The Villain’s Ending

Sunset (17)

Estelle hugged me tightly for a long time, then laid me on the bed.

Her touch was gentle, and I felt a warmth that was somehow familiar.

"Stay in bed longer. Even if your body has healed, your stamina won't have recovered."

Estelle lifted me onto the bed, looked at me with a somewhat sad expression, then covered me with a blanket.

The blanket had a faint smell of sunshine.

"Your fiancée, do you love her?"

"I do."

I answered without hesitation.

"Unless she burns me to death, I think I'd still love her even if I die."

If she just watched me burn to death, my love would probably cool off by half, I suppose.

But it wouldn't die out completely.

"Then, does she not love you?"

"No, she loves me excessively."

"......This conversation isn't going the way I want."

Estelle let out a small sigh, then curled up the corners of her lips slightly and spoke.

"I was going to try and tempt you not to meet someone like that, and instead be with me."

Estelle approached and lightly pressed her lips to my forehead.

"Sleep well."

She left the room after saying that.

The sound of the door closing seemed unusually loud.

After that, I got up from the bed.

My body swayed.

I leaned against the wall and caught my breath for a long time.

It wasn't that my body wouldn't move.

My hands and legs moved perfectly as I wished.

I suppose I should say I was definitely a bit tired.

After opening the door and leaving, I walked down the corridor.

I walked towards Kyle's room, which I had learned the location of when I was doing all sorts of things to try and get close to him in the past.

His room probably hadn't changed.

Because I've been stuck in that shitty room I was first assigned, from the beginning until now, and will be until graduation.

Anyway, I walked up to Kyle's room and knocked on the door, but no sign of anyone was felt from inside.

I thought about picking the lock and going in, but decided against it, as doing so would likely result in me getting stabbed in the back rather than getting close to him.

If I were to secretly enter a guy's room and suspicious and unpleasant rumors started spreading again, Seraphina might throw another fit.

Suddenly, I wanted to slap Levina's cheek with all my might.

Anyway, if he's not here, he's probably at the training ground.

I moved my steps.

It seemed like it was still a time when students were moving around.

A few students, who seemed to have just finished training, walked past with towels around their necks, chatting, and whispered something when they saw my face.

As if they had seen something strange, or unpleasant.

Before, I really hated such things, but thinking that most of them would be caught by demons and die worse than dogs, it was somewhat bearable.

After all, most of the knights who swaggered ahead ended up half-crippled, and even skilled ones died in huge numbers.

I still don't like it, though.

For now, I memorized their faces.

Even if it's a bit petty, if they end up crawling under me later, I should send them somewhere they'll get hurt but not quite die.

Anyway, even heading to where the training ground was, Kyle was nowhere to be seen.

So this time, I headed to the secluded bench.

As I was taking steps, a huge rustling sound suddenly came from the bench inside the bushes.

Though it was dark and hard to see, Kyle, whose face was slightly red, perhaps from training quite hard again today, was stuffing something into his bag.

"......I told you not to follow me."

Kyle said.

"Last time, didn't I clearly tell you to come find me?"

"Why should I listen to you?"

"......Indeed?"

"You're acting like you've got some kind of leverage over me, but last time, you just cowardly tripped me."

"Even when I offer help, you bitch about it.

You talk a lot for a punk who can't do anything right and can't even train properly enough to avoid losing to someone like me."

Kyle didn't answer and glared at me angrily.

Then, after exhaling once and composing himself, he opened his mouth again.

"Last time, you just suddenly attacked, uh.

I was just flustered, so there's no way I'd lose if we fought properly."

"Then, wanna bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

"How about this: the loser does whatever the winner tells them to, without a single complaint."

"As expected, this vulgar... Fine, I don't care."

"There are too many people right now, so let's go later.

I'll take a nap, so wake me up when the training ground is empty."

"What does it matter if there are a lot of people?"

"Obviously, I'm being considerate because I'm going to win.

Being humiliated in front of others is a much more embarrassing thing than you'd think, until you get used to it."

After that, I naturally sat down next to Kyle.

At that, Kyle jumped up from his spot as if startled.

I glanced at Kyle, then put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it.

"I didn't know you could... wield magic so proficiently."

Kyle muttered.

"What, regretting accepting the bet all of a sudden?"

"If we really clash swords, there's no way I'd lose to a coward like you."

I shrugged, smoked, and lay down on the bench.

"Anyway, don't smoke here. The smell is disgusting."

"......Didn't you used to smoke too?"

I could feel Kyle's gaze, as if he was looking at me with pathetic contempt, but I didn't say anything particular.

Come to think of it, I only smoked after accidentally setting a whole village on fire.

I stubbed out the cigarette I had in my mouth on the ground, then picked up the butt and put it in the empty cigarette pack I carried.

Estelle certainly wasn't talking nonsense; I was truly very tired.

As I closed my eyes, I quickly fell asleep.

When I briefly closed my eyes and then opened them, the moon had set quite a bit.

Kyle was leaning against the bushes, sewing with colored thread on cloth, doing sewing.

"......Is that your hobby?"

Kyle put the sewing he was working on into his worn bag and replied gruffly.

"Is there a problem?"

I stretched, got up from my spot, and said.

"......No problem. Just a bit unusual."

"Shut up, and get ready to be beaten."

Kyle glared at me, then walked ahead as if telling me to follow.

Thanks to the late hour, not a single person was visible in the training ground.

Kyle took out two wooden swords from where they were stacked, and threw one to me.

By the blade, not the hilt.

Of course, I naturally caught it.

"If I win, don't ever come near me again.

Don't talk to me, and don't disgustingly appear in my sight.

Because I really don't want to exchange words with someone like you."

Kyle said as he walked to the training ground's open area.

I nodded.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

"Just shut up and attack. I have a lot I want to make you do."

Kyle gritted his teeth, slowly began to approach me with his sword blade raised.

His eyes darting between my hands and mouth, he seemed to be calculating when I would use magic.

And at some point, he kicked off the ground and rushed straight at me.

Kyle's sword strikes were quite fast and heavy.

To the point where I couldn't even parry it, losing my grip on the hilt and dropping my sword.

Each time he swung his sword at me to attack, I obscured Kyle's vision with small spells.

"You talked a big game, but you've got nothing?! Your spells missed too!"

Kyle shouted, swinging his sword wildly with an excited voice.

I barely managed to dodge by twisting my body.

I saw a smile spread across Kyle's face.

Look at him, smiling like that, not even realizing he'd gotten too close to swing his sword at some point.

I dodged the downward strike by shifting my body diagonally, then pressed even closer to him.

I grabbed the wrist holding the sword and kicked him in the side.

Kyle tried to shake off my hand, dropped the sword he was holding, and when I tripped him, he fell backward.

He sat blankly for a moment, tried to get up, but I kicked him in the face, making him sit back down.

I picked up the sword Kyle had dropped, approached him, and pointed it at his face.

"I told you, you're lacking."

At that, Kyle's eyes welled up with tears, and he sniffled, bowing his head deeply, trying to force back his sobs.

He twitched his shoulders, wiping away the slightly escaped tears with the back of his hand, pretending not to cry, but it seemed to be of no particular use.

Kyle lifted his head and asked.

"Now, what are you going to, sniff, make me do?"

I was flustered.

I had expected to hear anger, or accusations of cowardice, but not for him to cry pitifully like a child.

"D-don't make me do, sniff, anything weird.

That's not why I came here, hiccup, I'm telling you.

I-I'm not even your type, really..."

Even as he spoke, his voice was wet with tears.

And come to think of it, this wasn't the Kyle who had rolled through battlefields, cut down demons, or indiscriminately slaughtered rebellious farmers somewhere.

I'm a pathetic mess who couldn't do anything right and kept dying and coming back, so what have I done to a kid who's just as much a child as his age implies?

The current Kyle isn't particularly tough, and far from having a tough personality, he's so sensitive he's practically a sniveling brat who bawls just for losing one light sparring match.

"What do you think I'm going to make you do?"

"You're, sniff, a homosexual aren't you?"

"......Ah, fuck."

"Gah!"

Annoyed, I instinctively swung the sword I was holding and struck Kyle's head.

At that, Kyle clutched the top of his head and glared at me, whimpering.

"Starting next week, once a week, no. Twice.

Come to my room around this time.

You lost, so don't go back on your word."

Kyle didn't answer anything, just sniffed and nodded his head.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!