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Chapter 10
In the game, Elysium Academy was attacked by villains whenever the developers apparently got bored.
The attackers were always different—the Republic, dark mages, barbarians, cultists, and more. It was like a full-course meal of disasters.
So I’d always wondered how the academy kept getting infiltrated despite being so heavily guarded—
‘The elite guard itself was a den of villains.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly as I looked around the round table.
The Saintess of the Outer God, the Spear Wraith, the Barbarian, and even the principal’s emotional trigger.
The villains I’d searched all over the game for were now sitting together like old friends.
‘How lucky.’
The corners of my mouth rose on their own.
Graduation Love wasn’t an easy game.
The version I’d possessed was Hard Mode.
There was no clearing it by walking the safe path. Every risk had to be taken.
So when danger came to me on its own—
How could I not be pleased?
“Have a seat.”
Hanswell gestured toward an empty chair.
Once I sat down, he pointed at me.
“This is our newest recruit. As everyone knows, we’ve been desperately short-handed. Don’t do anything unnecessary.”
“The entrance ceremony is the day after tomorrow, and they’re only now filling the elite guard?” Scarlett cut in with a smile. “What a mess.”
Hanswell frowned.
“We’re short on manpower. We had to reinforce the squad somehow.”
“The other squads were reinforced long ago. They needed time to train the newcomers.”
She had hit the mark.
Hanswell bit his lip.
“Well… even if it’s a lousy addition, work still has to get done.”
Scarlett stood up with a smile.
In her hand was a crude-looking bottle of liquor.
“Scarlett, sit down.”
“Why? It’s our squad’s tradition.”
“Have you already forgotten what happened last time?”
“How was I supposed to know that rookie couldn’t hold his liquor? Right?”
She smiled slyly at the others.
Rudrick merely nodded indifferently.
Milo deliberately avoided eye contact.
“Traditions are important,” Volkan said in a surprisingly solemn voice for a barbarian. “They deserve respect.”
“There, you heard him.”
Scarlett smiled at Hanswell.
Hanswell bit his lip again.
“Come on. Drink it in one go. That’s the tradition.”
She handed me a filled glass.
I gently swirled it.
The pungent smell of strong alcohol hit my nose.
Beneath it was an extremely faint, sweet scent.
‘Poison.’
Not an instant-acting poison.
It was the insidious kind that accumulated over repeated doses before revealing its fangs later.
As I lifted the glass, murderous gazes focused on me.
Using those stares as my side dish, I drained it in one gulp.
Then—
“Good.”
I shook the empty glass toward Scarlett.
“Interesting.”
Scarlett’s crimson lips curved into a deeper smile.
It was exactly the kind of smile one would expect from the Saintess of the Outer God, the infamous woman who sacrificed a thousand students.
‘I won’t be bored here.’
I smiled back.
* * *
“Scarlett is a dangerous woman. It’s best not to make an enemy of her.”
Hanswell called me outside and warned me in a serious tone.
I knew far better than he did just how dangerous Scarlett was.
The Saintess of the Outer God was the villain who truly began the second half of the game’s story.
But Hanswell was even more dangerous.
If Scarlett marked the beginning of the late game…
The principal was one of its greatest villains.
Touch Hanswell carelessly—
And the principal would appear.
Even now, there was a high chance the principal was secretly watching Squad 42.
‘I’d better be careful.’
Since my opponent was that principal, I couldn’t help but stay on guard.
“Whew… They’ll give you a hard time. Still, they’re not bad people.”
Every one of them was a major villain.
Not bad people?
I couldn’t help laughing.
“You must be tired. Get some rest first. The rooms are shared by two people. You’ll be with Milo. Over there.”
Hanswell showed me the room.
It was simple.
Two beds and two wardrobes.
Yet it was an absolute mess.
It looked more like a doghouse than a bedroom.
I sat on the cleaner bed and reviewed the situation.
‘I’m surrounded by villains.’
That didn’t mean killing them now was the right move.
They hadn’t caused any trouble yet.
If I eliminated them preemptively, I’d only attract unnecessary suspicion—and possibly provoke the principal.
Besides—
Objective: Evangeline graduates.
Reward: Wish Ticket.
Failure: Death.
My goal wasn’t to kill villains.
It was to make sure Evangeline graduated.
The members of Squad 42 were certainly dangerous, but killing them wouldn’t magically earn Evangeline her diploma.
Most importantly—
Even if I killed Scarlett now…
Someone else would simply become the Saintess of the Outer God.
‘I’ll have to reform them.’
It was essentially a side quest.
* * *
“Milo… how do you suppose this happened?”
At the gentle voice that sounded soft enough to melt ears, Milo flinched.
Milo loved beautiful women.
No—
He was obsessed with them.
He had once risked his life fighting for a beautiful woman he’d just met.
Normally, Scarlett was exactly the kind of beauty he’d worship.
But Milo was afraid of her.
Because he knew the poison hidden behind that radiant smile.
“Hm? Milo? Answer me.”
He wanted to answer.
He really did.
But how could he possibly admit he’d been beaten senseless by a rookie who had only arrived today?
There wasn’t even any proof.
“Looks like you’ve been getting comfortable lately.”
Scarlett’s chilly words brushed against his back.
Milo swallowed nervously.
“That’s not it.”
“Really? Because it sure seems that way. I almost thought you’d forgotten Charlotte.”
At the name Charlotte, Milo’s expression froze.
“Charlotte will come back. And imagine how heartbroken she’ll be if she returns and finds someone else has taken her place. Wouldn’t that be awful? If it were me, my heart would just sink.”
Milo bit his lip hard.
Rudrick quietly inhaled from his cigarette.
Volkan silently prayed.
Scarlett looked around at them and whispered,
“Never forget this.
The only reason any of you are still alive…
is because Charlotte sacrificed herself.”
She gently patted Milo’s head.
‘Damn it.’
Scratching his head roughly, Milo headed toward the room.
He’d intended to beat up the rookie until he quit.
The problem was—
The rookie could fight.
Not just fight.
He was absurdly good.
Milo hadn’t even managed to touch him.
Yet admitting that would destroy his pride.
“Damn it…”
He cursed under his breath and opened the door.
A broad back came into view.
Despite the lean build, every muscle was tightly packed.
Countless rough scars covered it.
They were so gruesome that the back looked almost monstrous.
More than that—
“Hm?”
The man turned at the sound.
On the right side of his chest was an even stranger scar.
It looked as though thousands of teeth had chewed into his flesh.
Just looking at it sent chills down Milo’s spine.
He couldn’t imagine what kind of life this man had lived.
Their eyes met.
“Oh.
Looks like I’ll have to teach you how to knock.”
Grave casually clenched his fist.
“But… this is my room…”
Milo felt genuinely wronged.
* * *
The rustling sound woke me.
‘An unfamiliar ceiling.’
Muttering the old joke, I let out a slow breath.
The accumulated tension quietly left my body.
The room was filled with the smell of rot and blood.
I slowly got up and stretched.
Crack…
I’d only slept briefly, yet my body felt as stiff as a corpse.
An unavoidable side effect.
Just then, someone approached.
Milo.
Without warning, he threw a punch at me.
I’d only trained him yesterday, and he was already trying again.
His spirit was admirable.
I lightly shifted my foot.
Milo overextended and crashed to the floor.
Thud!
Despite the heavy impact, he quickly got back up and charged again.
“Damn you! Die!”
“Your stance is too high.”
Clicking my tongue, I kicked him again.
My foot struck his solar plexus perfectly.
Milo gasped for air.
“What the hell? You were sleeping!”
“I don’t sleep.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?!”
Cursing loudly, he rushed me again.
I didn’t bother explaining.
My fist shot forward.
It landed squarely on his face.
“Ghk—”
Milo collapsed.
I stepped in and threw another punch.
He hurriedly raised his guard.
“You should guard after reading the attack. If you just throw your guard up carelessly…”
I punched straight through it.
“…this is what happens.”
“Wait—ugh!”
“Again. This time, block properly.”
Kindly, I corrected his stance.
Milo kept shouting something, but I ignored him.
He was closer to a beast than a person.
Words weren’t necessary.
After who knew how many kicks—
Milo suddenly raised both hands and barked.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Satisfied, I loosened my hands.
“That was a good morning workout. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
“Morning… workout?”
Milo muttered with the expression of someone who had bitten into something foul.
Meanwhile, I enjoyed a refreshing stretch.
As if he’d never been beaten, Milo soon returned to his usual sullen look.
“It’s time to assign today’s duties. Normally the rookie goes around waking everyone up, but…”
“So?”
“Nothing.”
He grumbled quietly.
Even after that beating, he was still remarkably stubborn.
“How are duties assigned?”
“During morning roll call, the vice captain assigns requests sent from the other squads. But since tomorrow’s the entrance ceremony, everyone’s probably getting assigned to ceremony support. Oh, and starting today, the new students will arrive, so there’ll be freshman escort duty too.”
“Freshman escort?”
“Picking up the new students and taking them to the dorms.”
Milo explained while grumbling.
‘Ah. The intro.’
The opening of Graduation Love began with the protagonist arriving at the academy by carriage.
Apparently, those carriages were operated by the guard.
That was welcome news.
“I’d like freshman escort duty.”
“So? What about it?”
Milo looked at me blankly.
He really was slow.
Patiently, I repeated myself.
“I want to escort the new students.”
“That’s usually Lord Rudrick’s job. First impressions matter, so they only pick the handsome or pretty ones.”
“Good. I’m handsome.”
“What kind of confidence is that…? That’s not how it works. You don’t volunteer. The vice captain assigns people.”
“I see. Then I phrased it incorrectly.”
I nodded as though I understood.
Milo visibly relaxed.
Looking at him, I stated firmly,
“I will be taking freshman escort duty.”
Milo blinked stupidly.
A moment later, he finally processed what I’d said.
His face twisted like he’d just eaten something rotten.
“…Fine.”
I straightened my messy hair.
“I’m telling you, that’s not how this works…”
Milo muttered quietly.
Just then, a magical broadcasting device mounted on the ceiling crackled to life.
[This morning’s roll call will be held outdoors.]
It was a strangely familiar announcement.
