ISBER 8

Chapter : 8

Bad Ending Route – I’ll Save You All

Trash Belongs in the Trash Can

I once heard that your bias is the character closest to your ideal type, and your second favorite is the character you admire.

My bias is the game’s protagonist, Raven Aour—the prince who works tirelessly to overcome countless hardships and reach the happy ending.

And my second favorite is Frea. I admired her strong and upright presence in the game.

After seeing the incident at the cafeteria a few days ago, I reaffirmed it—yes, she’s definitely my second favorite.

I dropped out of university due to rumors, and even after taking a leave, the wounds from everyone’s hypocrisy, pointing fingers, and unwanted attention didn’t heal easily.
Whenever I close my eyes, the fear from that time still surfaces.

During those painful days, the Loas Academy game was my sanctuary.

That’s why I poured more than 2,000 hours into it.

Especially Frea—she gave me courage.
When the main character is suffering under malicious rumors, Frea runs to them and says:

“I’m on your side no matter what! Don’t be afraid. Even if the world collapses, I’ll believe in you.”

In the game, Frea was my precious companion.

“She must endure this moment without getting hurt. In March, the protagonist who’ll fight beside her forever—Raven—enrolls.”

I walked back to my room, planning my next steps.

“…I already got Laotis’s Tear, so…”

No. This isn’t enough.

I thought this world was just a light, predictable game that would follow攻略 routes if I simply did things correctly—but reality was different.

My actions changed the future and people’s relationships.
Knowing everything, I couldn’t just sit back and watch.

Whatever it takes, I have to try! I know everything about Frea—her wounds, her likes and dislikes—everything!

I had to protect my precious second-favorite character, Frea.
But suddenly, a sharp pain—like being grabbed by giant pincers—hit my arm.

“Ah!”

I was dragged into a garbage dump.
My back slammed against a wall, and I fell onto a heap of trash bags.
A revolting smell hit my nose.

“Where are you going?”

Yerina and her group looked down at me.
I was so taken aback I shouted.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“We saw you coming out of the Emerald Garden.”

“What business do you have being there? Know your place.”

They were accusing me of exiting the Emerald Garden.

The Emerald Garden is implicitly reserved for high nobles.
That alone was apparently enough for them to pick a fight.

I’m so sick of this.
Why can’t they ever leave me alone—last time, this time—always!

I didn’t have time for their nonsense.
I sprang to my feet and glared at them.

“Lord Aron summoned me, okay?”

I immediately dropped Aron’s name.
But the girls only grew more riled up.

“As if! Lying now?!”

Yerina slapped me across the face.
The force threw me back onto the trash bags.
A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

…What the hell? Are they insane?

“Ahahaha! Look at her! She fits in with the garbage perfectly!”

Yerina cackled.

“Now you’re using Lord Aron’s name too? Why would he bother with trash like you?”

“Didn’t you throw yourself at him? You’re good at that! Smiling like an idiot and seducing guys!”

“Trying to get lucky because he noticed you, huh? Typical poor Shandler trash!”

Yerina jabbed her finger into my forehead.

“Instead of clinging to Lord Aron, why not work as a kitchen maid? Want me to recommend you? Say you’re too broke to stay a student?”

Ah.
She’s venting on me because Frea put her in her place.

I couldn’t believe it.
Anger surged so hot it burned.

I’m not some shy pushover.

What the hell do YOU know?!

SLAP!

The sound echoed through the dump—my hand stung from how hard I slapped Yerina.

“…”

Yerina cupped her cheek, stunned.
All three froze, unable to comprehend what had happened.

“You—you—what do you think you’re doing?! Are you CRAZY?!”

I smirked, a corner of my mouth lifting.

“You hit me first. I just hit you back. Got a problem? You started it.”

At my glare, two of the girls flinched.

“Y- Yerina! You’re bleeding—your lip!”

Yerina touched her lip to check the blood.
She exhaled slowly, looking up at the sky.

“Come here.”

She pushed past the others and got right in my face.

“What crawled into you? Finally snapped? YOU slapped ME? YOU? The lowly Shandler girl?!”

Yerina raised her hand toward my face—
but I grabbed her wrist before it connected.
I squeezed hard. Her thin wrist trembled.

“L-Let go!”

I stared at her silently.
She tried to yank her arm back, panic flooding her face.
I only tightened my grip.

“You’re the crazy ones. Still didn’t learn after Frea scolded you? Didn’t you bawl and beg forgiveness, snot dripping everywhere?”

Yerina flushed bright red.
Then sneered.

“What did you say? Ha! Don’t make me laugh.”

She glared at me, voice venomous.

“Who does Frea think she is? Strutting around, only to get betrayed by her own page? She’s a pathetic loser!”

“…”

Yerina’s voice grew louder.

“She thought she was queen! Turns out the Lartea family raises thieves! Bitten by her own dog! Total disgrace—family ruined! Ahahahaha!”

Her group cackled so loudly my ears rang.
One chimed in:

“Or who knows? Maybe Sally was just too pretty! Maybe Frea liked her personal attendant too much and just gave it to her herself!”

“That’s what I’m saying! Frea’s nothing! A flunked-out loser! Serves her right!”

So this is where it starts—Yerina finally looking down on Frea.

Their words reminded me of something Sally once said:

Listen closely, Lady Frea. Anyone approaching you claiming to be a friend is either jealous of you or wants to use you.

A laugh escaped me.
Then—pop!
A trash bag burst like a bomb at my feet.

“Kyah!”

“W-What?!”

Green mana flickered around the trash.
Right—this was me.
My anger had triggered an uncontrolled burst of magic.

“You—you used ma—magic on me?!”

“You’re insane! Wanna fight?!”

I still couldn’t control my mana properly.
But at this point, I refused to take it anymore.

“Hey, are you listening?!”

“Nope!”

By the time I came to my senses, I had already thrown Yerina onto the garbage pile.

“Kyaaaaaaaa!”

Trash tumbled down over her.
Despite being a magic school student, Yerina was too shocked to cast anything—she couldn’t even think.

“My clothes! My CLOTHES!”

“Be quiet. You started it.”

My voice sounded colder than I expected.
Yerina’s lackeys recoiled from the stench.

I slammed my fist into the wall—CRACK.
Chunks of stone crumbled from my hand.

“Aaaaah! What—what are you doing?!”

“What? Serves you right. You brown-nosed Frea before, but now you’re baring your teeth?”

I’ll tear your group apart.

Another trash bag exploded.

“You’re crazy!”

“Yeah, maybe I am. Unlike you, I’ve got nothing to lose—no family, no house, no friends. But you do, right? You liked it when I stayed quiet? How about I tell everyone what you’ve been up to?”

“S-She’s spouting nonsense!”

Yerina shrieked, buried in trash.

“W-What, you gonna report me?! M-My dad donates a fortune to this school! You think a professor cares what YOU say?!”

“When did I say I’d tell a professor?”

Yerina froze—then glared toward her lackeys.

“Charlotte! Don’t just stand there! Get me out!”

“W-What? O-Okay! You—move!”

I grabbed Charlotte’s arm as she tried to shove past me.

“Wh-what?! Let go!”

Now.

“You were on the team project with Yerina last week, right?”

“Huh?”