The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 71
The effects of the seclusion training were remarkable.
Garsham, a mage from Class 5 to which Diphelia belonged, was a specialized elemental mage who achieved a high rank of 6th upon admission.
Garsham, who had a strong sense of justice and was very kind, was quite fond of Diphelia, the leader of their class. When Diphelia’s humiliating defeat in the class battle was mentioned, Garsham became furious and accepted the challenge for a ranking match.
The result was clear.
Using the same magic and the same element, I easily defeated her with only superior power and performance. I did not use any familiars or curse magic.
The purpose was not to win, but to confirm with my own eyes how much I had improved, so I only used the exact same element that she had used.
Garsham, with pink flowers growing from her earlobes, displayed a strong affinity for the elements of water and earth, even among the people of the Darek Union.
These elemental magics were her pride, but when I overwhelmingly pressed her with the same magic, she was left stunned.
She handed over her 10 Cattia along with her shock.
Now I had 80 Cattia. Except for the first semester final exam, I’d acquired all the Cattia.
Click-clack, click-clack.
“Of course, all the members of Arbol Frutal should be present. If not, there will be punishment.”
“I’ve checked everyone’s attendance. Everything is ready so that the promotion ceremony can proceed as soon as you enter the research group, Master.”
“That’s as it should be.”
Currently, Alicia and I were walking down the hallway, heading towards the training ground.
Today, as planned, the promotion ceremony would be held.
After joining the research group, the progress they’d made would be showcased in front of everyone, and it would be decided whether they would move up to the next group or remain where they were.
“Alicia, although you are an executive, you must also prove your skills. Not during this promotion ceremony, but from the next one onward, if your progress is lacking, you will be demoted from the group.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Helping others to progress required not only rewards but also the use of the whip. If anyone lagged significantly behind others, they would be demoted without mercy, even if they were original members of the group.
This was a research group to cultivate talents who would fight for me, not a kindergarten to give dreams and hope. This would be strictly enforced.
We arrived at the entrance to the training ground.
Without any hesitation, I opened the large door.
“Now, let the promotion ceremony begin.”
If you didn’t want to be humiliated in front of others, you’d better bring out your true abilities.
I immediately took my seat.
***
Outside the vast training ground.
Two people were looking inside.
“They’re quite active.”
“Yes… the reports are being submitted diligently.”
“With a research group of this scale, it looks like an official institution of Academia, doesn’t it?”
“… Headmaster, with all due respect, I must say that Arbol Frutal requires constant vigilance and caution. Think about the rudeness the head of the research group displayed on the day of the entrance ceremony. He’s clearly mentally unstable and will surely become a serious… ahem, what I mean is that we should look at this with a critical eye.”
“Hohoho, Professor Fergio, you really care for the student council, don’t you?”
Fergio, a professor who prioritized the student council above any other research group, was one of the most outspoken critics of Arbol Frutal when it was active under the name of <New Student Council>.
There was no way he could be pleased with Vargan, who had used the student council’s reputation to establish Arbol Frutal’s prominence.
“You mentioned a promotion ceremony. How is it conducted, Professor Fergio?”
“Oh, please wait a moment.”
Fergio opened the booklet in his hand. It contained the details of the promotion ceremony that Vargan had submitted.
“Let’s see… when Arbol Frutal received a large number of new members, they conducted a first assessment, converting their entrance scores and the abilities confirmed through interviews during the second assessment into rough grades, which were recorded.”
“Oh… a grading system.”
“They’ve been keeping track of the members’ progress on a weekly basis, so they already have a rough understanding of their levels. The purpose of this promotion ceremony is primarily to assess any additional potential that hasn’t been captured in the records and to instill a sense of urgency in all members. It’s an event where the grades will be re-evaluated by comparing past records with current abilities… that’s what’s written here.”
“What a diligent student. He must be busy with his own responsibilities, yet…”
Fergio clicked his tongue. Although he had just explained it, nothing stood out that he could criticize.
Turning his head to look through the large window, he saw the face of that obnoxious young man. He resembled the student council president, but unlike him, he lacked basic manners.
Ah, their eyes met for a moment. The young man glanced at Fergio as if looking at laundry hanging outside, then resumed the promotion ceremony.
That attitude. That attitude was what infuriated him!
A guy who thought that being a Schugenhartz was everything. For a hero, such a thing was of no importance at all!
“…….”
While Fergio was grinding his teeth, the headmaster slowly observed all the members of the research group. He carefully examined each face, imagining the emotions they were feeling.
Passion, tension, resolve…
They were all young and full of life.
They shone like blades of grass growing in summer, full of vigor. They were the children who would lead the future. They were precious, and he wanted to do whatever he could for them.
“Hohoho…”
But this brought a bitter aftertaste. Such beautiful children. Their young lives, which should be busy pursuing their own dreams, were now here, at the most crucial time of their lives…
‘I’m sorry that our generation couldn’t bring this to an end.’
Now, the voice of the once-great headmaster, now aged, was filled with guilt towards those who would carry the future. His dull eyes reflected his own image in the window.
His wrinkled hands bore the clear marks of time. His once lustrous hair had turned white and lost its vitality.
The headmaster felt a deep sense of pity for them.
He knew the hardships, trials, sorrow, and despair they would face. He felt the helplessness of his generation, which could only pass these burdens down to them.
Looking at the bright, green leaves, the headmaster’s eyes were filled with sadness.
“Professor Fergio.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s elect the next headmaster before it’s too late.”
“What are you saying? With you still so hale and hearty, why talk about a new headmaster?!”
The headmaster shook his frail, white-haired head. He finally spoke aloud what he had been thinking for a long time.
“How long do you think this old man can keep going?”
“Headmaster…!”
“Everything is a cycle.”
This body would decay and return to the earth, and from that earth, new life would grow.
The headmaster, a legendary figure in the wizarding world, was preparing to step down from his position for the future.
Fergio’s eyes deepened as he firmly expressed his thoughts. He could not accept this reality.
“I will pretend I didn’t hear that just now.”
“Hohoho… I just hope it won’t be too late.”
The headmaster turned away and began to move, dragging his thin legs. Fergio watched his retreating figure.
The sturdy back that Fergio had seen in his youth was now hunched. The legs that had once supported everyone had weakened to the point where walking without a cane was difficult.
Fergio was well aware that the headmaster was aging. He knew that one day the headmaster would step down and leave the wizarding world.
But he was bound by the passions of the past and couldn’t let him go.
It should still be… it should still be fine.
He compromised with himself that way.
Quietly, he followed behind the headmaster.
***
To carry out the promotion ceremony, I borrowed Francesca’s power.
She could reanimate a dead skeleton and make it mimic some of the achievements it had accomplished in life.
The extent to which it could be restored depended on Francesca’s abilities.
So, if it had a power level that was common in its previous life, it could recover almost all of its strength. However, if it had power that exceeded Francesca’s level, only a part of that power could be utilized.
In conclusion, her skeletal soldiers were still just inanimate objects. Moreover, their strength could be adjusted according to the amount of mana she poured into them.
I could even provide mana and assist with detailed operations. Wasn’t it a perfect tool for sparring?
Francesca seemed somewhat displeased that her soldiers were being used as test subjects, but that was a minor issue. Good materials should be used appropriately.
Whenever I shared and combined her techniques in new ways, she watched closely. I was not the only one gathering and using information about her—she was also collecting information about me.
“Is Emily next?”
As Serena’s turn ended, Emily appeared as if to take her place.
Serena showed better results than the average development of the Arbol Frutal members. The time it took for her to envelop her arrows with the aura had significantly shortened, and the concentration had also increased.
Particularly, the speed and power of her arrows had greatly improved, allowing her to accurately target enemies from a much greater distance than before. This was proof that she recognized and overcame her weaknesses.
This was why I’d always rated Serena highly. She quietly did her work diligently and achieved the goals she set. She was definitely useful.
“Ah, it’s a bit embarrassing to be seen like this.”
Emily started making a silly comment. So, what did that make Serena and those who went before her?
“You don’t need to waste words, just start.”
“I already regretted saying it as soon as I did, but you caught it right away…”
“Fifteen seconds have already passed.”
Each person had a limited time. Within that time, they must show all their progress.
Emily hurriedly pulled out a dagger and infused it with aura.
In the past, she would have complained, “Why is the time running when I haven’t even started yet!” But now, without any unnecessary words, she quickly switched to combat mode.
Her scattered energy gathered and solidified. Her eyes became more serious and focused, as if she were embodying Alicia, who sliced through her enemies.
Clack.
The skeletal soldier in black armor, whom Emily was to face, took a step forward.
That skeleton, recalling forgotten memories from beyond, gripped its longsword with its rattling fingers. Its hollow eye sockets now faced the present, not the past.
Sharing Francesca’s technique, I adjusted the fine details of the skeleton and inserted the data of Emily’s performance from her entrance season.
The skeleton no longer followed its past life. Its newly formed fighting style would pose a threat to Emily.
Like this.
Thud!
The skeleton soldier, which had been eyeing Emily, suddenly lunged forward. It aimed at her with a longsword that was about to strike sharply.
Emily didn’t take her eyes off it.
The blade rushed toward her.
With her heightened senses, Emily read the direction of the sword.
She didn’t dodge.
She wasn’t swayed by the attacking skeleton’s sword.
Instead, she judged and calculated its force.
Emily faced her past self. Though she was still lacking, she was even worse three months ago. If you looked closely, her stance was sloppy and full of gaps.
To think she boasted about being slightly ahead of Finn with such shoddy swordsmanship. To think she was saddened by being overtaken by Liam. When her efforts couldn’t even compare to Finn’s, and she couldn’t even reach the shadow of Liam’s talent.
She must reflect.
She must change.
She couldn’t stay stagnant.
Clang!
Emily twisted her dagger slightly and sliced through the incoming opponent’s blade.
The smoothly cut sword now matched the length of her dagger, and the severed blade clattered to the ground.
This was something she wouldn’t have been able to do before.
However, in about three months, Emily had changed.
Her aura, will, movements, and vision had all advanced to form a new self.
Emily’s eyes, which had been exuding intense energy, began to relax.
Then, she looked back at what she had done, opening her mouth in disbelief.
She looked at me, the one who could be called the judge. She was still gaping.
“I-I mean… haven’t I gotten a lot stronger than I thought?!”
Emily, clearly thrilled by her remarkable achievement, didn’t shout, but she was undoubtedly cheering inside.
I spoke for her, who was rejoicing.
“Next.”
I dismissed her with a smirk, seeing how she wanted a specific response. Since Emily’s turn was over, I needed to check on the next person.
“Hey, hey…! Still, shouldn’t you praise me here?! I’m not saying I want your praise, but at least… acknowledge my growth or say I did well for all my efforts… you should show some leadership as the research group leader!”
“You’ve grown adequately and become adequately useful. Are you satisfied now?”
“……”
Suddenly, blood rushed to her head, and Emily, feeling dizzy, held her head before walking off without much resistance. She muttered, “…Yeah, this is so like you. I’ll take it as a sign not to be complacent and to keep improving.”
Her tone lacked energy, but her steps were determined.
I turned the page.
I checked the information on the next member.
Ah, he finally appeared.
In fact, the one I was most curious about was this guy’s growth.
“Show yourself, Finn.”
Finn Troa Toiren, the talentless one who ranked last in the entrance exam and trained with me under Helion, appeared.