"Welcome to St. Marian Academy!"
A sacred hymn drifted through the resplendent hall as velvet-black curtains, soft as swan feathers, slowly parted. Stepping onto the stage was the most beautiful and noble lady of St. Marian Academy—Headmistress Cynthia St. Arthe.
Nine spirits circled the Holy Archmage, weaving flowers and fireflies into the air, turning the stage into something dreamlike and ethereal.
Four magnificently decorated long tables stood in the hall. Thousands of candles floated above them, illuminating the chamber. Their flames reflected off golden plates and silver goblets, refracting into prismatic glimmers, like a waking dream.
By the time Darc Dimon came back to himself, he realized he was already standing on the stage, beside the faint fragrance drifting from Headmistress Arthe.
Memories surged back like a flood.
He remembered his previous life.
"St. Marian Academy… isn't this the school from that ultimate stitched-together galgame? The one that got trashed before release, then everyone shouted 'peak fiction!' after it launched?"
Duel! St. Marian Super XX Academy!
In an industry where budgets were poured into gorgeous character art while plots were slapped together carelessly, this game had been a rare breath of fresh air.
Sure, its story framework was almost entirely copied from Harry Potter. Its power system was "inspired"—no, let's be honest, ripped—from card battle games like Yu-Gi-Oh!. And the characters printed on the duel cards were lifted straight from popular anime.
And yet, somehow, the chaotic mix worked. It was genuinely fun.
You didn't even need to pursue the heroines to enjoy the game.
For a long time, Duel! St. Marian Super XX Academy had even become known as a "card-battling launcher," with countless "harmonized versions" circulating in piracy circles.
But Darc, holding fast to his righteous moral compass, had resolutely refused to touch that plagiarized, pirated, H-content trash. So he only knew bits and pieces from hearsay.
He vaguely remembered that the final boss of the game was a noble young master named Dard Demon.
The only son of a duchess, Dard Demon filled the Draco Malfoy role early on—an antagonist constantly clashing with the protagonist. Later, it was suddenly revealed that he was a descendant of a Demon God. After the resurrected Demon King was defeated, his bloodline awakened. He transformed into the ultimate Great Demon God, conveniently giving the protagonist the chance to kill him and steal away his fiancée.
Honestly, Dard Demon was born tragic. Even his name translated to "Dark Demon." A clown fated for misery from the very start. Emmm…
…Wait.
Why did that name sound so painfully familiar?
Darc Dimon's face slowly drained of color.
…
"Darc Dimon, Darc Dimon…"
A gentle voice, warm as a spring breeze, pulled him back from his shock.
He forced his trembling facial muscles under control and turned toward Headmistress Arthe.
She had moonlight-pure silver hair. Beneath her long lashes were blue eyes that seemed capable of pulling a person's soul into their depths.
As one of the game's romanceable characters, she was St. Marian's bright moon, its most beautiful symbol. Her luxurious gown, tailored two sizes tighter than reality, made the silver moon pendant resting upon her chest appear all the more radiant.
Darc realized this was the academy's opening banquet. As the first new student to appear, he was undergoing the House Sorting Ceremony.
He tried to recall his experiences after reincarnating.
Strangely, now that his past-life memories had awakened, the memories of this life felt blurred.
But drawing from the original Harry Potter framework, he gradually pieced things together.
St. Marian Academy was the only institution in the kingdom capable of rivaling the Holy Church's Secret Ritual Academy. Within it were four houses:
House NobilityHouse KnightsHouse MagistersHouse Fools
House Nobility consisted entirely of high-born pureblood nobles.
House Knights valued bravery and justice.
House Magisters were the inheritors of knowledge—learned and wise.
House Fools, though not yet brave like knights or wise like magisters, were innocent and pure, with the greatest potential.
Darc didn't feel particularly nervous.
Before the Demon God bloodline awakened, even the Sorting Card shouldn't be able to detect anything.
He was the son of a duke—the most noble bloodline beneath the royal family!
He would definitely be assigned to House Nobility.
Otherwise, this trash game's plot would collapse before it even started…
After calming himself, Darc glanced toward the sea of first-year students. But among the dense crowd of heads, he couldn't identify anyone who looked like the original protagonist.
Then he realized—
He didn't even know the protagonist's name.
But that was fine. As the son of the Hero who sealed the Demon King, he would stand out like a firefly in the night soon enough.
Darc took a deep breath. "Headmistress, I'm ready."
"As expected of the Dimon family's only son." Headmistress Arthe smiled faintly.
One of the nine spirits flying around her—a small griffin-like creature—fluttered toward Darc.
When it reached him, a magic card had appeared in its beak. On the back were symbols: a crown, a knight's lance, a spellbook, and the tarot card The Fool. The front was blank.
"Take the Sorting Card, Dimon."
Following her instructions, Darc pulled the card from the spirit's beak.
"Now cover it with your right hand over your left. Think about what you like. Think about what you want. The Sorting Card will guide you."
"Yes, Headmistress."
Darc closed his eyes and began to imagine.
His knowledge of the game was limited, but he knew this much: as a villain boss who lasted the entire game, his downfall only came after his Demon God bloodline awakened.
And that awakening happened on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony.
Before that, although he and the protagonist didn't get along, their conflicts were minor. Nothing life-or-death.
His fiancée—the most popular heroine in the game—only despaired of him after he transformed into a Demon God, giving the protagonist the chance to steal her away.
So as long as he could suppress the bloodline's awakening before adulthood, he would remain the duke's son. Powerful, influential, and still engaged to a fiancée who wouldn't abandon him no matter how insufferable he acted!
…
Things didn't seem completely hopeless.
…
A blinding white light seeped from his palms. Darc felt the Sorting Card grow warm, as if printing itself.
Headmistress Arthe's gentle voice rang out again. "Dimon, raise the Sorting Card and show this year's students how the ceremony is properly done."
"Yes, Headmistress."
Darc lifted his right hand and saw that the card now displayed the symbol of House Nobility—the crown.
He raised the card high and infused it with magic.
Bang!
Like fireworks, sparks burst into the air, forming a massive golden crown above him.
The Sorting Card shouted:
"Darc Dimon — House Nobility!"
Cheers gradually erupted from the table where the upperclassmen of House Nobility were seated.
"Darc Dimon! The only son of the duke known as the Valkyrie! Of course he's in our house!"
"OMG!"
Seems the young master was quite popular in House Nobility.
A faint smile touched Darc's lips as he lowered his hand.
[Ding! Demon God bloodline detected entering awakening phase. Triggering…]
"…Crap."
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