The Forest Tribe, the Elves.

In this world, there exist many diverse races—Earth Tribe Dwarves, Beast Tribe Beastmen, and so on. Among them, however, the Forest Tribe is extremely rare. This is because they belong to the so-called , species that have flourished since ancient times. Moreover, they are the sole surviving members of these .

It is said that other ancient species, such as the Lizard Tribe Lizardmen or the Vampire Tribe Vampires, once existed, but they have all perished. Even in my first life, I had never had the chance to gaze upon a Forest Tribesman so closely. In other words, I’m incredibly nervous right now.

“...!!”

Suddenly, an elven female student appears and peers directly into my eyes from a close distance.

Her emerald-green eyes reflect the light, more beautiful than any gemstone, and her beauty is almost artificial... mesmerizing. On top of that, a sweet scent tickles my nose, clouding my thoughts.

—What is this creature?

No, I can tell without a doubt that she’s an elven woman, but as expected of a transcendent species, her appearance seems beyond the concept of age—perfectly complete.

—To begin with, most of the women around me are either troublemakers or downright dangerous, so the contrast is overwhelming.

She carries an air of intelligence, completely different from a certain battle maniac I know. Simply put, I’m flustered.

“You’re the rumored Claym Bradley, aren’t you?”

“Y-Yes...”

Hearing my name called, my heart leaps. Thanks to my memories from my first life, I do have some knowledge—albeit very basic—about this elven woman. However, I never expected her to recognize me, even with the rumors. After all, this woman is notorious in the academy for having no interest in others—especially humans.

Many students have been captivated by her beauty, and many men have attempted to court her. However, she has never entertained any suitors, rejecting them all to devote herself to magical research. It is also said that the rejected men return looking utterly drained of life.

—There are even rumors that she uses them as test subjects for magic experiments, extracting large amounts of their blood or mana for catalysts.

“It’s our first time meeting, isn’t it? My name is Elyule Grandforest. A first-year like you, in a place like this—what business do you have here?”

“Uh...”

Hearing this stark contrast from my first-life memories of Grandforest-senpai, I hesitate. I have no idea why she is speaking to me. While she is famous for being a dedicated researcher, more importantly, her background is extraordinary.

She is the princess of the Elven Nation, which governs the vast forest in the southern part of the continent—a position that makes her very presence at this academy an anomaly. Why is she attending this school? The thoughts of royalty are often incomprehensible to common people.

As I struggle to answer, she continues in a relaxed tone.

“I heard you defeated Rail Braysicle. He was a Fourth Rank, wasn't he? So, are you here looking for a faction to join?”

“...!!”

She’s completely seen through my intentions. Well, it’s obvious—anyone would assume that from my actions.

Although I’m surprised, I quickly regain my composure. In fact, this is an opportunity. I had planned to approach the factions without any foothold, but now, a faction leader herself has taken an interest in me.

—And according to my intel, her faction still hasn’t gathered many members.

If that’s the case, then there’s still a chance for me to become one of her subordinates.

—Wait, what?

Suddenly, something feels off.

What did I just think? Become her subordinate? Who’s subordinate? Whose?

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no, um...”

As I stand there dumbfounded, the alluring elf tilts her head slightly. That small gesture is so endearing that I suddenly feel the urge to wrap my arms around her and—

“I am not some lust-driven fool!!”

My entire body flushes with heat. I recognize this sensation. It’s that sickly sweet, invasive feeling—just like when I got tangled with that crazy woman before.

“...!!”

“Oh my.”

Coming to my senses, I immediately put some distance between myself and Grandforest-senpai. That was dangerous. I don’t know what she did to me, but I barely managed to escape her mysterious allure.

—Unlike with that crazy woman, I didn’t sense any magical discharge. In that case...

“What did you just do to me?”

Since I don’t understand, I might as well ask her directly. Grandforest-senpai softens her expression slightly and answers.

“Just a little experiment... or rather, a test.”

“A test?”

“Yes. If you were easily swayed by my eyes, then you wouldn’t even be worth talking to. But you passed, Claym Bradley. If you were able to resist that much, then it’s safe to say you’re already under my charm... Impressive, as expected of this year’s rising star.”

“Uh, I have no idea what you’re talking about...”

The once otherworldly aura surrounding her shifts, replaced by the demeanor of a true researcher. I’m utterly confused.

—Also, she’s too close.

For some reason, even though I put distance between us, she has closed the gap again. Moreover, she keeps touching me, oddly fixated on my body. I try to shake her off, but she shows no signs of letting go. Her presence feels eerily similar to that perverted knight I know.

“You’re looking for a faction, aren’t you? We happen to be searching for one last member—someone strong, cool, and dependable. A knight, to be precise. Don’t you think our interests align?”

“Uh...”

“But simply letting you join wouldn’t be any fun. So, there’s another test.”

“And what was the result of this first test?”

“For now, you’ve passed the first stage.”

“I see...”

Looking at the alluringly smiling elf, I’m unsure whether to feel happy or not. No, I had originally considered her faction my top choice—it was the most efficient option. But now that I’ve met her in person, I can’t help but reconsider.

—In just these few minutes, she’s giving off strong ‘dangerous woman’ vibes...

Not to brag, but I’ve always had terrible luck with women. That hasn’t changed in either of my lives. And my instincts are warning me: “This one is bad news.”

“Now then, onto the final test. You’ll have to meet all of my faction members for an interview.”

“Uh... okay...”

I may have made a mistake in who I got involved with. But by the time I realized it, I was already in too deep to escape.