The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 118
“It’s been a while, Erica. How have you been?”
“Ah… Diphelia. Yeah, it’s been a while.”
It was early, with about an hour left before classes started.
In the student council room of the Academia, the council members had gathered early in the morning for a regular meeting and announcements about the new semester.
The meeting hadn’t started yet since the student council president hadn’t arrived.
Diphelia, sitting next to Erica, smiled warmly, revealing her genuine happiness.
However, Erica seemed somewhat drained. Her forced smile was awkward.
Diphelia continued in a whisper.
“Erica… did something happen during the vacation?”
“Oh, no. Nothing. I’m just… a little tired.”
“Tired…?”
“Thanks for worrying.”
There was clearly something going on, but Erica didn’t seem willing to talk about it.
Diphelia read her expression, and slightly disheartened by her concern, looked forward.
Then, as if on cue, the door opened, and the student council president entered.
“The meeting will begin.”
Rheincarven, the student council president, said as he took his seat.
Despite the early hour, his voice was clear and not drowsy at all.
The secretary sitting beside Rheincarven began reading out the date and agenda for the day.
Overall, there wasn’t much change despite it being the second semester.
Reports on Academia’s special matters, student council and research group budgets, and handling of students under disciplinary action.
The meeting proceeded quickly in the order the secretary listed, and after about 50 minutes, only the last agenda item remained.
“The first round of selection for the next student council president is approaching.”
The current president, Rheincarven, was a fourth-year student.
He would be graduating next year and planned to work as a hero, so he wouldn’t be around.
The student council president election, held annually, began with the first round as soon as the second semester started, followed by the second round after the festival, and then the final election.
Though it was quite a tedious process, it was a necessary procedure to elect a representative for the students of Academia.
Rheincarven scanned two individuals with eyes as cold as frozen beads.
These two were the most likely candidates for the next student council president.
While candidates for president didn’t necessarily have to come from the student council, nearly all past presidents had risen through the student council ranks.
These two had joined the council with the specific goal of becoming president.
There was no reason they wouldn’t run in this election.
“Those who wish to participate, raise your hands.”
As soon as Rheincarven’s words fell, a man and a woman simultaneously raised their hands.
As expected, they were the two strong candidates.
Rheincarven first addressed the man.
“Confirming, Rezek. Do you wish to participate in the upcoming student council president election?”
“Yes, I do.”
Rezek, from the Darek Union, was a third-year student.
Last year, he passed both the first and second rounds of the election but was ultimately defeated by Rheincarven in the final vote.
Since that loss, he had been preparing for this year’s election with a burning determination to win.
From Erica’s perspective, he was outstanding.
Despite some fluctuations in ranking, he maintained his position as the top third-year student and was undeniably the best magician among his peers.
His loss last year was due to Rheincarven’s influence and charisma, which drew the students to him, but Rezek certainly had the qualities of a student council president.
… however, this year’s opponent was equally formidable.
Perhaps even stronger than Rheincarven.
“Confirming, Clemens Julio Ocel. Do you wish to participate in the upcoming student council president election?”
Blood-red hair as dark as if it wouldn’t even notice if blood were splattered on it.
Sharp eyes like the tip of a spear, with focused pupils within them.
The scion of the prestigious Julio family and daughter of the current top-ranked hero.
Clemens Julio Ocel.
“Yes, I do.”
Before the rise of Vargan, all of Academia’s attention had been focused on her, and she declared her intent to participate.
Though she was only a second year, the power and presence she exuded were in no way inferior to Rezek, a third year.
‘… hmm?’
For a moment, Erica’s eyes met hers.
Well, considering that she had been looking at her the whole time, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. But for some reason, there was a subtle intent in that glance, faint but present.
… it might have just been her imagination, but something felt off.
“Is there anyone else who wishes to participate?”
No one else raised their hands.
Everyone instinctively knew.
The next student council president would be one of these two.
Having confirmed their intentions, Rheincarven prepared to conclude the meeting.
“Those who have already applied and the two present here will be allowed to begin activities for the first round of selection starting this afternoon. Also, we will issue an official notice for additional participants…”
But before he could finish, a particular individual’s actions delayed the conclusion.
“Is that a declaration of intent to participate, Arterion?”
Arterion, the golden knight, had raised his hand.
The lips of the usually silent knight finally moved.
A determined will flickered in his proud, intellectual golden eyes.
“Yes, I will participate.”
With this, three members of the student council had declared their intent to participate.
—
After an unusually cold summer vacation, the familiar scenery of Academia felt unremarkable.
Members of the Arbol Frutal would stop by to greet each other or laugh among themselves, but nothing felt particularly new.
It was now the afternoon, not long after lunch.
Under the guidance of Professor Louisa, Class 1 was battling golems in groups, reminiscing about old times.
The difference now was that the golems were stronger, and there was a filthy huge boss among them.
Just that much.
How nice it would’ve been if that was the only change.
“Next group, step forward.”
Luisa’s strong voice rang out.
The previous group finished their turn, and now it was ours.
With my newly issued practice mace held close, I walked forward.
Beside me, Alicia and Emily kept glancing at me nervously. I flicked Alicia on the forehead as she approached.
“Ouch…!”
Alicia, startled by the sudden hit, gave me a look of confusion, wondering why she’d been struck. I immediately gave her the answer.
“Sometimes, you treat me too cautiously. It’s as if you’re treating me like a child, not a grown-up capable of discernment.”
“N-no, Master!”
“Then why do you keep reading my expressions and trying to fix things?”
“T-that’s because… ah⎯!”
When a flick on the forehead landed, Alicia’s head snapped back for a moment before bouncing back, like a wobbling doll.
Watching that, my previously sharp emotions seemed to ease a bit.
… wait. Wasn’t this kind of dangerous?
I didn’t remember having any sadistic tendencies.
Hmm, maybe it was because it had been a while. Someone like me, with a personality as virtuous as a gentleman, wouldn’t act this way.
“Stop bullying Alicia already! What kind of dirty greeting is that, just because you haven’t seen her in a while?”
“What kind of greeting is that, really, Emily?”
“Exactly, stop it already! … whoa, just look at him, ignoring me and walking away while I’m talking.”
Anyway, as we entered the space prepared for the training, a vast grassland came into view.
In various places, reinforced golems, shedding stone dust, were rising up. The crystals embedded in their eyes sparkled as they stared at us, the intruders.
Everyone was now in battle stance, ready to charge.
The mission for this training wasn’t <rescue> but <subjugation>.
We were to subdue the golems, not completely destroy them—except for the boss.
Then, a mechanical voice echoed widely, audible to all.
[Group 1, Team 1. The training begins now.]
Alicia and Emily, both launched themselves without hesitation, following the instructions I had given earlier.
But.
“……”
“What are you just standing there for? Hurry up and get going.”
I spoke to Liam, our new team member who had recently joined.
He was the reason Alicia and Emily had been glancing at me nervously a while ago.
This wasn’t the change I wanted at all.
I had thought maybe… since Finn was gone… but I had hoped it was just a needless assumption.
“Just because you’ve replaced Finn doesn’t mean you should aim to perform only as well as he did.”
“I’m not thinking that… now that I’m in this team, I plan to contribute properly.”
“Anyone can talk big. My evaluation of you is lower than Finn’s. You’d better work hard.”
“Don’t worry.”
Liam’s eyes grew serious as he unsheathed his sword.
He channeled his magic as he spoke.
“… from now on, I’ll make sure to keep moving.”
Taking a deep breath, Liam held it for a moment before dashing forward with explosive speed.
Blue currents of electricity flowed through his body, sparks flying with each step he took on the ground.
Rumor had it that he had gained a new skill after his teammates’ defeat, and it seemed like he was getting more adept at using it than before.
He wasn’t just using the skill now but working on fully integrating it with his body. It was something he should have been doing all along, but finally, it looked like he was getting it together.
As the three of them departed, I remained behind with Serena.
Serena’s bow carried a wind attribute that felt similar to Alicia’s magic. She had gained the ability to handle elemental attribute.
She picked up three arrows at once. All three were imbued with attributes and armed with aura.
As expected of Serena. Quietly doing her job perfectly.
“If only everyone handled things as smoothly as you…”
With a sigh, I snapped my fingers.
A magic circle formed.
From it emerged a chimera familiar, Cry.
Cry stood confidently, radiating a fierce presence, even in unfamiliar territory.
“Serena. You know the situation well enough; there’s no need to drag this out.”
“… right.”
She nodded and shifted her stance.
Without pulling arrows from her quiver, she formed them with pure magical energy and shot them like a swarm of bees.
These energy arrows weren’t imbued with attributes.
But she fired at such a rapid pace that it was hard to believe it was archery.
… at this rate, she might be shooting like a legendary artilleryman before long.
With that, Serena, Cry, and I began moving.
“We finish this as quickly as possible.”
This was not an extended mission but a short-term battle.
We’d wrap this up swiftly and decisively.
—
“What?! Wait, why is <she> here? Why now?”
“I don’t know! But isn’t she amazing?”
“Totally… she’s on a different level from us.”
The students of Class 1, who were either waiting for their turn or watching other teams’ training, were buzzing with excitement.
Having received permission from the current professor, Louisa, to enter during the session, she was used to the attention.
Ignoring the noise around her, she stood there, her striking red eyes calmly focused, waiting for someone.
There was no one left on the screen she was watching.
The golems that had been pitifully beaten down were gone, and the team members were exiting as the training ended.
One hand resting on her chin, she seemed deep in thought but soon smiled softly.
She walked toward the entrance of the waiting room.
Despite the near-perfect soundproofing, she could clearly hear the footsteps of five people approaching. Leading the group was the man she was waiting for.
All eyes turned toward her.
Even without knowing what was about to happen, everyone’s gaze was drawn to her.
As her hearing had predicted, the door to the waiting room opened.
“Nice to meet you, Vargan Troa Schugenhartz. I am Clemens Julio Ocel.”
The first to enter was Vargan.
Extending her hand confidently towards him was Clemens, the strongest second-year student in the Academia.
She had entered the election for the next student council president and was making a proposal.
“This might be sudden, Vargan, but would you be willing to join my election team?”
Vargan slowly looked her over.
Clemens, with her fiery red hair, possessed the charisma to stand up even against the villainous Vargan.
Naturally, she promised appropriate compensation and assured she could deliver it.
The one thing she wanted, to the point of doing all this, was simple.
“I intend to become the next student council president.”