There Is No Hidden Villain in This Novel Chapter 73

I had always thought that a smile could only contain one emotion. But that was not the case.

You were screaming, just by smiling.

‘Alright! Now that I’ve chased away the old geezer, shall we get on our way?’

Having refreshed myself by letting loose my personality, I decided it was time to depart. The theory professors, who had stealthily appeared from behind the principal who was frozen in shock and bewilderment, said they had prepared some kind of parade, but…

I had no desire to cause a crazy pandemonium by mobilizing the entire student body for a mere field trip, so I grabbed Ryuseong and made a run for it.

‘Haha. For some reason, this reminds me of the night we spent our first night together, and it feels quite pleasant…’

The strong Ryuseong not only kept pace as I led him but even got ahead of me at times. Not wanting to fall behind, we ran as if competing, so crossing the campus was a quick affair.

Well, Logan, whom we ran into midway, blocked my path with a look of someone about to faint and asked something about if it was real, but when I passed by with a slight smile…

“Mi-Minor Head…!”

He was pushed back by the wind pressure and landed on his butt.

Oh dear, my apologies. Why did you have to block my path? Who do you think you are? Dietrich, who had smartly stepped back, was not caught up in it, but his dumbfounded expression was clearly visible.

From behind him, Lee Hyang shouted, “Hey! Kim Ryuseong! If you leave, what are we supposed to do…!” to which Ryuseong simply left one remark and bolted.

“I am not a Kim.”

I’m telling you, this guy is a weirdo too. A sane, common-sense person wouldn’t be able to spout such nonsense so confidently. But Ryuseong spouts nonsense. Therefore, this guy must be either a weirdo or a woof-woofing son of a bitch.

‘If I had to choose, I guess I’d be both…’

Enough with the bullshit.

Yes, to be frank, I anticipate that our escape will have a profound impact on the power dynamics within the school.

You might wonder how much power a mere school could possibly have, but Aletheia Academy is renowned as the finest of all educational institutions worldwide that cultivate conquerors, and being a conqueror is a high-risk, high-return profession where one can grasp wealth, fame, and power in one hand, as long as they survive. In other words, Aletheia Academy is a breeding ground teeming with prospective power-holders who will shape the future. Moreover, the position of a conqueror is often passed down through a family or clan’s name, and these days, even Taoist clans permit marriage. Therefore, blood ties were invariably a channel for the inheritance of wealth and martial power, and as such, those gathered at Aletheia Academy were all pretty much aware of each other’s existence.

This is, in a way, a natural context. Isn’t there a lesson to be learned from the idiom, “my mom’s friend’s son”?

Hey, I heard so-and-so’s child, who is the same age as our kid, has already reached the respectable fifth star in the realm of the Seven Plum Sword. Our child has only achieved the fourth star. Sigh. What is he going to become when he grows up…

They had always been compared just by hearing each other’s names. Now, that peer group has been gathered in one place.

How could a spirit of rivalry not arise?

‘Rivalry is just a nice way of putting it… when you get down to it, it’s a sense of inferiority and hostility.’

If you were to list those among them who held the most power and were in the most intense conflict, you would inevitably have to name these individuals.

Logan Esteban, Capone Yones, and Dietrich Winkel, led by Cassis de Millang.

And Lee Hyang and Hae Yuna, led by Ryuseong.

‘There’s a reason why Hae Yuna was shouting about where we were going, leaving them behind.’

It’s because these are the brats who have been compared the most fiercely in this world.

Well, let’s set the Hanla clan aside. In the original story, it was described as a clan that doesn’t mentally torment its children—to put it in Cassis’s terms, ‘soft’—so they probably wouldn’t have compared their own kids to their mom’s friend’s son.

But Hae Yuna, who is associated with the Haenam clan, is treated strictly by her grandmother. Being compared to others? She is undoubtedly experiencing it. Then what about Lee Hyang?

To be honest, I can’t even imagine how much the elders of his clan must have tormented him, but I daresay the clan, filled with the desire for their sole heir in three generations to surpass the children of the neighboring country, would have generously spewed their old-fashioned lectures.

Still, up until now, a rough balance had been maintained. When Ryuseong and I weren’t by their side, all sorts of hell broke loose because of the villains, but Lee Hyang, Hae Yuna, and even Shin Myohan joining in were able to handle that much. Things like trying to discipline kids from other factions, or in other words, they righteously stopped such bully-like behavior with violence.

But now that I’ve disappeared with Ryuseong, Lee Hyang and Hae Yuna will be in trouble.

‘Because the leash is gone.’

The very absence of Cassis de Millang will be a burden to them. Because there is no way anyone other than myself can put a leash on Logan, Capone, and Dietrich and control them. The beasts, with their sharp claws raised and fangs honed, have regained their freedom. What will they do? And what will they become?

‘They’ll try to act like the trash they were in the original story. No, perhaps even worse.’

It’s not that I’m not embarrassed by their bullying, so I have made some simple preparations.

Still, I should give them a call later. Because I feel sorry for the righteous thugs who have to deal with the temperaments of the villainous bastards, hmm hmm…

It was then. As we gradually reached the area accessible to outsiders, a teeming crowd began to come into view.

“It’s Lord Cassis!”

“My goodness, it’s de Millang!”

I don’t know where the information leaked from again, but all the people packed into the area accessible to outsiders were reporters. Flashes went off like an erupting volcano, and so many shouts merged into one that it persistently stimulated my eardrums. I instinctively put a hand to my eyes and turned off the Heavenly Scribe’s Art. With my senses sharpened by the art, trying to endure the assault of light and noise all at once was momentarily disorienting.

‘Does this mean that just as the Heavenly Scribe’s Art enhances my senses, there’s also a possibility of experiencing adverse reactions?’

If I show an opening during combat, I could be in big trouble, so this seems like a problem I should keep in mind and deal with later.

That aside.

“We would like to ask about the reversal of your decision to withdraw!”

“For what purpose did you decide on this field trip!”

To sort out this chaos, as expected.

This would be best, right?

“We’re going on our honeymoon.”

I know I need to control my expression. I know that since Cassis de Millang is a strange guy, I should be smiling alluringly and wickedly even at a time like this.

But for some reason, I felt like laughing, so I ended up grinning in a way that crinkled my face. It makes sense, as the sight of everyone standing there with their mouths agape, looking completely stunned, is a rare spectacle.

In that gap, I reactivated the Heavenly Scribe’s Art. I intended to make a quick escape while everyone was zoning out.

The only problem might be that Ryuseong, who was supposed to escape with me, was also stunned.

“Ho-honeymoon…?”

Beep. That was a statement from the person going on the honeymoon. To be so out of sync, this Ryuseong fellow, I’ll definitely have to train his personality and also teach him how to respond in situations like this.

With the main party in a major incident looking spaced out, the reporters started barking in unison.

“…A honeymoon, you say… marriage?!”

“Did you two… really… get married…?!”

But I was not swayed in the slightest. It makes sense, since there’s no need to tell the whole truth in a situation like this, right?

“Hmm? Is that how it works? I’m not really sure.”

“…What are you talking about? Are you crazy? You’re joking, right? If you were in your right mind, you couldn’t possibly be pulling this shit…”

“Haha, well then, we’ll be on our way.”

So tactless. I grabbed the freaking-out Ryuseong and ran off gracefully. By the way, the Ground-Shrinking Technique is truly a useful movement art. Because our image on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper will be our distant retreating figures. Just like an illustration in a fairy tale…

“The lord has disappeared.”

Unlike Cassis de Millang, who shamelessly mentioned fairy tales, there is a space that is dreary, desolate, and dark, like a noir film. In that place, so gloomy that it’s hard to believe it shares the same academy, there is a person who has just fallen on his butt, which lessens the gravity of the scene.

His name is Logan Esteban, chewing on a cigar held at the tip of his lips. He hasn’t lit it. He gave the reason that he didn’t want to be traced by the smoke, but in truth, he just can’t smoke cigars. The smell is too bitter, and if he actually smokes it, he’ll cough and make a fuss. But since he can’t lose his cool, he just holds it in his mouth.

But then, a puff of cigar smoke wafted over from beside him.

“Cough! Cough!“

“Such a kid. Can’t even smoke one of these.”

Logan’s eyes reddened as he made gagging sounds.

“I-I’m not unable to smoke it, it’s just that you suddenly blew smoke…!”

Whether or not Logan, having failed at being cool, got angry and raised his voice, Dietrich just chuckled and crunched on the candy he was rolling around in his mouth.

“Hey, that’s not what’s important right now. I don’t care whether you smoke or not, Logan, so let’s get to the main point.”

At those words, Capone, who had been raising his eyebrows in a sneer, turned his head, and Logan waved his hand to disperse the cigar smoke and straightened his posture. When the two’s gazes were fixed on him, Dietrich Winkel snapped his fingers.

“The lord’s absence. How should we handle this?”

“…”

“Should we watch and see? Or should we tear it all apart?”