'Damnit, why didn't I think of it earlier? Tsk, what if they suspect something about me? What if they conduct a Soul Search on me? Will my soul be showing my original form, or Alina's form? Damnit, damnit, damn it all!'
Selene frowned as she ran her hand through her messy hair.
After a moment of overthinking, she decides on a quick and efficient solution. She would simply act as if she was opening up to the people around her and remain the quiet girl at the academy.
Yes, that was it. If she played her 'part' well and avoided the main cast, surely she would be able to survive the catastrophic events...right? Surely.
Walking to the uniform that was hanging on her wardrobe, she inspected the set and felt the gravity of her situation once more.
She has reincarnated into an otome game, where her fate is unknown and her life hangs in the balance.
Every whim the heroine and the villainess does can effect everything in the game, but this isn't just a game now.
It's her second chance.
Her second life.
She was not going to waste it by being careless and acting out of line. No. She was going to do everything she can to survive...starting with preparing for the opening ceremony.
A few moments later, she's making her way down the stairs of the house in her uniform and a messenger bag packed with items she would need.
Meeting the servant from before, she maintained a reserved gaze and nodded as thanks when the servant passed her a packed lunch.
"Sir Mist will be picking you up every sundown. Just wait at the gate, alright?"
As the servant spoke, Selene listened attentively before nodding towards the servant.
In the carriage, Selene knocked at the thin wall of the carriage, prompting Sir Mist, her current chauffeur, to stop the carriage.
Looking at her surroundings, she took a deep breath and told Sir Mist to drop her off there.
They were just a town away, and Selene intended to snatch away all the secret beginner items before the first event starts.
"But young miss, I cannot leave you here! This town is too far from the Imperial City- "
"Hush! I do what I please. Drop my luggage off at the dormitory and I will meet you at sundown."
Forgetting that her 'character' wasn't a talkative person, Selene huffed and cut the chauffeur's sentence off out before she could stop herself.
The man looked at the young miss in front of him with a stunned gaze for a few moments before allowing her to leave the carriage as he offered his hand for her.
Looking around her, she tried to figure out her exact location and gathered her thoughts as she started walking.
As the carriage resumed its journey, Selene was already almost at the town's centre fountain. Some of the pedestrians wondered who the girl in the uniform was, but once they saw the badge of the Westlance Academy on her sleeves, they decided to mind their own business.
It was well known that the Westlance Academy was the finest royal academy founded by mages and Administration of Magic many decades ago.
Only people with a high aptitude, or of nobility, could join the prestigious academy.
Teenagers with high talents or titles in one school? Arrogance and ego is bound to happen. Ordinary people always heard someone suffering from some self-centered noble, and it was not a good time. With nobility, nothing is ever simple or beneficial.
Normal civilians already have their busy lives to deal with, they don't need any more trouble from a higher ranked person.
Even though she sensed the uneasy gazes from the people passing by, Selene understood their reluctance to linger near her for long.
The academy was not known for kindness, but for nurturing great talent, afterall.
'If I'm not wrong, I should be close to the first item. There are five items at the starting area, available for the player to obtain before starting the major plotline at Westlance Academy.'
Selene held onto the strap of her messenger bag and started walking down the street to the first location. A pawn shop.
The main trigger for the plot to begin is the entrance ceremony, where all the new students are given several tests to measure their eligibility for the final time before admitting them into the school.
'That being said, walking through the gates always triggered a cutscene of the main characters arriving, so I hope I don't get lost finding my way to the auditorium,' Selene sighed and stopped in her tracks as she got closer and closer to the door of the pawn shop.
However, before she could enter the shop, she heard the sound of a notification and a panel popped up in her sights. The people around her didn't seem to notice anything unusual, as if they couldn't see the panels that she could.
[The system has detected an abnormality in the host's path to the chapter, {Beginning of The End - Volume 1 - Chapter 001}]
[Please return to the original path before the system takes action and terminates the host's life support system.]
[00:04:59:58]
[00:04:59:57]
[00:04:59:56]
...
...
Looking at the panels, Selene tried her best to not show any discomfort at the new information.
The new student suddenly acting angry while staring at something only she could see while wearing the most prestigious academy's uniform?
She'd get kicked out before the tests could even begin.
However, her jaw tightened as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the annoyance in her already starting to rise.
Looking at the panels and at the countdown, it was clear that whomever created the system wants her to follow the plot.
'This punishment is too harsh, no?! I just wanted to grab the free items for...uh, self defence! It's not like it will be the end of the world when i do grab the items!'
Selene argued silently in her mind before deciding to continue anyway. Five hours should be enough for at least three of the items. She'll just have to stay on the path and speed things up whenever possible.