the back and slammed him with a suplex onto the cobblestone ground.
"It hurts! It hurts! It hurts so much!"
"Oh, really?" replied Rex, keeping him pinned. "Well, the point is for it to hurt a lot."
And so, amid shouts, sarcasm, and the beginning of a peculiar camaraderie, their school year began.
◇◇◇
All the students made their way to the lecture hall, a grand circular building dedicated to the magical arts and major ceremonies. Its interior resembled a miniature coliseum, with tiered seating rising towards a vaulted ceiling, capable of holding a massive number of people. The murmur of hundreds of conversations created a constant hum that reverberated off the stone walls.
Once everyone was seated, an elderly man with a long white beard and ceremonial robes approached the center of the oval stage. He gently tapped a magical stone embedded in the podium, and suddenly, his amplified voice resonated clearly in every corner of the room.
"Ahem… It is my pleasure to welcome all of the new students…"
The Headmaster launched into his customary speech, explaining the school's traditions, rules, and the expectations placed upon them. But for Rex, it went in one ear and out the other. His mind was far away.
(Finally, I'm here. I went through a lot to get in, but now is when things get serious.)
(Once the academy starts, the heroine, the capture targets… and the villainesses will appear.)
(From the beginning to the end of the school year, there will be several events involving them. Will I have to save them all?)
(It's true that, from the game's perspective, the girls who bullied the heroine were her enemies. But I, as a player, always saw those "villainesses" simply as girls who were being mistreated or manipulated by their fiancés or by circumstances.)
(So I want to see with my own eyes… will the heroine-chan be the cliché evil bitch from the novels, or was it all just shitty game writing?)
The Headmaster finished speaking and said something that finally captured Rex's full attention.
"…and now, give a big round of applause to Their Highnesses, the First and Second Princes, who will now give their opening remarks."
From among the seats of honor, two figures rose and walked with a regal bearing towards the podium. The first had hair of a deep navy blue, almost black, and eyes of the same color that scanned the audience with an imposing calm.
(There you are. Main capture target.)
"It is a pleasure to meet you all, my fellow students," he began to speak, his voice serene and projected with natural authority. "I am the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Lynneburg, Kyle Bertrand Phil Lynneburg, and I want to tell you that…"
The Crown Prince delivered an impeccable, emotive, and perfectly prepared speech, designed to captivate and inspire every student. When he finished, he received thunderous applause. He gave a slight nod of thanks and, as he stepped back, shot a brief but significant glance at his younger brother.
The Second Prince then stood before everyone. Unlike his brother, he had hair like strands of gold and clear, almost crystalline blue eyes.
"Like my brother, it is a pleasure to be here with you," he said, with a slightly shyer but equally sincere smile. "I am the Second Prince, Ethan Cody Phil Lynneburg…"
His speech was kind and cordial, but it lacked the magnetic force of his brother's. When he finished, he received respectful applause, though noticeably less fervent.
The Headmaster returned to the podium.
"Before we conclude this annual welcome, a professor will give you the initial academic instructions and schedules."
He yielded the floor to a tall, slender man. He had long blue hair, meticulously gathered over one shoulder. His face, with its handsome, sharp features, seemed too young for the wisdom he was supposed to possess; he looked to be in his twenties. clearly glasses partially hide his purple eyes, adding an air of mystery and seriousness.
"It is a pleasure to be before you for another year, and especially, to welcome the new students," he said, his voice soft yet penetrating, capable of holding everyone's attention. "I am Professor Robert Ford Clement, head of the Magical History department, and I would like to begin with…"
Everyone watched him, fascinated, enchanted by his eloquence and presence. Everyone except Rex, who observed him with absolute indifference and a hint of distrust.
(I can't believe it. I knew he'd appear, but seeing him in person is… disturbing.)
(One of the capture targets from the second game. Robert-sensei. What a complicated character.)
While the new students hung on the professor's every word, they were completely unaware that from an upper booth, nearly hidden in the shadows, they were being meticulously observed.
It was normal for eyes to be scrutinizing the new batch for talent, potential officials, or future knights. But among all these observers, one was special.
A second-year student, leaning against the railing, toyed with a gold coin, spinning it over his knuckles. He had chestnut hair combed back with impeccable perfection and brown eyes that coldly calculated each student below.
The booth door opened softly. Another young man entered, wearing a distinctive hat similar to a French beret. His hair was black as jet, and his deep blue eyes sought out the first.
"Dolph, what did you find out?" asked the one with the coin, without taking his eyes off the crowd.
The boy named Adolph Field, his subordinate, shrugged.
"Well, there aren't many interesting freshmen. There are one or two with potential, especially the scholarship student, but we'd have to see if they're worth recruiting."
The young man tossing the coin was Lloyd Elgar, adopted son of one of the kingdom's richest merchants. But his background was far more important than it seemed.
Because Lloyd, on top of everything else, was one of the capture targets from the sequel to the game Rex knew so well. A central character whose heart was inextricably linked to a specific event that would shake the foundations of the kingdom.
He was the fundamental pillar, the architect in the shadows, of the commoners' rebellion that would take place at the end of the second year.
◇◇◇
Once the lecture was over, the students headed to their respective classes.
"I already told you, I won't be anyone's subordinate," Rex muttered as he, Patrick, and a still-groaning Donny found their classroom and slid into seats in the back row.
After they were seated, a professor appeared. After a brief greeting, she adjusted her glasses and made an announcement. "Before I introduce myself, I would like to inform you of a new change this year, requested by the palace itself." She continued, "Students from the regular class can now aspire to transfer to the advanced class based on merit. This is because the palace is interested in cultivating future officials who are both loyal and capable—individuals who might otherwise only aspire to become tax collectors. If you prove useful, you could even work there upon graduation."
The class buzzed with excitement at the news, and the lesson began. The only one uninterested was Rex, who could only think one thing.
(This is so boring. Everything they teach is about how to lick the nobles' boots. It's practically a factory for producing political supporters.)
Once class ended, they moved to their next lesson, held in the rear courtyard. There, a teacher with a large afro and track suit greeted them.
"Welcome, newcomers! I am Rokomoko, and I will be your instructor in martial arts and fencing. Do not confuse this with the knight preparation class; that is taught by someone else."
"Since you are the students with the least chance of becoming heirs," he explained, "I will teach you how to advance from being mere bodyguards to knight apprentices."
The class commenced and was proceeding smoothly until a disruption occurred.
"This is useless."
All eyes turned to a tall, well-built boy with hair and eyes as red as a tomato. It was one of the capture targets, the son of a count: Zacharias Ford Zackley, or simply Zach.
The advanced class shared the training grounds with the regular class for physical defense drills. Zach was angrily confronting his own group's instructor.
"Sensei, everyone here is supposed to be an heir from a border family like me. But they're all weak! Like you!" he spat. "These weaklings aren't even good for training! I want someone strong as a sparring partner!"
Someone stepped forward to challenge him.
"Oh? You think you're so tough, huh?" Donny said, stepping forward with a grin stretching from ear to ear. "Well, let me introduce you to someone who can handle you."
Zach looked him over, drew his wooden practice sword, and pointed it at him. "You bark a lot. Can you bite too?"
"I'll show you."
The students were a mix of shocked and excited to see two students from different classes square off. When Rokomoko-sensei lowered his arm to start the duel, Donny was immediately defeated by Zach's rapid strikes, sent flying back against the wall.
Zach spat on the ground near him and looked down with contempt. "Tch. Is that the best you can do? What a loser."
Rex, standing behind Patrick, murmured, "He was so confident with that aggressive personality, and he was defeated so easily."
(Zach is acting weird. In the game, he was known as the sword idiot; he only thought about fighting but never criticized or treated his classmates like this.)
Rokomoko looked at the situation, confused, then spotted Rex and Patrick. "Sorry, can you take him to the infirmary?"
"Sure," Rex said. "No one else will."
Rex and Patrick carried Donny to the infirmary, located just a few meters away. Upon arrival, the nurse, before even attending to Donny, asked, "Which class are you from?"
"We're from the regular class," Patrick answered. "This idiot picked a fight with someone from the advanced class."
Upon hearing that, the nurse took off her gloves and tossed them aside. "Sorry, boys, but this is the infirmary for the advanced class. If you need the other infirmary, you'll have to go to the other side of the campus."
"Seriously?!" Patrick exclaimed in surprise. "But you're right here; you can help him!"
"Sorry, it's not my area."
Just then, a curtain was pulled aside, and a boy with the disheveled look of a delinquent emerged, yawning. His purple hair was a mess, his purple eyes showed how well he'd slept, and the piercings in his ears complemented his rebellious attitude.
"Nurse-chan, thanks for the nap," he said with a roguish smile. "I'll be back later; gonna take a walk now."
Rex watched the attractive boy leave.
(Didn't think I'd find another capture target here. The rebellious bully son, Ricky Silk Dudley.)
"Miss nurse, that student was sleeping here, but you can't help our friend?" Patrick pressed.
"I already said no. Go to the other side. Come back when you're advanced class students," she said, giving them an angry look before shutting the door in their faces.
"He's the son of Baron Dudley, so he can do whatever he wants. You can't," Patrick said, looking at the closed door with disappointment. Rex, however, was pensive. Patrick, thinking he didn't understand, explained who he was. Again, Rex already knew but couldn't say, "I know, he was in the game."
"The Dudley family is known to have ties to the underworld. It's suggested you avoid them unless you want something bad to happen to you."
"I understand. They seem like people to be feared. Anyway, we have to get this fool to the infirmary," Rex said, hoisting Donny onto his back again. Together with Patrick, he continued the trek to the other side of the campus.
◇◇◇
As they made their way to the infirmary at the far end of the campus, Donny's weight began to take its toll. They decided to pause and catch their breath in a quiet garden located in a central plaza, where wrought-iron benches were nestled among climbing rose bushes and neatly trimmed hedges.
It was there, in that moment of calm, when a cacophony of high-pitched, enthusiastic voices shattered the tranquility of the place.
"Keith-sama, please, tell us more about your dragon hunting story!"
"It's not fair that Keith-sama only talks to you!"
"Please, Keith-sama, don't ignore me!"
A group of girls, their pleated skirts swaying, formed a vibrant circle around a central figure. In their midst was a young man with a delicate, almost feminine face, long sky-blue hair falling over his shoulders, and eyes of the same color that observed with a condescending calm. A small mole under his lower lip seemed to add a touch of studied elegance.
"Now, now, calm down, my girls," said his voice, as soft as silk. "It's only natural that you all want to spend time with me, but we must take it slow. I have the whole year ahead to dedicate to each and every one of you."
The empty, yet well-delivered, promise was enough to make the girls erupt into such shrill screams of excitement that several students passing by quickened their pace, seeking refuge from the tumult.
Patrick helped Rex readjust Donny, who was groaning weakly, on their shoulders.
"That's the son of Marquis Muller. Keith Ford Muller," Patrick explained in a whisper, as if saying his name aloud might attract his attention. "A top-tier womanizer, despite his angelic appearance. They say he has a different girlfriend for every day of the week."
Thanks for the info, Patrick. I already knew, but I really couldn't care less. He's just another pawn in this aquarium of predictable characters, thought Rex, adjusting his grip on Donny.
They continued on their way, leaving the garden and Keith's entourage behind, until they finally reached their destination: the infirmary for the Regular Class. The contrast couldn't have been more evident. It was a much smaller and more modest room, with few beds and shelves filled with jars of generic medicines. An elderly nurse, her face lined with kind wrinkles and glasses perched on the tip of her nose, greeted them with a tired smile.
She attended to Donny without asking questions or making excuses, placing him on one of the beds and beginning to clean his bruises with expert hands.
"You picked a bad time, boys," she told them as she worked, casting a worried glance at a rather tall stack of books resting on a chair. "I was just about to take these back to the main library, but now I won't be able to because I have to help this boy. I sure wish someone could help me take them…"
The hint was as transparent as window glass. Rex sighed internally. He was the fastest, and besides, Donny would be under supervision for a while.
"I'll do it," he offered, lifting the stack of books with some effort. "By the time I get back, he should be patched up, right?"
"Oh, thank you, young man! You're a dear!" the elderly nurse smiled with genuine relief. "The library is that big building with the tall stained-glass windows, you can't miss it. Just hand them in at the main desk!"
Rex nodded, adjusting to the weight of the books. He shot a look at Patrick.
"Stay with him. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He left the infirmary, heading towards the library. At least it was an opportunity to explore the campus a bit more and, incidentally, escape the melodrama for a while.
◇◇◇
After arriving at the imposing library, a sanctuary of silence and knowledge with bookshelves that soared toward a vaulted ceiling, Rex went to the main counter to return the books. Just in front of him, another student was locked in a battle of wills with the librarian.
He was a tall boy with impeccable posture, rigorously combed emerald green hair, and intense, critical eyes of the same color that peered through thin-rimmed glasses. He held a book as if he were examining a repulsive insect.
"This book does not meet the historiographical requirements the palace expects," he declared, his voice clear and cold, cutting through the library's still air. "It contains unacceptable inaccuracies about the reign of Emil the Wise. Please, discard it and get a copy of the corrected edition authorized by the royal archivists."
His superior attitude was not unfounded. Rex recognized him instantly: Matthias Silk Skylar. He belonged to a family of viscounts, but his real influence came from his direct connection to the royal family. He was the honorary brother of the crown prince and, of course, another of the game's capture targets.
The librarian, an old, tired man, nodded with resignation and took the book with disappointment, as if accepting a contaminated object.
At that precise moment, the library's great oak door opened, allowing a figure who seemed to carry his own light to pass through. It was the crown prince, His Highness Kyle.
"Matt, are you done with your personal crusade against incorrect information?" he asked with a friendly smile, approaching.
"Yes, Your Highness," Matt replied, turning and adjusting his glasses with a precise gesture. "Now we can go to the next class without the shadow of historical inaccuracy clouding our path."
"You really love spending time among these dusty shelves!" the prince commented, in a tone of affectionate teasing.
"Knowledge is power, Your Highness," Matt retorted, without a shred of humor. "And a future king, or the one who advises him, must feed his brain with the same dedication with which a soldier sharpens his sword."
"Haha, you're right, as always. But I confess I can't tolerate as much dense text as you can," Kyle admitted, placing a friendly hand on his friend's shoulder and guiding him toward the exit.
(Those dialogues... they're literally a conversation taken from a chapter of the game. Without a doubt, this world is exactly from that Otome. Every interaction, every character... it's like watching a recording), Rex thought, watching them leave before approaching the counter to drop off his own pile of books with a sigh of relief.
Once his errand was complete, he returned to the infirmary. Donny had already recovered, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing the back of his neck with a pained grimace, but well enough to launch a complaint at Patrick.
"I've never been humiliated like this! Next time I'll show him my true power!" he declared, though with noticeably less conviction than before.
Patrick just rolled his eyes.
Before Rex could add anything, a chime resonated across the campus, sweet and clear, announcing lunchtime. Donny's stomach rumbled like a caged lion, sealing any pending debate.
"Time to eat!" the boy announced, jumping off the bed as if defeat and humiliation were already a thing of the past. "I need protein to recover and plot my revenge!"