The Villian Who Broke The Story

Several minutes passed.

The only sound inside the Principal’s office was the old man’s laughter.

It echoed through the room so long that even his secretary looked unsure whether she should interrupt him.

Kael stood where he was with an expressionless face.

Zion remained silent.

Even Auriella, who rarely showed emotion, simply watched the Principal with the same calm expression she always wore.

Eventually, the Principal wiped the corner of his eye before taking a deep breath.

"Well..."

"That was a nice laugh."

"Thank you for the joke, Kael."

Kael blinked.

"But I didn’t crack any joke, sir."

He lifted both hands helplessly.

"You know what..."

"I don’t get why you’ll be trying to make me feel better for placing me on detention," Kael stated.

The Principal looked at him for a moment.

Then his smile softened.

"I guess Lyra didn’t tell you."

"Tell me what?" Kael asked back.

The Principal leaned back comfortably in his chair.

"Well, you do know that with your position, there are certain achievements that are being added to your name," he stated.

Kael frowned.

"What do you mean by that?"

The Principal folded his hands together.

"Well, at the moment you currently have three achievements."

Kael suddenly had a very bad feeling.

The Principal cleared his throat.

"First top-ranked student to miss his Badging Ceremony."

He raised one finger.

"First top-ranked student to get detention."

A second finger.

"And also..."

"The first first-year student to get detention in the past decade."

A third finger.

Silence.

Kael simply stared at him.

Slowly...

He turned toward Zion.

Zion had lowered his head.

His shoulders trembled slightly.

He was obviously trying not to laugh.

On Kael’s other side...

Auriella remained perfectly still.

Her usual stoic expression barely changed.

Barely.

The corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly before returning to normal.

Kael let out a long sigh.

"Look..."

"I’m like a hooligan."

He muttered it quietly enough that only the people nearest to him could hear.

The Principal immediately shook his head.

"Don’t feel bad for yourself."

"I doubt anyone would break your record as the first ever top-ranked student to get detention."

"I’m sure you’ll also make more great achievements."

Before Kael could respond...

The Principal’s assistant leaned forward and whispered something into his ear.

The old man’s eyebrows lifted.

"Oh."

He looked back toward Kael.

"I guess you’re also the first top student to be late for class."

That was enough.

Zion completely lost the battle.

A muffled laugh escaped him.

He quickly covered his mouth.

Then bent forward, holding his stomach as he struggled to compose himself.

Kael slowly turned toward him.

"...Enjoying yourself?"

Zion straightened almost immediately.

"No."

"...Maybe a little."

Kael sighed once more.

"Alright, Principal."

"I got it."

"I’m the worst top-ranked student in the history of the Academy."

"I understand."

"But at the same time..."

"I’m sure you didn’t call all three of us here to list just my vices," Kael stated.

The Principal chuckled softly.

"Well..."

"You are right about that one."

His tone became noticeably more formal.

"And we have another matter to discuss."

"We need to take your pictures to record the top-ranked students of the first year."

Kael tilted his head.

"You do know that we could still be challenged in a duel to battle for our rank."

The Principal smiled knowingly.

"In that case..."

"Tell me."

"Do you honestly, until the end of this year, see anybody taking your spot as the top-ranked student?"

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

Instead...

He looked toward Zion.

Then toward Auriella.

Both remained silent.

Finally, Kael looked back at the Principal.

"I guess you know the answer."

The Principal nodded.

"This is regular procedure."

"The First-Year Tournament is the only tournament hosted by the Academy specifically to show the first years the way of the school."

"So we keep records of the top-ranked students from the tournament..."

"...amongst other benefits."

He gestured toward the adjoining room.

"Now scoot along."

"The artist will be waiting for you in the next room."

Kael had already turned toward the door when the Principal suddenly remembered something.

"Oh."

"And Kael..."

"Get over here."

Kael stopped.

"What now?"

He walked back toward the desk.

Without warning...

The badge attached to his Academy uniform floated into the Principal’s hand.

Kael watched the scene silently.

The silver badge hovered briefly in the air.

Moments later...

Another badge appeared.

Unlike the previous one...

This one was crafted from polished gold.

Intricate engravings decorated its surface, while the Academy’s crest gleamed proudly at its center.

The Principal held it out.

"Now..."

"This is your new badge."

Kael stared at it quietly.

It was a simple object.

Yet...

It represented everything he had worked toward since arriving in this world.

Slowly, he reached out and accepted it.

Its weight felt surprisingly reassuring in his palm.

A faint smile finally appeared on his face.

"I guess..."

"I’ve completed my first agenda since coming to this world."

He carefully fastened the golden badge onto his uniform.

For just a brief moment...

His fingers lingered over it.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the Principal’s office, following Zion and Auriella toward the room where their portraits were waiting to be painted.

The room prepared for the portraits was much larger than Kael had expected.

Tall windows allowed the afternoon sunlight to pour inside, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. Paintings of former top-ranked students decorated the walls, each one preserved with remarkable detail.

At the center of the room stood an elderly artist.

His hair had long since turned white, yet his hands remained remarkably steady as he prepared his brushes and paints.

The moment he saw the three of them enter, he smiled politely.

"Please, take your seats."

Kael glanced at the chairs arranged in front of a large canvas.

"...This already feels troublesome."

Without complaint, Auriella sat first.

Zion followed.

Kael reluctantly occupied the remaining chair.

The artist circled them for a few moments, occasionally adjusting the angle of their seats before finally seeming satisfied.

"Perfect."

"Now... please remain still."

Kael immediately realized what those words truly meant.

Minutes passed.

The only sounds in the room were the soft strokes of a brush moving across canvas.

Kael resisted the urge to move.

His shoulders had already begun feeling stiff.

His neck wasn’t much better.

He stole a glance toward the artist.

The old man remained completely absorbed in his work.

"...How long is this going to take?"

No answer.

Only more brushstrokes.

Another several minutes crawled by.

Kael finally understood why nobles disliked formal portraits.

Holding the same posture for such a long time was torture.

Zion, surprisingly, didn’t move an inch.

His posture remained straight from beginning to end.

Auriella was no different.

She sat with the same calm expression she wore during battle.

Neither of them appeared the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Kael, on the other hand...

Was beginning to question every decision that had brought him here.

Eventually, the artist lowered his brush.

"Finished."

Kael let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

The three stood almost simultaneously.

As they stepped outside the building, the cool evening breeze greeted them.

The sun had already begun sinking toward the horizon, painting the Academy grounds in shades of orange and gold.

Kael stretched both arms high above his head.

His joints cracked loudly.

"How do kings exactly take their paintings in multiple poses, if you are to hold a position for this long?"

Kael complained.

Zion walked past him without stopping.

"I expected you to be used to it by now."

"You do come from one of the richest noble families," he continued.

Kael rubbed the back of his neck.

"Only as a child."

"I didn’t take much during my teens."

Zion nodded.

"See."

For a while, the three simply walked through the Academy paths.

Eventually, Zion sighed.

"I can’t believe I missed the rest of class because of this painting."

Kael laughed lightly.

"Come on, big brother."

"I’m actually relieved the rest of class was cancelled."

He reached over and patted Zion’s shoulder.

"And I didn’t take you for such a scholar student."

Kael stated.

Zion looked ahead calmly.

"It’s obvious why."

"Knowledge is power," Zion replied.

Kael thought about those words for a moment before answering.

"Only if you are pursuing the right ones."

"At the end of the day, not all knowledge grants you power."

Neither of them argued after that.

The conversation faded naturally into silence as they continued walking through the quiet Academy grounds.

Kael continued walking for a few more steps before noticing something unusual.

Zion was still beside him.

But...

Auriella wasn’t.

He stopped and turned around.

She was standing several meters behind them, exactly where they had left the portrait hall.

The evening breeze stirred her silver hair as she silently watched him.

She hadn’t moved.

Kael frowned slightly.

Although Auriella was naturally quiet...

This felt different.

She wasn’t simply being silent.

She was waiting.

Zion noticed Kael had stopped and turned around as well.

His gaze shifted toward Auriella.

For several seconds...

None of them spoke.

Finally—

Auriella broke the silence.

"Tell me, Kael..."

"...are you a demon?"

Her voice remained as calm as ever, but there was unmistakable seriousness behind the question.

Zion’s expression changed ever so slightly.

He had clearly been curious himself.

Now that Auriella had asked first, he remained where he was, waiting for Kael’s answer.

Kael looked at her for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

"You know..."

"Every other person asked whether I signed a contract with a demon."

"You’re the first person asking if I’m a demon."

Kael asked back.

Auriella didn’t look away.

"Because during the fight..."

"...you didn’t seem like someone that signed a contract."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"I’ve met someone who signed a contract."

"You didn’t look like someone infatuated with power."

Auriella continued.

The words hung in the air between them.

Kael studied her expression.

There was no accusation.

No hostility.

She simply wanted the truth.

For someone whose eyes could perceive things others couldn’t...

It was a reasonable conclusion to reach.

Kael scratched the back of his head.

"Well..."

"If it makes you sleep well at night..."

"I didn’t sign a contract..."

"...and I’m not a demon."

His answer came without hesitation.

Auriella held his gaze for a few more seconds.

Her expression didn’t change.

Whether she completely believed him or not...

She didn’t ask another question.

She simply gave a small nod.

"I understand."

That was all she said.

She turned and quietly continued walking down the Academy path.

Kael watched her leave before shaking his head.

"...She’s definitely the strangest person I’ve met."

Zion folded his arms.

"I don’t think she asked because she wanted to accuse you."

"I know."

Kael answered.

"She just wanted confirmation."

He glanced sideways at Zion before grinning.

"My big brother can laugh for once."

Kael said, patting Zion’s shoulder, walking past him.

Zion looked at Kael’s retreating back for a second.

Then, to Kael’s surprise...

The corner of Zion’s mouth actually lifted into the faintest smile.

It disappeared almost immediately.

"...Don’t push your luck."

Zion replied calmly before heading in a different direction.

Kael laughed to himself.

"I’ll count that as progress."

The Academy grounds were beginning to quiet down as evening settled in.

Students gradually returned to their dormitories.

The excitement surrounding the First-Year Tournament was finally coming to an end.

Kael adjusted the golden badge pinned to his uniform.

Just a few weeks ago...

He had entered the Academy as an unknown first-year.

Now...

He stood at the very top of his class.

Yet strangely enough...

It didn’t feel like an ending.

If anything...

It felt like he had only just taken his first real step.

Without another word, Kael continued walking toward the dormitories as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the Academy walls.