Chapter 48: I’m the protagonist

Chapter 48: I’m the protagonist

After a few more minutes of walking and dodging the occasional stare from curious students who were still whispering about "the guy with the cat on his head," I finally reached the front of the auditorium.

The thing was massive.

It rose from the heart of the Academy like some kind of steel-and-marble monolith, smooth white panels interlocked with dark gray framing, the surface reflecting the light like polished glass. There wasn’t a single rune etched into it, not a shimmer of mana pulsing through its structure. Just clean, precise architecture. Pure engineering.

A marvel of human craftsmanship, beautiful in a way that didn’t rely on magic.

Even Sacha stopped fidgeting, her ears twitching as she stared down from my head. ’It’s big,’ she whispered. ’And shiny.’

"Yeah," I murmured, tilting my head up to take it all in. "It’s impressive."

I smirked. "Guess someone out there really wanted to prove science could keep up."

The entrance loomed ahead, two massive white doors already swung open, tall enough for a giant to walk through. Streams of students flowed in and out, chatting in nervous bursts, the air thick with the excitement and anxiety of what was about to come.

I walked forward, the soles of my boots echoing faintly against the polished stone floor. The moment I stepped through the threshold, the sound changed muffled, deeper, like the room was swallowing every noise whole.

Inside, the space opened up into a vast dome, the ceiling disappearing into intricate ribbed patterns of light and shadow. Rows upon rows of sleek black seats curved around the center stage, where a massive holographic display flickered to life with the Academy’s crest.

Students were scattered everywhere, some in groups, whispering strategies and rumors; others sitting alone, lost in thought. I recognized a few faces, though most were strangers, people from different regions, all drawn here for the same reason.

Sacha’s tail swayed as she looked around. ’So many people. Are they all here to fight, Papa?’

"Yeah," I said quietly, scanning the crowd. "All of them."

{You should pick a seat before they all start wondering who the guy with the talking cat is,} Bastard muttered.

"Let them wonder," I said, letting the faintest smirk tug at my lips.

I took a deep breath and stepped further inside, the doors closing slowly behind me with a low mechanical hum, sealing away the noise of the outside world.

For a moment, it was just me, the murmurs of hundreds of students, and the quiet, electric anticipation hanging in the air the calm before the storm.

I let my gaze wander through the massive auditorium, scanning the waves of students filling the rows. It was strange seeing them all like this. Faces I’d only read about once upon a time. People who were supposed to exist between words, behind paper, never in front of me.

And yet here they were.

The main cast.

My eyes first caught a glint of silver and white in the crowd, a girl sitting with perfect posture near the center row. Nora von Velkaris.

The Imperial Princess herself.

Her hair, a waterfall of snow-white silk, framed a face that was all poise and precision. The kind of beauty that carried power behind every glance, and her ice-blue eyes radiated quiet authority. Even from this distance, people seemed to unconsciously keep a respectful gap around her, as if afraid to breathe the same air too loudly.

{Royalty,} Bastard murmured. {Tread lightly. Or don’t. Up to you.}

"Please," I muttered under my breath. "She’ll be fine."

Then I spotted her Annalise Astreaus.

Daughter of Count Astreaus.

She sat a few seats over from Nora, her brown hair cascading in soft curls that brushed her shoulders, blue eyes sharp but kind. There was warmth in her face, something painfully human about her, even in this ocean of arrogance and ambition. I remembered reading that she was the type to smile at her enemies while quietly calculating ten different ways to outmaneuver them.

Sacha tilted her head, peeking from atop mine. ’That one looks nice. She smells like flowers.’

I chuckled quietly. "Yeah. Don’t let the pretty scent fool you, she’s got teeth."

Further along the front row sat Xavier Evernight

Heir to the Evernight family of knights, known for their skill and honor and the sticks shoved firmly up their noble backsides.

His golden hair was neatly tied back, gleaming under the auditorium lights, and his red eyes glowed faintly like burning embers. His uniform was pristine, perfectly pressed, and his posture screamed I’ve trained since birth and I’m better than you.

{He’s going to be annoying,} Bastard said flatly.

"Definitely," I agreed.

And then, my eyes landed on him.

Liam Luceris.

Silver hair, purple eyes that caught the light like polished amethyst, and that face. That calm, almost naive expression that tried so hard to look confident. He sat a few rows down from the others, in the middle of a group of talkative students. Ordinary.

The protagonist. The one who would’ve gone on to do great things in the story. The one who was supposed to rise from nothing.

The one who killed my sister.

For a second, the chatter of the auditorium dimmed around me, and all I could hear was the faint hum of Bastard’s presence in my mind.

{You’re staring,} he said, tone low and almost amused.

"Yeah," I muttered, my voice quiet. "Just... remembering something."

{Oh, I know.}

Sacha looked down at me, her tail curling softly. ’Papa? Who’s that boy?’

I smiled faintly, too calm, too controlled. "Someone I’ve been waiting to meet."

Inside, though, I could feel that old, cold weight settling behind my ribs again. The promise I’d made to myself a long time ago.

This time, the story wasn’t going to play out the same way.

This time, the protagonist wouldn’t get his happy ending.

I was going to make sure of it.

I leaned against one of the marble pillars, eyes still fixed on the main cast. The perfect group of pretty prodigies. The kind of people stories are written about.

Wait, they already have a story.

A few seconds later, another thought hit me: I’m just an extra, aren’t I?

I snorted. "Yeah, right," I muttered to myself, brushing imaginary dust off my coat. "Me, an extra? Please. I’m the damn protagonist."

Sacha puffed her chest proudly from my head. ’Papa’s the coolest! The others just don’t know it yet!’

"Exactly," I said with a smirk. "They’ll find out soon enough."

With that confidence firmly in place and Bastard groaning in my head something about delusions of grandeur,

Even sitting down, she managed to look untouchable. Perfect posture, back straight, arms crossed loosely. A single strand of her white hair gleamed under the light like it had been hand-polished by divine intervention.

"Hello, annoying princess," I said casually, plopping down in the seat beside her.

Without turning her head, Nora replied smoothly, her tone dripping with disdain, "Oh, look, it’s the ugly bastard."

I placed a hand over my heart, feigning mortal injury. "Ugly? You wound me, your royal iciness. I’ve been called many things handsome, dashing, breathtakingly charming, but ugly? That’s new."

She sighed, the sound filled with years of disappointment in humanity. "You forgot delusional."

{She’s got a point,} Bastard said.

"Shut up," I whispered under my breath.

Sacha leaned over my forehead, glaring at Nora, and spoke aloud. "Bad lady! Papa’s handsome!"

That earned a faint twitch of Nora’s lips, not quite a smile, but close enough that I mentally declared victory.

"Oh?" I said, grinning. "Did the princess just almost smile? Should I alert the Empire? This might qualify as a national miracle."

Nora finally turned her head slightly toward me, her blue eyes glacial and unimpressed. "You really haven’t changed, have you? Still as insufferable as the last time I saw you."

"Thank you," I said proudly. "Consistency is important."

She exhaled softly, muttering something under her breath about how someone like me could possibly exist.

"Don’t think too hard about it," I told her. "I know I’m one of a kind. It’s a gift."

{More like a curse,} Bastard said.

"Papa’s the best!" Sacha added immediately.

I smirked. "See? Me, Sacha, and vs you, I win."

Nora groaned quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose like she was dealing with the world’s most persistent headache.

"Remind me why I agreed to speak to you again?" she asked.

"Because," I said, leaning back and crossing my arms with a grin, "you secretly enjoy my company. Deep down, beneath all that royal arrogance, beats the heart of someone who thinks I’m handsome."

She paused for a second, then looked away. "...Keep telling yourself that, bastard."

"Oh, I will," I said cheerfully. "In fact, I already do every morning."

Sacha giggled, and I could almost swear I saw the faintest hint of amusement flicker across Nora’s face.

Even Bastard sounded slightly amused. {You really are impossible.}