A Third-Rate Villain’s Sweet Life Exploiting Academy Bugs – Chapter 60

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Perhaps it was due to the chaotic match between Lev Denec and Kaelan Heath in Group A-4,

-“What happened? What’s going on?”

-“They say he forfeited.”

-“Who?”

-“The B-rank.”

but the Coliseum at the Arena of Strife was in a state of disarray.

The early stages of the match had been captivating, with both contenders exchanging blows relentlessly, refusing to give an inch.

Then, Kaelan, hailed as the most talented freshman, the genius, was struck by a single blow.

Just as the momentum seemed to shift in favor of B-rank Lev Denec, a surprising turn of events unfolded:

-“I forfeit.”

He had forfeited.

Even the Royal Class members, who had been observing the match, were stunned into silence.

Melissa cautiously asked Selena, who was sitting beside her,

“Kaelan… won, right?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Selena’s response was curt.

Her attention was solely focused on Lev Denec’s Wind Archery.

The blue Wind Archery he had displayed in his duel against Gailon.

But he hadn’t used it at all this time.

‘Why?’

Why didn’t he use Wind Archery?

Furthermore, his movements had completely transformed.

He was far more fluid and agile than when she had assisted him with his training.

This was a level of mastery that couldn’t be achieved in such a short period.

Granted, Kaelan was incredibly talented, but Lev wasn’t using his full strength either.

He was truly an enigma.

‘He could have had a chance if he used Wind Archery… Did he intentionally hold back?’

As she pondered these questions,

-Rustle!

Lily, with her twintails, munched on snacks and chimed in,

“Shouldn’t we consider this Lev’s victory? That’s what I think.”

“Lily!!”

Avelin retorted, her voice indignant.

“H-how could that guy possibly have gone easy on Kaelan?”

“But… Kaelan was the one who fell…”

“Why aren’t you supporting your own circle?!”

“Hmm… You’re right…”

Lily had joined the Royal Class circle because she admired Kaelan.

-“Lily, you’re a genius. I bet you can summon even stronger beings, right?”

-“Ahem, of course!”

-“Good. Keep up the good work, for me… no, for our circle.”

He had praised her abilities.

The so-called genius had acknowledged her, Lily, and only her.

That was what she had found appealing, but…

-“You can just use this to resummon them.”

Somehow, she didn’t dislike Lev either.

Thanks to him, they had avoided disaster during the dungeon practice, and he wasn’t a bad person.

‘Hmm…’

Lily, the youngest among them, couldn’t understand this ambiguous feeling.

-Thud.

-!

A woman approached them.

“Hmm~. Do you girls know him?”

A languid voice, drooping eyes with a beauty mark, sky-blue hair…

She wore the purple robes that signified a third-year student.

.

.

.

Across from them, Regillus, the guild master of [Crow’s Fey], also pondered, his finger tapping his chin.

His subordinate, standing beside him, spoke first.

“Master, what are your thoughts?”

“What about you?”

“He wasn’t as decisive as expected, so we should observe the remaining matches… but Kaelan is undoubtedly the most promising gem among the first-years.”

“No, I’m talking about the other guy.”

“Huh?”

The other guy, meaning Lev Denec, the B-rank student.

“He hasn’t really… demonstrated much as an archer… In my opinion, it was just a performance to attract attention.”

He was right.

The archer hadn’t fought like an archer.

However, he seemed to be manipulating Kaelan’s emotions, leading him on.

Regulus was intrigued by this seemingly calculated strategy.

“Who knows. Keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, sir.”

The subordinate responded curtly and left, leaving Regulus with a faint smile on his face.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

There were more procedures than I had anticipated after the match.

Since I had forfeited, I had to submit a written oath acknowledging the outcome and waiving any right to contest it.

I also had to endure a lecture from the instructors, filled with feedback and nagging, about how archers were vulnerable in close combat and how I should avoid choosing close-combat opponents in the future.

All this took time.

Since the match had started late in the afternoon, it was already dusk.

“Halfway there, I guess.”

At least the Kaelan issue was partially resolved.

It would take them a while to notice the parasitism.

Just removing the ‘Copy’ trait would be a huge win.

Then all that was left was to graduate from the academy smoothly…?

Starting from Chapter 3 of the fan fiction, demons would become more active, tormenting the characters.

Lilith would turn evil, Yeriel would be tested by the power of a Fallen Angel,

and Edwin would experience further growth.

It wouldn’t be entirely bad, as the gap between him and Kaelan would narrow.

“Let’s just rest today.”

I was drenched in sweat; I needed a shower.

As I finally exited the Coliseum,

-Good job!

-Don’t be discouraged!

-I knew you could do it!

-You were amazing today!

I was greeted by crowds of families and friends waiting for the students who had participated in the matches.

In contrast, I was alone.

‘Sigh, not a single cheer for me.’

It was all thanks to Lev Denec’s past deeds.

A ruined reputation wasn’t easily restored.

Besides, the people I cared about were in another world.

But seeing the female students glancing at me and whispering amongst themselves, I suddenly thought of Aria.

She had always watched me.

-“The ranking matches are today, right? I’m assigned to the medical team…”

-*“Huh? You can’t watch? *

-“…Yes. So even if I’m not there…”

-“Yesss!”

-“Are you that happy?”

-“No, I was just… kidding…”

Since there were constant duels during the ranking match week, with large crowds in attendance, medical accidents were bound to happen, leading to a shortage of medical staff.

That’s why healing-type students who weren’t participating in the matches were likely assigned to the medical team.

If she had watched my match today, she would have been waiting here.

‘As expected… But I’m glad you’re not injured.’

Those were the words she would have said…

Lost in such pointless thoughts, a familiar voice jolted me back to reality.

“Hey, loser delinquent kid. Are you a loner?”

It was Dustin and Scarlett.

“Ahem.”

Loser. Loner. Awkward.

I had no counter-argument.

“I knew it. With that personality of yours, you must have zero friends…”

“Scarlett, that’s enough. Lev, don’t be discouraged. The ranking matches aren’t over yet.”

“Hmm…”

As I remained silent, Scarlett, realizing she might have been too harsh, patted my back consolingly.

“That’s right! You held your own against an S-rank. The judges will take that into consideration. Besides, in my eyes, you practically won that match…”

-You two! What are you doing there?! You have another match to judge!

Our conversation was cut short.

An academy official called Dustin and Scarlett.

As war heroes, they seemed to have a busy schedule.

“Seriously, we’re so busy, and Umberto is nowhere to be found… Is he still off the grid???”

“Haha, he’s a quiet guy; he never tells us where he’s going. He’s probably off hunting monsters somewhere… Lev, we have to go. Good luck with your remaining matches.”

“Okay.”

And so, they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

I had been feeling down, but their friendly words lifted my spirits.

.

.

.

“A-4, Lev Denec’s belongings.”

“Claim it over here!”

When I arrived at the storage room,

there was an additional box with my belongings.

A three-tiered, meticulously prepared lunchbox, something I rarely saw even back in Korea.

And a note.

As I unfolded the paper, a pleasant scent, like freshly laundered shirts, wafted towards me.

Though the sender’s name was missing, perhaps forgotten,

the neat handwriting was a dead giveaway.

‘I can practically hear her voice.’

It was clearly Yeriel’s letter.

“…?”

As I reread it, touched by her thoughtfulness, I noticed something that didn’t sit right.

‘Umberto’s summons…?’

Umberto, the Shaman, visiting the Black Dormitory?

Umberto, in the fan fiction, was a character with little relevance to the plot, aside from his handsome appearance. He was always portrayed as a lone wolf,

and his only mention was his death during one of his solo expeditions, where he was killed by demons.

But hadn’t Scarlett and Dustin just said Umberto was unreachable?

As if to answer my question, a status window appeared.

-Cha-ching!

-Ding!

“…!!”

No wonder the author had been quiet.

Wait, what was this reward…?

‘Is he trying to pull the plug at this point?’

It seemed like the author, unable to self-insert any further, was giving up and throwing a final tantrum.

Such a petty creature.

I immediately slung the Ash Grey Scatter Shot over my shoulder.

It was time to get back to business.

At Seraphi Black Dormitory, bathed in the hues of the setting sun,

Yeriel was guiding Umberto, who had come to visit the dormitory.

‘Why does something like this always happen on Lev’s match day?’

‘I wanted to have dinner with him…’

She had prepared a special lunchbox for Lev, analyzing his eating habits during their past meals and tailoring it to his preferences.

It was a shame, but she couldn’t refuse a request from a war hero.

“This is a… lovely dormitory.”

“Thank you!”

It was significant for someone of his stature to show interest in Seraphi Dormitory.

For instance, for publicity…

It might seem materialistic, but with the upcoming second semester being her last chance, as only freshmen could reside in Seraphi Dormitory…

Yeriel asked Umberto cheerfully,

“I didn’t see you at the welcoming ceremony. Did you just arrive at the academy today?”

“That’s right. I came in secretly. I’m quite popular, you see.”

As he had stated, Umberto was one of the most popular heroes.

He was the youngest, and his appearance was a major factor.

Pale skin, blond hair, and crimson eyes…

Yeriel found his vampire-like appearance slightly intimidating,

but his reserved personality and mysterious aura made him incredibly popular.

Despite being a Shaman.

If news of his arrival spread throughout the academy, hordes of female students would flock to see him.

“You must be tired. I’ll bring you some tea!”

“Sounds good. Could you show me around in the meantime?”

“Of course! Right this way!”

Yeriel beamed, leading the way.

It wasn’t often that someone showed interest in the dormitory.

It was time to put on her saleswoman smile.

At that moment, Umberto turned to her and said,

“That smile. It’s still as beautiful as ever.”

“!”

A chill ran down her spine. She was startled but quickly masked her surprise and replied,

“Oh… thank you?”

A question arose in her mind.

‘I thought… he was supposed to be a man of few words…?’

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇