Sickly Girl, but a Drug Addict

On the day Barak Train’s company was destroyed, I definitely returned to the academy with the Thunder Emperor.

I had been so focused on getting Vermilion Heart that I hadn’t anticipated how students would react if we entered the banquet hall together.

I can roughly guess the flow of rumors.

‘I heard Shana and Rukia were kidnapped!’

‘The Student Council President went to rescue them, I heard.’

‘Was she kidnapped because her health is poor?’

‘Was she so weak that she got kidnapped?’

‘If she’s that weak, how did she get into Regin?’

‘For academy admissions, even if your body is weak, it’s fine as long as your ability supports it.’

‘She must have tremendous ability to make up for her extremely poor health.’

‘I’ve been curious because she collapses whenever she tries to do something.’

‘Right. She’s never properly completed a practical evaluation in front of people, has she?’

‘She always collapsed and it was a mess.’

‘By the way, is she okay? The bleeding doesn’t seem to stop?’

The lie that I was ‘kidnapped’ by Count Train.

It seems to have naturally spread to the students through the Thunder Emperor’s mouth of all people.

But what can I do?

Variables keep being created ever since I was caught in the act of theft by Professor Yggdrasil.

And I simply made the best choice at the time to block those variables.

‘It’s extreme difficulty level… Is it saying not to think about surviving easily….’

As soon as it became Hughes Year 31, which is the full-fledged background of the game Day-R, the future vision that had no problems until now is wildly fluctuating.

It’s as if this world is directly warning me that until last year, it was just a practice game.

I, who have played Day-R for thousands of hours, know very well that if you want to control variables that run wild, you have to uproot them from the source.

But there’s just one variable that even I, who knows so well, cannot uproot…

That’s the existence of the Athena named Shana Midgard.

‘But I can’t get rid of myself…’

The Thunder Emperor, who is staring at me, has done nothing wrong.

She’s just acting according to her pre-constructed personality traits in response to the given variables.

A hero who implements justice.

A hero who believes everyone is honest in the face of power.

A hero who believes that living and dying as a shield for the weak is her mission.

That’s what the Athena named Lutia Stormbringer is.

Once she started focusing on a weakling like me, this kind of future was unavoidable.

While I was deeply lost in thought, I had already been led to the bathroom by the Thunder Emperor.

Lukewarm water pours from the golden faucet with a swoosh.

The Thunder Emperor soaked the end of her cape in water, then gently wiped beneath my nose.

Her snow-white cape gradually gets stained with my blood.

It’s like purity being stained with corruption.

“Beberus may be good at treatment, but they’re really clumsy with the cleanup.”

“…That’s true.”

“Anyway. Is your body okay? Your nose is still quite red.”

“The Head Doctor would have treated it properly.”

“Still. It bothers me!”

Kick.

The Thunder Emperor showed a hero smile and patted my head.

“When there’s a sick person in front of me, I simply can’t just pass by.”

The Thunder Emperor sacrificed herself time and again.

And as she jumped into the flames devouring the earth, she entrusted me with the future.

“Just for today, it’s okay to be a bit naughty, right? After all, I’m older?”

“I only trust you, Angelus. Please save more people…!”

The normal ending of extreme difficulty that I’ve seen time and again.

The Student Council President always sacrificed herself to conclude the story.

And now such a woman is showing interest in me.

I don’t know how to block it right away.

Should I try putting up a light wall as I usually do first?

I know the Athena named Thunder Emperor better than anyone.

But in a situation like now where variables have increased, even the dimension of possibilities simulation has too low reliability.

It would be best to cross step by step, like crossing a stone bridge.

“I’m fine now. Please don’t worry about me. You have a lot of busy matters, President.”

Her eyes, which always seem to be smiling.

Curl up as if displeased by my words.

“Shana. Do you think there’s anything busier than helping an injured person?”

“Because there must be those in greater danger than me.”

“To me just now, you with your bright red under-nose seemed the most dangerous.”

She’s not leaving.

The professor’s order seems to not just end with figuring out my movements.

“Judging by your walking form, you seem dizzy from losing a lot of blood.”

Was I?

I thought I was always walking straight.

“Shall I support you to your destination?”

Because of the Thunder Emperor’s appearance, Rukia, who would usually act as my cane, is also gone.

Like a natural physical law.

The two people who are complete opposites rarely exist in the same space.

If Rukia, the most useful card, is not here…

Either I follow the Thunder Emperor and adapt to the situation.

Or I coldly reject her and return to the old school building, just these two options.

But the latter seems dangerous.

If I drag her to the old school building now, she might discover the underground construction.

But the former is not safe either.

The Thunder Emperor is a woman who only knows how to move forward.

The moment I show a gap, I’ll lose pace and be dragged around.

‘Then… the answer is….’

The faculty still wouldn’t have found Nava, and until the agreement is reached, the faculty can’t burst into the old school building.

So now is the only chance for Rukia and Pixie to meet and hide the shame underground.

I hope Rukia is watching my efforts from somewhere.

If it’s her, even if I follow the Thunder Emperor, she’ll immediately understand my intention.

“I don’t need any help.”

“Come on. Don’t be like that.”

With the thought of returning to the dormitory while playing hard to get appropriately, I lightly shook off my shoulder that she had grabbed.

As expected, it’s not even close.

Maybe because of her ridiculously strong grip, it doesn’t budge at all.

“Indifference is how you help me, President.”

“For someone who says that, there’s never been anyone who didn’t need help?”

I shot a sharp gaze.

And I turned my head and let out a short sigh.

The Thunder Emperor doesn’t understand even with this, but it’s to plant one thought in the students watching us in the corridor.

I have a bad personality.

Don’t come close.

Don’t pity me either.

I don’t need your help.

“But, the professor only told me to watch over you, not to bring you. I’ll just stay by your side. Okay?”

Didn’t Professor Yggdrasil never say it was okay to tell me that story?

You blockhead.

“Oops.”

I cover my mouth belatedly, but it’s already too late.

Having obtained everything I needed, I snorted and stepped forward.

[Characteristic – ‘Greenhouse Flower’] [Active]

Oh crap.

“Ugh…!”

At the critical moment when my nose bone, which had just been treated, was about to hit the floor again.

The Thunder Emperor easily caught my body that was falling forward.

My body, which was in a prone position, quickly spins.

I was suddenly being held in the Thunder Emperor’s arms like a princess.

“Jeez. I can’t leave you alone.”

That’s my line.

This body can’t be left unwatched.

“If you tell me your destination, I’ll support you there.”

Given this situation, I have no choice but to accept the support.

The timing of my body’s tantrums is really quite artistic.

“Since there’s no choice… Would it be okay to ask you to take me to the dormitory?”

“Gladly!”

This crazy woman.

“Wait. Wait!”

I barely squeezed out my voice to stop the Thunder Emperor who was about to sprint while holding me.

“I can walk on my own feet. Would you put me down?”

The Thunder Emperor, who is used to saving people, easily holds people like a princess regardless of gender or age.

However, the moment we parade through the academy like this, the name Shana Midgard, which was only known to Aesir dormitory students, would spread throughout the school.

That absolutely cannot happen.

Just being supported by a walking billboard is creating variables like crazy.

♦♦♦

— Department heaad~? Are you in there?

It was about an hour after I returned to the dormitory that Rukia came looking for me.

Even as she entered the room, she looked around several times.

“I really thought I was going to die of fear~.”

You too?

Me too.

“Hihi. Is the treatment all done?”

Rukia carefully touched my nose, which still had a reddish tint, and asked.

“It’s fine. And with Pixie… how did it go?”

Rukia makes a V-sign.

Seeing her confidently showing her canine teeth, it seems she won.

“She said she’ll finish it before the weekend! Don’t worry about the gambling den and club room items!”

“…That’s a relief.”

“But department head, what are you going to do with this?”

Rukia put down the backpack she had been carrying and handed me the Scarlet Heart from inside.

“We have to clear it out somewhere before the weekend! Otherwise, Pixie might make it as if it never existed!”

“…I know. I’ve been thinking about that too.”

“Really. It feels like we’re getting caught up in annoying stuff for days~.”

Let me tell you an interesting fact, Rukia.

There’s going to be an even more annoying big event next week.

“There will be more annoying things in the future… I think I need to stop worrying about this.”

“Have you decided? What are you going to do?”

An event that’s like a milestone in extreme difficulty.

‘Escaped Experiment Subject Monegarm’.

If I want to focus all my attention on that event.

I can’t keep postponing decisions.

I said that the way to control variables is to remove their roots.

The variable that Shana Midgard continues to create is ‘lifespan’.

If that variable called lifespan could be eliminated.

The dimension of possibilities simulation, which the Thunder Emperor has interfered with, would also be less burdensome.

————————————————

[Status Ailment – ‘I Love Strawberries’]

“Even a child would know that unrefined medicine isn’t good for your body!”

— The enhancement effect ‘Vermilion Heart’ that occurs when consuming Vermilion Heart no longer refreshes the duration with each consumption but accumulates.

— While the enhancement effect lasts, you won’t die even if your vitality parameter reaches 0.

— (Not activated yet)

— (Not activated yet)

— (Not activated yet)

— (Not activated yet)

————————————————

It’s definitely a strawberry with poison.

My experience is continuously sending warning signals that it can’t be otherwise.

But…

‘It’s better to take the beating first.’

I felt it while playing extreme difficulty.

Sometimes, rather than running away or seeking safety, choices close to gambling can be the right answer.

Extending the lifespan limit from 12 hours to infinity.

It wouldn’t hurt to know in advance what the hidden effects of ‘I Love Strawberries’ might be.

“Please bring all the Scarlet Heart in the gambling den here without being discovered by the Student Council President.”