How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 182

“What exactly is in there?” I asked.

[Just go and see for yourself. I was caught in the barrier and couldn’t get a clear view, but you’ll need to confirm it yourself.]

With Airsya’s firm tone, I reluctantly gave up on the relaxing hot spring experience and headed in the direction she pointed, frowning as I went.

If I was going through all this trouble, I hoped I’d find some trace of ‘Anne’ in there…

With those thoughts, I retraced my steps back to near the entrance, moving slowly towards the gap in the waterfall.

When I arrived at the shimmering crack—

“Huh?”

I tilted my head in confusion as I noticed the space inside was much larger than I’d expected.

[Nothing special here. Keep going forward, and you’ll see it soon.]

Following Airsya’s insistent instructions, I moved further in, and soon enough, I encountered something unusual.

*Ziiiiiing.*

A translucent barrier stood in front of me.

“What’s that…?”

[That’s it. But the important thing is not the barrier itself—look at what’s inside.]

Focusing my gaze beyond the barrier as Airsya suggested, I could see—

“A… a gemstone?”

[It’s not just any gemstone. Can’t you feel the energy emanating from it?]

At her urging, I closed my eyes briefly to focus.

And then—

‘Warm yet intense energy.’

It wasn’t like normal mana. It was something foreign, yet I could feel the powerful energy radiating from the gemstone at the center, spreading in all directions.

“It’s not mana, and it’s not spirit power. So, what is it?”

[It seems to be the source of this place’s power.]

“The source of power?”

[Yes. To put it simply, that gem is probably the essence of the ‘Vishran’ hot springs.]

With Airsya’s brief explanation, I quickly understood the nature of the gemstone beyond the barrier.

The reason why the hot spring’s water flows so intensely into the basin.

And why the mana concentration in the water was so dense—it all made sense now.

‘If that gemstone is the essence of the hot springs, it adds up.’

The entire natural environment here was likely altered by that one artifact.

And despite the barrier obscuring it, the energy pouring out from where the gemstone was located was enough to suggest it wasn’t just any ordinary artifact.

Then—

*Ziiiiiing!*

“Huh?”

The ‘Orb’ ring on my left middle finger suddenly reacted.

It was the same kind of reaction it had shown when absorbing Airsya’s spirit power and other energies before.

‘No way…’

Could it absorb this energy too?

Caught off guard, I instinctively brought the ‘Orb’ ring closer to the translucent barrier.

And at that moment—

*Whiiiiish!*

“Gah!”

With a powerful suction force, the energy inside the barrier began pouring into the ‘Orb’ ring, which in turn started channeling it into my body.

The energy was intense, both scorching and overwhelming.

“Damn it!”

The power was far stronger than I had anticipated, and for a moment, I feared my body might explode from the strain. I quickly pulled back, detaching the ‘Orb’ ring from the barrier.

At the same time—

*Thud, thump!*

The recoil sent me sprawling onto the ground, pain shooting through my backside as I landed hard.

“What the hell was that?!”

*Ziiiiiing!*

The round gemstone beyond the barrier continued to pulse with energy, its presence unchanged by the ordeal.

[Be careful, Kamon. That thing holds an immense power that affects the entire basin. If you’re reckless, you’ll die.]

Airsya, having witnessed the scene, spoke in a more serious tone than usual.

Just then—

“Didn’t Kamon say he went to the restroom?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“That’s strange. Why isn’t anyone in the bathroom?”

From a distance, I could hear Cecilia and Chelsea calling my name.

Realizing I didn’t have time to explore further, I sighed and nodded to myself.

“Phew. I know something’s hidden here now, so I’ll investigate more later.”

I could only hope that the gemstone was connected to Anne, the Red Mage of the past…

***

*SPLASH!*

“Man, the water’s amazing, and the atmosphere is perfect!”

I had returned to the bath with the others, now soaking in the hot springs together.

Although, truth be told, I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the relaxation.

“Ow, hot!”

“Careful, the temperature’s higher than you’d think.”

“Wow, but it feels like my whole body’s relaxing.”

“Yeah, it’s like all the fatigue I’ve been carrying is melting away. And my mana recovery is off the charts.”

Bren and Senior Lucas praised the hot springs of the Romanoff family’s sacred ground, ‘Vishran,’ continuing to share their impressions enthusiastically.

“With the mana concentration being 80% higher than average, training here would be insanely efficient.”

“Training? Huh, that’s not a bad idea.”

Lucas immediately responded to Lois’s suggestion.

However, Elliot scoffed as he muttered under his breath.

“Training, huh… You should leave that for everyday practice. It’s always the ones who don’t train normally that make a big deal of it at times like this.”

“Hey, I was just making a suggestion. Who said I was actually going to train here? Jeez.”

Lois pouted, his lips sticking out, clearly upset, while Elliot snickered and slapped him hard on the back.

“Come on, don’t be such a baby. Go check out Rosen’s swimsuit; that’ll cheer you up.”

“Ugh, what are you talking about? Why would I look at that?”

“Well, if not hers, take a look at Arian’s. She’s wearing something surprisingly bold.”

“…True, it is a bit much.”

Lucas mumbled in agreement, nodding his head just as—

“What’s a bit much?”

A voice came from right behind them, and all of our faces froze.

“Huh? A-Arian?”

“Senior Lucas. If you have complaints about my outfit, why don’t you say it directly to me? Rather than gossiping behind my back.”

“A-ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that…”

A very flustered Lucas began stammering out some kind of excuse when Rosen Ravenia, dressed in her black swimsuit, appeared.

“So, does seeing me in a swimsuit make you feel all happy, Elliot?” she asked, her tone sharp.

“Uh… wh-what?”

Just like Lucas, Elliot was completely caught off guard and sank without putting up much of a fight.

As the two suffered between the verbal blows from Rosen and Arian, I noticed Cecilia walking over. She looked a little worn out, perhaps from enjoying the hot springs too much, but her expression was still gentle as she asked,

“Kamon, are you feeling alright?”

I nodded in response. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I was a bit worried.”

“There’s really no need to worry…”

Just as I was about to reassure her further, Chelsea joined us, looking at me with concern in her eyes as well.

“Kamon, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I told you, I’m really fine,” I said, feeling a bit frustrated by all the fuss.

And just as I was trying to convince the two that I was perfectly fine—

*Tat-tat-tat!*

One of the attendants who had guided us earlier suddenly rushed in, looking slightly panicked.

“Excuse me, is there a Kamon Vade here?”

Hearing the unexpected call, I raised my hand from between Cecilia and Chelsea and asked, “Yes, that’s me. What’s going on?”

The attendant quickly approached, bowing politely before answering.

“The Duke is requesting your presence, Mr. Kamon Vade. Please come with me right away.”

“Huh?”

I was taken aback by the sudden announcement and couldn’t help but ask again in confusion. Cecilia, standing beside me, spoke up in my place.

“What do you mean? My father wants to see Kamon?”

“Yes, the Duke has requested a private meeting with Mr. Kamon Vade.”

“But why all of a sudden?” Cecilia asked, her brow furrowed.

“…I’m afraid I don’t know the reason.”

The situation was completely unexpected, but refusing a summons from Duke Romanoff was out of the question.

As I tried to process what was happening, Rosen Ravenia, who had just been scolding Lucas and Elliot, approached us. Her tone was serious as she said,

“Kamon, you should go.”

“…Alright.”

Left with no other choice, I followed the attendant, heading to Duke Romanoff’s office.

***

“Have a seat.”

The moment I arrived at Duke Romanoff’s office, everyone else was dismissed, leaving just the two of us in the room.

It felt surreal. Here I was, sitting across from Vitell Romanoff, one of the Empire’s five Elector Dukes. I obediently sat down on the sofa, as instructed.

“Do you like tea?” he asked.

“…I don’t dislike it.”

“Then I’ll pour you a cup.”

*Pouring sound.*

Without hesitation, Duke Romanoff poured a deep red tea into a cup, as if it had been prepared in advance.

“This tea is made from *Yustano* leaves, grown only in the *Chrysanthes* region. It’s known for its exceptional fragrance.”

*Clink!*

He set the teacup down in front of me, explaining as he did so.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Take your time to savor the aroma first. The taste can be quite bitter, but the scent is what truly stands out.”

I carefully lifted the cup and inhaled the scent. As he had said, the fragrance was incredibly fresh, filling my senses. It had a blend of rose and apricot notes, about evenly mixed.

“This tea is usually enjoyed with milk or sugar. Would you like some?”

*Pouring sound.*

He added a generous amount of thick, white milk into his own cup, then looked at me expectantly.

“Yes, please,” I replied.

“Here you go.”

*Clink!*

With the milk in hand, I added it to the deep red tea, watching as the milky white swirled with the crimson liquid, creating a unique, cloudy color.

*Sip.*

‘This is actually really good.’

The smoothness of the milk balanced perfectly with the bitterness of the tea leaves, creating a rich and flavorful milk tea. The distinctive aroma was still present, making it a refined drink that was both pleasant to the nose and the palate.

The only problem was…

‘Why did he call me here and not say anything yet?’

Despite summoning me urgently, Duke Romanoff’s demeanor remained completely relaxed, as if we were just having a casual chat over tea. He didn’t seem particularly interested in me at all, more like he was simply enjoying his daily routine.

Just then, he spoke up.

“What are your plans after you graduate from the academy?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked what you intend to do after you graduate.”

His tone was serious, and his sudden question caught me off guard. My mind raced.

‘Why is he asking me about my future all of a sudden?’

The possible implications behind his question didn’t seem particularly welcoming, which left me feeling a bit uneasy. I could only give a vague answer.

“I haven’t really decided yet.”

“Do you keep in contact with your family?”

“Huh?”

The question startled me, and I blurted out a reaction before I could stop myself. Duke Romanoff’s eyebrow twitched slightly at my response.

“I don’t have the habit of repeating myself.”

“A-apologies.”

I quickly bowed my head in apology and continued.

“I haven’t been in contact with my family. I’ve been disowned for a long time.”

“…I see.”

He gave a brief nod at my response and took another sip of his tea. Then, after a moment of silent observation, he spoke again.

“Let me ask you just one more thing.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Do you have any intention of marrying Cecilia?”

The unexpectedness of his question made me choke out a response in shock.

“…W-what?!”

Vitell Romanoff’s voice turned cold and measured as he repeated himself.

“I’m asking if you’re willing to become the son-in-law of the Romanoff family.”

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