How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 150

As Chelsea’s questions continued, the expressions of the villagers began to shift, confusion and doubt replacing their initial certainty.

“Well, uh…”

“I don’t think we’ve actually seen him ourselves.”

“We just assumed it was the black sheep because the armored men would come and take our things.”

“Right, the chief said it was the black sheep’s doing.”

As the villagers admitted this one by one, Chelsea nodded, her tone firm.

“So, no one here has actually seen Kamon in person during any of these incidents? Not when the problems arose, not when anything happened?”

“Well, uh… no…”

As the villagers grew more uncertain, the chief’s face tightened with frustration, and he finally burst out.

“What are you trying to do here?”

“I’m just asking questions.”

“What’s the point of this? Are you defending him just because you’re a noble, too? Or maybe you’re his lover?”

The chief’s voice was rising, his tone increasingly desperate, and Chelsea’s temple twitched in irritation. But before she could respond, Princess Francia intervened, her voice icy.

“Mind your tongue, Chief.”

“Y-Your Highness?”

“That mouth of yours could get you into serious trouble. These people are my teammates, and she is someone I hold in high regard.”

The chief’s bluster deflated under Francia’s stern warning, his words dying in his throat as he stammered, unable to find a response.

‘Airsya?’

[What now? I’m trying to watch this, you know!]

Airsya’s voice was tinged with annoyance, as if I had interrupted her during an exciting moment of a drama.

‘I’m going to need your help.’

[My help? For what?]

‘Just something that might come in handy right about now.’

I focused on the chief’s bodyguard, standing just behind him. ‘Time to see if I can use that Dryad mind control magic.’

Drawing on the power stored within the Orb, I slowly pulled out Airsya’s energy, guiding it with precision. The dark blue aura began to seep out, and I channeled it toward the bodyguard, manipulating it just like the Dryad’s spell.

As the energy reached him, I locked eyes with the bodyguard, who visibly flinched.

“What’s wrong with you?”

The chief snapped at the bodyguard, who quickly shook his head, seemingly unaffected. Satisfied, the chief turned back to Chelsea.

“So, what’s your point, miss?”

“I believe I’ve already introduced myself as Chelsea.”

“Right, Chelsea, whatever. What exactly are you getting at?”

The chief’s anger was clearly boiling over, but Chelsea remained calm, her voice steady.

“No one here has actually seen Kamon doing anything wrong. The only one who claims to have witnessed these events is you, Chief.”

“So, what? Are you saying I’m lying?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Chelsea’s response was as cold as ice, and the chief’s face twisted into a mocking smile.

“Unbelievable. You think I’m lying? Fine, then. Where’s your proof? Isn’t everything just circumstantial? Just guesswork?”

The chief’s confidence seemed to swell as he continued, his voice growing louder.

“Bring me the proof that I lied! If you can do that, I’ll apologize for everything.”

I decided it was time to step in. Taking a step forward, I responded with a calm, almost casual tone.

“Funny.”

“What?”

“You keep asking for proof. Unfortunately, I don’t have any evidence. That’s probably good news for you, right?”

The chief sneered, clearly relishing the moment.

“Of course, you don’t. Because what I’ve said is the truth.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Well, that’s too bad. Because while we don’t have evidence, we do have a witness.”

“What… what did you say?”

The chief’s composure shattered as he stared at me in shock. I smirked, gesturing toward the bodyguard behind him.

“Hey, you there.”

“…Yes.”

“Why don’t you tell us the truth? Let everyone know what’s really going on here.”

“Yes… I will.”

The bodyguard, his eyes now glowing a deep blue, turned to face the crowd.

“The chief has been lying to all of you.”

The villagers gasped in shock at the bodyguard’s sudden confession.

“What? Lying?”

“But isn’t he the chief’s bodyguard? Why would he say that?”

The murmurs of confusion spread through the crowd as the chief, utterly flabbergasted, whirled around to face his bodyguard.

“Are you insane? What nonsense are you spouting?”

“I’ve seen it all with my own eyes. The chief has been lying to you all.”

The bodyguard’s words were unhesitating, fueled by the magic I had cast. The chief, now red with fury, looked around wildly before growling at his bodyguard.

“Shut up, or I’ll—”

“Even if you kill me, the truth won’t change.”

The bodyguard’s voice was firm as he addressed the villagers, his tone almost pleading.

“If I disappear, or if something happens to me, you’ll know who’s responsible. You’ll know who’s behind it all.”

“You… you bastard!”

The chief grabbed the bodyguard by the collar, shaking with rage. I decided to twist the knife a little further.

“The truth can’t be hidden forever. The majority of the misdeeds blamed on Kamon Vade were actually orchestrated by the chief. He’s the one who’s been taking your goods, your money, and your children.”

I knew I was fabricating a story, but the chief’s reactions only made it more convincing.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You weren’t even there when it happened!”

The chief, losing control, yelled at his bodyguard, only to realize his mistake.

“I-I mean… that’s not what I meant! I’m saying he wasn’t involved!”

The chief’s frantic attempt to cover his slip-up only made things worse.

“I heard it from my senior.”

“What?”

“My senior told me.”

“Lies! He left here long before you came, and he—”

The chief suddenly froze, realizing he had made yet another fatal error.

“I mean, he left for his hometown a long time ago.”

But it was too late. The villagers had heard everything.

“Wait, what? Paltun’s dead?”

“The chief said he went away on a trip, but was that a lie?”

“And why would he hide that? We couldn’t even give him a proper funeral.”

The villagers’ suspicions grew as they stared at the chief with a mix of anger and disbelief. He frantically waved his hands, trying to calm them down.

“It’s a misunderstanding! I misspoke! Paltun went home to his village. He’s not dead!”

“Then we can contact him.”

Chelsea’s sharp tone cut through the chief’s desperate pleas. His face flushed with rage as he glared at her.

“What?”

“We can reach out to him. You said he returned to his hometown. Where is that?”

“Keep your mouth—”

“Excellent idea.”

Princess Francia, who had been quietly observing until now, finally spoke up, her voice calm and composed.

“As it happens, I have a crystal ball that can reach faraway places. If you give us his location, I can contact the royal family and get the truth directly.”

“N-no, Your Highness, there’s no need for that—”

“Why not? You’ve been accused of a grave injustice, Chief. Wouldn’t you want to clear your name?”

Princess Francia’s smile was polite but cold, and the chief realized then that she was not on his side. The trust he might have had was gone, replaced by a growing sense of dread.

“…”

I watched him quietly, feeling the spell begin to lose its hold. I released my control over the bodyguard.

“Uh… uh… what happened? My head… what did I just…”

The bodyguard shook his head, finally free from the spell. Realizing what he had said, he looked at the chief in horror.

“Chief, I don’t know why I said those things. I must have been under some sort of influence.”

The chief’s body trembled with anger and frustration as he looked around, feeling the walls close in on him.

“I’ve had enough of this!”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed off, heading back to his house in a fury.

“…”

“Did he just leave?”

“Is he really going to just leave like that?”

The villagers were left in a state of confusion as they watched the chief’s sudden departure.

“Does that mean he’s resigning as chief?”

“What? Just like that?”

“Who’s going to be the chief now?”

As the situation veered into uncertainty, any ill will they had harbored toward me seemed to dissipate along with it.

“Well, that resolved itself nicely.”

Princess Francia’s voice was calm as she stood beside me, and I nodded in agreement.

[A minute ago, she was fuming. Now she’s all friendly again. Humans really are unreliable.]

‘And dark spirits are?’

[Of course! I always keep my word.]

Airsya’s smug tone made me stifle a laugh.

* * *

“You can stay here for the night.”

“Thank you so much for taking care of us, even though you’ve been through a lot.”

“It’s the least we can do. We’re sorry to have involved you in all this… Please accept our apologies.”

The middle-aged man, who seemed to have been chosen as the interim village chief, bowed respectfully as he spoke.

It seemed that in the absence of the former chief, this man had been elected to take his place. Thanks to him, we were given a

place to rest for the night at the village hall.

“Rest well, everyone.”

“Thank you.”

After we settled in the village hall and laid down the still-unconscious Fabian, Princess Francia called it a night.

“I’m sure everyone’s exhausted today, so let’s get some rest and talk in the morning.”

With that, it seemed the day had come to an end.

[Aahh, I don’t know why, but I feel sleepy, too. Let’s get some sleep…]

‘Don’t get too comfortable, Airsya.’

[What? You’re not going to sleep?]

‘Of course not. I haven’t finished what I came here to do.’

[What are you talking about? Finished what?]

Airsya’s confusion was clear in her voice as I smiled and whispered to myself.

“Now it’s time to go deal with that bastard chief.”