How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain.

If you want to read it for a cheap price until the last chapter, patreon.com/Makima02

"Fortunately, most of those caught are from other territories. If there were many of them among our people, our unity might have been further shaken. I think we caught about twenty or so."

"Twenty? It certainly doesn't seem like many. Doesn't the population living in our territory easily exceed thousands?"

"Well, it seems to have stopped around here thanks to Lord's leniency. And the more difficult it is to make a living, the easier it is to be bewitched by heresy. The land in the south is good, so there are fewer people who have problems with their livelihood."

"So is it all resolved now?"

Russ, who had maintained his composure all along, showed a slightly troubled expression for the first time after hearing my question.

"That's not it. It's impossible to control all the territories like our own territory, and I can't guarantee that there are no more such people in the city yet."

"Hmm…"

"But you don't need to worry too much. Lord and the young lady are safe, and none of Reed's servants were harmed. At most, it's just the last throes of the remnants."

Last time, even father didn't mention anything in his letter, and from what Russ is saying, it seems our territory weathered this relatively unscathed. 

It's very fortunate and unexpected, but on the other hand, I have doubts.

Why would those who want chaos leave the south alone? There have been frequent reports of attacks on other powerful families that are stronger than us.

When I voiced these doubts, Russ took a moment to organize his thoughts before answering.

"It's not necessarily like that. Even though they are bound by a big framework, not all demon worshippers move in perfect unison. The cult was a relatively large force, but we can't say they represent all heretics. Looking back in history, there have been cases of infighting among them depending on which demon they worship. Many places were attacked this time, but even more regions remained untouched."

Certainly, there was no major logical flaw in what Russ was saying. And it aligned with the facts I knew to some degree. 

Unless you know the future, his reasoning would seem reasonable to anyone.

However, contrary to what Russ thinks, these remnants were quite formidable and annoying, to say the least.

"Of course we need to stay vigilant, but there's no need to worry excessively. Instead, shouldn't you be thinking about dealing with the young lady? She may have calmed down now, but she must have been eagerly awaiting your return."

Russ gave his characteristic friendly smile as he spoke.

* * * * *

It seems Russ was right — there was certainly a lack of the usual vibrancy inside the city. People's faces looked gloomy, and the security guards, whose numbers had multiplied significantly, scrutinized passersby with hawk-like eyes.

There also seemed to be a noticeably large number of those wearing church robes. 

Perhaps father had made a separate request to the Madehaven diocese for help in maintaining public order.

The presence of the clergy was indispensable for suppressing magic and identifying demon worshippers.

Passing through the city and traveling a bit further by carriage, I finally caught sight of the familiar mansion and the people lined up in front of it.

And as I stepped down from the carriage, an unexpectedly colorful scene unfolded before me.

"Brother, welcome back from your long journey. Please, come inside." 

Children certainly grow up fast. Especially when you haven't seen them in a long time.

Adele greeted me with a perfect, graceful curtsy — the formal greeting reserved for the family heir.

With servants flanking her on both sides as she stood firmly in the center, she cut quite the stately figure.

The last time I saw her, she was barely able to see me off amid tears and tantrums.

But now, with her small body behaving like an adult, it was hard to easily accept that dissonance.

"Huh?"

But as soon as I reached out to ruffle her hair, Adele's efforts were instantly rendered futile.

Adele opened her eyes wide, letting out a soft exhale.

"Bro…ther…"

"Adele. We haven't seen each other in so long, did you want to be so formal with me? Come here."

I squatted down, opening my arms, and Adele looked flustered.

She seemed about to leap into my embrace, but consciously restrained herself. 

After this inner struggle, she finally broke into a sulky pout.

"But…this isn't…how it's…hic…"

"Edwin. You should have played along at a time like that," Father said with a broad grin as he walked up behind Adele. "Welcome back. It must have been a long journey."

"Father…"

"This unfilial brat. You're not supposed to keep some things from your parents. If you do that again next time, you'll really get an earful."

As expected, father immediately chided me for not informing him right away about the demon attack.

But from his tone and expression, it seems his anger has largely subsided now.

"…I'm sorry…"

"Oh, it's fine. I'm just glad you're safe and sound." 

He lightly tapped my shoulder and then reached down to stroke Adele's head, who was still standing beside me, teary-eyed.

"And do you know how hard Adele practiced? She wanted to greet you properly as your sister. Since you're her brother, you should have appreciated that much."

"…I didn't realize…"

Hearing his words, I did feel a twinge of guilt. Adele was still on the verge of tears. Come to think of it, she must have practiced quite a bit. Her restrained gestures wouldn't have come naturally.

I probably should have played along, at least once, to make Adele feel better.

"Ahem."

I cleared my throat and composed myself. Then, putting on an intentionally solemn expression, I extended my hand to Adele.

"Very well. Since you've welcomed me so graciously, I am most delighted. Shall we go inside?"

And Adele's reaction was swift. She immediately straightened her posture, placing the back of her hand atop mine. Having gotten her wish, Adele's decorum ended right there.

Breaking into a wide grin, she leapt into my arms.

"Brother!!"

As I scooped Adele up, I could definitely feel she had gained a bit more weight compared to before. Her flaxen hair too had a vibrant luster unmatched by her previous self.

"Hehehe…"

Just as Adele seemed overjoyed to see me, I was equally delighted to see her. Despite my worries, she didn't seem awkward at all despite the long time apart.

And again, I was reminded of how fiercely protective Ellie was of her own brother. Perhaps it's okay for Adele to grow up a bit more slowly…

"Brother…are you feeling unwell anywhere…?"

"I'm fine. More importantly Adele, they said you cried and cried because you missed me. Is that true?" 

"Don't even mention it. She insisted so stubbornly on going to see you while bawling her eyes out. I had quite the hard time calming her down."

"Father…I told you to keep it a secret…hic…"

As Father shook his head, Adele blushed with embarrassment, her eyes downcast.

All the way into the mansion, with Adele cradled in my arms, her mouth didn't stop moving. As if making up for the months we couldn't see each other, she regaled me with all sorts of little stories.

Seeing her lively demeanor helped me momentarily forget the gloom that had settled over this place. A feast was already prepared in the banquet hall, and we began eating right away.

"So, how did you come to meet His Excellency Timothy? I was truly surprised to receive word from him."

In the middle of the meal, Father asked, his eyes uncharacteristically full of curiosity. 

Truth be told, this was something I've wanted to ask about as well.

"I happened to stop by Westford before going to the academy, and that's when I met him. He recognized me right away…said I resemble you, Father…"

"Hah, you were incredibly fortunate. It's not easy to get an audience with that busy man."

He looked stunned at my portrayal of our meeting as a chance encounter.

"But how does he know you, Father? From what he said, it didn't seem like you were mere acquaintances…" 

"I met him a few times back when he visited the south, and helped him out with some things. It was a long time ago."

"The south?"

"Though he's from a prestigious family in the Holy Kingdom and has risen to become an archbishop, he used to serve as an Inquisitor of heresy. I believe having Inquisitor experience is mandatory for advancing to high positions in the Holy Kingdom…," Father suddenly turned towards me and continued with a broad grin.

"But the fact that he keeps sending us several bottles of holy water means he must think very highly of you. You cheeky brat, how did you win over that strict man's favor?"

Unable to reveal the truth, I deflected with an awkward laugh. As if a few bottles of holy water mattered when I'd offered two relics of the Patron Saintess…

Before I knew it, evening had passed amid our conversation. Father left first for work, but Adele was still struggling with the bell peppers.

From what I saw earlier, it seems she's eating other vegetables fine now. But she's still giving the bell peppers special disfavor.

"Adele. What's this, hmm? It's a gift your brother prepared especially for you."

As I took out a small box from my pocket, Adele, who had been glaring at the bell peppers, immediately turned her gaze towards me.

She let out a small "huh" and fell briefly silent.

Adele set down her fork and walked over to me, carefully accepting the box. 

And the moment she opened the lid, her eyes went wide.

"…A ring…?"

As Adele said, what I had prepared was indeed a ring. 

A beautiful silver ring with a red gemstone and intricate engravings.

It was an item I obtained from the Demon realm last time, but I only belatedly thought of a use for it.

Not only was it exquisitely beautiful in itself, but this ring also provided powerful protection for the wearer.

And from my experiments, I confirmed it blocks any abrupt influx of mana directed at the wearer.

Not just long-range spells, but even mana-infused weapons charging at the wearer get deflected.

While I or Father can protect ourselves to some degree, this child was still so vulnerable.

Though it has the limitation of only three uses per day, simply possessing this ring should provide considerable safety.

Adele picked up the ring with trembling hands and tried slipping it onto her finger; wondering if she had seen it somewhere before, she tried slipping it onto her left ring finger.

But the ring that could fit my finger was naturally too large for Adele's tiny digits. 

"Adele. It's not meant for your finger, but to wear around your neck. That's why I had the chain attached. How many more years until your fingers grow large enough for that ring?"

"Hic…"

Hearing my words, Adele's eyes filled with tears that seemed genuine.

If you want to read it for a cheap price until the last chapter, patreon.com/Makima02