I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

<68 - Be Kind to Your Heart>

The reckless competition between the border region and the empire plunges humanity’s future into crisis.

The culture of hatred and disdain led by adults is wrong, and all students must unite to survive.

“Did you get shot in the head?”
“Does it hurt a lot?”

Normally, friends who would have made such remarks readily agreed with William’s opinion.

“I get it.”
“If I can finish this hellish lecture, I can call those imperial bastards noble.”
“Ha… Oknodie. I can’t say anything since you’re still a kid.”

Students who returned from the obstacle course limped back and collapsed on the open ground or leaned against trees, utterly exhausted.

Just looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like the medical tent of the battlefield was packed with injured, but the truth was that it was instructors hiding from the sunlight in a tent and abandoned students.

“Instructor, can’t we see inside?”
“Absolutely not.”
“We’re too tired… We just want to rest in the shade…”
“Go under the tree.”
“But the strong kids have taken all the spots under the tree.”

The instructor glanced back at the student who raised an objection with a cold expression. For a moment, he looked like he was pricked by guilt, but then he turned his head resolutely.

“It is Professor Evening Shooter’s command.”
“Isn’t the instructor just a puppet who can’t make decisions without the professor’s order?”

William, flaring up, inadvertently provoked the instructor. All the surrounding students were taken aback by his boldness, but the instructor’s expression grew more tragic.

“Look under that tree. How does it feel?”
“It looks cool.”
“The inside of the tent is even cooler. I mean, it’s enchanted with cooling magic as a favor for helping those wizard brats.”

“……”
What is it? Is that a brag?

“Even with the coolness of the tree’s shade, it’s all survival of the fittest; do you think the inside of the tent will be any different?”
“!”

The students were unsettled by the instructor’s sudden topic. It’s persuasive!

“Opening the tent will only mean that those already enjoying the coolness will feel even cooler, while you guys won’t be able to get in. This is a four-person limit.”
“But we can go in three at a time!”
William protested, and the instructor scoffed at his naïveté.

“Fairness, that sounds good. So isn’t it true that outstanding talent with good records should provide better benefits to even more outstanding talent?”
“Since you’re the instructor, you should just figure it out!”
“I see. So when you age and retire from the academy, will you protect your esteemed instructor from vengeful undergraduates? ‘Fairly’?”

“…Please, because you’re the instructor, just make it happen!”
“No. I have no intention to cater to the grievances of those who can’t even handle their own retirement while sacrificing my precious privileges. Feel the burning pain under the blazing sun.”

Zip.
The instructor zipped up and returned to the tent. Despite his infuriating demeanor, the students couldn’t bring themselves to call him an indifferent adult. They felt there was something frightening about opposing the noble students from the empire.

“Should we just watch those who haven’t run yet…?”
“Yeah…”

*

William and his friends from Group A looked at this side with faces doubly exhausted, as if they had tasted the bitterness of society.

“Why are they acting like that? Don’t the imperial bastards think they can just sip iced Amerikano if there’s no water?”

Having been on the receiving end myself, that really gets on your nerves.

It’s hard to ignore the provocation from a 230cm giant who is comfortably slurping down their drink. How are poor folks with less strength and power supposed to deal with these crazy bastards who provoke them right in front of the law?

“Next up. Those called should step forward.”
“Skola. Liv. Carnegie. Mob. Oknodie.”

Five students stood in a line, spaced apart in front of the line drawn with a twig.

It was a match that involved both the obstacle course and moving target shooting. The scoring results written on the scoreboard were embarrassingly pitiful.

[Undergraduate: Papi]
[Running: -7 points (Too Slow)]
[Obstacles: -23 points (Too Many Obstacles)]
[Accuracy: -2 points (Missed More Targets)]
[Composure: +5 points (Missed Targets Passed Quickly)]
[Technique: +1 point (Acceptable)]
[Total Score: -26 points (Is this even an undergraduate?)]

Poor Papi is displayed here.

But isn’t it okay since the scores listed beside him are worse?

“Let’s avoid the ‘[Is This Even an Undergraduate?]‘ score range!”
“Isn’t it better than the [First to Die in the Battlefield] that starts under -30 points?”
“I cast a recognition-reduction spell halfway through, so I can’t see the course. What’s beyond halfway in the obstacle course?”

Unlike the students overtaken by fear, Skola, the descendant of the archers, calmly held his bow, which had neither strings nor arrows.

It was an incredibly overpowered bow that could create arrows using the mana granted to the heirs of archers.

‘Didn’t he have something weird in his eyes too?’

What seemed like some sort of aiming sight.

He could see curves… it’s a dirty and unfair eye that makes you blurt out these sounds.

When he holds the bow and aims, he has a laser point visible only to him that instantly predicts where the arrow will hit, how am I supposed to beat that?

“Oknodie. Don’t be too nervous.”
“Me?”
“Losing to a stronger opponent is not shameful. Don’t think of competition, just focus on doing your best. It’s about having the archer’s mindset over winning or losing.”

But that kid can be a bit too much.

“Lastly, I’ll go over the rules again. Quickly break through the obstacles, try to hit all the targets, and arrive at the finish line as soon as possible.”
“Keep those three points in mind and do your best to get in faster than the others.”
“Well, it’s a match where only 10% of the midterm score is at stake. Don’t be too anxious, just do it like a person.”

The instructor offered some casual encouragement and blew the horn, followed by saying, “Ah,” as he released the horn.

“Still, some other group’s instructor and students are watching, so show off a little.”
“Just so you know, the students watching us from over there are third-year seniors taking ‘[Geneger’s Tactics]‘ and are evaluating the record sequence of your groups.”

“If I were them, I’d aim for a delightful twist to throw off those who would see me as the bottom and destroy the seniors’ grades.”
“……”

So to the very last moment, the instructor added more burden in every possible way and blew the horn.

Bwaah!

As they ran hard on the course, surprisingly, everyone maintained a decent speed.

‘Maybe archers struggle with close combat?’

While wandering as an adventurer, the archers I encountered were so weak that they would huff and puff after just a little walking, only to hide behind and shoot arrows. But I guess since this is the world’s top academy, there are none of those pitiful players here.

‘But why did the scores come out that way?’

The first obstacle course revealed the reason.

“Oh no, it’s a swamp!”
The swamp area, made by pouring water into sand and mud to mix it, would engulf your feet with each step, making you stuck and consume tons of time.

“My feet are stuck!”
“Ahhh! Save me!”

Hearing the screams from lines 3 and 4, Liv from line 2 turned around in panic.

“Skola, aren’t you supposed to save them?”
“Focus on the match, Liv. This is a race against the records.”

Though cold, Skola’s way was correct.

In a race for records, all I need is to take care of myself.

It’s not like it’s a three-legged race, so why should I look out for others?

There’s no need at all.

“Oh no… Line 2 is busted again.”
“I made a bad investment.”
“Look straight at the ground! There’s a rope you can grab to get out!”
“Run, you slowpoke in line 4!”
“Ha ha, that guy in line 4. Just as expected, he’s in last place. He looked the worst; the physiognomy professor never lies!”

The seniors shouted their advice hoarsely from afar, desperately hoping their chosen candidates would achieve the desired results.

“Line 5 Oknodie! Why’s the top student falling behind! If you can’t make it to first place, I’m not letting you off with my 500 points!”
“Huh?”

But there are always those who overstep bounds.
Stopping in their tracks, they turned back.

“Hey, hey!! Are you messing with me?!”

Ignoring the surprised shout of the senior, I threw a rope towards Mob, who was still struggling in line 4.

“Mob, grab this and get out.”
“O-Oknodie? Didn’t you go ahead?”
“Of course, I came back to save you.”
“What do you mean ‘of course,’ you fool! If you do that, your record is ruined!”
“But we’re in the same A group. We should help each other!”

“Oknodie……!”
“It’s okay! I’m not gonna die just because I score a bit lower on a 10% exam!”

In the first place, this match doesn’t even provide a notable 100 points for coming first.

‘Though there’s a slightly more tempting goal as well.’

By throwing away that 100 points, I could wipe out the 500 points of the senior who was rude to me.

Plus, even if I can raise Mob, who everyone expected to be last, to 3rd place, all the tactical seniors who are watching will miss the predictions for the freshman scores.

Veterans don’t fight against their classmates.
I’ll take revenge on the seniors who dared to insult me by manipulating the rankings!

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