Male Lead, Don’t Push, Pull!

Of course, I don’t have those special protagonist powers, so I’ll have to graduate as an average student, or work my ass off.

I don’t like the idea of studying at the academy without Kyle. Somehow, I can already see the hardships I’ll face at Arene Academy.

“I see. I’m sure Kyle will be able to do it,” I replied, feeling a dizzying sweat break out. 

“Yes. So I will prove my usefulness to the Emperor. And when His Majesty is satisfied…”

Kyle held my gaze for a moment. His gaze was quite serious.

I couldn’t make out what he was trying to say with his eyes, so I just smiled, and Kyle continued.

“Then I will make a wish.”

“A wish? Didn’t His Majesty permit you to request one before?”

“Yes.”

I wondered if the Emperor would have forgotten by then that he had previously said he would be granting a wish, but….

I didn’t dare say anything to break the atmosphere.

Instead, I cheered Kyle on in earnest.

“That’s awesome! Are you going to tell me what you wished for then?”

“Yeah. Until then I will get taller and stronger before the end of the year….”

Kyle rambled for a moment, then squeezed my hand.

“So, Vivi, you have to tell me if anything is hard or difficult for you.”

“Alright.”

Have you thought of all that? You’re amazing.

I nodded vigorously, and a soft smile appeared on Kyle’s face.

Seeing him smile made me feel like everything was actually going to be okay.

***

The city of Arene is located in the northeastern part of the Ygritte Empire. It is a city formed around an academy that operates as a nation.

There is something especially unique about the city of Arene: it was granted autonomy over its own affairs.

This was a reflection of the founder’s wishes to create an environment where the future leaders of the empire could study freely.

The founder of the Academy of Arene was also the founding emperor of the empire.

As a city with such a long history, it also has a lot of specialities.

At the entrance of the academy, there is a monument that the first emperor bestowed upon it, and in the west stands the Tower of Truth, designed by the most outstanding magician in history.

In fact, it was safe to say that the entire academy was a historical site.

“Wow.”

After five days of traveling, my destination was even more spectacular than I expected.

As I stared around in wonder, Lisa, the maid who was unloading my luggage, laughed softly.

“Miss, are you that excited?”

“Yes!”

It’s actually the first time I’ve ever been so far away from my family.

This is where I’m going to live from now on….

My heart pounded with excitement.

“Kyle, this is amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It’s awesome.”

Kyle looked around, his expression equally stunned. 

Kyle had always lived in the palace, studying under Titania’s watchful eye. This is his first time in another city, so of course it must be new and exciting!

I nodded, feeling a little self-satisfied.

I also wanted to see the inside of the academy, but unfortunately we arrived too late and the doors were already closed. We were forced to settle for a night in the city center of Arene.

“It’s so sad that this is the last day I’ll be serving you.”

Lisa, who had ordered food for me and Kyle, said with a visibly depressed face.

It was not permitted for a common student to have a servant at the Arene Academy.

It was a rule designed to prevent unnecessary tension from being created, as the academy was a place where anyone could enter and study, regardless of status.

However, occasionally, noble students would use commoner students as servants.

It was a shame.

Even if you are reprimanded by your professor, you can just say that the other person helped you as a favor, so it wasn’t easy to crack down on it.

I guess something of that nature is unavoidable because this society is basically a class society.

“I’m really going to miss Lisa, too.”

Lisa was my favorite maid. I’ll be able to see her when I go home for the holidays, but it’s still a sorrowful feeling.

“I’ll be sure to write to Lisa. So will you be sure to write back to me?”

“Of course, Miss, I’ll write you more than ten pages!”

I let out a small laugh at Lisa’s bravado.

“Good night, Kyle.”

“You too, Vivi.”

After a pleasant dinner, we returned to our respective rooms.

Kyle looked like he wanted to stay with me longer, but tired from the long carriage ride, I sent him back to his room.

I’d see him tomorrow anyway.

“Ugh.”

I flopped back onto my bed, blinking heavily. For some reason, sleep was coming easily….

I had originally planned to go to the academy tomorrow and plan out what I was going to do, but sleep kept creeping in.

I stared blankly at my luggage on the shelf and suddenly realized something strange.

“Eh?”

Where did I put my fountain pen?

My beautiful fountain pen with a diamond on the cap was nowhere to be seen. My father had bought me a new one when he sent me to the academy to study hard.

It was my favorite thing, custom-made by my father himself, sparkling with the finest diamonds!

As I fumbled with my memory, I remembered that I had used the fountain pen while writing down the address of the academy to send a letter to Lisa and had left it on the first floor.

“What if someone has already taken it?”

You idiot, you should have kept an eye on it!

Impatient that I had lost it, I jumped out of my seat and headed outside.

Despite the late hour, the ground floor of the inn was still bustling.

Looking around the dinner table, I spotted my fountain pen on the floor.

“Thank God!”

I hadn’t lost it! What if someone had picked it up?

Then a voice drifted into my ear.

“Are you saying that I should go somewhere else at this hour?”

I turned and saw a man with a troubled look on his face at the inn counter.

“Well, I can’t help that I don’t have a room for you,” the innkeeper said to the man.

“Even a warehouse would be fine; all the other inns are already full….”

“That’s true for our inn too.”

“Hah…. What should we do?”

The man sighed deeply. I could see the flow of time on his face.

Ehhhh, I guess he doesn’t have a room.

After watching him for a while, I realized that there was another person beside him. The one in the brown robe was about the same height as me, and had been hidden by the man’s body.

At this time of year, there is only one reason for a child to be in the city of Arene: to enter the Academy.

Curious, I approached them.

“Excuse me….”

The man turned his head and looked around. Soon he spotted me and leaned down.

“What is it?”

“Are you one of the new students at the Arene Academy?”

“Oh, yes. My son is entering for the first time this year. Are you also a new student?”

“Yes,” I answered, glancing at the other person hiding behind the man’s legs. It was hard to see his face through the heavy robe.

Anyway, if that’s the case, he’s the one who’ll be entering with me….

“You do not have a room at the inn?”

“You must have heard what we were talking about earlier, I suppose. We got here a little late, so…. I suppose it’s understandable, since this is a busy time of year in Arene….”

The man frowned worriedly.

“Hmmm.”

I thought for a moment. At this rate, those people could be wandering the streets all night.

The city of Arene was well-policed, but it was still dangerous at night.

Was it right to send them on their way?

Especially since the person in question is a freshman who will be entering the academy with me….

I suppose if I shared a room with Lisa, we could at least make a room. My room is fairly big.

With my thoughts running wild up to that point, I told him.

“I’ll give you one of my rooms.”

“What? Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah. It’s a little small, though.”

“What does size matter? Thank you so much, dear! Daniel, you should say thank you too.”

Daniel…?

I scratched my head at the vaguely familiar name.

The other person, who had been wearing a robe the whole time, slowly removed his hood.

A boy with mauve, wavy hair was revealed.

With a slightly embarrassed look on his face, he said in a small voice.

“Thanks.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Decayne Raston.” 

Raston?

Where had I heard that name before?

A passage from the original novel flashed through my mind.

<Daniel Raston was a rising star in the empire, and his skill at creating magical potions rivaled that of the empire’s greatest wizard, Helinoa.>

<He developed a magical potion that created something out of nothing and saved countless lives in despair.>

Hey, isn’t this the kid who’s about to make a fortune inventing a pill for hair loss?

That wizard who makes a drug that makes even the dead regrow hair, becomes a huge hit, and suddenly becomes a billionaire.

Did I just do a favor for a future billionaire?

Gotcha.