The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 410



410 – Fighting is a Bad Thing. -1-

[We sincerely welcome the visit of the academy students.]

“…”

The students, who had finished their meal and shower, looked at the small banner hanging in the lounge and let out a low sigh.

“Ha… I really want to tear it apart.”

That cheerful phrase felt particularly annoying today.

“…”

Luine, with a towel on her head, unclenched her fist as she looked at the phrase. Because she had a foreboding thought, ‘If I tear it, I’ll die.’

“Ha…”

In his heart, Ruin wanted to tear down the banner that read, “Welcome to Hell,” but he decided to hold back out of fear for the future.

Six hours spent rolling in the sand.

From noble mtl dot com

Three hours of mental breakdown because of Hans.

A total of nine hours.

“Damn it.”

It still felt like there was sand in his mouth.

“Ruin, when do you plan to finish?”

“…Huff… Huff.”

“Your junior, Shuen, came out four hours ago.”

“Shut up…”

“Damn it.”

Ruin clenched his fist as he recalled Hans’ sneering face. That guy had been chattering next to him, making it impossible to focus on the task. Of course, his own lack of ability was the main issue, but he felt he needed an excuse to feel better.

“At least I’m not last… If I were last, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep.”

Ruin, looking haggard, glanced at his fellow magic department students in the lounge and smiled faintly. They were the friends who had preserved his pride.

“Are you here for a picnic? Don’t lie down.”

“Huff… Huff… I’m out of magic power.”

“Do you want to be unable to use it for the rest of your life?”

“Eek…!”

Feeling pity, Ruin spoke to the sniffling girl, expressing his gratitude for helping him avoid being last.

“Good job.”

Airi, a first-year student in the magic department, blushed and smiled at Ruin’s words.

“Thank you, senior…!”

She had only heard rumors about him, but now she was receiving encouragement from him. His reputation had worsened, but his appearance still shone.

“Senior Ruin told me I did well…!”

It had been a hellish class, but at that moment, Airi thought it wasn’t so bad.

“Algae senior, what are you smiling about?”

“Al… Algae?”

“If you were any later, it would have been past midnight. It takes over an hour to curl my hair.”

“Wait, did you just call me algae…”

Drying her hair, Shuen retorted to Ruin with an annoyed voice.

“Shut up, you main culprit of water pollution!”

“Ha… Now everyone, even dogs and cows, call me algae.”

“Algae cannot understand the pride of nobility! The bun hairstyle is the pride of this Shuen!”

“Haa… Fine.”

Even though he felt like he was going to die from exhaustion, Ruin sighed and gave up on talking when he saw Shuen still fussing over her hair.

It seemed like continuing the conversation would just make him more tired.

Turning his head, Ruin ignored Shuen and started to continue the conversation. As a senior, there were things he needed to take care of.

“What was difficult?”

“Well… I haven’t learned about barriers.”

“Barriers can be broken if you decipher the formula. You just need to find the weak point and hit it with strong magic.”

“Senior….”

In the past, he used to get annoyed when he saw students without talent, but Ruin, who had realized how great the sorrow of not being able to keep up was, put a towel around his neck and spoke in a calm voice.

“Let’s work hard again tomorrow.”

“Thank you… I’m sorry for keeping you late because of me….”

“It’s okay. You can make up for it next time.”

“But still….”

Ruin offered words of encouragement to the dispirited female student to cheer her up.

“Don’t pretend to know about algae!”

Of course, to Shuen, who had come out four hours earlier than Ruin, it looked like a child who had just learned to flip over was teaching someone how to walk.

“That really…!”

“Senior…”

Airi spoke in a low voice to comfort Ruin, not knowing what kind of ripple her words might cause.

“Still, it seems like our magic department has the toughest classes…”

As the thoughtless magician’s words spread through the break room, silence fell, and Ruin felt blatant gazes piercing the back of his head.

“Huh…?”

Especially Yuria.

“…”

Seeing the hostility in the eyes of Yuria, who had only shown a passive attitude until now, Ruin slowly turned around and looked at them.

It was chilling.

It felt like the atmosphere in the break room was freezing over, as if daring him to say one more word.

“…Just a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Quiet.”

“Yes? Yes…”

A whispering sound was heard.

The members of the Healing Department began to whisper eerily into Ruin’s ear while spitting out maniacal laughter.

“Khehe… Kheuk…”

“Kkek… Should we ask the teacher to throw him into the pit?”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

The students who were chattering in Elysia’s class were now glaring at Ruin with strange laughter.

‘What’s wrong with them?’

He couldn’t understand why they were reacting so violently to his muttering.

-Bang.

Ruin’s mouth shut automatically at the eerie gaze of Yuria, who was staring at Airi with a hostile expression. Their faces, filled with the emotion of hardship, were overwhelming.

‘What happened….’

Just as Ruin, who didn’t want to get involved, took a step back to avoid the fight, he heard the voice of another Magic Department student in his ear.

“What did you learn in the Healing Department?”

A prestigious noble.

Adrian Fluckner, a second-year student in the Magic Department, began to sneer at the whispering Healing Department students.

Ruin glared at Fluckner and whispered softly.

“Shut up.”

If you want to live, shut up.

The biggest thing Ruin had realized after falling into the abyss was ‘survival instinct.’ His intuition was desperately screaming at him to shut that guy’s mouth, but…

“I can’t do that, senior.”

The vigorous Fluckner simply rejected Ruin’s wish. He was one of those arrogant wizards who were obsessed with magical superiority.

“While we were suffering all day trapped in the barrier, the Healing Department students were probably sitting in chairs studying theory…”

“Shut up, you b*stard…”

“If the Healing Department students had taken the same classes as us, they would have run away crying.”

-Shaa…

Ruin sensed it.

“Ha…?”

It seems too late to turn back.

“What did you just say?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“If you had been in that hell for 10 hours, you wouldn’t be saying that.”

“Even lies should have limits.”

A childish fight about who had it worse began.

“Do you know how hard it is to create a barrier? You’re a healer worse than a potion.”

“Watch your mouth. If you get hurt now, we’re the only ones who can heal you.”

“If you could hurt me, you might be useful.”

“You b*stard…!”

As harsh words were exchanged and the students’ fight was about to escalate into a faculty brawl.

“Stop.”

Malik, with a towel on his head, calmly walked among the students, starting to calm the troubled atmosphere.

‘Is he trying to mediate because he’s a senior director…?’

Just as Ruin’s evaluation of Malik was about to rise in his mind.

“We had the hardest time. So be quiet.”

Malik began to engage in childish antics.

*

While the students were having a sharp nerve battle.

In the basement of the mountain lodge, I was having a conversation with the kind teachers, smiling slightly.

“How was today’s class?”

Hans answered with a small smile.

“They seem to be following along better than I thought.”

“Really? I thought Ruin would have interfered.”

“As the Saint said, just a little nudge and they reacted immediately.”

“Because they’re easy to handle.”

A small smile appeared.

It wasn’t a bad thing that the class was going well. It was surprising that that guy Nokjo was following along well, though.

“What about Lady Elisia?”

“The students are well-behaved and are following along nicely.”

Elicia replied with a gentle smile, saying there were no problems.

“Oh, by the way, what do you think is the difference between a potion and a healer?”

The difference between a potion and a healer…

After a brief moment of contemplation, I gave Elicia my answer. Honestly, there wasn’t much of a difference.

“I think of them as highly versatile weapons.”

“May I ask why you think that way?”

“A healer is an undead crusher, isn’t it? Moreover, a skilled healer can reattach severed limbs. While potions are overwhelmingly portable, in unpredictable situations, a healer can demonstrate overwhelming prowess.”

Hearing my answer, Elicia nodded in admiration, as if looking at a student who had written the perfect essay answer.

“As expected of you, Saint.”

“Thank you for the compliment… But why did you suddenly ask such a question?”

Elicia replied with a gentle smile. Her smile, like that of a mischievous prankster, made my knees feel weak.

“I asked the students.”

“Pardon?”

“I asked them what the difference between a potion and a healer is.”

“I bet their reactions were quite something.”

Elicia smiled gently and held back her words. Seeing her hold back, it seemed the reactions weren’t very good, but it was probably best not to ask further. There was no need to make someone who didn’t need to worry, worry unnecessarily.

Stretching slightly, I asked Hans and Elicia.

“What are your plans for tomorrow’s class? I’m thinking of pushing them into an orc den.”

Hans, his eyes shining as if inspired by my words, replied with a look full of regret.

“I’m planning to do another barrier class. I think the students will like it if we raise it by two more levels.”

“I see.”

“Saint, if it’s not too much trouble, could we also use the orc den in our next class?”

“Of course. If there’s a specific creature you want, just let Elicia know, and she’ll arrange it.”

“Elicia…!”

Hans looked at Elicia with eyes full of admiration, and Elicia nodded with a small smile.

“I’m thinking of putting them in a ghoul horde this time.”

“…Ghouls?”

“Today, we trained their basic combat skills with relatively weak skeletons. Now, I think it’s time to build their courage.”

They all seemed like tough people.

To the extent that I thought I was the most normal among them.

It was then.

– Get out, you lying Healing Department!

– You who were lying in the barrier, get out!

– You would only understand the sorrow of the Swordsmanship Department if you fainted all day.

The sound of students refusing to rest and causing a commotion could be heard.

Looking at the ceiling, I smiled slightly and looked at Hans and Alicia.

“They seem to be fighting.”

“Indeed.”

“Being young is truly a wonderful thing.”

After a brief silence, Alicia, pointing at the ceiling with her finger, said with a kind smile.

“Shall we proceed?”

A sinister smile began to bloom on the faces of the three people.