The exploration proceeded very smoothly.
Things that needed to be checked on the ground were skipped thanks to Grain’s abilities, and only the correct answers were chosen, so there were no difficulties at all.
The only issue was that they had to walk quite a bit due to a wide crack.
[This function is currently locked.]
[Unlock condition: Contribute 40% or more to clear five rifts (4/5)]
But now, only one step remained.
So, with a slightly excited heart, I was about to head out to find the last rift stone.
“Something feels off.”
Grain’s expression, who had been using her abilities, suddenly darkened, and she muttered those words.
I was given a rough explanation, but it was clear that something had gone wrong.
‘This didn’t happen in the original… wait.’
It was too late to talk about the original work.
From the moment the unheard-of synthetic rifts appeared, the original didn’t matter.
But the fact that Alkine had disappeared was truly a serious problem, so my head started to hurt.
At this point, it was no longer possible to focus on just clearing the rifts like before.
First, I needed to figure out what was going on.
“Let’s go right away.”
So, there was no hesitation. I just moved forward.
It wasn’t far, and soon enough, I encountered the student council.
But the atmosphere definitely didn’t look good.
They all had expressions like cattle being led to the slaughterhouse.
I decided to approach and hear what was going on, and soon I saw the student council members gathering around Grain.
Especially, the two men who were always right by her side were in quite a frenzy.
“Grain! Are you okay?”
“I told you to rest, but you came all the way here. You really are something.”
“Kain, Golid. I appreciate the concern, but now isn’t the time for that, right?”
For a brief moment, I was nostalgic at seeing the complete trio from ‘that anime,’ but Grain’s comment immediately dampened the mood again.
Well, I didn’t care how serious and gloomy they were. What mattered was hearing about the situation.
“So, can you tell me what’s going on?”
At Grain’s blunt question, Kain and Golid began explaining.
The incident occurred when Kain and Golid were switching shifts for the night watch.
Having just woken up and still groggy, they went to inform the two people on watch that everything was fine and planned to head to their temporary shelter to sleep.
But then, something appeared behind the shelter.
They couldn’t even confirm what it was. By the time they felt the intense energy and rushed over, there was nothing left.
Even the student council president, who had been there, was gone.
“She seemed tired and was dozing off, but I’m sure she was there until something appeared. I can guarantee it.”
Afterward, Kain and the others searched for the president’s trace, but had no success, and that was the end of the explanation.
After hearing all of this, I felt confused.
I wasn’t wondering about the identity of the entity that appeared and vanished so suddenly, or where Alkine had gone.
It was the part about the president.
“She was sleeping?”
I was struck by the fact that Alkine was ‘sleeping.’
How much had they pushed her if a strong and resilient Alkine, who could fight for days without rest, was now tired enough to fall asleep?
I was baffled by this thought when Grain suddenly cut me off.
“I get the gist of it, so that’s enough about that. So, where did the president disappear from?”
“Oh, this way. Follow me.”
Following Kain and Golid’s lead, we arrived at the site. The disorganized temporary shelter stood in place.
But all that remained were signs of frantic searching around the area where the president had vanished—nothing else could be found.
I glanced around, hoping to spot something, but unfortunately, nothing was visible even with the game’s perspective.
At that point, there was nothing left to do but leave it to Grain.
But before starting anything, her expression had already turned serious.
I was about to ask what was going on when she suddenly unleashed her abilities, muttering curses.
“…This is crazy.”
Looking at Grain, no one could open their mouth.
At least it was certain that the situation was serious.
Therefore, after Grain had a clear understanding of the situation, we were just waiting for her to say something.
A moment later, Grain let out a bitter laugh and cautiously looked toward us.
Then she said, “The vice president… turned into a demon and seems to have kidnapped the president.”
“…Huh?”
What on earth is she talking about?
So… the vice president who had gone missing… uh, well…
Whatever it was, it was clear this was a total mess.
Diggers Jibchack.
Even when that obsessive person disappeared, I thought he would show up eventually and cause some chaos.
But… even so, I never imagined he would turn into a demon and kidnap the president.
‘This is really troublesome.’
The problems that had come up so far felt like they were just twisted a little but still somehow fit within a certain framework.
Even though the flow and order were all mixed up, when applying the knowledge from the original work, there was still some alignment.
But this was fundamentally wrong from the very beginning.
The vice president suddenly running away, and then suddenly turning into a demon.
And using that power to kidnap Alkine. All of that was completely absent in the original work.
What’s going on? Did I mess things up by causing too many changes?
Considering everything I’ve done so far, it wouldn’t be surprising if something like a giant lizard effect happened, way beyond a butterfly effect.
At this point, it’s too late to regret. If I start worrying about it, I’ll become overly cautious with everything I do, and I definitely don’t want to live like that.
So, what I needed to do now was clear.
“Grain, is there any way you can pinpoint where the president went?”
“…Are you going to?”
“Of course, I have to.”
If I had to be specific, it was because of me that things had turned out this way.
Even if that weren’t the case, I was going to save her anyway.
Maybe the conversation moved too quickly. The student council members who had been quietly watching from the side seemed unable to keep up and were just staring blankly.
I gave them appropriate instructions.
“Don’t worry about anything else. Just go outside and wait. I’ll rescue the president and come back.”
What I meant was, “You have nothing to do, so go stand somewhere safe and just relax.”
Oh, I didn’t mean it in such a blunt way, though. Well, not exactly…
But if a first-year student suddenly gives such an order, that’s probably how it will come across. They’ll probably have a lot of complaints.
I thought to myself.
“…Are you really okay? It’s not just anything, it’s a demon. Wouldn’t it be better to report it to the academy and ask for help?”
But all I got in return was that question. I didn’t feel any negative gaze directed at me at all.
I answered lightly.
“It would take too long to report the situation outside and find someone who could help.”
“That’s true. Alright.”
Is that all the reaction?
I was rather stunned by how easily they accepted it.
Had my reputation risen without me realizing?
Thinking about it, it made sense.
I had already received the title of secretary from Alkine, and the last time, the president subtly praised me, saying I had helped her.
Well… if they don’t resist and just follow, it’s easier for me…
But whatever. At this point, it’s too late to play weak. If they mistakenly think I’m impressive, that works for me.
As always, I decided not to think too deeply about the future.
Right now, saving Alkine was the priority.
“So, Grain? Do you know where the president is?”
“Yeah. I’ll use my ability, so help me.”
“…Is it okay to just show it here with everyone around?”
“What does it matter?”
In the end, Grain revealed how to fully use her ability in front of everyone.
Thanks to that, her reputation went up, and mine seemed to go up a notch as well… but I decided not to care about it, so let’s move past that.
“It’s not far. This way.”
Grain, having located Alkine’s position using her abilities, drew a simple map to guide us.
It wasn’t much—just roughly pointing us in the right direction within a rift—but it was enough to be helpful.
“Thank you. Then, please go back with the others, Senior.”
“Are you going alone?”
“Of course, I’ll go with Seria.”
“Seria?”
Grain looked at me and Seria alternately with a surprised expression.
I couldn’t blame her. I knew Seria had fought demons before, but until now, she hadn’t been allowed to follow the rifts.
It must feel risky to take her to a place with demons.
Of course, if I explained the demon uproar at the royal palace, things might change, but I didn’t want to spread that information carelessly, so I kept quiet.
“…Alright. That level of magic might be helpful.”
Fortunately, it seemed like Grain accepted it after recalling the magic Seria had shown earlier.
Seria, who had been quietly observing Grain, subtly interjected.
“Grain, stop worrying about me and focus on getting the others to safety.”
“…I was really expecting a lot from the juniors, but you’re all so unremarkable. What a disappointment.”
Grain spoke a bit bluntly, but she knew that it meant she should go back and take care of things. With a light response, she turned and headed toward the student council members.
I was starting to feel a sense of urgency. Things could go wrong, so I needed to move quickly.
To do that, first…
“Seria.”
“Yes?”
“Want me to carry you?”
“…I’ll pass.”
I guess I had no choice but to run as fast as I could.
I lifted Seria into a princess carry and ran in the direction Grain had pointed.
I later thought it might have been faster to just teleport with Seria’s magic, but by then, we had already reached our destination.