A Third-Rate Villain’s Sweet Life Exploiting Academy Bugs – Chapter 74

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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-Slap!

The sound of someone slapping a cheek echoed through Crow Fey’s quiet office.

-Slap! Slap!

The sound continued several times, giving a steady rhythm to the silence.

“…I’m sorr…”

-Slap!

The woman’s apology, which she had repeated dozens of times, became slurred.

Her cheeks were starting to swell.

“I’m sorry…”

Sera Cervantes, who almost fell at that moment, forcefully held onto her consciousness and stood straight.

And the person striking her was Crow Fey Guild Master Regilus.

“I’m sure I told you to just do what you were already doing well.”

“…I’m sorry.”

It was clearly Sera’s mistake.

Crow Fey was the first to confirm the existence of [Pleasure Lord].

In other words, they had the right to determine the expedition’s priority and participation conditions.

Yet far from monopolizing the rewards, Sera came back empty-handed.

Additionally, all the personnel who were bought off had died.

It was estimated that covering this up and cutting loose ends would require considerable expenses.

‘Talk about absolutely terrible luck…’

It was a big problem that she had left things to mercenary contractors to check on Kaeran’s condition.

Of course, if the Pleasure Lord had been just a mid-to-low level monster, it would never have escalated into a major issue.

The rewards wouldn’t be much either, so the gravity of the matter would be less.

However, the Pleasure Lord was a boss-level monster with a separate complete adult form.

In other words, she should have reported to Crow Fey headquarters and formed a separate attack force.

Also, since the discovery of a monster was a rare occurrence, it became an even bigger issue.

“How… how! How did you fail to notice there was someone capable of killing the Pleasure Lord alone?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t properly inspect the personnel?”

“…”

“While other guilds were sending spies, what were you doing… I asked.”

At Regilus’s soft-spoken reprimand, Sera tightly closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry…”

“What value.”

-Slap! Slap!

“Does your apology have?”

With just days remaining until the war spoils auction.

In the end, Crow Fey did all the hard work, and some bastard ran off with all the rewards.

It was like cooking porridge only to feed it to dogs.

“Find out immediately. The one who took the rewards. Bring them before me.”

“…Understood.”

-Slap!

And so Sera was only able to leave the office after being hit for quite a while.

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Thanks to the achievement of defeating the Flame Demon, Yeriel, Aria, Edwin, Lily, and I got to participate in an award ceremony in the Imperial Capital.

“Lily, I’m tired…”

Due to their oh-so-noble setting, the royal figures didn’t attend and only sent representatives.

A considerable number of guild officials attended as spectators to make recruitment offers to Yeriel, Aria, and Lily.

Despite being an Academy student, this student calmly responded in a crisis situation to defeat the monster and uncovered the structure of the double dungeon, becoming an exemplary model… This is what you’ll say in your speech.

Now then…

On the platform, Yeriel was receiving instructions from the attendant as the representative.

Yeriel receiving the award as representative was also part of the original work’s content.

Originally, the Flame Demon would have been defeated by Edwin and Yeriel’s cooperative attack.

While Yeriel would receive attention, Edwin wouldn’t get any interest.

Nevertheless, Edwin’s attitude of calmly being considerate, worried that Yeriel might feel uncomfortable, would raise his favorability.

That was the kind of event it was supposed to be…

But because I got involved and due to the author’s tyranny, that scenario had disappeared too.

This probably meant their relationship wasn’t as deep as in the original work.

Still, while I was learning wind archery from Selena,

Yeriel, as a senior, had always watched over and cheered on Edwin as he went through trials and training, so some kind of relationship must have been established.

Looking to the side at Edwin, he was sincerely congratulating Yeriel.

And looking at me, he asked instead.

“Aren’t you… disappointed?”

This was probably referring to the fact that I caught the Flame Demon but wasn’t getting attention.

“Isn’t it fine as long as it suits her well.”

Indeed, even though it was quite a formal occasion, Yeriel’s pure appearance caught the attention of many attendees.

We can’t ignore the external aspects either. She’ll probably receive love calls from many guilds.

Edwin watched that and said to me.

“Thank you.”

Why are you giving me goosebumps.

“Somehow I feel like I was able to beat Kaeran thanks to you.”

“That’s good.”

“Haha, you said it yourself. That I could become stronger when pushed into a crisis…”

Honestly, I couldn’t fully remember what I had said to Edwin during the last training session before the battle with Kaeran.

‘It was just a matter of a few coins…’

I just strongly urged him not to give up until the end, since he would never lose.

Probably more than my words, it was his latent ability and the Black Dragon’s bead that proved their worth.

“Do you remember the positioning day?”

“…”

Was that the day I first sparred with Edwin and used Mind Fire?

“When you asked to fight me… that was for my sake too, right?”

“…”

Honestly it was both for my sake and for his sake.

But Edwin, I’m not sure if he’s just a good person or a pushover.

He seems to have already forgotten about getting hit and fainting.

“Somehow, after that day, I, I realized something.”

“Ah, I see.”

Edwin seemed to have recovered some self-esteem.

According to the novel’s content, he would lose to Kaeran here, and while Kaeran was briefly at Crow Fey, he would work on raising the heroines’ favorability.

But in the end, he would lose the heroines to Kaeran when he returned.

Still, Edwin would acquire a new cheating characteristic during vacation.

That’s why I endured reading the novel believing just in that…

“Let’s not talk about it.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

To be honest, I still didn’t have faith in Edwin.

He may have beaten Kaeran, but the approaching demon race would be insanely strong with increased difficulty, could this guy really help block them well?

Of course, this was still much better than trusting the red pepper paste head.

-Clap clap clap.

At the sudden sound of applause, I turned my attention back to the front.

The presenter’s face was familiar.

-The presenter will be the war hero, Holy Knight Dustin.

He gave me a knowing look as if he had spotted me.

And from beside me came another comment from Edwin.

“I’m only telling you this… though you might laugh…”

“…?”

“I want to become a hero.”

Was this what made a protagonist a protagonist?

His eyes held quite a bit of conviction.

“…Sure, whatever.”

.

.

.

-Yeriel student! Over here please!

-Yeriel student! Could we have a quick interview?

-Ah… yes! Just a moment!!

Yeriel… was extremely busy.

Her pure white beauty shone and drew attention even among the crowds.

While there would be dungeon investigation practice interviews, since she was a second-year student, there were more than just a few guilds trying to butter her up.

Her qualities were famous outside the Academy, and neither her character nor her lineage as a war hero’s descendant was lacking.

I could vouch for this.

‘Though the Fallen Angel Transformation is an issue…’

-Lily! Do you have a moment to spare!

-Ehh? But I’m tired…

-Edwin!

There was quite a bit of interest from those showing attention to Lily and Edwin as well.

Especially for Edwin, it seemed to be from the newspaper side, probably aiming for sales by inducing gossip with Kaeran.

-It was just… luck.

Well, let them enjoy it.

In the end, what remained were Aria and me.

Of course, given Aria’s appearance and abilities, there would inevitably be a lot of interest,

but since she was a healing type who couldn’t participate in rank battles, strict recruitment restrictions were placed on her.

First of all, healers are precious beings in this world view.

Just like with the Pleasure Lord, they can’t even bring healers with holy power to mid-to-low level raids.

The reason is simple.

While mages can use simple healing magic,

without holy power, they can’t use effect amplification of this healing magic or higher-tier healing magic series, according to the setting.

Therefore, students with the [Divine] characteristic have various restrictions on recruitment until they become adults, to cultivate this ability.

Especially for believers, clergy, and priests, the restrictions are even more strict as they could manifest qualities of a saint.

Anyway, the one currently considered a saint would be the war hero Psyche.

Though her whereabouts are mysterious now,

she dies in Chapter 5 during a bloody battle with Yellody Latasia, the Academy’s real demon.

After that, the saint’s power is passed on to a suitable successor.

‘Here, the suitable successor is… Aria.’

Therefore, I would have to choose later.

Whether to help Psyche and change her fate…

Or,

This silver-haired girl with a hint of purple…

-Swoosh.

At that moment, Aria looked up at me, staring with rabbit-like eyes.

-…?

For quite a while at that.

Those bright blue eyes looking up intently were extremely cute.

“What?”

“…”

“It would be better if you told us what you were doing over the weekend, Lev.”

“Ah.”

Aria’s businesslike tone.

That meant one thing.

But… why was she so interested in my every move…

‘No…’

Come to think of it, the recent place I took Aria to was a tavern near the red-light district…

This was a situation more suspicious than I thought.

I spoke to her in a deliberately light tone.

“Aria, do you know what?”

“…What is it?”

“I heard there’s a chocolatier in the Imperial Capital who makes better chocolate than the Academy…”

“Chocolate?”

“Yeah, so shall we go together?”

Then Aria spoke as if that wasn’t important.

“…Do you think I’m a child! To have my mood improved by such things…!”

“Sorry.”

“Really, really, you disappeared suddenly again and I was worried…!”

“You were worried again?”

“No, well, that’s…”

Got her, she fell for it.

I spoke a bit sadly.

“As expected, Aria has an even kinder heart than I thought.”

“…”

“Even worrying about me every time, who’s called a thug at the Academy.”

“……”

Aria was weak to praise about herself or when others spoke humbly.

It wasn’t for nothing that she was always a devoted character.

“I’m sorry for always making you worry, given who I am…”

“……”

Her gaze started to waver, seemingly more uncomfortable with my self-deprecating words.

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Then what?”

“Again, that, that kind of… that place, I thought you went there…!”

“What kind of place?”

As I gradually pressed her, Aria slightly avoided my gaze.

Instead, her face started to flush.

“E..enough! S..stop it!”

I said with a slight smile.

“Then, shall we go there together now?”

“What…? Wh-wh-wh-what?”

Along with five responses, her face started to burn red.

This is quite… fun.

-This way.

-Have a good time.

-Please wait.

-Then, I’ll turn a blind eye just this once.

The adult Aria in [Reincarnated Hero] was completely thorough and flawless.

This world’s minor Aria was full of gaps.

“What are you thinking? I meant let’s go to the chocolate shop, and since the others look busy, let’s go together.”

“Ah……”

Since we need to get the ring appraised anyway, we should hurry to the Imperial Capital’s commercial district.

As I turned my head to take the lead,

-Thump!

“Ow!”

A cute punch exploded on my back.

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Meanwhile, in front of [Divine Valhalla]’s main building.

Emma, a girl who could be described by just two features – reddish orange hair and freckles – was having an argument with the guard in front of the headquarters.

“Please let me meet them!!!!”

“You’ve got the wrong address, kid. This is a knights’ guild.”

“You read my letter, didn’t you! They’re my lifesaver!”

“This is driving me crazy…”

“And, I’m not a kid! I’m old enough to have entered the Academy already!”

“Ah yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.”

“Huh? Are you letting me in?”

“No. Not letting you in. Have no intention of letting you in. Go home quickly.”

“Eeeek!”

-Thwack!

“Ouch!”

When Emma kicked the guard’s shin, Guard Park started to become genuinely angry.

‘I’ll teach you…!’

That’s when it happened.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, Lady Aveline!”

It was the guild leader’s daughter, Aveline Valantes.

“Well, you see, this kid keeps saying she has a benefactor in Lady Aveline’s guild and insists on seeing them…”

“Benefactor?”

When Aveline responded, Emma answered instead of the guard.

“Yes! It was someone who used a crossbow! I must meet them to express my gratitude!”

“Lady Aveline, there aren’t any knights in [Divine Valhalla] who mainly use crossbows, are there…?”

Come to think of it, this roughly matched what Raymond had told her.

While Aveline was pondering this,

Emma opened her eyes wide and pointed at the plaza where people were walking, shouting.

“Ah, that person! They have a similar build to that person!”

Her finger was pointing at what appeared to be a pair of male and female students from Claris.

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