The Genius Villain Dies Tomorrow

Rian flinched, but realized that doing so would be rather suspicious. So instead, he played the only remaining card he could:

Gaslighting.

"What are you talking about?"

Marie pointed a finger at his right eye, getting even closer. Eliza, on the other hand, tried to tug at her friend’s shirt to stop her.

"Marie, stop! Don’t you know it’s rude to point fingers?! Especially at a Rosenheim?!"

Though, that did little to deter her. She stopped right in front of Rian and tried to get a closer look, but he turned away before she could.

"Could you not invade my personal space?"

Upon realizing she might’ve gone too far, the girl stepped back, muttering. "I could’ve sworn I saw something..."

’Those eyes are way too dangerous. Sensing Sylpheed’s sanctuary with just a single glance...’

Getting involved with someone like Marie was risky, both in terms of the story and the potential plot line she was involved in. But looking back at the clock, there really was no more time to dawdle or find others.

"Alright, you can join us."

"Really?" Eliza’s eyes lit up from behind. "We’ll make sure to not be hindrances! We promise!"

[00:37]

Marie still looked conflicted, but when she glanced at the clock, whatever curiosity she had about Rian had disappeared just as quickly.

The four of them hurried toward one of the registration desks lining the edges of the hall. Several Academy officials were already dealing with the last few groups, while those who had registered were already lined up in front of several mirrors that were at least two stories tall.

"Names?" the official asked without looking up.

"Rian Rosenheim."

"Julius Eidelgard."

"Marie Bell!"

"Eliza Schmidtz..."

The official finally raised her head after hearing the first two names. Her eyes moved between Rian and Julius before briefly settling on their two companions.

Rian could already imagine what she thought of them. A troublesome noble with a terrible reputation, a prince who wanted nothing to do with the succession, a soot-covered girl, and her wide-eyed friend from the boonies.

The attendant side-eyed them before sliding four small silver bracelets across the desk toward them. "Make sure to keep these on. If they get damaged, then it will result in immediate disqualification."

He remembered from the novel that there were a four regions that each group could be assigned to. Coincidentally, Orion was sent to the hardest area with the most treacherous path and aggressive monsters.

If Rian wanted to seriously compete for first place, then an easy area like the Blackwoods would be ideal. Its monsters were weaker, but they were also far more numerous. Higher-quality cores were worth more points, but Rian could overcome that difference through sheer quantity.

Though it didn’t matter too much, Rian wasn’t picky. All they needed to do was avoid the Graveyard, that was all.

Yet, when he looked down toward the bracelet on his hand, there was a small letter ’D’ as well as the number 13, indicating where his group would go.

At the far end of the chamber stood Mirror D. Unlike the other mirrors, its surface revealed nothing but dead trees, gray earth, and a sea of crooked gravestones buried by a blanket of gray fog.

Rian fought the urge to faint on the spot.

"The Graveyard?" Julius asked from beside him. "We’re going there? That doesn’t sound ominous at all..."

A few students in front of them had already started going through the portal. In the very front, Rian managed to spot Orion’s white hair stepping through as well.

’Ugh...this feels like bad luck.’

Though before Rian could complain any further, the surface of Mirror D began to ripple. An attendant who stood by the mirror suddenly called out.

"Group Thirteen! Step through together and clear the arrival platform immediately!"

"Together?" Eliza asked nervously.

Marie grabbed her hand before she could reconsider. "Come on. It can’t be that bad."

The two girls stepped through first. Their bodies sank into the mirror as though its surface was made of water, disappearing within seconds.

Julius stared after them.

"Do you think it hurts?"

"We’re about to find out."

Rian placed a hand against Julius’s back and pushed him straight through.

"Rian—!"

An icy sensation swallowed his body, but just as quickly as it began, Rian’s feet struck solid stone on the other side.

By the time his vision cleared, Eliza was pitching face-first toward the ground. Before she could embarrass herself any further, a gloved hand caught the back of her bag and pulled her upright.

"Careful," a man said. "Students who arrive headfirst usually have bad luck on examination day."

Eliza blinked several times before hurriedly straightening herself. "T-Thank you!"

The man who had caught her appeared to be somewhere in his late forties. His short brown hair had already begun graying near the sides, while an old scar ran from the corner of his jaw to the base of his neck.

He wore a dark Academy coat under a layer of light leather armor. Although he didn’t look particularly imposing, the amount of mana surrounding his body told Rian otherwise.

’An early-stage 5-Star Knight...’

"Group Thirteen, I assume?" the man asked.

Rian raised his bracelet, showing him the silver letter engraved upon it. The instructor simply nodded and gestured toward a small base camp that had been set up in the surrounding area.

"Head over there first and wait for me. We’ll have a little orientation."

The four of them did as they were told, crowding around a small area that had been set up with various tents, wooden crates presumably containing supplies, and a big campfire in the middle.

Rian managed to spot Orion off by one of the tents, talking to his groups. Just like in the novel, he had teamed up with the same side characters.

But as Rian’s group passed, Orion couldn’t help but glance at the first villain who was supposed to be dead by now.

Yet Rian Rosenheim simply kept walking without a care in the world. Though even without looking, he noticed an inconsistency.

The side characters in his party consisted of all high-ranking nobles that attended Eidelgard Prep. In the novel, obviously they teamed up with him because he was the school’s Hero.

’But why are they with him now?’

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