"So, I suppose... I’ve gathered all the information I needed."

My voice murmured lightly as I brushed away the shadows lingering on my palm. I sensed a faint presence writhing at my feet.

I looked down coldly.

It was none other than a man cloaked in robes.

He was the overseer of this abandoned lab and the final villain of this episode.

He was also the one who had brought us here.

The man lay convulsing on the floor, as if in the throes of a seizure.

---

"Urgh... ugh, aaah..."

With his eyes rolled back, he groaned, his facial muscles contorting grotesquely.

Drool streamed down from his mouth.

Watching his broken state, I let out a quiet breath, muttering under my breath with a bitter disdain.

"To think he’d break from just this."

Perhaps my touch had been too intense, and he hadn’t been able to endure it. He’d lost himself, reduced to nothing more than a mindless beast, letting out pitiful sounds.

I clicked my tongue softly.

---

"Though I did obtain the essential information... I was hoping for something more."

Those damn trees.

Especially the whereabouts of their leader—I thought I might be able to uncover it. But this man was nothing more than an empty shell.

He was a mere puppet, moving only according to the orders from above.

---

"Useless to the end."

I put my disappointment behind me and turned to leave. As I did, mutated creatures that had been hiding nearby started creeping out.

They were the wolves from earlier in the lab.

---

They cowered in fear under my killing intent, their tails tucked. But as I moved to leave, they started prowling around, one by one.

I loaded a shadow at my fingertips.

But—

---

"Hmm."

*Growl.*

The wolves' hungry eyes weren't fixed on me.

Their gaze was set on the pitiful figure of the man writhing on the floor.

Drooling, they licked their chops.

---

"Perhaps they’re hungry."

Their eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty glint.

Their heavy breaths reeked of a desire to feast on flesh.

Left alone, they would soon descend upon him.

He would be helpless.

He would be devoured by his own experiments, meeting the most miserable end.

It was perhaps the fate I wished for him.

I withdrew my killing intent and quietly stepped aside.

---

"Aaaagh!"

*Crunch, snap!*

The man’s screams of agony filled the basement, accompanied by the brutal sounds of flesh tearing and bones snapping.

Blood pooled around him as the creatures feasted.

Watching this merciless scene unfold, I simply let out a bitter laugh.

---

"A judgment, delivered by monsters."

I offered a silent prayer.

---

"May this bring you peace."

Let their ravenous hunger, fueled by revenge, be sated as they tear apart the flesh of the one who tormented them.

Let it be as cruel, relentless, and painful as possible.

To soothe, even if just a little, the hunger in their twisted souls.

---

"May God take you."

A prayer for the monsters.

I mouthed the words quietly and, listening to the requiem that echoed, walked out of the lab.

It was the true end to everything.

---

Returning to the laboratory once my task was done,

I found myself face to face with a group of adults surrounding the children.

They looked around in a daze.

---

"What... exactly is all of this?"

"......"

"What on earth happened here...?"

---

It seemed that Galimar’s support had arrived.

Finally sensing that the episode had concluded, I approached them slowly, offering a polite greeting.

---

"Oh my, it seems you’re all a bit late."

Their gazes collectively turned toward me.

The professors stood there in stunned silence, seemingly overwhelmed by the chaotic scene.

The shattered ceiling, the corpses of wolves, the stench of blood hanging in the air... it was, quite literally, a disaster.

I offered a small, polite smile.

---

"I’ve been waiting."

It was a genuine smile of relief.

Just as my own energy had begun to fade, the professors arrived at the perfect moment.

I approached with a pleasant demeanor.

---

On the ground, I noticed the children lying there.

One with pink hair, the other with blue.

They slept soundly, their breathing steady.

Several professors began checking on their condition.

I shrugged lightly.

---

"You’re too late."

I had already checked on them myself.

Both of them were merely exhausted, with no visible injuries.

---

"They’re both perfectly healthy."

"......"

"Hmm?"

The professors showed no reaction.

Sensing something off, I noticed the adults’ serious expressions.

The atmosphere was tense.

---

Perhaps it was due to the ominous laboratory setting.

The professors remained on guard, wary of any potential threats around them.

I spoke up to reassure them.

---

"Hmm~ You really needn’t worry."

"......"

"The situation ended quite some time ago. Please, relax."

I explained calmly, my tone lighthearted.

I let their suspicious glances slide over me and subtly moved closer to the children, as if in concern for my friends.

---

"Hehe."

"Yuda, do you happen to know what happened here in this laboratory...?"

"Shh."

One of the professors attempted to ask a question, but I raised a finger to my lips, urging them to stay quiet.

To prevent the children from being disturbed.

---

"Could we perhaps return to the academy now?"

I asked softly.

"They seem very tired... a rest is sorely needed. For me as well."

The children always came first for me.

I had no intention of discussing things here with them lying on the floor.

After a moment of hesitation, the professors finally nodded, seemingly in agreement.

---

"That would be best."

"Thank you."

"We’ll head back to the academy at once. The students will be taken to the infirmary."

"I’m relieved to hear that."

Maybe it was because I appeared genuinely concerned for my friends.

The cold atmosphere softened slightly.

After moving to the teleportation point, we promptly initiated the return procedure.

---

[EP5. Midterm Exam]  
\- The Abandoned Laboratory, The Smiling Monster \-

Thus, the episode came to a successful close.

---

Back at the academy,

we were promptly taken to the infirmary, where we underwent various examinations.

They checked our health thoroughly and provided IV fluids to restore our mana.

Fortunately, no abnormalities were found.

---

As for me, I was perfectly fine.

After all, I hadn’t sustained any injuries.

The villainess and the protagonist were merely unconscious, expected to wake up shortly.

That was reassuring to hear.

---

"We’ll wait until the other two wake up before discussing what happened today."

The professors left for now.

The investigation into the basement wasn’t yet complete, and there were some injured students, so it seemed they were proceeding cautiously.

Professor Selena, our homeroom teacher, in particular, showed a lot of concern.

---

"Let’s avoid placing any burdens on the students for now. They’ve been through quite an ordeal."

She calmed her impatient colleagues.

For someone who always appeared inebriated, her thoughtfulness was surprising.

Her violet hair brushed back calmly as her crimson eyes looked at us with steady concern.

---

"For now, rest well."

Her expression was complex.

As she turned to leave, I quietly murmured to her.

---

"I’ll stay by their side until they wake."

"Your concern for your friends is admirable, but don’t forget to take care of yourself."

"Hehe, I assure you, I am."

"I’ll be waiting just outside the infirmary. If you need anything, call for me."

"Thank you, Professor Selena."

Professor Selena quietly left the room.

In the now quiet infirmary, there were only three of us: the snake, the pilot, and the vainglorious one.

On the beds lay two heads of hair, one pink, the other blue.

I sat beside them quietly.

---

"......"

Their breaths were steady as they slept.

I gently held each of their hands.

Our warmth touched each other’s.

After all they had endured, I hoped they wouldn’t have any nightmares.

I pressed my fingers lightly against theirs.

---

"I suppose I should wait as well."

I kept vigil in silence.

In the quiet infirmary, only the soft sound of their breathing filled the air.

---

- Get stronger, Emilia.

Emilia was dreaming.

No, it wasn’t quite a dream; it was closer to a memory.

---

- If you don’t, you won’t survive.

A tear-stained voice.

Even at a young age, she had understood the world.

Life had been a brutal winter; the child lost in the snowy mountains had no choice but to grow colder.

She’d lived fiercely, filled with nothing but resolve.

---

- You must be more perfect, Lady Emilia.
- As the rightful heir, you must present yourself appropriately.
- Only then will the late Duke and Duchess rest in peace.

Those loathsome elders of her family.

---

- Don’t worry, Emilia.
- You’re still a student, so you can’t handle the family’s affairs... I’ll take care of them, just for you.
- After all, we’re family, aren’t we?

An uncle who pretended to care for her yet couldn’t hide his greedy gaze.

---

- S-Sis... I’m scared.
- I miss Mom and Dad. Where are they?

And her little brother, the one she had to protect even in the midst of a relentless life.

---

‘I’m so tired of this.’

Emilia had no choice but to push herself.

Just to survive.

Determination gnawed at her heart.

She abandoned compassion, happiness, and mocked sacrifice.

One day, she found herself in front of the mirror, no longer a child, but a perfectly eroded adult.

A grotesque mask.

---

‘Don’t forget.’

There are things I must protect.

If I make a mistake, everything will end.

For revenge, for happiness, I must always move forward.

The moment I look back, something terrible will happen.

---

‘I can only trust myself.’

A long-standing conviction had stained her life.

Even as she recalled her once-joyful childhood, Emilia knew she could never go back.

Too much had changed.

---

The girl no longer deserved to be called young.

She had darkened her pure heart herself, believing she could never again live for anyone or anything else.

Yes.

She was certain of it.

---

"......"

"You’re awake."

Her heavy eyelids blinked open.

As she focused, she heard a familiar voice beside her.

Emilia’s gaze moved almost involuntarily.

---

"It’s been a full day."

The boy with golden-blonde hair,

his blue eyes looked at her quietly.

---

"......"

"I’m glad to see you’re safe. I’ve been worried about you."

The serpent smiled softly.

Raising a hand, he gently smoothed her disheveled hair.

It was a touch filled with affection.

As if he were handling something precious.

---

"You did well, Lady Emilia."

He whispered gently.

The boy left a light kiss on the back of her pale hand.

Emilia’s breath caught at the warmth, but she could only stare, frozen.

Her heart filled with a warmth she had longed for.

---

"You really did a wonderful job."

"......"

The villainess accepted it quietly.

The boy’s hand, warm and soothing, held her like it was taming her.