Monica Sael'myr was a name familiar to readers of the novel The Lost Hero.

In the story, she was portrayed as a villainess with extraordinary powers—comparable to those of the First Spirit Core.

She was of elven descent. Rumor had it that she was no ordinary elf but a member of the royal family, descended from a line of high elves.

Unfortunately, she had been expelled from the royal family and had turned dark, consumed by revenge and hatred.

Of course, Monica never appeared directly in the novel; she was mentioned only in passing.

Even so, she was the mastermind behind several events that would later befall Abel.

It was unclear why she was targeting him, but according to Michiku-sensei, Monica's actions were meant to prevent the royal family from cooperating with Abel.

It wasn't only the Solayne royal family that had a prophecy about Abel, the child of prophecy—the elven royal family had one as well.

In fact, their prophecy was even more detailed and striking than that of the Solayne family.

Merlin recalled that Monica had turned dark and was known as a terrifying figure who lurked in the shadows.

Yet now, she appeared at the academy—why, and in such a wretched state?

'System, open Monica's status panel,' Merlin commanded.

Name: Monica Sael'myr (Avatar)

Age: 12 years old

Identity: Outcast Princess of the Elf Kingdom, Villainess of the Story

Talent: S

Rank: Fourth Stage (True Power Locked)

Bloodline: Sovereign of Nature (Gold)

Favorability: 50

As he read the panel, his breath caught, and his heart raced.

'An… Avatar?'

His mouth dropped open. No wonder Monica could appear here—it turned out the figure before him was only an avatar of the real Monica.

But one question immediately came to mind: why send her avatar to the academy?

Could it be that the goal was to meet the child of the prophecy—himself?

The thought made everything click into place.

Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his mind.

"[Ding! Mission triggered! Conquer Monica Sael'myr, the main villainess! Reward: 500,000 system points and 1x mythical item! Progress: 10/100]"

Merlin swallowed hard at the sudden mission alert.

'System, are you sure about this mission?' he asked, taking a steadying breath.

500,000 system points—a staggering reward. In his entire life, he had never seen anything so enormous.

And the other reward, a mythical item… It was so tempting he couldn't help but salivate.

"[Master, your question is ridiculous. I've already issued the mission—why would I hesitate?]" The system's voice carried a hint of annoyance.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle, realizing the system made a point.

'Then don't regret it, okay? I'll make you bleed for sure,' he said with a confident grin.

Monica Sael'myr was undeniably terrifying—her strength rivaled even Linda and Vargan.

But was he afraid? Of course not.

For Merlin, this mission was just another thrilling challenge to conquer.

"Um… are you okay? You look absent-minded." Monica's worried voice pulled Merlin from his thoughts.

He shook his head and smiled gently.

"I'm fine. By the way, it's nice to meet you, Monica. I'm Merlin Clay—you can just call me Merlin."

He extended his right hand toward her.

The more Merlin looked at Monica, the more he liked her. The girl before him was the avatar of the mysterious villainess from the novel, and interacting with her felt different from dealing with the heroines.

Monica blushed when she saw his hand. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grasped Merlin's palm firmly.

"Nice to meet you too, Merlin," she said in a voice soft and delicate, like a whisper.

"[Ding! Villainess Monica Sael'myr's affection increased by 10 points! Current affection: 60 points!]"

Merlin couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

'What a blessing it was to step forward and defend her. Just like that, her affection jumped sixty points,' he muttered proudly.

No wonder the main characters in novels won over the heroines so easily—it turned out that stepping up to defend them when others hesitated was the most effective way.

"By the way, I have to head to the academy now. You're going too, right?"

Monica nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, me too!"

But then a flicker of sadness crossed her face—quickly hidden, yet impossible for Merlin to miss.

"Can we meet again?" Her round eyes were filled with a mix of fear and hope. "Don't get me wrong—I just want to treat you to a meal. After all, you helped me and… and…"

Her panic made her words stumble, which only made her look even more adorable.

Merlin waved his left hand. "It's fine. I understand. Don't worry—we'll meet again. I'll be waiting for that treat."

How could he just let Monica go so easily?

But he had to plan carefully to win her heart. After all, Monica wasn't a heroine—she was the avatar of a villainess.

Every move had to be calculated to avoid causing trouble in the future.

Monica exhaled in relief and patted her chest.

After exchanging a few more words, she turned and left with a smile.

As he watched her leave, Merlin's smile faded, replaced by a look of suspicion.

'Monica, huh… I wonder if her goal is really just me—or something else. And if it's the latter, what could it be?'

The academy arc was long. Even in the novel, it wasn't finished yet.

Many events were still tied to the academy, so Merlin couldn't yet determine Monica's true purpose for appearing here.

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his waist, and Merlin jumped to the side, grimacing.

"Luna?"

He froze when he saw who had pinched him.

"W-Why did you pinch me?" he asked in astonishment, rubbing his side.

Luna didn't answer. Her gaze sharpened as she narrowed her eyes.

"What's your relationship with that girl? Why do you seem so familiar?" Her voice dripped with obvious jealousy.

Merlin smiled awkwardly but didn't back down. He stepped closer and reached for her right hand, but Luna slipped away.

He tried again, and again she dodged. After three failed attempts, Merlin finally gave up.

"Hah…" He let out a small sigh. "I don't know her, okay? You should know I've never even been to the academy—this is my first time. How could I possibly know her?"

Luna softened a little at his explanation, but when she remembered Merlin's apparent familiarity with the elf girl, her jealousy flared up again.

"Then why did you seem so happy with her earlier? Don't tell me you have feelings for her." Her gaze turned icy, sharp like a blade.

Merlin shrugged. "You're imagining things again, okay? There's nothing like that—it's all in your head."

He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it in front of her.

"This is a gift I prepared for you."

Luna's eyes widened as she looked inside. "A… necklace?"

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