Not the Hero, Not the Villain — Just the One Who Wins
Chapter 23: The King’s Welcome

Chapter 23: The King’s Welcome

The doorbell chimed at precisely 11:03 PM. I glanced up from the mountain of silk pillows on my king-sized bed, irritation flickering across my face.

"Enter."

The door creaked open to reveal a trembling maid with chestnut hair tied too tight. "G-Good evening, Master Crimson! I’m Masha, your personal attendant!" She thrust forward a silver tray bearing three items: a platinum wristwatch, folded black uniforms, and a blood-red "#1" badge.

I arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly does a ’personal attendant’ do?"

Masha’s cheeks flushed. "A-Appropriate services! Laundry, meals, message delivery—"

"So you’ll be washing my underwear then?" I smirked as she nearly dropped the tray. "Excellent. I hate doing laundry."

She fled before I could tease her further.

[System: You’re a special kind of terrible.]

[Me: I know.]

Next Morning - Class 1A

I arrived precisely ten minutes late. The guard who’d stopped me yesterday merely bowed.

"Good boy," I murmured, patting his helmet.

Before entering, I checked the rankings board:

1. Ashen Crimson (Me)

2. Nyx Voxx

3. Rin

4. Cecilia Thorne

5. Seraphina Loire

6. Liora Nowa

7. Noora Whitehound

8. Eren Whitehound

...

20. [Some NPC]

No Aurelia.

[System: She placed 21st. Barely made Class 1B.]

[Me: Weak.]

I kicked the door open.

Professor Vael adjusted his spectacles. "Problem #3, Mr. Crimson. Since you’re so... exceptional."

The blackboard displayed a Tier-4 runic array - a "Bastion Shield" even seniors struggled with.

I smirked.

Shadow Quill Technique Activated

My shadow morphed into an inky stylus. Where the original had:

3 Stabilizing Runes (Blue)

2 Mana Channels (Green)

I redrew it with:

5 Amplifier Nodes (Red)

1 Feedback Loop (Black)

The array pulsed crimson.

Vael paled. "STOP—"

BOOM.

The explosion vaporized only the blackboard, leaving the wall untouched behind it. Perfect energy redirection.

Silence.

I dusted off my hands. "Next question?"

That Evening

Masha delivered dinner while avoiding eye contact. My watch chimed:

[5 DAYS REMAINING: LIGHTNING TRIAL]

The "#1" badge gleamed on my nightstand.

They feared me.

Good.

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