“Madman.”

My impression after hearing the whole story was simple. Erika kept her mouth shut, perhaps having nothing to add, and I looked up at the sky out of habit. The dawn sky, unable to sleep, was an almost cruel shade of blue.

Looking at the night sky, so clear even in a world like this, reminded me of Saya. Had what happened earlier splashed muddy water onto her purity? I couldn’t reveal Saya’s true identity in front of Erika, so I left the cleanup entirely to Haru, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious.

But even that tomorrow felt like a distant reality right now. The immediate crisis was already too hot to ignore. I forced myself to ignore the impending future and turned my gaze back to Erika.

“Uh… why?”

She flinched and shrank her shoulders the moment her eyes met mine. Her pride, which had already been crumbling, had vanished without a trace in just three days.

The sudden destruction of her position as Student Council President—a title she had barely managed to maintain while Heiter was alive—must have played a huge part. The evidence of her shattered authority remained as scars on her reddened skin.

Of course, I felt no sympathy. It was all her own doing.

Even so, it was clear that this should never have happened. Heiter may not have intended it, but Erika’s presence had served to maintain a minimum level of discipline at the Academy. The existence of a Student Council President implied a social hierarchy and hinted at the existence of some semblance of rules. At the very least, it allowed the concept of bartering to exist.

But now that the last fence had collapsed, there were no rules left to keep. The very concept of giving and receiving might disappear. If you wanted something, you just took it; if you wanted to kill someone, you just killed them.

Or perhaps it was just a natural phenomenon. As doom approached, humanity was bound to be gradually erased.

Under that premise, I could only hope that Roselia’s hope wouldn’t be trampled as well.

“So the only reason Duke is after me is just that? Because my name came out of Lena’s mouth.”

“Yeah. Just that.”

“And the others bought it for just that reason?”

“Because… they’re afraid of Duke. He’s huge and strong… plus, his gang took over the food storage. So they have no choice but to listen to him.”

At least she had some basic sense. Seeing how she ran straight to them the moment she found out Heiter was dead.

Or maybe he was already in charge of that area to begin with.

Either way, it was a headache. Getting anything from the Academy was going to be difficult now.

…

Then, a trivial question suddenly popped into my head. It didn’t really matter, but I wanted to ask anyway.

“…Anyway, what exactly did Lena say to make him do that?”

“Uh… that? I only heard it secondhand, so I don’t know exactly, but…”

“…”

“When Duke tried to mess with her… she said that you might not just stand by and watch… something like that.”

“…Hah.”

It was such an absurd story that a hollow laugh escaped me before I knew it. She actually said something like that.

Looking back, I had thought about it before. I wondered if someone would call my name as a final struggle before spreading her thighs to have her privates explored.

The fact that the answer had now been revealed to be yes didn’t even elicit a scoff from me.

“I see. So where is Roselia right now?”

“Uh… you’re not going to ask more about Lena?”

“No. Do you know where she is?”

“Well… I don’t know if she’s still using it, but until recently she was using the small guard quarters next to the main building. It’s a good place to stay quiet.”

“Ah, that place.”

It was a place I knew well, as Ms. Rebecca used to take me there. I even knew where the spare key was hidden. Just as Erika said, it was a good place to stay quiet.

Though I wasn’t sure if it still was.

“Yeah. You know where it is, right? You could probably find it even if I didn’t take you…”

“Shh. Keep your voice down. We’re almost at the Academy.”

The moment the familiar building came into view in the distance, I lowered my posture. Erika followed suit, bending her waist, but her lips kept twitching as if she wanted to say something. Then, as if unable to hold it in any longer, she looked at me and asked.

“Um… but do I have to go there too?”

“Are you not going back, then?”

“G-Go back?”

She stuttered as if hearing the idea for the first time. Then, swallowing hard, she asked again.

“If I go back now, who knows what Duke will do to me… C-Can’t I go with that blind girl instead? If you just tell me where it is…”

“I don’t want to take that kind of risk, Erika.”

“But…”

“And being with me would actually be more dangerous. Duke is going to keep coming after me. The chances of getting caught are higher that way.”

“Wouldn’t you stay hidden? Or even if we get caught, you could just take them out…”

“I’ve never been confident in staying hidden. And I’m not confident in taking on everyone at the Academy. If I just disappear like this, they’ll think I killed you. It’ll be safer for you to be on your own.”

“I’m not confident I can survive on my own…”

“Just go back, Erika.”

“Ah…”

I didn’t bother asking what gave her the nerve to make such a request. She knew that better than anyone. I turned my gaze away indifferently and dropped a single line.

“It’d be better for you to just go back and try to gather your own allies. As time passes, there will be guys who become dissatisfied with Duke. If you’re the Student Council President, why don’t you prove your leadership in a situation like that.”

“I…”

“We’re done here.”

With those words, I gripped my scabbard. Erika saw that and closed her mouth. Even if she had said something, I wouldn’t have heard it. My nerves were already entirely focused on the Academy.

The Academy building, submerged in darkness, came into view. It looked particularly shabby and dilapidated today, as if all the vitality left in it had been sucked dry by the tapeworms in its belly. Had it always looked like this at night? Coming here at this hour was a first, so it felt entirely alien.

I wondered if they might have posted at least one guard, but it was a needless worry. The school gate. The main building’s front doors. The curtain-less windows. Nowhere I looked was there a single person moving about.

Then again, what would be the point of posting guards in a world like this? Everywhere was enemy territory anyway. Without a clear external threat, no one would want to waste their energy on something like that. As far as I knew, there was only one person in this Academy who would bother with such a grandiose act.

But even that person couldn’t manage a proper guard. Perhaps because it was well past midnight, the guard they had bothered to post was dozing off, slumped against a chair. And his sleep wasn’t that light either, as he didn’t notice me approaching at all.

It was only after I whispered a greeting in his ear that he finally woke up.

“Wake up. Baron.”

“Gasp…!”

Startled, Baron scrambled for his weapon, but I was faster, pressing my sword against his throat. As the cold metal touched his skin, he hastily threw his hands up.

“L-Lope?”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“What brings you here…”

“Is Roselia inside?”

“Well…”

He wavered between a sense of duty and terror. To help him make up his mind, I angled the blade, and a desperate voice spilled out.

“S-She is. She’s here. She’s inside.”

“I wasn’t trying to threaten you. I just don’t have time. Is she still awake?”

“Yeah. She seems to be having trouble sleeping lately, like she has a lot on her mind. I think… she’s probably still awake.”

“Got it. This won’t take long.”

“B-But…”

Perhaps uneasy about my promise that it wouldn’t take long, he tried to say more. But I was already stepping inside. Beyond the narrow corridor, two rooms were visible.

The room with the bed was the one at the very end. Since the place was already cramped, it didn’t take long to reach it. Standing in front of the door, I considered just walking right in, but decided to show some manners and knocked.

But the response I got was incredibly rude.

“Fuck off. Rus.”

“…”

For Roselia, her voice was excessively sharp. Rus. That was the name of the other guy who followed her around besides Baron. She must have thought I was him.

Still, it was a bit strange. No matter how annoying the situation, she was the type to hide her true feelings. Something must have happened.

Just in case, I knocked on the door again. I didn’t bother saying anything this time either.

“Didn’t you hear me tell you to fuck off?”

“…”

“Is it about Lena again?”

“…”

“Hah… I’m not her babysitter…”

A hollow laugh and a scoff escaped her simultaneously. She chuckled to herself for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

“I helped her as much as I could. The rest is up to her. You don’t think slapping Duke out of stupid pride was a mistake, do you?”

“…”

“And it’s not like he’s doing anything terrible. It’s not like he’s forcing her into public orgies like he did to Erika. Are you really coming to me to report every time he just cops a feel?”

“…”

“Tell her to just endure it. It’s only been three days. He’ll stop once he loses interest. Doesn’t she realize this could end up causing trouble for me too?”

“…”

“I’m already getting a headache from all these weirdos hovering around me…”

From that short exchange, I could roughly guess how the situation was unfolding. Meanwhile, Roselia seemed to be getting angry, gradually raising her voice.

“…You’re still here? You’re ignoring me too?”

“…”

“Didn’t you want to follow me and survive? Wasn’t that the deal? Just because things are like this right now, do you think I’ll let you get away with being rude? Absolutely not. If you think that, then…!”

“It’s me. Roselia.”

“…Lope? Why didn’t you say anything…!”

Only after I finally spoke did Roselia panic, stuttering over her words. Then, making loud thumping noises, she caused a small commotion.

Soon, the tightly shut door opened, and Roselia appeared. She was dressed so neatly that it was hard to believe it was the middle of the night.

“You’re late, Lope. I told you to come within three days.”

“Did you?”

“And did you put on perfume or something? You smell good. You must have been really looking forward to seeing me.”

Joking in a situation like this. She acted as if she had completely forgotten what had just happened. After a moment’s thought, I decided to play along with her audacity and nodded.

“I thought you might have died out there. I was a little worried.”

“This and that happened. I was pretty busy myself.”

“Right. You must have had a lot to take care of too. Who wouldn’t be busy in a situation like this.”

“Even so, it seems like you were especially busy.”

“…I suppose.”

I had no choice but to chew on the words I couldn’t spit out. Roselia remained silent for a long time before uncharacteristically getting straight to the point.

“So? Can I assume that you coming here means you’re accepting my proposal?”

“Proposal.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten? I’m talking about you taking my side.”

“Are you asking me to do similar work to what Baron does outside?”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t assign you such menial tasks. You’d be entrusted with far more important matters. With you on board, I’ll be able to accomplish much more than I can now.”

Her explanation even carried a hint of anxiety. Over the past three days, Roselia must have desperately felt the need for proper manpower.

And I was in the same boat. I needed to get off this godforsaken island as soon as possible. To do that, I desperately needed her help.

It seemed the answer was already decided.

“So, what’s your answer?”

“…Alright. I’ll be on your side, Roselia.”

“Good! I knew you would. Come inside, then. We have a lot to talk about.”

At my answer, Roselia’s face lit up as she let out a sigh of relief. It must have been her first time hearing good news in the past three days.

But my answer was by no means a yes.

“However, it seems there’s a problem we need to solve before that.”

“What? What’s this all of a sudden… I understand, just come in. Let’s talk inside.”

“No. Answer me first.”

“What exactly are you trying to say…”

“Where is Lena?”

At my question, Roselia clamped her mouth shut. Then, struggling to compose her expression, she replied in a fabricated voice.

“…She’s in her room. But not here. She doesn’t seem to want to be around me.”

“Is she safe?”

“Of course she’s safe. Why, do you still have feelings for her? If it’s a matter of personal feelings, we can talk about that later.”

“Roselia. I know she’s not safe. And I know what kind of situation she’s in. That’s why I’m asking.”

I stepped away from the door and leaned against the opposite wall. I could sense tension creeping into Roselia’s face.

“I just found out that you’re abandoning the people who agreed to take your side like that. How am I supposed to trust you? What guarantee do I have that I won’t end up like Lena?”

“Lope. What are you talking about? Abandoning?”

“I don’t know what other word to use. Lena ended up like that in just three days. What would happen to me if I joined you? With this kind of distrust, I can’t even believe that this Supply Ship of yours is actually coming.”

“I’m in constant contact with them, so don’t worry. We’re getting positive responses. So…”

“No.”

I cut her off firmly. Then, in a clear voice, I said:

“I need a definitive answer. Right now.”

“A definitive answer?”

“I need to hear directly from them that they’ll put me on the ship. Without that kind of insurance, it’s hard for me to give you a positive answer either.”

“Lope…”

For the first time, a look of bewilderment crossed her face. Roselia hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

“Alright. Let’s go together tomorrow morning and contact them. Will that be enough?”

“That’s too late. It has to be right now.”

“It’s the middle of the night. I have to contact my father directly, and that’s impossible right now.”

“He’s probably still awake. What father in the world could sleep soundly when his daughter is in mortal peril?”

“…Lope. You’re crossing the line right now.”

“Everyone on this island crossed the line a long time ago. You’re no exception.”

“…”

A piercing glare shot out for the first time in a while. It was the exact same look Roselia the noble used to give Lope-geup.

But after a long deliberation, her answer was yes. With a cold, stiff face, she nodded.

“…Fine.”

Only then did the corners of my mouth turn up. And Roselia, with a confidence that she hadn’t fabricated in a long time, stepped up to me.

“If that’s what you want, let’s go. Right now.”