A Third-Rate Villain’s Sweet Life Exploiting Academy Bugs – Chapter 117

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Clarice Academy’s main street, bustling with numerous students due to its proximity to the dormitories.

The blue hues of dusk settled in as the various streetlamps lining the brick road began to light up.

“Did you hear they’re picking aspiring heroes even among the first years?”

“Wasn’t it originally from the second year?”

“It’s because of the situation. They’re probably trying to select them in advance.”

With the start of the new semester and the belated announcement of the second-semester schedule, the first-year students were gathered in restaurants and cafeterias, chatting amongst themselves.

“Being a hero means doing dangerous work, right? I wonder if there will be many applicants.”

“Ha, are you stupid? Look at the aspiring hero upperclassmen. They’re all successful and living well. It’s not like the demons are going to invade with an army.”

“That’s true… So are you going to apply?”

“I have to at least try. I’ll probably be eliminated in the Adventure Practice, though…”

“Huh…? Wait.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t that kid… Kaelan?”

The students’ gazes converged on one spot. A red-haired man opened the cafeteria door and entered.

Ignoring the gazes around him, he walked directly towards a secluded space beyond the glass wall. And there, Sera Cervantes, once called the Viper of Crowfey, was waiting for him.

Looking at the large square bandage on Sera’s cheek, Kaelan said,

“We meet again, senior.”

“…”

Senior. Sera no longer held the position of deputy manager of Crowfey.

She had been demoted to Kaelan’s personal errand runner after the items meant for Regillus, the guild leader, were embarrassingly stolen by that Lev Denec.

-Flick, flick.

As Sera habitually tried to light her cigar, Kaelan said with a smile,

“I told you not to smoke in front of me.”

“…”

At his chilling, coercive words, Sera’s hand froze.

-Thud.

As Sera dropped the cigar as if she had let go of it, Kaelan gently coaxed her,

“More than anything, this is the academy.”

Kaelan fiddled with his teacup and said, “So, what’s the reason you came all the way to the academy?”

“…Tell me your status first.”

“Well. It feels like I’m completely assimilated now…”

Kaelan repeatedly clenched and unclenched his left wrist with his right hand.

“…”

Watching him, Sera felt pure fear towards the man before her. Yes, Kaelan Heath was indeed human.

‘He’s not just ordinarily tenacious…’

He had simply endured, and endured, the demonic circuit surgery performed by Crowfey. Even when Sera provoked him by mentioning Abelline and Melissa, he silently focused on accepting the circuit.

She guessed that he had probably gained control over the demonic power that should have driven him berserk.

‘It’s a miracle he’s still alive…’

This alone was a testament to Kaelan’s extraordinary talent. In fact, during the vacation, he had frantically repeated mock training sessions, sparring with almost every type of Crowfey member and accumulating as much information as possible.

Anyway, now that he was completely assimilated, Sera continued, half in admiration and half in fear, “Then that’s good… to hear.”

“By the way, why are you being so curt?”

“What…?”

“Did you lose your touch because it’s been a while since you’ve seen me?”

“Ah, that…? It’s because we’re outside… someone might be eavesdropping…”

“Sera. Shall we do ‘that’ again?”

At the word “that,” Sera’s whole body recoiled. She shrunk back. And her loosened switch flipped with a click.

“Sor…”

Her knees trembled.

“Sor… Sorry… Sorry.”

“If you know your place, get to the point. You called me out because you have something to say.”

“Yes……”

Kaelan knew all too well that once you broke a woman who pretended to be strong, it became easy afterward.

Completely intimidated, Sera stammered,

“First, Lady Yellody intends to register… you, Kaelan… as an aspiring hero… Since Lady Yellody is part of the Magic Department… Master Regillus instructed you to… to focus on magic classes, not cause any trouble, and… and wait until you are finally selected as a hero student.”

“Hmm.”

Yellody Latasia, the demonic girl who lifted the unknown curse on Kaelan. He felt a bit annoyed at having to follow her orders, even though he wouldn’t have to if it were the old geezer of Crowfey.

“And?”

“As… as you know… during the… the raid practice during the vacation, Lady Abelline Valantes and Princess Melissa de Prominence…”

“Ah, forget about that.”

“Y-Yes?”

“I’ll handle it myself. Don’t worry about it. The point is to weed out the troublesome ones from the selection test and pick only those loyal to me, right?”

“Th-That’s right…”

‘What should I do…?’

Regillus’s ambition and Yellody’s scheme… and himself caught in between.

‘Edwin Gwynne… Lev Denec…’

Those two would be dealt with later. Abelline and Melissa would crawl to him on their own.

‘Then what’s left is… Lily Forget. And… Violet D’Crescent. I wonder what you two taste like…’

The red-haired man smiled, seemingly intrigued.

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.

.

-Pitter-patter, tick-tock.

Autumn rain splattered against the windowpane of the cafe where I was sitting.

“Thank you.”

Looking at Kaelan’s silhouette leaving the building in the distance, I replied,

“Don’t… don’t ever ask me to do that again! Really! Anything but that…!”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”

They say modern warfare is information warfare. The place where Kaelan and Sera Cervantes had their secret meeting was a conference room exclusive to top-tier circles.

Since I wasn’t even in a circle, let alone a top-tier one, I had no choice but to ask someone else. So I asked Hazel the Wonder of the Alchemy Circle to tail Kaelan.

Perhaps thanks to me, the Alchemy Circle was flourishing, unlike in the fan fiction, so Hazel, while complaining, eventually repaid the favor.

The situation afterward was similar to the previous eavesdropping incident. Since I roughly knew the narrative, I could infer quite a bit just from that short conversation.

‘I’ve roughly figured out their objectives.’

Kaelan, similar to the fan fiction, intended to cause a commotion in the Aspiring Hero Selection Test, the [Adventure Practice]. And the ones supporting him were, first, Yellody Latasia, who would reveal her ambition in Chapter 5.

Her goal was probably… to use Kaelan to become a Demon Lord herself, despite not being one of the 72 demons.

To cause chaos in the demon hierarchy, she intended to use Edwin and Kaelan, who had executive abilities, as pawns.

And the human involved was Regillus of the villainous guild, [Crowfey].

He, a former captain of the Imperial Knights, had become disillusioned with humanity. Believing that the demons would ultimately win the war, he colluded with Yellody Latasia and chose to support them.

‘Nothing has really changed so far.’

According to the original Chapter 4, Kaelan would eliminate Yeriel and Aria, who were in the realm of good, and form a party with Melissa and Aveline, whom he deemed easier to control.

And when Violet tried to connect Edwin, Yeriel, and Aria, a fierce battle would ensue. In the end, Violet would be killed by a demon in a staged accident, Edwin would despair, and the D’Crescent family line would be completely extinguished.

The rain intensified.

I had to change this.

‘But… if other demons start joining in…’

As I watched the heavy raindrops, recalling the grim events of the fan fiction,

“Lev! I’m sorry…!”

A pure white maiden appeared before me.

Yeriel Artina.

A perfectly fitted uniform blouse, jacket, and skirt… her hair, tied back with some strands framing her face, made her look even more elegant today.

Yeriel had asked me to wait here because she had something to say.

‘…’

Since Neldaran, she had been acting flustered whenever she saw me, and I felt like teasing her again.

“That’s unusual. Yeriel being late.”

“I’m sorry…! It’s because… there were some things… with the new semester starting…”

She was probably late because the professors were showering her with offers.

“I know. It’s okay.”

“Yeah… Thank you for understanding.”

Looking at the raindrops clinging to Yeriel’s silky hair, I stood up.

“You’ll catch a cold. Let’s go back to the dormitory.”

“Huh? No, no! I’m okay.”

To Yeriel, who hurriedly tried to stop me, I said in a low voice,

“Then come here.”

-Slide.

“….”

I pulled out the chair next to me. Yeriel didn’t reply but silently approached.

“You came obediently?”

“You’re going to… dry my hair…! I know, now.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Yeriel, speaking confidently, was indeed the top student of the second-year Magic Department.

As she sat down next to me with a soft thud, a sweet and tender fragrance welcomed me. It was enough to calm all my previous thoughts, enveloping me completely.

The gentle Yeriel from the vacation and the composed Yeriel of the new semester felt quite different.

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.

.

“There.”

“…Thank you…”

After drying even her hat, she sat next to me, dazed. Her gaze, fixed affectionately ahead, and the curve of her hair around her nape gave me an inexplicable sense of elation.

I whispered softly behind her, “What are you thinking about again?”

“?!”

Yeriel finally reacted.

“U-Uh? Nothing…!”

“Neldaran?”

“…”

“So, today… just for today…! I’ll understand even if you’re somewhere else…”

Those words, recalling the memories of that day, seemed to strike a nerve. Seeing her lips tremble and her dejected expression, I whispered again in the same tone,

“…I only went to Aria after getting your permission.”

“……That’s right.”

Yeriel replied calmly, as if accepting the outcome. Seeing her look so vulnerable, I wanted to tease her even more.

“Thank you for being so considerate.”

“……Yeah.”

“You’re so kind, Yeriel.”

“……No, I’m not.”

“Thanks to you, I was able to resolve things with Aria.”

“……Good job…”

Her ears turned even redder at my words. It felt like she would cry if I touched them. She was a mage, skilled at manifesting her imagination.

-Screech!

Yeriel abruptly stood up.

“Sorry, just kidding…”

-Glare.

Yeriel, giving me a playful glare as if scolding me, didn’t go anywhere else but sat down in the seat opposite me. Her cheeks seemed puffed up.

“I was joking. You know nothing happened.”

“……Yeah, I know.”

But she still looked dejected, despite knowing. The perennial honor student, flawless everywhere else in the academy, kept malfunctioning only in front of me.

‘That’s why I keep teasing her…’

-Rustle.

As if to clear her head, Yeriel unfolded several papers. Course registration forms filled with difficult lectures… She would grow rapidly since she drank the Elixir of Immortality, but… could she handle it?

Yeriel, as if taking the initiative, said,

“…Lev, show me your course registration.”

“Oh? Okay.”

I handed her my course schedule, and she meticulously started comparing it with hers. It seemed she intended to catch two birds with one stone – my classes and hers.

“…You’re going to take all of those…? I think it’s too much.”

“It’s okay. I need all of them…”

“…”

“…From the second semester…”

“…”

“I decided not to leave you alone… So I’ll do things my way this time…”

I nodded, listening to Yeriel’s uncharacteristically complaining tone.

‘I’m getting addicted to this.’

Every time she worried about me, I felt glad, just for that moment, that I was possessed in this world.

“…”

So I couldn’t let her get caught up in the situation I created…

As if reading my mind, Yeriel furrowed her beautiful brows and warned me once more,

“No dangerous acts…!”

“…Okay.”

-…

And so…

‘Sorry, I really can’t help it this time.’

I swallowed those words with a sip of tea.

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