"Her name's Rizel. She is, for now, a normal sane human, but she will eventually become one of the most evil and insanely powerful villains of this world," said Lorelle, his hands still over his head as he rested.
[But… she seems so… innocent.]
"Well, she probably was at first, but she began to change."
[Why?]
"Well, she has a problem. One of the greatest catalysts to what she will eventually become."
[…And that is?]
"Insane Curiosity."
[…]
"It has something to do with the bloodline she awakened. It made her so curious to the point that—if not controlled—it would overwhelm her," Lorelle said, lifting his gaze to see the three girls far below, conversing.
[…But why would curiosity lead to such an end?]
"Didn't you hear me? It's not normal curiosity… it's curiosity amplified a billion times. It's like having this uncontrollable thirst to know more about something. The truth is, the curiosity wasn't really that much of a problem at first. She could control it. In fact, she didn't have any problem controlling it. Come to think of it, she was completely normal when the story began. Perhaps it only becomes dangerous if she fixates on one thing. And maybe it can only happen with one thing, and one thing alone. That's when the obsessive curiosity amplifies to uncontrollable lengths," muttered Lorelle, his eyes squinting as he gazed intently at her.
[So let me guess… that object of curiosity is the son of the WILL?]
"Stop calling him that… it sounds weird. Just call him… the protagonist," Lorelle voiced his discomfort. "And yes… something like that. She just wanted to know what he was. But the more she learned, the deeper she got sucked in, becoming more and more curious to the point of no return," he said, looking straight ahead as a man he assumed to be the teacher walked in, his strides unhurried, his confidence unquestionable.
[But that doesn't sound like enough reason for her to fall into depravity…]
"Well, let's just say, that curiosity eventually turned into obsession, and that obsession turned into a twisted type of love, paired with an insane level of possessiveness. Over time, she became curious about how he thought of her, and that's how it started."
[…I see.]
"I tell you. If the protagonist wasn't strong enough to defend himself, he would have been kidnapped after he rejected her."
[He did that?]
"Kind of. Well, he didn't point-blank reject her, no. Instead, he said something about a certain heroine that made her realize he had no plans of settling with just on person. So she began thinking… what if she could kill every single girl he was close to…?" Lorelle said, pausing as the teacher now stood at the podium, staring at them.
"Please take your seats. It's about time we began," the teacher said, and everyone still standing quickly found a seat.
"I am Maxwell Glen Wilston, and I will be your mana theory teacher for the span of a month. For now, you have all been merged into one class since the grading done isn't sufficient. But that will all change at the end of this month. After the grading test, you will be split into two classes—the higher rankers and the lower rankers," Maxwell said, sending a sweeping gaze around the chamber.
"Yes, you," he nodded as someone raised their hand.
"The dorm rooms seem to be made only for pairs of two. Is there a reason for that?" asked a girl in the mid-row.
"Well, yes. After the grading tests, you will be assigned permanent roommates. And by permanent, I mean those roommates will remain the same until you graduate from this institution," Maxwell explained.
"Can it be changed?" someone else asked.
"Well, certain conditions must be met for that to happen. But I will tell you for free, it is a tedious—an extremely tedious—process," he said, prompting many anxious glances as students exchanged worried looks, fearing who might end up as their roommates.
"You, and that will be the last question I answer on this topic," Maxwell said before another person stood up.
"Sir, I discovered my roommate was actually a male student. Isn't that inappropriate?" asked the student, and murmurs broke out.
"…Yes. The placement of teammates does not discriminate against gender. But bear in mind that all selections are made with power levels in consideration. You will not be placed with someone who would be considered a threat to you. Plus, there are severe penalties for those who break the rules, which will be made known to you later," the teacher said, before stepping forward.
"Now, I would like for all of us to introduce ourselves, as that is customary," Maxwell said, then glanced at the person seated in the first row.
"I am Ace Reeves," the student said, and so began the monotony.