"Draw your swords. Today’s lesson begins."
[Ugh, boring teacher. Bad luck.]
Why are you like that to the teacher…
Well, it’s not exactly wrong to say the class is boring.
There are all kinds of teachers, after all.
But as an author who pursues entertainment, it seems this teacher doesn’t sit right with you.
Then again, if even the heroine gets discarded for calling swordsmanship class boring…
"Now, now. Let’s move on from the teacher and talk about the student. That girl over there, right?"
I looked at the former heroine candidate.
A girl with striking purple hair tied in a ponytail.
The weapon she held… was that a katana?
Befitting a student in swordsmanship class, she had a well-toned, sturdy physique that was undeniably attractive.
As a former heroine candidate, there was something about her that naturally drew the eye more than the other students.
[Hmm, but there’s something a little lacking…]
"What’s lacking?"
[Well… now that I think about it, I can’t figure out how she could’ve infiltrated the Academy.]
Oh?
The author was starting to care about plausibility.
It wasn’t something that needed much thought—just say someone hacked the system and got her in. That would’ve been fine.
But I was glad the author was starting to sweat the small stuff.
Maybe one day, they’d figure out solutions on their own without my help.
Lost in that happy thought, I decided to offer some advice.
"Should we add a little plausibility then? It’s not that hard."
[Huh? How? Is there a way to break through the world’s best security…?]
"She wasn’t a villain when she enrolled. She only became one after entering."
[…!]
"That’s one way to explain how a spy could’ve slipped in."
Right. A spy doesn’t have to be a spy from the very beginning.
What if it wasn’t an infiltration at all?
Maybe she was just an ordinary student when she first entered the Academy, and only later became a villain.
A student who silently repeated the same drills over and over.
Believing that one day, her talent would finally bloom, she trained relentlessly, never missing a day.
Her hands bled from the effort, but no matter how hard she pushed, her skills refused to improve.
And yet, she clung to the belief that she wasn’t wrong, chasing perfection—until it all came crashing down in an instant.
The reason? …How about this.
This year’s freshmen are the protagonist’s generation.
In any Academy novel, the protagonist’s generation is packed with overflowing talent.
To keep up with the protagonist’s growth, to avoid dragging them down.
The generation the protagonist joins is always the golden generation—brimming with dazzling, gifted individuals.
But where there is light, there is also shadow.
And with that light, there are always those who seethe with jealousy.
"You witness the astonishing talents of your peers, feel jealousy, and then—by chance—an evil organization approaches you with something like, 'Do you want power…?' and just like that, you defect. How’s that?"
[Y-Yes! That’s amazing! Incredible!]
"The Academy’s security is excellent, of course, but if its own members betray it, gaps will always appear. It’s cliché, but isn’t it fun?"
[I knew I wasn’t wrong! The author is a god!]
You’re the god here.
…Well, being praised this much didn’t feel bad.
[Alright, the setup’s done! A student who feels inferior about their own talent, grows jealous of others, and defects to the villains! Mmm, delicious!]
After hearing the author’s words, when I looked back at the student, I could sense something had changed.
Just moments ago, she had been swinging her sword like any other student, but now her movements carried a desperate, almost possessed urgency.
Even I, who knew nothing about swords, could tell. The teacher must have noticed too.
While observing the other students, the teacher’s gaze lingered on her before stopping her.
"Laira. That’s enough. Didn’t I tell you last time? Don’t rush."
"Huff, huff… B-But! I can do more!"
"No, you can’t. Your body isn’t that strong. You need rest."
Whoa, the disconnect is unreal.
She was just swinging her weapon normally a second ago, and now she’s struggling like this?
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a setting change in action, but the whiplash was still impossible to ignore.
…She really doesn’t seem human.
That eerie sight made it hard to think of the people in this world as actual people.
"That’s an order, Laira. Take a break."
"Nngh…"
At the teacher’s words, her momentum faltered, and her head drooped.
She clearly wanted to keep practicing, but she seemed to force herself to accept it.
"Don’t rush. You’re growing plenty. Don’t worry."
"…Yes."
After offering those kind words, the teacher turned away. Laira watched his retreating figure, her expression colder than it had been before the setting change.
Then again, she *was* a different person now.
Her past had been rewritten.
"Uh, are you okay?"
"…Get lost. I’m fine."
That’s a cold reaction.
But I couldn’t just back off.
I had to confirm whether the setting change had worked properly.
If the author had messed up and given her some bizarre setup, it’d be a disaster.
"By the way, you’re amazing. That perseverance. I admire it."
"…What are you getting at?"
"I’m just jealous of your incredible talent. They say hard work is a talent too. Do you think… we could be friends?"
"…!"
Oh no, she looks terrified.
If I hadn’t expected her reaction, I would’ve been shocked.
Who knew such a pretty face could twist like this.
Well, it made sense.
One of the things talentless people hated most was the idea that effort itself was a talent.
Effort is a talent?
Ha, if talentless people could kill the person who first said that, they’d do it without hesitation.
Whether you put in effort or not was just a matter of willpower. It had nothing to do with talent.
She probably thought the same way.
…Should I poke her a little more?
Pretending not to notice her expression, I decided to dig a little deeper.
"I’m not the most persistent person… I’ve always struggled to stick with things for long. If you have any tips, I’d appreciate it."
"…Get lost."
"Huh?"
"I said get lost!"
Her shout echoed loudly, drawing the attention of the other students.
Naturally, the teacher hurried over.
"Is there a problem, Arte?"
"No, teacher. I must have said something wrong. It’s nothing."
"…Alright. I’ll be watching, so no fighting."
"Yes, don’t worry."
The teacher’s suspicious gaze stung a little.
As if I was the one who caused the problem.
It was Raera who snapped, so why was I the one under suspicion?
Luckily, Raera was so flustered that she didn’t do anything else.
She probably hadn’t expected herself to shout like that.
"Well then, Miss Raera. Let’s meet again next time. Hehe, I hope your troubles are resolved by then."
I’d already confirmed that the Author’s settings were intact, so her current dilemma would be resolved.
As an evil organization, they’d grant her strength.
Though I wasn’t sure about the side effects.
I didn’t think an evil organization would offer a proper method of empowerment.
Wasn’t that always the case?
Nothing in this world came for free.
To gain something, you had to sacrifice something.
Even if it was something given without any effort, you still had to spend the time to take it.
So if that was true for freebies, then what about the fast-track power-ups an evil organization offered?
There was no way there wouldn’t be side effects.
If new problems arose later…
Well.
I’d cross that bridge when I got there.
"Oh, by the way, Author-nim. Doesn’t the evil organization… need a name? Do you have one picked out?"
[I do! Since power users are all superhumans, I came up with a name…]
Hearing the name the Author had in mind, I couldn’t help but laugh.
"It’s good. Let’s go with that."
Author-nim, you’re better at naming things than I thought.
"...Found her."
Yu Siwoo was certain.
That girl.
The one Arte had approached herself.
There had to be some connection between her and whatever scheme Arte was plotting.
Arte had never personally approached a student before.
So why now? Why go up to a girl she’d just met?
"I should talk to Amelia."
A happy fantasy played out in Yu Siwoo’s mind.
Him crushing Arte’s plans and enjoying a normal Academy life.
Maybe it was possible. The thought made him smile brightly.
"Haa..."
Lai sighed as she left the Academy and started for home.
Was I too harsh?
...No, I wasn’t.
If anything, it was for the best. That woman mocked me.
She’d seen it with her own eyes—the commendation Arte received for resolving the beast attack during the entrance ceremony.
Lacking perseverance?
...Unable to stick with something for long?
Then what about me?
I kept gripping my sword every day, no matter how many blisters or wounds covered my hands.
Could I have taken down a Level 3 beast alone?
Lai wasn’t sure.
If a woman who could do that was saying she lacked perseverance, just how overflowing with talent was she?
Was I really that untalented?
I wanted to be a hero who saved people. I wanted to help someone.
Crack.
Her fist clenched so tight in misery that blood dripped from her hand.
"Fine. What’s there to hesitate about? She said she’d give me power."
She pulled out the pill from her pocket—the one she’d been too suspicious of to take, the one she’d planned to throw away.
It was pitch black, ominous.
It reminded her of that woman’s hair, and rage surged through her in an instant.
She swallowed the pill in a fit of indignation.
Then, a crushing weight pressed down on her chest.
"Kuh, kuhk—?!"
S-Save me.
I don’t want to die.
All I wanted was to become someone who could help others.
As she flailed her hands in agony, she heard footsteps approaching.
"S-Save... me..."
"You took it. So you’ve decided to join us."
Ah.
This voice... I recognize it.
The one who gave me the pill.
The one who offered me power.
"U-Uber...mensch..."
"That’s right. We are superhumans. Übermensch."
Lai felt like the man in the white coat had smirked.
"This will be your new home from now on. Remember it well."