Chapter 39
【 Monster Escape Episode 】
“What’s going on?”
Lisa turned her head toward the direction where the monster’s cry had come from.
Her face, which had been flushed red just moments ago, had calmed into a blank expression, though her voice still carried a trace of bewilderment.
“It’s the same cry we heard at dawn. What could’ve happened?”
“Yes, it seems my intuition was correct.”
I also looked toward the source of the sound.
Since I already knew this would happen, I wasn’t particularly surprised.
“The cry came from that direction, and over there should be…”
“The monster barn, right? Did something happen over there? But you said there weren’t any problems when you went there this morning, didn’t you?”
“Yes. At least to me and to the teacher in charge of the barn, it looked fine.”
“Just because something looks fine doesn’t mean nothing will happen.”
“You’re right.”
I nodded, and Lisa stood up with a now-serious expression.
“Let’s go check it out. I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
Just as she was speaking, screams rang out from the distance.
“Kyyaaaah!”
They were screams full of agony.
“…Gideon. Let’s move.”
“Yes, understood.”
It seemed tonight was going to be busy in many ways.
The massive barn located behind Lysquare Academy’s castle.
When I arrived there with Lisa, chaos was already unfolding before our eyes.
Groooaar!
Kreeeek!
Just as I remembered, every monster in the barn had escaped.
As a result, they were rampaging throughout the castle grounds, attacking and smashing everything they saw.
“This is bad. The situation’s worse than I thought.”
“Yes, it is.”
That wasn’t an exaggeration—just as I had expected, the situation was truly dire.
Even though I’d seen this scene many times in the game, seeing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.
‘Buildings collapsing, students screaming, and even students caught by monsters.’
Yes, students caught by monsters.
Right then, I spotted a female student being held tightly in the hand of a stone golem.
“Lady Lisa, over there…”
“I see it.”
Before I could finish speaking, Lisa was already on the move.
She dashed toward the golem, leapt up, and brought her greatsword down on its head.
Boom!
Groooh!
Since it was made of stone, it didn’t seem to die from the strike.
However, the impact was powerful enough that the golem collapsed on the spot.
“L–Lady Lisa?”
“Are you all right? Hm? Ah, Amy. You’re fine? Can you move?”
“Y-yes? Ah, yes! I can move.”
“Then get out of here quickly. Right now… let’s see… where should you go…”
“Please head to Gym No.1.”
I interrupted their conversation.
“The dormitory is too far away, and if you run into monsters on the way, it’ll be dangerous. Go to the nearest Gym No.1 and hide there until the situation is over.”
“Uh, um…”
Though I was the one who spoke, the girl named Amy looked at Lisa for confirmation.
Lisa nodded.
“Do as Gideon says. Head to Gym No.1.”
“Ah, yes. And… thank you for saving me.”
“I only did what had to be done. Go quickly.”
“Yes!”
With that, the girl ran toward the gym, and Lisa turned her gaze back to me.
“Gym No.1?”
“Yes. It’s the closest one, and since it was built early during the Academy’s founding, it’s also the sturdiest.”
“You make quick decisions, even in a mess like this.”
“I find it quite surprising myself.”
If it were the old me, just seeing these monsters running wild would’ve frozen me in panic.
I probably would’ve just run away. But thanks to the body I’d possessed, I was surprisingly composed even in this chaos.
“Anyway, Lady Lisa, I think it’s best to close all the castle gates of the Academy first.”
“You’re right. It’ll be a real problem if the monsters escape outside.”
“Exactly. And since it’s still early evening, there are many students who were outside the buildings. I’ll gather all of them and lead them to Gym No.1.”
“Then what should I do?”
“I’ll ask you to handle the monsters.”
It was an episode I had experienced many times in the game.
Because of that, I knew exactly which choices led to the best outcome.
“Before reinforcements arrive, we need to subdue as many monsters as possible and save the students. But as for me, rather than attacking…”
“You’ll be better suited to defending. Got it.”
Lisa nodded and raised her greatsword.
“You focus on rescuing and protecting the students. I’ll handle killing the monsters.”
“Understood. But, Lady Lisa, it might be better not to kill the monsters—ah, watch out.”
A giant bipedal lizard— a Lizardman—charged straight at us.
It wielded two spears, one in each hand, though who knew where it had gotten them.
I quickly drew my sword and rushed forward to intercept.
“Ugh.”
The Lizardman swung both spears at me, and I blocked the strikes with my sword.
Clang— Clang—
The Lizardman’s strength was overwhelming compared to mine.
But I already knew how to defend against a physically powerful opponent’s attacks.
The problem was how to counterattack such an enemy—but that wasn’t something I had to worry about.
Because someone beside me would take care of that.
“Quite the fearless monster.”
Lisa hefted her greatsword onto her shoulder and swung it down toward the Lizardman.
The Lizardman tried to block her strike with its spears but it was useless.
Boom!
Even though the Lizardman had blocked the attack, Lisa’s immense strength sent it flying backward, crashing into the nearby building wall.
“Are you all right, Gideon?”
“Yes, this much is no problem.”
“Right. If you can block my attack, this shouldn’t be an issue. More importantly, what were you trying to say earlier? About not killing the monsters?”
“Yes, I believe that would be best.”
From my countless playthroughs of the game, I knew that killing too many monsters would later cause trouble with the Academy staff.
These escaped monsters were technically the Academy’s property, and among them were quite a few rare and valuable ones.
If all of them were killed, the Academy might hold the Disciplinary Committee responsible.
‘No, to be exact, they’d only blame me. They wouldn’t dare say anything to Lisa.’
Anyway, if I wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, that was the best approach.
The problem was how to convince Lisa that sparing the monsters was the better option...
“You’re right, that’s exactly it! Don’t kill those monsters!”
While I was thinking about how to persuade her, someone came running toward us.
Bark Catafrak — the instructor in charge of the monster barn whom we had met that morning.
“Mr. Catafrak, correct?”
“That’s right, Student Lisa. As that young man just said, we can’t kill all the monsters. Many of the escaped ones are quite valuable, and some are very rare to obtain…”
“I understand what you mean, sir. But even so, we must do what needs to be done.”
Lisa cut Bark’s words off firmly.
“Right now, students—no, citizens of the Empire within this Academy—are in danger. I believe it’s right to prioritize human lives over the monsters’ worth.”
“But…”
“Given the situation, this is an order as a member of House Balmuth. Please focus on ensuring the students’ safety rather than preserving the monsters.”
“…Understood, Lady.”
At Lisa’s resolute stance, Bark lowered his head, looking as if he had no choice.
Lisa nodded in acknowledgment.
“Thank you for understanding. And of course, considering your position, I’ll do my best to minimize casualties among the monsters.”
“Yes. I appreciate even that much.”
“Good. Anyway, Mr. Catafrak, are you able to contact the other instructors?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Then please deliver this message to all Academy instructors.”
Lisa paused briefly before continuing.
“Reinforce the castle gates, and all instructors capable of combat are to focus on subduing the escaped monsters. This is an order issued by Lisa Balmuth, eldest daughter of House Balmuth, and I will take full responsibility for any consequences related to it.”
“…Is that exactly how I should relay it?”
“Yes, please do. And Gideon.”
“I’ll go rescue the students.”
“Right. We’ll do as you said earlier—you protect, I subdue.”
“Understood.”
So far, everything was proceeding smoothly.
Kieeek—?!
Kwuok—?!
Four ape-like monsters covered in blades all over their bodies.
I continued defending against their attacks, and when I saw an opening, I struck their weak points with the back of my sword, knocking them out.
After confirming that all four monsters were down—
“Is everyone all right?”
“Y-yeah, we’re fine.”
I turned to the three noble students behind me—
One male, two females.
Exactly the same trio I had found in this area during the game.
“If none of you are injured, please head to Gym No.1 over there. The other students are sheltering there, so stay hidden until it’s over.”
“Ah, got it.”
“Good. Then please be careful on your way.”
With those words, I was about to go rescue the next student.
But the male student suddenly called out to me.
“Wait. You’re… Gideon Kyrgram, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“…Thank you for saving us. I’ll make sure to repay you later…”
“I’d appreciate it if you told me that later. I’m a bit busy right now.”
With that, I went on my way again.
Though, inwardly, I felt a bit puzzled.
‘I don’t remember having that line of dialogue with that character in the game… Well, I guess that’s just because this isn’t a game.’
After sorting out my thoughts, I turned my head.
So far, I had guided twenty-three students to the gym.
Only one student remained.
‘The last one should be… yes, right. Inside the warehouse next to the indoor farm.’
Since this episode always occurred the same way, I knew the exact location of every student that needed rescuing.
Relying on that memory, I headed toward the last student’s location.
And that last student turned out to be a very familiar girl.
“Let go! Let me go! G-get off me!”
When I arrived, a girl was struggling, trapped in sticky webs.
Catherine Perigit — the same girl who had caused a minor quarrel with me in the cafeteria last time.
Kreeeek—?
As I stepped into the warehouse, a monster that looked like a cross between a mantis and a spider turned its head toward me.
I raised my sword and took a stance.
“G-Gideon? Gideon Kyrgram?! You came to save me…?”
“Yes, I did. Please wait just a moment.”
Without taking my eyes off the monster, I gave her a brief reply.
The creature before me wasn’t particularly strong.
Which made it perfect for practice.
Practice for what, exactly…
“Haa…”
I raised my blade vertically, bringing the guard up to eye level.
Sara’s swordsmanship—or rather, the Isrinbloom Family’s signature stance.
Lately, by attending Swordsmanship Class alongside Sara, I’d had many opportunities to watch her swordsmanship.
And gradually, I’d begun to grasp how to imitate her movements.
Kraaaah—!
The monster lunged, swinging its sharp forelegs at me in a surprise attack.
But thanks to my Attack Prediction Skill, I saw through the strike, evaded, and swung my sword.
A straightforward slash.
The monster easily dodged the blade, but I twisted my wrist immediately and aimed for its neck.
Kak—?
The monster flinched in surprise and blocked my attack with its forelegs.
I smoothly redirected my sword downward.
Then, letting the motion flow naturally, I swung my blade again.
It looked fluid, yet oddly unnatural — a sword flow that mixed grace with irregularity.
This series of attacks and wrist maneuvers created an opening in the opponent’s defense.
And exploiting that opening was the essence of the Isrinbloom Family’s swordsmanship.
The monster was caught off guard by my unorthodox movements, and I didn’t miss the chance.
Slash—!
Adding rotational force, I swung my sword hard, slicing through the monster’s neck.
“…I’ve improved quite a bit.”
Though I still had a long way to go, there was definite progress.
It was a moment where I truly felt the results of practicing swordsmanship outside of class hours.
“Ugh, h-hey… Gi-Gideon! If you’ve beaten the monster, hurry up and get me out of here!”
“Hmm? Ah, yes. Understood, Lady Catherine.”
I approached the girl trapped in the web and freed her.
As soon as she was released, Catherine suddenly collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.
“Uwaaah! Gideon, thank you for saving me! I-I thought I was really going to die! I’m sorry for being so mean before! I-I won’t ever do that again, so…”
“It’s dangerous to cry here. Please follow me quickly — I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“Sniff… o-okay, sniff.”
And with that, I led the last student toward Gym No.1.
With this, I had successfully rescued every student that needed saving — just as I had in the game.
“Please stay inside the gym, Lady Catherine. There are other students there as well, so wait inside until the situation is over.”
“Y-yeah, I got it. But Gideon, what about you…?”
“I’ll be guarding the door outside.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? There are still monsters around…”
“This is what the Disciplinary Committee does.”
I gave a small, wry smile.
“I’ll be fine. Please, go inside.”
“…Alright. And Gideon… thank you, really. Even though I was so rude to you last time, you still…”
“I only did what needed to be done.”
With that, I closed the gym doors.
Yes — I had simply done my duty.
‘Have I… changed since I transmigrated?’
Before, I probably would’ve just run for my life without looking back. But I guess it’s true what they say — position shapes a person.
I had joined the Disciplinary Committee to become a knight faster, yet it felt like I was gradually trying to become a better person instead.
Well, be that as it may…
“Is my job done for now?”
I looked around.
From nearby, I could hear the sounds of battle — monsters clashing with Lisa and the Academy staff.
According to the story, all the monsters would eventually be subdued without much issue.
And since I had already rescued every student, there wasn’t much left for me to do.
Technically, guarding the gym was my remaining task, but the monsters weren’t supposed to appear here.
‘After all, in the Disciplinary Committee route, the focus of this episode isn’t the monster escape itself.’
Of course, there were several powerful monsters among the escapees, but the Academy’s instructors were more than capable of handling them.
The real reason I paid close attention to this episode wasn’t the monsters — it was because of Lisa.
‘Lisa losing control after overusing her Blood Energy — that’s what I have to stop.’
If I failed, it would trigger a boss battle where Lisa transformed into a vampire, draining the blood of every living creature nearby.
Since Lisa’s physical strength was already immense, the boss battle against her vampire form was one I definitely wanted to avoid.
That’s why I had already made preparations for it.
‘Once all the monsters are subdued, I’ll go with Lisa to the Disciplinary Committee Room.’
Before she started to lose control, I’d make her drink the animal blood I’d prepared.
If I succeeded in that, I could safely finish this episode without any danger.
‘But until the monsters are all dealt with, I don’t really have anything to do…’
Until then, I could just stay here, guard the place, and rest.
That’s how it went in the game, so I believed it would be the same.
…At least, that’s what I thought.
Grrrrr—
About five minutes later, something unexpected happened.
“…Why are you coming from there?”
A werewolf — at least twice my height — was approaching the gym.
And it wasn’t alone.
Roughly ten other monsters followed behind it.
‘That werewolf…’
It was the same one I’d seen this morning at the barn.
The same werewolf that had failed its escape attempt at dawn but succeeded tonight — freeing all the other monsters in the process.
The Alpha that led the monsters of the Academy’s barn.
That Alpha was now heading toward the gym — no, directly toward me.
“Ha, damn it. This never happened in the game.”
I let out a hollow laugh and quickly drew my sword.