The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 18
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
To my dear friend Louisa,
Even though I wrote “dear friend,” it feels so awkward. This is why people shouldn’t do things they’re not used to. I just started writing this letter, and I already want to stop.
Is this the first time I’ve written you a letter? I haven’t had a reason to write one before. Are you crying at the unexpected contact from your best friend after such a long time? If you really are, it’s a shame I can’t see it. If it weren’t for my suspension, I could have watched it firsthand at the Academia. Oh, come to think of it, if I weren’t suspended, I wouldn’t be writing this letter in the first place. Hohoho.
I wonder if the headmaster is doing well. When he suspended me, I wanted to cut ties with him, but you know, he’s not young anymore. No matter how much of a monster he is in many ways, he’s still human in the end. He can’t beat old age. I think of him from time to time. I guess I’m getting old too, getting sentimental. Oh, of course, you’re a year older than me, and I still haven’t reflected on the reason I was suspended!
You might be curious about what I’ve been doing during my suspension. Let me tell you, it’s been full of surprises. What? How can anything be more surprising than working at the Academia? Well, there are such things.
You know I worked at the Schugenhartz estate, right? I took on two amazing students there. They’re both impressive in many ways, and I bet you’d be shocked to meet them. Of course, it’s because their teacher is so outstanding that they could show their talents! Try to find them during the entrance ceremony; you’ll know who I’m talking about.
What? Why not just tell you who they are? Hey, it’s no fun if I tell you in advance. They’re both quite eye-catching in looks and skills, so you’ll know right away. I’ll check later, so you must! You have to find them!
Ah, my arm hurts. I should wrap this up. We’ll talk about the rest when we meet. It’s definitely easier for me to talk than to write. Let’s have a drink when we meet and stay up all night!
Until that day comes.
I’ll end it here. Take care.
Your only friend, Paula.
P.S.
The things in front of you are not trash but my belongings. I had no place to send them, so I asked you to keep them in your room. Don’t throw them away, okay? I’ll come get them soon~ Hohoho.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Crumple.
A woman crumpled the letter she had just finished reading with her fist. Her brows furrowed, and a vein popped up, making her already fierce expression even harsher.
“That damned Paula⎯⎯⎯!”
The woman’s roar, filled with mana, shook the room and its contents. The clattering of vibrating teacups was loud.
She had arrived in her room, intending to relax after a day’s work, only to be greeted by a pile of large packages.
As soon as she heard they belonged to Paula, she considered throwing them all out or dumping them in the lake outside the Academia.
But she barely held back, slowly inspecting Paula’s things and finding a small letter tucked among them. She thought, “At least she has some decency,” and opened it. But Paula’s nonchalant attitude in the letter only fueled Louisa’s anger.
Boom⎯
Louisa punched a special punching bag made just for her. The bag bore the imprint of her fist, which soon returned to its original shape.
The Academia had made this for her to help calm her temper. At first, she refused, thinking she didn’t need it, but after using it once, she preferred it to smoking. She couldn’t hit people, so this was a good substitute, and it worked well.
Boom⎯
Another powerful shockwave spread through the room. The punching bag rippled like water, while Louisa’s body remained unaffected. Her lean and muscular physique showed no sign of fat.
“That bastard. If she shows up, I’m going to shove a bottle down her throat.”
After two hits, Louisa managed to calm down. To an outsider, it might not seem like it, but this was her relatively calm state.
“I can’t believe I have a colleague like that.”
Louisa and Paula had been friends since they entered the Academia together as students. They graduated and fought as heroes together, and now they both worked as professors. It was a bond that had never been broken.
Louisa gritted her teeth and thought. Paula’s letter had made her angry and didn’t contain anything important, but there was one intriguing part.
“Students?”
If Paula was this excited about them, they were worth paying attention to. She knew Paula well after all these years. Paula wouldn’t be this interested unless something genuinely impressed her. She only cared about things that thrilled her. A renowned magic expert like Paula wouldn’t brag about her students unless they were exceptional.
‘Who are these kids that got her so worked up?’
Louisa frowned and reread the crumpled letter’s contents.
***
The green expanse on the ground was dazzling. The sunlight made the fresh grass glisten as it swayed. When a cloud passed, the grass seemed to change color and bow as if on cue.
The world darkened as rain clouds gathered. Paula felt a sense of longing in the shade, marveling at the enormous object blocking the sun.
“The Academia looks magnificent, even after all this time.”
The city in the sky.
The symbol of magic.
In its grand and noble presence, the blades of grass could only bow their heads.
The majestic floating city above was the Academia, where Paula belonged, a hero training academy.
There were only two institutions in the world specializing in training heroes, including Academia. Perhaps because of this, these places led by the church boasted surreal exteriors.
“Even taking a tenth of that huge magic stone would make someone incredibly rich.”
Paula chuckled, acknowledging the absurdity of her statement.
She pointed to the core that kept the Academia afloat, an endless mass of magic power.
Its size was overwhelming; even a tenth of it was as large as a decent mansion. It was impossible to take without being noticed.
Working at the Academia made one forget its grandeur but viewing it from outside occasionally filled her with pride.
Though she had taken various means of transportation, Paula chose to walk and admire the Academia, floating with her staff beside her.
The cool breeze felt pleasant, bringing a slight chill that invigorated her.
“The Master might not care, but Miss Alicia would definitely be awestruck by the Academia.”
Paula chuckled, imagining Alicia’s surprised face. Unlike Vargan, who teased her directly, Paula found Alicia’s reactions endearing and often laughed to herself. Not out of disdain, but because she found her cute.
It would have been better if they had come together, but Paula had many things to handle first, so she couldn’t join them.
But she wasn’t worried. She would see them again at the Academia. Alicia would undoubtedly show more progress and surprise her. Knowing they would meet again made the parting easier.
‘Miss Alicia looked really sad, though.’
Alicia was always vulnerable to farewells, perhaps due to her troubled past. Despite changing physically and mentally, that part of her remained unchanged. But that was also part of her charm.
“I wonder how Mr. Bram is doing.”
Bram, constantly on errands for Vargan, was hard to catch a glimpse of. Always running around, he often looked exhausted.
Paula had heard that it was something about Rubid Village but didn’t know the details as Vargan didn’t share much.
When she asked about Bram’s whereabouts, Vargan had simply said.
⎯You don’t need to know.
“Who does he think I am… that arrogant brat…! Ugh!”
Paula lightly kicked a stone on the path, adding a bit of magic. It was a harmless outlet for her frustration.
Of course, it would seriously injure any ordinary person or animal, but seeing no one around, she thought it was okay.
“What… whoa?!”
Why did someone suddenly appear from that bush!
Seeing a young man appear in front of the speeding stone, Paula quickly reached out to stop it.
But the stone had already reached his face.
“Whoa.”
Sss⎯
The young man caught the stone in his hand.
He seemed to control mana well, as magic energy and sparks flickered from his hand and the stone.
Whoever he was, it was a huge relief. If he were an ordinary person, he would have been seriously injured for no reason.
“Whew… oh, wait. Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to come out from there….”
Paula sighed with relief and approached the young man. Instead of being annoyed, he smiled to ease her worries.
“Oh, it’s fine. It’s not a place you’d expect to find people. I’m not hurt, see?”
He showed his hand to prove he was unharmed; his hands were covered in fresh calluses that appeared to have developed recently.
“Glad you’re not hurt…. um? But why were you coming out of there? There’s no proper path there.”
“Well, you see….”
Rustling.
A woman emerged from the bushes behind him, her voice tinged with annoyance.
“That’s why I told you to let me navigate. This isn’t even close to the path to Academia, not to mention it doesn’t look like a trail at all…. uh?”
“Who…?”
The young man’s companion, upon seeing Paula, stopped mid-sentence. She then turned to the young man with a stern look.
Her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the situation. It was clear who had likely caused this strange encounter.
“What trouble did you get into this time, Liam?”