Chapter 70: Equality

I could hear Noah’s speech as I stood just outside the doors of the auditorium.

Noah’s warm voice sounded really modest for someone who had broken the previous record for the academy entrance tests and had now secured second place in the academy.

He appeared like the perfect kid whom you simply couldn’t hate.

But I knew better.

The Noah from the game wasn’t a simple hero character.

If analysed from a neutral perspective, his character was one of the most complex in the game.

I didn’t have a good opinion of him.

The only word to describe him would be—

A hypocrite.

That was his real self.

Noah’s refusal to accept his incompetence had always led to the deaths of many main characters who could have been useful in the later arcs.

But as the hypocrite he was, he didn’t take the blame upon himself.

Rather, he would vent his frustration on the villains, shifting the entire narrative to his side.

Of course, he didn’t do it intentionally.

That was just how the character named Noah was designed to be.

He hated the nobles the most.

For him, they were the sole reason for his hardships.

Though that didn’t stop him from adding the royals and other main characters—most of them being nobles—into his harem.

A true hypocrite.

Still, Noah always portrayed himself as everyone’s saviour—helping people no matter what the situation was.

That had led him to become one of the most popular and widely liked individuals in the entire world.

The nobles and the commoners alike had taken a liking to his chivalrous nature.

There had always been a question plaguing my mind since arriving in this world.

I had been unsure about the stance that I needed to take with the game’s protagonist.

Should I go by the normal norm and befriend him?

But that came with its own risks.

Being a friend of the protagonist never ends on a positive note.

You would enjoy the privilege of having a strong backer, but that would also increase the chances of being dragged into conflicts that had no relation to you.

Changing the plot of the story for one’s survival was something that didn’t interest me.

I mean, even with his madness, Kael was one of the strongest villains in the game.

His death had occurred at the very end of the game—or the possible end that many gamers had assumed it to be.

So I didn’t have the fear of dying anytime soon due to some predetermined plot.

And even if the plot had dictated an early death—with the current forces under my control—I didn’t think there was any powerhouse who could kill me without mutual destruction.

Leaving the facts aside, I myself was now strong enough to fight against any threats that could emerge in the academy.

I had thought of controlling Noah to serve my purpose by being close to him…

But hearing his speech, a new solution had popped into my mind.

There was no need to control Noah.

His actions themselves would direct him to his required place… on my board.

Noah’s speech had also answered one of the other issues that was bugging me.

The question about my image in the academy.

What should I be for the students?

Haa…

I was ready.

Noah’s speech was met with a huge round of applause from the audience.

I waited for my name to be announced…

After a long pause, I could hear the voice of the…

Headmaster?

Why was he announcing the results? And—

What the hell?!

The bastard just disclosed our relation. Couldn’t he have kept it secret for some time?

Tsk.

Still, he hadn’t said anything about being my guardian.

Sigh.

I really was going to do something unexpected… but a potential investment, I would say.

“With a total score of one thousand points, the first place goes to—Kael Frost.”

I waited for a moment before pushing the doors open.

What greeted me was the sight of the headmaster standing on the podium, looking in my direction with his usual smile.

As I made my way toward the stage, the audience was unusually quiet.

I didn’t bother looking at them, as my eyes were focused on the podium.

Though I could feel a couple of intense gazes directed at me.

I could guess who they belonged to… but I chose to ignore them—

For now.

I climbed the stairs, the sound of my steps echoing through the hall.

The silence felt a little awkward, but I didn’t let it affect me.

Before approaching the headmaster, I shook hands with all the people sitting on the stage.

I extended my hand before any of them could initiate the handshake.

Not even for a second did I want these people to congratulate me.

They were just pests who had been privileged enough to stand before me… and not the other way around.

I had to establish my dominance, however subtle it might be.

Each of them reciprocated my gesture… though their reactions were a sight to see.

I had, after all, set a record that could be broken by none. And my identity might have been the other factor behind the astonishment in their gazes.

As I moved forward, I was met with a pair of positive eyes…

But all I could see was the face of someone who had been washed with the water of reality.

Despite his reluctance, Noah still had a warm look on his face as he shook my hand with a polite smile.

“Congratulations, brother! You are just something else. A thousand points—that’s a monstrous score.”

Noah’s voice, filled with positivity, crashed against my eardrums.

“I guess I still have a lot to learn.”

He spoke as if he was genuinely impressed by me. Though fake, his voice had a hint of admiration to it…

“You do.”

I replied with an equally polite expression… but not a smile.

My mouth just refused to budge.

Not expecting such a reply, Noah was flustered for a second.

Not waiting to hear his next words, I made my way to the next person.

On my side, I had given Noah the same attention as everyone else.

After all, I believed in equality!

The headmaster shook my hand as I stood straight on the podium, facing the audience.

“Greetings, everyone!”

And here my act began…

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