I Became The Academy’s Joker Character

Chapter 9

—–CROW—– 

Many of the nobles who wished to enter were those exposed to threats due to political issues.

To place such individuals under the protection of the [Dragon Emperor], it was naturally convenient to have them stay nearby.

Therefore, had many dormitories for students, as well as numerous convenient facilities.

In a sense, it could be called an academy city.

And thanks to Headmaster Tia’s favor, I was also able to enter the dormitory.

-Oz, I’ll put you in the best dormitory, especially for you.

And it was the best dormitory, she said.

Although her tone felt more like confinement than accommodation, it would probably be fine.

Perhaps because it was in a secluded location, there wasn’t much foot traffic, and the room was spacious.

Moreover, I didn’t have to worry about noisy classmates or noise from other floors. And I even had my own private training ground. Naturally.

──Because I was the only one in this dormitory.

“…I’ve been isolated.”

There was no reply to my words. It was lonely.

Using this spacious dormitory all by myself only brought a sense of emptiness.  Besides, how was I supposed to handle cleaning and meals?

I didn’t know.  I often compared magic to cooking, but I didn’t actually know how to cook.

“Is there something like food delivery?”

That was unlikely…

Anyway, the school opening day finally arrived.  As expected of a dragon, perhaps?

As I left the dormitory early in the morning and walked down the deserted hallway, the windows seemed particularly numerous.

“They look like mirrors…”

I didn’t know what material they were made of, but they didn’t seem to be completely transparent. Did she like shiny things?

Perhaps the only difference between dragons and crows was their species.

[Contemplation – Activated]

Cold, sky-blue eyes once again stared back at me from the windowpane.

The difference from the first time I saw them was that I was wearing a school uniform.

“Tch…”

I knew.  Even if I activated [Contemplation] and stared at my reflection, I wouldn’t find any clues.

I had known that since escaping the hotel. The only thing I could confirm through the mirror back then was…

[SSR Successor of the Demon King]

Oz Quabadis

The undeniable truth that I had become Oz.  [Contemplation] still held many secrets I didn’t know.

Unraveling those secrets would be my future goal.

Of course, my top priority was survival, and the second was the game’s main story.

If either I or Eleanor were to fall, it would be game over.  Quite simple.

Since I naturally had to prevent my own death, saving Eleanor would be an additional goal.

Recruiting powerful characters along the way would be a bonus.

“Oz, Oz…”

What was Oz usually like?

Honestly, I skipped all the male characters’ individual stories, so I didn’t know the details.  I even skipped the female characters’ stories if I wasn’t interested, so how could I know about the male characters?

I only remembered him as a noble, arrogant character, like a young lord, but surprisingly a good guy.

“Hmm…”

The semester started today.

It would probably just be an orientation since it was the first day, but I knew first impressions were important.

But I couldn’t ignore my current situation either.

If I acted like usual, I would become a target. I needed to show that Oz was still a force to be reckoned with.

“Not bad.”

I muttered, looking at the mirror.  I was indeed handsome.

With this, just utilizing my cold demeanor would be enough to create a certain atmosphere.

Of course, bluffing was important.

Exaggerating oneself was fundamental even in a fight.

Moreover, this was a world inside a game.  Even if I spoke in a slightly cheesy way, I wouldn’t be looked down upon.

“But how can I fix this?”

The biggest problem was [Contemplation].

I couldn’t be exuding pressure all the time.

Just activating [Contemplation] made Lucia’s tail stiff and even made Professor Aira sob.

Although Professor Aira’s tears might have been due to Oz’s background regardless of [Contemplation], it was the same thing.

“Even if I do this, nothing changes…”

Even when I covered my eyes with my hand, the pressure remained.

Rather, the blue light leaking through my fingers felt chuunibyou-like and unpleasant.

As I looked in the mirror, experimenting with various poses, covering one eye, pretending to brush back my hair, and momentarily activating [Contemplation]…

“Hee hee~”

I spotted a familiar face.

Beyond the windowpane, I saw bluish-silver hair.  Eleanor, the girl who hid a melancholic air behind a cheerful smile.

Unlike the first time I saw her, she was wearing a school uniform.

Now she felt a bit more familiar.

“What is she trying to do?”

Eleanor was running around with a huge greatsword.

To be able to carry such a greatsword like that, I was once again impressed by her physical abilities.

But I had a bad feeling.

My intuition told me she was about to do something.

“Alright.”

She stood in front of Tia’s statue and said confidently.

“Okay, shall we break it?”

* * *

There were quite a few statues of Tia within .

Would she get angry if one of those statues was broken? She, who loved human lives?

To answer first, yes. She would probably be furious.

She was a dragon with unparalleled self-love. She was pathologically obsessed with her authority.

I wasn’t the only one who would be in trouble if I underestimated her.

Unlike me, she had the power to burn everything down if she was displeased, but that didn’t mean she would overlook trivial matters.

The [Dragon Emperor] was overwhelmingly the strongest.

That was the public perception, and an undeniable truth.

How long did it take to establish such a perception?

How could she show a level of power that was both benevolent towards humans and impossible to challenge?

The answer was simple.  Completely and utterly crush any challengers.

And destroying a statue was an act that could easily be interpreted as a challenge to her.

The result? Eleanor would have all the bones in her body crushed and be hospitalized for months.

Then the main story would be completely twisted from Chapter 1.  If it was twisted beyond repair, I wouldn’t be able to respond.

“Stop, you idiot!”

There was no time to turn back.  I smashed through the window and headed towards Eleanor.

Tia told me not to cause trouble, but I had already done it.  I was worried about what she would say later.

“Oh, Master? What’s going on? Breaking windows is against the rules.”

“You’re saying that after trying to smash a statue?  No, wait, why am I your master?”

“Master is… well, Master?”

Honestly, I didn’t expect a proper answer.

Even when I looked at her from a first-person perspective in the game, I couldn’t understand her, so would it be any different from a second-person perspective?

“And I wasn’t trying to break it. I was trying to demolish it.”

“Who said you could?”

“If there are so many of them, wouldn’t it be okay to erect a statue of me too?”

“…What nonsense are you talking about?”

They say you feel fear in the presence of something beyond your comprehension.

That was how I felt right now.  I was terrified of Eleanor.

“Put that sword down quickly.  You’ll be expelled.”

“Master created a mushroom cloud and it was fine. If that was okay, wouldn’t this be okay too?”

“…”

What kind of logic was that?  I was surprised that she was actually thinking.

It was surprising in another sense that she thought that would work… The fact that there was actual thought behind her thoughtless actions was terrifying.

“You and I are in different positions.”

“Actually, I’m also a… Woah!”

Was she about to reveal her identity?  Was she out of her mind?

I was anxious.  I wondered if she even intended to hide her identity.

It was a natural anxiety stemming from her being an attention-seeker, but she was too careless.

“Hmm, hmm… But Master.”

“Can you stop calling me Master?”

Honestly, I didn’t like being addressed like that by her.  It felt humiliating.

“Then, boss?”

“Just call me Master.”

If she didn’t want to call me by my name, she could at least call me “mister” or something. What was with “boss”?

“I see. Then, Master. About destroying… demolishing the statue… it’s already too late.”

“What…?”

There was already a scratch on the ankle of the statue Eleanor pointed at.

How did this happen? I clearly stopped her before she swung.

“Actually, I tried with an axe, but it didn’t work, so I brought my weapon.”

“This crazy…”

The plan I had devised to prepare for the main story flashed before my eyes like a panorama.

“…Let’s fix it.”

“Will that be enough?”

I barely managed to stop her from throwing it in the trash.

I had to fix this somehow.

“Should we apply some glue and attach some metal pieces?”

“Even I can tell that Master’s plan is flawed.”

“It’s good that you know, but are you really the one to say that?”

You, who dared to cause this trouble?

“Just bring me some glue.”

“If the damaged statue is the problem, it would be better to leave it to professionals rather than resorting to such crude methods, Prince Oz.”

“…”

I turned around and saw that, fortunately or unfortunately, someone had intervened before the situation became irreparable.

They were all pointing their weapons at me.

Although their attitude was quite threatening, they weren’t attackers.

[SR Blue Shield]

Olivia Blue

They were members of the disciplinary committee, responsible for maintaining peace within .

A girl with neatly tied blue hair.

A paladin belonging to the , protecting the Saintess.

“Would you both please quietly follow us to the disciplinary committee room?”

Olivia Blue said to me with cold eyes.

I didn’t understand why they were surrounding me and treating me like the mastermind.

This was unfair.

“Do you think it’s right to threaten us without even knowing the exact truth of the matter?”

“…Are you planning to make excuses even after being caught red-handed destroying the Headmaster’s statue?”

“I didn’t do it.”

“That’s right. I did it! It’s my achievement!”

Olivia’s expression instantly shifted from apologetic to bewildered.

Like me, she must have never seen someone take such pride in being the culprit, not even Eleanor.

“First, I apologize, Prince Oz.  The Headmaster told us to keep a close watch on you, so we naturally assumed it was your doing.”

“…”

What was my image now?

Was it not a lofty, untouchable, and overbearing image, but a troublemaker who could cause problems at any time?

And I, not Eleanor, had acquired that infamous title?

No, forget it.  I could always rebuild my image. For now, let’s focus on the fact that I survived.

“So, am I acquitted?”

“Yes, I apologize again for suspecting you without cause.”

Her attitude was quite polite. It seemed like she wasn’t a bad person, which was a relief.

“Ah, but that window over there, was that also the young lady’s doing?”

“Master did that!”

Eleanor said with a proud expression, as if declaring that she wouldn’t take credit for someone else’s actions.

This kid wasn’t helping at all.

“Prince Oz, would you please come with us?”

“Alright…”

* * *

The place Olivia took Eleanor and me was a somewhat distant forest.

“Uh… Uh…”

Perhaps because there was no sign of anyone around and it was unusually quiet?

Eleanor seemed to be growing increasingly anxious.

“Ugh…”

Well, we were being taken to a forest without any explanation.

It was natural to be anxious.

Moreover, her need for attention was a real problem. I think I heard it was close to histrionic personality disorder.

Perhaps she was experiencing a kind of separation anxiety now that she was away from people’s attention.

What a troublesome girl.

“Tch…”

She looked pathetic, hugging one arm and anxiously looking around.  This was probably closer to her true self.

The disciplinary committee members escorting us were alert, but they didn’t say a word. They didn’t even look at us.

They were simply walking mechanically, looking straight ahead, maintaining a perfect encirclement.  That’s why Eleanor must have felt isolated.

“Noah.”

I slowed my pace and approached Eleanor, and saw her anxious expression.

The disciplinary committee wouldn’t notice since it looked no different from other students being escorted.

“Prince Oz?”

“Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”

Olivia looked at me with open suspicion.  It was natural, considering I had caused trouble just a while ago.

It was already lenient of them to let me off with just a warning.

“I’m going to execute the plan now.”

“Y-Yes…?”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to say to a girl with a real mental disorder.

The problem she was facing wasn’t something that could be consoled with simple words.

If it could be resolved so easily, I would have become a psychiatrist, not play this pig-feeding game.

So, let’s solve it by creating a situation she would enjoy.

That was the best I could do.

“I’ve written the details here, so check it.”

“Yes…?”

I handed Eleanor a blank piece of paper and said a meaningful line.

The goal was to satisfy her desire for attention.

“Prince Oz, what are you…?!”

“Shall we begin?”

I wouldn’t do anything Olivia would have to worry about. But I never said I wouldn’t cause trouble.

What she was worried about was me doing something unnecessary.

This was different.  I was creating a stage for her enjoyment.

“Huh? Master Oz, this…”

“Everyone, prepare for magic!”

As Eleanor looked at the note with a puzzled expression…

At the same time as Olivia shouted as if having a seizure, I deployed the basic magic I had analyzed during Professor Aira’s demonstration.

In , mages weren’t just damage dealers, but also served as debuffers and disruptors.

Each element had a status ailment it inflicted on the opponent.

Typical examples were Burn, Paralysis, Freeze, Bind, Confusion, Blind, and…

Knock-Back.

“Whoa?!”

Basic Magic

[Wind Bomb]

Since it was N-rank, it wouldn’t have much power unless it was a direct hit.

But because of that, I could push Eleanor, surrounded by the disciplinary committee, far away without injuring her.

“Huh? Uh… Whoa!”

The [Wind Bomb] that exploded beneath Eleanor’s feet sent her flying.

Eleanor, who momentarily floated in the air and then landed precariously, looked back and forth between me and the note.

About half of the disciplinary committee members turned their attention to her.

They glared at her with heightened vigilance.

“Hmm…”

They were focusing on her, or rather, the incident where I forcibly helped her escape and handed her a note.

The [Successor of the Demon King] was planning something. And the executor was a girl named Noah.

This was a situation that the attention-seeking Eleanor would truly enjoy.

Eleanor, seemingly realizing this, carefully put the blank note into her uniform pocket and smiled mischievously.

To complement her smug smile, I put on a meaningful expression and said, “Don’t get caught.”

“Don’t worry, Master! I’ll protect this note no matter what! I won’t forget your sacrifice!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the chase between Eleanor and the disciplinary committee began.

—–CROW—–