Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The President in Crisis (1)

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President Lena, who had spent a full week managing the aftermath of the S-rank gate explosion and returned to her airship with a weary face, was met with shocking news the moment she arrived.

"So… rats dared to hide here?"

Lena's voice was stiff.

"Yes."

Baek Seol-hee nodded, her face as calm as ever.

Lena squeezed her eyes shut.

'Damn it.'

It was a massive oversight.

"I layered firewall magic for the test's security, only for the enemy to be inside all along…"

Lena, wary of potential external intrusions, had made it impossible for anyone she hadn't permitted to even find the island, let alone set foot on it, even if they stumbled upon it by sheer coincidence.

And in accordance with the test's design, all external connections had been severed.

This meant that even she, from a distance, had no way of knowing what was happening on the uninhabited island!

However, the idea that people were already hidden on that uninhabited island, and that those people were even demons, was something she had never dreamed of.

'I even confirmed there were no humans on the island… Did they possess an artifact that could evade my sight?'

She wanted to interrogate those demons immediately, but that wasn't what was important now.

"So, the casualties?"

Lena's voice trembled terribly as she asked.

The report she received from Baek Seol-hee listed one AA-rank demon, one A-rank demon, and fourteen B-rank demons.

First-year students couldn't possibly have been safe against such opponents.

Calling it a simple oversight wasn't enough.

The lives of the students and the lives of civilians.

While it might not be fair to weigh them, as all lives are equal.

Those gathered here were the pillars of the future. The seeds who would cross Korea and the world to face monsters and demons.

Moreover, this batch of first-year students was full of promising individuals she had been keeping a close eye on!

If they had died at the hands of demons due to her mistake before they could even bloom, she wouldn't be able to laugh, not even as a joke.

She desperately hoped the damage was minimal.

Lena looked at Baek Seol-hee with that earnest hope.

"Fortunately, everyone is safe. A few students were exhausted, but their lives are not in danger."

"What did you say!?"

*She shot up!*

Lena shot up from her seat, her eyes wide as saucers.

And then, she let out a sigh of relief.

'…It was Seol-hee. Seol-hee! If I hadn't sent Seol-hee first, something truly terrible would have happened! Yes, Seol-hee arrived just in time and dealt with all the demons!'

Baek Seol-hee, who had suddenly insisted on returning amidst the S-rank gate explosion.

By principle, she should never have allowed it, but a strange unease she felt at the time made her give permission.

'Was this the true nature of that strange unease I felt then?'

"Thank you, Seol-hee. You saved the students."

Lena let out a long sigh of relief as she spoke.

However.

Baek Seol-hee's reply that followed left her frozen once more.

"I apologize, but it wasn't me."

"?"

"By the time I arrived, most of the dangerous situation had already been resolved. And the remaining demons were also on the verge of being dealt with."

"Huh…?"

Was Seol-hee joking?

Even if she didn't know about the other demons, Rebecca, an AA-rank demon, should have been an opponent absolutely beyond the capabilities of first-year students.

"Tell me in detail… No, I'll find out for myself."

*Snap!*

As she snapped her fingers.

The bodies of the homunculi, who had been guarding shops all over the uninhabited island, blurred.

The homunculi, having reverted to their blue particle forms, returned to their original owner, who was situated on the airship.

*Swoosh—*

Soon, Lena, having received all the memories, slowly opened her eyes halfway.

"Hah… Jin Yu-ha. Yes, it was him again…"

Lena covered her face with her hand, letting out a cheerful laugh as if in disbelief.

* * *

All the students gathered in the center of the uninhabited island.

It was a vast field where large-scale battles typically took place.

Students who had already been summoned to the airship for recovery were also present.

"Ugh, it's finally over. That was ridiculously hard."

"You got to chill on the airship early, you bitch. Do you even know how much we suffered down here?"

"Uh… *Cough!* Well, we all, all took the midterm together! But, is it true that demons appeared this time? Sounds like a lie…"

"Hah, a lie? Open your ears wide. This unnie will tell you the epic saga that unfolded!"

Those who had been quickly eliminated early in the test had no idea what had happened on the island, so their eyes widened in surprise.

As many things had happened, the students were busy chattering among themselves, and the plaza grew noisy.

*Murmuring, murmuring—*

That's when it happened.

*Rumble, rumble, rumble—*

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to shake as if an earthquake had struck.

"Huh, huh!?"

*Crumble, rumble, rumble!*

And then, a perfectly rectangular rock began to rise in front of where the students were gathered.

Stairs then rose beside it.

An impressive platform, embossed with artistic decorations, was created on the spot.

"…Seriously, even if it's the Magic Emperor, that's cheating! A shelter built with blood and sweat is what true wilderness is about!"

Lee Yu-ri, standing next to me, gritted her teeth, expressing some inexplicable indignation.

'Hmm, well… Her hideout looked entirely handmade…'

I probably shouldn't mention that I'd had it easy with the camping gear I prepared beforehand at home.

*Whoosh!*

President Lena descended from the air.

*Float.*

Her body plummeted rapidly, then abruptly slowed near the platform, gently landing her feet upon it.

*Thud.*

*Whoosh—!*

Following that, the instructors were summoned behind her.

Every single one of them looked utterly exhausted.

The students' gazes turned towards the platform.

"First, I'd like to tell all the students that you've worked hard enduring this midterm evaluation."

She opened the address with calm words of commendation for the students.

"The midterm evaluation will be graded fairly, and the results will be sent to each of you individually."

Next were words regarding the midterm evaluation.

Then Lena fell silent for a moment.

"…And regarding what happened during this midterm evaluation, I cannot simply move on without a word of explanation."

Lena painstakingly began to speak of the incident.

"Regarding the unfortunate incident that occurred, I, as the president responsible for the Velvet Hunter Academy, feel a grave sense of responsibility."

She recounted the events in a calm voice.

"Demons had infiltrated this place, and I, along with the instructors, were absent, dealing with the gate explosion incident that occurred in Korea. And in our absence, the demons attacked the students."

Her gaze swept across the gathered students.

Her eyes seemed to hold a complex mixture of various emotions.

"…Even if a critical gate explosion occurred in Korea, and even if no students were sacrificed, this was an accident that happened during a midterm evaluation hosted by myself. This is clearly an oversight, and I acknowledge it."

Lena, *the* Lena, publicly acknowledged her mistake.

"The Academy has no intention of sweeping this incident under the rug or hiding it. The current situation will be fully disclosed to the public, and we intend to accept all criticism regarding it."

*Murmuring, murmuring—*

The commotion among the students grew louder.

Her magic, which usually silenced them or froze their bodies in such situations, was absent.

She simply let the students exchange their opinions freely.

"…"

As they chattered for a long time, one by one, they began to quiet down, watching Lena's reaction.

Seeing this, Lena opened her mouth again.

"Therefore, regardless of your midterm evaluation grades, all students will receive compensation from Velvet Academy. And to the students who, in my inadequacy, resolved this situation… I extend my deepest gratitude as the Academy's president to all of you."

Lena bowed her head deeply towards the students.

In truth, since no one was sacrificed, it might have been possible to smooth over this incident if it were handled well.

However, President Lena was not such a person.

Unlike her youthful appearance and her usual clumsy demeanor.

She was a person worthy of being called a hero of humanity, even while holding the rank of number one.

The Magic Emperor. Lena.

She never shied away from her responsibilities.

'So this is how it turns out, after all. I thought maybe not, since no students died… but it's just like the game's cutscene.'

Due to this incident, Velvet Academy would incur significant losses.

The appearance of demons in the students' test venue meant that safety measures were inadequate.

In the original story, the president who spearheaded this midterm evaluation received intense criticism, being labeled a 'student murderer.'

'Of course, since no one died this time, that won't happen…'

I looked at Lena, then subtly spoke to Sophia, who was standing behind me.

"Sophia, are you recording this properly?"

"Yes, yes! I'm recording it well!"

Sophia nodded, aiming her camera lens at the platform.

"Since all students have achieved such feats, I would like to bring all of you up here, but due to limitations of time and space, I will call a representative."

Lena's silent gaze turned towards me.

"Jin Yu-ha, step forward."

I slowly ascended the platform stairs, my face composed and calm.

[ Jin Yu-ha, truly, thank you… This isn't gratitude from the Academy President, but my personal thanks. ]

Lena spoke to me telepathically.

Her unusually dejected voice revealed how heavily she was taking the current situation.

'Hmm… Originally, I was just going to have them release an explanatory video later.'

I stared intently at Lena.

'Our little kid. Should I boost her spirits a bit?'

"Student Jin Yu-ha, as the Academy President, I sincerely apologize for this oversight. As compensation for this incident—"

"Hold on a moment."

I raised my hand, interrupting her.

Lena's eyebrow twitched, as if she hadn't expected it.

"Is this really an oversight?"

I tilted my head, asking in a loud voice audible to everyone.

Lena replied, sounding bewildered.

"…Isn't that obvious?! For demons to appear in a test I hosted means—"

"Hmm, then that's strange. If the President hadn't been deployed to the S-rank gate explosion incident, all the civilians there would have died. So, are you saying that it would have been right for you to save us and let the civilians die?"

Lena's eyes widened.

[ You! Jin Yu-ha! What on earth are you—!! ]

I pulled up the corner of my mouth into a grin.

"You knew, President. That there were demons here."

"What…?"

Lena suddenly asked back, as if wondering what I was talking about.

"Oh come on, demons infiltrated, and you're not implying that *the* Magic Emperor couldn't detect a single intruder, are you?"

In reality, Lena hadn't noticed the demons' presence. It was due to the artifacts they had received from the Demon Association.

But I shook my head, a smile playing on my lips, as if it were preposterous.

"However, it's also true that an S-rank gate exploded at the same time you noticed them. In other words, you were faced with a dilemma. And at that time, you judged that rescuing civilians was more urgent than rescuing us, didn't you?"

Those words, in fact, pushed Lena into a corner.

"Th-that's not what I meant!"

Lena wore a bewildered expression, unable to understand what Jin Yu-ha's intention was in saying such things.

The murmuring among the students grew louder.

Because Jin Yu-ha's words now sounded as if she had abandoned them to save civilians.

Some students even gritted their teeth in betrayal.

However.

"So, you trusted us, didn't you?"

At Jin Yu-ha's smooth, cunning words that followed, everyone, including Lena, wore a blank expression.

"Huh…?"

"You trusted *us*, the students of Velvet Hunter Academy, who have learned how to fight demons and monsters, didn't you?"

"W-what are you saying…?"

"Are you really going to do this? After you specifically told me, 'Demons are hiding, so just hold out until Instructor Baek Seol-hee arrives.'"

I shrugged and said.

"Otherwise, how would I have devised a plan to save the students? It was only possible because you told me everything."

At those words, a heavy silence instantly fell over the wide plaza.

"…"