Strictly speaking, the main gate of the academy was not a place Iria frequented.

 

Rather, it’s a place she’s never been to except when figuring out the school’s internal structure. There was no particular reason; it was just that the back alley where she resides was close to the back gate.

 

As usual, Iria was about to walk towards the back gate out of habit, but she stopped. Today, she had agreed to meet Sera at the main gate.

 

Iria turned her body and headed towards the main gate.

 

As she approached, she saw Sera waving from afar and Ariel quietly bowing his head.

 

“Ah! Over here!”

 

Seeing them, Iria walked towards Sera. Although she was also overflowing with energy today, her gaze fell on Ariel.

 

He, who always looked blunt, was watching Iria’s reaction today. The sight of him scratching his cheek with an expression of not knowing what to do was quite a sight to see.

 

For a while, an awkward atmosphere flowed. Sera closed her mouth to give Ariel a chance to speak directly, and Iria was not a very talkative either.

 

Ariel thought about what he had to say in his head for a while, then carefully opened his mouth.

 

“About the other day, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful, but I guess my control was lacking. Are you okay?”

 

“…”

 

Iria nodded her head.

 

Iria was sensitive that day because she was affected by an unknown substance, not because she was particularly angry with him.

 

Rather, she was also responsible for trying to forcefully make him reveal what he was hiding. Wouldn’t this be considered as reaping what she sowed?

 

Iria considered what happened that day a rare instance. Since it may be difficult to fully convey her intentions through nonverbal signs, she answered clearly.

 

“I don’t really mind. The wound has healed completely.”

 

“Are you sure you’re okay? If the wound gets worse later, please make sure to tell me. I’ll compensate you to the extent I can.”

 

“…”

 

Ariel apologized to Iria once again, but instead of feeling burdened, she felt uncomfortable. He kept apologizing for something that she, too, bore responsibility for.

 

It was nauseating beyond being burdensome.

 

‘In the end, that incident occurred because I was a monster.’

 

“Then, can I ask you for one favor?”

 

So, Iria spoke up to lighten his burden and to get insurance for her safety.

 

“Of course. I’ll listen to you as long as it’s something I can do.”

 

Ariel’s expression brightened greatly. It was definitely different from before when his expression was heavy.

 

Ariel is definitely a good person. Although Iria couldn’t read his memories, his character stood out even from small actions.

 

At least he doesn’t seem like a human who would lie.

 

Around that point, she continued.

 

“I would appreciate it if you could keep what happened that day a secret. Especially from the professors.”

 

Ariel seemed to think of what happened that day as an overload reaction of the starlight, but the reality was different.

 

In a short moment, Iria visually confirmed the radius of the starlight bursting out. It was wide enough to cover a large number of students, including her.

 

However, she was the only one who was injured. It was fair to say that the substance called starlight reacted hostilely only to her, leaving all other humans untouched.

 

Ariel, who still didn’t understand his own power, didn’t seem to grasp all the details of the incident.

 

That’s why Iria hoped this incident would be concluded as a simple happening. It was a sensitive issue that could potentially reveal her identity.

 

And,

 

“Huh?”

 

Sera, who was listening next to Iria, was startled. Ariel’s reaction was similar to hers.

 

He looked at Iria slightly dumbfounded. Although she said it was a request, the content was less than he expected.

 

But it’s quite an important issue for Iria. She tilted her head.

 

“Will you do that for me?”

 

“Well, I can do it, but… Are you sure that’s all you want?”

 

“Yes.”

 

‘For now, that was enough. It’s not like I particularly wanted anything from him.’

 

“I don’t know the reason, but I understand for now. I promise.”

 

With that, Iria was able to reconcile with Ariel without any problems.

 

It was ambiguous to call it reconciliation. Anyway, Iria thought it was fortunate that it ended well.

 

***

 

After reconciling with Ariel, Iria was able to get closer to him in earnest.

 

Rather, the accident that happened that day helped her close the distance with him.

 

Before, she had to watch him from behind, but now she could observe right next to him. She followed him and spent time at the swordsmanship training hall.

 

Going to the academy, attending lectures, and swinging swords at the swordsmanship training hall. Sometimes, they had light sparring matches. Lightly enough so that his starlight wouldn’t leak out.

 

Of course, Iria had no intention of truly forming a connection with him.

 

Even while following by his side, she was only looking for an opportunity to kill him.

 

He was not a friend. To be precise, he was closer to a target that needed to be killed as soon as possible.

 

But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with a way to kill him.

 

Ariel is the strongest student in the academy, so he can’t be killed without using magical energy. But she can’t take out magical energy in the middle of the academy.

 

Iria wanted to finish the job quietly and without repercussions, but as expected, she couldn’t think of a suitable method.

 

If she ignores everything and unleashes all her power here, she might be able to kill him right away, but the fact that she’s not doing that means she’s still not confident.

 

She is not confident that he is the protagonist of this novel and that she will return to where she originally was if she kills him.

 

“…”

 

It wasn’t certain, but she had to do it.

 

Because she didn’t have much time left. For now, the fact that there is a possibility is more than enough reason to kill him.

 

Iria felt sorry for Ariel, but she was also on the edge of a cliff.

 

Killing him was also ultimately to kill as few innocent humans as possible.

 

She didn’t even want to imagine how she would destroy the Empire after completely losing her reason.

 

Iria herself was like a spark of disaster. In that sense, even she didn’t know what she would do later.

 

One of the two, Ariel or Iria, had to die as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Empire will perish because of her.

 

‘I didn’t want to become a monster.’

 

That was all.

 

***

 

It was a night with a full moon.

 

On a night when Iria became honest with her emotions as a half-monster, she decided to practice swordsmanship with Ariel in the back mountain.

 

It was the place where Iria first met him.

 

Originally, after the day ended, Ariel learned the sword from the sword saint at this place, but it seems she has gone on a long business trip.

 

So she became the substitute.

 

After exchanging a round of swordplay with him, she put down her wooden sword and sat on a hill where the moon was clearly visible.

 

She hates sunlight but likes moonlight. There’s no reason. It’s just an instinct as a race.

 

The full moon rising in the darkened forest created a dreamy atmosphere. Iria stared blankly at the sky.

 

As expected, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

 

Except for the fact that she wanted to commit murder for no reason because her instincts as a monster became honest.

 

Ariel sat down next to her like that.

 

Sitting next to the back alley monster on the night of a full moon, how brave.

 

Iria was about to grab him and bite his neck like she did in the back alley, but she stopped. It’s because she was a patient monster.

 

Ariel opened his mouth quietly, as if whispering, while sitting next to her. He had a bitter smile.

 

“I lost again today. As expected, Iria is strong.”

 

“If you had taken out the starlight, I would have lost. Because I’m not the strongest in the academy.”

 

A trivial conversation continued.

 

The more Iria watched, the more Ariel was a very suitable person to be the protagonist. An upright character, the hero’s bloodline, the background of being the strongest in the academy, and a plausible story.

 

It was so appropriate that it couldn’t be a coincidence, so she was almost certain he was the protagonist.

 

Then, what is the purpose of the protagonist in this world? For what reason does he shed sweat and blood?

 

Iria asked him. Really, as if it was nothing.

 

“What is Ariel’s goal? Something you want to achieve or anything like that.”

 

And Ariel’s expression became complicated.

 

The full moon rising in the forest sometimes made human emotions honest. This was the case now.

 

Ariel slowly spoke while inhaling the night air.

 

“Actually, I am the son of a hero who is said to have subjugated the Demon King in the past.”

 

Iria already knew this from what she heard from Sera. But she didn’t show it.

 

His words were not finished yet. He was trying to tell more. The rest of the story would probably be something she didn’t know.

 

She sat still and waited.

 

“The Demon King died and left fragments, and peace never came to the continent. Rather, some people claim that we faced even greater chaos.”

 

“…”

 

“So, I want to succeed my father. I want to end the war the previous generation couldn’t finish with my hands.”

 

“Specifically, how?”

 

“It would be to eliminate all the Demon King’s seeds.”

 

“…”

 

Even his purpose is like a protagonist.

 

Suspicion solidified into certainty. Coincidence becomes inevitable if it continues.

 

He is the protagonist of this world. Unlike her, who plays the role of a villain.

 

Sitting side by side with Ariel on the hill, I only turned my head to look at him.

 

He was still looking at the rising moon.

 

Ariel, who had put down his sword, was defenseless. Coincidentally, there are no witnesses now.

 

If it’s now, there will be no problem even if I take out magical energy.

 

This is a mountain ridge behind the academy where there are few people. It was also a good environment to kill a person, almost too good.

 

So.

 

‘Should I kill him?’

 

It was a night with a full moon.