{Eren Brown's POV}
I tried to ease the atmosphere- but it seems I failed. I noticed Mai's look, as if she were saying, "I'll get back at you for this" .
We arrived at the dining hall, and I can only describe it as massive. There were around 500 tables, each surrounded by eight seats. A wealthy academy indeed, wouldn't you say?
We went to order our food, and one could say technology had reached its peak. We simply sat down, and an electronic screen appeared before us, allowing us to choose whatever we wanted.
And so it was.
We placed our orders, which arrived instantly, delivered by a robot. To be clear, the chef was a living human—the robot only delivered the food.
We immediately began eating while chatting.
"So, you're a spear user, right?"
Ren asked me while eating—and let me say, he eats in a way I can only describe as… savage.
I know he treats every meal as if it were his last, but have some decorum, man…
"Yes, that's right. And you're a swordsman—a swordsman skilled enough to rank first. What makes the top-ranked student ask a weak person like me for a duel?"
I asked Ren, already knowing the answer, but wanting to confirm that everything was still following the novel…
"My intuition has always been right, and this time it tells me you're special. You're the person who poses the greatest threat to me in this class, aside from Lucas."
Ren answered honestly. One could say his stance hadn't changed. That meant I hadn't caused any major changes to the novel so far…
I tried to comfort myself, but wasn't this supposed to happen to Lucas? Wasn't he supposed to receive the first brutal, meaningful beating in this world—after the Bow King, of course?
Speaking of demons…
"May I join this spar as well?"
We all turned toward the new voice in the conversation. It was Lucas—the protagonist of the second novel and the author of the first.
The moment Lucas said that, you could see the stars in Ren's eyes. He truly wanted to fight—and who better than the academy's second-ranked student?
"But how will the fight be conducted?"
Ren asked, seemingly thinking of a logical way to make this fight happen.
"I can join, and it'll be two versus two—Eren and I against the two of you."
Mai said, a hint of excitement visible on her face. I'd forgotten that most of the main characters were battle and training addicts—that's what allowed them to keep going until the end… most of them.
"Well, that settles it."
Ren clapped his hands together, happiness clear on his face. He seemed genuinely excited—you could tell from how quickly he was eating. Seriously, calm down! No one's stealing your food…
Lucas joined us while we were eating. Even then, I couldn't help but think about how transparent his thoughts were; he'd been staring at me since he sat down, as if searching for something about me…
One could say Lucas is extremely cautious. He had noticed a variable he hadn't written. In his novel, he had clearly written that Ren was the only one left standing after Instructor Scarlett's pressure.
But he was shocked to find someone else who not only endured that pressure, but seemed completely unaffected by it.
That frightened him. Perhaps he thinks I'm the reason he's in this world, or something like that…
We finished eating, and Lucas was still glancing at me from time to time, shock evident on his face. It seems his beloved system hadn't told him about me.
We headed to Instructor Scarlett's office to ask for permission to hold a duel among the four of us. She welcomed the idea with a smile—I'd wager she wanted the duel even more than we did, to assess our skills. That demonic teacher…
Sometimes I wonder just how much these lunatics love fighting…
"Very well, it's decided. The duel will take place tomorrow, after the academy weapons are distributed—or would you prefer to fight barehanded?"
The moment she said that, we all lowered our heads. One could say we'd completely forgotten about the weapons.
"Yes, ma'am."
We replied in unison and left the teachers' room immediately.
"Well then… until tomorrow."
I said, placing a hand behind my head, still feeling a little embarrassed by the teacher's words…
"See you tomorrow. Let's hope it's a great duel."
Ren said, his foolish smile still on his face. Of course, one could say he uses that smile to hide his pain—but that's a story for another day…
We headed back to class to attend the remaining lessons for the day, which covered non-combat subjects—history, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. I'm absolutely certain of what I'm saying.
These subjects are difficult in any world…
The day continued without anything noteworthy happening.
After the school day ended, I headed to my room, thinking about the day's events, what might happen tomorrow, and the extent of my influence on this world.
"Let's hope things go smoothly."
I murmured as I entered my room and took out the book in which I'd recorded the key events of the novel that I remembered. I no longer trusted my memory, so I'd written them down in a language the people of this world couldn't read.
I forgot to mention this, but I can speak every possible language…
When did I learn that…? I've forgotten.
I've truly forgotten the reason I learned them in the first place.
So I continued what I was doing, my thoughts drifting into the distant past…
"Emily… hah, who are you really?"
Remembering the gentle smile of my only friend, I began to wonder about her true identity and the reason for her involvement in this world.
After reviewing the most important events once more…
My attention was drawn to a black envelope that had appeared out of nowhere, now resting on the table in front of me.
I recognized it instantly; how could I not, when I had seen one just like it upon my arrival in this world?
I opened the envelope and began to read.