What could be the Author’s purpose?

That was easy to figure out if I thought about the Author’s words I’ve heard so far.

Fun.

All the events that have taken place so far were for that purpose. There was no reason beyond that.

Changing Lyla’s setting, unleashing a bunch of villains, and implanting memories of an old friend in Ha-Yul.

Releasing monsters, creating a secret room, and even including an event from about 500 years ago.

It was all for fun.

Since most of the incidents have happened at the Author’s hands, I had no idea what could happen in this one.

An incident untouched by her hands.

Rather, she seemed even more delighted because she didn’t plan it.

To the point of starting to tell me that it might be nice to go outside the academy and briefly solve it.

So perhaps this situation before my eyes was inevitable.

Because they were heroines. Because they were good characters.

Upon hearing we were heading to a dangerous place, friends rushing to stop us was perhaps a natural occurrence.

And upon realizing that it was impossible, asking to take them along too.

“Take me too.”

“Me too.”

“…Hah.”

Dorothy and Amelia, with determined expressions, were blocking us.

Despite having already told them no several times.

“You know the front lines are very dangerous, right? Students can’t go.”

“Then what about you and Siwoo? You’re both students too.”

“We have experience hunting monsters, so…”

“It’s been well over half a year already. Dorothy and I have experience defeating villains. Quite a lot, in fact. Our practical experience hasn’t rusted yet.”

“That’s right! Take us too!”

… It’s no use. They have no intention of listening.

This is all because of Siwoo. He just had to mention going to the front lines.

They won’t listen even when I mention our monster hunting experience, saying it would have rusted since it’s been half a year.

My head started hurting, so I looked at Siwoo, but he avoided eye contact upon noticing my gaze.

Right, he knows he did wrong too.

Under my gaze demanding his responsibility, Siwoo blurted out an excuse.

“…But they’re friends. I thought we should tell them. I didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

“That may be true, but…”

Siwoo’s thoughts weren’t wrong either.

But it’s such a pain if they object this much.

It’s even more of a pain because they’re not just opposing.

Because I don’t really have any words to make excuses.

It’s a bit awkward to say I will help because the Association asked for it.

The front lines are a dangerous place.

A place where vicious criminals are sent to die like bullet sponges.

A place where the battle lines don’t easily advance despite heroes of unimaginable strength lying around.

That was the public perception.

It was a fact that could be easily understood just by looking at the gazes of the extra students around.

While thinking they too will go there someday, they sufficiently understood that it’s an extremely dangerous place.

That’s why their gazes held pity. A gaze of sympathy, thinking isn’t it too early to go?

Thinking it was about time someone did something, I looked at Ha-Yul.

Because he had the position of a teacher.

He at least had a justification to convince them.

“… I’m sorry, but you can’t go.”

“Why!”

“I’ve been explaining…”

Ha-Yul’s voice, trying to stop the two upon feeling my gaze, was filled with a sense of unfairness.

Because he realized that they hadn’t listened to a single explanation despite him working hard to explain until now.

…For someone with such a cold impression, he’s surprisingly rich in emotions.

Well, that’s probably why he came to hate villains, talking about his friend’s revenge and all.

“As I said, you don’t apply for the front lines. It’s assigned by the Association.”

But his gloominess was short-lived. Perhaps Ha-Yul had gotten used to the teaching profession?

He began explaining again, having become a teacher who diligently answered students’ questions.

“I can’t explain in detail, but an unfortunate incident occurred recently. It’s embarrassing, but we decided to receive help from students.”

“…Why is that?”

“You guys really didn’t hear anything, huh. I’m really shocked…”

Ha-Yul’s voice trembled a little.

He seemed shocked to hear that they didn’t listen to a single one of his explanations.

“Abilities like intuition are really rare. Because you can detect something without any information. That’s why the front lines requested help.”

“But Siwoo is a student!”

“We’re ashamed of it too. But there was no coercion, and it’s not a long-term stay. He’ll return before winter break starts.”

“…Then what about Arte?”

“She’s… The strongest among the students has the monster-hunting experience and can dominate an area by laying threads around. Furthermore you are her friends. She will be at ease if you are safe as well. Do you understand now?”

Ha-Yul, who finished his explanation calmly, smiled as if feeling proud.

Perhaps he thought they wouldn’t be able to refute anymore.

He’s completely used to being a teacher now. He’s changed a lot.

Perhaps he had the talent of an educator from the beginning.

…But Ha-Yul was making a big mistake right now.

Dorothy would feel dissatisfied hearing this but would be convinced,

But Amelia had the means.

“…Uh, Dad.”

“Amelia?”

“Yeah. Are you busy?… It’s okay? Yeah. No, it’s nothing much. I have a small favor to ask.”

I knew it would turn out like this.

I don’t know about Dorothy, but those words would never convince Amelia.

At least not the Amelia I’ve seen so far.

And I’m really sorry to say this, but she seemed to have a way to break through this situation.

“I want to go to the front lines… Don’t talk nonsense? Ah, okay. Then can I post all the Luv☆Deluxe you secretly bought on SNS?”

What’s that now?

Something strange suddenly popped up in Amelia’s conversation.

“Luv Deluxe? That’s definitely…”

“Could Amelia’s father really be reading that? I thought it was just a rumor.”

“No way…”

What could it be to elicit such a reaction?

Out of curiosity, I searched for the title on my cell phone.

What appeared were the covers of comic books and novels.

…With a girl half-naked.

“How did I know, you ask? No, Dad. I understand you want to hide that kind of thing, but at least hide it well. Hiding it under the bed is too easy to get caught.”

So it’s that kind of thing.

It seems Amelia’s father tried to hide his taste somehow, but he got caught by Amelia.

I understand wanting to hide the fact that you like that kind of thing, but…

Why did he have to get caught by his own daughter of all people?

It’s not the fact that it was his family that found it, but Amelia did.

Moreover, hiding it under the bed, what are you, a kid?

I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but the mood was conveyed.

It seemed like Amelia’s father, who had been adamantly refusing, was begging for something while squirming.

Otherwise, there’s no way Amelia would have such a triumphant expression.

“Ah, one more person besides me. Include a girl named Dorothy Gale too. You say that’s really not possible? I can’t hear you well, Dad. Is it really not okay?”

“…”

“I see. Aah, can’t be helped then. I’ll also sell off the secret collection hidden in that villa’s storage. You don’t need it, right? I’m sure there are plenty people would want to buy.”

Dorothy and Ha-Yul, Siwoo and I.

Even the students and teachers who were spectating all became quiet.

Because we realized this had reached a level that couldn’t even be called a negotiation anymore.

…It was blackmail.

“Oh, Dad. If you just close your eyes and grant me one favor, everything will be fine.”

After a short while.

As if having heard something, a smile bloomed on Amelia’s face.

“Great! I love you, Dad. I’ll keep that safe with me. Hide it better from now on. Got it?”

Amelia lightly put down her cell phone, smiled brightly and said to Ha-Yul.

“Dorothy and I got invited too, so it’s okay for us to go, right?”

“…”

“What’s with this atmosphere? What’s wrong with everyone?”

Are you asking because you don’t know?

In an atmosphere where everyone seemed to want to say that, Siwoo asked Amelia as a representative.

“…Uh, well. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Hm? What is?”

“I mean your father. Is it okay to treat him like that?”

“Ah, it’s fine. I get that treatment sometimes too.”

She gets that treatment sometimes?

Everyone was dumbfounded by the preposterous answer.

“If you heard what I did just to hear ‘I love you, Amelia’ once, you’d be surprised.”

“…O, oh. I see. But…um, won’t there be a problem.”

“What problem?”

“You said your father wanted to hide it. The books he reads. There are a lot of people here, and everyone heard it…”

“I told them to listen, though?”

“…What?”

Amelia spoke without even trying to erase the laughter in her voice.

“This wouldn’t have happened if Dad had just agreed from the start. It’s a bit of revenge.”

“Still, it seemed like a secret he wanted to hide…”

“Passionate fans were already half-suspecting it anyway, so it’s fine. They thought, ‘I guess that’s how it is’ since he strongly denied it.”

“…Then you talked about it on purpose?”

“Yeah. I wonder if he’s clutching his head right about now, seeing the stories popping up on SNS.”

How does she plan to handle the aftermath?

No, knowing Amelia, she might have done it without even thinking about it.

“Now, since Dad invited Dorothy and me, it’s okay for us to go, right?”

“…Uh, yeah. Right?”

“Let’s go, Dorothy.”

“…Okay.”

Evil.

That thought lingered in everyone’s minds.