Chapter 27: The protagonist and a new problem…

"Enough. Return the item. You’re coming with us."

"No, wait, this is a misunderstanding!"

"Please, Nen," Carlotta’s voice sounded sweet yet venomous behind me. "Spare us your excuses. It’s already humiliating enough that you’re stealing while wearing our Academy’s magnificent uniform. We all know you’re just a stray cat, but I expected at least a bit more dignity and self-control from you; you know, control that filthy thief instinct of yours."

"Let’s all just calm down, okay? This is a big misunderstanding that can totally be solved peacefully... or, like, with problems, but please don’t drag me into it..."

"Oi!"

I groaned when my supposed friend was already trying to slip away from the situation.

"I swear, I wasn’t planning to steal anything! Here, take it!" I said, throwing the necklace like it was a crumpled piece of trash straight into the guard’s hands.

For some absurd reason, everyone — and I mean everyone, even the background NPCs — opened their mouths like they’d just realized they don’t actually exist and are just part of a video game.

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration… but only barely.

The guard jumped forward, arms outstretched, like some baseball player making a heroic dive to catch the jewel midair.

"What the hell are you doing, idiot?!" someone yelled.

"Huh? Why the big deal? It’s just a necklace," I said, scratching the inside of my ear in confusion.

"You! You really don’t know what you were about to steal!"

"Well… no? Which part of ‘I wasn’t stealing’ do you people not get? I. Wasn’t. Stealing. Anything. Got it?"

"This is unbelievable. Not only did you try to steal it, but you were also going to destroy the evidence? You’re quite bold, cat," Carlotta accused me of another crime… What the hell does bold even mean here?

I guess my dumb face said it all, because Maxi’s voice came to my rescue.

"Ah… whatever. Hold your horses. Don’t you think that if my partner here was dumb enough to just throw away that precious thing, it kinda proves she didn’t know its value? So it makes no sense that she’d try to steal something she didn’t even know was valuable, right?"

"That’s your whole argument?"

A cold voice sliced through the air, crushing Maxi’s attempt at reasoning. From within the small crowd, Fisalia stepped forward, coming to stand right beside Carlotta.

And okay, I’ll admit it: seeing those two together — standing there with so much grace and that aura of “We run this place” — was way too dazzling for my poor eyes. I had to look away.

Didn’t stop my soul from shaking, though. Those two beautiful women were terrifying.

Oh crap… my fears just came true. Fisalia showed up at the worst possible time.

"What do you mean, Lady Fisalia?" Maxi tried to ask, but the answer came immediately.

"Let’s say Miss Adelheid didn’t know the incredible value of that necklace. That doesn’t necessarily mean she didn’t intend to steal it. Otherwise… could you explain why you two were running away so desperately?"

Maxi gave me a look that said: ‘Nope. You’re on your own. I did what I could.’

Seriously? Me? Alone?

What was I supposed to say? ‘I was running away from you two and from the heroes of the world’?

Yeah… that didn’t sound believable at all.

So, my brain scrambled for an excuse — and, of course, went with the stupidest thing possible.

"Uh… I have diarrhea?" I blurted out.

Awkward silence. Everyone stared at me like they’d just been stabbed with hot needles. Definitely not my best moment.

But hey — I did hear Maxi snicker next to me. That tiny bit of laughter gave me some comfort. Totally worth it.

"You’re disgusting," Carlotta said flatly. "And that’s not even a good excuse. Besides, it’s a lie. If it were true, you wouldn’t be able to run, would you?"

"Indeed. Let’s just end this," Fisalia said coldly.

"End this?" I echoed, still stunned by how bossy and self-righteous they sounded — like they ran the whole damn Academy.

Which made me realize something.

… why the hell haven’t the guards said anything this whole time?

That’s weird, right? Shouldn’t they be the ones questioning me?

Then I remembered: oh right, they’re NPCs. They won’t move until the “drama scene” is over. They’re literally waiting for their cue.

Still, I couldn’t stop wondering how the freaking hell that necklace ended up in my pocket.

Wait a minute… Carlotta showing up right now, right when Fisalia did too — isn’t that just a bit too convenient?

Plus, when she helped me up earlier, I swear she touched a little lower than necessary… I thought I was imagining things, but now that I think about it — what if that bitch planted it herself?!

Yeah! That’s it!

And not just her — Fisalia too!

Those damn snakes set me up!

I muttered under my breath, "You bastards. Acting all high and mighty when this whole thing’s your fault. What the hell are you even trying to pull?"

"Miss Fisalia," the blonde cut in. "I’m sure Madam Herz won’t be too pleased to learn that a student committed a criminal act while wearing our Academy’s uniform, right? If I may, Miss Fisalia — since you’re part of the disciplinary committee, you should report this immediately. Of course, unless the authorities wish to press charges first."

"Charges? Isn’t that a bit dramatic? How expensive can that trinket even be, huh?" I shot back incredulously.

"Trinket? That piece was crafted by Madam Herz herself; it’s no exaggeration to say its value exceeds seven figures."

"Seven!? Then why the hell is it just sitting here like it’s nothing!?"

"Wait, hold on, this isn’t right," Maxi interrupted as the guards and the two villains started closing in. "Before throwing accusations, maybe you should check the eviden—"

"Evidence?" Fisalia spat. "Of course. How about we request a quick security check?"

"What are you planning?" I said, my voice tight with anxiety.

Obviously, I hadn’t stolen anything, so why the hell would I agree to check the security cameras?

"But of course, we’re just mere students," Carlotta said, dripping with mockery. "We can’t just barge into something as delicate as the security system. So we’ll leave it to these respectable guards. They’ll decide. Still…"

Now Fisalia took the lead.

"If I’m not mistaken, Madam Herz will be informed regardless, correct?"

"Eh?" Maxi stammered, nervous.

"That’s right. Madam Herz will be notified about this incident," one of the burly men confirmed, like it was the inevitable conclusion.

That’s when it hit me.

"You’re trying to ruin my reputation, aren’t you?" I hissed, fury boiling up like acid.

"I don’t understand why you’d accuse us of that, stray cat," Fisalia replied coolly, as if she’d already predicted everything.

"That’s right — we’re only upholding the dignity of our Academy."

Oh crap. What the hell’s gonna happen to me now?

Apparently, I still haven’t learned my lesson about keeping my mouth shut… Because just when I thought things couldn’t get worse… the system popped up.

[Main Quest: Act One — Survival in the Crimson Winter. [Survive the Blood Witch — Schemes at the Shopping Center — (Locked: Survive the Previous Stage) — (Locked: Survive the Previous Stage) — (Locked: Survive the Previous Stage)— (Locked: Survive the Previous Stage)] Time Remaining: 2´232:00:00]

What the hell?!

Those damn glowing letters that always mess with my life suddenly started changing color right before my eyes.

The usual pale white light twisted into a grim, blood-red glow…

W-Why the hell is this quest written in blood-red letters!?

And… what does “Survive the Previous Stage” even mean!?

A-Am I gonna die for real?!...

F*CK!