As an Ordinary person (Why do I keep attracting Psychopaths?)

The deeper they ventured into the academy garden, the more the three alchemists felt as if they were accompanying a walking calamity.

Yuna, their class representative—who usually blended into the background like an inconspicuous leaf—was now revealing a different side of herself. Not the cool-headed leader they had thought, nor the cold strategist who had calmly divided them into groups earlier. No.

This version of Yuna was tired. Overworked. And, most terrifying of all—she has a dark overcast expression.

Every few steps, another plant-type beast lunged at them from the overgrown jungle. But before the three alchemists could even scream, Yuna was already handling it with the precision of a factory worker on a repetitive assembly line.

A carnivorous vine shot out? Moonlit Orchid lashed forward, crushing it effortlessly.

A mutated mushroom spewed toxic spores? Yuna waved her hand, and the orchid strangled it into silence.

A plant beast disguised as a shrub tried to chomp on them? Yuna stomped on it, her face utterly deadpan.

At first, the alchemists had flinched at every attack. Then, after the fifth sneak attack, they merely twitched. By the tenth ambush, they simply sighed, stepping aside as Yuna mechanically handled yet another monstrous plant without even blinking.

These sentient plants weren't truly out for their lives. Rather, it felt as though they were simply being mischievous—thrashing about, stirring up trouble, and causing chaos. Since their intent wasn't malicious, Yuna didn't even need to exert her full strength to subdue them. With minimal effort, they yielded to her.

…More importantly, they seemed to hold an unusual fondness for her. Otherwise, Yuna found it hard to believe that they would submit so easily. It was odd—too odd.

But to those unaware of this subtle dynamic, the sight before them painted an entirely different picture. Yuna's effortless domination of the plant creatures, combined with her dark and impassive expression, gave an eerie impression.

"…She's definitely not normal," the bespectacled alchemist murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

The boy next to him nodded stiffly. "Our class rep is not normal."

The girl, pale-faced, just stared at Yuna, who was currently yanking an aggressive vine from the ground like it was an annoying weed, her eyes hollow from exhaustion.

This isn't a class rep. They thought in unison. This is a tired middle-aged farmer in a young girl's body.

Despite her lack of expression, Yuna's movements were methodical and efficient, as if this kind of labor was second nature to her. The Moonlit Orchid, its vines wrapped elegantly around her arm, acted as a living sensor, guiding her toward plant-type beasts before they could even attack. One by one, they were subdued with practiced ease.

By the time the garden finally settled into an eerie stillness, the three alchemists were staring at Yuna like she was a force of nature.

Yuna, completely ignoring their expressions, clapped her hands together, her voice flat with exhaustion. "Alright. Now that all the plant beasts have been dealt with, you three need to clear out a section of this place." She pointed at an empty patch of land. "That will be the base garden for the Heart class. Make sure it's usable."

The three alchemists exchanged nervous glances.

"But… we don't really know how to clear land for planting," the girl hesitated.

Yuna gave her a blank look. "You know how to pluck herbs, don't you?"

"…Yes?"

"Then pluck the wild grass."

"…"

The bespectacled alchemist swallowed. "And… planting?"

Yuna rubbed her temples. "You've read about growing herbs, right?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then plant them."

The boy weakly raised a hand. "We don't have farming tools…"

Yuna turned her gaze toward the pile of defeated plant beasts surrounding them. "Then improvise."

A heavy silence followed.

Feeling that she had given them enough instructions, Yuna exhaled and patted the dirt off her hands. "Good. I'll leave it to you guys."

The three alchemists, now slightly timid in front of their class rep, quickly nodded, not daring to argue.

Satisfied, Yuna nodded once before turning around and walking off without another word.

She barely remembered how she got back to her dorm. The moment she stepped inside, she dragged herself to her bed, flopped onto the mattress, and died.

Not literally. But spiritually? Absolutely.

As exhaustion swallowed her whole, only one thought drifted through her hazy mind:

I need a vacation.

Then, without another care in the world, Yuna fell into the deepest sleep of her life.

…..

The moment Yuna stepped into the abandoned library, she barely reacted to the suffocating air of dust and decay that clung to the walls and bookshelves. The scent of neglected parchment and stagnant air was nearly overwhelming, but she had long since trained herself to ignore such inconveniences.

Her classmates, however, were far less composed.

A chorus of coughing and wheezing immediately followed her entrance as students recoiled from the airborne dust particles stirred up by their movement.

"This… this is a library?" one of them gasped, his face contorted in disbelief.

A noble-born boy, whose uniform was still pristine despite everything, looked personally offended by the scene before him. His disgusted expression screamed that he had never set foot in a place so neglected in his entire life.

When Yuna turned to address them, her voice was flat. "We're cleaning it."

A stunned silence followed.

"...We?" the noble boy repeated slowly, as if the concept of him participating in physical labor was something his brain simply refused to process.

Yuna's blank expression didn't waver. "Yes. We."

"B-But I—I've never done such a thing before!" His voice climbed an octave, eyes darting around as if hoping someone else would protest alongside him. "Surely, there are workers or servants who—"

"Use magic," Yuna interrupted without hesitation. "You're a mage, aren't you? Apply your abilities efficiently. If you've never done it before, then learn."

Another silence.

The noble boy swallowed, his face pale. His lips parted, ready to argue—but when his gaze met Yuna's, the words died in his throat.

Something was different.

The air grew heavy, though not in an oppressive way—it was subtle, an unspoken force that made it difficult to look away. There was no visible surge of magic, no dramatic display of power, yet an undeniable presence radiated from her.

It wasn't just authority.

It was the unshakable certainty of someone who had already decided the outcome, as if she were merely informing them of an inevitable reality.

It was an aura of the dominating force of nature.

Unbeknownst to Yuna, the moment she issued that command, a heavy pressure seemed to settle over the room. It wasn't anything tangible—there was no surge of mana or flicker of elemental power—just an overwhelming sense of authority. A presence as vast and unshakable as an ancient tree, as if nature itself had spoken, and defying it simply wasn't an option.

The students instinctively straightened, their bodies reacting before their minds could catch up. The blond noble, who just moments ago looked ready to argue, stiffened under Yuna's gaze.

The noble-born boy shuddered. His throat bobbed as he struggled for a response, but in the end, he simply lowered his head in silent obedience.

Humans are always insignificant in the face of nature.

Yuna blinked.

'Huh. That was… easier than expected'

She had anticipated at least some resistance—maybe more complaints, maybe a bit of grumbling—but instead, they just... listened. Even the proud noble, who had looked seconds away from throwing a tantrum, had quietly accepted her command.

Strange.

Yuna assumed it was because she had tapped into the prestige of her past life—a sort of mature, no-nonsense air that adults used to command obedience from children. Yes, that had to be it. It is the same when she gives instruction and laid out her plan for her classmate. They....seem to listen quite well.

Unaware of the heavy presence she unconsciously exuded, she simply nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Get to work."

And they did.

By the time the first floor's initial cleaning was finished, the students were exhausted. Some had collapsed against bookshelves, others slumped onto the floor, and one poor soul was lying spread-eagle in the middle of the room, defeated.

Yuna, however, was only mildly fatigued.

She rolled her shoulders before reaching into her storage bag. The moment she pulled out warm, fragrant meals—thick slices of meat, roasted vegetables, soft bread—the atmosphere immediately shifted.

The students, who had been near death just moments ago, all turned toward her in eerie synchronization.

Yuna blinked at them.

Then—without hesitation—they lunged.

Gone were their previous grievances, exhaustion, or noble decorum. The moment the scent of real food reached their noses, all rational thought fled. Even the noble-born students, who had once scoffed at manual labor, discarded all sense of pride as they grabbed whatever they could.

Yuna watched them wolf down the meal, their usual wariness forgotten. She waited until they were halfway through before speaking.

"Once the combat group starts hunting, we'll be able to eat like this every day," she said casually.

Instantly, their movements slowed. Eyes, still half-crazed from hunger, snapped toward her.

"If you want this to continue, then work hard." She took a slow bite of her own meal. "Provide good information and weapons for the combat group, and you'll never have to suffer coarse bread again."

A spark of realization lit in their eyes.

Yuna could see it—see the way their thoughts aligned, see how motivation bloomed in them like a wildfire. The idea of proper food every day… it was a dream far too tempting to ignore.

Without another word, they scrambled to grab books.

The forging group rushed toward the weaponry section, flipping through diagrams of old blueprints. The intelligence group immediately sought maps, ancient archives, and anything remotely useful. Even the runes students, who previously worked at their own pace, suddenly devoured knowledge with alarming intensity.

Yuna watched this… and was once again surprised.

Huh…

She had expected them to be motivated, sure, but this level of obedience? This immediate compliance?

What was this?

All it took was one meal, a few firm words, and suddenly they were working harder than some professional researchers?

She tilted her head, staring at the scene with a strange expression.

…It wasn't that she minded their diligence, of course. In fact, it made things significantly easier for her. But it was still odd.

Is this what competent leadership is like?

No, no, that couldn't be it. She was just using basic logic—good work gets rewarded, bad work doesn't. Simple.

…Right?

For a brief moment, Yuna's thoughts lingered on the noble-born boy, who had been so reluctant earlier yet was now hunched over a massive tome, completely absorbed in research.

She had expected some resistance. Some pushback. Some delay.

Yet from the moment she spoke, they simply... listened.

Her fingers lightly tapped against the table.

She let out a slow exhale, shaking her head. Whatever. This was a good thing.

Less arguing meant less stress for her.

And if they wanted to throw themselves into work with fanatical enthusiasm just because of one decent meal?

Well.

Who was she to stop them?

With that final thought, she leaned back in her seat, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

What a cheap labor fee. Tsk, tsk…

At this rate, she wouldn't even need to micromanage. Just a few more days of organizing things properly, and a fully functional system could be put in place.

A self-sufficient class structure. A proper food cycle. An organized combat and resource division.

Then, finally—finally—she could relax.

Her body ached, exhaustion creeping in, but the thought of future rest soothed her.

For now, she just had to endure a little longer more.