When the Serial Killer Next Door Gained Harem System

The area looked completely different from the night before. What had been a quiet, empty space was now filled with life. Market stalls had been set up across the open area near the fountain, forming rows of makeshift shops covered with cloth canopies. Merchants were already calling out to passing customers, advertising everything from fresh produce to cheap tools and fabrics. The smell of cooked food drifted through the air, mixing with the noise of people talking, bargaining, and moving from stall to stall.

It felt like an entirely different place.

I walked behind Mio as she navigated through the crowd with ease.

"Uh..." I said after a moment. "Sorry for crashing the night."

"It’s fine," she replied without looking back.

"I appreciate it," I added. "You really saved me yesterday."

"I paid my debt," she said with a small shrug.

"I wonder what Bone and Jugo did," I muttered.

"Curse them," she said quietly. "They ran away."

"Bone didn’t," I replied. "But... yeah. They kind of ran. Poor Saka, though."

"Mhm."

We continued walking through the market, weaving between people and stalls. The further we moved, the more structured the city became. The streets widened slightly, the buildings looked sturdier, and the crowd thinned just enough to make walking easier.

Then I saw them.

The elves from yesterday.

They had been hanged.

Their bodies were suspended from a wooden beam, ropes tight around their necks. Their feet hung just above the ground, lifeless, swaying slightly with the movement of the air. A rough wooden sign had been nailed to their chests.

CURSE THE ELVES.

A guard stood nearby, speaking loudly to a small gathering of people, going on about elves with clear hatred in his voice.

I did not stop. I shook my head slightly and kept walking.

Mio did the same. Neither of us said anything.

We left the crowd behind and continued down the road, the noise of the market fading as we moved farther away.

Maybe ten or fifteen minutes later, the academy came into view.

Northwood Academy stood ahead of us, large and imposing, its structure rising above the surrounding buildings. The walls were made of pale stone, clean and well-maintained, and tall windows reflected the morning light. The entrance gate stood open, with students already gathering and moving inside.

I looked at it for a moment.

"Guess this is it," I said quietly.

"I never asked," Mio said as she stopped walking for a moment. "Which class are you in?"

"First. F... what about you?"

"Second year. C," she replied. "What’s your class?"

"Class? It’s... F. I already told you."

"I mean combat class," she said, her voice as calm and cold as ever, her expression unchanged. "I’m a ranger."

"Oh... they haven’t tested me for that yet," I said.

She resumed walking toward the entrance gates, and I followed her.

"Right," she added. "They’re probably busy with the upcoming tournament."

"Tournament?"

"Yeah," she said. "Northwood and seven other academies compete. There’s a lot that goes into it, though, so it’s a bit complicated. If you don’t know what it is, just ask a teacher."

I nodded, though I wasn’t planning to. I was not even sure I would be involved in something like that. Still, the other thing she mentioned caught my attention. Combat classes.

She was a ranger, which meant she specialized in ranged combat, probably bows or something similar. As for me, I only had one point in Mage and another in Rogue. I had no idea where that would put me.

We stepped through the academy gates.

The courtyard was already busy, with teachers standing around directing students and raising their voices over the crowd.

"Alright, everyone, move along! Classes are starting, get to your rooms!"

"Don’t stand around, keep moving!"

"Crap... we’re a little late," Mio said. "I’ve gotta go. See you later, Ace."

I adjusted my gloves and gave a small nod. "Yeah. See you."

She walked ahead, heading up the stairs and disappearing into the building.

I lingered for a second near the entrance, taking in the size of the place, then followed inside.

The interior was just as impressive. The ceilings were high, the stone walls clean and polished, and the entire space felt far more structured than anything I had seen before.

I approached the nearest teacher, who was busy directing a group of students.

"Hey, I’m sorry, sir," I said. "Where’s the classroom for 1-F?"

He pointed toward a hallway on the far left. "Go down there. You’ll see all the first-year classes."

"Thank you, sir."

I made my way toward the hallway. The door was wide open, and two large statues stood on either side of the entrance. They looked like guardians, carved from smooth, pale stone that almost resembled marble. Each figure was armored, holding a long spear planted firmly into the ground, their expressions stern and unmoving. Fine engravings ran along their armor, giving them a lifelike presence despite being completely still.

I stepped past them and entered the hallway.

It was wide and long, stretching far ahead with classrooms lining both sides. Each door was marked clearly, and faint echoes of voices could be heard from within. At the very end, the wall was entirely made of glass, stretching from floor to ceiling and letting in natural light. Through it, I could see the city below, the streets already busy with movement.

I walked down the hallway until I found it.

1-F.

The door was open. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

I stepped inside.

The classroom was simple but spacious. Rows of wooden desks were arranged neatly in four lines, each paired with a matching chair, making a total of sixteen seats, though only ten were occupied. The floor was made of polished stone, worn slightly from years of use, and it gave off a faint echo whenever someone shifted in their seat.

At the front of the room stood a large blackboard, its surface already marked with faint chalk residue from previous lessons that had not been fully wiped away. A piece of white chalk rested on the narrow ledge beneath it, alongside a worn eraser. Just beside the board was the teacher’s desk, larger and sturdier than the others, with a stack of papers neatly placed on top and a chair pushed in behind it.

The walls were plain, built from the same pale stone as the rest of the academy, but a few pinned notices and faded diagrams broke the monotony here and there. Tall windows lined the right side of the room, letting in natural light that stretched across the desks and cast soft shadows along the floor.

The students inside were already seated, some talking quietly while others looked around with the same uncertainty I felt.