I Am a Villain, So What?-Chapter 136: Women are scary

"..... I just wanted to thank you."

She took a step closer, lowering her voice so the passing students wouldn’t overhear.

"That time... in the fire... thank you so much. For everything. For stopping her. And for saving me."

I looked at her.

"So you do remember being controlled by Elena."

"Yes. I remember everything."

Clara gave a shadowed, melancholic smile.

"I remember the cold. I remember the voice in my head commanding me to hurt people. And I remember her... standing in front of me when the explosion happened."

She clenched her fists.

"Elena and I were childhood friends. We grew up together. Even now, after everything she did... I can’t hate her. She was truly a good person, Lucien. Before the book."

Though I didn’t ask, Clara began unraveling her story. Perhaps she needed someone to hear it—someone who saw the monster and let the girl live.

"One day, years ago, we went to the market to see a rare antique collection from a foreign merchant. Kids get curious, right? We saw a suspicious-looking, leather-bound grimoire and decided to ’borrow’ it to read at our secret hideout."

The start of misfortune often comes from something so trivial. A moment of childhood mischief.

"The butler came looking for us. I thought he took it away while I went to get snacks. But..."

Clara’s voice trembled.

"That was the lie I lived with for ten years. The grimoire wasn’t taken by the butler. Elena read it. She heard a voice promising her power—power to protect me, power to be special. So she hid it."

An unimaginable, vile corruption must’ve engulfed her young mind. A seed of darkness planted in a child, waiting for water.

"Ten years passed. We were happy. But then, we had our first real fight. It was over something so silly... I think it was about which Imperial Idol group was better. A cute little fight between best friends."

Clara let out a dry, broken laugh.

"But that’s when the Demon fed. It waited for a crack in her heart—a moment of jealousy, of anger—and it swallowed her whole."

She looked up at me, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Clara wasn’t angry about what happened to her body. She didn’t care that she was used as a shield or a puppet."

"Whatever end Elena met... I don’t resent her. She did awful things... she hurt people... she hurt me... but that wasn’t my Elena."

It was a beautiful, tragic friendship. Regardless of the outcome, she chose forgiveness.

"I’m grateful instead. For saving Elena from becoming a complete monster. And I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on her behalf for her wrongs."

Clara stepped back.

Right there in the busy hallway, the daughter of a Marquis curtsied deeply. It was a formal bow, usually reserved for royalty.

"Thank you, Young Master Lucien."

I looked down at her bowed head. I felt a strange sensation in my chest. A mix of pity and relief.

"...I don’t know if it’s something to be thanked for," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. "I killed your best friend."

"Why wouldn’t it be?"

Clara straightened up. She leaned in slightly, meeting my eyes with a soft, sad smile.

"Because you saved her soul. And you saved me."

She wiped her eyes.

"I won’t take up more of your time. Please, accept the Marigold family’s eternal friendship."

She turned and walked away, her small back looking both fragile and surprisingly strong.

I watched her go.

’Saved her...’

I leaned against the lockers, closing my eyes for a moment.

Let’s think. What happened to this girl in the original Asteria Online?

In the game, the protagonist party arrived too late. They found the Demon Summoner fully ascended.

The Boss Monster, [Elena the Grafted], was a grotesque nightmare.

I recalled the character model from the game wiki.

It didn’t just have two arms and two legs.

It had four arms and four legs.

The extra limbs were pink-skinned and dainty. The second face screaming on the back of the demon’s head had pink twin-tails.

’...Right.’

In the original history, Elena didn’t just control Clara. She absorbed her to stabilize the chimera form. She literally consumed her best friend to gain power.

A chill ran down my spine.

If I hadn’t intervened... if I hadn’t shot that bullet... Clara would have been nothing more than a spare set of limbs on a corpse.

"I guess..."

I pushed myself off the lockers, shouldering my rifle.

"...I really did save her."

[Hidden Stat Update] [Humanity: +1]

I stared at the notification, then scoffed.

"Don’t get soft on me now, System."

*****

[The Next Day - Class A Lecture Hall]

The quiet afternoon study period at the Imperial Academy was usually a time for meditation, mana cycling, or reviewing complex magical theory.

But today, Instructor Cassandra had stepped out for an emergency faculty meeting regarding the "Magical Accident" in the slums, leaving forty-five energetic, hormone-fueled teenagers unsupervised.

Naturally, chaos ensued.

"Hey." "Alright, let’s settle this once and for all."

Several boys and girls—extras in the grand narrative of Asteria Online and mere background noise in my perception—gathered near the blackboard with intense expressions.

"Who is the true apex of the Academy? The Official Ranking of the Most Popular Guys and Girls!"

"They’re at it again." "Sigh... children."

I sat in my usual spot in the back corner by the window, pulling my blazer over my head to block out the sun. I got it. At their age, emotions were more volatile than fire magic.

The Protagonist Party—Kael, Elisha, Mariella, and Bordon—were sitting in the middle rows, trying to study. But even they couldn’t ignore the rising volume of the debate.

"First, the guys!"

A female cadet stepped up, chalk in hand, slamming it against the slate.

"Of course, Number One is Prince Valerius! Top of the entrance exam, unbeatable in duels, and... well, look at him! He’s the Golden Sun! Just making eye contact purifies your skin!"

"Kyaa! His Highness is untouchable!" "He’s not a man, he’s a god!"

"Tch, tch! You’re looking only at status," another girl argued, pushing her glasses up. "But our class’s Kael can’t be overlooked! He’s consistently top-tier, has that rugged mercenary charm, and he’s so kind! He actually helps people carry their books without asking for anything!"

Kael blushed furiously, burying his face in his Advanced Swordsmanship textbook as giggles erupted.

"I’m for Bordon!" a bold girl shouted from the back. "Isn’t he great?! Big, honest, like a teddy bear who can tank a dragon’s breath! That’s husband material, girls! Stability!"

Bordon scratched his head, grinning like a fool. "Heh. Thanks?"

Watching the poll spiral into chaos, the male cadets groaned, clutching their foreheads.

"This is why we can’t focus," one muttered.

I gave up thinking, leaned against the cool glass of the window, and closed my eyes. I’d rather sleep through this slice-of-life filler episode.

But it wasn’t over. Now, the male cadets surged forward, reclaiming the chalkboard.

"Alright, move over! It’s time for the real rankings!"

"Top girl is, no question, Lady Elisha!" a boy declared, writing her name in big, reverent letters. "The refined flower of the Ravenscroft family! Cold on the outside, but elegant and brilliant! That gap moe when she gets flustered is irresistible!"

Elisha twitched, her quill snapping in her grip. Ink splattered on her notes.

"No way! Mariella is the best! You don’t understand charm!" another boy argued passionately. "She’s small! Petite! The way she stammers when she heals you? It triggers the Protective Instinct! You just want to build a fortress around her!"

Mariella whimpered, trying to shrink into a molecular size behind her desk.

"Man, you guys are nuts. Look. True charm is the Ice Queen! Look at Princess Celestia! Flowing blonde hair! Those indifferent eyes that look at you like you’re a bug! That’s the best part!"

"You’re a masochist, aren’t you?"

The girls shook their heads or looked away as the guys rambled nonsensically.

Then, the conversation shifted to cadets outside of Class A.

"Psh, you all don’t know Class B’s Clara!"

A boy stood up on his chair, preaching like a zealot.

"Clara von Marigold! Vibrant pink twin-tails! An angel who smiles at everyone, regardless of rank! A rich girl who treats commoners like friends! She’s the idol of the First Year! Don’t you get it?!"

"Oh, really?" a soft voice came from the doorway.

"...?!"

The preaching cadet froze mid-gesture. He turned slowly, his face draining of color.

The back door was open.

Standing there, bathed in the hallway light, was Clara von Marigold.

"Uh, uh, uhh, uhhhh...!"

The boy shriveled, practically melting into his chair. All eyes turned to the sudden intruder.

Clara ignored the frozen class. She ignored the name "Prince Valerius" written on the board. She ignored Kael, the Hero. She even ignored her friend Elisha.

She briskly walked past the rows of elites.

Click. Clack.

Her shoes tapped rhythmically on the floor. She headed straight for the darkest, gloomiest corner of the room. The spot where the "Academy’s Trash" resided.

I was dozing in the sun, my arms crossed, radiating an aura of ’Do Not Disturb.’

"Cadet Lucien."

"...."

I didn’t move.

"Cadet Lucien, are you asleep?"

"...?"

I cracked one eye open.

Pink twin-tails filled my vision. Clara was leaning over my desk, smiling brightly.

"...Lady Clara? What’s the matter? It’s study period."

"Technically, it’s almost lunch break. Get up."

She tapped my desk with a manicured finger.

"Cadet Lucien, let’s eat together today."

Silence descended on the classroom. It was heavy enough to crush a goblin.

Kael doubted his ears. ’Did she just ask him?’

Elisha’s jaw dropped, losing her noble decorum entirely. ’Clara? With him? Publicly? After calling him trash last week?’

Even the usually stoic Mariella looked like she had seen a ghost.

I frowned, pulling my blazer back over my head.

"No thanks."

Gasps rang out. He rejected the Idol of Class B?

"Aww, come on! The cafeteria is serving beef stew today! I know you like meat!"

"No thanks. I eat alone. It’s my brand."

"Ugh, stop being so grumpy! We’re close enough for a meal together, aren’t we?"

Clara grabbed the sleeve of my blazer and tugged.

"Come on! I’ll treat you to dessert! The expensive pudding!"

"I said no—"

"Lucien! Please!"

She looked at me with those big eyes—the eyes of someone who had seen hell and knew I was the one who pulled her out. It wasn’t a flirtatious look; it was a look of desperate camaraderie. A survivor clinging to her savior.

I sighed, defeated.

"Fine. But if you talk about idols, I’m leaving."

"Deal!"

Clara beamed, linking her arm with mine and practically dragging me out of my chair.

As we walked out of the classroom arm-in-arm, the silence shattered.

"WHAT?!" "Did you see that?!" "Clara and... Ashborne?!" "Since when?!"

Kael and Bordon stared blankly at the empty doorway, mirroring the entire class’s expressions.

"Wait," Bordon whispered, scratching his cheek. "I thought... I thought he was dating the Ariana?"

"Yeah," Kael nodded slowly. "This is... complicated."

Just then, a voice came from behind them.

It was cold. Absolute zero.

"He is still with me."

"...!"

Kael and Bordon froze. They turned around slowly, like rusted machinery.

Standing behind them was Ariana.

She was clutching her tablet so hard the screen was cracking. Her glasses reflected the light in a way that hid her eyes, making her look like a final boss. A dark aura, visible only to those with high survival instincts, radiated from her small frame.

"A-Ariana?" Kael squeaked.

Ariana pushed up her glasses.

She walked past them, heading for the door to follow the pair. As she passed, the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

Bordon shivered, hugging himself.

"Women are scary, Kael."

Kael nodded, gulping.

"Lucien is in so much trouble."