The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

32. Classes and Daily Life (4)

Familiar faces caught my attention inside the guest house. The attendants who had been busy when I visited with Professor Viehn were still scurrying about.

“There may be some inconvenience due to the external visitors, but please bear with us.”

This place was originally intended for external guests, so many students were dissatisfied.

The distance from the old dormitory was also a problem, and there was an unsettling atmosphere in the air. Even the foreigners who were gazing down at us from the 2nd-floor balcony didn’t seem too friendly.

There were people from the East and West, and even a few from the distant South. Most of them were visitors from other academies who had come to observe.

As I said, Arsene was the top among the three academies. Whether I liked it or not, the blatant gaze from all directions was unavoidable. It was as if they were scrutinizing me.

When I came here before, I was with the professors, and our group was small, so it didn’t stand out. Now, with dozens of students occupying the guest house, it was only natural that we drew attention.

“What’s with them?”

“Yeah, why are they staring at us like that?”

Some people seemed to find the atmosphere uncomfortable, furrowing their brows. Although it’s okay now that the instructor is leading, there’s already a sense of conflict brewing.

So, the instructor added a warning.

“This area is not subject to Arsen’s rules. If you cause trouble here, you won’t be punished as an Arsen student, but according to the Hunter Association’s regulations.”

Naturally, the students looked unhappy.

In other words, this place, although inside Arsen, is like a special autonomous region where Arsen’s rules don’t apply. It’s like a foreign embassy, where even Arsen students are treated as individual ‘hunters’ during their stay, and any punishment they receive will be the same as what a hunter would get.

If they cause trouble here, they might be kicked out of Arsen, and that’s not the end of it – they might even be summoned by the Hunter Association for further investigation and punishment.

So, most students try not to cause problems within the guesthouse. The same goes for external students who come to visit.

However, there’s a loophole in this rule.

The problem is that these rules only apply within the guesthouse. Some students have taken advantage of this, and there have been minor incidents in the original story.

For example, if someone throws a rock outside the guesthouse.

In this case, even if the perpetrator is a student staying in the guesthouse, they won’t be punished because they didn’t cause trouble within the guesthouse. They can cleverly avoid punishment.

On the other hand, the guesthouse staff might also take advantage of this.

They might start a fight within Arsen’s grounds and then retreat to the guesthouse. In this case, the angry Arsen students can’t do anything, even if they’re furious.

Even if they’re Arsen students, they can’t receive protection as students within the guesthouse, so they can’t act recklessly.

It may seem ridiculous, but surprisingly, it’s a real issue. There was an episode where Kyle got into a fight with a student from another academy.

“You will be staying on the 3rd floor of the guesthouse. Let me remind you again, if an incident occurs here, you won’t receive protection as Arsen students. Please be extra cautious.”

The instructor left a stern warning before departing.

The students looked unhappy, but their expressions would naturally relax when they saw their assigned rooms.

Of course, the facilities at the previous Chanelia dorm were good, but this place is more luxurious and sophisticated, designed to make a good impression on outsiders.

Compared to the dorm, it’s like the difference between a studio apartment and a hotel room. It’s a bit regrettable that we’ll only be staying here until the dorm renovation is complete.

I didn’t really want to come here, either.

It’s because there are people like Professor Exion or Professor Vier who I don’t want to deal with.

At least Professor Vier will be moving to his research lab soon, so the situation will improve, but I’m not sure about Professor Exion.

In the original story, he was just a minor character, but from what I’ve seen lately, Professor Exion seems to be a rather unusual person. My [intuition] reacts strangely whenever I see him, which is proof.

It’s like the phrase “a madman with clear eyes” – whenever I see Professor Exion, I get a weird, unsettling feeling.

The problem is that Professor Exion wasn’t a well-known character in the original story, so there’s no information about him.

So, I sent a short message to my family’s contact, hoping to get in touch with them.

[Shion: Sebastian, can you hack into Arsen’s server for me?]

[Sebastian: Are you serious? If we get caught, it’ll be a big problem.]

[Shion: We’ll just access it indirectly, so it’s fine. Just make sure the family doesn’t find out.]

[Sebastian: Okay… who do you want to investigate?]

I hesitated for a moment before operating the watch again. There must be a reason why my [intuition] reacts so strongly.

[Shion: Professor Exion Vante. It’s not urgent, so take your time.]

[Sebastian: Got it.]

Sebastian, my butler, didn’t ask any further questions. He simply accepted the order with a calm demeanor.

I pressed the watch to end the communication app. The icon on the screen disappeared. It’s a bit annoying that I have to enter the password every time, but this is the safest way to communicate.

Just as I was about to relax on the sofa, surrounded by a strange fragrance…

Knock, knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the room.

I refused to answer. If it was a maid, she would come back during the day, and if it was someone else, they must have gotten the wrong room number.

If I didn’t get a response, I would leave soon.

Click-clack.

But then, I heard the sound of a key being inserted, and the locked door creaked open.

I jumped up from the sofa, feeling like a thief caught in the act, wondering if I had gotten caught using an unregistered app.

With a mix of caution and curiosity, I looked towards the door, where a 2nd-year senior with red hair, someone I had seen before, was standing.

“…Are you staying here?”

“Rebecca-nim.”

Not a maid, nor a professor, but a student. And that made me even more uneasy.

Even if I hadn’t noticed at Arsen, it was different at Grandeur. Having had a relationship with the Espers, I knew their methods well.

Rebecca walked in without permission, as if she had been formally invited.

It was truly the arrogance of a student council president, with an air of superiority, as if she didn’t need to ask for permission. It was probably the same feeling Kyle had in the original story.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“I had some business nearby and thought I’d drop by.”

I knew that, but what business could she have?

I swallowed my words, and Rebecca began to inspect the room, her gaze piercing as she examined the furniture.

It was a gaze I had seen before, reminiscent of an ajumma scrutinizing goods at a mart in Korea.

“…You’re the one who contributed the most to the dormitory incident, but this is the room you’re given?”

Rebecca tossed out the question nonchalantly, as if she had just finished an inspection.

“What?”

“The 3rd floor is for guests from outside, and it’s only natural that Arsen would provide an empty room. But considering that, this treatment is unacceptable.”

I was struggling to understand the situation, but Rebecca didn’t seem to care about my reaction.

She wandered around the room, her hands behind her back, and then lightly touched the wallpaper.

Rebecca had only touched the wallpaper, but the part her hand touched sank in. It was hidden by the curtain, but it looked like water was seeping from somewhere.

“Si-on Illyeonheart, wasn’t it you who made the greatest contribution to the dormitory incident, not that 1st-year student? Why didn’t you report it to the higher-ups?”

“I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Why not?”

“Because I entered school unfairly, and I don’t need to draw unnecessary attention.”

For a moment, Rebecca’s eyebrows twitched.

I was just puzzled.

The only thing I had done when I entered school was reveal the artifact’s location, and after that, I had no dealings with Rebecca. At least, that was the plan until the final chapter of the 1st act.

“I don’t understand. Everyone’s obsessed with grades and honor, but you don’t seem to care about those things at all.”

Rebecca’s words were saying that.

She was saying that the treatment I received was unfair compared to my contributions. The 1st-year student she mentioned must be Kyle Ivanstier.

It seemed that, just like in the original story, Kyle had successfully caught the student council’s attention.

Rebecca, who was known for being ruthless to those who crossed her, had come to me. Instead of going to the trouble of checking on the student council, I had saved myself the effort.

But, as I thought about it, wasn’t this exactly what I had wanted?

My answer is always the same.

“Yes.”

My goal is to block the final boss and live a comfortable life afterwards.

That’s why I enrolled in Arsene, and unlike others, grades aren’t that important to me. As long as I graduate safely with decent grades, that’s enough.

In fact, if I get too good grades, it might even harm the main characters.

Arsene pushes talented students to their limits. Top-ranked students get invited to various events and even receive a letter of recommendation from the chairman after graduation.

And the target of all this is not me, but Kyle and the other main characters. It’s Kyle Ivanstier who will take down the final boss, and that’s how I’ll be able to live in peace.

So, I’ve been taking just enough to not stand out from the main characters. I’ve been doing that so far, and I’ll continue to do so. As long as Lara, Airi, Kyle, and Esili grow well, that’s enough for me.

“…….”

Of course, Rebecca looked puzzled. She must think I’m a weird student who’s too optimistic and naive about reality.

Rebecca always has a calm and collected expression when looking at me. But this time, it was different.

Her eyebrows narrowed. Her lips tightened.

She clenched her fists and looked up at me with a determined gaze.

“It won’t work.”

That’s what I always say.