I Became a Veteran Heroine in a Harem Story

“I heard you were looking for me.”

“Y-yes. We need to hurry, so let’s be quick.”

“…Alright.”

Barely acknowledging my salute, Luster Serte, a face I recognized as a second-year student, tried to hurry me somewhere.

He kept glancing around nervously and moving his lips, but from my position of knowing what was happening, his intentions were obvious. I didn’t particularly care, but I was annoyed.

If this was going to happen, they should have taken me from the beginning. Earlier they only took the two of them, and now this troublesome business—I don’t understand.

If this guy handled matters like this under me, I wouldn’t be able to help kicking him in the shin.

“Can’t you hurry up? Why are you so leisurely?”

“The path is too dark, that’s why. Unless we’re going somewhere with streetlights, please understand that I have poor night vision.”

Far from having poor night vision, I could see even ants crawling on the ground, but I walked slowly out of spite. Watching him anxiously stamping his feet, apparently in quite a hurry, gave me a strange satisfaction.

“How is the Count? I understand he turns sixty next year.”

“Is that important right now?! Besides, were you always this kind of person?! Someone who couldn’t even speak properly…”

“We’re not strangers, come on. Didn’t you lift my skirt as you pleased ten years ago?”

“@$%^%!”

I didn’t really have much memory of Luster, but unlike his lewd younger brother, he was fun to tease. Thanks to that, we still had quite a distance to walk.

After all, it would be strange for me to hurry to a place where I’d have to stand at attention and get my backside beaten.

* * *

“At first I thought it was just impudent nonsense, but you seem to have your own conviction.”

The moment Raines appeared, everyone saluted at attention. Casually acknowledging it with a flick of his hand, Raines approached Erich and Eric.

“It seems like a reasonable method, so let’s all calm down and talk. But freshman, aren’t you being too insolent?”

Naturally putting his hands on both their shoulders in a friendly manner, Raines began with a light voice and a smile.

Even Erich couldn’t treat Raines carelessly. He had heard the rumors about him even before his reincarnation.

“Those who know would understand, but the princess is here too. She would have taken the beating without complaint or rolled on the ground if ordered. Because that is the ‘custom’ of this sacred, untouchable 1st Royal Academy.”

Raines slightly turned his head to look at someone among the freshmen who were still frozen. Consequently, everyone’s gaze followed in that direction.

At this, a female student with flowing golden hair who had been standing at attention like others bit her lip as she received those gazes.

“Breaking that alone on your own decision is too presumptuous, isn’t it?”

“The academy has no rank or status. That is beyond custom; it’s regulation. ‘Deina’ knows this, and that’s why she follows the seniors’ orders.”

“Wow… you…”

But Erich didn’t back down. Deina’s eyes widened as Raines’s eyes lost their smile and twitched for the first time.

Soon releasing the friendly shoulder grip, Raines raised the corners of his mouth again and stroked his chin. A moment of silence followed.

Everyone was tense, watching only Raines’s mouth.

“As you know, in a duel by mutual agreement, the result must be unconditionally accepted, but at the same time, it can only be attempted with everyone’s consent. Eric, do you intend to accept the challenge from this impudent freshman just like that?”

“Th-that is!”

“There should be an adequate price. If you’re this confident, that could be taken into account, right?”

Soon Raines spoke again, changing the subject while glancing at Eric, who was stuttering in confusion.

“Tell me, Eric. For you, a senior, to accept the challenge from these bold freshmen showing outstanding talent like you all in the past, what should they offer in return? Don’t think it’s cowardly; this is clearly a legitimate procedure.”

For a moment, Raines’s eyes flashed.

‘I won’t give you any leeway. Secure conditions for absolute victory, no matter what.’

Receiving this silent pressure strongly, Eric sweated profusely and desperately racked his brain.

“To prove their qualification, well, since they’re that confident, we should confirm it.”

“And?”

“If the 10 people gathered here can face all 30 second-year student guidance squad leaders, I think that would be sufficient qualification.”

“Oh-ho.”

Along with Raines’s interested exclamation, people murmured upon hearing Eric’s words. The student guidance squad leaders, including Eric, are appointed by selecting only excellent students.

Almost all of the second-year squad leaders have proven their talent by experiencing early graduation at least once, just like the current freshmen.

The condition was to face at least three such individuals per person.

“But we should also ask this. Will all freshmen want this duel? If you don’t want to, you can opt out. I promise on everything I have, there will be no disadvantages for those who withdraw here.”

‘What a cunning human.’

At this point, Raines added his spoon. Erich clicked his tongue at this treacherous move.

The more people among the 10 who don’t participate in the duel, the lower the chances of winning, and who would participate while accepting disadvantages?

‘Thirty… is a bit tough. No, even twenty would be a close call, considering I need to hold back. My body isn’t in its prime anymore.’

Erich also tensed up. The situation had already gone beyond his calculations.

“I-I’ll do it. Until the end.”

“No, it’s too dangerous.”

Lunara trusted Erich despite their shallow friendship, but Erich dissuaded even Lunara. Naturally, no one else dared to step forward first in this atmosphere.

Erich saw Deina looking around, feeling intense conflict and hesitating, but he shook his head.

This was a situation he had created purely on his own initiative. He wanted to bear the responsibility himself.

“If I win, please eliminate the initiation ceremony. If I lose, I will take all responsibility.”

“Can such a matter be taken responsibility for by just one person like you?”

“All others are proud students. There’s nothing to gain by having more dishonor if one troublemaker disappears.”

“Hmm.”

The duel conditions were set with the worst disadvantages. Also, Erich’s point that there was no need to escalate the matter further was valid.

After all, it’s not like they’d never see each other’s faces again.

“Fine. Let’s do it on those terms. What do you think, Eric?”

“I agree.”

Raines finally accepted Erich’s conditions, where he alone shouldered quite a heavy burden.

“If there are any freshmen who wish to participate, go to Erich’s side. I’ll give you one minute.”

Soon Raines urged the freshmen to make their final choice. Everyone looked unhappy, but no volunteers came forward.

That was what Erich had wanted from the beginning.

“Can, can you really do it? Thirty people? Alone?!”

“It’s difficult. But there’s no choice. I’ll have to be rough even if some people get hurt.”

At Lunara’s concern, Erich smiled bitterly, anticipating a difficult path he himself couldn’t be certain of.

In a way, as Raines said, it could be a stage for proof. A test of whether he could achieve this second life according to his will.

Actually, only Erich thinks this way. No one else thought there would be any variables in the outcome of this duel.

The freshmen despaired and the second-year students, with Raines’s support, regained their smiles for this reason.

“Alright. Then, 30 against 1, as a legitimate, mutually agreed consecutive duel…”

“I’m a bit late. But I heard everything while standing, so don’t worry.”

But just as Raines was about to declare the event concluded, someone who could potentially overturn this entire situation was slowly walking over.

A silence created by everyone closing their mouths.

In the desolate night wind of the open space where leaves on the surrounding trees rustled, long black hair fluttered at her waist and the skirt of her uniform swayed lightly at her thighs.

With her back to the moonlight, casting a shadow on her face, that cold, sculptural face revealed almost no emotion, and her half-open red eyes were too deep to fathom.

The most significant thing was the atmosphere she exuded as she appeared. It was something that couldn’t be hidden, making even the second-year students who didn’t yet know her instinctively make way.

In that brief time until she reached Erich and Raines, walking with her hands behind her back and standing at ease, she dominated the atmosphere just by her appearance.

‘Adenberg, why? Why here?’

Even Raines was too surprised to speak. Someone who shouldn’t be here had appeared. The reason Raines had specifically visited this place was, as he said, to observe if things were proceeding well.

“Ki-Kiina.”

Even Erich, who usually spoke and greeted her familiarly, trembled at the end of his words.

‘Yes, as I thought, there’s something about you.’

She was the only student at the academy whose inner thoughts he couldn’t grasp.

A girl who seemed to be hiding something big, just like himself. It was natural for Erich to have his gaze fixed on Kiina.