I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy
chapter-79

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

Illustrations: Here

I tried to clear up the misunderstanding.

Even with the power of [Twisted Noble's Dignity] at my disposal, it was tough to keep my cool in the midst of all this chaos.

I was sweating bullets.

"I didn't mean for things to turn out like this. I just wanted to handle things properly," I explained.

At first, they didn't seem to believe me.

But as I continued to explain, they began to nod along.

"Oh, I see. I misunderstood. I apologize, student Theo. I haven't been this shaken up in a while."

"We're sorry too. We didn't think it could be, but what we saw was pretty rough... In a way, you did handle the situation properly, just like you said."

"...It's alright."

I felt wronged, but I understood why they were upset.

At least the misunderstanding was cleared up.

They probably felt sorry for me too.

'Haaaah my luck. I'm always getting accused of stuff, but it never gets any easier.'

The state Melon was in wasn't helping.

I'd had her tied up to make her feel unsettled, but I hadn't expected her to lose it quite like this.

Rok looked at Melon, who was still passed out, and then turned to the rest of the group.

"She doesn't seem to be waking up. Let's take her to the interrogation room."

""Understood, Senior Professor.""

The other teachers carefully untied Melon and put mana seal cuffs on her hands and feet.

They blindfolded her and gagged her as well.

'Good. Clean work.'

They're thorough.

I can leave it to them.

"We've got her secured, Senior Professor."

"Good job. Let's head back now."

They carried Melon onto the private carriage.

Noctar and I followed them.

"We will depart now."

We quickly arrived at the interrogation room in the Hero Department.

We were in the basement of the Hero Department, inside the interrogation room.

Melon was sitting in a chair, still out cold.

A healer was checking her over.

Across from them, Rok, Noctar, and I were watching.

Soon, the healer came out of the room.

"She's physically okay. Her life isn't in danger. The reason she isn't waking up is psychological." the healer said quietly, looking at Rok.

"I see. You've worked hard," Rok replied.

"I'll be leaving then."

"Go ahead."

The healer left.

Rok, his face stern as he studied Melon, addressed the others in the room.

"Everyone can head out. If anything happens, don't hesitate to ask for help. You all worked hard."

"Yes, we'll be on our way."

"Understood."

Bowing their heads, the staff members left the interrogation room.

I, however, remained where I was.

'There's an artifact I can only get from Rok at this moment.'

I signaled to Noctar with a subtle wink.

He gave a nod of understanding and followed the others out, leaving only Rok and me in the room.

"...Senior Professor."

"You seem to have something on your mind. What is it?"

Intrigued, Rok studied me.

"There's something I'd like to ask of you."

"Hah, what is it? Tell me."

A faint smile played at the corners of Rok's lips.

Before I knew it, the clock had ticked past 8 p.m.

Having finished my chat with Rok, I left the basement with [Romeo & Juliet] in my pocket and made my way to the Hero Department training field.

'Finally, I can practice my dagger skills.'

During the duels earlier today, I had observed the dagger techniques of Jang Woohee and Eshild closely.

I had to master those skills as soon as possible.

My current skill with the dagger was almost nonexistent.

Practicing with a magical doll would be more beneficial than with a human opponent.

With a creak, I opened the enormous door to the training field.

To spar with a magic doll, I had to cross the sparring area.

'At this hour, the place should be empty.'

Upon reaching the sparring area, I came to a sudden stop.

'Oh.'

A solitary figure stood there, a woman with short, fiery hair, eyes closed, breath steady.

With a rapier in her hand, she was practicing her footwork.

The sight was both graceful and majestic.

Her movement was sacred in a way.

For a moment, I was transfixed.

...It was so breathtaking, I could feel something surging inside.

‘Is this a sword dance?’

This wasn't just a mere display of swordsmanship.

It was a work of fine art.

Unable to look away, I enhanced [Observer's Eye] and began to study her moves while she still had her eyes closed.

The delicate tremors in her fingers, the direction of her feet, the span of her strides.

I committed every detail to memory.

At last, she finished her dance with a soft sigh.

Dabbing at the perspiration on her skin with a towel, she opened her eyes, and our gazes locked.

"..."

"..."

Neither of us spoke.

'She seems... sad.'

Her emerald eyes were tinged with a hint of sadness.

I averted my gaze.

I'd promised myself to keep my distance from her.

Turning my back to her, I briskly walked towards the simulation training field.

Yet, the memory of her beautiful sword dance continued to linger in my mind.

Beauty and elegance always stirred something deep within me.

…I'm not myself right now.

Engaging in conversation with Piel in this state could be dangerous.

'This damned body.'

Complicating matters further was the mark of the [Magic Cartridge] now imprinted on my skin.

If anyone saw it, they would no doubt brand me as a delinquent.

I didn't want to tarnish my reputation in such a way.

Struggling to regain my composure, I found the afterimage of Piel's elegant movements still etched vividly in my mind, refusing to fade.

Her movements continued to replay in my thoughts.

Thump, thump.

My heart races.

This was the first time I had experienced such a strong emotional response.

'Theo, this guy. He liked this sort of thing.'

Of course, the original Theo was a minor extra who left the story early, so there was no information about this, but my rapidly beating heart speaks for itself.

'But... I won't give in.'

Even though I occupied Theo's body, I wouldn't surrender my own identity.

"Haa, haaa..."

Taking deep breaths, I tried to rein in my errant thoughts.

'It's time to head to the simulation training field.'

Physical exertion was often the best distraction when such emotions threatened to overwhelm me.

I grasped [Romeo & Juliet] firmly in my hand.

Adding weights to my limbs for extra resistance, I hoped that the stamina would help me forget the storm of emotions raging within.

Exhausted but satisfied, I exited the training field after the rigorous session.

Thankfully, Piel was nowhere to be seen.

While the tempest of feelings has subsided considerably, it was merely temporary.

In the quiet corners of my heart, the embers of those emotions still glowed.

They had yet to be extinguished completely.

Hastily, I boarded a carriage bound for the Magic Department.

The time was now 9:50 p.m.

My reason for visiting at such an hour was straightforward.

I needed Seria to infuse magic into the [Magic Cartridge].

'But convincing Seria won't be easy.'

Seria Rune Hestia.

Daughter of the master of the Black Tower, one of the rare 8th circle wizards on the continent.

Just like Theo and Piel, she was of noble lineage, as evidenced by her middle name.

Money wouldn't sway her.

At the very least, I'd have to offer her a rare artifact or item to strike a deal.

She had a particular fondness for magic and artifacts with binding properties.

This was clear in the original game, where she primarily used binding and sealing spells.

Upon reaching the research room of the Magic Department, I concealed myself behind a nearby tree.

Seria, being a magic enthusiast, typically remained in the research room until 10 p.m.

The current time was 9:55 p.m.

The other Magic Department students had long since retreated to their dorms.

In about five minutes, Seria would emerge.

Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved a mana-sealing item and a note I had written earlier.

The mana-sealing item, resembling a pair of handcuffs, was an artifact I'd acquired from Rok earlier.

These mana handcuffs were a rare commodity, typically used by the Senior Professor, Rok, and directly crafted by a master dwarf.

Even with a pocket full of money, obtaining such an item would be incredibly difficult.

I took a moment to re-read the note I'd written.

[Seria Rune Hestia. I wish to propose a trade. Consider this item a deposit. If this interests you, meet me in front of the research room tomorrow night at 10.]

I wrote with my left hand on purpose, so she couldn't guess who it was by handwriting.

Next, I wrapped the note securely around the handcuffs.

Then, I settled into a discreet vantage point, my gaze fixed on the research room door in the Magic Department...

Squeak─

At last, Seria emerged.

***

Changed the name of the training field for the magic dolls to 'simulation training field,' usually I just call it training field/ground. I changed the name of the area where they usually trained/practice sparred with Noctar/Piel/Neike to sparring area/field. Then finally I now refer to the entire place as a training field.

Before I just called them all by 'training field' and used the context to understand which part of the field it was but in this chapter they were mentioned one after the other so I decided to give them names to make it a little easier to navigate mentally.

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