Chapter 1

Cover Hide

Six academies built on a gigantic magical academy.

So, which one is the most prestigious?

No matter who you ask, the answer is unanimous.

The Jerion Academy of the Haishirion Empire.

Founded by the transcendental sage Jerion.

Clop-clop-clop—

A carriage approached the Jerion Academy.

To reach Jerion Academy, you have to cross the world’s longest bridge, the Obrexis.

Underneath the towering Obrexis bridge lay a vast forest and river.

If it were an ordinary forest and river, you’d call it a beautiful view.

But this is a magical forest tainted by poison from the underground magical academy.

Watching the carriage cross the Obrexis bridge was a woman standing by the window.

With snow-white skin and long, dark hair like ink hanging over her forehead.

Her ruby-red eyes.

The combination of these two features reminded one of an elegant Persian cat.

She had swallowed princes and princesses whole and had climbed to the second place in the imperial succession.

The 3rd Princess Iris Haishirion.

People referred to her as “the last villainess.”

And she was staring at the carriage outside the window.

The person riding in that carriage was her distant relative.

Not royalty.

The boy riding there is a descendant of her mother, who was originally from a duke’s family before becoming the emperor’s concubine.

In other words, he was the child of a troublesome aunt who left the family due to her wandering tendencies.

Moreover, his father’s lineage belonged to a nobility that was only nobility in name from the outskirts.

The boy had no blood ties to the imperial family at all.

In fact, he was someone completely unrelated to the imperial family.

But he had the same hair color and eye color.

While their appearances were somewhat similar, their statuses were entirely different.

“Must be nice.”

She looked at him with a displeased expression.

Suddenly, she wondered why this boy had transferred here.

“Did the duke send him?”

Perhaps he was sent to investigate the recent events in the labyrinth.

“What does that fool’s throne even matter?”

Remembering her grandfather the duke’s ambitions, she squinted her eyes.

Dark shadows appeared under her eyes.

It seemed like she wouldn’t be able to sleep again today.

* * *

Inside the carriage crossing the Obrexis bridge.

The rattling of the carriage caused the boy’s black hair to sway.

Long, black eyelashes.

Red eyes that inexplicably radiated a gloomy atmosphere.

He looked so youthful that it made one doubt his age.

He was quite small and slender compared to his peers.

He truly embodied what one would call a “boy.”

Naturally.

He was a hidden character who transferred here under specific conditions.

Hanon Irey.

This character was created targeting female players or certain males.

And right now, I was playing that role.

“Ugh, just my luck.”

Damn it, I was 185cm tall but now I’m stuck as a 165cm little kid.

It feels like such a waste in so many ways.

Yet, I must live like this for a while.

No, I have to make the most of what I went through.

“Do you know how hard I worked to get this shroud’s bandage?”

Thinking of those grueling days made my head throb.

The shroud’s bandage I found after rummaging around in the black market.

The problem was that one of the mid-bosses aiming for it, the Mad Sorceress Vinasha.

After endless battles with her, I passed the dark trial first.

Finally, I bought the shroud’s bandage, hearing Vinasha’s resentment as I swiftly fled.

I also pocketed a few of her items.

“They’ll eventually come looking to kill me.”

Just recalling all that hard work makes me realize how vital the shroud’s bandage is.

“I was terrified to get the transfer date right.”

I pulled up the collar of my shirt all the way to my neck.

To hide the shroud’s bandage concealed inside.

I am no longer Bickamon Niflheim.

I am Hanon Irey.

And from now on, I must lead the narrative in place of the protagonist, Lucas.

“I wonder how chaotic the academy will become while the protagonist is away.”

I caught sight of Jerion Academy beyond the carriage window.

The academy looked to be filled with ominous vibes.

Please, may it be in a better state than I’m imagining.

I tried hard to suppress my anxiety.

* * *

Jerion Academy is the most prestigious among the six academies.

As such, the campus of Jerion Academy is almost the size of an island.

Starting with the Obrexis bridge that boasts the world’s largest size.

The cursed forest lying beneath the Obrexis bridge.

The endless blue southern sea, Aaron Hae.

The world’s first airport and the gray magic tower.

And the northern Dragon Mountains.

For newcomers, the massive scale is utterly shocking.

In the very center of that sprawling Jerion Academy campus.

Within the grand main building of Jerion Academy.

I was walking alongside a professor.

The professor walked with a shamble, her short bob hair fluttering like a zombie.

The round shape of her face was not bad at all.

But her clothing was carelessly draped to the point of falling apart, and her shoulders slumped.

Her face, worn from fatigue, brought everything down to minus.

“Oh, I need alcohol. My blood alcohol level is too low.”

The professor’s name was Veganon Mercia, a severe alcoholic.

Remarkably, she was the instructor for the 2nd-year Martial Arts department.

Due to her frequent drunken escapades revealing her skin, she had quite a popularity among players.

But seeing her in person, it became clear why people were wary of Professor Veganon.

“The smell of alcohol is seriously overpowering.”

The unbearable stench of alcohol that I hadn’t felt in the game assaulted my nostrils.

Is it really acceptable for a professor to be like this?

While I was pondering those questions, I suddenly spotted the nameplate of the classroom labeled 2nd-year Martial Arts.

The gigantic classroom that appeared impressive even from the outside was familiar to me.

It was the classroom I had visited countless times while playing the Fire Butterfly route.

Of course, I recognized it easily.

I stood blankly at the entrance of the classroom.

Realizing once again that I was now in the Fire Butterfly route.

At the same time, the thought of encountering the many side characters and heroines inside made my heart race.

I was a veteran player of the Fire Butterfly route.

So the idea that I would get to see those characters in person made me inadvertently excited.

“Ugh!”

As I felt a mix of excitement and tension, Professor Veganon pushed open the classroom door.

In an instant, the noisy classroom fell completely silent.

Professor Veganon shuffled into the classroom.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Don’t be nervous.”

I am Hanon Irey.

It’s just a few days since the 2nd-year first semester started.

I suddenly transferred here.

“Alright.”

Having completed my self-affirmation, I stepped inside.

As I entered the classroom, all eyes turned to me.

“A transfer student!”

“Right, they said someone would come today.”

“Black hair and red eyes, that color unmistakable.”

“Shh, quiet.”

I heard the whispers among the kids.

All the faces I saw were familiar.

There were extras that filled the game’s background, and among them were Lucas’s side characters.

“Tsk.”

One side character didn’t seem thrilled to see me.

“Hmmhm.”

Another side character smirked and wrinkled their nose.

“……”

One side character merely stared at me in silence.

But there was one person in particular.

My gaze froze on her.

In the corner, with bright honey-blonde bobbed hair.

She should have been the bright-faced heroine encouraging the protagonist.

Isabel Luna.

But right now.

The face I saw before me revealed no light.

Only one thing hung over her.

A shadow.

Her eyes, lost in an abyss of deep darkness, showed no willpower at all.

The girl who was once called the epitome of brightness lay in tatters.

Unbeknownst to others, my fist quietly clenched.

That scene brutally reminded me that this situation was a bad ending.

My childhood friend, who had grown up close to me.

Now a woman who had lost her will to live, having lost her dearest friend.

That was Isabel Luna as she is now.

Isabel is one of the main heroines in the Fire Butterfly route.

Always standing by the protagonist and providing steadfast support.

That’s Isabel.

To liken her, she’s a sunflower.

A sunflower gazing at the sun that is Lucas.

But without the sun, the sunflower wilts and droops.

Isabel, the sunflower devoid of Lucas, could no longer lift her head.

All she had left was the slow process of dying.

This is certainty.

In the scenario, after Lucas dies during the 1st-year labyrinth challenge, the story moves to a bad ending.

Following that, a phrase emerges.

*One year later: Isabel Luna could not overcome her grief and ultimately chose to follow Lucas.*

After Lucas’s death, Isabel eventually commits suicide.

This is the only world beyond the bad ending revealed in the game.

Her bright nature had a charm that drew people in.

Even though Lucas was dead, she was surrounded by numerous friends.

But still, she chose suicide.

Without Lucas, the sun in her life, there was no hope for her to continue living.

Seeing Isabel now fills me with certainty.

She will inevitably take her own life soon.

My fist quietly clenched.

Isabel could perhaps outshine the protagonist toward the end of the story.

Without her.

“The Fire Butterfly route cannot reach the ending.”

And that means,

“It’s impossible to move forward into the world beyond the bad ending.”

So, what must I do?

“Introduce yourself.”

Professor Veganon waved her hand dismissively while leaning against the desk.

Finally tearing my gaze away from Isabel, I took a deep breath.

I felt all eyes on me.

I didn’t have stage fright or fear of attention, but stepping into this bad ending world made me suddenly nervous.

Naturally, Isabel didn’t glance this way.

A sunflower wilts without the sun’s presence.

What Isabel needed was undoubtedly the sun.

But that doesn’t mean I could become Lucas, the sun.

I never intended to be the sun in the first place.

I am not Lucas; I am Hanon Irey.

In truth, I am Bickamon Niflheim.

But that didn’t matter.

“A little while ago, I saw an article related to Jerion Academy.”

Having been prompted for an introduction, I unexpectedly brought up a newspaper article.

Curiosity and intrigue flickered across the kids’ faces.

I glanced at those kids and slowly continued.

“The article said that last year’s 1st-year students were annihilated by the apostle in this labyrinth.”

At that, Isabel flinched for the first time.

Mentioning Lucas prompted her to look at me weakly.

As I mentioned before, I cannot become the sun.

“That’s pathetic.”

Therefore.

“It’s ridiculous that students of Jerion Academy would die to an apostle. There’s a limit to causing trouble.”

I decided I would at least be the moon.

Isabel’s eyes began to widen.

“Who was the leader at that time? It’s definitely that fool’s fault, isn’t it?”

Of course, the leader was Lucas Fernando.

The kids’ faces froze.

They all knew who had been most devastated after that incident.

Cautiously, the kids glanced at Isabel.

And as expected, the anger began to boil up in her eyes.

She had been the one who suffered the most after losing Lucas.

Hearing me insult Lucas directly was bound to generate anger in her.

What did this mean?

At this moment,

I had crossed an irreversible line with Isabel.

“I—”

Isabel, remember this well.

“I came here to rid the prestigious Jerion Academy of that stigma.”

From now on, I would be her arch-enemy.

And the one who would force her to live on with her rage.

“Hanon Irey. I hope you all get along well with me.”

That’s who I am.