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When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a familiar ceiling.

The faint smell of disinfectant tickled my nose.

It was the medical room equipped at Zerion Academy.

‘Did Foara bring me here?’

Seeing the steel disappear, Foara must have found me passed out and brought me here.

I should thank him properly next time.

I tried to get up immediately.

At that moment, I felt faint pain throughout my body.

Even though I used a high healing potion,

while my wounds were all healed, my body still remembered the pain.

Moreover, healing potions have their costs.

Healing potions forcibly amplify the body's innate healing power.

As a result, the severe fatigue left behind filled my entire body.

‘Still, it was worth it.’

I had gained steel skin.

With this, I should be able to handle the mock battle somehow.

Creak.

At that moment, the door to the medical room opened.

I thought it might be the school nurse, so I poked my head out.

To my surprise, it was someone unexpected.

"Senior Nikita?"

"Oh? You're awake, junior."

For some reason, she was holding a sandwich in her arms.

When my gaze landed on the sandwich, Nikita let out a small laugh.

"Work's been piling up. I haven't had dinner yet. I thought we could eat together once you woke up."

Ah, it must be her way of repaying me for buying her lunch earlier.

She really is someone who hates being indebted to others.

I let out a small chuckle.

"Another sandwich after lunch, huh?"

"Hmm, but this time, it's tuna and chicken sandwiches, not like earlier."

"Thanks, I'll enjoy it."

Who could resist chicken?

Nikita pulled out a chair next to me and sat down.

She unwrapped the chicken sandwich and handed it to me.

‘...She really is kind.’

"Thank you."

"No, I'm the one who should thank you. I genuinely appreciate what you did in the Great Forest of Spirits. You gave me quite a scare too."

I must have really startled her, considering I was carried back unconscious.

It's no wonder.

I had confidently claimed that I could handle it with ease.

Her reaction was entirely natural.

I felt a twinge of guilt.

If something had happened to me, it would have put Nikita, who had entrusted the task to me, in an awkward position.

"Junior."

The moment that word left Nikita's mouth, my body stiffened.

So, she figured it out.

"If I had known something like that was involved, I wouldn't have sent you."

Mysteries can sometimes be helpful, but they are usually dangerous.

The Great Forest of Spirits is supposed to be guarded by a Spirit Lord, a being superior to Mysteries.

Everyone thought no Mystery could enter because of its presence.

The absence of the Spirit Lord was not something even the spirits would reveal to spiritologists.

As a result, not even the Spirit Arts assistant teacher could predict that the Great Forest was turned to steel because of a Mystery.

‘Though, of course, they would have figured it out eventually.’

If it had been known that a Mystery was involved, I wouldn't have stepped in.

"Did the rumors..."

"They haven’t spread. Everyone thinks Foara resolved the issue, not you."

That's a relief.

I’m not ready to be in the spotlight yet.

The time for me to emerge is during the mock battle.

‘I need to make sure my opponents underestimate me as much as possible.’

The students I’ll face in the mock battle have spent half a year clearing magic dungeons and training.

Meanwhile, I’m just a newcomer with the skills of a minor character who exits in Act 2.

To slightly improve my chances, I need to maximize the advantages I have.

I’m a transfer student who joined as a second-year.

I have Hannon’s characteristic petite build.

And I made some bold statements as soon as I transferred.

Whoever my opponent is, they probably think I’m just an arrogant brat.

So, until the mock battle, I need to keep my true abilities hidden.

Then, I glanced at Nikita.

Nikita was calmly watching me with a faint smile.

‘...She got me.’

"Sorry, junior. The student council hasn’t made any announcements about this incident yet. Most students don’t even know it’s resolved."

Clever Nikita.

I was completely fooled.

Getting up right after fainting left my head too foggy to think straight.

Nikita must have deduced from my earlier reaction that I have some specific intentions.

How she interprets this is what worries me.

"Junior, I believe everyone has their reasons and goals."

Nikita unwrapped her tuna sandwich as she continued.

"So, if you want, I’ll stick to what I said earlier and keep this as Foara's achievement. I see it as you assisting him."

"...Thank you."

I replied awkwardly, lifting the chicken sandwich to distract myself from the embarrassment.

As I took a bite, my hands trembled slightly.

A sign that my body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Some of the sandwich ingredients fell onto the blanket.

Nikita calmly picked them up with her hand.

Then, she smiled gently at me.

"Still, I’d appreciate it if you gave me a heads-up next time. I wouldn’t reject it outright."

‘She really is considerate.’

"Honestly, even if we announced you handled the Mystery, the rumors might get buried anyway."

"What?"

Did something happen?

As far as I know, nothing major was supposed to occur around this time.

It could be a disaster if it’s linked to the main story.

"Foara made a contract with a new Spirit Lord in the Great Forest of Spirits."

"...What?"

What kind of nonsense is this?

"Of course, it’s a provisional contract. He’s just borrowing some power, but the academy is in an uproar because of it."

My mind went blank.

Foara, making a contract with a Spirit Lord?

That’s unheard of, even in the main story.

‘Originally, Lucas received a blessing from the Spirit Lord as a token of gratitude.’

But even Lucas, the protagonist, could only reach the level of high-tier spirits in the Spirit Arts route.

Yet Foara, a mere supporting character, formed a contract with a Spirit Lord?

It’s unbelievable.

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‘...No, wait. If I think about it, Foara always had an exceptionally high affinity for spirits.’

On the other hand, Lucas only had a moderate affinity.

He wasn’t beloved enough by spirits to warrant anything extraordinary.

‘Could it be that bringing along someone with high spirit affinity during the Steel Empress event unlocks the chance to contract a Spirit Lord?’

I have no idea.

The Steel Empress event was supposed to be Lucas’ power-up scenario.

To begin with, Lucas was the only one to enter the Great Forest of Spirits after hearing a mournful voice from somewhere.

‘Foara made a contract with the Spirit Lord?’

When I defeated the Empress of Steel, not a single spirit showed up.

It turned out they were all siding with Foara.

The academy was understandably in an uproar.

The problem is that this event will have a significant impact on the main storyline.

As the contractor of the Spirit Lord, Foara’s influence is bound to grow immensely in the future.

‘If Foara were to boycott the student council now…’

Who knows how many students would rise up?

‘Could they really handle that?’

To think that taking Foara with me would lead to such complications.

Suddenly, I feel a wave of chronic headaches and stress-induced stomach pains.

‘It’s my responsibility.’

I’ll just have to deal with it somehow.

“...I heard Foara is aiming for the student council.”

“Hmm, yes. Foara’s older brother was once the student council president of Zerion Academy.”

Nikita smiled wryly, as if pitying her a little.

“His brother was such an exceptional figure. I guess he’s trying to follow in his footsteps.”

I hadn’t realized Foara had such circumstances.

“Of course, now he’s grown into someone to be proud of, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

He became the contractor of the Spirit Lord.

There’s no way that’s not a big deal.

The problem lies on my end, as someone who has to manage the storyline.

“...Do you think Foara will continue to target the student council?”

Perhaps because my expression was serious, Nikita tilted her head.

“That doesn’t seem to have changed.”

I made up my mind.

I will bring Foara into the student council, no matter what.

Someone as influential as the contractor of the Spirit Lord needs to be managed closely.

That way, I can minimize any unpredictable variables.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

I swallowed the rest of my sandwich.

I gained steel skin and now had the wild card of being the Spirit Lord’s contractor.

“But junior, I actually came to discuss something more important than this.”

Nikita cleared her throat and straightened her posture.

She stretched her back, as if trying to appear more dignified.

Though, with her appearance, she just looked endearing.

“Are you confessing to me, by any chance?”

“Unfortunately, junior, I’ve never felt romantic feelings for anyone.”

“Well, I respect and love you, Senior Nikita.”

“Your respect and love are a bit too much.”

Was this a confession met with a rejection?

“And I’m sorry, but my ideal type is someone taller than me.”

This was news to me.

Though, as Hannon, I’m only slightly taller than Nikita.

Since this was just a joke to lighten the mood, I also straightened my posture.

“This incident, both the student council and the Spirit Arts department are very grateful for.

Even though you’ve been reluctant to reveal how you resolved it yourself, at least I know the truth.”

Nikita said this while looking me in the eye, her lips curling into a gentle smile.

“You’ve done a lot of hard work. I wanted to express my thanks.”

“I accept your thanks.”

“And as for your desire to join the student council, after a positive review, we’ve reached a decision today.”

Nikita handed me a badge.

It was proof of official membership in the student council.

“With the authority of the vice president, I hereby recognize Hannon Irey as an official member of the student council.”

I didn’t expect to be accepted right after this incident.

Surprised, I took the student council badge from her.

The badge, engraved with both a sword and a book, reflected Zerion Academy’s emphasis on excelling in both academics and combat.

Steel skin and now membership in the student council.

The Great Forest of Spirits event has truly been rewarding.

I gripped the badge tightly.

For some reason, it felt like the first achievement I’d earned through my own efforts in this game-like world.

“I’ll work hard from now on.”

“Fufufu, I’m looking forward to it. We’ve been short-handed, so having a talented member like you is great news. I’ll put you to work.”

“Please do so within reason, so it doesn’t affect my studies.”

“Don’t worry too much about that. Being on the student council comes with bonus points, so it’ll help offset anything you miss.”

That was part of the reason I wanted to join the student council.

Thanks to the bonus points, even if I fell behind in some classes, I wouldn’t fail.

“Well then, rest up.”

With her sandwich finished, Nikita stood up to leave.

After seeing her off, I started tidying up my bedding.

My body had recovered, and the sun was setting.

It was time to return to the dormitory.

Creak—

Just then, the hospital room door opened.

I turned my head, thinking Nikita might have forgotten something.

Instead, I saw someone even more unexpected.

“...Hello.”

Long, black hair cascading like silk, and a sculpted face.

Pale skin as white as snow, and eyes that gleamed red like embedded rubies.

Her elegant appearance was reminiscent of a noble, long-haired feline.

People called her the ultimate villainess.

The one who devoured both princes and princesses, climbing to second in line to the imperial throne.

The Third Princess, Iris Hysirion.

She appeared in my hospital room.

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