How to Survive as a Villain in a Novel

16 – Dilemma

16. Dilemma

“It’s overwhelming.”

A week has passed.

During that time, I have trained the newly gained ‘evil’ utilization system. Also, I have considered the approach towards the upcoming main scenario.

Just like that, a week has flown by.

“I don’t knowww.”

I throw myself onto the bed.

There was one thing that had been settled in the meantime.

– “I think it would be best to limit the butler’s contract terms until before the entrance ceremony… Especialy since I have received such a ring from you.”

That was Han Chaeyoon’s statement.

She seemed to like it and wore it often. That’s a relief.

With just that, her unstable aura should subside considerably.

‘She probably won’t cling to me now.’

Once her aura calms down, the reason for her to cling to me will disappear. It’s all neatly solved.

Thanks to this, today marks the goodbye to this trembling bed.

‘When I earn a lot of money later, I’ll come pick you up.’

I gently stroked the pillow that had the words ‘One Shot Healing Hospital’ on it.

“That being said.”

「Main Scenario: Dark Magic」

This main scenario that I finally managed to shake off. It’s my biggest concern how to resolve it.

Not only is the difficulty a problem, but I have to avoid penalties from ‘Class of Villain’ in the process of solving it.

In the end, I have to tackle the incidents with a meticulous plan and directing that is worthy of a top villain.

‘Some preparation is required though.’

Items and various other things.

For these, I decided to plan and gradually acquire them.

“Anyway, the next event is the entrance ceremony, right?”

I held the entrance ceremony guide that Han Chaeyoon handed to me.

[Heart’s Eye (Level 1) is activated.]

The entrance ceremony is scheduled for this afternoon. The location is Orbis’s Outdoor Event Hall. Honestly, I don’t want to go.

Isn’t it only natural?

A student who got disciplinary action for re-entry, going to an entrance ceremony?

You’d be less embarassed tagging along to a freshmen MT as a university readmission student, right?

‘But.’

But there is a reason I have to go.

The event happening at this new student batch’s entrance ceremony.

I cannot miss it.

Because this event is a kind of trigger event that signifies the beginning of the Dark Magic scenario.

Sigh.

I let out a heavy sigh.

“I guess it’s right to go.”

Who am I? A top villain.

No matter how embarrassing, for the sake of resolving the current issue

You have to let go of that.

And come to think of it,

I’m sick of getting scolded by the same people every day.

It may be a refreshing experience to be scolded by fresh new students, and offers a brilliant chance to increase my ‘Evil’. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.

* * *

Just as big as a city, Orbis receives quite an amount of freshmen numbers for a renowned institution.

I left a bit early to avoid the rush hour, allowing myself to walk at my own pace.

“Hmm…”

Even while walking, I’m immersed in my thoughts.

Ultimately.

The cause of all my troubles is the damned ‘dilemma’.

Let’s say a scenario or a major incident has occurred.

If I try to solve it by siding with the heroes, I would immediately receive a corresponding penalty by ‘The Villain’s Dignity’.

So, do I unconditionally side with the villains? Or do I perform evil deeds? That’s an issue too. The heroes wouldn’t just stand by and watch, and above all, these ‘scenarios’ are events leading to the world’s destruction.

Thus, solving the scenario while avoiding the ‘The Villain’s Dignity’ penalties.

That is the only way I can survive here.

“Ultimately.”

The most crucial point is,

Avoiding the penalty of ‘The Villain’s Dignity’.

And the crux of the strategy here.

‘The System looks at the world through me.’

This is a hypothesis I deduced through various coincidences and observations.

If I rationalize my actions as evil deeds with plausible evidence, the System accepts it.

Why?

Because I am their eyes.

Therefore, deceiving their ‘eyes’ – me, and rationalizing. This strategy worked well.

Until I lost my sight.

“……”

That’s why I had to establish a new hypothesis.

That there are other ‘eyes’ through which the System views the world.

It’s a plausible hypothesis.

Upon careful thought, there were indeed people in the original work who seemed to imply this through their descriptions.

I somehow managed to shortlist a few.

If the evil deeds I rationalized,

Are perceived as clear acts of kindness to their eyes…

“……”

I clenched my eyes that I have lost.

And using my inner eye, I scanned through the paper in my hand.

[The list of Orbis freshmen]

This cohort.

Characters equivalent to ‘main characters’ in the original work are entering.

Of course, among them are those who ‘have eyes’.

That’s why I can’t help but pray.

“Please hate me.”

I said.

The fortunate thing was,

In Orbis, my current default reputation was ‘human trash.’

As long as I don’t get too involved, that image should remain.

“So, shall I play the villain again today?”

With that, I found myself reaching the academy’s entrance ceremony.

Looking around,

I silently melted into the shadows at a corner.

* * *

Orbis Academy’s orientation for newly admitted students.

Only those with an exceptional talent, rigorously vetted through difficult tests, were accepted as new students at Orbis.

The Academy always opened its doors only for the utmost talents, hence Orbis was called a prestigious school.

Even considering such facts, this year’s new students were exceptional. Important names that were at most a couple at any given time, had swarmed in with this batch.

Naturally, rumors about their talents quickly spread among the new students.

Ryuseo Ah.

Offspring of a famous wizard, and the genius who was acknowledged for her talent in Fire Magic from a young age.

Her name was being tossed around amongst the new students even within the Orbis train.

“Is Ryuseo Ah going to top this batch, right?”

“I don’t know about the overall rankings, but she will definitely be the best in magic.”

“Unless scouted in between, she is certain to stay until graduation.”

“I doubt if anyone can make it to the top ten throughout the academy… Wish a guild would take her all at once.”

“I want to see her face once. I heard she’s quite beautiful.”

One person standing by the door, cautiously pulled down their hat hearing the conversation.

Using the hat to cover her red hair, sunglasses to hide her blue eyes, and a mask to hide her delicate face.

Listening to the chat about her while keeping her identity hidden, Ryuseo Ah smirked.

‘So you think I will absolutely stay at Orbis?’

Unlike them who were entranced with the prestigious name of Orbis, Ryuseo Ah had two clear goals.

One was to meet and avenge the Murderer who killed her father.

The other was to find the trace of the benefactor who passed on the mana circle to her, so as to repay them.

‘…….’

Recalling her goals, she unintentionally bit her lip so hard blood spilled.

Putting her mask back on, she exited the Orbis station following the other students.

Ahead of the station, a neat and scenic path led to the academy’s main building.

She momentarily stood still in the middle of the path.

“Darn it, what’s wrong!”

Someone cursed at her for stopping all of a sudden, but Ryuseo Ah was lost in her memories.

‘A familiar path…’

The path she often trod while holding her father’s hand, who was a professor at Orbis when she was young.

And also the path she took a year ago.

The path she reveled on while letting go of her father’s hand.

Suddenly, memories came flooding back.

– Dad. I’m not visiting Orbis anymore. It’s been a while since I’ve outgrown holding your hand. I am an adult now.

– I miss you so much. Is our daughter going through adolescence?

I remember turning away from my sad father, sticking out my tongue playfully.

In truth.

– ‘I’ll study hard so that next year, I’ll be able to walk this path with you.’

I couldn’t bring myself to say such a thing out of shyness.

… and.

– “Dad… Dad… No! No!”

I remember running, pleading for my father to simply stay alive as he was caught in an accident at the academy.

All these memories.

They were contained in this path.

“……”

With a calm demeanor, Ryuseo wiped her flowing tears.

It was not yet the right time to allow herself to cry freely.

The investigation into the [Gate Explosion Incident] in which her father was caught, ended with no definitive result.

It was just a tragedy brought on by a series of unfortunate events.

That’s how the conclusion was reached.

But she knew.

There were rumors within Orbis about who caused the incident.

For this reason, this path was not one filled with memories.

Rather, it was a path of revenge, leading to her mortal enemy whom she must kill with her own hands.

Slowly, but with strength, she stepped her first foot on this path.

– Ready

The ceremony was over.

Ryuseo took off the hat, sunglasses, and mask that hid her identity.

Her hair, aflame and flying all around, shone a bright red.

Her eyes, once filled with tears, now shone a bright blue as if they had absorbed all her sorrow.

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to her.

But no one could say a word.

The atmosphere around Ryuseo was that resolute.

What stopped her in her tracks,

Was a bulletin board in front of her.

“Who’s Lee Han?”

That was the name she’d been yearning to hear.

“The Discipline Committee’s punishment result? Readmission? It doesn’t say why.”

“Oh, this guy. I heard from seniors. They say he’s a voyeur?”

“Ugh, gives me the creeps.”

Ryuseo, who’d been perusing the information on the bulletin board, let out a sigh of relief.

She had been afraid of what she might do if he was going around pretending to be a good guy.

Thankfully, he was a despicable person, just as she’d hoped.

‘I’m not sure how to kill him.’

I didn’t think of ways to get revenge.

However.

One thing is certain.

I’m going to return exactly what I received.

‘The pain I will feel. And the pain I will continue to feel.’

Very slowly. And very painfully.

A smile surfaced on Ryu Seo-ah’s lips after a long time.