The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 2



1 – Episode 1 So I Cursed the Protagonist

Six academies were built on top of the great labyrinth.

Where is the most prestigious place among them?

No matter who you ask, the unanimous answer is the same.

The Zerion Academy of the High Sirion Empire.

An academy founded by the transcendent sage Zerion.

Clop-clop- clop-clop-

A carriage was heading towards such Zerion Academy.

To reach Zerion Academy, one must pass through the longest bridge in the world, the Oblex.

Below the towering Oblex Bridge.

A vast forest and river lay.

If it were an ordinary forest and river, it would be called a beautiful landscape.

This is the enchanted forest, tainted by the toxic fumes emanating from the underground labyrinth.

A carriage was crossing such an oblex bridge.

A woman stood by the window, staring blankly.

Long, ink-like black hair cascading over a forehead as white as snow.

Eyes the color of rubies.

These two features combined to give her the impression of an elegant long-haired cat.

The one who devoured princes and princesses, ultimately rising to second in line for the imperial succession.

The third princess, Iris Hyserion.

People call her.

“The Last Villainess.”

Such a woman was watching the carriage outside the window.

The person in that carriage was a distant relative of hers.

Not a member of the royal family.

The boy’s bloodline, before his mother became the emperor’s concubine, was originally from a ducal family.

In other words, he was the child of a troublesome aunt who had left the family due to her wanderlust.

Moreover, his father’s bloodline was that of a mere noble in name from the frontier.

The boy was neither a member of the royal family nor the ducal family.

In fact, he had no connection to the imperial family at all.

But his hair color and eye color were exactly the same.

Though his appearance bore some resemblance.

His position was completely different.

“How fortunate.”

She soon wore an unwelcoming expression.

Why had the boy transferred at this time?

“Did the duke send him?”

Perhaps he was sent to investigate the recent events in the labyrinth.

“What is that throne worth?”

Recalling the ambitions of her grandfather, the duke, she closed her eyes tightly.

Dark shadows appeared under her eyes.

It seems like I won’t be able to sleep again tonight.

* * *

Inside the carriage crossing the Oblix Bridge.

Following the rattling of the carriage, black hair swayed.

Long black eyelashes.

Red eyes that somehow exuded gloominess.

A youthful appearance that made one doubt his actual age.

A small and thin build compared to his peers.

He looked every bit like a boy.

Naturally.

A hidden character who transfers when conditions are met.

Hanon Airei.

This character was created targeting female players or certain male players.

A pretty boy character.

And the one acting it out now is me.

‘I can’t help but sigh.’

Damn it, I was 185cm tall.

Now I’ve become a 165cm kid.

I feel regretful in many ways.

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But even so, I have to live like this for a while.

No, I must make use of it considering the effort I put in.

‘How much I suffered to obtain the Veil Bandage.’

Recalling the days of hardship makes my head throb with pain.

The Veil Bandage I found after searching high and low in the black market.

The problem was one of the mid-bosses who appeared targeting it, the Frenzied Mage ‘Vinesha’.

After endless mind games with her, I first passed the dark trial.

Finally, I purchased the Veil Bandage and fled, hearing Vinesha’s resentment.

I also took a few items she had.

‘She’ll probably come to kill me somehow later.’

Just thinking about that hardship, the bandages of the curtain must be put to good use.

‘I was terrified trying to meet the transfer deadline.’

I pulled up the collar of my T-shirt that reached my neck.

It was to hide the bandages of the curtain wrapped inside.

I am no longer Vicar Nephilim.

I am Hanon Aire.

And from now on.

I must lead the affairs in place of the protagonist, Lucas.

‘How much of a mess the academy must have become in the time the protagonist was absent.’

Beyond the carriage window, the Gerion Academy came into view.

The academy was filled with an ominous atmosphere.

I desperately hoped it was in a better state than I thought.

I was trying hard to suppress my anxiety.

* * *

Gerion Academy is the most prestigious among the six academies.

As such, the grounds of Gerion Academy are almost the size of an island.

Starting from the Obelisk Bridge, which boasts the largest scale in the world.

The forest of magic located under the Obelisk Bridge.

The endless blue southern sea, the Aaron Sea.

The world’s first airfield and the gray magic tower.

Up to the northern mountain range of the ancient dragons.

For a newcomer, the scale is astonishing.

At the center of such a vast Gerion Academy grounds.

Inside the main building of the towering Gerion Academy.

I was walking, following a professor.

The professor walked like a zombie, his short bobbed hair fluttering.

The professor’s face itself was not bad.

But the roughly worn clothes and slumped shoulders.

The face, deeply etched with fatigue, made everything a minus.

“Ah, I crave alcohol. My blood alcohol level is too low.”

Her name is Beganon Mercia, a severe alcoholic.

Surprisingly, she is the professor in charge of the second-year martial arts class.

As often as she indulges in service scenes, revealing her bare skin while drunk,

She was originally quite popular among users.

But facing her in person,

I understand why people were not fond of Professor Beganon.

‘The smell of alcohol is overwhelming.’

A stench of alcohol so strong that it pricks my nose, something I couldn’t sense in the game.

It’s so pungent that it makes my nose ache.

Can a real professor be like this?

While harboring such doubts,

I saw the nameplate of the second-year martial arts class.

The classroom, enormous even from the outside, was familiar to my eyes.

It was the class I had seen countless times while playing the Flame Butterfly episode.

Naturally, it was bound to be familiar.

I stared blankly at the entrance of the classroom.

Suddenly, I realized.

The fact that I am inside the Flame Butterfly episode.

At the same time, the numerous supporting characters and heroines that would be inside.

My heart started to race at the thought of facing them.

I was a hardcore veteran of the Flame Butterfly episode.

So, the thought of seeing the in-game characters in person made me inadvertently excited.

“Ugh.”

While I was feeling both excitement and tension,

Professor Beganon pushed open the classroom door.

At that moment, the noisy classroom instantly fell silent.

Professor Beganon trudged into the classroom.

Watching her, I let out a breath.

‘Let’s not be nervous.’

I am Hanon Airei.

It was just a few days after the start of the first semester of the second year.

A person who suddenly transferred.

‘Alright.’

Having finished my self-hypnosis, I took a step forward.

As I entered the classroom, all eyes turned towards me.

“A transfer student.”

“That’s right. They said they were coming today.”

“Black hair and red eyes, that color for sure.”

“Shh, be quiet.”

I could hear the murmuring voices of the children.

All the kids I could see now were familiar to me.

There were extras who filled the background like in a game.

Among them, I could see the supporting characters connected to Lucas.

“Click.”

One supporting character didn’t seem to welcome me.

“Hehe.”

Another supporting character smiled with their eyes and let out a nasal sound.

“……”

One supporting character just quietly stared at me in silence.

But there was just one person.

Someone who caught my gaze.

In a corner seat inside.

Bright honey blonde short hair stood out.

Originally, she was the heroine and childhood friend who would endlessly encourage the protagonist with a bright face.

Isabel Luna.

But now.

There was not a single light on her face as I saw it.

There was only one thing cast.

A shadow.

Her pupils, lost in an endlessly deep darkness, held no will at all.

She, who was once called the epitome of brightness.

Was there in a wretched state.

Unbeknownst to others, my fist clenched.

That sight painfully conveyed that this situation was a bad ending.

A childhood friend who had grown up cherished as the closest companion.

A woman who had lost such a childhood friend right before her eyes and lost the will to live.

That was Isabel Luna now.

Isabel is one of the main heroines in the “Flame Butterfly” arc.

Always bright and steadfastly supporting the protagonist.

That is Isabel.

If she were to be compared to something, she would be a sunflower.

A sunflower looking at the sun named Lucas.

But without the sun, the sunflower droops and withers.

The sunflower Isabel, who lost the sun named Lucas, could no longer lift her head.

All that remained for her was to slowly wither away.

This is certain.

In the scenario, after Lucas dies during the first-year dungeon challenge, leading to the bad ending.

There is a line that comes to mind afterward.

One year later.

Isabel Luna, unable to overcome her sorrow, eventually decided to follow Lucas.

After Lucas’s death, Isabel ultimately commits suicide.

This is the only world after the bad ending revealed in the game.

Her bright nature had a knack for attracting people.

Even though Lucas died, she had many friends around her.

But despite that, she chose to commit suicide.

For her, without the sun named Lucas, there was no hope to live.

Seeing Isabel now, I am certain.

She will eventually end her life in the near future.

My fist quietly clenched.

Isabel is a heroine who perhaps plays a bigger role than the protagonist in the latter part.

Without her.

‘The Flame Butterfly chapter cannot reach its ending.’

And that means.

It cannot proceed to the world after the bad ending.

So, what should I do?

“Introduce yourself.”

Professor Beganon waved his hand while leaning against the desk.

Only now did I take my eyes off Isabel and take a light breath.

I can feel the children’s gazes sharply.

I don’t think I ever had stage fright or fear of being watched.

But trying to fasten the first button in a world that has entered a bad ending makes me nervous for no reason.

Of course, Isabel didn’t even glance this way.

A sunflower droops and withers without the sun.

What Isabel needs is clearly the sun.

But that doesn’t mean I can become the sun named Lucas.

I never intended to become the sun in the first place.

I am Hanon Airei, not Lucas.

In reality, I am Vickerman Niflheim.

But that didn’t matter.

“I recently read an article about Jerion Academy.”

Instead of introducing myself, I suddenly talked about the newspaper.

The children’s faces showed curiosity and interest.

Looking at those children, I continued speaking slowly.

“The article said this. Last year, the first-year students were massacred in the Demon Palace because of the Apostle.”

Isabel flinched for the first time.

When I mentioned Lucas, she looked at me weakly.

As I said before, I cannot become the sun.

“Pathetic.”

So.

“The students of Jerion Academy died at the hands of the Apostle. There should be a limit to causing trouble.”

I decided to become the moon, at the very least.

Isabel’s eyes slowly began to widen.

“Who was the captain at that time? In the end, it must be because that guy was pathetic.”

Of course, the captain was Lucas Fernando.

The children’s faces hardened.

Everyone knew who had been the most devastated after that incident.

Glance-

The children looked at Isabel’s expression.

As expected, a deep anger slowly appeared in Isabel’s eyes.

She was the one who had the hardest time after losing Lucas.

In her ears, she heard words that directly insulted Lucas.

What does that mean?

At this moment.

It means I have crossed an irreversible line with Isabel.

“I am.”

Isabel, remember this clearly.

“I came here to ensure that such disgrace will no longer occur at the prestigious Academy Jerion.”

From now on, I will be your mortal enemy.

The one who will force you to live by using your anger as a driving force.

“I am Hanon Airey. Nice to meet you all.”

That’s me.