There Is No Hidden Villain in This Novel Chapter 55

Meanwhile, at the same time Ryuseong and Cassis were quietly returning to the dormitory.

A bolt from the blue struck the cadets who had been captured by the guardian jangseungs.

“Wh-what did you say?!”

“What is that supposed to…!”

The principal’s jaw dropped wide as he shouted.

“Didn’t you hear me?! You said your relationship was so bad you were dueling in the middle of the night, during the Hour of the Ox!”

“Yes! But…!”

“Then you must become friends! If you do not forcibly improve your relationship, I will inflict a pain worse than death! You had better become friends starting tomorrow! Otherwise, the period of suffering will only increase!”

“…! Such a terrible…!”

For the record, it was not physical pain. That was precisely the problem.

“From now on, you are partners. You will sit together in the lecture hall and do group projects together. Midterms, whatever, wherever you go, you will form a group. Starting tomorrow, a survey about you will be conducted among your classmates every single day. If you fail to receive a unanimous evaluation that your relationship has improved, you will continue to be together. Hehehe. Just try to get along, you green little brats…!”

While everyone was dumbfounded, only Shin Myohan nodded her head alone, but even she was not doing so in agreement.

She was simply thinking this.

‘Hmm, as expected, there’s not a single sane person in Area…’

Her thoughts are correct. The principal’s <Let’s Be Friends> project is not sane. Of course, there is no way people could become friends through such a forced and bizarre punishment.

But it can be a bolt from the blue. It can be a firm resolve to never again cause a disturbance like a duel.

But what sin have the existing groups they used to hang out with committed?

What if he even made someone the general supervisor?

“Starting today, you will be responsible for leading these rascals around.”

“…What did you say?”

This was the bolt from the blue that struck me during breakfast. I had just placed a sandwich made with white bread baked with fresh cream, scrambled eggs, apple slices, and plenty of strawberry jam on my plate and sat down when the appetite-killing news was delivered.

I knew I had to act like Cassis de Millan, but it was so absurd that my words came out short. When my blunt reply came back, the principal seemed surprised too and retorted, his shoulder blades clattering.

“What do you mean, ‘what’? Aren’t you the top dog of Class 1. So the delinquent students should be gathered under you. Tsk. No complaints. It’s the role of a model student who is good at studying to lead delinquent students to the right path.”

“I am neither a member of the guidance committee nor a nanny.”

“Then be a member of the guidance committee starting today!”

“…”

As if he had prepared it, the principal tied a temporary guidance committee armband around my arm. When he flicked his fingers, the armband flew over, and I was caught off guard, blankly watching the unbelievably delicate and stable ki control that followed.

I did consider just throwing it at the principal’s head and screaming that I wouldn’t do it, but when the principal gave a signal, the guidance committee members who were eating in the cafeteria stood up in unison. As I was caught up in their group action and just stared blankly, a round of applause suddenly poured out.

“Congratulations to Cassis de Millan on his appointment as a temporary member of the guidance committee!”

“Congratulations!”

…Did you guys plan this? The guidance committee members who were giving a standing ovation couldn’t even meet my eyes, but the principal himself was beaming and giving me a thumbs-up. It was a classic case of being robbed blind in broad daylight.

I, who had been frozen in place as if stunned, eventually tilted my head back and glared murderously at Logan, Capone, and Dietrich, the culprits of this incident, before breaking into a bright smile. Now that I’m in charge of you, I don’t know if the message of ‘I’ll kill you if you don’t listen’ got through, but.

Seeing Logan sweating profusely and Lee Hyang starting to hiccup, well.

‘Did they see something scary?’

Taking a handkerchief from my inner pocket, I approached them, who were still tied up in ropes and kneeling, and patted Logan’s cheek with the handkerchief, saying.

“Let’s do well, shall we?”

“…I will not disappoint you again.”

“Shall I trust you?”

For some reason, everyone looks scared, but I want to believe it’s a misunderstanding. I was just telling them to get along well. But to explain further, the principal was giving me a double thumbs-up with a strange face before disappearing, so I decided to let it go if he was satisfied. If this is what you wanted, then well.

I should make it happen.

‘What can I do.’

The principal is the top dog of the school. Then I have to listen well.

‘Isn’t that right?’

Then Dietrich, with a thoroughly pitiful expression, said.

“Um, Young Master, we haven’t eaten anything since dawn and have been kneeling until now, so our legs are numb, we’re hungry, and it’s really hard. Can’t you just untie the ropes? Please.”

Sitting on a chair, I took a bite of my sandwich but then stopped, just nibbling on a leaf as if gnawing on it. But then I started to think, and the fact that I had to manage these brats when I was already busy focusing on my studies began to feel deplorable.

Of course, it’s nice that I can also join in when they do performance assessments. Since all these brats are talented. But it’s a hassle to control their everyday bickering…

Every time I moved my jaw as if chewing something, Dietrich and the rest of the troublemakers looked up at me eagerly. I crossed my legs and looked up at Ryuseong sitting next to me.

“Oh dear, I’ve lost my appetite. I think I’ll have to stop my meal here for today.”

“Are you crazy? You haven’t even had a single bite.”

“Because there are things next to me that make me lose my appetite.”

At that, Ryuseong began to glare at Dietrich. He had understood my instructions perfectly.

‘Proxy-scolding is the best!’

Lee Hyang, who had secretly been hoping for Dietrich’s plea to be granted, awkwardly pretended not to notice and turned his head away. Hae Yuna, even in this situation, was leaning on Lee Hyang and snoring away, drrr, drrr.

“It won’t do for you to not reflect on your actions after causing all that trouble. I heard you were engrossed in a duel since dawn. If you have that much vigor, go train. Don’t make the innocent jangseungs go on a run.”

That’s right. Their spectacular trouble had already spread throughout the entire school. It was impossible for it not to be known to the world when they were even distributing survey forms, but anyway, Lee Hyang’s earlobes turned red and he gritted his teeth.

It was fortunate that Shin Myohan and Hae Yuna could end it as just an interesting experience, but Lee Hyang thought that his honor, which he carried on his own shoulders, had been dragged down to the very bottom by their deviance being announced in school. So when Ryuseong agreed with the principal’s ‘crazy act,’ a sense of disappointment and rebelliousness surged up at the same time.

Still, thanks to Lee Hyang’s fundamentally decent character, he knew he was in the wrong.

He was just frustrated that he had to receive the same punishment as those bastards because his own ankle was almost broken in the middle of it, but he was quite close with Ryuseong.

There wasn’t much he did in rebellion. All he did was stick out his lips and grumble.

“N-no, that’s not it. The jangseungs actually looked like they were having fun. They were saying they were disappointed that the new students these days aren’t as bold…”

When Ryuseong stared at him intently with a stern gaze, you could tell his character just by seeing him mumble the end of his sentence and puff out his cheeks. You could say he was the type whose actions were endearing enough to soften one’s heart even when trying to scold them.

However, after hearing the words that followed, I felt that I could entrust the guidance committee armband dangling on my arm to Ryuseong.

It seemed that human cuteness and what not mattered not one bit to Ryuseong. A bombing of nagging optimized for establishing discipline was pouring out.

“Lee Hyang, act like a cadet. Weren’t we all gathered here to fight against monsters. If you were the type to just get your diploma and fool around, I wouldn’t have built a friendship with you in the first place. You haven’t spent all these years training just to harm mere humans, have you.”

“…I understand. You’re right.”

Even Lee Hyang, who had been about to flare up in rebellion, seemed to have his discipline solemnly established as he listened to his words. Seeing the dozing Hae Yuna subtly nod her head, it seemed she wasn’t sleeping but just pretending.

‘Crazy.’

She’s so good at acting asleep that even I couldn’t tell? Me, who became a genius actor from pretending not to be drunk after drinking? Why is Hae Yuna trying to be a Raider? Just switch to acting!

While I was arbitrarily designing Hae Yuna’s future plans, Ryuseong’s nagging turned to someone else.

“Logan Esteban, what kind of punk are you.”

“Why do I have to hear that from you…”

“Because my lover said I should be with him in his affairs. Shouldn’t I also take on the role of encouraging you all. Isn’t that right?”

Hae Yuna is closer to an idol-type than an actress-type, but then wouldn’t it be great if she debuted as an idol and then transitioned to acting? Her voice is good and she’d probably be a good dancer… As I was thinking this far, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. Huh. What is it? Was my saying that I would pass on the annoying work to Ryuseong that shocking?

“Sir Cassis. Is it true?”

“If it’s just troublesome and trivial matters. It’s not as if he lacks the ability.”

To put it bluntly, Ryuseong would be better at chewing you guys out. Since he’s the type who used to beat and teach everyone at the Hanla Sect regardless of whether they were his grand-disciples or martial nephews, he would know how to chew people out well, unlike me.

I had made such a rational judgment, but people were still reacting with whispers.

What? What’s the problem?

‘Ryuseong, why are you making that strange face again?’