The grand oak doors of the North Wing creaked as I stepped out into the sunlight. The distant roar of the student body in the Great Hall echoed across the courtyard. The Opening Ceremony was ending.
In my past life, this was the moment I ran to the hall, desperate to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family. I had been so eager to serve, so desperate for a purpose.
[Notice: You have 310 Karma Points remaining after 'Shadow-Step' and 'False Aura Mask' purchase.]
[Status: 'False Aura Mask' is Active. Your power level appears as: Rank F (Trash).]
Good. Let them think I'm nothing.
"Make way! Make way for His Imperial Highness!"
The shout came from the main path. A squad of Golden Knights in shimmering plate armor marched forward, clearing a path through the lingering students. In the center of the formation walked a boy with hair the color of spun gold and eyes that promised a bright future.
Prince Marcus.
Beside him walked Elara. She wasn't a Saintess yet—just the daughter of a high priest—but she already wore her white robes with an air of divine arrogance.
The students around me dropped to their knees. It was the law. A commoner did not stand while royalty passed.
I stayed standing.
"Hey, you!" a knight barked, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. "Peasant! Down on your knees!"
The royal procession slowed to a halt. Marcus looked over, his brow furrowed in mild curiosity. He looked so young. So innocent. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had twisted a dagger in my heart while laughing.
"It's alright, Captain," Marcus said, his voice smooth and kind—the voice of a natural leader. He looked at me, a polite smile on his face. "Perhaps he's just overwhelmed by the occasion. What is your name, student?"
In my first life, I had tripped over my own tongue trying to answer. I had knelt so hard my knees bruised.
This time, I just looked him in the eye. With the [False Aura Mask] active, I looked like a nobody, but my gaze was a cold abyss.
"Kaelen," I said. No title. No "Your Highness."
The knights gasped. Elara narrowed her eyes, her hand tightening on her prayer beads. "How rude. Do you not know who stands before you?"
"I know exactly who stands here," I replied.
[Alert! Massive Fate Deviation detected.]
[Context: You have broken the 'First Meeting' script. You were destined to become Marcus's loyal shadow from this moment on.]
[Calculating Karma... +500 Karma Points!]
Marcus's smile didn't fail, but it twitched. He wasn't used to being ignored. He wasn't used to people looking through him rather than at him.
"Kaelen," Marcus repeated, nodding slowly. "A strong name. I hope to see great things from you in the combat trials, friend."
He reached out a hand, offering a friendly shake—a classic move to show he was a "Man of the People."
I didn't take it. I simply stepped to the side, carving a path through the crowd.
"I have class," I said, walking past the Golden Knights without looking back.
The silence in the courtyard was heavy enough to suffocate. I could feel Marcus's gaze on my back—not a gaze of friendship, but the sharp, calculating look of a predator who had just found a prey he couldn't understand.
[Total Karma Balance: 810 KP]
[Notice: You have successfully avoided the 'Path of the Servant'.]
[New Objective: Win the First Combat Trial without revealing your True Strength.]
As I rounded the corner, I felt a familiar chill. The [Seal of the Void Sovereign] on my finger pulsed.
Someone was watching me from the shadows of the library balcony. Someone who wasn't a student.
I didn't turn around. I just smiled.
The game had finally begun.