Chapter 2
Thud!
Startled by the chef’s completely unexpected words, I hastily set down the bowl I was eating from. Almost immediately, his voice rang out again.
“The Marquis of Bade’s territory and this city are already connected by a road. You don’t even need to cross the mountains to get here. If you hurry, you could make the trip in a single day.”
“What? That can’t be right. The village chief clearly said…”
In that instant, it felt like a giant hammer had slammed into the back of my skull.
“You should take that path. You will need to cross the mountain, but there aren’t any real dangers. You’ll be able to pass through quickly.”
“I can’t say for certain how long it will take, but at a normal pace, three or four days should do it.”
The image of the kindly old chief smiling warmly as he gave me directions resurfaced in my mind.
“The chief told you to take the mountain road? That’s strange. Unless he did it deliberately, there’s no way he’d point you toward such a dangerous path.”
“……”
I couldn’t say a word. My mind went blank.
Wait, what? Did the chief lie to me on purpose?
But he’d been so kind!
He even gave me free camping supplies… why would he trick me?
At the same time, another image forced its way into my head: the gentle old man grinning slyly, clicking his tongue at me.
No. No, no.
I shook my head quickly, trying to rid myself of the ridiculous thought.
That’s when—
“Hey, chef! Bring me a stew and a meat platter.”
“Yes, right away.”
A customer must have entered. The chef, who’d been giving me a pitying look, spoke up before leaving.
“If you’re finished, just leave the dishes there. And kid, don’t go trusting people so easily. There are scary folks out there. Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue, the chef disappeared back inside.
“……”
I sat staring at the half-finished stew, letting out a deep sigh.
“Haah… was he really trying to trick me?”
Forget it.
Let’s just eat first.
Thud!
After finishing off every bit of food, I stood and bowed deeply toward the kitchen.
“I’ll be sure to repay your kindness someday, Chef.”
That made two people I owed in this world already… no, wait.
“The chief… that guy…”
The memory of him came creeping back again, but I shook it off.
“Whatever. Let’s just get to the academy. Live quietly. I can figure out who’s friend or foe later.”
After all, the story’s ending was something the protagonist would take care of. I just had to survive until then.
With that thought, I set off toward the academy.
Some time later.
“So that’s the academy’s front gate, huh.”
I whispered as I stared at the massive, ornate gates before me.
White marble, gilded in gold.
Statues and intricate carvings lined the area, all to emphasize the grandeur and authority of the Imperial Academy.
It was breathtaking, but even more dazzling were the people entering through those gates.
Clip-clop.
“Enter carefully!”
“I am Jerain of the Forest family.”
They passed through on horseback, clad in fine garments, flanked by knights in shining armor.
Like princes and princesses straight out of a fairy tale, every single one of them radiated dignity and grace.
And then—
Boom!
“Welcome to Plines Imperial Academy!”
The guards saluted the arrivals with perfect discipline, spears raised high. It was awe-inspiring beyond words.
That’s it. I just need to get inside.
Looking at the brilliance before me, I felt as if all the exhaustion and hardships I’d endured would melt away the moment I passed through those gates.
My steps quickened.
Step, step!
At last, I stood before the open gates, their white and gold harmonizing in exquisite beauty.
I lined up, waiting for my turn to enter, when—
Clang!
“……?”
“Halt!”
The spears that had been raised in ceremonial salute now pointed squarely at me.
Huh?
Completely blindsided, I threw both hands in the air.
“M-me?!”
In the gleaming armor, I caught my reflection.
Dirty. Ragged.
I looked like a beggar.
Well, yeah. If I were them, I’d stop someone like me too.
I quickly raised my hands higher, making it clear I wasn’t resisting.
“I—I’m a student here!”
One of the guards, still glaring suspiciously, stepped forward.
“A student, you say?”
“Yes, I’m enrolled here.”
“Then show me your student ID.”
“Uh… about that…”
The bag with my ID had been lost while fleeing from that bear.
“I… don’t have it right now. But I really am a student.”
I had no way to prove it, but I couldn’t say anything else.
The guard squinted at me.
Then—
“What’s going on here?”
A man who looked like their captain approached with authority.
“Sir! This person claims to be a student.”
“Then verify his ID.”
“He says he doesn’t have one.”
“What?”
The captain frowned, then stepped closer.
“So you’re saying you’re… wait.”
He froze mid-sentence. His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me.
“K…amon Bade?”
Oh? He knows me?
That makes things easier.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m Kamon Bade, a student here.”
I nodded confidently.
But then—
“K-Kamon Bade?”
“Is it really him?”
The other guards flinched, voices tinged with unease.
…What? Why does it feel like the atmosphere shifted?
Trying to ignore the strange vibe, I asked,
“So, now that my identity’s confirmed, can I go in?”
“……”
The captain stared at me for a long moment, then sighed heavily.
“…Very well. You may enter.”
What was with that sigh?
Confused, I walked quickly inside.
Step, step.
From behind came whispers.
“So he finally showed up.”
“Didn’t think he’d dare come back. What face is he going to show?”
“As if he ever cared. A guy like him would never regret the things he’s done.”
“Ugh, this is going to be a headache.”
The guards’ muttering reached my ears clearly.
So the people really hate him that much, huh?
Once again, I realized just how despised Kamon Bade was in this world.
Doesn’t matter. First priority: get a new student ID.
With that in mind, I headed straight to the administration office.
Inside sat a middle-aged woman, looking like the embodiment of world-weary boredom.
“Excuse me.”
I spoke carefully. Without even looking up, she held out her hand.
“ID.”
“Uh… I actually lost it.”
“You lost it?”
Finally glancing my way, she frowned.
“Kamon, isn’t it?”
“…Huh?”
She sighed.
“Another mess? What did you do this time?”
“Mess?”
What the hell had this Kamon done for even the admin staff to know him by reputation?
“N-no, I didn’t do anything.”
“Then why’d you lose it?”
Because the village chief tricked me and I lost it while running from a bear—no way was I explaining all that.
“Do I really need a reason?”
She shrugged.
“Not really. Hold on.”
She rummaged through a drawer, placed something in a round vessel, then handed it to me.
“Here. Take it.”
It was a freshly issued student ID, with Kamon Bade’s name and face stamped on it.
“That’s… it?”
“Yep. Done. Anything else you need?”
“No, thank you.”
Not wanting to stay and talk with her any longer, I quickly left.
The moment I stepped outside—
“Kamon!”
Three figures came rushing toward me.
W-what the…?
They were three very different builds, yet somehow screamed “hopeless trio.”
“W-who are you…?”
But before I could finish, they gazed at me with teary eyes.
“Kamon, are you alright?”
“We just heard you’ve returned to the academy!”
“Oh dear, look at your poor skin. You must’ve suffered terribly.”
What the hell?
Friends?
But no… they were way too polite.
Still, they wore academy uniforms.
Wait… juniors?
No, that couldn’t be. I was a freshman. How could I have juniors already?
So they’re my classmates?
They kept babbling regardless.
“After hearing what happened, we wanted to see you, but we weren’t allowed to leave.”
“But we prayed for you the whole time. After all, you weren’t wrong. You were just trying to teach that filthy commoner a lesson—”
“Hold it.”
Even just talking with them was draining, but finally, here were fellow students. Time to gather some intel.
Actually, this is perfect.
They seemed like Kamon’s followers. I could use them to understand the situation better.
“You three. Tell me everything—what kind of relationship we had, what memories we share. Leave nothing out.”
“Eh?”
“W-why do you ask, Kamon?”
Keeping my face as serious as possible, I said,
“Right now, I can’t trust anyone.”
“!”
The three of them gasped, covering their mouths.
“So explain everything you know.”
“Understood. Of course we’ll tell you everything.”
I nodded coolly as they agreed.
“Then start from the beginning. What’s happened up until now? Tell me all of it.”
A little while later.
“……”
So their names were Sol, Crollin, and Mok?
Those sounded familiar… oh, right.
Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc.
They were the Monster Trio!
Minor extras who’d briefly appeared in the original story.
They’d also been Kamon’s lackeys who got crushed by Kyle…
Wait, huh?
It surprised me that I could recall such tiny details.
Was my memory always this sharp?
Well, not a bad thing.
Anyway, Sol, who acted like their leader, finished explaining.
“That’s everything, Kamon. But… why did you call us by our real names just now?”
“…What?”
“You always called us Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc. It feels… weirdly distant to hear our actual names. Haha.”
So Kamon had mocked them even in person.
Seriously? Who names people like that? Even extras deserve better.
But whatever.
At least their account matched what I remembered of the story.
In the original, Kamon grew jealous and resentful of the commoner protagonist Kyle, eventually scheming to attack him.
But the plan went wrong, dragging the imperial princess into it, and Kamon ended up attacking Princess Francia instead of Kyle.
…Which had already played out.
“So, boss, you’re fine now, right? No extra punishment or anything?”
“Once the suspension’s over, you’ll just return to academy life, correct?”
Crollin and Mok both asked hopefully.
“Oh, punishment? Nah. It ended with me being kicked out of the Bade family.”
“…What?”
“You—you were expelled from House Bade?”
“T-then… you’ve been reduced to a commoner?”
The Monster Trio froze, staring at me in shock. I nodded.
“Yeah. That’s about right.”
“……”
Immediately, their expressions twisted.
What the—?
Their whole attitude shifted in that instant.
Then—
“So what, we’ve been talking to some filthy commoner this whole time?”
“Hah. What a joke.”
Their gazes turned sharp, full of disgust and contempt.
“…What?”
I could only stare in bewilderment at the sudden turn.
