"As you have probably noticed already, our classroom has been a bit empty thanks to a certain... incident...", professor Anna Ferden's voice trailed off as she said so.

"Anyways", she clasped her hands together. "That's why the faculty board has decided to transfer students from other classes to 1-1, as well as recruit new students into Avaron"

Not letting anyone ask any questions, the professor shouted. "Alright! You guys can come in now"

Instantly after, the door to the classroom swung open, and more than a dozen individuals walked in.

And of course, everyone glued their eyes to the front of the classroom, scrutinizing the new students.

-Isn't that guy from 1-3?

-Oh god that girl is so hot!

-IT'S EMILY!

Ignoring the discussions everyone were having, I strained my eyes to look for a certain someone.

'No... Not her... Ah! There she is!', I exclaimed inwardly when I caught sight of a familiar black-haired catgirl, Evelyn.

She was narrowing her eyes, glaring at Arthur with contempt, and looking at other Human students with disgust.

Bitterly shaking my head, I let out a wry smile.

'She's acting exactly like she would in the novel'

Normally, I would have been overjoyed that a main character was actually acting like their novel counterpart. However, I really couldn't, considering her personality.

Evelyn was a member of Arthur's official harem, and the one who had the most profound character development. In the novel, she went from being racist to every human to... being racist to every human except for Arthur and his harem members.

Truly, character development at its greatest.

Anyways, after confirming that she did indeed get into this class like in the novel, I decided to sleep through the entire lesson like I would every single day. However—

BAM—!

"Sorry professor, I'm late"

—The door to the classroom swung open again. And just a second after the cold and indifferent voice rang out, a student in black clothes revealed herself.

Really, she everything she wore was black, pitch black. Even her shoulder-length hair was as black as the night sky. If she wasn't as dazzlingly beautiful as she was, I was sure that everyone would bully her for her weird choice of clothes.

After all, who the hell dresses like an assassin on their first day of school?

Unlike everyone who was either admiring her beauty or giving puzzling looks to her clothes, I was groveling in confusion.

'Kasumi...?'

Eleanor's closest aide, and the one who was fated to die just to progress the relationship between Arthur and Eleanor, that was the role of Kasumi in the novel.

Such figure was now a student of class 1-1.

However, the main source of my confusion wasn't because the timeline accelerated again and Kasumi entered the class sooner than she was supposed to. No, it was because she wasn't even supposed to join the class! 

After all, she would die in the upcoming Mid-terms exams while protecting Eleanor.

'What changed...?', I fell into thoughts.

Maybe it was because of the whole situation with the incident in Keras forest and the Void rifts that made Kasumi join the class to better protect Eleanor.

However. I knew for a fact that she could just as well, or, just as not well protect her even if she just observed from the shadows like she did in the novel.

Pausing my thoughts there, I looked up to observe the situation more closely.

Kasumi glanced indifferently at the whole class, before stopping her gaze at Eleanor.

Eleanor then gave her a nod. Instantly after, Kasumi opened her mouth to introduce herself. 

"I'm Kasumi, and I'm her highness Eleanor's personal servant"

Most students collectively lets out gasps of surprise. They, mostly nobles, looked at Kasumi hungrily, probably formulating plans to get close to Eleanor through her.

And commoners shook their heads bitterly, frustrated that yet another beauty in this accursed 1-1 class was way out of their league.

Wryly smiling at such sight, professor Anna sighed and left the class, but not before pouring cold water on every students present.

"New students, go find your seat and socialize with your classmates. Oh and the mid-term exams start next week"

Clank—!

Groans and sighs instantly reverberated through the classroom as almost everyone had a look of despair on their face.

-No... I haven't learnt anything at all.

-I get you bro. I'm confident that I can pass the practical exam but I sucks at theory.

Of course, the new students were crestfallen, more so than other students. After all, they would have to take the mid-terms a week after they joined a new class.

However, they still had to comply to Anna's orders and find their seats.

'If things still go as it should be then... ah! Just as predicted!', I exclaimed inwardly as I saw Evelyn sitting in the part of the class where several more beastkins sat.

That was when I noticed a certain someone. 

Normally, I wouldn't have paid attention to someone like her, as she wasn't even an Extra in the novel. However, I couldn't just forget her that easily when she knew of my fight with Eleanor and the fact that I was a Halfling.

She was Emily the Artillerist. Apparently, she was transferred to 1-2 to here.

'Well, that's interesting, I guess...'

The novel didn't identify every students that joined 1-1. As such, it wasn't such a big deal to see Emily here.

Furthermore, as long as she was still keeping my secrets safe, I would have no reasons to confront her.

I then glanced around, looking for Kasumi.

'...She should be sitting near Eleanor', I thought.

However, I immediately discarded that idea, since the seats around Eleanor was tightly packed with haughty nobles. Everyone wanted to curry favors with the princess after all.

That's when I noticed a shadow casted over me.

Turning my head, I was surprised to see two deep purple eyes staring into my, well, sunglasses.

"Can I help you?", I carefully asked.

Glancing back at me with a gaze vastly different than the cold look she had when she first walked into the class, Kasumi replied.

"Is this seat taken?"

"...No"

"Great! Then I'll take it!"

Briefly drifting my eyes over Kasumi, who had just sat down on the table right next to me with a joyful expression, I furrowed my brows.

Setting asides the obvious looks of jealousy and envy people were giving me, being seated right next to the person who would die just a week later feels extremely weird. However, I had no plans on saving her like I did with Raun. After all, I barely even knew her.

But... something about her seemed eerily familiar. To be more specific, her Mana feels extremely familiar to me, but I couldn't recall where I had felt it before.
...

"Alright Kasumi, I know that the circumstances of your... job renders you unable to show your Status to the whole class, so do you mind casting a spell? I need to know your Affinities", professor Misha asked.

It was the second class of the day and of course, I get to sleep through it, being professor Misha's discipline and all.

Glancing over at the sleeping figure of me, Kasumi complied to the professor's request.

Fwooosh—!

A wooshing sound rang out, and an orb made of pitch black Mana appeared atop Kasumi's hand.

Unlike Arthur's ball-type spells, Kasumi's spell was unbelievably refined. The ball of darkness was immaculate, and it was perfectly spherical. One look at the spell and anyone could tell that it held massive destructive power, and that Kasumi had a near-perfect control over her Mana.

While everyone was staring at Kasumi in awe, I suddenly jolted awake, and reflexively casted a spell.

<[Lightning spear]>

"AH!"

The molten red spear of lightning flew towards Kasumi. Fortunately, I altered its course just in time. As a result, the spell only grazed Kasumi's cheek instead of impaling her right on the head.

It then flew into the wall right behind her, making a deep hole in it while charring the surrounding walls black.

Students alternated their gazes between me and the hole in the wall, seemingly amazed.

'So much for hiding my strength now...', I groaned inwardly.

The news of me being able to use long-ranged Lightning spells would definitely spread, and with it comes a lot of complications.

However, I left those problems for the future me to handle, and stared at Kasumi.

She was felling back onto her chair while panting heavily, seemingly startled and frightened by what I had just done.

"Haaah... Haaaah... Not again...", she muttered to herself in a low voice.

However, I could still hear what she had just said.

I looked at Kasumi with a disturbed gaze. Just as I was about to approach her, however, professor Misha interrupted me.

"Theodore! What are you doing!"

Looking at the fuming and somehow worried professor, I meekly replied. "Sorry. Kasumi's spell was so powerful that I instinctively fired off a spell..."

Well, it was half-truth. I did attack out of reflex for my own safety. After all, the Dark mana Kasumi willed to cast that spell was similar- no, identical to the Mana of the shadowy figure that appeared in my room.

'...Now that I think about it, Kasumi also has a skill that allow her to merge with the darkness...'

With all of that facts present, I came to the conclusion that she was the one stalking me all these times, and—

'She may know something about Arlenoe'

Well, I wasn't sure that she worked for Arlenoe. She could have just been monitoring me because the princess told her to.

After all, judging by Eleanor's personality, she would definitely investigate a student of interest heavily, especially when said student beat her in a fight.

Pausing my thoughts there, I stared back to professor Misha.

She seemed unconvinced by my excuse, but she accepted it eventually. "Okay, let's just say that it's the case. Now, shouldn't you be apologizing to someone?"

I then turned to Kasumi and bowed. "I'm really sorry. I will compensate you however you want"

Hearing this, Kasumi glanced at Eleanor, who gave her a nod.

"Alright then, I want you to stay after class", Kasumi then whispered.

'Strange...', I thought, but I immediately shook off such thoughts as I realized why she did so.

Although she was technically a student now, she was still Eleanor's aide first and foremost. It would make sense for her to look for her superior's permission before doing anything.

However, I couldn't think of whatever reasons why she might went to meet me.

'Could it be that... she's charmed by my looks?'

Leaving such narcistic thoughts aside, I focused back on the class and waited until the end of class.
...

After politely refusing Sylvia's request for a duel like I did every single day, I walked out onto the empty hallway right outside the classroom, where I found Kasumi waiting for me.

"So... What did you call me here for?", I asked as I faced Kasumi.

We were just an arm's length away from each other, and her amethyst-like eyes were staring innocently at me.

However, I knew better than to trust the looks of her eyes, as she was the same person that spied on me in my own dorm room, witnessing acts that I'd rather... keep a secret from everyone.

It wasn't as if she knew grand secrets like this world being a novel. No, I wasn't as stupid as to say those things out loud, even if I was alone.

Instead, I was worried that she saw me... do the deed. It might have been a turn-on for some people, but not me.

Yea, I'd rather not think about it now.

Seeing that she was still silent, I asked again.

"Uh, hello?"

It was then that Kasumi moved towards me.

"Theodore...", she lets her voice trail off.

"...Yes?"

"You didn't turn me away when I asked to sit next to you"

"..."

"When I was little, everyone I came across refused to sit with me for whatever reasons. Instead, they avoided me like the plague, and sneaked glances of distain at me"

"...", I stayed silent and stared into her eyes.

"You know, I've already forgiven you for shooting that very dangerous spell at me"

"..."

Her face were now mere inches away from mine; I could feel the steamy hot breath of hers on my face.

"So, I'll have to confess something..."

Her cheeks reddened as she ran her hand down her own thigh.

'Shit! Is she actually charmed by my looks?'

"Theodore, I l—"

Swish—!

Spurt—!

"Huh?", Kasumi lets out a puzzled voice as she looked at the scene before her.

Right in front her was her dagger aiming its tip at my neck. However, my left hand was holding onto the dagger by its blade, stopping it in its track.

Blood oozed out of my hand, but I didn't care, as I had to act quick before she recovered from her shock.

I held down onto the dagger even tighter, directing it just past my right cheek.

The sudden momentum made her face start to fall into mine. However, before our faces could make contact, I twisted my body to the left, grabbed the back of her neck and pinned her to the ground face-down.

THUD—!

Ignoring her surprised face, I manifested a dagger of my own using the blood of my left hand, and put it to her neck.

"Well well, you finally showed your true nature. Wasn't stalking me right in my room enough?"

Hearing this, her cheeks reddened for a bit, but I had a feeling that it wasn't because of the very suggestive position we were in right now.

Eventually, Kasumi spoke up. "I- I'm here to deliver Arlenoe's message"

Raising my eyebrows at her, I asked. "Then why did you try to kill me?"

"I wanted to test your strength. If you're too weak then you won't be able to carry out Arlenoe's orders"

She then slowly reached her hands into her breast pocket. However—

"Ah! What are you doing!"

—She couldn't do so, as I lightly grazed my dagger against her neck, preparing to take her life at any moment.

"What were you trying to do?", I icily asked.

Feeling the dagger slowly moving away from her neck, Kasumi panted heavily for a good second before answering.

"I was just trying to take out Arlenoe's orders from my pocket"

She then tried to reach into her pocket again. But in response, I moved my dagger closer once more.

"Stay still, I'll take it out"

I then reached for her breast pocket and took out a small box.

"What's in this?", I asked.

"It's probably Arlenoe's orders, but I don't know the contents"

Furrowing my brows, I checked if there was any traps inside the box.

Upon confirming that it was safe, I opened it.

"A capture crystal?"

A pyramid-shaped crystal was lying in the box, and next to it was a piece of paper.

Leaving the crystal aside for now, I hurriedly unfolded the paper.

===

Make sure Kasumi passes the mid-terms safely if you don't want the content of the crystal to be spread

  -Love, Arlenoe

===

Instantly after, I turned the piece of paper to ashes using Lightning mana and picked the crystal back up again.

Of course, I pressed <Yes>

However, my face contorted into pure horror as I viewed the content.

It was the footage of my fight against Eleanor and Lucy, just with the part where I attack the princess and the Duke's daughter grossly highlighted and exaggerated.

'This...'

Considering what professor Misha had said about the capture crystal, it was safe to assume that Arlenoe was one of the higher-ups of the Empire, or at least had ties to them.

Well, Arlenoe could just as well had been Eleanor. Although, he could have just used Kasumi as a double-spy.

'Like that's ever going to happen', I sneered at my own thoughts.

In fact, I had an extremely easy and sure-fire way to confirm it.

"Say, Kasumi, are you loyal to Arlenoe?"

Although startled by my question, Kasumi replied without hesitation. "Of course I will serve under no one but the great lord Arlenoe"

"I see..."

I then released Kasumi.

She slowly stood up from the ground, dusted her clothes and smirked at me.

"Well, you're much less violent now, aren't you?"

Approaching her and patting her on her shoulders, I whispered. "Don't get too conceited. We're going to see each other many times in the future"

Kasumi looked at me confusedly as I said that. No doubt she wasn't aware of the content of the piece of paper.

Leaving her to find it out herself when she returned to 'Arlenoe', I walked to my dorm room while falling into thoughts.

Since this was a matter concerning another transmigrator, I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgement. Thus, I used the skill.

<[F - Emotionless]>

'Arlenoe... So your identity is Eleanor Salvant...', I quickly came to the conclusion.

After all, Kasumi didn't lie when I asked her if she was loyal to Arlenoe. In fact, she couldn't lie.

This was due to the vow carved on her body when she had just been born. It made her unable to work for anyone else other than Eleanor.

And of course, if Arlenoe was anyone but Eleanor, Kasumi would have died right then and there, since saying such things was akin to breaking the vow.

'...Why did it have to be Eleanor?'

Political power second to only her parents and brother, absurdly monstrous talent, and immense amount of protection, that was the kind of privilege the Imperial princess enjoyed.

And such advantages now belonged to a trasmigrator, one that had proven to be hostile, or well, semi-hostile against me.

After thinking for a while, I decided that it was best to just comply to Eleanor's orders for now.

Deactivating the skill, I let out a long sigh.

"Haaaaah... Lyra will have to get busy again..."
...

<<Dorm room F1 - 2>>

"...And that's the end of the report, your highness"

"..."

Cra— Crack—!

Eleanor's fingernails were slowly cracking, but it wasn't because she was biting her nails. Rather, it was because she was clenching her fists in anger.

"Your highness?"

"Ah!", Eleanor woke up from her cold rage and calmed herself down. "Is the report done already?"

Staring at Eleanor for a while, Kasumi answered. "...Yes, your highness"

Although Eleanor had calmed herself down, she couldn't help but to feel angry at Theodore. After all, he dared to wound Kasumi. Not just that, he nearly killed her!

How dare him!

It was then that Eleanor recalled something, and looked at Kasumi straight in the eyes with a stern gaze.

"Kasumi, why did you attack him? That wasn't in the plan"

Averting her eyes to the ground, Kasumi meekly replied. "I- I was merely trying to test him. If he wasn't strong enough, he won't be able to do the task you ordered me to give him"

Seeing Kasumi act all meek and sad like that, Eleanor's face could help but to soften.

'Typical Kasumi, doing unnecessary things because she thinks they're best for me...'

Looking at Kasumi again, Eleanor spoke. "I appreciate your concerns. However, just stick to the plan next time. And just so you know, the task I gave him is to test his capabilities. So what you've done was redundant"

"I- I see, your highness. I won't repeat the same mistake next time"

Hearing this, Eleanor couldn't help but to sigh. 'She will definitely repeat the same mistake...'

Seeing that the atmosphere had become less tense, Kasumi asked. "Your highness, may I ask, why do I have to reveal myself to the target?"

Smiling at the sudden question, Eleanor spoke. "You see, Kasumi, it's all to confuse him"

"Confuse?"

"Yes. Since you introduced yourself as my personal servant, the first thing he will think of when he finds out that you're the one who spied on him would be that I'm Arlenoe"

"..."

"However, people like him will start to overthink things. After all, I would also find it highly suspicious that the identity of the person who I spent enormous efforts finding was handed to me on a silver platter"

"..."

"Eventually, he will come to the conclusion that I'm most likely not Arlenoe, and he will think that you're working for Arlenoe while pretending to be my serva—"

"Your highness! I would never do that!", Kasumi screamed, interrupting Eleanor.

Frowning, Eleanor spoke. "Calm down. I'm just saying that he thinks you're betraying me"

"It still irks me knowing that other people think that I'm not loyal to her highness", Kasumi muttered to herself.

Hearing this, Eleanor said in a gentle tone. "Kasumi, I know you would never betray me. In fact, you're probably the only person who I feel safe with"

Acknowledging Kasumi's look of gratitude, Eleanor continued with her previous explanation. "Now, where were we... Right! If he's smart, he would s—"

THUD—!

RIIIING—!

Suddenly, a bell rang in Eleanor's room.

"Hehahaha! Speaking of which", Eleanor formed a wide smile.

She then ran up to the door, opened it and glanced outside.

"Mmmm... Whoever that was, he's fast", she muttered.

Jumping up and removing the hidden Capture crystal just outside her room, Eleanor went back inside and walked up to Kasumi.

"Look at this, Kasumi. This is why I asked you to reveal yourself"

Eleanor then activated the Capture crystal.

"See this bird?", She pointed to a gray bird, no, gray raven flying at high speed. "Watch it closely"

THUD—!

It was then that a loud thud rang out from the footage. It was the sound of the bird colliding with some sort of invisible wall surrounding Eleanor's room.

It looked around confusedly, trying to find a way in. However, just as the door to Eleanor's room creaked open, it quickly dematerialized into nothingness.

"W- What?", Kasumi was bewildered.

"Well... it's more interesting than I thought", Eleanor said.

Thinking for a while, she turned to Kasumi. "As you can see, the target, Theodore Gray, has a familiar of some sorts that is capable of relaying information to him"

Although Eleanor did consider the possibility of the bird being a Godbeast or even a Celestial, she quickly discarded such thoughts.

After all, without Arthur, no one could get to the Hall of Divinity. Even Eleanor herself with all the resources of the Empire at her disposal couldn't locate its exact location.

"See, Kasumi? With just revealing yourself alone, we could determine the extent of his information gathering capabilities"

Still fascinated, Kasumi kneeled down to Eleanor. "Your highness, thank you for enlightening me"

Smiling evilly, and placing her hands on Kasumi's shoulders, Eleanor spoke.

"Don't give me your thanks just yet. Your hell had just begun"