Bernatore, Bernatore

Having wound the time clockwork back a little less.

The moment before Scarl’s heart stopped.

Kill the Demon King.

That was the final destination of [Regret, Anguish, Obsessive Hero Flare] and my goal as well.

In the ending of Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” a novel I loved most in my previous life, Gregor, a human turned into a cockroach, dies at the hands of his family.

Irreversible changes that cannot be resisted make people adapt.

‘Gregor initially acted like a human as a cockroach, then accepted his situation.’

I have become Scarl Bernatore, so I will support Luna and Flare, who will save the world.

That’s all.

What about after that? I’m not a cockroach.

I should eat well and live well with the money I earn.

‘…If possible, by creating a harmonious family that I wanted in my previous life.’

A young man who spent an unhappy childhood is bound to envy a happy family for the rest of his life.

-But you’re dying like Gregor, Scarl?-

‘Scarl was useless trash, about the same level as a cockroach.’

I answer the self-deprecating question.

-It’s okay. Unlike Gregor, at least I’m dying like a human.-

The rest will be done by them.

That evening, when Scarl closed his eyes.

Light shone brightly from somewhere, and the time clockwork was wound to the exact point by someone’s touch.

Click—!! Click—!! Clack—!!

As soon as the hand was removed, time began to flow again.

One morning as the first semester was coming to an end.

The weather outside the window was as gloomy as it could be.

I put on my usual attire and went to the office to wait for Luna…

‘What is this déjà vu?’

Luna was already in the office before me.

“Luna?”

“…Scarl-nim.”

I was taken aback by Luna, who suddenly burst into tears.

‘Did I do something wrong yesterday?’

“S-Some dust got in my eye. H-Here.”

Luna’s hands, handing me a plate of sandwiches, were so clean that it was hard to believe she had just been cooking.

‘Has her cooking improved that much?’

There used to be one or two cuts, though not as many as at first…

“Scarl-nim?”

At her repeated urging, I stopped thinking and picked up a sandwich.

‘If the outside looks normal, the sauce is usually weird.’

She seemed to have woken up early to prepare, so I trusted her and took a big bite.

“Oh.”

A purely exclamatory, ordinary, delicious sandwich.

I quickly finished one and confidently picked up another to bite into.

‘Keuk—?!!’

The taste of fish sauce entered without resistance.

Even though there were two slices of cheese, the strong, fishy flavor of the Bernatore’s traditional sauce, which offset the unique pungent taste, almost made me gag, but I endured with superhuman strength.

‘…I held my breath and somehow swallowed it.’

“…Could I have some water?”

“Here you go.”

Why make weird ones when you can make normal ones!

‘Is she trying to mess with me…? Has our relationship been bad lately?’

I’m afraid of the taste of the remaining two pieces.

‘Should I offer her one?’

“Luna, why don’t you have one too?”

Luna shook her head.

“It’s okay, Scarl-nim.”

I offer again.

“Just eat it.”

Especially the one with fish sauce.

“Please, have some.”

“…Okay.”

I gave up at Luna’s earnest words and picked one at random.

‘Whatever it is, one of them is a dud.’

Of all things, the first one I ate was normal.

Now that I know, I hesitate to pick up the last piece.

‘I’m afraid to eat this.’

“Scarl-nim, is it not good…?”

“No. It’s not.”

The second sandwich tasted even more terrible, as if the sauce was concentrated in one spot.

‘Now that I’ve compared them like this, I can’t eat it anymore…’

Looking at her expectant eyes, I had no choice but to force it down.

It’s time for criticism rather than praise.

“…Half of it was delicious.”

“Really! I knew it!”

I meant for her to bring only normal ones from now on…

Isn’t that a natural reaction? How can a person, not a penguin, eat a fishy sandwich—

“I’ll clean up since you’re done!”

I have a feeling it’s not right, and I’m scared.

Exhausted, I check the desk drawers.

‘The letter is here, and the stone… Huh?’

The save/load stone I was going to leave for Luna and Flare is not there.

“It was… here. Whew.”

I must have forgotten that I put it in my coat because it was important.

I put on the necklace and ring, which are equipment from the game, and grab the sword.

Having finished all the preparations, I went down a little early and found Luna in her heroic attire, waiting.

“No.”

“I want to go too.”

“No way!”

Luna, with her lips tightly shut, came closer and teared up.

‘Tears are cheating.’

“Scarl-niim. I want to go with you just for today. Please?”

And acting cute is a crime.

“…Okay.”

Luna in the carriage looked so happy that it was hard to believe she was the same person who had suddenly cried when she saw me this morning.

‘Luna’s emotions seem to be fluctuating a lot today. Is it that time of the month? Or is it because I ate all the weird sandwiches…?’

More than that, I wonder if taking her today is really a good idea…

“Are you carrying your dagger?”

It might be needed for self-defense.

“Here it is.”

A dagger coming out from her waist.

I felt an unknown sense of ease from Luna, who was touching the sword with a somewhat longing touch.

‘Huh? Did she always keep it there?’

Luna suddenly raised her hand.

“Scarl-nim. What is that?”

There was a sword in the carriage that I didn’t recognize.

‘Wait. That’s Holy Sword 『Love』? Why is that here…’

It should definitely be stored in the guild warehouse?

Luna asked innocently.

“Did Scarl-nim put it in for use in the lecture?”

That’s good, in a way.

A long sword is easier to defend yourself with than a dagger.

‘Luna is a Hero, after all.’

“No. It’s a gift I prepared for you, Luna.”

“…I see.”

Luna seemed embarrassed for some reason, but she didn’t take it directly.

“Take it yourself.”

“G-Give it to me. S-Scarl-nim.”

I was flustered by Luna’s unknown forcefulness, but today might be the day I die.

I decided to indulge her.

“Here it is. A gift. Holy Sword… 『Looove』. Looove! That’s its name!”

I was about to hand it over without thinking, but as soon as the name of the sword came to mind, I hurriedly mumbled.

‘How embarrassing that it’s…! Because that’s what came up at the secret auction house!’

The Holy Sword whose performance improves the more you admire someone.

‘Even the general performance without that is good, so I bought it.’

It’s an embarrassing name to reveal for no reason.

“Hmph… It’s a Holy Sword, but the name is weird. Looove.”

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes to mumble.

“Scarl-nim?”

“I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep for a bit.”

If there were only dark clouds and red signs at the mansion.

When we arrived at the academy, lightning and thunder roared loudly, and rain began to pour down.

“The weather is bad! Chauffeur, return to the mansion as soon as we get off!”

“Yes, Master!”

The sound of raindrops hitting the carriage roof was so loud that I got out first.

I opened an umbrella and put it over Luna’s head as she got out.

“Come here! Luna!”

“Yes!”

Luna, without me telling her to come inside so her shoulders wouldn’t get wet, knowingly wrapped her arms tightly around me.

‘Seeing it is different from touching it.’

I was about to tell her to stick closer because it looked like her back would get wet now.

“C-Closer, closer—”

“I’ll get closer!”

Luna, who had noticed before I could even finish speaking, came into my arms as if hugging me.

“W-Wait, this is too much…!”

Rumble, rumble, crash—!!

The sound of my flustered voice was drowned out by the thunder, and Luna, who had been grinning, was startled a beat late by the thunder, and hugged my torso with her arms and rubbed her face against my chest.

“…Oh my! I’m scared!”

I was dumbfounded, but I had no choice but to put my arms around Luna’s shoulders and pat her awkwardly as we walked.

“It’s okay. We just have to go to there, Luna.”

“Ah! Scarl-nim’s shoulders! They’ll get all wet like this. I’ll stick a little closer.”

‘More than this? How?’

I barely arrived under the eaves with Luna, who was clinging to me like a child who didn’t want to be separated even for a moment.

“Now, go inside.”

“…I’m scared of lightning.”

‘She reacted a beat late.’

Could she have felt something instinctively?

Her trying to come up with strange excuses to avoid being separated was cute, but I should go soon.

“Go on.”

I was about to send her up from the entrance when Luna called out.

“Where are you going?”

“I have something to do at the main building! I’ll be back! Go first!”

Luna came closer and carefully pulled on the tip of my finger.

“…Please be careful. Scarl-nim.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the most serious face I had seen today.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Don’t worry! I am Scarl Bernatore, a descendant of the Hero!”

‘Luna is doing things she doesn’t usually do today.’

On the way, I put on the ring of strength and used the transformation ring to change into Hati.

I put on the Lion sword and finished by wearing a robe with built-in transparent magic that hinders recognition.

I was nervous, but when I thought of Luna’s appearance just now, the thought that it was too early to die came to mind first.

‘Let’s go to Flare quickly.’

I run to the first-year girls’ dormitory.

The way there was strangely fine.

It was as if the other students had come to help as soon as the demons appeared. Only a few imps were seen near the destination, the dormitory, but even they were being caught by the upperclassmen and professors nearby.

Did the Second Princess receive a revelation?

How did she know this fact…

Shut up and kill the imps quickly!

What did Sophia say?

“Dex!”

“Jane!”

On one side, a couple was sharing a touching hug.

‘This has never happened in the game before…’

The number of casualties in the academy is close to 0? This is truly a miracle.

‘And Sophia predicted and directed this?’

Sophia is a mage, not a fortune teller?

‘Did she lie about something and it got distorted?’

Considering the position of the Second Princess, that could be the case.

It may have been a snowball effect that turned into a random event, with her eating with the president or high-ranking officials of the academy and casually telling them to strengthen security.

‘Good is good.’

The problem is that I can’t enter through the main gate because of the surrounding gazes.

I had no choice but to break the window of an empty room on the first floor and sneak in.

“Die! Die! Die!”

The owner of the familiar voice is Flare.

“Flare!”

I called her name and went out into the wide space on the first floor.

Hearing me call, Flare ran at me with tremendous speed and I fell backward as she hugged me.

“S-Scaarl senior!!”

I feel like I’m going to suffocate from Flare squeezing my torso.

‘Was Flare this strong?’