Chapter 4

With her forehead cradled in her hand, she gazed earnestly at me.

“…Junior, knowing me this well is a bit creepy.”

Maybe I overdid it.

I got a little too carried away from the middle on.

I humbly admitted my mistake.

“It’s because I truly respect you, Senior Nikita. What I said earlier is true; you’ve worked harder than anyone else.”

And that’s true.

Nikita is weak to praise, strong against criticism.

But if we set everything aside, the most prominent point is that she is a hard worker.

And this is why I hold Nikita in such special regard.

‘Nikita is unfortunately lacking in talent.’

The Disaster Dragon Maiden, Nikita Cynthia.

Despite being born into the noble house of Cynthia, known for its magical lineage, she possesses no magical talent whatsoever.

The magic power within her is close to zero.

Perhaps because of this, she has faced poor evaluations in her family since childhood.

In contrast, Nikita’s biological brother, Nia Cynthia, was born with exceptional magical talent.

This meant Nikita already lived a life comparing herself to him from the moment she was born.

“Nikita, you’re worse than your brother.”

“It’s okay. Luckily, Nikita is a girl. It doesn’t matter if you lack magical talent.”

“Nikita, take care of your appearance. That’s your only strength.”

The family held no expectations for her.

They thought of her merely as a pawn for a strategic marriage, using her natural beauty.

Their ears tuned little to her own wishes.

Normally, someone might have been disheartened by this.

No, actually, Nikita was disheartened.

But she didn’t stop at despair.

If talent was lacking, she simply needed to develop talent in other areas.

She endeavored tirelessly to find where her gifts lay.

And she faced numerous disappointments.

Nikita Cynthia is mediocre.

She lacks any magical talent.

She doesn’t have a superior intellect compared to others.

Her petite stature is a hindrance even in martial arts.

She’s nothing exceptional.

Just a pretty doll.

The background of her noble lineage and the famed magical house weighs heavily on ordinary Nikita.

Yet, Nikita never gave up.

She acknowledged that she lacked talent.

So she redirected her efforts.

If she had no talent, she would nurture whatever talent she could.

She would plant the seed of talent in an empty field.

Magic is a problem that cannot be solved without innate magical power.

So she set that aside and focused entirely on her studies and swordsmanship.

No matter what was said in her family, she did what she could.

This is why she can steel herself against criticism.

Moreover, because she worked harder than anyone, she sought to overcome the denial of her efforts.

She cultivated a spirit of victory.

She worked hard.

By sheer effort, she rose to the position of vice president at Jerion Academy, where geniuses and prodigies gather.

Even there, she manages to maintain a high rank.

Though her natural body might not be that strong, she has sacrificed sleep every night to study, sometimes even causing nosebleeds.

Every time she swung her sword, her hands bled, and she dealt with horrible muscle pain, yet she never held back on her efforts.

Because of this life.

She has an unusually soft spot for praise.

Her family treats her as a pretty doll.

At the academy, her high grades are thought to be just because of her family background.

She strives diligently, regardless of whether anyone recognizes it.

And I really like this about Nikita.

So I wanted to say it aloud.

“Senior Nikita is someone who deserves respect and praise.”

The current version of her is truly the crystallization of her relentless spirit through her struggles in life.

Nikita parted her lips slightly.

She gazed at me in a daze.

Looking at her flushed cheeks, it seems my heartfelt praise had gotten through to her.

“…Thank you.”

Unlike the dignified expression she wore when I first met her, a subtle smile that only Nikita Cynthia could muster now appeared on her face.

“I’ve never received so many compliments in a day like today. Junior, from now on, I’ll live a life worthy of your praises and respect.”

Nikita wore a rather satisfied smile.

Just knowing that someone recognized her efforts is enough for her to be a resilient person.

“You said you wanted to join the student council, right? There are some tasks opening up as the 3rd years graduate.”

Originally, I was thinking of selecting a 1st year to fill those roles.

“I’ll apply! I’ll do my best, so please choose me.”

“Hmm, hmm, what we need is someone who’ll work hard. I’ll review your application positively.”

Somehow, I successfully stuck my head into the student council.

“Well, I have matters to attend to in the martial arts department. Junior, I’ll see you next time.”

Nikita said her farewells and walked past me.

I quietly watched her back.

Nikita Cynthia is a hardworking person.

I hoped until the end that her labor would not be in vain.

Maybe because of this.

As someone who must lead this world toward correctness, many thoughts swirled in my mind as I gazed at her retreating figure.

Nikita Cynthia is the Disaster Dragon Maiden.

She’s the boss I need to defeat in Act 3.

＊ ＊ ＊

After a rollercoaster of events, the day finally came to an end.

I earned resentment from Isabel.

But I gained some affection from Nikita.

‘Is it okay to live a life this extreme?’

For now, things stand as they are, but it has been a rough process.

Above all, Nikita has a love-hate relationship with Lucas.

His death wouldn’t be entirely pleasing to her.

If she finds out that I undermined Lucas, her affection might take a dive.

‘At least Nikita seems a bit out of the loop regarding news in the academy.’

She spends her days doing student council work, studying, and wielding a sword.

Nikita’s relationships are somewhat limited.

As such, her knowledge of news around the academy is dimmer than others.

Unless it concerns events among the 3rd years, it’ll take time for her to hear about events in the 2nd year.

Moreover, with the Cynthia family siding with the 1st Prince, her attention will surely be stretched thin.

So, I’ll need to build up her affection ahead of time.

‘Act 3, Scene 1 has already begun.’

Nikita’s brother, Nia Cynthia, siding with the 1st Prince marks the start.

There will be numerous things I must prepare to face in place of Lucas.

‘Hang in there, me.’

As I comforted myself, my steps abruptly halted.

Where am I standing right now?

This is the boys’ dormitory of the Jerion Academy.

But the building in my view hardly resembles a typical dormitory.

It looked more like an ultra-luxurious hotel.

Jerion Academy is prestigious.

Given that many heirs of noble families are enrolled, they offer a lot of support.

It’s about making sure their sons and daughters are taken care of.

Thanks to this, with the overflowing support funds, the dormitory at Jerion Academy was also given immense attention.

“Young Master Hanon Irey, we’ve been expecting you. I am Marie Emaris.”

As I entered the entrance, one of the attendants bowed and welcomed me.

A middle-aged woman dressed in a long black skirt and apron.

She is the head maid of the Jerion Academy dormitory.

Marie Emaris.

“I have already moved your belongings to the assigned room.”

“Thank you.”

“Master Irey, we’re just lowly attendants, so there’s no need to be so formal.”

As a South Korean, it’s not easy to be informal with someone older.

But to adapt, I suppose I must.

“Got it. I’ll rely on you for the next two years, Head Maid.”

“Yes, we will do our utmost to ensure you can focus on your studies.”

She spoke as she started the tour.

As I was guided, I realized anew.

‘5-star hotels can’t even compare.’

Why does the dorm have a swimming pool, hot springs, and a massage room?

Although I expressed genuine curiosity, I didn’t say much.

I had seen similar things in the game as well.

It wasn’t particularly new.

‘Wasn’t there a horrifying water ghost event here?’

Instead, I checked every event that occurs within the dormitory.

‘I should collect everything I can.’

I am not Lucas.

I certainly don’t possess his unique trait of the Flame of Will.

‘The Flame of Will is almost essential for progressing through the game’s narrative.’

But there’s not much I can do about something I lack.

Thus, I need to find another solution.

‘This is indeed the major problem.’

I do have something in mind regarding this.

The problem is that the person with the most potential is at another academy.

‘If I want to bring them here through a transfer.’

That means I’ll have to figure that out as well.

Little by little, I’ll figure it out.

If all else fails, there’s the ‘Once, Anything Can Be Granted by the Dean’s Secret Friend!’ event.

“This is the room where you, Young Master Irey, will be staying.”

Room 316.

After seeing the room, I momentarily pondered.

‘For a 2nd-year room, 316 might not be so significant.’

Given that there are many ordinary characters in the Fire Butterfly arc.

Just as I wondered who might be in the room, the head maid, Marie, knocked.

“Is Young Master Card in there?”

Card.

As I recalled that name, my eyes blinked.

‘Oh.’

And just as that name clicked.

**Creak-**

The door opened, and a short, trimmed blonde hair fluttered with it.

Simultaneously, a sharply tanned skin and a seemingly scoundrel-like face were revealed.

So much for quiet dorm life.

“Marie, if you’re going to visit, at least do it alone for a while.”

The flirtatious smile of a guy who doesn’t hesitate even to flirt with the middle-aged Marie.

None other than Card Velik.

He’s the golden-haired brat who jerks around the main heroine only to get reigned in by the protagonist.