Title: Nicking the Protagonist

Summary: The scholarship student certainly fell in the range of availability for one baronet.

I listlessly wandered the halls of the Academy. I was rejected again. None of the baronetesses wanted to accept my invitation. They all had dreams of ascending the ranks or having the easy life by marrying into nobility or marry a baronet associated with the capital.

At least they weren't nasty about it. Judging from siblings statements, the girls could be do much worse.

Still, I was left in a bind. I needed to find a marriage partner this year. I was in my third and final year.

The question was who was left. I've virtually courted every available girl here. There was no one left to invite. The only ones I've yet to interact with were the lower years. It was considered a taboo to fo so since it could mean more infighting amongst the boys.

However, I may be left with little choice in the matter. I'd much rather not leave my engagement up in the air. Zola would certainly see to it that I be engaged to someone far too old for me.

I'll need to consult Leon. He gad inroads with his year mates. Perhaps he could arrange an exception for me to court girls of his year.

Haaa, what a pathetic brother I am to be relying my troublesome little bro.

Now then, where was his tea room?

As I wandered around the halls looking for Leon, I found a girl on the floor sniffling as she gathered several torn bits of paper on the floor. She must have been a low ranked noble.

Actually, thinking on Jenna and Merce, it really wasn't a matter of rank. It was more likely a matter of personality. Meekness was weakness for the girls.

Wait... she was meek, which meant she probably still had a decent personality. What's more, I don't believe I have met her before. So she couldn't have rejected me before. Additionally, she was crying over a ripped invitation. She probably unattached.

Before I could stop myself, I knelt down and helped gather the pieces of paper.

"Rough day?"

Jenna, after some goading, came in to talk to Olivia. Jenna gave her a look of thinly veiled disgust.

"You're seriously trying your luck with the commoner? Are you really that desperate?" Jenna asked me. She did not see the issue of talking about such matters in front of the girl in question.

The girl in question gave me a wary look. Understandable. Given how the noble girls have been treating her and probably the reputation of some unsavory boys, it would be naive to just trust some random noble.

Worse, it wasn't exactly a secret that I was looking for a partner. It was obvious I wasn't doing this entirely for charitable reasons.

Rather than make some weak excuse, I simply gave Jenna a suitable reason to help.

"She's enrolled in the advanced course. The royal court probably plans on her receiving a noble title."

Jenna adopted a contemplative look. While merely a speculation, it made more sense than the idea of investing Dia for three years to teach her how to run a territory and let her go on with her life running a gardening shop. Actually, it generally made more sense to suck up to the girl since she was chosen by the royal court. Simple niceties was sure to get you an in with the higher nobles responsible for her enrollment.

"Tell me, Olivia, did you introduce yourself to the most notable girl of your year?" Jenna asked Olivia with a softer tone. Most notably, she addressed Olivia by name.

The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to figure out how to introduce Olivia to Angelica. Mannerisms and protocols were shoved into her head, but we faces an issue. None of is had the money to purchase a suitable tribute, both for the right for an introduction and for Angelica herself.

We needed Leon's help. How shameful to need to ask Leon for his money. As his older brother, I could barely bear the shame.

Jenna, on the other hand, had no qualms about wringing our little brother for money.

Once Jenna left, I turned to Olivia.

"Please never learn from my sister's bad spending habits."

"Uhm, Nicks? I had a question. It's about what Jenna said when we first met," Olivia asked while fidgeting.

"Is it about how I was pursuing you?"

"Yes. I just... why?"

"Honestly, I'd thought I'd try my luck."

"That doesn't really answer my question though."

"It honestly as much as an answer that I can give. I could give you some spiel about how you were in an acceptable status for me to marry and share my woes in finding a partner. I could also lie and try to sweet talk you by feeding you fanciful lines of romance from those novels you read."

"That... doesn't feel like a good answer."

"Well what were you hoping for me to say?"

"... I don't know... just something more," she said while turning her face away.

"Are you disappointed that I didn't proclaim my love for you?"

"... Well... I mean... I would find it flattering..." she stammered cutely.

"But you wouldn't believe me even if I did."

"... No..."

"... Would you be bothered if I did?"

"... No. It's just, why me?"

"Is there something wrong about you that I should know about?"

"Don't be coy. I am a commoner. Surely you can aim higher than me."

"Pft, in case you have forgotten, I'm only a baronet lest something happen to my elder brother, and even then, my younger brother is more likely to take over the title. I'm just a fancy commoner at best."

"Is that how you see yourself?"

"I didn't mean it in a disparaging way. I meant it in that status isn't preventing is from being an item. If you'd like, would you like to try? See how this plays out?"

"... Maybe?"

"I'll take it."

"Aren't you supposed to be attending the first year's banquet?" I asked Olivia as we sat on my bed. I wasn't in the advanced courses and thus wasn't allowed to go to my year's banquet. Olivia had decided to sneak into my room.

"I'd rather not. There isn't anyone there that I know," she said meekly.

"What about Leon?"

"I don't think he likes me very much. He... tolerates me? I'm not sure how to describe it."

"Huh, that's odd. While not the most friendly person, he usually acts according to how others treat him."

That included both the good and the bad. There were many times in which we had to apologize on Leon's behalf due to him going overboard. Admittedly, the little snots deserved what was coming to them more often than not. Still, we had to apologize because either the victim in question would be troublesome for us or because Leon pushed his revenge too far.

So why would Leon not take to Olivia?

"Perhaps it has more to do with Jenna?" I mused.

"Should I apologize to him? I did end up borrowing money from him," she nervously said.

"Nah, as much as Leon gripes, he really doesn't seem to care about spending money. It's rather awe inspiring how easily he can earn some coin. Rat bastard doesn't even have the decency to tell me how he does it," I snorted. Ever since he went on his adventure, money was never an issue. It still mystified me how he could keep spending as much money to support our family, but Dad didn't seem to have an issue about where it was coming from. It was probably safe to rely on it until Leon cut us off completely.

"That still feels wrong," Olivia said sadly.

Rather than try to convince her that paying back Leon wasn't necessary, I decided to push the idea that Leon's attitude had more to do with something else.

"In any case, I doubt Leon has an issue with you. He's likely more concerned with something else. He's always been more bothered by bigger things."

"Perhaps it has something to do with His Highness?"

"... His Highness?" I asked in absolute terror.

Leon, what did you fucking do?! Did he pick a fight with the crown prince?

"No! Nothing as serious that! It's more that His Highness and friends have been... romantically entangled with a girl," Olivia said in a rush, stopping me from storming my brother for answers.

"Oh, thank the Saintess," I said with a relieved gasp.

"Surely your brother wouldn't be so foolish as to fight the prince. Right?"

"Yeah, you're right. The boy may be hotheaded at times, but he generally knows his limits," I said more to convince myself. I had mental receipts of how much of a lie my words were.

"You still seem stressed."

"Yeah."

"I don't think you need to worry much. He seems to dislike the girl in question quite a bit. I'm doubt he's going get involved with the royal entourage over a girl he dislikes."

"Nicks! Take a deep breath! In and out! In and out!" Olivia panickedly said as I heard the news about what my little brother had done at the first year banquet last night.

"Leon?! Have you lost all sense?!" I desperately yelled as I shook him about.

"Nicks, stop shaking me!"

"Not until you tell me why you decided to take on the founding families! I mean seriously, what the hell is wrong with you!"

"Ugh, Nicks, I think Leon is about to hurl," Olivia said softly.

I immediately stopped as I didn't need Leon's vomit to ruin my day further.

Leon, after taking a moment to collect himself, said, "I'm just done why this shitty school. I'm gonna get myself booted from nobility and go on my merry way."

"By committing treason?!"

"Not treason. I'm siding with the snubbed daughter of the largest... previously largest faction of Holfort. The Redgraves will at least stop this from affecting our family."

"Under what obligation?!"

"Money, duh."

"What money?! How much money did

you make from your adventure?!"

"Oh that won't be enough."

"I reiterate, with what money?!"

"Did you know that the current rate for the duel is at 500:1?"

"... No... there's no fucking way you planned that far ahead to get yourself demoted... I refuse to believe it..."

"Uh, context?" Olivia asked.

"My bastard of a brother never wanted to be a baron. He constantly moaned and whined when he had found out he had been promoted. He didn't want to court any of the noble girls. So now a perfect opportunity has fallen into his lap with the perfect out. All he has to do is win the duel and he'll be free."

"Aren't the odds stacked against him?"

"Yes. Suspiciously so."

"It is five to one against the most notable heirs of our year. All five are also at the top of the Academy's rankings."

"And my brother conquered a dungeon and discovered islands with what would amount to their pocket change. Isn't it suspicious that someone so accomplished would have such low odds still? Unless of course his grades were middling at best despite me knowing he's at third year level material."

"Uh, Nicks, you're overestimating me again," Leon said with a very convincing look of disbelief.

"No! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! I should strangle you, you rat bastard! How dare you jeopardize the kingdom by throwing some random girl at the founding heirs just so you could get demoted!" I said before launching myself at the most brilliantly stupid boy.

AN

1) Honestly, I got this idea from rereading What's a Condom. The specific line that inspired me was when Leon (a baronet at the start of that fic) was introduced to Olivia as a potential marriage candidate and how Olivia was technically the most prestigious one of Leon's rank coulf acquire legitimately.

2) Nicks as a main character was interesting mainly because there's so little detail about him except for being jealous (lovingly) over his little brother's success. He's the everday man whose stuck observing Mr. Never Punished.

3) Nicks ripping his hair out over Leon's antics seems reasonable, given what he knows of Leon. Honestly, it's a shame he didn't show up more mainly because it would be interesting to see the dynamic of a normal person laying out how much shit the family will be in. Essentially highlight what normal people would have to deal with instead of just getting away with it.

4) Honestly, it would be amusing to look on the plot from the outside in real time. Like, what must be going through Zola's head to see her husband's most disrespectful runt not only beat the shit out of the heirs, but gets rewarded with promotions and a harem. Or more pertinent for this fic, Nicks going OMG, we're going to get executed!

Review Response

General reader who suggests plots: Have you all considered posting your ideas as fanfics? Even if you use my chapters as a prompt/starting point, it would do wonders to expand the fandom. It's kind of the point of Trapped in the Drawingboard. I would love to see more content on this site.

Monkey D. Conan: Funnily enough, the whole shattered timeline thing was something I was playing with while I was writing that collection. Some parts of it is in the text. Main reason it wasn't a singular concept though was mainly because mashing it all together into a cohesive idea would be a lot of work and because hitting all three reveals in a single chapter would be a bit much.

Shadowwalker93: So in regards to Offrey not being allowed to attend her fiancé's tea party, it surprisingly falls in line with Stephanie's backstory and the idiocy of the girls. Stephanie has noted that she was previously bullied by other girls despite being engaged to Brad due to her merchant background. Even when she became a rather notorious woman, girls were stupid enough to still insult her despite the known consequences, so them trying to stop her when she never developed a mean streak falls in line with known information. As for Brad potentially kicking up a fuss, in Marie route he more or less acknowledges that he never gave her the time of day and was partly responsible for the way she turned out. I don't see him changing much in this aspect.

I would disagree about A Different Fiancée not changing much considering the final boss is the villainess. That introduces a whole slew of potential changes, such as Leon making a far more concerted effort to stop Marie's shenanigans since it would be reasonable to assume no breakup means no immortal god monsters. Marie could also be far more reluctant in pursuing her harem since the plot is no longer assured, which could drive Julius up the wall wondering what he did wrong. Basically lots of potential twists that is dependent on one's imagination.