To enter Valhalla Academy, a noble’s letter of recommendation is essential.
In other words, unless you are a noble or are sponsored by one, admission is impossible.
Perhaps because of this, the central hall was decorated not like a semester opening party, but more like a Marble Hall where nobles held their social gatherings.
Of course, I, who had lived an ordinary modern life, had never actually set foot in a real noble’s Marble Hall.
But if we’re talking about the typical depiction of a pseudo-medieval noble’s banquet hall so often used in Korean fantasy novels, I’ve seen it to the point of exhaustion.
First of all, there must always be a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the Marble Hall.
On the snow-white walls, gold-plated panels are added, giving an impression that is both splendid and orderly.
Luxurious golden candlesticks and fresh flower decorations are a must.
Of course, there must be an indoor orchestra playing a gentle BGM, and the center of the hall should be left empty, without any decorations, so people can dance to the music.
And in most cases, long rectangular tables with unlimited food refills are placed around the edges.
Depending on the occasion, several tables with chairs are added so people can sit comfortably and chat.
‘They really followed all these rules perfectly.’
There was no herald announcing, “Now entering is so-and-so from such-and-such family!” as you walked in, but that was because, within the academy, no matter your actual status, being a “student” always took precedence over anything else—a well-known but meaningless school rule.
‘If they truly pursued an equal educational institution, they wouldn’t have made a noble’s recommendation a requirement for admission. Last semester, it wouldn’t have been Reysir who got suspended, but Karvald Austri.’
Anyway, the interior was dazzlingly luxurious.
But I couldn’t just stand around gawking—my possessed body belonged to a family of such high status.
So, after a quick sweep of the room, I fixed my gaze straight ahead and walked forward with purpose.
My goal was one of those “tables with chairs, sometimes arranged depending on the situation.”
This way, it would look like I was just looking for a seat, not aimlessly wandering.
‘There are empty seats everywhere since not many students have arrived yet!’
My possessed body’s lackeys had come to get me, so I’d left my room earlier than planned.
And since I’d hurried along to avoid listening to Tridric yammering away behind me, I’d ended up arriving even earlier.
Thanks to that, I could pick whichever table I wanted—’should I consider that a good thing?’
Trying to think positively, I took the most secluded seat I could find.
I sat up straight, leaned my upper body slightly back against the chair, crossed my legs, and laced my fingers together on my thigh.
Relaxed, yet exuding arrogance.
‘Maybe I looked similar to how my possessed body usually behaved, or maybe I was the only one who cared about such postures.’
Either way, neither Tridric nor Liolikin seemed to question my behavior.
That was good enough.
“I’ll get the drinks, so you go over there and bring some food.”
Tridric pointed at the distant food table and sent Liolikin, who was about to sit down, on an errand.
Then, still sitting, he simply gestured at a waiter carrying a tray with whiskey glasses to come over.
No matter how you look at it, this wasn’t a fair division of roles.
‘Even among bullies, they have their own pecking order.’
Liolikin was also part of the bully group, so I didn’t exactly want to defend him, but Tridric’s actions were downright annoying.
His intent to bully was so obvious that ignoring it made my stomach churn.
But since I hadn’t lifted a finger myself, I wasn’t exactly in a position to point fingers, so I simply slid the whiskey glass that Tridric placed in front of me away and spoke up.
“Take this away and bring me ice water. Yourself.”
Besides, I didn’t want to touch alcohol in this underage body.
In this messed-up world, it’s legal to drink from the age of sixteen, but—
As a modern person, I know all too well how much drinking in adolescence harms brain development.
“Huh…?”
“I’m sure you heard me. Are you going to pretend you didn’t?”
“I-I’ll be right back!”
Only after I frowned deeply and made my displeasure clear did Tridric jump up from his seat.
He tried to act flustered, but I clearly saw a flash of irritation flicker across his sly face.
I watched that sneaky brat scurry around looking for ice water, then called over a waiter and asked for a glass of water myself.
I added that I’d give a tip if they brought it back before that guy did.
‘How could I trust water brought by someone like Tridric?’
You shouldn’t judge people by one aspect alone, but it’s fine to do that with characters.
I was certain Tridric would spit in the water on his way back.
I absolutely did not want to drink such filthy water.
Fortunately, the waiter I’d sent off returned with the water before Tridric did.
He even brought both a glass with ice and an empty one, asking which I’d prefer, showing off his competence.
So, when Tridric returned, what he saw was the waiter setting down a glass with ice in front of me and pouring water from a jug.
“You’re too slow. I got tired of waiting and asked the waiter.”
Tridric blinked at the glass of ice water, then, realizing the situation after hearing my words, blushed in embarrassment.
He must have realized I’d just made him run a fool’s errand.
I pretended not to notice and handed the promised tip to the waiter who’d served me so well.
The waiter smiled brightly, while Tridric failed to control his expression and scowled.
‘Good thing I brought some cash just in case, since there’s a Tip Culture here.’
If I keep acting like this, maybe Tridric will stop trying to play Karvald Austri’s lackey.
I hope so, I thought, as I took a sip of water and set the glass down again.
Just then, Liolikin returned to his seat.
He showed off by carrying four plates at once, using both hands and his unusually broad forearms.
‘…Did that sneaky guy make the big guy fetch food not to bully him, but because he’s the best for the job?’
I was momentarily confused, but in the end, it was clearly just bullying, as I’d thought at first.
Especially since Tridric immediately nitpicked Liolikin for being late and took out his anger on him.
‘According to the Book of Names, their families are about equally powerful—so why does he just take it?’
It was hard not to think what a waste all those hulking muscles and that huge frame were.
If Liolikin so much as glared and shouted, the twig-thin Tridric would probably topple over.
Maybe he’s got something on Liolikin, forcing him to act like a lackey.
If he’s putting up with it by choice, it’d be weird for me to step in.
Still, just watching it all rubbed me the wrong way.
“Is this all you brought? Out of all the good food, you managed to pick only the stuff that looks bad—that’s a talent, I guess! Maybe you just don’t care what you eat, but how could you…”
“Tridric, be quiet.”
He really was an unpleasant existence.
Even knowing he was just a character someone had created, I felt sick to my stomach.
Even after shutting him up, I couldn’t calm down, so I drank some cold water for no reason.
‘No student would dare bully Karvald Austri, the Duke’s son, so I thought I’d be fine, but of all people, why did I get stuck with these guys as my followers!’
‘I really don’t think I fit in at school.’
‘If I could, I’d quit this academy just like I dropped out of high school.’
But Hard Austri, this body’s father, would never allow that.
‘And thinking about the future, I have to keep attending the academy!’
At the closing ceremony at the end of December, this academy will be swallowed by the Demonic Realm.
That’s an opportunity I can’t miss.
To awaken, you have to be present at the exact moment the Demonic Realm manifests.
Not everyone present awakens.
Only a chosen few can, and the Karvald Austri I possess is among those “chosen few.”
Besides, the Demonic Realm that appears at Valhalla Academy only causes a single casualty.
Other than that, it was resolved with little damage, so it’s not even dangerous.
The Boss Mob that appeared was relatively weak, and the academy is full of highly capable professors.
In fact, the fact that there was even one casualty was surprising.
‘It was basically a forced plot to quickly get rid of a character readers hated.’
Since I read the original, I know a few of the places where the Demonic Realm will appear.
But there’s no reason to go to a dangerous location when the academy is safe.
Besides, awakening brings many advantages, one of which is “increased stat growth rate.”
Even if you put in the same amount of effort, awakened and non-awakened people grow at different rates, so the sooner you awaken, the better.
And the Demonic Realm at Valhalla Academy is the second ever to appear in this world.
‘And that’s not all, either.’
As I mentioned, Valhalla Academy has many talented professors, and since there’s almost no damage from the Demonic Realm, the academy doesn’t even close.
The original protagonist leaves to investigate the Demonic Realm, but I can stay and continue my studies, steadily improving my abilities.
In terms of growth speed, I won’t be able to match Reysir, who’s out there fighting for his life, but—
‘Instead, I get systematic education, and it’s incomparably safer!’
The body I possess is just “Villain 1,” so unlike the protagonist Reysir, there’s no guarantee I’ll survive if thrown into harsh conditions.
Even Reysir himself survived, but all his companions died one after another.
Safe awakening and growth. That’s why I want to keep attending the academy.
“Um, Lord Karvald Austri? Did something bad happen to you over the break? You look really unwell…”
The only reason I look pale is lack of sleep.
But Tridric is also largely to blame.
If he hadn’t been bullying Liolikin and poking at my own school-day traumas, I’d be in better shape now.
But when Tridric, acting as if it’s none of his business, said that, I almost blurted out, “It’s because you disgust me.”
If I said that, I’d have to explain the reason, and that’s something “Karvald Austri” can’t do.
Of course, I also couldn’t say I’d been up several nights stuffing my head with information to perfectly play “Karvald Austri.”
So I suppressed my rising nausea and could only lie.
“…I’ve developed insomnia lately, so don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, I see! The dark circles under your eyes are because of insomnia? Should I get you some tea that helps with sleep?”
“I just told you not to worry about it. Why are you pretending not to hear me today?”
“Uh… I’m sorry.”
It seems Tridric only restrains himself if I get really annoyed or angry.
In other words, he pushes my buttons just enough not to cross the line, constantly testing how much he can get away with.
Knowing this, I couldn’t help but ask the same question about Karvald Austri that I’d wondered about Liolikin.
‘Why did the original owner of this body hang out with someone like Tridric?’
Although I couldn’t get an answer from Karvald Austri, the question was quickly resolved.
As the party’s start time approached, more students entered, and quite a few came over to greet my possessed body.
But I didn’t have to bother greeting them or racking my brain to recall information from the Book of Names.
Tridric stepped in to deal with all those students for me.