The Villain is Too Good at Sniping - Chapter 126



Only Noblemtl

Episode 126. Uninhabited Island (5)

“I’ll tell you first, but would you like to go with me?”

Chloe Garnet tilts her head to the side with a faint smile.

Chloe stood quietly and waited for my answer.

I was a little surprised. It’s not that I didn’t know what she meant by asking me to go together, but I was surprised because the person who came to see me was Chloe Garnet.

When he came to me, he didn’t say he was happy to see me or that he didn’t know I’d be here, but rather said he wanted to go together.

Chloe had already moved to Serine Annette. What this meant was clear. Serine Annette was starting to take action in earnest. When I remained silent without answering, Chloe added a word.

“I’ll say it again, but that’s just what I’m saying. I have to do my job.”

“Who made you do that, Chloe?”

“It’s difficult to talk about it now.”

Chloe gave a ticklish smile.

“If you would instead say you would come with me, I could tell you then.”

My [Emotion] didn’t react. Chloe doesn’t show any hostility towards me. If she came here on Celine Annette’s orders, she must have been prepared for a physical confrontation, so it was a bit unexpected.

“…You’re not trying to go over there, are you?”

“Am I crazy? You set up a camp for everyone to stay in and then go over there.”

“If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate… … .”

Lara Stillheiden seemed undecided as to what to do.

Up until now, we’ve only talked about the possibility of a physical conflict, but this is the first time it’s actually happened. Unlike me, it must have been an unfamiliar and tense situation for Lara.

“I’m sorry. I’ve done a lot here, so it’ll be hard for me to go there. Chloe.”

“Are you really not going to come? Serin-sama cares for Sion-sama very much and seems to want to give Sion-sama the treatment he deserves.”

“But what can’t be done, can’t be done.”

Chloe furrowed her brows at my stubborn refusal.

“… It’s not going to work after all. Then, there’s nothing I can do.”

Chloe put her hand into her bosom and started to take something out one by one.

It was a mixed situation for anyone to see. Lara was very nervous and held her staff, but I looked at Chloe calmly. Because I didn’t feel any hostility from Chloe in the first place.

What Chloe Garnet took out of her pocket was not a secret note. It was a crumpled piece of paper. Chloe unfolded it and held it out in front of me.

“Serine Annette is on the cliffs to the north. Here’s a simple map of the island… It should help you find the location of the opposing faction.”

Chloe obediently told Serene Annette where she was staying.

“Serin wants to capture and imprison all of you, no, all of the remaining cadets on this island. She wants to subdue all of the other cadets before she attacks them first. The people to watch out for are Kai Alma, and Gardner Meridian… and—”

“wait for a sec.”

“If you wish, Sion, we can attack right away tonight. I will guide you. Since you will not expect a surprise attack, it will definitely work.”

“Just a minute, Chloe.”

“yes?”

Chloe tilted her head at my words.

“Wasn’t it attached to Serene Annette?”

“…Why me?”

Instead, Chloe stared at me with an expression that said she really didn’t understand.

“There’s no way I would go under that guy. It’s true that I received help, but I knew that Sion was here, so why would I join forces with him?”

Chloe’s words sounded creepy, so I quietly checked Chloe’s favorability rating.

Chloe Garnet’s current affection level towards you is ‘A person of destiny who cannot be separated from you’.

Fortunately, we haven’t reached the final stage, ‘The Red Thread of Fate’ yet. However, judging from the fact that the keyword ‘fate’ appears, we estimate that it’s either just before the final stage or two stages below.

Whatever it is, the favorability rating shouldn’t go up any further.

“If you’re not interested, there’s a third option.”

“What’s the third one?”

“It’s about throwing away the attachments of this world and going out in search of happiness. To put it simply, that is.”

Chloe came over and spoke into my ear in a voice that Lara Stillheiden couldn’t hear.

“… We’re running away in the middle of the night. We’re just the two of us leaving. Without telling anyone, just the two of us.”

Chloe Garnet’s favorability rating increases.

The ticklish breath made me dizzy for a moment. However, the overlapping system sounds blew away the little bit of fatigue I had left. I felt like I had just taken a cold shower and my mind was clear.

“You’re in the middle of training. What are you going to do by running away in the middle of the night? The professors will all be watching. Do you think you can handle it?”

“That’s why I told you. It’s the way to get rid of all worldly attachments.”

“You know it won’t work out. What if you get summoned back? How will you face the professor? And the other students?”

Chloe stared at the watch on my hand. Even though it was currently disabled, this watch was a lifeline for the cadets. It would allow them to immediately receive help from the faculty in the event of an unexpected accident.

Even if we can’t verify it, the faculty will be able to confirm our location.

If I just take off my watch and leave, I don’t know, but I don’t think I’ll be able to handle the aftershock when I return.

“Rather than that, we need to think about how we can finish the training well.”

I decided to reach out to Chloe Garnet in return.

“What are you going to do? If you stay with Serin Annette, you’ll end up fighting me. Do you really want to stay there?”

“I don’t want to fight with Zion.”

“Then come here.”

If you continue to stay on Serin Annette’s side like this, you will inevitably become enemies with me.

I warned Chloe gently. It felt like a minute before I got a response. Chloe’s lips twitched before she could finally speak.

“Ahem. If you say so… I guess there’s nothing I can do. To be honest, I thought Sion-sama had a better chance of winning.”

Chloe pretended to hesitate for a moment, then reluctantly took my hand as if to say, “Let’s go.” Then she shouted excitedly.

“Okay, Sion. Then let’s kill the evil purple-haired bandits together. Sion, definitely?”

“…What on earth are you doing, Chloe Garnet?”

The voice came from behind Chloe. There stood Celine Annette, clutching the spear.

“Are you following me?”

“I followed along just in case, and what the heck is this… … .”

As if she had known this would happen, Celine Annette touched my temple.

“I sent him to persuade Zion Illionheart, but he refused to listen. He even showed me a map of where I was staying and explained it to me. He even said he was going to run away in the middle of the night… … .”

“Stalking is a crime.”

“Isn’t this the time to be discussing that? Now?”

“You saved me to use me in the first place, didn’t you? I just used you.”

Chloe gently put her arm around me as she spoke brazenly to Serine Annette.

As expected, Serine Annette looked dumbfounded. She froze for a while, unable to say anything.

“I came here to negotiate, so I will ask you to step aside.”

But now that I, Chloe, and Lara are together, and we are practically on opposing sides, there is nothing even Celine Annette can do. In the end, Celine Annette shook her head.

“The next time we meet, we will be enemies. Sion Illionheart, and Chloe Garnet.”

“Isn’t there really a way to find a solution without fighting and by joining forces? Serin.”

“Zion, do you really think that’s possible?”

“I hope so, but I guess not.”

I can relax now that I know the outcome, but the other cadets who were dropped on this island will have to endlessly doubt the true meaning of this training and their own abilities without any information.

There is no way to escape the island, food is scarce, and there is no purpose to the training.

This place is full of all kinds of stress, the burden of final exams, and other anxiety-inducing factors. It is a structure that is bound to cause conflict.

So Serin Annette decided to create a force under her own control. She couldn’t convince everyone, so she only brought to her side the few she could control.

And that goes for me too. In the original, Kyle took the lead, but now it just so happens that I brought Kyle to my camp.

In the end, Serine Annette and Kyle are going to have a confrontation in this training. They will bicker and become closer, and eventually join forces. My goal is to make it happen that way.

“Well then, that’s it.”

Serene Annette said a short goodbye and disappeared into the grass. I still saw Chloe Garnet, who was still attached to my arm like a magnet.

“I’m sure Zion can defeat that evil bandit. I’ll help him however I can.”

I didn’t expect it, but I have more colleagues.

***

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The next morning.

I climbed the mountain with Kyle. It was the mountain where the owlbears lived, and also the place where the cave where Kyle and Esili were originally supposed to stay was.

And, a place you must pass through to get to the big tree on the top of the mountain.

In order to investigate the island, you must first defeat Owlbear. Originally, it was a three-person operation involving Kyle, Esili, and Elin.

“That, Owlbear’s nest was this way, right? Esili.”

“That’s probably right. Doesn’t it smell?”

“A warm smell… Yeah. I think this is the right place.”

Now it’s a situation where I and Airi have joined together.

Esili Silvergarden motioned to me. I checked the signal and cocked my Glock. Then I aimed toward the cave with Esili.

“When I signal, we shoot together. Then, Kyle Evanstairs, you have to step forward.”

Kyle and Airi exchanged glances. They each stood at the entrance to the cave, ready to attack the Owlbear that would soon emerge.

I aimed my Glock at the cave entrance, and at the same time scanned the inside with [Watcher’s Eye]. It was a fairly deep cave, so I couldn’t see anything properly, but I injected some more magic and confirmed a few small silhouettes.

Esili winked at me again. As soon as I nodded, Esili let go of the string she had been pulling.

Ppaang?!

Taang… … !

A crimson fire arrow shot into the cave. I pulled the trigger as Esili let out a protest.

Fire-attribute bullets and arrows illuminated the cave. A faint explosion sound was heard from inside the cave.

And soon, I felt a vibration that made my whole body tremble. The sound of heavy, thumping footsteps could be heard from inside the cave.

Kwung! Thump… … !

“Coming… … .”

As someone muttered, a heavy body appeared through the cave entrance. The Owlbear, a demon with the body of a bear and the head of an owl, appeared.

Kuuuuuuu… … !

Then Owlbear roared. The creature, standing on two feet with its upper body raised, was taller than an average adult male.

The hook-like claws will easily tear through things like the cadet uniform. I fired a wind-attribute magic bullet at its feet before it could swing its front legs. Its body is so heavy that I can’t blow it away, but I can expect a slight stiffening effect.

“Now is the time! Let’s go!”

“bout!”

Airi and Kyle fly in from each side. Pink and blue afterimages are drawn at different angles.

Originally, I should have cut Owlbear’s side, but because its hide was so tough, I could only manage to make a bruise. Airi backed away in shock.

“This, this… …! It’s too strong! It seems like my attacks aren’t working at all!”

“It’s okay, so step back.”

Up to this point, it was as expected. It would have been nice if I could have taken it down with the surprise attack just now, but it can’t be helped since it’s a tough guy.

Kyle and Airi, who were in the lead, blocked Owlbear’s attack. As Esili pulled the trigger and gathered her magic power, I saw Elin Beonard hanging precariously on the cliff.

“Is this right? Really? Why am I always the one who gets this role?”

Elin was giving me a look that was asking for my life. Her expression was like she was asking if this was really right.

I nodded at Elin. After a brief moment of silence, I and Kyle drew Owlbear’s attention.

Phage crackle!

A flash of yellow sparks flew beside me. Esili signaled to me. As soon as my approval was given, Esili let go of the weapon. A yellow beam of light struck Owlbear.

“I don’t know! I really don’t know! If I die, it’s your fault, Kyle, and I won’t attain Buddhahood until I die!”

“It’s okay! You can do it! Elin!”

“Eww?!”

Finally, Elin Beonard fell free-falling onto Owlbear. The spell that was activated at the same time was the intermediate spell ‘Psychic Incursion’. It was a mental disruption spell that linked the souls of those whose bodies were in contact with each other.

Owlbear cannot be defeated in a conventional manner. It is possible to challenge it, but it is not the right time to do so. So this time, I have decided to gladly give the veteran a chance.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The scroll that burns and disappears was transmitted from the Ivory Tower. It is one of several magical scrolls that Esili readily received using her badge.

The moment the magic was activated, Owlbear stopped as if it had broken down. The same goes for Elin, who was riding on top of Owlbear.

I don’t know what Elin is looking at, having lost her mind. She probably feels like she’s turned into a bear. You can ask her how she feels later.

I aimed for Owlbear’s weak point, under the chin, and fired a bullet of faith. That alone was not enough, and it was Ashili Silvergarden who delivered the decisive finishing blow.

… Kuuuung!

As soon as Owlbear’s giant body collapsed, Elin fell to the ground.