The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 22
Alicia was fostered, and her growth was progressing smoothly. I entered the Academia as valedictorian and informed Liam of my presence.
Since the initial goals had all been achieved, it was time to move on to the next step.
You might have forgotten, but the novel I was reincarnated into was a transmigration story, and in my perspective, there was Liam, the protagonist, and the fake protagonist.
It was like a framed narrative. When I mentioned fake protagonist, I meant the previous protagonist, not Liam.
In the original story, our noble and dignified prince was supposed to have entered as valedictorian, but I stole the spot.
Even though he didn’t show it, he was probably quite annoyed. He didn’t like losing and had rarely experienced being outshone by someone else.
I would continue to gently tease our prince by plucking his feathers one by one. No need to rush; just move slowly.
Take your time.
Leisurely.
Then the exact moment would arrive. Take your time and wait.
Among the first-year students, there was a time when the main characters clashed and displayed everything they had.
There was still a long way to the final exams in the second semester.
Before then, savor each episode.
Recruit the talents you had marked.
Let loose some venom in troublesome groups.
Then assess the situation and act flexibly.
Plans couldn’t function on their own. You need cartilage—the unpredictability between plans—to make things smooth.
“Master, Master.”
Louisa, standing in front of the classroom, projected some kind of hologram using a projector and her magic.
Everyone in the dark space focused on the shimmering magic, but it wasn’t Louisa who’s talking to me.
“It’s like a constellation in the night sky.”
A sweet, youthful voice whispered close to my ear, expressing fascination.
The voice belonged to Alicia, who was gazing at the projection in wonder.
‘Hmm?’
I could feel the eyes on me. As I glanced around, I saw several students mesmerized by Alicia’s appearance, not paying attention to Louisa.
She did have a distinct look—impossible to overlook—but I was not inclined to understand or engage.
Those things happened to the freshmen.
‘Those kinds of people definitely are the supporting characters.’
I sent a disdainful look to the distracted students, and they quickly shifted their attention back to the professor, feigning interest.
I wasn’t interested in them anyway. They were people I couldn’t remember their names and characteristics were.
Just then, another familiar gaze caught my eye.
‘Who is this?’
Rather than Alicia, the main character Liam seemed to be observing me. I suspected he was trying to verify something.
When our eyes met, Liam blinked twice quickly and turned away. I expected as much.
His dark expression told me he was trying hard to analyze and understand the situation.
The more Liam’s expression darkened, the more I felt my amusement rise, like a seesaw.
Even though I knew it was not Vargan’s feeling, I still couldn’t help but dislike the guy.
“Master, can I use magic like this?”
Alicia tugged on my sleeve and, in her typical childish wonder, asked. I doubted she realized she was holding on to me.
Now that I thought about it, Alicia wasn’t sitting next to me in the original story. She was seated beside Liam for their first conversation.
It would have been a memorable scene in the novel, but now Alicia was enthralled by the magic in front of her and didn’t care about anyone at all.
“…?”
She noticed my gaze and tilted her head curiously. Then she looked down and realized that she was holding me before quickly letting go of my sleeve, clearly embarrassed.
I was not going to encourage her with a lecture; to let her focus on the professor.
“… so, in the first year, two final exams and a class war will give you the most points, known as <Cattia>, for graduation. You’re aware that Cattia determines your suitability to be a hero.”
As Louisa changed the image, the dark classroom lit up again. She continued to speak confidently, using her familiar tone.
“The Cattia differences based on entrance scores won’t matter much, but after just a few months, you may find yourself lagging behind the people around you.”
Seeing the students grimace, she chuckled in amusement and clapped her hands, bringing back the lights.
“So, any questions from anyone? I doubt it, but let’s proceed with procedure.”
Louisa didn’t appear to be interested in taking questions, and when no one raised a hand, she gave a satisfied nod and moved on.
She faithfully portrayed her original character. Wasn’t she a friend of Paula?
“After this, there’s a group training session, but it’s not our turn yet. What should we do?”
Louisa pointed to a male student nearby. Considering his unfamiliar face and demeanor, he likely wasn’t a major character.
“Um… so you mean… to talk about senior heroes who are active as warriors from the Academia?”
The guy seemed unsure, fidgeting nervously.
“Wow, right, right. I was about to say the same thing.”
Louisa burst into hearty laughter while patting the back of the student who had replied.
Even though his back received a sharp slap from Louisa’s well-trained hands, he seemed to show a bright expression, perhaps because of the praise.
“That means go to the armory and get practice weapons. Captains should ensure everyone selects the right weapon for themselves.”
“Uhm… what about the seniors…?”
“Come on, gather with your teammates and move.”
***
We moved to the spacious and bright interior of the armory, each of us picking up practice weapons that suited our judgment.
This measure prevented newcomers from randomly carrying real weapons around. If they swung them recklessly and got into an accident, that would be inconvenient.
“This sword is lacking in weight and strength.”
Alicia chose a two-handed sword, a Claymore, which looked similar to Naias, but after swinging it a few times, she remarked that it did not satisfy her.
“Using a first-rate artifact like Naias and then holding this junk of metal, that’s understandable.”
Even a daughter from a countryside village would have an eye for high-quality items after seeing them a few times. Her evaluation of items and experiences, which were beyond the reach of ordinary peasants in a lifetime, was bound to become high.
“Everyone, go ahead and pick out your weapons. There’s plenty of time, but there’s no need to waste it.”
I addressed the two girls in my group, Emily, who kept a dark face from start to finish, and Serena, who I had never seen even open her mouth.
On the other hand, our male teammate, Finn, was happily darting around here and there.
Serena glanced at me once or twice and then quietly moved to pick up a bow nearby. It seemed she had already decided what she wanted.
Meanwhile, Emily still behaved as if she were in a daze. It must be a considerable shock after being separated from Liam. Or maybe she was shocked to be in the same group as me?
“After all, isn’t the guy you’re crushing on not in the same group? You’re not that much of a child to mope over it forever, are you?”
“W-wha… how would you even know that…?”
Despite her words, some life seemed to return to her lifeless eyes when I mentioned it.
“Do I look like an ornament to you? I know when you secretly glance at other guys in other groups. When you first arrived, you sat with him in class, so it’s a high probability that you know each other.”
“I was not peeking…! Just… err… why am I explaining myself?”
Emily tightened her grip and walked over to pick up a Valkyrie sword. It was a mid-sized sword to wield with both hands.
“This should be enough. After all, I’m assigned to this group for close combat weapons.”
“Forget that. Pick something short and easy to handle, like a dagger or cutlass.”
“A long sword is more familiar and standard.”
“Don’t follow others blindly like a halfwit. Consider your strengths and efficiency.”
Anyway, she’d realize it soon enough when she found a weapon suited for her own style.
Emily hesitated but knew she could always change her weapon later, so she gave in and chose this one for now. It was a good attitude to try out new things she hadn’t experienced before.
“If you’re not satisfied, you can always switch later.”
Her vague language—whether to use honorifics or informal speech—was quite annoying. Since we were of the same rank, she shouldn’t be addressing me like this.
It was because at the Academia, we could use informal or light honorifics among fellow classmates, regardless of rank.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind letting this slide. I’d soon break countless rules anyway.
“Did you learn to speak like that in your backwater village?”
“It’s just awkward, it’s not that my village is weird!”
“…….”
Alicia, who had been watching this pathetic scene, met my eyes.
She didn’t voice it, but she seemed flustered by how she should talk to me now.
“Exception to the rule. Don’t dare speak to me informally.”
“I wouldn’t do that! I was just wondering what to do…!”
“It better never happen. Alicia. If you ever think of underestimating me, it will be a dreadful moment for you.”
“It certainly will not happen, Master…! Uh, um, may I ask which weapon you’ve chosen?”
I showed her what I had been concealing in my cloak.
There was nothing useful in the armory, but since I had to choose something, this seemed the most logical.
“Master…? I apologize for saying this, but do you think you’ve made the right choice?”
[Group captains, go report your selections. We need to move to the unity training ground soon.]
Before I could answer Alicia’s question, Louis relayed the message in a magical tongue, and I followed her instructions.
So, Alicia just received a brief response.
“I’ll report first.”
What about Finn? If he hadn’t picked anything yet, I would just put anything down. He was roughly just a supporting role anyway.