Bried slapped both hands on the desk and stood up first.
“Coming over out of nowhere and talking about some kind of Selection Game—like we’d just let you look at our stuff because you said a few words!”
Bried’s words stirred up a thousand waves with a single stone.
“Y-yeah, exactly!”
“Are you guys sick or something?”
“Just because you’re in a higher class, you think you’re better than us?”
“Right, by the way, who even are you?”
“I-I’m going to call the teacher…”
Voices of discontent rose one after another.
Then, the gun fired at the bird that stuck its head out.
“Hey.”
Norius stepped in front of Bried.
“You don’t actually think you’re on the same level as us, do you? Aside from your Class F and Class E, those of us in upper classes have been entering the Dungeon since we were twelve. Unlike you outsiders who got in through exams, most of you are just level 5 or 6 small fry. Letting us see your Ring Chart isn’t a request—it’s an order!”
…..!!!
A black fear blanketed the classroom ceiling, silent pressure seeping into their skin.
“Uh…”
Norius activated .
Bried slumped powerlessly back into her chair.
“Heh, is that all you’ve got?”
Norius grinned in satisfaction.
“If you understand, sit down. Don’t waste our time—hand over your Ring Chart and show us your ability values.”
Everyone’s faces looked terrible.
Cold sweat crawled across their skin.
No one resisted any longer.
“…Heh.”
Siloque clenched his teeth.
The aura the other side gave off was as overpowering as having your brain stirred violently with ice cream.
If he hadn’t steeled himself mentally, he probably would have been swept into that whirlpool of fear too.
[Intimidation]
A skill dropped by monsters in the Dungeon, highly effective against opponents of lower Lv.
It releases an aura that makes enemies feel like mice being targeted by a hawk, stopping them in their tracks…
A skill Explorers use to intimidate monsters.
Just this one underling, Norius, was enough for everyone to feel the gap in power.
Even if all of Class F teamed up, they probably wouldn’t be a match for his boss—red-haired Cliff.
But…
They must be in a hurry too.
If the teachers found out about this later, they wouldn’t be able to play this “Selection Game” anymore.
Yes, this was a one-time thing for them.
Just a “Queen Selection” disguised as a game…
“First is you!”
What?
Norius pointed at Siloque.
“Yeah, you! The one with bangs so long you look like a ghost!
You, dead last!”
Siloque remembered Norius was supposed to randomly pick some ordinary glasses-wearing guy with the lowest Lv in the class to set an example…
He realized his seat was the first in the back row.
Back row by the window—the king’s homeland.
In reality, class seats were ranked by grades.
So I was the lowest…
“Hurry up and get over here!”
“Ah…okay…”
Siloque tried his best to look frightened as he walked toward the podium.
“Here.”
Zzzz—!
Norius burst out laughing.
“What is this! Your stats are so low! Total small fry.”
He read it out loud.
“You made it in at Lv2? So that’s what it means to be an outsider.”
“Ugh…”
Though he felt nothing inside, Siloque still put on a face of frustration.
The scene was a little different from the story, but still within the range.
He knew all too well that he really was a small fry right now.
The point was—he really couldn’t win.
“You…”
Go back.
Siloque guessed, but the next words caught him off guard:
“You’re cute, so you’re hired anyway.”
He said, patting Siloque’s shoulder.
Siloque: ….??
Bried: ???
Classmates: ???
“I am…”
“Wait! Even though his skin is really white, his hair is smoother than most girls, and his eyes are big and bright, he’s definitely a guy!”
Before Siloque could protest, Bried jumped in to explain.
“Sorry, I can’t respond to your feelings, just as she said…”
Waaahhhh…
The sound came out low and hoarse, but it still somehow had a girl’s tone, making Siloque a little gloomy.
Wait, why is Bried defending me?
The reason Siloque could think of was either Bried’s sense of justice or just her natural kindness.
“Ha?! No way!”
Norius stared carefully.
The “girl” in front of him was flat as a board and wearing a boy’s uniform.
“That’s enough, right? He’s a guy. Or do you want to confirm by touching?”
“Ew—!!”
Norius instantly jumped back, looking disgusted, and grabbed a tissue to furiously wipe his right hand.
“Get out, get out, next!”
No need to treat me like a germ, though.
Siloque sat back down and glanced at Bried, but she avoided his eyes.
Siloque had mixed feelings toward his childhood friend’s kindness.
It was these kinds of actions that made his old self think he had a chance, and that Bried treated him differently.
All just major delusions.
“You!”
Norius flashed a dangerous smile.
“Eh? O-okay.”
Kersey stood up timidly.
Norius and Cliff exchanged a glance, nodding slightly in unspoken understanding.
“Your name?”
“K-Kersey…”
“Heh…”
Norius glanced at the status bar projected from her Ring Chart in shared mode.
“Lv5, compared to us, that’s not even close. But your ability values are pretty interesting.”
Kersey looked relieved, thinking with such low stats she wouldn’t get picked.
No wonder she’s the heroine.
He was probably talking about Kersey’s INT, which had reached 51, and her MP limit, which was far beyond a normal Lv5—obviously top-class material for a mage.
Though she would end up being a priest.
Siloque would never underestimate Kersey.
The pinker her hair, the more dangerous she was; not to mention, she had treasures that outshone all other women.
Don’t be fooled by her shy appearance—she was actually the most lewd!
In the original route, after getting ravaged, she ended up dominating all the men—a truly insane character.
He remembered the protagonist’s CG rating her: “You’re even more badass than ‘Dyson’!”
(Dyson is a brand of vacuum cleaner.)
“But anyway—”
Norius’s gaze swept Kersey up and down.
This time, he made sure he wasn’t mistaken.
No way she’s a futa, right?
“You’re cute, our boss likes you too, so we’ll make an exception and let you join.”
“….Eh?…”
Kersey’s face went pale.
“Ah…um…”
Siloque, on the other hand, was in no rush.
In fact, his uneasy heart relaxed a little.
Though there were some bumps, the plot was finally aligning with the game.
Kersey would be fine.
Just looking at Bried’s frustrated, ready-to-intervene face made that clear.
If Kersey was taken away, Bried would step forward to stop it, triggering a whole chain of events.
—Let her go. If you want someone, come at me—
Thus, they would keep their promise and swap for Bried.
They’d use her phone to exchange contact info, call her out every few days, and gradually break her down—body and mind.
She’d struggle, training with her teammates while suppressing her tears…
But that’s only if.
“Come on, don’t be so scared—smile for me…”
“This…”
Norius’s hand reached for the trembling Kersey.
Would he touch her shoulder, her cute cowlick, or her enormous treasure?
Siloque sneered.
He knew Kersey wouldn’t be taken away.
Tap tap…
Footsteps echoed through the classroom with unwavering resolve.
A reliable figure approached.
Everyone, except Norius and the meditating Cliff, turned to look at him as if he were the center of the world.
The reason was obvious.
“Can’t you see she doesn’t want this!”
Cass clamped down on Norius’s hand.
Because this was the protagonist’s badass moment.