When the plot-skips players into the game world

"...I know you're here waiting for someone, I mean... Is the person you're waiting for also a member of the club? Our club operates on an invite-only basis."

The curly-haired young man, dressed in a white suit and with an artistic air, asked with a pained expression as he stood in front of Isabel, "If not, could you possibly wait on the opposite side...?"

The princess who usually did not interact with anyone was now standing seriously at the entrance of the White Ballet Shoes Club...

This posture did not really seem like she was waiting for someone; it was more like she was there to block someone's path.

Students passing by gathered nearby, or watched the spectacle from the club's hall; even the alumni were a bit more tense, some didn't dare to enter and instead lingered around the vicinity.

But the question posed by the curly-haired man seemed to have stumped Isabel.

The person she was waiting for indeed was not a member of the club, but she was actually planning to join the White Ballet Shoes Club now.

— Generally speaking, she knew her sponsor was supposed to be that underclassman with long blue hair and taller than herself. The problem was, Isabel did not know her name.

Thus, she merely pursed her lips, seriously considering how she should respond.

...Should she start from the beginning?

What a hassle.

Isabel was silent for a while, then she gave a firm answer, "It's one of your members."

At this, the curly-haired young man was somewhat surprised.

Someone actually dared to invite this princess?

Just as the curly-haired young man was about to ask for the name of that person, and was thinking of inviting Isabel in to sit down, a voice from the other side reached them— a voice he had never heard before:

"We're here, Isabel."

The curly-haired young man turned his head and saw an unexpected person.

Wasn't that Aiwass Moriarty, the well-known playboy from Du Lac Middle School?

After he graduated, he had disappeared, only to recently solve a big case that got him on the front page of the Glass Staircase Daily. But his leg seemed to be broken, there were rumors that it was because he was two-timing and got his leg broken by his girlfriend's brother... Others said that he went abroad for a cricket match, and his leg was broken by foul play from his opponent.

...When did he return to school? And he even went to Theological Seminary...

How come there was no buzz about it?

Moreover, how did he get involved with that strange princess?

"Aiwass!"

Upon hearing Aiwass's voice, Isabel's eyes lit up.

She didn't wait at the door anymore, but instead hurriedly scurried over.

The curly-haired was completely flabbergasted.

— Were they already so close that they could call each other by name?!

It was only then that the curly-haired young man realized something else.

That was, the five or six people that Aiwass had brought with him were all formal members of the White Ballet Shoes Club. And yet, they seemed to revolve around Aiwass as if he were their center.

At this moment, the girl with the blue hair who was by Aiwass's side, came forward with a smile and greeted them.

Her appearance was generous, her smile was bright, and dimples appeared on her face when she laughed. She exuded a vibrant aura.

"Senior Sisyphean, the princess is here at my invitation!"

"Angela..."

The curly-haired young man was at a loss for words.

He shook his head, deciding not to provoke this matter.

Instead, he went straight to asking, "This must be Aiwass, your classmate, right? Is he also a newcomer invited by you guys?"

"Aiwass and Miss Lily both are, Senior," Aiden, who was next to Aiwass, replied, "I invited Aiwass, and Miss Lily was invited by him."

Speaking, he pointed to another classmate nearby.

Aiden then added, "Actually, Princess Isabel also came with Aiwass. Strictly speaking, the princess's invitee is Aiwass."

"Actually, I'm just a nameholder, haha!"

Angela explained with a laugh.

Sisyphean finally let out a sigh of relief.

He hurriedly opened the door and let the whole group in. He didn't bother to check their invitation credentials—better to let people in first than have a circus at the door.

After leading everyone inside, he immediately closed the door, keeping the prying eyes of onlookers outside.

As expected, the news that "Princess Isabel was invited to join the White Ballet Shoes Club" would spread after today.

Upon entering, they heard the faint strains of music flowing toward them.

Isabel followed closely beside Aiwass, looking around curiously.

But to her disappointment, the place was much smaller than she had imagined, and it wasn't as lavish.

The inside of the White Ballet Shoes Club resembled a restaurant with a bar that served cocktails.

Directly in front was a spacious hall. At the forefront stood a stage large enough for an opera or dance troupe to perform, and it could also accommodate more than a dozen couples dancing. In a corner of the stage were instruments covered with cloth.

At this moment, an elderly man with white hair stood alone on the stage, playing the violin with his eyes closed, while behind him, hidden by the backdrop, a handsome young man played the piano intently.

To one side was a long bar, and on the other side were the stairs and restrooms. Occasionally, one could see young students carrying trays of drinks and tea, heading upstairs—working in the club also came with a paycheck.

Beyond that were only more sofas, chairs, and round tables.

The second floor was an open-plan space with protruding balconies, complete with silver handrails. At the moment, scattered individuals leaned on the balustrades, whispering among themselves.

On the second floor, there were several semi-private rooms with their contents dimly visible from the first floor. Some rooms had drawn curtains resembling cloth drapes. Obviously, soundproofing was not a concern with this setup, and neither was privacy, as it seemed individuals in the rooms probably couldn't see the performances.

But precisely because of the lack of soundproofing, they could hear what was happening—although from a performance-viewing perspective, it was clear that the first floor offered a better experience.

The students who had escorted Aiwass and the others inside were greeted by acquaintances as soon as they entered or went to join friends already seated. Only those acting as guarantors still followed closely behind, approaching a young man seated behind the bar.

He had bright blond hair and eyes that appeared as deep and melancholic as those of a poet. He was strikingly handsome, with well-defined facial features and half-length ears which only a half-elf would possess. However, his cheeks were slightly thin and longer than usual, giving him somewhat a horse-like appearance.

He wasn't a bartender, simply a patron lounging behind the bartender, contentedly serving himself drinks.

When he caught sight of Aiwass and Isabel from a distance, a look of mild surprise appeared on his face.

He stood up immediately, his tall, slender frame rising swiftly from behind the bar as he straightened his tie with a serious motion. His back was ramrod straight, his height reaching over one-ninety. His quiet, quick movements revealed his excellent control over his body.

"Senior Arlen."

The few people behind Aiwass greeted him politely, clearly indicating that they had invited others.

After exchanging greetings, Aiden whispered to Aiwass, "That is Arlen Carter, the top male student of the junior year. He is also the current president of the White Ballet Shoes Club."

Then, he introduced Aiwass to Arlen, saying, "This is... "

"I know him, Aiden. Thank you."

Arlen's voice, as soft as his image, was deep and distinctly bubbly, carrying the aura of an elven poet.

He placed his right hand over his chest, bowing slightly towards Isabel, "Princess Isabel, it's a great honor for you to join the White Ballet Shoes Club."

Following that, Arlen turned to Aiwass with a smile, nodding amicably, "Mr. Aiwass Moriarty, it is also a great honor to see you here."

Aiwass raised an eyebrow.

He had an impression of this man... whether it was from the game or from memory.

He was the third son of a certain minister, a half-elf. He was also the faction leader and reputation vendor for the "White Ballet Shoes Club", the organization in version 1.0 of the game.

Aiwass's memories of him mainly lingered on his melancholic temperament and exceptionally long face, as well as his memorable death.

During the event known as the "Cruel Autumn", when the Star Antimony people invaded, Arlen made a valiant but ineffectual Resistance—

He had ridden his Gryphon to cover for the players, Aiwass, and Isabel as they retreated. He cast a series of Law Magics at the golem with impressive light effects, but it was clear he didn't deal a hint of damage, nor did he manage to distract the golem for even a moment.

Then, swatted by the thirty-meter-tall golem, he was struck from the sky with a single slap.

... Although it was clear that he was brave, the string of zeros and the word "Immune" repeatedly displayed made it difficult to keep a straight face.

Ultimately, he did waste one of the golem's attack opportunities with his life. From the outcome, his actions had been critical in providing cover... the main characters were just a stroke away from being squashed by the golem.

Indeed, it was Arlen's face that barely averted the final attack.

At least when facing an inevitable defeat, Arlen didn't surrender to the Star Antimony people like other offspring from the Knight Families; instead, he fought like a true, ancient Knight until the end.

Aiwass's impression of him was that he was 'a good person, quite loyal, and very brave, but a little weak.'

Or to put it another way, quite too weak.
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Because Arlen had no interest in the Transcendent path but was focused on cultural studies and political aspirations, his level wasn't very high. Even among his peers at the same level of graduation, he was considered quite weak. Players didn't know how he managed to graduate early and obtain his own Gryphon, suggesting that he had used his father's influence to do so.

He became the top male student of his cohort simply because his grades were truly excellent. Arlen had a natural gift for linguistics and a deep understanding of the law. If nothing had gone awry, he might have become a lawyer or a judge in the future.

Looking back now, Hayna must have set this precedent.

She was the first to obtain a Gryphon in her senior year, theoretically graduating early but still studying at school—a classic example.

—Although Hayna never appeared in the game, likely dying out of the players' sight early on, her influence on others remained subtly preserved.