When I entered the assigned dormitory room, a girl with long silver hair cascading down to her shoulders was unpacking her belongings.
This girl seemed to be my new roommate, the one I would be living with from now on.
She was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but admire her.
Hearing my remark, the girl’s face flushed red.
She seemed quite shy.
‘Wait a minute, wouldn’t it be weird to tell someone they’re pretty the first time you meet them?’
Oh no, I made a mistake.
Come to think of it, commenting on someone’s appearance right after meeting them might feel rude.
I decided to apologize first.
The girl’s face flickered with a mix of surprise and shyness at my words. Then she gave a slight smile and replied.
“It’s okay! What you said earlier was a compliment, right? Thank you!”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Your reaction didn’t look so positive just now.”
“No! I’m not upset. It’s just… I was a little startled to hear something like that out of the blue. But I don’t think you meant it in a bad way. Right?”
“That’s right! Thanks for understanding!”
The girl didn’t seem to take it badly.
As I thought, it’s always best to apologize when in doubt.
She gave a warm smile.
“I don’t mind, but maybe don’t tell others they’re pretty or handsome out of nowhere. Some people feel mocked when their appearance is commented on so casually and might get upset. Oh, but really, I was fine. Don’t dwell on it too much.”
“You’re right! That makes sense. I’ll be careful.”
Indeed, there are people who can’t take compliments as they are.
After the brief exchange, an awkward silence fell between us.
It felt like I should say something more, but I wasn’t sure how to continue the conversation.
What do people usually say in situations like this? ‘The weather’s nice?’ or ‘Did you eat?’
Those options felt weird.
The girl seemed hesitant to speak as well.
Right, they say questions are good for keeping a conversation going.
I cleared my throat.
“Uh, um, did you just move into this dorm too? Are you a freshman?”
“Yes, that’s right! I just started at Polaris this year. Are you a freshman too?”
“Wow? Really? That’s awesome! Yeah, I’m a freshman too. Nice to meet you! I’m Violet. Violet D. Rugilinn. What about you?”
I left out the middle name because it sounded awkward and just said ‘D.’
It sounded kind of cool though, like I belonged to a legendary clan.
In response to my question, the girl replied with a radiant smile like a blooming flower.
“So it’s true they pair roommates with classmates? Nice to meet you, Rugilinn! I’m Daphne Grace.”
Her large, sapphire-blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Wait a second, Daphne… what?
It sounded familiar somehow.
“Uh, sorry? My hearing’s a bit dull. Could you say your name again?”
“Daphne Grace. Were you wondering about the spelling? …Rugilinn? Are you okay? Your expression…”
I forced my stiff face into a bright smile.
Daphne looked at me with concern, as if sensing something was off.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, no. I’m fine. Perfectly healthy! Ehehe…”
It was a lie.
The moment I heard her name, I felt a wave of dizziness.
I stumbled back a step and almost lost my balance.
“I… need to go to the restroom for a moment!”
I pushed the restroom door open and hurried inside.
-Splash!
Splashing cold water on my face helped me regain my composure.
I realized that extreme shock could indeed cause dizziness.
‘Meeting her here…?’
Thinking about Daphne Grace’s identity made my head spin.
Daphne Grace.
A delicate, gentle-looking beauty with waist-length hair braided to the side and large blue eyes.
A girl who always spoke politely.
She was a character of significant importance in the story.
And she had a rather unique connection to ‘me.’
She would be killed by ‘me.’
To be precise, she would be killed by the future me—the Boundless Witch—about four or five years from now.
If she were just killed, I could curse her murderer and move on, but the cinematic cutscene depicting her death in the game was highly traumatic.
—
“Ha… Look at you, Academic Supervisor. Your principles, the vermin you tried to protect, not a single one amounted to anything. In the end, it was all futile. Like a snowman in the spring breeze, like dew in the sunlight, all crumbling to dust without a trace. Stop with the meaningless acts and face reality.”
“…Where’s Daphne?”
“Oh, the ‘Saint of Salvation’? That girl who screamed, ‘Run away, Supervisor!’ while watching you flee like a coward?”
Is this… what you’re looking for?
<Darkness. Something heavy drops to the floor with a dull thud. A moment later, the screen brightens.>
“…..!”
“She held out for quite a while, but in the end, this is what happened. Watching someone struggle to save vermin was hilariously pitiful. Ahahaha!”
—
Daphne sacrificed herself to protect people during the Obsidian Legion’s terror attack.
She saved the wounded protagonist, the Academic Supervisor, by giving up her life.
Her sacrifice was rewarded by her head being severed and rolling across the cold floor.
But this… this was beyond coincidence. To meet the ‘Saint’ here?
Her nickname ‘Saint’ came from her altruistic actions.
And me?
I was a witch who took lives.
The future perpetrator and victim meeting as dorm roommates—what kind of joke was this?
“Oh, my head…”
Some of the released characters in the game had connections to Polaris Academy.
I had considered the possibility of meeting them, but encountering her was beyond my imagination.
Who would have thought Daphne was from Polaris Academy?
“Ah, whatever…”
I decided to accept it.
Who knows what other bizarre events might occur?
Worrying about everything would only make my head hurt.
After straightening my clothes, I quietly stepped out of the restroom.
A pair of concerned blue eyes awaited me.
“May I take a look for a moment?”
Daphne cautiously approached.
“Huh..? What?”
“When faced with a new environment, psychological stress can sometimes cause symptoms like headaches or dizziness. I wondered if that might be the case for you. May I check?”
Her face grew serious as she drew closer to examine me.
Daphne’s soft hands approached, and I instinctively accepted her touch.
Each of her actions exuded kindness.
Her hands gently clasped mine and brushed against my forehead.
“Hmm… How do you feel?”
“Your body temperature is normal, and your pulse is steady. It seems you were just a bit nervous about being in a new environment. Please wait for a moment.”
From her hand resting on the top of my head, a gentle, warm green light of magic spread outward.
Wow, this is really warm and soothing. If she kept stroking my head like this while radiating that light, I might just fall asleep.
“Ooh… I feel a little better. What is this?”
“It’s nothing special. I simply released a small wave of magic to stabilize your emotions using my unique ability. How do you feel now? A bit better?”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I really do feel better! Thank you.”
The dizziness in my head completely disappeared.
Indeed, Daphne seems to be the kind and gentle person I know.
Unique abilities specializing in recovery aren’t very common, after all.
Yeah, I’m me.
There’s no point in getting worked up over a future that may never happen.
-Grrr…
Suddenly, my stomach growled. Now that I think about it, I haven’t had lunch yet.
“Thanks for treating me earlier! You’re Daphne, right? Are you hungry by any chance? Let’s grab something to eat together!”
“If you’re okay with it, Rugilinn, I don’t mind at all. It’s about lunchtime now… But is there anywhere to eat inside Polaris Academy?”
“No idea!”
“Pardon?”
I unfolded the brochure that was handed out to the new dormitory residents.
“Here’s a map. Let’s figure it out as we go!”
With light steps, I headed out of the dormitory.
Daphne stammered, “Uh? Uh?” and quickly followed behind me.
Exploring and finding out for yourself is part of the fun.
“Adventure, start!”
A short while later, we were munching on sandwiches in the cafeteria at Polaris Academy.
“Wow, these sandwiches are really good! And the price is reasonable, too. We should eat here for lunch once classes start.”
“Nom… nom… mhm, yeah. Except there’s way too much pickle in it.”
The sandwiches here were generous in portion and came with a drink.
And yet, they only cost 300 credits. If not for the pickles, it would have been perfect.
I disassembled my sandwich and removed every last pickle.
“You don’t seem to like cucumbers, Rugilinn.”
“Of course not. Cucumbers are the most useless vegetable in the world… But why do you keep using such formal speech with me, Daphne?”
“My way of speaking? I’ve spoken like this since I was young, and it’s become a habit I can’t seem to shake. Is it bothering you? I can try to fix it now if you’d like…”
“I don’t hate it. I just think it’s fascinating! We’re about the same age, after all.”
Honestly, if we consider mental age, I’m probably close to ten years older than Daphne.
Age hasn’t been that significant to me since I became a young girl, though.
And so, after enjoying our meal, we returned to the dormitory.
The start of the semester was fast approaching.
The past few days had been quite leisurely.
Aside from picking up my uniform from the school’s shop and buying some daily necessities, I spent most of my time lazing around the dormitory.
Turns out, the measurements they took at the research institute were for the uniforms.
Thankfully, after submitting a few forms, they guided me through everything.
When I entered the uniform shop and gave my name, they handed me my uniform right away.
I heard it has some protective features.
Truly fitting for a school from a game.
In the meantime, I explored Polaris Academy, comparing it to the ruins in my memory from the game.
‘It’s almost identical! There’s potential to gather materials or items.’
The conclusion was that it was nearly the same as the place I knew.
Except, of course, for the students not being replaced by ghouls.
Polaris Academy’s scale is vast, rivaling that of several large universities combined.
Beyond the campus lies a forested mountain and a lake.
Though currently off-limits, they’ll open once classes begin.
I’ll have to sneak in to gather materials and locate treasure chests.
I heard they released weak magical beasts in the mountain for training purposes.
How very fantasy-like, with their utter disregard for safety.
They even had a dedicated dungeon.
What if the dungeon burst open and the magical beasts poured out?
‘What a bizarre world.’
The world of the Deep Crimson Academia has a culture governed by either a rugged, masculine spirit, if seen positively, or sheer lunacy, if seen negatively.
Rustlum, situated on the continent with the most gates opened during the First Dimensional Invasion, remains filled with dungeons and gates of various sizes due to lingering effects.
It’s essentially the frontline.
The reason for placing Awakener training institutions in such a location was, according to the setting, to prepare for a second invasion.
‘It’s like building a military academy right next to the demilitarized zone.’
Not stopping there, they also constructed a defense research lab and a tank factory nearby.
As expected of a poorly researched game by someone with no military experience, the setting is full of holes.
“Rugilinn, hurry up! The entrance ceremony is about to start!”
In the distance, Daphne waved at me, calling out.
It was the first day of September, the semester’s opening day, and the day of the entrance ceremony.
Polaris Academy was crowded with students returning from vacation.
‘Strangely, I don’t see any parents.’
Despite being an entrance ceremony, the area in front of the grand auditorium was filled only with students, staff, and what seemed to be teachers.
Everyone parted ways at the entrance as if it were a military boot camp.
In the game, schools like Aegis Academy or Vesperia Prime Academy had parents snapping photos with their kids.
This place must have a different culture.
“Hurry up~”
At Daphne’s urging, I stopped looking around and walked briskly toward her.
A massive crowd had gathered in front of the grand auditorium, its Gothic arches and pointed spires standing out prominently.
I checked the inside of my coat.
The dual-star alloy hammer I brought from the research institute lay snug in my inner pocket.
‘In a world like this, it’s standard for weird monsters or villains to crash the entrance ceremony.’
If something happens, I’ll smash a window with this and escape with Daphne.