Surviving as a Villain at the Academy - Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 177

177 – The Tower of Demons (4)

For now, Adrian would be staying at Lancel’s mansion.

Of course, being a saint, her daily life would still be conducted within the church at the academy, but from evening to late night, when demons are most active, she would reside at Lancel’s estate.

It was a measure of sorts. If Asti was near Adrian, they could detect any demon trickery before it happened.

Anyway, now all they had to do was wait for the demons to make their move. The heretic inquisitors who came looking for Adrian… that is, the Seekers, had been informed, as had the church.

There was a high likelihood of an incident occurring near the academy, and that Adrian could be seriously hurt, so the church where Adrian originally stayed had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Especially since it was related to the Tower of Demons. What would the church say about the Tower, given its usual image?

Well, considering it, one could say they acted in line with their image. The Imperial Tower of Demons was as infamous as its reputation for being a mad group.

In any case, this made it considerably easier to protect Adrian, and now all that was left was to monitor the demons’ movements.

It’s uncertain how the demons will act… Perhaps, in their haste, they might move more quickly than expected. It’s necessary to keep all possibilities open and prepare for that situation.

In reality, the demon Aym, hidden within the Imperial Tower, probably won’t cause any immediate trouble. He’s patient, but the other six high-ranking demons could act unpredictably at any moment, which was a headache.

And then there were the Seekers. It seems the Pope was quite determined. In the original story, the Pope had also fostered an organization called the Seekers because of the incessant demon incidents within the academy.

And the one who caused those demon incidents was none other than the original character, Praha, and naturally, the trail of demons led to Praha, making Praha and Asti the main villains of Chapter 3.

In other words, the arrival of the Seekers at the academy meant that the Holy Kingdom was ready to eradicate any traces of evil.

…If I get involved by mistake, I might end up being blamed as the instigator.

I had no choice but to actively protect Adrian.

If something were to happen to Adrian after all this, it could lead to a terrible situation. Like not being able to protect the saint properly, or something of that sort, and the Holy Kingdom might react accordingly.

“It seems I’m in for a tiring time ahead.”

Muttering absentmindedly, Asti, nestled in my arms, nodded as if in agreement. The sensation of her hair brushing against my skin was ticklish.

“So, if those six at the academy target Adrian… I wonder if this mansion might be in danger too.”

“We’ll have to block them somehow. Or, what about hunting them down one by one?”

“…That’s a good strategy, but it comes with a bit of risk. Even if demons prefer to operate individually, if they’re persistent enough to target only the saint, they might unite. If we can’t finish them quickly, you’ll be in danger.”

Suddenly, I reached a thought. Instead of waiting to be attacked, what if we turned the tables and ambushed them?

It seemed like a plausible strategy. Especially since, with Asti present, unless the six high-ranking demons joined forces, we could kill them without anyone noticing.

But still, Asti’s point made sense. If we can’t handle it instantly, a troublesome situation might unfold.

If someone else gets caught up in that situation, it could be a disaster beyond words. Above all, Asti’s true nature as a demon must remain hidden.

Especially if the Pope finds out… just the thought is dizzying. The Holy Kingdom, of course, has many relics left by angels. And those relics are mostly lethal to demons, to the extent that some even affect Asti.

They’re not publicly known artifacts, but if high-ranking and superior demons reveal themselves, they’ll try to use the power of those relics to execute them.

But that’s not all. If demonic intervention is confirmed, surely the angels will also step in. The protagonist of the original story, Ruslan, was able to defeat Praha and Asti precisely because he borrowed the power of relics and angels.

And at this point, if you ask me if I can stand against the Holy Kingdom with Asti, the answer is obviously ‘no’. No matter how strong Asti is, we are just individuals, and they are a state that can even mobilize angels. There’s no need to throw ourselves into a fight we can’t win.

Even now, the Holy Kingdom is friendly towards me, and the Saintess has taken a liking to me.

Thus, Asti’s true nature as a demon must not be discovered.

…Wait a minute. If they join forces, Asti’s identity will inevitably be revealed, right? Of course, Asti could continue to hide her power, but given her personality, it’s highly unlikely.

Not content with mere speculation, I asked Asti directly.

“If the demons join forces and attack Adrian, are you confident you can keep your identity as a demon hidden?”

After pondering my question, Asti shook her head.

“No. They will surely try to destroy the academy and kill Adrian. That would result in many innocent victims. The demons might not care about that… but I do.”

As expected. That would be a denial of the way she has lived. No matter how much Asti loves me and has decided to live for me… there was a reason she could love me.

After all, I respect her life, and since my ultimate goal is to save the human world, she could love me without worry.

Then, one question arises. Why did Asti lend her power to the original character, Praha? Praha was subservient to Asti, so there was no need for Asti to heed his requests or keep any related contracts. But why?

Given her nature of loving humans, there was no reason for her to torment Ruslan or any innocent humans. Even if that was Praha’s wish.

I don’t know. Asti is a character who changes a lot as the story progresses, so she must have been influenced by Praha, knowingly or unknowingly.

What’s important now is not the questions about the past but the imminent issues.

If we just wait for the demons to make their move, we might face danger, so it’s better to take the risk and eliminate the demons one by one.

“Then there’s only one way, Asti.”

“Ha… I guess so. When do we start?”

“Tomorrow.”

“…Tomorrow?”

“Yes. The sooner, the better. We already know their locations and who they are. Let’s deal with them individually before they unite. We can’t take down all six in one day, but if we significantly reduce their numbers, even if they join forces to attack Adrian, you’ll be able to stop them without revealing your identity, right?”

“That makes sense. After all, it’s not difficult to defeat the six high-ranking demons individually.”

-This will be interesting.

Salus, who had been watching our situation, smiled broadly, finding it interesting. Such a carefree fellow.

“It doesn’t seem like a fun thing to do…”

-Killing demons, right? I hate demons. Of course, Asti by your side is an exception.

“You hate demons? Why?”

-Because they have a long history of making life miserable for humans. Of course, I hate angels too.

“Ah.”

Salus, formerly known as Umbra, had not died in the invasion of the human world by the fighting angels and demons. Salus had plenty of reasons to hate both demons and angels.

-By the way, Praha.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been hugging Asti every day lately, does it make you feel that good?”

“…Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“Just curious.”

Salus materialized out of thin air, appearing right in front of Asti and me. The problem was, at that moment, Asti and I were not wearing a single thread.

“Maybe you should pay attention to the situation, Salus?”

Asti shot Salus a slightly annoyed look. It seemed she wasn’t pleased with her interrupting our conversation.

“But I’m curious. You used to do it sparingly, but now it’s almost every day. Is there a reason? Does it make you feel that good?”

“Adrian is going to stay in the mansion for a while. I’m not so heartless.”

I wouldn’t ignore a girl who has feelings for me and share love with Asti in the same mansion. That would be insensitive.

Human emotions are complex, and even in an established relationship, facing it directly can affect her differently.

Of course, Asti agreed to this, and as a result, I’ve been holding her every day recently.

“Why not include her too? Aren’t you overcomplicating things?”

“…”

“No? Love is indeed complicated~”

At that innocent remark, I was at a loss for words.

From noble mtl dot nete

“It’s a simple solution. Why not just do that? I hate having to be considerate of Adrian anyway.”

Asti spoke nonchalantly.