Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 102: Chapter 101- Investigation(1)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC102: Chapter 101- Investigation(1)
*knock* *knock*
"Come in."
Hearing the voice from the other side, Richard pushed open the door, and while holding Amelia's hand, he walked inside.
"Hmm?" Richard was surprised to see another person other than the Headmaster in the office.
It was Ethan.
"Come inside, you two."
Richard nodded to that and stood beside Ethan before asking, "If you don't mind, headmaster, then can Amelia stay here as well?"
The older one nodded, "I expected her to come along and not like any of the words we would be exchanging here wouldn't be shared with her." There was a sense of amusement and teasing in his voice which made Richard embarrassed.
Damn, the whole Academy knows about them, it seems...yet, until now, Richard hasn't confessed to her.
"Anyway, please tell me whatever you know about the person who illegally entered your property last night and cast that spell on you, Richard."
Since the Headmaster never told Ethan to leave, Richard assumed that the old man wanted the Protagonist to hear it.
Richard nodded, and after taking a deep breath, he began, "The person who entered my room was wearing a wooden mask, sir. And once they realised that I wasn't sleeping they threw a tear gas bomb to blind me."
Taking a pause, he hesitantly added, "I don't know if you would believe me when I say this headmaster, but the person who entered my room and put me under that spell wasn't a normal human." Lifting his eyes to fix them on Marcus', he added,
"That person was an elf."
Amelia's grip on his hand became firm as she instinctively asked, "Princess Nora from the North?"
Richard glanced at the girl before slowly nodding, "Since there is no other elf in the academy, I assume she was the one who attacked me last night."
Silence ensued in the room after that.
Ethan, with his arms crossed on his chest, clenched his fist with his eyes turning narrow.
He knew that girl was a criminal, but she would attack Richard for no apparent reason...?
Truly despicable.
Marcus remained silent and assessed the reaction from the three before he finally asked, "Richard, do you have proof?"
Richard raised his hand before suggesting, "You can read my memories of last night. And in the first place, I have no reason to accuse the elven princess falsely."
Marcus raised his brows in surprise as he extended his hand and held Richard's before asking, "You are aware of my skills?"
"To some extent, yes." He didn't lie. Even in the canon, the full prowess of the Headmaster was never described.
The older one closed his eyes for a moment as he pried inside Richard's head.
Naturally, Richard has lifted his mental barriers to allow the old man to see the necessary evidence.
It took not more than ten seconds before he released Richard's hands and opened his eyes.
With his eyes slightly stretched Marcus looked at Richard before affirming, "Indeed...it was an elf who attacked you."
"I knew it!" Suddenly Ethan voiced his opinion, "I knew it was that girl who must have attacked Richard."
Marcus and the other two turned their attention toward the silverhead as he continued, "She even trapped me back in the capital and used me as an experimental subject."
With his eyes turning red, he spat, "Because of that girl so many people died. I will never forgive her."
It would be a blatant lie to say that Marcus didn't know about the incident that took place in the capital a few days ago, before the enrollment of these students.
The very foundation of the royal council was shaken because of that incident where numerous clones were sent to destroy the capital. Because of that incident, the true face of many nobles was brought to light. Marcus as well, was asked to come there and help in interrogation, but the man withheld his motto of not involving in politics and didn't co-operate.
Yes, if those people try to risk the academy and citizen's safety then Marcus might intervene.
And now, through Ethan, it seems Marcus has to be involved in this matter.
However, the person Ethan was accusing and so was Richard, involved a person who came here after a lot of diplomatic discussion and could prove to be a crucial thread that joins Eldoria and the continent situated in the North.
Making a rash decision might become a source of great collision and future friction, but...
"I will call student Nora here-"
"Wait, Headmaster." Suddenly, Richard called out, surprising the other three.
Richard glanced at the system screen once again, before calling out, "I think we shouldn't get hasty here."
Just when Richard thought that the case was reaching its conclusion, the system sent the notification;
[Ding!]
[Quest arrived!]
[Catch the trickster: The one who casts the spell on the host and the one who has sworn to harm the host, needs to be unveiled.]
[Reward: 20 QP, 20 SP, ???]
(A/N: QP= Quest Points, SP= Stats points)
Richard suddenly had a very strong feeling that the system was indicating something here. Something like...he has reached the wrong conclusion. Nora wasn't the one who attacked him last night. After all, if the offender was Nora, then the system wouldn't have issued the quest.
And based on that instinct, he called out to the headmaster, "We should think about this, or the relationship between two races might end up in an unrecoverable state."
Once he gained their attention, he added, "The elven chief has trusted this academy for Nora's safety, and if we end up accusing her of a crime, which she might not have committed...then think about the consequences."
Ethan frowned hearing that and so did Amelia, as the former asked, "Then what can you say about her tricking me back then? She is a criminal and a mastermind."
Richard sighed before telling him, "If you want to know the truth about the incident then I think you should ask Princess Elizabeth about it. From what my mother told me, it wasn't Princess Nora who trapped you but her twin sister."
Richard couldn't reveal that he was the one present at the time when Yulan was captured, given it would cause many problems. Foremost, the murder of the Prime Minister.
Ethan was rendered speechless. He trusted Richard, and as such, he couldn't argue with him, saying that he was wrong or something.
But if Elizabeth knew the truth then why didn't she tell him about it before?
"Then what about last night? Didn't you see an elf attacking you? Not to talk about Princess Nora is a master of illusions."
Amelia looked baffled about why suddenly Richard was protecting Nora.
Richard calmly held her hand before telling her, "But there is a possibility that someone else with the same skills was using an illusion on themself to appear as an elf. Considering Nora is the only elf in the academy the suspicion would become concrete on her."
Taking a pause, he added, "And do you think there is any reason for the Princess to attack me out of the blue?"
Now even Amelia was forced to doubt her previous judgement.
And to make things more complex, the headmaster added, "There are few artefacts and magicians in the academy who could achieve disguise and cast nightmare spells. So yes, there could be more than one suspect."
Richard raised his brows and glanced at the old man, only to find him looking back at Richard with a knowing look.
After a brief pause, the Headmaster said, "Ethan, Amelia, you two leave for now and report to the examination halls. You both have reassessment today right?"
Ethan's eyes widened as he suddenly cursed, "Shit..." Only to cover his mouth in realisation.
Looking at the headmaster he bowed his head before leaving hurriedly.
Amelia didn't show haste. Rather, she looked at Richard with a worried look and told him, "After school, wait for me. I have something to say."
Richard nodded before suggesting, "I will, but before that, you have to promise me that you won't let all this become a hindrance during your assessment. Do your best and gain some decent points so we can share the same desk."
That was probably the best way of motivation for her as Amelia nodded with a determined look. After saying, 'Excuse me' she left the office as well.
Once they left, Richard heard the older one asking, "So...what made you change your opinion on student Nora?"
"My mother."
Marcus raised his brows before urging the teenager to continue.
Heaving a sigh, Richard added, "If we blamed Nora, the Northern continent might retaliate, and then the collision would occur, which possibly can lead to a war between the two empires. And if the situation for war arrives, then Mom would need to stay on the battlefield for several months. And I didn't want to needlessly stress her out, so I thought, why not investigate the matter carefully first?"
Marcus slowly nodded as he voiced, "There are definitely things that you didn't inherit from Bellarine, Richard."
Richard tilted his head in confusion before asking, "And that is?"
The older one responded with a chuckle, "The art of lying."
--------**-------
A/N: Trust me, not all heroines are trash. Trust me, I repeat.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 103: Chapter 102- Investigation(2)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC103: Chapter 102- Investigation(2)
The reassessment went smoothly and somehow Ethan was granted a spot in the Hunter's group despite him failing for the first time.
It was said that since Ethan has the physical attributes of a knight and knows enough magic to be called a mage, he would be best suited for the hunter's group.
However, truth be told, it wasn't the instructor's decision to keep him there; the Headmaster has suggested that to keep the boy in the Hunter's group to gain better results from him. Now, why did he suggest something like that was not in their knowledge but since the wisest man on the campus gave the idea, then it must have some kind of motive.
There were about thirty students in the examination center and the rest were in others. However, only three students were chosen to be in the hunter's group—Elizabeth being one of them.
The third participant was the son of Duke Aeromore—Brendon Aeromore.
Naturally, having the skills, looks and status, he was the only person in the examination hall who could have approached the apple of everyone's eyes—Princess Elizabeth.
Elizabeth looked extremely adorable right now with her hair tied in a twin tail and wearing a white shirt with high-waist trousers for comfort during assessment. Her appearance extruded an innocent charm.
Just as she was about to leave,
"Hello, Princess. Are you returning to your dorm?"
Aermore had grey hair just like his father and an ideal height of 6'2 ft. Possessing sharp features and confidence, he stood before the girl when he asked her.
However, in response to that, Elizabeth frowned before telling him, "Yes. Now bye."
"W-Wait a minute, Eli, I just-"
"Don't you dare call me that unless you have a death wish." The girl hissed in annoyance and made Brendon step back reflexively.
The growing tension between the two was noticed by the others when suddenly a third person entered the scene,
"Eli, can we talk?"
Brandon's eyes widened hearing a commoner calling out to the Princess in such a friendly manner...and the most astonishing part,
"Yes~let's go, Ethan." She instantly changed her demeanour, and after hooking her arm with his, she dragged him away.
Brendon scratched his head as he mumbled, "What the heck is wrong with that girl?"
Outside the training hall, Ethan didn't wait to ask her what was on his mind, "Did you know that the one who trapped me wasn't Nora but someone disguised as her?"
Elizabeth's expression sobered hearing that. She felt irritated that Ethan was now aware of that incident; cursing Richard inwardly for revealing the secret.
'That fake Nora created the perfect scenario for Ethan to hate that elf....tch,'
Suppressing her annoyance, she nodded, "Yes, I knew, but since we both saw Nora in the academy just this morning, how could I have cleared the misunderstanding? In the first place, you never asked me about it as well, no?"
Ethan blinked and soon realised that, indeed, it wasn't Elizabeth's fault. He didn't know that the person who bewitched him was the twin sister of Princess Nora and when he saw her today, he just got furious for no valid reason.
Heaving a sigh, he apologized, "Sorry for the outburst. It's just...whenever I think about those dead people who got preyed on by my clones...I just lose my cool."
Elizabeth felt her heart becoming heavy hearing that as she wanted to comfort him but no word came out.
In the end, Ethan walked away to sort his emotions out. He needed to move on from his past mistakes and has to remember one important lesson.
In this world, it's taboo to trust anyone blindly.
----------**--------
When Amelia returned, she found Richard standing near the notice board, waiting for her.
When he spotted her, a smile bloomed on his face as he asked, "How did it go?"
"The reaction from the instructor was positive, so I think I will get into the survival group."
Her words released the weight from his shoulders as he said, "Congratulations."
Soon the duo were walking together toward Amelia's temporary dorm. The students will get their rooms tomorrow, so for today, they have to stay at the same place.
Amelia was naturally silent like she usually remains, and Richard also didn't say anything, given he was waiting for her to ask whatever she had in mind.
After waiting for some more time, she finally asked, "Is there any reason for you to change your opinion so suddenly? About Princess Nora?"
Richard was expecting that question that's why he didn't take much time to respond, "Yes, I have. Somehow I knew that it wasn't Nora who attacked me last night."
"And how do you know that?"
Richard raised his brows, "You don't trust me?"
Amelia's grip on her bag's strap became firm as, while retaining her gaze on the front, she muttered, "It's not like that...I just don't want the one who hurt you to roam freely. They have wounded you, Richard, and for that sin, they deserve death."
Richard smiled at that before telling her, "Don't worry, Amelia. I am not going to leave that person even if it turns out that, indeed, it was Nora who attacked me. I am well set on taking revenge for the hell I have experienced in those minutes."
With the flames of agitation burning in his eyes, he added, "I'll make them understand—death would be a mercy compared to what's coming."
"You look hot."
"Eh?" Richard's expression immediately sobered up hearing that response as he turned to look at Amelia in astonishment.
"I mean, with that fierce expression, you look hot."
Richard was truly baffled by this switch of topics as he nodded with a 'Thank you'.
The duo walked in silence after that for a few minutes before Richard laughed aloud, startling Amelia.
"What happened?"
He shook his head, "N-No it's just...you are really strange, Amelia."
"I get that a lot."
His laughter slowly subdued as he extended his hand and fondly held hers before voicing, "But I like strange people."
Amelia didn't turn to look at him, but her reddened ear tips were enough evidence to show that she heard him.
------------***-----------
After returning home, he didn't have dinner right away, rather, after checking on Violet and spending some time with Lilia, Richard went to his room.
He needed to find out the culprit who entered his room last night; as such, he first checked a few things.
His room was just above Lilia's and in Lilia's room, there was Violet stationed last night. So if someone had jumped from the ground floor to his room, then Violet would have surely noticed. He had enough trust in her senses.
That concludes that the person entered his room but not by jumping from the ground floor.
'Then what? They jumped from the nearby building to the mansion top?' The nearest building was approximately a hundred meters away, which was something a superhuman could achieve if they had a strong command of body enhancement.
'But the school security would have surely noticed...' Richard thought. The patrolling unit was responsible for keeping an eye on these things, so if they had spotted someone jumping over the roofs, they would have called them out instantly.
Then...was the school security involved in this?
'Or was it someone from the teaching unit who had the patrolling duty last night?' Olivia had a solid reason to harm Richard, and that was to hurt Bellarine through Richard. And considering last night, she was on guard duty...
'Haah...I can't be sure.' Plopping down on the chair he heaved a sigh.
Because of the sudden movement, the books piled up on his table suddenly fell over.
"Fuck man..." Richard cursed before crouching down to pick up the books and files he brought from his home.
He was arranging the files when his eyes landed on the report he received from his mother regarding the investigation they had on the Prime Minister.
Richard frowned, confused as to why he hadn't read it until now.
He left the other books back on the floor, brought the document to rest it over the desk, and flipped the cover.
[The cloning experiment.]
The first topic, which was detailed there, was about the experiment, which was supposed to happen later in the story.
Richard began to read about it in detail and most of the things were within his knowledge...until he reached a certain part,
"....was a way of injecting more than one ether signature in the clones and availing them to wield the attributes of more than one human. The clones were made in such a manner that they could become the ultimate weapon against any danger which the Empire might face...."
"Wait...multiple ether signatures?" Richard's frown grew deeper as he read the line and thought back on what he knew about the clones.
*Knock* *Knock*
His reverie was broken when suddenly Lilia knocked on the door.
"Not now Lilia, just leave m-"
"I apologize, my lord but this is urgent." Hearing her voice he detached his eyes from the document before looking at her, as she said,
"The elven princess Nora has arrived and she wishes to meet you urgently, master."
"..."
-------------**-------------
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Check the author's thoughts.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 104: Chapter 103- Investigation(3)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC104: Chapter 103- Investigation(3)
What were the consequences of ignoring the Princess who has crossed thousands of miles to reach here and represents the trust that the elven society has shown in humans?
None.
However, since Richard had a feeling that her sudden arrival was related to the matter about yesterday, he went to meet her.
He just wore a long coat over his apparel. After descending the stairs he appeared in the reception area where the pale blue-haired girl remained seated.
She was looking at the glass lotus kept on the table while possessing a dazed look in her eyes. She was...troubled about something it seems.
From his previous life, the things which he knew about Nora were that she likes honesty and simple phrasing. Although being the daughter of the Emperor, she doesn't like politics and has a pure heart; unlike Elizabeth.
In the fan polls, she was ranked third.
"Classmate Nora, you had something urgent to tell me?" As he approached, Nora got up from her seat, but the way he addressed her reminded the girl that they weren't in a formal meeting.
She settled back down once Richard gestured before he sat across her and asked the maid to refill her cup with tea and bring him some coffee.
"You knew I like tea?"
Richard wanted to sigh, hearing her words as he inwardly mumbled, 'Not again, this wandering soul stuff...'
Shaking his head he clarified, "Since the previous cup of tea was finished, I assumed you liked it? And of course, the Northern Empire is famous for its rich cultivation of tea leaves, right?"
Nora flashed a soft smile as she said, "Indeed; I have three bags full of tea leaves which I brought from my hometown."
Richard nodded with a courteous smile before he returned to the topic, "So classmate Nora, if you have something to tell me, please hurry up a little, since I am kind of-"
"It is here," She suddenly spoke, shutting up Richard before the latter raised his brows in question.
Nora leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees before adding, "...something has the same presence as my sister, Yulan...but I am sure it isn't her."
Richard frowned, "Isn't she that person who died back in Eldoria's capital? The one who helped the experiment to take place?"
Nora nodded, albeit a little hesitantly; unsure if she should be confessing this here.
However, Richard wasn't thinking this in that direction where he would just get up and report the whole ordeal to authorities. Rather he was curious about something more pressing,
"You mean her presence...as in her ether signature is here?"
Nora heaved a sigh before asking him, "Can you keep this a secret?"
Richard slowly nodded before the girl got up and sat on the seat adjacent to Richard. Once they were a few inches apart she finally mumbled,
"I think there is something on this island which is pretending to be a human but they are not."
Richard frowned, "You mean...a clone?"
"It can be anything, but one thing I know: that thing has Yulan's ether, and using that, they might have attacked you last night."
Richard's eyes widened slightly as he understood what the case was.
However, he knew that, that day, his mother erased every clone by herself....or did she?
'One of them might have run away...' There was certainly a high possibility for one of those clones to survive the wrath of the Duchess.
And considering those clones have the ether of both Ethan and Yulan—an elf who had a part of Nora's soul—then attacking Richard wouldn't be much of a task for that being.
'But why me....ah!' How can he forget?
These clones were originally an invention of the Prime Minister's mind, the person behind the whole ordeal. And surely that man had set up some runes in those clones which would make anyone their enemy who tries to harm Phil.
And the one who killed the Prime Minister was none other than...
"Shoot..."
"--?? Do you know anything?" Nora's voice pulled him back as he turned towards her and shook his head.
"No...it's just....well, forget it. Tell me, why did you tell me this?"
Nora shrugged, "I got the word from Elizabeth that you went to the Headmaster to complain about me and stuff. And also the fact that the one who attacked you was an elf."
This wasn't surprising given Ethan must have told things to Elizabeth and then and then....
Richard took a deep breath before thanking her, "Thank you, Nora. Thanks for telling me all this. It definitely would help me find the real culprit soon."
Nora extended a soft smile, before she unexpectedly stated, "You have really changed."
Although he knew what she meant, he had to make an 'Eh?' sound to look baffled.
"No, it's nothing. Anyway, I will be going since the dormitory warden gets angry." Saying so, she got up from the seat and the duo walked towards the main entrance.
While they were en route, Richard suddenly had a thought that he couldn't stop himself from sharing,
"Hey Nora...I know it might sound selfish, but ca-"
"Okay."
Richard raised his brows, "Huh?"
She suddenly turned to look at him before finishing what he was about to say, "Help you find that clone, right? Sure, I will. After all, this whole mess was created by my sister, so some blame falls on me, right?"
"Not exactly...but well, I am really thankful."
Nora smiled in relief that she didn't have to deal with the same arrogant prick whom she didn't even bat an eye in the last life. After all, who would pay attention to a guy who calls an elf, a goblin?
However, just as Emily said, Richard has changed quite drastically after she broke her engagement with him. It seems Richard has always been irritable because of Emily's ignorance towards his feelings, but since she made it clear in this timeline, he turned out to be a very good man.
"Then, are we the only ones finding and destroying that inhumane?" Nora asked, unsure if she should invite Emily and Eleanor to this.
Richard heaved a sigh, "Well, I would have said that the two of us should be good, but-"
"I am also coming." A third person entered the conversation as she walked to stand beside Richard.
The brunette maid didn't look familiar, urging Nora to ask, "She is...?"
"My fiancée, Lilia. Lilia, this is Princess Nora." Richard introduced the two ladies to each other.
"Just Nora would do and you got a very pretty pair of eyes."
The edges of Lilia's lips extended in a soft smile as she thanked for the compliment, "Thank you, Your Highness," before returning to the matter,
"Richard, are you sure it would be good to do this without informing the Headmaster?"
Richard snickered, "Nothing goes unnoticed by him on this island. If he wanted to interfere he already would have. So no, let's not take his help and sort this out ourselves."
Nora didn't say anything against that since she just wanted the presence of Yulan to be extracted from that inhumane. And as for Lilia, she wanted nothing more than to exterminate whatever harmed her master.
"Okay then, when do we start?" Nora asked.
Richard thought for a moment before telling her, "Tomorrow after school; at that time only the patrolling unit doesn't roam around. So before the sky darkens we have to get done with it."
Nora nodded, "Then I will be waiting for you near the library."
Richard nodded to that before the elven princess walked away.
After a brief pause, Lilia asked, "Young master, as per your command, I haven't informed Madame Duchess about the incident last night....but is it really okay?"
Richard shook his head up and down without hesitation given he didn't want to involve his mother in these kinds of trivial things. She has her responsibilities and not like Richard could depend on her for the rest of his life.
...not to talk about, if she gets to know about it then in the worst case, Richard might get forced to drop out of the academy.
He didn't want that. That would be disastrous. That's why he has strictly commanded every servant working in the mansion not to contact the Duchess unless Richard tells them or there is an emergency. And thanks to Lilia's supervision he knew his command would be followed.
Although the plot has suddenly shifted and it was centring around Richard, not like for the sake of the future he would try to get Ethan involved in this or try to run away from it. That never was in the plan.
He would do whatever it takes to survive in this world, since the curse of living at others' mercy was not something he ever want to face again.
Ever.
----------**---------
A/N:- Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 105: Chapter 104- Investigation(4)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC105: Chapter 104- Investigation(4)
Early in the morning, Ethan could be seen running around the town, wearing the only pair of running tracks he brought along. And not only him, many others were doing the same; given they must have kept themselves disciplined to get selected here.
Naturally, Ethan was drawing attention from the others, because of his adorable face and peculiar hair. However, the boy had such low confidence that he thought he was looking weird in these clothes that's why they were laughing at him.
Ignoring them, he ran for around five kilometres without any buff and ten kilometres with ether supplying extra booster.
He was advised by Elizabeth to train with his ether since, in a battle, ether is his best companion, so it was best to get familiarised with it as much as he could.
Once he finished running, he checked the clock and found it was only six.
'I guess I should train for a few minutes...' Finding himself a vacant spot in the backyard of the dormitory, he sat down in a lotus position and rested his fingers over each other with his thumb tips pressed against each other.
His eyes were shut, and his mind concentrated at the back of his head—a spot he found optimal to concentrate.
Ether ran across his body and instantly coated him like a blanket. A very pleasant feeling, like a mother's embrace, surrounded him—providing him with a very addictive sensation which lures him to just remain submerged in this energy and never let go.
'Huuuuu....this is different...' Slowly Ethan opened his eyes and looked at his hand. The silver glow was now visible to him and it was thick enough to make his hand look blurry.
"That's some brilliant development you got there..." Ethan didn't have to turn to know who it was as he calmly responded,
"I have improved or am I sick?" Ethan asked; not showing shame at the lack of knowledge about ether and the very concept of magic.
Elizabeth sat down across from him before responding, "I think you have unlocked something like stage two?"
Ethan wasn't able to respond immediately since he was in a daze upon seeing the girl. With her hair tied in a high ponytail and wearing skin-tight workout clothes, she looked adorable and at the same time, hot.
"Ethan?" Elizabeth was genuinely confused as to why he didn't reply, urging her to call out to him.
"Ah, yeah....stage two, right? What is stage two? Do you know anything about it?" Ethan brought his eyes back to her face, feeling his face turning hot.
Not good...he shouldn't look at a maiden with such a lecherous gaze.
Elizabeth shrugged, "I am not completely knowledgeable about this strange energy you possess, but from my angle, it seems you can finally use your magic for more than enhancement."
Ethan raised his brows, not because she said that he had strange energy, but because of the later part.
He has realised the fact that his ether, or whatever it was, was slightly different from a normal ether user, considering he had a double awakening, which is a myth in this world. Not to talk about he can absorb magic from his surroundings.
Just like Ambrobates.
That's why Ethan was initially unsure if he should actually enrol here, considering every person who resides here, studies here or teaches here, has a common goal of exterminating all the Ambrobates from the face of Clion. And for Ethan to show similar attributes to those monsters...
However, his decision changed when the Headmaster sent him a letter clearly stating that he was aware of Ethan's powers.
Ethan got up and asked, "Do you think I can now blast energy beams?"
Hearing his voice, Elizabeth chuckled, "Do you find energy beams cool?"
Ethan felt embarrassed as he realised that he must have sounded childish.
However, before he could dwell on that feeling for long, Elizabeth got up and said, "I find it cool, though. Energy beams and bombs are really cool powers, like shooting people from a distance is actually very appealing."
Ethan couldn't tell if she was trying to comfort him or genuinely have those children's fantasies, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
Flicking her forehead he softly mumbled, "Idiot..."
Although she was rubbing her forehead like it hurt her, there was a smile on her face.
Yes, she loved this.
-----------***----------
Richard reached the academy with Amelia and went to his classroom.
Amelia was just one position down and had taken an oath she would reach the top ten during the next assessment.
Today, everyone was seated with the person they were assigned the seat with. The seating arrangement was done randomly.
For some reason, Richard was sitting beside the pink-haired girl named Rose, who was sitting at the far corner of the seat.
Richard glanced at her before suggesting, "I am not suffering from any illness, you know..."
Rose straightened her back before she nervously smiled and inched a little closer—but the movement was so minimal that it seemed, she barely moved.
Richard felt tired seeing her like this so he stopped looking and took out his book to read something.
Eleanor and a grey-haired guy named Collen, who was also the son of one of the instructors were sitting together. And Emily shared the seat with Duke Aeromore's son, who clearly didn't have a personality to sit with.
For some reason, Nora was sitting alone, which could be perceived as a sign of discrimination—however, Richard knew that it wasn't the case. She herself has requested to sit alone for the time being until she gets familiar with her classmates. And naturally, her request was heard.
The students were told not to bring the books today since there was a representative election; that's why Richard was currently reading the structure of Bates and where they mostly appear.
While he was reading he planned for the future as well. The ultimate goal of the antagonists of this world was to revive the God of Death who was sealed on the Dark Star.
Death God becomes stronger with each death of any living being. Stronger beings produce stronger souls to be absorbed by the Dark Star, and the revival process would sail smoother.
So, the main goal was to cause chaos and let the world burn. And Richard needs to ensure his safety and the ones he loves.
Stopping the Death God's revival was not possible. Death can never be stopped, and until people continue to die, that evil deity will continue to grow stronger. These antagonists were just accelerating the process.
*CLINK*
The door parted and the students quieted down instantly.
The violette was wearing a pencil skirt and a white shirt today. Their hair was tied in a bun, and a curly strand were allowed to flow down—giving her a very sensual look.
Resting the teaching material on the podium she turned to look at the students.
"Good morning, students. I hope you have finally gotten into a course of your liking, and now, from today on, your training will begin for real."
Standing in the middle of the aisle, she asked, "Now, let's get on with this yearly routine of Class representative election."
Many of the students took a deep breath and a rush of energy seemed to have filled them as they straightened their backs and heard her continuing,
"Naturally, there are many merits of a representative. Remaining in the first section for the whole year, for example. However, there are certain drawbacks as well, like getting your student's points deducted for some mistake you didn't commit."
With her arms crossed behind her back, she continued,
"So before the election begins, I would like you to know your duties as a representative and what gains and losses you might face."
Everyone was carefully listening, but Richard was not very interested, considering his movement might get hindered if he becomes the representative.
However, not like he just ignored the lady.
"First and foremost, the duty of the representative is to maintain silence and discipline in the classroom in the absence of a Professor. Second, during the cross-class duels, you have to show good leadership and choose the right fighter according to the opponent. Third, you would be the voice of the students, so be wise when making decisions.
Fourth, you have to actively participate in any event the academy organises. And fifth, stop collision between students and help set up duels between them if the both parties are in the agreement."
"Now the benefits: Every month you will get a hundred student points. A free access to the library after school, and free gravitational chamber access for two hours a day. One free extra meal every week."
"And the disadvantages: Your points would be deducted if your class loses in the cross-class competition. Any misdeed during events from the students of your class will be blamed on you as well. And failing to subdue collisions would cause the representative, student points."
Many students now...were rethinking about whether they would want to become the representative now or not since the reduction of points might not be in their hands at all.
Ignoring those complicated gazes, Lucy clasped her hands and said, "So, shall we begin?"
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A/N:- Kind of info dump, but it was necessary. Thanks for reading.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 106: Chapter 105- Investigation(5)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC106: Chapter 105- Investigation(5)
Each student of Obsidian Citadel, and most prominently those who have secured themselves a seat in the top sections, have a very sharp mind and precise decision-making skills.
And after Lucy listed the pros and cons of becoming the representative they had enough reason to remain in their seats and not take this unnecessary risk.
In the end, only three people—Brendon, Emily and the huge guy who goes by the name Elion were standing on the podium while facing the class.
Emily wanted to become the representative so she could help Ethan get those books and equipment without him using his student points. Elion was a proud child of a renowned knight, and Brendon, why of course, being the son of Duke Aeromore, had to maintain his reputation by participating in these kinds of drama.
Lucy hummed a bit, showing complicated emotions on her face before she suggested, "I think the numbers are a bit less...how about I add one more?"
Richard suddenly had a bad feeling hearing that as he ducked his head and tried to remain away from her vision. However,
"Mister Top Ranker, why don't you join us here on the stage?" Lucy already had Richard's name in mind, both because he ranked top in the list but also because he was the son of a great ruler.
Naturally, Bellarine has taught him the ways of governance and in the class that would be very useful.
Richard naturally didn't reject her proposal(?) and got up before making his way to the aisle.
Once he stood beside the three, he couldn't help but feel tired already. A class representative is someone who always remains in the limelight and Richard didn't want to take that role.
...well, the access to the gravity chamber was a tempting offer, but still, becoming the representative would be a hassle.
"Okay now, we will take votes based on the speeches these four give. And if the votes tie we would decide the representative through the most basic method of solving a dispute,"
With a grin extending her supple lips, she added, "A duel."
Elion's face morphed into a smirk hearing that, feeling his muscles already pumped for the possible battle he might be facing against these three.
He was most interested in defeating the redhead who had made himself a reputation just by the second day.
Brendon has similar grudges regarding Richard, since the grey-haired aimed for such glamour for himself.
But now, all the attention was either on the elf or Richard.
"Okay now, start with Emily and those who think she has the potential, don't hesitate to raise your hand and draw your vote. Every student has two votes."
Lucy glanced at the blond before Emily stepped forward and began,
"I am Emily Cravenford, my dear classmates, and I aspire to become a representative who cannot only maintain discipline within the class but also keep us unified so that when we have to face foreign enemies, we can show the impact of our unity. If you vote for me, I assure you that the allocation of resources will be in our favour, especially concerning your club selection and interests.
I won't be a complaint box, so expect leniency to some extent. So yes, that would be it." With a dazzling smile, she finished and stepped back.
Out of twenty-one students, three girls raised their hands, and seven boys did. A total of ten votes.
Eleanor and Nora naturally voted for Emily, and so did Ethan, which somehow made Emily victorious already.
Next, Brendon stepped up,
"Make me your representative, and I promise none of the cross-section duels would go in their favour. And also, voting for me will grant you my Aeromore Brendon's favour, so choose wisely." Flashing his teeth the boy stood while resting his hands on his waist.
....and in return, he only got two votes.
Gritting his teeth he stepped back with a 'hmph, losers!'.
Next Elion stepped forward and with his hands crossed on his chest stated in an intimidating manner,
"Vote for me, you are my friend. But if you don't, I will see you in the arena."
Emily frowned and so did Eleanor. Some other students also felt displeased hearing that as one of them asked, "Isn't this coercion, Professor?"
Lucy shrugged, "You cannot be forced into a duel so it's your choice if you want to be forced to vote him or not."
Many of the students, especially those who had gotten themselves admitted based on their high IQ, were not immune to such threats. For example, Rose instantly shot her hand high. And just like her, there were four others who also raised their hands.
Elion was not happy with the results as he glared at those who didn't vote for him. However, just as Lucy said, he cannot start picking on people unless they give their consent.
'I will definitely take my revenge for this humiliation...' Inwardly muttering he stepped back and allowed the last one to step forward.
Although Richard was forced to be a contender he knew he wouldn't get many votes. Maybe from Nora and Ethan?
In the canon, Richard used a method similar to Elion's and got only three votes. Although Richard was not going to threaten them, he didn't have much hope in the first place.
Standing before the students, he finally began, "Ahh---!!!"
However, he instantly shut his mouth with his eyes stretching wide as he sensed something advancing toward the class at a frightening pace.
He didn't have the time to alert the Professor as the thing was already within his sensory range—which was only fifty meters of radius.
**CLINK**
"DON'T MOVE!" Just as the creature broke through the door, Richard commanded the students who were about to get up. However, his domineering voice somehow made them remain seated at their places.
It was five a five-foot-tall sand porcupine that was easily an E-rank Bate and could release up to seventy needles at once. Those needles weren't just poisonous but the force of penetration might cause instant death.
Richard didn't think twice before using flames to surround the creature, so its vision got blocked, and around the flame vortex, suddenly a barrier was erected which surely was wizardry of the blond.
Porcupines have low vision and the barrier is strong enough to withstand its needles.
"A porcupine!" Elion suddenly jumped from the aisle and advanced towards the creature who was well secured inside the barrier. But to show his strength he punched away the barrier and after enhancing his arm, he penetrated it through the flames to kill the creature
However, all Elion pulled out was a wooden toy which was hanging down his hand lifelessly.
Elion frowned before he turned to look at the Professor only to hear her sighing, "What a shame Elion, you didn't learn anything from your yesterday's mistake. What did I say? Always calculate your actions before acting upon them."
Eliot's eyes slowly widened as he realized what had just happened. Not only him but slowly every student realized that this was some sort of test conducted by the Professor, which signifies why she didn't react when the danger approached.
Turning to look at Brendon, who was looking baffled, Lucy said, "You almost launched an explosive spell which could have harmed your classmates rather than the foe. If not for Richard's timely intervention, you might have gotten yourself severe punishment today."
Brendon's face became pale hearing that as he lowered his hands and took a strong gulp.
Lucy directed her eyes toward Emily and Richard before a smile bloomed on her face as she declared, "You two...did a great job at reacting to the danger proactively and Richard, you showed great leadership by keeping everyone calm and defusing that attack from Brendon. Excellent job."
Richard heaved a sigh of relief that he actually was able to pull it off, as he nodded while voicing 'Thank you'.
Turning towards the class, Lucy stated, "Now, based on what you saw, I would like to ask how many of you are in favour of making Richard the representative?"
Richard didn't have a great feeling about this....and just as he thought,
"Twenty one vot-oh, my! Even you, Emily?"
Richard raised his brows before turning his gaze to the left and indeed, just like the other students, even Emily was raising her hand in support of Richard's nomination.
Richard was now seriously thinking that this world was keeping him in the limelight for no good reason. And for god sake, he didn't want to take Ethan's position at all!
But surely, his prayers were not listened to.
"So, class, meet your class rep, Scarlette Richard."
A round of applause was heard as Richard was the only one who remained standing on the stage while smiling stiffly at his fellow classmates.
Who could have known that having his fundamental skills sharpened would earn him such a big responsibility?
But there was no point in mulling over it.
'Haah...talk about a tiresome start....'
------------**----------
A/N:- Read the author's thoughts.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 107: Chapter 106- RitualSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC107: Chapter 106- Ritual
After school, Amelia was asked to stay in the academy for some reason. When he asked her she said she was summoned by the student council—which reminded him that Amelia indeed joins the council in the canon.
Well, it was for the better that she was not returning with him since she would have insisted on coming along. And Richard didn't want to involve her in this whole clone matter. He didn't tell her that he would be searching for that last remaining clone today as well.
Although Lilia said that Amelia would be hurt, Richard had no other option.
After school, he went to the library and found the centre of many passing gazes; Princess Nora was standing under a tree while looking at her diary.
He casually greeted her, "Good afternoon, Your Highness. Are you ready to leave or is there someone else you are waiting for?"
Nora instantly closed her diary before she looked at Richard and shook her head, "No, no one. I didn't tell anyone about it in the first place." Although she said that, Richard doubted her words.
Nora couldn't hide such a big thing from her sisters. But well, until they aren't interfering he didn't care about it.
After leaving the academy premises, they united with Lilia, who was currently wearing her usual maid's uniform, to not look suspicious and get questioned by the authorities.
"Won't you feel uncomfortable in that? We might have to walk for a while you know?" Nora asked in concern since walking around in long skirts could be difficult.
She had a bad experience with that.
However, "I was mostly trained in this apparel when I was getting educated to become a maid, Your Highness, so no, it won't hinder me."
Richard flashed a smile, "And even if you get tired, I have got some study arms to pick you up, so don't worry."
Nora blinked, and slowly, her eyes widened upon realizing that she didn't hear him wrong. She looked at Lilia, and expectedly, her ears were burning red after hearing that. But that smile on her face told her that it wasn't the first time for Richard to flirt like this with her.
She shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the duo. It was hard to believe that this Richard was the same man who once insulted women without a second thought, spouting cruel words that could have earned him a mountain of bad karma in an instant.
"Now, shall we go?" Richard asked, bringing Nora back to her senses.
She nodded before asking, "You are carrying any weapon?"
Lilia nodded to that before she took out a dagger and handed it to Nora, "I thought you would need it."
Nora took the dagger without thinking twice before thanking her, "Thanks; I needed it."
Students can't carry weapons around the school unless it is granted by the instructors and only during any assessment or practical lessons.
Now, thanks to Lilia, Nora didn't have to go back to her room to fetch her weapon.
Hanging the dagger on her waist, Nora said, "Let's go."
--------**-------
They began walking towards their destination while avoiding people's attention as much as they could.
"It is not moving," Nora suddenly spoke, with a frown contouring her face.
"Does it know that we are coming?" Lilia asked to which Nora answered with a bit of uncertainty,
"There is a chance for that thing to be sensing my presence as well. My intent must have reached it and now, it is waiting for us near the shore."
Richard's eyes contained no particular emotion hearing that. The very thought of tearing the clone was too tempting to contain inside.
Clenching his fist he muttered, "I hope that thing has patience."
His voice clearly stated the rage he carried inside. The sheer lust for blood was something Lilia had seen in his eyes back when he was fighting against Puppets in Awsperg.
'I don't know what you saw that night Richard, but it seems you have been gravely wounded by it...' Lilia felt quite anxious in her heart, but since her master chose to keep it to himself, she didn't insist on knowing.
The journey went on for half an hour before they finally reached the shore of the island. The blue ocean in the background created a perfect scenery to just sit down and relax under the sun.
However, in his current state of mind, Richard could think of anything but relaxation.
The identical figure of Ethan stood there with its arms hooked behind his back and a malicious grin stretching its lips.
Nora was dumbfounded to see such a precise copy of Ethan standing there; however, the negative energy it extruded wasn't similar.
As they neared the clone, unexpectedly, it spoke, "Finally, you all are here. I thought you had to take a break or something."
The clone's expression didn't change according to its words. However, the very fact that it could talk shows the massive development it has gone through in so little time.
Richard frowned as he sensed that the clone was not to be taken lightly. Unlike the last time when they were butchered by his mother, this clone has gained sentience thanks to the Divine Ether or the Essence of Life flowing through its body.
With his aquamarine eyes settling on Richard, the clone asked, "How was your sleep last night? Didn't have any nightmares, right?"
Richard gritted his teeth and his hands burned with the uncontrollable flame that wanted to be unleashed and burn the being in front.
However, if Richard reacted now, he would end up doing the exact thing which the clones wanted.
Rather than anger, Richard suddenly smirked before uttering, "Yeah, had a great night. I dreamt of grilling that baldy Prime Minister before feeding that burnt body to dogs. Ah, what a pleasant dream~"
The smirk from the clone's face didn't vanish, but somehow, those eyes no longer held amusement as the inhumane stared at Richard with an untamed, fiery look.
Richard smirked, "That reaction...don't tell me you actually assumed that scumbag as your family member or something. After all, a lifeless doll like you can never have someone like a relative and all."
Richard nonchalantly muttered while showing a casual attitude toward the sentiment of the clone.
The smirk was no longer there. Ethan's look-alike was now furious.
Suddenly two shadows emerged from behind the clone and took the same shape as their parent body.
"Take care of them," The two other clones attacked Lilia and Nora who were already prepared for combat.
Only Richard remained facing the primary body of the clone who had yet to look away even once after Richard insulted the piece of crap.
Richard wasn't concerned about Lilia and Nora's safety since he was aware of their capabilities; especially Lilia's
What he was concerned about was the overflowing ether which belonged to Ethan in the doll. It seems after death, the other clones weren't burnt or destroyed. Rather, their energy was absorbed by this one.
Or he might be wrong.
But there was no time to think about it. The subject of his revenge was right before him, and Richard would be a fool to let this chance slip away.
-------**-------
Inside a dark room where most of the people were wearing a shroud to hide their faces, a meeting was currently ongoing.
The leader of the cult has been given the task of deciphering the ritual of summoning and arranging the necessary equipment for the ritual.
Now, inside the conference hall, all those who held a significant role in the cult were present. And one among them couldn't help but ask the leader,
"Master, shouldn't we think about this agajn? After all, the summoning ritual pulls someone with a strong presence from another world and that could prove to be risky for us as well."
The number of people in the cult weren't too many and with many of the members away to tend to some duties it was highly preferable to not take any chances against an unknown entity.
The grey-haired man, who was also the leader of the cult, snickered, "Why are you wussing out now, Allen? We have already come too far, and we all know that this ritual is necessary to revive our lord."
The person named Allen wasn't allowed to say another word as someone called out,
"All preparations are done!"
The other members turned towards their behind where a huge circle of ritual was drawn and five heads of dead humans were resting on the edges.
Blood and sacrifice it all takes to trigger Dark arts. And through this ritual they could call forth something which would be enough to demolish Eldoria and retrieve what belongs to the cult.
The ultimate goal of every member was to revive the Lord they worship. And for that, the detailed plan which Phil—ex Prime Minister of Eldoria—prepared, was necessary.
Looking at the drawn ritual, the grey-haired man couldn't help but smile in excitement as he parted his hands and proudly announced,
"Now, let's call out our messiah!"
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A/N:- Yeah, yeah. Go for it.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 108: Chapter 107- DisappointedSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC108: Chapter 107- Disappointed
The first thing to do in a one-on-one battle is to assess your opponent before throwing your aces on the table. You need to retain a calm mind and act based on your instincts despite how easy or difficult your opponent seems.
As such, the first thing Richard did was throw several fireballs at the clone. He has to start with the basics to see how far he could keep on pushing. However, the clone easily absorbed those flames, or more like the ether involved in those spells.
Richard was reminded of that day when he saw numerous soldiers dying because of the very same reason: the clones can absorb magic from their opponent, so attacking with spells would be futile. If not for the Duchess who easily overwhelmed the clones then things might have turned quite nasty that day.
However, Richard didn't have much resource to try and use the same method as his mother.
'Here it comes....' Richard stopped using spells as he saw the clone advancing.
The clone lunged at him, a blur of muscle and speed. Richard barely managed to deflect the blow with his baton, the impact reverberating up his arm as he twisted to dodge a follow-up punch. He countered swiftly, swinging the baton toward the clone's ribs. The strike landed, but the clone didn't flinch; instead, it absorbed the energy, its body rippling as if consuming the force.
Richard snickered, "Of course."
Reeling its head back, the clone struck its head onto Richard's—however, Richard was alert enough to enhance himself, so no damage was dealt, and his head was just flung back a little.
The clone stared into Richard's eyes with a frown before the redhead pulled his head and headbutted the clone—creating a loud sound and forcing the clone to step back.
The clone staggered from Richard's headbutt, its expression twisting into something close to frustration.
Richard didn't let the chance go and charging forward, he swung the baton in a wide arc toward the clone's side. The clone anticipated it, raising its arm to block, but Richard was ready. At the last second, he twisted the baton in a feint and drove his elbow into the clone's ribs instead.
The solid connection knocked the air from the clone's lungs, forcing it back a few steps, urging a smirk to lift the left side of Richard's lips.
One thing was for sure and that is the clone's inexperience in combat. Surely it has an upper hand when it comes to sorcery but it was unfortunate that Richard was a bonafide brawler.
However, the clone recovered soon, thanks to the divine essence flowing across its body.
Looking at Richard with a dark look, the clone clasped its hands before a sudden burst of energy sent a wave across the battlefield.
"HUPP!" With a strong grunt, the clone slammed its palms on the ground before the pulse of energy dug from inside the ground and made its way towards Richard. They were numerous in number and approaching him like worms.
Richard's eyes widened as the ground beneath his feet trembled. He could see the energy pulse rippling toward him, distorting the earth like serpentine waves, fast and relentless. The clone's dark gaze remained fixed on him, its hands still pressed to the ground, sending the energy burrowing toward him like a swarm of hunting worms.
"Damn it," Richard muttered, quickly analyzing his options.
He didn't have time to summon a spell to counter, knowing the clone would absorb the ether before it even reached its target. Instead, he enhanced his legs, feeling the ether course through him, muscles tensing as he prepared to move.
With a burst of speed, Richard leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the first wave of energy as it exploded from the ground where he had been standing. Sand and rock flew into the air, but he barely had time to catch his breath before more pulses shot up from the earth, zig-zagging toward him.
He spun the baton in hand, his instincts kicking in. The second pulse shot up directly in front of him, but he jumped, his enhanced legs carrying him over the attack just as the ground cracked beneath him. Landing in a crouch, he rolled, keeping his momentum going. But the energy pulses weren't letting up—they were coming faster, converging on him.
One pulse shot up just behind him, grazing his side and sending a sharp shock through his body. He hissed in pain but was quick to recover.
"This is bad..."Richard inwardly muttered as he kept on dodging the pulse of attacks that charged at him from his blind spot. He was incurring injuries which wouldn't heal for a long time, he knew.
The development of divine essence could be seen in the clone far faster than in the protagonist.
"I can't let this continue," Calculating his options, Richard summoned the bo staff with which he had trained for most of his time in the Duchy.
He instantly sprang on top of it, and, using the staff, he propelled himself into the air to get some much-needed relief from the relentless attacks.
Richard twisted in midair, the wind whistling past his ears as he spun with the precision of a blade. His grip on the bo staff was steady, using it to guide his momentum as he flipped toward the clone with the force of a cannonball. Each rotation increased his speed, his body a blur of motion, and the staff became an extension of his will—sharp, deadly, and focused.
The clone's eyes narrowed, sensing the incoming attack. It braced itself, planting its feet firmly on the ground. But Richard's movements were too fast, too unpredictable. In a final spin, Richard swung the staff with both hands, bringing it down like a hammer.
The clone raised its arms to block, but the sheer velocity of the strike was overwhelming. Richard's bo staff crashed into the clone's forearms with a thunderous crack, sending shock waves through the ground beneath them.
Sand erupted in all directions, scattering like a storm as the sheer force of the attack. The impact was so intense that it created a powerful gust of wind, whipping up a sandstorm that obscured the sky for a brief moment. Waves of energy pulsed out from the center of the clash, hurtling toward the distant ocean with incredible speed.
The other four warriors were also nearly knocked off their feet because of the blow.
'Is this enough...?'
As Richard stood over the fallen clone, ready to end the fight, a sudden flash of movement caught him off guard. The clone, though beaten and battered, had not yet surrendered. With a low growl, it surged upward, faster than Richard could react.
In an instant, the clone grabbed the bo staff with both hands and yanked it hard, pulling Richard off balance. Before he could regain his footing, the clone twisted its body and swung its leg in a brutal arc, connecting with Richard's side.
He was thrown towards the water with something broken inside him...probably his ribs.
He instantly shot his head up and through his wet hanging hair strands he saw the clone was about to devour the staff
"System!"
However, before the clone could have chewed on the mythical weapon and absorbed its powers, Richard called it back to his inventory leaving the clone biting on air.
"Young master!" Suddenly Lilia called out, urging Richard to look at her before she informed, "They are coming!"
Richard's eyes widened as he realised that the previous shockwave must have alerted the patrolling unit. And considering their strength and speed he had only a few seconds before they arrive here.
Gritting his teeth he looked at the clone who have changed his appearance and now looked like a random guy with pale yellow hair.
'I can't let this end here!' Clenching his fist, he enhanced his legs to the most and vanished from his previous spot into thin air.
His target was the clone and intention was to kill the bastard. He couldn't let go of this chance or who knows how long the detention would go on.
With every ounce of energy he had, he approached the bastard with his punch reeled back.
**BOOOOOM**
However, just a few meters before the clone his figure was pressed against the ground and Richard was rendered completely motionless.
Air knocked out of his lungs as he felt the person above him pressed their knee on his back and holding Richard with the back of his neck.
"Just on the second day, huh?" It was none other than Lucy who was pressing down Richard currently with a disappointed look in her eyes.
The clone has already retracted its clones and is now behaving innocently to show that he was the victim here.
The other patrolling guards surrounded Lilia and Nora as well.
Richard was soon pulled by Lucy to stand up with his hands locked behind his back.
Now this surely was going to be troublesome.
-----------**---------
A/N:- Don't worry, no false accusation. Thanks for reading.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 109: Chapter 108- Decision(1)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC109: Chapter 108- Decision(1)
The four offenders were being led to the security cabin where they would be questioned.
Lucy was holding Richard while they walked. Lilia and Nora were walking a few meters behind him and the clone was walking ahead of him.
Richard was annoyed by his indecisiveness. He kept on pondering if he should use Hell Blaze until the end, and because of that, he wasn't able to finish the bastard off.
'God knows how long this will go on...' Richard inwardly sighed.
"Why are you behaving like you are disappointed? Were you really wanting to kill a student right after enrollment?" Lucy's voice held extreme seriousness when she asked. Her eyes contained that faint doubt and slight disappointment.
She has been monitoring each potential student since the beginning, and from her observation, she deemed Richard to be a responsible and mature student, despite what the rumours suggested. As such she decided to put his name into a representative nomination.
However, who could have believed that her decision would get questioned right after a few hours when she witnessed Richard, along with his two companions, beating the crap out of a weak child?
"If only you know the true identity of that being you call a student." Richard's words made her frown, as she glanced at the yellow-haired boy who was in section D and had chosen the 'Survival' group as his primary.
She hadn't seen any suspicious movement from him, and he was fairly average in most of the things. If anything, Lucy wondered how such an average child got admission here. However, just based on that, she couldn't have believed Richard's words...but at the same time, she wasn't going to blame anyone one-sided until she thoroughly investigated.
"Professor..." Suddenly, a patrolling guard inched closer to Lucy before whispering, "We are moving in a loop."
"---!" Lucy's eyes widened as she didn't realise that until now. But now that she looked closely, the distance between them and the academy wasn't lessening at all, even though they had been walking for the past twenty minutes.
Lucy shot her head toward the elf before commanding, "Stop creating your illusion, Princess. You aren't escaping this with your tricks." Lucy couldn't believe that the well-behaved and disciplined princess she met in the morning could be this deceiving.
However, Nora shook her head before refuting, "It's not me, ma'am." She pointed at the boy whose back was facing them.
A frown marred her face, as Lucy approached the boy slowly. Among the four, Lucy knew that only Nora had the ability to create illusions, so how come...
"Stan...why don't you slowly turn towards us?" Lucy suggested as she slowly moved toward the boy.
The soldiers had already taken out their weapons to apprehend the possible sorcerer behind the spell, and Richard, as well, was ready to attack the moment the clone decided to show its real face.
The clone must have been aware that investigation could lead to the revelation of its identity as inhumane, that's why it was acting up already.
With no response arriving from the boy Lucy signaled the two soldiers on either side of Stan, and she held his shoulder from behind.
"Fuck!" However, in the next moment, a curse escaped her lips when suddenly the boy fell to the ground, or more like the skin shell of Stan dropped to the ground.
Lucy's eyes widened as she saw the lifeless deformed shell of Stan laying there.
Her senses were already on high alert but she didn't sense the movement at all.
"Don't panic, Lucienne." Hearing her full name, Lucy knew who it could be before she turned her attention towards the white-haired man who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Headmaster." The soldiers greeted the man with their heads bowed while Lucy was still shocked to see the man here.
"You knew about this?" She asked, to which, Marcus nodded,
"I was aware and was observing the whole situation from the beginning. I was hoping you could bring that fake to me, but sadly, that thing was sharp enough to sense my intent and run away when it had the time."
Lucy was startled as she asked, "Fake? What do you mean, fake? I have met Stan's parents before. He belongs to the same town as me."
Marcus' eyes reflected grief when he said, "Sadly, Lucienne, the boy you knew, died last night. His body was found in the morning."
Lucy's eyes parted wide upon hearing that. Although she didn't have a close relationship with that boy, she was a good friend of Stan's mother. And considering the school security Lucy could have never even dreamt of having a student get killed within the campus.
"Headmaster, did you sense where that thing went?" Richard stepped forward and asked the older one since his concern lay on exterminating that evil being who was growing at an astonishing rate by trampling over others.
Marcus shook his head, "That clone has the ability to completely erase its ether on will, which makes it nearly impossible to track him through Detection. However, I think you can find him again?"
While glancing at Nora, Marcus asked.
Richard also turned towards Nora only to hear her saying, "I think...he has already left the island."
Richard frowned, "This soon? Why didn't he get caught by the security?"
"Because it never was on the island when you were fighting it." Suddenly a familiar voice echoed in his ears as Richard turned to look at Ethan.
Every eye turned toward Ethan who was being accompanied by Elizabeth, before he added,
"It was here until you reached the shore, but after that, that clone left a copy of itself to fight you three and escaped the island as soon as it could. And considering you all must have stopped tracking it, the clone had enough time to leave the island while suppressing its presence."
Richard took a strong gulp upon hearing that.
He was not fighting the clone itself but just a copy of it? Yet that copy was also fighting on equal grounds as Richard...then what about the actual clone?
"How do you know all this?" The Headmaster inquired.
Ethan heaved a sigh before confessing, "I can see what it sees...like our minds are connected. However, those flashes of memories always remain vague and brief, so I cannot be a hundred percent sure."
The headmaster remained silent for a bit before asking, "Richard, Nora, and Ethan, come to my office." Saying so, the older one disappeared.
Richard glanced at Nora and Ethan before he walked to Lilia and told her, "Go back and wait for me. This won't take long."
"But master your arm..." Richard's left shoulder was slightly twisted, and there was a wound he received on his thigh, which still was burning.
Cupping her cheeks he assured her, "I will have a potion and return after the meeting as soon as I can. So please go home now and wait for me." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead before walking away.
Lilia traced her master's back with her eyes before she decided to heed his words and turned around to leave…only to hear a familiar voice calling out,
"Lilia?"
It was Amelia.
--------***-------
While they walked towards the office, Richard asked the elf, "Were those two clones difficult to defeat?"
Nora shook her head, "They weren't that difficult to deal with and your maid was actually overpowering it without even using magic."
Richard raised his brows, "Then why did you take so long dealing with them?"
Heaving a sigh, she explained, "They were actually immortal. Every time we killed them, they returned to life and continued fighting."
Richard rubbed his eyes with his fingers before mumbling, "Divine essence..."
Nora's ears twitched, "What did you say?"
"Ah, it's nothing. Anyway, Ethan, where did you last see that clone?"
Ethan didn't have to think much before he responded, "Underwater. It was swimming."
"Hmm...that clone has gained enough conscience to know how difficult it would become for it if it had stayed here."
"But the last time they were fighting mindlessly, devouring people and whatnot." Ethan followed, "It has only been twenty days since that incident."
"Well, they are not humans and probably have the trait to grow with each of its hunts."
Ethan clenched his fist hearing that. To think someone was using his powers and face to kill innocents was extremely infuriating.
If only he had been strong enough, he would have hunted down that clone himself rather than seeing everything from the background and relying on Richard to deal with the mess Ethan created.
Nora looked at the silver-head with a worried look, but after what misunderstanding Yulan created she couldn't approach Ethan carelessly.
With numerous emotions swirling in their heads, the trio reached the headmaster's office.
Now it all depends on the Headmaster's decision on how he wants to deal with the devil. Richard couldn't mindlessly pursue the clone by leaving the island or he would get rusticated. And leaving that clone alone was also not a solution.
Things are about to become complicated….
—----**------
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 110: Chapter 109- Decision(2)STRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC110: Chapter 109- Decision(2)
Inside the office room, Richard found two unexpected faces waiting.
One of them was the blond girl whom they had met just a few moments ago on the school grounds, Elizabeth. And the other one was Richard's deskmate, Rose.
They were standing while facing the door from where the trio entered.
"Eli? How are...I mean, why did you come here?" Ethan thought that the girl was worried for him that's why she came. However, her following words cleared his doubts,
"I was called by the Headmaster. Since he didn't want anyone else to know that I would get involved in this as well, he sent me a mental message." She explained while making her way beside Ethan.
She gave a long glance at Nora, who completely ignored her.
Richard stepped forward before asking the oldest one in the room, "Headmaster?"
Marcus first gestured towards Rose before introducing her, "You must have met her before, but let me do the introduction. Rose is my late friend's granddaughter and someone with a brilliant set of skills."
Rose couldn't lean her head any more down in embarrassment as she was doing right now. Her face was bright red hearing all those compliments and being seen by so many people.
She just wants to hide!
About Rose, Richard was aware that she has some exceptional skills but he still couldn't discern her inclusion in all this.
Marcus explained, "I am going to the capital to see what I can get about this whole fiasco with clones and all. When I would be there I would like Ethan and Elizabeth to co-operate with Rose and send me any information regarding that clone."
Richard raised his brows in realisation, and Nora did the job of verbally explaining it, "You mean...those flashes of memories Ethan sees through the clone's eyes would be shared through Elizabeth, and somehow Rose would direct it to you?"
Marcus nodded, "Yes, that's correct. But Rose will just draw those memories on paper and will send it through my soul beast." Saying so, he bent his hand, and on his wrist, a black owl with big red eyes appeared out of nowhere.
"To summon it, just say its name 'Gilbert'. If you get something important about the clone then send it immediately so I can conduct my investigation more efficiently."
"And what would be my role in all this, Headmaster?" Richard asked.
"You are the coordinator, Richard. That clone is extremely attached to you through the feeling of anger and revenge. As such, it is necessary for you to be in contact with this group and know about that clone's movements. However, I must warn you, you cannot leave this island to pursue it in any situation."
Richard stiffly nodded at that. He has already come down to the fact that he couldn't leave this island despite how much he wanted to just chase that clone and end this matter once and for all.
"Princess Nora, you will co-operate with them and provide the necessary help, understand?"
The elf nodded to that without any hesitation. She not only wants to find the culprit who carried her sister's fragment but also wants to shorten the distance between herself and Ethan.
All said and heard, the students were told to retire to their dorms.
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After leaving the office, Richard went to the same place as before and, as he expected, Amelia was waiting for him under the tree.
'This is going to be bad...' Considering how quickly the news spreads and also that Amelia must have gone to his mansion and heard about the incident from Lilia, it makes things difficult for Richard.
He has yet to tell her about this whole clone situation but now, he has no way of avoiding the topic.
Approaching her, he asked, "You look mad. I wonder the reason?"
Amelia's eyes remained dead serious hearing that, which told Richard how bad of a start it was.
Heaving a sigh, he told her, "I just didn't want to put you in danger of rustication since I know how much this academy matters to you."
"But not more than you, Richard." Her response was quick and held conviction.
Richard was left speechless as Amelia stepped forward before asking, "Tell me Richard, do you care about me? Like even as a friend?"
Richard slowly nodded.
"Then, for the sake of that consideration, could you not have at least informed me that you are about to risk your life fighting an inhumane being and also that you can get possibly kicked out of the school? Was it too much to ask for?"
Stepping closer, she held his shirt weakly before whispering, "I thought we had a bond of trust, Richard. But I guess I was just deluding myself from the beginning."
"A-melia...I..." She didn't stay there to listen to his explanation and walked away.
Tears rained down her eyes but she made no movement to wipe them off as the girl headed towards the school.
Richard kept looking at her back, unable to stop her. He doesn't know what he would say to make her feel better or convey the reason for not telling her about it.
In the end, he turned around and slowly walked back home.
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Walking through the corridor of the palace the first prince—William—could be seen discussing something with his assistant.
In the absence of his father, William had the duty to take care of the ministry and respond to the call of any important guest. Just like the one who would be arriving tomorrow.
"The Headmaster?" William asked with a frown.
The brunette lady wearing formal clothes walked on his left flank and responded to his query, "Indeed my lord. We just received a letter from him requesting a meeting with Your Majesty tomorrow. The subject wasn't written."
William hummed upon hearing that. It was rare for the Headmaster to suddenly ask for a meeting, considering that man doesn't like to be involved with politics and feuds of others.
William had a feeling that this meeting was related to the recent disruption that occurred in the capital. And also maybe about the clones?
Naturally, William would be attending this meeting in his father's stead. Although his father didn't say what he could tell others about this matter, William had a general outline of how much he could reveal.
'But still...talking to that man would be a headache...' Feeling his shoulders turning heavy already, William asked the lady,
"Where is Duchess Bellarine these days? I thought she was helping in the new security formation?"
"Indeed, my lord; she agreed to help in recruiting the necessary personnel to protect the capital; however, for the past two days, she hasn't been seen and has yet to make any contact with us."
William frowned upon hearing that. Bellarine might be impulsive and hard to handle, but she is the kind of woman who always fulfils the duties she has undertaken.
And for her to vanish like this....doesn't sit well with William.
"Trying to contact her somehow."
"Understood, my lord."
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Returning home, Richard first got healed up, and after having a quick dinner, he decided to return to his room to rest.
Just as he was about to leave he heard Lilia asking, "Did something happen with Lady Amelia, my lord?"
Richard nodded at that, "Yep~I made her mad and now she doesn't want to talk to me."
Lilia earlier informed him that Amelia indeed came to the mansion while searching for Richard, and Lilia told her vaguely the case, considering how anxious the lady looked. But now, Lilia was feeling guilty about telling her.
Stepping closer to her master, she gently held his hand before conveying what she felt, "In my opinion, Richard, you should try to talk to her. Lady Amelia is hurt and must be feeling betrayed that you trusted a random girl whom you met just yesterday and didn't even bother to let her know."
Her words made things worse for him as he realised that he, indeed, had betrayed her trust. Looking at Lilia, he asked,
"What should I do now?"
"Maybe you should try contacting her somehow?"
Richard thought for a moment before he nodded to her and thanked the girl, "Thanks, Lilia. Without you I might have ended up ruining quite many things."
Planting a soft kiss on the side of her lips, he dashed toward his room.
Lilia smiled in slight amusement, upon seeing her master unusually acting according to his age.
However, it would be a lie to say that she didn't feel anything upon seeing them getting closer. As a woman, she felt quite sad and scared that in the future, her master wouldn't get much time to spend with her. But she had already thought about this thoroughly when she allowed herself to be embraced by her master.
She loves Richard and until he can direct even a smile towards her, Lilia would be content.
"Haah...let's go and check on Violet for now."
------------**-----------
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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Show menu NOVEL BIN5Novel Struggling as a Villain Chapter 111: Chapter 110- ConfessionSTRUGGLING AS A VILLAINC111: Chapter 110- Confession
Richard was inside his room, sitting on the chair and holding the pen. The intention of this letter was to apologize to Amelia for betraying her trust. However, when Richard thought about it carefully, trying to enter the school dorms to deliver this letter would be problematic, and he was already surrounded by many rumours.
With the pen stuck between his lips, he thought carefully of what he could do.
"Ah!" Suddenly he remembered the reward he received from the Goddess in exchange for saving Ethan.
The vanishing cloak.
Getting up, he went to his cupboard to look for the cloak. However, the first thing his eyes landed on was the artefact through which Richard talked to his mother.
'Strange...she hasn't called me since yesterday...' Richard picked up the steel can and connected it to his ear. However, despite waiting for several minutes, the other side didn't pick.
'Maybe she forgot to carry it to the capital...or might be busy with work?' Although he guessed that Richard knew his mother more than anyone else, and as such, he felt slightly anxious.
"Steffani?"
Just as he called, a maid, not more than twenty years old and with short black hair, entered his room before saying, "Yes, young master?"
"Where is Lilia?"
"She is helping Violet in bathing. Should I call her?"
Richard wanted to send a letter to his mother through Lilia's soul spirit but since she was helping Violet, a girl who couldn't accept help from anyone else, he shook his head,
"No, let her be. Once she comes out just tell her that I am going out for a while."
"Understood, my lord." Saying so, the girl walked out.
Deciding to contact his mother tonight through Lilia, Richard focused on the cloak which was not very difficult to find.
He has kept a separate cabinet in the wardrobe which only could be accessed by Richard and no one else.
While he was unlocking the safe, he asked the system, "How many Quest Points do I have now?"
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host, for reaching the first milestone!]
[Quest Points: 110/300]
[Ding!]
[The first tier has been unlocked and the host would gain the opportunity to unlock one feature of the system, among these three;]
[Status screen]
[Shop]
[Universal map]
[Note: None of the system features can be bought in the shop.]
Richard hummed a bit as he pulled out the cloak and sat down on the bed.
Although he had already made his choice, he asked, "Can I gain the other two options as I further unlock the tiers?"
[There definitely is a possibility, host.]
Richard shrugged, "Then grant me my status panel already."
[Ding!]
[Command received!]
[The integration would take three hours to finish.]
[Time remaining: 2 hr 59 min 57 sec]
Richard was happy with his choice. Now he finally could see what his status was and where he could utilize the accumulated points.
While he was at it, he checked on Bella—or so he was about to when suddenly Lilia entered the room,
"You called me, my lord?" Fresh out of the bath, she was extruding an allure that caught him off guard.
Raising his brows, he looked at the girl's glowing face, slightly damp hair and that bombshell of a body.
She was currently wearing a nightdress that offered the sight of her thick and healthy thighs, and the deep neck of her dress allowed Richard a slight peek at that valley.
Lilia didn't shy away from that gaze which was practically getting drunk in her allure. She wore this dress for her master, so naturally, she felt thrilled to be devoured by his gaze.
"I can't tell if you really want me to patch up with Amelia or not. After all, how can I leave you after you are showing such a ready-to-be-preyed side to me?"
Lilia shyly smiled before suggesting, "You should go and talk to her now; otherwise, if you embrace me now, I am sure we won't be leaving this room until morning."
Lilia was aware of her master's appetite, and as a diligent lover, she tried her best to keep up with him. And knowing how long he could go, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until dawn.
Her suggestion pushed him into a dilemma. He needed to apologize to Amelia, but Lilia was looking extremely sexy right now, and he couldn't decide what to do.
In the end, he took a coat off the hanger draped it over her shoulder and covered her front to stop himself from staring at her.
"Do me a favour, Lilia, and send a letter to Mum, asking if she is well."
Lilia was surprised to hear that, as she asked, "You didn't talk to her?"
"No, she hasn't contacted me since yesterday."
Now, this was concerning. Lilia knows the obsession of the Duchess for her son and for that lady, who was far away from her love, to not contact him. This meant something bad must have happened already.
However, Lilia didn't want to panic her master so she just nodded and said, "I will send a letter immediately."
Planting a soft kiss on her forehead Richard whispered, "I know I can rely on you. Now wait for me here, I will be back in an hour."
Saying so Richard wore the cloak and disappeared from the room.
-----------**----------
Sitting near the window of the new room she received, Amelia stared at nothing in particular.
She has wept for long and no tears rolled down her eyes anymore. She was completely clueless about what she should do.
She got mad at Richard even though she didn't have the right to. She was his friend, and as a friend, she should have been worried about him and glossed over the fact that he chose not to tell her.
More so, she should have been glad that he was thinking for her good and didn't involve her in the matter, which could have gotten her punished.
....if only Amelia has just the feelings of friendship towards Richard.
She likes him and she has made that clear to him as well. It was the first time in her life that any man except for her father had made her feel secure and protected.
Her interests, hobbies, and behaviour did not seem as weird or bizarre; rather, Richard accepted them with open arms and even complimented her for being unique.
He appreciated her for what she was. He never asked her to change or discouraged her from pursuing her dream.
He isn't like other men she has met through school or formal gatherings. Richard doesn't want his wife to be just bound to social norms and do whatever they want to do. Maybe it was because he was brought up by a single mother that Richard respects women this much.
These small things were quite big for Amelia. Everything about Richard attracted her and made her feel that if there could be anyone she wanted to spend her life with, then it could be no one else but Richard.
"I guess I was hoping a lot..." With a sad smile, she uttered, only to hear an unexpected response,
"No, you were-"
Amelia quickly took out her dagger and threw it at the person. Her reaction was so quick that she realized the familiarity of the voice after the dagger was caught by the person.
"R-Richard?" Inside her room, standing right before her, was the same person about whom she couldn't stop thinking.
Richard slowly kept the dagger on the table, before crouching before the girl and looking at her.
Those warm eyes held anxiety and elation. The redness around her eyes signified how much he had hurt her, that even the usually indifferent Amelia wept until her eyes turned red.
Heaving a sigh, he held her hand before asking, "I have hurt you a lot, no? By not trusting you, I have betrayed you, and for that, I want to apologize."
With his head leaning down, he added, "Whatever punishment you deem worthy, I am ready to accept it. But please don't cry anymore."
Amelia turned her face away as she mumbled, "I have no right to punish you."
Richard remained silent for a bit before uttering under his breath, "I didn't want to do this in this way...but I guess I have no other option."
Amelia slowly turned her head as she saw Richard getting up and stepping back.
Once their eyes met, Richard finally confessed, "Although I might not be a perfect partner and someone who can devote my life solely for you, but it's a fact that I, Scarlette Richard, like you, Hawkbridge Amelia, as a woman and wants to spend my life with you."
Amelia's mouth hung low as she looked at Richard with her eyes parted wide and slowly asked, "Y-You aren't j-joking right?"
"I don't look sincere you? Well, let me-
"No, no, it's fine." Richard nodded to that and stopped himself from getting into the formal proposing pose.
Amelia rose from the bed and slowly approached him, before asking, "Are you sure about this, Richard? You aren't saying all this just because you are apologetic right?"
Richard shook his head, "I will never play with someone's feelings, Amelia."
Amelia stopped in her track and suddenly asked, "Then can you prove it," Richard frowned, as Amelia slowly stretched her arms weakly and asked, "Spend the night with me, Richard."
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A/N:- Okay, I feel bad. Like really bad.
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