25 The Side Quest

Examining his badge, Caius muttered to himself, "Well, at least I've got 100 SP in my account."

Aria, looking thoughtful, replied, "That's because you ranked second in the entrance examination. The top three students received the same amount, if I'm not mistaken."

Then turning to Ember, Aria asked in a friendly manner, "And what about you, Ember?"

Caius thought to himself, 'Go on, Regressor Aria. Befriend her and steer her away from becoming a villainess. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines.'

Ember replied after a brief pause, as she wasn't used to people calling her by her name instead of 'princess,' "I also received the same amount, but I wonder if these SPs really hold any significance for Elite class students."

Ember was right to question the importance of SP for Elite class students, who were already provided with all necessary facilities.

However, there were still things that SP could be used for. For example, hiring a tuition professor for extra classes after academy hours. Although there were separate timings for these classes, interested students could participate by paying SPs based on the course.

In the game, Star Points were also used for dating and dining at quality restaurants, with the better restaurants earning more affection points from love interests.

Additionally, SP could be used to purchase custom-made wands, staff, weapons, potions, and other items from the auction house.

Therefore, it was always a good idea to save up a good amount of SP, as it could come in handy later on.

Caius was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud exclamation.

"Oh no!"

He turned his head towards the classroom and saw a commotion. Damien's clothes were soaked with water, and Cassandra, who sat next to him, was also splashed. A student was standing beside them with a fake smile, apologizing for the mishap.

"Oh, sorry. My hand just slipped."

Cassandra was clearly startled, and Damien appeared to be at a loss for words.

'It looks like the first day of school wouldn't be complete without a character playing the role of a stepping stone for the male lead to stand out,' he mused seeing the scene unfold.

"It's fine," Damien said, trying to keep a smile on his face. "My clothes are just a little wet."

Unfortunately, the other student seemed to have taken this as an opportunity to cause even more trouble.

"Oh, really?" he said and then turned the water bottle upside down onto Damien's seat. The water poured out with a loud splash.

Splash—

!?

"Are you crazy!" Cassandra exclaimed and stepped back from her seat.

Ignoring Cassandra's concern, the male stepping-stone student asked, "Are you still okay?" and threw the empty water bottle at Damien.

Thud—

Excited to see a potential fight, the other students in the class turned their attention to the scene.

"Do we know each other? I don't recall seeing you before." Damien questioned.

'Tch, If it were me, I would have smashed his head by now, no need to talk so much bullshit. But oh well, he is one of the protagonists for a reason,' Caius thought to himself as he watched the tense situation continue to escalate.

As the male stepping-stone student spoke, Damien's expression twisted in confusion. "No, we've never met before, you bastard," the student sneered.

"So you're the kind of stupid person who splashes water on strangers?" Damien shot back, unimpressed by the student's attempt to assert dominance.

The male student looked around the classroom, reveling in the attention he was getting from his classmates. Then he turned back to Damien, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"I mean, seriously? Did you get a recommendation letter by making a fool of yourself like that?" the male student taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "I saw your duel with Caius. It was a joke."

Damien's eyes narrowed, sensing that this was leading up to something. "And what about it?" he demanded, his temper rising.

The stepping stone student continued, "It's sickening to see a bastard like you brazenly smiling and laughing. You don't know what it's like for those of us who had to fight tooth and nail just to get here. Unlike you, we don't have a silver spoon shoved up our asses."

Ciaus observed the malice and joy around the student's eyes as if he relished slandering and belittling others. Glancing to the side, he saw Cassandra shooting daggers at the male student, her expression more ferocious than usual.

Damien's jaw clenched as he fought to keep his cool. "I don't see how that has anything to do with me," he replied evenly.

The student chuckled mockingly. "You wouldn't understand, would you? People like you have it easy. You don't know what it's like to struggle and fight for everything you have. But mark my words, Damien. One day, I'll show you what real strength is."

"....."

'I couldn't stand seeing this anymore,'

Feeling bored with their conversation, Caius decided to leave the classroom. He glanced around to see the other student's reactions. Some appeared disinterested, while others seemed to be paying close attention. A small group even appeared to agree with the male student's words.

As he scanned the room, Caius's eyes fell upon a lone figure in the corner. The boy had brown hair and seemed unfazed by the confrontation. This was the same person who was supposed to be the antagonist in Caius's gameplay, the brother of the woman he had saved.

"Well, at least I won't have to deal with those pointless fights," Caius muttered to himself as he exited the classroom, still hearing their useless chatter in the background. With all that talk, they would end up having a duel, and of course, Damien would win.

As he strolled down the corridor, nonchalant about the altercation, Caius suddenly remembered a useful side quest that he could complete before any other protagonist got to it. The quest could be obtained from one of his classmates, a named NPC that would offer the same quest to every playable character in the game.

He continued down the corridor until he reached the garden, a serene and peaceful area located in the heart of the academy, where he hoped to find the quest-giving NPC.

The garden was filled with blooming flowers of different colors, lush greenery, and a sparkling fountain in the center. The sound of the water flowing from the fountain added to the tranquil atmosphere.

He made his way to a bench and sat down, leaning back as he looked around for the NPC. "She left the class as soon as Scarlett did, so I thought I could meet her in her regular quest place by now," he pondered.

The NPC in question was the only beastman kin in the Elite class, and unlike the other savage beastmen, her appearance and character were complete opposites to theirs. To put it simply, she was just a nerd and not very capable in combat. She had earned her place in the Elite class purely on the basis of her academic achievements.

'And the quest we can get from her was—' his thoughts were interrupted by the mocking comments of a couple of students.

"Pftt, look at her. How did even someone like her end up in an Elite class?" One of the students said, snickering.

"I know right? Look how tiny she is, she couldn't even take a single hit from me!" The other student boasted, holding up a book he had taken from her.

"N-No, please give that back to me," the girl's voice could be heard, pleadingly.

As he approached the Quest NPC, he couldn't help but quip, "Ah, yes, the classic 'damsel in distress quest. Because apparently, in this game, every girl needs a knight in shining armor to save her from these idiots."

'I didn't design the game, it's the game developers' bastards to be blamed for the clichés!'