Avoiding the Bad Ending

The Snowflake Falls to the Ground - 6

Today was my glorious first day at the magic academy.

So why on such a monumental day am I sprinting at full speed?


"I'm late! Late on the first day! Excuse me, please get out of the way!"


Looking back, last night was the problem.

I was so excited for the first day that I couldn't stay still and fell asleep—that was the mistake.

Of course, Leah is a doll and doesn't need sleep.

But with an artifact blocking my mana, I could at least pretend.


"But, but! It feels really nice to sleep like a real person—!"


Well, you know, the three basic human desires.

Lust, appetite, and sleep.

Even if I can go 365 days without sleep, clearing my head is a separate issue.

To make matters worse, the commute was long.

Calling the Information Guild headquarters my home is a bit of a stretch, but... I live there, so I guess it's home in a way.

After a long run, I finally reached my destination.


"Thankfully, I'm not terribly late."


—Murmur, murmur. The classroom beyond the door was buzzing with noise.

Fortunately, class hadn't started yet.

More importantly, I should schedule mana blocking for weekends from now on. Otherwise, I'll be late constantly.

No, it's not even an "otherwise," it's guaranteed to happen.


"Ah, wait a moment. Hair okay, clothes neat, overall perfect."


I shouldn't forget to check my appearance before going in.

You never know if something's out of place.

I pulled out a hand mirror to check my bangs, and to see if my clothes had any wrinkles.

I completed what people commonly call "flower grooming."


"Hmm. Anyone can see that I'm a perfect Leah."


An appearance that makes you want to hug me tight.

No matter how you look at it, I'm identical to the original illustration.

Ah, if I had possessed a different character, I would have done anything to get close to Leah.

Then, something suddenly occurred to me.

In the original story, Leah almost arrived late on the first day too.

...Why is this coming to mind now?

A sense of unease flickered through my mind. I felt like the air around me was getting colder.


"The bell's about to ring, what are you doing in front of the door?"


No, it's not just a feeling.

The air around me was actually getting colder.

If it's cold enough for a doll's skin to feel it, it's probably... mana.

And there's only one person I know with this kind of mana.


"Wait. You are...! Let's pretend we didn't see each other...."

"Noah?"


A playable character from Arcania.

The protagonist with ice powers.

It was Noah.

Something is strange. There's already a playable character. How can another one exist?

There's only one main story.

If the protagonists' roles overlap, the game progresses according to the single playable character.

Now there are two protagonists.

Maybe there's a small possibility that another one exists.

But should I be happy that there are multiple protagonists?

I'm not sure, but there might be a setting conflict.


"...Why are you here?"

"What are you talking about?"


Let's think simply. Maybe he's just a supporting character who looks similar.

From his past to his family structure.

I can find out the truth if I investigate thoroughly.

As doubt settled in my mind, my lips trembled.

Right, let's ask.

If I ask directly, I'll know for sure.


"You know, were you trapped in a cave when you were young...."

"Oh, who's this pretty thing?"


A heavy arm was suddenly thrown over my shoulder.

I instinctively shrugged off the sudden contact.


"Ohoho. This pretty thing has a sharp temper and quite a bit of strength, eh?"

"Don't touch me without permission."

"Your angry face is even prettier. Definitely a top-tier beauty in the capital."


The person who had put his arm around me grumbled in disappointment with a sly smile.

A bad personality and that face, trying to touch people without permission.

And the rudeness of commenting on my appearance so freely.


"I like you. Want to be my girlfriend?"

"How rude."


That man's name is Goliath.

A supporting character with a delinquent concept similar to Sion.

However, while Sion's nature is based on justice, Goliath is the opposite.

He was a bad but foolish delinquent character.


"This isn't an opportunity that comes around often. As the girlfriend of Goliath, you get the back alleys of the Empire for free, you know?"


That's why he's foolish.

He might have been the king of the back alleys in his hometown, the Empire.

But essentially, he's a frog in a well.

By the way, the back alleys you're bragging about? I control all of them around here. I barely managed to swallow the words that were about to come out.

It's easier to ignore this type of person.


"Even if it's just the back alleys! The delinquent gangs accept me as their boss, you know?!"

"...Just a single back alley. Aha."

"Huh? What do you mean, just one?!"


I bit my lower lip and held back.

I seriously considered showing him the difference between us.

If I just sent out a message, my fan club members would flock here and crush a delinquent or two.

But no, I have to hold back.

Right now, I'm a student of Arcania. A good character pursuing honor and justice.

I shouldn't forget my role as a student.


"The class bell rang a while ago, why are you two still outside?"


It was right when I was about to escape from Goliath.

A female teacher, who had arrived without my notice, was scolding the two behind me.

Fortunately, I, who was standing close to the door, wasn't caught.

What a shame. If it weren't for Goliath, Noah would have come in like me.

But there's no need to explain.

I ignored the scene behind me and found an empty seat.


"Oh my. Isn't she quite the enchanting beauty?"

"Sion. Is she the student you were talking about?"

"That's right! Man! If you're here, greet her already!"


I had barely sat down when I heard voices coming from nearby.

Attention was directed towards me.

One is Sion, so I'll pass. I just smiled lightly and moved on.

Then the other two are... supporting characters, as expected.


"If she's as strong as Sion says, she'll be interesting."

"No matter how beautiful she is, she's not as good as this girl."

"...You woke me up. Stop being so loud. I want to sleep more."


Daniel, a nobleman's son who was the class president in the original.

Charis, a girl with a glamorous noble-like appearance but the daughter of a common merchant family.

Pluto, a student who brought a pillow and was sleeping comfortably.


They appeared frequently in the main story.

They were kind-hearted characters, so unlike Goliath, I didn't dislike them.

Rather, I had a positive impression of them.

Except for one person.


"Hello. My name is Daniel. Can you tell me about yourself?"


Daniel, who had been sitting next to Sion, stood up and approached me.

His eyes sparkled with interest.

He spoke in a gentle voice.

Did he eat something wrong?

Daniel showing interest in Leah?


"...Are you interested in me?"

"Ahaha. Interested... well, can I say I am?"


No matter which protagonist you chose, the relationships between supporting characters were fixed.

Charis was suspiciously close to Pluto, and Goliath was disliked by everyone.

Leah always went solo, but no one disliked her.

It was more like being treated as a stray cat.

She just didn't have friends because she was hard to approach. It's not that she was hated.

Except for this Daniel.


"That's strange. You're not interested in me."

"Even if that's true, you can at least tell me your name, right? We're classmates."


In the early part of the original story.

Due to a certain incident, they ended up fighting fiercely.

And after this fight, Daniel disappeared from the story.

The reason for their fight was only revealed later through an interview with the developers.

He was a doll-hater who lost his family to a doll.

Daniel, being a doll-hater, accidentally found out that Leah was a doll.


'He must have thought the person who killed his family was right beside him.'


Deep betrayal and disappointment.

A wave of anger and murderous intent following.

Daniel definitely tried to kill Leah.


"You'll find out my name even if I don't tell you."

"I told you. I'm interested in you."


Thump—!

Daniel slammed his hand on the desk and leaned his face closer.

His face was smiling, but the shadows made him look dangerous.

Well, he was genuinely dangerous.


"I'm not interested in you."


When the original game shut down, Daniel was still alive.

He was preparing a terrorist attack to kill all dolls.


"Especially not in trash like you."

"What should I do? It seems like I've just become more interested in you."


In other words, Daniel was one of the prime suspects who might have killed the original Leah.

He was someone I had to stay away from to survive.

* * *

"Did you understand? If you're a student, the basic thing is to be seated before class starts."

"Oh."

"Yes, I understand."


Noah, who had been held back at the classroom door, felt wronged.

I was just about to enter when this Goliath or whatever his name is, this big guy, and that suspicious girl blocked my way.

When I tried to explain, they accused me of blaming my friends and even scolded me instead.

Noah, shedding tears inside, thought about the girl.


"Noah?"


That suspicious-looking girl.

She knew my name, which I hadn't told her.

Wasn't she only interested in that red-haired guy, Sion?


"...Why are you here?"


And then, her gaze, as if she'd seen something that shouldn't exist.

Her golden eyes, usually shrouded in darkness, had wavered.

As if denying something.

But this confirmed that she knew of my existence.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked why I was here.


The one the masters of the Dark Guild follow.

The information network capable of obtaining the entrance exam content beforehand.

Moving without being detected by the teachers.

The villain who contacted the Demon King's army and used drakes as minions.

...One of those drakes attacked me and caused some trouble.

The magic academy asked if I had seen anything, but I kept my mouth shut.

That was why I was worried about my information leaking to this woman, but it seemed she already knew anyway.


"Noah. Were you trapped in a cave when you were young...."


And the last thing she said.

Although she trailed off and I couldn't hear everything, she asked if I was trapped in a cave.

In reality, Noah had once been trapped in an ice cave.

To be precise.

He was discovered there.


'How does she know about my childhood?'


Was she someone from my hometown?

Only a few elders in the village know, so there's a possibility she heard it from them.

But why is it?

Why does my head feel itchy with those suspicious words, even more suspicious when a villain said it?

I don't know now, but I'll find out if I keep following her.

I will definitely uncover the villain's true identity.

* * *