“Pick up your swords. Today’s lesson begins.” 

[Ugh, boring teacher. This sucks.]

Why are you being rude to the teacher…?

Well, it’s not wrong to say the lesson is boring.

There are teachers like this. 

As a writer pursuing entertainment, the Author didn’t seem to like this teacher.

 If they were willing to abandon a heroine because the way she met the protagonist was boring, there is nothing I can do.

“Alright, alright. Enough about the teacher. Let’s move on to the student. That girl over there?”

I looked at the former heroine candidate. 

She’s a female student with an impressive purple ponytail.

The weapon she’s holding is…a baton? 

Befitting a student who came for sword training, she had an attractively well-trained physique.

As a former heroine candidate, she had something that drew attention compared to the other students.

[Hmm, but there’s one thing that bothers me…]

“What might that be?” 

[I can’t imagine how she could have infiltrated the academy.]

Oho.

Our Author is starting to care about plausibility. 

There’s no need to care about plausibility; they could just handwave it by saying someone hacked their way in.

But I’m glad the Author is starting to care about these little things.

Maybe one day, they’ll figure out solutions on their own without me having to advise them.

Happy with this prospect, I decided to offer some advice.

“Then should we add a bit of plausibility? It’s not that difficult.”

[Huh? How? Where can one find a way to penetrate the academy’s security?]

“She wasn’t a villain when she enrolled, she became one after enrolling.”  

[…!]

“You can explain how a spy slipped in that way.”

Right, there’s no rule that a spy has to be a spy from the moment of infiltration.  

What if it wasn’t an infiltration at all?

She could have been an ordinary student when she enrolled, but she turned villain after enrolling.

Silently training day after day, believing her talent would bloom someday.

Practicing to the point of bleeding without a single day off.

But her skills refused to improve no matter how hard she tried.

Yet she insisted her approach wasn’t wrong, stubbornly pursuing mediocrity.

Until one day, she finally snapped.  

The reason? Well, how about this:

The incoming class is the protagonist generation.  

The protagonist’s generation is brimming with talented students in any academy novel.

To keep up with the protagonist’s growth, and not fall behind.

The generation the protagonist enrolls in is always a golden one, shining brightly with talent.  

But where there is light, there is also darkness.  

And naturally, some envy them.

“She witnesses the amazing talents of her fellow enrollees and feels envious. By chance, she’s contacted by an evil organization asking, ‘Do you desire power…?’ And just like that, she defects. How’s that?”

[Wow, amazing! Incredible!]

“The academy’s security is certainly excellent, but gaps will always appear if an insider betrays them. Cliché but fun, right?”

[I knew I wasn’t mistaken! You’re a god among readers!]

I’m not the god; you are.

…Well, being praised like this didn’t feel bad.

[Okay, the setup is done! A student jealous of others’ talent who eventually defects to villainy out of envy! Delicious!]

Looking at the student after the Author’s words, I could sense something had changed about her.

The way she swung her sword, reminiscent of the other students, now seemed rushed and tainted by malice.  

Even I, who knows nothing about swords, could sense that much–of course, the teacher noticed, too.

The teacher, who had been watching the other students while eyeing her, stopped her.

“Lyla. That’s enough. Didn’t I tell you before not to be so hasty?”

“Huff, huff… But! I can do more!” 

“No, you cannot. Your body isn’t that strong yet. You need rest.”  

Wow, what a disconnect.  

The girl swinging her weapon normally just moments ago is suddenly struggling like this.

It’s not my first time seeing settings change, but I couldn’t shake off the jarring feeling.

…They really don’t feel human, do they?

Sights like this make it hard for me to perceive the denizens of this world as people.

“That’s an order, Lyla. Take a rest.”

“Ugh…”

Her defiant spirit wavered at the teacher’s words, reluctantly accepting.  

“Don’t be hasty. You’re making plenty of progress. Don’t worry.”

“…Yes.”  

Watching the teacher’s back as he turned to leave, Lyla’s face was as cold as if she were a different person from before the setting changed.

Well, technically, she is a different person now.  

Her past has changed, after all.

“Um, are you alright?”

“…Go away. I’m fine.”  

Quite the cold response.  

But I can’t back down either.

I have to confirm if the setting change went well.

It would be a disaster if the Author messed up and accidentally gave her some weird setting.

“By the way, you’re incredible. That perseverance. I’m jealous.”  

“…What do you want?”

“I’m jealous of your amazing talent. They say perseverance is a talent, too. Do you think we could become friends?”

“…!”

Yikes, scary.  

 If I hadn’t expected that reaction, I would have been startled.  

Who knew a pretty face could contort like that?

Well, it makes sense.  

One of the things those without talent hate most is being told perseverance itself is a talent.  

Perseverance is a talent?  

Honestly, if they could, the untalented would gladly kill whoever first uttered those words.

Whether one perseveres or not ultimately comes down to willpower–totally separate from talent.

She clearly thinks the same.  

…Let me probe a little further?

Pretending not to notice her expression, I decided to prod her further.

“I personally struggle with perseverance… I always find it hard to stick with anything for long.  If you could share some tips, I’d really appreciate it.”

“…Get lost.”  

“Pardon?”

“I said get lost!”  

Her booming voice drew the gazes of the other students.  

Naturally, the teacher hurried over.

“Is there a problem here, Arte?” 

“No, teacher. I must have misspoken somehow. It’s nothing.”

“…Very well. I’ll be watching, so don’t fight.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

The teacher’s suspicious gaze stung a little.

Well, they don’t even know what happened. 

 

Lyla was the one who yelled, so why am I being doubted?

Fortunately, Lyla seemed too flustered to act out further.  

She probably didn’t expect to shout like that herself.

“Well then, Lyla. I’ll see you next time. Hopefully, whatever is troubling you will be resolved by then. Haha.”  

The Author’s setting seems to have been applied properly, and that dilemma will likely be resolved.  

The evil organization will grant her strength, befitting a villain.  

I’m not sure about the side effects, though.

I don’t think the “strength” evil organizations provide is a proper enhancement method.  

It’s the same everywhere, isn’t it?

There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.  

To gain something, you have to sacrifice something else.  

Even if you don’t work hard for something, you still have to spend the time to obtain it.

And if there are prices for freebies, the shortcut to power from an evil group is bound to have side effects.

Whether there will be new troubles then…

Well, we’ll think about that when we get there.  

“Oh, that reminds me, Author. The evil organization…do they need a name? Did you have one in mind?”

[Yes! You know how these super-powered beings are basically superhumans? So the name I thought of was…]

Hearing the name the Author came up with, I couldn’t help but chuckle.  

“Okay, sure. Let’s go with that.”

Author, you’re better at naming than I thought.

***

“…Found it.”

Yu Siwoo was certain. 

That girl.

The female student Arte approached directly.

She must be involved in some scheme with Arte.

Up until now, Arte had never directly approached a student herself. 

But at this timing, she went out of her way to approach a student she had never met before.

Something about the situation felt off to Yu Siwoo.

“I should discuss this with Amelia.”

Yu Siwoo imagined a happy scenario in his mind–foiling Arte’s plans and enjoying a normal academy life.  

‘Maybe it’s possible,’ he thought with a bright smile.

***

“Haah…”

Lyla let out a sigh as she walked home from the academy.

Was that too much?  

…No, it wasn’t too much.

It’s better this way. That woman was mocking her.

Lyla saw firsthand how she was awarded at the entrance ceremony for resolving that monster attack.  

But what?

She says she lacks perseverance? 

…She finds it hard to stick with things for so long?

Then what about her?

She gripped her sword every day, bleeding and covered in blisters, never slacking off.

‘Could I even defeat a 3rd-rank demon on my own?’

Lyla wasn’t confident she could.

For someone capable of defeating such a powerful monster on her own, with her own mouth to say how she lacked perseverance–just how overflowing with talent is she?

Am I really that devoid of talent? 

I wanted to become a hero who saved people. 

I wanted to be helpful to someone.

“Aaaargh!”

Clenching her fist tight in anguish, blood trickled down Lyla’s hand.

“Right, what is there to worry about? They’re offering me power, aren’t they.”

She took out the ominous black pill from her pocket that she had nearly thrown away, finding it too suspicious to consume.  

Its inky blackness instantly sparked fury within her, reminiscent of that woman’s dark hair.

Swallowing the pill with all her pent-up frustration, an excruciating sensation gripped her heart immediately after.

“Ugh, ugh…?!”

Help me.

I don’t want to die.  

I just wanted to become someone who helps others.

As she flailed her hands in agony, she heard approaching footsteps.

“He…lp…”

“So you took it. Looks like you’ve decided to join us.”

Ah.

That voice, she remembers it.  

The one who gave her the pill.

The one who approached her, offering power.

“Über…mensch…”

“That’s right, we are the ones above men, Übermensch.”  

Lyla sensed the man in the white coat giving a sinister smile.

“Remember that well, for it is the group you shall belong to from now on.”

Translator’s Corner

Since I was curious about it, I did some research and put a decent summary below. At least read the TL;DR because I put effort into that.

TL;DR: Übermensch is a human becoming god through self-discovery and improvement. They call this person ‘overman’ or ‘superman,’ hence the title.

Übermensch is Nietzche’s idea of what man could be if not hindered by outdated religion and morality. In English, it translates to ‘Overman.’

One of his most-known quotes is, “God is dead,” which shows how many people of his time viewed religion, with atheism becoming not only acceptable but widespread. He believes once Christianity ‘collapses,’ humanity will fall into nihilism and the deconstruction of now foundationless beliefs and values since there is no place to base them on. 

This is where Übermensch comes in. He believes this is the goal men should strive towards. His main problem with religion and morality is the suppression of inner desires to pursue a ‘virtuous’ life. He believes we should discard the notion of ‘sin’ and rebuild healthier and life-affirming values. Acknowledge one’s strengths and weaknesses and build upon them. Not the denial of the urges and forces that make up our lives but the sublimation, sculpting, and channeling of them into a psychologically healthy and beautiful creation.

Of course, this is just my interpretation. Who knew writing all those essays would do something?  If there is something wrong with what I wrote, let me know, as this isn’t my field of expertise.

Here is the source I used:

Übermensch Explained: the Meaning of Nietzsche’s ‘Superman’ | Philosophy Break. https://philosophybreak.com/articles/ubermensch-explained-the-meaning-of-nietzsches-superman/

-Ruminas