I Am The Game's Villain

Lady Luck has never been on my damn side.

Pushing aside a man who stood in front of me, the crowd before me instinctively made way. With my hands still casually resting in my pockets, I strode forward with a calm demeanor.

I could hear echoes of the same kind of girlish squeals that had accompanied Victor\'s arrival, as was to be expected given my lineage.

"Olphean?"

"Could he be related to Connor...?"

"Look at his pendant! Maybe he is."

"Shh! Don\'t mention him, he\'s dead!"

"Wait, I heard he\'s Christina\'s cousin?"

"Is he flaunting his family?"

"Why can\'t he be humble like other Great Nobles?"

"Can someone who\'s come from outside, a \'lesser\' human, really be considered a true Great Noble?"

"A Half who\'s not even from here?"

"This is so strange..."

"I doubt he really belongs in this academy..."

"Quiet down! He\'s a criminal too, look at his cuffs!"

"No way! How did they even let him in?"

"Relax, he probably can\'t use mana like us."

Regrettably, some unpleasant comments found their way to my ears.

This incessant \'Half\' discrimination was getting tiresome. While I personally couldn\'t care less, I was growing weary of hearing the same biased sentiments over and over again.

Ignoring the negative chatter, I maintained my smile and directed a nod toward my mother and Christina—literally the only ones applauding for me. Even my brother-in-law refrained from clapping.

What a splendid life, I thought sarcastically. Though that\'s what I might have said if I actually cared about the opinions of these Sancta Vedelia clowns.

Without sparing even a glance for the contemptuous gazes, I continued to wear my self-assured smile as I greeted Harvey. "I\'m delighted that Professor Harvey is my instructor. Christina has spoken so highly of your skills that I\'ve eagerly hoped to be under your tutelage. It\'s quite miraculous that this wish has come true. I look forward to your enlightening lessons."

"Um, yes," Harvey replied, his surprise evident at my words that were dripping with false admiration.

At the very least, I hoped that my somewhat negative first impression wouldn\'t land me on his \'black list\' for the rest of the year.

Joining my classmates, I noticed their sidelong glances and the safe distance they maintained from me.

Even Celeste, Cylien, Selene, and Victor hadn\'t faced such shunning, so it wasn\'t really about my Could it be because I was a criminal?

10:00

status as a Great Noble or my Half heritage.

Could it be because I was a criminal?

[<More like a combination of factors, Amael. Your Half status coupled with your criminal label aren\'t doing you any favors.>]

Well, I wasn\'t particularly bothered by it. In fact, it was a bit refreshing to not be the center of attention in a negative way. Compared to the hostile gazes that had met me in Celesta, the scrutiny here seemed relatively mild, likely due to my connection to a Great Noble family.

It appeared that I was the lowest ranked student in my class, considering Professor Harvey led us to the banquet hall without waiting for the other classes to conclude.

Unfortunately, this meant I missed out on getting a look at the rest of the student body and discovering in which class John would end up.

As we entered the banquet hall, a mouthwatering aroma of various dishes hit me. The traditional music playing in the background set a festive tone, with musicians playing lutes.

The first-year students were already gathering in groups, and there seemed to be an implicit division between the three classes. Nonetheless, some students were mingling across class lines. Allen Teraquin, for example, was once again attempting to impress Roda Moonfang, although it was apparent that Roda was growing tired of his antics.

Victor approached me with a smile. "So, we\'re in the same class."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, it seems so."

"By the way..." Victor\'s expression turned resentful. "Why did you escape yesterday? Celeste nearly strangled me!"

"Oh, that?" I chuckled, crafting a quick lie. "Headmaster Melfina had called me. My apologies."

"The headmaster, huh?" Victor\'s suspicion didn\'t seem to waver entirely.

Shifting the conversation, I inquired, "You know the Elaryon Princess as well?"

"Cylien? Yeah, a bit," Victor replied. "It\'s mostly because she\'s close to Celes."

"Just curious, did you notice anything unusual in Celeste\'s or Cylien\'s behavior?" I asked. Perhaps I could gain some insight into the identity of the next Prophetess.

"Unusual behavior?" Victor mused, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... Oh, yes! Celeste has been somewhat nicer to me than usual!"

I was at a loss for words, my expression twitching. He really could be oblivious.

If she was being nicer, then it was just her harboring feelings for him.

"I see, thanks," I managed to say, masking my surprise.

Suddenly, Victor\'s attention shifted behind me. "Excuse me, Amael. Can I call you Amael, since we\'re classmates?"

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Great! See you around, Amael!" Victor exclaimed before walking away.

Curious about his sudden departure, I turned to see Alicia standing there, surrounded by a group of girls. It was quite impressive how Alicia and Roda seemed to outshine all the other girls. The same could be said for Cylien and Celeste.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I pretended to search for something to drink as I discreetly moved closer to listen in on their conversation.

Victor stepped forward, politely addressing the girls around Alicia. They blushed in his presence and after receiving a nod from Alicia, they left the two of them alone.

Victor started the conversation with a smile. "Hey, how have you been, Alicia?"

Alicia\'s crimson eyes locked onto Victor for a moment before she replied, "I\'m doing well."

"Why didn\'t you come yesterday? I told you to come, Alicia. You\'re not familiar with the academy," Victor questioned, sounding a bit exasperated.

"Victor, I might be your half-sister, and I do respect you, but I\'m not interested in having a close sibling relationship. I\'m already uncomfortable enough with my other brothers," Alicia responded in a calm tone.

"I get it, Alicia," Victor said, a wry smile forming. "But at least consider relying on me if Sirius and Cyril aren\'t being helpful."

Alicia nodded in agreement, brushing a strand of her golden hair aside.

Victor hesitated for a moment before broaching a sensitive topic. "About our father... You should talk to him at least—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Alicia\'s expression turned cold, and she abruptly walked away from him.

It was evident that the topic involving James Raven, Alicia\'s father, was a sore point. The situation revolved around James Raven cheating on his first wife, Leora Raven, and fathering Victor through this affair. While polygamy was accepted in Sancta Vedelia, the fact that James cheated secretly was a source of contention. Leora, his first wife, was left devastated by his actions, and Alicia could sense the turmoil in her mother every day. While Alicia didn\'t seem to harbor any typical disdain for Victor due to his status as the second wife\'s son, she chose to maintain a distant relationship with him. Similarly, her other brothers, Cyril and Sirius, stayed with James and Victor, though they held differing levels of animosity toward their father. In this complex scenario, James Raven bore the brunt of the blame for his actions. If he had wanted another wife, he should have done so formally and communicated openly with his existing wife.

As I observed this exchange, a message from Cleenah drew my attention. [<That Moonfang Princess is watching you, Amael.>]

\'Could she be interested in me?\' I asked internally.

[<I don\'t think she is interested in a criminal. She seems more cautious of you. Quite wary, in fact.>]

\'But I haven\'t even done anything.\'

[<You\'re labeled as a criminal, which casts a shadow. Regardless of your actual actions, that\'s how they perceive you.>]

\'Isn\'t it ironic? Nowadays, people who kill traitors are labeled criminals.\'

[<The blame for that lies squarely with the King of Celesta,>] cleenah responded.

\'At least now I know where Alfred got his idiocy from.\'

Given that the Moonfang Princess appeared wary of me, I decided to capitalize on this opportunity to investigate if she might be the next Prophetess.

[<The elf Allen is also looking at you by the way.>]

\'I\'m not interested in men.\'

[<He\'s not giving you a tender gaze!>]

As Cleenah and I exchanged our internal banter, the doors to the banquet hall swung open once more. The attention of the room shifted towards the entrance, indicating the arrival of the next class. Judging by the figure leading the group, it was the Second Year White Class making their entrance.