How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 157

‘The spirit magic formation turned out to be more powerful than I expected,’ I mused to myself as we prepared to leave the village.

[How did you even know about such a thing?] Airsya asked, curiosity lacing her voice.

I shrugged off the question, giving a vague reply. ‘I just heard about it from someone.’

The truth was, the spirit magic formation that Dean Elmon had passed down to me was far from ordinary. While I knew he was a skilled spirit mage, I hadn’t anticipated the extent of his abilities.

‘I didn’t realize it would be this incredible.’

After the Orb had absorbed Airsya, the Spirit of Jealousy, and granted me the ability to wield spirit energy, I had gained yet another powerful secret weapon.

‘Might as well try out all the ones I can remember.’

[You mean there’s more?]

‘Plenty more.’

The spirit magic formations recorded in the manual easily numbered in the dozens.

[Then share them with me too. I’d like to study how those powers are used.]

‘Maybe later…’

I didn’t remember many of them at the moment. I’d have to return to the academy and review the manual to fully grasp them.

*Step, step.

Despite the numerous events that had occurred, our primary goal remained clear—quickly passing the “Novice Challenge.” As such, everyone pressed on, eager to move forward.

‘I didn’t expect him to actually apologize.’

I had half-expected Fabian to act out after bowing his head to me with such visible resentment, but surprisingly, he had been quiet and compliant since then.

At that moment.

“Kamon.”

Princess Francia approached me unexpectedly, speaking in a low voice.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

With a determined tone, she grabbed my arm and led me to a secluded spot out of sight from the others.

“What’s this about, Your Highness?”

“What exactly are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“The power you used in the duel against Fabian. That was spirit magic, wasn’t it?”

Her sudden, direct questioning took me aback. I took a step back before answering.

“Yes, it was.”

“So how did that happen? How can you use spirit magic? Could you always wield spirits?”

[Kukuk, she sure is curious for someone who can’t even see me, a spirit.]

Airsya commented in amusement as Princess Francia bombarded me with questions. I tried to remain as calm as possible while responding.

“I’ve somehow learned to use something similar to spirit magic. But that doesn’t mean I can control spirits themselves.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“It’s hard to explain right now. I’ll give you a detailed explanation later. For now, shouldn’t we be focusing on the Novice Challenge?”

My remark made her sigh softly and nod in agreement.

“Fine.”

Then, with a firm tone, she issued a warning.

“But you will explain everything once we return to the academy. I want to know how you’re able to use spirit energy.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

Of course, I had no intention of revealing anything to her. For now, I just needed to deflect her questions and keep things vague.

[Kukuku, you really are just like me.]

Airsya chuckled, clearly sensing my true intentions. I had to resist the urge to rub the Orb’s ring in frustration.

‘Sigh, as promised, I’ll hold back three times.’

[Huh? Why bring that up now?]

‘Two more times to go.’

[Wait, hold on!]

***

“We made it just in time.”

We had finally arrived at the heart of the region, where the Vade Marquisate’s mansion was located.

“We got here sooner than I expected. We still have about three days of leeway,” Chelsea said, nodding as she gave a quick update on our situation.

At that moment.

“Three days? Can we really manage to infiltrate and escape in that time…?”

Fabian, who seemed on the verge of complaining, caught my eye and quickly fell silent.

“So, what’s the plan? Can we actually get inside that place?” Kyle asked in a low voice, his eyes filled with curiosity as he pointed to the large fortress that stood before us.

The Vade Marquisate’s mansion was housed within a grand fortress known as *Beltras*.

“Hold on.”

Princess Francia snapped her fingers.

Snap!

At once, a line appeared in the air, splitting open to reveal a dark crimson void. Without hesitation, Princess Francia reached into the rift, causing Chelsea to murmur in surprise.

“A… spatial pouch?”

“Yes, that’s right. I managed to borrow this rare item just for the Novice Challenge.”

‘So she had that all along?’

The spatial pouch was a common feature in webtoons and web novels, known for its incredibly convenient attributes. Usually, it was the type of overpowered item every protagonist ended up with at some point. I vaguely remembered that Kyle would eventually come across something similar as well…

Thud!

After retrieving an item from the pouch, Princess Francia snapped her fingers again, and the rift closed.

“Everyone, put these on.”

The items she had pulled out were a set of worn-out clothes and half-white masks.

“What’s this…?”

“As you can see, these are disguises. The masks are enchanted with a spell that distorts perception. While it won’t fool a skilled opponent, it should be enough to get past ordinary guards.”

Princess Francia continued her briefing, watching as the group nodded in understanding.

“According to the information I gathered earlier, the patrol routes and timings of the Vade Fortress guards are as follows…”

She went on to detail the current vulnerabilities of the Vade Fortress, explaining a safe route for us to infiltrate it. Her information was surprisingly thorough, considering how much she knew about the layout and routines of the fortress.

“While some time has passed, the schedule and routes shouldn’t have changed much. This should be enough to get us inside the fortress. Of course, we’ll need to employ a different approach for the mansion itself… Kamon?”

Princess Francia suddenly turned to look at me.

“Yes? Me?”

“Yes. Do you have anything to add? Is there something I might have missed or any other concerns?”

All eyes were now on me.

‘Something she might have missed…’

If I had to point it out, there was indeed something more I knew that could make a difference. Of course, it wasn’t information that could be easily discovered through conventional means, nor was it something Princess Francia could make use of even if she stumbled upon it by chance.

‘Well, I only know because it was part of the original story…’

After a moment of contemplation, I finally shook my head slightly and spoke up.

“Well… If you head to the right side of the fortress, you’ll find an abandoned cabin. There’s a hidden underground passage there that leads directly to the Vade Marquisate mansion. It’s probably the only secret route into the estate.”

“…?”

“K-Kamon?”

Everyone, including Princess Francia, stared at me with bewildered expressions as I casually revealed this secret. Even Chelsea, standing nearby, asked incredulously.

“No matter how much you’re from the family, is it okay to divulge such a secret so easily?”

“Well, even if you know about it, it won’t be easy to use. The door can only be opened with the blood of a member of the Vade family.”

I shrugged as I answered, and Princess Francia, still surprised, spoke to me in an unexpected tone.

“That’s highly valuable information. Thank you, Kamon. This will make things much easier. But are you sure it’s okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, since it’s a secret passage belonging to your family…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I see… That’s a relief.”

After all, this secret passage gets revealed openly in the original story later on. Keeping it to myself wouldn’t change anything.

‘It won’t affect the progression of the original plot either.’

Besides, by the time this information becomes relevant in the story, the Vade Marquisate would have already fallen.

Of course, that fall is tied to several complicated events, but that’s not the point right now.

“Alright then, let’s all change into our disguises,” Princess Francia suggested.

At her prompting, everyone took the clothes they were given and slipped into the bushes to change.

***

“…All 137 members of the Griffin Knights are assembled.”

A knight fully clad in armor reported to Rowan Vade, who stepped forward, his blue cape fluttering behind him.

Clank, clank!

“You are the shields that guard the Vade family, and the swords that strike down our enemies.”

Rowan Vade struck his chest, where the griffin emblem was emblazoned, and continued his speech.

“This griffin symbolizes our bravery, our soaring spirit, and our loyalty. Isn’t that right?”

Thud!

In unison, over a hundred knights pounded their chests, all bearing the same emblem on their armor.

With a twisted smirk, Rowan Vade spoke again.

“I’ve received word that our dear juniors from the Imperial Academy have chosen us as their target for this year’s ‘Novice Challenge.’”

“Novice Challenge?”

“Isn’t that the infamous tradition where they assign impossible missions?”

“It’s still going on?”

“Those kids must be having a hard time.”

The gathered Griffin Knights murmured among themselves at Rowan’s words, some of them clearly being alumni of the academy themselves.

Rowan Vade, observing their reactions, lowered his voice and spoke ominously.

“But among those juniors heading here, I’ve heard there’s a traitor—a blood relative who abandoned this emblem.”

“…!”

His shocking statement silenced the knights, and only the low sound of the wind could be heard in the now quiet hall.

Rowan Vade continued.

“Once more, I ask you: Are you the shields that guard the Vade family and the swords that strike down its enemies?”

Thud!

“Yes, we are!”

The knights stomped in unison, their voices loud and clear.

“A person who has forsaken our family’s name, been cast out from our house, and betrayed their blood—is this person our enemy?”

“Th-that…”

“Hmm…”

The knights hesitated to respond, clearly troubled by the question.

“Your answer is disappointing.”

“…”

Rowan Vade scoffed as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“It seems you are under some kind of delusion. Very well, let me rephrase the question.”

“…?”

“What if Kamon were to reclaim his position as the heir to the Vade family? Do you think you could still remain honorable Griffin Knights?”

“…!”

The knights’ eyes widened at the change in the question.

“I know my nephew better than anyone. He is not fit to inherit the Vade family, nor does he deserve to bear this emblem. And…”

Rowan Vade openly disparaged Kamon, his expression cold as he continued in a low, menacing voice.

“I’m sure many of you here have experienced firsthand just how unworthy he is.”

With that, Rowan Vade placed his helmet on his head and unsheathed his sword with a sharp ring.

“Now, I ask you again: Is a traitor of our bloodline our enemy?”

Thud!

“Yes, they are!”

This time, the 137 knights responded in unison, stomping their feet with conviction.

“Is Kamon our enemy?”

Thud!

“Yes, he is!”

Finally receiving the answer he wanted, Rowan Vade’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

“Yes, of course he is.”

With a nod, he pulled out a dagger from his coat.

Then.

Slash!

He made a small cut on his arm.

Splatter!

As his blood spilled onto the ground, the sound of machinery began to rumble beneath their feet, causing the earth to tremble.

Soon after, a loud noise echoed in their ears.

Rumble!

The secret passage, which only members of the Vade bloodline could access, began to open.

“It’s likely that they’ll try to infiltrate through our family’s secret passage. We’ll intercept those juniors attempting the Novice Challenge and eliminate our enemy there. Understood?”

Thud!

“We will follow your orders!”

The knights responded in unison, and Rowan Vade, satisfied, relaxed his posture and added lightly.

“Oh, by the way, when I said eliminate, I didn’t mean kill him. Capture him alive. After all, he’s still my brother’s son, the heir of the family.”

Although his tone was light, like he was making a joke, none of the knights showed any hint of amusement or relaxation in their expressions.

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES