I had already suspected from the entrance ceremony that the future wouldn’t go the way I wanted.
I always worried about a future that would be rewritten, and after realizing those worries were meaningless, I stopped being a bystander.
I tried to slowly accept the world I didn’t know and melt my existence into it.
I intended to progress the main story while changing things little by little, but it all turned out to be meaningless.
‘This is insane.’
Erin had broken the original story and gone as far as to create an entirely new one.
To use a metaphor, it was like I had been reshaping a circle into an oval when Erin suddenly showed up, smashed everything, and made a star instead.
Thanks to her, the gravekeeper—who wasn’t even mentioned in the novel—was about to become wildly popular.
“Could you please consider it positively?”
‘What a headache. Honestly, I wanted to reject her outright.’
But this situation was, in a way, something I had brought upon myself.
If I was going to face it properly, I had to do my best to take responsibility—at least for the parts I could.
“Stand up.”
“Is that a no?”
“It’s not about yes or no. It’s a problem if you ask to become my disciple without any explanation.”
“…You’re right. I was being thoughtless.”
“Let’s talk in a different place. Of course, Miriam, you’re excluded.”
I pointed directly at Miriam, who was grinning ear to ear.
“Huh? Why?”
“We’re trying to have a private conversation. Planning to eavesdrop?”
“Where else could I find such a juicy scoop? Of course I have to follow and report it!”
“Did you already forget the chairman’s advice? If you want to be at odds with the Hero’s family, you’re welcome to come.”
“Ugh… fine. I’ll give up. But in return, is it okay if I include in the article that Erin Muthertz begged the gravekeeper to become her master?”
Honestly, that was also something that would be a pain if it became public…
I wanted to ask Erin if it was okay, but she would probably agree without a second thought.
Erin didn’t care one bit about what others thought or how the world viewed her.
“You’re going to write it no matter what I say, aren’t you?”
“If the person involved requests it, I won’t force it. But I might still create a little gossip that raises suspicion—while keeping identities hidden, of course.”
[…] Just write it.
If I let the rumors keep trickling out, the days would never quiet down.
It seemed better to just dump all the fuel at once and let the fire burn out.
Though that meant I’d be hounded by students’ attention for a while…
“Thank you! Now that the nuisance is gone, please enjoy your cozy time together as a mentor and prospective disciple!”
“If there’s even one fabricated line in that article, I won’t let it slide!”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen!”
***
After shooing away the noisy journalist, I gestured for Erin to follow me and headed toward the graveyard.
Since it was now lunchtime, I’d be able to talk with Erin without worrying about others seeing.
I was the only one who ever ate in the graveyard, after all.
That’s why I had brought Erin here—but there was one thing I had overlooked.
There was a promise I’d made without setting a specific time.
“Azuki?”
“Ah! W-Welcome back!”
“How long have you been here?”
“I came 30 minutes ago. I heard from others that you’d been called away by the chairman, but I didn’t want to leave just yet, so I waited… Was that a bother?”
“It’s not a bother, but… is it really okay to come to the graveyard without even eating?”
“That’s exactly why I waited. I wanted to finish our conversation from yesterday—and maybe share a meal together…”
With her hands behind her back, Azuki approached me cautiously.
Then she brought her hands forward and handed me something.
It was a lunchbox wrapped in a cloth embroidered with flower petals.
“What’s this?”
“T-That’s a homemade lunchbox I made!”
“What? A homemade lunch?!”
“Yes! The dorms are fully equipped with cooking tools, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Although Wellton provided an environment where students could cook freely, hardly anyone actually did.
Most relied on meals from the cafeteria or had servants from their noble houses prepare them.
So a student’s homemade lunch was basically a rare relic.
“Even if it’s homemade, the contents are pretty ordinary, so… please don’t expect too much…”
“Thank you! I’ll enjoy it!”
In my entire life, outside of family, this was the first time I’d received a homemade meal from the opposite sex.
No matter what the contents were, just the fact that it was homemade made my chest tighten with emotion.
I was touched.
‘Would I even be able to eat it properly—it felt too precious to ruin.’
While I was lost in those thoughts, Erin suddenly stepped forward.
“You’re Yuzuriha Azuki from my class, right?”
“Y-Yes!”
“If it’s not too rude… may I ask what kind of relationship you have with the gravekeeper?”
‘My wife.’
That’s what I wanted to answer.
But that was nothing more than my own wish, so I had no choice but to swallow it.
“We met by chance. We only became acquainted yesterday.”
“A chance meeting? Ah! I think I understand what you mean.”
Even though Azuki had answered vaguely, Erin nodded as if completely convinced.
‘Was there some connection between the two I didn’t know about?’
But Azuki’s hesitant expression made it clear—there was no link between her and Erin.
Without Luke, the common thread, the two probably wouldn’t have even spoken.
This meeting was also something that only happened because of me, so there was no way they were close.
“What exactly do you understand?”
“Didn’t you help Azuki during the entrance ceremony, Gravekeeper?”
“How do you know about that?”
“Because I saw it with my own eyes. You threw a shovel and defeated a lycanthrope to save her, right?”
‘I remembered us being quite far apart at the time.’
‘And yet, she recognized me right away—maybe that really was the power of a Hero’s bloodline.’
Truly eyesight befitting the most gifted heroine in history.
“So the reason you were staring at me near the dueling arena the other day…”
“After realizing it was you, I was trying to figure out how to approach you.”
To think there was another witness besides Azuki.
Only now was I starting to realize just how much I had overturned the future with that one intervention.
“Just to check—have you wanted me to be your teacher since the entrance ceremony?”
“Yes. I was moved by your martial prowess and have wanted your guidance ever since.”
Erin once again dropped to her knees.
Her expression was brazen, like she was ready to bow at any time, and it annoyed me.
Her stubbornness rivaled that of an ox.
‘If I didn’t convince her, she would definitely keep coming back no matter how many times I refused.’
“Sorry, but I’m terrible at teaching people.”
“That’s fine. I’ll just train by your side and learn on my own.”
“It won’t be easy.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for.”
“I might make you do things that your brain won’t understand. Can you still follow my instructions without complaint?”
“I will, no matter what. If it makes me stronger, I’m even willing to become a mother!”
“Have you lost your mind? Do you even hear what you’re saying?!”
“Huh? B-But there’s a saying that mothers are strong, isn’t there?”
“That’s not how you’re supposed to use that phrase.”
Erin often showed signs of being clueless about how the world worked, and I had forgotten that.
The fact that she wore a male uniform to the entrance ceremony wasn’t due to some grand reason—it was just a simple mistake.
As a next-generation Hero, she overflowed with talent, but lacked feminine qualities.
It was like looking at a final weapon rather than a girl.
‘Still, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.’
Her personality might be a little lacking, but she was pretty and brimming with talent, which made raising her worthwhile.
Above all, by accepting her as my disciple, I could solve one of the problems I was currently facing.
If I trained Erin to become strong, I could have her handle situations I wasn’t able to get involved in directly.
“Alright. You’ve shown such strong determination—how could I refuse? I’ll take you on as my disciple.”
“Thank you, Master!”
“Don’t bow. And get up right now and leave the cemetery, disciple.”
“Huh? Did I somehow greatly offend you, Master?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Then why…?”
“Why, you ask?”
‘Because I have to eat the lunch Azuki made for me. You can’t say no to a homemade lunch!’
***
A dark, shadowy back alley.
Beggers, vagrants, prostitutes, and addicts—those shunned by the light of the world had gathered there, and Ayla was walking among them.
With her cloak pulled over her head, she bit her nails in extreme anxiety.
She hurried through the alleyways, as if terrified of being discovered by someone.
“Found it…!”
Ayla stopped in front of a shop deep within the alley, marked by a sign that read Hall of Emptiness.
She glanced left and right, then entered the store.
“Welcome~!”
The shop owner, a young woman with a mysterious air, greeted her with a long pipe between her lips.
Ayla strode over to her and shouted without warning.
“You have cursed magic tools, right? Give me the one with the strongest curse!”
“Oh my, if you’re trying to kill someone, it might be better to visit the Assassin’s Guild instead…”
“Shut up and just give me the magic tool!”
“You must be in a situation where you can’t hire an assassin. I wonder who could’ve earned the hatred of such a cute customer?”
“I told you to shut up!”
Despite Ayla’s aggressive attitude, the shop owner continued smiling good-naturedly.
She seemed to take Ayla’s outburst as little more than a puppy’s bark.
“Unfortunately, we’re currently out of stock when it comes to cursed magic tools.”
“You could’ve said that from the start!”
“One moment, please.”
Ayla turned around, clearly intending to storm out of the shop without another word.
But the shop owner’s voice made her stop in her tracks, her face full of irritation as she turned back.
“What is it now?!”
“I wanted to offer you a good deal.”
“You said you don’t have any magic tools! Are you mocking me right now?”
“It’s true that I don’t have a magic tool. But I can offer you a way to satisfy your thirst for revenge.”
“If this turns out to be some stupid story, you’d better be ready!”
“Ohoho~! Don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you.”
The shop owner pulled a bottle off the shelf behind her and handed it to Ayla.
It was a vial containing a viscous, black liquid.
Just looking at it made one feel uneasy—it was that ominous.
“Is this poison?”
“No, this is something for you to take.”
“I warned you, didn’t I? If you say something ridiculous, I’m not going to let it slide!”
Ayla began to gather her magic power, ready to set the shop on fire.
Even so, the shop owner didn’t even blink and continued speaking in a sweet voice.
“Please calm down and hear me out. This isn’t poison—it’s an awakening serum.”
“This thing that looks like poison is an awakening serum?”
“Yes. It amplifies the magic power in your body and strengthens your physical durability. A 3-star mage who took this was able to cast 5-star spells.”
“Th-There’s no way something like that could exist…!”
“I understand it’s hard to believe. If you’d like, I can even demonstrate using one of the slaves. But that would reduce the dose available to you, and also the effect.”
Up until a moment ago, Ayla had been full of suspicion.
But now her gaze was fixed on the bottle, her eyes sparkling with greed.
“How much is it?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not for sale.”
“Are you kidding me? If it comes to it, I’ll just kill you and take it!”
“I said I won’t take money for it—not that I won’t give it to you.”
“Then what do you want?”
“There’s someone I hate enough to want dead too. If you promise to take care of them for me, I’ll give it to you.”
“Who is it?”
“You’ll know as soon as you drink the serum. Don’t worry, the person won’t be beyond your ability once you’ve awakened.”
Ayla glared suspiciously at the shop owner, who smiled cryptically.
She wanted to refuse, but the hatred burning inside her wouldn’t let her walk away.
Above all, she had a strong feeling that if she didn’t act now, the opportunity would never come again.
“Fine. I accept your offer.”
“Smart choice! All you have to do is pop the cap and drink it all.”
Ayla grabbed the bottle of black liquid.
Resolving not to hesitate, she removed the cap and downed it in one go.
“My my, how bold!”
“Urgh! Gah!”
The shop owner watched Ayla with delight, resting her chin on both hands.
Before long, a tail she had never seen before sprouted from behind Ayla—its tip was shaped like a heart.
Meanwhile, Ayla, who had just consumed the serum, clutched her chest tightly and collapsed to the floor.
She gasped for air, unable to breathe, coughing violently.
The shop owner approached her.
Squatting down to meet her at eye level, she used the tip of her tail to lift Ayla’s chin.
With a mocking smile on her lips, she whispered softly.
“Welcome to the ranks of the demons, my foolish little girl♡”