If this were a story, then I would undoubtedly be the villain—a disposable one who dies early on—and the protagonist would surely be...

“E-excuse me!!”

Without a doubt, the protagonist would be someone like the man standing before me.

Weiss Brightness—a man born into an ordinary family, but whose bloodline is that of a hero. He inherited the hero’s legacy so vividly that he began to make his mark at this academy as the hero of this generation.

“N-no, I should be the one apologizing for acting so strange all of a sudden.”

I managed to calm down the hero, who looked like he was about to burst into tears and fall to his knees. As I did, I dug into my memories.

The broad strokes of what I knew about him from my first life were as I described earlier. Most crucially, he was the eighth confirmed inheritor of the "Primal Magic" in this country.

—The more I recall, the more ridiculous it seems, like something out of a fabricated story.

After finally entering the room and sitting across from him, we apologized to each other. But even now, this generation’s hero seemed uneasy. Not that I was entirely calm myself, but... his unease was excessive.

He avoided meeting my gaze, his eyes darting around as he shrank into his seat. The Weiss Brightness I knew wasn’t a timid, uncertain boy like this. He was a bright and confident person who valued bonds with others, someone who would never forgive evil.

—Is this really the same hero I know?

I’d find it easier to believe if someone said it was just a doppelgänger. That’s how different the boy in front of me felt.

“A-ahem. My name is Weiss Brightness... um, from an ordinary family…”

Lost in thought, I realized Weiss was reintroducing himself awkwardly. His initial greeting had been half-hearted, so I decided to reintroduce myself as well.

“I’m Claym Bradley. A noble, technically. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“B-B-Bradley!? F-from the famous marquess family!? I-I’m so sorry!! A commoner like me doesn’t deserve to share a room with you! I’ll leave immediately!!”

Hearing my name, Weiss visibly panicked. His reaction wasn’t surprising. Any commoner would feel overwhelmed if suddenly told they had to share a room with a noble for a year. A noble with a skewed worldview might even consider it an insult. My first life’s self had been that kind of noble.

Now, I had no such petty thoughts. At the end of the day, we’re all just people. Equally tested by the world and equally capable of slaying dragons.

—Still, I never expected this reaction from the hero.

The unexpected turn of events and Weiss’s behavior gradually brought me back to my senses.

“Please, don’t be so tense, Brightness. This is an academy. Social status doesn’t matter here. We’re all equals, learning under the same roof.”

Some prince or another had said something similar before. And honestly, I fully agreed with the sentiment.

“Huh? Are you saying it’s okay for me to stay in the same room?”

The sheer surprise in his voice was palpable. His reaction was so unlike the hero I remembered that it unsettled me.

Thinking back, Weiss only began to make his mark as the "Hero" and the "Eighth Inheritor" in his second year. Perhaps he really was this way at the start of his time at the academy.

—He might literally be a different person from the hero I knew.

The thought began to ease the trauma that had been clawing at me earlier. Slowly, but surely.

“Actually, are you sure you’re okay rooming with someone strange like me? If it bothers you, I could talk to the academy about switching—”

“N-no! I couldn’t possibly ask for that!!”

“Don’t force yourself. We’ll be living together for a year, so this room should be a place where we can both relax. Sharing it with someone you’re uncomfortable with wouldn’t help, would it? There’s no need to push yourself.”

I made it sound like I was being considerate, but really, it was all for my own peace of mind. No matter how different he seemed from the hero in my memories, I still felt on edge, and old traumas threatened to resurface.

Humans can’t sort out their emotions that easily. As much as I’d miss the corner room, switching roommates was essential for my mental well-being.

—It’d need to be under mutually acceptable circumstances.

Judging by his reaction, Weiss seemed to prefer not sharing a room with a noble. The flow of events would feel natural.

—What a perfect plan, even if I say so myself.

As I silently praised my own brilliance, I noticed Weiss trembling slightly. It seemed my prediction was spot on—he must have hated the idea of rooming with someone like me. The words that came out of his mouth, however, were—

“What an incredible person you are!!”

“…Huh?”

His response was entirely unexpected. Overcome with emotion, Weiss stood up and began speaking fervently.

“I thought nobles were arrogant and scary, that they didn’t see commoners as equals—my grandma always said so—but you’re nothing like that!”

“Well, there are certainly those kinds of people—”

“But Mr. Bradley, you’re completely different! You genuinely care about someone like me, from an ordinary family. To think you’d be so considerate and worried about me… my entire image of nobles has been shattered!”

“I-I’m glad to hear that…”

The previously meek Weiss now brimmed with excitement.

—Was he always like this?

The gap between the Weiss I knew and the one before me grew even wider. Who is this guy?

“Ah… I-I’m sorry! I got too carried away…”

Having poured out his feelings, Weiss finally regained some composure, his face now pale. He probably thought he’d been too rude. Ignoring that, I steered the conversation back to the topic at hand.

“Don’t worry about it. So, about sharing this room—what do you think?”

Deep down, I only wanted one answer. If Weiss said, “Let’s change rooms!” the matter would be resolved.

“If… if you’re okay with me, then I’d be honored! I feel like I could actually relax with you, Mr. Bradley!”

“I-I see… that’s wonderful…”

For some reason, Weiss accepted sharing the room with me.

—Why???

Plastering on a smile, I could only remain utterly confused.

Somehow, I’d ended up with the hero as my roommate.