My Reincarnation Fantasy Is All Wrong!

"You can't truly expect me to have to walk all of this distance every day!?" a haughty voice groans out.

"Apologies Ms. Cellavort, my expectations have no impact on this situation", she did seem to expect that this blonde lady was going to do better. How are we even ranked anyways?

Should I speak up, or try and get a better understanding first?" This is ridiculous! My brother made it into the highest rank! What are these ranks even called, I refuse to believe Gravitas can't think of some kind of name for this joke?!" venom overbearing in her tone. An angry expression rises onto the face of Ms. Lavender who bites back instantly.

"The dormitory you are a part of is known as the Circle dormitory. Do not speak so lightly of this institution. Your current dorm is purely based on your performance during initiation." 

A sense of inadequacy floats through our group. Even 'Ms. Cellavort' having some sense of shame to look away.

Damn, no wonder I'm in this dorm. All I did was fall out of the sky. 

Really gotta keep my feet steady on this path.

"Professor, I can understand the style of initiation. I also can understand my placement. However, is it truly fair for an Inventor to not be allowed any of his tools? The initiation clearly favors some individuals over others." The brown-haired man speaks up. His voice is clear, yet obviously disappointed. Her face softening a bit, she doesn't execute him like she did the Cellavort.

"Gravitas isn't going to be fair, life isn't fair. No one is born equal. You are Enomari, there's only one group of people who can understand that more than you do." her eyes flick to the 'Idja'. Wait, is that a slur against her people? How do I even ask something like that? Is Ms. Cellavort racist?? There's so much I don't understand, at least I'm at a school.

His fist clenches, then relaxes. Power walking past our group and making his way down the path, we briefly lock eyes. 

I think I'll give him some space.

Moments pass, and all I can hear is the sounds of the forest as I look at that man's back. 

"I believe we should keep moving. It's getting late and I still have to make the walk back once we get there." thus our footsteps echo out, our march beginning anew. 

Normally I have headphones in or am listening to an audiobook. This is unfathomably boring.

"Do you have any recommendations you can give us?" doesn't hurt to ask a teacher a question. Her voice is serious.

"Get a job. It will make your life significantly easier." then mumbling "especially because you're in the Circle dormitory." 

"Is that because of the stipend?" my mind flashing back to the speech we listened to a bit ago.

"A good student is attentive, well done Mr. Mercury. Yes, the stipend you will be receiving shall be significantly lower than your peers" A smile dawns on her face with her eloquent reply.

"As expected of one of my people, though you can't expect me of all people to work a peasant's job?" the blonde woman's smile shakes a bit as she expects the reply that leaves the teacher's mouth.

"Your life outside of the University could have been anything. All that matters is performance Ms. Cellavort. I believe that Mr. Mercury has very well put the first foot forward in learning. Mr. Mercury, I hereby give you this." Handing me a firm black card with a single strip of gold running through it, I smile. Whatever this is, it's probably useful.

"This is 100 Electrum. Consider it your lifeline here. It can be rewarded by teachers for good performance, by getting a job, or other methods I'm not privy to tell you." my eyes light up. I don't know how much 100 is but money is money!

"Mercury yes? I shall allow you to become my follower of someone as great as I, so your financial responsibility shall belong to me and me alone" She holds out her hand with a massive smirk on her face.

There is no way she's actually trying to steal this from me?! Turning to Ms. Lavender she is staring silently. Her expression unreadable.

"I have no idea who you are lady, I'm not giving you a damn thing." my glare digs into her and I hold the card close. However, everyone looks at me with incredulity, even the teacher. Crap, should I have given it to her? Was this a test?

"Y-you don't know I am? I am Vivian Orga Cellavort!" that name means basically nothing to me. She has a brother I guess?

"Like the guy in the highest ranking class?" like an arrow pierces through her heart she nearly falls to her knees. 

"Are you TRYING to insult me?" if looks could kill I'd be dead three times over. Until the deep voice of my hero earlier in the day speaks up.

"Do you wish to insult the family of Lady Cellavort? Or do you truly deign to admit lack of knowledge on your princess?" SHE'S A PRINCESS!? Quick, brain, think of something!

"I, uh, grew up away from society" Life seems to return to her eyes as she speaks up.

"W-well, as a Celladian I still am your princess." smiling triumphantly she looks at me, and all I can do is stare at her with blank eyes. Before a smile dawns on my face, with hers growing brighter.

"I still don't see why I should give you this"

Only to shatter at my words. Sputtering on her own words she fumes for a moment before trying to explain.

"Becoming my follower has many benefits. Status! Wealth! I could even make you a knight if your performance is good post-graduation!" That actually sounds kind of nice. Yet, none of it will be useful while I'm here, and to be honest, I doubt I'm going to graduate 'top of my class'. Or even if I'll graduate at all. The final nail in my mind that confirms my decision is simple. I have no reason to trust her.

"I don't want to be your follower." intaking a breath sharply she whispers.

"But I'm sure you'd change your tune if it was my brother" She definitely doesn't like him, and she's still wrong.

"I don't want to be his follower either." I have no reason to trust him either.

I don't know who I can trust at all. Maybe I should try and make some friends. Damn it, I wish I knew how to do that.

"You . . . are a strange one. I will forget this slight against my noble family." Her expression is unreadable, but at least she's not glaring at me anymore. I assume that means she isn't holding this against me though? We ARE going to be living in a dorm together though, so that's good. 

Wait.

I have to live in a dorm with a princess?

This is gonna suuuuck.

I wonder how the rest of them are going to be. We still have quite a bit to go . . . 

Turning to the big dragon man I speak up.

"Thank you for helping me back in the hall."

"Peace, as I said it is scattered to the riverbed did I not?" I think I can put two and two together, but I might as well ask.

"I've never heard that before, what exactly does it mean?" A light sigh leaves his mouth, but he does still smile.

"Tis' a saying of my homeland, it means you owe me nothing. Few Celladians would ask of a Kobold's culture, however you don't appear to carry much of the culture of your kind." 

"Just never really picked it up I guess"

"Clearly" mutters Vivian.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm . . ." Who am I again? Damn it. Why do I have to suck with names! Especially when it's supposed to be mine, and now everyone's awkwardly staring at me again. Should I make something up? 

"Mr. Mercury, perhaps you should get some rest. Initiation must have been hard for you." 

"Y-yeah" clearing his throat and holding out his hand.

"You may refer to me as Jiang, however, once I've reclaimed my honor address me as Wu." His look is dead serious. Honor must mean a lot to him. My hand grasps his and OW his grip is strong. Though it immediately lightens and his eyes open widely as his hand pulls back.

"Apologies! I forgot you are a Mage" I'm a mage? What? Then where are my awesome powers? I stand there silently for a moment only to be apologized to again.

"My sincerest apologies, I didn't mean to offend" 

"Oh! It's nothing! Though, um, what makes you think I'm a mage?" Again everyone turns to me like I'm crazy. Vivian however steps towards me.

"Are you implying that you aren't a Mage? A Celladian, who doesn't use Magic?" Are Celladians supposed to be good at magic? Oh no, I'm probably really suspicious right now.

"Mage in training . . . we are at a school after all." please buy it, I can learn magic later!

"We've arrived." Turning forward I see a beat-up two-story building in front of us. Its walls wood, and slightly decayed. Against one of the walls, the man who got ahead of us earlier seems to be inspecting it.

"Miraculously, it appears to still be structurally sound. Yet, with wear like this, it will become unsafe to live in by the next Larbrosil. Is this supposed to be part of the unfairness you spoke of earlier?" Is Larbrosil supposed to be a season? A Holiday? Something else? He was only a few minutes ahead of us, how did he figure that out? Does he have magic powers that let him understand stuff? I wish I had that.

"Then I guess someone will just have to fix it up." speaks our teacher. Yet for a moment the man pauses the gear seeming to turn his head as he screams out in indignant fury.

"ARE YOU TO IMPLY THIS TEST WAS RIGGED AGAINST ME? SO THAT I WOULD DO LABOR FOR YOUR SCHOOL, DESPITE ITS FAILURE TO PROVIDE WHAT SHOULD BE A BASIC RESOURCE?"

W-woah, if that's true this place is fucked up.

"Mr. Lombardi. Gravitas would not lower itself to rig results in order to ensure certain students would arrive in certain ranks. There are other ways to fix this building besides someone like you. Or perhaps the students who may have ended up here would have to sleep in tents, or without shelter. Thus is the price of poor performance." His voice steadies, but the undercurrent of anger still clear.

"We will not go homeless. No one deserves to lack shelter. No one." Huh, seems he's actually a good guy. Though clearly very confident in himself. 

"Alright. Listen up the lot of you. Consider this your final message from me unless you so happen to be taking my class." Ms. Lavender begins to start what may be the last we hear of her for a while.

"Gravitas is going to be extremely difficult for the Circle Dormitory. Many will look down on you. Loathe you. Neglect you. However, do not let that sway your resolve. Each and every one in this group did not need to take the written test, yes, all of you received a recommendation letter."

From the small girl and white-haired girl scanning our group to the surprise of the brown-haired man, Vivian, and Jiang. I just stand there silently. I'm going to assume that means we were supposed to be talented picks. 

But I wasn't. 

I don't deserve to be here.

Compared to whoever used to own this body, I'm Nothing.

"You all struggled through initiation for one reason or another. May it be bad luck, or poor test compatibility you've been placed in a bad position. Though looking at all of you, as students of Gravitas, that anyone here can become great. Let your struggle fuel your Soul. Let your burdens become your blade, and show the rest of this school that Circle Dormitory refuses to roll over!"

I may not be here by choice. I may have stolen this vessel. But I'm not going to just roll over and die. A fire burns in my eyes, yet only two of our number seem to share my resolve. Jiang and that mysterious white-haired girl. 

Going up to each of us she passes another one of those Electrum cards. Though it seems to be the exact same as the one I received earlier. Double starting money is my Isekai cheat? This sucks.

"You have 3 days until classes begin. Make sure you sign up for at least 5." Then with a single turn, she begins to walk up the path. Leaving us to stew in her words. However, a part way up the path she stops.

"There are secrets hidden all over the campus grounds. It may be beneficial for you to pay close attention to your surroundings."

This is a mystery now. What genre was the original novel supposed to even be? Is Circle Rank the main cast? Am I losing it?

Ugh, I'm completely exhausted. I'd rather just this day over with than think. It's been insane.

Ignoring the rest of whatever is going on I turn towards the building, and creaking open the door my shoe impacts the solid wood floor as I look at the dreary building that most likely has a medieval technology level.

"Welcome to Gravitas" I mutter with spite, I miss modernity already.