Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Is Your Back of the Head Safe? (2)
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# 55
7. Is Your Back of the Head Safe? (2)
#2 Their Circumstances: Aris Lil Retia's Circumstances
"Why?"
The usual night self-study time.
Even though night self-study had turned into a session where escaping was the main goal rather than studying, we'd still been fighting hard as always.
So why had things turned out like this today?
"I'm sorry about this, Lady Aris."
Arhan Professor, who was in charge of me, gave an awkward smile as he answered my question.
"Starting today, it's Plan A."
"...Isn't this going too far, even against students?"
-That's right, this is weird! What kind of academy does this crap?
Even the gods enjoying the spectacle were debating the unfairness.
Plan A? This?
"Having students betray each other as Plan A!"
In a one-on-one, I was still no match for Arhan Professor.
That's why the support team cast all sorts of buffs on me and debuffs on Arhan Professor.
But today, there was no such support. Instead, I'd been hit with debilitating curses.
What the hell was going on? When I glanced back, I saw the first-year aces attacking the others.
Was this what academy classes were like?
Attacking each other!
"According to Professor Niserwin, this is part of letting students experience divide-and-conquer tactics..."
Arhan Professor muttered it without meeting my eyes, as if even he felt a bit ashamed.
Divide-and-conquer? What were they planning to do by teaching students how to deal with that?
"What kind of blackmail did they use!"
"There was no blackmail."
"S-Si-Sir?"
My classmate and fellow first-year divine summoner.
Sir had been my friend since childhood, so seeing her give me a cold look was a huge shock.
"W-Why... Why, Sir? No blackmail, so why betray us!"
Not as houses, but as people—we'd been one of the few true friends. Her betrayal hit me harder than I could imagine, academy circumstances or not.
"I'm not the only one."
"What the... this is..."
Most of the first-years were down, and as the remaining ones approached, my face went pale.
Just six were walking over.
But with only about a hundred first-years total, that made seven including Sir.
A whopping 7% had betrayed the students and sided with the professors!
Four of them were divine summoners—the other ones besides me.
And they dealt me another shock as I stood there confused.
"Professor Niserwin said if we fought on the professors' side today, he'd excuse us from night self-study tomorrow."
Th-That couldn't be...
My immediate thought upon hearing that?
'Why not me?!'
I'm the strongest first-year fighter! If skipping night self-study was the deal, I could've taken half the first-years alone!
So why negotiate with those guys and leave me out!
-Ah, Aris? That's not your character.
-I don't care about character!
The academy doesn't end until 10 p.m. every day.
Even in the dorms, as a noble lady, sorting everything out takes until midnight.
Then it's the next day before you know it.
Wake up, and it's time for school.
Other academies start at 10, and even Marsis at 11!
Why do we have to go in 2-3 hours earlier? And with no classes!
Plus, we even have to come in on weekends! Classes until 2 p.m. on Saturdays!
They could at least give us Sundays off, right?
Even if my childhood friends came to Yuglasia because of me, they took the fewest students this year.
So those who didn't make it or went elsewhere due to family reasons are living normal academy lives at other schools.
And the time I get to see them is super limited.
Weekends in the afternoon.
That's when I hear about their normal academy days—stories that sound like dreams, unimaginable in cutthroat Yuglasia!
-Ah, Aris? I get it, so you can stop now.
-Not yet, I still have tons to say!
When we meet on weekends and I talk about academy life, how do they treat me?
They look at me like I'm lying, or with pity—how embarrassing!
I want to have a normal student life too—maybe not dates with boys from other academies on weekdays, but hanging out with friends, shopping, cafes, that kind of school life!
But why! Why leave me out and offer that deal to those mediocre divine summoners!
"I can't forgive you all."
"We have no intention of asking forgiveness."
"We steeled ourselves the moment we betrayed the students."
"No regrets! We... we just wanted one normal day of school life!"
Seemed like my unforgivable reason got twisted, but no need to explain.
Daring to enjoy normal school life without me?
Clang!
"Hey, Lady Aris. Ignoring me is kinda hurtful."
But the sword strike from behind kept me from what I wanted.
"Professor... stay out of it!"
"Well, I'm your assigned guardian, and those guys are on our side now."
I bit my lip, but there was no other choice.
Just fight with everything I had!
And that day, the students—except for the Silver Devil in night self-study history—suffered their most crushing defeat.
***
"Master, Master! Isn't that guy rolling around like a rag the student council's male vice president?"
"Yeah."
The day after Plan A's first run.
After fourth-year classes, walking the halls, I spotted a student getting trampled by others.
In my past life, it'd be time to dial 117 without the area code, but things were different here.
The student council vice president, Trickster Lisenn, rolling on the floor with a blissful expression.
And the ones stepping on him: the student council execs who'd been backstabbed yesterday.
"Just 2 hours later to school, and he's this happy."
"The academy ends 5 hours earlier, though? Worth celebrating."
Hahaha! Lisenn laughed as he got stepped on, his bliss edging into madness.
Especially Karen, the other vice president, stomping twice as hard on his groin—and he's still grinning?
Lisenn, are you neutered or something?
That should've burst by now!
"Anyway, Master. Plan A's lost its edge, right? Finally my turn?"
Soda-pop looked up at me with eager eyes.
Heh, where's this punk coming from!
"No need, so give up."
"Euuung... really?"
What's with the euuung?
"Really. Plan A's just getting started. Why would it lose effect?"
"The traitors all got caught, didn't they? Classrooms are doing public executions right now."
Fair point. The fourth-year rooms—packed with the most traitors—echoed with screams.
The scary part? Some of those screaming were laughing.
What was it like? Reminded me of years ago, raising kids in the organization. Starve 'em a bit, and they figure out sword ki on their own?
Night self-study's standard for Hell Joseon high schoolers, but here they're dying for it.
Haven't even reached hell's gates yet?
Haven't even said, "Hey, hell's ahead!" and now this? No good.
"You're too hardcore, Master."
"Told you."
That afternoon, as expected, Plan A's effect was huge.
They didn't pick the absolute top dogs as traitors, but mid-to-upper tiers.
Or those linking mid and upper strategically.
Student coordination slowed way down compared to before.
Professors handled them easily.
One day, traitors backstab.
Next, their absence weakens student forces again.
Kya~ Behold this perfect strategy!
And the next day.
"I'll do it! Pick me!"
"Uh, Lady Aris?"
Lady Aris burst into my office, face full of grievance and envy, yelling at me.
"Do what, exactly?"
"Be a traitor! Make me the night self-study traitor today!"
Starting with Lady Aris, student council execs and regular students flooded in, clamoring to be traitors.
-...Are the students wrong for begging to betray each other, or is it the master who made them this way?
I'm innocent, so it's all the students' fault!
-As expected, it's the master's fault!
Mind reader?
No, 100% the students' fault, right?
No camaraderie—just skip night self-study and they backstab friends!
Such disloyal punks!
Back in my day, we'd skip together. Teacher misses one, we rat 'em out, get punished as a group!
Everyone punished together, caring for each other—that's camaraderie!
-I can't read your thoughts, but it feels like peak bullshit...
-Shut up and gather mana. We'll need lots when break starts.
-Finally, Goddess Arcadia's full debut!
Thanks to Professor Terterran's devilish idea, we had a way to use soda-pop.
Instill fear without despair, make 'em struggle harder to escape night self-study!
-That professor's a devil too.
-That's why you get to shine.
-Angel! Must be an angel serving Goddess Ar!
Quick flip.
Anyway, my office—usually 20 students a day—saw 200 already today.
All for traitor applications? 200 in a day?
Total students around 1,300? Already 200?
Traitor volunteers piled up, so considering their zeal, I kept Plan A going.
"Karen, how could you!"
"Lisenn. This is all your doing."
The female vice president looking down coldly at the Trickster.
"L-Lady!"
"This can't be!"
"No choice. I wanna taste freedom too."
Lady Aris, teaming with Arhan Professor's solid teamwork to wipe first-years.
"No, wait! Even so, the student council president betraying? That's too much!"
"Shut it! Presidents want freedom too! Some traitor who's skipped once before lecturing me? If Professor Niserwin doesn't pick me 'cause of you, you're taking responsibility?"
Nerkia, student council president, herding students with eight high spirits!
Not just regulars or execs—even the student rep betrayed.
Everyone desperately wanted to be traitors.
Non-traitors fought professors while keeping distance from others, unsure who'd backstab next.
Teamwork dropped, but individual skill rose!
Fire blazing from traitors! Time to pour oil!
-Professor Niserwin here. A special gift for night self-study participants starting today.
5 p.m.
As usual, students heading to clubs or activities to dodge after-school study—nab 'em.
-Many questions about favoring traitors too much.
Not now. They're all begging to be traitors.
-Answer: New rule added. Simple. Traitors get a traitor token.
Lots want to be traitors.
But too many? Not traitors—just another faction.
That's Plan X. When students surpass professors, unbeatable.
Split 'em half, make 'em fight, winner side skips—half escape night self-study.
So find a way to make everyone happy with fewer.
That way!
-Whoever escapes night self-study with the token, or holds it till end, gets traitor privileges.
Reaction? Explosive.
"Got it! Ticket! Knew he was the traitor! Now me... gahk?"
"Idiot. Holding the ticket makes you a traitor too."
Traitor hunters emerged, snatching tokens.
"Wh-Why... even traitors..."
"Actually, I wasn't one."
Fake alliances to purge traitors, collect tickets—yep.
"Alright, 50 meal tickets. 50 gets you a ticket!"
Bartering for tickets too.
Student council directing this mess?
"Surely a traitor among us."
"No one's saying 'I'm the traitor!' here, right?"
"Even if we catch one, the rest fight."
"Yeah."
"Survivor takes all!"
Student council survival deathmatch.
-Total chaos.
-Chaos.
-Until when?
-Till you step up, obviously.
I.e., until break starts.
Days of backstabbing continued.