"Helga, did something happen during the break? You don't seem like yourself."

It seemed Vigdís had also decided to pretend she hadn't heard Reisir's and Ríolíkin's nonsense.

Despite meeting Helga again after quite some time, she showed no sign of delight, instead voicing her concern over the way Helga sat there, utterly drained.

"Nothing happened during the vacation. It's just... I learned a few things a little while ago, and I've got a lot on my mind."

"What things?"

"Well..."

Haaa...

Before answering Vigdís's question, Helga let out a long sigh that seemed to carry all her pent-up frustration.

Then, after briefly explaining the conversation Reisir had with the new student named Pret...

"I honestly don't understand how Father could know something this important and not tell me a single word. Even if he was ordered to keep it confidential, couldn't he at least have given his own daughter a hint? Just enough for me to prepare myself mentally? What, did he think I'd go around spreading it and get him into trouble?"

...she poured out her dissatisfaction toward Djúpr.

It wasn't exactly a topic an outsider could casually comment on.

Agreeing with Helga would amount to criticizing a friend's father.

But defending him would be no different from dismissing what Helga was feeling.

Vigdís was visibly flustered, unsure how to respond.

Then, as though deciding she had to do something, she quietly reached over and awkwardly patted Helga on the back in consolation.

"But... why would the Academy keep something like this secret? Haven't all the new students probably figured it out already?"

Was he trying to change the subject in his own clumsy way?

Or had simple curiosity gotten the better of him?

Either way, Ríolíkin asked exactly the sort of question that only made Helga sigh even more deeply.

"Hooo..."

"Why else? Because they don't know how many students awakened on the day of the closing ceremony, or who those students are. They're worried that if someone who awakened hears about the new Special Class for the Awakened, they'll hide the fact they've awakened and withdraw from the Academy. Which means..."

"Ugh...?"

"...Never mind."

Helga cut herself off so abruptly it felt unnatural.

Although she'd lowered her voice as much as possible to keep others from overhearing, she must have decided it was still safer not to continue.

The Imperial Family creating a Special Class for the Awakened in order to cultivate specialists capable of conquering the Demon Realm wasn't inherently wrong.

You could even see it as a form of talent development.

And they certainly had the justification of serving the greater good.

The problem is that they stole the students' freedom to choose by doing it all in secret.

They had unilaterally decided what those students' futures after graduation would be.

Some people undoubtedly had dreams they desperately wanted to pursue.

Others might simply wish to live quiet, ordinary lives.

If you're suddenly told you'll have to risk your life fighting monsters, it's only natural to reject the idea.

The worst part...

Was how they dangled obvious privileges in front of everyone.

By doing so, they encouraged people to think,

"If they're receiving special treatment like that, then of course they should be the ones doing this kind of work."

Helga was an intelligent character.

She had probably understood all of this the moment she heard Pret's explanation.

And the fact that she swallowed those thoughts instead of voicing them proved she wasn't merely intelligent.

She was shrewd.

And yet—

"Huh...? I think you're right... but..."

"If you're really that curious, ask Young Master Karvaldr later."

...Why are you throwing this onto me?

"Don't ask me either."

"Seriously..."

"What's with that reaction? Haven't I told you before? Stop trying to get answers from me every time. Use your own head and figure things out yourself."

"But... Lady Vigdís looks curious too..."

Apparently, Ríolíkin thought that if he brought Karvaldr's prospective fiancée into it, I'd kindly explain everything.

There had never been a greater miscalculation.

"Then the two of you can put your heads together and think it through."

"Whiiine... O-okay."

While we were talking, the auditorium gradually filled with students.

Even so, the seats on the black carpet remained largely empty.

There really aren't many Awakened.

Well, naturally.

It had only been around two months since Demon Realms had begun appearing in earnest.

And if you narrowed it down to people of Academy age, the number would be even smaller.

...Just as that thought crossed my mind—

A girl stepped onto the black carpet.

Her hair was braided into twin plaits.

A pair of oversized glasses covered nearly half her face.

She clutched an enormous, heavy-looking book tightly against her chest.

Her expression was one of utter bewilderment, as though she had no idea why she'd been directed here.

If she's been sent here, then she's obviously Awakened. But she's stubbornly carrying a book that heavy instead of putting it into her Inventory, which means...

The answer came to me immediately.

She was afraid she'd be forced into life-and-death battles against Boss Monsters in the Demon Realm.

So she was hiding the fact that she was Awakened.

The seats reserved for the Awakened were already conspicuous enough.

With so few people sitting here, she must have thought she'd stand out even more if she drew any additional attention to herself.

After hesitating for a moment, she sat down in one of the empty seats between our group and the freshmen.

...No. This isn't the time to be narrating things like this.

Suppressing the sigh threatening to escape, I hugged Yor tightly, trying to calm my turbulent emotions.

The reason I reacted this way...

Was because I knew who she was.

We'd never actually spoken.

We weren't friends.

I didn't even know her name.

But throughout all the untold daily routines between chapters, I'd crossed paths with her countless times.

She was practically a fixture in the library.

Like an NPC who never left.

Naturally, I ran into her almost every time I went there. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Nor was this the readers' first time seeing her.

Back in Chapter 6, the Library Club member who kicked Reisir and me out of the library...

It was this girl.

...She wasn't just some random extra? Don't tell me she's another original character...

At least, there hadn't been any female bookworm character like this among the original cast.

That was why I'd never paid much attention to her.

But now that the possibility existed...

One particular person came to mind.

There had been a character in the original story who was described as being short.

The hair color matched too.

Although the overall impression is completely different.

I still couldn't be certain they were the same person.

And given Karvaldr's personality, I couldn't simply walk over and ask her name.

Besides...

The character I had in mind wasn't a villain anyway.

For now, I'd stop thinking about the library girl and move on.

Tap.

Tap.

The lights illuminating the auditorium went out all at once.

A single spotlight lit the stage.

Orientation had begun.

The Chancellor stepped up first, introducing himself before explaining the Academy's history and founding ideals.

Next came the faculty introductions.

Then the freshman representative delivered a speech expressing respect for the upperclassmen.

The student representative responded by welcoming the incoming class.

Several others followed, each giving their own address before stepping down.

After a considerable amount of time had passed, the Dean of Academic Affairs began explaining the academic schedule.

Even then, there wasn't a single mention of the Special Class for the Awakened.

Meanwhile, behind the stage curtains...

Djúpr had yet to appear.

Neither had Skati, who had been so excited about attending an official event.

So they're saving the announcement about the Special Class for the very end of orientation.

That conclusion came naturally.

And, as it turned out, it was correct.

There was only one thing I hadn't anticipated.

"Greetings, fellow students. Some of you may already know who this humble one is, though many likely do not. Therefore, before speaking about the matter at hand, allow this humble one to introduce herself."

The speaker...

Was wearing a school uniform.

A green necktie.

The color of a fourth-year student.

"This humble one is Fjodora Verd Midgard, First Princess of the Midgard Imperial Family."

She was twenty-five years old.

Had she enrolled at the minimum age of seventeen, she would have graduated years ago—or already been pursuing postgraduate studies.

That was why I never expected this.

To think Fjodora would actually enroll at the Academy... and as a student, no less...

Whether I was stunned or not, Fjodora calmly continued.

She explained that she had formally passed the fourth-year transfer examination and had enrolled as a student.

She spoke of how excited she was to finally leave the confines of the palace, meet many different people, and create precious memories.

She admitted that, until now, she'd only ever studied alone or alongside her siblings.

Academy life had always been something she'd secretly longed for.

Judging from what I knew of her personality in the original story... about half of that was sincere. The other half was simply meant to make herself seem more approachable.

After finishing her rather lengthy introduction, she continued.

"If this humble one, a member of the Imperial Family, enrolled at the Academy at this age for only that reason, naturally everyone would have questions. Such questions would be entirely justified. In truth, there is another reason this humble one has come to the Academy."

At last.

She reached the real purpose of her speech.

"There is likely no student here who has no interest in the Demon Realm. It is the issue occupying the attention of the entire world, and all of you experienced that phenomenon firsthand during last year's closing ceremony. This humble one understands that fear from personal experience as well—the terror of seeing heaven and earth suddenly change, space twist apart, and monsters unlike anything ever seen emerge before your eyes."

After establishing familiarity through her introduction...

She began by empathizing with her audience.

"Even so, both this humble one and you students gathered here were fortunate. By sheer chance, among those caught within that Demon Realm was an Awakened who possessed both the strength and the will to fight. In this humble one's case... that Awakened happened to be this humble one herself. Regardless, would you not all agree that we were fortunate?"

She even lightened the atmosphere slightly, delivering the last line almost like a joke.

"But..."

"...not every Demon Realm is resolved so quickly, nor without casualties."

"On the contrary, the overwhelming majority produce countless victims."

"Regrettably so."

In an instant, the mood she had briefly lifted crashed back down.

"The reason is simple. Unless one is Awakened, not only is escape from a Demon Realm filled with monsters impossible, but one is not even permitted to fight monsters possessing Demon Cores. Had all of you known this beforehand, surely your fear and despair during the closing ceremony would have been even greater. Would it not?"

At the princess's invitation to agree, the non-Awakened students solemnly nodded.

"Therefore..."

"So that those trapped within Demon Realms may continue to hold onto hope."

"So that instead of helplessly awaiting death, they may believe someone will come to save them—and truly be rescued..."

"The Imperial Family has resolved to gather together the Awakened and spare no support in helping them grow."

"Our hope is that they will become mighty warriors... and the hope of all mankind."

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

Relief spread throughout the auditorium.

Praise for the Imperial Family's decision followed naturally.

Thud.

Somewhere behind us came the heavy sound of something hitting the floor.

I could only assume the library girl had dropped the book she'd been carrying.

At that very moment...

She must have realized it.

That everyone seated upon this black carpet...

Were the designated "hopes."

Or, to put it more bluntly...

The designated sacrifices.