How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain.

If you want to read it for a cheap price until the last chapter, patreon.com/Makima02

"Strange…how strange…" 

The elderly man sitting before me shook his head in puzzlement.

He was a renowned healer from the south who specialized in treating victims of nightmare demons, summoned at dawn without explanation to examine me. 

Despite the abrupt summons, he did his utmost due diligence. He exchanged a few words with me, fed me a potion made from a special herb mixture, and even shone a delicate light into my pupils.

Yet at the end of this examination, all he could utter was a perplexed murmur.

"What do you mean by 'strange'?"

"Ah, my apologies for the disrespect before the great Young Master."

The healer quickly corrected his posture and apologized as soon as he heard my voice.

"This is quite…I'm not sure how to explain…"

"No matter what you say, I won't get angry, so please tell me honestly as it is. Is there anything seriously wrong?"

Hesitating at first, the healer began cautiously explaining at my urging.

"In fact, it's the opposite. Your current state, Young Master, appears far too healthy to be that of one afflicted by a nightmare demon. At least, on the surface."

While I should have been glad to hear the healer's words, his last remark subtly grated on me. 'At least, on the surface?'

"…Go on."

"May I ask if you know much about nightmare demons?"

"I wouldn't say I know much, but I know as much as anyone else…"

"Many people think of the nightmare demons as mere creatures that disrupt sleep, but that's not quite true. If the creature is a larval form, then the rumors are not far off, but in the case of an adult, it's much more dangerous."

Now that he had broached the topic, the healer's words flowed like a bursting dam.

"Adult nightmare demons require a significant amount of nourishment. So, in order to increase their food supply, they literally squeeze out the victim's spirit. And female nightmare demons in their breeding season demand even more. They need to provide nutrients to their unborn young, so they exceptionally consume real food in addition to dreams during that time."

The healer spoke of matters entirely unfamiliar to me. Though my circumstances differed, I likely fell into the category of those who view night terrors as "mere dream entities that disturb sleep" – my knowledge extending little beyond their outward appearance and basic parameters.

"However, despite their formidable threat, they begin by attacking the victim's spirits since they cannot be overpowered by brute force alone. Once their prey is utterly enfeebled…they proceed to devour them alive, bit by bit."

"Could the one that attacked me yesterday perhaps be…?"

"…A female nightmare carrying her young. And a fairly old one at that. I confirmed this with the Count before I started the examination."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. The creature from yesterday was quite large, even at a glance. So, does that mean I could have been eaten alive if I had made a mistake?

However, if the nightmare demon from yesterday was a female, it didn't quite match what the healer had just said.

"Then isn't that a bit different from what you just explained? I'm perfectly fine here."

"Yes. That's exactly what I find strange." The healer gently massaged his furrowed brow as if plagued by a headache.

"You clearly said that you became aware of the dream and woke up, right? And immediately upon rousing, the creature had its tail coiled around your neck, is that correct?"

"Without a doubt."

"First of all, once you become a target of the nightmare demon, you cannot wake up on your own until the creature retreats. Unless, by some stroke of luck, someone is around to chase the creature away. And…"

"And?"

"…Coiling its tail around the neck is their modus operandi — a last conscious act before they eat their prey. In other words, Your Excellency, you barely escaped being eaten alive."

His last words were even more horrifying. The creature had come in through the window, and I had been sitting in the chair in front of it, so I couldn't help but think that I was probably the target.

The healer glanced at my expression before continuing cautiously—

"And the more adult the creature, the more horrific the nightmare. It's very rare, but in the case of old ones, you can get trapped in a dream or even have a mental breakdown. These people take a long time to recover and never fully regain their former selves."

"Then what you said earlier about…"

"Yes. The fact that you appear so unscathed is precisely what I find most perplexing."

At the healer's words, I thought back to the scene I had seen in the dream. I had clearly seen Eugene and the heroine. Their figures from my previous life, flowing with the course of history.

If I had to define that dream, it was definitely a nightmare. A dream where someone who was impatient to devour each other was gaining the upper hand.

But did that fall into the category of the horrific nightmares the healer was talking about? To the point of a mental breakdown? I was just watching a story unfold without emotion.

On the contrary, the unpleasantness that arose now from recalling the contents of the dream was even stronger.

After a moment of thought, the healer cautiously expressed his opinion.

"Do you remember what I said earlier about being healthy on the surface?"

"Yes."

"…Forgive me for my rudeness. On the contrary, that means that there may be something wrong inside. To be precise, in the mind."

"What do you mean by…"

"It was not altogether unprecedented for some to appear physically sound despite grave affliction by nightmare demons. Do you know the common denominator? They all suffered from pre-existing mental instabilities."

"Mental instabilities?"

"Of course, your case seems to be a bit different from that…"

His words rang somewhat true. Since I regained my memories, there has been a sense of confusion that I can't even explain.

Especially in certain situations, there have been more than a few times when I couldn't control my anger or sadness that welled up.

I told him the story. I told him that in the dream I had only seen the life story of someone I didn't like very much, that my personality had changed a bit after a big shock a while ago, and that sometimes I felt emotions I couldn't control.

"Hmm…now that you mention it, I can certainly see…"

The healer nodded slightly, as if his suspicions were confirmed after hearing my account. 

After all, he was one of the residents of this territory, so he may have heard rumors about me. When I returned from the Demon Realm and showed my changed appearance, the territory was buzzing with talk about me for a while.

"If it had been a normal situation, you might have gotten angry or felt very painful emotions in the dream."

"But what if I have a mental problem? But if I don't have any problems in my daily life and I've gotten through this situation well, isn't it not that bad?"

The healer shook his head adamantly at my words.

"From what you describe, it seems less that the condition has abated and more that you are merely suppressing it. And the human mind is an exceedingly delicate thing. Things may appear fine for now, but the issues will inevitably resurface."

"Then what should I do?"

"If you were harmed by a nightmare demon, I could help you, but in this case it's difficult to intervene rashly. I heard that you are a student at the Academy, so how about getting help there? The Academy must have some considerable healers…"

The healer had no more words to say. He prescribed a light stabilizing potion and left.

It was true that there was an infirmary at the Academy. I know who the healers were too. I just didn't have a reason to go, so I didn't.

After hearing the healer's advice, I feel I should make a point to visit the infirmary once the new semester begins. Although he assured me my condition is manageable for now, the nagging disquiet leaves me unable to simply dismiss it…

Suddenly, the plaintive sound of sobbing came from outside, jolting me from my contemplation. It was unmistakably Adele.

As I moved to open the door, wondering what had happened, it burst open and Adele rushed inside, tears streaming.

Behind her, the head maid Roberta followed with a troubled expression.

"Waaahh…brother…waaahh…"

Adele clung to me, her mournful cries unceasing. Patting her back, I turned to Roberta for an explanation.

"Roberta. What happened this time?"

"Well, you see…"

Roberta began to explain cautiously. Last night, Adele did not return to her room. My father had been busy with the newfound emergency and the knights conducted an extensive search. Adele spent the night under heavy guard in her father's vacant chambers.

This morning, upon returning to her room, she immediately realized her most cherished possession was missing.

The teddy bear named "Eddie" – nearly identical to my own name – that Adele always kept with her, had vanished.

And just now, Adele's bear was discovered torn to shreds in the corner of the courtyard, mauled beyond recognition by some sharp implement.

As if someone had vented their rage upon it in Adele's absence.

Adele rushed straight to me, dissolving into hysterics after witnessing her bear's ruination. 

"Waaahh…hic…sob…"

"There, there…it's alright…"

I did my best to comfort Adele as she cried in my arms, but my mind was racing with suspicion.

Perhaps the recent calm at Madehaven was merely the prelude before the storm's arrival.

Earlier, I felt relieved that it had been me instead of Adele, but the situation was now far more serious. The attack on my chambers was not an isolated incident – Adele's room had been similarly violated. Had she not spent the night elsewhere, an unspeakable tragedy could have befallen her.

The fact that her bear, which carried her strongest scent, was targeted, confirmed that Adele was indeed the intended victim.

These events made one thing indisputably evident —- the nightmare demon's intrusion was no mere accident or trivial lapse.

Though I had no concrete answers yet, one thing was clear — someone was deliberately targeting our family, and there was a breach somewhere within our mansion.

If you want to read it for a cheap price until the last chapter, patreon.com/Makima02