Proofreader: Me!

“Students, are you okay? And Luke, what about you?” Professor Clarisse locked eyes with me, her soft gaze briefly pausing my thoughts.

“Uhm. Ah, yes, I’m- we’re fine, thank you,” I was momentarily stunned.

Her snow-white hair, and fiery red eyes, left a strong impact on the eyes.

She smiled, putting her hands on her waist, “That’s great to hear. To be honest you saved us all there, we had no counter to that nasty petrification ability.”

Indeed, a Basilisk cannot petrify what it cannot see. Unless your ailment resistance is off the charts, such a technicality is its only weakness. Besides Julia’s support, we were invisible, otherwise I would’ve died immediately from being stoned.

“Regardless professor, the monsters will disperse now right?”

Her smile sunk.

“Haha, unfortunately…”

“The monsters will not. If we don’t do something now they will all die.”A peculiar face appeared beside her. Their pink hair and washboard chest reminded me of a certain subplot.

'But, seriously? Hasn’t it been half an hour since Frennia showed us the state of everyone?'

In the game, they would’ve held on longer, even with only one protagonist…

“If that’s the case we will move immediately, you three can rest.” Clarisse passed us a mysterious cube, before disappearing with the rest.

Lying within the forest, stood a particular personality. Of course, it was her who stayed, this pink-haired senior.

“Luke, was it?” The same senior who was next to Clarrise sat beside me.

“Yes…” I answered cautiously.

“That cube, it’s a magic item which spawns a barrier.”

“Why are you telling us this? Shouldn’t you be- MMmm!”

She covered my mouth, “No reason. Although… you’re quite interesting.”

“Anyways, have fun you three!”

Just as the others did, she vanished with a teleport.

“Fuck.”

“Watch your language commoner,” Julia snapped at me.

“Yes, oh great De Gracia,” I complied, happy to see her frown.

…

“Who was that?” Serina asked with a dangerous glint in her eye.

I sighed. “Someone I don’t want to get involved with.”

‘Not until much later…’

Her presence was quite frankly, startling. Her whole character was troubling. Instead of being the one to fall into romance, she would always aim for the player no matter what.

A yandere, or so the community called it.

“Eugh,” I got shivers thinking about it.

“She gave me the same feeling,” Serina noted my mental distress.

She was the Order of Unity’s Saintess candidate who enrolled the year prior. Krulia Vankarst would surely be a disturbance for the protagonists later on. Once again, if it comes down to that, I’d have to destroy such a romance.

Now that I think about it, wasn’t there a scene between Charles and Uriel here, in this introduction finale?

“Gotta go!”

“Hah!?” Julia grabbed my arm forcefully, “Not without us!”

“Umm…” I looked down, “You know, concerning the bathroom.”

“…” Her face unnaturally formed a poker expression, sitting down next to Serina in silence.

Sorry, I'd probably make up for it later.

-x-

I leered past the trees, peering into the clearing. Indeed, the situation seemed to have stabilised since Clarisse arrived. However, it was clear this would not last long.

My mind wandered, with Percy involved they were only barely managing. I could see it in the formations, and rotations of students defending and resting that there was order.

But still…

“Where’s Abel!” I ruffled my hair, distraught. “Maybe even Haruto being here could save everyone!”

.

.

.

I felt it. Why? Why is it always when I complain?

“You called?” I felt the brush of a kimono against my side.

“Maybe, instead of talking to me, you can help everyone else!”

“Hmph, I’ve been troubled,” He paused, scratching his head. “The wind has been turbulent today.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I suddenly remembered, one of his traits was exactly like mine. Bad direction. The difference was, I had the mini-map.

“You were lost,” I confirmed without a doubt.

“Ahem, there’s a discrepancy between that and the direction of the wind being more different than usual.”

He was following me in the forest, wasn’t he?

“Regardless, Abel sent me here as he was unable to attend.”

I nipped his inaction in the bud. “Yeah, that’s cool and all, but everyone’s gonna die.”

If there was one likeable trait about him, it was that he didn’t care about formalities.

He sighed gripping his sword, “Alright kiddo, wait here.”

With one step he travelled a hundred meters. Without a tinge of sweat or struggle, he danced without traces. There, his mark in the horde of monsters was made. Such footwork, it truly was a work of art.

‘Haha, if only he did that sooner.’

I sat down and enjoyed the show. Blue flashes of ghastly energy danced around the perimeter of the students’ formations, slashing down anything that blocked its path. Blood, guts, and death galore.

I aimed to reach even a fraction of his proficiency, and even learn such a technique from him. However for now, both things would have to wait.

Haruto cut a rugged path forward, akin to the stroke of a white brush. I struggled past the corpses within the land of a sword’s wake.

“Eugh,” I held my mouth.

Killing was fine, but this was just purely disgusting. Yet, for the sake of the world, I had to move.

Squelch, Squelch.

These sounds repeated, furthering my insanity.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit…” I could feel vomit in my throat rising.

Yet, as if rewarding my grit, light emerged within the pit of carcasses.

“Who are you?” An authoritative voice hearkened in my earl

“Luke, from the Golden Nest.”

“Oh, so you’re the one he was looking for?”

“He?”

“You know, the nerdy-looking one from your team.”

A smile floated atop my face, “Seems I haven’t been mistaken.”

My choice of leaving Percy with the rest was not wrong. Being a nerd was one thing, but being a talented strategist was another.

“You’re smiling?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Okay… if you need me, the name’s Ark.“

‘Ark,’ similarly to Frennia and the other two I couldn’t recall his background. There were hundreds of students, and not all of them stood out.

“Got it, thanks!” I trudged past him and his group.

“What a lively junior,” I heard him snicker from behind.

-x-

“Oh, damn.” I held my breath, “As expected of Percy, the Seer of War.”

A clear sight now entered my vision, students perfectly positioned for a long battle. Any cracks made had been patched with a supervised rotation system.

Not too far from me were two certain individuals. Charles and Luna were in a conversation, but their atmosphere didn’t seem so lively.

“Where were you!”

I was immediately broken out of focus.

“Here, take him!” Beatrice grabbed me by the shoulder.

“Hello, Lord Luke.” Carlos was calm and composed, bowing toward me.

On the other hand, Percy’s hands were on the verge of ripping apart the map below us.

“WHERE WERE YOU! While we were out here fighting for our lives, you stayed in that monstrous cave playing your silly little games…

‘Trust me’ my ass!”

A throbbing sensation urged from my nerves. “You weren’t the only one suffering. Maybe, if you looked at my appearance you could tell!”

“Shut up, you incompetent leader!”

“Stop! Stop!!! That’s enough!” The brown bob of hair blocked my arms. “Percy! First, they saved our teacher, and two, they saved their classmate stuck in the dungeon!”

.

.

.

“Hey… maybe I was a bit harsh, right Luke?” Percy shrunk back, raising his hands toward me as if I were a rabid dog.

“…” My lips formed a crescent shape, all without a pint of joy.

“Look, I’m sorry!” He shoved his arms directly above himself, signalling surrender.

That pitiful appearance dampened my anger.

“Hah…” I shook my head, “I’ll deal with you later.”

“Phew.” He wiped the sweat off his forehead, “Then, who’s the one destroying the monster forces on the south outskirts?”

“Haruto,” Frennia answered for me. “As expected of the Bastion, he lives up to the title of master swordsman!”

“Who?”

All four of us looked at him in disbelief, Frennia and Beatrice rigidly stuck in place.

“What? Is he some big shot?”

Despite being a strategist, as well as a magi-tech prodigy, his common knowledge was... yeah.

Percy coughed, “Moving on from that, now that Clarisse and Haruto are present, we just need to assist in the minimisation of casualties.”

“Klaus, order each platoon leader to minimise direct engagements, focusing on redirecting the horde to where Clarisse and Haruto are.”

“Understood.”

“Frennia, keep a constant mana tracker on the two professors, I’ll have a senior specialising in support magic direct it to everyone’s telepathic links.”

“Easy!”

“Beatrice, organise the magic platoons to provide enhancement support or cover fire, rather than ranged annihilation — It takes too long.”

The air he exuded was completely different than when we started our expedition earlier this morning.

“And, you,” Percy faced me. “Uh… rest?”

The tense atmosphere broke as he raised his arms.

I raised my eyebrows, “Nothing?”

“Well, you weren’t here originally and there’s nothing for you to do… unless you want to overwork your body?” Percy shrugged his shoulders. “Frennia told me you escaped with two others, I’m guessing you left 'them' behind?”

“O- of course not!” I vehemently shook my head, denying reality.

The image of cold expressions from Julia and Serina sent shivers down my spine – experiencing Uriel’s rage was enough already.

“Normally I would make fun of you, but… I can see you already have it cut out for you.”

“See? What do you mean…?” I racked my head for a solid second. But it seemed my answer had already been answered.

A giant shadow loomed across the two of us. And from above, dangling violet hair was visible.

“So, this is where you went?” Julia swiftly arrived before me.

Their eyes were more insidious than I imagined.

“Haha,” Nervous laughter trickled from my mouth, “Truth is, I- I kinda got dragged here by Professor Haruto.”

Eye daggers pierced my body.

“Is that so?” Julia looked at me precariously.

“Y- yes, wh- why would I lie?”

“Luke, friends don’t lie,” Serina’s deadpan face had hinted at an air of coldness unlike before.

In seconds, the moisture in my throat evaporated.

-x-

Through the bloodshed, and one hell of a lecture, the professors of the academy had finally arrived. The conversation between Charles and Luna could be looked into later.

“Ah, so we’re due to finally go back?” Julia let out a relieved sigh. “After today, I don’t think I can move again.”

“I second that,” I mumbled.

“…” Her glaring eyes stopped from saying any more.

“Oh, how far you’ve fallen boss!” Frennia laughed, hopping over to her trio with Beatrice and Kyle.

Percy barked, “Indeed, how pitiful.”

…

A wall between me and everyone else had been generated. My body was unilaterally distributed between Serina and Julia, leaving me no space to complain.

Fortunately, one person came to save me!

“Yo, kiddo.” A large man in a traditional kimono lazily yawned into his hand.