The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 120
During the summer vacation, Saint Diphelia was continuing her mentoring while also researching something.
What Vargan had handed her a few months ago, which was suspected to be a <divine worm>.
Vargan had explained that the bug inside the small vial he handed over was the parasite that had threatened Erica. But since Diphelia had never seen a divine worm before, she couldn’t fully believe him.
However, turning it over to the church for examination could put Vargan in a difficult position if it truly was a divine worm.
After all, if the church had known about it, they would have already collected it.
After much deliberation, Diphelia decided to research it independently.
She was proficient in divine magic, healing magic, and interpretation magic, as well as in the study of biological creatures.
It wasn’t difficult for her to gather information on divine worms and compare it with the bug Vargan had given her.
The result she reached was clear.
The small bug he handed over was indeed a divine worm.
She also discovered that the blood contained within the worm belonged to someone of bishop rank.
If it had been implanted into someone, they would have become a puppet, eternally bound to obey the bishop’s commands.
“……”
Faced with this cruel reality, Diphelia wondered why Vargan had handed her this worm.
It became more likely that Vargan had acted to save Erica.
He must have been certain that she would investigate the worm and, knowing that, gave it to her.
His plan seemed to be to make her feel like she was acting of her own will, even though she was actually being led by him… to spread his intentions more effectively.
Diphelia was not unaware of this, but knowing didn’t make it any easier to escape the situation.
The more she understood his thinking, the closer she came to what seemed to be the truth, the more she felt like she was being swallowed by a swamp.
A swamp of disturbing truths she had never known before, and a grim reality she couldn’t ignore…
“I told you many times, didn’t I? Don’t mess with Diphelia.”
Came Erica’s sharp voice, like a wary cat, bringing Diphelia back to her senses.
Diphelia and Erica were currently sitting in Vargan’s laboratory, questioning him about the recent incidents.
Of course, it was Erica leading the conversation, not Diphelia.
“What’s your reason this time? You’re not going to say there’s no reason at all, right? I won’t believe it if you do.”
“Erica, I know your sharp words are just a form of sulking. You already confirmed your trust in me when you visited the mansion last time.”
“That was because of the circumstances…!”
“It was precisely because of the circumstances that you were able to understand things so clearly.”
Vargan teased, while Erica, as usual, lashed out at him—wait, Erica seemed less aggressive than before. Was it just her imagination?
Diphelia asked.
“What mansion?”
Vargan responded.
“Recently, I stayed at the Portlet mansion for a few days. During my stay, I ended up helping Erica a little.”
When Diphelia looked at Erica for confirmation, she saw Erica trying to avoid Vargan’s gaze with an expression that seemed to say she was attempting to act indifferent.
It seemed Vargan was telling the truth.
The bird perched on Diphelia’s shoulder suddenly whipped its head around, its small eyes fixed on Vargan, watching his every move.
His words, his actions, the way he treated her.
It seemed like he wasn’t merely pursuing personal gain but genuinely trying to help Erica.
Perhaps he really…
“……”
Emily, sensing the tension, quietly slipped out of the laboratory, leaving only the three of them and Alicia in the room.
Alicia, who habitually began preparing tea, was stopped by Diphelia, so the four of them remained seated.
Erica, trying to steer the conversation back to the main point, spoke again.
“Anyway… that’s not the issue here. Why did you spread that lie about Diphelia being a candidate for student council president?”
Her question was valid.
Even if Vargan’s intentions differed from what they appeared to be, how was this related?
Vargan answered.
“Because Diphelia is the right choice for student council president. For the future of the Academia, she is the most suitable candidate among the competitors.”
His black eyes met Diphelia’s.
She quietly attempted to read whatever was inside those dark orbs, wishing she could see it directly with her own eyes instead of relying on her familiar’s.
Perhaps then she could understand a bit more.
When Diphelia didn’t respond, Erica spoke in her place.
“Fine, I’ll admit Diphelia’s leadership qualities are impressive.”
Considering Diphelia’s personality and her performance in the first semester’s final exam, her leadership and decision-making skills were undeniable.
Even Erica acknowledged that.
But despite all the conversations they had shared, Erica had never heard Diphelia express any desire to become the student council president.
“The problem is, why did you push forward with this without even asking for her opinion?”
Erica couldn’t stand by while Vargan manipulated Diphelia at will.
“In other words, it’s possible if she agrees.”
Vargan responded, now turning to Diphelia.
“What do you think, Saint?”
His question was not only about the election but also a subtle inquiry about something he had murmured quietly before—the sentence.
–Don’t place too much blind faith in the church, Saint.
Saint Diphelia felt the weight of his question.
She slowly moved her lips, which had been tightly sealed until now.
“Is this really necessary?”
“Diphelia, don’t let Schugenhartz’s words sway you. I’ll handle the rumors spreading around, so you don’t need to take any responsibility for this.”
“……”
“Diphelia?”
Erica was bewildered that Diphelia hadn’t immediately rejected Vargan’s absurd proposal.
Her indecisive and neutral stance made it seem as if she might nod her head and agree any moment now.
In the exchange of glances between Vargan and Diphelia, Erica began to suspect there was more between them that she didn’t know about.
Vargan, in his calm manner, responded.
“It is necessary.”
“… I see.”
With that, Vargan casually took a sip of tea from the cup in front of him, waiting for Diphelia’s response.
He then calmly added another comment, moving the conversation forward as if it was already decided.
“I intend to form your electoral committee with the members present here.”
“What?”
“Master?”
Erica and Alicia reacted at the same time.
Vargan, unfazed, continued.
“The electoral committee requires three members. The people here are all top-class individuals. Isn’t the number of people just perfect?”
With a sly glance at Erica and Alicia, Erica realized that even this meeting had been orchestrated by him.
He had predicted how they would act. Why was it always like this…!
Just as Erica was about to vent her frustration.
“Could you give me some… time to think about it?”
Diphelia spoke up first.
She finally revealed her previously hidden thoughts.
“There’s still time before the additional application period ends, isn’t there?”
At this, Vargan smiled.
“As much time as you need.”
He brought the teacup to his lips once more.
***
“Diphelia, you can really just ignore what Schugenhartz said! There’s no need for you to go through with this.”
Erica insisted as they walked through the hallway, having left the laboratory.
“I haven’t decided to do it yet. There are plenty of other amazing candidates, and I’m not even sure if I could win.”
“Then why…?”
“……”
Diphelia looked up at Erica with closed eyes, then turned her head and spoke quietly, so only the two of them could hear.
“He’s such a mysterious person. Does he have the power to see right through others?”
“… what do you mean?”
At Erica’s question, Diphelia covered her mouth and chuckled softly. It was a mischievous smile that Erica had never seen before.
“… I never told anyone, but I’ve dreamed becoming the student council president to make the Academia a better place. I wanted to communicate with the students… I guess I can’t deny I’ve thought about it. It feels like I’ve been caught.”
“Is that how you feel…?”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. It was just something I briefly thought about before bed.”
And, you know… though it might be an improper thought…
Diphelia trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.
“… just a little… I want to see the future he’s dreaming of too.”
A fragile smile lingered as she spoke.
Erica, watching this unfamiliar sight, slowly found herself sinking into the emotions of her friend.
…
‘Wait… isn’t something about that strange?’
Suddenly, her thoughts went blank.
The future that Schugenhartz was dreaming of?
And she wanted to see it too?
… what did that mean?
Diphelia’s smile, and the conversations she’d had with Schugenhartz… now that she thought about it, there were other moments like this…
While Erica stood dumbfounded, Diphelia spoke again.
“I’ll make sure nothing causes you trouble, Erica. Even if I decide to run as a candidate, I’ll make sure you’re excluded from the electoral committee, so don’t worry.”
“Huh? Oh, um… thanks. But if you’re determined, I can—”
“Shall we go now, Erica? Our elective class is about to start.”
Diphelia wheeled herself forward.
Erica, still a little frozen, soon walked alongside her.
Their conversation ended there. They soon reached the classroom and took their seats.
…
Throughout the entire elective class, the second daughter of the Portlet family was lost in thought, staring at the blackboard with an unusually intense and sulky expression.
It seemed like she was in a particularly bad mood today, and none of the other students dared approach her.
***
That night.
For the first time in a while, I could continue my training alone in the dorm room. Although I often train alone, this felt different.
It had been a while since Helion wasn’t watching over me, or Finn wasn’t swinging his sword by my side.
Whoooom⎯
I circulated mana throughout my body.
Though I couldn’t quantify my current level, I could feel that it had become more concrete.
Through my sparring sessions with Helion, I’d experienced rapid growth.
In particular, my accomplishments with curse magic, which often countered his holy magic, had greatly improved. My field of vision had also expanded significantly within the realm of understanding.
Though I still couldn’t see the end clearly, I estimated that I’d reached a point just short of the middle.
It felt similar to building resistance to a powerful virus after being exposed to it for so long.
The problem was that I might have died if things had gone wrong… but in the end, it was a success…
My summoning art had also improved considerably, and I could now partially summon a familiar.
<Partially> meant I couldn’t fully harness the familiar’s original power—I could only use about a third of its strength.
While its form was somewhat complete, it lacked power, which was undeniable.
And the most crucial aspect: my total mana capacity.
Before I could enter my unique magic techniques, I must first reach the level of transcendence. I was now at the very edge of the understanding level.
Without needing to look too far, I could already glimpse the endless horizon of the sea. Just thinking about reaching that realm filled me with exhilaration.
Once my mana capacity reached transcendence, I planned to immediately dive into researching unique magic techniques. I’d been waiting for this for a long time.
Oh, and there was one last thing that seemed to come along as a bonus.
<The mastery of elemental magic.>
Compared to other forms of magic, I hadn’t practiced elemental magic as much. But since it was closely related to mana itself, my proficiency in it had naturally increased.
This was why a solid foundation was so important.
Once you had a strong footing in one area, everything else became much easier.
With this, I’d reached mastery in four fields.
A first-year student in the Academia, with four masteries…
It was the result of having a genius body, an exceptional mentor, exclusive access to all sorts of information, and rigorous training.
If this world had news media, I was sure I would’ve made the front page.
Having checked my physical condition and finished all my training, I walked through the night to the creaky gates of the ancient tomb.
In the center stood the massive bones of an ancient dragon, and under the moonlight, a blonde woman was hard at work with her research.
She always seemed to come in as soon as the sun set and left before the moon disappeared.
“You’re here.”
Necromancer Francesca didn’t bother with greetings, even though it had been a while since we last met.
Instead, she gave me a pointed look, silently urging me to help with her research.
For a moment, I wondered if she had spent too much time around corpses, causing her brain to rot. But, keeping in mind my noble manners and our senior-junior relationship, I didn’t say anything and helped with the research.
When I focused my mana and looked at the spell, I could see its progress.
She had made great strides over the summer break and had stabilized the magic.
If this continued, we should be able to see a decent version of the dragon during the festival.
…
After several hours of reinforcing the spell with mana, we decided to take a break.
Surprisingly, Francesca was the one who suggested it.
As she wiped away a trickle of sweat running down her jawline with a white handkerchief, she started a conversation.
“… I heard you turned down Clemens’ offer.”
Of course, rumors had spread throughout the second-year students, and I had already been subject to various evaluations alongside Diphelia.
It wasn’t surprising that Francesca knew about it.
“Her vision of leadership didn’t align with mine.”
“……”
Francesca looked up at the bright full moon.
The round, bright moon resembled her yellow eyes.
After a slight delay, she responded.
“Clemens is a genius.”
“A genius?”
“Yes… her physical abilities, her intellect… every quality needed to be a hero.”
Francesca, who had never once defeated Clemens, held feelings of admiration for her, mixed with a sense of rivalry.
Despite seeming indifferent to anything outside of her research, she was not as detached as she appeared.
Just from how she quickly strengthened her skeletal soldiers after Alicia sliced through them in the first semester, it was clear that she had a strong competitive spirit.
Watching Francesca fell silent again, I shrugged.
A genius… it was a good word, and one I quite like.
“I know a mad genius, so no matter how amazing someone is, if they’re within the realm of normal genius, it all starts to look the same to me.”
“A mad genius… that’s an odd thing to say.”
Francesca repeated my words quietly, as if savoring them, before continuing.
It was rare for her to engage in such long conversations, outside of research.
“You’ll handle things your own way. That’s the kind of person you are.”
“Well, yeah.”
“… then, as your senior, let me give you one last piece of advice.”
Francesca’s words carried weight, as they came from her own experience.
“Don’t be too devastated if you lose to Clemens. I wouldn’t want you, with your pride to stop you from helping me with my research because of the shock of defeat.”