Surviving as a Villain at the Academy - Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 159

159 – Dungeon Exploration (5)

“Did you have a good time on your date?”

“……Well.”

To hear those words as soon as I got here. I was already feeling terrible, but Asti was completely at ease.

“What, it doesn’t look like you were satisfied?”

“My mind is just complicated.”

“Heh. That’s understandable. Well, the choice is ultimately yours.”

“You must have some stake in it.”

“I just don’t like being bothered. It’s not that I don’t have possessiveness, but there’s no need to put all my effort into something that won’t work.”

“……Sigh. I guess so.”

“Do what you want. I’m not going to get in your way.”

“I wish you would just leave me alone for once.”

“What do you expect me to do? You know how persistent those girls are.”

“I know better than anyone. That’s why I’m even more conflicted.”

“What’s there to be conflicted about? Just let yourself go.”

This guy really can say anything.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Sometimes you have to let your instincts take over, not your reason.”

“Are you crazy? I’d be like Aris if I did that.”

“Now and then are completely different. Oh, but I would still prefer to be the first.”

Judging by the way he was flirting with me, it wasn’t his instincts that were kicking in, but his headache. Why am I even putting up with this? I know myself all too well. I’m a man who has a hard time being moderate.

What will happen to a guy like me if I get a taste of carnal pleasure? I’ll probably end up indulging in debauchery, telling myself it’s just this once.

“I can’t do it. I’m too impatient.”

“You? You seem like the most patient person in the world.”

“Actually, you should be most wary of the phrase ‘just this once.’ Especially for someone like me. Once I get a taste, I won’t be able to stop.”

“You sound like a monk or something.”

“I need to be like this right now. It’s not the time to be enjoying pleasures.”

“Pleasures~ It’s something you do because you love someone.”

“Love is important, but…… Still, surviving comes first.”

“Hmm……”

Asti looked at me with a face that seemed to be steaming. I had no choice but to apologize to her obediently.

“I’m sorry in many ways.”

Do you think I don’t want to spend all my time with Asti? But I don’t have the luxury. Even though I seem to be a little relaxed right now, I need to be growing even during this time.

“No, well. I can understand that…… But don’t you feel an even stronger urge to reproduce when you know the world is ending? That’s what humans have always done in the past.”

“That’s only for people who have nothing else to do. I have a lot on my plate.”

“Aren’t you taking on too much by yourself?”

“Maybe, but I’ve come to know and see. You could call it the curse of knowledge.”

“I guess it is tiring to know too much. Anyway…… Well, I understand what you mean. But still.”

Asti said as she hugged me from behind.

“Tell me whenever you’re lonely. I’ll always keep the bed warm for you.”

“…….”

I only nodded without a word.

“Oh, your ears are red. They’re burning.”

I felt like lowering my head for some reason at the quietly mumbled words.

* * *

“Are the preparations for the dungeon raid complete?”

After calming down for a moment, Asti asked me about the progress of the work.

“Yeah. All that’s left is to enter.”

“What about the knights?”

“Like I said last time, I plan to have them patrol the perimeter moderately. The purpose of this dungeon raid isn’t to obtain some grand reward, but to strengthen Ruslan and those around him while clearing the outskirts of the territory.”

“How was Ruslan?”

“He was no joke. When did he get so strong…… He’s gotten noticeably stronger since coming from the Holy Kingdom.”

“Hmm? Really?”

“Yeah. After fighting him myself, I realized that I definitely need to raise that guy all the way. His growth rate is ridiculous.”

“It seems like he’s realized something. When humans have a sudden realization, they often become noticeably stronger.”

“That seems to be the case.”

“What about the others?”

“I’ve already talked to all of them. They all said they’ll go. Diana and Johan might be a bit of a problem…… But even they aren’t that lacking in individual ability. They won’t hold us back.”

“Well, with you and me there, it shouldn’t be a big problem. The Saintess is coming too.”

“I wonder if it will be uncomfortable for you? You were particularly sensitive to the Saintess’ divine power.”

“Well…… I could withstand it in the first place. It was just a little unpleasant. And there’s a church in the academy, and the Holy Kingdom is literally the Holy Kingdom, so the divine power emanating from there was strong, but I didn’t feel it as much from the Saintess herself.”

“I see.”

“It’ll probably be fine. The only thing there is a chimera, right?”

“Yeah. But we always need to be prepared for variables.”

“Variables…… That’s true.”

“The future I saw always changed. That means that a chimera won’t necessarily be the only thing there. The master of the dungeon might still be alive.”

“We need to be careful then. Mad wizards have always been dangerous guys.”

I nodded at Asti’s words. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. There’s always risk involved with a return.

“Well, you’re here in the worst-case scenario.”

“Heh heh. Of course, of course. With me here, there’s no way I’ll die to a mere mad wizard. No, even if it was just you right now, you’re incredibly strong. You can use Salus if it comes down to it.”

“……I suppose.”

“You said you were going to be dragging them along anyway? Then at some point, you’ll need to show them your power directly.”

I nodded at Asti’s words.

* * *

After finishing all the preparations and gathering the people, as soon as all the procedures were complete, we headed straight to the dungeon of the crazy wizard.

“So, this is the place where the dungeon is?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded at Ruslan’s words. We were now standing at the entrance to the dungeon. If we moved forward even a little, a swarm of demons would likely pour out.

As expected, as soon as the group moved forward, demons began to charge at us like crazy. Since they were demons drawn to the magic core, they were even more aggressive than usual.

-Kyaaack!

However, not only were the gathered faces faces, but there were also knights who would take on odd jobs… It didn’t take that long to clean up the demons.

“Your skills have improved by leaps and bounds. As expected, there’s a reason you’ve made great achievements in the Holy Kingdom.”

“I was just lucky. It’s true that my skills have improved, but I still have a long way to go.”

“Your humble attitude is also admirable. In particular, Lord Ethan has been praising you a lot lately.”

“……Really?”

“Yes. He talks about it every time we do joint training with the Imperial Knights.”

“That’s really embarrassing.”

I sighed. It’s true that after going to the Holy Kingdom and making achievements, the way people around me look at me has changed a lot.

Following the White Lion Medal I received last time, the story of how I protected the Saintess with my excellent performance in the Holy Kingdom is gradually spreading, and I even received a public confession from the Saintess… so they say that my story often comes up in social circles.

But I never thought that even Lord Ethan would do that.

The people around me now felt that way. I must have received countless similar looks while being around me. I glanced at Ruslan.

He also had an expression that just said… whatever. Rather, he had a serious expression. He must be nervous about the dungeon exploration that will take place soon.

After cleaning up the demons, the entrance to the dungeon, which the knights had been secretly searching for, finally came into view.

“I see the entrance. Be careful, Master.”

“I know. Don’t worry too much. The Saintess is here, and so am I.”

“I know that your skills are excellent, Master… but you should always be careful when exploring a dungeon.”

“Thanks for your concern. But it’s really okay, so don’t worry and just get rid of the demons around here.”

“I understand. Please take care of yourself.”

“Okay. Make sure the knights are careful too. Once you’ve cleared out all the nearby demons, set up a base camp.”

“Yes!”

As soon as the knights stepped back to clean up the surrounding demons, I spoke to my party.

“Before we go in, I have something to say for a moment.”

“…….”

The guys started to pay attention to what I was saying. Of course, there was a chimera inside, but… I don’t plan on revealing that directly. There’s obviously a difference between knowing your opponent and dealing with them, and not knowing and dealing with them.

“I don’t know what’s inside. The knights only looked around outside.”

In the first place, since the purpose of this dungeon exploration was to improve the party’s skills, I wanted the guys to learn how to deal with changing situations.

There will almost never be a situation in the future where you know exactly who you’re fighting. The abilities of demons and angels who are hostile to humans are endless, so it’s impossible for me to tell you about each and every one of them.

In the end, you have to figure out how to judge your opponent’s abilities and deal with them yourself.

“I don’t know what’s going to jump out, or what kind of enemies there will be. Always be on your guard and be careful. In particular, there may be traps unique to the dungeon, so you need to be careful even when taking a step.”

“……I will keep that in mind.”

“Alice, Diana, Asti.”

“Yes?”

“Always light up the surroundings. In particular, you should almost always have detection magic turned on. Your power is essential for finding traps.”

“Yes.”

“Yohan and Adrian, always put up a divine barrier around us during breaks. You never know when something might come at you.”

“Yes!”

Adrian answered cheerfully, and Yohan nodded silently. He’s usually a playful guy, but in a situation like this, he focuses with a serious expression, as expected of a guy who knows how to be serious.

After that, I asked Lina and Nea to reinforce the rear of the allied forces through their commanding abilities, and roughly set the course of action by having Ruslan and I take the lead.

“Then, let’s go in.”

In the dungeon of a mad wizard, the exploration had begun.