How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 38

“D-Did she leave?”

In response to Elliot’s weary question, which sounded like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, I nodded.

“Yeah, she’s gone.”

As soon as we discovered the entrance to the vault, Diana, who had found us, quickly assessed the situation and then left immediately. The intense look she gave me still lingered in my mind.

‘I thought lasers were going to shoot out of her eyes.’

I know my current actions are insane if you think of her as depicted in the original work, but what choice do I have? If I don’t get the ‘Orb’ right now, I’m as good as dead. Better to make an enemy of Diana than to die.

At that moment,

“Will we be okay? What if we provoked her for no reason…?”

“Elliot.”

“…”

He seemed to have exhausted himself during the argument with Diana, his eyes unfocused… Wait, unfocused?

“Hey, Elliot!”

“Huh? Oh… Kamon, what is it?”

I shook my head at his vacant gaze and slapped his cheek lightly.

“Hey, hey. Snap out of it. She’s gone. Hey, Elliot!”

“Oh, right.”

Finally regaining his senses, Elliot’s eyes focused as he looked at me, deep in thought.

“Hey, Elliot. We haven’t even started the excavation yet. Get it together.”

“Right. Now’s when it really begins.”

At my stern but cold shout, Elliot Fren finally nodded firmly. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

‘This feels familiar.’

Meeting Elliot Fren in person, he didn’t seem like a simple incompetent and stupid villain, but rather a weak-willed person who wasn’t fit to lead the renowned Fren Merchant Guild, known to be the best on the continent. That’s probably why he couldn’t stand up to Diana and ended up falling so miserably.

Yet, I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with him.

‘He kind of reminds me of Bren…’

Just as I was thinking that,

“Young Master Elliot, the mercenary group and excavation team have been assembled as per your orders. We can enter the vault whenever you give the command.”

Elliot Fren’s servant reported with a voice full of emotion. Elliot, too, seemed filled with anticipation as he raised his voice.

“Great, then let’s start the excavation…”

“Ah, Elliot. Wait a moment.”

“Huh? Kamon, what is it?”

I asked him briefly.

“How much money do you have right now?”

“Huh?”

“How much money do you have? I need to buy something before we enter the vault.”

“How much do you need?”

Despite being one of the heirs to the wealthiest merchant guild on the continent, Elliot Fren was incredibly stingy about spending money. No, to be exact, he was extremely hesitant about spending large sums of money due to his naturally timid nature. It’s not just because of his stinginess and timidity that he was pushed aside by Diana, but…

‘I’ll fix that right now. I’ll even teach him how to spend money properly.’

Smiling more broadly than ever, I spoke to him.

“How much can you support, Heir of the Fren Merchant Guild, Elliot Fren?”

* * *

“That and this too. Oh, we need that one over there as well.”

“Uh, Master Kamon. We have a prepared list from the professional excavators we hired, so it would be best to leave it to them…”

I turned and glared slightly at the servant assisting Elliot Fren.

“So why were those so-called professionals always slower than Diana?”

“Well, that’s because…”

The servant, momentarily at a loss for words, was quickly called by Elliot.

“Elliot?”

“Hey, everyone shut up and pack everything. Kamon wouldn’t ask for it without a reason. You incompetent fools!”

“But, this potion increases weight. Why do we need such a thing…?”

“Just pack everything!”

At Elliot’s firm order, the servants could no longer question my instructions and began purchasing the items.

“Pack that too. Oh, yeah. Let’s just buy that entire box. Pack all of it!”

Soon after,

“Everything is loaded.”

I smiled contentedly at the sight of ten fully loaded wagons. Just then, Elliot asked his servant in a low voice,

“How much did all of this cost?”

“We’ve used 230 gold coins. We have about 70 left.”

Wow, we still have 70 left? As expected of the heir to the continent’s top merchant guild, he had an incredible amount of assets at his disposal.

“It didn’t cost as much as I thought. I was worried it wouldn’t be enough.”

What?

Not much?

“Elliot.”

“Yeah, Kamon, do you need anything else?”

As Elliot turned to me with a gentle expression, I gestured with my finger.

“Give me five gold coins.”

“Five gold coins?”

At my request, Elliot tilted his head in confusion.

“Why do you need money now? If there’s something you want to buy, just tell me, Master Kamon.”

The servant intervened sternly, trying to stop my actions.

‘Not working, huh?’

I had hoped to make some pocket money since there was plenty left, but…

Just then,

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Elliot scolded his servant in a low voice, frowning.

“Y-Young Master.”

“If my friend needs five gold coins, why do you need to know what for? Huh?”

Elliot, raising his voice in irritation, put his hand on my shoulder and spoke again.

“Five gold coins? Bring fifty!”

“But, Young Master.”

“Do you want to lose your head?”

“No, sir!”

At Elliot Fren’s firm shout, the servant quickly took out a hefty pouch from his coat. The pouch jingled as Elliot handed it to me with a smile.

“Kamon, if you ever need money, just tell me. I can always provide you with that, at least.”

“Th-Thanks.”

I was slightly taken aback by the weighty pouch I received.

‘Five gold coins turned into fifty just like that? This is what being rich is like?’

I was just trying to make some extra pocket money.

Though it felt a bit overwhelming, thanks, Elliot!

“Then let’s head out…!”

“Wait.”

Just as Elliot was about to resume the excavation, I quickly stopped him.

“Huh? Why?”

“There’s not much time. If we delay any longer, they might beat us to it.”

The servant glared at me with a disgruntled look as he said this. Elliot, slightly shaken, turned to me with a puzzled look.

“Kamon, why are you doing this all of a sudden? Is there a problem?”

“There’s an issue we need to deal with before we start the excavation.”

“An issue?”

At Elliot’s confused question, I looked at his still-pouting servant.

“Yeah, we need to eliminate the rats first.”

“What?”

* * *

Tap! Tap!

Diana sat on a very ergonomic-looking sofa with her legs crossed. She had an elegant pipe in her mouth and was repeatedly tapping the table in front of her with her foot.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

Butler Clark quickly asked, realizing her displeasure.

“What?”

“…Never mind.”

Clark took a step back as Diana exhaled thick smoke and responded.

“What’s with you, being so boring? So, how’s the current operation going?”

“It’s progressing as planned.”

“What about Elliot’s side?”

“They just started the excavation.”

“They’re moving quite fast.”

As Diana nodded and answered, Clark cautiously opened his mouth.

“Um, Miss.”

“Ugh, you’ve been acting like a puppy that needs to go for a walk. What? If you have something to say, just spit it out.”

Diana uncrossed her legs and shouted irritably, prompting Clark to continue.

“How about dispatching our mercenaries to seize the entrance Elliot’s team found?”

“What?”

“Our mercenaries are much stronger in terms of skill and force, and they’re currently focused on the excavation…”

As Clark carefully presented his idea, Diana’s lips twitched slightly.

“So, you’re saying we should stab them in the back?”

“Yes, exactly.”

With Diana’s team yet to even find an entrance while Elliot’s was already excavating, it was clear that they were lagging behind in terms of time. To catch up, an all-or-nothing decision was necessary.

“…”

Diana, quietly watching Clark with interest, soon burst into a laugh.

“What do you think? Our side thinks this way; is that okay with you?”

Suddenly speaking in formal language, Diana’s servant looked puzzled. At that moment,

“Of course, if that’s what you wish. The result is all that matters.”

A low male voice came from nowhere, and Clark instinctively moved to block Diana.

“Who’s there?!”

“Clark, step aside.”

Tap!

But she placed her pipe down and shouted annoyedly.

“Ugh, move aside.”

“But Miss.”

Clark tried his best to perform his duty in this unexpected situation, but Diana’s eyes sharpened.

“Loyalty is admirable, but if you’re that slow-witted, there’s no reason for me to keep employing you, Clark.”

“Pardon?”

“Can’t you see? He’s a watchdog sent by our esteemed head of the family.”

“Th-The head?”

Before Clark could finish his question, the air in one corner of Diana’s office shimmered like a mirage. Simultaneously,

“I’m not a watchdog; I’m a sentinel, Miss.”

A middle-aged man with a neat goatee and a stylish suit appeared.

“I don’t care if you’re a sentinel or a watchdog. The point is, the ultimate victor is what’s important, right?”

“You would know best, Miss.”

The middle-aged man responded casually to Diana’s question, showing no change in expression.