So… how did it come to this?
The Merrick Baron Family was a minor noble house tucked away in a quiet barony at the very edge of the Empire.
Nothing spectacular happened here. No monsters, no dungeons, no grand estates. The villagers lived simple lives, and the main industry was… well, dairy farming. The lord and his family were nothing more than friendly neighbors—ordinary, kind, unremarkable.
Yet even the tiniest change in such a quiet place could feel like the world had been flipped upside down.
Specifically: the Lord's son—me—being accepted into the Imperial Academy.
The whole barony seemed to erupt into grief. Villagers cried in the streets, wailed at the gates, and clutched their children as though their lives had been stolen.
"You're leaving at last, Son," Father said, voice quivering slightly.
"Yes, Father," I replied, keeping my tone calm, though my chest tightened a little.
Baron Garrison Merrick—warm, strong, kind, built like a walking fortress—hugged me. His hands pressed firmly to my shoulders as he dabbed at his welling tears.
"You are the pride of our territory. Take care of yourself… and graduate safely."
"Of course, don't worry," I said, stepping back with a confident smile.
He may look gentle, but his body was all muscle—built by years of hard work on the farms. Around here, anyone who spent their life working the land came out toned, strong, and surprisingly deadly in a fight—even without formal training.
"However," Father added, voice softer now, "never get into trouble. The Imperial Academy is full of children from powerful houses. Small nobles like us… it's best to stay unnoticed."
"Don't worry, really," I said, doubling down on my confident smile. I had no intention of stirring up trouble.
Even if Father's worry wasn't entirely unfounded. After all, in the story of Hero Ascendant, minor aristocrats like us were often tossed into political storms, devoured by the ambitions of the powerful and eccentric.
Fortunately, I had no interest in making myself a target. I had my plans, my path… and I intended to walk it carefully.
---
< Status >
Name: Adrian Merrick
Strength: Pathetically low
Agility: Pathetically low
Endurance: Pathetically low
Luck: Pathetically low
Power: Pathetically low
< Skills >
None. Absolutely nothing.
< Mastery >
No specialization. No hidden talents. Just empty.
< Special Gift >
Unawakened.
---
"…"
Adrian stared at the neat little window, blinking in disbelief. It was… humiliating, almost painfully so.
All my stats were pathetically low. Every single one.
A start this terrible… I had never seen anything like it in all the hours I'd spent in Nymerris.
Well… this is going to be fun.
I forced a wry smile and glanced at the small window beside the main page.
[ Main Quest ]
Enter the Academy and be assigned a class!
Classic. I'd seen this a million times in the game. But a system page called "Quest Window" popping up in real life? That was a problem.
A main quest meant events to tackle. And that meant the Imperial Academy wasn't just a school—it was basically a blender set to "chaos," mixing plots, conspiracies, and the occasional murder attempt.
Skipping this? Nope. Game over. Dead. Probably dead.
Doing it myself? Hah. With these pathetically low stats? I'd get wiped out before even saying "hello."
My motto had always been: "Do anything that keeps you alive." Not "fight giant noble kids with better stats than you and hope for the best."
Sure, I had a "special gift," unawakened and totally useless for now. Maybe it would trigger eventually, if I did something "special." But as an extra character? I had zero clue what that meant.
So… what's the best course of action?
Blend in. Survive. Pretend I'm a background NPC. Maybe trip over a broom and nobody notices.
Faithfully fulfilling my role as an extra. That was it. That was my life now.
Pathetically low stats? Check.
No skill? Check.
Special gift? Useless? Check.
Perfect.
Don't stand out. Don't show off. Keep low-key.
Let the main characters handle everything. That was the rule.
"Don't worry, Father!" I said, forcing my bravest smile.
…Okay, now that I think about it, Father's advice actually wasn't bad at all. Pretty wise, even.
Is that what counts as nagging? If so, I could listen to this every day.
"I'll do my best to stay completely invisible at the Academy!"
"…Uh, no need to go that far," Father muttered, eyebrows twitching.
"Don't worry! I'll never have the vain ambition of raising the territory's honor or making a name for myself!"
"…Yes… I mean, that's technically true, but…"
After a few more of these awkward exchanges, I finally left the estate.
The villagers and my parents looked… weird. A little teary, a little anxious, a little like I was about to be fed to a lion. Well, whatever. As long as it was over.
And so… my perfectly low-key, invisible, completely unnoticed Academy life as an extra was about to begin!
Famous? No.
Powerful? Not in the slightest.
Chaos? Oh, it's coming…
I really had imagined it differently.
I pictured a future full of hope, of quiet, peaceful days… maybe even a little excitement, but nothing like this.
Ah… the days when dreams were simple.
"Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale," the voice beside me asked.
"I'm fine, really. Thanks," I said.
…Lies. Big lies.
As someone who had already decided to play the role of a background extra, the person I got stuck with was… a disaster waiting to happen.
I glanced sideways at her, expression carefully neutral. She was calmly reading a newspaper and sipping tea like the world had nothing better to do than serve her convenience.
Lirielle Elissandre La Caldwell.
Chances are, if this story had a "final boss," she was it.
How did I end up stuck in a compartment with someone like this?
I couldn't stop a quiet sigh from escaping my throat.
The train to Caldvenwell Imperial Academy only had two-person rooms. Random pairing. No choice. Absolute luck of the draw.
And apparently, luck had drawn me into the pit of despair.
Of all people… why a Duke's daughter? Why not someone manageable?
Before I could spiral further, she spoke, without even glancing up from her newspaper.
"Duke Caldwell cares more about appearances than comfort. First-class cabins for everyone? Too flashy. People might think we're showing off our noble status."
Her tone was calm, almost casual, but I could feel the edge of power beneath it.
Perfect. Just perfect. My peaceful, invisible life as an extra is already over before it even began.
"…"
"Relax. You didn't just blurt out some nonsense, okay? It's just… your face is priceless."
The Student Council President laughed, calm as if commenting on my terrified expression was the most normal thing in the world.
"The people who end up in the same compartment as me always think the same thing. You're just… dramatic about it."
"…Dramatic?"
Oh, so this wasn't a one-time thing. Fantastic.
Of course. Duke Tristan's daughter. A celebrity that could probably make nobles faint just by walking past. And here I am, a countryside nobody, stuck in the same tiny train cabin.
"Don't worry. Being near me won't actually hurt you. I promise. Sorry if I scared you a bit."
"…"
Scared? A bit? That's like saying a hurricane is a light breeze. I was basically holding on for dear life while she sipped tea like we were having a casual chat about the weather.
Perfect. My invisible, low-key, "don't get noticed" extra life has already been vaporized. Before we even arrive at the Academy.
And somehow, I think it's only going to get worse from here.