10 - Weakest? Yeah sure. (No, Not Really.)

"Theo~ Akari is here to pick you up~" My mother called from the first floor. Apparently, Theo had made a mysterious promise to go to school with his childhood friend Akari every day since junior high, and that is still the case even after entering the adventurer's school. I'm so... lucky to have such a beautiful girl come to pick me up.

I hurriedly put on my uniform and walked downstairs to find Akari waiting for me with her arms crossed, not frowning but not in a good mood.

"You're late, Theo... well, let's go then."

"Oh, yeah."

With her long hair swaying, Akari immediately started walking. When I tried to walk side by side, she sped up as if refusing it. So, I walked a little behind without saying anything. If she dislikes it so much, why does she come to pick me up so dutifully? Well, it's only a few hundred meters to school, so I didn't have much time to dwell on it. I have to be grateful that I can go to school with her.

But–

I wondered why she kept glancing at me. She's walking in front, so it's easy to notice when she turns her head. When our eyes meet, she suddenly looks away. Could it be that she's fallen in love with Garcia all over again? What the hell? Nah, forget about it. At this point, she may already have fallen for the main protagonist.

I walked through the city in the springtime, indulging in such convenient thoughts. Today's morning air was a bit chilly, but it felt refreshing for my sweaty, overweight body. Most of the cherry blossoms had already fallen, and there were only a few cleaners tidying up the petals. Since most students live in dormitories, not many of them pass through the main gate on their way to school.

As I put my shoes away in the shoe box, I was struck by the thought that today marked the beginning of my real school life - for the second time. Some people were looking at me and whispering. Walking into the classroom with Akari, I combed my hair with my fingers, wondering if I had fixed my bedhead.

"I'm not sure what to say. I heard you lost to a slime," a classmate, whose name I didn't know yet, spoke to me.

"Slime?"

"You lost to a slime on the first floor of the dungeon and had to be rescued."

"Yeah... kinda..."

Yesterday, to my surprise, I was rescued. I found myself lying in the infirmary of the Adventurer's Guild. When they found me, I had been beaten by several slimes. Thanks to my stats, I had only light bruises and no other abnormalities and was able to leave immediately. When I left, they scolded me, "If you're so weak, at least bring some friends or experienced adventurers you know! Don't just dive carelessly and endanger your own life!" I apologized to them many times for causing trouble, but what they said was true. I need to find a dungeon partner sooner or later.

"What, does everyone know about this?"

"The rest of the class saw the rescue workers carrying you out. The whole school's talking about it."

"Damn, how can you lose to a slime when even a kid can beat it?"

"Seriously, is the slime really that dangerous?"

It wasn't that I lost to the slime. I had used a big move for experimentation, and it drained my MP completely. (Definitely not because of the euphoria I felt with each kill I made! Nope!) I wasn't defeated by the slime; my vision just went dark, and I fainted afterward.

Even though that's the truth... if you're not familiar with the game, this unknown information could easily be misinterpreted, especially in a world where terrorists might aim for your life over something that sounds ridiculous. The crazier it sounds, the better. But more likely, they'll just think I'm crazy.

"Oh, yeah. I've been feeling a little under the weather."

I tried to play it off, but my classmates wouldn't let it go.

"Hey, hey, there's a limit to how low you can go in the grades, so don't drag down class E."

"With your trash ability. From now on, you're filth scum!"

"Scumbag are more suited with Theo. Gahahaha!"

'There goes my peaceful life at school. Great.'

On her way to school, Akari glanced at me with a look of contempt, likely because she knew about my slime debacle. Even if she had told me beforehand, the rumor had already spread, and it wouldn't have changed the situation.

Also, I'm pretty sure I didn't earn the nickname "Scumbag" at this exact moment in the game. Not everything is playing out the same way. Well, it's only a matter of time before I'm called Scumbag officially, so what does it matter?

"Homeroom is about to begin. Take your seats," Mr. Osuke, our homeroom teacher, announced as he entered, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. He began writing today's schedule on the whiteboard.

"I'm going to ask you to introduce yourselves now. After that, we'll have an orientation. We'll introduce the school's class system and facilities. Then, I'll explain how to enter the dungeon. I've heard that some of you have already been in the... dungeon."

Osuke-sensei's eyes landed on me, and the class erupted in laughter.

'Hehe...' Hehe, my ass! You're embarrassing yourself! I'm sorry, Theo! I'm sorry for destroying your public image!

"Alright, let's start with introductions. We'll begin from the front of the hallway."

Unlike classes A to D, which are for internal students who progressed from the middle school, class E is for external students who started high school here. As for me, I'm an ex-salaryman from another world.

This is a good chance to review The Conquest characters as they introduce themselves. So, the first of the E class is...

"I'm Renji Daisuke. I'm from Higashi Junior High School in Tokyo. My weapon is a one-handed sword, and I aspire to be a [Warrior]."

This handsome guy with short red hair is the main character, Renji Daisuke-kun. If he trains and grows, he can achieve a very powerful special job as a hero. However, as customized characters have become the most powerful through several DLCs, the main character has become less used. Despite this, he is still very blessed and strong in terms of status. He is the character to watch most closely, as his future actions could lead to some nasty events.

"My name is Sasaki Mitsuki. I'm from Hokkaido. My aspiration is [Priest]. I can use both blunt weapons and canes. I'm looking forward to working with you."

Mitsuki-san was one of the heroines of The Conquest and very popular. She's a little chubby at the moment, but as she gets tossed around in the dungeons, she'll become fitter. After the DLC was added, she can also be used as the main character, taking on handsome guys and having her own scenario. In BL mode, she can also become a sorceress. Naturally, her abilities are very high, making her an even more powerful character than Renji. It's hard to imagine from her cute appearance.

"Akio Makoto. Born in Chiba. My aspiration is to be a [Wizard]. I look forward to working with you all."

Akio-kun is Renji-kun's roommate in the same dormitory. He is from a samurai family and has the air of a high-ranking person. While his stiff demeanor can lead to misunderstandings, he is a very friendly and considerate boy. The pairing of the cheerful Renji and the slightly reserved Makoto has made many fans swoon, and he can even be pursued in BL mode.

"Akari Hoshimi. I'm from Kanagawa and I want to be a [Warrior]. My weapon is a sword. Nice to meet you."

Akari is one of the heroines, a girl with outstanding specs in both looks and abilities. In Akari's route, Garcia appears as a villain. I need to keep an eye on the progress of scenarios and events related to her, as I might be forced to leave school if things progress poorly.

Also, she and Garcia live next door to each other and have known each other since childhood. Even though she seems to dislike him, they have a lot of contact and even go to school together. It's hard to tell if they're close or distant. However, I don't want to come across as harassing her, so I shouldn't be too pessimistic about our relationship.

More importantly, my inner Theo feels saddened when she and Renji talk in a friendly manner. If left unchecked, this could lead to negative thoughts, so I should manage it carefully.

In any case, I need to be cautious.

"E-Emi... Sakura is from Aichi. My preferred weapons are daggers and a bow, and I aspire to become a [Archer]. She is essential to the main mission "Sakura's Rebellion." Emi appears mature with her haircut, but she is actually Japanese-American, concealing her origins as a member of an American espionage organization.

As her story unfolds, players must decide whether to side with her against terrorists or confront her for attempting to acquire intelligence covertly. Approaching her without caution could be dangerous. In today's environment, rising to high-level employment is rare and risky, therefore many people settle for middle-tier positions.

"Akaji Isamu, wielding a sword, aims to become a [Samurai]!"

"Oh? I'm searching for a fellow rearguard."

"Oh, I don't need you," I was dismissed with a glance. 'Tck! What a jerk!'

This meant no one would team up with me, so I had to make it up somehow... but the warrior class. I needed to tread carefully among the privileged.

Next was a girl who caught my personal interest.

"I'm Kana Matsuri from Kochi. I'm planning to wield either a grimoire or a mace as my weapon, aspiring to become a [Wizard]. Let's all give it our best shot!"

She was a cute girl with her hair tied up on both sides and pigtails hanging down. In the game, she chaired the E class, attempting to unite them against pressure from upperclassmen and factions. Yet, when she was singled out by the upperclassmen, her frustration was palpable. Could she truly achieve that in this world as well?

After that, the introductions continued. My class was filled with many beautiful men and women, including the protagonist, which meant my appearance didn't draw much attention. I wasn't particularly concerned about that, though.

Finally, it was my turn. Unsure of my path, I settled on becoming a [Priest], a modest choice.

"I'm Theodore Garcia from Kanagawa. I used to wield a bat as my weapon. I aspire to be a [Priest]."

I flashed a peace symbol with my right hand, hoping to elicit some smiles, but instead, I heard whispers:

"A bat...?"

"...Is he really aiming to be a [Priest]?"

"He's known for being the weakest..."

"He lost to a slime? Pathetic."

'I can hear you, you know!' I gritted my teeth, unable to ignore their gossip any longer. 'My ears have been burning for a while!'

"...Just a filthy scum thing..."

Hey! Leave him alone! Theodore's has nothing to do with this!

It seemed like high school life the second time around was going to be tough... I found myself missing my old world more than ever.

"Let's move on to the orientation now. Please follow me and stay together," Osuke-sensei instructed.

We were to explore the school's outdoor facilities. As the students of class E stood up together, I contemplated the upcoming orientation and obediently followed the teacher around the school grounds.