Roselia.

She held a special position even at this Academy, which counted numerous noble heirs among its student body. This distinction wasn’t merely due to her high birth or striking appearance. If anything, there were plenty of students of higher nobility and superior beauty.

It was simply that there was no bitch as cunning and foul-tempered as Roselia.

Roselia had always been adept at manipulating others, wielding the malice hidden behind her cute facade like a weapon. One only needed to recall the events of that day to see it. The one who had tormented Saya the most, all while feigning innocence, was none other than Roselia.

Perhaps I should have anticipated this. Someone like her was undoubtedly doing something out of the ordinary even in this dire situation. I should have known I would cross paths with her again under the most unwelcome of circumstances.

And this was exactly that moment. My head was already beginning to throb. Dealing with someone who only relied on petty cunning like Roselia was far more exhausting than dealing with a genuinely intelligent person.

“We meet again after so long, and you won’t even say hello? I’m hurt.”

“I didn’t know you were waiting for my greeting, Roselia.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Lope-geup. I was asking Lena.”

Roselia waved casually at Lena with brazen arrogance, then let out a satisfied sneer.

“Well, I suppose I can at least give you a greeting. It’s good to see you, Lope. Truth be told, I did want to meet you again at some point. Word around here is that you’re the biggest lunatic around these days.”

“Does that hurt your feelings? Considering you used to be the biggest crazy bitch around here.”

“You’ve gotten better at joking, Lope. This coming from the guy who couldn’t even meet my eyes before.”

“That much hasn’t changed. I still feel nauseous the moment I see your face.”

“…My. That actually stings.”

My scathing remark caused Roselia’s expression to stiffen slightly. Perhaps because it was the first time I had ever acted this rebellious toward her. However, she wasn’t an idiot like Erika, and she quickly adapted to the situation.

“Anyway, I want you to step aside. Lena has already agreed to come with us.”

“Agreed to come with us, huh. So you didn’t come alone after all.”

“So you do have that much sense? You’ve grown, Lope. I’ll give you that.”

That was because I had been hearing footsteps from beyond the door for a while now. Judging by the sound of them pacing about, there seemed to be at least three of them. It would have been troublesome if they had just rushed in, but they didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

Regardless, while the Student Council President was being treated like a brainless fucktoy, how was Roselia maintaining her status? No matter how sharp her cunning was, this wasn’t a world where one could survive on silver-tongued words alone.

There had to be something I was missing. While I pondered this, Roselia tilted her chin upward haughtily.

“Anyway, now that you understand the situation, why don’t you scurry out of the way? Or are you perhaps in shock? Having the prey you caught snatched away right before your eyes.”

“It’s just nauseating to see you brazenly forcing your way in this late in the game. It’s genuinely irritating.”

“If the schedule hadn’t suddenly changed, that wouldn’t have been the case. That idiot Heiter threw a fit out of nowhere and nearly botched the whole plan. Our dear Lena here almost had a terrible time of it.”

“Is that the person who came to Lena in advance and leaked the information?”

“Of course. If it wasn’t me, who else could have known that in advance?”

“…Haha.”

A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. What the hell. The spy Heiter talked about actually existed.

They say even a broken clock is right twice a day. It seemed Heiter had managed to make exactly one correct deduction right before his demise. The person pulling the strings behind the scenes, just as he had suspected, was very real.

But the underlying questions remained unresolved. What was the reason Roselia was able to earn Heiter’s trust in the first place? And why did she betray him and try to take Lena? None of it was easy to deduce.

Had she perhaps slept with Heiter? I tried to conjure up a vulgar reason like the others would, but it didn’t make sense. If that were what she wanted, she could have just forced him down. But aside from her looks and cunning, Roselia’s only real asset was her noble status…

…

Surely not.

“…Roselia. Was the Imperial contact Heiter mentioned actually you?”

“My. Heiter told you that much? Even so, you’re quick on the uptake, Lope.”

Damn it…

I swallowed a string of curses internally. Ever since that day, the world had been going to hell in the most fucked up ways possible. Of all people, the Imperial contact I needed to escape this Island had to be Roselia.

In a way, it was obvious. She was a high-ranking noble and the only person resourceful enough to maintain contact with the Empire even in this crisis. 

But the realization that the person I wanted to associate with the least in this world was that contact was a bitter pill to swallow.

“So that’s why Heiter didn’t dare touch you. It makes sense now.”

“Exactly. He was at least somewhat capable of thinking for himself. Not that I’d ever call him smart, even as an empty compliment.”

“But I still don’t understand. Why would someone in such a comfortable position risk dragging her heavy ass all the way out here?”

“Well, why would I? Are you curious?”

When I asked, Roselia dragged out her words with her signature infuriating expression. She looked like a predator that had just spotted prime prey.

I figured getting a straight answer was a lost cause. But to my surprise, she shook her head and spoke again.

“Well, it’s not that grand of a secret, so I’ll tell you. I was just starting to need some capable people around me. Not the rabble like Heiter, but genuinely useful individuals.”

“Why? Are you planning to start an organization?”

“You could say that. To put it in terms simple enough for you to understand, that’s essentially it. I need people to keep me safe. At least while I’m on this Island.”

“Your current actions seem far removed from safety.”

“Sigh. Do I really have to spell it out for you? But this is strictly confidential…”

Roselia suddenly feigned coyness, layering her words with artificial charm. She then slowly scanned my body from head to toe, as if appraising my worth. She even muttered to herself, loud enough for me to hear.

“What to do… I need a mage, but a sword-wielding brute wouldn’t be half bad either.”

“…”

“He’s rebellious, but… I suppose that has its own appeal.”

“…”

“…Fine, Lope. I’ll tell you.”

After dragging it out for quite a while, she finally nodded as if granting a boon. Then, she declared in an exceptionally grave tone.

“I will be leaving this Island soon.”

“…Leaving the Island.”

“But I don’t want a bunch of other idiots clinging to me. That’s why I need people to protect me. I would have preferred actual guards, but there aren’t many left.”

“Not many? I thought all the guards had disappeared.”

“Is that really what matters right now, Lope? You should be asking something else. Do I really have to spell it out for you?”

“What is it? Since we’re already here, why don’t you explain it. A smart person like you should be generous with information.”

“You’re trying to back out now. But well, you have a point. Enlightening the ignorant masses is a noble’s duty, after all. What you should be asking right now, Lope, is why I’m trying to leave the Island under these circumstances.”

True. She had a point. The Island might be overflowing with rapists, but if the world was ending anyway, escaping would just mean facing the same ruin elsewhere. So why was Roselia so determined to escape?

…

Could it be? Was it for the same reason as mine?

“…I suppose. I am curious. Everyone’s going to die soon anyway, so why go through all the trouble of leaving?”

“You’re not a complete idiot after all. But if you’ve deduced that much, isn’t the answer obvious?”

“Don’t tell me you’re about to say you found a way to escape the apocalypse by leaving the Island?”

I asked, harboring a sliver of disbelief. Only then did Roselia nod with satisfaction.

“Exactly. Very smart.”

“…That’s impossible.”

“Hard to believe, I know. But there is a way.” 

“What is it?”

“Well, that would be…”

Perhaps aiming for dramatic effect, Roselia let her sentence trail off once more. I tensed, slipping my gloved hand behind my back. Soon, a heavy revelation slipped from her lips.

“Have you ever heard of the Land of Elves, Lope?”

“…!”

Son of a bitch.

The moment I heard those words, I had to fight to keep my expression neutral. I even suffered the illusion that the Mark on the back of my hand was burning hot once more. 

Fortunately, Roselia was too busy smiling smugly, intoxicated by her own revelation. She seemed completely oblivious to the shift in my expression.

“You must remember what the professor said that day. That the Elves fled to their own land before the Dragons arrived. Which implies their territory is safe from the threat of the Dragons.”

“Yeah…”

“But it seems they didn’t just abandon humanity entirely. They needed certain humans on their side. So they issued a Permit to enter the Land of Elves, but only to a select few. And among those chosen humans, naturally…”

“…”

“…Naturally, my father was included.”

So it was true.

Saya had made it sound as though the Elves viewed all humans as the same, but they must have had their own criteria for selection. And the simplest metric was undoubtedly social status. Viewed through that lens, it made perfect sense for Roselia’s father, a high-ranking noble, to be included. Rumor had it he was just as politically resourceful as Roselia herself. 

It seemed my composure had cracked while I mulled this over. Misinterpreting it as shock, Roselia spoke arrogantly.

“I am the only person on this Island who holds the key to surviving this doomed world. That is precisely why I intend to escape. But once word gets out, every idiot desperate to live will come crawling to me, won’t they?”

“So you’re gathering people to help you?”

“I’ll try to keep a lid on it, but secrets have a way of leaking eventually. Besides, I’m doing my own vetting. There are people worth saving in this Academy. For instance, Miss Lena, the top of her class.”

For the first time, Roselia offered a smile and met Lena’s eyes. Lena returned her gaze with a somewhat proud expression. It seemed this was how their secret transaction had been brokered.

However, it seemed Roselia was unaware of the finer details. If she were, she never would have made such a presumptuous claim about handpicking the Academy’s survivors. Did she truly believe that possessing the Mark would allow her to bring her servants along? How quintessentially aristocratic of her.

…But hearing this raised another question. I knew the Duke, Roselia’s father, had eight children. Did the Elves really allocate eight Marks to a single family?

“So where is this Permit? Do you have it?”

“Of course the Permit isn’t a piece of paper, Lope. Don’t be stupid. They wouldn’t issue it in a form that could be damaged. Naturally, they used Engraving Magic to imprint it onto my father’s body.”

“All eight of them?”

“You really are an idiot. Do you think they crafted them individually and engraved them all? My father and eldest brother received them as representatives. Do I really have to spell this out for you too?”

…

Uh…

“…”

Ah… right.

I fell silent as the truth dawned on me. Meanwhile, Roselia was too busy preening herself to notice.

“You keep asking strange questions and derailing the conversation. I shared this crucial information with you because I thought you had some sense. Are you really going to disappoint me like this?”

“…Sorry.”

“At least you apologize quickly. Maintain that attitude, and I might put in a good word with my father to take you to the Land of Elves. Well, that entirely depends on your own efforts, of course.”

“Yeah…”

“Anyway, you’ve probably caught on by now, but the reason I’ve been explaining all this is that I want you to help me out, Lope. What do you say? Stop pathetically cowering in the corner by yourself and come over to my side.”

“I…”

“Wait. What did you just say, Roselia?”

Just as I was sorting through my emotions alone, Lena interjected for the first time. She didn’t seem particularly interested, but she had a thoroughly flustered expression.

“Wait just a minute. That wasn’t part of the deal. You clearly said I was the only one you needed…”

“Lena, keep quiet. I’m in the middle of a conversation with Lope. Anyway, I hold you in high regard, Lope. Your swordsmanship is solid, and you clearly know how to survive.”

“…Well, aren’t I honored.”

“So, what’s your answer? It seems like a foregone conclusion, but I’ll ask anyway. What will it be?”

“…”

Roselia’s words tightened around my throat. This wasn’t a question I could answer rashly. 

On the surface, the obvious answer was yes. Roselia seemingly had a way off the Island, and I desperately needed one. Furthermore, staying by her side would grant me access to information about the outside world.

But that was exactly why it was so dangerous. What if she discovered the truth about the Mark? And what if, while traveling with her, the existence of my Mark was exposed? What would happen then? It was a future I didn’t even want to imagine.

“Hah…”

Unable to contain myself any longer, I let out a short, cynical laugh. I had thought the situation was already tangled enough as it was. Yet here it was, threatening to knot up even further.

Truly, the only word for it was fucked.

“Answer quickly, Lope. I don’t have time to…”

“What the hell! What are you guys doing standing around blankly in there?”

Right then, a shout echoed from outside the door. It wasn’t exactly a surprise. It was about time someone showed up.

“The situation out here is going completely to shit, so what the hell are you doing in there! Are you going to answer me?”

“W…We were…”

“What, are you having a fuckfest in there? Hey! Get out here!”

“…It looks like I won’t be able to give you an answer right this second, Roselia.”

I drew my sword without a second thought. Striding quickly toward Roselia, I spoke.

“We can’t stay here any longer. But if they see the three of us huddled together, it’ll raise suspicions. I’ll go out and draw their attention. You take Lena and get out of here.”

“Hmm… Is that really necessary?”

“You have no sense. I’m trying to prove my worth to you. I’ll come find you myself with my answer afterward.”

“Oh ho. I like the sound of that.”

Only then did Roselia offer me a faint smile. She nodded, adopting her signature arrogant posture.

“Alright. Make sure you handle it well so we can get out safely. Once the situation is settled, you must come find me. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Three days. Come find me at the Academy within that time. And don’t make me come looking for you.”

“You have my word.”

I delivered my reply with feigned confidence and walked toward the door. Once out of Roselia’s sight, I let out a covert sigh. 

You truly never know what to expect in a doomed world. I had been so sure that today would be a festive hunt for the beasts prowling for prey.

To think that I was the most appetizing prey of them all. 

A faint smile touched my lips at the tasteless joke. I crumpled that sliver of a smile into dust and kicked the door open with all my might.