I Stole the Heroines’ Tragedy Flags

"I guess I'll have to go see the headmaster after today's classes."
"…Ain?"
While listening to Professor Halen enthusiastically explain the guidelines at the front of the classroom,
I was mentally organizing my remaining plans for the day.

"……"
"Ain!"
Hearing Kiana’s voice beside me, I stopped twirling my pen and snapped out of my thoughts.
"…Huh? Oh, what?"
"You were zoning out like an idiot, so I called you. What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Hmph, really? By the way, what’s that old book? You’ve had it open for a while."
"Ah, this?"

She pointed at the worn-out book spread open in front of me.
"…Uh, just a notebook?"
"You haven’t written down a single thing the professor said, so why the hell do you even have a notebook out? It’s completely blank, dumbass."
"It felt weird having nothing on my desk."
"Your empty-ass notebook is what’s really weird, dumbass."
That’s how it looked to her.
But to my eyes, it was different.

This old book was filled with horrific stories, written in agonizing detail.
I shut the book and tucked it away inside my coat.
I told her it was just a notebook, but in reality, it was nothing so ordinary.

To me, it was a guide, a roadmap—a walkthrough of what was to come.
And to the world, it was something commonly known as a "relic."
‘…According to the book, the first incident happens in a week.’

I had to be fully prepared before then.
If the plan failed—
"……"
"…What? Why are you looking at me like that—huh? Ain, what’s with your face? Are you sick?"
"……It’s nothing."

Shaking off my unease, I turned away from her.
Kiana Edenvice.
I just hoped that a week from now, she would still be sitting here, talking to me like this.
"Alright, that concludes the announcements. Classes will officially start tomorrow, so make sure to get plenty of rest today~"

"Yes!"
"…Oh, and as I explained earlier, your dormitory key cards have been loaded with points based on your entrance scores, so use them wisely."
At her words, the students, including myself, fiddled with our key cards.

Since the academy was a place of learning, it did not hold back on rewards for outstanding students.
Points were one such reward.
In the game, if you saved up enough, you could even get one of the treasures personally cherished by the dragon headmaster.

‘…Now that I think about it, how many points did I get?’
Since "special admission" wasn’t an option in the game, I had no idea how many points I would receive.
I vaguely remembered that Ren, the top-ranked freshman, received 1,000 points.

Meanwhile, the lowest-ranked students got only 10 points.
The gap in the amount given was extreme.
‘Not being able to check without a magical device is kind of annoying.’

…Guess I’ll just have to hope the headmaster was generous.
I stuffed the key card into my pocket and got up from my seat.
As expected, the first day at the academy ended quickly.

Since it was lunchtime, most of the students leaving the classroom were talking about where to eat.
Ella Academy allowed students to freely explore the campus until curfew.
And since the academy was the size of an entire city, it was packed with facilities for convenience.

Of course, that included famous restaurants as well.
‘Should I grab something to eat too?’
At that moment, my stomach growled.

I felt hunger hit me all at once, so I figured I should grab a quick meal before meeting the headmaster.
"Hey, Ain! You’re going to eat too, right?"
"Yeah, I was planning to."
"Where are you going?"
"Not sure? I don’t really know any good places, so I was thinking of just grabbing some bread."
"What? There are so many restaurants here, and you’re just going to eat bread?"
"Well, I’m kinda low on money. I didn’t exactly live comfortably outside, you know."
"…Oh."
She looked at me with pity.

Judging by her expression, she probably assumed I was some poor commoner who couldn’t even afford a proper meal outside.
‘…Not entirely wrong, I guess? I really don’t have much money.’
"Ugh, just come with me."
"Huh?"
"I’ll buy you food, so shut up and follow me, dumbass. This big sis is treating you."
"Ohh, the daughter of a count is buying me a meal? I’m honored beyond words."

SMACK!
"You wanna die?"
"……"
"Hurry up and come already. I’m starving to death."
Swallowing a groan as I felt another punch to my side,
I followed her out of the classroom.

***
After having lunch with Kiana, I returned to the academic building and, as planned, made my way to the headmaster’s office.
Knock, knock.

"Come in."
A familiar voice.
But it wasn’t the headmaster’s voice.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, I was greeted by the same office I had seen yesterday.

However, the person sitting at the desk across from me, flipping through documents, wasn’t the headmaster.
"Where is the headmaster right now?"
"…Ah. You must be Ain."
Perhaps because I asked about the headmaster right in front of her, the woman who had been focused on her paperwork finally lifted her gaze toward me.

A witch—Sharin Hillier.
The vice headmaster, who often handled the headmaster’s work in her place, was the one sitting before me.
Her eyes looked tired, as if she hadn’t gotten much sleep.
Yet, her beauty, even in exhaustion, only enhanced her alluring aura.

Looking at her weary eyes, I felt a strange sense of kinship.
"Do you know me?"
"The headmaster has mentioned you quite a lot. It’s been a long time since she approved a special admission student."
"…Haha."
"Did you have business with her?"
"Ah, yes."
"Hmm… Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to contact her, so meeting her will be difficult. Should I pass along a message?"
"It’s something I need to discuss with her in person."
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.

I had hoped that by asking the headmaster, I could get some clue about the whereabouts of the Sage of the Stars.
But it seemed she was even busier than I expected.
‘Does this mean I’ll have to search for him myself?’

As I was weighing my options, she spoke to me again.
"I’ll let her know as soon as I can reach her. If it’s something important, I’m sure she’ll come to find you herself."
"That would be a big help. Sorry for bothering you while you’re busy."
"Fufu, it’s fine. A short break like this is nice. More importantly—"
She twirled her pen and pointed it at me.

"Ain, you’re carrying something quite interesting. That book."
"…?"
"Is it a demon? It seems to be sealed, but… quite a high-ranking one."
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
…What?

At her words, my blood ran cold.
‘How did she notice?’
Had it woken up just now?
If so, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

‘Of all people, why did she have to be the one to find out?’
Witches and demons had always been sworn enemies.
Most of the discrimination witches faced stemmed from prejudice against demons.

Of course, thanks to the headmaster, she was treated far better than most,
but there was no way she held any goodwill toward demons.
"You don’t have to be so tense. If the headmaster allowed you to enroll despite it, then I have no right to interfere."
Luckily, she truly didn’t seem interested in taking any action.

She simply glanced back at her documents and continued speaking.
"I was just curious. It’s not every day you see a high-ranking demon sealed inside a relic, after all."
"…I can’t answer that."
"I figured as much. Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked."
"It’s fine."
…As expected of a witch.

Just like the dragon headmaster, their kind was too damn curious for their own good.
"Still, be careful. You know what the existence of a demon means to ordinary people, right?"
I knew all too well.

The Holy See was already hunting me down, desperate to kill me over it.
"…I’ll keep that in mind."
"Take care on your way out~"
I bowed slightly before leaving the office.

…Everyone I met lately seemed to drain my energy.
***
Thud!

As soon as I reached my room, I collapsed onto my bed.
Since I couldn’t meet the headmaster, I had ended up returning to my dorm earlier than planned.
And then—

Thump.
A sharp, stabbing pain coursed through me, as if a blade was piercing my chest.
Something had changed.

I pulled the book from my coat.
"…Lilith. When did you wake up?"
[Not too long ago.]

A sultry voice seeped into my ears.
No matter how many times I heard it, I could never get used to it.
[My child. How much time has passed this time?]
"A little less than two months."
[…The gaps are getting shorter.]
"Can’t be helped. Lilith is still sealed, while the curse on me only keeps getting stronger."
[… ….]

Exhaustion crashed down on me.
Like a dam breaking, two months of sleepless nights hit me all at once.
If I closed my eyes now, I would immediately pass out.

[If only I had more power left… I could suppress it for longer.]
"You did your best, Lilith. The real problem is this damn curse."
[…I’m sorry, my child. Because of me and my daughter, you’ve been forced to bear a burden you never should have carried.]
"Come on, you’re saying that again? I told you it’s fine."
I was still holding on.
Compared to twisting the fate of someone who was meant to die,
this was a cheap price to pay.

One of the playable characters was supposed to die, and to prevent that,
Lilith had to survive.
"…I don’t think I can hold on much longer."
[Is this place safe?]
"Yeah. This is the academy I mentioned before. At least I won’t be attacked in my sleep."
[That’s a relief.]
"Haaahm…"
Drowsiness washed over me.

I was seconds away from losing consciousness.
[…I’ll do my best to block out the nightmares.]
"Yeah… please… do… tha…"
[……]

Soft breathing.
The boy, asleep in an instant.
Watching the fragile, precarious child, Lilith felt constant worry for his well-being.

[…My child. Please, don’t let the curse consume you.]
Because there was nothing else she could do for him.