Chapter 241 : A Nasty Plan
Chapter 241: A Nasty Plan
It was a simple story.
Take down the easiest target first.
Coincidentally, that target was me.
'...So this is how it's going to be.'
In a way, it was the obvious choice.
If I were in their shoes, I'd rather attack a weaker opponent I could definitely defeat than recklessly challenge someone stronger with no chance of winning.
But...
'Putting everything else aside... they're all targeting only me?'
Wasn't this a bit much?
From what I'd overheard from the groups of first-year students, it sounded as though hundreds of students had already spread throughout the forest.
'At this rate, there's no answer.'
Just then, dots gradually began appearing on the map. At a glance, there were already well over a hundred.
The map's detection radius was estimated to be around 200 meters. Considering the forest's diameter was close to one kilometer, there were undoubtedly far more people surrounding me than what was displayed on the map.
At that moment, two groups of first-year students met and started talking.
"How about your side? Did you find him?"
"No. We haven't even caught a glimpse of him."
"The scouts said he's not near the watchtower either."
"He's definitely somewhere in this forest. Let's keep searching."
A Mock War was still a war.
A battlefield where countless variables came into play.
Yet hundreds of students were searching for nothing but me.
'...They're making a huge mistake.'
It was a blunder born from inexperience.
Sure, defeating me would earn them a massive amount of points.
But what if they failed?
The time and manpower wasted in the process would become a devastating loss.
"Guys, I'll search over here!"
Not only were there more enemies appearing on the map, but I could also see far more of them with my own eyes. Even this patch of bushes I was hiding in could no longer be considered safe.
'...I can't keep hunting monsters like this.'
I'd planned to spend about thirty minutes focusing on monster hunting, but that plan had already gone down the drain.
If I made any combat noise in this situation, my position would be exposed immediately.
"They probably don't even realize we're only after that senior."
"I kind of feel bad for him. His classmates already hate him, and now even us freshmen are chasing him...."
"What's there to feel bad about? He's someone who did unforgivable things to his own classmates."
"Exactly. He's still shamelessly clinging to the Academy."
"I heard he even used bribes to secure his Schuler position and get into an upper department."
"Well, when you've got money, I guess you can do whatever you want."
"If he stayed in the Academy even after getting punished with the Upgraded Livestock Shed... doesn't that mean being an Academy student is literally the only thing he has left?"
It was almost laughable how people I'd never even met spoke as if they knew everything about me.
'Even though I've been keeping quiet, rumors have already spread this far among the freshmen.'
It was actually reassuring.
The story was unfolding exactly as it had in the original plot.
"Anyway, once we catch that guy a few times, we'll finally be able to hit those second-year seniors where it hurts!"
"Yeah! We just have to catch Villed!"
"We'll definitely get him!"
The group dispersed after boosting each other's morale.
'Hmm... this situation is getting troublesome.'
No, maybe "troublesome" wasn't enough.
If the first-years kept searching for me with bloodshot eyes until the match ended, my plan to protect the Princess could fall apart.
Of course, with my abilities and my Objects, defeating first-year students wouldn't be difficult.
'But there are simply too many of them.'
Run.
Counterattack.
Repeat that over and over.
Since I had no intention of making a huge impact in this match, that would just be unnecessary effort.
'Even if I shake them off, they'll find me again. Then it'll just keep repeating.'
I needed a fundamental solution.
Something that would stop them from targeting me altogether.
'Ah... if only I'd just stayed with Sia.'
If Sia were guarding me, all of this would've been solved.
'It's not like I can suddenly ask her to team up now.'
To begin with, I had no way of finding Sia.
My Magical Energy was pitifully low, so I couldn't initiate Magical Communication with anyone.
On top of that, unlike the other Schulers, Sia was constantly moving.
There was no way to predict where she'd be.
I'd only end up wasting time searching for her.
'Then someone I could ask would be...'
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.
'That guy' might actually be able to do it.
The problem was that his personality was pretty twisted, making him difficult to use.
...Still, it was worth trying.
Checking the map, I slipped through a gap in the encirclement and moved quickly.
Thanks to the map, avoiding the first-years' surveillance wasn't difficult.
After leaving the forest, I arrived at the central watchtower along the castle wall.
The scene before me was recreated exactly as it had been in the game.
Kunking, with his red sea urchin-like hair, and Heidel, the silver-haired noble.
Only the two of them remained beneath the watchtower.
"Grrr...."
Kunking bared his teeth and growled at Heidel like a vicious dog.
"..."
Meanwhile, Heidel completely ignored him with utterly indifferent eyes.
The reason the two aces were together wasn't teamwork.
It was so Kunking could steal every point before Heidel earned it.
In this official match, aside from determining the winning team, every cadet's accumulated points would also decide the individual rankings.
Those who placed at the top would receive rewards and every spotlight imaginable.
Driven solely by his rivalry with Heidel, Kunking hovered around him constantly, doing everything he could to interfere.
Judging by the situation, the only people Kunking and Heidel had defeated so far were a few members of the scouting units.
As I approached them, Kunking sensed my presence and turned toward me.
"What is it, Dedencman?"
"Nothing much. I just want to have a quick talk."
"...Hah. You?"
"Yeah. I've got something important to tell you."
Kunking frowned as he slowly clenched his fist.
Crack.
A dull sound escaped as his knuckles popped.
"If you waste my time with nonsense, I'll beat you down right here."
"Got it. Just follow me."
I gestured with my chin and took the lead.
With both hands in his pockets, Kunking obediently followed behind me.
'I didn't expect him to come this willingly.'
For the record, in the game, the moment you tried talking to Kunking, he'd immediately flip you off.
'Whatever mood he's in today, at least getting him to the negotiating table went smoothly.'
After putting enough distance between ourselves and Heidel, I stopped walking.
When I remained silent for a while, Kunking spoke first.
"...Say what you came to say, Dedencman."
"Doesn't he piss you off?"
"What?"
As though possessed by the embodiment of jealousy, I glared at Heidel standing in the distance guarding the watchtower.
"That arrogant bastard over there."
"...Huh?"
Kunking blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"Just look at him standing there acting all high and mighty. Doesn't it make your insides twist?"
I frowned as though I felt sick, pointing toward Heidel with my chin.
Perhaps because of the influence of this body, my acting looked surprisingly genuine.
Apparently, it worked perfectly.
Kunking looked genuinely puzzled.
"Dedencman, I don't know why you're suddenly saying this. Weren't you one of his kind too? One of those noble brats?"
Kunking stared at me suspiciously.
It made sense.
Back in the game, Villed had desperately tried to curry favor with Heidel.
He wanted to be seen as another elite from a prestigious noble family.
So he acted like they were close friends, while Heidel secretly looked down on him as nothing more than low-class trash.
Since Kunking remembered how friendly Villed used to act toward Heidel, my words naturally seemed strange.
I snorted.
"Don't make me laugh. That was back when we first enrolled last year. Things are different now. I can't stand being lumped together with some arrogant prick who acts like he's better than everyone else."
Kunking's hot-tempered shoulders trembled ever so slightly.
My performance, filled with inferiority and resentment, had poured fuel directly onto his competitive spirit.
'Okay. The stage is set.'
Now it was time to explain why I'd called him over.
"You've probably figured it out by now. Why I wanted to talk to you alone."
I curled the corner of my lips into a sinister smile.
"Rather than letting trash like Heidel take first place, I'd rather make you number one. At least you're someone who wins through your own ability."
"...!"
Kunking's eyes shook violently.
I drove the point home.
"So here's my proposal. Join hands with me, Kunking. You know I placed fifth in the last Mock Battle, don't you? I have reliable information and a foolproof method. Every single point Heidel is going to earn... I'll stuff them all into your bag instead."
Kunking stared at me for a moment before bursting into a beastly laugh.
"Kuhahaha! So that's why heaven itself cursed you with jealousy, Dedencman! I wondered why your eyes looked so twisted!"
Nodding in satisfaction, Kunking grinned.
His hatred toward Heidel had now placed the two of us on the same side.
"Good. You made the right choice, Dedencman. Just imagining that arrogant bastard taking first place and getting even more full of himself made me sick. I like that filthy jealousy of yours."
"I feel the same."
I answered with a villainous smile of my own.
But Kunking still had one remaining question.
"I'll crush Heidel and take first place. But what do you get out of this, Dedencman? You're not the type to make a proposal without gaining something."
The suspicion hadn't completely left his eyes.
I met his gaze without wavering.
"I already told you. As long as Heidel doesn't become number one in front of everyone watching this official match, that's enough. Watching that smug bastard fall flat on his face is the greatest reward I could ask for."
Hearing the certainty in my voice, the suspicion lingering in Kunking's eyes gradually faded.
To him, I probably looked like a madman who had abandoned both pride and rankings purely for entertainment.
"...Dedencman, you're a better guy than I thought. I've misjudged you. Fine. I'll trust you."
Kunking extended his hand.
His palm was rough, covered entirely in thick calluses from countless hours of training.
"You made the right choice."
I shook his hand.
'What a catch.'
I'd reeled in a monster.
Now all the conditions were in place.
Kunking and I looked toward Heidel together and smiled.
"...?"
Sensing our gaze, Heidel briefly glanced over.
But as if he found nothing interesting, he immediately looked away again.
"So what do we do, Dedencman?"
I stepped closer and whispered into Kunking's ear.
"Well, here's the plan... whisper, whisper."
"Mm... mm-hmm.... Oh."
The delight in Kunking's eyes gradually gave way to seriousness.
After hearing the entire strategy, he grinned and gave my shoulder a solid pat.
"Dedencman, you really had everything planned out. That's one vicious strategy."
Deep within the forest.
It was a dark place where even sunlight barely penetrated.
After checking the map, I deliberately walked while stepping loudly on fallen leaves.
"Huh? Look over there. Isn't that him?"
Someone's voice came from within the darkness.
"That dark blue hair like seaweed from the abyss, those rotten straw-yellow eyes, and that dried-up scarecrow body... there's no mistake. It's Senior Villed!"
"We found him!"
The voices rang out with certainty.
I stopped walking and remained silent for a moment before shrugging.
"Ah... so you've found me. It'll be troublesome if everyone else hears about this."
The silence that followed didn't last long.
"Spread the word! Tell everyone we've found Senior Villed!"