How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 161

Tuk.

“…Where am I?”

I found myself in an unfamiliar room, having been whisked away by the Mighty Blink’s blue light. The room was neatly organized, with a bed, a desk, and several drawers, though there were no signs that anyone had recently stayed there—not a speck of dust in sight.

[Hmm, something smells familiar here.]

“Smell?”

Hearing the words of Airsya, the spirit of jealousy who had transferred with me, I cautiously began to inspect my surroundings. Soon enough, I found something that made everything click.

“Huh?”

I realized who owned this room.

[Isn’t that you?]

Airsya, who had been floating around in the form of a blue dragon, asked while pointing out something. I nodded lightly.

“Yeah, it is.”

Our attention was drawn to a large portrait in the center of the room. In the painting, Kamon Vade was standing in front of a massive griffin statue, dressed in a purple robe, staring ahead with sharp eyes.

‘This is the safest place for me?’

Mighty Blink was supposed to transport the user to the safest place they could think of within a certain range. And yet, here I was, in a room I had never seen before, in Kamon Vade’s quarters?

[Well, there’s no place safer than one’s own room.]

If anyone else were to see this, it wouldn’t seem strange at all. After all, where else would one feel safer than in their own home and room?

‘But wait a minute. That means…’

In other words, I was inside the Vade Marquisate’s mansion.

‘Well, this is an unexpected turn of events.’

[Kekeke, not realizing you’re in your own room and then being paranoid about your surroundings… How amusing.]

“Of course, I haven’t been here since I was kicked out.”

I responded to Airsya’s musing as I began to look around.

The luxurious bed, the wooden desk—everything about the room was cozy yet sophisticated, fitting for a high-ranking noble’s child.

On the day I first possessed this body, I hadn’t even had a chance to enter this room before being thrown out of the mansion. And now, here I was, visiting under such strange circumstances.

But despite all that, the room was immaculately clean…

‘Why would anyone clean an empty room?’

It seemed that someone had been regularly maintaining and cleaning this space.

[Perhaps someone was expecting you to return?]

‘That’s ridiculous. Who would wait for me?’

There wasn’t anyone in the Vade family who would do something so sentimental. The one who had kicked me out was none other than the head of the family, Baran Vade, Kamon’s father. And my uncle, Rowan Vade, had shown earlier that he didn’t hold any warm feelings toward me.

So that left only…

‘My younger sister?’

The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head, dismissing it. The moment I considered it, I was certain it was impossible.

Having cleared my thoughts, I decided to take advantage of the situation and learn more about Kamon Vade’s past, as no one would be coming to this room anytime soon.

‘Let’s take a closer look around.’

Recalling the dream I had last time, there was a strong possibility that Kamon had some hidden background or details not revealed in the original story.

After all, hadn’t he once been associated with the rebel group that aimed to overthrow the royal family?

With that in mind, I started searching the desk and drawers thoroughly, prompting Airsya to ask.

[What are you looking for so carefully?]

“A diary or some notes.”

[A diary?]

“Yeah.”

I answered briefly and approached the bookshelf filled with numerous books.

And there, I found…

“He was pretty diligent, wasn’t he?”

The shelves were packed with books on magic theory, spellbooks, and even texts about the secrets of the continent.

While it wasn’t surprising for a mage like Kamon to be interested in books on magic, the latter category raised some questions.

‘Why was he curious about the secrets of the continent?’

The Kamon Vade I knew wasn’t particularly interested in other people’s business or world affairs. But now…

‘I’m no longer sure about anything.’

It was already strange that Kamon Vade, who had been introduced as a mere third-rate villain in the early parts of the original story, had once been a mage powerful enough to overwhelm everyone.

And the fact that he was a member of a rebel organization that threatened the royal family was even more bizarre.

Perhaps…

‘The reason he disappeared midway in the original story wasn’t just because he served his role as a villain.’

I couldn’t fathom what the author had been thinking when they created and then discarded such a character, but…

If I could uncover Kamon’s past, it might provide some clues to the mysteries and questions I currently had.

Just then—

[Hey. Over here, over here.]

Airsya, who had been exploring a slightly hidden part of the bookshelf, spun around and called out to me.

“What is it?”

[I think I’ve found that diary you were looking for.]

When I turned my gaze to where he was pointing with his small hand, I saw an entire section of the bookshelf filled with books marked with dates.

“…!”

I quickly pulled one out and began to read.

And on the first page of the book I picked up, these words were written:

“Am I special? Or was I born with a special mission? Sometimes, fate can be cruel.”

“What is this…?”

[What else? Just some nonsense.]

Airsya, who had been reading the diary alongside me, chuckled as he commented, “[Looks like you had quite the turbulent adolescence.]”

As I read through Kamon Vade’s words, which reeked of teenage angst and grandiosity, Airsya’s mocking continued, but I remained silent, continuing to absorb the contents of the diary.

Is my genius due to the bloodline of the Vade family, or was I born with a special mission, a destiny? I don’t know the truth, but I do know that one day, my actions will change the fate of the world.

“[Hahaha! What? Special? Changing the fate of the world? Kamon Vade, you really had some lofty dreams.]”

Up to this point, I thought these were just the typical thoughts of an adolescent going through a rebellious phase. However, the next entries left me speechless.

People don’t realize it yet. They live under the illusion that this world is free and vast. But I have realized that this world is fixed, moving step by step according to a predetermined destiny. And I am the only one who knows this. Not my father, not my uncle, not anyone in this family. That’s why I feel so alone.*

“…”

To someone like me, who actually knows the truth of this world, Kamon’s seemingly delusional writings didn’t seem so ridiculous. Instead, it struck me that Kamon Vade…

‘He knew that this world follows a set storyline?’

It began to dawn on me that Kamon might have been a seeker, someone who had brushed against fragments of the truth of this world. But then came the next entry.

The more lonely I am, the more my genius stands out. Becoming the continent’s greatest mage is just a matter of time. Even my father can’t keep up with my talents. What kind of great hero will I, Kamon Vade, be in ten, no, twenty years?

The nonsensical ramblings continued, and I shook my head in disbelief.

‘I can’t make heads or tails of this.’

I had thought that by going through Kamon Vade’s diary, I might understand him better and uncover the hidden layers of his character. But instead, I was only getting more confused.

I flipped through several more diaries, but the content was largely the same. It was like reading the black history of a teenage boy deeply entrenched in his delusions and dreams.

However, amidst these ramblings, there were mentions of his father, Baran Vade, and his younger sister, Yuria Vade, showing that he cared for and loved his family more than I had expected.

‘This must be love, right?’

Though his way of expressing it was different from what most people would consider normal, it wasn’t something I needed to concern myself with.

After all, the diaries contained words of affection and concern.

Finally, as I reached for the last diary, something slipped off the top of it.

Tuk!

“Huh?”

I looked down to see what had fallen and found…

“A hairpin?”

It was a small, yellow flower-shaped hairpin. Without thinking, I picked it up and pocketed it. Then, I opened the final diary, but the contents were as meaningless as the others.

“Nothing of note.”

“[Hehe, you had a cute side as a kid, didn’t you?]”

“This is the last one, Airsya. You’ve used up all your chances.”

“[W-wait! Why? I can’t accept this. I was complimenting you!]”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How is that a compliment? You’ve been mocking and ridiculing me this whole time.”

“[No, that’s…!]”

“Enough. You’ve used all your chances. Next time, I’ll crush you without mercy.”

“[Kuh, please don’t do that.]”

Despite Airsya’s desperate tone, I ignored her.

Now that there was nothing left of interest in Kamon’s room, I began to plan my next move. The objective was to retrieve the Vade family’s crest, specifically the golden flag with the black tear of the griffin.

“That should be in the family head’s room, right?”

Given its significance, it was likely kept in either the treasure vault or the head’s personal quarters.

The fortunate thing was that the Griffin Knights, the Vade family’s armed group, were out with Rowan Vade trying to catch us. Moreover, Baran Vade himself was reportedly away from the estate for some reason.

In other words,

“There isn’t anyone particularly dangerous in the mansion right now.”

With that thought in mind, I began checking the hallway outside the door and the windows to ensure a safe exit. But as I was about to leave, I noticed something—a faint shadow moving in the garden on the first floor.

“What’s that?”

Focusing my vision, I saw it more clearly.

“[What’s that idiot doing over there?]”

“Exactly.”

Fabian was moving stealthily through the thick garden, trying to avoid detection but easily visible from above.

“Ha, this is not going to be easy.”

Shaking my head, I muttered to myself. I realized I had to act before someone else spotted and caught him.

***

Tatatak!

Fabian, who had been trying his best to hide among the trees, let out a deep sigh.

“Whew.”

‘Damn it. How did I end up like this?’

He had intended to carry Kyle and break the statue to activate the Mighty Blink immediately. However, to his surprise, they had been separated during the teleportation.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself alone in a small, secluded cave. Upon emerging, he saw the Vade family mansion below, realizing that he had been transported to the mountains behind the estate.

‘Fine. I’ll just sneak in and steal the crest.’

With that thought, Fabian had made his way down and tried to sneak into the mansion, but the layout was far more complex than he had anticipated.

The garden at the entrance was especially tricky, with towering plants and flowers that made it feel like a giant maze, disorienting him further.

On top of that, there were way too many servants and maids walking around.

Dodging them and trying to move unnoticed had completely thrown off his sense of direction.

‘Damn it!’

Despite having spent quite a bit of time sneaking around the garden, Fabian still hadn’t found a way out. Just as he was cursing his bad luck—

Tuk!

“Wh-who’s there?!”

He was startled by a sudden touch from behind. Instinctively, he turned around, his guard up.

“Shh!”

“Kamon?”

He quickly recognized the person who had touched him—Kamon Vade.

“Keep quiet and follow me. Got it?”

With those words, Kamon swiftly began to move, and Fabian had no choice but to follow him.

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES