The early morning sunlight filtered softly through the draped windows, casting pale streaks across the polished floor of the Everhart estate's guest library. Lucien sat in silence, a cup of lukewarm tea untouched by his side as he leafed through the same page of a book he'd read twice already. His eyes weren't on the text. His mind was elsewhere.
The events of the past week had shifted the pace of his life far more than he liked to admit. From a lowly, disregarded extra, he had taken his first real step toward control—toward rewriting his fate. Beating Byron Grell in a formal duel hadn't just earned him whispers and stares. It had sparked something.
Now the pieces were moving.
Lucien knew this because the system had informed him with its usual eerie timing:
[Main Character Arrival – Complete]
[Route Progression Begins: "Hero's Light"]
[Your Role: Untracked – External Variable]
A quiet breath escaped him.
So it's really beginning.
He closed the book and leaned back against the cushioned seat, letting the information settle. The arrival of the protagonist marked the true start of the game's narrative arc. Up until now, Lucien had been operating in the prologue—a quiet phase where the world remained flexible, where his actions could ripple without consequence. But now, the rails were forming beneath the world's feet.
And he wasn't on them.
Untracked.
It was liberating and dangerous in equal measure.
There was a gentle knock at the library door before it opened slightly. Rina stepped in, her brown hair tied neatly in a ribbon, eyes soft and a little hesitant. She carried a folded letter, her fingers fidgeting with its edges.
"Lucien," she said, walking toward him. "This just arrived. A man gave it to me. He had a silver badge, and… he insisted I hand it to you directly."
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "A silver badge?"
She nodded. "He didn't give a name. Just smiled and left."
Interesting.
He took the letter, broke the unfamiliar wax seal bearing a wolf's head, and read its contents.
To Lucien von Everhart,
Your recent display has stirred the board. Some have taken notice.
Attend the private etiquette seminar tonight, Blue Hall, Seventh Bell. Come prepared.
We watch all pieces—especially those that move unexpectedly.
No signature. No sender.
Only one additional line beneath the text, faintly etched.
The court observes.
Lucien let out a quiet chuckle.
[New Flag Raised: Social Circle Invitation – Hidden Route Unlocked]
He folded the letter and slipped it into his coat.
Rina watched him carefully. "Is it something dangerous?"
"No," Lucien said, standing slowly. "Just politics."
---
The Blue Hall stood on the northern side of the academy, past the bridge crossing over the courtyard stream. It was a dome-like structure adorned with delicate engravings and silver-rimmed lanterns that flickered with soft magical light. Reserved for noble functions, its doors rarely opened to common students.
Tonight, they were open.
Lucien arrived just before the seventh bell, dressed in a fitted black coat with silver trim—a formal look, sharp enough to reflect his noble heritage without drawing unnecessary attention. The mist of light rain clung to the air, giving the scene a dreamlike quality as gas lamps glowed against the gloom.
Inside, the Blue Hall buzzed with restrained energy. About twenty students milled about, most of them Lucien recognized by face if not by name. Children of minor nobles, merchant guild heirs, and those who carried themselves with a confidence that only legacy could teach.
They gathered in groups, exchanging pleasantries and subtle jabs, testing one another's influence.
Lucien didn't join any of them. Instead, he positioned himself by the side, observing.
He didn't have to wait long.
The main door opened again.
Whispers followed instantly.
The boy who stepped through wore the standard academy uniform—plain, unadorned, and pressed with near perfection. His dark brown hair was slightly tousled, as if he'd dried it hastily. His eyes were a sharp emerald green, clear and intense, carrying a presence far beyond his station.
He had no crest. No guards. No family name worth mentioning.
But even the nobles shifted subtly to glance his way.
Elric Caelum.
[Observation Complete: Elric Caelum – Protagonist Registered]
[Route Progression: 1%]
[You are not part of his Route. Your Role: Flexible – Rewrite Possible]
Lucien watched carefully.
Elric moved with natural charisma. He greeted people with quiet humility, smiled genuinely, asked questions rather than talked about himself. He wasn't trying to dominate the room—he simply existed in it so comfortably that it adjusted to fit him.
It was all so effortless.
That was the subtle, terrifying charm of the protagonist.
Lucien felt no jealousy, only clarity.
The world wanted to revolve around someone. Elric made it easy for them to decide who.
For now.
---
The seminar was a formal exercise masked as education. At least, on the surface. Lady Velerra, the silver-haired etiquette tutor, explained the "purpose of grace" in social interaction, placing importance on body language, poise, and awareness of one's station.
But Lucien knew better.
This was an informal audition.
A soft dance of words and glances, where noble circles observed new entrants, measuring their worth—not by blood, but by presence.
Elric performed decently. He stumbled at times, unfamiliar with outdated customs, but he laughed it off with ease. It only made the nobles more drawn to him. A 'humble genius'—that was the narrative forming around him.
Lucien kept quiet, answered what was asked of him, and stayed out of the spotlight. But he wasn't invisible.
He caught several glances from the upper seats—one from a black-haired girl with amethyst eyes and a quiet smile. Another from a stern noble youth scribbling notes beside a golden-caped instructor.
He was being assessed.
Measured.
By the time the seminar ended, the air had shifted.
The nobles no longer dismissed Elric as a fluke. And Lucien? He wasn't dismissed either.
"Interesting evening," a voice came from behind as he left the hall.
Lucien turned. It was the girl with amethyst eyes. She stood with a parasol resting on her shoulder, her violet ribbon fluttering faintly in the wind.
"I'm Cassandra Elwyn," she said. "Of House Elwyn. You fought Byron Grell last week."
Lucien bowed lightly. "Lucien von Everhart."
"I know," she said, smiling faintly. "You broke a rule that day. Did you know that?"
He tilted his head. "Only one?"
She gave a soft laugh, then stepped past him. "I look forward to seeing which ones you break next."
Lucien stood still as her steps faded into the evening.
A new player.
One not from the original cast.
[Hidden Route Unlocked: Cassandra Elwyn – Potential Heroine]
[Relationship: Neutral – Curiosity (2/100)]
Lucien exhaled slowly. He hadn't done much tonight. He hadn't needed to.
The world was beginning to notice him on its own.
The pieces had moved.
And soon, the board would shift again.