The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 38
Area 110 km2.
By South Korean standards, it was an island approximately the size of Yeongjongdo.
This island was owned by the Academia, and entry to outsiders was absolutely prohibited.
Not because trespassing was an issue, but because it was far too dangerous for ordinary people.
It served as the venue for the annual Class Battle and various experiments. Except for designated safe zones, stepping into this place could be the end for general public.
Teeming with monsters and deadly traps, an ordinary person would quickly find themselves missing a limb or turning into a cold corpse, becoming a feast for the crows.
An artificial island created exclusively for heroes. A place of suffering designed to train the heroes destined to save the world.
This was Eccentric Island.
The events of the Class Battle change yearly, ranging from siege defense against monster hordes to survival challenges.
This year’s event was <Capture the Hidden King>.
The rules were simple, locate the hidden king and touch his back to win.
Each class designated one king, and if they failed to do so within 10 minutes of the game starting, they were automatically disqualified.
Each class started from a designated point near the edge of the island, at a small castle known as their <base>.
Bases were quite important.
While at their base, students received various buffs like low-level healing, increased magic capacity, and enhanced power.
This effect extended up to a 500-meter radius. If a class secured an additional intermediate base, the effects stacked.
The overlapping effects also applied at the intermediate bases, making them crucial variables in this year’s event.
The basic structure wasn’t complicated.
The prohibited actions were simple as well.
Acts of violence that rendered someone unable to function, such as dismemberment or killing, were banned.
This meant all other actions were permitted.
***
“Plum, prepare the video magic. Don’t worry about the mana; I’ll replenish it, so use your maximum output. Serena, you’re on defense duty, so get ready to head out.”
The moment we arrived on the island and the curtain rose; it was bustling around us.
I directed the team according to their pre-assigned roles, and they followed my orders busily without complaint.
Everyone was too occupied to let any lingering anxieties or grievances surface.
Amidst this, a man approached me to speak. I considered ignoring him but decided to listen as it seemed necessary.
“What is it, Liam? If you have nothing to say, move aside.”
I snapped at him abruptly, but Liam, either unfazed or accustomed to it, firmly stated his opinion.
I knew what he wanted to say. I hoped he’d get to the point quickly.
“Put me in the defense team.”
As expected.
“Got it. And while you’re at it, take charge of the defense team.”
“Wha…?”
“No time for questions. I was planning to assign you to the defense team anyway. If there’s nothing else, get the list of the remaining members from Serena and head out immediately.”
“Oh, uh… okay. To the anticipated intermediate base location, right? I’ll get ready right away.”
It was amusing that he emphasized it as an <anticipated location>, implying he didn’t have the information. For me, knowing Liam’s storyline, this seemed like a trivial scenario.
“Ah, one more thing before I go.”
“Make it quick, we’re busy.”
“Is Alicia on the defense team?”
“Always obsessed with girls, aren’t you?”
“It’s not like that…!”
“Check the list yourself. There haven’t been any changes.”
I said he was obsessed with girls, but Liam’s question about being with Alicia had a valid reason.
Liam and Alicia first showcased their talents to the readers and the many observers at the intermediate base near Class 1.
While Liam perceived it as Alicia’s solo performance, I saw it differently.
Both of them could proudly display their rapid growth, partly thanks to the base’s effects.
“Alright. Since you’re the leader this time, I’ll follow your orders. But if Alicia isn’t on the team, reconsider it. It’ll be helpful for you too.”
With that, Liam left.
He always managed to irritate me. Knowing that he misguided Alicia’s growth in the original storyline still infuriated me. It was a headache that I couldn’t just abandon him.
“… ah, the video magic is ready. What should we do next?”
The shaggy-haired man stood nervously, looking down. In combat, he was on par with Finn, but his video magic skills were exceptional.
“Good job. Unlike that trash who just ran off, you’re actually useful.”
“Huh? Who… oh, you mean Liam…”
“We’ll start right away. Cast the video magic.”
“Y-yes! Right away.”
Plum summoned a floating sphere that drifted up to my face, emitting a small light.
The video magic was about to begin.
“Testing, testing.”
I lightly cleared my throat.
While I wasn’t nervous, every task required preparation.
I hoped the main players would act as planned.
I could already picture my fiancée’s bewildered expression.
***
⎯Erica, can you hear me? And see me?
Through the small bird on her shoulder, Erica heard Diphelia’s voice. By enhancing her senses, Erica could see through two perspectives, like watching two monitors, her own and the one shared by Diphelia’s familiar.
“I can hear you. And see you waving in front of me, right?”
⎯Great. It’s fortunate that our bases are close to each other.
Diphelia, the leader of Class 5 and a saint, could communicate with plants and animals due to her ability to control familiars. This was partly due to her origin from the Darrek Union and her inherent disposition.
The bird on Erica’s shoulder was also Diphelia’s familiar. Sharing the sight and sound of other familiars of the same species, anyone in contact with the bird could share this sense.
⎯But… even though it’s a mutual agreement, it feels unfair. Like we’re cheating.
“Diphelia, alliances aren’t against the rules. Using every possible strategy and tactic to survive until the end – that’s the Class Battle.”
⎯You’re right. Sorry for sounding weak, Erica.
Erica and Diphelia were acquainted due to their student council positions. Although Erica didn’t easily bond with others, she and Diphelia had a general understanding of each other’s character and temperament.
After the Class Battle schedule was set, Erica approached Diphelia to propose an alliance.
Erica sought an alliance with Class 5 for one reason, Vargan Troa Schugenhartz.
⎯Because the saint’s magic is effective against Vargan, right?
“It is. Even though not all holy magic can harm him, you can use advanced spells, right?”
Diphelia accepted Erica’s proposal because of the belief that Erica wouldn’t betray her and because Erica had extensive information on Vargan.
In addition, Diphelia could utilize Erica’s rare magic, giving her no reason to reject the alliance.
⎯Vulnerable to holy power… Erica, your betrothed is quite unusual.
“You’re asking if he’s a ghost or demon, right? It’s okay, you can say it.”
Of course, Vargan wasn’t inherently weak to holy power.
It wasn’t like he melted from holy water or burned in sunlight.
“Most of his familiars are dark attribute. Especially that shadow creature protecting him.”
While familiars weren’t rare, dark attribute ones were. They were rare and had potent abilities, making them difficult to tame.
Vargan surrounded himself with these dangerous entities.
For instance, if someone swung a sword at Vargan, his shadow creature would automatically block most attacks without Vargan’s intervention.
This defense was formidable, repelling even elemental spells.
However, with Diphelia’s power, the scenario changed. Her holy magic could breach his impenetrable shield and ensure their attacks landed.
To Erika, Diphelia was almost the only one capable of confronting Vargan.
“Arterion surely refused.”
⎯Yes, he did… we barely conversed, but he didn’t seem open to alliances.
Despite being part of the student council, Erica couldn’t propose an alliance with Arterion.
While Erika wasn’t fond of forming bonds, Arterion seemed to avoid them even more.
He exuded an air of reluctance.
“Still… he seemed interested in Schugenhartz. Maybe he’ll act independently….”
⎯Wait, Erika! What is that?!
Diphelia’s alarmed voice snapped Erica out of her thoughts. Realizing she wasn’t with her, Erica’s gaze remained upward.
“What is… that…?”
Erika’s head tilted higher, catching the sight and voice of a specific man.
Not only Erika but everyone presented in the Class Battle heard this noise.
[Is everyone having a good start? It feels nostalgic to address you like this.]
The source of this video magic was so large that it turned all surrounding environments into miniature.
The sound of his voice and his appearance brought back memories of the terrible entrance ceremony. The source of the video magic, emitting a strong light, made its presence known to everyone with certainty.
“That guy… again…!”
The event for this Class Battle was <Capture the Hidden King>.
Each class selected one person to be their king, and the goal was to protect their own king while capturing the kings of the other classes to win.
Of course, the identity and location of the king must be kept top secret, and if discovered, they must flee immediately.
The locations of each class were announced when the leaders gathered, so only the leaders knew the positions of their respective classes.
[Everyone should already know who I am, so I’ll skip the introduction. My current location is exactly as you see. Not only am I here, but this is also Class 1’s stronghold.]
Whatever Vargan was planning, it must be a ploy to hide the king.
The king, meaning the student holding the magic orb provided by the academy, was probably hidden elsewhere while Vargan drew attention to himself to keep the king safe….
—Erika. That thing he’s holding… that’s the orb, right…?
“…!!”
[It’s not a fake, so don’t worry. It even has the proper seal.]
He brought the orb closer for everyone to see, then infused it with magic and shattered it.
When the orb broke, a mark appeared on the designated spot on his hand.
It could be an illusion using a fake, but illusions, his specialty, couldn’t be conveyed through the video, so what was going on?
Then he delivered the decisive blow to the confused Erica.
[The <king> of Class 1 is me, Vargan.]