"Are you asking me to injure Gardner?"

In a garden tucked away in a corner of Rose Hall, a girl who had been napping rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"Yeah! We're not asking for much! Just injure him or exhaust his stamina!"

The two men begged the girl, clasping their hands together.

To an outsider, it might look as if their lives depended on it.

The two earnestly pleaded with both hands.

The girl yawned quietly as she watched them.

She was One-eyed Sword Jane.

Her bright yellow hair sparkled like grains of sand.

Her disheveled, static-ridden hair and drawn-out yawn made her resemble a lion waking from sleep.

Additionally, her eye patch covering one eye and the scar peeking out from underneath made her seem more like the leader of a crime syndicate than a student.

The two men instinctively showed even more humility than they had planned, thinking she might have some shady dealings in back alleys.

"And here's the fee for the job."

One of the men, the one who looked slightly more composed, pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and presented it to her.

It was the most sincerity that those ranked highest in E-level and F-level could offer.

If it wasn't enough, they were willing to prepare more. They hoped she would be satisfied.

The girl's gaze landed on the pile of papers.

On top was an amusement park ticket. It allowed unlimited fun at a small theme park located in a castle in the metropolitan area.

Beneath it was a meal ticket stockpiled by the top-ranked student in E-level. With just that, one could save on living expenses for a couple of months.

“…Not bad.”

The girl's first words weren't unfavorable.

‘Was this a success?’

The two men exchanged glances.

'See, it was enough.'

'It was a good call to go with your idea.'

Just as the two men were about to celebrate their success, Jane spoke again.

“But even if I fail, I won't return the payment.”

One-eyed Sword Jane. She shoved her hands into her pockets to hide their trembling.

It was a habit that surfaced when she felt uneasy.

‘I want to go to the amusement park, and I need the meal ticket, but…’

To injure Gardner, a proven and strong competitor, she too would have to brace for injuries. That was something she no longer wanted.

‘I don't want pain anymore…’

Jane was skilled with a sword and had lived off the land with her abilities.

She roamed the wilderness and occasionally stopped by a castle to receive a request. After handling the request, she'd stay at the castle, receive her reward, and live a rugged life without wanting for food. She was accustomed to pain. However, she no longer wished to endure that pain. She was tired of a painful life.

‘Why did I come to the Academy? Wasn't it to change this way of living?’

Swipe.

Jane rubbed her aching left eye. Memories flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. They were memories of the monsters she had fought up to now, those that had scarred her.

Among them, the most frightening was the 'monster loved by Heaven's Killing Star,' an irregular entity that grew stronger the more it killed. It split deserts with a mere gesture, could chew stones with its teeth, and even emitted beams from its mouth.

During her stay at the castle, she battled against that monster which had attacked, losing one of her eyes in the process. It was an excruciating, never-to-be-repeated experience. Facing it again would leave her completely blind.

Losing an eye was bad enough, but with such monsters increasing, it was becoming difficult to continue living as a wanderer. According to rumors, strong wanderers who hunted down those monsters began to disappear.

Thus, Jane decided to stop being a wanderer and, having reached the appropriate age, chose to join the Academy.

Graduating at a satisfactory level, gaining a position at a decent castle, and eventually laying her bones there.

That was Jane's future career plan and aspiration.

Therefore, Jane was too worn out to continue taking on assignments that demanded suffering.

‘And Gardner is a bit unsettling too…’

Monsters loved by Heaven's Killing Star.

He gave off a similar vibe.

Although it's been a bit less these days...

"Anyway, make your choice quickly. Even if you fail, keep in mind that the payment is non-refundable."

If they didn't agree, she simply wouldn't take the assignment.

At the moment her mind was set on this.

The two people in front of her also seemed to have made up their minds and spoke up.

"We agree..."

Hehe...

‘I’ll just take the money and disappear.’

Jane grinned wickedly.

‘Woo-hoo! Earned a ton of spending money!’

While I was sitting idly in the dormitory, my head began to ache.

I decided to go on a patrol around the campus to clear my head.

Firmly tied disciplinary uniform.

An armband on my arm.

It unmistakably made me look like a member of the Disciplinary Committee.

While patrolling like that.

I noticed a girl excitedly running towards me from the opposite side.

One eye covered with an eyepatch, hair like rough, sandy blonde strands.

‘That’s... a 4-star character.’

The 4-star One-eyed Sword Jane.

She was making continuous strange sounds as she ran.

4-star character or not, if she tripped it would be a disaster. She could end up smashing her face into the ground, so I opened my mouth to warn her.

"Slow down a bit in the hallway..."

That was when it happened.

With a sudden glint!

Not long ago, she had been running joyfully, but as soon as she met my eyes, she seemed startled.

She quickly changed her stance as if on guard.

-Crack.

Her excited movements collided with her cautious movements, causing a malfunction.

-Slip.

She slipped, and her legs kicked up toward the sky.

Her head struck the ground like a pickaxe.

-Thud!

One-eyed Sword Jane.

Her head collided with the hallway floor and shattered.

"What on earth is happening?"

I was flustered, but I quickly picked her up and headed to the Medical Room.

Even though she fell purely because she was fooling around by herself, I felt a slight responsibility.

I ran as fast as I could.

When I arrived at the Medical Room and flung the door open, the Health Teacher inside greeted me.

"...Gardner? Are you hurt again?"

"This time, it's not me."

"Hmm, it's the first time I've seen you walk in here on your own two feet. Please lay the patient on the bed."

It's not like I'm drunk and some dog walked in. I felt a bit unjustly criticized.

Anyway, I followed her instructions and placed the patient on the bed.

"Hmm... It seems like a mild concussion and a fracture in the skull, but she should recover with some rest."

The Health Teacher pondered before reaching that conclusion.

As expected, she diagnoses faster and more thoroughly than ordinary people, probably because she's a superhuman.

It's thanks to her that I've survived many times even after getting smashed up.

While I was feeling relieved, I heard a voice calling me from the side.

"Gardner? Are you here to be admitted again?"

The voice came from a place lower than you'd typically expect from a female, small but loud, and with a peculiar way of speaking.

I could tell who it was without even turning my head.

It was Trinia.

"Trinia? Why are you in the Medical Room..."

I remembered sending her ahead, saying she was busy with her dissertation. When I asked curiously, she replied.

"I came back because I forgot something, but anyway, answer my question first."

"Oh, I just happened to find a patient and brought her in."

Trinia glanced at the bed next to her and nodded.

Before I exchanged a simple greeting with Trinia, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

"How's your dissertation coming along?"

"Hmm, the theory is almost perfect, but teaching it is a bit difficult because controlling the core rotation is a matter of talent."

"I see."

"I'll teach you once it's done!"

"Could you show the Full Spectrum just once more, please?"

"...Alright."

She seemed puzzled as to why I was asking this suddenly, but after a slight tilt of her head as if to shake off her curiosity, she extended her hand and ignited her fingertips.

A flame that radiated the Full Spectrum.

As I watched the flame, I caught its scent.

A sharp, piercing smell.

It was similar to the scent that had been present for a while.

"Did you realize something?"

Trinia asked. She probably assumed I was driven by an academic curiosity.

What I realized wasn't any kind of academic insight. It was just that the smell from earlier was similar to the distinct aroma of the Full Spectrum.

"No, but thank you anyway."

With those words, I parted ways with Trinia and the Health Teacher, heading to my dormitory.

Originally, I had planned to patrol the campus...---

While walking back to the dormitory, my mind was filled with thoughts. Mostly about Iscaliote.

In the game, she doesn't appear often. There’s only a depiction of her appearing in Trinia’s dream and providing clues about the Full Spectrum. Other than that, I've never seen her featured.

Because she’s bedridden, resisting the Parasite Queen who has possessed her.

But.

Why does her flame's scent from the Full Spectrum keep lingering around me? The intense ozone aroma released as the Full Spectrum of flames melts the air has lingered since earlier.

Could it be related to killing the Parasite Queen? Come to think of it, I haven't had a 'dream' since killing the Parasite Queen.

Could it be that there’s a problem with something I was supposed to gain after defeating the Parasite Queen?

As I entertained these thoughts, I got the feeling that something was approaching.

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