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

"...Senior?"

Gerhard returned from the future to the present at the sound of someone calling him.

"...Senior, are you alright?"

Gerhard suppressed his contorting face with superhuman patience.

'What was I about to say?'

"...I'm planning to narrow down some suspicious individuals, but I don't have a way to find them without being noticed by them. That's why I need your help."

"If it's something like that, I'm available anytime."

"Thank you. I'll send someone when the time comes. And read this too. I'll leave first."

Gerhard quickly disappeared after handing over "King Colomo and the 72 Demons" opened to the Andromalius section.

"...What was that all about?"

<It seemed like he received a big shock. Did he see something?>

There was no change in Gerhard's expression, but momentarily, the focus in his pupils blurred.

<He was sweating. In that brief moment, without any reason.>

"Could he have a chronic illness?"

<Maybe. Anyway, he's remarkable. Despite sweating that much, which must have been quite painful, he didn't even furrow his brow.>

<Those Goldenheim people, I swear.>

"Money is meaningless after all. What kind of chronic illness..."

Aint clicked his tongue in sympathy.

<By the way, suddenly mentioning Andromalius. Does that upstart know something...?>

***

"It's utterly disappointing. Failure, another failure, and yet another failure."

The man turned the page of the book.

"Once could be bad luck. Twice could be poor timing. But three times is incompetence."

"...I have committed a mortal sin, Your Excellency."

A shadow slammed its head on the floor with a loud bang. The severely shrunk body trembled.

"A mortal sin..."

The page turned to the next.

"Then you should die. How dare you show your face?"

"Your Excellency...!"

"But before that..."

Tap, the man closed the book.

"There was no problem with the plan. What went wrong and how?"

"We succeeded in getting them to set up their camp where we had set the trap. As planned, we made it rain to bind their feet while simultaneously weakening the ground to collapse it."

"So far, so good."

And? The man murmured softly.

"And we used the Seides to draw attention, and sent the Barka."

Even up to there, it was perfect. Up to there.

"Their attention was entirely focused on the Barka. Originally, they shouldn't have been able to stop the Barka, and in that gap, we would have contaminated the World Tree branch!"

The contaminated World Tree branch had to be planted in the academy.

The cradle of the empire, the future of the empire. Only by destroying that place could the empire be more easily trampled.

"I was the one who made that plan. So why are you making excuses when you failed?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"So what was the problem? When they were desperate being chased by the Barka, when they moved away from the World Tree branch, your mission was to mix with the Seide swarm and corrupt the World Tree branch."

Given Gerhard Goldenheim's character, if he could cover up the failure of the expedition, he would have done so at all costs.

The secretive corruption planned for so long would not have been noticed by anyone, and he would have replaced the other items with new ones as if nothing had happened.

Because that would cost less money. Because that's the way to not tarnish Goldenheim's reputation.

Then it would have been over.

The corrupted World Tree branch would have taken root in the academy without any hindrance, and all we had to do was wait for the right time.

In the comfortable cradle that could be called the heart of the empire.

"...Golems appeared."

"...What?"

Gulp, the shadow swallowed dry saliva.

"One golem drew the Barka's attention. After destroying one, another appeared, and after destroying that one, yet another appeared..."

As many as four.

"Four golems perfectly held the Barka in place, and Ariadne Florian and Gerhard Goldenheim never left the World Tree's side. So..."

Being caught tampering with the World Tree meant failure.

Even Goldenheim wouldn't be foolish enough to bring a World Tree that had been tampered with by devil-kin into the academy.

"...He was carrying four golems?"

Does that make sense?

The man's face slightly contorted.

"...Is it possible that he knew our plan in advance?"

"That's impossible. If he did, he wouldn't have fallen for it in the first place."

"Certainly. If it were Gerhard Goldenheim, he would have prioritized preventing the supplies from being damaged because they're too valuable."

Ha. The man laughed hollowly.

"So he routinely carries four golems, no, who knows how many golems?"

Hahahahaha, the man's laughter grew louder.

"I understand. Why you failed. It makes sense...! That cowardly upstart ruined everything...!"

Hahahahahahaha...!

"Th-thank you for understanding..."

At that moment, the laughter abruptly stopped.

--!

The shadow's head exploded.

Black lumps scattered in all directions.

"But that doesn't mean you get to live. Three times is enough."

Snap-

The man lightly flicked his finger.

The black lumps smeared all over the bookstore disappeared completely.

"From now on, monitor Gerhard Goldenheim along with Aint Armian. From now on, all plans will take into account Gerhard Goldenheim and the Goldenheim family. Do not make the same mistake."

"Yes."

Another shadow bowed its head.

"And I have something to report, Your Excellency."

"What is it?"

"We found one of the arrangements he left for his descendants."

Interest flickered in the man's eyes.

"However, it will take some time to obtain it. There's a rather solid defensive magic circle formed."

"Set a trap."

The man answered without hesitation.

"So that when Aint Armian comes to get it, we can finish him in one go. If we can kill Aint Armian, it's beneficial even if our existence is revealed."

"Yes."

"If he doesn't come, that's fine too. We'll break the magic circle and get it ourselves."

After all, once the final exams were over, it would be vacation. Plenty of time to comfortably steal the arrangement.

"I will follow your orders. Then what about the World Tree?"

"For now, we'll postpone the plan and observe. Attempting something again at this point would be like revealing our tail."

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

The shadow disappeared.