Milosh was lost in his memories, still sitting in his usual seat.
After seeing Eleanor earlier, he could do nothing but freeze his expression and leave as quickly as possible.
What he hadn't expected, however, was for the chair to suddenly collapse just moments ago.
"Did this happen in the original story? I don't remember reading this part."
According to his memories, there was never a scene where the chairs fell apart like that.
And strangely enough, it seemed to target the main characters specifically.
Even he had fallen with the chair.
Did that mean someone else was interfering with the events of the story?
Someone he didn't know about?
And Eleanor… she had been following him for some reason he couldn't figure out.
It was obvious she had been watching him from before.
But what exactly did she want?
If there was anyone who could have possibly been transported into this world as well, it would be—
"Loren."
Yes, the laptop had exploded between them. It was possible Loren had come here too.
But which character had he become?
"There's a really high chance…"
He must be the writer himself. He knows things even I don't.
In other words… Milosh didn't know Loren's true intentions.
But since he had destroyed his own world once before, he would surely try to destroy this one again.
If his guess was correct, Loren was the most dangerous enemy he could ever face.
Even the Demon King, with all his immense power, couldn't compare to the writer himself.
"I have to stop him… no matter the cost."
For Eleanor. For this peaceful life.
Even if it meant standing against the creator of this world.
He could win. He knew Loren too well — they had lived together for an entire year in the same dorm.
Milosh chuckled under his breath, folding his arms and tilting his head toward the ceiling with a confident grin.
Loren, sitting beside him, stared at the so-called "the protagonist" laughing next to her —
as if he believed everything was perfectly under control.
"What's with that look? Are you kidding me?" she thought, deadpan.
Disappointment hit her like a brick.
No hope left. This man was not saving the world — not the way she imagined.
She didn't judge books by their covers, but this wasn't a book — this was chaos.
And trusting something (or someone) this unstable was not an option.
For now, she'd keep everything under her control until she decided what to do next.
"First of all… the tests I set up aren't exactly easy," she muttered to herself.
Besides, she still hadn't inherited all of Eleanor Matthews' real abilities yet.
Thankfully, she'd gained some experience points at least ... enough to think up a new plan later.
At that very moment, Sir Balfard concluded his speech, encouraging the students to give their all in the upcoming exams.
Naturally, he tossed in a few casual "good lucks" — as if luck actually existed in this hellhole.
Once the weight of tension finally eased off the students' shoulders,
the hall lights dimmed completely, accompanied by a series of stern warnings about discipline and morality.
Really? Be serious.
Did they actually expect a soldier at war not to shout "fuck" before dying as cannon fodder?
After the speech ended, Loren walked out of the hall beside the so-called "hero," William.
Both of them stood there frozen, their faces and postures stiff as statues before the grand gate.
"'Hello' — what a boring word," Loren muttered under her breath.
"How about 'introduce yourself or I'll kill you'? Or did you really think you could just steal people's bodies and get away with it?"
Meanwhile, on the other side…
"Eleanor… Eleanor… Eleanor…"
That was the only word echoing inside Milosh's skull.
And across from him again…
"Killing him now would be easy, wouldn't it?
No… there are people around. I'd be arrested, interrogated.
Besides, I still need him — and his power — if I ever want to return to my world."
Meanwhile again…
"She's beside me. She's right beside me…"
Yeah, this guy was completely insane.
As we were saying before… the flow of both their tangled thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a loud voice from inside the hall.
"Student Eleanor Mathews — you are summoned for questioning!"
"What? An investigation? With who? Eleanor? How— how is that even— this wasn't in the story!"
Milosh's thoughts spiraled as he turned his head, spotting Fiona, the disciplinary officer, standing behind them and calling out Eleanor's name.
Loren looked at Fiona and raised her hand in a salute.
"Student Eleanor, reporting for duty."
"It has been confirmed that you are responsible for tampering with the hall's chairs.
A full investigation will be conducted, and proper disciplinary action will follow."
Milosh's expression shifted instantly.
The story had changed again — right before his eyes.
Eleanor wasn't supposed to be summoned now. Not right after the speech.
Was this because of… Loren?
Yes, it had to be.
He was the one who'd done it.
He was the one who sabotaged the chairs too.
And now he was trying to get rid of Eleanor — again.
Of course. He hated her enough to kill her in the original story.
"You bastard… damn you… let's see how far you'll go to mess with me and Eleanor again."
At that exact moment, Loren — inside Eleanor's body — felt a sudden sting in her chest.
"Who the hell is cursing me right now?"
A short while later, Elianor walked away with Fiona, while Meralda waited nearby, talking with Lisa as they approached.
Meralda had her hand pressed to her forehead, rubbing it slowly as she fixed her eyes on Lorin.
He could already feel her rage radiating off her like heat.
"No excuses, no introductions... this is your final warning. Don't say I never gave you a chance. I trust Lily Mathioth's upbringing enough not to scold you further—but know this, it truly is your last warning."
Lorin swallowed hard, meeting Meralda's cold gaze.
She knew she had acted recklessly, rushing to stop the harem ratio from rising. She hadn't considered the collateral damage.
She'd have to be careful from now on—at least until the Forest Event was over. Stick to the script, survive, and then think about anything else.
She didn't want to make the hero suspicious either. Acting like Elianor for a while might be the safest option.
"Thank goodness... I thought I was in real trouble," she muttered inwardly.
When in reality—she was.
"Thank you, Miss Meralda, for your mercy... I'll make you proud. I promise."
"I don't want to hear another word from you. Leave."
A bead of sweat rolled down Lorin's temple as she turned and walked away.
Outside the hall, the hero was waiting for her, his cold gaze fixed on her.
He didn't say anything—at first. Then he stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'll get your
justice."
"What the hell does that even mean? Is this idiot trying to seduce me and add me to his harem? You know what—go to hell, you and whatever it is you think I 'justice,'." she thought bitterly.
After saying those strange words, he walked away quickly, as if he hadn't been there just moments ago.
Lorine stood still, trying to analyze what he actually meant....It didn't matter now.
What mattered was preparing for tomorrow—the first day of exams.
And the very first test was titled... "Loyalty."