episode_0162

“……”

I stared at the opposite side.

Ruska Vanity.

The boy, who had suddenly come to deliver a warning, simply glared at me.

His cold, sunken blue eyes resembled a winter’s day.

His gaze, subtly, unconsciously, radiated hostility.

‘An uncomfortable atmosphere.’

The oppressive silence.

While fiddling with my teacup, I continuously kept my attention on him.

Given the sudden visit, I didn’t let my guard down.

The boy had burst in without even a prior notice.

“—I… absolutely had to come to give a warning.”

“—It concerns my older sister.”

And he even added some significant words.

As for me, I couldn’t just let it pass.

‘Ultimately.’

A deserted alleyway.

We were facing each other in the shadowed alley.

We had moved to a place where no one could overhear us.

There was no better environment for a private conversation.

I lightly broke the ice.

“So, what is it you wish to warn me about?”

“……I don’t know if this is the right thing to do.”

Ruska couldn’t answer immediately.

He merely furrowed his brow.

Perhaps he needed time to organize his thoughts.

The boy took several deep breaths, then began to speak the words he had held back.

Unlike usual, his voice held a slight tremor.

“There’s no point dragging this out.”

“If Young Master is hesitating this much… then it must not be a trivial matter.”

“Indeed. Someone might overhear, so I’ll be brief.”

“As I hoped.”

His flickering pupils.

The boy said, our gazes meeting.

“My family has started to pay attention to you.”

“The Vanity family, you mean…?”

“Yes. But not in a positive sense.”

“But I’ve never done anything to incur the Ducal family’s hostility.”

“That doesn’t matter. What’s important is that your name is on the list.”

“What is this ‘list’? No, before that… what exactly do you mean by ‘paying attention’?”

“I cannot answer that right now.”

Ruska closed his mouth at the important parts.

It seemed to be due to restrictions placed by his family.

I had expected it from the start, but I asked to confirm.

After all, I had more or less understood what the boy wanted to convey.

‘If it’s ‘attention’… is it already time for them to make a move?’

I deduced the situation in my mind.

The original story quickly replaying.

Even amidst that, the boy, lost in thought, continued in a calm voice.

However, I merely continued to act as if I didn’t understand the situation.

“Is there a reason you’re telling me this?”

“Because my older sister is involved.”

“The Young Lady…?”

Ruska’s way of speaking had a subtly irritating quality.

He would drop hints as if things were very serious, but then remain silent about the crucial core.

It was probably due to restrictions.

‘His way of speaking strangely reminds me of the Dean.’

It was a good thing I knew the original story; otherwise, I would have burst with frustration.

I asked a question, feigning composure.

“In that case, what do you wish for me to do, Young Master?”

I asked his true intentions.

If he was bringing up such a serious matter, it meant he expected something of me.

At my question, which pierced the core so precariously, Ruska’s pupils widened.

He briefly broke into a cold sweat, then answered.

“……Protect her.”

The boy’s blue eyes trembled visibly.

His gaze was infinitely serious.

“Please, protect my older sister.”

I couldn’t help but instinctively realize it, even if I didn’t want to.

A story where precarious cracks were forming.

The arbitrary flapping of a butterfly’s wings had finally returned as a storm.

An invisible tsunami was surging towards the world.

***

My head was spinning.

Was it because of Ruska’s sudden warning?

I had to be lost in thought for a while.

A chilling tension lingered along my spine.

‘If it’s the Vanity family… something is indeed happening, isn’t it?’

It was quite a troublesome topic.

Even with knowledge of the original story, the future that would come was close to an unknown.

It was something even I, with thousands of hours of gameplay experience, couldn’t be sure about.

The main story had deviated too severely to predict tomorrow.

‘Butterfly effect.’

The original story had deviated significantly from the present.

Originally, half of the characters should have died, and the academy should have collapsed as well.

Furthermore, the [Usurpation War] that took place in the underworld should have been in full swing.

I had broken down such major plotlines one by one.

It would be stranger if there was no reaction returning from that.

“—My family has started to pay attention to you.”

And amidst all this, I received a significant warning.

As for me, it was difficult to ignore.

Moreover, the Ducal House of Vanity was a force that appeared as evil in the original story.

I had to combine the given information and deduce what would happen next.

As I walked, lost in thought, someone’s voice suddenly tugged at my sleeve.

It was none other than Regia.

“Young Master? Are you alright?”

“Ah… Regia.”

“Th-that is, your complexion hasn’t looked good for a while now.”

“Of course, I’m fine. Thank you for worrying.”

We were crossing the academy street.

Beside the fluttering pink hair, the Vain One and the Fox were also standing.

We were on our way back to our respective dormitories after attending class together.

The Princess sisters had returned first, saying they had other business, and Teacher-nim was busy handling work.

Because of that, there were only four of us on the way back to the dorms.

‘How should I put it?’

It was a composition that reminded me of early last year.

A time when everything was still clumsy.

Back then, the four of us always spent our academy life together.

It was strange to think that a whole year had already passed.

I subtly murmured towards Regia.

“Time flies, doesn’t it?”

“Y-yes… It feels like the entrance ceremony was just yesterday, but it’s already our second year…”

“Joyful days usually pass by quickly, after all.”

Light chitchat continued.

As we idled away a short time, something sparkling suddenly caught my eye.

It was none other than the ring on Regia’s ring finger.

Recognizing what it was, I spoke without thinking.

“The ring… you’ve been wearing it all this time.”

“Oh? Y-you remembered…?”

“Of course. After all, I’m the one who put it on you.”

Several months ago.

It was a ring that had dropped as a reward after finishing a side story episode.

Since I didn’t have any particular need for it, I had given it to her.

It seemed she had worn it without forgetting since then.

[EP???. How to Cross the Desert]

—The Gate Opening in the Sky, The Boy Who Stays Up with the Stars—

A stage infamous for its hellish difficulty.

As such, the reward that came back was not disappointing.

‘Accessory, Ring of Fate.’

An item that can block one attack directed at the player, regardless of the type of attack.

Although it had the drawback of disappearing after use, in the original story, it was an outstanding accessory, strong enough to withstand Yuda’s [Liar].

In terms of consumable items, it could be considered an end-game item.

Regia blushed as if embarrassed.

“Th-that is… it’s a gift from Young Master. I always cherish it.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”

How could she speak so beautifully?

I stroked her pink hair with an appreciative heart.

The girl, flustered, still quietly accepted my touch.

“You-Young Master…?”

“Please make sure to carry it with you from now on. Don’t forget it, and don’t lose it.”

I added a few requests.

We were now at the stage preceding the final chapter.

It was a time when nothing would be strange, so it would be good to have even one countermeasure.

Especially since Regia was the weakest in terms of combat power, excluding her summoning magic.

Measures were needed so she could respond in an emergency.

In other words.

“Because someday, it will protect Regia.”

This ring was a minimum safety device.

The girl, who had been listening blankly, soon nodded with a refreshing resonance.

I didn’t know how she interpreted my request, but her expression was bright.

Looking at her faintly flushed cheeks, it seemed she felt hot.

However, the girl merely fiddled with the ring on her ring finger.

“Yes…! I will!”

“She’s so admirable, as expected.”

Voices gently exchanged.

As I appreciated her fresh response, I suddenly felt piercing gazes from both sides.

It was none other than Emilia and Irene, who were returning home with us.

I had forgotten, focused on my conversation with Regia.

The two were glaring at me with cold eyes.

Their expressions clearly showed displeasure.

“Hmm… interesting, isn’t it? To receive such a gift already.”

“I never thought that side would get ahead.”

A ring.

And a ring on the ring finger, no less.

Furthermore, a ring that was personally placed on her finger.

It was enough to draw attention from those around.

I had to offer a sort of excuse with a troubled smile.

The chilling atmosphere cooled the heat in my spine.

“There’s a slight misunderstanding here…”

“If you’re thinking of glossing over it by calling it a misunderstanding, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Surely you wouldn’t do that. That would mean you were toying with a commoner, wouldn’t it?”

“Even if you were a lecher, you wouldn’t say something like that.”

“Because you wouldn’t be such a terrible person.”

“……”

The relentless verbal jabs.

Honestly, I felt utterly wronged, but I didn’t dare open my mouth.

Because I knew I would be swayed even more if I did.

I merely continued my bitter smile.

“B-but… if you put the ring on her, th-then it means… that, right?”

“They say the quiet cat is the first to climb onto the stove [a proverb about outwardly docile people achieving something unexpected or being sly].”

Is it indeed that kind of interest?

Regia’s face, watching the situation, was burning as if it would burst.

Just as the girl stepped forward to explain.

The Fox, who had suddenly approached, cut her off.

“Wait a minute! Th-this isn’t like that…”

“I don’t care.”

Snatch—.

Irene suddenly snatched my arm.

I tilted my head blankly.

“Irene…?”

A questioning call.

The girl’s subsequent action was something no one could have predicted.

She took my hand and brought it close to her lips.

Then, her closed mouth slowly parted.

And then.

Slurp…

She enclosed my finger in her mouth.

A wet, staining sensation.

It was precisely the part where the ring finger was located.

The sudden moisture, hot temperature, and soft texture of her tongue were directly transmitted.

Even with her lips completely covering my finger, the Fox calmly met my gaze.

Her eyes curved into an enchantingly alluring smile.

Gnaw—.

Her hard teeth gently bit my finger.

A sensation of being gently pressed, as if stimulating my ring finger.

In addition, her tongue, which softly enveloped the area, moved as if licking candy.

The sticky saliva playing at my fingertips made her presence palpable.

It was an addictive warmth.

“……”

Silence flowed by our side.

As everyone was unable to collect themselves due to the sudden situation, Irene soon pulled out my finger as if nothing had happened.

A watery thread stretched between her tongue tip and my fingertip.

A distinct bite mark remained on my ring finger, which had been bitten for a long time.

A round mark, as if a ring had been engraved.

It was truly a depraved sight.

The girl simply smiled leisurely.

“This is enough for me.”

A bite mark imprinted like a ring.

It seemed she was saying this was in place of a real one.

The Fox wiped the saliva spread on her lips.

“……”

At this point, there was something I became curious about.

Was she really a Beastkin?

Or was she perhaps a race closer to a demon or a succubus from some myth?

Her alluring voice made everyone watching dazed.

Silence settled amidst a somewhat impure heat.

What broke it was none other than the Vain One, who had been stiff all along.

She shrieked as if horrified by Irene’s actions.

Her white face was thoroughly flushed.

Her trembling blue eyes reproached the opponent before her.

“Y-you…! H-h-how could you! Such an o-obscene act in public…!”

“It doesn’t particularly matter, does it? There’s no one else around anyway.”

“Even so, how could you be so la-lacking in dignity…!”

Emilia, even stuttering her words.

Perhaps because her mind was in a mess, it seemed difficult for her even to form sentences.

Her forehead, which was not just hot but boiling, gave the illusion of steam rising from it.

Was it because she was indeed from a noble family?

She was always powerless when the topic shifted to this kind of subject.

To the point where sometimes I wondered if she was even more pathetic than Regia.

“U-uhhh… a bite mark on my finger, a tongue mark…”

Of course.

Regia wasn’t exactly fine either.

Her similarly reddish complexion clearly showed her agitation.

Faced with such reactions, the Fox merely smiled as if victorious.

I couldn’t help but let out a low sigh.

“Pfft.”

A slight chuckle followed.

Shaking my head, meaning ‘they’re incorrigible.’

It took quite a long time to calm down the two people who were thrown into confusion.

***

Meanwhile.

In the labyrinth located beneath the academy.

In the gloomily shadowed space, several footsteps traversed the passageways.

Each one wore a blood-red robe fluttering behind them.

The creeping magical energy hinted at their presence.

‘Ba’ob.’

In other words, those called black mages, or cultists.

The ominous air flowed between the walls.

As they moved forward, a question suddenly rang out.

It was a question directed at the robed figure leading the group at the very front.

“Gravedigger-nim. We will arrive at our destination soon.”

“Confirmed. Base camp. Establish. Around here.”

“But… isn’t this too close to the academy building? The faculty might notice our presence.”

“Impossible. Absolutely.”

Gravedigger (gardien d’une tombe).

The man, thus called, expressed a firm denial.

He asserted that they would never be discovered.

This might seem arrogant, but it wasn’t necessarily a wrong assumption.

Even if the faculty had somehow discovered the existence of the labyrinth.

It would take time to grasp its internal structure.

Especially if they were to uncover the ‘hidden paths’ they used, it would take at least half a year.

Even the cultists had found these paths after nearly 100 years of persistent searching.

“Among the faculty. No one. Can pierce. Through the labyrinth.”

The Gravedigger’s assertion was not limited to the faculty.

It would be impossible for anyone on the continent, no matter who came.

Because this place was not a simple labyrinth.

It was a product of ancient destruction and records.

Since its structure was fundamentally different from modern magic, spatial interpretation itself was impossible.

There was a reason why ancient relics were called ‘mysteries.’

A subordinate nodded at the Gravedigger’s explanation.

“A few days later. Operation. Execute.”

The dark red cloak fluttered.

The Gravedigger fumbled through his sleeve with trembling hands.

Subsequently, a single sheet of parchment unfolded smoothly.

“Everyone. Ascertain. The target.”

It was a picture.

A portrait depicting a student’s face.

The Gravedigger murmured chillingly.

“The dragon’s power… This child will soon. Become a substitute for the Evil Dragon.”

On the picture, into which they had embedded a knife, was a long-haired girl with pink hair.

It was none other than Regia Filers.

The protagonist who made up this world.

“Gallimard. The collapse. Will be instantaneous.”

The robed figure hummed a grotesque tune.

That melody was a dirge for the dead who would soon rise.