The silliness had put an end to the laziness, even if only temporarily.
The door to the girls' locker room burst open as everyone screamed and jumped around.
A faint shadowy figure moved between the girls who were throwing things around and singing along with Eleanor.
Then, just as the atmosphere reached its peak—
[Connection lost.]
A voice came from the phone after the music suddenly cut off, making everyone turn toward the speaker.
"I believe I've ended the party."
Deep frowns spread across everyone's faces as they stared at the feminine figure standing by the speaker, holding the power cable.
BANG.
Suddenly, the microphone fell from Eleanor's hand as she grabbed her head in pain.
"Why is she here... among all these people?"
The girls stepped back as if pushed by some unseen force.
"Did I scare you?"
"Isn't this clear to this woman?"
"Alright... anyone who isn't out of here fully dressed in formal uniform will be expelled."
This is bad.
"Why did it have to come to this?"
Loren thought it would've been over long ago if he hadn't been dragged into this madness.
He slowly climbed down from the table while the girls scrambled into their clothes as if their lives depended on it.
"Eleanor... see me in my office after you've changed."
Bad? No... this was definitely worse.
"Is it really worth overthinking? What's the worst that could happen… expulsion?"
Well, not exactly. But aside from the annoying protagonist and the system's impending doom…
"It's not that serious."
Loren opened her suitcase and took out the academy-issued mobile phone and its accessories—including the uniform with her picture printed on it. She separated the pieces and put them on, just like the girls around her.
"The uniform's design is actually impressive."
Clearly made with a shameless goal—to serve the fans with provocative outfits that accentuate the girls' features.
In her previous life, Loren never paid much attention to clothing design or school uniforms.
Sexy = acceptable. That was the only rule.
Any writer could show what they wanted—but designing something eye-catching and original within a fast-paced narrative?
That felt like a waste of time.
"You can't judge a book by its cover."
Once fully dressed, Loren actually felt… comfortable.
Good.
Now it was time to deal with the real problem.
Almost half the girls had already rushed out within thirty seconds.
Loren gathered her belongings, stored her valuables in the locker, and hurried toward the woman's office on the upper floor.
She opened her phone:
{9:45 AM}
Exactly half an hour remained until the first major story event:
The Headmistress's speech.
The headmistress had decided that since this year's first-year applicants were all exceptional, she would give the Red Signal to the Royal Structure Organization—assigning them a real mission: to eliminate actual demons.
Loren looked outside through the window at the vast plaza where the speech would take place.
Rows of chairs and stands were set up, with a prominent stage at the front where the headmistress would make her first appearance.
As she walked, a new notification abruptly interrupted her thoughts:
[Warning! Warning! The protagonist's harem acquisition rate has increased by 18% for the next two hours. If not prevented within the time limit, this increase will become permanent.]
Damn this system.
We're still at the beginning, you bastard.
"What do I do now?"
Intercepting the heroines' paths was impossible—their attendance was mandatory under the current plot.
The original plan was simple: pull the fire alarm on the boys' side to create chaos, draw attention, and prevent anyone from getting a good look at the heroines.
But now… that wouldn't work.
It seemed the new controller wasn't playing by the same rules.
The academy had already sent out emergency alerts—standard procedure for any major incident.
"Sitting idle and doing nothing is a danger in itself."
Loren opened her system interface, navigating to the traits panel:
[Name: Eleanor Matheoth]
[Gender: Female]
[Class: Magical Combat Fairy]
[Abilities: Deadly Flower Cannon]
[Mental State: Scared]
[Dark Status: Active]
One of the reasons Eleanor had been so powerful in the original story was precisely this Dark Status—separate from her innate combat talents.
Healing. Enhancement. Protection.
Without it, she would've been crushed by the crippling pain of her first period, unable to move, losing dangerous amounts of blood...
But now wasn't the time for that.
First, she needed to deploy combat fairy copies—to cause a diversion, anything to stall the protagonist until she dealt with the woman upstairs.
"System... allocate all points to Deadly Flower Cannon."
Using his precious initial skill points here felt like a gamble...but it was necessary.
Small, shimmering copies of fairies materialized around her, awaiting commands.
[Solo Female Hero System Updated]
[Ability: Deadly Flower Cannon +5]
[Sub-skill Unlocked: Combat Flower Sprites]
The heroine point system worked just as Loren had deduced: the more she solidified her role as a solo female lead, the more points she earned.
For example, if the protagonist's feelings of love toward her grew—especially since that was the most critical factor—
"Points increase significantly."
Or anything else that reinforced her dominance as the sole heroine: ranking first in exams, achieving notable merits, and so on.
Tiny, glowing combat sprites rose from Loren's pulsating palms.
She stayed hidden in a nearby concealed spot and released dozens of miniature fairies with one mission: monitor and intervene if any of the heroines approached the protagonist.
She also dispatched five copies to sabotage the seats near the protagonist's original spot in the storyline—as well as other seats nearby—making it look like random mischief rather than a calculated plan.
Soon enough, she reached the office belonging to the woman.
I really hope this woman doesn't make trouble for me on my first day...
Loren knocked twice.
"Come in. The door is open."
She took one last soft breath and pushed the handle down.
The large, well-polished door swung open before her.
Standing at the entrance, her eyes immediately fell on the feminine figure she'd seen earlier—now pulling old documents out of a filing cabinet.
The woman placed them neatly on the desk, where a finely carved wooden plaque caught the light:
[Miralda Infley: Administrator & Guardian of First-Year Girls]
Loren's eyes scanned the files in front of Miralda, who folded her hands meaningfully while locking eyes with her.
"Well, what's this?"
Loren approached the door and began reading the heading:
| Student Records |
What did this mean?
"You have already received one warning as of this moment."
Are you implying...
"I expect you know that two more warnings mean irreversible expulsion."
Wait... that isn't fair—
"Miss, I really didn't mean to throw a party—I was dragged into—"
Miralda sighed, her gaze drifting toward student records from the year 280.
She picked one up and flipped through the pages—photo after photo of students—until she stopped at a specific page.
On it was a picture of a beautiful girl who resembled Eleanor, but with cold, emotionless features.
I know this girl…
"Your mother was a symbol of military discipline, dedication, and seriousness in everything. She sent me a message two days before your arrival."
Don't tell me…
"She told me that since I'm your supervisor, I must be strict with you. If you fail to demonstrate discipline and military upbringing, I must report to her immediately."
No… by heaven, no… This is the worst thing that could happen.
"I was told you were raised according to strict military principles. Given that your mother is a great general of this nation—a woman of immense achievements and honor—I expected you to follow in her footsteps."
You know what? I am not Eleanor... Why are you blaming me?
"But to say the least, my expectations have been disappointed."
Well, I suppose I should be sad... Damn you and your so-called expectations.
"A promising child like you ought to exhibit better behavior. I am willing not to send a warning notification to your mother this time—though it should have been done regardless of whether you apologized or not."
So what does this wretched woman want?
"The next warning will be reported directly to your mother, and you will face severe consequences."
Loren sighed... "Thank you for your mercy, Miss."
"No thanks are necessary. I expect no repeat of such behavior within the academy grounds. You first-year students represent the esteemed image of the Guardian Academy."
[The protagonist's harem acquisition rate has increased by 20%. If no action is taken within 30 minutes, this increase will become permanent.]
Eleanor's heart froze mid-beat.
Damn that protagonist… Can't you wait just a little longer?