The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

9. Irregular Enrollment (1)

The entrance of Arsen Academy.

The place corresponding to the prologue of the original work was bustling with people of all shapes and sizes.

“Ah…”

“It’s hot, really hot.”

“When will these people leave, seriously.”

The number of students waiting for counseling was nearly in the hundreds.

The receptionist sitting at the entrance couldn’t even take a sip of water. The coffee on the table had gone cold.

The enrollment process at Arsen Academy wasn’t complicated.

First, there was a simple personality assessment written test. After that, they would receive counseling and take the formal entrance exam.

The hundreds of people gathered here had all passed the written test.

So, the number of people who had been filtered out was already this large…

[Expected waiting time: 30 hours 40 minutes]

Looking at the expected waiting time on the guide board, most of the people gathered here would probably return home disappointed.

In the original work, it took several days to several weeks to complete the enrollment process.

…That’s understandable.

One of the top three academies on the continent.

Arsen, Yoahim, and Dongbang Hwa Won.

Arsen was at the pinnacle among them. Even the examination officials knew its reputation, so it was natural for hundreds of people to flock to the entrance.

I didn’t expect to see it, but the sight of hundreds of students gathered was breathtaking.

Moreover, since there was more than one entrance, in reality, there would be over a thousand applicants gathered.

“Please maintain order and move forward!”

“No cutting in line! Sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s taking a bit of time!”

Arsene’s side also had to mobilize a significant number of people to deal with the hundreds of students.

Inside, dozens of staff members were guiding the students, but the chaotic atmosphere didn’t seem to dissipate.

“What are you doing? Move out of the way!”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“You need to line up. What’s all this commotion about?”

One of the students who was trying to cut in line caught my attention.

Before long, a fight broke out. I furrowed my brow and turned my head away. From the start, I wasn’t supposed to be here.

I dodged the staff’s gaze and slipped into a back alley. Then, I took out my smartphone.

[Meeting location is behind the admissions office, in front of the Starbucks building.]

[Please don’t be late. I’ll be waiting.]

Right now, I have a suspicious-looking message on my phone.

Strictly speaking, it’s true that I’m going through the formal process of admission.

But I was planning to enter through a dark route.

***

Arsene City’s commercial district, 42nd Street.

Across the dark alley, I saw the Starbucks building, our meeting spot.

A young man was sitting at an outdoor table in front of the cafe, wearing a hat and staring at a tablet. He looked up and saw me.

“Ah, you’re here. Nice to meet you.”

The man approached me with a friendly smile. I took the business card he handed me. I didn’t know this man, but he seemed to know me.

“Mr. Sion, right? I’m Exion, a professor at Arsene. I remembered your name because it’s similar to mine.”

“Ah, yeah…”

I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just smiled politely. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to know the situation.

“Shall we go? Professor Beirn is already waiting.”

“Professor Beirn?”

“Yes, Professor Beirn. You must have heard of him for the first time.”

…What a ridiculous thing to say.

I knew Professor Beirn. I had seen him countless times in the original work and had even interacted with him directly. Of course, that was as a player.

Exion, who introduced himself as a professor, wore a kind smile. But there was an unsettling aura in his eyes.

I couldn’t tell if it was because of my [Intuition] ability, which I had developed through Esferando’s harsh training, but I instinctively knew that this man was not a good person.

Why? I realized the reason. My ability was telling me that.

The man in front of me was a villain.

“Professor Beirn is a professor of magic and will soon become the dean.”

“He’s even more amazing than I thought.”

“Well, that’s how it is. I also want to become a full professor soon, but it’s not easy.”

For now, I was going along with the conversation, but the Professor Beirn I was about to meet was also a villain. From the start, it was unlikely that someone who would guide students through a dark path would be a good person.

…I didn’t expect such a behind-the-scenes story.

It was a moment when I realized again that Esferando was a despicable organization. It seemed that villains had their own connections, and they stuck together.

Exion, who didn’t stand out in the original work, would surely be deeply involved in Professor Beirn’s ideology.

I suppressed my trained intuition’s response and smiled, following Exion professor.

While staying at Esperand, I’ve seen countless villains. As one of them, I’ll have to get used to this kind of thing from now on.

“This way.”

I climbed the stairs, which were filled with moisture.

Professor Exion extended his hand halfway, but I pretended not to see it and didn’t take it. I didn’t feel like holding hands with a villain, and it felt awkward.

Professor Exion chuckled and withdrew his hand.

“This way. They’re inside.”

Before entering, Exion adjusted his clothes. I, on the other hand, turned the doorknob.

The small interior cafe was air-conditioned, and a bespectacled, chubby male professor sat inside.

“Ah, you’re here! I’ve been waiting!”

On the gray table, a teacup was carelessly placed. It seemed like someone else had been there, but now the seat was empty.

“Nice to meet you, Professor.”

“Likewise. It’s our first meeting, isn’t it? Pleased to meet you.”

Professor Vieren smiled faintly.

This man was a far cry from an idol like Camil Esperand. While Camil’s actions were like a child’s play, Professor Vieren was on a completely different level, actually committing terrorism.

In the end, Professor Vieren would be punished by the main characters.

Although it was a story from the distant future, I couldn’t help but smile wryly, knowing the outcome.

“Right, I’ve heard the story. You’re entering Arsen this time.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It won’t be difficult. It’s easy to get one or two students in, after all.”

The way he spoke so casually about illegally admitting students made me feel like I was the only one with a conscience.

“Your name is, uh, Sion…”

Just as the professor was about to say “Esperand,” I corrected him.

“It’s Sion Illeonhart.”

“Ah, my mind’s gone blank. Yes, Illeonhart. That was the name.”

The professor patted my back.

“Alright, go ahead. They’re already waiting for you.”

…Wait, are we moving again?

I looked at Professor Exion, who scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

“There was an emergency, so they left first. They’re probably waiting for you at Arsen right now.”

There was someone else who had been here.

I had a rough idea of who it might be.

The group of two, consisting of me and Professor Exion, had become three. I was worried we’d have to walk again, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“This way. Let’s get in.”

At Professor Vieren’s gesture, the limousine parked across the road approached us. The limousine skillfully made a U-turn and stopped in front of us.

“Get in. Professor, and Sion.”

“Yes, excuse me…”

“……”

Professor Exion opened the door, and I entered the limousine. However, the interior of the limousine was not ordinary.

From the outside, it looked like a normal limousine, but the inside was… luxurious.

The plush, cushioned seat with a golden finish had an Eastern-style dragon embossed on it, with a jade in its mouth. It felt like something Professor Bieran would own. After all, in the original work, the last monster he summoned was the Blue Dragon.

As I gazed at it in wonder, Instructor Exion smiled.

“Ah, Professor’s car is quite flashy, isn’t it? I also had a hard time getting used to it at first.”

I didn’t react strongly, just exchanged a silent greeting with my eyes and turned my gaze outside.

Professor Bieran, sitting across from me, unfolded a newspaper. The analog scene was quaint in its own way.

“Want to take a look?”

Professor Bieran caught my gaze and showed me the newspaper. There was an unreadable magical incantation written on the page.

The flow of magic visible to the [Observer’s Eye] was intricate and systematic. The puzzle-like spell formation was even beautiful to behold.

“…It’s amazing.”

“You won’t understand it now. I remember you weren’t a magic major, anyway.”

“No, I’m a combat major.”

“Then it’s a shame you can’t attend my lectures. Maybe you can take them as electives later?”

It wasn’t a bad suggestion, but I could already see the potential trouble. Even if he was a villain, he seemed like someone who would take good care of his students.

Still, it wasn’t something I could accept without a second thought.

Attending Professor Bieran’s lectures would be like gambling. The biased evaluations were a given, and it would definitely attract the attention of other students.

I didn’t want to get entangled in unnecessary trouble.

“Thank you for the suggestion, but I’ll focus on one thing for now.”

“Ah, what a shame. What a shame.”

Professor Bieran clicked his tongue at my decisive answer. Maybe he was trying to put me under his gaze.

I turned my attention back to the newspaper, which Professor Bieran was now reading again.

Between the high-rise buildings, the Magic Tower soared into the sky.

A temple of a certain school, resembling Greek architecture. And, far outside the city…

‘…Arsene Academy.’

The scenery of Arsene Academy was unfolding before my eyes.

***

The limousine passed through the main gate of Arsene and headed towards the back gate.

The parking lot was filled with all sorts of luxurious cars.

Sports cars resembling Lamborghinis and Ferraris, and even antique cars that seemed to have come from the 19th century.

The limousine navigated through the cars and headed towards the staff-only parking area, where Arsene’s annex was located.

“We’ve arrived.”

The driver opened the limousine door, and we got out.

The first building we saw was the guesthouse, a space for external visitors.

“Well, let’s go.”

“Don’t be nervous, it’s just a simple greeting.”

Instructor Exion led the way, followed by Professor Bieran, as if they had made a prior arrangement.

I walked alongside Professor Bieran, feeling a bit awkward, but no one seemed to mind.

Before entering the building, Professor Bieran glanced at me sideways.

“If you have any dietary restrictions, let me know now. You can also request your favorite food.”

“There’s nothing in particular I dislike.”

“Then it’s fortunate, but you know.”

Originally, I didn’t have any food I disliked, but that’s not possible now.

After going through the training process of Esferand, which made me starve for several days, my taste buds have changed.

The guesthouse door opened, and the staff looked at me with curiosity, but I was used to this kind of gaze.

I went up the stairs on the first floor and reached the second floor.

Professor Exion, who was accompanying me, stopped in front of a room.

“Then I’ll go down first! Professor Biern!”

“Alright, I’ll be right down. Professor.”

Professor Exion turned around, and the sound of his shoes echoed in the quiet hallway.

“…Alright, Si-on. You go in first. I’ll go down for a bit too.”

Saying so, Professor Biern opened the door for me himself.

Click-

The sound of the door opening.

Through the open door, a sweet, unknown fruit fragrance wafted in.