The fragrant scent of grass seems to rise from the tiny fairy perched on my palm, her brow furrowed as she grumbled.
“Really, do those things actually happen? I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true, Darkhan.”
“…The fact that such incidents occur at my Academy makes me feel uneasy.”
I was taken aback by her unexpected statement.
I thought she would ignore me half-heartedly, yet surprisingly, she listened to everything I said.
“Do you really believe it all?”
“If I didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t even have bothered to listen.”
“…Thank you.”
“After all, you’re supported by Athena. Surely there must be something to it. And…”
As she spoke, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she began to tap her feet while mumbling.
“For some reason, I feel like I want to believe you…”
“Excuse me?”
“Ah… never mind!”
I glanced at her as she frantically waved her hands.
‘…She really is concerned about the students.’
She seems indifferent, but in truth, this fairy loves the Academy students more than anyone.
In the novel, Darkhan fell into a pit of guilt when students were injured.
But since I’ve informed her about the calamities occurring at the Academy, the damage should be significantly less than in the novel.
Feeling good about the conversation going smoothly, I smiled at her.
For some reason, Darkhan, with her face turning bright red, hurriedly spoke up.
“But… I’m not fully convinced yet.”
“Oh. Is that so…?”
“Of course! How could I believe such absurd stories? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even listened!”
“Well… that’s true.”
Her words weren’t wrong.
But that’s okay.
Just instilling some awareness in her was already a success.
When the first calamity arrives, she’ll realize that I was right and will prepare well for the rest.
That’s enough.
Although Darkhan’s power isn’t quite at Athena’s level, she’s still one of the Empire’s top talents, so she should be able to handle it.
With a sigh of relief, I felt as if peace was returning to the Academy.
Now I could go back without worry.
“So, you need to stay here.”
“Eh?”
Unexpectedly, my tongue got tangled at her sudden remark.
When I gave her a puzzled look, she glared at me with her arms crossed.
“You weren’t planning to leave like this, were you? I need to see if what you said is true!”
“Um… okay?”
In confusion, I pointed at myself.
Stay? In this Academy?
It wouldn’t be a problem, but there’s no need to stay just for that.
“You want me to stay here…?”
“Of course! Just in case what you said turns out to be wrong. We can change the plan then!”
“….. uh.”
“Just believing your words is already a huge favor I’ve done. You have to take responsibility for what you said.”
……Her words weren’t completely unreasonable.
Everything I mentioned was from the novel.
There was no guarantee that all of it would happen exactly as I described.
The story was already tangled enough, so it wouldn’t be surprising if one or two calamities diverged.
If that happens, surely good things won’t occur.
Besides, she was right. I should take responsibility for what I’ve said.
If I left now…
‘If I’ve told them all that will happen, then they have to stop it all.’
It would be irresponsible to leave like that.
But asking me to stay at the Academy…
“…Is there really anything for me to do here?”
At my question, Darkhan began to giggle behind her hand.
“Hehe… Why wouldn’t there be?”
Then she flew over from where she stood on my palm, and with a bright voice, said,
“Become a student and experience just how amazing my Academy is!”
“What?!”
“Top professors, outstanding facilities, and all sorts of high-end practical equipment! There will be plenty for you to do.”
“Wait a minute.”
“Normally, you would have to take an entrance exam, but since you’re someone certified by Athena, that won’t be necessary at all.”
Feeling the pressure of her sparkling gaze filled with excitement, I became increasingly uneasy.
“I might be a bit too old to enter the Academy…”
“Don’t worry! I’m the president, so what’s the problem? Age can be ignored, can’t it?”
That doesn’t sound like something a president should say.
“You’ll join, right? You’ll be my student?! Huh? Huh?”
“…..”
I was left speechless by her overwhelming enthusiasm.
…The Academy? I had never even imagined such a thing.
Back when I first possessed this body, I often daydreamed about what it would be like to attend the Academy.
But it was a desire I put aside, not wanting to disrupt the protagonist’s path.
And yet here I was, being offered a place at the Academy.
Of course, there wouldn’t be any real issues.
The only potential problem was running into Lily, but I had a solution for that.
I had learned transformation techniques from Sephir.
Even if I did happen to encounter Lily at the Academy, she wouldn’t be able to recognize me.
Sephir’s transformation skills are quite impressive.
‘Athena didn’t even notice when I spoke…’
In fact, there was one reason I wanted to attend the Academy.
I had been hiding it deep inside me all along.
I wanted to see Lily.
My beloved little sister.
I wondered how she had grown.
She must have made a lot of friends, being such a cute and beautiful child.
She might have already forgotten about someone like me.
But I hadn’t forgotten about Lily and Dania even for a single day.
I just tried not to think about it as much as possible, putting those thoughts deep into my heart.
If I were to attend the Academy, I could watch over her, even from a distance.
The Academy.
It wasn’t a bad idea.
But…
For some reason, I couldn’t just accept it readily.
My phobia wasn’t fully cured yet.
I still trembled when someone touched my body, and being in a crowd made me feel suffocated, as if everyone was glaring at me.
Though I had improved a lot from before, the scars of my past still haunted me.
“…I need to think about it.”
Ultimately, unable to make a decision, I had no choice but to postpone my answer.
Darkhan, looking disappointed, climbed onto my shoulder and looked at me.
“Okay, I’ll give you a nearby dorm room to stay in while you decide.”
She hesitated for a moment, her cheeks reddening, then quietly said to me.
“I… I’d like you to help protect the Academy with me.”
For some reason, it felt like I was hearing a shy confession.
Darkhan truly loves the Academy.
“Ah, right. Speaking of which…”
I almost forgot.
This was the question I should have asked first.
“Is there currently a hero at the Academy?”
One of the main reasons I came here.
At my question, Darkhan’s eyes widened.
“Huh? You didn’t know? Word has spread throughout the Empire that they enrolled this year.”
‘…I figured as much.’
Relieved by her words.
If there is indeed a hero enrolled this year, it must be Robin.
Clearly, the rumors I had heard were nonsense.
‘After all, he’s a divine agent personally chosen by the Goddess. It’s unlikely that the story would veer off course.’
While I sighed in relief, Darkhan tapped her chin, looking puzzled.
“I’m pretty sure… the hero’s name was Lily?”
“Yes, it must be Robin—”
…..
…..
…..
…..
….. what?
Did I hear wrong?
“What… what did you say?”
“Huh? The hero’s name? It’s Lily. What, didn’t you know the hero’s name at all?”
“…..”
…. What?
What did you just say?
“NNNNEEEEEEE???!!!?!”
*
Thud-Thud—
“That’s a lie… it can’t be…”
I could only look at the ground blankly, walking helplessly.
I couldn’t believe it.
Lily is the hero.
What on earth does that even mean?
Yet, next to Lily’s name, darkly written, was undoubtedly the title of the Sacred Sword’s hero.
No.
How on earth?
‘Just how would it be possible for Lily to become a hero?!!!?!’
I looked up at the sky, silently screaming in despair.
It was absurd.
It was already hard to believe that the Sacred Sword’s hero was not Robin.
The realization that the hero isn’t someone else, but Lily, hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Ugh…”
A sense of foreboding filled my heart.
If Robin were the hero, I wouldn’t have worried at all.
Robin’s unique trait. Unyielding will.
As long as he doesn’t give up, he’s granted extraordinary stamina and strength, allowing him to stand strong until the end.
And paired with the unmatched Sacred Sword that never breaks, he would overcome any trial.
‘Of course, he’d go through hell and back to earn it, but…’
But shouldn’t a protagonist endure such hardships?
After all, he would eventually be rewarded with the hearts of many heroines. Surely, such patience would be worth it.
But if Lily’s the hero, that’s a different story.
I sent her to the Academy thinking she’d have various experiences.
I never intended for her to become a hero and suffer.
No way.
I didn’t want to see my little sister, Lily, go through such hard times.
Moreover, unlike Robin, Lily had no special abilities.
If her spirit were to break midway, she could easily collapse.
I had to help her.
But I was too afraid to face her.
“What am I supposed to do…”
What do I do to help Lily escape the hero’s burdens—
‘…Huh?’
While worrying about Lily, a familiar figure caught my eye.
“Iris?”
It looked like classes had ended, and she was heading back to the dorms.
But she took her time scanning the surroundings, confirming that no one was around before heading to a secluded corner of the Academy.
‘…Where is she going?’
Feeling suspicious of her behavior, I decided to stealthily follow her.
Not long after tailing Iris, I found myself in a dark alley where no human footprint seemed to reach.
‘This is definitely not a place Iris would go…?’
Watching her cautiously, Iris paused for a moment and scanned the area, then pulled something out of her pocket.
Then she—
“…Huh?”
Shthrip—
With a gut-wrenching sound, Iris let out a deep groan.
I stared at her with trembling eyes.
Beneath her legs, fresh red blood flowed out in streams.
And from where the blood was dripping, a small dagger, undeniably a knife, was embedded.
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