We shook off the relentless swarm of dolls and made our way back to the building where Alderson was located. It wasn't far, but the trek felt like it dragged on for hours. The dolls had clung to us with wild intensity. We managed to avoid any injuries, but the mental fatigue was another story. I'd have preferred fighting monsters.
The doll demons didn't feel like living creatures. Not even the Beasts we fought at the training camp, and not even like the Grim Reapers who harvested souls. They charged without any regard for wounds, death, or survival. That kind of mindless assault drained people past their limits.
"You came back safely," Alderson said as we entered the building. His complexion looked a little better than when I'd left.
Barter, still gasping for air, replied, "I'm glad you are safe, Dean Alderson. I am Barter Goodspring, second in command of the Imperial Special Forces. I regret having to reveal my identity at this time."
"Well, it's okay," Alderson replied with a reluctant nod.
Officially, Barter was a professor in the swordsmanship department. His real status as a Special Forces operative meant his academic post was just a cover. The dean likely felt unsettled by the revelation, but he didn't push back. The two of them moved on to exchanging information.
While they spoke, I looked around the building and spotted the students who'd been with Glenn. They looked a little better than before. Not quite catatonic, at least.
"What are we going to do now?"
"This is a nightmare. It's all just a nightmare..."
Though they'd regained some clarity, that wasn't necessarily a good thing.
I walked past the ones mumbling and weeping in despair and approached the students who'd managed to hold onto some sense—the hero disciples.
"Luan." The people in the hallway turned their eyes toward me. They didn't look well either, but they were more physically worn out than mentally shaken. At least I could talk to them.
"I'm glad you're all alive. How are you holding up?" I asked.
"I guess we're okay, but..."
"I still don't understand what's happening."
They looked like they expected answers, so I gave them the short version. "Don't act surprised. I told you last time. There are members of the church inside the academy, and the summoning of the demon king has already happened. In short, we've been brought to the demon king's Otherworld."
"In other words, we needed to save the students but ended up in the same trap?" Charles asked, her voice low with frustration.
"Maybe you did. I came here on my own," I corrected her.
"What?"
"I came of my own free will. I wasn't captured. I came to hunt them. Don't lump me in with the rest of you," I said flatly.
Charles shook her head. "You're still cracking jokes at a time like this? You're insane."
I wasn't joking. Even though they seemed to understand the situation, their confusion hadn't lifted. I gave them a moment to settle down before calling Evan. "Explain what happened."
He understood things better than anyone else here.
"Thanks to you, I got out of the research building without trouble. I made it to the main building, but lost consciousness shortly afterward," Evan answered with a bitter smile.
"Go on."
"The last thing I remember is the people around me collapsing, right before I blacked out too."
His words confirmed what I had already suspected. "So, it's fair to say everyone at the academy was captured."
"I agree. Skills, mental fortitude, resistance—none of it mattered. I didn't even have time to react. I knew she was planning something, but I didn't expect it to come this fast or hit this hard," Evan muttered, his tone grim.
"That means the entire academy has been dragged into the Otherworld. We've all been kidnapped. Even if things stay quiet for a day or two, it won't stay hidden for long. The empire will notice eventually. What the hell is the princess thinking?" I muttered the last part under my breath.
I paused, then said, "Maybe she plans to finish this in a day or two."
"Finish what?" Evan asked.
"All of us."
The moment Evan gave me a puzzled look, a terrible, piercing sound echoed throughout the building. It tore through the air like metal scraping against metal, jarring and harsh.
Is that a communication crystal? I'd seen a few in the building but never expected them to actually work.
The hero disciples, the students, even Alderson and Barter, who were far away, all hurriedly covered their ears.
" Ahem. I don't know if everyone at the academy can hear me." Perist's voice came through, cool and cheerful, as if she spoke during a leisurely walk. "My name is Perist Scarlett. I'm the one who invited you into this world. First, I want to thank everyone who joined my game... Though you don't seem eager for that, so let's get straight to the point."
A low laugh followed. "A total of 613 humans have entered this world, not counting those whose souls have been mortgaged by the dolls. In contrast, my dolls spread throughout the academy number 3,600."
Gasps broke out, and fear washed over the students' faces.
Could she be watching us? I wondered.
Perist laughed again. "Of course, that doesn't include the armored troops Dean Alderson gifted me. I'll give you one day's respite. After that, all the dolls in the academy will attack Building 12 of the research wing, where you are now. Simple, right?"
Perist's voice dropped to a whisper, as if speaking directly into my ear. "If you come to Building 13 and kill me, that means you've won."
Everyone froze.
"Then I sincerely wish you all the best. Let's play by the rules and have fun." The voice cut off abruptly—just a one-sided announcement.
"She's completely insane." Evan clicked his tongue as chaos erupted around us.
"T-there's going to be an all-out attack tomorrow?"
"What are we supposed to do?"
"I-I don't want to die yet! There's still so much I want to do."
The panic was understandable. Not long ago, the students had been focused on their studies and enjoying their youth. Now, they had been dragged into this Otherworld and sentenced to death. No one could be expected to stay calm after that.
Barter turned to Alderson and asked in a low voice, "Dean Alderson, what are you planning to do?"
Though this man rarely heeded others' opinions, he showed respect toward Alderson because he was an Archmage.
Alderson didn't answer right away, so Barter continued, "If you don't have a plan, may I share my thoughts?"
"Speak freely," Alderson replied.
"We need to gather all the strength we can and strike at the princess. If we kill her within a day, we will win. If we fail, it means defeat and annihilation," Barter explained. "I will select the team and lead the raid. If you're able, please support us."
"Wait a minute." Then Alderson's gaze shifted to me. "Hero Disciple Luan, I would like to hear your opinion."
Barter's eyebrows twitched. He clearly didn't think this was the right time to consult someone like me.
Yet Alderson's attitude made sense. He was the only one here aware that I had defeated a legion commander.
I spoke slowly, laying out what I'd considered. "I'm in favor of attacking the princess, but having too many people isn't wise. Five is enough."
"What nonsense—"
"Wait, Sir Barter." Alderson interrupted, calming him before turning back to me. "You have a reason for that, don't you?"
"Of course," I said. "Pam?"
"Me?" Pam, who had been resting quietly until then, froze. She clearly hadn't expected to be pulled into the conversation.
"You told me about the ghost stories in the research wing, remember?" I prompted her.
"T-that's right," she replied, confused.
"Recount then here," I instructed.
"Now? Right here? Me?"
"Quickly."
"Ah..." Pam tensed under the weight of the room's attention. Her cheeks flushed red, but she looked a little thrilled to be noticed by so many important people.
She said her dream is to become a journalist.
Pam's voice trembled as she spoke. "Th-the story about the nonexistent Building 13, a game of tag with ghosts inside the building, a white woman roaming the hallways, and the sound of banging on the windows in the middle of nowhere..."
"This is enough," I chimed in. "Thank you."
"Y-yes."
As Pam took a deep breath, I gave her a quick pat on the shoulder. Then I turned back to Alderson. "Those are the stories Pam shared. They might not be identical, but things like this are really happening."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"The princess said it. Let's play by the rules and have fun. It is a world where her wishes become the law. She is the one who sets the rules." I'd said as much, but confusion still lingered on their faces. "I also heard something else. The princess formed a club, and she wanted five members."
I could feel Seren's eyes on me. She was the one who'd told me.
I added, "We have to pay attention to that number—five. Maybe if we go in with five people in the attack squad, we'll be able to confront the princess without too much interference."
"It's not even worth considering," Barter snapped, his voice thick with sarcasm. "It's sophistry. No logic, no proof. You want us to gamble our lives on that?"
"The logic is weak, but the evidence exists. Have you forgotten? Somehow, we weren't attacked even once when we headed to Building 13 where the princess was," I countered. "There were five of us then."
Barter fell silent.
"There's no grand reason behind these rules. The princess simply decided it was this way. Like you heard, she treats this whole situation as a game. Logic matters, but this isn't about logic. Why follow logic when dealing with a madwoman?" I reasoned.
Charles drew in a sharp breath. Her noble upbringing must have found my bluntness hard to swallow.
"It makes sense, but couldn't this be a trap? A scheme to force us into a group of five?" Alderson pointed out.
I shook my head. "Only the weak need to scheme. The power gap here is clear. If the princess wanted us dead, she wouldn't need tricks. She could crush us whenever she felt like it. And let's not forget the 250 armored troops from your damn White Knight replica, Dean Alderson. Why wait a whole day? She could level Building 12 in under an hour. There wouldn't even be a cornerstone left."
Alderson fell silent.
I added, "There's only one reason she hasn't done it already. The princess doesn't want a one-sided game. She wants the thrill that comes from the chance of losing," I speculated.
It felt humiliating to be so openly looked down on, but the situation was so hopeless that I had to endure it. In fact, we should use this attitude to our advantage.
"Now that you mention it..." Charis, who had stayed quiet until now, finally spoke. "Nothing happened inside Building 13 until Charles and Mir showed up. After they appeared, that demon suddenly appeared. Before then, there were only five of us inside."
Charis's observation confirmed my speculation. I nodded and said, "See?Either way, I'll pick the people for the attack squad. Here's the lineup: me, Seren, Evan, Charon, and finally, Mir. The five of us."
Mir, who had been sitting there in a daze, snapped back to attention. "M-me?"
"You," I said.
Then I noticed Barter smiling at me and asked, "Do you have something to say? I'm open to your advice."
Barter kept smiling, but it wasn't a smile of goodwill. "You are crossing the line, Luan Badniker. I have treated you with the utmost courtesy."
I couldn't hold back a laugh. Authoritarians always sounded the same. Maybe they never realized that their tone betrayed how much they looked down on others.
"What are you so upset about? I'm agreeing we should follow your brilliant approach, Sir Butter," I said.
"I told you, it's Barter," he corrected me once again. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It's about who should take the lead in a moment like this."
A brief silence followed.
"Someone who can accurately judge the current situation, make the right call based on that, and take responsibility for it. The strongest person here..." I drew in a theatrical gasp and pointed to myself. "Isn't it me?"