The Villain Bought the Heroine

Chapter 38

Area: 110㎢.

By South Korean standards, it is an island about the size of Yeongjong Island.

This island is owned by Academia and strictly prohibits the entry of outsiders.

Not because it trespasses property, but because it is too dangerous for ordinary people to enter.

This place, where the annual class tournament takes place and various experiments are conducted, is referred to as a safety zone, except for the area known as the general public’s point of no return.

Roaring monsters, treacherous traps.

If an ordinary person enters, they will soon lose a limb or become a cold corpse, feeding the crows.

A man-made island created solely for heroes. A field of suffering prepared to nurture heroes who will save the world.

That was Eccentric Island.

The events of the class tournament change every year, from siege warfare to fend off hordes of monsters, to survival games and more.

This year’s event is “Capture the Hidden King.”

Literally, the simple rule of finding the hidden king and touching their back to win.

Each team can designate one king, and if not decided within 10 minutes of the game starting, automatic disqualification.

Students have designated starting points, each located near a small castle of each team at the edge of the island. These are called “Strongholds.”

Strongholds are quite important.

While in a stronghold, students receive buffs such as minor healing magic, increased magic capacity, and enhanced power for their team.

The effects extend up to a radius of 500m, and if a team secures an additional central stronghold in either of the two locations on the island, the effects overlap.

Furthermore, these overlapped effects also take effect at the central stronghold, making the strongholds a variable in this year’s event.

A straightforward basic structure.

The prohibitions are also simple.

Prohibited acts include violence that disables a person’s function, like cutting off limbs or committing murder.

This means that all other actions are allowed.

***

“Plum, prepare visual magic. Don’t worry about mana. I’ll supplement it, so use your maximum output. Serena, you’re in the defense squad, so get ready to go.”

Shortly after arriving on the island and the curtain being raised.

The surroundings were bustling.

I led the people as per the roles I had assigned in advance, and they followed orders diligently without any complaints.

Everyone was busy with their tasks. Any lingering anxiety or negativity vanished as they busily moved their bodies.

Amidst this, a man approached me to speak. I hesitated to ignore him but decided to listen as it seemed important.

“Why the attitude, Liam? Like an eager puppy. If you have nothing to say, step aside.”

He snapped suddenly, but Liam either didn’t care or had grown accustomed to it, steadfastly expressing his opinion.

I roughly knew what he was going to say. If he wanted to clarify, I hoped he would do it quickly.

“Put me in the defense squad.”

As expected.

“Got it. And while you’re at it, take the lead of the defense squad.”

“What…?”

“No time for hesitations. I had originally planned to assign you to the defense squad. If you have nothing more to say, Serena has the list of the remaining members, so gather them and prepare to depart immediately.”

“Uh, okay… I understand. The point expected to be the central stronghold, right? I’ll get ready right away.”

It’s almost funny how he refers to it as the “expected point.” It’s like he’s emphasizing his lack of information about the location.

For me, who knows Liam’s storyline this time, it was a familiar sight.

“Ah, before we go, I’ll just ask for this one thing.”

“Since we’re busy, make it quick.”

“Is Miss Alicia part of the defense team?”

“Anyway, she seems obsessed with the opposite s*x.”

“It’s not like that…!”

“Go check the list yourself. There are no changes.”

Although he mentioned her obsession with the opposite s*x, Liam had a reasonable reason for asking about Alicia’s presence.

The area near Class 1 was a central hub where Liam and Alicia could showcase their talents to the readers and the many others watching over them.

While Liam might have been aware that Alicia’s spotlight was exclusive to her, to me, it was different.

The two of them could proudly display their rapid growth alongside the hub’s effects. I had witnessed that scene firsthand.

“Got it. Since you’re the leader this time, I’ll follow obediently. But if Alicia is not involved, reconsider. It might still be helpful to you.”

With those words, Liam left.

He’s a real troublemaker until the end. Who is the one causing such chaos in my story, leading Alicia’s growth in the wrong direction?

The mistake Liam made in changing Alicia’s occupation still gnawed at me.

He’s a headache, but one I can’t just cast aside.

“…Yes, the video magic preparations are complete. What should I do now?”

The man with disheveled hair looked down, visibly nervous.

While lacking in combat skills compared to Finn, his proficiency in video magic was exceptional.

“Good job. Unlike the useless trash running around, you’re actually helpful.”

“Huh? Who… Oh, you mean Liam…”

“Let’s get started. Cast the video magic.”

“Oh, yes! Right away.”

Plum summoned a round orb that floated gently, emitting a faint light right in front of my face.

The video magic would soon begin.

“Ah, ah.”

I let out a light sigh.

I may not be nervous about this, but preparation is necessary for any action.

I hope the main characters act as I envisioned.

The sight of our bewildered fiancée is already before my eyes.

***

– Erica, can you hear me? Is your vision shared as well?

Through a small bird perched on her shoulder, Difellia’s voice resonated within Erica. By expanding her senses, Erica could see two perspectives like looking at two monitors.

One was Erica’s own view.

The other was the view shared by Difellia, another warlock.

“I can hear you clearly. And I can see well. Are you waving your hand in front of me now?”

– Yes, I see it clearly. It’s fortunate that the hubs of Classes 4 and 5 are close by.

Difellia, leader of Class 5 and a saint, could communicate with plants and animals through her warlock abilities.

Her exceptional ability to communicate with fauna was made possible by her being a member of the Direc Union, an otherworldly being, as well as her innate personality.

The bird perched on Erica’s shoulder was also Difellia’s warlock, capable of sharing the visual and auditory perspectives of other birds of the same kind. Additionally, when in contact with someone’s body, the person in contact could also share those senses.

-However… It feels uneasy, even though it’s an alliance made by mutual agreement. There’s something sinister about it.

“Diphyellia. Alliance does not involve actions that violate rules. We strategize and employ all tactics to survive till the end. That’s what a class war is about.”

-That’s right. Sorry for speaking softly, Erica.

Erica, a member of the student council, and Diphyellia were on good terms. While not particularly close, they had a rough understanding of each other’s character and temperament.

With the class war schedule set, Erica approached Diphyellia to propose an alliance.

The reason Erica wanted to form an alliance with Class 5 was one person. Shugenharz Troa Bargan.

-The power of a saint is effective against Bargan, right?

“It is. Even if it’s the power of a saint, if it’s mediocre magic, it might not even scratch him, but Diphyellia can use high-level magic, right?”

Diphyellia accepting Erica’s proposal was partly due to her belief that Erica wouldn’t betray them, but mainly because she possessed a lot of information about Bargan, the most threatening figure.

Moreover, with Erica’s rare magic at her disposal, there was no reason for her to refuse the alliance.

-Being vulnerable to the power of a saint. Erica’s fiancé is quite… peculiar, isn’t he?

“Are you asking if he’s a ghost or a demon? It’s fine. You can speak freely.”

Of course, Bargan wasn’t inherently weak against sacred powers.

It’s not like he melts when touched by holy water or bursts into flames under sunlight.

“Most of his familiars are of the dark attribute. Especially that shadowy one protecting him.”

While familiars themselves were not uncommon, those of the dark attribute were few in number and each ability they possessed was formidable. Moreover, being difficult to judge suitability, a familiar of the dark attribute was not one to easily obey others.

Bargan adorned himself with such demanding and dangerous beings.

For instance, if one were to swing a sword at Bargan.

Even without taking any separate action, the strange entities emerging from Bargan’s shadows would block most attacks. His defense was so formidable that even elemental magic couldn’t touch him.

However, with Diphyellia’s power? The story changes. Holes appear in that ironclad defense, and attacks undoubtedly land.

For Erica, Diphyellia was one of the very few people capable of facing Bargan.

“Artellion must have surely declined.”

-That person… Right… I didn’t get to talk with him much, but the atmosphere wasn’t receptive to forming an alliance.

Despite being part of the same student council, Erica couldn’t propose joining forces with Artellion.

While Erica didn’t particularly enjoy forming relationships with others, Artellion seemed even less eager to connect with people.

Rather, he exuded an atmosphere of reluctance.

“Still, Artellion seemed concerned about Shugenharz. Perhaps he might take action on his own…”

-Huh? Erica! Wait a moment. What’s that?!

At Diphyellia’s words, Erica, lost in thought, raised her head. She realized she wasn’t alone with her, but her head didn’t lower again.

“W-what is that…?”

Instead, as if resisting the descent, it rose even higher.

A specific male voice reached Erica’s ears.

No, it wasn’t just Erica. This noise permeated the stage where the class war was taking place. It spread throughout.

“Is everyone off to a smooth start? Talking like this brings back memories.”

The visual magic was so huge that it turned the entire surroundings into a miniature.

His voice and appearance evoked memories of the dreadful entrance ceremony. The origin of the visual magic emitted a bright light, clearly marking his position for all to see.

“That guy… again…!”

The event for this class war was ‘Capture the Hidden King’.

Each class would select one king, protect their own king, and if they managed to capture all the kings of the other classes, they would win.

Naturally, the identity and location of the king were top-secret and if revealed, one must flee immediately.

The positions of the factions were only known to the leaders when they gathered to wait.

“Since everyone should already know me, I’ll skip the introduction. My current location is as you see it. Not just mine, but also the stronghold of our 1st faction.”

I’m not sure what Bargan is thinking, but that must be a ploy to hide the king.

The king, the student who shattered the bead containing magic provided by the Academy, was placed elsewhere for safekeeping, with Bargan focusing attention to keep the king safe…

“Erika. That thing that person is holding… that bead… is it the real one?”

“…!!”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a fake. The proper seal is stamped here for all to see.”

He brought the bead closer for everyone to see, then infused it with magic, shattering it.

As the bead broke, a pattern appeared on the designated area of his hand.

It could be a performance using a fake. However, his specialty in illusion magic couldn’t be conveyed through visuals, so what was happening?

Continuing, he decisively stabbed a dagger into the confused Erika.

“I, Bargan, am the ‘king’ of the 1st faction.”