The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 408



408 – Special Lesson in Hell -5-

Questions follow one after another, endlessly.

‘Why is that guy…’

The unexpected appearance of someone had thrown his mind into chaos.

‘Why are you here?’

He was the one who had stolen his talent.

The one who had taught him humility.

The one who had brought his once successful life to ruin.

– Kkwaaak…

Ruine thought that this special lesson was a scheme orchestrated by Hans. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for that guy to be here.

If the one who had fallen and joined hands with the heretics was here, it was certain that the same thing he had experienced would repeat.

‘It was wrong from the beginning.’

As Ruine’s complicated thoughts shifted to doubts about the authenticity of the lesson, Hans began to ease Ruine’s anxiety with a gentle smile.

“Must be complicated, right?”

“…”

“If I, who was once the archbishop of the heretics, suddenly appear before you and say ‘teacher,’ even I would find it strange.”

He defended Ricardo while speaking kindly.

“No matter how untrustworthy I may be, I hope you stop having blasphemous thoughts about Saint… no, Ricardo. Thanks to him, I was able to escape from the heretics.”

“…”

“From now on, I hope you think of me as the magic teacher assigned to teach you.”

“…”

“I’ve quit the heretics and am living a diligent life now, so you can trust me. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

With a trembling voice, Ruine shouted at Hans, filled with unwavering determination that it could never be.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

He expressed his anger towards his old friend.

“You expect me to believe that…?”

“Believing or not is your freedom…”

“Can I learn magic from the guy who stole my talent?”

Ruine had decided that if he ever met him again, he would send him back even if it meant a life-and-death struggle. But hearing Hans talk about reformation so casually made Ruine feel hatred. He knew it was futile resentment, but thinking about all the hardships he had endured made his anger surge.

-Hasn’t Senior Ruine become strange?

– “Yeah… can’t even get basic magic right.”

– “Isn’t it kind of lame? And the showing off… it’s just…”

‘Crack’

Luine felt a surge of anger whenever he thought about that moment. The person who had given him the hardest time in his life was standing right in front of him.

“Luine.”

Hans let out a hollow laugh as he spoke to Luine.

“The magic I took from you didn’t suit me, so I never used it.”

“What?”

“To begin with… I didn’t take your magic to use it.”

– “Clench…”

“…Are you kidding me?”

Hans, looking at Luine who seemed ready to burst out at any moment, smiled gently and refrained from provoking him further. He had expected this much of a reaction.

‘I thought he’d at least grab me by the collar… Seems like he’s realized something.’

Hans, who had anticipated a stronger reaction, took a step back with a pleasant smile at Luine’s unexpectedly calm response. If nothing had changed since then, he would have tried to take the magic again.

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you. I’m here because Ricardo asked me to be.”

“…”

“Senior Shartia probably feels the same way. And so does junior Shuen. I think the other students feel the same too.”

“I don’t know what happened!”

“Haha… Still, I look forward to working with you. I’m the teacher who will be instructing you all…”

“Don’t make me laugh!!!”

Luine clenched his fist and stood up, striding towards him. The friend he had longed to see was right in front of him.

“Tell me honestly what your intentions are.”

He wanted to question him.

Why did you do it?

Did you hate me that much?

Having fallen to the bottom, Luine could somewhat understand Hans’ feelings. The feeling of being compared. The feeling of looking at a place you could never reach no matter how hard you tried.

And.

He could now understand the ugliness of being willing to do anything to become stronger.

“Speak!!”

Luine shouted, looking down at Hans. Their relationship had always been like this.

The tall figure looked down at him, and Hans looked up at the figure.

In that moment, Ruin suddenly realized that Hans was shorter than him, and a cold voice began to echo in his ears.

“Student Ruin.”

“You….”

“Don’t look down on me arrogantly, sit down.”

“…”

“I am here in the capacity of a teacher instructing students.”

“Stop beating around the bush and speak. You must have another motive. Otherwise, you wouldn’t….”

-Saaa…

In the fleeting moment of silence.

-Thwack…!

With intense pain, Ruin’s balance began to collapse.

“Ugh…!”

Ruin, frowning, looked at his leg that felt extreme pain, but Hans’s leg had already kicked Ruin’s thigh.

“You b*stard…!”

Ruin, whose leg had lost strength, angrily lunged to grab Hans by the collar, but due to his lost balance, he couldn’t catch Hans.

Instead.

With a ‘thud!’ sound, he buried his face in the sand.

Ruin, with his face in the sand, looked up at Hans with a frown and gritted his teeth.

“I’ll crush you.”

“…”

“I’ll beat you senseless until you come to your senses….”

“I’m quite sane… you know.”

“…”

“Ugh.”

Hans, squatting in front of Ruin, looked down at him with a small smile.

“Student Ruin. Listen to me.”

“…”

“Before I take everything you have left.”

“…!!!”

Hans stood up from his seat, a small smile playing on his lips as he began to talk about the lesson.

“That’s right. I’m not someone to be trusted, just like the rumors say.”

“I trust you.”

“Why is that?”

“Because a smart commoner hired you. I trust you.”

“I think we’ll get along well.”

“Are you a noble?”

“I’m a commoner.”

“A commoner daring to talk to a noble? How dare you!?”

Hans burst into laughter, taking a step back as he continued his story.

“So, I have my own rules to add to make sure you all engage passionately in the lessons.”

“…”

“I was going to explain it myself, but thanks to Ruin speaking up, now everyone knows.”

Hans looked at the students, who were drenched in fear, and gave them a bright smile.

“That’s right. I can use black magic to steal someone’s talent. The ‘Flame Letters’ talent of Ruin, or the ‘Transformation’ magic that changes one’s appearance, are all magic I have stolen from others.”

“…”

“Of course, I don’t use it ‘often’ now… but I do use it when necessary.”

“…”

“So…”

Hans looked at them with cold eyes and said,

“For those inferior students who can’t keep up with the lessons, their unnecessary talents…”

-Saaa…

“I plan to put them to good use.”

Hans watched the trembling students and drew a line in the sand.

“Now, let’s start the lesson.”

“…”

“If you can’t cross this line, you’re disqualified.”

“…”

“Understood? Ruin.”

Ruin glared at Hans’s confident expression, clutching the sand on the ground.

“Fine… I’ll cross that damn line.”

·

·

·

“Damn it…!”

Ruine, blocked by the transparent barrier, pounded his fist in frustration.

“Why can’t I…!”

It was just a single line, yet Ruine found himself stuck, unable to cross or overcome it. Anxiety began to creep in.

He had worked himself to the bone, only to be thwarted by this ridiculous line.

“The tea tastes good.”

Ruine, filled with anger, spoke to Hans, who was leisurely drinking tea.

“Hey… Hans.”

“Yes, Ruine.”

“If I cross this line, you must tell me. Why you made that choice… why you betrayed Grandpa.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll break this damn barrier.”

Hans shook his head, questioning what Ruine was talking about.

“If you want something, you need to offer something in return. I have nothing to gain from you, so why should we talk?”

“b*stard.”

“And.”

Hans pointed to the drawn barrier with his finger, smiling.

“This is basic, very basic.”

“…”

“If I reward you for solving basic tasks, you’ll get spoiled. This barrier is something even an orc could break. Or are you expecting praise like a toddler taking their first steps?”

“Don’t underestimate me…”

“Shall I increase the difficulty then?”

Hans smiled brightly as he began to reinforce the barrier on all sides.

“Until you break out of the barrier. You cannot come out. Not even for food or water. Only those who break out can eat.”

“…”

“Those who finish their lessons early will be given a break.”

Hans, looking at the pale faces, lightly crossed the line and said,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…”

“Can’t you handle something this simple?”

*

Inside the cathedral where no light entered.

Yuria, who had opened her eyes, lifted her head and was staring at the woman in front of her.

It was a familiar sight.

Kind and.

The back of a beautiful cleric.

Those who had opened their eyes inside the cathedral were also staring at the woman kneeling in front of the pulpit. The woman in the white linen robe drew attention just by her presence.

“Saint… Thank you for providing us with our daily bread today.”

The woman, who recited the prayer with a sacred gesture, slowly straightened her knees and stepped onto the pulpit.

And the moment the woman’s face was revealed, Yuria’s pupils began to tremble greatly.

“Hello everyone.”

“Why… that person.”

Only Yuria knew the woman’s identity in this place. The person who had brainwashed the academy students and fought on par with the Empire’s sword was a monster that could not be erased from memory.

The woman, with a holy smile, bowed her head and greeted.

“I am the teacher who will teach you healing arts and the use of divine power…”

-Smile.

“My name is Elicia.”

Elicia’s pupils were smiling as she looked at Yuria’s divine eyes.

“Please take care of me.”