Lunaria wandered aimlessly, letting Selene guide her. She didn't know the academy at all, unlike Selene, who had at least some idea thanks to what her brothers had told her.
Of course, it wasn't as if Selene got along with them. Quite the opposite. As the only girl among several brothers—and the one stuck in the middle—she was often bullied: beaten, insulted, and harassed. And yet, Selene never held any deep resentment toward them.
Lunaria wasn't sure if it was due to her kind heart, but if it were her… she would hate them without hesitation.
Bullied? I've already had more than enough of that in my past life! Xu Yuying thought bitterly.
Suddenly, Selene stopped walking, and Lunaria bumped lightly into her back.
—"Ah, sorry," Lunaria apologized, but Selene didn't respond.
A bit confused, Lunaria noticed that Selene was staring fixedly at something, smiling softly. Instinctively, Lunaria turned her head to follow her gaze.
It was a wide window with an incredible view of the campus, where the headmaster of the academy would soon appear.
Lunaria wasn't stopping to admire the view, though. She was searching for certain characters from the game.
And as expected, among the rows of students stood the prince of the kingdom. Of course he would be here; he had to attend the event.
Maybe Lunaria had stared a little too long, because the prince noticed her and looked directly at her. Despite the distance, she was sure their eyes had met.
If she remembered correctly, the prince's name was Cedreic de DrakemWald. And that very same man was now smiling at her.
Lunaria didn't smile back. Instead, she tilted her head in annoyance, as if silently saying: "Why the hell are you smiling? You're creepy, man."
Cedreic turned his eyes back to the front, and Lunaria let out a quiet sigh. She only hoped she hadn't caught his attention. She wanted nothing to do with the main characters of the story.
Or at least… not with all of them.
Selene then turned to her, catching her gaze, and gave her a gentle smile before speaking.
—"It's a nice view, isn't it?" Selene said, looking ahead again.
Lunaria hesitated before replying in the flat, muted voice of her character:
—"…Yeah, it is. Just as beautiful as you."
…The hell did I just say?!
Xu Yuying froze in shock. She hadn't wanted to say those words. She didn't even know if it was Lunaria genuinely thinking it, or if the system had forced her to say it.
Either way, she just prayed Selene wouldn't find her weird. Her sanity depended on this girl!
To her surprise, Selene blushed faintly and smiled brightly.
—"You really do compliment people a lot, don't you?"
Lunaria allowed herself a small smile at that. With any luck, the ceremony would start soon. She just wanted it over with, though she couldn't leave yet—she still needed information.
The Morenti Academy of Magic housed its students in gender-separated dorms, two per room. In a place as prestigious as this, one would expect individual rooms, but not here. Well… if you happened to be gay, you basically hit the jackpot.
Lunaria wasn't thrilled about sharing a room. She could already imagine the hell that awaited her with any potential roommate. She had no intention of using force to defend herself either; what was the point of punishing irrelevant people? To her, those who mocked her over her family's status were nothing but ants.
Xu Yuying didn't disagree. She just wanted to live in peace!
It didn't take long before the ceremony finally began. A surge of magic filled the air, and suddenly, a stunningly beautiful woman appeared floating above the campus. Her clothing was… well, let's just say provocative.
Her white hair cascaded down to her shoulders, and her sapphire-blue eyes gleamed, captivating everyone watching. She wore a form-fitting dress that accentuated her figure, and the most striking feature was her long, elven ears.
She was the Headmistress of Morenti Academy of Magic, a legendary sorceress of elven blood.
And, to Lunaria and Xu Yuying's dismay… a complete pervert.
No one could tear their eyes away from her. Few knew that this enchanting woman was over five hundred years old… and had rather questionable inclinations.
Lunaria sighed and tried to ignore those thoughts, focusing only on enduring the headmistress's overly formal, painfully long speech.
—"You don't seem very interested in the ceremony, Lunaria," Selene remarked, noticing her distraction.
—"And you're not wrong. Nothing here matters to me. I just want the headmistress to finish so I can find out which room I'll be in and who I'll be sharing with."
Selene tilted her head curiously.
—"That information will be sent to our phones, Lunaria."
—"The problem is… I don't have a phone."
Selene fell silent, guilt flashing across her face. Of course she knew about Lunaria's family situation—she had just forgotten. After all, the real Lunaria's personality didn't match the cruel rumors at all.
—"…I—I'm sorry, I didn't remember…" Selene finally said.
Lunaria shook her head. She knew Selene hadn't meant anything by it.
—"Don't worry. I know you didn't say it with bad intentions."
With that, she reached out and gently ruffled Selene's hair.
> [Mission accomplished!]
[No rewards]
Lunaria let out a relieved sigh, completely missing the brief shiver that ran through Selene's body. For now, at least, she was safe from losing her mind.
The ceremony came to an end, and not long after, the headmistress's voice summoned Lunaria to her office.
—"…Then I'll be going, Selene. I hope we meet again soon."
Selene smiled back at her as she walked away.
Lunaria turned on her heel and headed down the halls.
—"Alright… where the hell is that pervert's office?" Xu Yuying muttered.
---
The Headmistress
After a long search, Lunaria finally found the office.
—"Headmistress, I'm here."
She had barely finished speaking when the door swung open and a blur of white shot straight at her.
—"Lulu!" a melodic voice cried.
The headmistress tried to hug her, but Lunaria easily sidestepped the incoming impact.
The elf, known as Eira, conjured a burst of wind to avoid face-planting into the floor. She turned around with a pout.
—"Is that how you greet the love of your life? You're so mean, Lulu!"
—"First of all, my name is Lunaria. Second, you're not the love of my life. And third, you're a pervert." She glared at her.
Eira sighed and collapsed into a chair.
—"You're cruel to the one who watched you grow up. I've been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you, you know?"
—"Are you even aware of what you just said? I was four years old when you first saw me. Are you a pedophile?"
—"Don't sweat the small details! Love is what matters!"
—"…Whatever. Can you just tell me who my roommate is and where I'll be staying?"
Lunaria sat down next to her, calm. She knew that, even if Eira was a pervert, she wouldn't try anything without her consent. And if she did, Lunaria was ready to knock her out cold.
The elf leaned her head against Lunaria's shoulder with a smile.
—"Third floor, room fifty-seven."
—"And who's my roommate?"
—"I don't know. I only paid attention to my dear Lulu's name."
—"Useless," Lunaria muttered.
Eira ignored the insult and rested her head in Lunaria's lap. Lunaria didn't push her away. It was within her limits. Besides, whether she liked it or not, Eira did hold a place in her heart. In this hostile world, it was better to have allies.
Eira snapped her fingers, and a gift-wrapped box appeared before Lunaria.
—"I know you don't have a phone, so I bought you one."
Lunaria's eyes widened.
—"I can't accept this. It'll take me a long time to pay you back."
—"I don't want you to pay me back. I love you, Lulu, and that's enough. Besides, school life will be impossible without one. You can always pay me with your body if you're that worried!"
—"All the more reason I can't accept it, Eira." Her tone hardened.
—"Just accept it already! I want to talk to you all day."
Xu Yuying suddenly remembered what she knew about the game: Eira's fate. Despite her eccentric behavior, she had never taken a lover. Her feelings for Lunaria were genuine. She lived with her head held high… only to die at the end of the story.
Xu Yuying wanted to save her.
With a sigh, Lunaria took the box.
—"Fine, I'll accept it."
She stroked the elf's snowy hair, surprised by how soft and well-kept it was.
Eira smiled, butterflies swirling in her stomach. She knew it: she was truly in love.
—"Your first contact has to be me, Lulu. You should head to your dorm now; tomorrow's the first day."
—"Then I'll be going, Headmi—"
Eira cut her off, pressing a finger to her lips.
—"Call me Eira."
—"…Fine. Eira."
The elf beamed, hugging her tightly.
—"Lulu, can I kiss you?"
—"No."
Eira sighed, pulling back.
—"You're no fun, Lulu. Go on, go. Dream of me tonight."
—"Yeah. Good night, Eira."
Lunaria left the office, heading toward her dorm.
> [An intimate interaction with a sub-heroine has been detected!]
[Eira Tanheart!]
Lunaria frowned.
"Wasn't my only target supposed to be Selene?"
[Things can change!]
[If you build strong bonds with sub-heroines, you can grow stronger. You might even save characters fated to die. Like that elf who's in love with you, for example.]
"Are you seriously telling me to build a harem? Are you insane?"
[If that's your choice, it's not my problem. But think about it: Selene isn't gay. If you don't find a balance, you'll end up turning into a crazy yandere trying to violate the main heroine.]
[Oh, and just to be clear: guys don't count. Gross.]
Lunaria scoffed and kept walking, lost in thought.