Hero Academy is an RPG game that tells the story of Caine, a talented young man from a small village destined to become a hero.
Gaining allies, being admired by countless women, adored by everyone—what a cliché. And yet, I still played the game all the way to the end.
One of the heroines is named Luna, from the noble Wirnfort Marquis. A high-born lady with leaf-green hair and striking charisma. She has a fiancé—Derrick, heir of the Leighton Marquis.
In the game, it's explained that their engagement was arranged to strengthen the alliance between the Wirnfort and Leighton families. But Luna herself never agreed to it.
Derrick is a man who despises commoners. It fits, considering his status as the son of a Marquis.
In the end, Derrick dies during a surprise attack on the academy, orchestrated by infiltrators from the demon side.
And the problem is...
"Damn... Why did I become Derrick?!"
I froze when I saw my reflection in the mirror. It wasn't my usual tired face and unkempt hair, but a neatly groomed young man with jet-black hair and sky-blue eyes.
The face in front of me... belonged to one of the minor villains in Hero Academy.
"Damn it, I just got back from the supermarket and then... that truck hit me!"
Looking outside the window, I saw students walking toward the academy.
"Guess I should get ready too."
After a shower and putting on the academy uniform, I headed out.
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Grentia Academy is the main setting of the game. Built by the Tyfania Kingdom, it accepts anyone with a Mana Core, regardless of background.
The academy is divided into five classes: Class A, B, C, D, and E. Classes aren't ranked by ability—students are placed randomly. In the game, both Derrick and Caine are assigned to Class 1-D.
And now, here I am, standing in front of that same classroom.
"Who would've thought that I, a guy in his thirties, would be going back to school?"
I opened the classroom door and stepped inside. A few students were already chatting among themselves.
"Next week, we'll be doing sparring matches, right?"
"Yeah, I just hope I don't get paired against someone too strong."
Sparring... That's where Derrick and Caine have their first major conflict. Derrick, who looks down on commoners, refuses to accept defeat at the hands of someone like Caine—a boy from the countryside. He ends up surrounding Caine with his cronies and trying to intimidate him.
It's a key moment. After the incident, Derrick and his group get suspended. Then, Luna personally visits Caine to apologize on Derrick's behalf.
What always puzzled me when I played the game was—why did Luna go that far just to apologize? Whatever the reason, that's when her relationship with Caine begins to develop. At first, they simply greet each other... but over time, they fall in love.
Just then, the classroom door opened, and a man with a stern aura entered. Professor George, our homeroom teacher.
"Good morning. Today, we'll begin studying magic."
Class began. Honestly, I was sleepy throughout the lesson. Everything he explained—I already knew.
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After class, I went straight back to the dorm.
"Time to test my magic," I muttered, a little excited.