The night was deep.

In a small inn on the edge of Garden Town, two women sat drinking at the bar.

They were Marian and Lilia—the two minions Torina had kicked out, obsessed with bullying Mylora. Furious, wronged, and gloomy after their dismissal, they’d been utterly crushed by Torina in combat and outclassed in status. Deep down, they knew they were in the wrong—daring only to seethe in silence. Slipping back to school like this would make them laughingstocks, so they lingered here, carefully avoiding former comrades from the adventuring party. Ironically, not one had spoken up for them. No one had ever truly cared.

But tonight, everything would change.

“This is tonight’s potion. Take it. You know what to do.”

A cloaked figure beside them slid over a small package. Voice disguised, face hidden beneath a hood—a textbook Western fantasy schemer.

“We know… hehe.” “Heeheeheehee…”

Marian and Lilia accepted it eagerly, their smiles dazed and unnervingly giddy, as if they’d eaten the wrong mushrooms.

“Remember: I’m only unlocking power you already hold. The rest is up to you… Go on. Do what you’ve always wanted.”

The figure stood and vanished in an instant.

Marian and Lilia left the bar soon after, cackling strangely.

——————

“Haaah…”

Torina rubbed her eyes. Time for bed. Today had gone well—Mylora felt less resistant toward her.

Just as she reached for her nightclothes, shouting erupted downstairs.

*(What’s going on…?)*

A sharp sense of danger prickled her skin. She hurried down—and nearly collided with a groggy Mylora, blinking sleepily.

“What’s all the noise… hnn… meow…?”

Still half-asleep, Mylora let out that inexplicable cat-mew—adorably baffling—but Torina had no time to admire it. Together, they descended to find—

“Where’s Torina Dewell!?” “And that Mylora! Bring them out!!”

Marian and Lilia—the villainess duo—were causing a scene, eyes wild, clearly unhinged. Half the inn had gathered, including the Shepherd Moon Adventurers.

Hot-tempered Annawiel and blunt Ranifi opened their mouths—then froze as the duo spotted Torina and Mylora. Their faces twisted into vivid triumph.

“Took you long enough!” “Diweier!!!”

“What’s with the drama…? Come to apologize? Show sincerity: strip naked and do a dogeza.”

““IT’S YOU WHO SHOULD STRIP AND DOGEZA!!!!””

“…Huh?”

Torina was baffled.

She’d nearly forgotten these background characters. Why return? In the original plot, the protagonist would’ve crushed them instantly—even with author-powered temporary power-ups. Stepping stones of stepping stones. Why care?

*Sigh.* Kick them again. This time, make it hurt.

“Stop embarrassing yourselves. Go home. Have some self-awareness. Did you think I cared? Letting you join was a favor. If you don’t leave now—”

“Torina Dewell! Don’t push us!!! Without family orders, do you think I’d suck up to you!?”

“All that flattery was just to latch onto your status! You think we have no pride!? Humiliating us publicly!?”

…Huh?

“I’ve had enough! Bossing me around daily, then kicking me out over this nonsense!!”

“So all that sucking up meant nothing!? I’m not done with you today!!!”

……Huh?

Marian raised her staff—

Lilia drew twin swords—

“You think we fear you!? Duel us!” “If we win, that stinking bitch Mylora is ours!!”

Huhhh?

Now Torina was utterly lost.

This plot twist made no sense????

Since when were these stepping stones this bold?

————————

————————

“A duel!! Internal team drama?”

“Which party?”

“Shepherd Moon Adventurers! The famous all-girl squad!”

“Look—it’s their captain!”

“The legendary harsh villainess!”

“Kinda wanna be stepped on…”

“She’s fighting two?”

“Heh! Awesome! Blood river time!”

In moments, adventurers and merchants packed the street—despite the late hour.

Marian and Lilia glared, eyes burning with pent-up rage.

“Um… uh…”

Torina opened her mouth—but Annawiel cut in, arms crossed, voice dripping with disdain:

“Tch. Two worthless fools overestimating themselves! Torina’s trash, sure—but think you can beat her? Leave quietly or get hurt.”

“Who’s scared! She’s a lazy dog!” “Always hiding behind others while sipping tea! Got nearly killed by a griffin—served her right!”

*(True. Old Torina bossed people around and hated dirt. But she’s changed.)*

“If you’re kicking us out, do it! Bet you can’t!” “Fight for real! Skipped every combat class with ‘period excuses’—thirty periods a semester!”

“DON’T SAY THAT IN PUBLIC!!!!”

Torina was trapped. She accepted the duel.

Everyone watched eagerly—the infamous villainess captain of the all-girl party. Even her teammates didn’t intervene.

Why not enjoy beautiful girls fighting? Though these two clearly weren’t a match.

“Haven’t seen Captain fight anyone but monsters,” Patti murmured.

“She’s strong,” Ranifi stated flatly. “I’d never follow a weakling.”

“How? Her ice-lightning spear was flashy, but monsters ≠ people.”

“Gut feeling.”

“…”

Teammates whispered. Torina groaned inwardly.

Sparring with Ji Xue was practice. Formal PvP? She hated it. In this life, her siblings had beaten her relentlessly as a child.

*(Such a hassle…)*

She pulled up her status panel—time to refocus. Hadn’t checked it in over ten days.

*(Rune Swordsman: rare class. Low defense/stamina. Avg. phys/mag attack. Sky-high crit rates. Great speed. Buff-stacking build…)*

Familiar. Then—her eyes locked on an anomaly.

Why… two class slots?

*(Second class? Never existed. Name… ‘Salaryman Slave’?)*

What even was that?

A “Salaryman Slave Gauge”—vaguely like a mana bar, dotted lines splitting it into three full segments. Below, all skills pixelated. No names. No descriptions.

*(Is this… my past life’s job? Memory awakening brought this too? Makes zero sense!)*

“Spacing out? Looking down on us!?” “Take this, wicked woman!!!”

Lilia, the Gale Swordsman, erupted in emerald wind energy. Propelled like a cannonball, she slashed twin blades in a blinding cross-cut aimed at Torina’s neck!

Clang!!

A sharp metallic shriek pierced the air.

Torina blocked with her swift sword—the slender silver blade deceptively sturdy.

“ᚺ ᚻ ᛁ”

Three runes flashed. Ice-chunked torrents exploded from the blade, hurling Lilia away like a kitten hit by a truck.

“Damn it! Earth Spi—”

“ᚦ ᚷ”

Before Marian finished chanting, Torina flicked her sword like a wand. A silver bolt struck—Marian smoked from every orifice.

Coughing blood, Lilia hurled her sword using wind thrust. Torina dodged with afterimage speed. Lightning swirled at her feet—*thump. thump.* She reappeared behind them, rapping both foreheads with her hilt. Two fresh bumps bloomed.

“…Hey. I *am* the captain. Handling you two? Simple.”

Torina sighed.

PvP was so boring…

Beating stepping stones doesn’t prove anything. If you’ve got guts—get the author to drop a deus ex machina like in the original, huh?