Chapter 7

The Main Heroines Are Trying to Kill Me - Episode 7 (7/524)

Episode 7

"This time, it's a practical session. Everyone, follow me outside."

When the break ended and the class resumed, Isollet only said that to us before turning her body and leaving the classroom.

"Tch, if Baiwork hadn't held back..."

"Troublesome... I wish we could just have a regular class like before..."

Then, while the commoner students silently prepared to go out, most of the noble students frowned and started to criticize Isollet.

'Unable to say anything to her face, but gossiping behind her back... How disgusting.'

While some might want to speak out but can't, for those guys, this is their daily routine.

Does that mean they are good at their skills?

Absolutely not.

Most of the noble students in Class A, the top class of the academy, got in through connections. In other words, if Isollet were to unleash a sword technique, most of them would be eliminated.

On the other hand, most of the commoner students got in through their own abilities. That's why, while the nobles look down on them as lowly, they also envy them.

"Hey, Lord Frey. If you change your mind..."

While I was silently glaring at those nobles, the Holy Maiden approached me, her face earnest, and started to speak again.

"No, you damn woman."

Of course, since I had no intention of dying until I defeated the Demon King, I coldly replied to the Holy Maiden who was trying to drown me.

"......!"

Then, the Holy Maiden, looking shocked, quickly ran out of the classroom. Well, given her kind nature, she probably rarely hears such insults, so it's understandable.

'...But, is she going to keep this up? That would be quite troublesome.'

Although the Holy Maiden has the cheat buff 'Blessing of the Sun God,' she is too weak in terms of strategy, so the actual danger level is low. As long as I stay alert, I probably won't die because of her.

However, if the Holy Maiden continues to approach me like this every day, it will be quite troublesome.

Because the 'Villain's Intuition,' which warns me of a life-threatening situation once a day, will become ineffective.

If the Holy Maiden triggers the 'Villain's Intuition' every day, I won't be able to tell when a real crisis is coming.

In other words, the Holy Maiden is inadvertently neutralizing one of my most useful skills and putting me in danger.

I need to come up with a plan soon.

"......"

While I was thinking about this, a groan suddenly came from beside me. I looked over to see Irena sitting on the floor, surrounded by a few noble girls.

"Oh, what's wrong? Did you sprain your ankle?"

"What? They said you were a promising candidate, but you're nothing special."

"Hah, I don't know how a commoner like you managed to get into Class A... Did you pay a bribe?"

Judging from the black smoke rising from her stomach, it seems she got hit by a spell after getting into an argument with the nobles.

If she were at her full strength, she could have taken care of the surrounding nobles with just a flick of her finger. But in her current 'mana depletion' state, she can't even use basic magic, so she can't fight back against these lowlifes.

"......"

Irena, clutching her stomach and groaning, glared at me with a hateful look when she noticed I was watching her.

In a typical hero story, if I were the main character, I would have chased away the surrounding nobles, then picked up the fallen Irena and helped her up.

Then, Irena, a noble who saved a commoner, would develop a liking for me... and might even become a member of the 'harem' or 'fishing ground' as described in the prophecy.

But the sad part is, I'm not the 'ordinary' hero of a hero story. To become a hero, I need to commit 'villainy.'

"Can you even join the student council with that attitude?"

"......What?"

"Know your place, you lowly thing."

When I insulted her, the noble girls around her started to laugh and prepare their next spells. Just before several spells were about to hit her...

"Stop it!!"

"...Ariane!"

Irena's friend, Ariane, stepped in, deploying protective barriers with both hands.

"Irena! Are you okay?"

"You, you..."

"Hey, stop tormenting innocent people and go on your way, okay?"

"......"

Blocked by Ariane's powerful defensive barrier, the noble girls tried to break it with a few spells but soon lost interest and started to disperse.

"...A lowly friend for a lowly person."

I watched the scene and threw a comment at them before starting a conversation with the noble girls who had now turned their attention to me.

'...Ariane. A friend who can be quite helpful in taking care of Irena.'

Ariane is Irena's childhood friend.

She was born with a talent for protective magic and, together with Irena, who has a remarkable talent for offensive magic, they make a perfect team.

In the future, when the Demon King's army invades, their combined battle will annihilate an entire legion.

"Irene... thank you..."

"No, no, it's nothing! We're friends, right? But Irena, what were you doing to get mana depletion? Did you put a curse on someone?"

"......"

On the other hand, Irena, after a moment of silence in response to Ariane's sharp question, finally spoke.

"Ariane."

"...Yes?"

"...To protect you, I will definitely succeed. I will."

"......?"

Ariane, hearing Irena's meaningful words and tilting her head in confusion, had died protecting Irena from the Demon King's attack. So, for Irena, it must have been a trauma.

Probably, those words are... her vow to never let her die in front of her again.

I sighed and looked at the system window that gave me points for Irena's strong will to kill me, then left the classroom with the giggling noble girls.

.

"Today's outdoor practical session is combat training."

Professor Isollet, with a sharp gaze, looked at the gathered Class A students on the playground and began to speak.

"The content of the training is to fight against me."

As soon as this shocking statement came out of her mouth, the playground became noisy.

"Quiet!! Quiet!!!"

With a thunderous shout, she silenced the children and, looking at the tense students, continued.

"To assess your skills and potential, attack me with all your strength."

After finishing her words, Isollet drew a practice sword and started calling out the students one by one.

And soon, her noble massacre began.

"Please, go easy on me...!"

"...Pathetic. Next."

"Kyaa!!"

"What you just cast wasn't a Fireball, but a firecracker. It would be more suitable for a family birthday party. Next."

"What a show... Ugh...!"

"Even street thugs would be better at wielding a blade than you. Next."

She completely ignored the dignity of the nobles who got in through connections and brutally crushed them all.

"Huff... Huff..."

"...You lack endurance, but your initial attack was fierce. Keep that in mind and strive harder. Next."

"...Grr."

"Your magic is well-formed, but your incantation speed is slow. In a real battle, the speed of your incantation can mean life or death, so pay attention to that. Next."

"Kyaah!!"

"...Overall, excellent. Next."

However, most of the commoners, unlike the nobles, received praise or constructive criticism from her, making it a good experience for them.

"...That professor is unlucky, isn't she?"

"Didn't you know? She favors commoners. Even though she's a noble herself."

"Shut up, does she think she's a good person by doing that?"

Naturally, her reputation among the nobles was not good.

'...Idiots, it's your lack of ability.'

Of course, Professor Isollet is thoroughly evaluating based on skill. In fact, a few skilled noble students did receive praise.

The stupid noble kids just don't realize it.

"...Young master."

"...Yes?"

While I was thinking about this, Kania spoke to me from beside me.

"...Are you feeling unwell lately?"

"...What do you mean?"

I tilted my head in confusion at her strange question, and Kania quietly examined my eyes and continued.

"...No, it's just that you seem that way for some reason."

"...I'm fine, so don't worry about it."

"...Yes."

After finishing the conversation, Kania turned her head to watch the sparring, but her face still showed signs of deep thought.

'...Why is she acting like this?'

I tilted my head in confusion at her mysterious behavior for a moment, but when the professor called out Kania, I put aside my doubts and started to tense up.

'...I can't let black magic leak out.'

Her mana is in a very unstable state, and if she's not careful, black magic might leak out. I had infused her with a lot of life force in the morning to prepare for this, but I'm still a bit worried.

- Tap.

After a moment of thought, I touched one of the brooches attached to my clothes and started to look at Kania.

The brooch I just touched is an artifact that can transfer life force to someone by looking at them in an emergency. It consumes dozens of times more life force than transferring it through physical contact, so I never use it normally.

However, when Kania is in danger of revealing her dark magic and I can't make physical contact, I sometimes use it. Like now.

'The kids might not notice, but Professor Isollet would react to even a tiny bit of dark magic... There's no choice.'

"......"

"......Hm."

As I started to share my life force, Kania began to cast spells with a more relaxed expression than usual, and the duration of the exchange soon broke a new record.

Just as I was feeling my senses fading and wondering if I should continue, Kania stopped her spell and bowed her head.

"...I'll stop here."

"Hm? Why? You still have the strength to fight."

"Due to my innate unstable mana, if I continue, my mana might go out of control. I'm sorry."

"...I see, that's why you were unusually cautious when attacking."

Isollet put away her sword and gave her an evaluation.

"...If you can fix your unstable mana, you'll become an excellent mage. I'll help you from now on."

"...Thank you."

After Kania bowed politely and returned to my side, Isollet called out Irena.

"...Ugh, ugh."

"......?"

Irena, standing in front of Isollet, gritted her teeth and trembled, then managed to summon a single magic arrow.

"...What are you trying to do?"

"S-Sorry... I'll try again..."

After that, Irena concentrated so hard that her eyes were bloodshot, but after a long time, she could only manage to create two more magic arrows.

"...Ugh."

Despite this, Irena continued to pour mana into the effort and eventually collapsed, losing consciousness.

"...I have nothing to say. Someone take her to the infirmary. Next."

Isollet said coldly, and Ariane, with a worried expression, ran to Irena, picked her up, and started heading not to the infirmary but to the classroom.

Well, it can't be helped.

If Irena officially announces that she has mana depletion, the cause will be investigated. If that happens, the fact that she cast a death curse on me, as revealed by spell reverse-engineering, will be exposed, so she has no choice but to hide it.

When the system item shop opens, I'll have to look for a tool to help her.

"Um, um... I forfeit..."

"......Huh?"

The next contestant, the Holy Maiden Perloche, declared her forfeiture as soon as she stood in front of Isollet.

"Are you joking with me now?"

"N-No... This power was not meant to be used against Professor... It was for something else..."

Currently, Perloche is using the 'Blessing of the Sun God,' which she is only supposed to obtain once a year through prayer on a holy day, without permission from the church. If she spars with Isollet, the fact will be revealed immediately.

Of course, one might think she could just spar with Isollet half-heartedly, but the legend of the previous Holy Maiden tearing a piece out of the Demon King's side is not just a legend.

Although the 'Blessing of the Sun God' has a weakness against multiple opponents, it is a terrifying blessing that is almost impossible to counter in a one-on-one situation. In other words, even Isollet would not be able to withstand it.

"...Then, this will be the last one."

After glaring at Perloche coldly and making a gesture to back off, Isollet looked at me, the last remaining student, and said.

"...Status window."

Muttering low, I opened the status window, glanced at Isollet's information, then drew a practice sword and spoke.

"...Is playing friendship games with commoners fun? Big sister?"

"......"

"Why are you silent? When someone asks a question..."

"...You've fallen, Frey."

That's right. I actually know her.

The Starlight and Baiwork families have been deeply intertwined since the group of heroes from a thousand years ago. Thanks to this, I and she have known each other since we were very young, like close older and younger siblings.

However, the girl who used to train in swordsmanship with me and play together is no longer on my side.

I am now the enemy of everyone.

"...Fallen? What a laugh. Big sister is the one who's stupid."

"......"

"Kicking out the position of Royal Deputy Knight and coming to the academy just to play the same games we used to play as kids... How ridiculous..."

"...Come at me."

"If you wish."

The moment she interrupted my words and spoke coldly, I started to charge at her, sword in hand.

- Clang!!!

Then, a flash of light appeared.

"......!"

"Why? Surprised?"

She barely blocked my first strike, was pushed back for a while, and started to shake her right arm. I took advantage of the opportunity and started a fierce sword attack.

"...What? Is Lord Frey that good at swordsmanship?"

"Well, he is from the Starlight family, so it's natural, isn't it?"

"...But, I heard that Lord Frey has no particular skill in swordsmanship?"

While the students were surprised and started to murmur at my unexpected performance, Perloche, who had been hanging her head dejectedly, started to glare coldly at the red brooch shining on my chest.

- Clang!

The fierce exchange ended when I knocked her sword away and it stuck in the ground. As the children were shocked by the result...

"...It's a dark art!"

Perloche stepped between us, pointed at my brooch, and shouted.

"...This brooch is imbued with a sinister aura!"

As she said this, she approached me and infused the brooch with holy power. At that moment, a sinister aura seeped out of the brooch, and a terrible scream began to erupt.

- Scream!!!

After a while of emitting a terrifying scream, the brooch, unable to withstand the continuous infusion of holy power, shattered into pieces. Isollet, who had been quietly watching the scene, opened her mouth with a cold expression.

"...To fall to dark arts, you are a disgrace to the Starlight family."

"You're a disgrace to the Baiwork family, too."

"Frey Raon Starlight, 20 demerit points for using a rule-violating artifact."

"...Why? Trying to suppress me with authority because I have nothing to say?"

"...And a personal meeting. Follow me now."

I sighed and muttered as I followed Isollet, who started heading to the main building.

"...That was expensive."

I remember spending a third of my assets to have that brooch custom-made. Well, I got the result I wanted, so it's fine... but it's really a waste that it could have been reused.

'...I should write a letter to Father asking for some money.'

While lamenting the irony that even villainy requires money, I quietly followed Isollet.

.

Meanwhile, as Frey grumbled and followed Isollet,

"Dark arts..."

Kania, hearing the word 'dark arts,' recalled the bloody handprints on the bed in the dormitory and muttered coldly.

"...I need to find out what you're doing in your room."

As she spoke, a black aura gathered in her hand, forming something.