The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 182

I stood stiffly at the academy’s main gate, gripping a newspaper in my hands.

The civil war in the Kingdom of Phanysis.

The Illusion Kingdom, Phanysis, had always been a nation deeply divided between the noble faction and the royalist faction.

Given that, a civil war breaking out at any time wouldn’t have been surprising.

But there was one problem.

‘This wasn’t supposed to happen in the original scenario.’

Just as I was lost in thought, staring at the newspaper—

“Prince Goguma, did you hear?”

Seron suddenly appeared beside me.

She glanced at the newspaper in my hand and let out a long sigh.

“You’ve seen it, then.”

It was clear she had also heard the news of the civil war.

“Prince Goguma, that Card guy will be fine. He’s the type who survives no matter where he goes.”

Perhaps because they had spent time together, Card must have told Seron he was leaving for Phanysis.

I didn’t know if he had revealed his identity as a spy.

Knowing him, he probably just brushed it off, saying he had some personal business to attend to.

But I stiffened for a different reason.

‘……I wasn’t worried about Card at all.’

Card was a friend I had shared hardships with during our time at the academy.

We played pranks on each other often, but we were still close.

Yet, I wasn’t worried about him in the slightest.

This wasn’t because I trusted him—it was because I couldn’t worry about him.

‘……It’s the influence of Sorrow.’

Sorrow is the emotion of empathy and compassion.

The absence of that emotion had erased even my concern for Card.

“Prince Goguma?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Seron called out to me, noticing my stiff expression.

I snapped out of it and exhaled.

Without realizing it, my emotions had continued to erode.

And now, it was starting to show in my daily life.

‘That Card bastard.’

Card had returned to the Kingdom of Phanysis not long ago, claiming he had been summoned.

It might have been a recall of all external personnel right before the civil war broke out.

‘Just how much has the scenario changed?’

First, Act 4, Chapter 5 began prematurely, followed by the accelerated Act 4, Chapter 4—the Autumn Magun Palace.

And now, even Act 5 had ended much earlier than before.

The scenario was truly spiraling out of control.

I folded the newspaper.

Along with the absence of emotions, my mind was in complete disarray.

Relying on the original scenario’s information was now meaningless.

But at this moment, there was one common thread in all of this.

‘Not long ago, something similar happened in the Holy Kingdom.’

The Holy Kingdom was divided between the church faction and the royalist faction, leading to an assassination plot against the Saintess.

And now, the civil war in Phanysis.

Could all of this really be unrelated?

A series of tremors shaking nations across the world, all seemingly focused on destabilization.

Like foreshocks before a massive earthquake.

And the nature of that earthquake was predictable.

‘The Empire.’

The largest and most central nation in the world.

The Highsilion Empire.

The impending clash between the First Prince’s faction and the Third Princess’s faction.

The foreshocks were happening everywhere.

I wiped my forehead.

I had already sent a personal message to Whitewood.

The Winter Magun Palace would require significant forces, leaving gaps in security.

That could lead to unforeseen dangers.

Whitewood had responded positively, saying he would consider it.

‘I’ve prepared as much as I can, but…’

The scale of the upheaval was larger than expected.

I could feel the wheels of fate spinning faster and more violently.

Moreover, the civil war in Phanysis wasn’t just someone else’s problem.

‘Besides Card, Vinésia is also in Phanysis.’

Card, the spy from Phanysis.

And Vinésia, who had left with Musica to seek Phanysis’s support.

I clung to the faintest trace of sorrow to steady myself.

Only now did it occur to me that both of them could be in danger.

Thud—

Just then, footsteps reached my ears.

A familiar face—no, a familiar skull—stood before me.

“Soulmate.”

The small enshrinement hall.

Grantony.

What was this guy from the Special Department doing here?

“Heheh, I was just about to look for you! Perfect timing!”

Grantony grinned, his teeth clacking together as he spoke.

“I’m dropping out of Jerion Academy.”

“What?”

My eyes widened at his next words.

First Card, now Grantony?

“Don’t tell me—you’re going after Musica and Vinésia.”

“Yep. I’m heading to Phanysis.”

That sounded like Grantony.

To him, Musica and Vinésia were family.

With Phanysis in the middle of a civil war, there was no way he’d stay put.

“I never liked the idea of them going alone anyway. This works out—I’ll go with them!”

Grantony brimmed with enthusiasm, but I could sense the worry beneath it.

That was the right emotion.

“Grantony.”

I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Card also went to Phanysis. If it’s not too much trouble, could you look out for him if he’s in danger?”

I knew Card could handle himself.

He might seem careless, but he was far from weak.

Still, having an extra lifeline wouldn’t hurt.

“A request from my soulmate? Of course!”

Grantony gave a thumbs-up, his resolve unwavering.

“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”

“I should be thanking you. Soulmate, because of you, I got everything back.”

Grantony had already made up his mind.

Wherever he went, he’d make the most of his talents.

“See you later, then.”

With that, Grantony left.

His original reason for coming to Jerion Academy had been to save Musica.

Now that his goal was fulfilled, staying held little meaning for him.

Watching Grantony walk away, a flood of thoughts rushed through my mind.

Asking him to look after Card—

That wasn’t born from worry sprouted by sorrow, but from a sense of duty.

That realization left me conflicted.

With two acquaintances gone in an instant due to the Phanysis civil war, I continued my morning commute to the academy with Seron.

“You.”

Isabel, on duty today, called out to me as soon as I arrived.

“Professor Beganon wants to see you.”

“Professor Beganon?”

Was this about the previous team?

Following the summons, I entered the professor’s office to find Beganon staring intently at an official document.

“You’re here.”

She lowered the document and looked at me.

“Hanon, what’s the status of the team?”

“Everyone agreed to join. Seron included.”

Professor Beganon studied me silently before nodding.

She must have sensed my intentions and decided to accommodate me.

“Good, the team composition is settled. The reason I called you today is that Aquilin Academy has requested reinforcements.”

Aquilin Academy.

The academy in the Illusion Kingdom, Phanysis.

“Reinforcements?”

“You’ve heard about Phanysis’s civil war, I assume.”

I had, just this morning.

“Because of it, a large number of Aquilin students have returned to their family estates.”

A civil war threatened the nation’s survival.

Academy students were predominantly nobles.

If things escalated, they might even target enrolled students.

So, naturally, the students had all gone home.

For Aquilin Academy, this was disastrous.

The Winter Magun Palace was just around the corner.

Yet, students were being pulled away in this critical moment.

It was a selfish act, prioritizing personal safety over the world’s peril.

“They’ve lost their minds.”

“War makes people irrational.”

Even Beganon clicked her tongue in disapproval.

Now I understood why they had requested reinforcements.

The Empire was the largest and most powerful nation.

Naturally, Jerion students were among the most capable.

Aquilin had no choice but to beg the Empire for help.

“With the Apostle’s Leap being discussed, Aquilin can’t afford to take the Magun Palace lightly this time.”

“So they requested reinforcements. But why tell me this?”

“Because, Hanon, I think you should be the one to go.”

Why was I specifically chosen?

“Lord Cheonhye himself issued the order.”

Cheonhye.

That man had personally named me for this mission.

‘He’s figured it out.’

Cheonhye had long known about my connections to Whitewood and the First Prince.

He must have also realized, through Iris or otherwise, that I was a fake Hanon.

To him, I was nothing but a thorn in his side.

So now, he was seizing the chance to send me away to Phanysis.

Hanon’s identity was tied to Cheonhye in some way.

After all, Cheonhye was Hanon’s maternal grandfather.

Even if Hanon was part of the Iray family, he couldn’t openly defy Cheonhye’s orders.

‘What do I do?’

The civil war in Phanysis could drag on indefinitely.

I’d be stuck at Aquilin Academy until it ended, unable to return.

For me, this was something to avoid at all costs.

But ignoring Cheonhye’s order would bring its own set of problems.

Until Cheonhye’s true nature was exposed, defying him in this country was impossible.

“Hanon, I don’t know the details of your family situation.”

Then, Professor Beganon spoke up.

And with that, she crumpled the document in her hands.

My eyes widened at her bold action as she stared straight at me.

“But you’re my student. If you want to refuse this order, I’ll help you.”

She meant every word.

For a moment, it felt like light was radiating from her.

This was the Beganon I knew—one who genuinely cared for her students.

“I’ll go.”

“What?”

Professor Beganon’s expression twisted.

“But it won’t be me going.”

“What do you mean?”

“Professor Beganon, do you need a teaching assistant? One with special qualifications to enter the Magun Palace.”

I had used Hanon’s identity long enough.

Now, I didn’t need it to stay at the academy.

So, with that—

I’m graduating from the academy.

As students trained frantically for the upcoming Winter Magun Palace, unexpected news spread.

Following the recent dropouts of Card and Grantony, Hanon and several other students had decided to reinforce Phanysis.

Aid to a nation embroiled in civil war.

Naturally, it was far from safe.

With no end to the conflict in sight, this was practically a transfer.

While everyone lamented the news, one person was more baffled than anyone.

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, the Thunderbird—no, Hanon is going to Phanysis.”

Sharin, who had been napping as usual, jerked her head up upon overhearing the students’ conversation.

The news of Hanon’s departure had only just broken.

The selected students were being called to the faculty office to confirm their decisions.

Hanon was the only one already confirmed.

Which meant Sharin was only hearing about it now.

Thud—

Sharin shot up from her seat.

Leaving the bewildered magic students behind, she bolted out of the classroom.

None of them had ever seen her move so fast.

Sharin sprinted down the hallway, even activating magic to speed her way.

She was determined to find Hanon immediately.

Just as she arrived at the martial arts building—

“……Insane. He’s ridiculously handsome.”

“I knew he was good-looking, but seeing him again hits different.”

“Wait, why does he look even more attractive now?”

A group of girls whispered as they passed by.

Sharin recognized them—students who often bickered with Hanon.

They giggled like schoolgirls, their eyes sparkling.

For some reason, they stuck in her mind, but she ignored them and pressed on.

“How did he come back?”

“I heard the Third Princess pardoned him. Some say the Niflheim Count family begged on their knees.”

“They say he’s here as a teaching assistant to atone.”

“Because of the teleportation incident during the Autumn Magun Palace, he’s joining the Winter one too.”

“But wasn’t that senior super weak?”

“No, the rumors during the boycott said he was insanely strong. Some even say he infiltrated for the Third Princess’s sake?”

Another group of students chattered as they walked by.

Sharin frowned at the increasingly noisy gossip.

She didn’t understand most of it, but it seemed a new teaching assistant had arrived.

But that didn’t matter—Hanon did.

As she rushed toward the martial arts classroom, a head of white hair caught her eye.

A strikingly masculine face, tall stature, and a solid build exuding rugged charm.

Then, his amber eyes met hers.

Sharin’s brows twitched slightly.

Because she had seen that face before.

Vikarm Niflheim.

The disguise Hanon had once worn with bandages over his eyes.

“You—no, Teaching Assistant Vikarm.”

Just then, Isabel appeared behind him and called out.

At the same time, Isabel’s gaze met Sharin’s.

Seron stood nearby, looking utterly lost.

Slowly, Sharin’s eyes widened.

She had sensed familiar magic from Vikarm.

“Oh, Sharin.”

The moment he casually greeted her, Sharin’s lips jutted out in a pout.

She had finally figured out Hanon’s true identity.

“You’re in trouble.”

Having been the last to know, Sharin was pissed.