I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines-Chapter 107 – Red Sea (1)

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 107 – Red Sea (1)

As the protagonist was receiving cold stares from the princess.

The chilling atmosphere that had settled over them finally began to ease, albeit only after my belated intervention.

Perhaps it was because these two characters were never meant to meet in the original work.

Truthfully, I had wanted to watch the situation unfold with interest. But at this rate, Regia might actually start crying.

That thought alone was enough to make me step forward.

I spoke in a calm, even tone.

"Please, let’s put an end to this. It’s not good to trouble others."

A gentle rebuke.

My words carried no hostility, only a warm admonition, yet the princess merely furrowed her brows and glared at me.

Then, as if something about me had irked her, she shot back with a sharp remark.

"...Are you taking her side now?"

Oh dear.

It seemed her irritation had found a new target.

Her gaze was filled with annoyance.

At the same time, there was a faint trace of something else, disappointment, perhaps.

Her reaction was sharp enough to sting, but I remained unshaken. Without the slightest hesitation, I soothed her as if she were a child throwing a tantrum.

Because, well, dealing with sulky children was second nature to me.

"Whose side would I take? You are both dear to me, after all."

As I spoke, I lightly ruffled her hair.

Soft, vibrant red locks slipped between my fingers, like the petals of a delicate flower scattering in the wind.

She muttered under her breath, the smallest hint of her anger subsiding.

And I, naturally, responded to her sulky grumbling.

"As if patting my head would make everything better..."

"Fufu."

Her lips curled into a pout.

The Rose glared at me in clear dissatisfaction.

"You did say you were on my side."

"Of course, I am."

"Then stop hiding that commoner behind your back and say it properly."

"But Your Highness, you already know this was all just a misunderstanding. In that case, tormenting Miss Regia serves no purpose, does it?"

"I wasn’t trying to torment her."

"Not all harm is intentional. There is an immense difference in status between the two of you. What might have felt like a simple gesture to you could have been overwhelming fear for her."

"...Nagging again, always nagging. You talk too much."

"It’s all for your happiness. You must also learn how to live among others."

"You never let things go."

"That’s because I’m sincere."

A gentle smile tugged at my lips.

"...Tch."

Elise looked up at me in silence for a moment before letting out a sigh of defeat.

Her gaze then shifted, hesitantly, toward the timid girl beside me.

"...I’m sorry. I got irritated and acted out."

"H-Huh?"

"If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize."

"Y-Your Highness?! I-It’s really fine! You don’t have to lower your head over something like this...!"

The Rose muttered an indifferent apology.

Considering how easy a target Regia was, she could have stubbornly refused to back down.

But instead, she admitted her mistake without resistance.

Perhaps it was a reflection of the kindness buried beneath her thorns.

She had spent over a decade locked in a gilded cage.

She wasn’t accustomed to dealing with people.

But even when she was harsh, she had never truly harbored malice.

Even a rose covered in thorns was, at its core, still a flower.

"Fufu."

I let out a quiet chuckle.

As I gently patted both of their heads, I suddenly felt a presence beside me.

A shadow nudged my shoulder, poking at me.

It was Emilia.

She had been watching the entire exchange from the sidelines.

Her clear, glass-like eyes reflected my image.

Pink and red, two girls now tamed, accepting my hand with surprising obedience.

Upon seeing this, the villainess let out a deep, conflicted sigh.

She shook her head, a gesture laced with resignation.

"Haa... You really are something else."

"Hm? Lady Emilia?"

"Nothing. I just... thought you should realize how much sin rests on your shoulders."

"Oh my, I suppose I am one of the most sinful men in the Empire."

"...You say that, but it doesn’t sound like a joke at all. Can’t you stop with the ridiculous remarks?"

"Who knows?"

Was it really just a joke?

The look on my face must have made her uneasy because she recoiled slightly.

The lively atmosphere continued, full of light chatter.

As we walked along the academy’s streets, the crisp autumn air buzzed with the energy of countless students.

Each step I took reminded me that I was not alone.

And for a brief moment, I allowed myself to savor that warmth.

"I saw your match earlier today, your ability was beyond anything I expected."

"I-It’s an honor...!"

"I can see now why my physician is keeping such a close eye on you."

"I’d heard rumors, but I never thought you could actually summon a dragon, why did you lose so easily last time?"

"Ah, um... well, during the previous exam... I-I had my reasons..."

"You weren’t holding back, were you? I trust you wouldn’t dare go easy on me."

"O-Of course not...!"

A casual conversation.

And yet, as the sole commoner among them, Regia was visibly flustered, breaking out in a nervous sweat.

Especially when it came to the princess.

She still wasn’t used to her.

Even a simple compliment made her fumble awkwardly.

Of course, from an outsider’s perspective, it would have looked like nothing more than a display of camaraderie.

Perhaps that was why they say that life, when viewed up close, is a tragedy, but from a distance, a comedy.

And so, I enjoyed the comedy unfolding before me.

"By the way."

Emilia suddenly spoke up.

Her sharp gaze locked onto me.

"All of Class A’s practical exams ended today, didn’t they?"

"That’s right."

"That means you’re the only one with an exam left now."

Ah, she must have been referring to the faculty duels.

With the event only a few days away, it was no surprise that students had started talking about it.

It was, after all, a rare spectacle.

It wasn’t every day that one got to witness professors and assistants battling it out.

The anticipation was understandable.

"I plan to take it easy."

"I have no idea what ‘taking it easy’ means in your terms..."

"Fufu."

I brushed off the question with a vague response.

As our conversation carried on, I suddenly noticed a gathering of students in the distance.

They were huddled together, murmuring among themselves, as if watching something unfold.

Had something happened?

Before I could even voice my curiosity,

"U-Um... Professor Selena is over there."

Regia was the first to speak up.

I shifted my gaze.

And sure enough, my mentor was standing in the center of the commotion.

Students had formed a wide circle around her, observing from a cautious distance.

And at the heart of it all stood a woman with violet hair, her ever-exhausted expression unmistakable.

But the real issue was the person she was facing.

Even through her slightly unfocused eyes, perhaps from drinking, her sharp gaze remained unwavering, fixed on the man before her.

And the moment I recognized him, I murmured to myself.

"...Professor Cadel?"

The man with the greatest influence among the faculty.

The one often named as the next Head Professor.

And Selena’s long-standing adversary.

I tilted my head slightly in curiosity.

‘What’s going on?’

Why was she in a confrontation with him?

***

Cadel Evans.

Ever since Selena’s downfall, he had steadily expanded his influence and secured widespread support.

He was the man most often named as the next Head Professor.

A young but formidable figure, strong enough to be considered one of the academy’s pillars.

And right now, he was locked in a standoff with a known drunkard.

"Professor Selena."

"..."

Their strained relationship had long been common knowledge.

Cadel had spent years rallying faculty members to ostracize her, while Selena, for her part, had always treated his constant provocations with thinly veiled contempt.

Last year, their disagreements had led to frequent clashes.

But in recent months, an eerie silence had settled between them, an uneasy truce that now seemed on the verge of breaking.

Because today, Cadel had chosen to reignite the flames.

"You haven’t forgotten about the upcoming faculty duel, have you?"

The impending duel, set to take place in just a few days, was the perfect excuse.

Ever since her disgrace, Cadel had been waiting for an opportunity.

A chance to ensure his troublesome rival’s complete and utter defeat.

And now, he had found it.

"As luck would have it, we’ve been paired against each other. A rat trapped in a cage, wouldn’t you say?"

He sneered.

Of course, there had been one unexpected variable, the prodigious first-year student who had recently been placed under Selena’s direct tutelage.

But even that didn’t matter.

No matter how talented the boy was, he was still a student.

It was a battle of influence, and in the end, the stronger faction always prevailed.

Cadel smiled as if savoring his imminent victory.

"You have my gratitude for what happened last time."

He was referring to an incident two months ago.

The day his prized pupil, Ian Ternado, had been publicly humiliated in a duel against the Serpent.

"Wouldn’t you agree that this duel presents the perfect opportunity for some payback?"

"Hah."

Selena scoffed, her expression unreadable.

Cadel pressed on, his voice dripping with condescension.

"You seem oddly at ease. But let’s be clear, you can’t defeat me in a contest of strength."

A direct taunt.

He wasn’t just speaking to her; his words were loud and clear, meant for the surrounding students to hear.

And as the insult hung in the air, Selena’s brows knitted together slightly.

She didn’t respond.

Because, unfortunately, what he said was true.

Cadel was one of the three strongest combatants among the faculty.

As a specialist in illusion magic, Selena was at a distinct disadvantage.

She was a scholar first and foremost, acknowledged for her brilliance with a pen, not her prowess in battle.

The matchup did not favor her.

"What do you expect to accomplish with your little tricks?"

He wasn’t wrong.

But it wasn’t the truth itself that stung, it was his intent behind saying it.

He wanted to humiliate her, to make a spectacle of her before the students.

"This time, I’ll make sure to crush you properly, and that so-called student of yours won’t be an exception."

"How pathetic."

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"What was that?"

"It’s pitiful."

she repeated, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Students should learn from their superiors, don’t you think? If they choose the wrong teacher, they should be taught the consequences."

"Still using your little power trips as an excuse to indulge in your pettiness, I see."

It was a conflict that had dragged on for years.

And now, it had escalated to the point where even her students were being dragged into the fire.

The tension between them thickened.

Then, just as the atmosphere reached its breaking point,

"Excuse me."

A new voice cut through the tension.

A figure stepped forward, pushing past the gathered onlookers to position himself between the two professors.

He greeted them with a calm, unreadable smile.

"Good afternoon, both of you."

Golden hair gleamed under the sunlight.

His narrowed eyes carried an unsettling air.

A neatly pressed uniform accentuated his refined demeanor.

There was no mistaking it.

This was Judas Snakes, the very student Cadel had just been talking about.

***

"Good afternoon, both of you."

A casual greeting.

Perhaps it was because the very student he had just been discussing had appeared before him so suddenly.

Cadel hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding.

"A rather unexpected entrance, Student Judas."

Still composed.

Still unaffected.

"Good afternoon to you as well."

"What brings you here?"

"I happened to overhear something rather interesting."

"That hardly seems like a matter for a student to interfere in."

"Perhaps. But when I hear my mentor being insulted, it’s difficult to remain silent."

"Hm."

Truthfully, I had planned to stay out of it.

But the things he had been saying had annoyed me far more than I expected.

I had received a great deal of help from Selena.

Especially with the documents regarding the Rose.

At this point, I couldn’t just sit back and let this pass without a response.

Cadel spoke again.

"It’s a shame you declined my offer."

"I’m quite content with my current position."

"You’re wasting your potential. You’ll come to regret aligning yourself with her."

"What happens to me is my own concern."

So he was trying to mock both of us together now?

That was fine.

I smiled, curling my lips slightly.

"And besides, I doubt there’s much for me to learn under your tutelage."

"...What?"

"I’ve already faced your so-called star pupil, haven’t I? His skills were... disappointing, to say the least. I would hate to waste my time learning from a master of such mediocrity."

"Hah."

A scoff escaped Cadel’s lips.

I had struck a nerve.

His expression turned cold, his posture stiff with suppressed anger.

"You’re an arrogant little brat."

His eyes sharpened into an icy glare.

"You do realize you’re just a student, don’t you? No matter how talented you may be, you are nothing before me. I could crush you with a single gesture."

Rumble,

A weighty pressure filled the air.

A chilling aura of pure, unfiltered killing intent pressed down upon the surroundings.

If I were just another student, I would have been reduced to my knees.

Selena stirred beside me, ready to intervene, but I met her gaze and reassured her with a silent glance.

Then, I let out a quiet laugh.

"Fufu."

The heavy tension between us stretched out like a taut wire.

The autumn wind passed through, the only thing moving in that moment.

Cadel seemed to assess the situation.

And then,

Perhaps he decided it wasn’t worth escalating further.

With a flick of his wrist, the oppressive aura dissipated.

"...There’s no need to get worked up now, we'll be facing each other soon enough."

His tone suggested that he was choosing to let this go.

It was infuriating.

As if he were giving me the privilege of retreating.

He turned, as if ready to leave.

But before he could take a single step.

"You know."

He paused.

"You seem to be under a rather amusing delusion."

His expression darkened.

"You talk as if you’re a champion waiting for a challenger."

I continued, voice lighthearted.

"But let me correct you."

I met his gaze directly.

"You’re the challenger here."

A single sentence.

And the world seemed to stop.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Cadel’s face contorted in shock.

Even Selena, who had remained utterly impassive until now, blinked in surprise.

For a moment, time itself felt frozen.

And in that silence, I smiled.

‘Ah.’

This.

This was exhilarating.

It wasn’t long before rumors of a madman who had openly provoked a professor spread throughout the academy.

A truly unprecedented event.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]