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Chapter 3: Raising the Heroine with Compliments
In the Flame Butterfly arc, countless bad endings exist.
Among them, one of the worst bad endings stands out:
It is undoubtedly the "Ancient Dragon."
To the north of Zerion Academy lies the Dragon Mountain Range.
An ancient dragon nested there isn’t designed to be defeated—it’s a force of nature.
The sight of Zerion Academy frozen solid under its icy breath evoked an indescribable sense of awe and helplessness.
Thus, under no circumstances should this ancient dragon become an enemy.
This is the most critical rule I learned after countless playthroughs of Flame Butterfly.
Present time.
When it comes to the most dangerous figure leading to a bad ending, there’s only one answer:
The person who, by the third act, transforms into a figure the protagonist must defeat—
The one who could pave the way to the "Ancient Dragon" bad ending—
The woman who would come to wield dragon magic:
The so-called "Calamity Dragon."
Currently a third-year student, she serves as the vice president of the student council.
She was present even during the prologue of Act 1, Chapter 1, observing the entrance exam as part of the student council.
But as fate would have it, she faced an unfortunate loss against Lucas, who awakened the Flame of Determination during the test.
From that moment on, she and Lucas were constantly at odds, becoming sworn rivals.
To complicate matters further, the original Vikamon—the character I’ve now taken over—harbored a one-sided affection for her.
Though I, now Vikamon, don’t share those feelings, the fact remains that Vikamon openly liked her.
However, the Calamity Dragon had no intention of reciprocating.
Aware of this, Vikamon never confessed.
Thus, their relationship remained one-sided and unspoken.
‘What a timid guy.’
If you like someone, you should at least confess.
But, true to his role as a side-villain, Vikamon was as small-minded as they come.
‘And now that’s me.’
I’ve never experienced unrequited love, but now I have that legacy thrust upon me.
‘Thankfully, I didn’t enroll as Vikamon from the start.
Had I done so, rumors of me being the Calamity Dragon’s hopeless admirer would have spread like wildfire.
Back to the main issue:
Vikamon despised Lucas, the person constantly clashing with his beloved Dragoness.
Lucas, in turn, became the prime target of Vikamon’s harassment.
However, Vikamon eventually crossed a line.
He antagonized Lucas while the latter was paired with the princess during a dungeon exploration.
This backfired spectacularly, placing Vikamon’s life in danger.
Yet Lucas, being the protagonist, saved even the enemy who had tormented him.
It was a defining moment that showcased Lucas’s character.
Grateful and guilt-ridden, Vikamon sincerely apologized:
‘If you ever find yourself in danger, I’ll repay the debt of saving my life.’
From that point on, Vikamon became a redeemed villain seeking atonement.
However, the damage was already done.
Having antagonized a team that included the princess, Vikamon faced dire consequences.
He was expelled from both the academy and his noble family.
Originally, Vikamon was meant to fade into obscurity, with rumors of him living a carefree life elsewhere.
‘But no one would’ve expected me, Vikamon, to return to Zerion Academy.’
While the story remains Vikamon’s, it’s also now my story.
The past won’t simply vanish, so if I ever act as Vikamon, I’ll need to tread carefully.
Back to the true problem at hand: the Calamity Dragon.
She has a long history with the protagonist, Lucas.
Though they start as rivals, the narrative cleverly develops a begrudging camaraderie between them through shared hardships.
But this bond is nothing more than the developers’ cruel design.
It exists solely to amplify the tragedy of her arc.
She becomes the tragic final boss of Act 3, dying amidst heartbreak.
Her downfall also serves to deepen Lucas’s understanding of the empire’s brewing turmoil and its stakes.
‘From the entrance exam onward, Lucas’s story was already intertwined with hers.’
Meanwhile, what about me?
I’ve only just transferred in as a second-year student at the start of Act 2.
I’ve never participated in the entrance exam and have no connection to her yet.
Nevertheless, this world—already plunged into a bad ending—must somehow be steered back to the canonical route.
Though this bad-ending world is in shambles, I must prevent the ultimate disaster: the Ancient Dragon.
‘Which is why I’ll join the student council.’
Currently, the Dragoness serves as its vice president.
The only way to approach her is to enter the student council.
Thus, after finishing my martial arts class, I headed straight toward the student council.
Zerion Academy consists of a central building surrounded by five towering structures, each dedicated to one of five disciplines:
1. Martial Arts.
2. Mixed Arts.
3. Magic Arts
4. Divine Arts
5. Special Arts
These towers are collectively known as the Zerion Pentagon.
The Zerion Pentagon features aerial bridges connecting each tower, stretching out towards a central building.
Suspended in the air, a floating structure links them all—a building that houses the dean’s office, faculty offices, and the student council.
Towering—
I happened to arrive at the aerial bridge of the Martial Arts tower.
Just as I was about to step towards the central building visible across the bridge,
a gust of wind swept past, and I caught sight of silver-white hair fluttering in the air.
I froze mid-step at the sight.
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Amidst the flowing strands of hair stood a single figure.
A strikingly beautiful girl,
smaller even than my disguised form as the boyish character Hannon.
Yet, despite her small stature, her proportions were astonishingly balanced,
thanks to her remarkably petite head.
Her small face was a mystery, packed with finely sculpted eyes, nose, and lips.
And despite her delicate frame, her mature appearance was made evident by a certain feature that naturally drew a man’s gaze to her chest.
I knew her very well.
Of course, I did.
She was the very person I had been searching for until just now.
The Dragoness of Calamity.
Nikita Cynthia.
The final boss of Act 3.
‘What a surprise.’
I was about to seek her out, but I didn’t expect her to appear right before my eyes.
Caught off guard, I froze momentarily.
And then, Nikita’s gaze met mine.
There were only the two of us on the Martial Arts tower’s bridge.
It wasn’t unusual for our eyes to meet.
As she approached, Nikita gave me a brief glance before turning away with a cold expression.
To an outsider, it would seem aloof and dismissive.
But I knew her true nature.
I wasn’t particularly fazed.
‘Her icy demeanor gradually softened during her rivalry with Lucas, revealing a different side.’
She might appear cold like her silver hair,
but in reality, she is fiercely competitive and occasionally mischievous.
She has a particular weakness for compliments yet is unyielding in the face of criticism.
And despite her small stature, she has an unexpected complex about her height.
I had thoroughly experienced Nikita’s personality during countless playthroughs of Lucas’s route.
Right now, her demeanor was just a facade.
She was probably pretending to be noble and composed in front of a freshman like me.
“Senior Nikita Cynthia.”
So, I called out to her.
My business wasn’t with the student council but with Nikita herself.
Surprised that someone had addressed her, Nikita turned to look at me with a curious expression.
Her flowing silver hair as she turned her head was so beautiful that it justified why she wore her haughty mask.
“Even before enrolling, I greatly admired your accomplishments, Senior Nikita Cynthia. I aspire to join the student council where you serve, senior.”
I exclaimed loudly, bowing my head deeply.
I could feel Nikita flinch at my words.
I didn’t need to see to know.
She was likely wearing a bewildered expression.
But I knew Nikita’s inner thoughts.
‘Admiration.’
I understood what that word meant to her.
And why she was so vulnerable to compliments.
I glanced up subtly to observe her.
As expected, Nikita’s face betrayed a mixture of confusion and surprise.
But her lips were faintly trembling.
She had a particular weakness for admiration.
My words had struck her deeply.
Compliments could make Nikita dance!
Already, a spark of curiosity was flickering in her eyes as she looked at me.
“…What’s your name, freshman?”
Curiosity soon turned to interest.
Now was the time to press forward.
To avoid another bad ending involving the ancient dragon,
I had to form a connection with Nikita at any cost.
‘By any means necessary.’
Nothing else mattered as long as I could progress towards the true ending!
So, without hesitation, I declared boldly:
“My name is Hannon Irey. I’ve transferred into the second year starting today!”
At that, Nikita visibly flinched.
Because she already knew my name.
At the start of Act 3, Chapter 1, news reaches Nikita: her elder brother, Nia Cynthia, has sided with the first prince’s faction.
In other words, the Cynthia family, a marquessate, has become enemies of the third princess.
Hannon Irey is the cousin of the final villainess, the third princess.
Although the connection is trivial,
you never know what might happen.
Naturally, Nikita would have been keeping a close eye on me since my transfer.
‘…The freshman…’
Sure enough, Nikita recognized me.
Realizing the connection to the princess from my appearance, she quickly pieced things together.
Her gaze sharpened.
“Ahem. I’m curious why you’re suddenly expressing admiration.”
Yet, Nikita didn’t accept me outright.
She was cautious, wary that I might be a trap laid by the third princess.
But at the same time, she couldn’t hide her curiosity, glancing at me now and then, clearly wondering what kind of compliments I would offer.
‘Adorable creature. Are you that starved for praise?’
Fine. Let’s do this.
“Would you like me to explain in detail why I admire you, Senior Nikita Cynthia?”
It was time for a barrage of compliments.
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