At an inn near the academy.
A female attendant stood in the inn's corridor and knocked on a door.
Knock.
Knock.
"Excuse me."
"Come in."
"Yes."
After receiving permission from the room's owner, she opened the door.
Creak—!
A man with golden hair sat on a chair near the window, holding an elegant glass filled with liquor.
"Good evening, Lord Leon."
"Good evening, Margaretta."
Margaretta bowed politely.
"So, what are the results?"
Margaretta took a sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to Leon.
!!
Leon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Margaretta… is this really all the information?"
"Yes. I apologize, but that is all I could obtain."
"No, I'm not blaming you. I'm just surprised that even you could only gather this much."
"…Yes."
"Let's see… it seems he became an adventurer before entering the academy, at an age close to eleven."
"Yes. It is extremely rare. Even among children, it's uncommon to enter the world of adventurers at such an age."
What Margaretta says is true. It's very rare for a child that young to register as an adventurer unless it's for money, Leon thought.
"Interesting."
After that, Leon stood up and headed toward the exit.
"Wait here, Margaretta."
"But how can I leave you without protection?"
"I'll only be in the lounge for a moment. There's no need to worry."
"…Understood."
Margaretta tried to follow him but was stopped by Leon. He walked down the corridor and soon arrived at the lounge, where the main figures who had previously joined his group were gathered.
"Greetings to—"
"There's no need to be formal. Everyone here is equal, so don't do that."
They looked at Leon in confusion, but he continued speaking.
"What's more important is that I want to ask you something."
"What would you like to ask?" Luminelle asked.
"What do you think about what happened with applicant Shion earlier?"
Everyone was surprised by Leon's question. Even Elise, who had remained silent, and Tania, who had not spoken at all until now, showed interest.
"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.
"Well, I'm just curious about what really happened inside that dark barrier."
"Didn't he say it himself? That he only saw his memories," Roland replied lazily.
"That's true. But for some reason, I feel that wasn't everything."
"What he said was half true… and half a lie."
Suddenly, Riana, who looked uninterested until now, spoke up.
"I agree with Lady Riana. What he said earlier contained deception."
Elise, the elf, added calmly, making the entire room fall silent.
It was difficult not to believe them. Riana possessed a skill related to detecting lies, though they did not know it. Combined with Elise's words, an elf contracted with fairies, their credibility became undeniable.
While the room fell quiet, only Luminelle's thoughts continued to race.
That hair color, those eyes, and that voice… I'm certain it's him.
She was the only one who smiled in that tense atmosphere.
…
"Master."
"Hm? Ah, what is it, Eli?"
I was startled by Eli's sudden arrival.
"It's nothing. Dinner will be ready soon, so…"
"Alright. Go ahead first. I'll follow shortly."
"Yes."
Click.
The door closed as Eli left. It seemed I had been lost in thought, my mind still filled with what had happened today.
The system should have shown a memory… so why was it the game's ending instead?
What worried me even more was that Shion was called "Guardian" by the Evil God, and that he fought the god himself. And the line Shion spoke—"this time as well"—kept bothering me.
The word he uttered before the spear pierced him should have been—
"Return."
Though distorted, I was certain of it.
That left only one clear conclusion in my mind.
Regressor.
Like the novels I read in my previous world, a regressor is someone who returns to the past or rewinds time while retaining memories of the future.
But returning to the past always comes at a heavy price.
If so, the Shion who died must have been a regressor whose soul was gradually erased due to repeated regressions. But that shouldn't be possible, because the system said—
[You have only returned to your body.]
"…"
That was merely my conclusion. Not entirely correct, yet not entirely wrong either. For now, it was better to focus on what lay ahead.
They're probably gathering and discussing me right now, I thought, imagining the main characters.
…
The next day, the final exam arrived.
I woke up early to warm up so my body wouldn't stiffen.
Huff.
Huff.
I jogged alone through the still-quiet streets. The morning air and the mana floating around were excellent for the body. After running and stretching, I rested in a small forest behind the inn.
I sat cross-legged and meditated, circulating mana throughout my body to smooth its flow. I gathered mana into my hands and manifested it into a bow.
A dark crimson bow appeared.
I drew the string, forming an arrow made of mana, aimed at a tree in front of me, and released.
Boom—!
"Damn it…"
Even though I restrained myself and used minimal mana, the explosion left a massive crater.
…I should head back.
I decided to leave before anyone arrived. Even if the explosion wasn't huge, the sound was loud.
When I returned to the inn, I saw Elira still sleeping. Seeing her asleep at this hour was rare.
She was really drunk last night… she almost devoured me.
My face heated up as I recalled last night. When drunk, Elira was… dangerous. Her alcohol tolerance was low, so she got drunk easily.
She'd probably have a headache when she woke up, so I decided to make something warm. I still remembered the cooking methods she taught me.
…
Sunlight filled the room as I opened the curtains.
"Mmm…"
It seemed to wake Eli, but since it was already morning, I gently called out to her.
"Eli, breakfast is ready."
"Hm? Master?"
She looked half-asleep, rubbing her eyes as she stood up.
"Good morning, Master."
"Good morning, Eli."
"But it's rare for you to wake up before me."
I tilted my head in confusion.
"It's already morning, you know."
"Huh?"
She noticed the sunlight, then looked at me again. Memories of last night resurfaced, and her cheeks turned red as she panicked.
"Wah! I'm sorry, Master!"
I chuckled at her reaction. She was always like this after getting drunk.
"I'm not angry. Since you're awake, go wash up. The food will get cold."
"Y-Yes!"
She hurried into the bathroom. I sat at the dining table and waited.
Soon, Eli returned in her maid outfit. Her earlier sleepy expression was gone, replaced by a professional look, though her cheeks were still faintly red.
"Alright, let's eat."
"Yes."
She sat beside me, and we began eating. In the awkward silence, I spoke.
"Eli."
My tone made it clear this was serious.
"Yes?"
"I have a request."
…
"Is everyone here?"
"Yes!"
"Good. We'll make preparations for about an hour. Until then, you're free to explore the academy."
"Understood!"
Because of yesterday's incident, the academy seemed extra cautious. With an hour to spare, I headed to the cafeteria.
I never imagined I'd be attending school again at twenty-seven… no, that was my age before coming to this world. I've been here for seven years now, so that makes me thirty-four.
Even though my face was young, I was basically an old man inside.
Lost in thought, I arrived at the cafeteria. It was crowded.
"…"
It seemed everyone had the same idea. While ordering food, I noticed the protagonist group gathered nearby. Elise and Riana still appeared quiet.
Oh right… I haven't checked Leon's strength yet. It should match the game.
"System."
'…'
No response.
"System," I muttered softly.
'…'
Still nothing.
Then—
[Ding!]
[System Update in Progress: 99%]
[Update Complete!]
[Displaying Status: Leon von Aurelis]
Status
Name: Leon
Level: 80
MP: A
Strength: B
Agility: A
Stamina: S
Intelligence: A
Luck: C
Skills:
Aurelis Hero Style (A)
Indomitable (B)
Sovereign Blade (A-)
Combat Intuition (A)
Hero Momentum (B+)
An update? What's going on?
Is this related to the red status screen and that strange entity I felt yesterday?
This new status screen was much easier to read than numerical stats. Leon's status matched what I remembered from the game.
Almost all skills are Rank A. As expected of the protagonist.
Alright, time to check my own status.
[Status]
Name: Shion
Level: 190
MP: Unknown
Strength: SS+
Agility: SS+
Stamina: SS+
Intelligence: S+
Luck: S
Skills:
Mana Manifestation (A)
Super Accuracy (S)
Eclipse Dominion (Unknown)
Blink Rush (A)
Weapon Mastery (B)
Combat Instinct (A)
Items:
Crossveil (S) – Pistol
Black Crescent (S) – Sword
My stats used to average around 450… so SS+ now, huh? Then max would probably be SSS.
I smiled.
I always felt satisfied seeing my status screen. It was proof of how far I'd come to survive.
Hmm?
I felt Leon and Luminelle glance at me briefly. Probably just curiosity. I ignored it and returned to the exam hall.
…
"Is everyone assembled?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Before we begin, I'll explain the test. First, let me introduce some people."
Three individuals stepped forward. Two women and one man.
I immediately recognized them.
A woman with long black hair and a mole beneath the left side of her mouth — Vice President of the Student Council, Ravena Askhyr.
Beside her, a serious-looking man with glasses and black hair — Secretary Cassius Halvorn.
And standing in front of them, a silver-haired woman with cold yet elegant features and crimson eyes — the current Student Council President.
Lysandra Northern.
Why are they here?
"This test will be conducted with the help of the Student Council."
"In this exam, you will fight against them. You do not need to defeat them to pass. Just give it everything you have."
"Understood?"
"Yes!"
"Good. Then let us begin. First applicant, Leon, step forward."
"Understood!"
Leon stepped into the arena and faced Ragna.
"Here, the weapons you will use are provided by the academy. Choose your weapon and prepare for battle."
Leon immediately walked toward the weapon rack and selected a sword. After making his choice, he returned to the center of the arena and took a ready stance.
"Have you chosen your weapon?" Ragna asked.
"Yes."
"Very well. Then, who would like to fight first?"
Ragna turned his gaze toward the Student Council members. Without hesitation, Lysandra stepped forward.
"I will go first."
"Understood. Please move to the center of the arena."
Lysandra walked forward, her steps calm and composed. When she reached Leon, the two stood facing each other. Then, Lysandra bowed politely.
"I greet you, Prince Leon."
"P-Please, raise your head."
Leon looked flustered as Lysandra suddenly bowed. Although she was technically his senior, standing before the prince of the empire made her actions natural. Still, what truly made Leon nervous wasn't her formality, but her beauty.
She was extraordinarily beautiful, easily comparable to Luminelle.
They even ranked at the very top in the character popularity surveys back in the game.
"Both sides, prepare yourselves."
At Ragna's instruction, the two raised their swords.
"Your Highness, please do not hold back. Attack me with all your strength."
"O-Okay!"
"Then…"
"Begin!!"
The moment the signal was given, Leon moved first.
Clang—!
Their swords collided head-on, sparks scattering as metal met metal. Leon stepped back instinctively, surprised by the weight behind Lysandra's strike.
She's strong…!
Without giving him time to think, Lysandra pressed forward, her sword flowing smoothly as she launched a series of precise attacks.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Leon parried each strike, his arms trembling slightly from the repeated impacts.
Her movements are clean. No wasted motion.
[Lysandra's swordsmanship is refined and disciplined.]
Leon steadied his breathing and activated his skill.
[Aurelis Hero Style activated.]
His posture shifted subtly. His movements became sharper, more decisive. When Lysandra swung again, Leon stepped in instead of retreating.
Clang—!
This time, Leon redirected her blade and countered with a diagonal slash.
Lysandra leaped back gracefully, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"So this is the Aurelis Hero Style…"
She tightened her grip and advanced once more.
Their swords clashed again, the sound echoing throughout the arena. Leon gradually found his rhythm, his instincts guiding his movements.
[Combat Intuition activated.]
I can see it… her next move.
Leon dodged to the side just as Lysandra thrust forward, then swung his sword upward.
Lysandra blocked, but the impact forced her to take a step back.
He's adapting quickly, she thought calmly.
She had been testing him, carefully measuring his reactions and growth. This was, after all, only an exam.
Leon took advantage of the opening.
[Hero Momentum activated.]
His movements accelerated, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next. Lysandra parried, but her guard was slowly being pushed back.
Clang—!
Leon feinted to the left, then twisted his wrist at the last moment.
Snap—!
Lysandra's sword was knocked out of her hand and flew across the arena, embedding itself into the ground.
Silence fell.
Lysandra froze for a moment, then slowly raised her hands.
"…I yield."
"W-Wait—!"
Leon immediately lowered his sword, panic flashing across his face.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Lysandra chuckled softly.
"No, Your Highness. You did well."
Ragna stepped forward.
"The winner is Leon!"
Cheers erupted from the applicants watching the match.
However, Lysandra simply smiled calmly as she retrieved her fallen sword.
I didn't even use half my strength, she thought. But that's enough.
This was merely a combat exam, not a real battle.
Leon had proven more than enough.
As she walked past him, she spoke quietly.
"You have excellent instincts, Prince Leon. If this were a real battle… the outcome might have been different."
Leon stiffened.
"T-Thank you…"
From the stands, Shion watched silently.
So that's the protagonist.
A solid foundation, rapid growth, and strong adaptability.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
But if Lysandra had gone all out… this would've ended very differently.
The exam continued, but one thing was certain.
Leon's name had already been firmly engraved into everyone's minds.