10 The Protagonists Arrive
It was the day after Caius' fight with Adeline, and the whole Cruiser seemed to be buzzing with rumors and gossip about what had happened.
Adeline was painting Caius as the villain, making him out to be the tormentor in their relationship for years.
I couldn't help but shake my head at her tactics. "Typical move for a villainess," I muttered to myself as I began to eat my breakfast.
I was alone at my table in the bustling cafeteria, seated in the far corner. Despite the crowds, no one wanted to sit with me, leaving me to my thoughts.
However, I was used to being on my own, so it didn't bother me that no one wanted to sit near me.
Just as I was beginning to eat my breakfast, someone interrupted my thoughts, "E-Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"
I looked up to see a brown-haired guy wearing big round glasses.
He seemed timid and unsure of himself. I didn't recognize him and assumed he was just another NPC with no real significance.
"Suit yourself," I replied before turning back to my breakfast.
"T-Thank you," he said, sitting down and introducing himself. "M-My name is Ren. Nice to meet you."
"Name's Caius," I replied.
"C-Caius?" he repeated, clearly surprised.
"It seems you've heard about me," I said, noting his expression.
"Y-yes, I heard the 'Cruelty of Caius' story," he said, seeming embarrassed.
"Cruelty of what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"I-It's the story everyone on the Cruiser is talking about. They say you're trash, and that you forced Lady Adeline to engage with you and mistreated her for years," he explained.
I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the absurdity of it all. "And you believe that?" I asked Ren curious to hear his response.
Ren's face turned red as he quickly shook his head. "N-No, of course not! I know they're not true."
!?
Before I could even ask him why he had that impression, Ren was called over by someone else. "Hey, Ren! Come over here for a sec, I need your help with this question."
"Huh? Oh, alright," Ren said, leaving his half-eaten breakfast behind as he rushed off to help.
"...."
I shook my head and continued eating my breakfast, trying to ignore the noise of the crowded cafeteria.
However, the sudden chatter of the crowd caught my attention.
"Kyaa! He is so handsome!!!" I heard a girl's exclamation.
"Wow, she is beautiful!" I heard a boy muttering around me.
As I raised my head, I saw two familiar figures entering the cafeteria together. Of course, I immediately recognized them as Damien and Cassandra, two of the most popular and powerful characters in the game.
Damien was a tall, handsome red-haired guy with sharp features and piercing green eyes. He was wearing a black jacket over a white t-shirt, giving off a cool and confident vibe.
Cassandra was stunning with long, straight, shimmering blue hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue that sparkled like the ocean. She wore a form-fitting silver dress that hugged her curves perfectly, and her skin was as pale as the moon.
As they took their food from the counter and scanned the room for empty seats, their eyes eventually landed on my table. I inwardly groaned, knowing what was coming next.
As they approached, heads turned and whispers spread like wildfire. Girls gushed over Damien's handsome features and confident demeanor, while boys admired Cassandra's beauty and elegance.
Without any hesitation, Damien approached me with a beaming smile and spoke, "We can sit here, right? Thanks!" before plopping down in the seat next to me.
Cassandra, on the other hand, simply sat down opposite me without a word, her expression blank and unreadable. Her eyes flickered around the room, taking in her surroundings with a hint of curiosity.
Despite my initial annoyance at their intrusion, I couldn't help but notice how well-matched they were in terms of looks. Damien had chiseled features and a toned physique, while Cassandra exuded an aura of elegance and grace.
As Damien introduced himself, his confident demeanor was evident in his tone. "I'm Damien," he said, flashing me a smile.
Cassandra's voice was soft but steady as she introduced herself. "I'm Cassandra," she spoke, her eyes briefly meeting mine before scanning the room again.
"Caius," I said, returning their introductions.
!?
As soon as I introduced myself, their eyes widened in surprise. I could sense that they were taken aback by my name, and for a moment, I thought it was because of the rumors that were going around about me.
But I was wrong. Cassandra was the first to break the silence. "Oh, are you the one who ranked second in the admission exam?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
"Yes, that's me," I replied, taking a bite of my breakfast.
But I was preoccupied with my own thoughts. 'Was Caius ranked 2nd in the entrance examination?' I pondered, as it was news to me. There was no detailed ranking shown, and it was only mentioned that he was in the top 10 during the entrance examination in his prologue like every other protagonists.
"...."
Before I could dwell on it further, Damien spoke up. "So you're the one who's second in the first year, huh?" he said, a sly smirk on his face.
!?
'Ah, shit!'
I knew where this was going. Damien was known to be a battle maniac who loved to fight people stronger than him. But what made him even more annoying was his persistence. If he lost to someone, he would challenge them to a duel every day until he won.
Before I could even react, Damien threw a white glove onto my breakfast plate and exclaimed, "I challenge you to a duel, Caius Valerian!"
I sighed inwardly. This was the last thing I needed. "And this fucking annoying bastard even ruined my breakfast," I muttered under my breath as I stared at him with a blank expression.
"What do you say, Valerien? Are you up for a challenge?" Damien taunted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Meanwhile, Cassandra just shook her head as if she was used to dealing with this annoying bastard.
I took a deep breath and weighed my options. Could I defeat him? I wasn't sure. Even in the game, Caius never confronted any of the male leads this early on.
I needed more information. "Show me Damien's status window," I thought to myself, and his stats appeared in front of me.
[Status Window]
Name: Damien Montfort
Level: 9
Experience Points: 150/800
Mana Points: 60/60
Stats:
Strength: 35
Agility: 45
Endurance: 30
Intelligence: 25
◆
Element: Fire: Level 2, Wind: Level 1
◆
Skills: Dual Wielding: Level 2
Fire Magic: Level 2
Wind Magic: Level 1
Rapid Strike: Level 1
***
As I studied them, the other students began to gossip around us.
"Huh? A duel? Seems like Cruel Caius must have done something to offend him."
"Poor guy, he's done for now."
"You guys, don't tell me you don't know that Caius ranked second in the entrance exam!"
"So what if he did? We only fought machines in the entrance exam. A duel is an entirely different matter."
Their words washed over me as I focused on Damien's stats. He was strong, but not unbeatable. If I played my cards right, I might be able to win.
'And the fact that I know every single one of his attacks will only add to my advantage!' As I thought that, a huge grin appeared on my face.
"All right," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I accept your challenge."
