Game plan

A lot had happened in the last 24 hours. I sat on my bed in my room. I wanted to read Luna's character log first. She was in a dire state the last time I read her log.

"I thought I would never see Smarus again. When he left, I had no choice but to rely on Ace. He was my only friend that I could trust, and he supported me every step of the way. Perhaps I never loved him… I only depended on him and labeled it incorrectly.

But Smarus… He came just for me. I was shocked and hurt when he slapped me, but it served as a wake-up call. Smarus was suffering, the man I said I loved, but I only thought about myself. I wanted everyone to help me, but I never wanted to help anyone else. I need to be better, no, I will be better! I just hope that Ace's and Smarus's friendship wasn't ruined because of me.

Warning: Possible Outcomes:

True Saintess"

I sighed in relief. I was glad that Luna's mental state didn't deteriorate. Since the log was in first person, I assumed that she would soon develop a character worthy of her class. What was a true saintess anyway? I shrugged. Since I didn't know anything, I doubt I would find out before she reached that path. Also, was all she had to say about my fight with Ace? She was still self-centered, but she was improving. I moved on to Ace's log.

"He left for a month and decided to just show up! Ever since his so-called 'revelation,' Smarus has been unbearable. Nothing he does makes sense. He was unpredictable. Luna was almost in my arms too…

No, I am the hero! Everything should go my way, but he… he got in the way. How could he beat me still? I know I am stronger, and he said it himself. If I ever switched up my moves, I would win. SO WHY DID I LOSE!? There's one thing I knew for sure. He will be at the academy. And I will meet him there.

Warning: Possible Outcome:

Enemy"

That was very alarming. I guessed we were bound to become enemies, but something felt off. There was so much anger in his log. Ace was typically a cheerful person. To think he was so angry by my appearance. I reread one line.

"I am the Hero! Everything should go my way!"

I thought back to everything I knew about the game and Ace as a person. I started to believe that he wasn't actually a laid-back person, but a narcissistic person. He never had any real problems, so things typically went his way. I theorized that his becoming a hero only boosted his ego. In the game, he was a major womanizer…

I stood up in shock at the revelation. He was only cheerful because he had his way! That was why he lusted after Luna knowing the villain's feelings towards her. That was why he refused to save people! I was wrong to think of Ace as a hero, to begin with. It was just a title that was treated like an idol. I failed to see Ace as a person with the job of a hero instead of just the hero. This minor detail opened my perspective completely. My attempts to avoid the future that I knew may have had the opposite effect. 

A chill ran down my spine. There was only one possible outcome for Ace. My former best friend became an obstacle in my path. I sat back down and sighed. Who was the idiot now? I should've seen this coming. I thought about Aurora and Myra. Anger rose inside me. If Ace touched them, I would personally put an end to him.

It took me a few minutes to calm down. I had three more logs to read, so I started with Aurora.

"Aurora was shocked to see you after a month. Not only were you living on your own, but Aurora noticed that there was something different about you. The way you held yourself. The way you rushed to help your friend, Lady Lunafreya. The way you faced the hero, Sir Ace. She was hurt that you wouldn't let her heal you, but that only made her respect you more. 

Aurora now sees you in a new light. She was sure that she wanted to follow you for the rest of her life. A fearless leader that cared for his subordinates.

Warning: Possible Outcomes:

Personal Guard

Lover"

I blushed. I wasn't that cool! A few seconds passed before I realized the meaning behind her log.

"She likes me!?" I yelled at no one. "Why can't these outcomes just be simple and plain!?"

I took a deep breath and sighed. Whatever. I can't do anything about it now, so I'll move on to Myra's log.

"Lord Smarus is so cool!! Everything he does has some kind of… kind of… He's just the coolest guy I knew! He even fought a hero for his friend. He said he wanted to protect us too. I can tell that my sister was on the same page as me. This is the one thing I can't lose to my sister!

Warning: Possible Outcomes:

Personal Guard

Competitor for your Love"

Great. I was starting to wonder if I was the problem. There was no reason for people should be falling for me, but regardless, this was too much. Just two months ago, I was a college student with some social issues. Now I was a noble that in true reality, just wanted to live a relaxing life… And make sure this world didn't become a paradox I guess. What a pain. Maybe I should give up and give in to the feelings of the sisters. I sighed and pulled up Anne's log.

"After a month, Anne thought you looked more… manly. Her heart raced as she longingly gazed at you. You ignoring her only made her heart race even more. She wished that you would just tie he…"

Nope. Enough of that. I should have known better than to touch Anne's character log.

I thought back to Ace's log. There were only a few more months left until the academy. In six months, I will have to register for a spot. There will be an exam and a physical exam. Ace and the teacher Aurora mentioned were gonna be a big issue. I stood up and began to do some stretches.

I had to get stronger no matter what. With Edward's and Austria's business, I should be set with finances. I planned out how I would level up. Perhaps I should spend as much time adventuring as I could. The faster I rank up, the more challenging opponents I can face. There were many more things I still wanted to learn as well. The library was a good place to start. The amount of things I felt like I had to do was paralyzing. I had to prioritize the important things. I pulled up my stats.

Smarus Dragonborne

Title: Hero Slayer

Age: 15

Strength: 4

Intelligence: 5

Agility: 3

Charisma:3

Magic: 2.5

Class: Hermit Wiseman

Mana: 400/400

Skills: Odin's eye, character log, Spatial Inventory, Guardian's Gift, Lesser Hero

I thought to myself for a moment. I wanted to get my magic level up, but I knew no magic. I also wanted to get my strength and agility to 5. That would be a good starting point for me before I entered the academy. So much to do, but so little time. I was really flipping the script of this terrible RPG.

It was probably for the best for me to explain what the academy actually was. In this world's history, there were a bunch of scholars who wanted to do research, but a lot of it was prohibited because of war. As a result, scholars from different countries met at a central location to illegally conduct their research. Despite their differences, they worked together for the name of knowledge. This central spot became an area that was used to build a school for students from different countries to pursue their careers.

Since it was built on the border of four different countries, no one kingdom had control over it. It was like a research haven for scholars. Unfortunately, it doubled as a place for the hero to rizz up and seduce a lot of poor girls. A good portion of the game's heroines met the hero at the academy. There was limited gameplay of the academy, and there were a lot of flashbacks to it. It was a fundamental part of the game's story.

The more I reminisced about the game, the more I found myself hating the hero. He really was a piece of shit! Then again, everyone in this world had… a unique personality. Was quite literally too much to ask for me to settle down, have a family, and live a somewhat normal life? Whatever. I didn't have time to complain. I needed to focus on preparing for my entrance exams for the academy.