How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 181

In the original work, the ‘Vishran’ hot springs were only briefly mentioned in passing.

It was never a place that the protagonist Kyle visited or that had been described in any detail.

‘So, whatever’s here, it’s all a secret that I’m seeing and hearing for the first time.’

I wasn’t sure exactly what Airsya had just discovered a moment ago.

But I had a feeling it might be one of the secrets hidden within the ‘Vishran’ hot springs.

[Damn, why do I have to do that?]

‘In exchange, I’ll let you eat whatever you want at tonight’s dinner.’

[……You promised.]

The fact that this corrupt spirit could be persuaded so easily by food made me shake my head, but I couldn’t help smiling faintly as I nodded.

Soon, Airsya moved towards the crack where a faint light was shining through the waterfall.

I kept pace with Chelsea, following the others who had gone ahead.

Of course, my attention was entirely focused on Airsya.

‘Is there really something special there?’

[Hold on. Why are you in such a rush? I’m just getting in…… Huh? What’s this?]

‘What? What is it?’

I quickly asked back, alarmed by Airsya’s surprised reaction, but no further response came from her.

‘Hey, Airsya!’

Even as I called out her name again, there was no answer.

‘What the hell? Did something happen?’

Feeling a bit of unease in the unexpected situation, I glanced over to see Chelsea tilting her head in curiosity.

“Kamon, why do you look like that? Did something happen?”

“Oh? No, it’s nothing.”

‘Damn it, Airsya. What are you doing?!’

As the conversation with Airsya abruptly stopped and she vanished into the crevice, the rest of the group had already reached the center of the ‘Vishran’ hot springs.

“Let’s go, too.”

Chelsea tugged at my arm, and after casting one last glance at the waterfall, I finally closed my eyes and followed her.

*SPLASHHHHH!*

The waterfall pouring down from the entrance seeped into the ground of the basin, releasing a massive, intense heat.

*Bubble, bubble.*

Amidst a scene that seemed to depict both heaven and hell—

The thick steam rising between the buildings of pure white marble was a testament to this place’s extraordinary natural beauty.

As we arrived, a few attendants rushed out and bowed respectfully.

“Welcome to the Vishran Hot Springs. We are the attendants in charge of managing this place.”

The attendants were all wearing thin, semi-transparent garments, causing some of the younger boys, still in the throes of adolescence, to blush and quickly avert their gazes.

Though, of course, the attendants were wearing layers of undergarments, so it wasn’t an actual problem.

“We will guide you inside.”

“Please follow us.”

Still, it was evident that even this was enough to stir the boys.

“Ahem, le-let’s go.”

“H-huh. Yeah.”

“Heh heh, it feels extra warm today, doesn’t it?”

As Elliot, Bren, and Lucas reacted awkwardly, Lois was staring fixedly at the ground, trying to avoid the glare of Rosen Ravenia, who was watching him closely.

And then—

“Kamon, close your eyes.”

“Huh?”

Out of nowhere, Cecilia, the student council president, came up to me and spoke in a rather firm tone.

“I mentioned we were coming today, but their outfits are rather inappropriate, don’t you think, Chelsea?”

I sighed inwardly as Cecilia sought agreement from Chelsea, shaking my head slightly.

‘Come on, I’m not some little kid who’d get worked up over something like this.’

Besides, Chelsea wasn’t the type to care about these things…

“Yes, President, I agree.”

“What?”

‘Wait, what? Chelsea, what’s up with you?’

I was completely taken aback by Chelsea’s unexpected response, and in the meantime, the rest of the group had entered the hot springs building.

“Just close your eyes and hold onto my hand.”

Without waiting for my response, Cecilia grabbed my hand and led me inside.

“Is that the bath?”

“Whoa, why is it so big?”

“It’s practically a lake!”

As we entered, my eyes were greeted by the sight of an enormous hot spring pool.

Hearing the others’ amazement, the attendants, who had been guiding us, smiled proudly as they began explaining.

“This is the main bath of the facility. It can accommodate over a hundred people at once. One of its unique features is the extremely high concentration of mana in the water.”

“The main bath? So there are other sub-baths too?”

At someone’s excited inquiry, the attendant nodded.

“Of course. In addition to the main bath, there are eight other sub-baths in operation, with three more scheduled to be added in the future. One of them should be open by the time you visit again.”

“Wow, so there’ll be ten baths in total?”

“That’s insane.”

The group reacted in awe, but I couldn’t help tilting my head in curiosity.

‘Why go to the trouble of adding so many baths? Especially when they haven’t opened this place to the public….’

Noticing my expression, the attendant smiled slightly, as if she had read my thoughts, and continued her explanation.

“The original plan was to open this hot spring to select guests in two years. However, due to the academy president’s involvement, the first visitors are you students.”

“So until now, only the Romanoff family could use it?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Until yesterday, that was the case.”

As the attendant’s explanation continued, the anticipation in the eyes of those who had arrived ahead of us grew.

And then—

“Does that mean we can use it today?”

Rosen Ravenia asked, voicing what everyone else seemed to be thinking. At her question, Elliot and Lucas immediately cheered.

“Vice President, you’re the best!”

“Knew you’d ask!”

However, Rosen’s face hardened as she shouted back.

“Shut up!”

Despite her scolding, it was clear that she, too, was eager to experience the hot springs, as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

The attendant, without responding directly, glanced over at President Cecilia.

Standing beside me, Cecilia beamed and nodded.

“Yes, you’re all free to use it. I got permission from my father yesterday.”

Instantly—

“Ahhh, President, you’re the best!”

“Of course, she’s amazing!”

The praise for Cecilia began pouring out.

And then—

“See, the President’s always better than the Vice President!”

At someone’s shout, Rosen Ravenia’s cold voice rang out.

“Who just said that?”

“……”

In an instant, everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere became tense as they all tried to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

At that moment, Chelsea, who had been quiet up until now, asked her first question.

“By the way, is this a mixed bath?”

“Huh? Now that you mention it, the baths are all combined.”

“There’s no dividing walls either.”

“A m-mixed bath? Like, men and women together?”

It was a short question, but the impact it had was far from small.

Every student’s face, regardless of gender, flushed red as embarrassment and awkwardness swirled among them.

‘What are they even thinking about?’

Watching their reactions, the attendants smiled knowingly and shook their heads.

“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Excuse me?”

“Our hot spring has a specific uniform that must be worn upon entry. Of course, that includes wearing it while in the bath.”

“Huh?”

“…….”

For a moment, everyone stared blankly at the attendant’s explanation.

Then, the attendant continued speaking.

“The uniforms may be new to you here, but they’re quite similar to something you’re all familiar with—swimming gear.”

With a mysterious smile, the attendant’s words sank in, and Rosen Ravenia cleared her throat and nodded.

“Ahem. I figured as much. So we’ll be wearing swimsuits together.”

“Your face is still too red for that to be convincing…”

“Shut up, senior!”

***

After some amusing hiccups, the special use of the ‘Vishran’ hot springs was finally approved.

We all headed into the changing rooms to put on the ‘special uniforms’ that had been prepared.

‘They call them special uniforms, but they’re just swimsuits, aren’t they?’

One by one, people stepped out of the changing rooms, now dressed in swimwear that you could easily find in any 21st-century pool.

“Alright, let’s go!”

“I’m going to conquer the ‘Vishran’ hot springs!”

Everyone shouted excitedly, their voices brimming with enthusiasm.

And then—

“Kamon!”

I turned my head at the familiar voice calling my name.

‘Huh?’

There, waving brightly at me, was Cecilia, with Rosen Ravenia standing beside her, wearing a more reserved expression.

I froze, startled by what they were wearing.

‘A b-bikini?’

Cecilia had on a silver bikini that matched her silver hair, while Rosen Ravenia wore a sleek black two-piece that perfectly suited her style.

“If you’re done changing, hurry up! This way!”

“Alright, let’s go!”

“Watch out, hot springs, here we come!”

At Cecilia’s urging, the others quickly rushed towards the bath area.

Meanwhile, I stood there in shock, staring blankly, unprepared for the sight before me.

That’s when—

“Kamon, are you alright? You’ve been acting weird for a while.”

I turned to see Chelsea, who had approached me without me noticing.

*Cough.*

This time, she was wearing a bright orange monokini, with the top and bottom connected into one piece. The color complemented her water-blue hair perfectly, giving her a fresh and lively look.

“I-I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You don’t look fine…”

“Let’s just go. I’m really fine!”

I shouted a bit too forcefully and quickly took the lead, walking ahead.

Chelsea gave me a puzzled look but eventually followed behind.

‘Phew. What the hell is going on…?’

I was still trying to process the unexpected situation.

‘Well, it’s not bad, I guess.’

As I moved to follow the others towards the bath, one thing that surprised me was—

None of the other male students, or even the girls in bikinis, seemed to care. They were all acting completely natural and comfortable.

‘Is this just normal in this world?’

And then—

“Hmm. It feels a bit tight.”

Arian senior, wearing a rather eye-catching leopard-print bikini, made her entrance and took the whole situation to a new level.

“…….”

At that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Was I wrong to curse this world as the work of a third-rate author?’

As I hesitated, reconsidering the things I’d said in the past—

[Kamon Vade!]

Airsya, who had been silent until now, suddenly appeared, looking utterly defeated.

‘Hey, you…’

[No need for small talk. There’s something amazing over there.]

‘Something amazing?’

[Yes, we need to go there immediately. Come on, let’s hurry.]

Airsya climbed onto my shoulder and urged me impatiently. I glanced towards the rest of the group in the distance.

They were waiting for me, all dressed in traditional, elegant bath attire.

“Kamon, what are you doing? Hurry up and come!”

They waved at me enthusiastically, beckoning me to join them.

“Damn it, of course…”

Muttering under my breath, I shook my head and called out to them.

“Go on ahead without me. I’ll catch up in a bit, my stomach’s acting up.”

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