I held the registration form in my hand. The paper felt thin and a little rough, but to me, it felt more valuable than the university diploma from my old life. This was my ticket. Not to the main stage with the heroes, but backstage, where extras like me could shine.
I nodded at Silvia.
"Thank you, Senpai."
She just gave a small nod in return, her eyes already back on her book, as if I no longer existed in her world. I turned and walked away, leaving the deserted booth behind. The Main Hall was starting to empty out now, the new students already clustered around their chosen booths, filling out their forms with excitement.
As I walked across the hall, the system suddenly gave me a notification.
[New Target Analysis Complete: Silvia Nacht.]
[Rank: A (Intelligence Type)]
[Threat: High. Intelligence and observational skills are far above average. Difficult to deceive with cheap tricks. Possesses a passive resistance to charm and seduction.]
[Hentai Notes: Minimal physical assets (flat-chested). Not a primary target for visual-based HP collection, but has high potential for 'intellectual domination' scenarios.]
'Flat-chested?' I almost laughed. This system really had strange priorities. 'But the rest... I agree. She's dangerous.'
She didn't have an oppressive aura of power like Kira or explosive fire mana like Isolde. Her danger was more subtle, colder. She was the type of person who would know all your secrets before you even realized you had them. But that's exactly why her department was the perfect place for me. I could learn from her.
And the [Lovers' Gust] skill... at first I thought it was just a perverted skill for flipping skirts. But it turned out to be the perfect infiltration tool. An invisible magic that could manipulate small objects from a distance. In anyone else's hands, it was a joke. In my hands, in this department, it was a weapon.
As I neared the exit, I saw a scene that seemed to perfectly summarize the entire social structure of this academy. Damian von Elysia, the hero, stood in the middle of a huge crowd in front of the Knight's Faculty booth, smiling graciously and answering questions from his admirers. He was like the sun, pulling everyone into his orbit.
Not far from him, Isolde von Brandt was surrounded by other nobles near the Magic Faculty booth. She seemed to have forgotten yesterday's incident, her arrogant laughter ringing out clearly. She was a beautiful storm, powerful and unapproachable.
And then there was me. Walking alone on the fringes, unnoticed, holding a form for the most unpopular department. Someone who had just found their comfortable grave.
I got back to my room earlier than everyone else. I locked the door and immediately threw myself onto the bed, staring at the form in my hand.
Name: Leon Richter
Chosen Department: Special Studies (Reconnaissance & Infiltration)
I took a pen from the desk and filled it out neatly. This was my path. I wouldn't be the hero who saves the world. I would be the shadow who knows every dirty secret in this world.
I spent the rest of the day quietly. I read some of the basic textbooks on the History of Aethelgard that were on the desk turns out the original Leon Richter was diligent enough to kill time. No new missions. No interruptions. Just a strange peace after the storm.
As night fell and I prepared for sleep, one last notification panel appeared, glowing softly in my dark room.
[Daily Summary Complete.]
[Action Analysis: Host has demonstrated exceptional talent in deception, manipulation, and exploiting target weaknesses.]
[Based on your actions today, a new Title has been unlocked!]
[New Title Unlocked: [Scammer] (Novice)]
[Scammer] Title Effect: Slightly increases the probability of targets believing your lies and excuses. The effect will increase with more successful acts of deception.
I stared at the panel, and then a cynical smile slowly formed on my face.
My first title in this world. Not [Hero Candidate]. Not [Talented Mage].
[Scammer]
It suited me perfectly. I closed my eyes, feeling more satisfied with myself than I ever had in my entire life. Tomorrow, my first class as a scamming ghost would begin. And I couldn't wait.
The next morning, I walked through the crowded Main Hall, this time with a clear purpose. I was no longer lost. I followed the simple map on the back of my registration form, which led me away from the grand faculty buildings, toward the older, quieter library area.
The instructions were strange. "Central Library, ground floor, Forbidden Archives aisle, knock on the third bookshelf from the end, pattern: two knocks, pause, three knocks." It sounded more like instructions to enter a secret base than a normal class. I liked it.
I found the bookshelf in a dusty, rarely visited corner of the library. I glanced around. No one was there. I knocked on the old wood in the specified pattern.
Knock, knock... knock, knock, knock.
A moment of silence. Then, with a soft creak, the bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a stone staircase descending into darkness.
I stepped inside and the bookshelf immediately closed behind me, swallowing me in a thick silence. Blue magic torches automatically lit up on the walls as I went down the stairs, illuminating a small, functional basement room.
This room was the complete opposite of the academy's grandeur above. There were no decorations. The walls were bare stone. On one side, there were a few tables with various locks, traps, and strange tools on them. On the other, a large map of Concordia hung. In the middle of the room, there were only four desks and chairs.
Three of them were already occupied..
At one desk sat a small, thin young man. He might have been a Gnome or a Halfling, with messy brown hair and long, nimble fingers that were busy fiddling with a small puzzle box.
At another desk sat a girl who looked extremely shy. Her pale blonde hair covered part of her face as she looked down, sketching something in her notebook. She looked like the type of person who would apologize if you bumped into her.
And in the front seat, of course, sat Silvia Nacht. She was sharpening a small dagger with a whetstone, the rhythmic scraping of metal being the only sound in the room.
She looked up as I entered, her gray eyes assessing me. "You're on time. Take a seat.
I chose the empty desk in the back, keeping my distance. In total... there were only three students? Me, the Gnome, and the shy girl. A truly elite department.
[New Target Analysis: Elara Meadowlight. Race: Human. Rank: C (Support Type). Threat: Low. Specialization: Minor Illusion Magic (Camouflage). Hentai Notes: Balanced body proportions, C-cup tits, round ass. Looks innocent, the type who would scream at the sight of a cock.]
Thanks for the morning report, System. I glanced at the girl named Elara. She felt my gaze and ducked her head even lower, her ears turning red.
Silvia put down her dagger and whetstone. She stood and walked to the front of the room, her gaze sweeping over the three of us.
"Welcome to the Department of Special Studies," she said, her voice flat but clear. "Forget everything you've seen in the other faculties. There is no glory here. No applause. If we do our job right, no one will ever know we were there."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"In this department, there is only one rule: succeed or die. Failing a mission in the real world won't get you a bad grade. It will get your throat cut. So, I'm not going to waste your time with boring theories."
She walked to her desk and picked something up. The small silver bell from yesterday.
"Your first lesson begins now," she said, placing the bell in the middle of her desk. "Your task is the same as the entrance test, but this time, it's a little harder."
She snapped her fingers. A faint, nearly invisible blue light enveloped the bell for a moment before disappearing.
"I've placed a simple alarm spell on the bell. If any solid object or unrecognized mana flow touches it, I will know instantly. Your task: work together or alone, make the bell ring without triggering the alarm and without me seeing you cause the bell to ring."
She went back to her chair, picked up her book, and started reading, as if the lesson was already over.
"You have until lunchtime," she added without looking up. "Begin."
Silence filled the room. The Gnome, Elara, and I looked at each other awkwardly. Work together? I didn't even know their names.
The Gnome, who seemed the most impatient, was the first to move.