Why Did I Have to Enroll

On Sunday afternoon, the Rebellion members, including Professor Yumina, gathered in a classroom without doors.

They were holding a reflection meeting on their third exploration.

"From now on, let's leave everything to Ban Yu-won."

Dokgo Yeon spoke in a flat voice, breaking the silence where no one dared to speak.

In Room 23, after the witch hunt... no, the trial, seven more NPCs died, and among them were three murderers, allowing Ban Yu-won to gain 3 Judgment points and 0.3 Star Marks.

The problem was that they had no way of knowing how many more murderers needed to be killed before it would end.

'That's when people got scared and it became difficult to continue with the trials.'

That was the point at which they left the tower.

They ultimately failed to break through Room 23.

Ban Yu-won tilted his head and asked her.

"Are you sure that's okay? To be honest, I actually agreed with what you said about needing to build up the party members' crisis management skills."

"I was too ambitious."

Dokgo Yeon answered briefly while glaring at the other two party members—Luciel and Light.

Yes, it was easy to understand what she meant by being too ambitious.

After all, throughout the consecutive trials, Luciel and Light hadn't been of any help at all.

Even if you want to build up abilities, there needs to be at least some basic will and aptitude, right?

However, feeling Dokgo Yeon's gaze, Luciel narrowed her eyes and responded.

"I'm going to stay by Yu-won's side from now on. While I'd like to fill in what Yu-won lacks..."

"You won't step in when Ban Yu-won can handle it himself?"

"Right. I don't have that ability anyway."

Ban Yu-won felt embarrassed at Luciel's statement filled with firm determination.

"Dokgo Yeon, I think I understand what you were thinking this time... but wasn't it a misstep? I'm worried you might fall."

"Beast...!"

Dokgo Yeon and Luciel exchanged glances without saying a word.

Ban Yu-won couldn't understand at all why the term 'misstep' came up there.

Despite being the bearer of language-related powers, why was it that he sometimes couldn't understand their conversations?

While thinking this, Ban Yu-won turned his gaze to Light.

His expression was half-rotten.

"I don't particularly want to stay with you forever, but I don't want to struggle doing things you can handle! Especially things like this!"

"You're really refreshingly honest compared to those two."

"It was really hard! On my heart!"

While Luciel maintained an attitude of leaving all decisions to Ban Yu-won in Room 23, Light was uncooperative with the trials from start to finish.

Even knowing they were fake, he couldn't accept putting innocent people on trial.

"I hate complicated thinking and harming innocent people. If we had drawn the holy sword, we could have cleared the trick room in one go!"

"Says the guy who got retired from a trick room last time while charging in with his holy sword drawn."

"This is really interesting. How did you come up with such a novel exploration..."

As the Rebellion members were criticizing each other as usual,

Yumina, who was checking the video recorded by Tyche, chuckled and said.

"What?"

"I never expected you to try a head-on breakthrough here. How did you come up with this idea?"

"Well, there wasn't any other way..."

"That can't be true. Inciting citizens to hold trials—no one but student Ban Yu-won could have come up with such an idea."

"Huh...?"

Everyone's gazes fixed on Ban Yu-won.

Still unable to stop laughing at whatever she found so amusing, Yumina shared what she had identified as the model answer while watching the video.

"In a trick room with limited activities, you should first carefully check all available elements. Then you would surely find clues needed to clear the room. But you all charged straight into the small city without properly searching the room?"

"That's because it was the fastest and simplest way... ah."

Only after hearing Yumina's words did Ban Yu-won make an 'oops' expression.

He finally realized his mistake while listening to her words.

'After saying I'd leave it to the party members, I ended up mentioning the mafia game and inadvertently led everyone to move according to my method. We didn't even have confirmation that Room 23 was based on a mafia game!'

What if he hadn't brought up the Earth game to Dokgo Yeon?

The exploration would naturally have proceeded with the party members exploring various parts of Room 23 together to find progression clues.

Even when entering the small city, if he hadn't unnecessarily stepped forward to make statements that caused discord between people, that ridiculous witch hunt of hanging people wouldn't have happened...

Of course, it would have taken much more time, but that's how other climbers usually clear rooms!

"Wow, this was completely my mistake..."

"Mistake? That's what made it more interesting. You challenged it in an ingenious way that other students couldn't even imagine."

To think she'd call it interesting even though they hanged many innocent people on the spot.

As expected, even Yumina seemed to view NPCs as just NPCs.

"Moreover, coming up with the 'trial' method to bypass the trick room's restrictions was brilliant. If you'd had a bit more time, you could have cleanly cleared Room 23 with this outrageous trial method. That's the only disappointing part."

"But that wasn't the right answer, forcing it like this—"

Just as Ban Yu-won was about to say more about his mistake, a heavy thud—rang out.

Dokgo Yeon had slammed her head on the table.

"Ah, ahhh...!"

"Dokgo Yeon...?"

"That's why I said it was a misstep."

While Ban Yu-won and Light widened their eyes in confusion at her behavior,

Only Luciel covered her face with one hand and teased Dokgo Yeon with a low laugh.

Unusually, Dokgo Yeon became Luciel's object of ridicule and couldn't even properly refute, only letting out groans.

"To... to make such a foolish mistake as one who stands above..."

"Dokgo Yeon? This time it seems more like my mistake than yours. I said I'd leave it to you all but ended up being too involved."

"No, it's my mistake. I let your casual words and actions sway me too much, losing my normal judgment and forcing a head-on breakthrough..."

Yeah, that was quite surprising.

Dokgo Yeon's charge toward the small city before anyone could stop her was truly like a bulldozer.

Moreover, she was also the one who led people to conduct the witch hunt along with Ban Yu-won.

But regretting it now was too late, and judging by Yumina's reaction, uploading this video as is wouldn't get a bad response, so he didn't think Dokgo Yeon needed to blame herself so much...

—Bang! Dokgo Yeon slammed her head on the table again.

"A perfect failure. I shouldn't have been swayed this much. That mercenary, I'll tear them apart someday...!"

"Huh? Mercenary? What mercenary?"

"Yu-won, please pretend you don't know. There are times when you need to quietly watch over a woman."

"Ah, okay..."

Though flustered by Luciel's strangely seductive eye-smile as she said those words, Ban Yu-won nodded.

But whether Dokgo Yeon hadn't heard those words or had lost the courage to face Ban Yu-won and Luciel― she fiddled with her pendant and vanished from the spot.

She had run away.

"Just sitting here thinking about it, Dokgo Yeon really is an idiot, isn't she?"

"Still, not as much as you."

"What―?!"

After spacing out for a moment, Ban Yu-won chided Light who was trying to tease Dokgo Yeon somehow, then let out a short sigh and said:

"Then next week when we enter the tower, we should look for some hints. Since we can't operate in the city at night anyway, we'll have to move around outside during that time."

"You won't be able to enter the tower next week, Student Ban Yu-won."

"What?"

Yumina, who had been watching the video with enjoyment, suddenly spoke as if she'd just remembered something.

"Because it's midterm exam period. Next week, and the week after that too. There will be all sorts of written assignments and practical evaluations."

"That's something I didn't want to hear... But isn't it too early?"

Since this was week 4 (they couldn't enter last week due to special activities, so this week was actually their third time entering the tower), if exam period lasted until the week after next, that meant midterms would finish in week 6.

If finals followed the same pattern, week 12.

That meant the semester was only three months long.

"Finals are a bit longer, lasting until week 14. Since our academy has special activities and tower climbing even during breaks, we have relatively longer vacation periods."

"Ah, so we can climb the tower during breaks too. Well in that case..."

"Of course, that doesn't mean it's possible throughout the entire break. But there will be extended explorations lasting up to 2 weeks, so prepare thoroughly."

After hearing that the highest climbing record was Room 561, he'd wondered if it was impossible just going in on weekends, even until graduation.

But if extended climbs were possible during breaks, that changed things.

"Ah, midterms..."

"Yu-won, believe in yourself...!"

While Ban Yu-won was already brightening up at the thought of vacation, Light and Luciel were trembling beside him as if traumatized by the word 'midterms'.

Ban Yu-won pushed their foreheads with his finger one by one as he stood up.

"Since Dokgo Yeon has run away too, let's end this reflection meeting here. I'll need to talk with her again later about role distribution among party members."

"Ah, Student Ban Yu-won. There's something we need to discuss first."

"Aren't we having dinner together again tonight anyway?"

"Hoho, that's a given, of couuurse."

As Yumina smiled while her flower-petal-like hair fluttered, Luciel glared at her intently with an expression like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Of course, Yumina continued speaking without paying her any attention.

"There's something I need to tell you before uploading this video. As you probably expect, this sanctification phenomenon that occurred in Room 17 absolutely cannot be included in the video."

"Ah, right. Then what about the sponsorships from the two Constellations...?"

"We'll edit it to make it look like you received those in Room 9. They're the same Constellations anyway, right?"

Yumina let out a fresh sigh as she finished speaking.

"But how do you manage to do such outrageous things? Getting two unconditional sponsorships from Constellations..."

"Um... Will it cause an uproar?"

"The attention might be lower since it's not combat ability sponsorship, but still, two at once..."

Though Ban Yu-won was confident that the abilities he'd received from the two Constellations were far more impressive than mediocre combat abilities, he decided not to mention it right now.

"An unconditional sponsorship is in some ways even more extraordinary than a contract with a Constellation. You understand that, right?"

"Yes, to some extent."

"It might silence other students and professors who still don't acknowledge Student Ban Yu-won. Still... I'd prefer to keep it hidden if possible."

Yumina pursed her rose-pink lips.

"Others might not notice, but the Principal and Professor Xenon will definitely figure it out..."

"I suppose they will."

If it couldn't be hidden, it was better to act confident about it.

It wouldn't be such a bad thing to demonstrate his abilities to the public, preventing more cases like Ortima who might underestimate him.

"Well, let's discuss this more over dinner. Good work everyone. Get some rest."

"...Professor, may I join you for dinner tonight?"

Luciel's bold statement came at an unexpected timing.

Actually, since returning from the special activity, Luciel had already categorized Yumina as a perfect enemy.

An enemy (敵) with 'love' (戀) attached to the front.

"Oh my."

Hearing those words, Yumina's jewel-like eyes sparkled as she smiled, then:

"I'm sorry. As I just mentioned, I have some matters about the Constellations I'd like to discuss with Student Ban Yu-won alone today."

She casually dismissed Luciel.

"We'll have dinner together another time. Of course, that includes Student Light and Student Dokgo Yeon too. I'm really looking forward to it."

"......"

"......"

But her words only deepened Light and Luciel's suspicions.

Ban Yu-won tilted his head at the strange tension developing between the women, but of course there was no way to find an answer...

―Constellation [Clock of the Toy Army] munches on popcorn, delighting in this unexpected scene.

―Constellation [Breath of Life] expresses satisfaction that you indeed possess the qualities to create life.

The timing of these bastards popping up is just perfect!

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