‘Fjodra is a person who knows shame. Shifting dangerous work onto others, taking credit for their achievements, and then acting all high and mighty—that is not like her at all!’
I could bet that Fjodra was merely representing the will of the Imperial Family.
Even knowing that fact, a strong sense of repulsion welled up within me.
After all, she was a member of the Imperial Family and the one being praised on that podium where the bright lights were focused.
‘Meanwhile, we, who have to shoulder the actual danger, are buried in the darkness.’
At this point, it would be logical to shine a light on those who would become “hope” to draw everyone’s attention.
But there was no such staging.
They had probably guessed how devastated those who were pushed forward as scapegoats without warning would look.
That was undoubtedly why they decided they could not show us off.
“No way… that strange device installed at the entrance… no, it can’t be… it shouldn’t be…”
Muttering that denied reality drifted from behind me.
It was a voice filled with extreme anxiety and despair.
However, only the very few standing on the black carpet probably heard it.
Because—
“I predict that the number of Awakened will increase as time passes, but is it not true that the number is still woefully insufficient? Therefore, I, as an Awakened and as a representative of the Imperial Family, will also undergo training at this Academy.”
—The Princess was continuing her speech from the podium.
Her dignified voice, amplified through the Aether Microphone, filled the entire auditorium.
Naturally, a tiny murmur was bound to be drowned out.
‘I wonder how the original protagonist is taking this situation?’
Feeling complicated, I slightly turned my head to the side.
As expected, I could see bitterness along with hostility and disgust in his profile as he looked up at Fjodra.
“Even so, we cannot send young students into the Demonic Realm alone, can we? Therefore, the Imperial Family has also recruited individuals who can enter the Demonic Realm together with them to protect and lead the students. These are brilliant and special talents who have achieved Awakening while possessing more than enough ability to serve as professors!”
Eventually, the Princess’s speech drew to a close, and it led into the introduction of the faculty who would be in charge of the Awakened Special Class.
Instead of handing the microphone to the announcer, she called them out one by one and recited their backgrounds herself…
‘Right… of course it turns out like this.’
They were all supporting characters from the original work.
I will postpone explaining who they are for later.
A much more important issue had arisen that I needed to address right now.
‘That person should also be in an unawakened state according to the original plot…’
I looked at one of the professors who had stepped onto the podium.
Unlike the traitor Svein, he was someone who could be fully trusted.
It meant there was no way he would have lied about the timing of his Awakening in the original work.
There was a strange discomfort I felt briefly when I heard the news that the First Imperial Princess had awakened in chapter 150, but I had let it pass.
A sense of incongruity I felt when I learned in chapter 153 that none of the extra professors had awakened.
A sense of foreboding that rushed over me when I heard in chapter 160 that Dyuf had been appointed as a professor.
A sense of déjà vu that came to mind when I encountered the centipede-shaped monster in chapter 165.
A question that surfaced when I met Skadi in chapter 167 but was buried under the name of “probability.”
The confusion that muddled my head when Pret appeared in chapter 169 and when I learned Svein had awakened in chapter 170.
A lingering unpleasantness that had been subtly making its presence known in other situations as well.
All those emotions revived at once.
And a certain thought that I had vaguely recalled each time, but had buried and denied, gradually became clear in my mind.
It was time to finally acknowledge and accept it.
‘I can’t just brush all these events off as the influence of the original work!’
There was a limit to insisting it was natural for the original supporting characters to gather around the original protagonist and for events from the original work to repeat themselves.
There were many supporting characters whose timing of Awakening wasn’t precisely revealed or who were scheduled to awaken in the near future.
But why did two people, who were certain to awaken much later, appear as Awakened?
‘This is absolutely impossible without someone’s artificial intervention.’
And there was only one “someone” who could do such a thing.
The author of the original work, “senna,” who could be called the creator god of the world inside this novel.
That being was undoubtedly coordinating this world by exerting influence in real-time.
This meant that this place I was currently possessed by was not the world in the original work I read, but…
‘It must be the remake version.’
It wasn’t even a situation where the author was absent, so I didn’t know why the [Writing] skill had been given to me.
Was I supposed to take away the copyright and the author’s authority over this world from the author, senna?
‘But actually, couldn’t it be considered that we are co-writing even now? My lines are being included exactly as they are in the remake version, and the development resulting from my actions has changed many things…!’
Was it senna’s will that had me possess this world?
If so, was senna aware of my existence?
Or was the author unaware and under the illusion that they had created the story so far all by themselves?
If it was the latter, the author might repeat the act of killing and swapping out characters at will this time too.
Without any hesitation.
‘Ah… come to think of it, the reason the professors didn’t step forward on the day of the Graduation Ceremony wasn’t because of the original work’s influence, but probably the result of the author senna’s will being reflected…?’
The branches of my thoughts spread out everywhere and became intricately tangled.
A throbbing headache rushed in, and I felt dizzy.
It felt as if my surroundings were spinning.
I felt like I might black out the moment I let down my guard.
The temptation came that if I just lost consciousness and collapsed, I might at least be at peace for that moment.
But since I wasn’t confident in handling what would come after, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and endure.
Myaa…
Yor let out a low cry.
He seemed worried about my condition.
I tried to keep a firm grip on my sanity while stroking the soft mane of the baby dragon.
“…They are all individuals with outstanding skills. Their careers built in their respective fields are not short either. However, the ability required to guide students is not just expertise, and it weighed on my heart. I wondered if it was right to fully entrust the students to those who lack experience and seniority as educators.”
While I was deep in thought, Fjodra’s voice, which I hadn’t heard, began to be audible again.
Not clearly, but as if it were echoing.
Still, I could understand the content.
“Therefore, I have decided to select the professor in charge, who will take responsibility for and manage the Awakened Special Class, from among the existing professors. Someone who not only possesses sufficient seniority but also the dignity and character of an educator. Someone who is lacking in nothing and can provide practical help to the students.”
A sense of foreboding more ominous than ever before overcame me.
For some reason, I wanted to cover my ears.
But even if I acted that way, what Fjodra was about to say wouldn’t change.
There was no point in looking away.
Knowing that fact, I ignored the warning sent by my instincts and focused on the voice I heard.
“Someone who has researched attributes for a long time and conducts a lecture called ‘Aether Attribute Enhancement’ every semester…”
A ringing sound like a “beep!” echoed in my head.
Because of that, I couldn’t hear the words that followed, but I could tell who that introduction was for based on what I had already heard.
Fjodra, who was standing in the center of the podium, stepped aside and looked toward the seats where the professors were sitting.
In response, one professor rose from his seat.
He was a person who was far beyond familiar; he was incredibly close.
Radvisin Prodrake.
A professor with that name stood in the spot where Fjodra had been standing moments ago and began his speech.
The ringing in my ears was so loud that I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
The complexion of the old professor I saw was even more haggard than when I had seen him a few days ago.
Although he tried to appear calm, a complicated feeling that could not be hidden was revealed in his expression.
As he spoke, his gaze occasionally shifted to the paper in his hand.
Through those appearances, I could realize that the current situation was quite sudden for him as well.
‘Well… if he had known the Imperial Family intended to push students into the Demonic Realm, which is no different from the jaws of death, and that I was included among those students, he wouldn’t have shown himself brushing it off after our conversation a few days ago. He would have shown himself suffering from even heavier guilt.’
I brushed away any pointless suspicion as I recalled the memories of chapter 168.
My trust in the professor was still firm.
But despite that, the confusion showed no signs of subsiding.
The ringing in my ears did not disappear either.
‘The fact that he ended up in charge of the Awakened Special Class, surpassing the faculty members composed of characters from the original work…!’
It meant that he, too, just like them, was one of the characters the original author had carefully crafted.
I thought he was a background character created naturally by this world, but the reality was not so.
‘No wonder… his character was too excellent…’
In the original work, he wasn’t used because Reysir dropped out of the Academy, and he never even appeared because the setting was simply discarded.
But in the remake version, it seemed he had been given a role since the “Academy story” was being continued.
‘Come to think of it, the senior research students were too full of personality!’
Perhaps it was Reysir’s lot to catch Professor Radvisin’s eye and build relationships with his research students.
No, senna must have planned it that way while creating the character settings.
Not knowing that…
I was the one who went to Professor Radvisin first to seek help.
But…? How foolish…!
Whenever I spent time with Professor Radvisin and the senior research students, I felt relieved, thinking that since they weren’t major characters in the original work, they wouldn’t meet a scheduled death.
Even though I had struggled not to give them my heart and had interacted with them comfortably while maintaining only a minimum amount of acting, the peace and stability I felt were nothing but an illusion.
The moment I realized that, my breath hitched.
The ringing in my ears grew louder, and the headache and dizziness grew increasingly worse.
“………”
“……”
After Professor Radvisin finished his speech and returned to his seat, Fjodra spoke again.
After the Academic Affairs staff member in charge of the event talked for a few minutes, the tightly closed entrance to the auditorium swung wide open, and light poured in from there.
The general students stood up one by one and went outside.
I don’t remember the process well, but somehow I managed to walk on my own feet and arrived safely at my dormitory room.
I think I fainted for a moment after that, considering I was collapsed on the floor when I came to.