The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knight’s Rampage Through Another World
The next morning.
Sitting in the very back row of the large classroom on the first floor of the academic building, I was… enduring a humiliating ordeal.
The culprits were Nora and Twina, sitting on either side of me.
“Hehe… I wonder what school life will be like? I’m really looking forward to it, Gerald-sama!”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Ugh, listen to this, Gerald~. I was planning to sneak into your room in the middle of the night… just to hang out, once everyone had fallen asleep, but I got caught by a night patrol knight… and when I protested, I got lectured all night long—”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s right. You’re 100% to blame for that.”
Nora hugs my left arm tightly, pressing part of her voluptuous body against me, while Twina, looking sleepy, leans her weight and head on my right shoulder as she speaks to me.
The first lecture is supposed to be an orientation where the vice principal and the teachers in charge of each class greet the students and explain the future curriculum… but coming early to avoid being late backfired.
What I’m trying to say is, this massive lecture hall is packed with the entire student body—from the Special Class down to the lower grades, not to mention the upper classes.
Of course, since there’s still a little time before the start, not everyone is here yet…
Even so, I was exposed to the stares of a considerable number of people.
(Hey, look at that.)
(Whoa…)
(A harem on the first day? What a bastard.)
(Hey, back off! That guy’s wearing a Special Class badge.)
(Seriously? Isn’t he just some rich kid from some backwater noble family?)
(It’s probably just connections, anyway.)
(Even so, the girls next to him are way too high-level…)
“…………”
Don’t underestimate my keen hearing—I can hear every single word…!!
But then again, I can’t say I don’t understand how they feel.
Most of the freshmen—setting aside the sons and daughters of powerful nobles who are guaranteed posts far from the front lines in the future—are from knightly families who are here to hone their skills at the academy and become full-fledged knights (needless to say, I’m one of them).
In that context, especially during this orientation—essentially the academy’s first day—any aspiring knight who shows up with two beautiful girls in tow, sitting there with a smug look on his face (though, personally, I’m neither smug nor sitting back like that), would probably come across as nothing but unbearably dull.
Of course, I did try to get out of this situation.
In other words, I tried to ask Klaus—who had just walked into the auditorium—for help. I did, but…
Unbelievably, the moment our eyes met, he made a face like, “Hahaha… take your time,” then, reading the room way too well, he sneaked off and sat down somewhere far away!
Damn you, Klaus! It seems you really are my enemy after all!!!!
…Well, I do realize that’s taking my resentment a bit too far.
If I were Klaus, I wouldn’t want to get involved with a sketchy guy like me either…
That said, there are others in a similar situation to mine.
For example, Veronica El Rosenheim, the top student of our Special Class and one of the main heroines in the main story.
She’s sitting diagonally across from me with a haughty expression, but she’s surrounded by more people than I am—five or six men and women.
And every single one of them is strikingly handsome or beautiful and seems to come from a good family.
It’s a reverse harem straight out of a dating sim, and a yuri harem to boot.
Of course, since the Rosenheim family is a dukedom, her entourage is naturally made up of knights serving her family and the sons and daughters of noble families with whom they are on friendly terms… but they stand out far more than someone like me.
Then there’s the tall, handsome guy leaning against the wall next to the lecture hall, chatting and laughing with about three girls.
I caught a glimpse of a Special Class badge on his chest.
I know his name and face.
Joshua Brunet.
He comes from a knightly family that owns a small fief in the northern part of the kingdom, and in the early part of the main story, he’s positioned as Klaus’s best friend—or rather, as a handsome sidekick who’s always there to help out.
Actually, if we’re talking about the girls surrounding him, there are more of them around him than me, aren’t there?
Why is he being ignored while I’m the one getting talked about behind my back?
Is it because he’s handsome, after all!?
Do people just assume it’s natural for him to be surrounded by girls because he’s handsome!?
Damn it, this is exactly why handsome guys are so annoying!! What a gap! How unfair!!
That said, he’s already been devoured by monsters and killed by the time I die in the main story, so in a way, he’s a rather pitiable character.
So, well… yeah, maybe I went a little too far.
For now, I’ll let it slide.
…Or so I thought, as I was engrossed in people-watching.
“…Hm?”
I noticed that among the gazes directed at me, there was one that felt different.
Most of the stares were a mix of jealousy, curiosity, or both.
But that one was clearly directed at me with hostility.
“That guy… is it Bullfighting-kun?”
The source of the gaze was a giant sitting about five rows in front of me.
Even though he was surrounded by his entourage, he turned his face slightly toward me and was glaring at me out of the corner of his eye.
I didn’t know his name, but I recognized him.
He was definitely the guy who got beaten up by the examiner during the practical exam.
That said, I don’t recall doing anything to make him hold a grudge against me…
Since his entourage consists only of guys, maybe he’s just jealous of me?
Still, I don’t hold any ill will toward him, nor do I intend to be hostile.
Just to show goodwill, I waved at him with a smile, but he scowled and looked away. I don’t get it.
Come to think of it, which class is he in?
Judging by his build and demeanor, he doesn’t seem like a lowerclassman.
Unfortunately, I can only see his back from here, so I can’t tell if he’s wearing a badge.
Still, since the bulletin board only listed names and grades, I can’t match the faces to the names.
Well, after orientation, we’ll probably split into classes for self-introductions, so I’ll just have to learn them as we go.
Just as I was thinking that…
“Alright, everyone’s here.”
The door at the back of the large lecture hall opened, and the teachers filed in one after another.
At that moment, the gentle buzz that had filled the room vanished, and a tense atmosphere took hold.
In a way, today marks the first step in avoiding my “death ending.”
Even though it’s just orientation, I have to make sure I don’t miss a single word.