"Who do you think you are, young man? How dare you not come to class! This is a prestigious academy that very few people get into. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and you're squandering it by sleeping in a little longer. If I were you—"
All I could do was bow my head as Professor Ludwig continued his lecture.
You may be asking—
Kamrik, why are you getting scolded?
Well, it's simple.
I skipped a day and a half of classes.
Currently I was standing in Professor Ludwig's office getting reprimanded.
"I'm sorry, Professor Ludwig."
I bowed even deeper.
"Haah… Look, I understand being a student at Valthrune is hard. Especially for students in the Studies Department. You all face heavier academic expectations than the other departments."
He sighed.
"So I understand burnout. But you still have to push through it. Especially you."
His hand landed on my shoulder.
I straightened and met his eyes.
Short brown hair. Rectangular glasses. A surprisingly young face for a professor.
If I remembered correctly, Ludwig was only twenty-eight. A rare thing at this academy.
There were stress lines on his face, but they did little to hide the fact he was objectively handsome.
Looking into his dark brown eyes, I saw genuine concern.
Back when I attended here in my previous life, Professor Ludwig had been exactly like this.
Hard on his students.
But compassionate.
Most students had a love-hate relationship with him.
That included me.
He stepped back toward his desk.
"Of course that doesn't mean you can skip classes. I'll overlook this time, but there will not be a next time."
He gave me a stern look.
"Understood?"
Yep.
There it was.
One second compassionate.
The next strict.
I could faintly hear laughter behind me.
Damn ghosts.
"Yes, Professor Ludwig. I understand. Thank you for being compassionate enough to overlook this."
I turned to leave.
"Also, Kamrik."
I froze.
"Where are your glasses? Did you lose them?"
Right.
My glasses.
In the chaos of dying, time travel, ghosts, and awakening mana… I completely forgot.
I was technically legally blind.
The only reason I wasn't suffering any problems now was because of my new eyes.
Silver eyes.
A side effect of awakening my mana and origin spell.
Side effects like this weren't uncommon among awakened mages.
Some people lost scars.
Some healed disabilities.
Something about the body evolving with mana.
Honestly, I didn't remember the exact theory.
And I wasn't diving back into that gray sea just to reread a boring lecture.
Unfortunately, revealing my awakening would destroy my entire plan.
If the academy discovered I had awakened mana, I would immediately be transferred into the Combat Department.
And that would ruin everything.
I needed to stay in Studies.
So with my back still turned, I muttered:
"…I lost them."
For a moment there was silence.
Then I heard a drawer open.
Footsteps.
"Turn around."
I turned.
Professor Ludwig stood there looking exasperated.
But beneath it…
Compassion.
He held out a small box.
A glasses case.
"Well, Kamrik… I remember you venting about your family situation before."
He sighed.
"I'm not here to judge your life choices. And I understand that sometimes rebellion feels like the only way to fight against your circumstances."
Then he smirked slightly while looking directly into my silver eyes.
"But I really don't recommend wearing contacts. Especially silver ones. They look ugly and unnatural."
My brain stopped.
Before I could respond he shoved the box into my hands.
"But if you're ever overwhelmed, come talk to me. Or any of the staff."
He turned away.
"And making a friend or two wouldn't hurt either."
Huh.
This guy really was a good teacher.
Moments like this made me wonder why people disliked him so much.
I nodded.
"You really are the best professor. I'm honored to be taught by someone like you."
He coughed awkwardly.
"W-well, it's nothing. I had a spare pair anyway. Just take them and go."
"Alright then. Thank you, professor."
I opened the door.
"Also," I added with a grin, "I don't need friends. I'm doing just fine by myself."
As I stepped into the hallway, a voice eerily similar to my own spoke beside me.
"Wow, what was that all about, seer? I didn't think someone could lash you that hard and then suddenly become so… nice."
I glanced sideways.
Sleazy stood there beside me.
Same face.
Same ponytail.
But wrapped completely in a navy trench coat that covered his entire body.
He looked like sunlight might kill him.
"Well, it's expected."
I lowered my voice so the students walking down the hall wouldn't hear me talking to thin air.
I didn't want them thinking I was insane.
At least not yet.
"Valthrune and the other academies are the most prestigious institutions in the world," I explained quietly.
"So expectations are naturally high."
I glanced at him.
"Which makes sense that you wouldn't know much about it. You never attended an academy in your life, right?"
Sleazy gave me a knowing look.
As if I didn't already know.
Right.
I sighed.
These guys were all antisocial weirdos.
What went wrong in their lives?
"Just because I can read your lives doesn't mean I want to," I said.
"That only happened because I needed crucial information. Honestly, I barely know anything about you guys."
Sleazy grinned.
"Except that I never attended an academy?"
"Yep. Except that."
Okay maybe I knew a little more than that.
But it was necessary!
I promise!
I quickly changed the subject.
"So you don't actually understand how the academy works, do you?"
He shook his head.
That was a lie.
But I played along.
"Fine. I'll explain it."
I pushed open a door leading outside and stepped into the park surrounding the spires.
The air was fresh.
Green plants filled the garden.
Students walked along the paths.
I sat down on a bench and pointed toward the towering structures surrounding the castle.
"What do you think those spires represent?"
Sleazy placed a hand on his chin.
His abyssal eyes lit up.
"Oh! The departments, right?"
"Combat, Studies, and…"
A slow voice interrupted from the air above.
Lazy.
"It's the Support Department… unless that changed in this timeline."
Lazy floated horizontally beside me like he was lounging on an invisible couch.
I nodded.
"Exactly."
"These three departments are what make the academy so prestigious. Especially the Combat Department."
"The Combat Department trains the next generation of pathfinders."
Sleazy snapped his fingers.
"Ohhh! That's why you got yelled at so hard earlier."
I sighed.
"Exactly."
"Because the Combat Department brings prestige to the academy, the other two departments are forced to maintain perfect academic performance."
"Otherwise they risk expulsion."
"Yeah… I remember my days here," Lazy muttered.
"Everyone was always stressed."
I sighed again.
Guess the memories of sleepless nights studying were getting to me.
Sleazy snapped his fingers.
"So that's why you want to transfer to Combat. More freedom."
I blinked.
He figured that out fast.
But I grimaced.
"That's only part of it."
"The real reason I need to go to the Combat Department is because of the constants."
Both Sleazy and Lazy frowned.
I sighed again.
"I should probably explain."
I gestured toward Sleazy.
"Go get the other two."
Sleazy grinned.
"You mean from your soul?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just go."
His body dissolved into navy mist.
Two minutes later he returned.
With Knight.
And Bloody.
They were already arguing.
"How dare you order me around?!" Bloody snapped.
"You're just some filthy pathfinder!"
"Filthy?!" Knight barked back.
"Being a pathfinder is the most important profession in the world!"
I rubbed my face.
Problem after problem.
"Alright! Stop!"
They both turned toward me.
"I need to explain the plan."
Instant silence.
Wow.
That's all it takes?
"Good," I said.
"Now listen."
"What are 'constants'?" Sleazy asked.
I leaned forward.
"They're people who remain the same across timelines."
"Even though we all lived different lives… these people don't change."
"Same abilities. Same powers. Same destiny."
I raised two fingers.
"There are two types."
"One: lesser constants."
"These are people who became extremely powerful."
"You all remember the Red Wolf?"
Bloody flinched.
Interesting.
"Their strength is constant across timelines, but the way they gained that power changes."
Lazy spoke immediately.
"So their path differs, but their result is the same."
I snapped my fingers.
"Exactly."
"The second type is main constants."
My expression darkened.
"These people are completely identical across every timeline."
"Their story never changes."
"Their ending never changes."
"It's almost like the world revolves around them."
I frowned.
"This category includes the hero… and his stupid harem."
Sleazy smirked.
"Wow. You really hate that guy."
"Of course I do!" I snapped.
"If he wasn't incompetent we wouldn't even be here!"
Knight tapped his sword against the ground.
"Young man."
His voice was stern.
"I will not allow you to tarnish the hero's name."
"He fought until the very end."
"He did everything he could."
His voice softened.
"It was not solely his fault we lost the world."
I exhaled slowly.
He wasn't wrong.
"I know."
I rubbed my temples.
"But that leads into the next problem."
I turned toward the garden.
Among the lush plants and bright flowers…
Something stood out.
A single flower.
Withered.
Brown.
Surrounded by life yet somehow untouched by it.
And beside that flower stood a boy.
Black hair.
Black eyes.
Pale skin.
My lips pulled into a shaky smile.
It was supposed to look confident.
But even I could feel how weak it was.
The ghosts reacted instantly.
Bloody's heart began beating louder.
Faster.
Each pulse echoed in the air.
Sleazy's smile vanished.
His abyssal eyes narrowed like a predator.
Knight stiffened.
Lazy slowly sat upright.
"Carlos," Knight whispered.
Bloody finished the name quietly.
"…Carlos Strega."
The vessel of the Corruption God.
The man who would kill the hero.
The one who would end the world.
He stood only a few dozen meters away.
"What is Carlos doing here?" Knight demanded.
"In this timeline," I said quietly, "Carlos attends the Studies Department before gaining his powers."
The hostility faded slightly.
"He's actually in my class."
Lazy inhaled sharply.
"You—no way."
I grinned.
"Yep."
I pointed directly at the boy.
"The person I said we needed to assassinate first…"
"…is Carlos Strega."
Shock spread across their faces.
I slowly smiled.
If fate wanted Carlos Strega to become the villain of the world…
Then I would simply remove him from the story.
My grin widened.
"We're going to kill the main villain before he becomes the main villain.