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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Transfer Student
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Six academies stood atop the colossal Demonic Palace.
Which of them was renowned as the most prestigious?
Ask anyone, and the answer would be unanimously the same.
Jerion Academy of the Hysirion Empire.
An academy founded by Jerion, the Sage of Transcendence.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
A single carriage was now making its way towards Jerion Academy.
Jerion Academy could only be reached by crossing Oblex, the longest bridge in the world.
Beneath the soaring Oblex Bridge,
Lay a vast forest and a river.
Were it an ordinary forest and river, it would have been hailed as a beautiful landscape.
But this was a demonic forest, tainted by the toxic miasma rising from the underground Demonic Palace.
A woman stood by the window, watching the carriage cross the Oblex Bridge.
Long, ink-black hair framed her snow-white forehead.
Her ruby-red eyes.
The combination evoked the image of an elegant, long-haired cat.
She had devoured princes and princesses, ultimately rising to second in line for the imperial succession.
The Third Imperial Princess, Iris Hysirion.
People called her
'The Last Villainess.'
Iris watched the carriage outside her window.
The person inside that carriage was a distant relative of hers.
Not of imperial blood.
The boy's lineage stemmed from his mother's side, who was originally a daughter of a ducal house.
In other words, he was the child of a troublesome aunt who, due to her wanderlust, had left the family of her own accord.
Moreover, his father's lineage was that of a mere noble by name from the frontier.
The boy was neither an imperial family member nor even a part of the ducal house.
He was, in essence, completely unrelated to the Imperial Family.
Yet, his hair and eye color were strikingly similar.
While their appearances bore some resemblance,
His position was entirely different.
"How fortunate for him."
A displeased look crossed her face.
Why had the boy suddenly transferred at this point?
'Did the Duke send him?'
Perhaps he was sent to investigate the recent incident in the labyrinth.
'What is it with that damned imperial throne?'
Recalling the ambition of her grandfather, the Duke, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Dark shadows were visible beneath her eyes.
It seemed she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight either.
* * *
Inside the carriage, crossing the Oblex Bridge.
His black hair swayed with the jolting of the carriage.
Long, dark eyelashes.
Red eyes that held a hint of melancholy.
A youthful appearance that made one doubt his true age.
And a build that was quite small and thin compared to his peers.
He was, without a doubt, the very image of a boy.
Naturally.
The hidden character who transfers in upon meeting certain conditions:
Hanun Airey.
This character was created to appeal to female players, or certain male players, of the game.
He was a bishōnen-type character.
And I was currently playing that role.
'It's enough to make me sigh.'
Damn it, I used to be a tall 185cm.
But now I've become a little runt of 165cm.
It felt like such a waste, in so many ways.
But even so, I had to live in this form for the time being.
No, that's not right.
Considering all the trouble I went through, I absolutely *had* to make use of it.
'You have no idea how much trouble I went through to get the Bandage of the Veil.'
Just recalling those difficult days made my head throb.
The Bandage of the Veil, which I finally found after scouring the black market.
The problem was one of the mid-game bosses who appeared seeking it: 'Vinesha,' the Mad Sorceress.
After countless battles of wits with her, I first passed the ordeal known as the Dark Trial.
And finally, I purchased the Bandage of the Veil and promptly fled, leaving Vinesha to stew in her resentment.
I also managed to grab a few items she possessed.
'She'll probably come looking for me to kill me later, one way or another.'
Just remembering that hardship, I knew I had to make good use of the Bandage of the Veil.
'I nearly had a heart attack trying to make the transfer deadline.'
I tugged at the collar of my high-necked shirt.
This was to conceal the Bandage of the Veil wrapped around my body.
I was no longer Vikamon Niflheim.
I was Hanun Airey.
And from now on,
I had to take Lucas, the protagonist's, place and guide the main story.
'How much of a mess would the academy be in during the protagonist's absence?'
Through the carriage window, Jerion Academy came into view.
The academy seemed imbued with an ominous aura.
Please, let it be in better shape than I imagine.
I tried to suppress my unease.
* * *
Jerion Academy was the most prestigious among the six academies.
As such, Jerion Academy's grounds were almost the size of an island.
Starting from the Oblex Bridge, the largest in the world,
To the demonic forest beneath the Oblex Bridge,
The endless blue southern sea, the Aron Sea,
The world's first airfield and the Gray Magic Tower,
And extending to the Ancient Dragon Mountains in the north.
Its sheer scale was astonishing to anyone seeing it for the first time.
In the heart of Jerion Academy's grounds,
Inside the towering main building of Jerion Academy.
I was walking, following a professor.
The professor shuffled along like a zombie, her short bobbed hair swaying.
The professor's face itself wasn't bad, to be sure.
But her sloppily worn clothes, practically falling off, and her slumped shoulders,
And a face utterly drained by exhaustion, turned everything negative.
"Ah, I crave alcohol. My blood alcohol level is too low."
Her name was Veganon Mercia, a terrible alcoholic.
Surprisingly, she was the second-year Combat Studies professor.
As someone who often exposed herself in 'fan service' scenes while drunk,
She had originally been quite popular among players.
But facing her in person,
I could understand why people hadn't thought highly of Professor Veganon.
'The smell of alcohol is practically radiating from her body.'
A pungent stench of alcohol that I hadn't noticed in the game.
It kept assaulting my nose, making it tingle.
Could a real professor really be like this?
As I pondered this question,
I suddenly saw the classroom nameplate, which read '2nd Year Combat Class.'
The classroom, enormous even from the outside, looked familiar.
It was the class I'd seen countless times while playing the 'Flame Butterfly Arc.'
Of course, it had to be familiar.
I stared blankly at the classroom entrance.
It suddenly dawned on me.
That I was truly inside the 'Flame Butterfly Arc.'
And at the same time, the countless supporting characters and heroines who would be inside.
My heart suddenly began to pound at the thought of facing them.
I was a hardcore veteran of the 'Flame Butterfly Arc.'
So, the idea of seeing in-game characters in person made me inadvertently excited.
"Ugh."
As I felt both excitement and tension,
Professor Veganon pushed open the classroom door.
The noisy classroom instantly fell silent.
Professor Veganon shuffled further into the classroom.
Watching her, I took a breath.
'Don't be nervous.'
I was Hanun Airey.
It had only been a few days since the start of the second year, first semester.
A character who had suddenly transferred.
'Good.'
Having finished my self-hypnosis, I stepped forward.
As I entered the classroom, all eyes immediately swiveled towards me.
"It's the transfer student."
"That's right. They said he was coming today."
"Black hair and red eyes, those colors are definitely—"
"Shh, quiet."
I heard the students' whispers.
All the students I saw now were familiar to me.
Though there were extras filling the background, just like in the game,
Among them, I saw the supporting characters connected to Lucas.
"Tsk."
One supporting character clearly didn't welcome me.
"Hmph."
Another supporting character let out a snicker, her eyes curving in a smile.
"..."
Yet another supporting character simply watched me in silence.
But there was one person.
Whom my gaze fixed upon.
Deep in a corner seat.
Her bright honey-blonde bobbed hair stood out.
Normally, she would be the heroine and childhood friend, always encouraging the protagonist with an endlessly bright face.
Isabel Luna.
But now.
In her face, as I saw it, there was not a single trace of light.
Only one thing hung over her.
Shadow.
Her eyes, lost in an endless darkness, held no will whatsoever.
She, who was once called the epitome of brightness,
Was there, utterly broken.
My fist clenched, unnoticed by others.
That sight brutally confirmed that this situation was a bad ending.
A childhood friend, cherished and grown up together as the closest of companions since youth.
A woman who had lost her childhood friend before her very eyes, and with him, her will to live.
That was Isabel Luna now.
Isabel was one of the main heroines of the 'Flame Butterfly Arc.'
Always bright beside the protagonist, a reliable supporter who took charge.
That was Isabel.
She could be likened to a sunflower.
A sunflower gazing at the sun, Lucas.
But without the sun, a sunflower wilts, its head bowed.
Isabel, a sunflower who had lost her sun, Lucas, could no longer lift her head.
All that remained for her now was to slowly wither away.
This was a certainty.
In the scenario, after Lucas died during his first-year Demonic Palace challenge, leading to a bad ending,
A single line appeared afterward:
One year later.
Isabel Luna, unable to overcome her grief, ultimately decided to follow Lucas.
After Lucas's death, Isabel eventually committed suicide.
This was the only post-bad-ending world revealed in the game.
Her bright nature had a knack for drawing people in.
Even after Lucas's death, she had many friends around her.
But despite that, she chose suicide.
Without Lucas, her sun, there was no hope for her to live.
Seeing Isabel now, I was certain.
She would eventually end her own life in the near future.
My fist quietly clenched.
Isabel was a heroine who, in the latter half of the story, perhaps played an even greater role than the protagonist.
Without her,
'The Flame Butterfly Arc cannot proceed to its ending.'
And that meant,
I couldn't progress beyond the bad ending.
So, what was I to do?
"Introduce yourself."
Professor Veganon leaned against the desk, waving her hand dismissively.
Only now did I tear my gaze from Isabel and take a shallow breath.
I keenly felt the students' gazes.
I didn't think I had stage fright or a fear of being watched.
But trying to fasten the first button in a world that had entered a bad ending made me unnecessarily nervous.
As expected, Isabel didn't even glance my way.
A sunflower, without the sun, simply bows its head and wilts.
What Isabel needed was clearly a sun.
But that didn't mean I could become Lucas, her sun.
I had no intention of becoming a sun in the first place.
I was Hanun Airey, not Lucas.
Though in reality, I was Vikamon Niflheim.
That didn't matter right now.
"A while ago, I read an article about Jerion Academy."
Perhaps because I'd suddenly started talking about a newspaper instead of introducing myself,
The students' faces showed a mix of curiosity and interest.
Watching them, I slowly continued.
"The article said this: 'Last year's first-year students were annihilated in the Demonic Palace due to an Apostle.'"
Isabel flinched for the first time.
As I brought up Lucas, she looked at me weakly.
As I said before, I couldn't be a sun.
"It was pathetic."
So,
"For students of Jerion Academy to die at the hands of an Apostle... there's a limit to how much trouble you can cause."
I decided to become a moon, at the very least.
Isabel's eyes slowly began to widen.
"Who was the leader back then? It must have been that pathetic guy's fault."
Of course, the leader was Lucas Fernando.
The students' faces hardened.
Everyone knew who had been most utterly broken after that incident.
A sidelong glance—
The students glanced at Isabel.
Sure enough, a deep fury slowly emerged in Isabel's eyes.
She was the one who had suffered the most after losing Lucas.
And into her ears, words directly insulting Lucas had fallen.
What did that mean?
At this moment,
I had crossed an irreversible line with Isabel.
"I am—"
Isabel, remember this clearly.
"I came here to ensure that such a disgrace would never again befall the prestigious Jerion Academy."
From now on, your sworn enemy, and
The one who will force you to live on, fueled by your rage.
"Hanun Airey. Nice to meet you all."
That's me.