The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 196
Midra Fenin.
A figure riddled with suspicious traits.
As our eyes met, he grinned slyly.
After his bombshell statement that day, I had deliberately avoided contact with Midra.
I didn’t see any benefit in engaging with him.
The information he possessed was always of a peculiar nature.
Making an enemy out of someone like him would bring no advantage.
“Pleasure to meet ya!”
Midra greeted me energetically, his usual tone unchanged.
Hania glanced at him briefly before forcing a smile.
It was a facade only I, her ex-boyfriend, could recognize.
“Nice to see you, Midra. I heard you’re joining our team.”
“Yep! Though I’m still far from matching Her Highness the Third Princess, I’ll do my best!”
Midra shot me a sidelong glance and smirked.
Yeah, I still don’t like this guy.
“Senior—ah, I mean, Instructor.”
Meanwhile, Aisha approached and greeted me.
When we were alone, she comfortably called me “senior,” but she still occasionally slipped up, unused to my new title.
“I-I’ll do my best, Instructor Vicar-nim!”
Next, Poara stood before me and answered with forced enthusiasm.
Since I hadn’t revealed my true identity to Poara, her reaction was understandably awkward.
“Good. I’m counting on you.”
With the first-years joining, our full roster was complete.
I scanned the group.
While the three of them talked, the elite members of our team had gathered around us.
Naturally, they were all familiar faces.
I nodded and stepped forward.
Though I was Vicar-nim, my role as an instructor made it natural for me to lead this team.
“Everyone knows we’re the first to enter, right?”
At my question, they all nodded firmly.
“Demon Palace Breakthrough Team.”
Just then, Veganorn called for us.
It was time to enter the Demon Palace.
The entrance was guarded more heavily than ever before.
This winter’s Demon Palace could potentially unleash an Apostle if things went wrong.
Thus, not just the Empire but forces from across the world had poured their strength into securing it.
‘Even though the Demon Palace opened early, they were already prepared.’
They must have been pre-deployed to act depending on the situation.
Which also meant the imperial palace had been left unattended for an extended period.
Among the guards was the captain of the Empire’s knight order.
The Empire’s knights were divided into five orders.
Currently, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Orders were stationed at the Demon Palace’s entrance.
Support had also arrived from the Blue and Yellow Magic Towers.
Their presence alone emphasized how dire the situation was.
And it made me worry about the state of the imperial family.
‘Nothing should go wrong, though.’
I had already warned the First Prince and Baekmok-gong.
They would be prepared.
In fact, summoning Iris might have been part of their contingency plan.
‘I have no choice but to trust them.’
The Winter Demon Palace couldn’t be skipped.
Especially since an Apostle’s emergence was anticipated this time—I had to see it for myself.
Bad endings also unfolded inside the Demon Palace.
A total wipe there would directly lead to a bad ending.
That, above all, had to be prevented.
As we stepped forward, the students’ gazes turned toward us.
First-years, second-years, and even third-years were watching.
We had been granted the privilege of entering the Demon Palace ahead of even the third-years.
Surprisingly, no protests arose among them.
It was unfortunate, but after losing Nikita, their will to challenge the Demon Palace had been broken.
Nikita, as vice president, had influenced them more than they realized.
Her absence left a void, just as the lack of a leader had once plagued the Cheongcheon generation.
That’s why, among the breakthrough team, there were first-years but no third-years.
Then, I suddenly realized—most of the third-years’ eyes were fixed on me.
‘Wait, now that I think about it, there is one third-year.’
Me.
I was technically still a former academy student.
Since I belonged to the same generation as the current third-years, it wasn’t wrong to say I represented them.
Unintentionally, I had become the last bastion of their pride.
In fact, the third-years seemed to be projecting their emotions onto me.
“Vicar!”
Just then, someone called my name.
When I turned, I saw a familiar face standing there.
My eyes widened.
It was the former boycott president, Rosamin.
His disciplinary period had ended, so he was now with the third-years.
“Do well out there!”
He must have heard that I, as Iris’s subordinate, had led the boycott.
Yet, he still cheered for me.
He truly considered me a friend.
Back during the boycott, I had acted with sincerity too.
So even if I was Iris’s subordinate, he didn’t doubt that sincerity.
The first friend I made while disguised as Vicar.
I gave him a small smile.
“I’ll be back.”
With that, I took another step toward the Demon Palace.
Soon, the surroundings began to shift.
The prematurely opened Winter Demon Palace.
Unlike the Autumn Demon Palace, we entered safely this time.
First Floor, Blue Zone.
The Demon Palace had changed once again.
I glanced at Sharin, who gave me a lazy smile.
The way she flicked her staff suggested she had something to do with this.
‘Did she really prepare for the Demon Palace’s spatial displacement too?’
This talent monster…
I couldn’t be more grateful.
KOOOONG!
At the same time, as we stepped in, demonic beasts appeared.
Strange creatures dyed entirely in blue.
But their appearance was short-lived.
This place was occupied by Jerion Academy’s elite.
The blue demonic beasts were torn apart the moment they emerged.
Our goal this time: reach the 9th floor and confirm the Apostle’s emergence.
Amidst the jumbled scenario, the Winter Demon Palace—
Begins now.
---
### Winter Demon Palace – Breakthrough Team
This team was divided into three squads.
[Team 1]
- Vicar Niflheim (Combat)
- Isabel Luna (Combat)
- Seron Parmia (Combat)
- Sharin Sazaris (Magic)
- Sir Miel Saint Eden (Divinity)
Three combat specialists, the absolute firepower of Sharin, and the saint Sir Miel supporting them.
[Team 2]
- Hania Rapidia (Combat)
- Midra Fenin (Combat)
- Eve (Combat)
- Dorara Korazin (Magic)
- Berencia Keiz (Curses)
Iris’s former team, now with Midra replacing Iris.
They had always performed well even without Iris.
Recently, Berencia had even developed healing abilities through reverse curse techniques.
They could advance smoothly up to the 8th floor.
[Team 3]
- Van (Combat)
- Aisha Vizbel (Combat)
- Poara Silin (Spirit)
- Beakiring Monem (Spirit)
- Joachim (Divinity)
The lazy genius Van and the iron-willed greatsword wielder Aisha formed a solid frontline.
Backed by the two strongest spirit users and Joachim, formerly of Iris’s team, handling healing.
Three perfectly balanced teams.
Up to the 8th floor, we would proceed like this, combining our strength.
And we wasted no time proving why we were Jerion Academy’s greatest force.
---
Before long, we reached the 5th Floor: Void Sky.
The surroundings were shrouded in mist.
Hidden within this fog were traps.
A single misstep could send you hurtling into the sky, so caution was crucial.
But that was only a concern for ordinary parties.
“There and there—traps.”
Sharin had Mirinnae.
Mirinnae allowed her to perceive all things through mana.
Every trap in the Void Sky was infused with mana.
Thus, none could escape her sight.
The moment she pointed them out, demolition teams swiftly destroyed the traps.
We weren’t the only ones entering the Demon Palace.
Since reinforcements would follow, clearing the path was beneficial.
And we had to consider the return trip, so dismantling them now was the smarter move.
“Prince Sweet Potato, from the 5th floor onward, we merge with other academies, right?”
Seron, standing beside me, suddenly spoke.
She was correct—from the 5th floor, paths from other entrances converged.
“Yeah.”
“But I don’t see a single soul from other academies?”
Seron squinted, scanning the mist.
True enough, no one else was in sight.
The reason was simple.
“Because our breakthrough speed is abnormally fast.”
The Empire had more talent than other nations.
Given that Flaming Butterfly’s main setting was the Empire, its people were naturally superior.
“Slowpokes.”
Seron snorted in amusement, seemingly aware of this.
For a moment, she sounded like a typical villainess.
“By the way, Seron, if you keep calling me by that nickname, others will catch on.”
“Ugh, I know. But it’s stuck in my mouth!”
Seemed like she was conscious of it too.
Then again, Seron was usually quiet unless we were alone.
‘Ah, maybe it’s just because she’s not close with the others.’
Her loner tendencies were almost tragic.
“You just thought something annoying, didn’t you?”
“I was thinking how even in this mist, your forehead never loses its shine.”
“That’s your excuse?!”
“Hey, quiet down.”
Hania’s sharp glare silenced Seron.
Though she didn’t forget to jab my ribs repeatedly.
Meanwhile, I kept my eyes on one person.
Midra, now part of Team 2’s combat unit alongside Hania and Eve.
Skilled in battle, but occasionally made small mistakes befitting a first-year.
Each time, Hania and Eve covered for him, and Midra apologized, ensuring no repeat errors.
His skills were solid—around the level of a first-year combat vice-captain.
Which only made him more suspicious.
Because I had seen him disappear into thin air right in front of me.
‘I still have no idea what he really is.’
I hoped this mission would reveal something, but the opportunity never came.
“Instructor Vicar, we’re almost done.”
Just then, Van knocked on the wall at the end of the mist and spoke.
True to his words, we had reached the endpoint of the 5th floor.
“Dorara, time?”
Dorara, the second-year magic vice-captain, checked immediately.
“20:45.”
Perhaps because I was both her senior and instructor, Dorara answered me with unusual politeness.
If it were Hanon, she’d have thrown a fit, so this well-behaved side was refreshing.
“Let’s rest here for today.”
While speed was crucial, neglecting rest was unwise.
The lower we went, the more unexpected situations would arise.
So tonight, we would camp here and resume at dawn.
The students set up camp with practiced ease.
Their familiarity with the Demon Palace made everything effortless.
There was one essential rule for camping in the Demon Palace:
Night watch.
Two people per shift.
With fifteen members, the rotation allowed ample rest.
“First watch tonight: Isabel and Eve.”
I briefed them according to the prearranged schedule.
“Second watch—”
Then, I threw in a curveball.
“Midra and I will take it.”
Let’s have a proper talk.