I’m Telling You, I’m Not The Villain! – Chapter 20

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“Oof~ Huu… I’ve moved all the luggage, Master!”

Eilly set down a luggage box and smiled brightly.

“Haa~”

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, seemingly enjoying the sense of liberation after physical labor.

“Thank you, Eilly. You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all! I’m just doing what I should as your maid…!”

He expressed his gratitude for her hard work, but Eilly waved her hands dismissively.

“I should be the one apologizing. Making you help me…”

“It would have been difficult for you to move all that luggage by yourself, Eilly.”

He gently placed his hand on her head and stroked her hair.

“Ugh, hehe…♪ I should be thanking you for helping me with my work.”

Eilly relaxed, the tension seemingly easing from her shoulders. She purred like a kitten being petted every time he stroked her hair.

“Alright, let’s leave the rest for later and take a break this morning.”

“Yes!”

They decided to postpone the remaining tasks and looked around the room they would be staying in for a while.

“….”

They were currently in a private dormitory room provided by the academy. They had been moving Eilly’s and his belongings there.

In other words, it meant they had officially entered the academy.

“Haa, I’m a little nervous.”

Today was the day.

He had lived for this day… for today and the future.

“….”

The day of enrollment had finally arrived. Could he successfully navigate what lay ahead? Despite knowing the future, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. There could always be unforeseen variables in reality.

“Alright.”

He pushed aside the anxiety swirling within him. Worrying wouldn’t help.

“Let’s do this.”

He clenched his fist, determined to achieve his plan and return to his original world. He gazed quietly at the academy scenery outside the window, solidifying his resolve.

◇ ◇ ◇

Murmur, murmur –

The academy hallways were bustling with new students.

“Whoa… His eyes are scary…”

“Keep your voice down…!”

“Isn’t that… Arnold Stenman?”

“Eh~ The one notorious for being wicked…?”

He couldn’t even walk comfortably, as whispers about him filled the air from all directions.

“….”

As expected… he was being treated like this from day one due to his reputation as a villain. But he was used to it by now.

“H-He’s looking this way…!”

“Look away!”

He had seen countless times the fearful glances and trembling voices of the crowd.

“I’m excited~”

As expected… Eilly was still the only one who could smile happily beside him.

“I will do my best with both academy life and my duties!”

“Yes, yes. I’m counting on you.”

As for their academic standing, both he and Eilly had passed the exam and been admitted to the academy.

He knew this from the report cards they received a week before enrollment. As expected, he ranked first… He had inadvertently become the top-ranked student of the academy.

But this was predictable, as Arnold had also ranked first in the original story. Perhaps it was an event that had to happen.

“Yes! I’m counting on you too!”

What was more important than his own rank was Eilly’s, as she wasn’t a character in the game.

“… Hmm.”

However, he didn’t know her ranking. Grades were sent individually, and the academy had a strict policy of keeping individual scores confidential until the second semester.

So, unless someone revealed their own score, there was no way to find out.

“I hope things go well.”

“You can do it, Master!”

Judging by her reaction when he asked about her score, it probably wasn’t very good. She had been sweating profusely and reluctant to answer.

“I may not be of much help, but I’ll do my best to support you!”

She had told him, with a shy expression, that she was embarrassed to reveal her score, only saying that it was enough to get her admitted, so he didn’t know the details.

“Thank you….”

He was curious, but… since she seemed uncomfortable, and as long as she was admitted, he didn’t press the matter further.

“Yes!”

He didn’t want to pry, especially since she seemed to have barely passed.

“Let’s do our best together!”

◇ ◇ ◇

“……”

Inside the quiet classroom. Unlike the bustling hallway, a hushed silence filled the room.

““ ……. ””

Everyone seemed hesitant to speak, perhaps due to the first-day jitters.

“Hmm….”

But he had other things on his mind.

“….”

He looked around. Hadn’t he arrived yet?

“Master, you seem a little serious. Is something wrong?”

He was waiting for the protagonist of the original story, Varis, who would become Arnold’s rival and nemesis. If he remembered correctly, they were assigned to the same class in their first year…

Clatter -!

Just as he was thinking that, the classroom door burst open.

“H-Hello, everyone!”

A boy with an innocent, almost naive, smile stood in the doorway. He had short blond hair, neat features, and an aura of intense passion.

“…!”

His personality, appearance… and above all, the instinctive shiver that ran down his spine, a sudden realization struck him: ‘He’s here.’

“Varis….”

He muttered his name involuntarily.

“Nice to meet you!”

Varis Arquerland, the protagonist of the original game. He would be seeing this face often, whether he liked it or not.

“It’s nice to meet you all! My name is Varis Arquerland!”

“Just call me Varis!”

He greeted everyone with a bright and cheerful demeanor, just like in the game.

“Is the atmosphere a little awkward because we’re all meeting for the first time? I hope we can all become friends since we’ll be seeing each other for a long time!”

His words, identical to the ones in the original story, filled the awkward classroom with a friendly atmosphere.

“…?”

“Uh….”

Although the students were initially hesitant and awkward,

“W-Well, nice to meet you too! I’m Albert.”

“My name is Freya!”

they gradually warmed up to the friendly atmosphere and began introducing themselves.

“Nice to meet you, Albert.”

“Freya? Let’s get along!”

Varis greeted each student individually with a bright and cheerful expression.

“Hmm -”

Seeing Varis in person, not just through a screen… he understood why he gained the trust of so many people from day one. His sense of justice, kindness, and pure, clear aura… He could instinctively sense that Varis was a good person.

“Hello!”

Then, suddenly,

“Hmm?”

“Nice to meet you! Your eyes are… quite masculine!”

Varis, after greeting several students, extended his hand towards Arnold, seemingly wanting to shake hands.

“…….”

It was finally happening, Arnold and Varis’s first meeting…

“Yes.”

Originally, Arnold wouldn’t have accepted Varis’s greeting so readily.

“I’m Arnold. Let’s get along.”

“Arnold, huh? Let’s be friends!”

But unlike in the original story, he decided to accept his handshake and create a positive first impression.

He chose to do this because building a friendly relationship with Varis seemed advantageous in many ways.

“Likewise.”

His current goal was to guide Varis towards the Harem Route, where he ended up with all the heroines.

For that, he thought it would be easier to support him as a friend rather than maintaining an awkward relationship.

“And next to you is~ Huh, that’s an unusual outfit. Is that a maid uniform?”

After their rather ordinary first encounter, Varis turned his attention to Eilly, who was sitting next to him.

“I’m Varis!”

He introduced himself to Eilly, extending his hand as if wanting to shake hands, just like he did with Arnold.

“Ah, I’m Eilly! Um… I apologize, but I’m not very comfortable with physical contact, so I’d rather not shake hands…”

However, Eilly politely declined the handshake, seeming slightly uncomfortable.

“Oh… Is that so? I understand.”

Disliking physical contact. That was a bit unexpected. Was it Eilly’s original personality?

He had often seen her clumsy side, but he didn’t recall her ever being averse to physical contact with others.
He had thought she actually preferred physical closeness, like a pet.

“Eilly?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Could you hold my hand for a moment?”

Squeeze -!

“…?!”

But his question was answered without hesitation.

“Like this? Is this okay? Are my hands warm? Does it feel good?”

She was so enthusiastic that it was flustering…

“O-Okay, that’s enough.”

“Ah, yes….”

When she let go of his hand, he felt a tingling sensation, as if her grip had been surprisingly strong.

“You said you didn’t like physical contact, didn’t you?”

He voiced his question.

“Th-That’s…! Only with strangers! It’s the opposite with you, Master…?”

She added the “with strangers” part belatedly.

“I’d rather… you came closer… -”

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“N-Nothing….”

So that was it. That explained why she refused Varis’s handshake.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Greetings.”

As their first class at the academy was about to begin, a woman entered the classroom with a stern voice.

“I am Professor Adria Diokarp, and I will be your instructor.”

She had untamed, fiery red hair and sharp, noble eyes like a predator. She looked young enough to be their peer, but her tone carried an undeniable maturity.

“I’ll warn you in advance, I have no tolerance for disrespect.”

Her stern and serious voice instantly chilled the previously warm atmosphere of the classroom.

“Let’s take attendance first.”

She exuded an overwhelming presence from the moment she appeared, taking control of the students.

“Andrew.”

“U-Uh, yes!!”

As expected, she was a cold-hearted person…

He recognized her. She was a prominent supporting character in the game. As she had just introduced herself, her name was Professor Adria, known for her strictness.

She was a figure of fear within the academy, known for her firm and unwavering discipline.

“… Arnold.”

“Here.”

“Good, it seems everyone’s present. I’m glad there are no lazy students on the first day.”

According to the original story’s setting, even delinquents couldn’t act up in front of her… She was nicknamed the “Tiger Professor” among the players.

“Then, since it’s the first day, I’ll give you a brief introduction and outline the schedule. First, this academy is -”

It seemed the story was progressing as it did in the game, with her as their instructor.

…

“Varis.”

Time passed, and their first class at the academy ended. It was more of an introductory session, as it was the first day, so they only went over the course outline and some basic concepts.

“Huh? Oh… Arnold! Right?”

He approached Varis while they still had some free time before the next class.

“Here, take this.”

He nonchalantly handed him a bracelet imbued with magic power.

“Whoa, what’s this?”

The item he gave Varis was a piece of equipment obtainable in the game. It was called the Bracelet of Versatility, and it slightly boosted the wearer’s stats.

It was arguably the best equipment for enhancing abilities in the early stages of the game. It would be helpful for Varis on his journey.

“Consider it a gift. A token of friendship.”

As a cupid aiming to connect him with all the heroines, he considered it an appropriate gesture.

“R-Really…? Thank you! This is the first time I’ve received a gift like this!”

Varis examined the bracelet with curious eyes and then immediately put it on without asking any questions.

“It’s cool! Ugh~ I can’t lose to this!”

However, his joy was short-lived… For some reason, he became fired up and headed towards the classroom door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m grateful for your gift, Arnold! Wait a minute! I’ll get you something in return!”

He declared he would repay him and left the classroom with a bright smile.

“What? It’s okay -”

“I’ll be right back!”

“Uh…”

Varis ran out the door before he could stop him.

“….”

He had forgotten… Varis was an impulsive character… His actions were driven more by his enthusiasm than by careful thought.

“Haa…”

Well, it wasn’t a bad thing that he wanted to repay him out of gratitude…

“Eilly, I’ll be right back.”

He felt a bit lightheaded and wanted some fresh air.

“Yes? Then I’ll also….”

“I’ll be back soon, so it’s alright.”

“Oh… Yes….”

He stopped Eilly from following him and headed out of the classroom.

He walked slowly down the hallway, looking out the window at the scenery outside.

“… Hmm?”

Then,

“—- ~”

He saw something that caught his eye in the central garden.

“—–…”

A familiar scene…

“Her name is ‘Elisha’? Cute.”

“Just hang out with us for a bit.”

“…I refuse.”

Yes, this was definitely… the first event.

“…! Should I go?”

He hurried towards the first heroine event.

“Come on, don’t be like that~”

As he approached, unpleasant voices reached his ears.

“I said no…”

Elisha, the first heroine to appear in the game, and originally Arnold’s fiancée, seemed to be cornered by a group of boys.

“It’ll only take a moment.”

“Ugh…”

She seemed to be in a difficult situation, surrounded.

“…….”

As he observed the situation, it seemed his prediction was correct.

If this continued, Varis would appear and rescue Elisha, marking their first meeting and the initial event where the heroine develops feelings for the protagonist.

The “Delinquent Event.”

“Still refusing~? Our families are quite influential, you know?”

The event where the heroine, Elisha, was surrounded and harassed by some noble boys.

The righteous protagonist would appear and rescue Elisha from danger, a cliché but romantic scenario that would build their initial rapport.

“Let’s be friends~!”

And that moment was now.

“Hey! Let go of me!”

Just as the delinquents grabbed Elisha’s arm forcefully, it was time for Varis to appear.

“Come on, where should we go after this?”

But –

“I said, let go…!”

For some reason, her hero was nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm…?”

He was puzzled by the protagonist’s absence. He should have appeared by now…

He would have normally intervened in this situation…

“Ah?!”

But then, he realized the reason. The reason why the protagonist hadn’t appeared even after all this time was because of him. Varis had disappeared somewhere, saying he would get him something in return for his gift…

“Wait, if this continues…”

An unforeseen variable had occurred. The story was deviating from its original course because the protagonist, who should have been here, wasn’t.

And it was all because of him.

“N-No…!”

What should he do?

“Stay still!”

Even though these weren’t lines from the game, Varis still didn’t appear. It seemed like Elisha would be caught up in trouble with the delinquents if no one intervened.

“Haa, I should have been more careful…”

Since things had turned out this way –

“Hey.”

—he had no choice….

“Huh? Who are you?”

Since he had caused this deviation, he had to fix it himself. He should have kept a closer eye on Varis.

“Why don’t you leave her alone?”

He boldly stepped between Elisha and the delinquents.

“What did you say?! You bastard!”

As expected, the delinquents, following the original script, threw a punch at him the moment they saw him.

Clack –

“Ugh?!”

But he wasn’t about to get hit by such a slow punch.

“Stop.”

He grabbed the delinquent’s fist tightly.

Crack -!

He twisted the wrist, inflicting as much pain as possible.

“Ugh? Aaagh -! Sorry! I’m sorry!!!”

The delinquent immediately began to cry out in pain, his demeanor pathetic.

“A-Alright…! I got it!”

“I’ll only say this once.”

He threw the boy to the ground like trash and spoke firmly.

“Ugh?!”

“You better leave while you still can, before I break every bone in your bodies.”

He glared at them with a cold, sharp gaze, filling the atmosphere with killing intent. It was a harsher response than Varis would have given in the game, but he figured this was how Arnold would have acted.

“Gah?!!”

“Tsk…”

The delinquents trembled in fear at his cruel warning.

“Damn it…! L-Let’s go…!!”

They eventually ran away, intimidated by Arnold’s menacing aura.

“Huu.”

With that, the event was resolved. Varis would have struggled a bit in the original story… It seemed the late-game talent characters were different.

“… Are you alright?”

Now… it was time to deal with another problem.

“A… Arnold…?”

He tried to maintain a calm, expressionless face as he checked on Elisha.

“Well, you seem fine.”

Fortunately, she appeared unharmed.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

He tried to leave, acting indifferent… trying not to appear favorably to her. He didn’t want to steal Varis’s chance to gain好感度 by intervening in the event.

“W-Wait….”

However –

“…?”

“Hold on.”

Contrary to his intentions, Elisha stopped him with a bewildered voice.

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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.