People Can Make Mistakes

Between Ian and Lina.

— Sizzle

Electricity sparked in the air.

Soon, the space trembled, and a portal was created.

In the meantime, instructors and professors jumped out through it.

They began to manage the situation in chaos.

Treatment of the injured, checking the state of the dormant monsters, and so on.

"We have confirmed that one student has been blackened. I repeat, we have confirmed that one student has been blackened. Practical training is now concluded, and students are expected to follow the guidance of the professors from this point forward."

Emergency measures were carried out swiftly and systematically.

As if someone had been watching from somewhere.

Indeed, that was the case.

They were probably using magical engineering equipment to extract various data for the evaluation of each student.

And so, the measures were concluded.

Naturally, the professors' attention was focused in this direction.

No, to be more precise, it was focused on the traces of Jacob that had turned black in front of Lina Rosewell.

‘How much do the professors know?’

Ian swallowed hard.

Lina Rosewell clearly attacked herself.

Jacob had thrown himself into one of her attacks.

Did the professors really collect such specific data at this location?

“Miss Lina Roswell.”

"Yes, Professor."

Lina Rosewell smiled brightly at the professors.

There was a hint of tension in her expression.

"Hmm... really."

Gulp.

She swallowed hard.

Ian didn't miss that sight.

'There's something fishy here.’

Perhaps the attacks against herself were evidence that they were entirely spontaneous.

The professor finally spoke.

“... You did an excellent job! Handling the blackened student with only two attacks!"

A glance.

Lina Rosewell looked in this direction.

And then she regained her smile.

"I just did what I had to do. Thank you."

"Humble too... Impressive. I've heard many people's evaluations of Miss Rosewell, but seeing it like this is different."

Other professors continued to praise her.

Ian quietly clenched his fist.

He had a sore mouth.

'After all, a heroine is a heroine.'

This was what a heroine was like.

It's not just about individual strength.

They are the backbone and the standard of the story.

The reputation, connections, and everything else that each heroine has built up, along with Pongpong's values, can only be different.

In the case of Lina Rosewell, this was especially true.

The students and professors surrounding her were like her protective shield.

Can't I declare right now that this woman attacked me?

'Unbelievable.’

The professors made their judgments based on what they saw with their own eyes.

Evidence or witnesses that could override that?

The only direct witness was Ian himself.

Danya had only felt the magic, and Everidge didn't even know what was happening.

Oh, there is one more witness sneaking up.

Yurran approached discreetly.

"I could help."

Of course, Ian shook his head and sent him away.

Believe in the Bloodstone cult and fight the heroine?

Nonsense.

t's just handing over your lifeline to this unlucky guy.

"..."

Even in this situation, Ian smirked.

But that's because he felt relieved.

’The opponent I need to focus on right now has been decided.’

Lina Rosewell met Ian's eyes.

Even among the people surrounding her, her smile shone brightly, a smile that Ian had only seen in Fanta X Aca or across the screen.

She bowed her head in acknowledgment and walked over to Ian.

"Ian, are you okay?"

She asked with a smile, extending her hand towards him.

“Were you very surprised? I’m sorry. It was a mistake.”

A mistake. A mistake.

Ian couldn't find the right words to respond and remained silent.

Ian stared at her in a daze.

The lingering scars all over his body, torn and tattered clothes, and her disheveled hair.

Lina Rosewell.

Ian recalled everything he knew about her, from Fanta X Aca and Pongpong's journal.

Summing it all up in one word, it would be 'kindness.'

Lina Rosewell had lived a life of self-sacrifice for the sake of everyone.

The vast forest running through the center of the continent, the Grand Forest.

The Rosewell family traditionally protected that place. To them, protecting the Grand Forest was a family belief, and those attitudes were rooted in the rumor that it was the origin of elven blood.

She grew up in a family where giving was more important than receiving. Her friendly nature, kindness, and tenderness all stemmed from such caring.

But.

This world didn't reward all her kindness. Instead, it took away her parents, who were already heavily burdened due to excessive expenditures. Lina had to carry the weight on her own.

Her family, her remaining siblings, her family's beliefs – everything was taken from her.

She gave a lot to the world, but the more she gave, the more the world took away.

Yet, Lina Rosewell remained resilient.

She even entrusted her remaining siblings to her relatives to attend Lichten Academy. She had to succeed to protect everything. She wanted to become strong enough to carry it all.

A heroine who doesn't frown once upon hearing such a heavy past. Rather, she was a heroine who approached others first, was considerate, and kind.

With all this heavy baggage, the thought naturally arose.

Could her 'kindness' be a facade?

Such suspicion began from here.

Lina Rosewell had misfortune despite her pure and kind heart. If Ian had gone through such a past, he might detest the world.

'...I have.’

And now, Lina's actions towards him were exactly that.

She was extremely aggressive and destructive.

Her aggressiveness and destructiveness were directed solely at Ian, like a balloon with a hole in it.

Her hatred was seeping out endlessly.

Ian looked at Lina, who was smiling brightly in front of him, and the students and professors watching from behind her.

"I didn't really intend to attack you. I'm sorry. It was a mistake. Will you accept my apology?"

So, Lina's current appearance was clearly a lie.

This girl extended her hand in reconciliation while wearing a mask.

So what should he do?

The dilemma didn't last long.

"Alright."

Ian reached out and took Lina Rosewell's hand.

"...Huh?"

Lina's eyes widened for a moment.

'She probably wanted me to get angry.’

He was sure she wanted Ian Blackangers to run wild and scream, "You attacked me!"

'Forgive me, Lina.'

He was no longer Pongpong. For a small game like this, he could accommodate it.

"It's possible. I'll accept your apology. It was a mistake, right?"

"Ah...haha. Thank you for understanding."

Lina's light-hearted laugh, her soft eyes, her sweet voice, and even her subtle scent – everything about her was so perfect that it gave Ian chills.

A perfectly fitting mask, indeed.

As Lina continued to smile, Ian couldn't help but smile back.

"Lina."

"Yeah?"

Ian pulled the hand they had shaken for a handshake.

"Eep!"

With a faint, delicate breath, Lina leaned in as if she was about to fall. Could there be anyone who seemed less harmful than this woman?

"People can make mistakes, right?"

"Huh? Uh... Yeah!"

Her green eyes blinked a couple of times in confusion, and soon she regained her eye-smile.

However, Ian seemed to have figured out the truth behind that smile.

He could sense the eyes of those looking at them.

Ian carefully pushed Lina's side bangs back.

Her snow-white ear stood out, with pinkish earlobes that were gently tickled by his breath.

"But..."

Ian whispered so softly that only Lina could hear.

"Was it a mistake to push me off the roof?"

◆

The 'Combat Training Exercise' was conducted simultaneously with half of the first-year students divided into four groups.

Rumors of problems in Group 2 quickly spread within the academy.

The first to become confused were the professors and administrative staff.

The dungeons for the combat training exercise were supposed to be strictly controlled in terms of difficulty. However, one of them had a breach in management.

Monsters were manipulated by someone, and an inexplicable explosion occurred.

Several pieces of magical engineering equipment meant to detect anomalies were hacked, causing a delayed response on-site.

There was even a [Blackened] incident in which one of the students was contaminated by the Bloodstone Cult, so it was difficult to imagine a worse situation than this.

——[ Kirtos - Anonymous Message Board ]——

- Is it true that the Bloodstone Cult breached Lichten Academy's defenses?

ㄴ How can the Academy be breached by them? It's giving me chills.

ㄴ Even if it's true, it's a bit... isn't the Bloodstone Cult more like a religion?

ㄴㄴ Try being a Bloodstone religious b*stard.

ㄴㄴ Caught one Bloodsucker, Hahaha.

ㄴㄴ Is it really this serious? People who suck blood, how are they a religion?

- It seems like the first-year student Sharon Pierce is really talented. She cleared the Lava Dungeon Magmam in 57 minutes!

ㄴ Sharon is so awesome. Hahahaha. Please take me, unnie!

ㄴ Isn't this post making anyone else uncomfortable? It feels like they're ranking students solely based on their achievements.

ㄴㄴ She's level 22 and specialized in ice, but she was pushed up too much.

ㄴㄴㄴ Aren't you an elemental noob? It's common sense that ice is weak against fire, right...? Sorry, but can we ask how Lichten Academy allowed this?

- What's the Saintess candidate up to?

ㄴ Maybe they went to a different dungeon? There's still no news about that place.

ㄴ Probably playing with dolls at home (reported comment).

-My mom fell for the Bloodstone cult, so she knows it well. If one Blackened appears, it can be roughly assumed that there are 10 Bloodstone Cult members hiding in the area.

ㄴ Seriously, Bloodsucker, Hahaha.

ㄴ Is your mom pretty? (reported comment).

ㄴㄴ What are the administrators doing?

ㄴ Can I ask something? How does the Bloodstone cult spread? Does everyone become blackened when they enter? If they become blackened, they should explode and die, so why are there still more of them?

ㄴㄴ It may be hard to believe, but most people who willingly enter it get blackened. You need at least three new believers to offer blood and flesh, causing the blackening. So, it's almost certain that they do it intentionally.

————

-Druruk. Druruk.

Emily covered her mouth with her hand while reading the Kirtos terminal.

- Haaa.

With an elegant gesture, Emily yawned and muttered.

"Today, not a single post about Ian today. How boring."

Tadak. Tadak.

Emily's fingers on the Kirtos terminal made a cheerful sound as they touched it.

Access 10 Chapters ahead of the Novelupdates release on our Patreon. <3