Because player-controlled characters were always assigned to this room by default whenever they were hospitalized, Greg had subconsciously assumed Victoria would be here this time as well.
On second thought, Victoria in the original game hadn't been hospitalized after the Placement Exam at all, because she had won.
So having another injured patient occupying this protagonist-exclusive hospital room actually made sense.
“I've memorized all your basic information,” Greg said, shoving the student ID he had pulled from the backpack on the nightstand back into place as he addressed Yelena, who was wrapped in bandages on the bed. “So as for what you heard just now... if word gets out, you should know full well what the consequences will be, right?”
In response, the innocent Yelena could only nod frantically.
Only after receiving her assurance did Greg turn to leave the hospital room.
Victoria was standing in the corridor outside, quietly watching him.
She had some bandages wrapped around her as well, but compared to the mummy inside the room, her injuries were clearly far lighter. Looking at her, a few days of quiet rest would likely be enough to recover.
“Looks like your injuries really aren't too bad,” Greg said, inspecting her. His tone sounded visibly relieved. “That puts my mind at ease.”
Victoria's gray eyes widened slightly.
She had thought Greg came here to take the opportunity to mock her.
After all, she had received the Reflection Gem from him, yet had lost the duel before even getting a chance to use it. No matter how she looked at it, it was somewhat embarrassing.
Yet she hadn't expected...
Her gaze swept over Greg.
His academy uniform was stained with dust, the cuffs showed burn marks, and the hem had even been slashed open as if by sharp claws. His face was marked with scrapes and exhaustion.
This clearly wasn't something that had happened at the hospital.
He must have come here straight after leaving the dungeon... Even while injured himself, he had specially come over just to confirm her condition?
This realization made Victoria's feelings grow complicated.
At the start of term, they had been outright enemies.
Although Greg claimed back in the dungeon that his behavior was merely a cover to break free from his family, Victoria hadn't completely believed that line.
She was accustomed to judging people by their actions and results, and Greg's past heinous behavior was truly difficult to erase so easily.
Yet now, even though he clearly bore injuries of his own, he had still come...
This concern—which felt somewhat redundant to her—caused the high wall of vigilance in her heart to loosen slightly despite herself.
“...You don't blame me?”
After a few seconds of silence, Victoria spoke up after all, her voice lower than usual:
“I got the Reflection Gem from you, but I lost before I even had the chance to use it.”
“So you lost. It's just one exam, what's there to blame you for?”
Greg answered directly, sounding almost casual. “Winning and losing happen all the time. What matters is that you're fine.”
His words were completely genuine.
Although he wasn't sure why Victoria had diverged from the original plot and lost to Lilith, thankfully her injuries weren't severe, which meant the storyline wouldn't stall for too long.
As long as he found ways during her recovery over the next few days to resolve a few troublesome matters that required the protagonist's involvement, he could pull the story back on track as much as possible and prevent future deviations from growing too extreme.
As for winning or losing... to be honest, as long as Victoria, the Hero, could continue to grow, follow the main storyline, and defeat the Demon King, losing once to a princess in the middle didn't matter to Greg at all.
If anything, seeing a lively, energetic female lead was better than anything else.
His reaction completely caught Victoria off guard.
There was no mocking, no disappointment, not even any questioning about the details of the match—only a near-indifferent acceptance, along with... a barely perceptible concern for her injuries?
This made Victoria even less sure how to respond.
She was used to straightforward conflict or calm calculations of self-interest, but this kind of vague interaction laced with awkward care left her somewhat at a loss.
Seeing that she remained silent, Greg added:
“Don't overthink it. Taking Her Highness Lilith's Flame Burst head-on—even if it's just in its rudimentary stage—is nothing to be ashamed of failing to block.”
“The fact that you were still planning a counterattack under those circumstances is already quite impressive.”
“You lost this time, so just win it back next time. You still have a long way ahead of you.”
These words sounded like comfort, yet also like a simple statement of fact.
Victoria looked up at him. Greg's face bore no particular expression, and his eyes were calm, as if he were stating something entirely taken for granted.
“...”
Victoria pursed her lips, finally letting out an almost imperceptible “Mm.”
Whether it was her imagination or not, upon hearing Greg's final sentence, “You still have a long way ahead of you,” the heavy burden in her heart born of failure and self-doubt seemed to be gently pried open with a tiny crack.
Although she still couldn't trust him completely, at least at this moment, Victoria's perception of Greg as a person had indeed subtly shifted once again.
Perhaps he truly wasn't entirely the kind of person she had originally believed him to be.
“Since there isn't any major issue, go back to resting properly. I have to leave.”
Seeing that Victoria's condition was manageable, Greg didn't intend to stay any longer.
Slinking out of the dungeon this time hadn't been solely to visit a patient; now that he had confirmed the protagonist was fine, his real objective was still waiting for him.
“Your injuries...”
Before Greg could step away, Victoria spoke up instinctively, her gaze falling on his damaged clothes.
“Minor issue. I'll be fully recovered after a good sleep.”
Greg waved a hand dismissively and turned to walk down the other end of the corridor. “I'm off.”
Watching Greg's briskly departing back disappear at the stairwell, Victoria stood in place for a moment longer before turning and slowly walking back toward her room.
The injury on her shoulder still throbbed with dull pain, but the negative thoughts churning relentlessly in her mind seemed to have settled down somewhat, unexpectedly.
...
Glory Cael Magic Academy, being the top institution in the kingdom, was naturally situated in no ordinary location.
Beyond the academy's towering perimeter walls lay the most prosperous city in the northern region of the kingdom.
Though the night was late, the city had not completely fallen asleep.
Far along the main thoroughfare, magic-driven public carriages occasionally passed by, their headlamps dragging flowing streaks of light across the cobblestone roads.
On both sides of the streets, many shops were already closed for the night, but warm yellow decorative lights still glowed inside display windows, illuminating an array of dazzling goods.
Higher up, scattered points of light shone from windows in noble estates, while giant neon magical billboards hanging in the commercial district tirelessly shifted through vibrant patterns and text, advertising the newest models of magic conduits or theater performances.
The night view here was indeed very beautiful.
When playing the original game, Greg had often controlled his character to stroll leisurely through the city's streets and alleys, triggering various side quests or simply admiring the unique charm of this fantasy city.
Those meticulously rendered streetscapes, NPC dialogues rich with everyday life, and exploreable elements hidden everywhere had once brought him quite a bit of joy.
Tonight, however, he clearly was in no mood for leisure.
Although Allie hadn't explicitly said where she would wait for him, and the original game contained no plotline about her being persuaded to leave the academy, Greg knew full well where she would choose based on his deep understanding of her character design.
He didn't linger on the brightly lit streets. Instead, he ducked into an alley and, under the cover of shadows, moved swiftly toward the city center.
Ultimately, he stopped in front of a building.
It was one of the tallest structures in the city—the City Clock Tower.
The ancient masonry structure appeared imposing and quiet in the night, the massive mechanical clock face at its top gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster under the moonlight.
The clock tower was not open to the public, but Greg knew of a secret maintenance staircase.
Taking a deep breath, he began his climb upward.
The wind howled louder in his ears as the bustle and lights of the city gradually shrank beneath his feet, turning into a blurred sea of illumination.
Pushing open the heavy small door at the top, the biting night wind rushed directly at his face with nothing to block it, whipping his hair into a frenzy and snapping his clothes in the breeze.
The platform atop the clock tower was empty and deserted, saved for giant gear and pendulum mechanisms rotating slowly and methodically, making heavy, hypnotic ticking sounds.
Moonlight poured down here without reservation, coating everything in a layer of cool, clear silver.
And at the edge of the platform, beyond the guardrail in the void overlooking the entire sleeping city, a white figure stood in silence.
The night wind fluttered her long maid skirt and long golden hair. Her back was turned to Greg, her posture straight as a spear, looking as though she had been waiting here for countless hours.
Seeming to sense his arrival, she slowly turned around.
The moonlight illuminated her face.
It was a flawless face, exquisite as a doll's, with jade-blue eyes that were crystal clear under the moonlight, yet so deep they seemed capable of drawing a person's soul inside.
With looks like these, it was no wonder she possessed such immense popularity in the original game.
Her expression was calm, with even a faint, elusive smile lingering at the corners of her lips.
Yet a fine layer of cold sweat instantly broke out across Greg's back.
Allie Hill.
His personal maid.
Or rather, his former personal maid.
She looked at Greg and tilted her head slightly, her smile seeming to deepen a fraction as her voice drifted gently like the night breeze:
“Good evening, Young Master Greg. You arrived slightly later than expected. If you do this next time, I'll kill you~”
Rate on N.U.
