novelraw Chapter 345: The Appearance of Rosaline Hexaris
Chapter 345: The Appearance of Rosaline Hexaris
"By the way, I have an important announcement," Ronald said calmly. "Many of you probably already know that we have some second-year seniors here. They’ve come to welcome you, so I hope you’ll all take the time to get to know them."
After that, he turned to his left. Five people stepped forward, their expressions proud.
Three boys and two girls, all tall and dressed in the academy’s formal attire.
What set them apart from the first-year students’ uniforms was the Roman numeral on the winged badge over their right chest.
While the new students wore the number one, these five bore the number two—marking them as second-year students.
"You can introduce yourselves," Ronald said.
All five gave slight nods. The boy on the left stepped forward. He was the tallest among them.
His hair was short and black, his eyes brown. His face wasn’t particularly handsome, yet there was a subtle air of arrogance about him.
"My name is Geran. Nice to meet you all," he said casually.
His gaze swept across the hall before finally settling on Merlin.
A sharp, meaningful glint flickered in his eyes. Merlin noticed it at once and whispered, "System, did that guy just stare at me?"
"[It seems so, Master. I’m concerned he might have ill intentions toward you,]" the system replied flatly.
Merlin fell silent. He felt the same unease.
"Open Geran’s system panel," he murmured.
[Status Panel]
Name: Geran Kiliard
Age: 15
Identity: Second-Year Student at Saint Freya Academy
Talent: A-Rank
Guardian Spirit: Four-Clawed Bear (★★★)
Rank: Fourth Spirit Core
Bloodline: None
Favorability: -20
When he did, his eyebrows lifted slightly. Geran was strong—at the Fourth Spirit Core level—and specialized in swordsmanship.
But when Merlin checked his affection stats, his eyes narrowed.
"Minus twenty? What does this mean, System?"
He was wearing the Charm Glasses. By all logic, a stranger’s affection toward him shouldn’t drop below zero. At most, it should have increased by ten points.
"[Sorry, Master. I just remembered—those glasses only work on the opposite sex. They don’t affect the same sex,]" the system replied, sounding slightly embarrassed.
Merlin let out a quiet sigh. He had already suspected as much. Otherwise, Geran’s affection toward him would never have dropped into the negatives.
Honestly, Merlin didn’t care. If that boy wanted to pick a fight, he wouldn’t hesitate to teach him a lesson.
After Geran stepped forward, the boy beside him took his turn. His long gray hair fell to his shoulders, and his face carried a subtle feminine air that clashed with his masculine frame.
Smiling, he placed his right palm down and introduced himself.
"My name is Trigard. Nice to meet you all."
And, just like Geran, Trigard’s gaze suddenly locked onto Merlin, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Merlin felt a chill run down his spine and quickly opened his status panel.
[Status Panel]
Name: Trigard Ilias
Age: 15
Identity: Second-Year Student at Saint Freya Academy
Talent: A-Rank
Rank: Sixth Awakening
Bloodline: None
Favorability: 40
When he saw the numbers, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"System... Trigard is a man, right? He’s not a woman?"
"[He is a man, Master,]" the system replied confidently. "[Why do you ask?]"
Merlin was speechless. His eyes darted to the affection column—and froze. Trigard’s affection for him had reached forty points.
If Trigard were a woman, it wouldn’t bother him. But he was a man. Merlin couldn’t help feeling a flicker of unease.
Merlin took a deep breath and steadied himself. He reminded himself that affection didn’t always mean romantic love—it could also be admiration, respect, or something similar.
His father’s and Frederin’s affection for him was at 100 points. Of course, that was love—he was his father’s son and Frederin’s future son-in-law.
So, high affection from a man didn’t necessarily mean romantic interest.
Feeling calmer, Merlin ignored Trigard’s piercing gaze and turned his attention to the next person.
Following Trigard, the boy stepped forward. He looked fairly ordinary—neither handsome nor unattractive.
His expression was flat as he introduced himself.
"My name is Arta. Nice to meet you all."
Merlin quickly checked his status panel. Nothing remarkable. His level was the same as Geran’s and Trigard’s—Sixth Awakening, equivalent to Fourth Spirit Core.
After the boys came the girls. The one at the far end stepped forward first.
She was the shortest of the five. Her brown hair was tied into two playful ponytails.
Her face was pretty, but it was her cuteness that made the hairstyle feel perfect for her.
"My name is Mey. Nice to meet you!"
"Woaa!"
The boys all exclaimed in admiration. Mey had an aura that made her instantly likable.
On top of that, her cheerful demeanor made her seem approachable, and the boys’ excitement spiked the moment they saw her.
Merlin checked Mey’s status panel and saw nothing unusual; he simply gave a slight nod.
"Pretty good," he commented.
After Mey, the last girl stepped forward. She was tall and striking, with long red hair cascading down her back.
A black headband rested atop her head. Though undeniably beautiful, she carried an air of arrogance, as if she looked down on all the new students.
"My name is Rose. Nice to meet you," she said calmly.
The boys didn’t dare meet her gaze for long. Rose was stunning—but, as her name suggested, her beauty was sharp and intimidating.
"They’re your seniors. Don’t be too stiff—they don’t bite," Ronald joked. "By the way, there’s one more senior. But it looks like she’s late. Maybe—"
Before he could finish, a calm, cold, and indifferent voice spoke from the entrance.
"Sorry I’m late, vice principal. I hope I’m not interrupting this welcome party."
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, captivated by the sight.
A fifteen-year-old girl entered with effortless grace. Her silver hair flowed down to her hips, her blood-red eyes sharp and mesmerizing, and her face flawless.
She wore a white academy uniform, but it did nothing to diminish her presence—if anything, it made her even more alluring.
Her figure was slender, with a narrow waist, yet her bust and hips were perfectly proportioned, giving her a beauty that felt both elegant and commanding.
Her academy skirt was short, barely reaching her thighs, while black stockings hugged her long legs, rising all the way to the tops of her thighs.
Every step she took made the boys swallow hard. Even Luna, Catrine, and Margaret—considered the prettiest girls in their year—looked overshadowed by her presence.
"[Ding! The heroine and villainess has arrived! Complete your mission and claim an incredible reward!]"
The system’s enthusiastic voice echoed in Merlin’s ears.
"So, she’s Rosaline Hexaris, huh?" Merlin’s eyes narrowed. "True to her reputation, she really is stunning."
He had already seen Rosaline’s profile in the character sheet created by Michiku-sensei.
It described her as haughty and arrogant, someone who looked down on anyone weaker than herself.
But beneath that facade lay a weakness she didn’t even recognize herself: a desperate longing for a father’s love.
The Magic King was always busy, favoring his sons over his daughters.
Because of that favoritism, Rosaline strove to become strong, hoping to earn his attention.
In the end, all her efforts were in vain. Her father treated her achievements as mere duty, while Lucius received attention and affection despite his frequent mistakes.
That jealousy festered, quietly consuming her.
On the day Lucius was killed by Abel, Rosaline felt nothing—and even tacitly supported Abel’s actions.
As a result, she suffered a severe punishment. Among other things, her status as a princess and all her privileges were stripped away.
’If I want to bring her down, the best way is to fill the emptiness in her heart. But that won’t be easy,’ Merlin muttered with a long sigh.
It had taken Abel over a year to win Rosaline over. Merlin didn’t have that kind of time.
He had no choice—he had to approach Rosaline.
The method? Wasn’t it obvious?
Merlin’s gaze fell on Lucius in the distance. Rosaline’s arrival made him smile broadly.
Suddenly, Lucius noticed Merlin staring and turned toward him.
He was about to throw a provocative look, but Merlin’s smile froze him in place—the same predator’s smile used when locking onto prey.
’What does that smile mean? He isn’t planning something bad, is he?’ Lucius wondered, fear prickling through him.
That nightmare came rushing back, and he quickly averted his gaze from Merlin.
’It’s probably just my imagination... Yes, just my imagination,’ he muttered, trying to calm himself. ’And my sister is here. So it’s Merlin Clay who should be afraid, not me.’
Once his heartbeat slowed, his confidence returned—but he still didn’t dare look at Merlin.
"Welcome, Rosaline. Don’t worry—I’m glad you made it on time," Ronald said with a smile, showing not the slightest hint of anger.
The students immediately grew curious about Rosaline’s identity. Judging by Ronald’s calm demeanor, it was clear she held a status far above the five senior students.
"I’ll introduce her to you all. This is Rosaline Hexaris, one of the bearers of the Seven Rings—the Ring of Light."
The students’ eyes widened in shock at the announcement.
The Seven Ring Bearers were the academy’s strongest students. With Rosaline being one of them, there was no doubt about her power.
Their admiration surged naturally. Rosaline, however, ignored their gazes—she was already tired of such attention.
Suddenly, her eyes landed on Merlin in the distance.
"So, he’s Merlin Clay, huh?"
"[Ding! The Charm Glasses are activating! Ding! Congratulations, Master—you’ve received 10 affection points from Rosaline Hexaris!]"