Even though I brazenly walked right into the living room and put down my bag, Adelbert just stood there with his mouth agape.

Soon, he spoke with a face white as a sheet.

“Wh-what does that mean…?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Congratulations on your first lead role. Shall we go grab a drink together?”

“No, no, no!”

Adelbert, apparently at a loss for words, waved his hands around for a moment before roughly running a hand through his unkempt hair and shouting.

“Why would I play Rosalind?! I never said I would!”

“It was decided today, first come, first served. That was the last role remaining.”

“…Decided today?”

I silently went to the entrance, picked up the letter sent by the drama club, and handed it to him.

Adelbert, his face turning blue as he read the letter, pressed both hands to his face and groaned.

“No….”

“It’s settled.”

“What do you mean settled? I’ve only been acting for one semester now. I’ve never even played a lead role!”

“Everyone there is probably in the same boat.”

“……”

The guy racked his brain before making an excuse.

“…The gender is different too…. No matter if it was first come, first served….”

Hmm, this guy is definitely male.

The name pretty much gave it away.

Of course, some names are androgynous, and parents sometimes choose names they simply like, so I need to be careful not to misspeak during conversations.

‘As for why they made people indistinguishable….’

Neither in the novel nor since coming here have I heard a clear answer.

New Humanity isn’t born from a human womb but created using Magic Power.

It’s one of the crazy things the first mages did to eliminate Original Sin and stand beside God.

New Humanity received God’s grace and was granted the power to create themselves, so Adam and Eve are the ancestors of Old Humanity, not New Humanity. This was the logic of the nobles.

The reason New Humanity looks down on Old Humanity is also because they consider them inferior beings possessing Original Sin.

Anyway, I don’t know if it was impossible to transfer gender exactly during the process of extracting humans into labs, or if this too was intended for religious reasons.

‘Considering they’re the kind of bastards who’d create a new species just to get rid of Original Sin, the latter is entirely possible.’

Because God has no concept of gender.

‘Anyway….’

I paused for a moment.

Does New Humanity even distinguish gender when casting roles? As far as I knew, it was an attribute on the level of blood type.

Or is this guy just making excuses to get out of it somehow?

‘Seems like the latter.’

I smiled gently and sat down on the sofa in the middle of the guy’s room.

“The gender of Old Humanity is none of our concern, is it?”

“……”

Adelbert pressed his lips firmly together and looked away.

‘Definitely an excuse.’

Even in reality, when studying acting, I went through playing various characters regardless of gender and age. It broadens the scope of interpretation.

In that context, what are these indistinguishable guys fussing about?

Adelbert thought for a long time before offering a lame excuse.

“…That role has long hair, right? I don’t have the confidence to wear a wig for two whole hours.”

“You read the content, didn’t you? Except for the beginning, you can just go out looking as you normally do.”

The guy clamped his mouth shut.

He must have read a lot of Shakespeare since childhood, so he wouldn’t be ignorant. In this play, the protagonist goes around disguised as a man, so there’s actually no need to change styles. In fact, perhaps that’s why the president chose this play.

The guy let out a deep sigh, leaned against the window, then fell into despair again and paced the living room.

I watched the guy deny reality for a while before speaking.

“I understand. You’re thinking it’s better to study rather than spend time memorizing lines, right?”

“……”

More accurately, he’s probably thinking, how can I memorize lines when I don’t even have time for training.

That guess seemed accurate. Adelbert silently stared into space with a dark expression.

“If you really don’t want to do it, go tell the club president directly. Maybe they’ll listen.”

“…Could you tell them for me, Senior?”

“No. I’d rather you take this role, junior.”

Since it’s not confirmed, the role could easily fall to me if things go wrong.

The guy looked down at me with a horrified expression.

‘Really feeling that -5 Favorability.’

Isn’t this too much?

Adelbert rubbed his face dryly, then let out a sighing response.

“…Let’s just leave it. I just wanted to take it easy if possible… it’s not like I can’t do it.”

I looked at him silently.

He just can’t bring himself to go outside, can he?

He clearly thinks taking on a role he doesn’t want is better than facing people outside. The thought of how he’ll manage later comes to mind, but that’s a problem for the future.

I rested my chin on my hand and spoke quietly.

“You came to watch my spar earlier, didn’t you?”

Adelbert’s hand, which had been flipping through the script, stopped.

“You came to watch that, so why not go to the club? Are you okay just letting all those unpleasant reasons you listed stand?”

“……”

Maybe because it’s -5 Favorability, it’s hard to get him to listen even once.

I can’t tease him forever, so I should reveal the truth and try to steer the conversation.

“It’s not completely decided yet. It’s just that Rosalind is the only role left vacant, and you’re the only one who hasn’t chosen a role. If you really hate it, you should at least go and say something.”

“Isn’t that the same as decided?”

Hmm, so that’s how he sees it.

One word from the Prince and they’d change it regardless of first come, first served, but it seems he really doesn’t want to face people right now. Or perhaps he has no intention of using his authority.

“Well, whatever. I’ll help you interpret the script.”

I said it naturally.

Whether his mental state was completely shattered or not, the guy nodded with a vacant expression, despite the minus favorability seemingly clinging to the room.

The next hour was fully invested in script interpretation.

Even though the guy is about ten years younger than me, he’s still someone else.

Honestly, I know roughly what stage he’s at, but I can’t carelessly speak about the weight felt by another person with a completely different upbringing and temperament.

Until the guy brings something up first, it would be better to build familiarity rather than offer advice just to rack up favorability points.

“Here, instead of just raising the ending sound like you just did, wouldn’t it be better to put strength into the whole sentence? You need a tone that sounds like you’re trying to persuade out of frustration.”

“…Yes. I’ll do that….”

Although the guy trailed off his words like this, he diligently kept pace as I progressed, proving he had lived earnestly until now. The downside was that he never once strayed onto a side path.

After answering questions and flipping through pages for a while, about another 30 minutes later, Adelbert spoke, his gaze fixed on the script.

“Senior.”

“Yes. Where this time?”

“How long have you been training?”

“……”

For the first time, he brought up something other than a question about the lines.

I suppressed a smile and answered calmly.

“Not even a few months.”

“…Then, have there been any particular problems so far?”

After finishing his sentence, the guy himself was startled and quickly clarified.

“I didn’t say that hoping there were problems. I was just curious about how it was for you, Senior.”

“I know. Getting beaten up with magic every day was a problem, if you can call it that.”

“…Huh? By whom…?”

“By my teacher.”

“Ah….”

Adelbert nodded.

“Who did you learn from?”

“Why? You want to learn from them too?”

“Yes.”

“I’m a bit reluctant to tell you. I’ll teach you myself.”

“Huh?”

The guy looked at me with an expression that clearly revealed his rock-bottom favorability.

“No thanks….”

“Alright. Let’s look at the lines.”

The guy nodded, read a few more lines, then, his focus apparently scattered, brought up something other than the script.

“Senior. Do you know what it means that expectations are meant to be broken?”

“……”

*‘Sigh…’*

He’s asking me this. Can I really tell someone with -5 Favorability about a conversation I had with someone at +10 Favorability?

“Who said that?”

“I heard it from someone I respect. But I don’t understand it. Breaking expectations… it sounds easy, but when faced with such a situation, I doubt anyone could actually do it.”

“It probably doesn’t mean break *all* of them, but rather not to feel burdened….”

“How can one not feel burdened?”

The guy’s hand, which had been scribbling meaningless letters on the script, stopped.

“Having shouldered the weight of the Imperial family, I cannot act so carelessly. The position I am in demands that I excel at everything. My failure is immediately His Majesty the Emperor’s failure and tarnishes His Highness the Crown Prince’s name.”

“……”

“Did that person mean it’s okay for me to break expectations even in my position?”

I looked at him silently.

The pressure is excessive.

Even though I didn’t answer, the guy, having started talking, muttered slowly.

“Earlier, you asked why I didn’t go.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t go. Because whenever people see me, they turn around and start talking about my grades. It’s only natural, given a grade unbecoming of the Imperial family’s name.”

That kind of whispering is only temporary.

In fact, more talk happens when you shut yourself away like this.

‘Should I tell him the reality?’

“Even if it’s okay to break expectations, honestly, I myself am not okay with it.”

“Why?”

“Because the point those expectations are directed at is also the result I desire. If I continue to receive low grades like this, I cannot stand beside the person I have respected my entire life.”

He must be talking about the Crown Prince.

It’s clear how effectively the Crown Prince has manipulated his younger brother.

In the novel, the Crown Prince was less capable than his younger brother Adelbert Hohenzollern in specific fields but knew how to set the stage—meaning he could see the bigger picture.

In terms of Magic Power alone, Adelbert could easily defeat the firstborn and become the Crown Prince.

However, the firstborn used Adelbert’s strong loyalty to groom him from a future emperor into his own personal knight. In the novel too, he used Adelbert as an enforcer to attack Elias.

‘…The plot.’

Should I try to change it properly this time?

Naturally, this wasn’t the first time I’d thought of it.

It had crossed my mind fleetingly ever since the guy showed favor towards Nicolaus. But I hadn’t considered it seriously because the guy’s loyalty to the Crown Prince was extraordinary.

I swallowed hard and smiled. It wasn’t out of nervousness.

It was because the realization that this was no ordinary gold mine hit me hard.

‘I came in with the simple thought of getting him through the 1st exam and raising his favorability, but thinking deeper, this might also be an opportunity to cut the snare the Crown Prince has woven.’

I hadn’t told the guy that the Crown Prince had drugged his drink. If it’s as I read in the novel, this guy is the type to rationalize it away with repeated mental victories, thinking things like ‘His Highness must have had his reasons,’ ‘His Highness considered me the right person for that plan.’

Such fragmented shocks cannot completely eliminate the future where Adelbert becomes the Crown Prince’s minion and attacks Elias.

Instead, if I nurture him into an independent person, the story changes.

“The phrase ‘expectations are meant to be broken’ doesn’t mean anything else but that you shouldn’t entrust your worth to the recognition of others.”

“……”

“Your Highness spoke of the weight of the Imperial family. Among those who place their own value in the hands of others, none can become a leader.”

The guy might be going through a relatively long tunnel in his life right now, but in my view, for him to break free from the Crown Prince and live independently, this incident was actually essential.

The change in address made the guy look at me, seemingly flustered.

“A leader? I am…”

“If you dislike that expression, fine. But then it will be impossible for you to lead even yourself. If you truly wish to walk alongside the person you respect, rather than clinging to immediate expectations, you should first hone yourself.”

My words seemed to echo those of the letter’s sender, as the guy’s eyes wavered.

“But, that, the very first thing you said was speculation, right?”

“Speculation or not, isn’t it obvious? That’s how I heard that person’s advice.”

“……”

I relaxed my shoulders again and leaned back into the sofa.

As my tone returned to being nonchalant, the guy looked at me for a moment with the same eyes he used for Elias.

Soon, the guy nodded, his unfocused gaze wandering over the script.

The 3+ already happened.

Maintaining a steady condition is also a skill, but what can you do?

Even if he despairs, his grade in the 1-1 exam is fixed at 3+.

Between failing the next exam like this and renewing his resolve to recover his grades, the beneficial option is obvious to anyone.

So, if I were him, I would resolve to strive for a 1+ in the next exam instead of wasting time like this.

However, this kind of thinking wasn’t something a person who had only climbed upwards and experienced their first fall could easily come up with.

‘I can’t voice advice unsuitable for his stage.’

Thinking that, I rested my chin on my hand and observed the guy’s expression. Just then, the guy lowered his head deeply and sniffled.

“*Sniff*….”

“?!”

Why?

Nothing I said should have provoked him in any particular direction.

“It’s not that, right?”

“…Yes, it’s not….”

It seemed it wasn’t, but fortunately, the guy quickly composed his expression and lifted his head normally.

He must have become quite emotional due to the shock.

I took out the Holy Water I always carried and placed it on the table.

He needs purification. Going berserk from this state happens in an instant.

The moment I briefly considered whether I should have responded more gently to what just happened, white text appeared before my eyes.

Tiring—!

Favorability +5

‘…Hmm.’

Why…?

Of course, I came here to raise his favorability, but I’m genuinely surprised.

I myself know that ever since I started thinking about changing the plot, forget favorability, I’ve just been lecturing him.

I tried to probe subtly.

“Were you offended by what I said earlier?”

“I think I was a little offended.”

“……”

Isn’t this guy funny…. Needlessly honest.

Maybe he just felt better because he got to talk.

I stood up and said.

“Come to the club tomorrow. They can’t finalize the casting because of you.”

“Yes, I will.”

The guy roughly wiped his face with his sleeve and stood up with me.

“…Thank you for listening to me.”

“……”

He definitely didn’t talk much about himself, but saying it like that pricks my conscience.

Still, he seems a bit more human now than before.

I casually slung my bag over my shoulder, turned around, and opened the guy’s status window.

Stage 2: Senior (Sunbae)

Simple.

I like this level.

Thinking that, I closed the window.

* * *

And so, Friday.

Busy shuttling between Bavaria and school, the day of the 1-2 exam arrived quickly.

[1st Place] 9.9: Leonard Wittelsbach – Elias Hohenzollern

[2nd Place] 9.7: Narce Farnese – Hildegard Blomberg

[3rd Place] 8.5: Ulrike Kleist – Auguste Rosenheim

[4th Place] 8.3: Melvin Klockner – Josefine Luon

I looked at the ranking board posted prominently on one side of the examination hall.

First-year students who hadn’t taken the exam yet peeked into the hall, muttering amongst themselves.

“Looks like they’re posting ranks this time.”

Naturally.

Because this is the first exam where dropouts occur.

Out of 72 second-year students, 24 would be eliminated, meaning 12 out of 36 teams.

Since 32 teams had already finished the exam, this list was essentially the list of those who passed the first round.

From 25th place, the elimination threshold, the text was written in red.

‘Leo, Elias, and Narce are confirmed for the second round.’

Now, among the four of us, I was the only one who hadn’t taken the exam yet.

Tsheringen, who must have arrived sometime earlier, came up beside me and looked at the ranking board.

“Our goal should be to safely aim for the top 10.”

Top 10?

At those words, I let out a light laugh.

A smile was also on Tsheringen’s face as she said it.

She must be aiming for Team 1 too, but judging by her expression, the first exam didn’t seem to be a huge burden.

Just then, a voice calling our team was heard from afar.

[Year 2, Team 33, Lucas Askanian – Yulia Tsheringen.]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep