Unfortunately, Min Arin, who had been shouting for the downfall of Yeon Haneul, failed to achieve her goal yet again.
The class that Yeon Haneul had seemed to be leading to victory in the interclass competition had run into the reef that was Kang Hanbyeol’s class along the way, causing them to fail to advance to the finals.
―Tch, if you were going to lose, you should have lost to our class. Why lose to some other class? No matter what anyone says, I should be the one to take down Yeon Haneul….
Though she treated Yeon Haneul brusquely, Min Arin considered her a rival, and she clearly couldn’t hide her frustration.
But there was nothing to be done.
Leaving our disappointment behind, we advanced to the finals, where we had to fight Kang Hanbyeol’s class.
The result was, unfortunately….
―Honestly, if you have any conscience, shouldn’t you refrain from using Gifts?
Lisa, who had infiltrated our formation with Kang Hanbyeol at the forefront, opened a subspace with the Gift known as the Grace of Platinum.
The enemies who had been waging a siege outside poured out from within it.
Our formation was breached in an instant, and we had no choice but to collapse.
To make matters worse, she even used her Gift to safely extract the enemy soldiers who had seized our flag….
In the end, we were unable to turn the tide and lost the interclass competition.
Even though we knew the opposing class’s strategy, we had failed to respond properly.
That was how effective and powerful their strategy, built around Lisa’s Gift, had been.
Displeased, I confronted Lisa about it.
To which she replied:
―I didn’t break any rules, and I was simply using my abilities fairly, wasn’t I? Besides, Gyeonwoo, you said it yourself. To win, you have to sell your conscience to the devil and fight cowardly, using any means necessary.
Drunk on the joy of victory, Lisa replied with her nose held high.
Kang Hanbyeol chimed in as well.
―Of course. Battles are supposed to be cowardly! Though I’m not sure this really counts as cowardly.
―…Yeah, good for you two. I’m glad you won.
The two of them were so irritating.
I felt as if I had helped awaken Lisa’s Gift for no benefit whatsoever.
In any case, the second-semester interclass competition ended like that.
Not long afterward, campaigning began for those running in the student council president election.
We could easily encounter them anywhere in the academy.
At times, we even saw them visit classrooms during lessons, ask the instructors for permission, and campaign there.
Then, one morning—not long after that—it happened.
“Hello, student Do Gyeonwoo. My name is Im Chaewon, and I’m a second-year student from Class 32 of the White Magic division.”
“Yes… Hello. But what brings you here…?”
I had been waiting for morning assembly in my classroom when a second-year senior I had never even spoken with before came to visit.
As far as I was concerned, I had no choice but to ask the purpose of her unexpected visit.
She greeted me politely, then handed me a letter.
The letter bore a seal depicting a pegasus near the opening.
It was the emblem of the Holy Family of Light.
“This is an invitation to lunch from Seong Dasom, the Fairy of the Holy Family of Light. She says there is something she would like to discuss with student Do Gyeonwoo in private, and asked me to find out whether you would be willing to have lunch with her today if you have the time.”
“…”
“The details should be written in the letter. Please read it and make your decision.”
And so, from this incident’s beginning—
I was now facing Seong Dasom.
* * *
Seong Dasom, the Fairy of the Holy Family of Light.
To briefly introduce her, one could say that she was a mixture of Lisa and Min Arin.
“As we’re both members of the Ten Great Families, I’ve wanted to become close with you for some time. But I’ve been so busy that I’m only getting around to it now. You were surprised when I suddenly asked to meet, weren’t you?”
“Yes, well….”
“From now on, as your senior by one year, I’ll make sure to guide you properly, Junior Do Gyeonwoo. If there’s anything you don’t know or if you ever need my help, please let me know at any time.”
Seong Dasom tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
The mole beneath her left lip stood out as she smiled sweetly.
The elegance with which she handled her utensils, the way she chose her words with formality, and her conduct, so attentive to her posture—in addition to the refined atmosphere that permeated her speech, actions, and very presence—strongly reminded me of Lisa.
But unlike her appearance, Seong Dasom had grown up in an environment where her family worshiped her, which had made her authoritarian. She lived intoxicated by her own greatness, making her shameless, and like Min Arin, she had a strong sense of pride and a fierce competitive spirit.
She was also….
“Why are you staring at me so intently? You haven’t said a word for a while.”
“I was just thinking about what I should say….”
“Surely you weren’t dazed because you thought I was pretty?”
“…”
“Although, I am pretty.”
She was an incurable narcissist.
I kept my mouth shut as I watched Seong Dasom deliberately toss her hair back.
“If you want to look, go ahead and look as much as you like. It’s not as if I’ll wear out just because you look at me.”
“Oh, yes….”
“What? Did you think I wouldn’t be able to say I was pretty with my own mouth? You certainly look as though you did. But the fact is, I am pretty. You have to acknowledge the truth honestly. If I forced myself to act humble and went around saying I was ugly, people would only curse me for it instead.”
“…”
“Don’t stare at me so much that you accidentally go blind.”
Hmph. At least she knew she was pretty.
Seong Dasom, apparently in a good mood, twitched the corners of her lips and put food into her mouth.
As I ate lunch with her, I forcibly swallowed the words I wanted to say.
*Haneul’s prettier, though. What are you talking about…*
I had an overwhelming urge to open the gallery on my smartphone and show her a picture of Yeon Haneul right then and there.
But given Seong Dasom’s personality, doing so might make her hostile toward me.
Since I wanted to maintain a cordial relationship with her if possible, I held my tongue.
Then I decided to stop wasting time on pointless conversation and get to the matter at hand.
“So, what did you want to see me about?”
“I suppose you don’t like spending time probing one another’s intentions. Good. I’m the same way, actually. I’m rather impatient. So I’ll be direct.”
Seong Dasom wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue.
Then she made her proposal in a self-assured tone.
“I’d like student Do Gyeonwoo to support me in this election. If you do, I’ll make sure to repay you generously after I become student council president.”
Seong Dasom added, “What do you think?” and shrugged her shoulders.
She looked as though she had no doubt that I would agree.
I could only wonder.
“Why me?”
If the game’s story were proceeding as intended, this request should have gone to Kang Hanbyeol, not me.
I asked in order to determine what had caused the story to deviate.
Seong Dasom furrowed her brow slightly and answered as though she couldn’t believe I truly didn’t know.
“Because of your influence, Junior Do Gyeonwoo. You’re a direct descendant of the Divine Sword Do Family. On top of that, you’re considered a promising prospect on par with Senior Do Si-eun, the Thunderbolt Flower, who is currently the student council president. Once Senior Do Si-eun graduates, the collective will of the students in the swordsmanship division will turn toward you. Of course, Jinwoo is in the second year as well, but… you’ll become the de facto representative of the swordsmanship division, won’t you?”
“I understand that much, but wouldn’t it be better to recruit Hanbyeol rather than me…?”
“What does the Young Battle Fiend have to do with this? Ah, I’m not saying I don’t recognize the Young Battle Fiend’s influence. I’d be happy if she supported me too. I do want to recruit her. However.”
“…”
“Do I really need to recruit the Young Battle Fiend when recruiting only you would be enough? After all, she’s your friend. And so are Yeon Haneul of the Bunny family, Min Arin of the Magic Min Family, Cha Eunsol of the Cycle Cha Family, Yong Haerang of the Chivalrous Yong Family, Nam Yuri of the Yeonseong Nam Family, and Princess Lisa Grace of the Grace Empire. Aren’t they?”
I believe you’re the center around which they all gather, Junior Do Gyeonwoo.
Seong Dasom added that in a tone that seemed to ask whether she wasn’t right.
Only then did I understand why she had called me instead of Kang Hanbyeol.
*Well… If Haneul is included, it makes sense that she would consider me the center.*
I silently agreed.
In a way, this worked out well for me.
I could deal with Seong Dasom directly without the hassle of going through Kang Hanbyeol.
*If this senior came to that conclusion, there’s a good chance that person Eun Suhyeok has reached a similar one.*
In other words, I might be able to mediate between Seong Dasom and Eun Suhyeok as they fought over the position of student council president.
Having reached that conclusion, I readily nodded.
“Sure. I’ll support you, Senior.”
“…Really? I didn’t expect you to decide so readily. Thank you. I’ll never forget this favor. In the name of Seong Dasom, Fairy of the Holy Family of Light, I swear that once I become student council president, I’ll repay Junior Do Gyeonwoo by—”
“On one condition.”
“A condition…? What is it? Don’t hesitate—go ahead and tell me.”
Seong Dasom’s face brightened at my declaration of support, and her eyes widened.
Then she urged me on enthusiastically.
I opened my mouth as though I had been waiting for this moment.
“Promise me that if you’re elected student council president, you’ll appoint Senior Eun Suhyeok as vice president.”
“What? What did you say?”
At the mention of the name of her ill-fated relationship, Eun Suhyeok, Seong Dasom flinched.
A moment later, her stiff face immediately twisted into a scowl.
* * *
As a result of the student council president election episode, the events that would occur next year depending on the winner were as follows.
If Seong Dasom became student council president, Eun Suhyeok, defeated and dispirited by the election, would continue wandering even after graduation. He would eventually encounter Taechon, the leader of the Demon Society, and defect to the demonkind.
After seizing one of the Six Demonic seats, he would roam the darkness of Academy City, becoming known as the Ghost Spear, a man obsessed with killing people.
Academy City’s public safety would rapidly deteriorate because of his existence….
*The Shields, Swords, and Clans would lead an operation to hunt down the Ghost Spear. That’s when Hanbyeol, participating as a member of the Shield, would stir up the darkness of Academy City and encounter him.*
Kang Hanbyeol had been one of the reasons Eun Suhyeok fell into despair.
Not only had he lost a duel against Kang Hanbyeol, a junior one year below him, during the student council president election episode, but his pride had also been deeply wounded when he lost the spear that had been his family’s treasure.
So when he happened to encounter Kang Hanbyeol, he would challenge her to another match in an attempt to cast off those painful memories.
If Kang Hanbyeol won the battle, the story would proceed to the next episode.
But if she were defeated by him….
*After killing Hanbyeol, Eun Suhyeok would become even more insane, committing murder indiscriminately, and Academy City would ultimately fall into the hands of the Demon Society.*
After that, an ending in which the world was destroyed by Taechon and the Six Demons awaited.
On the other hand, if Eun Suhyeok became student council president—
Seong Dasom, whose pride had been crushed by her defeat in the election, would discover the human experiments secretly being conducted by the Holy Family of Light.
Disillusioned with her family, she would rush about trying to stop the experiments, only to be captured by them and subjected to the human experiments herself.
As a result—
*After the Holy Family of Light’s long-held wish, an artificial angel would finally be created. It wouldn’t be a complete success, though.*
Seong Dasom would be reborn as an artificially created Six-Star Angel.
This was when Kang Hanbyeol, having received a request from her friends, would search for the missing Seong Dasom.
After infiltrating a research facility belonging to the Holy Family of Light, she would fight her way through failed test subjects before battling Seong Dasom, who had transformed into a monster.
Two possible stories branched off depending on the outcome of this battle.
Either Kang Hanbyeol won and proceeded to the next episode, or….
*Much like during the Oh Junsoo episode, a channel connecting to the Celestial Realm would open, bringing about a world conquered by angels. Then the Black Magic Oh Family would open a channel leading to the Demon Realm…*
Ultimately, the War between Heaven and Demons would break out.
In the end, whether it was Eun Suhyeok or Seong Dasom, choosing either one would trigger an episode that could lead to a destruction ending the following year.
Therefore, since I wanted to avoid troublesome episodes whenever possible, there was only one conclusion I could reach.
I had to guide the two of them into running the student council together, so that neither would be hurt.
Of course, they were constantly bickering and quarreling with each other….
*It’s not as if there’s no chance at all.*
In the game, if one cleared Eun Suhyeok’s episode, Seong Dasom would mourn his death and blame herself.
The same was true if one cleared her episode.
Eun Suhyeok would mourn her death and blame himself.
「Seong Dasom」
―The reason I became student council president was because I wanted to show you that I’m no longer so weak that I need your protection—that, now, I can even protect you. That was never my intention…. You idiot, you fool…. You clueless moron who knows nothing about a woman’s heart…. I was wrong. Please, don’t die….
「Eun Suhyeok」
―The only reason I tried to become student council president was you. You were always so absentminded and prone to making mistakes that I couldn’t help but worry about you… So I wanted to become student council president, appoint you as vice president, and quietly support you from behind so that you could freely put your ideas into practice. But I wasn’t honest enough, and I was too clumsy, so things ended up like this…. I’m sorry…. I’m sorry, Dasom.
In truth, the two of them had been childhood friends who had known each other without any pretenses since they were young.
Then their relationship soured due to circumstances within their families, and after going through adolescence, it developed into what it was now.
That was why, after clearing the episode and learning the other’s true feelings, they deeply regretted everything.
Unfortunately, it was a case of locking the stable door after the horse had bolted.
In any case, I took note of this and decided to intervene in the student council president election episode.
‘If I recall the game’s story correctly, once either of them became student council president, each of them intended to coax the other into becoming vice president.’
But they were both poor at expressing themselves, and after pointlessly turning it into a battle of pride, things had gone terribly wrong.
Therefore, the thing I had to do, knowing their circumstances, was mediate between them.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for members of the same Ten Great Families to be at odds with each other. It will definitely affect the atmosphere at the academy, too. So if you become student council president, I’d like you to appoint Senior Eun Suhyeok as vice president and have the two of you run the student council together.”
“I was planning to do that from the beginning, you know? Why would I refuse the chance to put Eun Suhyeok to work as my servant? I’m perfectly willing to graciously offer him the vice president’s seat.”
“Are you going to suggest it to Senior Eun Suhyeok like that if you become president? I think he’d take offense….”
“…I’ll handle the wording myself.”
“Then please promise me for sure.”
“Promise? Don’t tell me you don’t trust me and want to record this or something. Fine, all right. Let’s do it. Record me.”
“No, not a recording.”
“If not a recording, then what?”
“Get Senior Eun Suhyeok’s definite answer. If you become student council president, get his firm assurance that he’ll duly become vice president.”
“What?”
Seong Dasom raised her eyebrows.
She grew angry, saying it was absurd.
“Are you seriously suggesting that? Junior Do Gyeon-u, if I tried to get a definite answer from Eun Suhyeok, what do you think he’d say in response? Obviously….”
“He’d say that if he became student council president, he would make you his vice president.”
“…You know that, and yet you’re still saying this? What’s your objective?”
“I already told you.”
Seong Dasom folded her arms across her chest.
I didn’t avoid her narrowed, piercing gaze and answered triumphantly.
“I told you. I don’t want members of the same Ten Great Families to be at odds with each other.”
“Whew…. You’re a strange person. The relationships between the Ten Great Families will function perfectly well on their own without you having to worry about them. Fine. If I bring back Eun Suhyeok’s definite answer, you’ll support me, right?”
“No?”
“…Are you trying to make a joke out of me?”
“There’s one more condition. I think the position of student council president is suited to someone strong, like my cousin.”
“And? You seem to be unaware, but I’m strong. I’m ranked fifty-seventh, which makes me a Double Number, you know? Isn’t being in the top one percent in the entire academy as a second-year proof enough?”
“What about Senior Eun Suhyeok? What’s his ranking?”
“…Thirty-ninth.”
“Then doesn’t that mean Senior Eun Suhyeok is stronger?”
“No. It’s unreasonable to compare pure martial strength using a ranking evaluated by overall grades. I won’t accept something like that.”
“Then what should we do?”
“…”
Seong Dasom was similar in personality to Min Arin and was easily baited by provocation.
And when the provocation involved comparing her to Eun Suhyeok, she would be even less capable of holding herself back.
So she had no choice but to take the bait exactly as I intended.
She boldly spoke up.
“Fine. Then shouldn’t we settle who’s stronger by fighting Eun Suhyeok directly? I’ll prove how strong I am in that duel.”
“A duel…. Not a bad idea. Then I’ll support whoever wins the duel.”
She took the bait.
I Became the Mid-Boss’s Childhood Friend