Chapter 25: The 'Extra' Presents 'Hope' to the 'Protagonist' (1)
Two weeks had nearly passed since the incident concluded.
With Riod's declaration closing the investigation, he reported the matter to the court nobles, including the royals, in this manner.
Lenion Hersha had committed embezzlement and misappropriation, and the stolen gold coins had all been taken by Elvin Hersha—the very son who had reported his father. Elvin had fled to another country but perished in a battle with Riod, who had been pursuing him.
Once it was revealed during the fight that Elvin was a black mage who had used black magic tricks to slip through the knight order's encirclement, all arrows of blame pointed squarely at Elvin.
No mention was made of Ashton, who had led the corruption, or the Armitas ducal family.
Some nobles were unconvinced by this shoddy investigation process and the announcement of its results. But with the Olivion marquis—the man in charge of the probe—the military minister Abros Armitas, who had ordered it, and Finance Minister Boris marquis stepping forward to endorse the findings, no one dared raise objections despite the unresolved or sloppy circumstances.
Furthermore, regarding Erin Hersha—who had no connection whatsoever to the incident and had been proven to be in a coma from a head injury caused by an accident—the Armitas duke's side declared she bore no relation to the embezzlement by the Hersha father and son, expressing no intent to punish her.
This too was backed by Riod and Bernard, making it highly unusual for two high nobles like a duke and a marquis to step up for the protection of Erin's personal safety.
Everything unfolded exactly as Eunhyeon had intended, following the scenario he had crafted.
And now, Eunhyeon was in the principal's office at Aiter Royal School to handle a new matter that had arisen.
"I have no intention of becoming a professor."
"Is there truly no way?"
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer remains the same."
"Why is that? If there's anything you need, I'll provide as much support as possible."
"Teaching kids just ain't my thing at all."
Appointing Eunhyeon—a man with no proper background info and unclear origins—to a professorship would provoke backlash from the nobles and other magic professors alike.
Oliver could handle that level of pushback himself, but Eunhyeon despised standing out and acting in front of others, so he rejected it outright.
In the first place, his role as Iliana's assistant was chosen for the convenience of borrowing her name to move freely in secret.
Besides, they didn't know he was the witch's lover.
Iliana wouldn't let him go anyway.
"Then, with my business concluded, I'll take my leave."
Eunhyeon rose from his seat and bowed to Oliver, who wore an expression of displeasure.
"Urgh…"
"Principal. Consider this invitation unheard. Farewell."
Eunhyeon left the principal's office without waiting for a reply.
That man's quite persistent, isn't he?
'But he's not a bad person overall, which makes it trickier. If he'd been human trash like Ashton, I could've drowned him and forced his resignation. He's decent enough... but for some reason, he seems to harbor ill feelings toward Iliana. That bothers me—what's his deal?'
Iliana Kenifer, the Black Witch, was one of the great heroes who had ended the continent's wars alongside Riod.
There was no reason she should be called a "worthless witch."
Moreover, Oliver Baotman was a noble equivalent to a count in this kingdom and held the prestigious position of Aiter's principal, yet among mages, he was nowhere near Iliana's level.
Eunhyeon couldn't fathom why this man, rumored to be the witch's associate, was trying to pull him away from her.
"Hmm."
Eunhyeon conversed mentally with Verdandi, the goddess assimilated into his body's "Apostle's Authority"—specifically, his heart.
A few days prior, with aid from other gods, Verdandi had broken her constraints, descended to the mortal realm after him, and taken residence within his body.
He never imagined he'd end up like this—back on Earth, he'd had zero connection to things like "divine possession." Becoming a full-on shaman felt like pure comedy to him.
Our child is entertaining frivolous thoughts again.
This was the most troublesome part.
She'd read his thoughts at will and chide him whenever he had irreverent or odd notions about gods, always stroking his head like a toddler being gently scolded.
Verdandi's maternal affection felt utterly alien to him.
Yet he wryly smiled, nodding, thinking this might be the form he'd once desired.
Using the pretext of distributing books to the school library, he'd gained access to Aiter for the past week.
His real goal was observing Erin's surroundings to gauge her school life.
He respected her choice to keep attending, so he'd decided accordingly.
Personally, he doubted it was wise, but he didn't try to stop her.
"Man, what I'm doing is straight-up stalker behavior."
He muttered to himself, smirking bitterly at the realization that anyone spotting him would peg him for a criminal.
Still, it was necessary, so he kept watch.
Even after the incident resolved and she returned to school, Erin's position remained dire.
Her father and brother's crimes were known to all nobles, and Aiter's students—their children—knew full well about the Hersha disgrace.
Prideful noble heirs wouldn't tolerate her attendance.
Even before her disappearance, Lenion's crimes had branded her "criminal's family," tearing her heart with violence and abuse. The current situation was worse, if anything.
With the duke's public stance against guilt by association—offering support instead—nobles unaware of the full story saw it as Abros Armitas extending a saving hand to a pitiful former quasi-noble's daughter.
The students' bullying, unknown to them, grew subtler and crueler to evade notice.
The duke's protection shielded her from legal guilt by association but fueled jealousy among other nobles and their heirs.
Worried Erin's spirit might break under the silent torment, Eunhyeon prepared minimal safeguards but had no intent to intervene personally.
She'd rejected the duke's apology and offer of support through graduation, insisting on handling it herself.
Thus, it wasn't his problem to solve—it was her chosen path, so he wouldn't interfere.
But that was the limit.
For the first time, diverging from his lifelong policy, he'd intervened in the life of someone with 'protagonist' potential.
"How the hell did trash like you catch a high noble's eye?"
"Right?"
"Maybe it's your looks? Half-decent face?"
Giggling mockery echoed from a secluded backyard spot, hidden from view.
Eunhyeon knew exactly who it targeted without thinking.
"Huh? Eh~rin? I'm really curious. How'd a nobody like you snag the duke's support~?"
"Daughter of a criminal."
"Heehee."
"Ugh…"
Erin's faint groan sounded.
The questioner's words held no respect or consideration—just derision for a far weaker girl. Yet Erin offered no retort.
They'd revel more if she resisted, intensifying it.
From bitter experience, she knew enduring silently was best.
"Why're you silent? My words not even worth responding to?"
"Oh? Ignoring me? Lowly commoner getting cheeky."
Growing bored with her non-reaction, one girl grabbed Erin's light blue hair, yanking roughly.
"S-stop…"
Startled, Erin weakly protested to her tormentor.
But the girl seemed thrilled by it.
"Then spill it. How'd you catch the duke's eye? And not just him—two marquis nobles jumped in to help you personally? Why? Did you flirt? Tell us how!"
"Kyaa!"
Pushed hard, Erin screamed and tumbled to the ground.
"Guess my words don't register. Need a wake-up call?"
A vile grin spread as she eyed Erin—clearly struck by an idea. Erin's face paled in dread.
Wind gathered over the girl's hand, condensing steam into a blue orb.
Seeing the clear, rippling contents—like water in a transparent bowl—Erin blanched further.
Water Ball, a basic water-attribute spell.
Low lethality compared to other elements, but ample to handle one unresisting girl.
The other two, grasping her intent, pinned Erin's arms to prevent struggle.
"D-don't…"
She thrashed wildly against their grip, but her fierce resistance delighted them, spurring them on.
"Mmph! Mmph?!"
The girl pressed the Water Ball to Erin's face, submerging her head.
Bubbles erupted as Erin choked, her struggles intensifying without air.
The trio sneered, savoring her agony.
Even as she flailed, Erin pondered their incomprehensible cruelty—why? Her vision blurred.
"You've crossed the line."
Paat!
Something streaked past, shattering the Water Ball.
"Wh-what?!"
Startled, the caster traced it to a branch embedded rigidly in the wall, gasping in horror.
"N-no way... thrown and stuck there?"
Realizing it'd precisely burst her spell—and imagining it aimed at her hand—she shuddered, turning toward its origin.
"……."
A man stood there.
His modest clothes suggested commoner status, but his shining silver hair and blood-red eyes sent chills through her under his calm gaze.
Child? Weren't you just going to watch without intervening?
'I've changed my mind, Goddess. You said once I no longer need to play extra, I could act on my own whims, right?'
Indeed.
'Then, can I finally live doing as I please?'
Hehe, that's what I wish for you, child. Do as you desire.
Normally, Eunhyeon wouldn't intervene.
But he'd foreseen Erin's plight, and non-interference wouldn't quell the irritation creeping in his chest.
He'd simply endured as the goddess's apostle, focusing on his role.
Always observing from shadows, hiding, aiding 'protagonists' to resist fate and grow on their own.
But no longer.
Permission granted to act freely—straight from his goddess.
If excessive, she'd rein him in.
So he believed.
'Thank you.'
The man who'd lifelong restrained himself as an 'extra,' enduring to death, now resolved to follow his own will freely.
Eunhyeon was gradually shedding his 'extra' role, becoming a 'protagonist.'
"Cough! Cough!"
With the Water Ball gone, Erin spat water from nose and mouth, coughing violently.
In her fading consciousness, the near-death realization chilled her.
"Ah…"
Her body trembled as the spell dispersed, drenching her like a drowned rat.
Her white shirt turned sheer, revealing skin and blue undergarments; she hastily covered her chest with crossed arms.
Finally sensing the sudden silence, she looked up.
Glancing at her tormentors, all three stared rigidly in one direction with tense faces.
Erin followed their gaze.
Confirming the man there, she sighed softly.
"Ah…"
Of all people, the one she least wanted seeing her like this stood before her.
The man with shining silver hair and fierce, beastly red eyes—Eunhyeon—stood silently, gazing at her and the three girls.
The leader among them tensed, recalling the branch in the wall.
She met Eunhyeon's eyes, swallowing hard; her two lackeys alternated glances nervously.
"What manner of teaching allows crashing a ladies' social gathering?"
Her expression and attitude screamed, 'Who the hell are you to interrupt my fun?' Eunhyeon smirked unwittingly.
Seeing it, she twitched her brow and snapped.
"Laughing?"
"Ah, my apologies. Didn't realize it was social time. Quite the unique method. Do all this school's students learn socializing that way?"
Eunhyeon mocked her openly; realizing he'd witnessed their bullying of Erin from the start, they tensed anew.
Feigning composure, she glared.
"Tch, so what? Mind your own business and scram. Who are you anyway? What family? Do you even know who I am?"
Judging by his clothes, she pegged him as from a poor quasi-noble house like Erin's, or at best a baron's or viscount's heir without luxury to spare.
No need for deference—she maintained her arrogance.
"Family and status? None of your concern."
Not wiping his sneer, Eunhyeon stepped forward slowly.
Soon close enough to face the haughty girl directly.
"Mind if I join your little social?"
"Ha?"
"Do to me what you were doing to that girl."