Chapter 01 – I want to be popular…
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“Sylvia dear, wake up, wake up, you’re going to be late for school.”

“Yes ~ Mom… I’m coming, just one more minute...”

I replied with a yawn.

It’s another school day, and I’m supposed to get out of bed.

It’s so cold.

Su-su-su.

My blanket was rolled into a big worm.

I don’t want to leave this warm and cuddly place.

The Arene forest was one of the coldest regions in Maldea, with temperature dropped well below freezing point during winter.

I sometimes wonder why any elves with a sound mind would choose such a place to inhabit. You could see the greenery for a few months, then it’s all pure white snow again until next year.

For an elf whose love for the forest and its green color etched deep in our blood, this is simply torture.

But I guess our ancestors adapted to this harsh climate. 

That’s why other elf tribes called us the ‘Snow Elves’.

Our skin is much paler than other tribes, and our complexion is more toned and delicate.

That’s the reason why elves from the Snow tribe often won first places in beauty contests at the capital. We had the highest rate of producing beauties after all.

Enough with the self-dialogue, I mustered my will to toss this warm blanket aside and headed for the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and doing other hygiene activities, I lazily walked downstairs.

“Mom, Dad, good morning~...”

“Good morning, Sylvia dear. Did you have a good sleep last night?”

A deep, composed voice came from my Dad, who still had his eyes fixated on the “Elvish Society & Economics” newspaper. It was his favorite news source. 

Dad was well-toned as a result of his daily bodybuilding at the local gym deep inside the woods. Even though Snow Elves are naturally delicate and could not really develop muscles, Dad’s hunky body (according to the neighboring ladies) and his well-trimmed mustached was always the talk of the town. He held a governmental position, and while Dad would not disclose to me the details of his work, I could infer that they were important.

Mom, on the other hand, was a simple, dutiful housewife who stayed home to take care of her family.

That is perhaps not entirely the case.

Mom was actually one of the beauty contest winners many years ago, but she refused to go further, but instead settled down and married Dad, who at that time would stand well, well behind in her long lines of suitors.

As their only daughter, I could only say, my looks are not half bad. My parents always said I'm cute, but parent's words, ehhh, you know what's the deal with them.

“Then I will excuse myself.”

After finishing breakfast, I cleaned the dishes and dried them with wind magic.

Yes, there is magic in Maldea, and it’s natural for an elf to be able to use some kind of magic. 

We are the most sensitive race to mana on the continent after all.

I chanted a simple wind magic, and hot air was generated to blow against the dishes. After a few minutes of repeating this process, water drops on the plates were nowhere to be found, and the silverware smelled of herbs.

It was probably my mana signature.

Dad had already left for work, and Mom was invited to a friend’s house … I guess they will just have discussions about new cosmetics again. 

Never again shall I join that dreadful conversation. 

They would treat me like a dress-up doll, dressing me up in all kinds of embarrassing clothes and covering my face with white powder while muttering with their bloodshot eyes.

It was a horrifying experience for a highschool girl.

I locked our main door, and walked outside, following the usual path I took. There is no real vehicle among Elf tribes, so most high school students traveled on foot.

 It was not a long walking distance, so I considered it to be good exercise.

Our high school curriculum was light. We were taught Elvish history, arithmetics, literature, and mana handling, with an emphasis on the last subject.

Every Elf is expected to grow up into a decent magician, since that’s the main strength of our race.

Magic casting. The use of spells.

It would be stupid to not utilize one’s advantage. Especially as conflicts with other races seemed more and more imminent.

“Why can’t they just be content with themselves…?”

I stared dazedly out of the classroom’s window.

There were noisy chatters around me, but I don’t want to pay any particular attention to them. 

I don’t understand a single thing they said anyway. It's always cryptic.

“Oi, Sylvia-sama is cute today too~”

“Her face when being deep in thought is so beautiful, I have to resist not to peek.”

“Hey, hey, do you think she has a boyfriend? Surely someone at her level of beauty must have one, right?”

"Ehh, I don't know, whatcha think?"

“Thank you for calling us the Sylvia Protection Squad. We’re glad to be of service. Whenever a specimen of the male gender dares to court our Sylvia, our members will locate the bastard and beat him down to a pulp! Brothers, repeat after me! What is the slogan of our squad!?”

“For our Sylvia’s happiness!”

“For our Sylvia’s happiness!”

“OOOOOOOH!”

...

It’s best not to pay them any attention.

#My classmates all have holes in their brain, what to do?

The lectures continued throughout the day, with a short lunch break in-between.

At the cafeteria, I sat down at a table and ate my homemade lunchbox alone. 

What? I have no friends you say?

You might be right...

It can’t be helped, whenever I tried to be friendly and take my seat near someone, they always flustered and moved away, not before apologizing profusely.

This had been a recurring situation since I started high school, and I had mostly got used to it.

But sometimes it’s still lonely to eat by myself.

The next lectures passed by peacefully, and it’s already time for students to head back home.

Some students stayed back and participated in club activities, while some organized into groups and headed towards entertainment areas, such as the new shopping district.

It's rumored that there're a lot of new clothes brands there. They're trendy and fashionable.

Hic... I want to go too…

I want to be like the cool kids...

Having such thoughts, I walked back home in a sour mood.

Why was I never invited?

Whenever I approached a popular girl group, they would just flap their hands around in agitation.

They looked like monkeys doing so.

Stuff like “Sylvia-sama, you’re not fitted to do this”, “Sylvia-sama, this place is not appropriate for you” or “Sylvia-sama, you might get picked on by someone weird” was thrown around.

Ahhh, annoying, annoying.

If you guys don’t want me to join your popular girl’s group, just say it.

It’s not like … I want to … anyways...

Hic.

I lied.

I want to be popular…

During my previous life on Earth, I was a nobody, just an ugly high school guy with no friends.

After getting into a horrific car accident, my soul was transported to a blank space, where I met a mysterious woman named “X”.

She claimed to be a goddess.

And she wanted to reincarnate me into the world she created.

Naturally, I agreed.

Who wouldn’t want to get a second life in another world?

Especially when it’s a world with swords and magic. I have always dreamt to be a hero from those novels, slaying the Demon King and getting a big harem of beautiful lovers.

Needless to say, when I got reborn into the body of a small elf girl, I was quite surprised.

But that feeling quickly changed into one of expectation.

My parents always said I’m a cute girl, so if I can't save the world, I should at least be more popular with the cool kids when I grew up, right?

I have always glued my mind to that thought.

But it’s already three months into my first high school year, and I haven’t made a single friend. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't disappointed.

Is it going to be another boring three years of NEET-ing at home, wasting my youth while my classmates goofing around and making merry again?

No! I refused!

Hic...

I want to be popular...

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