The Third-Rate Academy Villain Who Refuses to Become a Beggar

Once is a mistake.

Twice is a coincidence.

And three times is inevitable.

When Gerhard took first place in the practical exam, some considered it to be the mistakes of others.

When he took first place in the midterm exam, they said it was because the exam changed to a written test due to an unexpected incident.

But the third time.

When he secured first place even in the final exam for "Combat, War, and Magic," no one could attribute it to luck anymore.

It was inevitable. They realized that Gerhard Goldenheim's skills were real and that he had been hiding his abilities all along.

[Gerhard Goldenheim and Luina Berchef claim victory even in "Combat, War, and Magic." Is top position within reach?]

"Hmm."

In a dense forest, an orange-haired elf sitting on a tree hummed while flipping through the newspaper.

With a light flick of her finger, spirits created a gentle breeze. The forest's essence caressed the branch of the World Tree softly.

"It's almost scary how well things are going."

"What's going well?"

"You, senior. Look at this."

Ariadne Florian spread out the newspaper. Gerhard, looking up from below, confirmed it.

"It says there's a high chance you'll become the top student."

"So?"

"I'm so happy that my first non-Fridien friend is doing so well."

"I think you're misunderstanding something."

Crunch, a thrown pile of dirt shredded the newspaper to pieces.

"We've never been friends."

"Then let's call it an alliance. An anti-demon alliance against demons. Anyway, you're the closest person to me."

Ariadne grinned.

"Are you an outcast?"

"Of course not. I might ostracize the world, but the world can't ostracize me."

"What nonsense is that?"

"I'm serious."

She was still smiling. Gerhard felt that there was more to her than just the pure and clear eyes she displayed.

Gerhard changed the subject.

"Is there any ominous energy around the branch of the World Tree?"

"No. It's perfectly clean without a speck of dust, as always."

Gerhard checked the surveillance recording orbs he had secretly hidden. Except for Ariadne, not a single person had approached the branch of the World Tree.

'They haven't approached yet.'

While he felt relieved, there was also a slight sense of unease.

'I hope I haven't changed the future too much by intervening too much.'

What if the demon species have started hiding themselves more and twisted the plan altogether?

What if Andromalius's descent becomes a non-event, and Aint loses the opportunity to fight against a demon?

'And ultimately, Aint, lacking experience, is defeated by better-prepared demons...'

And beyond that, he worried if things had twisted toward the worst future where Gerhard would fall to ruin.

A future that must never happen.

"If there's even the slightest anomaly, you must tell me immediately."

"Don't worry. Since this concerns Mother Tree, I'll do my best as well."

"How's the reaction from your side?"

"You mean my father?"

The Fridien family had witnessed magic beasts alongside the elves, and they too had realized the activities of the demon species.

It wouldn't be strange for them to take any action.

"It's quiet. You asked me back then, remember? To keep silent about magic beasts and demon species for a while."

"I didn't expect you to keep it so well."

"Of course. It's a request from my closest senior at the academy."

This is a secret, Ariadne lowered her voice even though no one was around.

"Father doesn't know yet either."

"You seem obsessed with connections."

"Since you're obsessed with money, perhaps we might be a good match."

He couldn't tell if her words were true or false.

But Gerhard decided to assume they were false. Commonsensically, it was unimaginable that she would deceive the head of her family and act independently.

"How are you doing with the final exams?"

"Not bad. I certainly can't beat the noble one from the Dragon Faith Order, but just below that, well."

"I see."

Well, as a companion of the great hero acknowledged by the prophecy book, she naturally would have that level of talent.

He was in no position to worry about others when he was buying victories with money.

***

Although he secured first place in "Combat, War, and Magic" through outstanding improvisation and appropriate strategies, the final exams weren't over yet.

There were several other subjects, and most importantly, the other 5-credit courses, "Magic Survival Skills" and "Research on Magic Beasts and Monsters," remained.

"Combat, War, and Magic," "Magic Survival Skills," and "Research on Magic Beasts and Monsters" were distinctly different subjects, but they were inseparably related.

Naturally, the broad outline of the three exams was similar.

"The setting for the 'Magic Survival Skills' exam is the northern snow region. There, you must survive for four days. Nothing will be provided separately, and your enemies are not only the harsh environment but also monsters."

Fortunately, there was no competition between students in this exam, but on the flip side, the level of monsters was high.

However, the results of this exam were somewhat different from the previous one.

The academy students weren't fools. Having been caught off guard several times, they made their own preparations, which became prominently evident in the "Magic Survival Skills" exam.

Especially Rudger and Carlo were confident.

"You're not the only one who can use them, right? The Schwaben family might not be as rich as Goldenheim, but we have enough money to be recognized anywhere in the empire."

"If the conditions are the same, there's no reason for me to lose to you."

In the midst of year-round blizzards and attacking monsters, Gerhard and Luina survived until the end.

However, perhaps due to the help of artifacts, there were more survivors than expected. Since it was a relative evaluation rather than an absolute one, the assessment among survivors diverged based on other factors.

Carlo Deneb.

He and Allia Torta, who had hunted the most monsters with the most powerful firepower among the second-year students, secured first place, while Rudger and Almon ranked second.

Gerhard and Luina were pushed to third place.

To make matters worse.

"I've heard the stories. The exam fervor has overheated, leading to frequent use of artifacts, reagents, potions, and other items."

"So we're going to cool down that fervor a bit. For this 'Research on Magic Beasts and Monsters' exam, all external items are prohibited."

The worst situation had befallen Gerhard.

"...Even if I don't use artifacts, my skills don't disappear, right?"

"They do. I receive more help from money than you think."