"Shit." I know it's a popular genre in recent years, but I didn't expect to experience a transmigration.
I saw my pale hands in disbelief; they weren't mine. I looked again at the face of the person I wasn't…
Handsome bastard.
I touched the pale, red-eyed face that I was... stealing right now.
Now I feel bad.
I sat down on the bed, trying not to think about how comfortable it was.
"I'm sorry, Jakob." It was strange to think about this kid's memories.
Jakob is... was, the ninth son of a minor noble, the son of a second wife, and nobody particularly outstanding.
Even as a noble, he was considered one of the crowd; the fact that he was at Eozän and not an academy in his own country proved it.
He wasn't particularly strong or smart.
Jakob had come to prove his worth to his family.
I felt bad for him.
His destiny was to be paired against the protagonist Aeono and serve as a lesson on how to execute a Parry, the different attacks, along with the concept of a third phase.
Once the basics were mastered, the protagonist dispatched Jakob. If the player had already completed a Souls-like game, the poor Jakob's humiliation was even worse.
After the tutorial, Jakob didn't even become a character you could recruit or develop a bond with.
He was simply there.
He was a character with no relevance whatsoever; in the end, his family was right.
Jakob is a nobody with no talent.
That was it, that was the last that would be known of Jakob for the rest of the story.
The rest is just speculation.
I saw one theory that said Jakob dies during the second half of the game, based on the fact that his discarded weapons are found in one part of the game.
Is that my destiny now?
To be humiliated and then cast aside?
I looked at my right hand; it was covered in calluses. I frowned.
Why was this happening?
Why am I in this world?
Every second I looked at the hand, I felt more frustrated. My knowledge and Jakob's memories about this world caused a fury to rise in my heart.
"Screw you all." No matter the reason or purpose, I am in this world.
I refuse to be a mere plaything of fate and the primordials of this world.
I need power right now.
I got up, went to the closet, and took out the Academy uniform.
A black jacket with gold details, a white shirt with a gold tie, formal shoes, and matching pants.
It looked good.
After a shower and putting on the uniform, I decided to leave my room.
"..." I was quite impressed. The corridor was made of stone, with gothic arches, and there were suits of armor and paintings on the walls.
On the floor, a red carpet looked expensive.
It's one thing to see this in a game; it's another to see it firsthand.
The hallway was ancient. The Eozän Academy is a fortress castle from the universe's early years, according to the Lore, built by the King of Souls himself.
"..." This is impossible, I thought, but touching the stone made me realize it was real.
I swallowed hard; this world is damn dangerous.
The God of this world had gone on sabbatical. Order was divided between the primordials and the lie that the creator was still in this world.
Which wouldn't last long.
I clenched my fist.
I don't have time for this. I need consumable items, talk to the Blacksmith, and start training.
As I walked, I recalled where the best early-game items could be found.
The Drain.
The Inner Forest.
The Library.
For now, going to the Drain or the Inner Forest is foolish. My only option is the Library.
I need to…
Boing
Thump
Huh? Did I just bump into a marshmallow?
Somehow, I ended up on the floor.
"Nyoh?" a girl's voice made a strange sound of surprise.
I looked up to see what I had collided with.
Hey... aren't you...?
"Oh, wow, what are you doing there, buddy?"
I stayed silent.
I didn't expect to come into contact with a heroine so quickly.
Long pink hair that reached her waist, covering her left eye, and red-rimmed glasses.
She wore a long skirt, and her upper half looked more like a black sweater.
2.50 meters tall.
Armine Kraftvollarm [The Half-Giant Iron Maiden]
The least chosen option among players. Her {Royal Path} is one of the longest, and her build is heavily focused on Strength.
In a normal run, by the second half of the game, her {Royal Path} was completed, and she would offer to be 'Your shield and sword against the world.'
She's really not someone I expected to meet so quickly.
"I fell by accident," I said, getting up. There was no need to be nervous.
She's just a game character.
Although seeing her in real life is strange, she's quite cute, and from here, it's clear how developed she is.
What is such a beautiful woman doing in an academy that teaches how to fight?
"But are you alright, buddy? Do you need help or to go to a nurse?"
It's rare for someone to show such concern for a stranger.
"I'm fine, miss. There's no need for you to worry so much." Honestly, all of this is still very surreal to me.
Armine's large golden eye stared at me. She tilted her head slightly and smiled.
"Okay, don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it," she said, continuing on her way.
Wait a minute.
"Miss, do you know about the Entrance Exhibition?" The exhibition, the moment when Aeono would arrive and take his place as the protagonist, defeating me in the process.
Armine turned around and looked at me strangely.
"The school year hasn't started yet, buddy. How could there be an exhibition test at this time?"
Not yet?
I quickly checked Jakob's memories. It was true, the school year hadn't started yet.
Then why?
"Liedschlag..." Jakob's family had sent him to the Academy as quickly as possible, hoping to get rid of him.
Hmm, actually, we have some in common.
"The exhibition will be in two months, Buddy," Armine told me, looking worried. "Are you sure you're alright?"
The girl's beautiful face asked in an honest tone, and my heart (Jakob's) skipped a beat.
Dangerous!
I almost forgot that I am in an Eroge world. All the women here are designed to captivate the player and be attractive.
"I'm fine. I just woke up and I'm still a bit sleepy," I said, not wanting to go into too much detail.
The beautiful semi-giant smiled, and her hand, which was large enough to cup my head, rested on my shoulder.
Hey, this is the first time I've thought about it, but... isn't this terrifying?
Standing in front of me was a person with the physical strength to lift a tower (according to the Lore) and who, if I had to fight her, would be in the top 10 of the most difficult bosses in [Kings Roads].
Can I go back to being a streamer please?
"Hey, comrade, would you like to have breakfast with me?"
Hey, wait a minute.
This is an event on Armine's [Royal Path].
In this world, hybrids aren't rare, but Armine, with her height, physical strength, and weapon choice, caused some people to reject her.
A silly thing, all her Lore indicated she was a sweet girl who liked to eat chocolate.
This was the way Aeono earned her trust and later her love.
By accepting her as the girl she was.
"Sure," my mouth responded automatically. It wasn't something that came from Jakob, but from the person using his body.
A solitary person.
Who wants to help another solitary person.
"Great!" Her giant hand took my arm, and I felt its warmth. She started walking cheerfully, and all I could think was:
'Hey, this isn't bad.'