We had to save the people trapped in the library, stop the spread of the thorny vines, and wipe out the monsters running rampant across the grounds.
It was too much for the student council to shoulder all those problems without additional support.
In a situation like that, there was no way they would refuse our help.
Do Sieun accepted gratefully.
“We were already short on manpower and in need of support. Thank you so much for offering to help.”
“An accident happened. It’s not like we can pretend we don’t know and just stand by. We should lend a hand. Haneul and the others are on their way to help too.”
“Are they? Haneul is coming too. I won’t forget your help.”
Do Sieun, who must have felt a sense of responsibility as the one taking the lead in resolving the situation, looked visibly relieved.
Her expression brightened, and she guided us to the operations meeting room.
“Let me introduce them. This is Gyeonu and Haerang.”
“…”
Inside the meeting room were executives serving in the student council, their subordinate members, related personnel, and people who had come to provide support like us.
In the case of the people who had come to support, they were the sort whose qualifications to take part in the meeting had been verified.
‘I can see a few faces of characters who appeared in the game too.’
Seniors famous enough for me to recognize, or with high rankings.
From their perspective, and from the perspective of the others, we might have seemed displeasing.
After all, we weren’t members of the student council, and we were only first-years without rankings yet. We must have looked unreliable.
Normally, we wouldn’t have been able to participate in the meeting and would have had to act according to orders passed down from above.
Even so, the reason we were participating in the meeting and not drawing complaints from them was entirely because Do Sieun, the student council president, had brought us here.
It meant we were under her protection, so there was no way they could rashly stop us.
That was how powerful the authority of the student council president was.
‘For now, it’s following the flow of the game.’
In the game, Kang Hanbyeol, who had become friends with Do Gyeonu and established a connection with Do Sieun, participated in the meeting with his companions.
After retracing the flow of Min Arin’s episode, I found a seat and sat down.
Then I decided to wait for Yeon Haneul and the others.
I paid no attention at all to the gazes some people sent my way.
Before long, Yeon Haneul, Go Eunbi, Lisa, and Nam Yuri arrived.
“Gyeonu.”
“You’re here? The briefing will start soon. Come sit over here.”
The girls were dressed not in uniforms, but in comfortable clothes they wore at home.
As an exception, Nam Yuri was wearing the white one-piece dress she always wore.
I welcomed them, thinking they looked softer than usual.
Yeon Haneul sat down beside me and leaned in.
As the distance between us shrank until our shoulders were touching, the scent of soap drifted from her.
“They said the twins were still washing up, so we came ahead first.”
“They should’ve just splashed some water on themselves and come out. Why are they dawdling…? Those guys are completely out of it. They don’t even live cleanly in the first place, so why are they pretending to be clean now?”
“Right. We didn’t even put on makeup and ran over as soon as we got the call.”
Yeon Haneul puffed out her cheeks as if in agreement.
I stared at her.
Then, when our eyes met, she flinched and pulled back.
“Wh-what is it?”
“You’re not wearing makeup?”
“Huh? Y-yeah…”
“No wonder something looked softer.”
“I-I know I’m ugly barefaced, okay? So don’t look at me like that…”
Was she embarrassed to have been caught without makeup?
Yeon Haneul pressed down her rabbit ears with both hands and tried to hide her face.
Even so, she didn’t cover her red eyes and kept watching my reaction.
Seeing her act like that, I snorted.
“When did I say you were ugly? You look nice without it. You’re pretty no matter what you do, so from now on, just don’t wear it. Haneul, you’re young, so even without makeup…”
Was there really any need to wear makeup at an age when her skin was so plump and smooth?
It would only damage her skin for no reason.
Besides, she was pretty even with just her eyes open, so what was the point of dressing up?
No, even with them closed…
In any case, I was skeptical.
‘I’d rather swing a sword in the time spent putting on makeup, and use the money for cosmetics to eat gukbap or chicken breast.’
But wanting to be prettier was also a human desire and instinct.
I respected Yeon Haneul’s wishes and held back what I wanted to say.
At that moment, she looked dumbfounded and argued with me.
“Aren’t you young too? Sometimes, when I look at you, it feels like you think you’re a different age.”
“…My birthday is earlier than yours. Actually, you should be calling me oppa. Oppa.”
“Yeah, by one month.”
“…”
“If you really want, should I call you mister? Mister Gyeonu? Ah, that has a nice ring to it.”
“Sorry… I was wrong…”
Bringing up age was foul play.
I merely had memories of my past life; my age absolutely wasn’t high.
I was the same age as Yeon Haneul.
I admitted defeat to her as she stuck out her tongue and teased me.
“Anyway, don’t keep looking at me. Got it?”
“Even if you say that, I’ve seen your face since long ago…”
“Elementary school doesn’t count.”
“Who decided that?”
Did she dislike showing her bare face that much?
Feeling regretful inside, I decided to look straight ahead.
It was then that I felt gazes from behind Yeon Haneul, who had turned her body toward me.
“…”
“Hm?”
Go Eunbi, Lisa, and Nam Yuri.
The three of them were staring at us.
Perhaps Yeon Haneul felt their gazes too, because she turned to look at the girls beside her.
They each said a word.
“Wow… Gyeonu, you’re seriously the real deal, huh? I guess you’re not embarrassed… I thought my hands and feet were going to curl up just now.”
“Um, having such a lovey-dovey conversation in this situation is a little… But Haneul does have nice skin, so she’s pretty even without makeup.”
“Gyeonu, Gyeonu! I don’t wear makeup either! I’m pretty too, right!?”
…A short while later, the briefing began.
* * *
“I’ll explain the information we’ve identified so far.”
People belonging to the student council moved around and distributed materials.
We looked over what was written in the documents and listened to Do Sieun’s explanation as she stood on the platform.
“Currently, the thorny vines that appeared from the library are spreading rapidly. According to what the intelligence department has confirmed, these thorny vines seem to have started from the library rooftop. The next image is a photograph of the rooftop.”
Do Sieun pointed at the screen.
On the screen projected by the beam projector appeared a photo that seemed to have been taken of the library rooftop.
It was dark, and perhaps because it had been taken from far away, the image quality was not clear but blurry.
Even so, one could make out the thorny vines rising like a spire.
“They say it wasn’t easy to approach because the thorny vines blocked access from the outside. Their regenerative ability was excellent, so cutting them was useless as well. So the next photo was taken after they somehow cut through the thorny vines and pushed as far inside as possible.”
The photo on the screen changed.
In the photo, a damaged area of the thorny vines, which had been densely tangled together, was revealed.
“You can see something there, right?”
“…”
Something red could be seen faintly among the thorny vines in the darkness.
Everyone focused their gazes there.
“I’ll have it enlarged.”
Do Sieun asked the person helping with the briefing to zoom in on the photo.
Soon, we were able to confirm the identity of the red something.
The being bound by the thorny vines, limp as if unconscious, was…
“…Arin?”
“…”
It was unmistakably Min Arin.
Go Eunbi muttered her name in an unbelieving tone.
The others who knew her also seemed shaken.
Having expected it from the beginning, I confirmed it anew and let out a low groan.
Meanwhile, Do Sieun confirmed the murmur of those who doubted their eyes.
“The person in the photo is presumed to be Min Arin, a first-year in the magic track. Those who would know her probably all do.”
“…”
“We suspect that Min Arin may be the one who caused this situation. It’s dark, so we can’t examine the photo in detail, but the thorny vines appear to originate from her. They’re probably existing by using the mana inside her body as nourishment. So…”
“In other words, as long as we do something about that girl, we can resolve the situation.”
“…That’s what we believe.”
Midway through, a student who looked like a ranker suddenly interrupted Do Sieun’s explanation.
She did not show displeasure at the remark that had pointed out the gist and nodded.
“Therefore, in order to end this situation, the student council proposes an operation to capture Min Arin alive.”
“Why capture alive rather than kill? Do you think it’s right to keep alive the person who caused this mess? Or is it because she’s a member of the Mado Min family?”
“Neither. Because her guilt has not been completely confirmed, I simply judged that it would be better to focus on capture rather than killing. It would also be better to capture her alive to hear the circumstances. To begin with, we don’t have the right to kill people recklessly.”
“That sounds nice. But what if casualties occur in the process? Will you still prioritize capturing her alive then?”
The student asked in a mocking tone.
Do Sieun closed her mouth and quietly stared at him.
“What’s with that guy? Why is he picking a fight? Is he saying we should kill Arin or what?”
Listening to the conversation that sounded like a war of nerves, Go Eunbi frowned.
She seemed displeased by the student’s sarcastic attitude.
‘He’s doing it on purpose.’
But I had a vague sense of it.
The student was implicitly teaching the others how reasonable Do Sieun’s operation was.
And on the other hand…
“If it comes to the worst case, we’ll have no choice. I’ll take responsibility then.”
“…”
He was asking about Do Sieun’s resolve.
At that, she took a breath and answered in an unwavering tone.
Though she avoided directly mentioning murder, there was no way the students failed to read the meaning behind her words.
Realizing how serious she was, they soon adjusted their postures and showed solemn attitudes.
Yeon Haneul and the others seemed hesitant at first, but each appeared to steel themselves in their own way.
“Then I’ll explain the operation.”
After that, Do Sieun began speaking about the operation in earnest.
The operation divided the participants into three groups according to their objectives.
Group A would prevent the expansion of the thorny vines.
Group B would subjugate the monsters that had appeared on the academy grounds.
Finally, Group C would rescue the people trapped in the library and capture Min Arin alive.
As if it were only natural, we were assigned to Group C.
Meanwhile, the explanation of the operation proceeded through questions and answers between the man and Do Sieun, as before.
“The thorny vines that have taken over the library are thoroughly blocking outside access. Judging from that, it would be better to see them not as simple plants but as living creatures with a will of their own. Therefore, Group C will split off part of its members and take on the role of distracting the thorny vines from the outside. The remaining members will infiltrate the library in the meantime.”
“…”
“According to our investigation, the thorny vines show a tendency to covet the mana of living beings. In that sense… there is a high probability that the people trapped in the library are becoming nourishment for the thorny vines. So the infiltrators will be divided into a team that rescues them and a team that quickly heads up to the rooftop to capture Min Arin alive.”
“Wait, there’s something I’m curious about. I understand the reason for infiltrating the library to rescue people. But why infiltrate to capture that girl alive? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to head to the rooftop from the outside rather than going up to the rooftop from inside?”
“It’s not that we haven’t considered it. But we believe the chance of success is low.”
“Why?”
“The thorny vines are strengthening their defenses in a form that protects the rooftop. Security is especially tight there as well. We judged that if we tried to invade from the outside, we might end up only wasting our strength.”
“Even so, they’re just plants, aren’t they? If we just set them on fire…”
“We can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“If something goes wrong, the fire could spread elsewhere. At the very least, the people trapped in the library would not be safe. The library also stores precious books. It’s not something I can handle on my own authority.”
“Is there no other support besides us? The instructors? Hunters?”
“The instructors who happened to be on the grounds have agreed to support us. As for external support… we currently cannot contact the chairwoman, so we’re unable to request it.”
“Then what about waiting until daybreak and expecting additional support…”
“If that happens, it will become even harder to guarantee the lives of the people trapped in the library.”
Even Chairwoman So Hyeyul had left her post at just the right time.
C-Group's plan was no different whatsoever from what appeared in the game.
In the game, Gang Hanbyeol infiltrated the library according to the plan and climbed to the rooftop with her comrades.
However, if there was one thing different….
'…it was that the timing was early.'
The Min Arin Episode took place after the midterm exams.
Naturally, the difficulty had been set to match Gang Hanbyeol's achievements at that point in time.
This meant that with her current level, the difficulty might be somewhat high.
The same went for everyone else.
'Moreover, Hanbyeol doesn't have the Wind Wolf's Brooch at this point in time.'
In the first-year, first-semester Midterm Exams Episode.
The Wind Wolf's Brooch that Gang Hanbyeol looted from Do Seungu upon defeating him.
The Wind Wolf's Brooch contained magic that consumed mana to manifest a wind that defended against attacks.
It was an artifact that would be of great help in completing the Min Arin Episode.
'What am I going to do about this….'
In our current state, we had to shoulder a higher risk burden than in the game.
As someone who wished for not a single person to die, it was an undesirable situation.
'Unlike in the game where I had to clear the episode with a party that had no mage, I have Haneul on my side. And Nam Yuri, too, whom I hadn't been able to recruit at this point in time….'
In a way, it seemed our conditions were better than those in the game.
Even so, I couldn't let my guard down completely.
Because if we failed the plan even once, destruction awaited.
I wanted nothing more than to lower the difficulty as much as possible.
To that end, I had to use everything available to me.
I finished my thoughts.
'Eunsol, let's suffer through this together.'
* * *
It was so loud in the middle of the night she could die.
No matter how much she tried not to be aware of it, an unusual mana aura pricked at her mind.
The roars of monsters running rampant and the sounds of those fighting them grated on her nerves.
"Ugh…. Let's just sleep…."
It had reached the point where she couldn't sleep.
Cha Eunsol pulled the covers over her head and covered her ears, muttering desperately.
However, the situation showed no signs of improving.
Rather, it grew worse as time passed.
To make matters worse.
Vrrrr.
"Ugh…."
The smartphone on her bedside rang.
It seemed someone was calling.
Unable to endure the vibrating sound, Cha Eunsol opened her eyes in the darkness.
Frowning from the light, she read the name that appeared on the screen.
「Do Gyeonu」
"…I'm sleeping."
To Cha Eunsol, Do Gyeonu's existence held little meaning.
She considered the time she spent eating, sleeping, and defecating far more important.
Do Gyeonu was worse than a toilet.
She switched the vibration to silent and tried to ignore the call and go back to sleep.
"Ugh…. Please…."
But Do Gyeonu was persistent.
He called persistently, as if he would keep doing so until she answered.
'Should I block him….'
Cha Eunsol seriously contemplated it.
It was right around then that the vibration changed to a ringtone.
"[Tuna? Saury? Hairtail? Mackerel!]"
A catchy song that naturally got you excited.
It was the song Cha Eunsol had set not long ago so she could answer Yeon Haneul's calls immediately.
She poked her head out from under the covers and checked the name on the screen.
It was Yeon Haneul.
"…Hello?"
Since she couldn't bring herself to ignore Yeon Haneul's call.
Cha Eunsol reluctantly pressed the answer button.
Because she answered while half-asleep, her voice was thick with drowsiness.
"[Ah, Eunsol.]"
"Yeah."
"[I'm glad you answered. Actually, earlier—]"
Then, suddenly the voice changed.
"[Eunsol, it's Gyeonu. You weren't answering earlier, so I called using Haneul's phone.]"
"…What do you want."
I had a feeling this would happen.
Curling up on her side, Cha Eunsol replied.
Do Gyeonu's business was probably related to the situation unfolding outside right now.
"[It's nothing major, but….]"
But as far as she was concerned, she simply didn't want to get tangled up in anything annoying.
No matter what he said, she intended to refuse.
"[Want to go eat chicken?]"
Her resolve lasted only a brief moment.
Cha Eunsol couldn't help but take the bait.
"…Chicken?"
"[Late-night chicken, call?]"
"Call, I'm in."
That the chicken she would end up eating was leftover chicken that Gang Hanbyeol and Bak Sagun had been eating, she never could have imagined….
At this moment, Cha Eunsol didn't know.
She had become the childhood friend of the mid-boss.