Adrian Lockwood—the character of one of the many novels, Lex read.
The bastard professor gets humiliated and runs away from the academy after being blamed on the charges of being a completely useless professor.
'This is so f---ed up...' The memories of the previous owner of the body were pouring down his head as Lex sat down on the bed and tried to calm down
This world was filled with swords and monsters.
The fight between Light and Darkness. Justice and betrayal, or whatever.
Lex read this novel because the main character was slightly different than the other stupid male lead he had been reading around that time
Yeah, those light novels that have titles as long as a synopsis.
Having a main character who thinks like a loser and even takes action rather than hesitating or shying away—yeah, it was a fresh breath of air for Lex at that time.
And then comes the female leads of the world. They were...not single-dimensional. Some were good, and some had a dark past. Well, the author did a good job giving them a personality worth remembering just by their way of responding.
But the biggest problem was the author himself.
He was...such a gullible person that several times, he changed or added something in the plot just to not get hated by the readers.
Lex never commented actually, but he usually read the comments of others. And he noticed, several times, that what people demanded, the author somehow changed things accordingly.
And that...was a bad thing in its way.
'Why am I worrying about it now...aren't I in a very bad situation right now?'
Lex, who is Adrian now, was recently blamed for not being a true Runemaster. And someone who was a teacher of runes, it was the highest level of insult.
....but the fact is, it was true! He didn't pass the exam to become a Runemaster and got this job through his connections.
This world runs on Runes. In this world, magic that can influence your surroundings is considered Taboo. And unless you change your faith and become a follower of some fallen God, you cannot use magic freely.
Then what remains? Runes.
Those mythical inscriptions allow supernatural abilities to one's weapons.
Now, since almost seventy percent of the population is a follower of Light—that is, True Gods—they cannot use magic. As such, they all depend on Runes.
And Adrian was supposed to be a Runemaster in the academy.
Now one could understand the importance of Runes. And Adrian was a false Runemaster!
"Guh...why not a side character or a mob? Why a pathetic loser?" Covering his forehead, Lex fell down on the bed—when suddenly,
*Knock*
He jolted back up upon hearing the knock before he asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me...Ariana." A soft voice arrived from the other side—and that name sent a chill down his spine.
Ariana...was the headmistress of the Runebound Academy and Adrian's cousin.
The connection previously mentioned through which Adrian joined the academy even though he failed the exam? Yeah, it is her.
'She is the only person in the academy who knows me from close...I need to act carefully.' Although this whole thing seems absurd, Adrian needs to act carefully.
Getting up, he approached the door before opening it for her.
"Why are you responding so late?!" She instantly stepped inside and closed the door.
Adrian's eyes were met by the cool beauty with silver long hair and a tattoo running down her neck. Wearing a three-piece suit, with the scent of nicotine surrounding her, she gave the vibe of a female mafia.
Her hazelnut eyes roamed around the room for a moment, before she asked, "Have you....prepared the bag?"
Adrian frowned, and then suddenly, he recalled what it was about.
Adrian doesn't run away all by himself. He gets Ariana's help—otherwise, bypassing the security of the academy on his own would have been impossible for him.
However, because of this action, a committee from the Mage Tower arrives at the academy, blaming the administration for recruiting an unqualified person as a teacher
Runebound Academy comes in the top three academies, as such, it was obvious they would want the best faculty members to be working here.
Ariana gets humiliated in front of everyone, and things escalate to the point where the Tower members even discuss kicking her out of the academy.
....but then, suddenly, the protagonist steps in and saves the day. He tells them how grateful he has been to the Headmistress, and just then an ambusher appears out of nowhere, whom Ariana defeats alongside the protagonist
The council members realize Ariana's importance in the academy, and the Protagonist makes a home in the Headmistress's heart.
Happy ending. The end.
Not.
Now, Adrian has two options; follow the plot or derail it.
If he doesn't go, then maybe Ariana would never feel anything for the Protagonist. However, if he chooses to go—which was most likely—he would have to survive all on his own in this dangerous world where law and police weren't a thing.
His family would surely disown him and as a talentless person, he might need to start as a servant or something.
'But what can I do...the knowledge I have received about runes wouldn't be enough to guarantee my position in the academy. The humiliation would be immense as well...'
Looking at his cousin, who had already started to pack his bag with a frown of concern on her face, he felt troubled.
For him, she was ready to bet all her reputation and hard work. She was ready to let go of all of it just to save him.
'Damn...I barely know her yet...I am feeling so much for her....'
In a time of crisis, when no concrete answer was coming to his mind—suddenly, something appeared in the corner of his vision.
[Need some help?]
Adrian's eyes widened, as he rubbed his eyes and saw the system screen again.
[I can help you with your problem.]
Parting his lips, Adrian said, "Aria...I might not need to run away."
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Add the book to your collection.