Heroine 3

The principal of Hunter Academy is the highest authority responsible for all students.

Naturally, all information about the Academy flows to the principal’s office.

Even if it’s just a minor dispute.

“Maintaining proper conduct…”

Lee Yeon murmured softly.

“There certainly was such a school rule.”

“That’s right!”

South Korea is the freest country in the world.

Safe from the threats of Gates and monsters.

Traditionally, citizens of South Korea have the right to enjoy freedom.

High school students are in the flower of youth.

For students of that age, in the tumultuous period when they go beyond freedom to the point of abandon, to restrict their appearance…

“It’s closer to military law than a school rule!”

If it can’t be helped, it can’t be helped.

Hunter Academy was a military facility.

It’s only natural to maintain military discipline.

The students of the Academy are military resources.

They are the pillars that will support the future of the country someday.

So even from puberty, some degree of military discipline was necessary.

“…Hmm.”

Lee Yeon nodded.

“Well. It’s not a bad rule to have…”

Today’s children are too unrestrained.

Lee Yeon’s general opinion was that they needed some constraints.

Even though Lee Yeon herself was only in her late twenties.

“I don’t like it.”

She just personally didn’t like it.

That the most shining jewel of this year’s class was affected for such a reason.

“This is almost like the military.”

To emphasize again, South Korea was a free country.

A country that didn’t need the oppression of the old era.

Those who still haven’t escaped the illusions of the old era often say this:

This country, this land needs a conscription army.

To never again experience the sorrow of a ruined nation.

It was an outdated saying.

Something only old soldiers out of touch with the times would spout.

South Korea was not a weak country.

It was the strongest country in the world.

None other than Lee Yeon made it so.

Old-fashioned firearms were useless against Gates and monsters.

Those who claimed to have devoted their lives to the country and its people were utterly useless when a true war broke out.

Yet sometimes, they shamelessly act like war veterans.

Those who enslaved citizens under the pretext of conscription.

Lee Yeon could assert.

There was nothing to be given to them.

No honor, no assets, no power.

And in that sense, she had no intention of leaving any old-fashioned, military-smelling things in this country.

“But that doesn’t mean unrestrained behavior is right either.”

Freedom comes with responsibility.

The students proved through the recent incident that they couldn’t enjoy complete freedom.

“…I see.”

Lee Yeon smiled.

“Giving special treatment to excellent students is natural in a liberal democratic country, isn’t it?”

The liberal democratic country of South Korea is not fair.

Shouldn’t there be appropriate differentiation for the excellent?

Last time, she couldn’t give anything.

This time will be different.

Lee Yeon’s smile deepened.

“That’s how it is! From now on, you can wear a coat over your uniform!”

“What…?”

An unimaginable butterfly effect.

Han Seo-yeon could only think, not understanding the reason.

‘How lucky.’

…Is this the right phrase to use here?

She wasn’t sure.

Michaela’s lunchtime is always bustling.

Despite it being lunch for just the two of them.

Han Seo-yeon always liked to chatter.

Unlike the quiet Michaela.

She talked noisily, leaving no room for boredom.

To a third party’s eyes, it might look like an incompatible relationship.

With one side unilaterally saying what they want to say, and the other side not saying anything.

Surprisingly, Michaela didn’t dislike this dynamic.

Han Seo-yeon, who was excessively lively compared to her who was excessively quiet.

She thought it somewhat complemented each other’s lacking parts.

Michaela was just not good at initiating conversation, but she didn’t particularly intend to avoid talking to people.

Today was unusual.

Today was different somehow.

“…Hello, Miss Michaela.”

“Nice to meet you, Senior Wittelsbach.”

There were more people.

Two more, in fact.

Han Seoyeon and Baek Da-eun.

Familiar faces.

Michaela tilted her head.

Michaela had often seen Han Seoyeon and Han Seo-yeon together.

On the surface, they seemed to bicker, but in reality, they were friends who cared for each other.

“It’s been a week.”

Moreover, Michaela clearly remembered Han Seoyeon’s suspiciously deep and clingy feelings towards Han Seo-yeon.

“What business do you have?”

It wasn’t strange for Han Seoyeon and Han Seo-yeon to be together.

Rather, it had been strange that they hadn’t been together until now.

“Business? It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Then what was the reason for this girl with the rollbun hairstyle?

Han Seo-yeon herself had said they weren’t close.

“We came to have lunch together. With you, and, um, Han Seo-yeon.”

For what reason was the girl blushing and shyly speaking with embarrassment?

“…Bear with it, senior.”

Han Seo-yeon whispered in Michaela’s ear.

“She had no one to eat with, she was even crying.”

“I see.”

That was indeed a pitiful story.

“What are you two whispering about?”

“It’s nothing! Da-eun.”

For a moment, she doubted her ears.

That was clearly a tone filled with familiarity.

“Um.”

She opened her mouth to ask.

About that term, ‘Da-eun’.

If she had made another friend without her knowing.

But then she fell silent.

It was clearly unnecessary to ask.

Michaela was Han Seo-yeon’s friend.

Friends weren’t supposed to interfere in each other’s private lives.

Isn’t there a saying, ‘a friend of a friend’?

Friends didn’t need to know everything about each other.

After all, both Michaela and Han Seo-yeon were keeping secrets they couldn’t tell each other.

She should just be happy.

Wasn’t it good that Han Seo-yeon had made a friend other than her?

“Come on, let’s eat before it gets cold.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

A harmony of voices rang out.

“Wait, what are you eating right now!”

“Stir-fried bean sprouts.”

“Was there such a menu in the cafeteria…?”

“No. It’s my homemade dish.”

“Homemade, you say. This?”

To Han Seo-yeon, it was a very natural harmony.

Cheerful.

It was the tone of students of the same age getting along.

To Michaela, it was an unnatural dissonance.

Awkward.

There was a sense of something being off.

“…Sigh. Didn’t I tell you to eat less bean sprouts?”

“But the school food is expensive!”

“Expensive, you say? This price?”

The conversation flows.

More than before.

Lively and full of vitality.

The direction was quite different from before.

It wasn’t the one-sided conversation between Han Seo-yeon and Michaela.

Michaela wasn’t in that gap.

“If you had told me in advance, I would have bought Han Seo-yeon’s share too.”

“I don’t like that. It feels like I’m in debt, between friends.”

“Fr-friends…!”

It was Han Seo-yeon’s lunchtime that could be plenty harmonious without needing Michaela.

She would no longer have to eat alone.

“W-well, it can’t be helped! As it happens, I was getting a bit tired of this dish, so just for today, let’s swap my food with Han Seo-yeon’s homemade dish!”

“Are you serious? No, no matter how you look at it, the price difference is too…”

“It’s fine, so hurry up and give it to me!”

Natural skinship between friends.

It was too different from Michaela, who was artificially trying to act as a caretaker under the guise of being a friend.

“Th-this is Han Seo-yeon’s homemade dish…!”

“Are you sure? You’ll regret it?”

“How could I!”

The ones before her eyes were children of humans.

They were just ordinary high school students.

“Is it edible?”

“Of course it is!”

“Then that’s good.”

Natural reactions that Michaela didn’t know and therefore couldn’t do.

“Seo-yeon, want to swap food with me too? Steak is good, but pasta isn’t bad either.”

“Oh. Is this what they call creative economy or something?”

Michaela picked up her utensils.

She shoved food into her mouth before it got cold.

Amidst the noisy conversation, only the sound of utensils seemed particularly loud.

“I’ll go first.”

She quickly finished her meal.

She stood up from her seat.

“You’re done already? You’re fast, senior.”

Of course she was.

Michaela wasn’t the type to savor her food while eating.

Eating was nothing more than an act of energy supply.

She had lived like that for the past year.

The last month had been unusual.

She had been forced to listen to unnecessary talk, unable to focus solely on eating.

“Eat slowly.”

“Okay! See you later!”

It’s the same energetic response as usual.

At the same time, it was a different response from usual.

If it had been the usual Han Seo-yeon that Michaela knew, she would have tried her best to stop her by now.

Asking her to wait a moment, or saying she’d finish quickly and go together.

She would have tried somehow to be with her.

“…Alright.”

It wasn’t to say that was bad.

It wasn’t to say that was disappointing either.

“I’ll see you later.”

It couldn’t be bad.

It was Michaela who said she’d go first.

It could be said she was being considerate.

It couldn’t be disappointing.

Her friend was just getting along with another friend.

It could be said it was natural for her to take care of her friends that Michaela didn’t know.

Leaving the noisy background behind, Michaela’s body left.

Why was it?

She felt somewhat unsettled.

Even though she should have consumed enough nutrients.

It throbbed.

A part of her chest.

It seemed that today’s Michaela was strange after all.

[Are you perhaps jealous.]

Even hearing such ridiculous words.

‘Nonsense.’

Michaela dismissed it.

There’s no way she could feel jealousy.

If she had to express it, wouldn’t it be pride?

The girl who was alone except for her can now make friends without relying on her.

‘I am a scabbard. Born only with the sword. There’s no way I could feel jealousy.’

That’s right.

She was a child of the scabbard.

It was just that the scabbard took on a human form.

[For something like that, it’s quite an emotional reaction.]

Michaela doesn’t know.

The meaning of an emotional reaction.

That that very emotional reaction was, more than anything, proof of being human.

She only thought.

That perhaps their relationship might grow distant.

In an instant, as brief as the blink of an eye.

The most fundamental part of Han Seo-yeon’s feelings for Michaela lies in her appearance.

In that appearance that is extremely beautiful by objective aesthetic standards.

Both Han Seoyeon and Baek Da-eun were beautiful girls.

To the extent of meeting Han Seo-yeon’s aesthetic standards.

Their personalities couldn’t compare.

Above all, because Michaela was a murderer.

And a very vicious one at that.

It was impossible to say all murderers are the same.

Michaela killed people with clear intent.

As a result, she made precious people sad.

She made precious people feel sorrow.

Han Seo-yeon killed people unintentionally.

She swung her sword to protect precious people.

She protected her precious people.

Michaela didn’t suit such a kind child.

She was a scabbard.

A scabbard of a sword that leads others to misfortune.

‘I…’

Even if she closes her eyes for a moment, she hears it.

The wails of those who trusted her as a comrade.

[Traitor! You, traitor!]

[Give them back, that person, give them back…!]

It was an act she thought was right.

It was arrogance.

It was a murder play brought about by arrogance.

She killed for her comrades.

And then she couldn’t feel regret.

No matter how much they wailed, she could assert.

If she faced the same situation again, she would kill the burden.

Even if she heard any resentment, Michaela wanted those she thought were good and righteous to not suffer even the slightest harm.

Even if she was reborn across worlds, that sin wouldn’t be erased.

So a kind child like Han Seo-yeon shouldn’t love her.

‘I have no right to be jealous of anyone.’

Michaela Wittelsbach had no right to be loved by anyone.