Epilogue
As Kaito and his group wandered through Virtus Academy, they had no idea… that they were being watched. And not by the high-ranking nobles.
"Look at that fool," Kouya scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "How did he manage to form a party so quickly? More importantly… who in their right mind would follow a mistake like him?"
"He's the Fourth," Hayato replied calmly, adjusting his glasses. "Honestly, I thought he'd give up, become a farmer, and never set foot in Virtus again."
Miharu crossed her arms, letting out an irritated growl.
"Hmph. Looks like he's having fun while we're stuck in endless, rigid training."
Her scowl deepened when her eyes landed on Seri.
"And what's with that fire elf? My teacher said her race is supposed to be strong, brave warriors… but that one looks… frail. Fragile."
"Did she starve as a kid or something?"
"Don't underestimate her," Hayato countered, analyzing her closely. "I can sense a significant source of mana in her. She might not be a fighter… but a mage instead."
"That's impossible! My teacher said all fire elves are warriors!" Miharu shot back instantly.
Hayato tilted his head, intrigued.
"Then maybe she's an anomaly… just like the Fourth. That would explain a lot."
Kouya, however, only let out a low chuckle.
"Bah, forget about that flat-chested elf. Did you see the kitsune with him? She doesn't know it yet, but she's going to be my wife."
Miharu nearly choked.
"What?! Aren't you already dating two noble daughters?!"
"I'm a hero," Kouya declared shamelessly. "I can have as many wives as I want. Who's going to stop me?"
"Disgusting…" Miharu spat, turning her back on them and storming off.
Kouya turned toward Hayato, looking for agreement.
"Come on, don't tell me you don't feel the same. We can have any girl we want."
Hayato adjusted his glasses again, this time with an enigmatic smile.
"Don't drag me into your nonsense. I only have eyes for one girl…" His gaze shifted toward Mirai, who at that very moment was secretly following Kaito and his group, her lips curved in a mysterious smile.
"Tch. Good luck with that," Kouya muttered, shrugging.
The two of them walked off toward their "special lessons," while Kaito's figure disappeared into the distance with his companions.
And though no one realized it yet, that supposed "system error" had already begun to change the destiny of everyone around him.
Just as it had for a certain forgotten heroine.
In a secluded corner of the academy, Mio Tsukino—wearing a maid uniform far too large for her small frame—swept the marble gallery with quiet diligence. For a brief moment, her gaze lifted, following Kaito's group as they crossed the courtyard in the distance.
"That's… the Fourth?" she murmured, as though puzzling over a riddle. "Ama… Ama… what was it?"
She frowned, straining to remember.
"Amakawa… Kaito, right?"
Thwack!
A sharp blow snapped her out of her thoughts. A stern older woman struck her shoulder with a cane.
"Back to work, slacker!" she barked coldly. "Or you won't get your food ration today."
"I-I'm sorry!" Mio bowed her head quickly and resumed sweeping, her hands trembling as tears blurred her vision.
The heroine once blessed by the goddess…
Reduced to nothing in this new world.
Invisible. Silent.
A servant no one even noticed.
"I want to go home… I miss my brother."
"Please… someone… help me."
A choked wish. A prayer that should have reached no one.
And yet… true heroes always hear it.
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END OF VOLUME 1 - SERI, THE FIRE ELF.
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Thoughts from the Author
Wow… I can't believe we've reached the end of Volume 1.
Honestly, while I was writing this, I kept thinking:"What kind of journey do I want Kaito to have?"
He's not your typical anime or manga hero. He wasn't meant to be overpowered, or handed greatness. Even the arrival of new characters like Seri and Eve ended up changing the story's dynamic more than I expected.
Without realizing it, the narrative shifted.What started as a story of redemption slowly became a story about a group of rejects trying to find their place in the world.
Virtus Academy?Yeah... that wasn't even in my original plans.But I realized: Kaito needs to train. To learn.No shortcuts. No "I got this power just because I'm the MC."Lunaris Edge made it pretty clear: If you want strength, you earn it.
The same goes for Seri and Ayame.Each of them has their own inner demons to fight, and their own path to walk.
Now, about that last scene between Seri and Kaito...I know what you're thinking:
"That proposal came out of nowhere!"
I thought the same thing while writing it! But trust me — it'll make more sense later on. There's a reason behind that moment, even if it feels impulsive now.
Also… confession time:Yes, this is a romantic comedy.Yes, there's a harem.No, I'm not sorry.
Even with all the serious backstories and emotional wounds…I wanted the comedy to live on stage too.Take Eve, for example. She was supposed to be just an emotionless automaton.But the "error" Zarakov made in her programming ended up giving her... a soul.And I honestly love that.
Anyway… this was supposed to be a short note.And somehow, I've written more than the last chapter
But since we won't meet again until Volume 2, I just want to say:
Thank you.
If you've read this far, even just a chapter at a time, I deeply appreciate it.I don't like abandoning stories or leaving chapters blocked forever —If even one person takes time out of their day to read this weird, silly, sometimes heartfelt adventure, then that's more than enough reason to keep going.
So…
See you in Volume 2!