Scapegoat

Honestly, I’ve already started to regret this…

At dusk, Lilo stood by the side of a crowded street as agreed.

His school uniform drew the attention of many passersby.

After all, living in this city, the name “Saint Tias” was known to every household.

It was the Imperial academy where countless people broke their necks trying to squeeze their children into enrollment.

A dreamland flowing with opportunity and wealth.

Lilo thought that description was stupid.

If it were true, why would he be running around everywhere like an idiot, forced to hustle just to survive?

‘Well, maybe I’m just an idiot to begin with.’

He adjusted the frames on the bridge of his nose and mocked himself.

He had come scurrying over the moment he heard there was a chance to make money, completely ignoring the hidden risks.

Was that guy Kent really so kind-hearted?

Lilo’s very first lesson in life was that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and yet…

But so what?

As long as there was a chance to make money, he would never let it slip away.

He needed money.

A lot of money.

No matter the danger…

Vroom—

An expensive black sedan pulled up punctually before Lilo as promised.

The window rolled down, revealing the noble youth who had approached him at noon.

– …Yeah, I have some things to handle with a classmate tonight, so figure out dinner yourself.

– …

– Who cares about you? I’m not your butler. Go dig up some vegetable roots in the garden to eat.

– …

Ignoring the complaints on the other end of the line, Lilo hung up, pocketed his phone, and got into the car.

The interior was filled with a strangely scented incense.

Lilo couldn’t appreciate it; compared to this expensive perfume of unknown origin, he felt that summer mosquito repellent smelled better.

“Your family keeps you on a pretty tight leash, don’t they?”

Sitting beside Lilo, Kent familiarly placed a hand on his shoulder.

Though he was repulsed, Lilo’s eyes, framed by heavy dark circles, remained emotionless.

“She isn’t my family. Just my landlord.”

“Oh? Then… what about your family?”

“…”

Lilo’s silence made Kent realize he had touched upon a secret.

In order not to affect the upcoming cooperation, he proactively chose to shut up.

The journey continued in silence.

After all, Lilo was a famous “gloomy loner” and “freak” in class.

While his academic ability was outstanding, his social circle was utterly closed off.

For three months, he had almost never initiated a conversation with anyone.

Unless there was business involved, one almost never saw a change in his expression.

As night approached, thousands of glass-walled skyscrapers transformed into giant prisms, refracting the sunset’s glow into a flowing river of molten gold.

At this moment, the city was like a precision-cut crystal; its sleek facades reflected wealth, while the gaps between them hid swelling ambition.

The car drove onto an overpass, where headlights merged into two rivers of light rushing in opposite directions.

The friction of tires and the low growl of engines became the city’s harmony under the veil of night.

This place had once been on the brink of shattering due to a war between two worlds, but now, it was synonymous with prosperity and luxury.

“…”

Lilo looked out the car window.

Even though he was in the middle of it, he felt ten thousand miles away from this city.

A sense of alienation—a feeling that he could not integrate—was something he had truly felt during his three months here.

The number of vehicles on the road dwindled, but their makes became increasingly prestigious.

Finally, the black sedan stopped in front of a hotel.

“We’re here. Get out.”

The door on Kent’s side was opened by the driver.

Before getting out, he didn’t forget to add a mocking sneer.

“I imagine you’ve probably never been to a place like this before, right?”

Looking at the skyscraper that pierced the clouds after stepping out, the first thought that flashed through Lilo’s mind, tiny as an ant, was…

‘Don’t the people living here have a fear of heights?’

“Master Kent!”

The two lackeys from noon were already waiting there.

They stepped forward, bowing in salutation.

Seeing this, Lilo couldn’t help but take another look at Kent.

This undoubtedly caused Kent’s vanity to swell further.

Except…

‘So, his name isn’t Kenqi?’

Lilo thought to himself.

“You can move around freely on this floor. For business reasons, my father booked this entire level.”

It seemed like a kind introduction, but it was mostly boasting as Kent spoke proudly.

“…Oh.”

Lilo nodded cooperatively.

Judging by the bragging of those two lackeys earlier, this hotel seemed surprisingly famous—apparently a place on par with “Saint Tias Academy.”

Since he could book an entire floor, Lilo figured this classmate named Kent must come from a very wealthy family.

Thinking he would likely return home with a full harvest tonight, Lilo couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief.

“Please stop.”

When Kent led Lilo to a room door, they were blocked by two bodyguards.

“Please hand over all portable electronic devices.”

?

Lilo looked at Kent warily.

Kent shrugged with an air of indifference.

“It’s the house rule. If you want to go in, you follow it. Of course, if you don’t want to earn this money, you can just go back the way you came. But you’ll have to pay for your own ride.”

Kent shifted his gaze to the pocket where Lilo had placed his phone earlier.

“…Fine.”

Lilo ultimately chose to comply.

But when the bodyguards took the phone, even their stern faces nearly cracked into laughter.

Kent and the two lackeys were even more unrestrained, clutching their stomachs as they roared with laughter.

“W-What is this!?”

“That antique-looking thing… You—you actually use that to make calls?”

“That is so lame.”

In this modern society, there was actually someone using a keypad phone!?

That kind of relic was phased out last century; which recycling center did he dig that out of?

This completely solidified the “pauper” label on Lilo.

However, he was long since accustomed to this kind of ridicule; after all, his landlord had done the same more than once.

“Haha… Alright, then let’s get inside quickly.”

Wiping away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, Kent personally pushed open the door for Lilo.

“I think this will be something you’ll never forget for the rest of your life.”

Before entering that door, Lilo had calculated many possibilities in his mind.

Perhaps it was a casino, or some sort of grey-area industry, an interview for a secret organization, or even something more terrifying like human organ trafficking.

However…

There were already people waiting in the room.

Though they weren’t wearing uniforms like Lilo, judging by their age, they were likely peers.

As for race, it wasn’t strange to run into any kind of demi-human in this city, so Lilo didn’t pay it any mind.

There were about five or six people.

Counting Lilo’s group, there were quite a lot of people in this room.

But they all had one thing in common: they were dressed very luxuriously.

“Oh? You’re here, Kent?”

One of the youths had leopard spots on his skin—clearly not tattoos—as he straightened his messy clothes and came forward cordially.

“What’s up? Are you guys all finished?”

Kent frowned and complained.

“This is all my property. If you mess around and draw unnecessary trouble, what then? Especially since Saint Tias has already noticed something. If they send the Student Council, we’re all finished.”

The other party didn’t seem to care, simply throwing an arm around Kent’s neck and laughing.

“That’s why we pay you, isn’t it? Besides, aren’t you enjoying yourself too?”

“Hmph…”

‘Right. Let’s go back.’

Lilo felt that he had truly stumbled into something troublesome.

This terrible dialogue didn’t sound legitimate at all. He immediately felt the urge to retreat.

“Hmm? This four-eyes is… Oh-ho, is he the one?”

Lilo’s presence was finally noticed.

“I was just about to introduce you. This is the new ‘photographer’ I invited.”

With that, Kent signaled a lackey to hand a video camera to Lilo.

Photographer?

“But I don’t know how—”

Before Lilo could finish his protest, he was pulled and dragged into the adjacent bedroom.

Lilo was wondering if these people were gay or had some weird fetish, but when he saw the scene inside the room, his footsteps faltered.

“…”

On the bed, a shivering girl was curled into a ball, clutching a bedsheet.

Nearby, fragments of what should have been called “clothes” were clearly scattered about.

Noticing more people entering the room, the fear in the girl’s eyes was magnified once again!

Even if he was frequently called a “four-eyes” or a “bookworm,” seeing the scene before his eyes and recalling the previous conversation, even if Lilo were stupider, it would be impossible not to guess what was happening here.

So the “photography” referred to this?

“H-help me…”

The girl seemed to sense that Lilo was not of the same kind as those people.

At the very least, he couldn’t hide his pauper-like aura.

She instinctively reached out to Lilo for help.

“Simple job, right? You just need to film what happens in a bit. You’ll get a nice reward. Of course, if you want to have some fun too, you can.”

Kent entered the room with his group, blocking the doorway.

“…”

Lilo remained silent, and the girl on the bed seemed to want to grasp this final straw.

“Call the police! Please, I beg you, call the police!”

“I refuse.”

Lilo very bluntly rejected the girl’s plea for help.

This undoubtedly caused the despair in her eyes to multiply and spread.

Meanwhile, Kent and the others let out relaxed whistles, seemingly looking at Lilo in a new light.

“W-Why…”

“Face reality. There are many of them. If I choose to call the police, they will beat me to death. I cannot gamble my life and safety on you. Sorry.”

Ignoring the despair and hidden resentment in the girl’s eyes, Lilo turned and handed the camera back to Kent’s lackey.

?

“As expected, this part-time job doesn’t suit me. I’m quitting.”

After saying that, Lilo actually tried to squeeze his way out through the crowd at the door as if nothing had happened!

“Wait a second…”

Kent’s image suddenly shifted from his previous friendly persona. He grabbed Lilo’s shoulder with a forceful grip.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home.”

Lilo answered truthfully.

“…That’s not what I meant!”

“But you’re the one who asked where I was going.”

The corner of Kent’s eye twitched.

He felt that the insults he had received today had exceeded the total for the entire year!

“You think you can walk away after seeing this? You think I’d just let you go back?”

“True.”

Lilo nodded after pondering for a moment.

“How about this? Next time I write your homework or copy your notes, I’ll only charge you half price. What do you think?”

“…”

The companions behind him let out soft laughs, causing the veins on Kent’s forehead to bulge.

This… this guy…

Is he serious?

Does he have no sense of danger? Does he not know fear? Even at this point, he’s still making such boring jokes!?

Are you messing with me?

Bang!

The furious Kent punched Lilo in the cheek.

His off-balance body smashed into a nearby crystal coffee table, the surface shattering upon impact.

“…”

Ignoring the faintly strange sensation in his hand, Kent spoke irritably to Lilo, who was lying on the ground.

“You really thought I brought you here to earn extra cash? What I hate most are bastards like you who think they’re smart—looking down on others just because your brain is a bit flexible. But here, in this city, people with power and status are the ones who are superior!”

He took the frustration he had suffered at home and vented it all on Lilo.

“You idiot! I brought you here to be the scapegoat! You didn’t even know you were being played. Don’t worry, you’ll obediently take all the blame on yourself later. I have all night.”

Lilo tried to struggle to his feet, but Kent didn’t plan on giving him the chance.

Here, at least in this room, he was the master.

The emperor who controlled everyone’s fate!

“If I’m late tomorrow, Teacher Xiaohuo will call my parents.”

Lilo seemingly still hadn’t recognized the situation.

“We’ll both be in trouble then…”

“Heh, trouble? Do you know who my father is?”

Kent sneered.

“What, did your mother never tell you?”

“…”

!!!

Kent had finally been blinded by rage.

He now only wanted this pauper, who looked down on everyone and had humiliated him in front of the others, to pay the price for his words and actions!

I’ll make you kneel on the ground, and with that poker face, I’ll make you cry and beg for mercy!

Thump! Thump!

Just then, urgent pounding came from the front door of the living room.

“Don’t bother me!”

Kent roared.

Thump! Thump!

But the bodyguards outside seemed to ignore Kent’s command and continued pounding on the door, making him even more frustrated.

“I told you to get lost! Are you deaf?”

Kent’s lackey walked grumpily to the door, intending to open it and curse out the bodyguards.

Boom!

Before he could even touch the handle, the entire door, along with its frame, was ripped from the wall by a massive force from outside.

The unlucky lackey was caught in the impact, pinned by the door as he flew backward and slammed heavily into the wall.

Amidst the rising dust, a tanned, muscular calf slowly retracted.

“As I thought, this is the fastest way to open a door!”

“The damaged property will be charged to your personal account.”

“Eh? Why like that…?”

Two girls walked slowly into the room.

Their uniforms were the same style as Lilo’s.

The only difference was the very prominent gold embroidery on their clothes.

One of them had even met Lilo once before.

“Damn it! It’s the Saint Tias Student Council President!”

The group of onlookers, upon seeing the face of the leading girl, didn’t even think of resisting.

Their bodies slumped powerlessly to the floor as if their souls had been stripped away, as if they were witnessing the end of the world.

They gave up.

“It’s over, it’s all over…”

“Why are they here? How were we found out?”

They had always disguised it perfectly.

If there was a single variable…

Kent, slumped on the floor, looked in shock at Lilo lying on the fragments of the coffee table.

‘It was him!?’

But why?

How did a guy like that get in contact with the Student Council?

As if to solve the doubt in Kent’s heart, Lilo slowly stood up.

With his left hand, he pulled a phone from another pocket—the one they had mocked as an “antique” and “trash.”

“Wha—”

“No one ruled that you can only carry one phone. That’s just common sense.”

Lilo delivered his “victory speech” expressionlessly.

“Student Axel.”

The victimized girl and all members involved in this criminal activity were taken away one by one by the police who arrived afterward.

The girl who had been assaulted cast a grateful gaze toward the two Student Council members, but for Lilo, there was only resentment.

Of course, Lilo, sitting on the fragments, didn’t care at all.

He had only called the Student Council to survive. That was all.

Only he himself had to live…

Such a selfish thought had always been rooted in the deepest part of Lilo’s heart.

For that, he would use any means necessary.

“Send the investigation results to the Board of Directors via email. As for their punishment… leave that to the school’s Student Council.”

After giving instructions, the Student Council President took the opportunity to glance at Lilo, who had been forgotten by the crowd.

“…”

This was their second meeting today.

Should it be called fate? Or was it a coincidence?

But regardless of which it was, she did not intend to have any further involvement with that person today.

Yes, at least for today…

As the crowd left one by one, Lilo saw that except for a few officers, basically everyone had departed, so he planned to get up and head home.

But just then…

“What’s this? Haven’t you left yet?”

While Lilo didn’t consider himself a vulgar person, the first thing that came into view was indeed a pair of unforgettable, full breasts.

A girl with healthy, tanned skin stared with curious eyes, squatting beside Lilo with her chin resting on her hands.

Her breasts were slightly deformed by the pressure of her knees.

She was that classic athletic type of girl…

Shoulder-length brown hair, with golden flecks dancing where the ends curled slightly, looking like coffee beans toasted by the sun.

Her amber eyes shimmered with a girl’s characteristic curiosity.

From her collar, one could catch a glimpse of fair skin that hadn’t yet been touched by tan lines.

However, the most peculiar thing was the pair of fluffy ears at her temples and the small bull horns on either side of her head.

This girl was undoubtedly another demi-human.

A member of the race known to the world as “Minotaurs”…

“Yeah.”

Since they weren’t familiar, Lilo didn’t say much.

But the girl stared straight at the fidgety Lilo, then suddenly grinned.

“Well, look at that. So that’s how it is~”

She muttered to herself.

“I was originally planning to wait and see, but now it seems you really are quite suitable.”

The girl suddenly leaned close to Lilo’s ear and whispered softly.

‘Looking forward to your performance, Mr. Violent Student.’

!?

Once he confirmed the girl had truly left, Lilo finally pulled out his right hand, which had been hidden behind his back all along.

He dropped a sharp fragment of crystal he had been clutching in his palm into a trash can that no one cared about.

‘…Was I noticed?’

Because of the excessive force, the sharp edge had sliced into his palm, causing quite a bit of blood to seep out.

“Well, it’s not like I’ll have any interaction with people like that in the future. It should be fine… right?”

Lilo looked at the wound on his palm expressionlessly.

Who knows what he was thinking in his heart…

The next morning, Lilo went to school as usual.

Looking at the thick bandage on his right hand tied into a bow, Lilo felt both helpless and a bit relieved.

“If you don’t know how to do it, don’t volunteer, you hostess…”

Besides that, his heart was filled with more complaints.

Because of Newt’s unauthorized actions yesterday, he had walked away with nothing last night, wasting an entire night of work time and temporarily ruining his right hand.

“Sigh, I brought it on myself, I guess…”

As he pondered, Lilo entered the classroom.

Since he usually worked in the morning, he basically arrived right on the dot.

He was also the last one to enter the classroom, but today was a bit different.

The students, who were usually noisy, were exceptionally well-behaved today.

Especially after seeing Lilo, they all shifted their gazes toward him in unison.

?

Had the events of last night been exposed?

Does this count as a heroic act? Ah, though that girl didn’t seem to have any intention of thanking me…

It was only then that Lilo noticed.

On his desk, at some point, a slender cylindrical container had appeared.

It was inlaid with magnificent gold trim.

As for the style and design…

He seemed to have seen it somewhere before?