I haven’t had a peaceful morning lately. Now that the world has come to this, such a concept is nothing more than an illusion. Whenever I open my eyes in this unpleasant darkness, all sorts of noises tear at my ears.

Today, that noise was a groan escaping my own lips. Merely getting out of bed was enough to make my wounded muscles scream in agony.

“Ugh…”

I clenched my teeth helplessly against the rushing wave of pain. Wounds I hadn’t noticed last night were now clamoring for my attention. I almost passed out and collapsed all over again.

At the very least, it was a relief that I didn’t have a fever. If I were to get an infection in a situation like this, there would be no way to manage it. I thanked my lucky stars for that small mercy and pushed myself up.

Just then, something tangled over my palm. Turning my head, I caught sight of scattered, pale golden hair across the blanket. Saya was still holding my hand.

“…”

Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve woken up before Saya. The sight of her sleeping soundly with her eyes gently closed felt a little unfamiliar. As if she were having a nightmare, her eyebrows twitched slightly, glistening with the faintest hint of dew.

Careful not to wake Saya, I slipped out of bed. Midday sunlight was already streaming through the window. Catching my reflection in the frosted glass, I noticed my disheveled shirt and hair.

I needed to wash up, but I lacked the motivation. It was unclear whether there was even any water left in this house’s bathroom. I hadn’t even assessed the condition of the bathroom yet.

And above all, there were matters left unresolved outside the door. Seeing as Haru wasn’t here, it seemed she was still standing guard outside.

I should head out for now. With weak hands, I buttoned up and prepared to leave. In the process, my torn glove caught my eye once again. The Mark of the Elves still shone vividly upon it.

After a moment of hesitation, I tore a white curtain and wrapped it around my hand like a bandage. It was a futile gesture at this point, but I wanted to leave at least a sliver of hope. Having covered the back of my hand, I picked up the sword leaning against the wall and pushed open the closed door.

Soon, the characteristic cold wind of late autumn began to blow. In the open field of vision, overgrown grass swayed leisurely, putting on a dancing display. The sole audience to this bizarre performance was a blind girl perched on a chair.

However, she didn’t seem interested in watching their performance. With burns and scars wrapped around her face like a blindfold, she gripped her sword with both hands in a stubborn posture. I quietly approached her from behind and spoke.

“Haru.”

“…”

“Haru. Are you asleep?”

“…No. Not yet.”

She must have been sitting like that for at least ten hours, yet Haru’s voice was perfectly clear. It seemed she really had stayed awake all night this time.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Not at all. I might find it hard to move for a while.”

“That’s a big problem. What about Saya?”

“Still sleeping.”

“Then it’s just the two of us awake.”

Haru turned her head slightly as she spoke. Facing her ears rather than her eyes, there was a large tree with Ms. Rebecca leaning against its trunk.

She looked no different from yesterday. Sitting without the slightest flinch despite the cold wind blowing, it seemed she had also stayed awake all night like Haru. I couldn’t even imagine how long the two of them had spent facing each other during that long night.

There was only one difference between them. She had her eyes wide open. Her gaze, seemingly wandering the distant horizon, was fixed precisely in this direction.

“She hasn’t made a single sound all night. Is she sleeping?”

“No. Her eyes are definitely open.”

“So she stayed awake all night in that position. Is she even human?”

“The same goes for you.”

“Ugh. At least I can close my eyes. Come to think of it, maybe she slept with her eyes open… Ah, damn it.”

As soon as Haru finished speaking, the sound of metal clattering echoed, and the woman began to approach. Toppling the tall grass one by one, she approached without hesitation, a sight that felt somewhat intimidating. Haru drew her sword without hesitation.

“Haru. Calm down.”

“Senior, try living your entire life in the hour of the wolf. Wading through the twilight, you can’t tell if what’s approaching is a dog or a wolf. When you can’t even see what’s in front of you, you have no choice but to assume it’s a wolf. If that woman comes any closer, I might really cut her down.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

I tried my best to calm Haru down and stepped forward. But before I could even open my mouth, Haru sent a sharp warning first.

“Stop right there. I haven’t slept a wink all day, so I’m really on edge.”

“The feeling is mutual. Still, we slept on the same ground for a night, so I thought you’d let your guard down a little.”

“A woman who falls into someone’s arms a day after meeting them is called a whore. But I’m not a whore, just a pure and innocent virgin. I don’t know about you, though.”

“How come all the students have such foul mouths? I feel a sense of responsibility as an adult.”

There was a hint of sincerity in her sigh. But Haru mercilessly raised her sword.

“Drop all your weapons. Including the ones hidden in your clothes.”

“You look like a first-year, but you’re too jumpy for a student.”

“You’re too irresponsible for an adult. Trying to approach a student with a weapon.”

“I have no weapons. Lope can vouch for that.”

Ms. Rebecca raised both hands toward me. It seemed she had left the crossbow she had yesterday under the tree. But that alone wasn’t enough to satisfy Haru.

“It might look that way. But you have a weapon hidden inside. Don’t try to fool me. The metallic stench is truly nauseating.”

“…Is that so?”

“Your nose must be stuffed. Since you can’t smell this foul odor.”

“Haru.”

Ms. Rebecca’s expression stiffened slightly at Haru’s words. Thinking it wouldn’t end well if this continued, I belatedly stepped in to mediate.

“Anyway, she has no intention of fighting right now. There’s nothing to gain from provoking her like that.”

“I’m telling you, it smells. I feel like I’m going to go crazy.”

“That’s a bit shocking. It smells. I’ve never thought of it that way myself. If it’s that uncomfortable, why don’t you go inside? I came because I have something to discuss with Lope.”

“No, Ms. Rebecca. I’m sorry, but I have a question for you first.”

“…”

She closed her mouth at my words. A slight frown revealed a hint of disappointment.

“You don’t trust me either.”

“In a situation like this, trusting someone is a difficult thing to do. Especially when it comes to someone who was missing for months and suddenly appears offering to help.”

“That does sound suspicious even to me.”

“And above all, the security guards left the island with the professors. I saw it with my own eyes that day. So why are you still here, Ms. Rebecca?”

“I figured that was it. Yes. It’s only natural to be suspicious.”

She suddenly looked up at the sky. As if observing the movements of the Dragons that hadn’t arrived yet. After pondering the brink of destruction for a long time, she spoke bitterly.

“It might be hard to believe, but they didn’t want to take me with them. They didn’t even tell me about the escape plan in the first place, and even after I found out, they absolutely refused to let me on the boat. Some even began Chanting magic in my direction.”

“Why is that? You would have been the most reliable person in a situation like this.”

“Well. There could be various reasons, but if I had to pick one…”

Ms. Rebecca suddenly raised her arm. And slowly removing the glove she was wearing, she said,

“Perhaps, they didn’t consider me human.”

“What do you mean…”

“Ugh…!”

At that moment, Haru covered her nose. And I also frowned and shut my mouth. Only then did I realize the identity of the smell Haru had been talking about. It was a distinct, bloody metallic stench.

The reason was simple. Ms. Rebecca’s hand was made of cold metal, not human flesh.

“A prosthetic…?”

“…”

Only then did I understand the reason for the metallic clattering sound whenever Ms. Rebecca moved. Without a single apricot-colored covering, the stark gray fingers were clearly not human. Every time she moved a finger, the sound of screws twisting inside was vividly audible.

It looked like a corpse with all its bones exposed, enough to make me nauseous. But Ms. Rebecca stared at her hand with an impassive expression.

“It’s a crude thing. The Magic Engineers boasted it was a masterpiece, but it constantly drains the user’s mana, and delicate movements are completely impossible. That’s why I carry a crossbow instead of a bow, and why I couldn’t even use simple magic on the battlefield.”

“Still, I’ve never seen a prosthetic hand that moves this well…”

“Science always advances fastest on the battlefield. And above all, I’m the only person who survived with this thing attached. Thanks to that, I was thoroughly exploited by the Magic Engineers.”

“Does it end at the hand?”

“Shall I show you? The first students I met wanted to do it with me even after seeing this. But after I showed them the inside, they ran away.”

“…”

Her nonchalant and peaceful attitude left me with nothing to say. Haru kept holding her nose the whole time. It seemed she really hated the metallic smell of the prosthetic hand.

“A prosthetic hand. You must oil it often, considering the smell is this bad.”

“I’ve never thought about that. I think I finally understand why my husband took the child and left. Is it that repulsive?”

“My sense of smell is very sensitive. It’s a bit unbearable.”

“Anyway, I wanted to show you that I’m unarmed. Can you trust me now?”

“Hmm…”

A slightly hesitant voice slipped out. Trust hadn’t been formed yet, but it seemed there was room for consideration. I said to Haru gently,

“Haru. Go wake Saya.”

“What are you going to do alone with this woman in the meantime, Senior?”

“Like Ms. Rebecca said, we have something to discuss.”

“But…”

“I have a sword too. I’m injured, but I won’t be beaten one-sidedly by an unarmed opponent.”

“…Alright.”

Eventually, Haru nodded reluctantly. And with visibly exhausted steps, she disappeared inside. As the door closed, Ms. Rebecca spoke slowly.

“She’s a very vigilant child. Seems to have a deep story too.”

“In a world like this, everyone has a story. You too, Ms. Rebecca.”

“And you as well.”

We both fell silent at the same time. The cold wind was still blowing from beyond. The wounds I sustained yesterday dug into my flesh, each crying out in pain.

“Thank you for yesterday. For helping me.”

“I didn’t do much. Just took care of a few madmen.”

“Still, you saved my life in the end.”

“I didn’t save you. I just prevented the Elf from experiencing murder.”

Her words carried a sharp edge. I couldn’t fully grasp the meaning, but it wasn’t something I could just pass over. I moved my hand toward the sword hilt and said,

“Let’s get to the point. Ms. Rebecca. Why did you help me yesterday?”

“Because you’re the only student I cared for. I suppose that wasn’t convincing enough.”

“If that were true, why did you just turn back the first night you came to my dorm? It was a long time after that before you actually came to help me.”

“Because that night. I realized someone other than you was in your dorm.”

Ms. Rebecca paused for a moment, looked at the closed door, and spoke again.

“And that it was an Elf.”

Her gaze shifted to the bandaged back of my hand this time. My shoulder and arm twitched involuntarily. I even felt the illusion of the Mark on the back of my hand burning hot.

“…At first, I genuinely wanted to help. After being abandoned on the island and realizing there was no way to escape, I thought helping a student I knew was my final duty. But that night I found out where you were and went to your dorm. The situation changed a bit.”

“Because of Saya?”

“No matter how quiet she was, she couldn’t hide the scent characteristic of Elves. At first, I thought it was a mistake. I’ve only seen an Elf in person once in my life. But I couldn’t just let it go, so I kept watching you. Then last night, I was finally convinced. No living creature other than an Elf could move like that.”

“…”

“And I saw the tattoo that appeared on the back of your hand. As far as I know, you’re not the type to get a tattoo.”

“That’s…”

“The Elves fled to their own land to escape the Dragons. But such an Elf is on this island right now. And you got that tattoo after coming into contact with the Elf. Right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then there’s only one conclusion to be drawn.”

Ms. Rebecca’s logic progressed quickly and accurately. Therefore, the conclusion was undeniable. She mulled over her thoughts, then turned to look me straight in the face.

Her scarred face revealed the curves and contours of her life. Uncharacteristically, she hesitated for a long time before finally opening her mouth.

“Lope.”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, do you have a way to escape to the Land of Elves?”

“I…”

This time it was my turn to hesitate. Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, and tension gripped my shoulders and arms.

“Was that your goal?”

“…”

“Did you approach me with that purpose?”

“I can’t… say no.”

In the end, what came from her mouth was a bitter affirmation. But it wasn’t something that would be resolved so simply.

“But it’s not for myself. I have no intention of living long anyway, nor do I have the means. If God has prepared destruction for us, the first to mount the guillotine should be a murderer like me.”

“If it’s not for yourself, Ms. Rebecca. Then why on earth are you doing this?”

“That’s…”

The next words didn’t come easily. But I could guess to some extent. If a person wishes for the survival of someone other than themselves, the target must be clear.

Not everyone in the world lives alone like me.

…

Destruction. The Land of Elves. And the three Marks left to me.

It was time to bring up the dilemma I had been putting off.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

I spoke calmly. And looking directly at Ms. Rebecca, I said,

“Let’s continue the rest of the story when Saya and Haru get here.”

“I’m sorry, Roselia. I will definitely come back.”

A heat like a burn swept over our first touching lips. I blankly opened my mouth and called his name.

“Lope…?”

“You sons of bitches…”

At that moment, Duke spat out curses as he approached. But before his words could even finish, Lope dashed to the opposite side. And with all his might, he threw his body against the window.

All the plans we had built shattered, and a sharp bursting sound tore through both my ears. Knowing it was useless, I called his name once again.

“Lope!!!”

“Lope, you son of a bitch!!!”

But it was already too late. Lope’s body had already disappeared beyond the window. I could only stand there in vain, watching his back.

…

Silence hung in the room for a very brief moment. But it didn’t last long.

“Catch that bastard.”

“Huh…?”

“What are you doing. Didn’t you hear me? Catch him.”

“But…”

“Move right now! If you just catch that bastard, I’ll give you anything! Hurry up and move!”

“Ah… Understood! What are you doing! Wake up everyone downstairs!”

As Duke shouted, the crowd scattered in an instant. As the last footsteps headed down the stairs, the only ones left in the Student Council Room were me and Duke. Just the two of us.

“…”

“Duke…”

Like a thief whose feet fell asleep, I opened my mouth first. But my whole body was trembling so much that I couldn’t continue speaking. Duke looked at me and spoke slowly.

“It seems we have something to talk about.”

I couldn’t dare to answer. Then Duke, with clear cynicism and anger, asked again in a cold voice.

“Isn’t that right, Roselia?”