“…… Let me think about it a little before I answer.”

“All right. Please get home safely.”

Luca, who had left the scene for now, immediately took out his phone and checked the hint.

After reading the content, his mind became quite tangled.

‘So, after losing to the protagonist and being expelled from the Academy, did he join the Demons?’

On reflection, that was the only possible answer.

He was a fairly capable person, and the Demons could give him what he wanted.

‘Yeah. Now that I know, those parts really were ominous hints.’

Now that he knew Kryphi was the Imitator, some subtly strange things started to feel like foreshadowing.

Even back when the protagonist and Kryphi had their duel.

–This bastard, is he analyzing my swordsmanship?

–Heh, is this all? If you’d really paid attention in my class, it wouldn’t have stopped here, you know.

–Ha, can’t be helped. I didn’t want to use this power, but…

Even when the protagonist first met the Imitator.

–Heh, it’s been a while. Have you been well?

–You know me?

–Of course. There are few who don’t know you.

And when the protagonist finally beat the Imitator.

–In the end, I’ve lost again. Maybe I’m fated never to defeat you.

–I’m the protagonist of this story. There’s not a single future where you win.

–Heh, perhaps. Maybe this was how it had to be from the beginning……

It was ambiguous, but it did sound like talking in riddles or foreshadowing.

‘Or maybe Kryphi was so hated, he couldn’t be too direct with it?’

He might have gotten comments like, “Why is he here again?”

‘But if Kryphi is the Imitator, could it be that others…?’

Most of the people who disappeared probably reappeared as late-game bosses.

There were already some characters he could pretty much guess.

‘But then, why didn’t Milia and Isella show up in the second half, even though they disappeared mid-story?’

There aren’t characters who match those two.

‘There is one with both their traits… but no, couldn’t be.’

He couldn’t shake that feeling, but it was a person one could never meet in the early or middle part of the story.

“Anyway, now I’ve got more to think about.”

Luca muttered to himself as he stepped into his dorm room.

“Screeeee!”

Just then, accompanied by a high-pitched cry, something flew at him.

Luca instinctively tilted his head to the side and dodged it.

Thwack!

He glanced back.

A small sky-blue bird had smacked into the wall, paused, then slid down to the floor.

Bella, who had been inside, came out and greeted him with difficulty.

“Y-young master, you’re finally back.”

Though it was called a room, it was a large duplex that could easily fit ten.

There was also a small room for household members, and the bedroom, living room, and kitchen were all separated—an elite suite.

Most nobles would bring several servants here, but Luca had brought only Bella.

Bella looked terribly haggard.

“Whistle’s been quite restless, huh?”

“Don’t even ask. He missed you so much, he couldn’t sit still for a moment!”

At the word ‘Whistle’, the bird that had toppled over jumped up and zipped over to perch on Luca’s shoulder, affectionately rubbing its beak on his cheek.

“He really loves you, young master.”

“Well, he probably thinks I’m his mother.”

Whistle was a skybird resurrected by Luca’s life force.

It was small now, but once it absorbed more life energy, he would become a bird so large it could cover the sky.

Zap.

Sparks danced on Whistle’s wings.

The innate power inside his body seeped into Luca.

‘With this, nothing much should happen to me in the early stages.’

One of the Seven Powers of the Sky—the power of lightning.

The most destructive of all the sky’s powers, and the first power a newborn skybird naturally acquires to protect itself.

Of course, this puts a lot of strain on the user.

But Luca was confident.

Surely, someone trained from childhood like Luca could handle it better than an average village girl forcibly enhanced with drugs by the Demons.

“Whew~ By the way, young master, how’s Academy life?”

“So-so.”

“Did you make any friends? Oh, not the second son from the Gress family, someone else!”

“I don’t need friends. That guy is more of a tag-along than a friend.”

“Oh dear, there you go again.”

Bella nagged him like a mother, but Luca was unmoved.

“Young master, you only get one youth—live it up! Meet people other than the second son of the Gress family, and meet some girls too! Take the chance!”

“I did. Had lunch with Ottbo and two other girls.”

“What?! Really? With whom?”

Bella’s eyes sparkled.

Luca grinned.

“Milia Fille and Isella.”

“Milia Fil… ah.”

Bella knew Milia was a princess.

Hence her awkward response.

“That’s… um…”

“Don’t worry about weird things. I don’t intend to get dragged into political struggles. I’m not fighting my brother for the succession either.”

“…… That’s right.”

At her somehow saddened response, Luca pursed his lips.

‘What am I supposed to do?’

She hated the thought of him fighting Wylde Traverse, but now that Luca seemed to have given up on competition, she seemed oddly regretful.

She didn’t know what tune to dance to.

“Let’s drop this idle chatter. What about what I asked you to check?”

“Right here.”

At Luca’s word, Bella handed over the prepared documents.

He accepted them, flipped through, and gave a wry smile.

“You really are good at your job, Bella.”

“Of course! I’m your exclusive maid, after all!”

Ignoring Bella’s proud posture, Luca headed to his bedroom.

“I’ll go in first. Have dinner and clean up as you like.”

“…… What?”

“I’m counting on you. Exclusive maid.”

With that, Luca went in, leaving Bella alone with a lonely face.

“Boohoo… I should’ve brought at least one friend…”

She was lonely by herself.

* * *

“Mmm~ Excellent. Everything’s going according to plan.”

Long silver hair, squinting eyes behind a monocle.

A scholarly, gentle-looking handsome man wore a soft smile.

He nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the information floating on the magic stone panel.

“It was hard to infiltrate until now, but once there’s one hole, everything gets dominated quickly.”

The magic stone panel displayed the info of Hernan Academy staff and students.

“There really are so many attractive people here. If only we could make them all ours… we could move up our plans even more.”

He chuckled softly, but then tilted his head as he saw something in the data.

“Huh? What’s this—why is there so little on Luca Traverse?”

Luca Traverse, the unfortunate genius eclipsed by Wylde Traverse.

He’d definitely launched a plan to corrupt him, but there was no progress.

“That’s strange. I personally put him in A-Class—when did he get promoted to S-Class? And why did that dumb trio take a leave of absence?”

His brows creased at this unforeseen variable.

But only for a moment—then he smiled again.

“No matter. The more they struggle, the better for me. It’s no fun if it’s too easy.”

Putting away the magic stone panel into his desk drawer, the monocled man left his office.

As he stepped out, students passing by greeted him.

“Hello, Mr. Martin!”

“Good morning, everyone.”

Martin Curves, a new teacher at Hernan Academy from this year, was popular with students for his gentle manner and handsome looks.

Of course, it was all a mask for his real plans.

‘Now, what would break his spirit best? How to make him despair?’

He licked his lips slightly as he thought, then something caught his eye.

“Ah~ I missed too many easy classes this year. It’s killing me.”

“Yeah. If we get held back, we’ll be dropped to a lower class, right?”

“Oh, come on. If that happens, I’ll be thrown out of my house.”

Hernan Academy’s enormous grounds had many secluded corners, and students liked to skip class in such places.

One of those students seemed to have a particularly heavy heart.

“Are you all troubled by something?”

“Whoa, you startled me! Who are you?”

“That’s the new teacher—the one all the girls like.”

The three students shot him sullen looks.

“Mind your own business. You’re a powerless teacher. Meddle in student affairs and it’ll be trouble.”

“Yeah. I heard you’re teaching A- and B-classes? Leave us be.”

“Haha.”

Martin gave a gentle laugh and slightly opened his eyes.

Twitch!

His briefly revealed pupils glowed bright red.

The students stiffened when they saw them.

Martin whispered.

“If you do me a favor, I’ll solve all your problems.”

It was the murmur of a devil.

* * *

Comparing the documents Bella handed him with what was on his phone, Luca grinned as his hunches were confirmed.

“So it was this year. The year Hernan Academy’s security was breached.”

You couldn’t tell when certain characters joined the Academy just from the original story.

Tiny details like that weren’t described.

But since he’d entered the world of the novel, he could track down any information he’d missed.

What he’d asked Bella to find was a list of current Hernan Academy staff and students, with simple profiles.

Sure enough, there was a Demons spy among this year’s new staff.

“Martin Curves. So he joined this year.”

Martin Curves was barely mentioned in the early part of the story.

He was just a kind teacher, popular with students—so the protagonist disliked him, that kind of character.

But after the mid-story war, when the protagonist squared off with the Demons, his true identity was revealed.

“Which means he’ll be making his moves all throughout this year. If I block him, the protagonist’s school life will be much smoother, right?”

Luca glanced at his phone.

–At present, the protagonist has not yet arrived in this world—this is the very first timeline. Please, do your best to help the protagonist avoid making a wrong choice.

–Second, as our loyal reader pointed out, please investigate the whereabouts of ‘characters who could have appeared but did not’ and help them appear in major events.

–And finally… please, make sure you enjoy this life to the fullest.

The three requests made by the god who had sent him to this world.

Help the protagonist avoid bad choices.

Rescue the disappeared characters who never made another appearance.

And enjoy this life to the fullest.

‘If I sabotage the Demons’ schemes here, the heat will come onto me.’

If he ignored the god’s requests and played it safe, he could probably live a peaceful life.

Play around, keep a low profile, hide when things got dangerous—and maybe, never knowing about any regression, live happily ever after.

But.

–Hehe, it really does taste better when we eat together.

–Ah~ Hurry up and tell me~ I’m so curious~.

–Ah, my lady?!

He recalled lunchtime.

Those villains who would someday become infamous, smiling innocently.

How did these people who could laugh over small things end up as reviled antagonists?

‘Guess I have no choice. I don’t know what contract I made, but I should probably do as that so-called god asked anyway.’

If Luca sabotaged the Demons’ schemes, all three requests would be met.

Thinking that, Luca let out a small smile.

“Everyone else gets the lucky encounters, the masters, even the heroines, but me? You should be grateful—you won’t have to carry all that misfortune. I’ll take it all instead.”

At that moment—

Bzzzt!

His phone buzzed at an unexpected time.

‘… That’s odd? It’s not time for a hint.’

He hadn’t met any new character, nor done anything that should have advanced a prior hint.

So why was it vibrating?

Luca stared in puzzlement.

[A new application has been installed.]

“This is…!”

It seemed his resolve had pleased the god.

Judging by the fact that he was being given a gift.

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

I’m glad that the god isn’t an ass.

Hopefully…

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep