13 - Lilith (2)
In Reincarnated Academia, 'Lilith Larosel' is unmistakably the villain. Up through the mid-chapters, she spares no means or methods to corrupt those around her. But like the classic shonen trope, today's villain becomes tomorrow's ally. In the end, she's won over by Edwin's inclusiveness and kindness, joining his harem. Until then, she feeds the readers sweet potatoes of frustration, betrays him, and Edwin just keeps forgiving her... She's a real love-hate character that split the fandom, but no matter what, she becomes a key player in the late-game plot, so you can't just drop her.
Running into her here like this is unexpected, but... no need to be scared, at least for now. On the surface, she and I are allies. Lilith probably thinks I've been consumed by the pendant, that the demon's brand has been etched into my body. Or maybe she's questioning why I haven't demonized yet, per the script. But she doesn't know the future like I do. So if she plans to use me as a guinea pig for demonization experiments, she won't do me any real harm right now.
"I'm tired, so get lost."
I shot back bluntly and started walking away, but she closed in again, grabbing both my hands with hers.
"...?"
"I... I kept worrying about you even after you left the student council..."
"But I'm here, right? I was the only one who kept believing in you?"
Then she leaned in close to my ear, whispering nonstop.
"Still... not enough...?"
"You don't have to hold back..."
"Don't you want revenge?"
Her tone was like she was goading me to go dark right then and there. Her brainwashing words reverberated in my skull, giving me a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Hoo..."
Damn, what a piece of work. Come to think of it, getting screwed out of my tuition pisses me off too, and now I'm beat, I've got this pest buzzing around like a mosquito, and it's starting to boil my blood. I was gonna let it slide since I was in a good mood, but nah.
-Smack!
I roughly shook off Lilith's hands.
"Hey, cut the bullshit. If you're not gonna take responsibility, fuck off."
"...?"
For a split second, she looked flustered by my unexpected reaction and took a step back.
"You know you ruined my life, right?"
My dignity's already in the gutter anyway—might as well go full psycho. That's the play.
* * *
"...What did you just call me...?"
In Lilith's judgment, Lev Denek was a twisted individual. She valued him not so much for his personal abilities, but because their interests aligned, at least for the moment, with her goals. Crucially, he was a pawn to be used and discarded. In other words, he was supposed to be the one getting exploited.
"......"
She knew full well that Lev Denek was a mannerless thug, but just a little while ago, the guy had been groveling at her skirts, begging. He was a loyal mutt who might actually off himself if she ordered it.
'A dog that bites its master isn't cute...'
For now, Lilith collected herself and tried to talk.
"Junior, you're awfully curt today? I told you I don't like rude kids..."
"Rude? You should try some manners yourself. Didn't you brag about making that Edwin brat win? Huh?"
He was breathing raggedly, then he started losing it.
"So when the hell are you gonna make me awaken? You think I dumped my whole tuition into this dogshit because I believed you?"
-Plink.
He yanked the pendant from around his neck and chucked it right into Lilith's chest.
"I got kicked out of the dorm, and now I'm about to get expelled too!"
"Haa..."
Her hands trembled. What the hell was this insubordination? It was almost laughable.
Dorm? Expulsion? All his own damn fault, right? Plus, Lev Denek was weaker than she'd thought. A frail thing who needed a medium to even demonize.
"..."
But the pendant he'd thrown? It had zero power, zero mana. That meant the brand had properly transferred to Lev Denek. And yet here he was, perfectly fine and bitching her out. Something was off.
'This mongrel junior...'
Like a dog in heat, throwing a tantrum—it was even more irrational than she'd pegged him for. What to do? Give him a good smack to remind him of his place? Or sweet-talk and coax him?
Lilith slipped the pendant back around his neck, her persistent mouth still moving.
"J-Junior? Just wait a little? We agreed to..."
"Fuck that, shit! I'm out. If you're gonna pull this crap, I'll expose you too."
"Ex...pose?"
"Yeah, you came here to siphon off supplies, sell 'em, and launder the cash. Think I didn't know?"
"......"
"You asked why I'm here? Wanna know? I don't wanna go down alone. Figured I should grab some dirt on you too."
The guy started cackling like a maniac. Lilith couldn't even guess what her own face looked like right now.
"Why the long face? Should I go ask Gutssi right now?"
Gutssi was the fence's real name. Knowing that meant he wasn't just some rando.
'When... how long has he known?'
"Why so shocked? You pulled strings to get me on the student council, remember?"
He'd barely been a student rep when he joined. No way he had access to the ledgers.
-Thud!
"Urk!"
In that instant, Lev slammed Lilith against the wall.
"I've got nothing left to lose. I'm one step from excommunication, and next week I'm out of the dorm, sleeping on the streets. You know that?"
His eyes were pure crazy, and he started poking her temple in time with his rant.
"You fuck with someone who's got nothing, you get fucked. Didn't know that? I'm getting expelled anyway—might as well spill all your dirt and go down together."
"Junior... that's..."
It was utter humiliation. She swallowed her surging stress, forcing it down even as her reason frayed, and spoke.
"...Okay, calm down, junior... Just hear me out for a sec."
Only then did Lev's hand stop. Him knowing the secret changed nothing, in Lilith's view. What she needed right now was just a little time. After all, fusion with the rag was his line. If the brand took root properly, she could trigger his demonization at will. And the dead don't talk.
She wanted to kill him right there, but just hold on a bit. That's it, Lilith brainwashed herself.
He looked pretty wiped out. In this state, he probably couldn't see straight. Should've paid more attention.
Lilith flashed her most elegant smile and stroked his cheeks and jawline.
"I'm sorry. You've been through a lot, junior..."
With that, Lilith tied Lev up loosely for a moment and pulled two 1,000-gem coins from her pocket. She slipped them gently into his hand.
"You look exhausted, junior. Take this money and rest up nearby for now, okay?"
Pigs fatten up on a full belly and grovel on their own.
"Then tomorrow, I'll..."
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Huh...?"
"If you're gonna spill, spill it all."
* * *
[Gems in Possession: 15,221]
Acting crazy is no joke—takes it out of you. I wasn't even squad leader or anything; I just wanted to lay low and survive...
"At least I patched things up."
Still short of a freshman's starter funds, but I recovered a good chunk. Truth be told, I half-expected the student council funds under Lilith to be dirty. The cash flow was suspiciously massive for an academy group, and beastkin trading in gems outside means someone's exchanging them for external currency. Probably rich kids printing money by laundering scholarships through gems.
Anyway, I guessed right enough, and it worked.
"Not bad."
The side character curse didn't screw me over either. Seems like it only bitches if you team-kill mains or one-shot a great demon off-script.
Pockets are fat now. All that's left is grinding stats even 0.1 higher before the weekend. Gotta dodge repeating or expulsion before Chapter 1 kicks off, no matter what.
* * *
Around the same time, in Aria Bluebell's room at the temporary White Dorm lodging.
"..."
She'd dissolved jasmine bath salts for a soothing soak, brushed her hair tangle-free, and slipped into bed for restful sleep—but no dice. Part of it was anxiety over Monday's class assignment eval, but someone kept popping into her head.
Lev Denek.
'If I didn't see wrong...'
Maybe connected to that demon who took her family. But another day passed, and her doubts only deepened.
-Why... shoot...?
-Huh? That little demon? He's lost it. I'm ignoring him now. You do the same, Lia. Guy's useless.
Melissa seemed dead set on washing her hands of him. Probably the smart move. In his spot, no class would take him without a miracle performance in the exam. He'd flunk out with the other deadweights.
But if he got expelled like that, some nagging worry said she'd never cross paths with the demon she sought revenge on again.
Even in yesterday's chat with recovered Edwin:
-Aria, yesterday... I fought Lev Denek, right...?
-Yes.
-Did... anything happen to him when we fought...?
-Anything...?
-Ah, no. Forget it.
Edwin passed out right after, so his memory's jumbled. No proof.
She'd half-thought to ask Lev point-blank after positioning ended today, but... too rash.
'I need evidence...'
If he's really tied to demons—or is one himself—might he slip again?
-Swish.
Deep in thought, Aria rose from bed and quietly picked up the paper on her desk.
Melissa Prominence
Aria Bluebell
...
We mutually agree to form a party with the above students for the exam.
"..."
Lev Denek. Someone best avoided. Textbook bully who preys on the weak. Manners so crude you wouldn't believe he's noble, and he even tried to blackmail her into dating him.
Probably no one wants to party with him.
"But..."
If she could glean even a hint from him...
"No other way..."
Moonlight filtered through the window into Aria's coldly resolute eyes.