A Third-Rate Villain’s Sweet Life Exploiting Academy Bugs – Chapter 83

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The Claris Academy was vast, and the night was long.

The last train had passed, leaving the platform empty.

-Tick.

All but one central light, which illuminated the two figures, turned off simultaneously.

In the silence that followed, Aria’s gaze finally settled on the gray-haired man, as if finding its proper place.

-…

It was a silence that could be considered long.

And this silence, turning into unease, ached in Aria’s chest.

“…I…”

Finally, when Lev was about to speak,

“…It’s fine.”

Suddenly, she stood on her tiptoes as if to kiss him.

“!”

Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to physical contact.

Aria merely snatched the vial containing the potion from Lev.

-Pop!

She lightly uncorked it, drank it, and then placed both hands on Lev’s chest.

-Shaaa…

Instantly, from his body… the demonic energy of Andras, whom she hated to no end, began to be purified.

.

.

.

-Ding.

“Ugh…!”

When I finally regained my senses, I was facing Aria.

It overlapped with the first time I met her.

Back then, I was also holding her wrist.

“Ah.”

When I released my hand, a red mark was clearly visible on Aria’s pale skin.

She averted her gaze from me and turned her head towards the train tracks.

Her small, doll-like face, the elegant line of her profile.

Aria’s hair, bathed in moonlight, resembled the Milky Way.

As I thought this… I denied reality.

‘I must be crazy…’

It wasn’t like I was drunk and blacked out,

Nor was I mentally incapacitated!

Judging by the heavy atmosphere, I must have crossed the line again with my words.

“…Did I say something weird?”

“…Not really.”

But the atmosphere had become quite awkward for that to be the case…

I wondered how to continue this conversation.

‘Ah, right. There was that thing.’

I remembered the item I had intended to give to Aria.

Of course, it was a concept light-years away from real-life dating…

But in games, there was something called “increasing affection,”

Which involved giving artifacts that matched each character’s disposition to advance the relationship.

Surely, no one dislikes gifts.

I took the “Wave of Healing” out of my pocket, a reward from defeating the [Lord of Revels].

In the upcoming monster invasion, she would have many occasions to use healing magic.

It wouldn’t have much meaning if I kept it.

“Here.”

“…?”

A pure white ring, clearly visible even in the dark night.

It would suit Aria well.

She looked up at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

“Just, you help me out every time. And you’ve been overworking yourself lately.”

Aria, who had never been extravagant in her life, hesitated to accept it.

I awkwardly added a word.

“Just now, too… if it weren’t for you, I probably…”

“…?”

“Never mind.”

‘I might have become a demon.’

I swallowed the last part.

It was a delicate situation.

I wanted to tell her everything, but

It still didn’t feel like the right time.

The side quest the author gave me,

This was clearly a trap.

If you thought about it for a moment,

Aria had lost her family to Andras, and that had completely changed her destiny.

But,

Assuming Aria believed that Lev Denec, a third-rate villain, had defeated a great demon that even war heroes struggled against,

Saying something like,

‘I shattered Andras’s skull and inherited his power.’

Would be like declaring to Aria,

‘I inherited the power of the one who killed your parents.’

In this world, the hatred and fear towards demons were immense, and the perception of dark magic was abysmal.

The very purpose of Claris Academy was the eradication of evil.

Ultimately, in this world,

Even if my act of avenging Aria’s parents could be defined as “good” in her eyes,

Wielding the power of a demon would never be understood by the public.

Even if Aria took my side,

People who didn’t know the details would throw stones at me.

‘Because that’s what a witch hunt is.’

Therefore, making someone other than me keep my secret was too cruel.

I didn’t want to put Aria through the test of choosing between her hatred for the demon that took her family and her personal feelings for me.

Indeed, it was best to keep this truth to myself.

“Take it. My arm hurts.”

“Thank… you.”

Aria awkwardly accepted the ring.

Her gaze darted around, unsure where to land.

Why was she so adorable when she was this flustered?

For a moment, I imagined a scene from a K-drama and considered putting the ring on her finger, but…

‘Let’s not overdo it.’

I gave up and tied it with a string, hanging it around her neck.

-…

“I… what you’re thinking…”

“…Yes?”

“Never mind, just talking to myself.”

My true feelings slipped out for a moment,

But Aria’s eyes, filled with questioning, looked at me.

She probably didn’t hear it.

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Back in her dormitory, Aria tied her hair with one hand before washing up and examined the area around her neck.

The elegant ring Lev had given her rested on her collarbone.

-Are you… the great demon, Andras…?

Once again, she had asked a foolish question, swept away by the atmosphere.

‘…I was impolite…’

Why would Andras save her, or even Yeriel?

Moreover, using a demon as a metaphor in a joke was quite a rude remark.

However, the question of his subjugation still lingered.

Of course, it was said that those lacking in holy power were at risk of being subjugated when fighting demons.

This was quite natural, and it was the reason why most vanguards were paladins.

Then, that meant he was encountering demons somewhere, specifically Andras’s minions, whenever he was alone.

Could this be related to the occasional surges of black magic?

‘I don’t know…’

Not all the questions were answered yet.

But probing him while he was subjugated was cowardly,

And, besides, anything heard in such a mentally weakened state couldn’t be trusted.

‘Because he just jokes around…!’

-More earnestly.

-I… what you’re thinking…

Different versions of Lev played in her mind.

“…Which is the real you?”

Suddenly, a question arose in her mind.

If he, in his original state, were to confess everything, would she be able to accept it, no matter what it was?

-Squeeze.

The demons had killed Aria’s family in a horrific manner.

Therefore… she could never forgive them.

But…

“…Why is it?”

What was this current emotion that took precedence over that?

The wave of emotion she had felt that day when Yeriel and Lev had returned late,

Washed over Aria once more.

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Claris’s Festival.

The Holy Fire Festival was a celebration commemorating the hero, Crun Darunhil, who died protecting the sanctuary,

And how he protected the holy fire’s embers until his last moment.

Leaving the central square, where cadets were gathering, behind,

The pink-haired mage, Melissa, and the paladin, Abelin, were passing by the training room at the professor’s request.

And right in front of them, a light-green-haired man training alone caught their attention.

It was Edwin Gwynne..

.

.

.

“Training… again today?”

“Are you not tired of it?”

“Huh?”

Stretching before sword training to prevent injuries was as natural to him as breathing.

“Since you’re here, why don’t you two start too?”

“No thanks. Training until the eve of the festival? I’ll pass…”

“Ahem, I’m also on an empty stomach today.”

The relationship between the three…

Had somewhat returned to how it was before the selection test.

When they first arrived at Claris,

From the first day they were assigned temporary dorms, for the two months of training before enrollment, Edwin Gwynne was the only cadet who trained every single day without fail,

And the hardworking geniuses, Melissa and Abelin, had watched this with interest.

Of course, that was only until Kaeran established the Royal Class and invited the two of them.

‘I feel a little bad, you know…’

Melissa still had uneasy feelings towards Edwin.

After the duel between Kaelan and Edwin, Kaelan disappeared,

And Edwin still treated Abelin and Melissa without any sign of resentment.

‘He should at least show that he’s upset…’

She needed to apologize for this, too.

He really was a fool, a kind-hearted fool.

As Abelin and Melissa exchanged glances, Edwin spoke.

“If today’s a day off… aren’t you two enjoying the eve of the festival?”

“Well… um…”

Originally, if it were Melissa, she would have been with Aria.

But, their relationship had become distant,

And Abelin asked Edwin back.

“What about you? Are you not associating with anyone?”

“Oh? I still have a long way to go. I need to focus on training.”

A long way to go. Wasn’t it unfair to say that after defeating even Kaelan, who was called a genius among the freshmen?

As the two were thinking this, Edwin added a word.

“The duel with Kaelan was luck… I can’t be satisfied with that, I need to keep striving. Especially if I don’t want to fall behind Lev, I need to train harder…”

“Lev…? You’re the same rank…?”

“Ah, yes. That’s true. Actually, I’ve come to admire him a little, I guess….”

He smiled awkwardly, a good-natured look on his face.

Sweat was already dripping down his hair,

But even that made him look quite handsome.

“Melissa, you saw it too, he helped us during our selection test.”

“…Uh-huh.”

“During the dungeon investigation, he even did more than his share of the work.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. In the second semester, they’ll be selecting candidates for the hero’s party. I can’t just stay idle…”

As Edwin spoke, his image began to surface in Melissa’s memory.

‘That’s right, Lev Denec.’

She had forgotten because of Selena’s sharp words.

Melissa, as if possessed by something, asked Edwin.

“Ed… win. Are you close with him…?”

“Huh? I guess you could say that…? He helped me with my training last time. And… he cheered me on, saying I could definitely win…”

“That’s it?”

“I think so…? But somehow, he always appears and helps out when it matters.”

“……”

While Melissa was briefly lost in thought,

Abelin covered her mouth with her hand.

She couldn’t control her expression.

She kept breaking into a smile.

Her judgment was not wrong.

If Edwin, who had defeated Kaelan, said this much, then he must be hiding something extraordinary.

At the same time, she felt a sense of urgency.

He was Divine Valhalla, perhaps even more valuable than her own squire.

It wouldn’t be safe if he became known to those around him.

‘So this was why Yeriel tried to hide him…’

Abelin said to Melissa with a slight smile,

“Miss Melissa, I shall yield to you today.”

“Uh… what do you mean?”

“I hope you two have a good time.”

As Abelin glanced towards Edwin,

Melissa blushed, realizing what she meant, and Edwin asked with a smile,

“Oh, am I paired with Melissa?”

“W-we’re not like that yet!”

Now that Kaelan was gone, everyone’s attention should be turned to Edwin.

And…

She would nominate him during the social dance the day after tomorrow.

If he was a nobleman, he wouldn’t refuse.

She had heard that the Denec family was currently facing financial difficulties…

If the conditions were favorable, they could have a conversation.

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