The more I think about it, the less sense it makes…
"Hmmm." Armine ate with a smile on her face, devouring pancakes covered in syrup.
Is this girl really as dangerous as she is in the game?
I looked around. Since the school year hadn't officially started, only a few students were in the grand banquet hall.
I stared at the coffee in my hands and the plate of bacon, eggs, and bread in front of me.
It's bizarre to think I have to go back to school…
"Something wrong, buddy?" Armine asked, pausing mid-chew.
Yeah, actually, something is wrong.
I'm a normal guy from another dimension who's hijacked this poor kid's body.
Until recently, you were just a fictional character.
But now you're sitting across from me, being sweet and friendly.
I smiled without saying what I was really thinking.
"Just thinking about how cool this place is."
I glanced around—it wasn't a complete lie.
In the game, for obvious reasons, I could never explore certain areas, but this time I could actually poke around the scenery of [Kings Roads]
The banquet hall was an imposing room, with large white wooden tables and oval-shaped windows letting in the morning chill.
Spherical lamps hung from the high ceiling, casting a solemn glow.
I looked at the cook who'd served us—a dwarf girl with a ponytail, wearing an apron over a bikini top and short shorts.
She smiled when she noticed me looking.
I mustn't forget this is an eroge world.
"I think that girl likes you, buddy," Armine said with a kind smile.
Hmm… you know what? Despite everything, I can believe she's just a normal young woman.
"I don't think so. She's just being nice—it's her job, after all." I took a sip of the coffee, black, with no sugar or milk. Exactly what I needed to think.
"Mouh, you're too serious, buddy." Hey, don't pout like that—you're already dangerously cute without it.
"I'm realistic."
An absurd opinion, considering where I am.
"Being realistic doesn't mean giving up on being happy." Armine smiled, and all I could do was take a bite of my food.
She'd just outsmarted me.
At that moment, I remembered this was the first event in Armine's Royal Path.
Meaning I could gain an advantage by bonding with her.
Armine has twelve encounters.
"Armine, what's a half-giant doing at this academy?" This was the question that led to the second encounter.
Armine set down her fork and picked up her mug of hot chocolate.
"Have you ever wanted to protect something?"
No, never. Thinking about it…
"You're useless."
Jakob, you didn't have much luck with that either, huh?
Nah, I've got nothing like that.
"I don't think so." When it came to Armine, honesty was best.
She stared at me, her golden eye piercing my soul with unsettling intensity.
"… Hey, don't you have a family?"
"No."
Jakob was naive. From his memories, I instantly saw the kind of relationship he had at home…
"No, please, no!"
"Useless!"
Only a fool loves someone who wants to destroy you.
As for me, I can say I never had a meaningful bond with anyone.
I don't lie to myself—lies are useless.
Hey, why does everything suddenly feel so lonely…?
"From the way you act, I thought you were a noble," Armine said, her tone doubtful.
"I am. That's why I don't have a family. Some beasts… tend to cannibalize their own, after all," I said, looking straight into her eyes.
Jakob's memories put everything in perspective.
In this world, it wasn't uncommon for siblings to suffer strange "accidents." The primordials' order encouraged rivalry for the favor of the King of Souls' advisors.
A pretty disgusting world.
"Why are you here, then?" Armine's voice was unusually serious. I'd clearly stepped on a landmine.
A good question, really.
What am I doing here?
Jakob's reasons were ridiculous. Mine?
Survive.
But what's stopping me from running away?
Right now, I'm just an average noble. With one letter, I could get some money from my paternal grandfather, go somewhere nice, and wait for Aeono to handle everything.
But…
I wished for a place to belong.
Right, I'd wished for that recklessly…
"I guess… I don't really know yet," I said, feigning disinterest.
I looked at my coffee again, took a sip, and grimaced. A little sugar wouldn't hurt.
"…Do you train, Jakob?" Armine asked, her voice tired.
Train? Looking through Jakob's memories, he barely put in the minimum effort.
I frowned. No wonder your family never acknowledged you.
I sighed. I need to start building muscle and gaining strength.
I have to get to the library and…
I looked at Armine. A way to avoid Jakob's fate was sitting right in front of me.
"Hey, Armine, have you ever trained someone?"
"N-Nyoh?" The half-giant shook her head cutely.
I smiled.
This is a great idea.
…
…
…
This is a terrible idea.
"Aah, aah, aah." Every muscle in my body screamed in pain. I was panting, staring up at the massive circular lamp on the ceiling.
This was definitely a terrible idea.
"Buddy, your condition is awful," my new trainer said, looking at me with pity.
Armine was now in criminally tight workout clothes.
Seriously, whether it's because she's a half-giant or just her natural build, everything about her is too perfect.
I curse you, eroge world.
"I know," I said between strained breaths. Jakob, you idiot—no wonder Aeono kicked your ass.
After my question, Armine led me to the training halls.
It was a large room with polished black stone walls and white lamps illuminating the space.
The floor was covered with tatami mats, and there was weight equipment I was pretty sure only Armine could lift.
Multiple weapons lined the wall, from katanas to war hammers and battle scythes.
I hadn't picked up any of them to train—just done basic warm-ups, and now I was half-dead.
Jakob, I'm glad I kicked your ass so many times in the game.
"So… wanna keep going?" Armine sat beside me.
She'd tied her hair into a ponytail and taken off her glasses.
God, she's gorgeous.
Now that I think about it, her boobs could probably block her face from where I'm lying.
Ahem.
Anyway.
"Yeah," I said, struggling to stand.
This pain is real, and tomorrow's going to be worse.
"Okay, but first, pick a weapon."
Hmm… a weapon. This is interesting…
In the game, Jakob used Soul Magic because it was easy, even though his father had forced him to practice swordsmanship as a kid.
In the fight against Aeono, he used a bit of both.
The build that got me here was dual-wielding and speed.
I walked over to the weapons. Hey… this is the first time I'm holding a sword.
Me, not Jakob.
I grabbed the hilts of twin swords and…
"I've never been able to fit in with people." Something Jakob and I shared.
No family.
No friends.
Why am I saying this?
Part of me still must not accept that this is real.
I'm venting my problems.
If this is real, I should try to set Jakob's path straight. If it's a dream, it doesn't matter.
Interestingly, Jakob was a loner too, but he was an idiot who thought he was above normal people.
"…Is that why you came here?" the half-giant asked, her voice full of compassion. "To have a place to come back to?"
Armine, you're too kind.
I wish there were more people like you where I'm from.
"Yeah." No reason to lie. Jakob and I both longed for a place to belong.
That's why, deep down, this transmigration is an opportunity for me. Maybe in this dark world with a shiny surface, I can finally…
"Hey, Jakob, wanna be my friend?"
I grabbed both swords just as Armine said that.
For a few seconds, the world ceased to exist.
Hey, you can't say that to someone just out of their teens while they're holding a weapon—you're asking for trouble.
"…Yeah," both Jakob and I said. "Yeah, I want to be your friend."
I turned around, holding both swords. Armine wore a friendly smile.
Hey, don't make that face—I might fall for you if I'm not careful.
Pfft, as if…
I'm… not that old, to be honest, but still, she's too kind for me to do that.
Hands off.
Besides, this is the first time I've had a friend.
Man, my life was depressing. Though the current situation as Jakob isn't exactly a huge upgrade.
"Alright." Armine nodded, then went to the center of the room and tapped the floor.
A hatch opened, and something rose until it was fully visible.
Black armor.
The helmet had a slit for eyes, with shoulder pads, a breastplate, and a backplate adorned with gold fleur-de-lis details, along with a black skirt and greaves.
I recognized that set—it was the standard Martell knight armor.
One of the most basic and common sets in the game.
Beneath the armor, I saw a humanoid figure. I knew what it was instantly.
Why?
"You're going to fight this Marionette," Armine said, giving the breastplate a light tap.
A Marionette.
A construct blending magic and technology.
"Is that okay? Isn't this like hitting a Marriott ancestor?"
According to [Kings Roads] lore, Marionettes were created about seven centuries ago, when the King of Souls sought to make companions for humanity.
Originally, they were vaguely humanoid, made of wood and metal, but since this is an eroge world, they eventually evolved into waifu automata for plot reasons.
Why?
It's an eroge world—don't overthink it.
In fact, one of the heroines is a Marriott.
Hmm, I'd love to bring a robotics expert to inspect one of those Marriotts.
They're talking, walking miracles.
And as if that wasn't enough, they can get pregnant.
"Not at all. It's more like the difference between chimpanzees and humans—close, but still two separate species," Armine said, giving the armor two taps.
The Marionette came to life and took a guard stance.
A blunt sword appeared in its hand.
Hmm… good analogy. Wait…
"Hey… shouldn't I start with the basics?"
Armine gave me a flat look.
"Scared of a little practice?"
"…"
A chill ran down my spine.
"Get up."
"I can't."
Hmm… Jakob's memories didn't affect me emotionally, but his body still reacted to trauma.
I decided to ignore it for now. It's not like it'll come back to bite me.
"Okay," I said, taking the stance Aeono used when I equipped dual weapons in the game.
This can't be that hard.
…
…
…
After spending the whole day getting beaten by an armored Marionette, I decided to head to the library alone.
Armine said she needed to prepare a training plan for me.
"Sorry, we can hang out more later, but you really need a proper training plan if you want results."
Bless her.
Anyway, now I could stick to my original plan.
There were two months left, so I needed to grab every point and upgrade possible. The academy staff who handled stat allocation in the game weren't here yet.
But I still had a way to improve my stats without them—the early-game items were waiting to be found.
Sorry, Aeono, but I'm stealing this loot. You'll have plenty of advantages with the heroines anyway.
Come to think of it, wouldn't it be better to join a faction from the start? The big players in this world would come to this academy to build their power bases.
If the King of Souls' disappearance hadn't been revealed, there'd probably be no war.
The factions formed at this academy would become active forces vying for world domination.
In short, politics.
In both the short and long term, it was smart to pick a side—preferably the one Aeono supported.
"Heh…" That'd be nice. I could end up in a comfy position.
But… where's the fun in that?
My gamer side and Jakob's memories made me decide not to serve any master.
My strength will be mine alone, nobody else's.
That's why…
My goal is the Tome of Fortitude, which boosts strength by two points without leveling up.
I'm genuinely curious how leveling works in real life.
Usually, in modern stories, it's handled with a system…
"Idiot," I muttered, realizing the possibility. "System."
Nothing.
Shouldn't a status screen pop up?
Let's see…
"Status?"
Nothing. I should've known.
Of course, it can't be that easy for me.
Anyway, after climbing the stairs and walking for a bit, I reached the massive metal doors of the library.
According to the lore, the door was made of Yseal, the King of Souls' metal. In the game, if you got some, you could upgrade a weapon to its maximum potential.
…Could I melt this door? I mean, it's an invaluable source of—shit, I'd end up in jail with this mindset.
I touched the engravings on the door.
Carved images of an angel holding a spear, its tip clashing with a knight's sword.
To be honest, the [Kings Roads] library is one of my favorite locations.
I'm about to see it in person.
I stepped inside and smiled.
Millions of bookshelves—some against the walls, others floating above staircases that seemed to stretch into the horizon.
None of this made sense. It was pure fantasy, and I loved it.
I want all this knowledge. Jakob, you talentless idiot, how could you despise your family's personal library?
Good thing I'm not you.
Normally, in the game, depending on the player's actions, more secrets become available.
I felt euphoric. I wasn't limited the way I was in the game.
If I earned the librarian's favor or support, I could get my hands on some interesting stuff.
I looked to the side and rang the bell on the desk in the corner.
It was a formality—the librarian would send an energy projection, and it would guide me like a search engine.
I heard the sound of glass breaking behind me.
That should be the hologram.
"Fascinating."
My smile vanished at the sound of that voice. Sweat formed on my back.
I froze.
My body went cold.
Hey, this shouldn't be happening.
"Impossible." I turned slowly.
Bright blue eyes greeted me, glowing like stars beneath the shadow of a witch's hat.
The smile of one of [Kings Roads] most problematic characters greeted me. This shouldn't be possible.
"Greetings, foreigner. What business do you have in my domain?"