Chapter 232 Half And Criminal

Chapter 232 Half And Criminal

"Cut it out, Allen."

A voice sliced through the tension, and all eyes turned to a young girl with a cascade of auburn-brown hair. She commanded attention not only with her surreal beauty but also her full white blazer uniform. Bright yellow eyes, almost unnaturally sharp, fixed on Allen with a critical gaze.

She was Roda Cinda Moonfang, hailing from the illustrious Great Moonfang House, the lone Great Noble House of the Werewolves. Despite her undoubtedly superior physical strength compared to Allen, her delicate, feminine form betrayed none of it. She was, after all, one of the [Main Heroines] of the [Second Game] and a potential successor to the role of the next Prophetess. A unique position for a First Year student.

"What's your problem, Roda?" Allen's voice dripped with an overtone of flirtation as he stepped back.

"It's hardly appropriate to harass your classmates before the Academy even officially starts, Allen," Roda responded, her tone holding a firm note of disapproval.

"He started it," Allen chimed in, his smile never faltering.

The guy on the ground stammered, "I d-didn't—"

Allen cut him off. "That's why I decided to teach him a lesson. We, Great Nobles, have a responsibility to show the common folk how the world works, don't you think?"

Roda regarded Allen in silence for a moment before simply turning away. "Do as you please."

The man on the ground had turned pale, seemingly realizing that even the Moonfang Princess wasn't willing to intervene on his behalf. Perhaps she had forsaken him, either out of an understanding that Allen would continue his torment or maybe, just maybe, because she was well aware of Allen's crush on her and this was just another attempt to impress her.

Not surprised that Allen was trying his luck with Roda, especially considering she was a [Main Heroine], and he, a [Pretender].

"Oh, you're already here?" Another voice disrupted the scene. The crowd parted to reveal a few older students.

Ah, the welcoming committee.

These were the benevolent upperclassmen who had volunteered to help the freshmen settle in before the official entrance day. Among them, three figures stood out.

All three were from the Great Noble Houses.

"This year's batch of freshmen is quite the crowd," a guy with a contemplative finger to his chin remarked. He was Dentiel Elaryon, representing the Great Elaryon House, the second and last Great Elven House alongside the Teraquin House and he was a [Pretender].

His golden hair and sea-blue eyes, coupled with his elven lineage, easily captivated the gazes of admiring girls, leaving Allen with a sour expression.

Dentiel, oblivious to the elf's irritation, scanned the group. "Alright. Victor, Celeste, you take half of them. I'll take the rest."

""Yes."" Victor and Celes stepped forward and nodded.

Victor Raven stood there with an affable smile, efficiently dividing the mass of hundreds of students into two manageable groups. Admiring glances from girls couldn't help but be drawn to his handsome visage. Victor hailed from the Great Raven House, a Vampire lineage, though he was a half-vampire and thus lacked the typical pallid complexion and crimson eyes of his full-blooded counterparts. He was the result of an illicit relationship between his father, James Raven, and a High Human servant. Despite inheriting the golden-blond hair of his illustrious house, his features were distinct from his half-siblings. Unfortunately, his mixed heritage garnered him not only attention but also some contempt, particularly from the Vampire juniors.

Undeterred by these looks, Victor maintained his amiable smile, graciously welcoming the incoming students.

"You're taking too long, Victor!" A voice rang out, and all eyes turned toward Celeste Indi Zestella, the [Leading Main Heroine] of the [Second Game].

While I knew her appearance from the game, seeing her in person once again highlighted her exceptional beauty. Her snow-white hair which gradually turned blue at the tip was artfully braided into a side plait that cascaded over her left shoulder, complementing the sublime teal hue of her eyes. Donned in the white blazer uniform, her skirt gracefully fell to her knees. Being a sophomore, like Victor and me, she wore a silver tie in contrast to the golden ones of the freshmen.

"Ah...I was looking for Alicia..." Victor muttered as he scanned the crowd. "Has anyone seen Alicia?"

Whispers rippled through the group, but no one offered an answer outright.

Alicia was Victor's half-sister and also designated as the [Hidden Heroine] of the Second Game. Don't ask me about the rationale behind her being a Heroine when the game's protagonist was her half-brother. As far as I knew, she could potentially be charmed by Jayden or Lucius in the Third Game. The implications of any potential relationship between Victor and Alicia weren't something I wanted to contemplate—after all, she was his half-sister.

Realizing Alicia wasn't present, Victor scratched his head, exasperated. "I did tell her to come..."

"Come on, Victor, we have to get going. The others are already with Senior Dentiel," Celeste chimed in with a smile.

As a side note, Victor and Celeste had known each other for a few years and were in the same class last year, so their camaraderie could easily be mistaken for a close friendship, if not a potential romance. Their dynamic had been solid even within the confines of the Game.

"Alright," Victor acquiesced, joining Celeste's side.

"Oh, almost forgot," Dentiel's voice interrupted, as he made his way over. He quickly scanned the scene before his gaze landed on me. A faint furrow in his brows was followed by a forced smile. "Ah, we have a foreign student among us."

Damn it.

All eyes turned toward where Dentiel was looking, and a collective gasp rippled through the crowd as they laid eyes on my face, followed by a chorus of hushed whispers.

"This newly enrolled student is a Sophomore. Victor, Celeste, show him around."

"Of course," Celeste chimed in with enthusiasm, a radiant smile on her lips. However, Dentiel approached both Celeste and Victor, uttering a hushed statement that elicited frowns from both of them as they glanced back at me.

"You're from the Olphean House, huh?" Ignoring the whispers and sidelong glances, Allen Teraquin strode towards me.

I cast a brief glance at him before indicating my pendant with the emblem.

"Oh, so you really are from the Olphean House?" He said it louder, causing a ripple of curiosity around us. "Mother told me about the son of Oryanna Olphean and some lesser Human from a random Kingdom beyond."

"It's Mrs. Oryanna," I responded.

"What?" Allen's laughter died down as he inquired.

Taking a step closer, I offered a small smile. "For you, it's Mrs. Oryanna."

A flush crept up Allen's face at my words. "What did you say, Half?"

My amber eyes bore into him, and the tension between us grew palpable, but before the confrontation could escalate—

"Why are you wearing cuffs?"

The voice that interrupted us belonged to Roda.

Her bright yellow eyes were fixed on the thick silver bracelets encircling my wrists, impossible to conceal.

"It's because he's a criminal from the Kingdom of Celesta, sent here for rehabilitation," Dentiel explained, approaching us with a sigh.

"A criminal?!" Someone echoed incredulously, setting off another wave of commotion.

Dentiel offered me an apologetic smile as he spoke. "Yes, but rest assured, these cuffs are preventing him from channeling his mana. You don't need to worry."

I simply shrugged in response.

If not Dentiel, someone else would have voiced it sooner or later. They couldn't have possibly admitted a criminal into the academy without informing the very students who would be sharing their campus with him.

"A half..." Allen sneered at me, his disdain evident. "...and a criminal." He made certain to emphasize these words, his voice carrying a clear challenge.

My smile slowly vanished, prompting him to retreat slightly, though before I could retort—

"Enough, Allen."

"Don't presume to give me orders, Dentiel," Allen retorted with a glare, before abruptly turning and striding away.

Dentiel sighed, offering a nod to Celeste, Victor, and then to me, before leading his group of students away.

"All right, please follow us and make sure not to get lost," Celeste cautioned. "The campus is quite extensive, so stick close to us, juniors," she added, her smile a reassuring gesture.

Ignoring the persistent gazes around us, I continued to watch their retreating figures.

'Samara, it's all right.'

The wave of her murderous intent directed at Allen was barely contained, threatening to break through the facade of my smile a few seconds ago.