Chapter 7

I felt like punching my past self.

I had boasted to Olivia that I could teach her, but I hadn’t checked her level.

After all, as the protagonist, I could freely develop any status, and since she seemed to be the type who couldn’t study, I thought she might be the brainless type...

"I don’t understand this part. It’s about magic, and the magic that uses different spell formulas from the usual ones has a lot of versatility—"

A study session in the library.

I was breaking out in a cold sweat, unable to hide my surprise at the amount of knowledge Olivia had.

Yeah, to put it simply, it’s as reckless as a slightly excellent me trying to teach someone who is at the top of the class.

Besides, Olivia is smart.

"U-um, is it something like this?"

I tried to get through the situation with the knowledge I had studied and the game knowledge I had.

However, the smart Olivia nodded a few times, seemingly impressed by my vague explanation.

"That’s right! The textbook isn’t always correct, and it turns out I was wrong. I had a feeling it was off. There was a discrepancy between the sensation of using magic and the established theory."

What should I do... This girl has started to negate the textbook.

I tried to steer her back on track so she wouldn’t go to extremes.

"N-no, it’s not all wrong. I still think the textbook is important."

"That’s true. I had my doubts about 20% of it, but 80% of it made sense."

What’s this? The textbook looks well-used. Could it be that this girl has already finished reading the textbook? At this time of the first semester? It’s still June!

There are nobles who give up on the textbook because it’s too difficult!

I study for tests, but I can’t say I understand the content. Besides, my evaluation in magic is only in the 70s.

I spent the study session praying for time to pass quickly.

And then the scheduled time passed.

"It’s already this late, let’s end it here."

"Really? It went by so fast."

Olivia looked happy.

I felt like time was passing very slowly.

"Um, can I ask you again on the next day off?"

When asked with a look up, a man would want to say "Yes!" But I don’t want to feel this way.

I tried to find a reason to avoid it and remembered an important task at this school. Right, marriage!

"Sorry, I have to prepare for a tea party next time off."

Olivia hurriedly apologized.

"N-no, it’s my request. Yes, you’re right, León is busy too."

That’s right. I was busy.

Holding the textbook and notebook, Olivia looked a bit sad, and I felt bad, but I couldn’t forget my original goal.

I have to hold a tea party to find a wife who can maintain a business-like relationship.

In the first place, I am in the lower class in the class hierarchy.

Good partners—girls who are kind and gentle—are being aggressively proposed to by the upper class. Even if there are kind and gentle girls, they consider their family and future and aim as high as possible, so they don’t come to us.

Ah, what a cruel world. Or was it the same in the original world?

Olivia looked at me with a smile and gratitude.

"Thank you, León."

Her smile and the shine in her eyes were blinding to me, who had lied to get through this. This girl is really grateful.

I felt like I was going to squirm with embarrassment.

I, who should have a longer life experience than this girl in front of me...

◇

In my room in the boys’ dormitory.

I invited my friends Daniel and Raymond to my room, and we were eating drinks and snacks. Not the kind of snacks you’d give to girls, but rather fried and greasy ones.

Considering that there are carbonated drinks, this world seems closer to modern times than the early modern period.

Come to think of it, the uniforms are also like that. Is it because it’s a dating game?

Daniel, while eating fried potatoes.

"Did you hear? Two of the rich guys are already engaged. And to Milly and Jessica, who were nice to us. I was aiming for them."

Raymond, trying to look calm in response to Daniel’s dejection.

If the conditions are better than our families, it’s only natural to go for them. It was impossible from the start... Yes, as long as Milly is happy, I’m fine.

I called them because I was dejected.

The rich group is offering all sorts of benefits to the girls and aggressively proposing marriage.

There’s no room for us to take advantage.

Looking around at the girls, you can see how rare a kind woman is. Moreover, the upper group already has their marriage partners decided.

Many have fiancés, like the Crown Prince.

Daniel was chugging a carbonated drink.

"Damn it! With this, there’s no hope for this year’s class! All that’s left are the bad girls!"

There were a lot of girls who looked down on the boys.

Raymond also nodded.

"This year’s first year is unlucky. It’s also bad that there are many heirs from prestigious noble families. It’s tough to be compared to them."

If there are a lot of handsome, well-born, and wealthy men, the gaze directed at us becomes harsh.

The level of comparison is so different that it’s difficult for us, who are in the lower class, to even ask girls out.

Family background, manners, wealth, appearance... and they have fiancés and mental ease.

"More importantly, León, how’s it going for you? Lately, you’ve been with that special student a lot. Have you given up on marriage?"

Worried Daniel, and I shrugged.

"Not at all. I’ve sent out invitations, but I’m just being rejected by the girls."

Raymond, who also seems to be worried about me despite his harsh words.

"Sympathy can be destructive. ...You’re getting the girls’ resentment because you’re infatuated with the special student. It’s better to keep your distance."

I was told the same thing by senior Lecur.

Some of the seniors, who found it difficult to marry girls, accepted quite harsh conditions. For example, recognizing lovers other than subhuman slaves.

It’s common among ordinary class knight family boys to find a girl who likes them. In exchange for having an heir, they support the lover of that knight family in a humiliating contract.

The girl receives support for her life and can live a married life with the man she likes. It’s the best environment... for the girl, that is.

From the girls’ perspective, since they’re giving birth to an heir, it’s only natural to expect that much.

Since it’s a political marriage, it’s odd to seek love.

Well, it’s an environment that’s definitely better than my previous life.

Daniel asked me.

"Isn’t your older brother in the ordinary class?"

"Yeah."

I wanted to send my older brother to the upper class, but since we got the money after he entered school, it was impossible.

I can’t do something as cruel as transferring him now.

"Envious, isn’t it? The ordinary class is normal, right?"

What Daniel means is that marriage isn’t that difficult.

The girls in the ordinary class are really ordinary.

They can’t afford to buy slaves.

Since they can’t be as tyrannical as the upper class girls, they can marry on relatively equal terms.

"When I heard the story..."

"Hmm?"

"...I wanted to punch my older brother."

Girls from knight families are unfortunate.

There are various reasons, but simply put, there are few men to marry.

Even if upper class girls can marry ordinary class boys, ordinary class girls can’t marry upper class boys.

The excellent boys are taken by the upper class girls.

Moreover, many ordinary class boys have fiancées or girlfriends back home. The ordinary class girls are unfortunate.

Therefore, when you look at them as individuals, the ordinary class girls are kinder, have better personalities, and are more family-oriented... and I’m incredibly envious.

Well, they’re better off than us. There’s no time limit until graduation, and they can still look for a partner after graduation.

"I wish I was in the ordinary class. Then I wouldn’t have to go through this trouble."

When I almost cried, Raymond also agreed.

"Why is our marriage so difficult?"

If I said it’s because it’s a dating game world, how would they react? As we complained and vented our frustrations, Raymond started talking about a rumor in the school.

"By the way, it seems that the Crown Prince’s surroundings have been noisy lately."

I listened to the story with a "Hmm" attitude while drinking juice. It’s a story far above us.

I’m interested, but it’s not related to us.

Raymond was just talking to pass the time and didn’t take the credibility of the story seriously.

To me, it felt like a forced event had occurred.

Daniel also joined the conversation.

"Is it about that girl... Marie? I heard she’s being bullied a lot by the girls."

If you get close to the Crown Prince, you’ll naturally be disliked.

I thought so, but when Raymond continued...

"It’s related to that rumor. Apparently, the central figure in the bullying was a duke’s daughter. When the Crown Prince found out, he was furious."

— I almost choked and coughed, spitting out my drink.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"León, do you know something?"

The two of them were worried and asked if I knew something, so I made an excuse, "No, it just went down the wrong pipe."

I wiped my mouth and cold sweat.

The two of them were cleaning up the table.

However, what Raymond said was bothering me. The event in the game that I know about, where the Crown Prince gets angry at his fiancée, happens much later.

Moreover, I’m close to Olivia.

I’ve never seen her being close to the male protagonist.

What’s going on?

◇

I thought I should stay out of it.

As a minor character, I should just watch from a distance. I thought it was an unrelated story, but the situation seemed suspicious.

I decided to talk to Olivia immediately.

She’s the only upper class girl I know.

We met in the library, but...

"I’m sorry, I don’t know the details. I only know that all the girls were cold to Marie for a while, and now it’s settled."

"That’s... I see. Can I ask one more thing? Do you have any connection with a girl named Marie?"

The girl who took the protagonist’s place.

Actually, this world might be unrelated to the game, and I might be the one who’s mistaken.

But—

"...I’ve met her a few times. A few days after the opening ceremony, I went to the library, and she talked to me."

From Olivia’s attitude, which was looking down and sad, I could tell it was a conversation she didn’t want to have.

But I wanted to know. Her feelings? To get information about the creepy girl named Marie, I had to do this much.

"I