By the time the morning lecture finally began winding down, Rio had already filled several pages of her notebook.
The classroom had gradually settled into the slow, comfortable rhythm that came with the first day back at school. The excitement that had filled the room earlier that morning had mostly faded. Students who had spent the first part of the lesson talking about summer vacations, old friends, and what had changed during their time apart were now sitting quietly, listening to Ms. Shenaki as she went through the final points of the morning's orientation.
Every so often, the scrape of a chair echoed across the classroom. Pages turned softly. Pens moved across notebooks. A few students whispered to one another whenever Ms. Shenaki turned toward the blackboard, only to fall silent again when she looked back.
At the front of the room, Ms. Shenaki finished explaining the final item on the orientation schedule.
The morning had not been particularly difficult.
There had been no complicated lessons or difficult exercises. Instead, the students had been given an overview of what they could expect during the coming school year: upcoming subjects, examination schedules, school events, club activities, and the general expectations the teachers had for them.
For most of the class, it was little more than an introduction to the year ahead.
For Rio, however, it was still worth taking notes.
She carefully finished writing the final few lines in her notebook before reviewing what she had written. After making one small correction, she placed her pen down and slowly closed the cover.
Beside her, Ryota was asleep.
Not dozing.
Not resting his eyes.
Completely asleep.
His head had been resting against one hand for nearly the entire lecture, his breathing slow and peaceful while the rest of the class struggled to remain awake.
Rio turned her head and stared at him.
She remembered exactly when he had fallen asleep.
Three minutes.
Three.
The lecture had barely started when Ryota had lowered his head onto his folded arms and disappeared into his own world.
Rio had considered waking him several times.
Then she decided against it.
There had not been much point.
Ms. Shenaki's lecture had only been an orientation, and there had been no important material that Ryota would be unable to catch up on later. Besides, Rio had a feeling that waking him would only result in him pretending to listen for five minutes before falling asleep again.
Still, watching him sleep through his first school lecture amused her more than she wanted to admit.
She quietly slipped her pen into her pencil case and placed it inside her bag.
A moment later, the bell rang.
The sound immediately transformed the atmosphere of the classroom.
Students stretched in their seats, chairs scraped against the floor, and conversations erupted almost simultaneously.
"Finally."
"What are you doing for lunch?"
"Did you hear about the club orientation?"
"Send me the homework later."
Several students pulled out their phones while others hurriedly packed their notebooks away.
Sayanaki pushed her chair back and stood.
She stretched her arms above her head before walking over to Rio's desk.
"Rio."
Rio looked up.
"Hm?"
Sayanaki smiled.
"Want to have lunch together?"
Rio nodded.
"Sure."
Sayanaki then glanced toward the sleeping figure beside her.
She pointed directly at Ryota.
"What about him?"
Rio followed her finger.
Ryota remained completely motionless.
Rio stared at him for several seconds with an expression of absolute disbelief.
"He seriously fell asleep three minutes after class started."
Sayanaki covered her mouth.
A small laugh escaped before she could stop it.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Rio sighed.
"I thought he'd at least last ten minutes."
"That's generous."
Sayanaki's shoulders shook slightly as she tried not to laugh again.
Rio reached over and lightly shook Ryota's shoulder.
"Ryota."
There was no response.
She shook him again.
"Ryota."
He mumbled something completely incomprehensible and shifted slightly without actually waking up.
Rio narrowed her eyes.
"It's lunch time."
Ryota's eyes opened immediately.
"...Lunch?"
Rio stared at him.
"That was what woke you?"
Ryota slowly lifted his head from his arm. His hair was slightly messy from sleeping against the desk, and there was a faint crease across one side of his face.
He blinked several times before looking around the classroom.
"What time is it?"
"Lunch."
He looked toward the clock.
Then toward the classroom.
Then back toward Rio.
"...Already?"
Sayanaki laughed.
"You slept through the entire morning."
Ryota looked genuinely surprised.
"Did I?"
Rio gave him a flat stare.
"Yes."
He looked toward Ms. Shenaki's desk.
Then at the notebook in front of Rio.
"...Did I miss anything important?"
Rio closed her notebook and placed it inside her bag.
"Not really."
She paused.
"Fortunately for you, it was only an orientation."
Ryota exhaled in relief.
"Thank god."
Rio stood and adjusted the strap of her bag.
"Come on."
Ryota slowly rose from his chair.
He still looked barely awake.
Sayanaki watched him with amusement.
"You're going to survive school?"
Ryota yawned.
"I've survived worse."
Rio glanced at him.
"That's debatable."
The three of them left the classroom together.
The hallway was considerably louder than it had been that morning.
Students poured out of their classrooms in groups, heading toward the cafeteria, courtyard, vending machines, or club rooms. The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridors while conversations overlapped from every direction.
The smell of food had already begun drifting through the building.
Ryota followed behind Rio and Sayanaki, still looking as though his soul had not completely returned to his body.
Rio glanced over her shoulder.
"You really are still half asleep."
"I'm awake."
"You just walked into the wall."
Ryota stopped.
He slowly looked at the wall beside him.
He had, in fact, walked directly into it.
There was a short silence.
"...That was intentional."
Sayanaki immediately laughed.
"Of course it was."
Rio shook her head.
"Sure."
The three continued toward the cafeteria.
Despite how ordinary the scene was, Rio couldn't help feeling strangely nostalgic.
She had spent so much of her first life thinking about Evermount that simple moments like this had become buried beneath years of memories.
Walking through a school hallway.
Talking with friends.
Going to lunch.
Complaining about classes.
Listening to teachers.
Waiting for the next bell.
They should have been ordinary things.
Yet now, because Rio knew how much of her first life she had forgotten, every one of those ordinary moments felt strangely valuable.
She slowed slightly as she looked around.
Students were laughing together.
Someone was complaining about their teacher.
Another group was arguing over where they should eat.
A pair of students hurried past them while carrying drinks they had apparently bought from a vending machine.
Nothing important was happening.
Nothing extraordinary.
And somehow, that was exactly what made it special.
Sayanaki noticed that Rio had fallen slightly behind.
"You okay?"
Rio looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah."
She looked ahead again.
"I'm just enjoying this."
Sayanaki's expression softened.
"Good."
Ryota, who was still trying to wake himself up, looked between them.
"Enjoying what?"
"School."
He blinked.
"...We're just walking to lunch."
Rio smiled.
"Exactly."
Ryota stared at her for a moment before shrugging.
"I don't understand you."
"I know."
The cafeteria was already crowded by the time they arrived.
Almost every table had been occupied.
Students filled the room in large groups, their voices blending together into a constant hum beneath the clatter of trays, utensils, and chairs being moved across the floor.
Teachers sat at several tables near the far wall while most of the students gathered around their friends.
Rio, Ryota, and Sayanaki collected their food and eventually found an empty table near the windows.
Rio carefully placed her tray down.
Sayanaki sat across from her.
Ryota dropped into the seat beside Rio and immediately began eating as though he hadn't slept through half the morning.
For several minutes, the three ate quietly.
The food wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was warm, filling, and perfectly adequate for a school lunch.
Rio occasionally glanced toward the windows.
Outside, the school grounds were bright beneath the afternoon sun.
Students could be seen crossing the courtyard in groups.
For a moment, Rio simply watched them.
This was what she had missed.
Not some grand event.
Not some legendary quest.
Just this.
A normal school day.
A normal lunch.
Friends sitting across from one another.
The thought made her smile faintly.
Then Ryota suddenly stopped eating.
His eyes had shifted toward another table.
A fairly large crowd of students had gathered around it.
Several people were standing while others listened attentively to someone seated behind the table.
A large sign had been placed behind them.
Even from a distance, the emblem was recognizable.
Ryota leaned slightly closer to Rio.
"What's going on over there?"
Rio followed his gaze.
The moment she recognized the emblem, her expression became indifferent.
"Nothing important."
Ryota frowned.
"That's a lot of people for something unimportant."
Rio took another bite before answering.
"People from Royal Knights are doing student recruitment."
Sayanaki immediately looked up.
"Royal Knights?"
Rio nodded.
"The recruiter is a Rank Eight member named Don."
She glanced toward the booth.
"He's here to recruit students for Royal Knights."
Sayanaki looked toward the table again.
Rio continued eating as though the subject barely interested her.
"They're looking for students who want to change their lives."
Ryota raised an eyebrow.
"Change their lives?"
Rio nodded.
"Basically."
She looked toward the recruitment booth.
"They're looking for students who are serious about Evermount. People who are committed to playing the game. People who want to make money through it."
Sayanaki remained quiet for a moment.
Then she looked back at Rio.
Rio's expression hadn't changed.
But beneath that calm face, old memories had begun resurfacing.
She remembered the original timeline.
The same school.
The same cafeteria.
The same recruitment pitch.
The same promises.
Royal Knights had been one of the first major guilds to approach her.
Back then, Rio had been exactly the kind of student they wanted.
Young.
Talented.
Obsessed with Evermount.
Determined to make something of herself.
Their recruitment program had given her an opportunity she hadn't known existed.
It had introduced her to a world far larger than she had imagined.
It had given her teammates, rivals, friends, enemies, and countless battles.
And eventually, it had led her all the way to becoming the Silver War Goddess.
Rio quietly continued eating.
"This was actually the same thing that happened in my previous life."
Sayanaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
Rio glanced toward the recruitment booth.
"It's how they managed to recruit me."
Sayanaki immediately understood.
"So that's where it started."
Rio nodded.
"Yeah."
For a moment, she watched the students gathering around Don.
There was no bitterness in her expression.
Only distance.
That life was gone.
Those choices belonged to another timeline.
She didn't regret what she had learned from them.
But she had no intention of walking down the same road again.
Ryota looked toward her.
"You aren't tempted?"
Rio shook her head.
"Not even slightly."
"Why?"
Rio shrugged.
"Because I already know where that road leads."
Sayanaki smiled faintly.
"Fair."
She took another bite before glancing toward Rio again.
"Speaking of recruitment..."
Her eyes narrowed playfully.
"When do you and Ryota plan to start public recruitment for Crowned Era?"
Rio looked at her.
Sayanaki continued before Rio could answer.
"Because, besides the NPCs like Auram, Ramos, Silla, and the guild's combat NPC units..."
She raised one finger.
"There's basically only five actual people in the guild."
She pointed toward Rio.
"You."
Then she pointed toward Ryota.
"That idiot."
Ryota immediately looked offended.
"...Excuse me?"
Sayanaki ignored him.
"Me."
She continued counting on her fingers.
"Kiraya."
"Hinabi."
"And that's it."
Ryota stared at her.
"You really had to call me an idiot?"
Sayanaki smiled.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it's accurate."
Rio covered her mouth with one hand.
A laugh escaped anyway.
Ryota immediately turned toward her.
"Rio."
She looked away.
"I didn't say anything."
"You laughed."
"I coughed."
"You definitely laughed."
Sayanaki leaned back in her chair, clearly satisfied with herself.
Rio eventually shook her head.
"We're not recruiting publicly yet."
Sayanaki raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"We need to stabilize our foundation first."
Rio looked around the cafeteria before continuing.
"Crowned Era is still new. We don't have a reason to rush."
She paused for a moment.
"And besides..."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"My sister and her friend will be joining us later."
Sayanaki blinked.
"Your sister?"
Rio nodded.
That immediately caught Sayanaki's interest.
"Oh."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Is she another time-traveling monster like you?"
Rio immediately shook her head.
"No, no."
She laughed softly.
"She's a beginner."
"She just likes adventuring through Evermount with her best friend."
Rio's expression softened.
"They have no idea about the truth."
Sayanaki's smile faded slightly.
"The truth about you and Ryota?"
Rio nodded.
"They don't know we traveled back."
She paused.
"And I want them to experience the game normally."
Sayanaki nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Akari had made her wishes very clear.
She didn't want Rio to hand her the answers.
She didn't want shortcuts.
She wanted to discover Evermount for herself.
Rio intended to respect that.
Then Sayanaki's smile returned.
"Well, you're free to let me recruit people."
Rio looked at her and shrugged.
"I'm not that strict."
She thought for a moment before adding, "Just find people who are respectful and willing to listen to their guildmates."
Sayanaki nodded.
"That's reasonable."
She smiled.
"I'll see what I can do."
She paused.
"The best I can probably do is return with a half-dead corpse."
Rio stared at her.
Then burst out laughing.
Sayanaki laughed as well.
Even Ryota couldn't help smiling.
"Please don't recruit people by killing them first."
Sayanaki shrugged.
"No promises."
Rio shook her head.
"You're impossible."
"That's why you like me."
Rio smiled despite herself.
"Unfortunately."
Lunch passed surprisingly quickly.
By the time the three finished eating, the cafeteria had begun emptying.
Students were already making their way toward the gymnasium for the afternoon club orientation.
Rio stood and picked up her tray.
"Let's go."
Sayanaki followed her.
Ryota stretched his arms above his head, finally looking much more awake than he had earlier.
"I'm finally awake."
Rio glanced at him.
"Good."
"How much did I miss?"
"Nothing."
Ryota nodded.
"Perfect."
Sayanaki laughed.
"You slept through the most peaceful part of your first day."
Ryota shrugged.
"I call that efficiency."
Rio shook her head.
"That's one word for it."
The three of them left the cafeteria with the rest of the students.
The school gymnasium was enormous.
The moment Rio and the others entered, they were greeted by an entirely different atmosphere.
Dozens of booths had been arranged across the gymnasium floor.
Every school club seemed to have claimed its own small section.
Sports clubs had banners hanging overhead. Music clubs displayed instruments and posters. The art club had covered tables with paintings and sketches. The science club had several strange-looking machines assembled on one side of its booth.
Even the cooking club had brought samples.
Students moved from booth to booth while club members called out to them.
"Come join the basketball club!"
"We're looking for new members!"
"Tryouts are tomorrow!"
"Join the literature club!"
"Free cookies!"
That final advertisement immediately attracted a crowd.
Ryota stopped.
His eyes fixed on the cooking club.
"...Free cookies."
Sayanaki immediately glanced at him.
"Don't."
"I wasn't going to."
"You were."
"I was considering it."
Rio smiled.
"Let's just look around."
The three slowly wandered through the gymnasium.
For the first time that day, none of them were talking about Evermount.
There were no guilds.
No raids.
No levels.
No future battles.
No strategies.
Just school.
Sayanaki stopped at several booths, occasionally asking questions.
Ryota showed considerably more interest in the sports clubs, though Rio wasn't entirely convinced he actually intended to join one.
Rio looked through the cultural clubs, quietly taking in the atmosphere.
They didn't need to join anything immediately.
They weren't here to make decisions about their entire school lives on the first afternoon.
For now, they were simply enjoying the atmosphere.
Eventually, however, Rio noticed something that made her steps slow.
A large section of booths had been reserved for Evermount-related organizations.
She stopped.
Sayanaki and Ryota noticed immediately.
"What?"
Sayanaki asked.
Rio pointed.
"Over there."
They looked.
Several guilds had established recruitment booths.
Different banners.
Different colors.
Different recruitment slogans.
Some were small guilds looking for their first members.
Others were already relatively well known.
But one booth immediately dominated the entire section.
A massive banner bearing a familiar emblem hung behind it.
Royal Knights.
Rio's expression became unreadable.
Sayanaki noticed.
Her eyes shifted toward Rio.
"It's not too late to go to their guild and wipe them out after betraying you," Sayanaki teased.
Rio shook her head.
"No."
There was no anger in her voice.
She simply turned away.
They were about to walk past the recruitment area when one of the students working at the Royal Knights booth noticed them.
"Hey!"
The student hurried toward them.
"Are you three interested in joining Royal Knights?"
Rio stopped.
The student smiled enthusiastically.
"We're recruiting new players for a branch team."
"If you're serious about Evermount, you should definitely consider it."
Rio politely shook her head.
"No, thank you."
She turned to leave.
Sayanaki followed.
Ryota followed as well.
None of them were interested.
Then a loud voice came from behind them.
"Come on!"
Rio stopped.
The tone wasn't friendly.
She slowly turned around.
A group of male students stood near one of the other guild booths.
Their uniforms were slightly modified with colorful accessories, clearly intended to show their affiliation.
Their booth displayed the emblem of a well-known super guild.
Scatter Shot.
Three of the boys had surrounded a girl.
She had short blue hair and was clutching a recruitment form in one hand.
Her expression was visibly uncomfortable.
One of the boys was holding another copy of the form toward her.
"Just sign it."
The girl shook her head.
"I said I'm not interested."
Another boy laughed.
"Why not?"
"You'll get better equipment if you join us."
"We can get you into a proper party."
The girl stepped backward.
"I appreciate it, but I said no."
The boys didn't move.
One stepped closer.
"You're making a mistake."
"You don't understand how much better your life could be if you joined a super guild."
The girl looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Her eyes darted toward the surrounding students, but nobody seemed willing to intervene.
Rio's eyes narrowed.
Sayanaki noticed immediately.
Ryota did too.
The three exchanged a brief glance.
No words were necessary.
Rio slowly stepped forward.
Sayanaki followed.
Ryota moved alongside them.
The boys didn't notice until the three of them were standing directly between them and the blue-haired girl.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
The boys stared at the unexpected interruption.
Rio looked at them calmly.
Then she turned toward the girl standing behind her.
The girl was still tense.
Rio shifted slightly, making sure the girl had enough room to step away if she wanted.
Sayanaki crossed her arms.
Ryota stood beside them.
One of the boys finally frowned.
"...Who are you?"
Rio didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked toward the blue-haired girl.
"Are you alright?"
The girl blinked.
For a moment, she seemed surprised that someone had actually bothered to ask.
Then she slowly nodded.
"...Yeah."
Rio nodded.
"Good."
Only then did she turn her attention back toward the Scatter Shot members.
Her voice remained polite.
But the warmth had disappeared.
"If she said no..."
Rio paused.
Her gaze hardened slightly.
"...then she said no."
The boys exchanged glances.
Sayanaki smiled faintly.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
"Seems simple enough."
Ryota rolled his shoulders.
The boys stared at the three strangers standing in front of them.
They had no idea who they had just decided to bother.
And Rio—
for the first time that day—
felt the quiet school afternoon beginning to turn into something much more familiar.
A conflict.