The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 119
Clemens Julio Ocel.
She was a typical leader.
Specialized in standing in front of people, directing, and managing them, her strength shone brighter as time went on.
Such a person, Clemens, was the first to approach me.
This was something I couldn’t simply ignore, a matter of significant value.
“If you join my electoral committee, I guarantee you’ll never have any regrets.”
Each candidate was assigned three electors.
In Clemens’ case, people would naturally line up to be part of her group.
Seeing her make the effort to personally recruit me, I felt once again that my efforts up until now had not been in vain.
There were two main reasons she wanted me.
The first was my reputation from what I achieved in Dortmund.
The second was my background as a member of the Schugenhartz family.
Even though Academia advocated for freedom and equality, the reality was that backgrounds and class distinctions still existed, and naturally, groups formed around them.
These groups, usually fluid, solidified particularly during election season, when the time came to elect the student council president.
Academia was broadly divided into four groups based on origin.
The Troa Empire.
The Ocel Kingdom.
The Darek Union.
And other small nations.
Though the process differed, the election was ultimately decided by votes, so it was crucial to read the landscape and won over voters.
Within Academia, she was effectively the star of the Ocel Kingdom and could reliably secure the votes from Ocel.
But she still needed a way to gather votes from the other groups. She intended to use me as a tool to attract the votes of the Troa Empire.
While she might have been drawn to my strength, she could have replaced that with her own power. Thus, it wasn’t her top priority.
Noticing I was deep in thought, Clemens waved her hand lightly, forcing a slightly awkward smile.
“Are you embarrassed? I’d like it if you’d shake hands now.”
“……”
Having always been the one proposing and making contracts, it felt strange to be on the receiving end.
If I were to take her hand here, I would easily gain Clemens as an ally.
The offer was tempting. For someone like me, who valued talent, this was an excellent opportunity.
Everyone around us was also waiting for my answer. Many seemed to assume I would accept it.
I understood. I felt the same way myself.
Even the mere fact of having Clemens as an ally was extraordinary, and given her personality, she would undoubtedly go out of her way to ensure I was well-treated.
… hmm.
But. If I were to proceed this way.
“It’s truly unfortunate… yes, it’s incredibly unfortunate.”
It would greatly derail the scenario I had envisioned.
I sighed heavily on purpose and pinched the bridge of my nose, frowning as if I had just tasted bitter coffee.
At that, Clemens lowered her hand.
Her voice, once filled with bright confidence, now felt a bit colder, as though it had dimmed.
“What do you mean by unfortunate?”
“I genuinely appreciate your offer… however, I cannot be part of your electoral committee.”
“Cannot be part of my electoral committee…”
Clemens repeated my words quietly.
“That means you have a reason.”
Her red eyes narrowed, chilling slightly.
I nodded, affirming her suspicion.
She already had a good sense, if not a high certainty, of what I would say next.
But even so, what could she do?
My decision was firm and unchanging.
“Since I am already part of another committee, there’s nothing I can do. Betraying trust is not something a student of honorable Academia should do. I must quell my regrets and follow my path.”
I smiled faintly as I looked at Clemens.
She easily understood my intention.
“… I see.”
With her arms crossed, Clemens let out a small breath.
“That is truly unfortunate.”
Contrary to her words, she wore a deep smile.
Her expression didn’t match her claim of regret at all.
Though things hadn’t gone the way she wanted, she seemed to enjoy the situation.
She accepted the challenge I had issued with eyes gleaming in amusement.
“By the way, I’d like to ask which candidate you’ve joined.”
Even though she understood this was a scenario I had orchestrated using her presence, Clemens didn’t retreat.
She didn’t feel anger or embarrassment at being used to draw everyone’s attention; instead, she responded calmly.
I spoke to Clemens.
No, not only to her but to everyone present. I raised my voice deliberately to make sure all could hear.
“I have pledged myself not to you, but to the next student council president…”
And, as always.
Rumors spread in an instant.
A bit of exaggeration was inevitable in that process.
***
“Why does it feel like everyone is whispering about me…”
Diphelia was walking down the hallway.
No matter where she went, she felt countless eyes on her and heard people murmuring.
At first, she thought it was just her imagination.
Being one of the few saints in existence and someone with physical disabilities, there were moments during the early days of her enrollment when people would stare.
But that phenomenon had quickly passed.
There were far more attention-grabbing and surprising figures in Academia.
Compared to them, Diphelia had been living a relatively quiet life. So, she assumed the attention she was feeling was just a misunderstanding on her part.
— … did the saint really do that?
—Yes, apparently, she’s more ambitious than she seems.
Among the murmurs.
She caught mentions of her name and the title of saint.
That was when Diphelia realized that this wasn’t her imagination but a real situation developing around her.
Some of the gazes were wary, while others were simply curious.
She hadn’t done anything particularly noteworthy recently…
So, what on earth had drawn their attention and made her the center of gossip?
Though she hesitated, Diphelia considered asking someone directly about what was going on.
Pausing her wheelchair, she scanned the surroundings.
In one part of the hallway, she spotted Erica, who seemed to know something.
Erica was approaching Diphelia quickly.
As she got closer, her expression revealed mixed emotions.
She seemed both apologetic and a bit angry, perhaps confused about the situation.
“Diphelia, is the rumor true?”
“Huh? Erica, what rumor?”
Not knowing exactly what rumors were circulating, Diphelia couldn’t say whether they were true or not.
In fact, she was eager to know as well, feeling frustrated by the situation.
Erica, observing Diphelia’s reaction, seemed to come to a conclusion.
She sighed deeply.
She chewed on her words, almost as if talking to herself.
“As I thought… this wasn’t a situation you orchestrated… that means the culprit is that guy.”
“Erica. Please, tell me too. What exactly happened?”
Erica lifted her head to face Diphelia.
Among the many emotions on her face, guilt seemed to be taking up more space.
Erica began to speak about the rumors.
“Diphelia, the whole Academia is buzzing with rumors that you declared war on Senior Clemens.”
“What…?! That <I> declared war on Senior Clemens?”
It was an absurd statement, even more so than she had anticipated.
She had suspected it was related to her, but she hadn’t thought it would be something this provocative.
Erica nodded and continued.
“Yeah… it seems one of your campaign members stood up in front of everyone and claimed it was your intent to challenge Clemens, the candidate for the next student council president.”
“W-wait a minute. A campaign member? I never even said I was running for the election! Who on earth said something like that without my permission?!”
“……”
“Erica? Don’t tell me…”
Diphelia’s expression gradually turned to one of horror.
The more she heard about the rumors, the worse the situation seemed to get.
If it was connected to <him>, there was no way this would just end as a simple rumor.
Hoping desperately that at least it wasn’t that she waited for Erica’s next words with bated breath.
“The one who started the whole mess, claiming to be part of your campaign team, was… I’m sorry, Diphelia.”
Diphelia wished Erica didn’t look so apologetic.
And for what would come next.
“It was Schugenhartz. That guy….”
She had wished, more than anything, that his name wouldn’t come up.
But it seemed Yggdrasil wouldn’t pardon her sin of doubting the faith of the church.
Her mouth dropped open, and a small gasp escaped.
“… what?”
***
After all the afternoon classes had ended.
I was in the laboratory with Emily and Alicia, who were not only leaders within Arbol Frutal but also responsible for their respective groups.
They were submitting the reports on each member’s progress for me to review, and I was scanning through them as we continued the conversation.
“Nothing special so far.”
“Aren’t they all growing rapidly? I was really proud of the members I recorded.”
“What I mean is, it’s not special enough, Emily.”
Everyone was progressing as expected; nothing extraordinary.
Some were growing faster than others, while some lagged behind a bit, but none deviated significantly from the standard.
Since we had handpicked only those with talent and potential, it was the natural result.
Rustle.
As I turned another page, one person’s growth caught my attention.
“Keeman… he was the only member whose group changed after the promotion ceremony in the first semester.”
Before I could finish speaking, Alicia added more information.
“Yes, that’s right. After the promotion ceremony, he moved from the <branch> group to the <trunk>. Even during the summer break, he achieved remarkable progress.”
Though I didn’t know all the details.
He was also someone who had a tendency to ignore Finn.
A man with a fierce fighting spirit, always yearning for strength.
“He’s someone worth keeping an eye on.”
He came from a commoner background in the Troa Empire and had a history of beating up local thugs.
Not bad material for turning into a war dog.
“If you wish, I can arrange a meeting with him as soon as tomorrow.”
“Hmm. Let’s observe him a bit longer for now.”
There were more urgent matters that needed to be dealt with.
Even though his growth was somewhat impressive, it was not yet enough to catch my full attention.
Rustle.
The rest of the reports were all similarly ordinary.
If this pace continued, they could become a solid force in a few years.
Once the reports were finished, Emily clicked her tongue and asked.
“By the way… about Liam.”
“You’re persistent. I’ve told you before that he won’t be joining the research group. Isn’t being in the same team enough for you?”
“Oh, I know. I’m well aware. And I know this is my selfishness speaking, but still…”
“If it’s a mental issue, it seems mostly resolved. There’s no need to play guardian in the research group.”
“……”
Emily, usually bold and outspoken, fell silent. She always became especially emotional when it came to Liam.
Seeing this, I sighed.
Then, for Emily’s benefit, since she didn’t seem to understand my point, I decided to explain it to her. Given the direction the conversation was heading, it was worth saying.
“Liam needs to grow on his own.”
He had always relied on his status and level, but now he was finally starting to walk on his own two feet.
There was no need to hold his hand anymore. He needed to walk alone.
“Emily, I can understand what you’re thinking and feeling, but even that is a form of distrust.”
“I… won’t deny it… maybe you’re right.”
“If you truly care about your childhood friend, then leave him alone… well, I don’t mind if you two flirt a little now and then, as long as you don’t cross the line.”
“It’s funny how you think you can permit or forbid that. But I’ll take it into consideration.”
Emily, no longer hiding her feelings for Liam, accepted my words rather easily, perhaps due to the subdued emotions she was feeling.
“As long as you get it.”
I stood up.
That should be enough for today’s research activities.
The rest of my time would be spent on solo training, and later in the evening, I’d…
Clatter!
The door to the lab swung open with irritation.
Two women appeared.
The one who opened the door was small, with striking black hair.
The other was in a wheelchair, with a small familiar perched on her shoulder.
The black-haired woman spoke.
“You’d better explain yourself, Schugenhartz!”
Erica, who had seemed to keep her distance for a while, suddenly approached.
And she brought with her the candidate I was backing for the next student council president.