I Stole the Heroines’ Tragedy Flags

Drurrk—.
Someone dragged a chair and placed it by the bedside.
In response, her eyes, sensing the movement, snapped open with a slight start.

"…Seri…a?"
"Aria. You’re awake. How’s your body…?"
In response to her question, I raised my arm and moved it around. The weight that had been overwhelming earlier in the morning was now as light as a feather. My head, which had been hot and dizzy, felt fine now, and the pain in my eyes had disappeared as well.

"…I think I’m alright."
"Thank goodness..."
"Did Seria treat me?"

At her question, Seria shook her head.
"No. When I came, you were already like this…"
"…"

"Still, I’m relieved… if you had left me too…"
I sat up and hugged Seria, who was about to cry.
Thankfully, there seemed to be no issue with her moving her body, so it appeared she had fully recovered.

"It’s never going to happen, Seria."
Seria, crying in my arms, looked smaller than usual. Both she and I knew the pain of losing someone precious, so we always supported each other, understood each other, and comforted one another.
'…By the way, who treated me?'

I had lost consciousness suddenly on my way to school, so I didn’t know exactly what had happened. But one thing was certain: I had been dying since then. The pain, which had no apparent cause, was strange, but even stranger was how it suddenly disappeared.
'I also felt… a familiar sensation.'
I ran my hand through my hair. I had definitely felt someone caressing me, but was it just my imagination?
"…Aria?"

"Yes? What’s wrong, Seria?"
"…"
Seria suddenly pulled away from my embrace and brought her face close to my head. She started sniffing.

"Se, Seria…?"
"Aria. Have you been wearing perfume recently?"
"Huh? Oh… no?"

"It smells sweet and refreshing."
"…Hmm."
Now that I thought about it, there was a strange, pleasant scent lingering around me. At first, I thought it was just the scent of the room, but looking at Seria’s reaction, it seemed like the smell was coming from me.

'That’s strange… I don’t wear perfume.'
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
The strong scent seemed to be coming from my hair, as if someone’s warmth had been left behind.

***
While I was treating Aria, I overlooked one thing.
I had silently broken my lunch appointment with Kiana.

"Hey, you bastard. If you have something to say, say it!"
"…I’m sorry."
"Is that all? Just saying sorry?!"

Thwack!
As expected, a punch landed on my side. It was much harder than usual, so Kiana must’ve been really mad.
"I’m really sorry."

"Because of you, the restaurant I booked was canceled, and I lost money! Ugh, I’m so mad about the money!"
"You canceled?"
"I booked for two, but if I go alone, I can’t eat there!"

Kiana grumbled, mentioning that it was a difficult-to-book restaurant. I had noticed it since our first lunch together—Kiana probably cared more about food than even alchemy.
"So, Kiana, you couldn’t eat either?"
"I had a sandwich."

"At least you ate something. I couldn’t eat at all."
I had stopped by the Headmaster’s office and treated Aria, so lunch had long passed. My empty stomach felt like it was crying out.
"What on earth were you doing around lunch time that you didn’t eat?"

"Yeah, I don’t know… I feel like I’m going to die from hunger."
"…Tch, idiot."
As I rubbed my stomach to ease the hunger, she sighed and handed me something.

It was a sandwich with ham.
"Eat this."
"Huh? Why…?"

"Didn’t you say you’re hungry? …I had planned to save it for later, but just eat it now."
"…Thanks."
I politely took the sandwich she handed me. Even as she gave it to me, she was still looking away. …Her ears were red, so it seemed she was a little embarrassed.

'Is this that tsundere thing?'
"…What, why are you staring at me like that, you bastard!"
Nope, it’s just that she’s a yandere.

***
After filling my stomach with the sandwich, Kiana and I headed to the afternoon class.
As we moved together, it was clear that this was a class we were both attending. It was the alchemy class, the one Kiana had been most excited about.

"You seem in a good mood."
"Heh~ Of course! I came to the academy to take this class, didn’t I?"
She didn’t stop humming a tune until we sat down. …She must really be happy about this.

'Even I can tell, this classroom looks unusual.'
In both the game and now in real life, alchemists are a profession that requires a lot of money. The ingredients used in alchemy are expensive, but the magic tools needed for transmuting them are even more ridiculously costly.
In that sense, the various tools placed around the classroom were high-tech equipment that would make anyone’s jaw drop.

'Is that an Arsen extractor? Just that alone would cost dozens of platinum coins…'
The fact that such tools weren’t just one or two, but were set up at every desk, was truly ironic. Does Ella Academy have money to burn?
'…Well, considering that person is a dragon, with their wealth, I guess running an academy without outside sponsors is possible.'

In a fantasy world, dragons, who have lived for thousands of years, probably have heaps of treasures in places like rare dungeons, so it made sense.
"Kiana. You’re drooling."
"…Tch!"

She shot me a glance, looking a bit wild-eyed. As the daughter of a family famous for alchemy, I could see why she’d be so thrilled by this place. I wasn’t unfamiliar with alchemy myself, and I understood how she felt.
"...Should I steal just one?"
"Hey, get a grip."

Her serious contemplation almost looked frightening.
...
"—Alright, now that we've finished the theory lesson, let's move on to the practical session, shall we?"

"""Yes!"""
The alchemy class proceeded smoothly. Since I had enrolled in this course mainly to build a connection with Kiana, it was one of the few classes without any significant risks. There were no awkward relationships, and there were no disgusting professors like that bastard from Sacred Studies.
It might have seemed like an unnecessary class, but I decided to think differently.

'Anyway, with such great equipment here, I can just make it here.'
I was really pleased with Ella Academy’s educational system. Just like in swordsmanship class, the academy provided advantages to students who weren’t complete beginners. Kiana, myself, and a few others were excluded from the practical exercises and given free time.
"...Ain, do you have a talent for alchemy?"

"Well, sort of…?"
"Sort of? From the way you made the potion earlier, you’re way better than the alchemists in our family!"
"It’s not that good, really."

Although I carried the memories of my past life, my alchemy skills weren’t objectively that great. Back in my first life, I learned through trial and error, and I lacked formal knowledge. It wasn’t until now that I had learned a bit more, but I couldn’t compare to Kiana, who had natural talent for it.
"...You liar."
"Hey, why are you jealous of me when you’re way better than me?"

"I’ve never met anyone as bad as you in my life!"
"Others could work their whole lives and still not be able to reach your level."
Ignoring Kiana’s grumbling, I focused on the tools laid out before me. The professor gave us free time and allowed us to use alchemical tools and a few ingredients.

It seemed the professor was in a good mood, probably because there were so many talented students, and there were some high-quality ingredients placed on the desks. He even said we could take the things we made, which made this time all the more important to me.
'…So, what should I make first?'
Although I had only been at the academy for less than a week, I already understood one thing: before carrying out my plans, I needed to grow stronger.

I checked the current state of my body.
'Aura is low-level expert, magic is probably good up to 7th circle, and divine magic is 5th tier.'
I wasn’t too satisfied with my progress. For someone on their third life, this level wasn’t enough. The sense of inadequacy was strong, but considering the uniqueness of my body, it was unavoidable.

'But my growth is way too slow…'
If I kept struggling at this level, surviving the coming disaster would be difficult. …Not to mention surviving against those who disliked me.
'At least, the aura needs to be prioritized.'

I had felt it during my spar with Ren. Though it was rare even in the academy to have an expert-level aura, if I stayed at a low level, I wouldn’t be able to stop that monster during the midterm evaluations. …That monster was one I absolutely had to defeat, no matter what.
'Looks like I’ll have to make a tonic.'
A tonic that would accelerate the growth of my aura. It was my top priority right now.

With my decision made, I moved my hands. I carefully selected herbs and sorted the tools I would need. Kiana, who had been eyeing me, suddenly asked.
"Ain, what are you making?"
"A tonic."

"...What? A tonic? Are you going to drink it?"
"Yeah."
"No way, a tonic? Do you even know the recipe? Even if it’s not anything else, the recipe for a tonic is ridiculously expensive."

"I know a recipe."
It was a recipe from 1,000 years ago, but... It should be fine, right?