The next person to enter the classroom was Grace Godwill.
The atmosphere shifted the moment she stepped inside.
Tall.
Straight-backed.
Sharp golden eyes that carried the calm confidence of someone fully aware of her own strength.
Her long blonde hair swayed behind her like flowing silk, and even the academy uniform somehow looked more refined on her than everyone else.
Honestly, it was unfair.
Some people were simply born looking like main characters.
Grace was one of them.
She possessed an elegant triangular face, long legs, and a near-perfect athletic figure refined through constant training rather than luxury.
More importantly—
She was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
In the original story, Grace eventually became known across the continent as the Sword Empress, one of humanity's strongest swordsmen alongside Kevin himself.
A living monster disguised as a beautiful woman.
And right now?
She was already Rank [E+].
That alone was absurd.
Most first-year cadets were still fumbling around at [F+] or [E-] Rank while struggling to stabilize their Mana Core properly.
Meanwhile, Grace had already crossed into the realm of true Awakeners without support from a major noble house.
Pure talent.
Even Damian's current [D] Rank suddenly felt cheap in comparison.
Because unlike her—
I had terrible stats.
Awful combat experience.
Zero skills.
And the physical coordination of a sleep-deprived novelist possessing someone else's body.
If Grace and I fought right now?
She'd fold me like laundry.
Probably elegantly.
Then—
Another figure entered behind her.
And immediately—
The classroom atmosphere changed again.
Silver hair.
Blue eyes clearer than gemstones.
Tall enough that several cadets unconsciously moved aside as she walked.
Every step carried quiet confidence.
Or maybe pride.
No—
Coldness.
That described her better.
Elena Fall.
The moment our eyes met—
She froze slightly.
Then her expression hardened instantly.
Ah.
There it is.
Hatred.
Honestly, I preferred this reaction.
At least it was honest.
Elena was beautiful enough that even Damian's narcissistic brain reluctantly admitted it.
Long silver hair flowed down her back like moonlight while her sharp blue eyes radiated noble elegance despite her technically not being born into nobility.
Her figure was athletic yet curvaceous in all the unfair ways possible.
And unlike Grace's knightly aura—
Elena carried something colder.
Sharper.
Like an unsheathed blade pretending to be human.
She was what's known as an Honorary Noble.
A rare status granted by the Empire to exceptional commoners who achieved extraordinary accomplishments.
Her family possessed no territory, no army, no noble lineage—
Only recognition.
Which meant that a few generations ago, the Fall family had been ordinary commoners.
And Damian?
Oh, Damian absolutely hated that.
Because despite Elena lacking "true noble blood," she still surpassed him academically, socially, and combat-wise.
Still Damian didn't do anything else to her in [Union Apex Academy] that train noble children for five years and after graduating from there they were allowed to enter the Imperial Academy.
Damian and Elena first met there and even though Damian didn't get along with her first due to their status but leter somehow they managed to become friends or whatever closer that resembles words'freinds'.
Until one day, A commoner boy bumped his shoulder into him and spills his foods.
Damian try to teach the lesson to that guy but Elena stopped him.
At that moment he snapped at Elena.
So naturally, Damian responded maturely.
By constantly insulting her origins.
Calling her a fake noble.
A commoner pretending to belong.
Sometimes even worse.
After that they didn't talk to each other till this date.
Honestly, old Damian deserved every beating he received.
Elena stared at me for several long seconds, then finally without saying another word, she turned and walked away.
Her silver hair swayed lightly behind her as she moved toward the center rows of the classroom.
Only then did I properly notice the girl walking beside her.
Short crimson-red hair that barely reached past her shoulders.
Sharp scarlet eyes.
Elegant posture.
Unlike Elena's colder beauty, this girl's appearance carried a more aggressive charm.
The kind of person who looked like she'd stab someone elegantly.
And technically—
She probably could.
Let me properly introduce her.
Alice Draken.
The female protagonists of the novel.
The eldest daughter of House Draken—one of the Four Great Ducal Families standing at the top of the empire.
And more importantly—
A complete monster.
Alice possessed [Blessing] it was type of ability that only few lucky enough to get when they awakened at the age of eleven.
Blessing are type of special abilities that only the user in possession could use it and no one else could.
Her Blessing was [Weapon Master].
An absurdly broken Blessing that allowed her to achieve proficiency in nearly any weapon at terrifying speed.
Swords.
Spears.
Daggers.
Anything that resembles weapon.
If it could kill someone, Alice could master it.
Honestly, when I first wrote her character profile—
Well.
Correction.
When Rebecka gave me the character profile.
—I remembered thinking:
"This girl is completely unfair."
Naturally, readers loved her.
Anyway, there's another way to get Blessings and it was near death situation experience.
A situation where you defy death with your stronger Will to live.
It happened very rarely but if you managed to do that you will recieve a Blessing.
And let me tell you right now not even Elena and Grace didn't have Blessings.
And even I don't have one, despite the fact this body holds [SS-Rank] potential.
It was so absurd, with just right 'Blessing' you could win the loosing fight.
...But Protagonist have [Blessing] since he's Protagonist after all.
I'll tell you about that later, I don't want bored you guys any further.
Anyway, Alice barely glanced at me while walking past to Elena.
Compared to Elena's visible hostility, Alice's indifference somehow felt colder.
Like I simply wasn't worth acknowledging.
Then again…
From her perspective, Damian Valtor was probably just some disgraced ex-noble idiot who bullied commoners and got publicly humiliated for it.
Which—
Fair enough.
The two girls eventually reached the back-center area of the classroom.
And there—sat the protagonist.
Kevin and besides him sat Grace.
Elena and Alice took empty sits behind him.
And just like that—
The future core members of the protagonist's harem had assembled naturally.
Honestly…
Watching the scene unfold in front of me felt surreal.
A strange smile slowly appeared on my face before I could stop it.
Because despite everything—
I knew these people.
I knew their stories.
Their pain.
Their future victories.
Their eventual tragedies.
Even if this novel hadn't originally been born from my imagination…
Even if the manuscript came from that mysterious reader named Rebecka…
I still spent months writing these characters.
And now—
They existed right in front of me.
It was honestly difficult to explain the feeling.
Like watching fictional memories come alive.
For a brief moment, I forgot about survival.
Forgot about the apocalypse.
Forgot about Damian's ruined reputation.
I simply watched quietly.
Because these—
These were the peaceful days.
The happiest period in the story.
Before the betrayals.
Before the wars.
Before the Gates breaks killing millions of people.
Before blood and monsters swallowed half the continent whole.
None of them knew yet.
Not Kevin.
Not Elena.
Not Alice.
Not anyone in this academy.
They still believed the world would continue normally.
That tomorrow would arrive peacefully.
I slowly lowered my gaze.
"…Ignorance really is bliss."
After exhaling quietly, I rested my head against the desk.
There were still thirty minutes before class officially started.
Enough time for a short nap.
And honestly?
I deserved one.
The last two months had been physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually exhausting.
So I closed my eyes.
Just for a little while.