I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy
chapter-241

In a situation where I had the target, Claire, right in front of me.

However, I witnessed something even more crucial.

‘I get to see Sonya here in Elinia Academy.’

In the game, Sonya is a significant character with considerable importance.

But her official introduction is not until the mid-part of the story, after the protagonist Neike graduates from the academy.

Sonya is a scientist, an alchemist, and a mage.

Moreover, she is a 'genius' in all these fields, a munchkin-like character.

However, Sonya doesn't quite fit the bill of a 'true genius mage.'

Her understanding of magical formulas is profound, able to grasp some 8th Circle magic at a young age in her early twenties, but she lacks sufficient mana to cast high-circle spells herself.

At best, she can only cast one or two 5th Circle offensive spells before running out of mana.

Her own mana pool is much lower than that of juniors like Andrew and Seria.

‘I need to get acquainted with her.’

But she is definitely someone who can be of great help to me.

Sonya is more of a mad scientist, obsessed with her research and not overly concerned with morals or ethics.

In other words, she's a goal-oriented individual.

There's a high possibility of a mutually beneficial relationship between us.

I quickly brainstormed a way to imprint myself in her memory.

“······.”

It's a bit obvious, but I thought of a method.

The primary goal is to make Sonya aware of my existence.

Given that, it seems like a good approach.

······Now, let's deal with Claire, our original target.

I looked down at Claire, who was stiff as a board, while holding the principal's cat in her arms.

“It seems we meet quite often these days, knight.”

“······Hello, Theo. Indeed.”

Claire, still frozen, looked up and responded.

To an outsider, it would seem like a perfectly natural scene.

But I can see it.

Claire's usual demeanor, different today, fidgeting nervously.

Theo spoke to Claire.

“There’s a lot I want to say, but since there are others around, I’ll keep it brief. Do you agree?”

“······Yes.”

“You know why I've come to find you, don’t you?”

“······.”

Instead of answering, Claire just gazed up at Theo.

─You know why I've come to find you, don’t you?

Though he spoke in a roundabout way, the meaning was clear.

Interpreted, it meant: I know all about your stalking, so confess willingly.

But she left no trace.

No, there couldn’t be any.

The role of a knight of the Order is ostensibly to 'protect' the Order from threats like apostates, with a grand and imposing facade.

However, their actual main duties include civilian surveillance, elimination of key figures, and mass extermination, all under the guise of 'protection' as advocated by the Order's leadership.

Hence, from their candidacy period, knights undergo rigorous intelligence training.

This is because if any trace is left during missions that could cause social issues, it would undoubtedly bring blame to the Order.

In the past, when faith in the Order and Renimid was abundant, she would have vehemently denied such accusations, even deceiving her own conscience.

After all, a knight of the Order stalking a civilian would tarnish the Order's honor.

However, the current Claire's faith in the Order and Renimid had significantly diminished.

Since she began serving Saintess Isabella, she had learned too much about the Order's ugly side.

Simultaneously, her true nature, which urged her not to deceive her own conscience, had begun to resurface.

Claire opened her mouth.

"······Yes, I know."

"It wasn't an action taken under your own judgment, was it?"

"······No."

As Claire readily admitted it, Theo nodded lightly with a smile.

"Personally, your quick confession has significantly calmed my anger. I will speak with the individual who instructed you. Of course, this is solely to prevent recurrence, so the harm coming your way, knight, will be minimal."

"······I understand, Theo. I deeply apologize for the trouble I've caused you."

Claire, holding Pipi, stood up and bowed 90 degrees to Theo.

Luna, Sonya, and Siena watched this scene.

Fairy Luna and Elf Siena with a 'humans are so interesting!' look in their eyes, watching the scene from an entertainment perspective──

But Human Sonya was different.

She saw the scene from a different one.

'A knight bowing to a civilian... a rare sight indeed. I’m not sure what wrong they did to this student but.'

In fact, she had been under surveillance and even pursued by knights of the [Order of Light], making the current situation even more astonishing to her.

What are knights, after all?

They are emotionless hunting dogs that pounce on any task given by the Order.

Sonya looked at Theo with a curious gaze.

'Judging by the hair and eye color, he seems to be from the Waldeurk family... Quite interesting.'

She had been so absorbed in her research after graduating from the academy that she was virtually cut off from the world and had only just learned that the student's name was ‘Theo.’

However, the aura he emitted and his eloquence were far from ordinary.

Then.

‘Huh? What is that object?’

The student pulled out a communication crystal from his possession.

It was undoubtedly a device Sonya had recently created.

The student presented the communication crystal towards the knight.

"This device and one like it are in the possession of the individual who instructed you, correct?"

"······Yes."

"The serial number would be [SH-0002], right?"

"······Yes, that's correct."

The knight now looked at the student with an exhausted expression.

The student said.

"Understood. I will contact that person separately today."

"······Yes."

The knight responded weakly.

With that, the student turned his gaze away from the knight.

After concluding the matter with Claire, Theo greeted Luna.

His demeanor was marked with a restrained grace.

"Good day, principal. I am Theo Lyn Waldeurk, a first-year student in the Hero Department. It’s an honor to meet you."

Luna's eyes sparkled brightly.

"Ohh~? Is that etiquette from the past? I like you. I haven't seen anyone use it other than Rok in nearly 100 years."

"I regret to see such beautiful legacies of the past disappearing so rapidly, so I've made it a point to preserve them. Thank you for recognizing it, principal."

Theo placed his right forearm across his chest and bowed to Luna.

It was a gesture close to the essence of etiquette used during the era of the heroic Ryuk, over 200 years ago.

This gesture strongly evoked Luna's memories of those bygone days, firmly embedding itself in her heart.

"Ah, you know it well. Good, good. What's your name?"

Luna smiled broadly and patted Theo's head.

To an onlooker, it would seem odd to see a child who appeared to be about ten years old patting the head of a sturdy boy standing 183 cm tall.

However, no pain from [Twisted Noble's Dignity] arose.

Luna was like a living legend.

Theo, still bowing, replied.

"I am Theo Lyn Waldeurk."

Luna tilted her head in curiosity.

"Hmm~? There was a kind auntie in Polaris who looked similar to you... Are you also from Polaris?"

"Yes, that's correct. The person you're referring to must be Eve Waldeurk. She's a distant relative of mine."

"Ah, right, right. That name sounds familiar. Now that I think about it, Waldeurk... I knew someone with that surname when I adventured with Ryuk."

"You must be referring to our family's founder, Alfred."

"Ah, yes, yes! He was really nice to us! But you, you seem to know everything? You're very smart."

"You flatter me."

······Thus, Theo actively participated in Luna's trip down memory lane for quite a while.

Even without delving into the game's setting, it's known that as people age, they often enjoy reminiscing about the past.

Naturally, they are even happier if a young person is well-versed in that past.

Luna, in particular, seemed to be living in the past rather than just recalling it.

'Enough with the principal for now.'

Feeling that the conversation topics with Luna were running out, Theo shifted his target.

His new target was Sonya.

"Good day, Senior Sonya."

Sonya's eyes widened in surprise.

"Eh, eh······ You know me······ Recognize me?"

"Of course. Aren’t you the academy's only ever dual-department valedictorian since its founding?"

"Ah, hahaha. It's nice to meet someone who knows me."

Sonya laughed awkwardly.

It was quite surprising for Sonya, as a distant junior knew who she was.

Moreover, a good-looking and capable one at that.

Sonya talked with Theo.

It had been a long time since Sonya genuinely enjoyed the act of 'conversation' itself.

This handsome young man in front of her spoke freely, yet he carefully avoided topics that were difficult or sensitive for her to address.

Eventually, as Sonya's defenses softened, she asked Theo a question.

"Where did you get that item? I made it."

This was the question Theo had been hoping for and leading the conversation towards.