Roselia’s confidence was short-lived. From the moment we entered the main building through an unlocked window, I could hear her swallowing hard beside me.

The filthy noises of the night draped over the sound of her tense breathing. The side alleys of the deserted hallway. A damp, moldy brothel where their own private festival was in full swing.

Just in case, we pressed our bodies against the edges where the shadows thickened. Since Roselia was wearing bright clothes, I had to lend her my coat. Perhaps due to her noble fastidiousness, she checked the smell of the garment even in the midst of her tension.

“…It smells nice.”

“Keep your voice down.”

She was probably trying to ease the tension with some small talk, but it wasn’t a very good idea. I scanned our surroundings once more and asked in a low voice.

“The Student Council Room. Is it empty?”

“Yeah. Probably.”

“What about Duke and his gang?”

“…They’ll be in the duty room.”

A bitter, inexplicable undertone seeped through her answer. It seemed even that simple question hid a complicated story.

I was curious, but right now, it didn’t matter. I steadied my breathing and whispered again.

“Stay as close to me as possible and follow me.”

“Okay.”

The grip of the sword in my hand sent a slight tremor through my tendons. I had brought it, but I hoped I wouldn’t have to use it again today. As I carefully took my first step, a small shadow trailed behind me.

…

Kkieik…

Step by step. Every time I cautiously reached my foot out, the worn-out floorboards creaked. It was a mundane living noise I normally wouldn’t pay any attention to, but right now, it felt like a whistleblower broadcasting our presence in the dark. Telling them there was an intruder here. Telling them to come and catch us immediately. It sounded as if it was screaming while burning its own body.

I felt like a young child sneaking out in the middle of the night. The surroundings were quieter than usual, and the sounds I made felt twice as magnified. The noises of the night deceive the heart like that.

It must have been an unbearable pressure for Roselia. Unlike me, she was, after all, a lady of a noble family. For someone like her, walking without confidence was an excessively awkward act.

“Haa… ah…”

Perhaps the tension made even breathing difficult; a trembling breath clung to my back. As she exhaled little by little, she occasionally hyperventilated and gagged. The darkness, having found a new toy, was violating the noble lady’s innocence.

Meanwhile, from the direction of the classrooms, a mix of moans and tearing laughter erupted. Only then did I understand the mindset of a sewer rat fleeing the light. To those crawling in the darkness, the everyday sunlight must have felt like poison.

“…”

“…”

Silence. And stillness. Within that void, we continued our precarious steps.

Fortunately, nothing happened until we climbed the stairs leading to the Student Council Room. It was only when we reached the middle of the staircase that Roselia, seemingly relieved of her tension, lowered the hand that had been covering her mouth. She let out a sigh and spoke.

“Okay. Just a little further and…”

“Catch that one!”

“Ahhhk!”

But right then, a classroom door slammed open from behind, and a flood of light poured out. I instinctively reached out to cover Roselia’s mouth.

“Ah…!”

“Shh!”

“Mmph…!”

Thanks to my quick reaction, I pulled Roselia into my arms just in time. She struggled violently at the sudden situation, but I managed to hide us in a corner before the guys noticed. Soon, a girl and the men approaching her appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“Mom… Mommy…”

“Why are you looking for your mom? You’re going to be a mom soon anyway.”

“Mom… sniff… Mom…”

“No mom here, but your dad is. Or should I say, your husband? Come here. Your husband will give you a hug.”

The guys cackled as they mocked the girl. With tears streaming down her face, she was also weeping from down below as well. It was a pathetic sight, but there was no way for us to help her from here.

“Come on, let’s go inside quickly. We have to keep going, right?”

“Ugh… please…”

“I promised I’d let you sleep once you finish everything. Just do exactly what’s on the chalkboard. I’m sleepy too. Let’s get this over with.”

“Hwaang… ah…”

“Get inside. Quickly. Before I get mad.”

Fortunately, the guys quickly turned back inside. Roselia, who was breathing heavily, slowly pulled her leg, which had been stretched out toward the stairs, back toward her.

But that was a mistake. Her shoe caught on the edge of the stairs with a clack and rolled all the way down.

“…!”

“Ah…!”

“Huh?”

One of the guys who was going inside heard the sound and turned his gaze our way. Then, as if recognizing our silhouettes in the darkness, he raised his voice.

“What the. Who’s there?”

“…”

“What are you doing there? I asked who you are.”

No matter how I thought about it, he seemed to have noticed us. Roselia started panting again, her entire body trembling. Sweat had already trickled down, dampening her palms.

“You’re not going to answer?”

Eventually, the guy stepped onto the first stair. Tilting his head, he looked ready to come up. If I didn’t act fast, the situation could get complicated.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I stood up, shouting a curse at the top of my lungs.

“Fuck!”

“…!”

Startled by the noise, the guy flinched and stepped down the stairs a bit. I threw Roselia to the floor and reached for my waist.

But instead of drawing my sword, I yanked down my pants and threw myself on top of Roselia.

“Hah…!”

“You fucking… fucking bitch… fuck!”

“Uh…”

The guy, taken aback, peeked his head slightly toward us. But hidden in the darkness, our faces were out of sight. Meanwhile, I forced apart the struggling Roselia’s legs and violently thrust my hips against her.

“You fucking bitch… fucking… euheuk… kuhok… euhiheuk…”

“Ugh… gag… ugeok…!”

“Euhiheuk… fucking bitch… euhihiheuk…”

I made the most disgusting sounds and threw myself on her like a pig in heat. Although our genitals didn’t touch, the impact was fully transmitted. Even though she knew it was an act, tears welled up in the corners of Roselia’s eyes.

The guy watched us like that for a good while. Then, with a shrug, he dropped a single comment.

“Ugh. Fucking animal.”

“…”

“So fucking gross.”

With a sound of disgust, the classroom door thudded shut. Only then did I stop moving my hips and look around. Fortunately, no other noises followed.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

“They’re gone.”

“Haa… haa… you… son of a bitch…”

It was a curse I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or at that guy. Even after I stood up again, Roselia took a long time to catch her breath. But true to her nature, she soon regained her composure.

“Let’s go quickly… we’re almost there.”

“Stay close.”

I replied impassively and headed forward. Even without bothering to look back, I could feel Roselia’s stinging glare.

Thus concluding our less-than-quiet infiltration, we finally arrived in front of the Student Council Room. The nameplate had even more graffiti scrawled across it than the last time I was here. I quietly drew my sword and pushed the door open.

“…”

There was no one in the room. Aside from the trash strewn across the floor and the filthy desks, it was completely empty. Even as I locked the door firmly and entered the inner room, there was no sign of anyone.

It was only after entering the room with the communication equipment and closing the door that I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

“Hoo…”

“Huu… haa… haa… haa…”

Roselia, too, took deep breaths for a long time, suppressing her trembling breaths. I waited until she regained her breathing, then pointed to the communication equipment.

“You can operate it, right?”

“Of course. Just… give me a moment. I need some time to catch my breath.”

“Hurry up. We don’t have time.”

“I know.”

She replied sharply and whipped the coat she was wearing toward me. Then, after adjusting her clothes for a long time, she spoke in a somewhat calmer voice.

“If they don’t answer on the other end, there’s nothing I can do. You should know that.”

“They will definitely answer. If we contact them at night, they’ll assume it’s an emergency.”

“…Right. Let’s hope so.”

As my answer fell, Roselia raised her arm. Then, a blue aura gathered around the equipment, and a humming sound began to echo. I leaned my back against the corner and waited for a screen to appear.

Soon, the screen flickered to life, and a crackling sound leaked out. The sound slowly took shape before turning into a man’s voice.

“What is the matter at this hour, my lady? Is there a problem?”

The head butler’s voice came through the blurry screen. Hearing his voice after such a long time felt a bit welcoming. I straightened my posture once more and spoke calmly.

“No. There’s no problem. I just wanted to speak with my father about the escape plan we discussed before.”

“With His Grace the Duke… you say. But requesting communication at such a late hour is…”

“I know. It’s a breach of etiquette. But in a moment of crisis like this, shouldn’t practicality take precedence over protocol?”

“A fair point, my lady. Still…”

“It’s urgent. Is he perhaps asleep?”

“No. He is not.”

“Then please tell him. I’m asking you.”

“…Understood.”

After hesitating for a long time, he slowly disappeared from the screen. I let out a thin sigh and looked over at Lope. He was staring this way with the same impassive expression as before.

But as the wait grew longer, that impassive expression began to furrow slightly. The subtle pressure felt from that simple change in expression pounded against my chest. Even the memory of him throwing himself on top of me earlier surged up vividly.

Lope still gave off that bizarre scent of perfume. Every minute and second flowed down as drops of sweat, dampening my hair.

“Hah…”

Right then, someone’s sigh and the creaking of a chair fell heavily. A moment later, a crackling voice flowed from the communication equipment.

“I see… it’s Roselia.”

“Father!”

I was so overjoyed that I shouted without realizing it. I thought it was a bit undignified, but my father laughed without showing any concern.

“Your voice is bright, Roselia. I suppose you missed your old man.”

“I’m sorry, Father. For contacting you at such a late hour. But there was something I really needed to ask you.”

“Sorry, you say… I’m the one who should be sorry for not being able to do anything for you. I was just thinking about contacting you anyway. Ask whatever you are curious about. Anything at all.”

“Yes…”

At his uncharacteristic demeanor, my words trailed off without me realizing it. Even considering the situation, he wasn’t the type of person to reveal his emotions like that. Meanwhile, my father chuckled and suddenly hiccuped.

Only then did I realize my father was drunk. Although there wasn’t enough mana to project a clear screen, he was definitely looking this way with a flushed face from the alcohol. Drinking in a situation like this. It was absolutely not something my father would do.

But I soon shook my head. He must have had so much on his mind that he wanted to take a break for a moment. Thinking so, I carefully brought up the main point.

“Father. I’m contacting you regarding the escape ship I mentioned last time. I know I shouldn’t be so impatient, but I wanted to know the detailed plan.”

“A detailed plan…”

“Yes. Like the date the ship is arriving. Its size. The number of guards. Things like that.”

“Right. Those are things I should have told you about earlier. How anxious you must have been, all alone in that garbage dump.”

My father let out a deep sigh and closed his mouth. The silence dragged on for so long that I even suspected he might have fallen asleep. After failing to continue his words for such a long time, my father delivered some unexpected good news.

“Actually, the ship has already finished its departure preparations. It will set sail tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? That’s such a relief. Then when will it arrive here?”

“Let’s see. Within a week… no. Two weeks… maybe three… I’m not sure about that. The duration of the voyage will change depending on the weather and the waves. I believe it won’t take too long, but…”

“Yes, Father.”

“It won’t… take too long… probably. It shouldn’t take too long, Roselia…”

“…Father?”

“Why did you keep tormenting your younger siblings… you’re all family. Was my strictness really that bothersome to you…”

“…”

No matter how I looked at it, he wasn’t in a state to continue the conversation. I wanted to end it right there, but there was still one more core issue left. When I raised my head, Lope’s sharp gaze reached me from the other side.

Eventually, I spoke again. My father was still muttering meaningless words.

“Um, Father. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“Ah… right. Go ahead and speak.”

“There are two friends I want to bring with me when we escape the island. One is Miss Lena, the top student of the grade I mentioned last time, and the other is Mr. Lope… he’s also an excellent student. I think these two are talents that must absolutely be preserved, so I want to bring them along.”

“Lena… Lope…”

“Yes. Miss Lena and Mr. Lope.”

“Well… of course you should bring them. They are your friends. That alone is enough.”

“Thank you, Father. That’s what I wanted to ask.”

Only then was I able to smile a little. Lope also looked this way and slowly nodded. It finally felt like everything was resolved.

But right then, my father called my name. And he suddenly brought up a strange topic.

“…But Roselia. Must you really do that?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if you really must bring those friends along.”

“What do you…”

“What difference does it make to grant a brief walk to the pigs in a slaughterhouse?”

“Ah… Father. Why are you suddenly saying that.”

At the sudden change in his attitude, I smiled awkwardly and glanced at Lope. The things I thought were resolved were twisting out of shape in an instant.

“They’re all going to die anyway… what use is there in such things.”

“What do you mean? Is there not enough space? Could you perhaps send a larger ship?”

“That’s not it. What does our family lack that we would send a small boat to retrieve you? What is lacking… is something else.”

“So what does that…”

“Roselia. Our cute little baby.”

It was a nickname he used to call me when I was very young, also when he was dead drunk. As a creeping anxiety slowly seeped in, I swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.

“Why didn’t I bring this up earlier. Was the great Duke Anbert so afraid of this.”

“Father…?”

“But now I must tell you this story. I can’t put it off any longer.”

“What on earth are you…”

“Roselia.”

My father called my name and gulped something down. It was definitely alcohol. The fact that the great Duke Anbert had to muster that much resolve in front of his daughter made me insanely anxious. Because I was scared, because I didn’t want to hear it at all, I deliberately brought up another topic.

“Father. Drinking like that will ruin your health. Let’s stop…”

“Roselia.”

“Yes.”

“The only ones who can go to the Land of Elves are me and your brother Rozwell, who have received the marks.”

…

…

“…What?”

I thought I misheard. I thought he made a mistake because he was drunk. But my father’s voice that followed was so clear and distinct.

“The story that ten people could go per mark was a lie. No, actually, it’s a fact I only learned about a month ago. It seems there was a misunderstanding in the process of receiving the information. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell you… so I kept putting it off.”

“That can’t be…”

“I know. I told you too late. I thought I should keep telling you, but I couldn’t muster the courage. I was afraid you would lose the hope of surviving on that hellish island. I was afraid you might break down. But this is the truth. You cannot go to the Land of Elves.”

“That… that’s…”

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

Time stopped for a moment. As if submerged in deep water, my vision blurred, my ears rang, and all my senses disappeared. Even my pounding heart stopped beating and slowly faded away. And, only one truth surfaced in my mind.

I cannot go to the Land of Elves.

Even if I go to the mainland, I cannot be saved.

In 100 days. I will burn to death in the flames of the dragons.

A series of facts flashed before my eyes. But I couldn’t accept them in the end and asked with a trembling voice.

“Is that true, Father…?”

“Roselia…”

“That can’t be. You’re saying I can’t go to the Land of Elves? Then isn’t that just telling me to die? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Roselia. Listen to me.”

“You’re telling me to just die with those bugs? No. I’m different from those ordinary pigs. Even if the whole world dies, I have to survive. Father, please tell me it’s not true. Please…”

“Stop it. And listen to my…”

“Please tell me it’s not true!”

In the end, unable to contain the bursting indignation, I screamed. My head grew so hot it felt like my brain was going to burn entirely. Meanwhile, the flowing tears pooled on the dirty floor and turned into black, filthy water.

Right. Tears. Only then did I realize I was crying. The tears, once I became aware of them, flowed endlessly without stopping.

“Ah… ah…”

“Roselia.”

“I… I…”

My heart is too hot. I felt like I couldn’t endure it without grabbing it with my hands. But my clumsy hands, which only knew how to cry, couldn’t dig into my heart and merely hovered above it.

I clutched my chest and cried like that for a long time. My father watched me before slowly opening his mouth.

“Roselia. Listen just a little more. There is actually another reason I am bringing this up now.”

“I don’t want to hear it… I’m already abandoned…”

“Roselia!”

This time, my father shouted. I flinched in surprise and raised my head. A voice that had grown stern followed.

“Get a grip. This is not just a problem for you alone. Your mother, your brothers, your sisters. Everyone is involved. You need to get your head on straight.”

“But you said there was no way. I’m already…”

“No. There is one way. A way that not only you, but perhaps all of us, can survive.”

“There is… such a thing?”

“Yes. So listen carefully to what I say from now on, Roselia.”

I struggled to swallow my tears and listened closely. My father also took a very deep breath. And then he spoke in a very clear voice.

“There is an elf at that academy.”

“…What?”

“Did you not hear me? I said there is an elf at that academy.”

At the unbelievable story, I looked at Lope without realizing it. Even he flinched slightly, seeming a bit shaken, and swallowed his saliva. Meanwhile, my father’s story continued.

“It’s a fact I didn’t know at first either. But recently, a report came to me. It said that an elf’s child is living at that academy.”

“If… if such an absurd thing had happened, I would have definitely known. No, not just me, the entire academy would have known.”

“To be precise, it’s not an elf but a half-elf. So you might not have known. A half-elf can have an appearance infinitely similar to a human depending on the individual.”

“Even so…”

“Roselia. There is definitely an elf there. That much is a fact confirmed by reports. And that elf most likely possesses the marks.”

I heard someone swallow a tense breath. It was definitely my father. I, too, instinctively held my breath at the unbelievable story.

But no matter how much I thought about it, there was no such thing as an elf in this academy. I bit my lip and shook my head.

“Father. I’ve never seen anything like an elf here. No matter how much I think about it, there isn’t.”

“Think carefully. No matter how much their appearance resembles a human, they cannot hide their elven traits. Whether their physical abilities are noticeably outstanding. Whether their body smells of forget-me-nots. Whether they have something different from humans, things like that.”

“There is no such person. I know everyone at the academy. But no matter how much I think about it…”

“Please try a little harder, Roselia. This is your last chance! They must have hidden their elven traits well until now. But in a crisis situation like this, there must have been times when they had to use their outstanding physical abilities. Since the plumbing facilities are poor, they wouldn’t have been able to wash away that unique smell from their body anymore. There’s also a high possibility they lived as a loner because it was hard to mingle with humans.”

“Such… such a person…”

“Roselia, please! Think about it!”

“I am thinking!”

I shouted without realizing it. But no matter how much I retraced my memories, there was no such person. Remarkable physical ability. The smell of forget-me-nots. A loner. The marks. There was no one who fit any of those…

…

No.

There is exactly one.

Someone who couldn’t mingle with people and was always a loner.

Someone who started displaying remarkable physical abilities after the apocalypse struck.

Someone whose parents died a long time ago, allowing them to hide their birth.

And, someone whose body suddenly started smelling of forget-me-nots.

There was exactly one such person.

In the midst of a belated realization, I slowly raised my head.

“…”

He was still looking at me with an impassive expression. Then, when his eyes met mine, he briefly averted his gaze before turning his eyes back to me. His brown eyes, resembling an old oak tree, were incredibly cold and ruthless, unhumanly so.

From within his cool gaze, that bizarre scent of perfume still faintly lingered.