“I’m... not needed anymore?”

Yu Hana suddenly asked, her voice trembling on the verge of tears.

‘What’s with her?’

She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

Caught off guard by her unexpected reaction, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) I quickly clarified.

I just meant the training wasn’t necessary anymore.

Her eyes widened for a second, then she exhaled lightly as if relieved. But then she puffed her cheeks slightly in a sulky expression.

“Then why are you suddenly quitting?”

Only then did I calmly explain.

Basically, she had improved so much that I thought it’d be better for her to spend some time reflecting on the swordplay alone.

And I added that I had just been selected as a mentor for the Exchange Hall, so I wouldn’t have enough time.

“Mentor...?”

Her eyes narrowed for a moment.

She seemed to mull something over for a few seconds, then slowly closed her eyes.

“Alright.”

She nodded quietly, then added carefully,

“But... you still have to show up for morning training.”

I smiled lightly and nodded. I was planning to keep that going anyway.

But unexpectedly, I had to make a promise that I would never skip it under any circumstance.

Only after that did Yu Hana finally show a somewhat satisfied expression and turn away.

After seeing her off, I headed toward the dorm.

On the way back—

The night air seeped coolly into my lungs.

Suddenly, a strange thought crossed my mind.

‘...Wait a second.’

Yu Hana is a heroine.

Not just her—Kang Arin, Cheon Yeoul as well.

In the original story, they were all characters the protagonist could romance.

Of course, as it was a game, there were also routes where he didn’t pursue them, but generally, they were intended to end up with the main character.

So then—now that the protagonist is gone?

I stopped in the middle of the street. The streetlamp cast a long shadow at my feet.

It was something I had never considered. Not even once.

“...No way.”

Could it be... that I’m becoming the new target? Just because I’ve been the one sticking close to them and trying to fill Sung Siwoo’s place?

My head throbbed.

With him gone, I had been trying to approach them more closely lately.

I figured I needed to make up for what was missing in any way I could.

So yeah, we had grown closer recently.

I pictured their faces in my mind.

Yu Hana. Kang Arin. Cheon Yeoul.

“Ah...”

I let out a small sigh.

Was this just... delusions of grandeur?

For a moment, I had completely forgotten their level of appearance.

I wasn’t ugly or anything, but I definitely didn’t have the kind of overwhelming looks they had.

And honestly—

I had no plans to openly express affection or flirt like the protagonist would in one of the routes.

I just—

Gave them good food.

Helped them when they needed it.

Saved them from death, or prevented those kinds of situations from happening at all.

Guided them to grow stronger, and once they were ready, stepped back to let them go on their own.

That was the extent of it.

It would be weirder if they developed feelings beyond normal human affection.

And even if—by some miracle—that happened...

I wouldn’t be able to accept those feelings easily.

Not because I didn’t like them.

But because... this world just wasn’t built that way.

Right now, things were still relatively calm, story-wise. But once the real invasions and wars begin—once the full force of the demon faction starts to move—

People will die left and right.

That’s the kind of world this is.

I’m not the protagonist. Which means I don’t have the luxury of accepting emotions like that while trying to kill evil gods.

I’m not guaranteed a happy ending.

All I can do... is my best.

That’s what made me different from the protagonist in the original story.

I started walking again.

Before I knew it, the dorm came into view.

***

The next day, ten minutes before 10 a.m.

Yoon Chaeha headed to the auditorium.

To be exact, she’d been there since 9 a.m.

Who knew what she’d been thinking—she just ended up arriving early.

She’d been sitting alone in the corner of the auditorium since morning.

She read a book. Took deep breaths. Fidgeted with her fingers.

And still, the strange excitement in her chest wouldn’t settle down.

Her heart thumped in her chest.

Like a child waiting for a present.

She tried to analyze herself.

This was just simple curiosity. She couldn’t find anyone worth her attention in Kalos, so of course she’d be interested here.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

But—

The fact that she felt the need to explain it to herself already made it contradictory.

Time passed, and Gaon students began to trickle into the auditorium.

Most likely, they were the ones selected as mentors.

Yoon Chaeha slowly scanned the room. But the one she was looking for wasn’t there.

And then, at exactly 10 a.m.

The door opened. And he walked in.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Jeong Haein naturally turned his head, scanning the room.

And then his eyes met hers.

He smiled slightly and walked toward her.

His footsteps echoed across the floor of the auditorium.

That strange presence that approached with him—

A kind of aura one might call... saintly.

What was it?

There was something unusual about him.

She hadn’t noticed it from far away, but now that he was near, it was undeniable.

“Hey.”

He spoke to her.

She knew she was supposed to respond instinctively, but—

For some reason, she couldn’t meet his gaze.

‘What... is this?’

Yoon Chaeha was startled by her own reaction.

A strange sensation she couldn’t explain. She tried to analyze it in her head.

But there was no conclusion.

She couldn’t have known—

That the Fragment and 『Unified Perception』 within him

Were in perfect resonance with her own Authority, A Priori, which sought the truth.

Jeong Haein’s smile deepened. He extended his hand toward her. As if offering a handshake.

She stared at his hand for a moment.

Slowly... slowly...

She raised her hand as well—

—Grab.

“Ah.”

A small sound escaped her lips before she even realized it.

His hand grasped hers firmly, but naturally.

And he gently shook it up and down.

‘...Big.’

That was her first impression.

A large hand.

The thick calluses and rough scars covering his palm.

Traces left behind by countless swings, endless training. Effort that had built up from pushing past every limit.

A hand no male mage could ever possess.

For some reason—

Holding that hand,

Strangely, somehow—

She felt safe.

Now, she no longer understood what she was thinking.

***

The Pavilion of Selflessness, where all of Gaon’s scenery could be seen at a glance.

Though often used by students as an observation deck, today, it was unusually quiet.

Two women were sitting there.

The wind passed by gently.

“What did the others say?”

Cheon Yeoul spoke as she stared into the distance.

Her gaze remained suspended in the air.

Ha Sion slowly turned her head.

“Kang Arin didn’t care. And Yu Hana... all positive, as always.”

“And you?”

Cheon Yeoul asked again.

Ha Sion closed her eyes and thought briefly.

Then answered in a calm tone.

“If it had been anyone else, I’d be against it.”

Cheon Yeoul looked at her.

Ha Sion remained silent for a moment.

“But... I feel like he’s a little different.”

If he were someone with no investment value whatsoever—

She would’ve clenched her teeth and rejected him.

But he wasn’t at that level.

Cheon Yeoul slowly closed her eyes.

Then spoke in a low voice, as if trying to suppress her emotions.

“I... don’t like it.”

She clenched her hands quietly.

“I hate that he keeps sacrificing himself to look after others, to help them grow. I hate the very idea of it.”

She inhaled deeply.

“He’s done enough.”

Time and time again—

He had lived his life for others. How much more did he have to give?

Cheon Yeoul bit her lip.

She tried to continue, but her throat tightened.

As if she couldn’t bear how pitiful it was, she fought back the emotion and said,

“By now... he should only be receiving.”

With that, she stood and left.

—Thunk.

Ha Sion stared blankly as Cheon Yeoul’s coffee can tipped and the remaining liquid spilled.

Cold air lingered in the space.

Only the untouched coffee remained where Cheon Yeoul had been.

Ha Sion took a deep breath.

Then slowly lifted her head.

A scene flickered through her mind.

Not the present.

A moment in the past.

But—

It wasn’t her own memory.

It was merely someone’s memory.

***

A massive conference room engraved with radiant magical inscriptions.

The center of the Magic Tower, where books floated in the air.

A woman sat on the other side of the table.

Blonde hair. Yoon Chaeha.

She smiled softly and extended her hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoon Chaeha, Master of the Magic Tower. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She reached out for a handshake.

But the man didn’t take her hand. Instead, he gave a slight bow. Polite, yet somehow distant.

She hesitated for a moment, then quietly withdrew her hand and sat down.

Then she got to the point. Her eyes shifted to a bright orange hue. She nodded.

“I’ll get straight to it.”

She took a breath and spoke calmly.

“I know your Authority is Regression.”

She watched his expression.

She expected him to waver.

But there was no change in his face.

No reaction. No emotion. Just a consistently blank expression.

If he ever smiled, it might actually leave a decent impression.

But he was empty.

The chill that ran down her spine almost made her shiver, but she suppressed it and continued.

“That’s why the Magic Tower has prepared a strategy for you. It’s...”

Yoon Chaeha launched into a passionate explanation.

A logically structured, clear plan. A strategy that would convince anyone.

The fate of humanity was at stake, but she explained it like an exciting research topic.

Yet the man, Jeong Haein, remained expressionless.

Even after she finished, he didn’t say a single word.

Yoon Chaeha grew frustrated.

“Well? Now that Sung Siwoo has betrayed us, are you willing to take part in my plan?”

Eyes gleaming.

A demeanor that didn’t know failure. A confident tone.

Yoon Chaeha looked at him with anticipation.

Jeong Haein lifted his head slightly and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Knew it.”

So it was a meaningless hope, after all. With those words, he stood from his seat.

“...Excuse me?”

For a brief moment, Yoon Chaeha’s expression faltered.

Jeong Haein had thought about it.

Just maybe—if it was Yoon Chaeha, if it was her eyes—

Maybe she would notice. Maybe one day, she’d figure it out.

Because telling her directly was impossible. The suppression of this world wasn’t something she could bear.

But it was, as expected, a hopeless expectation.

He hoped this would be the last time he responded to the Magic Tower’s summons.

Jeong Haein turned without giving a single answer.

“...Hey!”

Yoon Chaeha called out urgently.

A sharp voice rang out from behind him.

“What are you—”

But then—

He spoke first.

“Want to guess?”

In that moment, the air in the room froze.

The temperature hadn’t dropped, but the chill at the back of the throat was unmistakable.

His voice was cold and dry.

“How many times do you think this has happened?”

He turned his head and looked straight at Yoon Chaeha, the Master of the Tower.

“The Magic Tower summoning me. You explaining that plan with such excitement.”

His gaze pierced straight through her.

“How many times do you think this has repeated?”

Yoon Chaeha’s eyes widened.

She tried to say something, but no sound came out.

‘No way...’

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered the possibility. But in her eyes, there had been no sign—

Still, Jeong Haein gave her no time to respond.

He spoke flatly.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time. And it won’t be the last.”

“...”

“I hope next time, you have a better plan.”

With that—

He walked out of the room.