Chapter 15 - The Original Protagonist
To pick a fight with one of the Four Great Noble Houses on your very first day... That’s impressive. If your father found out about this, I bet he’d faint on the spot.
While I was inwardly sighing in utter exasperation, the black-uniform Main Course or main student standing beside Franz stepped in to rein in his friend’s reckless behavior.
“C-Calm down, Franz! Hollow is the Heisenberg family’s pride—an absolute prodigy in magic! I heard through the grapevine that back when he was only seven, he humiliated and crushed the eldest daughter of the Ainsworth family—another of the Four Great Nobles—at a martial arts tournament! Either way, there’s no way you can beat him!”
“Don’t worry. I’ve heard Hollow’s lazy, arrogant nature has rotted away his natural talent. No matter how fine the raw gem, if you don’t polish it, it’s nothing more than a rock.”
“...Well, that’s... true...”
“If I take that bastard down right here, my name will echo across the entire Kingdom of Klein! I’ll push aside my annoying older brothers and become the undisputed heir to the Thomas family!”
“A-As expected of you, Franz! That’s a flawless plan!”
A flawless plan—aside from the tiny detail that it was impossible to pull off.
Birds of a feather flock together; a fool like Franz, naturally, had foolish friends.
“So, Sir Hollow—what’s it going to be? Surely the great Heisenberg family’s top entrant this year won’t tuck tail and run, right?”
I stole a glance at the clock tower—eight fifteen.
Only five minutes until the protagonist arrives... There’s no time left.
If I dawdled any longer, I’d run straight into him, and that was one encounter I absolutely had to avoid.
What I needed to do now was—while maintaining the persona of the vile noble Hollow von Heisenberg—wrap up this stupid commotion as quickly as humanly possible.
In this kind of situation... What would the original Hollow do?
I decided to hand over my thoughts and actions to my Hollow brain.
As a result, an unexpected phrase slipped from this refined mouth.
“...Haa... My apologies.”
“H-Ha... hahahaha! Just as I thought, all bark and no bite! The moment it comes to a real duel, you chicken ou—”
“I have something of a... fastidious streak. I’m terribly sorry, but I can’t bring myself to touch those filthy rags you call clothing. I will, of course, accept the duel with all due respect, so I beg your forgiveness for this breach of courtesy.”
An apology in appearance—pure provocation in truth.
...Yeah. I really was the worst.
As expected, Hollow von Heisenberg was trash among trash.
“Hehe, what’s this? Franz isn’t even being taken seriously!”
“As expected of a scion of the Four Great Nobles—even his taunts have... ‘class.’”
“Lord Hollow... is so... cool...!”
The surrounding Preparatory Course or prep students laughed openly, their expressions saying, Serves you right.
Before the eyes of so many witnesses, Franz had just suffered an unbearable insult.
“Y-You...!”
His face turned crimson as he drew his sword in a fit of rage.
“Vile, corrupt noble! I, Franz Thomas, shall mete out justice upon you!”
Shouting like a madman, he charged at me.
I moved swiftly into a counter stance—and then froze.
...Huh?
Slow. No—too slow.
I could blink, breathe deeply, tilt my head slightly... and Franz would still be over there.
After all that bluster... this is just sad.
I lightly drew back my right leg and tapped the ground with my foot.
In that instant, the stone-paved ground shattered with a loud crack, sending a spray of debris like shotgun pellets.
“Wha—?! Guh...!”
The stones struck Franz full on, hurling him backward. He bounced across the ground several times before slamming into the main school building—then lay there without so much as a twitch.
“Oh my, where has Sir Franz gone? Alas, being as small as gravel, once buried under rubble, I can hardly tell him apart.”
...Yeah, I’d better shut up now.
If I left things to my Hollow brain, I’d never stop throwing out barbs.
While I was taking a deep breath and shoving those wicked thoughts to the back of my mind—
“H-Hey, Franz! You alright? Stay with me! Damn it, I’ll get you to the infirmary right away!”
His black-uniform friend dragged him up and rushed into the school building without even removing his shoes.
And with that, the matter was settled.
Time to leave before I crossed paths with the protagonist.
But just as I turned on my heel, a prep girl called out to stop me.
“Ah, um...!”
“What is it?”
“Thank you very much for stepping in to mediate just now. You really helped us.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Sir Hollow... please allow me to ask just one thing. Why would you, the very pinnacle of the black-clad students—the one who reigns as First in the Rankings—step in to help us white-clads...?”
“No particular reason. If I had to name one, it would be simply that fool’s existence offended me.”
Of course, I couldn’t exactly tell her it was because I wanted to sabotage an event meant to boost the protagonist’s standing.
That would make me look completely unhinged.
Still... that answer might have been a bit bland.
I didn’t need to be close to the prep students, but keeping things moderately friendly would be to my advantage.
Considering how the main route would unfold later, it was far more convenient that way.
So—let’s give them a little something that would light a fire under them.
“Since this is a rare opportunity, I’ll grant you a piece of wisdom.”
“W-What is it...?”
“Whether you wear white or black is just a measure set by someone else. What matters is not how you’re evaluated—but how you want to be.”
In that instant, a light flared in the prep students’ eyes.
“““...!”””
They say that in words, who says it is more important than what is said.
For me, the top of the main students, to declare that clothing color meant nothing... it carried a great deal of weight for them.
“Y-You’re right! Even without Unique Magic, if we keep working hard, we can surely have a bright future!”
“H-Hey… wasn’t Hollow von Heisenberg supposed to be some notorious villain of a noble?”
“That’s what I heard... but, uh, isn’t he actually a really good guy?”
“Ahhh, if only all the main students were like Hollow...”
“L-Lord Hollow... you’re officially my top favorite now...”
Good, good—my approval rating had gone up nicely!
That was one more death flag snapped clean in half!
In the original story, Hollow looked down on prep students as if they were garbage, showering them with unreserved scorn and cruel laughter. In the end, while napping on the rooftop, he was stabbed to death over and over with a knife.
The so-called Rooftop Assassination Ending.
Of course, with my constant deployment of <Void Possession>, I didn’t have to worry about being stabbed with a blade... but there was no reason to earn needless grudges either.
In any case, my goal was already achieved.
I immediately left the scene, taking a path far away from the protagonist’s route.
So far so good... no, perfect.
The event where the protagonist gained the respect of the preparatory students and faculty—the protagonist boost event—was erased.
And I’d also broken one of original Hollow’s Bad Ending flags—the Assassination Ending.
Thanks to that idiot, there was a moment where I wondered how this would turn out... but in the end, the results couldn’t have been better.
Still, I couldn’t relax.
After all, I was about to meet the arch-nemesis of the villainous noble—our dear original protagonist.
■
After that, the entrance ceremony concluded without incident, and the students began heading to their respective classes.
By the way, the first-years’ class and rank were posted on the bulletin board in front of the gymnasium.
As the top scorer of the entrance exam, I was, of course, placed in the highest “Special Advancement Class” and held the highest position—First in the Rankings.
To repeat, Redrick Academy of Magic was the definition of a glaring class-divide society.
Students were sorted from Special Advancement, then A, B, C, and D classes based on exam results, with each individual given a personal ranking.
Alright... this is it.
Once in the main building, I headed to the third-floor restroom and fixed my appearance in front of the mirror.
Shirt slightly untucked... eyes just enough to look jaded... hands in pockets... perfect.
A moderately disheveled black uniform, crimson eyes that looked down on the world, a languid posture—anywhere you placed me, I’d be a flawless image of the archetypal villainous noble.
Once I had firmly locked in the character settings, I moved toward the first-year Special Advancement Class and threw open the rear door to the classroom.
And there they were—every named character from the original story gathered in one place.
O-Ohhh... it’s the real deal!
I almost let out a roar of excitement.
For a fan of Ronzolkia, this was a sight beyond compare.
Ahh... what a feast for the eyes.
“Hey, look. The infamous ‘Vicious Noble’ just showed up...”
“That’s this year’s top scorer—Hollow von Heisenberg, right?”
“Huh? But during the ceremony earlier, wasn’t Miss Eliza the one giving the speech...?”
“Word is he turned down the new student representative speech. Hasn’t changed a bit since that soirée ten years ago—still the same insufferable jerk.”
I could feel numerous eyes watching me from a distance.
But not a single person tried to speak to me.
Well, considering Hollow’s reputation, that was only natural.
Since there weren’t assigned seats, I took an empty spot by the window.
The protagonist... isn’t here yet.
Most likely, he was already caught up in some incomprehensible incident—or “event,” as it always went.
If Hollow was a “terminally doomed” type, then the protagonist was a “trouble magnet” type.
From the gym where the entrance ceremony had been held to this classroom—a ridiculously short walk—he could still run into some kind of mishap. For “him,” that was child’s play.
Three minutes later, the back door of the classroom opened, and a boy in a white uniform walked in.
The moment I saw him, a chill ran down my spine.
H-he’s here...!
Allen Fortis, fifteen years old.
Snow-white medium-length hair.
About 160 centimeters tall, with a slender build... yet harboring incredible physical strength.
Large sky-blue eyes, a gentle mouth, and a soft, androgynous face. He wore the white uniform of the Redrick Academy of Magic.
This seemingly harmless boy—Allen Fortis—was, in the original Ronzolkia, the “protagonist.”
An abnormal existence who inherited the blood of heroes more strongly than anyone else, and who also carried a massive amount of the Demon Lord’s factor—yet kept both under his control.
“...White uniform?”
“What’s a prep student doing in the Special Advancement Class? I thought this class was for main students only?”
“Beats me. Maybe it’s a mistake?”
“Speaking of which, I heard one guy got into Special Advancement this year without even having a Unique Magic.”
While the classroom buzzed, the protagonist moved stiffly to take an empty seat.
Right after that, the front door opened, and a beautiful black-haired woman walked in.
She stepped up to the podium, gave a small cough to clear her throat, and began her self-introduction.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Fiona Seder, and I’ll be in charge of this Special Advancement Class. I look forward to working with you for the next three years.”
Hiding her murky inner self behind perfect manners, Miss Fiona gave a graceful bow. Warm applause followed.
“Whoa... she’s way too cute!”
“More like... gorgeous. Or maybe beautiful. Or all of the above...”
“Big chest, tiny waist, killer figure...”
Many of the boys were openly captivated by the young female teacher.
Well, from a distance, she did look like a flawless black-haired beauty.
Her insides were pure sewage, though.
Incidentally... her being our homeroom teacher was no coincidence.
I’d asked my father to pull some strings to make it happen.
The Heisenberg family donated a hefty sum to Redrick Academy of Magic, so certain... adjustments were possible.
Hooray for power.
Miss Fiona will do exactly as I say. That should make it much easier to operate within the school.
As I was going over my plans in my head—
“Now then, let’s get started with the morning homero—”
Miss Fiona had just opened her mouth when—
“—Hold it right there.”
A beautiful, bell-like yet razor-sharp voice cut across the room.
The girl who’d spoken slowly rose from her seat, her movements calm and deliberate as she stated plainly:
“There’s someone here who doesn’t belong.”
The speaker was Nia le Ainsworth, ranked fourth in the school, fifteen years old.
163 centimeters tall, with long platinum-blonde hair tied in a half-up style.
Huge, round eyes, stunning amber irises, and fresh white skin—she was an unparalleled beauty.
A firm, generous chest, slender waist, healthy thighs... her figure was flawless.
She wore the girls’ Main Course student uniform of Redrick Academy: a black-based blazer over a crisp white shirt, paired with a black slit mini-skirt.
“—Allen Fortis. What is someone like you, wearing white, doing in the Special Advancement Class?”
Nia looked down at the protagonist with the gaze of an absolute monarch.
A tense, stinging air filled the room—yet my heart was overflowing with emotion.
Whoa—! A prickly, hostile Nia... this feels so refreshingly new!
Nia was one of the potential heroines of the story, a character beloved by a certain segment of fans for her breathtaking beauty and her deeply pitiable circumstances.
Right now, she was burdened with a problem far too big to bear, and was mentally backed into a corner.
In the early part of the story, her exhaustion made her sharp-tongued and distant, but from the middle arcs onward she fell head over heels for the protagonist.
In other words—“Prickly Nia” could only be seen in the very earliest of the early stages—this moment right here.
I wanted to etch it into my memory.
“I came to Redrick to hone my skills alongside excellent mages and raise myself to greater heights. I didn’t come here to waste time playing with a failure who doesn’t even have a Unique Magic.”
Nia fired off her cutting words—
“P-people who weren’t blessed with a Unique Magic aren’t failures at all! If they work hard and train diligently, they can become outstanding mages!”
Allen shot back without missing a beat.
Whoa, whoa—hold it! Don’t just go barging down the main route on your own...!
In the original story, this led directly into a duel between the two.
Nia would use her Origin-Class Unique Magic, <Primordial Flame>, to keep the upper hand... but then, driven into a corner, Allen would awaken his own Unique Magic at the last moment—pulling off a stunning reversal victory.
In short, this duel was a “protagonist power-up event.”
Sorry, but I’m not letting that happen...!
The main route was littered with these power-up events for the protagonist.
By collecting them all, Allen awakened the heroic and demonic powers hidden within him.
So—what was I going to do?
The answer was simple.
I’ll use my knowledge of the original story to work behind the scenes, smashing every single one of Allen’s power-up events...!
That way, I could strip away his power entirely—without ever actually making him my enemy.
This was my “perfect countermeasure against the protagonist.”
And for that, right now, I need to grab Nia’s attention.
Fortunately, in the original story there was “a certain grudge” between Hollow and Nia.
If I used it well, I could steal her attention away.
“...Heh.”
I shook my shoulders with a wicked chuckle.
“...And what exactly is so funny, Hollow?”
For someone with such towering pride, Nia was surprisingly easy to bait.
That part of her was exactly the same as in the original.
“It’s just... so ridiculous I couldn’t bear to look at it.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
I gave a short, derisive snort, then glanced between Allen and Nia with a mocking smile.
“You and you—what’s the difference? From where I stand, you’re both no different from pebbles on the roadside.”
“Your arrogance hasn’t changed a bit, I see.”
She strode toward me, heels clicking, looking down at me with those amber eyes.
“How long are you planning to wallow in ‘past glory’? The last time you beat me was eight years ago, at the martial tournament. Seven years since then—me, humble and disciplined, versus you, the lazy and arrogant vicious noble... which of us do you think is stronger now?”
“No matter how much a rat sharpening its fangs scurries along the ground, it will never reach the soaring dragon in the sky. Even a child understands that.”
“...!”
“Oh—pardon me. Did I hurt that pitiful scrap of pride you have left?”
Wow... the Hollow brain was really something.
Sarcasm, mockery, insults—they just kept coming, one after another.
The Hollow of the original story really was human garbage.
If there were a “Top 10 Worst Personality Characters” list, he’d take first place without contest.
“—Fine. If you’re going to run your mouth that much, I’ll crush you first!”
She pointed a long, slender finger straight at me.
“Hollow von Heisenberg—I challenge you to a Ranking Duel!”
...Wow.
Just... wow. Nia le Ainsworth was so incredibly easy to provoke that I was starting to worry about her future.
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