Iris’s plan had concluded, but a dark premonition told me this was merely the tip of a larger conspiracy. Surely a parasite gnawing at the peace of the Karsa Empire was hiding behind her.

When I boldly declared I would find the mastermind, those gray eyes that had been brimming with confidence wavered.

“I understand how you feel, but… I don’t want this matter to grow larger.”

The fingertips touching the leather strap around her neck trembled slightly. I knew better than anyone the anxiety of having one’s life held by another. I nodded lightly to reassure her.

“I know. Your life is at stake.”

In chess terms, Iris was a pawn. Losing just one pawn doesn’t end the game, but it certainly makes an impact. A pawn can sometimes become a barrier, or even directly attack the king if possible.

The mastermind would likely avoid making any major moves for a while to avoid suspicion. But I mustn’t grow impatient. If their goal involves magical creatures, our paths will inevitably cross someday.

“So I’ll wait until they make the first move.”

“What…?”

“For now, you should stay at the Angelus University dormitory like before. There are many watchful eyes in the student dormitory, so they won’t easily touch you there.”

At least while Iris was living within Angelus University, she would be safe. The problem was minimizing her contact with Baron Klaus, who remained her guardian.

While I was seriously contemplating this, biting my lip, a scoffing laugh erupted right in front of me.

“Are you… actually worried about me?”

“Yes. I should also look into ways to break the contract binding that collar.”

Though my attitude was quite serious, Iris seemed to take my sincerity as mockery.

“Sorry, but I’m not valuable enough for you to help. I’ve already been discarded, you know?”

“Then that’s fortunate. It would be even better if you could cut ties with them completely.”

When I nodded lightly, the corner of her mouth twisted strangely.

“This guy… he’s crazier than I thought.”

Muttering to herself, Iris stood up, saying she had nothing more to discuss. As she turned to leave, almost running away, I softly called out to her.

“Iris.”

“What now?”

“I don’t think I stole your position.”

Iris didn’t turn around. So I confessed my true feelings to her back, like in a confessional.

“I was desperate too. Without the Professor back then, I would already be dead. That was my last chance. So I can’t feel guilty.”

Her hand gripping the doorknob tightened.

“But I envy you, Iris.”

“…What?”

“I envy that confidence of yours—believing that if the Professor had seen you first, he would naturally have taken you as his disciple. That means you’re talented. I… I’m still not certain about myself.”

Iris slowly turned around. Her face was contorted, seemingly trying to forcibly hide the emotions swirling within her. Was a storm finally brewing in those gray eyes that had been gloomy like cloudy skies?

“But whatever the reason, he chose me, so I won’t give up easily either. That position is mine now. The Professor said he would trust me, not anyone else.”

“……”

“So try to take it if you want. But this time, let’s compete with real skill.”

I took out the magic stone from my pocket and handed it to her, saying:

“This is Angelus University, where only ability matters.”

Someone like Iris could shine brightly on her own, away from the shadow created by the Baron. Had my sincerity reached her this time? Iris accepted the magic stone—both heirloom and evidence—and remained silent for a while. After taking some time to think, she let out a refreshing laugh and said:

“Forget it. I don’t want to compete with someone as elegantly crazy as you.”

“Elegantly crazy?”

“Sigh… I came prepared to die, but I just wasted my energy.”

Iris turned away lightly, seeming to have put down all the burdens on her shoulders. As our conversation appeared to be concluding, I cut off the magical power I had been sending to my earring. Then, as I followed her to see her out, Iris suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Since I owe you, I’ll tell you one thing.”

Turning sideways, Iris spoke in a serious tone without any playfulness:

“It wasn’t just confidence that made me believe Professor Asrein would choose me.”

“…Pardon?”

“It was a divine prophecy.”

My eyes widened at this unexpected confession. A divine prophecy…?

“Of course, commoners like us don’t dare access prophecies. But the Baron told me. That the divine had destined me to be his disciple.”

She didn’t seem to be lying just to confuse me. Instead, Iris looked relieved to have shared a facet of the truth.

“But looking at you now, I think: what does a prophecy matter anyway?”

Having finished speaking, Iris leisurely left the lab. Watching her retreating figure, I rubbed my tired face. Just as one mystery surrounding Iris was solved, another problem raised its head.

Why suddenly mention a divine prophecy? Even while dismissing it as nonsense, I couldn’t push away the imagination rising from a corner of my mind. What if the divine had guided the protagonist Iris toward the right path? And what if I, suddenly entering the novel, had ‘stolen’ that position…

“No… that can’t be…”

I sank down against the doorframe, clutching my head with both hands. Maybe Baron Klaus had made it up. No, he must have. If time had truly been distorted because of me… I couldn’t bear that guilt.

As I was sinking into a bottomless abyss, a low voice reached me.

“Tae-oh?”

When I jerked my head up, I saw golden eyes shining brightly like the sun.

“Ah, …Professor.”

“Why are you sitting here like this?”

Seeing his worried gaze, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Haha, I just felt dizzy for a moment.”

“Could it be from magical power depletion?”

“No. I think I was too tense from meeting Iris.”

It was strange. Just Asrein’s appearance had quieted the tumult in my head. Without realizing it, I thought about dropping everything I was holding and falling into Asrein’s arms. How wonderful it would be to fall asleep listening to his heartbeat in that warm embrace, without any worries.

“You don’t look well, so go home early and rest today.”

“Don’t… be so kind to me.”

“What?”

“It makes me keep misunderstanding.”

I got up with a bitter smile. An insistent gaze followed me, but I pretended not to notice and entered the lab. After closing the window that was letting in cold air, a heavy silence descended.

“You heard my conversation with Iris, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I had no idea she harbored resentment toward you because of my choice.”

“It’s not because of you, Professor. …The situation just cornered her.”

The Iris I met today had a much stronger will to live than I expected. If she had been loved normally, she would have grown into a playful student. I only regretted that I couldn’t correct the person who had twisted her with hatred.

While tidying the disheveled curtains, I casually mentioned to Asrein:

“Iris’s safety…”

“Don’t worry. No matter his status as guardian, he’s still an outsider and won’t have free access to the university.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Whatever her intentions were, I’m glad Iris came to Angelus University. Although she would hate it and shudder, I should visit her whenever I have time. Breathing a sigh of relief, I leaned against the window and asked:

“Is there no way to break the contract?”

“Forcibly breaking a magically formed contract could endanger Iris instead. The only options are to successfully fulfill the contract conditions or… for one party to disappear.”

For one party to disappear. Cold sweat ran down my spine at this simple yet brutal solution.

“Are you saying that if things go wrong, they might kill Iris?”

“Probably not. Why would they destroy a valuable shield with their own hands?”

“A valuable shield?”

“If matters escalate, according to the contract, Iris will take all the blame. Also, if we forcibly try to expose the mastermind, the contract will be violated and Iris will die.”

“…She’s a hostage.”

“Yes. A clever ploy.”

Not only did they cowardly cut their tail, but they also used Iris as a shield to prevent anyone from investigating the incident. As long as Iris remained a hostage, the restrictions wouldn’t disappear. I thought I had gained an advantage in this chess game by taking their pawn, but it turned out to be a draw. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to swallow my frustration.

“If you want to protect Iris, you’ll have to wait until they make the first move, just like you said.”

“…Yes. I think so too.”

Dealing with the openly contemptuous Count would have been much easier. This time, hasty actions would only entangle me in complicated schemes. To win this chess game against an unknown opponent, I needed to be cautious with every move.

***

Suddenly feeling whimsical, I wrote a letter.

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

Surprisingly, three people gathered at the restaurant because of a single note.

“I wasn’t… the only one who received it.”

“What? Lord Sezan and even the Professor are here?”

“When you suddenly said you had somewhere to go, what could I do?”

Sezan, Jin, and Asrein, whom I had dragged along. They looked at me with puzzled expressions. But one person still hadn’t arrived. Could they have gotten lost on the unfamiliar university grounds?

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I got up from my seat and headed toward the restaurant door. As soon as I flung it open, I saw purple hair peering around. Caught looking anxious, the young man belatedly tried to appear nonchalant, crossing his arms.

“What are you plotting now?”

I burst out laughing, feeling like someone with a grand scheme.

“I just wanted to have a meal together with everyone.”

“What?”

“We’ll be seeing these faces often from now on.”

I led the still puzzled young man into the restaurant. As we approached the table, Jin, who noticed us first, was startled.

“…Huh?”

Sezan and Asrein also seemed quite taken aback by the unexpected figure’s appearance. Contrary to my expectations, the young man, whom I thought would be brazen, didn’t emerge from behind me. After spending a long time just observing, he whispered through gritted teeth:

“What is this? Are you crazy? You didn’t tell me about this kind of gathering.”

“If I had, you wouldn’t have come.”

“Ah… damn, this really isn’t my thing.”

His protruding lips pressed together tightly, having been hit right on target. Receiving four pairs of eyes at once, the young man was uncharacteristically awkward. I pulled out a chair for him, seated him, and looked around at everyone with satisfaction.

“Thank you all for coming.”

For the first time, all five seats at the round table were filled. They were such different people that it was amazing to see them gathered in one place. Asrein, who took the professor position by imperial order; Jin, who chose herbology after his family’s downfall; Sezan, studying magic for his mother.

They were all supporting characters.

“Actually, I called you because I wanted to introduce someone.”

Among them, I was ‘Extra 1’—the most insignificant. The kind of person in the background who appears with an expectant face and applauds when a hero visits the village. So when I first crossed over into the novel, I thought the various episodes, big and small, had nothing to do with me.

“Jin and Professor already know this face, but Sezan is seeing him for the first time.”

But the story had changed. Now, in this world, there was no protagonist willing to sacrifice themselves for ideals. Only supporting characters faithful to their own desires existed.

“Come on, introduce yourself.”

And now, a new supporting character had just been born.

“What…? Me?”

“Yes. It’s better if you introduce yourself directly.”

When I nodded readily, those gray eyes swayed like a pendulum. Suddenly touching her hair, she cleared her throat with a fake cough. Then, tense like a fresh-faced freshman, she opened her mouth:

“I-I’m Iris Dillen. …Please take care of me.”

Even I, who had read the novel, couldn’t be certain how the story would change now. Who would have thought that even the protagonist would become a supporting character? Perhaps someday we’ll have to give up something due to the absence of a protagonist.

“Welcome again to Angelus University, Iris.”

So I will gain the power and knowledge to protect at least those around me.