The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 53
After a brief research meeting, it was time for the afternoon class.
It was the session where Professor Louisa, the instructor, taught about Altife, the public enemy.
“… as you may know, the Altife who follow the Goddess use the same terminology as the church. The Yggdrasil Church doesn’t particularly like it, but it’s the easiest way to categorize them, so we mainly call them this. Fuck, I don’t really like it either.”
Louisa clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction and continued. Her frequent use of crude language still made it hard to believe she was a teacher.
“First, Altife is divided into sentient and non-sentient beings. Non-sentient beings, as the name suggests, don’t think much. They act purely on instinct. They only follow those in the higher tier, the <sentient beings>.”
Alicia fought the red muscle masses to overcome her trauma. They were the most common form of non-sentient beings.
“These non-sentient beings are collectively called <priests> by the followers of the Goddess. Although they’re mostly just called priests, strictly speaking, they should be called non-sentient beings or categorized as the 4th risk group.”
The magic display showed various forms of <priests>. Some had two tentacle-like appendages on their backs, others had claws and could breathe underwater, and some had developed jaws…
The common trait was their red, muscular bodies.
Interestingly, only their faces looked like they were wearing white masks.
Small texts under the picture noted that they were the only beings capable of reproduction through a host.
Thud?!
Louisa hit the podium to draw everyone’s attention.
The slightly relaxed students straightened up and focused their eyes.
Louisa also became more serious.
“Now, pay close attention.”
She played the next video.
The video caption read:
“Bishop: 3rd Risk Group”
“From here on, they’re all sentient beings. Stay sharp and remember this.”
Louisa’s eyes narrowed as she warned everyone. This was crucial information.
“Bishop-level beings are truly dangerous. Even the weakest bishop identified so far easily killed a thousand regular soldiers. No… it was just a matter of time before they played with them like toys. They can’t be compared to ordinary people. I’ll give you an example with a hero you like.”
It took at least three rookie heroes to safely hunt a bishop-level being. Capturing them required even more personnel.
As with the priests, small text at the bottom of the video noted that they could replenish their numbers through evangelism.
“They can communicate through language. But don’t even think about talking to them. They’re not human. Their thinking is completely different from ours.”
Louisa explained.
They were cunning and intelligent, as quick in thought as they were devious. If you let your guard down just because you could communicate…
“Your heart will be ripped out and thrown to the ground.”
Or you might be used as a host for reproduction.
Everyone grimaced at Louisa’s words.
The thought was horrifying.
It was better to have your heart ripped out than to be toyed with and used as a reproductive tool by them.
“They have no gender. So, the gender of the person used as a host doesn’t matter. Their reproduction method is unlike any ordinary creature.”
As the atmosphere in the classroom grew darker and tenser than expected, Louisa lightened her tone to adjust the mood.
“Since you’re still rookies, you’ll hardly encounter bishop-level beings. In the end-of-term practical test, you’ll only see priest-level beings. But, just in case… although it’s unlikely…”
Louisa added.
To protect the rookies.
Despite saying she was adjusting the mood; her words were quite serious.
“If you see a bishop-level being, run and seek help immediately. They’re not enemies you can handle yet.”
***
“Those Altife are really disgusting. Why are they all so grotesque? It was hard to watch.”
After the last class of the day.
Emily, a member of the same group, said, showing her goosebumps. Serena, as usual, showed no reaction, and Alicia nodded in agreement.
“Yes, they’re very disgusting….”
“Right?! I’m already worried about the practical test at the end of the term… they look like they won’t be easily cut….”
“If you use a stable aura, you can cut them. Their large muscles make it easy to see where to cut. If you don’t get nervous, you can handle them easily with your skills, Emily.”
“… Alicia, you sound like an expert. I suspected it, but have you fought them before?”
“Yes, just once.”
As they chatted, Louisa, who had been looking at me, walked over. Being tall, her strides were longer than the average adult male.
“Top student, your outing request has been approved. You can take the operational airship next Tuesday at 3 PM.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Alright. It’s a hassle, but it’s part of my job as the supervising professor… more importantly, you’re going on a date with your fiancée… I think it’s unnecessary, but don’t let anything bad happen. Understand?”
“I have no idea what kind of mishap you’re thinking of, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Seriously, your attitude never changes.”
Louisa clicked her tongue and chuckled, conveying her concern straightforwardly. Though she didn’t seem genuinely worried, my reaction probably sparked a bit of defiance in her.
“Sex. I’m talking about sex. I won’t stop you from doing it, but don’t get carried away and miss the curfew.”
??!!
I heard it, but Alicia, standing a bit away, was startled and gaped. Emily covered her mouth with both hands and blushed.
Their reactions were so exaggerated that the usually calm Serena stood out even more.
“There’s no need to worry.”
“I really hope so. I’m saying this because some people have missed curfew for that reason.”
Even though they were trainee heroes, they were still young and full of energy, so it was not uncommon for boys and girls to spend the night together. Not something I wanted to know about….
“We won’t be late for that reason. But… life is unpredictable. If I miss the last airship due to unforeseen circumstances, what happens then?”
“… that’s quite an unsettling statement.”
Louisa added.
“Don’t think of anything strange and come back on time. If you didn’t return, we would search for you. Despite being future fighters against the Altife, you were still considered children. If something happened to you, we wouldn’t be able to face the guardians who entrusted you to us.”
“Oh, that’s a very mature side of you.”
“I’m an adult, you cheeky top student.”
Louisa shaped her fingers as if to flick me on the forehead, then sighed and relented.
“Well, I caused my share of trouble, too.”
“…”
I recalled seeing the backstory where Louisa, along with Paula, caused various problems during their school days under the current headmaster’s guidance.
That was probably why she had that nostalgic expression.
Louisa turned and left the classroom.
She waved her arm in a lazy farewell.
“Have fun. No need for souvenirs.”
“I wasn’t planning on buying any, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You cheeky brat… always talking like that.”
With a faint smile, she disappeared completely. Emily, looking curious, excitedly asked me.
“What? So that’s why there’s no research meeting that day, you’re going on a date? Wow, amazing.”
I’d been wondering since earlier.
Why were they making such a fuss? They were not the ones going.
“It’s my engagement anniversary, so I had no choice.”
“Sure, sure. Of course, you’d say that.”
Emily giggled.
It seemed she wanted to do survival training for the first time in a while as part of the research group activities.
“Why not call Liam and go out? Of course, it would only be possible if I clear my schedule for the research group activities.”
“Why is Liam even mentioned there?! And how could I find time to go out when, as you said, I’m attending the research group every day!”
Emily almost burst out in anger but caught herself and toned down. Alicia, standing beside her with a simple smile, spoke up. There was something different about her usual expression.
“Even while the Master is out, I will fulfill my duties without any deviation.”
“Fine, I’ll check when I get back, so be prepared.”
“… yes, Master.”
Hmm.
How should I put this?
“… I will be waiting for the Master’s return.”
Although it didn’t seem intentional, Alicia’s last words carried a hint of earnestness and desperation.
I couldn’t quite explain it.
It was just a feeling.
***
After returning to my room, I should have gone through my usual training routine, but there was something I needed to check first.
A letter from Diphelia.
The unusual fear she showed today.
A message that could have been spoken but was instead written down.
Because she seemed so cautious, I also waited until I was alone to open it. It was not just anyone’s unusual symptoms; it was from a saint.
It might significantly influence what happened next.
Snip.
I cut the seal with a small knife and took out the letter.
Inside the envelope was a single piece of paper.
The content of the letter was a poem.
[I had a dream.
A dream where the third star in the center of the glorious empire lost its light. I was so sorrowful at that death that I recited a eulogy. However, my eulogy did not reach its mark, and soon it became a wandering ghost, haunting an unnamed grave.]
“… I see.”
Yes.
So that was why you were so scared, Diphelia.
As soon as I finished reading the letter, a golden flame ignited and quickly consumed it, leaving no ash behind.
The envelope, which had been placed separately on the desk, also disappeared without a trace.
Instead of the noise of flames, Diphelia’s voice was heard from the burning envelope. This time, it was in her usual tone, not a poetic metaphor.
[Next Tuesday, at the time when the evening moon rises. I will be waiting in the small conservatory near the dormitory.]
I sat in a comfortable chair, deep in thought.
I clearly understood what Diphelia was trying to convey with her trivial poem. Knowing this made me think even more.
“The timing of the oracle has accelerated. The content has changed as well.”
A dream was an oracle.
The third star rising in the center of the glorious empire was me.
The speaker of the poem, <I>, also represented me.
I knew the speaker of the poem because of the part about reciting a eulogy. Vargan’s last words were actually about mourning the dead.
If I interpreted the beginning, it would go like this:
[I received an oracle.
It was a future where the third son of the Troa Empire’s Schugenhartz family died. You were so sorrowful at that death that you recited a eulogy.]
Reading just the sentence, it might seem like <that death> referred to Vargan’s death, but it didn’t. Vargan did not mourn his own death.
However, Diphelia, who received the oracle, didn’t know who Vargan was mourning, so she referred to it as <that death>. The part about the eulogy not reaching and becoming a wandering ghost was also a metaphor for not knowing the subject.
“Hah.”
She was threatening me. With a small voice that seemed fragile and easily breakable, she was trying to hold a silver blade to my throat.
The oracle was not about our real future.
It was set against the background where Arterion was the protagonist.
Originally, the oracle should have emphasized the absence of Liam, who did not appear in the original story. Moreover, it should have dealt with the tragedy of Academia, not Vargan’s death, and the timing of the oracle was also four months earlier.
According to Diphelia, the oracle she received was about the moment Vargan died. When Vargan, who had given up everything and gone mad, borrowed the power of the Goddess Church and brought disaster to everyone.
Knowing that I was the villain of that event, she still sent me a letter. This meant that if I had any schemes and tried to realize them, she, who could see the future, would stop me, indicating that I should not have any reckless thoughts.
She also wanted to directly contact me to extract information and prepare countermeasures against uncontrollable disasters.
Diphelia was trying to capture me by following the divine command that showed only a part of the original story.
“……”
However, I already confirmed through Liam’s case that the oracle could change. What worried me now was not her threat but the day she specified.
It was peculiar.
Peculiar.
It was not entirely impossible, but….
“Next Tuesday….”
I tapped my fingers on the armrest.
I needed to organize this.
Tap. Tap.
Diphelia specified a date.
She wouldn’t know that I had made a promise to Erica.
Before her, Frieda had suggested going out next week. We hadn’t set an exact date, but recalling the original story, there was a precedent where it overlapped with Erica.
Tap. Tap.
It was as if she was trying to prevent me from meeting Erica….
Was this a coincidence?
Could this be seen as just a coincidence?
Tap. Tap.
In the original story, Erica and Vargan didn’t meet at the promised place. What did Erica do alone? It wasn’t described, so I couldn’t be sure, but I guessed she would have waited, watched the play alone, and then returned.
Tap. Tap.
Erica. Oracle. Next Tuesday. Play.
Were there any events that encompassed all these, or even possibilities?
Let’s think again about who Erica was.
Vargan’s fiancée. A high-level user of freezing and warp magic. The second daughter of the prestigious Portlet family. Small stature. Strong outside but fragile inside. A villainess. Liked sweet things, liked dolls… and.
A character who became a <bishop> of the Goddess Church.
At the same time, a question I had long harbored.
When did she start showing such signs?
Tap.
My fingers stopped.
I hurriedly checked the performance ticket Erica had given me.
In the novel, it was mentioned only once. Erica once mentioned the name of the play when scolding Vargan for not showing up at the promised place. It was a title too famous to forget.
Only once.
Several thousand characters per episode.
I remembered the name of the play that appeared only once in a total of 628 episodes. Because it was such a famous title that I couldn’t forget it.
And.
The one line I had overlooked, thinking it was just the author’s background knowledge.
Love burnt more the more it was hindered. Flowing streams flowed more vigorously the more they were blocked.
I knew it exactly.
But I had been indifferent.
I had noticed the connection but had glossed over it.
That sentence was a famous quote by one of the greatest playwrights, Shakespeare.
“Play: Romeo and Juliet”
Also, a character obsessed with Shakespeare.
A <follower of the Goddess> who had unknowingly uttered the line.