The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 72
To put it simply, Finn had grown.
He easily subdued the skeleton soldier, which was his level at the time of admission, and was able to envelop his sword in a stable aura—a level he hadn’t shown before.
Those who had been watching him closely, like Emily, were full of praise, their eyes wide with surprise. <You did well>, they said. <You’ve made progress. That’s impressive>. The surrounding commotion was filled with compliments directed at him.
But even after his turn was over, Finn didn’t show the slightest smile. Instead, he bit his lip as if frustrated or ashamed and clenched his fists tightly.
I quietly observed him, trying to discern how he assessed his current state. Could he keep progressing, or should I consider discarding him?
“I’m sorry, Sir Vargan.”
Growth? Of course, he had grown. No matter how disastrous his entrance scores were, this was just three months ago. It wouldn’t be easy to seize victory lightly.
Effort? Naturally, he must have put in a lot of it. The novel clearly stated it, and I’d heard plenty about how he trained with the members of the branch and Leon’s group. Since they were all full of passion, it was unlikely he slacked off.
However, there was one fact that must never be overlooked.
Like me, Finn received a relic from Helion, and he had an environment that allowed him to grow faster than anyone else.
As for me, I’d reached a level where I could witness transcendence in the field of mana. I could confidently say that my total mana capacity was among the greatest of any human in the novel.
Of course, this was possible because of the perks of my possession and my exceptional talent, but even if not to this extent, he should have shown something close.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you.”
“….”
Every time Finn displayed his skills.
Every time he connected his movements and thrust his sword.
A deep sense of disappointment welled up within me, and it showed on my face.
Neither he nor I could be satisfied with this level.
“I’m disgusted with myself as well. Even with a first-class relic, this is all the growth I can show. I hate myself for constantly betraying your expectations, Sir Vargan.”
Finn tightened his trembling hands, trying to steady himself. He clenched his teeth and focused all his strength on his eyes.
He felt ashamed.
“I’ll work harder. I’ll struggle even more.”
Yet, he didn’t give up. His trembling eyes were filled with determination. Then he made a declaration.
“I will prove it in the end-of-semester exam for the first term of our second year.”
He vowed to show his worth, as promised to me.
He assured me that he would.
“… alright.”
Confirming his resolve, I responded. Perhaps a faint smile even crossed my lips.
Finn didn’t know it, but the <end-of-semester exam> was a one-on-one tournament.
He might face a strong opponent right from the start, and the further he advanced, the more formidable his opponents would become. He would meet people far more skilled than the current members of Arbol Frutal.
He essentially declared that he would showcase all his skills on that stage, before a huge audience, defeating the strongest and proving his worth.
It was true that I had some expectations due to him wearing Helion’s relic, but Finn was always just a bonus.
If he came along, that would be good; if not, there was nothing to be done.
As long as Finn’s spirit wasn’t broken, there was no need to abandon him. The time wasn’t long.
He set his limit at the end-of-semester exam for the second term. It coincided with the timeline I had originally set, so there was no reason not to wait.
I glanced at the paper containing information about the next member and spoke.
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Finn once again steeled his resolve as he walked away.
***
The promotion ceremony was over.
I rechecked most of their abilities. Their progress was about what I had anticipated. The only disappointing part was that it was <as anticipated>.
Well, Alicia was a special case, so even though I was aware of her talent, she still managed to surprise me every time. But for the average elite, this level was expected.
One student, however, caught my eye—a male student from the branch under Emily’s supervision. In the novel, he was never described or mentioned, yet he showed considerable growth.
He was a commoner from the Troa Empire, highly combative, and had a strong desire for power. He was the only one promoted this time.
I noticed earlier that he seemed to be disdainful of Finn. I wonder what kind of chemical reaction that would cause.
Well, that was something for later, so I would set it aside for now.
“What’s your business?”
In the now-empty laboratory, after the chaotic scene had faded, Francesca and I faced each other.
There was a long and deep conversation to be had with her.
“A meeting for smooth communication between senior and junior… but I doubt you’d believe that.”
Francesca’s eyes narrowed. My approach seemed to catch her off guard, and her golden eyes observed my reaction.
I analyzed her actions as well. Unlike during the Diphelia incident, she didn’t show any signs of tension.
“Unless you have something else to say, I’d like to return.”
“Are you busy?”
She didn’t avoid my gaze. There wasn’t even a hint of wavering or awkwardness.
“Being a second year, I have a lot of studying to do.”
“I see….”
However, this made it even more obvious.
Without dragging it out, I threw a sharp remark at her. Francesca, impatient by nature, was already getting up to leave.
“How is the research on the <Ancient Dragon’s Bone> going?”
She hesitated.
It was brief, but there was extra movement in her actions. She turned to look at me with an emotionless face.
“What do you mean?”
“Feigning ignorance, are we? You’re quite natural at it, Senior Francesca.”
At least you were not a third-rate actor—perhaps more like a second-rate one. But you still had a long way to go.
“… if you’re going to continue with nonsensical talk, there’s no point in listening further. I’m leaving now.”
“I can help you.”
My words echoed through the large laboratory, reverberating throughout. While she hesitated to react, I took a step forward.
“I can help you.”
“…….”
Francesca stared into my eyes for a long moment before sitting down. In this short time, her eyes had completely changed. Suspicion had turned into wariness. The stakes had been raised.
“It’s not strange at all. After all, my curse magic is ultimately a subcategory of black magic. It’s not surprising that I know a few secret things about the top black magician among the second-years, Senior Francesca.”
“… who told you?”
Who…?
I wondered. Who did you think told me, Francesca?
“Who knows? It could be the <assistant> who helped you access the bone, or it might not be. In any case, it’s not the most important matter right now.”
“…….”
Francesca’s eyes darkened. The once-brilliant pupils seemed to sink, showing a murky hue.
“Please don’t misunderstand. This isn’t an offer to help out of goodwill. You might have noticed, but I’m not foolish enough to help someone for free.”
I continued speaking with a gentle smile.
“A junior who has realized they can assist a respected senior is proposing a deal for mutual benefit. If you don’t trust me, we can make a binding curse contract between us.”
Given Francesca’s personality, she was highly likely to accept the curse contract. And for me, it was like taking out insurance, so it was necessary.
Because it was necessary, I only mentioned it briefly and didn’t force it. I acted as if it didn’t really matter, as if it was more comfortable not to do it.
Then the other person would say.
“… let’s continue this conversation a little further.”
They would want to bite at the bait.
“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll show you the terms of the deal I have in mind. I hope you’ll find it satisfactory.”
Francesca was likely planning to resolve matters related to me before the end of the first semester.
However, my sudden seclusion for training disrupted her schedule, leaving her somewhat anxious.
Seeing her take the bait so eagerly with just a little provocation, it didn’t seem like it would take long.
Francesca Victoria Ocell.
Necromancer Francesca.
“If you join me, we can revive the ancient dragon bones stored in the Academia.”
Unlike the foolish protagonist, I would not stop you. I would make the festival episode in the second semester your stage.
And, when the festival ended, and darkness silently crept in…
Become fertilizer for me.
—
The village was ablaze.
Everywhere, the screams of people mixed with the thick black smoke rising into the sky.
The village guards who were protecting the people were all strewn on the ground, decayed and rotten.
The decay was happening far too quickly to be natural. It seemed as though a power that defied the natural order was at work.
“Please, spare me…!! I beg you, please spare me! I’m pleading with you, please, at least… at least let me live!”
A middle-aged man banged his head against the ground, begging for his life.
Tears, snot, and drool continuously flowed from his eyes, nose, and mouth, expressing his desperation, and blood trickled from his forehead, embedded with gravel.
“I will praise the Goddess! Not Yggdrasil, but the Goddess alone… I will live my life praying only to the one true Goddess!”
He confessed his new faith to a certain being sitting on a wooden box. The man repeatedly smashed his head against the ground.
Every morning, he used to pray with his family to Yggdrasil, but in the face of the clear terror of death, he easily abandoned his old beliefs.
Nearby, his twelve-year-old son, ten-year-old daughter, and wife lied as corpses. They too were heavily decayed, their previous forms unrecognizable.
“Please, tell me your name…! I want to serve under you for the rest of my life. After all, in a way… in a way… this is all the destiny that the Goddess has guided….”
As he continued speaking, the man’s vision caught sight of his family members again, choking him up so that he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Please… please… have mercy….”
Crackle.
The decay of the man’s body, starting from his head, proceeded rapidly, quickly enveloping his entire body and taking his life.
[Ugh, disgusting. He tastes as bad as garbage.]
The being spat on the man’s corpse.
The figure, sitting on the wooden box, swung his legs and leaned back on the box, looking up at the sky.
White clouds drifted across the blue sky.
Black smoke filled the spaces between thanks to the smoke from the burning houses.
[I only ever get tasteless ones… my luck is rotten.]
Though the figure appeared to be a boy around thirteen years old, his vertically slit pupils and the ominous aura he exuded made it clear he was far from human.
He stood up lightly, stretching and loosening his body. Then he jumped down from the box, crushing the decayed man’s head.
[Ah… I still can’t forget the taste from 15 years ago… by now, it should be even richer and more flavorful. I can’t wait to eat it.]
The boy shuddered with pleasure as he recalled the past. Just reminiscing sent shockwaves through his senses. If only he could experience that level of exquisite taste once more…!
It would be the ultimate happiness!
[I can’t wait any longer. Fifteen years of aging should be enough, right? If I leave it too long, it’ll rot!]
Longing for a particular target, the boy started walking lightly. Everywhere he walked, there were no intact people or buildings. Everything had decayed and collapsed.
[Kreee.]
A priest-class Altife with a red body was waiting for him. Its form was somewhat unusual, resembling a horse.
He naturally mounted the Altife and guided it. Then, sensing their master’s movement, all the other priest-class creatures gathered and followed him.
From a distance, it looked as if a river of blood was sweeping through the village.
The massive horde couldn’t fit within the small village.
The boy licked his lips. He couldn’t wait to eat. That healthy, lively, unparalleled delicacy!
[Oh, oh…! I want to see it soon. I want to taste the rest of it! Helion?!]
With an ecstatic expression, the boy.
Ami, one of the Second Risk Class of the Goddess Cult, and one of the fifteen Archbishops.
He, who led the army of Altifes, brought ruin to the next village and the one after that as he moved.
Wherever he went, the stench of rotting corpses and the buzz of flies followed.