I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines - Chapter 54

Chapter 54 – How to Cross a Desert (1)

The day after returning to the Academy.

I was spending time in the study for the first time in a while.

It was a facility within the dormitory.

As I mentioned last time, Galimard operates on a ranking-based distribution system.

Students with higher rankings enjoy more privileges, allowing them to live more comfortably at the Academy.

The dorms were no exception to this rule.

Since I was ranked at the top of my grade, I was assigned the best room.

It’s almost like having my own private mansion.

The spacious study I’m sitting in now is a special facility, available only to the top student.

I always come here when I have a lot on my mind.

“Hmmm.”

And today was no different.

With a lot to think about, I naturally gravitated toward the study.

I was sitting on the couch in the center of the room.

“This is quite the troublesome thing I’ve come into possession of…”

I was fiddling with a black case.

It was a small, palm-sized box that Neria had handed to me a few days ago.

A faint sigh escaped my lips.

Click.

When I opened the case, something inside shimmered faintly.

It was a jewel that emitted a brilliant blue light.

I tapped its surface with my fingertip.

A strange sound resonated, and the air around the jewel began to distort.

Like heat waves rising from the ground.

‘As I thought, this is dangerous.’

Bergen Belsen.

Alongside that hellish laboratory were massive canyons.

This jewel had been found deep within one of those abysses.

‘This is the reason why the time flow around Belsen was warped.’

The jewel was the heart of a dragon.

A long time ago, before the Empire was even founded, there was a dragon that ruled supreme over the world.

It was said to be the strongest creature in history.

At the same time, it was shrouded in mystery.

‘In the game, its backstory was never fully revealed.’

In the game, only passing mentions were made about the dragon, with no detailed information disclosed.

I had even scoured through all the event booklets, but to no avail.

The best I could do was piece together the scattered bits of lore.

‘The dragon that once protected the world suddenly met its death… and its corpse was buried between those great canyons.’

Hundreds of years passed after that.

Just when the dragon’s remains seemed to be forgotten in the barren land, a dark magician fleeing the Empire stumbled upon the site.

Before long, he realized that the time flow in the surrounding area was distorted.

And so, he secretly decided to build a research facility there.

This was the origin of Belsen, as recorded in the lore.

“It certainly exudes an overwhelming aura.”

Though it had been damaged, eroded, and fragmented over the centuries… the heart still radiated an intense power.

If an item like this were to fall into Baob’s hands, it would be a major headache.

To prevent its misuse, I collected it myself.

Besides, I had a few things I wanted to test with it.

While I was bringing down Belsen, I figured I might as well pick up a mythical-grade item along the way.

Now, what happens next is the key.

“I’m curious to see what kind of reaction this will bring.”

As I mused to myself, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock.

“Hm?”

Someone was knocking on the door to the study.

The knock was a bit awkward, as if the person wasn’t yet accustomed to formalities.

I recognized it immediately.

“Come in, Miss Irene.”

Creaaak.

The door opened with a soft groan, and the girl with auburn hair entered.

It was the fox, neatly dressed.

I had noticed she went to bed late last night.

She must have just woken up.

Her black eyes were heavy with fatigue.

I placed the case back in my pocket and welcomed her calmly.

“Good morning.”

“Sorry… I slept in.”

“It’s fine. I prepared breakfast earlier. Did you have some?”

“Yeah, it was good.”

“I’m glad it was to your liking.”

As I smiled faintly, Irene approached the couch where I sat.

She hovered nearby, as if unsure of what to say.

I tilted my head and asked.

“Is there something you’d like to talk about?”

“Just…”

Irene hesitated, struggling to find the right words.

After a moment of silence, she clenched her fists and finally spoke.

“…I felt like I should say thank you.”

“Out of the blue?”

“I never said it properly. You saved my life, and I didn’t want to just let that pass.”

“That’s unexpected. I thought you didn’t trust me.”

“That’s… a separate issue.”

“Hehe.”

The fox averted her gaze slightly.

I chuckled softly.

Though she couldn’t trust humans, it seemed she couldn’t bring herself to truly hate me either.

Her inherent kindness shone through.

After a brief silence, she muttered under her breath.

“You’re still difficult to figure out…”

“Are you talking about me?”

“I just don’t understand what you’re thinking.”

“I consider myself to be quite transparent, actually. Where else would you find someone with such a pure character?”

“…”

“Your eyes are giving me quite the insolent look.”

Her black eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Feeling a bit mischievous, I grabbed hold of her swaying tail and gave it a firm squeeze.

Squeeze!

“Gah?!”

“As expected, it’s soft.”

“W-Wait! Why the tail all of a sudden…?!”

“This is punishment.”

“W-Wait! At least tell me why… Hngh!”

“Figure it out for yourself.”

We bantered playfully for a while, exchanging lighthearted words as we spent time together in the study.

***

The next day.

I left the dormitory to attend class.

—You don’t have to attend class for about a week.

—The three of you can rest comfortably in the dorm.

—I’ll take care of your attendance.

After the accident during the midterms, Selena had given the students a week off to recover from the shock.

Thanks to that, I could skip class with peace of mind and return just as lessons resumed.

I walked leisurely.

Tap, tap.

As I crossed the path toward the carriage stop, I heard voices.

“There he is.”

“My lord…?”

It was none other than the villainess and the protagonist.

The two, who had been standing together outside the stop, noticed me approaching and greeted me.

I gave them a gentle smile.

“It’s been a week since I last saw you. I hope you’ve both been well.”

“Well… I’ve been okay, I guess.”

“Y-Yes, I think I got some much-needed rest.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The snake, the pilot, and the vain person.

As we waited for the carriage, the three of us engaged in light conversation, sharing what we had been up to over the past week.

As we chatted, Emilia, who had been walking ahead, suddenly brought up a topic.

“Come to think of it, the school trip is just around the corner.”

“R-Right… It feels like time’s been flying by.”

“There have been a lot of things happening.”

I smiled wryly.

In addition to the regular Academy schedule, so many events and incidents had piled up—it really had been a whirlwind two months.

The school trip was scheduled for about two weeks from now.

I just hoped things would stay peaceful until then.

“I need to finish all the assignments I’ve fallen behind on before the trip…”

“You’re behind on assignments?”

“Y-Yes… I tried to do them on my own, but they’re just so difficult…”

“How typical. You really are a commoner, aren’t you?”

“S-Sorry… I guess someone like me really doesn’t belong at the Academy…”

“I-I didn’t mean it like that, okay?”

The villainess and the protagonist exchanged words.

Thanks to the bond they had formed during the trial by fire of the midterms, the two seemed noticeably closer.

The protagonist became sullen whenever Emilia teased her, and Emilia, despite acting like she was tormenting her, would quickly panic whenever Regia pouted.

Surprisingly, they had good chemistry.

“Wasn’t the young lord helping you with the schoolwork?”

“He was. But I didn’t want to impose on him every time, so…”

“So you’ve been struggling with it all on your own?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“If you ever need help, you can ask me too. I don’t mind.”

“You… would help me?”

“Ahem! I’m the kind of person who knows how to give back, you know.”

I smiled warmly.

It was still a bit awkward, but I was glad to see the two of them getting closer.

I decided to chime in playfully.

“Well now… Are you really planning to seek help elsewhere, when you already have such an excellent tutor?”

“…Why are you butting in?”

Emilia frowned at me.

I grinned back at her and shrugged my shoulders.

“You two seem to be getting along so well that I couldn’t resist.”

“We are not getting along…”

“You’re just being shy. If I remember correctly, didn’t you cling tightly to Miss Regia’s hand when you were in the infirmary…?”

“Th-That’s not something we need to talk about!”

Emilia flushed, embarrassed.

Her blue eyes glinted with frustration.

I couldn’t resist teasing her further.

With a mischievous smile, I reached out and gently ruffled her hair, as if calming an angry cat.

“There, there. No need to get so worked up.”

“…”

“It’s important to always keep your inner peace.”

“…It’s because of you.”

Emilia bit her lip, trying to suppress her annoyance.

After a moment, she sighed and spoke with a hint of resignation in her voice.

“When you keep teasing me like this, how am I supposed to react?”

“Well, now I feel like I should tease you even more.”

“What?”

“I enjoy it.”

I continued my playful onslaught.

“I really like seeing that side of you, Lady Emilia.”

=I find it amusing when you get all flustered.

“…Huh?”

“If possible, I’d love to stay by your side forever.”

=I’d love to keep you as my personal toy to mess with whenever I’m bored.

“Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden…?!”

My relentless teasing had clearly flustered her, and Emilia couldn’t muster a proper response for a while.

She trembled for a moment, then finally dropped her head in defeat.

“You… You’ve been way too bold lately.”

“Well, that’s because I like you.”

=I like how entertaining it is to mess with you.

“I-I mean, I’ve heard you say that before, but still… being this forward…”

“Is there a problem with being forward?”

=I’m genuinely clueless.

“Ugh, ughh…”

It seemed like I had hit her tolerance limit.

Emilia didn’t offer any more resistance and simply slumped in defeat.

Another successful teasing session.

“Hehe.”

As I filled the time with idle chatter, I suddenly realized that Regia, who had been standing next to us, was unusually quiet.

She seemed lost in thought, staring silently off into the distant sky.

I called out to her softly.

“Miss Regia?”

“…Ah.”

The girl snapped out of her daze.

She blinked a few times, then smiled awkwardly.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t sleep very well…”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t an important conversation anyway.”

“That’s a relief…”

“Hm.”

Something seemed off about her.

Though she was usually a bit reserved, today she seemed especially down.

Even when talking with Emilia earlier, there had been signs, but now it was clear that something was wrong.

“…”

The pilot stared down at the ground.

As I looked at her slumped shoulders, I thought quietly to myself.

‘If she looks this down… it’s probably because of that, isn’t it?’

Regia’s withering expression was a sign that something was seriously bothering her.

As I watched her in silence, I began to form a plan in my mind.

‘I’ll have to set up an event for her.’

It was time to care for our protagonist’s mental state.

———-