Tsk tsk, this harem protagonist really hasn’t changed her ways.
Thinking back to her words in the dungeon, Vinny couldn’t help but chuckle.
One moment she was swearing eternal love, and the next, as soon as they left the dungeon, she was already eyeing other new girls.
Sigh, the protagonist.
Sigh, what a shrimp head.
Vinny meticulously took out a bottle of cheap perfume. He had bought this discounted product when he was still in the capital of Camella. It wasn’t the worst quality, but it certainly couldn’t compare to those expensive perfumes.
He casually sprayed some on himself to mask his scent, then deliberately walked past her, coughing a few times to catch Aesphyra’s attention.
At first, Aesphyra didn’t notice Vinny, probably because she was too deep in thought, and irrelevant people couldn’t catch her attention.
Who was she thinking about so intently?
Vinny was amused and deliberately lingered in front of Aesphyra, even whistling.
Finally, Aesphyra realized that the figure loitering in front of her wasn’t just passing by but was doing so intentionally.
As she came back to her senses, she caught a whiff of the cheap perfume, her frown deepening. She looked up to see a familiar blue-haired young man.
Aesphyra furrowed her delicate brows.
“Lord Vinny, if I recall correctly, the carriage back to Camella’s capital isn’t boarded here.”
“Oh? Isn’t this stalking lady? You passed the exam too? Congratulations, you’re quite lucky to be teleported to this entrance with me. What a coincidence, we must be fated.” Vinny pretended to have just noticed Aesphyra, feigning surprise.
“But what are you talking about carriages for? I don’t have any relatives to share the good news with, why would I go back?”
“...During the final round, on the last day, which area were you in?” Aesphyra, being the protagonist, showed her strong adaptability, absorbing Vinny’s words and asking after a moment of thought.
“Definitely not in the same zone as you.” Vinny dropped his teasing demeanor and pouted.
“With your pettiness, if I were in the same zone as you, I’d probably be spiraling to the heavens by now.”
“Hey, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, Lady Aesphyra, no, classmate Aesphyra, we’re classmates now. For the sake of our future camaraderie, I advise you to be more generous.” Vinny put on a wise old master act, as if he hadn’t been the one chased by Aesphyra in the dungeon.
“Research shows that petty people have small hearts, small minds, and small...” Vinny’s eyes mischievously glanced at Aesphyra’s small buns.
“Seriously, if you were more generous, you wouldn’t have such worries.”
“Classmate Vinny.” Aesphyra smiled, a mix of allure and menace. “Do you want to make up for the beating you missed in the dungeon now?”
“Hey hey! Look at you, didn’t I just say that? You’re proving yourself to be petty again. Do you know why we describe petty people as narrow-minded?
It’s a science, and it seems there’s some truth to it, don’t you think?” Vinny glanced behind him, ensuring a tutor was approaching, so Aesphyra wouldn’t dare hit him, and he continued boldly.
“Don’t get angry, classmate Aesphyra. The angrier you get, the narrower your mind becomes, and the narrower your mind, well, you know.”
“I have a nun friend who’s well-versed in this. She taught me this secret, and I wasn’t planning to share it, but for the sake of our future classmate bond, I’m telling you. Do you understand my good intentions? Ah, forget it, I don’t expect you to understand.”
Knowing Aesphyra couldn’t hit him, Vinny felt at ease and continued his tirade.
He hadn’t forgotten how Aesphyra had embarrassed him in the dungeon.
How could he, the infamous scoundrel of the capital, let himself be teased by a girl like that?
No way, so he had to vent his frustration and reclaim the advantage Aesphyra had taken from him in the dungeon.
“Nun friend?” Aesphyra seemed to recall something, her menacing gaze replaced by one of curiosity.
“Speaking of which, Master Vinny, did you learn your bandaging skills from that nun friend?”
“Why?”
“Nothing, just wondering if you could introduce me to her. I’m quite interested.” Aesphyra smiled warmly.
“I can’t do that. She’s far away in the kingdom, and she’s been on a business trip lately. Where would I find her now?” Vinny shrugged.
“Where did she go? The Tyrell Empire? Or the Grand Duchy? Surely not the tribes?” Aesphyra pressed.
“How would I know? She’s not my responsibility; she doesn’t need to report her whereabouts to me.”
“Oh? Could you tell me her name? Maybe I know her?” Aesphyra stepped forward, her tone assertive.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you two don’t know each other.”
“If you don’t tell me her name, how would I know if I know her?” Aesphyra tilted her head, a few strands of silver hair falling over her forehead, her star-like eyes filled with meaning as she stared at Vinny, as if seeing through all his hidden thoughts.
Is this the protagonist’s aura?
“Fine, I’ll tell you. Her name is Anna, okay? You don’t know her, right?” Vinny took a step back, still standing tall despite his weaker aura.
“Anna? Full name?”
“No surname, she’s not a noble.” There were so many Anna’s in the capital; calling out the name on the street might get a dozen girls to turn around. Vinny thought Aesphyra couldn’t possibly know them all.
“Anna?” Aesphyra pondered for a moment, then smiled confidently. “There are indeed commoner nuns named Anna in Camella’s capital church, but only three. One is old and about to retire, one made a mistake recently and is under confinement, and the last is a middle-aged woman.”
“None of them seem to be on a business trip.”
“You’re not a church official, how would you know? Can you keep track of all the church’s personnel changes?” Vinny’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected Aesphyra to know so much about the church’s staff.
Of course, she might be bluffing, making up non-existent people to trick him.
“Besides, the church’s internal personnel list isn’t something you can just access. How do you know so much if you’re not a church official?”
“Because it’s not that hard?” Aesphyra gave a profound look, her acting skills honed over two lifetimes making it impossible for Vinny to tell if she was lying.
Why does it feel like the tables have turned?
Just now, I was the one attacking Aesphyra, but now she’s taken the initiative and counterattacked?
“All examinees, no, now I should call you students, your presence here proves you are among the best, standing out through your own strength. There’s no need for modesty; you are undoubtedly the most outstanding of your generation on the continent.” The white-bearded tutor approached with a cane, praising them.
“This year’s competition was particularly fierce, with 498 examinees making it to the end. This means no one will be eliminated due to ranking.”
Hearing this, all the students sighed in relief, their faces lighting up with joy, though some remained expressionless, confident in their abilities.
As the tutor spoke, the students quieted down.
“Later, you’ll stay here for a day. After we finalize the rankings, a ship from the academy will take you to the main campus of Carillian Academy.”
“Here, on behalf of Carillian Academy, I welcome you all.”
“Tonight, the academy has prepared a banquet to celebrate your success.”
Vinny wasn’t fond of noble banquets, but free food was another matter. It was free, so why not?
He glanced at his Virtue Points, no increase.
Tsk, was all that talk for nothing?
Could it be that Aesphyra has built up a resistance to his provocations, and ordinary taunts can’t trigger her virtue anymore?
Boring.
Knowing that continuing wouldn’t yield any Virtue Points, Vinny pouted and gave up, heading back to his room to rest.
He planned to sleep until dinner. {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} After a day in the dungeon, he was exhausted despite his excitement.
Looking back, he couldn’t believe he had actually passed Carillian Academy’s entrance exam and enrolled on his own merit. It felt surreal.
Cough, well, not entirely on his own. He had a little help from the Frostfang and Vanessa.
But no matter what, the result was good.
Vinny returned to his room to sleep and was only woken up by a tutor when it was dark.
Groggily, he made his way to the banquet, yawning widely.
This banquet was more refined, with fewer mixed elements, likely because the chaff had been sifted out, leaving only the truly talented and capable.
Among the attendees were both commoners and nobles. The nobles’ disdain for the commoner students was less pronounced, as these commoners had proven their worth by standing on the same stage as them.
Except for some nobles with strong prejudices, most maintained a friendly facade, willing to befriend them.
Entering Carillian Academy was a sure thing, setting a baseline for their future. It was better to make friends than enemies, as one never knew who might rise to greatness.
Vinny enjoyed the meal, not just because the dishes were to his liking, but also because there were fewer glares, and he barely had to deal with any.
Several commoner students even approached him to chat.
At first, Vinny thought he was attracting hate again, but these students meant no harm; they were genuinely curious.
Mostly, they wanted to know how he had passed the entrance exam.
Vinny understood their thoughts. Those who made it here were undoubtedly talented and hardworking, and his success made them question their own abilities.
“Who would have thought that Vinny passed the exam? Brother, don’t you find it strange?” At the center of the banquet, a handsome young man calmly ate his steak, while another noble youth beside him whispered.
“Strange, but not entirely unexpected.” The handsome young man cut his steak, indifferent.
“After all, he’s a descendant of the goddess; it’s not surprising he has some tricks up his sleeve.”
“But hasn’t it always been said that Vinny is a fake descendant, and the Varelis family is actually extinct?” the youth asked, puzzled.
“Edra, haven’t I always told you not to rely on hearsay but to see for yourself?” The young man wiped his mouth elegantly with a napkin.
“The purpose of your eyes is to always remind you not to rely solely on rumors.”
“Yes, I understand, brother.”
“Besides, look at the students here. Many are commoners who, without any resources, stand on the same stage as us, including Vinny. Each of them has their own merits.” With that, the young man left with his followers.
Vinny finished his meal but didn’t see Aesphyra.
He didn’t care about the speedrunner and, after eating, wandered around with a blade of grass in his mouth before returning to sleep.
He slept until dawn when the ship from Carillian Academy arrived to pick up the new students.
There were 96 students from Camella Kingdom. Historically, Camella ranked second in the number of students admitted to Carillian Academy, just behind the Tyrell Empire, and this year was no exception.
The remaining 400 students were mostly from the Tyrell Empire, with the rest from the Grand Duchy, tribes, and some non-human races.
These races weren’t hostile to humans and even had trade relations, like the elves and dwarves.
But there were no demons.
Demons were seen as extremely dangerous by many races.
Their magic was sinister and highly aggressive, often directly or indirectly causing bloodshed, making them the most unstable factor on the continent. Few races were willing to associate with demons.
Due to the fall of the ancient Carillian Empire, almost all human nations were hostile to demons.
Non-human races, like the elves, were also wary, fearing the demons might extend their war to their peaceful lands.
Vinny boarded the luxurious ship, a magic-powered vessel even more impressive than the previous carriage.
Once all the students were on board, the ship set sail.