In the middle of this chilly confusion, a person's figure incongruously took shape in Victoria's mind.
Greg Sass.
The former Duke's son who had once been so arrogant and foolish, yet now felt entirely unpredictable.
The person who had caused trouble for her at the start of term, only to save Silvia in the dungeon later and casually toss her a precious Reflection Gem.
At the thought of that gem, Victoria's left fingertips unconsciously tapped the small pouch hanging against her skin beneath her hospital gown.
Through the thin fabric, the cold outline of the crystal pressed clearly against her chest.
That Reflection Gem was supposed to be the key to her comeback.
Her original plan had been to dodge the Flame Burst, then use the intense explosion and rising dust as cover to activate the Reflection Gem. From there, she would cast the Mid-tier magic spell Wind Pressure Cannon from Lilith's blind spot to claim ultimate victory.
Yet the reality was that she hadn't even found the chance to use the gem.
Her plan had collapsed entirely at step one.
At this thought, another complex emotion quietly took root in her heart.
Toward Greg, Victoria's feelings had always been straightforward—dislike.
She disliked what he had done in the past, disliked his annoying face, and disliked those eyes that seemed to see through everything.
Even after he saved Silvia and gave her the gem, the guard in her heart had never truly dissolved.
And yet now...
She touched the gem at her neck.
Even though he clearly knew she disliked him, he had still entrusted the gem to her. And she had let down his trust.
A prickling sense of guilt, far more irritating than simple defeat, coiled around her like tiny thorns.
She hated this feeling. She hated an emotion so complicated that simple disgust could no longer define it.
It made her feel even more pathetic, even more of a... failure.
Just as Victoria was being thrown into turmoil by these churning thoughts, a shout from the neighboring room suddenly cut through her reflection.
...
“Little Vi! Little Vi, what happened to you, Little Vi?! You can't die! We've relied on each other and shared hardship for so many years! I've always raised and taught you like my own flesh and blood! Who knew today would be the day I'd have to bury you young?!”
In Room 303, a disheveled Greg lunged onto the side of a hospital bed.
As for why he looked so bedraggled, that was naturally thanks to his abysmal -10 Luck stat.
On his way to the hospital, he had first bumped into patrolling instructors who mistook him for a suspicious intruder and launched several warning blasts of Fire Spark right at his face.
In his rush to dodge the chase, he had accidentally disturbed an incomplete Wandering Evil Spirit—a mini-boss that wasn't supposed to appear until the late stage of Chapter One near the edge of the academy grounds.
After a chaotic ordeal, he had finally managed to reach the hospital entrance alive.
This made him deeply question whether his desperate efforts to avoid known death CG trigger points were actually meaningful.
Because with his godforsaken Luck stat, it felt like the moment his feet touched the ground above deck, he could unlock a brand-new way to die anytime, anywhere.
At any rate, after overcoming endless hardships to sneak into what he recalled was the protagonist's exclusive hospital room, Greg threw himself straight onto the patient wrapped up like a mummy on the bed, blubbering in tears.
Although he didn't know the exact details of the Placement Exam, Victoria had actually lost—and even taken a Flame Burst head-on, ending up in this half-dead state...
In an instant, Greg's heart swelled with a cold sense of sorrow, like a fox mourning a dead hare.
Because if Victoria fell here, who in this godforsaken world was going to save it for him?!
Depended on him—someone who could trigger a death CG at any moment just by stepping outside?!
Even without this outrageous bad luck, he had absolutely no desire to trudge through eighty-one tribulations on behalf of the protagonist!
“Hang in there, Victoria! You're a woman with the Hero's Protection! How can you collapse from a mere fatal wound?!”
“I believe in you, so you'd better believe in yourself! You can do this!”
Just as Greg was wildly pouring chicken soup for the soul over the figure in bed, desperately hoping they would regain their vitality as soon as possible, the hospital room door creaked open.
With bandages wrapped around her arm, Victoria leaned against the doorframe, her cold gaze cutting into Greg's back like a physical blade.
“Hey,” she spoke in a quiet voice, yet it bristled with chill. “What are you doing?”
“?”
Greg froze. He slowly turned his head with utter bewilderment.
“You... bear such a striking resemblance to an old friend of mine!”
Victoria: “Did a dungeon monster eat your brain? I'm the real Victoria!”
Greg: “For real? You took a Flame Burst head-on—even if its proficiency was only LV1, you only took this little damage?”
It was then that he suddenly remembered Victoria possessed the divine blessing of the Hero's Protection. Taking a Flame Burst head-on and escaping with only minor injuries actually seemed fairly reasonable.
“Since you're fine, who the heck is this guy on the bed?”
Greg focused his gaze on the bed.
Through the gaps in the thick layers of bandages, his eyes met a pair of completely unfamiliar, bewildered, and terrified eyes.
Greg: “...”
The mummy on the bed: “???”
Rate on N.U.
