“Was there anything unusual today?”
“Yes! Lady Mary, you look beautiful as always!”
I, no, Ken Feinstein, greeted her with a bright smile.
Right in front of my eyes, there’s a window popping up.
[ Ken Feinstein’s immersion level increased. ]
After being possessed, messages like this often appear when I meet Mary Hyde.
When this state occurs, my emotions take a backseat and the words I say are heavily mixed with Ken Feinstein’s true feelings.
Thanks to this, I’ve avoided suddenly awkward atmospheres…
‘She’s definitely a stunning beauty.’
Before my eyes stood the character I adored so much in the game.
Mary Hyde.
Her azure short hair and blue eyes gave her a noble and refreshing image.
True to her image, she was cool and just.
Every day, she would come to check if everything was fine in our class.
‘So kind….’
After I possessed Ken Feinstein, I managed to read a bit of his past memories.
Among them was the time he met Mary.
Their encounter began when she saved the frequently bullied Ken.
There was a story that I hadn’t known while playing as Emily.
One year ago, Ken Feinstein, who was then a freshman, often faced bullying by a group led by the main villain of Part 1, Raphne Bell Martinez.
By chance, Mary witnessed this and came to Ken’s rescue.
Although Raphne was at the top of the academy’s power rankings, she seemed to back off from bullying Ken afterward, possibly due to her concern about fighting against Mary, who was a capable fighter in her own right.
Of course, Mary mysteriously never attended school on rainy days, so during those times, Ken was often bullied.
Nevertheless, after that incident, Ken developed a huge fondness for Mary and became her follower.
“I’m glad there’s nothing wrong.”
Mary, usually emotionless, smiled faintly.
Seeing the normally stoic beauty smile like that was definitely enchanting.
I could feel Ken’s heartbeat quickening.
Well, that doesn’t mean there’s a high chance of things going well between Mary and Ken.
According to the game settings, the person she falls for is already determined.
Mary’s gaze shifted slightly towards the center of the class.
In the direction she was secretly looking was a single man.
Surrounded by many, anyone could tell, “Ah, that guy is the center of this class.” He was a handsome man.
Adrian Faraday.
He was the main攻略 character of [Epiris Academy]. If the story progresses with Emily, he is revealed to be the character with the [Turns Out, He’s a Prince!?] trope.
And he is the cause of the rivalry between the protagonist Emily Epiris and Mary Hyde.
Mary was secretly watching him.
At a glance, her expression looked more like someone interested than a lovestruck girl.
It seemed she wasn’t yet infatuated with Adrian.
‘…So, that means the current timing is the start of Part 2.’
An event would occur between Mary and Adrian that would lead Mary to fall for him, causing trouble between her and Emily.
The fact that she still didn’t seem completely smitten allowed me to predict the timeline of the game accurately.
‘And that is….’
In the place where Adrian was happily chatting, there was another important figure from the game.
‘It’s nostalgic to see a character I used to play come to life.’
That was exactly the protagonist of the game.
Emily Epiris.
Being a commoner, she struggled to fit in at the academy, where the majority were nobles at the beginning of the game, but as the plot progressed, she developed relationships with the攻略 characters, winning battles against the Part 1 villain, Raphne, gaining recognition from the academy’s people.
Her bright, cheerful smile was beautiful even from afar. It was a smile that carried purity and warmth.
With such beauty, it was no surprise that攻略 characters would fall for her.
The main illustrations of the game focus on攻略 male characters and villainous female characters, so seeing Emily displaying such a variety of expressions was a first.
She was definitely an incredible beauty.
The setting described her as plain and unassuming, but no matter how I think about it, it feels like a forced setting.
Along with her beautiful appearance, she also embodied traits of a protagonist, being righteous and kind-hearted. If someone is in need, she would help them and listen to others’ concerns.
But…
“……Hmph.”
When our eyes met, Emily turned away, as if she found me unpleasant.
‘What’s going on?’
It seems like she dislikes me.
No, more than that, it felt like she was looking at me like I was trash.
Thinking back, while playing the game, she never reacted or responded to Ken’s lines as an extra character.
I just assumed it was because he was an extra character, but now it was clear she was blatantly ignoring him.
‘…I don’t recall doing anything wrong.’
Even digging through Ken’s memories didn’t yield any contact points with Emily whatsoever.
Perhaps as events unfold later, they might cross paths due to the rivalry with Mary, but…
Could it just be because of my appearance…?
Do I look like a fat pig, and she recoils in disgust?
“…Do you think she’s pretty, Ken?”
Mary, who had been quietly observing Emily, suddenly asked.
“Y-yeah, but the prettiest is still you, Lady Mary! H-haha.”
“…Do guys prefer that style?”
Mary was definitely concerned about that group.
Of course, it’s understandable; the guy she’s interested in is happily chatting away with another girl, naturally causing her displeasure.
But Mary Hyde… Sorry, but you won’t end up with that guy.
For my own sake, Emily has to end up with Adrian.
It’s a condition for achieving a happy ending in the war against the demon race.
Emily’s affinity with him is one of the aspects needed to meet her specifications.
I silently mourned for Mary’s unrequited love.
‘Huh? But why does it feel empty…?’
Anyway, I’ve found both Emily and Mary, but… where’s Raphne?
Time passed after my possession, allowing me to naturally recognize the faces of the main characters.
However, I couldn’t find a trace of Raphne Bell Martinez.
A beauty with striking red hair and a killer figure should not be hard to spot, right?
It’s definitely the start of Part 2 now.
In the game, the last time Raphne appeared was during the final duel scene of Part 1.
After losing the duel to Emily, she no longer showed up.
I thought it was just a part of the game’s production, but… could it be that she’s genuinely not at the academy?
There were rumors that Martinez had returned home.
‘…I need to investigate properly.’
Of course, it’s not because I want to see a woman of my preference.
…
After possessing Ken Feinstein, I developed a new daily routine.
That is morning jogging.
Why just jogging, you ask?
Couldn’t I gain powerful items and upgrades using my game knowledge?
Of course, it’s not that I haven’t considered it, nor do I lack the information about items.
But the initial status is just too lacking to grab such items or skills.
If I were to venture alone into those places, it would be like taking a highway to the afterlife.
If I were Emily, the player, I’d gather male leads as companions to tackle dungeons or forest mazes.
But there’s no chance of Ken Feinstein having any allies to risk his life with.
Therefore, to obtain various items in the future, I need to build up my basic physical abilities.
“…Hahh, …hahh.”
My belly jiggles, and I’m out of breath.
This body tires immensely just from a little running.
So, why jogging, you ask?
Why can’t I train magic in some special way or learn skills?
Sorry, but in this game, the measure of strength is based on unique traits and inherent skills.
Of course, it is possible to learn common skills and traits, but nothing is more efficient than utilizing a character’s unique abilities.
My own unique skills as Ken Feinstein:
[ Unique Skill: Item Crafting, Calorie Burn ]
To get stronger, I checked Ken’s status screen.
There was a skill I had never seen before.
Item Crafting, as the name suggests, but what the heck is Calorie Burn? It’s a skill I’ve never encountered while playing the game.
By its name, it seems to imply burning calories, but…
I can’t just use it recklessly since there are self-destruct skills in this game, and this isn’t exactly a crisis situation.
Next.
Skipping skill checks, I moved onto traits.
[ Unique Trait: The less you weigh, the more amplified your physical abilities. ]
This is the key point for improving Ken’s stats.
Exactly.
For some reason, Ken Feinstein’s setting is that he becomes stronger as he loses weight.
It feels like something the game developers added for fun.
But why hasn’t this fool ever tried to diet?
Chuckling at the stupidity, I started my diet.
A week passed, and I realized something.
“…Hahh, Ugh, this… is f*ing hard…!”
Indeed, it was painfully hard.
The exercise was tough due to the weight I piled on. If not careful, I risked injuring my ankle.
And Ken’s body mysteriously has an outstanding metabolism.
His basal metabolic rate must be low, as everything he eats turns to fat, and if he eats less, an overwhelming feeling of hunger floods over him.
Before my possession, I looked down on people who couldn’t diet, calling them lazy.
But experiencing it firsthand made me realize: this isn’t something easily done with willpower alone.
“…Hahh, I can’t… take… anymore….”
I wake up early every morning to run around the academy, but I’m worn out after just a bit of running.
But I have to lose it.
Remember Ken Feinstein.
The illustration of you discarded like a cold corpse on the ground.
And Emily Epiris’s cold gaze, avoiding you as if you were trash.
“…━Woahhh!!”
Fueled by the memories, I began to run with renewed vigor.
[ You acquired a new trait: Dehydration ]
“…Hahh, M-m-m, …”
Failed to regulate my pace.
Oh crap, it’s good to give it my all, but at this rate, I might die from dehydration, even if it’s not a bad ending.
While I was running mindlessly, I found myself in a place I had never come before.
Rather than admiring the new location, I urgently searched for something to quench my thirst.
Gasping for air, I looked around.
But there was something off.
It was unnaturally quiet around.
The area I was in was a small forest on the outskirts of the academy. A clearing about 50 meters in radius.
Except for the old tower in the center, there was nothing around.
The problem was that it wasn’t just empty; there was no sign of life whatsoever.
The sounds of chirping birds, buzzing insects—all had ceased.
It was a somewhat eerie atmosphere, but right now, thirst took precedence.
[ Possessed Traits: Obesity, Dehydration – 62% ]
[ Warning – If dehydration progresses to 100%, you will die. ]
If I don’t drink water…!
“W-w-water…!”
I walked towards the tower that loomed in front of me, in search of a drink.
I opened the main gate of the tower.
“…What the f*….”
Inside was a staircase. Damn it.
Struggling against the pain in my thighs from running, I muttered curses at gravity dozens of times.
Finally, I reached the top of the tower.
“…Hahh, Hahh, I-I’ll die….”
[ Possessed Traits: Obesity, Dehydration – 69% ]
After going through all this, if there’s no water, it’s game over. I carefully unlocked the top floor’s door in search of hope.
The door creaked as if it hadn’t been opened in a long time, and I had to muster all my strength to finally get it open.
“W-w-water…!”
Like a zombie searching for a person, I swung the door open. Having exerted so much to open a stubborn door, my legs gave way, and I collapsed.
“Gack!”
My scream resembled a pig’s grunt.
But I couldn’t lose consciousness here…! Water! I must find water…!
“Ugh…?”
At that moment, miraculously, I heard a human voice.
I lifted my head and looked toward the voice.
What I saw was a girl, looking like a tragic princess trapped in the tower.
With long red hair cascading down and sitting on the floor, she was surrounded by several dolls.
Her face, looking at me, was breathtakingly beautiful, and her tired eyes had a shadow.
Yet those eyes sparkled.
It was as if the thirst-ridden me had found an oasis.
Seems like she also discovered an oasis, her eyes sparkling.
Before me stood Raphne Bell Martinez.
“…P-person. …P-person…!”
She noticed me struggling on the floor and kept repeating words I couldn’t understand.
So it’s a person, did I momentarily appear as a pig to her?
“B-but… can I have some… w-water…?”
“W-w-water?! Ah, I got it! I’ll bring it right away!”
The way she stammered was strangely cheerful.
Since I possessed Ken, it was the first time someone welcomed me like this….
‘That’s… Raphne Bell… Martinez…’
With a joyful heart, I finally lost consciousness.
