Chapter 160: Classmates Reunited
Inside an aristocratic academy.
Young boys and girls were casually chatting about their respective experiences in the alternate world. In this world, they were all princes, princesses, or children of dukes, having reincarnated into noble families. Among them, Schlain, the Fourth Prince of the Analeit Kingdom, was the central figure around whom this group revolved.
The reason, of course, was the purple dragon hatchling cradled in Schlain's arms. The person and dragon were none other than Yamada and Mirei Shinohara from their past lives.
And beside the two of them stood a sweet girl with a head of beautiful red hair, but one shouldn't be fooled by her outward appearance. The girl's inner self was Kanata Ooshima from their past life—the best-friend-turned-bro who had unexpectedly undergone a gender-swap.
"Sigh~~"
Fei, the Light Dragon who was being stared at like a rare animal, let out a long sigh. She didn't understand why everyone else got reincarnated as royalty and nobles while she ended up as a monster. She truly envied humans...
"Fei, don't worry too much. Teacher said that within the monster evolution paths, it's also possible to take human form." Schlain noticed Fei's low spirits and quickly offered words of comfort.
"Yeah, hopefully." Fei nodded listlessly, though her heart felt incredibly bitter.
"Everyone, Hugo will be arriving today as well, so cheer up a bit~" A blonde elf loli with twin-tails came bouncing in from outside the classroom. It was plain to see that Teacher's life here was very pleasant. Being able to stay with her students and teach classes without a care in the world—words couldn't describe how happy she was.
Fei forced a faint tug of her lips. Seeing Teacher living such a blissful life truly made her feel envious.
"Yo~ everyone, long time no see."
Speak of the devil. Hugo, the prince of the Renxandt Empire, arrived at the classroom leading a group of servants, greeting his old classmates naturally.
"By the way, who is who right now? Would someone mind introducing everyone?"
"Aside from Teacher, I don't recognize a single soul."
Looking at the crowd of familiar yet unfamiliar faces, Hugo found himself in a bit of a dilemma. If Teacher hadn't tracked him down and mentioned that the classmates were all attending classes here, he wouldn't have known that he wasn't the only one who had been reincarnated.
Very quickly, the cheerful Teacher began introducing everyone's identities from their past lives. When he heard that Ooshima had been reincarnated into a beautiful young lady, he almost spat out his laughter.
"Hahaha! This is killing me! Ooshima—no, wait, I should call you Lady Karnatia Seri Anabald now, pfft~ Hahaha! How could someone be this unlucky, haha~~~"
Katia's face flushed crimson, entirely unsure of how to strike back. This sort of thing wasn't something he could have decided. And besides... being a girl wasn't altogether terrible...
The best friend imperceptibly stole a glance at Schlain, her pretty face growing even more flushed. It wasn't easy getting to be a girl for once; shouldn't she treat her good brother to a wave of benefits?
After Hugo finished laughing and calmed his emotions, Teacher continued introducing the remaining classmates. Upon learning that Shinohara had been reincarnated as a monster, he was shocked yet again.
"To think there's actually someone who reincarnated as a monster. Man, unbelievable..."
Seeing Fei's thoroughly helpless expression, Hugo finally realized the gravity of the situation. "Then doesn't that mean there are other classmates who also..." He looked toward Ms. Oka, wanting to get his answer.
"...Yes, there are indeed others..." Bringing up this topic, Ms. Oka's mood gradually grew heavy.
"Oh right, what about the other classmates? Also, that... how is Wakaba doing right now?" Hugo asked repeatedly like a curious toddler.
"Most of the other classmates are in the Elf Village, so they're relatively safe. But..."
"But what?"
"Wakaba... is no longer in this world. And Shirazawa as well..." Ms. Oka's voice trembled as she spoke.
The Student Roster clearly stated that both of them had already passed away, the causes unknown.
Hearing this, Hugo froze for a good long while before slowly digesting the news.
"How could that happen?!"
Not just Hugo; the others were also profoundly shaken by this piece of news. Weren't they, who had been reincarnated into an alternate world, the protagonists? Do protagonists die too? Where was the plot armor? Furthermore, how could two people who had been so radiant pass away so easily?
No, wait—if even two people that brilliant had kicked the bucket, then what kind of good ending could ordinary supporting characters like them possibly expect?
A layer of haze instantly shrouded everyone's hearts, leaving them feeling somewhat panicked. Ms. Oka opened her Student Roster, wanting to check if a miracle might happen.
Immediately following that, her pupils snapped violently into a shrink.
"How can this be..."
[Kouta Hayashi: Will die in the Elf Village one month from now]
[Segawa Touko: Will die in the Elf Village one month from now]
[...]
Originally, the list had stated that the students would meet with disaster in the Elf Village ten years later, which was why she had requested the elf race to protect the students. But why had it suddenly moved forward? What on earth had happened? Why was it turning out like this?
"Teacher, what's wrong?" Schlain keenly detected the change in Ms. Oka's expression.
Teacher's lips trembled slightly. She had poured so much effort into this, yet the outcome still could not be rewritten. A sense of utter powerlessness engulfed Ms. Oka's entire being.
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open once more.
"Please make way, thank you."
A gentle and melodious voice caused everyone's hearts to skip a beat. What a familiar voice. Who was it?
The crowd turned their gazes toward the sound.
"Holy crap, a ghost!"
Hugo was the first to shriek, and the others fell back over themselves to keep their distance.
Wasn't this Shirazawa who had already passed away? And the one beside him seemed to be Wakaba. Oh my god, we used to be classmates; there's no need to play this rough.
"Yo~ everyone, long time no see." Shirazawa displayed his trademark flash of eight pearly white teeth, greeting them cheerfully.
Meanwhile, Shiraori slipped right back into her old socially anxious persona, merely offering a slight bow and a nod of acknowledgement.
"What on earth is going on here!!!" Ms. Oka was completely thrown into a daze, her mind turned into a tangled mess of yarn, entirely incapable of comprehending the situation.
"Sh-Shirazawa, are—are you a person or a ghost?" Schlain had been shoved to the front by Hugo, so he could only steel himself to ask the question.
"I am neither person nor ghost." Shirazawa shrugged and extended his hands, adding a line in his mind. *Previously a spider, currently a deity. In short, I have absolutely nothing to do with people or ghosts.* There was nothing wrong with that answer.
"You—aren't you two already..." Steam began rising from Teacher's head; her CPU was spinning wildly, right on the verge of crashing.
"Well~ don't sweat the details. Once you break away from the System, you'll be displayed as deceased."
"I recall there are two other classmates whose souls returned to the greater universe after death, freeing them from the constraints of the System. They should be displayed the same way."
"Don't worry, don't worry. It's a minor issue."
Seeing Shirazawa's casual and unbothered demeanor, everyone's thoughts grew heavier and heavier. What kind of situation was this exactly?!! The sheer volume of information was genuinely massive, leaving these young boys and girls who were just starting out thoroughly dumbfounded.
Shirazawa knew that explanations took time, so he wasn't in a hurry to resolve it all at once, planning instead to first settle the issue inside Teacher's body. He looked toward Shiraori, who caught his drift instantly.
"Teacher, long time no see."
"Please sign this indenture—no, this corporate contract."
The clear and ethereal voice seemed capable of soothing human hearts, causing everyone to involuntarily relax.
"This..."
A golden contract document slowly drifted down in front of the little loli, leaving her completely at a loss for what to do.
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