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[ You have defeated Demon Hex! You have acquired the Skill Charge Attack! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status ·····. ]

Hex crumbled away into dust, disintegrating from head to toe.

The limbs that had already fallen to the ground were also turning to dust, but a bit late to the party.

That was the end for my side.

All that was left was for Toilet to finish off Daio, who had given up on being human.

I took a quick look at how things were unfolding near Toilet. Daio was putting up a struggle, but against a 1:3 disadvantage, and considering his opponents were the protagonist party, defeat was all but guaranteed.

At this rate, I figured he’d be dead in less than five minutes.

-Pew! Boom! Boom!

Three fireworks shot up into the sky behind me.

What were supposed to be three fireworks signaling the end of our practice were now announcing the interruption of it.

“Luke, what should we do about Riche?”

“Hmm… Let’s just leave her behind, right? It’s not like there’s going to be a problem.”

With Hex dead, and Toilet soon to kill Daio.

There shouldn’t be any more threats left, right?

Riche had merely fainted from magical exhaustion, so leaving her behind wouldn’t pose a problem.

After all, helping the heroine should be the protagonist’s job, not an extra’s.

“But that red moon isn’t disappearing, huh…”

“That’s just how it is in the setting.”

Even with Hex dead, the red moon remained.

That red moon wasn’t a phenomenon created to release Hex from his seal, nor was it something deliberately made using magic.

Its disappearance would only happen when the moon sets and the sun rises—natural phenomena.

“Ugh~ Well, at least one thing is resolved.”

“Is it really a resolution though… It’s not over yet.”

“Just give what needs to be given.”

You can’t save everyone.

Many students must have died from the moment the incident began, and there are limits to what a person can achieve.

People need to see reality.

Saying something like “We need to save all the students!” won’t matter in a world where extras’ lives are as insignificant as dust.

“Alright. Let’s go take a break now.”

“…Okay.”

“Yay~”

*

Casualties. Twenty-three students turned into demons, including Daio.

A seemingly small number, yet truly significant.

The last image of Lucia I had seen was one of distress, troubled about the aftermath still to resolve.

But that was only a minute detail, barely noticeable if you weren’t looking closely.

Lucia must have been engulfed in guilt for killing the students she cherished.

‘I can’t comprehend it.’

In any case, a mass of demons had emerged, not just one or two.

And not from the outside, but twenty-three from within.

The parents who trusted the academy to take care of their children must have been weeping. Yes, Daio was among the nobles, yet most of the demons were commoners.

A letter left in their mailboxes would tell them their precious children had turned into demons and died.

Of course, even in such a situation, the academy continued to operate.

While classes weren’t happening, that didn’t mean students would stop training.

Even on a day like today, Toilet would surely train happily, and any student with an ounce of ambition would likely do so too.

“There are significantly fewer students than before.”

“Yeah.”

“Does it usually drop this much?”

“Not really.”

Ever since this incident occurred, the number of students dropping out has surged.

Until now, the first years had solely relied on Lucia and the other professors, but that faith would be difficult now.

After all, there were numerous casualties.

Even if graduating came with an elite certification, too many people felt their lives were too valuable to stake them just for that.

It’d be like attending Seoul National University, where terrorist attacks happen once a week. Who would pay to attend a place like that?

“Kids these days lack perseverance, don’t they?”

“Well, I assume injuries would sap their perseverance…”

“A man grows through injury.”

Many men get hurt when they enlist for military service right after becoming adults, yet they’re fussing over a little encounter with demons.

Isn’t this a learning experience? They should jump in and finish off the demons instead of running away in fear.

“I wonder if the academy will even return to normal after this.”

“Lucia will handle the aftermath well enough.”

This academy wasn’t established by the empire, but by Lucia, so the empire has no right to shutter it freely.

The academy grounds themselves were part of the rewards Lucia received for her adventures, after all.

“Still, now that the big event’s over, things should settle down moving forward.”

Most major events in the novel occurred mid-semester, so the remaining half-year would likely be quiet.

What would be left were minor events that professors wouldn’t need to attend and small mini-events like transformations into frogs due to curses.

“Yet despite all this chaos, there’s a social gathering tonight, right?”

Tonight, there would be a social gathering in the auditorium.

This gathering aimed to foster friendship among students, not for aristocrats to gather for diplomacy.

“Isn’t it a bit ironic to encourage friendships when students who were once friends have turned into demons? I guess it means to make new friends.”

I can bet it’s tough for the first-years to even exchange conversations right now.

They didn’t even know their previous close friends had turned into demons. How would they know if more demons were still hiding around?

A perfect example would be that in the military, when comrades joked around saying one of them might be a spy, it turned out that they were an actual spy.

With someone they thought was a friend being the culprit in a massive shooting, what would come next?

Distrust and fear.

Unconsciously, they would think that “that guy might also be a demon,” and fear the unknown of when things would go awry again.

I know well that there are no demons left in the academy, but it’s obvious they won’t believe it if I explain that.

“Anyway, the important thing is that we’re leaving here today.”

We weren’t included in the social gathering anyway.

As the wording suggests, the term ‘among students’ excludes professors. We hadn’t intended to take part in the first place. That evening, we headed to the Dean’s Office.

-Knock knock.

I knocked and entered the Dean’s Office.

What greeted us was Lucia and a towering stack of papers even higher than her head.

Upon confirming our entrance, she turned her gaze towards us.

“Are you leaving now?”

It was a question that implied she was aware of why we were here.

“Yes.”

“I see, time has flown by.”

Both the events and the academy had become tiresome.

It was finally time to return to the adventuring life as Luke.

“There’s been quite a lot happening in such a short time.”

“Right? If nothing had happened, I would’ve just taught you some magic tricks.”

“Well… I’m glad about that….”

She placed her quill back in its holder and faced us.

“You’ve worked hard. The reward has been deposited in the Adventurer’s Guild; you can pick it up later.”

“Yes.”

No lengthy discourse was necessary.

There wasn’t more to say, and she was busy too.

After a brief exchange, we promptly left the Dean’s Office and walked toward the front gate of the academy.

We exited empty-handed. We had brought nothing when we came.

“Finally, we’re escaping!”

“I wasn’t feeling so anxious before, but now that we’re leaving the academy, I feel a bit relieved.”

“Me too!”

As we stepped out of the academy’s front gate, reacting in our own ways…

“Are you leaving?”

Someone popped out from the wall beside the gate.

“Who are you?”

“…You know who I am.”

That’s the problem—she knows me too well.

Why is she here? Isn’t she going to the social gathering?

Hex is dead, so shouldn’t she be having fun in a pretty dress somewhere?

“What’s up? I’m not a professor anymore, you know?”

“I want to go with you.”

…Your heroine is so bold, huh?

*

“Are you for real?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… While it’s your choice to drop out, as the First Best, I’d like to know your reason.”

In the Dean’s Office.

Just before Luke left, Riche had come a step ahead.

“The reason isn’t anything special. Simply put, I no longer have a reason to stay in the academy.”

She had pondered this for a time before heading to the Dean’s Office.

With Hex, her goal, dead, she felt a tinge of regret for not having killed him with her own hands, but it was better than being stubborn and letting another victim emerge.

Now, the question was, what to do next…

Returning to her territory meant no one to welcome her. She might be treated like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment.

So, should she train?

But the motivation to train had disappeared, and there was no meaning in training alone.

In fact, was staying in the academy even meaningful at this point?

“I don’t think that’s the only reason.”

“…Did you see through me?”

“Do you think I haven’t seen many students drop out?”

Somehow, it seems Lucia could see through me, even if I could deceive others.

In reality, Riche had spotted Luke while trying to express her gratitude to him on her way to the professor’s lodging earlier that morning.

From a distance, he appeared to have finished eating and was heading back to his lodging with Luna and Yui when she overheard him say,

“The important thing is that we plan to leave today.”

She had known from the beginning that this was temporary and that they would someday depart.

But now, the situation felt different, and hearing those words hit her heart.

Thus, Riche sought out the Dean’s Office immediately.

“Still, I didn’t lie.”

Staying in an academy without him held no meaning.

Luke had once said he was fated to be with Arthur.

But now, what were those words worth?

Arthur? Not even a thought.

If anything, it was the opposite.

From minor things to significant ones, she had become so entangled with him.

Even if he hadn’t intended it, Luke had helped her more than anyone else.

Not just this time, but long before.

For some time now, whenever she saw him, she felt at ease. Whatever the situation, it brought her comfort, and for some unknown reason, her heart would skip a beat.

But now she understands.

If she wishes to grow stronger, she should follow him instead of remaining at the academy.

If she wants to be happy, she ought to be by his side, not at the academy.

And if she begins to love someone, the choice would lie with her.

Lucia let out a resigned sigh at Riche’s earnest gaze.

“Haah… I understand. I’ll take care of the paperwork, so you can leave.”

“Thank you.”

Afterward, Riche left the Dean’s Office and headed to the dormitory.

She didn’t have much to prepare, but she needed to organize her things.

-Knock knock.

As she was tidying up her personal belongings, someone knocked on her door.

Did anyone intend to visit her? With that thought, she opened the door, and there stood Tia.

“Hi there, Riche.”

“Oh… Hi.”

What could she want?

They hadn’t made any plans.

“Soon, there’s the social gathering, right?”

“Ah…”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go with Stella, since we agreed to participate together, but…”

Tia’s voice trailed off as she glanced behind Riche.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“Um…”

Should I say this or not?

She hesitated for a moment, then decided to reveal the truth.

Even though Tia was involved with Arthur, she was still one of the few people Riche could call a friend.

“I’m dropping out of the academy.”

Riche watched as Tia blinked in surprise.

Tia stared with her mouth agape, unable to comprehend, and then she quickly replied.

“What?!”

“Right now, I’m organizing things to take with me.”

“Why, why? No, but why…?”

“Because I found something I want to pursue.”

Is it accurate to say I found something I want to pursue?

It’s not precisely true, yet it’s not entirely wrong either, so she refrained from correcting herself.

“…Is it him?”

“Him?”

“Luke.”

“Uh, how do you…?”

“Stella mentioned it. She said I sometimes have a girlish look. Seeing your expression now, I’m starting to understand what she meant.”

Did my feelings unexpectedly show on my face?

It feels a bit embarrassing.

“Maybe you should think about it again? I feel like you might regret it.”

“Regret it?”

Hahaha, Riche laughed as she found Tia’s concern amusing. Tia raised her eyebrows, perplexed.

But who is more precious in this case?

It was the opposite, if anything.

“Ugh… I just can’t see what’s so great about someone like him…”

Riche thought Arthur was much worse.

But she chose not to stir the pot further, keeping those thoughts to herself.

“Congratulations. You’ll now be the First Best, right?”

“I wanted to earn it by defeating someone directly.”

“Then I’ll take my leave now. Enjoy your time with Arthur.”

Riche hoped Tia and Stella would keep Arthur occupied.

Away from herself.

After all, Tia and Stella seemed genuinely interested in him; she might as well use that to her advantage.

Riche picked up a small bag. Her current attire wasn’t the student uniform she had worn until now, but rather simple, non-flamboyant civilian clothes made of fabric.

“…Even if you’re leaving the academy, I’ll keep getting stronger. When we meet next time, I will definitely win.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

With that, Riche left the dormitory, leaving Tia behind.

 

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