I Killed the Player of the Academy-Side Story 8

When the truth about Korin's precepts became known, the girls fell into silence.

“W-Wait… something like that exists? Is it really possible?”

Marie doubted the existence of the precepts.

Of course, it was mostly out of pure disbelief when she said it.

Fundamentally, Marie Dunareff is the kind of person who believes in anything Korin Locke says.

Because she trusted the integrity of the person named Korin more than anyone else.

"A percept...."

Hwaran, Estelle, and Miriam were also equally embarrassed.

But after witnessing him vomit blood, there was no room for doubt.

Because everyone has witnessed a powerful man driven to the brink of death just by causing someone else's 'misfortune' without any magical or physical interference.

"It is possible. The precepts are a... very old, ancient magic."

Erin, who lived through the Age of the Gods, confirmed it decisively.

"It is a magic passed down since the distant ages of the gods. A code of conduct for warriors who impose obligations on themselves and keep their oaths. It's a force that even the gods themselves could not interfere with."

Erin then talked about what the precepts were, how powerful they were, and the price for breaking them.

"I see... Korin-dongsaeng's growth rate really was at an unbelievable rate."

"..."

Estelle was once again impressed by Korin, who risked his life to save the world, while Miriam remained silent.

Marie and Hwaran, too, realized what the first precept meant, and their faces turned pale.

It wasn't hard to figure out if you thought for just a moment.

For Marie, Alicia, Hwaran, Estelle, and Erin... Korin had always thrown himself into danger without hesitation to protect those around him.

Back when he had nothing, he fought a top-class vampire armed with nothing but a spear, and battled a rampaging demon until his body was a shredded mess.

And at the end, the path to saving the world had opened up, and he saved the world.

His determination to lose no one, his willingness to walk into suffering, this was the Korin Locke they knew.

“I need… some time to think.”

The girls had a moment of hesitation before the absurd plan of a harem.

* * * *

Marie is a beloved girl.

From a young age, she was showered with excessive love and attention from her parents, and her naturally gentle personality was well-liked by her peers, siblings, and servants alike.

As the eldest of seven siblings, the fact that she had never once fought with them or become the target of jealousy showed just how deeply loved she was.

A girl who grew up receiving lots of love also gave love to those around her.

But the love she had received and the love she now felt were completely different in kind.

Her first love.

She had harbored this sweet, innocent feeling for a very long time.

She knew it was a different kind of love. But for someone like Marie, who was used to receiving just as much affection in return, her relationship with Korin Locke was truly an unfamiliar one.

She could do anything for the one she loved.

Wealth, power, strength… she would give everything she had to support and bring joy to the one she loved.

But perhaps, precisely because of that, she hoped, no, expected, that he would give everything of himself in return.

Was that being too greedy?

"Idiot..."

Even the plan of waiting a hundred years of waiting to make him hers forever.

That wasn't a valid option anymore..

Even if he chose someone else, the seeds of misfortune he would plant in doing so might be enough to kill him.

"I hate you, Korin..."

She voiced her resentment aloud. She hated that Korin couldn’t love only her.

And yet──

She loved him.

She loved Korin Locke.

Marie Dunareff was deeply, and ever so helplessly, in love.

* * * *

The cathedral is quiet on weekdays.

As it was originally built as a cathedral for academy students, only a select few who were on the path to priesthood were allowed to enter on weekdays.

"....."

"....."

Inside the chapel, seated among the rows of tightly packed wooden pews, Hwa and Ran sat in silence.

The two had come here specifically to avoid running into the other girls.

They didn’t want to show weakness in front of their rivals, who were their enemies in love.

'What should we do?'

Ran spoke, taking the initiative for the ever-silent Hwa.

"....I don't know."

Neither of them had ever imagined being in such a situation.

The love and affection that these two had were pure to an extreme.

They loved Korin, they felt warm when they were with him, they felt good whenever he touched them, and they wanted to bring him joy.

That pure affection had blossomed into love, which evolved into a deeper, more primal desire to possess.

They wished he would touch 'only them'.

They wished he would look 'only at them'.

They wished he were 'only by their side.'

'Maybe, this is for the best.'

"...what is?"

Ran's voice was sharp at first, but then she whispered softly.

'If we’re all together… at least I don’t have to worry about losing him.'

"...…."

From some point on, they’d become wary of the other girls’ gazes, of the ones who looked at Korin the way they did.

They were afraid.

Afraid he might be taken.

Afraid their warmth would be stolen.

That fear had once driven them to try for a child first.

But now they knew it wasn’t so easy to bear a child.

If they couldn’t be first, what were they supposed to do?

"I still hate it." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

'Yeah... me too.'

"Korin, you idiot."

'You're an idiot, oppa.'

They hated that things had come to this.

"I like him."

'I like him too.'

They didn’t want to be apart.

They wanted to feel that warmth forever.

To these two girls, Korin Locke had become someone they simply could not live without.

* * * *

Estelle has no doubt that she was someone special.

She was a gifted being from birth; a child of God with a destined path ahead of her.

Even though her faith became twisted over time, Estelle's strong sense of self didn't collapse.

In fact, you could say it rebounded even stronger.

'If the Lord is a fabricated lie, then why can't I become a god?'

That was why she made it her goal.

To become the most revered figure in the land. To become the goddess of the earth, embracing all things like a mother.

She, who had once been content with her status as a saintess and princess, began to dream a wild ambition.

'But this wasn't just for me.'

The root of that ambition, the trigger for all her actions, was for a single man.

The one who wielded the power of the sun, and the rightful heir to the divine seat (though he didn’t acknowledge it).

A kind, gentle, and just man, like a hero from a fairytale.

Her cute little brother, who reacted with terror to her voice whispering in his ear, was the new god who could lead the true faith.

The perfect sun god to stand beside the earth goddess she aspired to become.

'No, that's not it, that came later.'

Actually, even before that... from the time when he had first saved her, when she’d first teased him playfully, Estelle had started falling in love.

She thought that Korin was admirable for his unwavering justice and his willingness to walk the path of hardship to save others.

Estelle simply wanted to cherish this love for a long, long time. Becoming a goddess seemed like a convenient bonus, really.

'I would give up my position as a Goddess of the Earth to be with him.'

If he loved only her, and if he would also accept her poor, pitiful little sister as a bonus… then even a brief human life would be enough.

"Ha...."

Estelle sighed heavily. And then, a thought struck her.

What if she were her sister?

What would she do if she were the most selfish, cold-hearted person?

She stepped out of her room and walked down the dormitory corridor.

It was late, so her sister should be in her room right now.

Tonight, she thought, it might be good to spend the night together and talk things out.

Knock knock

"Mir? You there?"

..No response.

Estelle tilted her head and knocked again. Still no reply.

"Huh?"

It was almost midnight, so Estelle knew her sister wouldn’t be out at this hour.

The life of royalty is more repetitive than most thought, and tonight was no different.

"Wait a minute..."

A sudden, ominous thought flashed across her mind.

And it took less than a second for her to say it aloud:

“She beat me to it?!”

She had let her guard down.

Among all the women in love with Korin, the most decisive and bold of them all was that snake of a princess!

* * * *

“Déjà vu…”

When I opened my eyes, I found myself tied up.

And, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, there sat Mir on top of him, dressed in a red, semi-transparent lingerie.

“You're awake, my husband? I laced your food with a sleeping drug strong enough to knock out a troll for a day.”

“P-Princess Mir…”

Mir silenced me with a pale finger on my lips.

Though her finger was half the size of mine, it felt like iron, holding my mouth shut.

“I gave it some thought.”

With a satisfied smile, she looked down at the speechless Korin.

“I really hate sharing what's mine. That's why I beat that gay friend of yours to the punch.”

“…Sihoo?”

“Yup.”

“W-Wait, you knew?!”

Mir knew that Park Si-hoo liked me?!

Mir gave me a look like I’d just asked the dumbest question in the world.

“You can tell just by the way he looks at you. Of course, I knew it could never happen since your sexual preferences are painfully straight.”

If Sihoo had Corin’s strength, he’d probably have jumped him eventually.

And honestly… she was probably right, which was terrifying.

Though, let’s set aside the fact that Sihoo’s actually a girl.

“I monopolized you before… but I don’t think I can this time, you flirtatious husband.”

“S-Sorry…”

"I probably would not even be included as part of your precepts, right?"

"....."

I couldn't even open my mouth to speak. How did she realize that?

Mir chuckled bitterly.

“Of course not. I’m the villainess who tried to wipe out an entire city for revenge. There's no way I’m considered a 'good person'."

Yeah, that's right. While the other girls were tied to quests, Mir wasn't.

That was because I didn't perceive her as a good person.

She was a villainess. Someone who’d shed blood for her goals.

“Which is why this isn’t the time to pick and choose, right?”

"Still, that doesn't mean...."

"Accept it, husband. You need to build a harem anyway, don’t you?"

Yes, even if it's to carry out my precepts... even to avoid making those left behind unhappy... even if it's for my own survival...

“I’m just the first one, that’s all.”

Her hand slid towards my shirt buttons. Actually, I could've broken free a long time ago... But should I just go along with it?

“Hehe… you’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You're acting like a victim, but deep down you love it.”

“I won’t deny it.”

Honestly, I was kind of grateful. Maybe that’s why we were such a good match in the previous timeline.

“Then…”

Just as Mir’s finger slipped under my shirt button—

BANG!

A pink-haired saintess burst through the door.

Honestly, I had heard the clatter of her running for about ten seconds now, so it wasn’t a surprise.

But still...

"Why is the timing like this...."

"Tch..."

Mir clicked her tongue while Estelle’s eyes burned with fury towards her.

“My sweet little sister~ What exactly are you doing in here?”

“You’ve always had terrible timing, you know?”

“Oh, I know~ I just always choose the timing that bothers you most.”

Sparks flew between them.

Estelle walked up, and glared at the barely-dressed Mir sitting on top of me.

“Do you even realize that you’re a princess?”

“I simply made the logical choice.”

"What??"

“The harem is inevitable, you saw what happens if he doesn’t form one.”

“That’s…”

“So, shouldn’t we get ahead of the others?”

“Y-You…!”

Estelle turned red and gasped for breath at Mir's outrageous words.

And it wasn't just Estelle who came running into my room.

"Korin!"

"Mr. Korin!"

"Oppa?"

They started to gather one by one due to the commotion and I was starting to get a little scared that Ren and Ron would come too. This wouldn't be good for their education...

"Student Korin······."

Even Josephine arrived. Quickly assessing the situation, she then opened a portal and brought in Master Erin.

"Huh... Clara? What happened all of a sudden... oh my!"

The sight of a tied-up Korin and a barely-dressed Mir startled Erin wide awake.

"In my own defense... I didn't do it."

Isn't twice enough for sex without any pleasure? I mean, yeah, there was some pleasure... there was! But still, I wanna enjoy it sober for once... Like, that’s a totally normal desire, right? Not wanting to be drugged into sex is a normal desire, right??

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let me, Miriam Elizabeth el Ras, make my official statement.”

Mir untied my bonds, stood me up beside her, embracing me so tightly her skin pressed against mine as she declared proudly.

"I don't care if Lord Korin has multiple wives. As the main wife, I’ll graciously accept concubines."

"Huh?"

"What did you say...?"

“Main wife?”

“Concubines?!”

Did you really have to set fire to this situation right now?

············

·········

······

Morning came.

With the intense debate over who would be the main wife still unresolved, the group continued on.

“There’s no such thing! What do you mean, main wife and concubines?!”

“Mmm~ But wouldn’t it be better to have a hierarchy, right, Korin-dongsaeng?”

“Alicia, whose side are you even on?!”

“On the main wife’s, of course.”

…You’re not even thinking about becoming the main wife yourself?

“It just feels more thrilling this way…”

"Be quiet! I don't want to hear about your tainted views on marriage!"

Ever since going to Findias to get Clau Solas, Alicia's brain had definitely been scrambled.

“Anyway… who’s spending the first night with him?”

“Princess Mir, please put down the shutters… Before that, we should take care of something else first.”

“Something else?”

“We need to get permission from all your parents first.”

"....."

"....."

Everyone stared at me with a cold gaze. What is this? Did I say something wrong?

“You’re weirdly responsible sometimes.”

Estelle sighed. Marie spoke up cautiously.

“Won’t it be… hard, Korin?”

“Probably.”

In the worst-case scenario, I might have to reveal the precept to gain their approval, but I’d really prefer not to.

Just as the precepts gave me immense power, they were also a source of my greatest weakness.

“First, we’ll persuade my fathers and mothers-in-law.”

My own parents would come last.

Wouldn't that be how a proper marriage would go?

'Though the moment I started talking about forming a harem was the moment any idea of a 'proper' marriage went out the window...'

"The Playboy's Agony" Complete