The execution order for Vanity, and the extermination campaign against the businessman.
After those major events ca to a close—
We were granted a brief mont of peace.
No one had been particularly injured, and the aftermath had been wrapped up cleanly.
From the mont we gained the Emperor’s backing, the outco was as good as decided.
The past we had steadily stacked up, step by step, now dictated the future.
‘Well... it does feel a little ominous though.’
The calm before the storm.
Was that foreboding feeling just needless anxiety?
I was already walking a path completely different from the original story.
I could no longer predict what was to co.
‘Is that so.’
If things had gone as they did in the original, the Academy would’ve already fallen.
Galimar, betrayed by the drunkard, would be on its way to ruin.
The cult, having made a grand reappearance, would be running amok all over the continent, their allied businessman expanding a massive drug operation.
The Imperial Rose’s depression would have reached its breaking point, and the Emperor, who had shared her curse, would be facing death.
Vanity, seizing the opportunity, would be preparing a full-scale coup.
Naturally, the twins would’ve already been eliminated by their uncle.
The underworld, thrown into chaos by the [Usurpation War] that had dragged on for four years, showed no signs of settling down.
Because of that, it wasn’t rare for dark sorcerers to join hands with the powers lurking in the shadows.
And sowhere deep in a snowy wasteland, a monster destined to scorch half the continent was still sealed away.
The world of the original was undeniably spiraling into ruin.
But—
‘Everything’s changed.’
I changed it.
The drunkard repented, and the Academy never collapsed.
The businessman t his end before he could make his move.
Vanity was purged before it could act on its coup.
The Imperial Rose never withered, and the Emperor’s curse was healed.
The [Usurpation War] of the underworld had long since ended, and the forces in the shadows had been shattered.
And I even took in the monster once fated to set the continent ablaze.
That was the path I’d walked over the past four years.
These were the things I had accomplished.
‘It’s already been four years, huh.’
The present had completely changed.
But said another way, it ant that the future had also completely changed.
The knowledge I once had of the original had long lost its usefulness.
Such is the fate of a transmigrator.
That was why I’d moved so quickly to eliminate Vanity and the businessman.
I believed I had to clear out as many risk factors as possible before the butterfly effects could return.
To Vanity, I delivered judgnt. To the businessman, his end. And to the Sovereign, I fastened shackles.
With that, most of the original’s villains were dealt with.
Except for one—Baob.
‘The cultists’ gathering, Baob.’
In so ways, they were the most problematic force.
It wasn’t just about their scale or their threat level—they were simply unpredictable lunatics.
And maybe because they resembled cockroaches, their survivability was repulsively high.
In short, the kind of thing that kept dragging the story out until the bitter end.
They were a troubleso bunch to deal with.
‘What’s more dangerous than strength... is madness, after all.’
I swallowed the unpleasant feeling.
Since I’d finally been given so breathing room, I decided to take a short rest.
The series of incidents recently had pushed my powers to their limit.
I had to manage myself to avoid running dry of life force like before.
While consud output could be restored in a single day, life force required at least two weeks of rest.
If I used my powers recklessly before that, it would finally start to eat away at my lifespan.
Which is why I always had to be extra cautious when it ca to output.
‘Because I decided I wouldn’t spend my lifespan anymore.’
The last ti I used up my life was during the Usurpation War.
It was when I brought down a kingdom and faced the Sovereign in single combat.
I’d been inexperienced in handling my powers then, so I often failed to control the output properly.
If I hadn’t burned through my life at the ti, my head probably would’ve ended up displayed on the Sovereign’s castle walls.
That’s what lifespan is for—monts that desperate.
It’s a concept that doesn’t regenerate.
‘For now, I should focus on recovery.’
I cleared my head of idle thoughts.
Since the lockdown order, the academy district had been unusually empty.
Everyone must have beco more wary of the cult’s presence.
It was a positive trend, but at the sa ti, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
I missed the lively atmosphere we’d had just last year.
It really made feel how much ti had passed.
"Feels like just yesterday we were taking the entrance exams."
Yesterday, already gone. Today, rciless. And tomorrow, still on its way.
Within that flow of ti, the other kids were running forward too.
The protagonists were doing their best, even in this rewritten story.
And I stayed by their side, in the midst of daily life.
"Student Yuda."
"Master."
"Aren’t you working a bit too much these days? Feels like it’s been ages since I last saw you."
"Hm? I’m sure I helped you with paperwork just two days ago..."
"But you didn’t co yesterday. Do you know how much I missed you?"
"...I clearly rember spending ti with everyone at the dorm yesterday."
"Then let’s rephrase it—roughly twelve hours without seeing you."
"I appreciate the precision."
"I’m always thinking about you, Yuda."
First ca Selena.
Now that I had so free ti, I helped her with the paperwork I hadn’t been able to before.
It was sowhat exhausting, but she seed to enjoy even that.
As usual, she nestled into my arms as we worked.
Occasionally, our eyes would et, and she’d smile brightly.
"Fufu..."
"Is sothing the matter?"
"I’m just happy. Whenever I’m with you, Yuda, I feel at ease."
"That’s very kind of you to say. It’s an honor for to serve you, Master."
"That’s... a pretty shaless thing to say for a man with seven won."
"...I’d like to offer a defense, if I may."
"Of course, I’m only teasing."
Maybe it was the composure of soone older.
She’d occasionally toss out so tricky topics, but since she looked pleased, I let it slide.
The old bottles tucked in the corner of the lab had gathered a decent layer of dust.
Feeling the weight of that change, I held the woman in my arms.
She was no longer the drunkard she used to be.
"Um... Yuda."
"Yes, Princess Elize."
"Mhm. too, Yuda."
"Yes, Princess Charlotte."
Next were the imperial princesses.
The two girls were almost never apart, so whenever we t, it was always the three of us talking together.
After all the recent events, their daily lives now looked more peaceful than ever.
Sothing they wouldn’t have even dared to dream of just a few months ago.
An ordinary daily life for ordinary sisters.
"You know..."
"Please, go ahead."
"It’s nothing really, but... could I get a treatnt again, since it’s been a while?"
"You an for mana circulation. We haven’t had the chance lately."
"Yeah... we haven’t had [N O V E L I G H T] any ti alone."
"No problem. I’ll visit your dorm tomorrow."
"...I’ll be waiting."
The Rose nodded gently.
Though she tried to avert her gaze, her cheeks were already red like flower petals.
Maybe it was the vivid spring sunlight—
The air slled unusually fragrant.
"A promise...? Just the two of you?"
"O-Onii? You were listening...?"
"Leaving soone out is an. I want to be with Elize too."
"I-It’s not like that... I an, this is, um, an extension of the treatnt, kind of..."
"Treatnt? Are you feeling unwell? Is it lingering effects from your illness...?"
"No! It’s nothing like that, so please don’t make that face...!"
"Elize, you can’t be sick..."
"......Haa."
Elize was no longer bound to a wheelchair.
Charlotte had beco far more honest with her feelings.
Their story, which was once destined for misfortune, no longer carried any darkness.
Only a world of light remained by their side.
I watched the two girls fondly.
And then—
"Today was rough again..."
"You’ve worked hard, Lady Emilia."
Emilia had been absorbed in magical research recently.
Maybe it was because of her successful use of [Property Alteration] before.
Once the fire had been lit, the girl beca focused on honing herself.
Sotis, after an especially exhausting day, she’d let herself act spoiled.
"...Hug ."
"You’ve been especially clingy lately, haven’t you."
"Stop talking nonsense and hug ."
"As you wish."
It hit again just how much had changed.
The girl who once gave off the worst first impression was now the clingiest of them all.
She still had that prickly aura, but the venom in it had dulled.
I suppose finally cutting ties with her family had lifted a great weight.
The title of villainess no longer seed to suit her.
And finally—
"Lady Regia."
"Young Master..."
Our protagonist, Regia.
Unlike the others, she had seed down lately.
Her expression had visibly darkened, as if burdened by deep thoughts.
It looked like she was still blaming herself for what happened last ti.
She must’ve felt how powerless she was.
"It wasn’t your fault that Lady Irene collapsed, you know."
"But... Miss Irene collapsed while trying to protect ."
"That’s the fault of those who attacked, not yours."
"Even so... if I’d been a little stronger..."
Was this the classic anguish of a protagonist?
I rember that around this point in the original story, she’d faced similar worries.
Inability to master her abilities, and frustration with her own shortcomings.
I think it was the part that hinted at her true awakening.
‘Maybe... there’s no need to worry.’
She was strong.
Even if her heart was delicate, her spirit was never weak.
Eventually, she would find her answer and take her next steps forward.
Because she was the protagonist of the story I loved—the story I had loved.
So I decided to step back for a mont.
To give her space to wrestle with it on her own.
"I... want to try harder. So I won’t be a burden to anyone."
A quiet, flowing everyday life.
For the protagonist, it was a ti to reaffirm her purpose.
***
anwhile...
An interesting scene was unfolding at Astro’s headquarters.
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