Chapter 303: Intrigue Before the Festival
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 303: Intrigue Before the Festival
[…Are you saying you intend to attack the Academy?]
“Yes. I’ve recovered a lot of my Authority, and it’s about time they let their guard down.”
In the hideout of the Creator and the Calamity-class Villains cooperating with her, the Creator had gathered the villains and was spouting nonsense with a face full of irritation.
Most of the others ignored her and went about their business, assuming she’d eventually drop it, but the Red Butler was the only one listening, even as she let out a sigh.
[This is sudden. Wasn’t this originally not in the plans?]
“Hah, it’s not like the world only runs on scheduled events.”
[Well, fine. Let’s say that’s the case. But why must we carry out a terrorist attack where there are zero casualties and not a single person gets hurt?]
“If we provoke them too much…”
[Sigh… Just be honest. You’re just bitter that he’s going to enjoy the festival with someone else.]
“Wh—!? What!? Who said that!?”
[Is it just my imagination that the day you designated for the raid is the exact opening day of the Academy festival?]
“How did you even know when the festival starts?!”
[I saw a poster when I went grocery shopping at the station. It said it would take place after the competition.]
“…Urgh…!”
[Just text him and ask to go to the festival together. No one here will object to you trying to seduce him.]
“I don’t want to! Next time, that brat…! Gwah…!?”
For a moment, it felt like the blonde youth, Zeus, had tried to say something, but the Red Butler had simply reached out her arm. Since no sound followed, it was likely just a hallucination.
“Still…”
[Still what?]
“It’s unfair…!”
[What exactly is unfair…?]
“Ha-neul started working right after middle school graduation, so the two of us never got to look around a school festival together…! The vibe is totally different from a college festival!”
[…I don’t quite follow, but can’t you just ask him to go with you then? Are you afraid he’ll reject you?]
“…Don’t you think it’s a bit weird for a villain trying to destroy the world to ask the protagonist out on a date?”
[You’re worried about that now…? No, never mind. I guarantee you’ll regret it if you don’t text him now, so you’d better just ask him to go to the festival together.]
As she agonized over it for a long while, she finally picked up her smartphone as if making a decision.
— Oh my, that would be troublesome.
Quite naturally, the atmosphere surrounding her shifted.
The villains, who had been focused on their own tasks, all turned their gaze toward her and shifted into defensive stances the moment the air changed.
Only one person’s aura had changed, yet everything felt so different it was as if the space itself had transformed into an entirely different realm.
“That would be troublesome. It’s still too early for those two to enjoy a festival together.”
[Too early? You mean it would mess up the picture you’ve drawn.]
“I won’t deny it. But it’s true that everything I do is to grant this child’s wish.”
Humming to herself, she adjusted her posture and was about to slowly turn off the smartphone when she suddenly paused and smirked.
[…What is it all of a sudden?]
“No, I just thought it might not be so bad once in a while. I certainly wouldn’t mind having his ‘first’ for myself occasionally.”
And so, she slowly began to type a message.
“I’m curious to see how he’ll react to a sudden text like this.”
[…Is that all?]
“Of course, that’s all. What else would there be? Oh, if I had to pick one more thing.”
The smile slowly faded from her face, replaced by a slight scowl.
“Agh! I sent the text!?”
— Surely anyone can enjoy a festival, right? Whether it’s a villain trying to destroy the world, the evil god behind that villain, or the villains who are each called a calamity.
Watching the Evil God vanish, the Red Butler slowly closed her eyes behind her mask.
[You and she are both equally dishonest.]
In any case, as long as she didn’t exhaust all her wishes, there was nothing the Red Butler could do.
* * *
As the Academy day drew to a close, five women gathered secretly for a meeting.
Park A-ram, Aisha Livias, Lee Ha-ru, Baek Seol, and finally, Rose.
It was a fairly insane combination of a professor, cadets, and a maid, but no one present pointed that out.
“…Wait, I definitely only called Ha-ru and Cadet Aisha. How on earth did Seol and Kang So-hyun’s maid find out about this?”
The combination might not have been the issue, but the membership certainly was.
Park A-ram, the organizer of this gathering, pointed this out with a voice full of doubt.
“I heard about it from Ha-ru.”
“I am aware of pretty much every trivial incident that happens within the Academy.”
“Okay, let’s give Baek Seol a pass, but the maid—Rose, was it? I really don’t get how you’re here.”
“Oh my, don’t you know?”
“Pardon?”
“A maid is supposed to be a mysterious being who knows all information while smiling secretly.”
“…Ah, right. Fine. Let’s just go with that.”
Park A-ram briefly considered whether she should dig deeper, but decided to just accept it.
In her life experience, she had never seen anything good come from getting involved with someone who said things like that and actually followed through on them.
“Ah, well. Anyway, I originally chose people who like Kang So-hyun but are latecomers like me. Do Baek Seol and you over there like Kang So-hyun too?”
“Of course. Our junior has been monopolizing my interest lately. This feeling… it is unmistakably love.”
“I want to do everything I can for my Master. It pained my heart that I couldn’t be of much help outside of managing his health, but now an opportunity has come.”
“Anyway, good. From what I can see, I don’t think Cathy is going to try and monopolize Kang So-hyun. She’ll probably try to share him with the group he was already close with. If they band together while we’re scattered, won’t we be at a disadvantage?”
That was it.
The reason Park A-ram had gathered them was simple.
Predicting Cathy’s moves, she planned to set up a counter-alliance if the other side formed one. Unfortunately, in her haste, Park A-ram had overlooked a few facts.
“I don’t want to.”
“Is there a point?”
“Hmm, I think it would be more rational and efficient to betray this side as quickly as possible and join the other side.”
The first thing she overlooked was that, unlike Cathy’s alliance, there was no particular bond or mutual recognition among this group.
“Hmm, considering Master’s personality in the first place, if that side makes a point of acting considerate, saying things like ‘We’re okay…’, we’ll lose. On the other hand, have you considered that if we do that, he might feel sorry but actually try to cut us off?”
The second thing she overlooked was Kang So-hyun’s personality.
“Ah, that’s true too. Even I think it’s better to just go on the offensive aggressively.”
“Mm, and like the Professor said, if we’re going on the offensive, it’s better to have as few rivals as possible.”
“Hah! I was too hasty! I admit it! Banding together won’t be much help for us!”
Finally convinced by Lee Ha-ru’s words, Park A-ram let out a hearty laugh and adjusted her posture.
“Then shall we settle this cleanly with power?”
“Are we starting this right now?”
As a war seemed ready to break out at any moment, Rose, who had been leisurely preparing tea by herself, spoke up with a smile.
“I don’t think the merits you could gain by cooperating are non-existent, though?”
Pouring the tea into cups with an elegant posture and handing them out one by one, she intentionally took her time, waiting for them to get anxious, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.
“My, everyone is so calm. It’s no fun.”
“If you know that, stop stalling and just say it. What’s the benefit of us joining hands?”
“It’s simple. They are three, and we are five, aren’t we?”
“…No, in a situation where having even one less rival is a gain, what on earth does that…”
“The festival is two days long. If we distribute the time well, wouldn’t about five people be able to go on dates?”
“Hmm? I suppose?”
“Now then, couldn’t the other four who aren’t on a date use their free time to keep someone else in check?”
“Ah? Aha, I see what you’re saying, but that’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s no way Kang So-hyun would like us acting that way. Will you take responsibility if he hates us?”
Rose nodded calmly.
She could understand why those who had just started liking her Master would have such worries.
However, Rose was certain.
It was a useless concern.
“Master hating you? All of you? No, even if you approach him much more aggressively than you are now, that will never happen. Unless you cross a truly serious line, like hurting each other, Master will forgive any mistake by the next day. Well, even if he gets a bit sulky, he’ll forgive you within two days.”
“…Ah, well.”
“That’s true…”
Lee Ha-ru and Park A-ram nodded as if they had something in mind.
“…No, I really don’t think so? I feel like So-hyun would smile and say, ‘Haha, I finally have a reason to split your head open!’…”
“Mm, even if it’s not to that extent, I’m also in a position where my junior dislikes me, so I can’t really relate~”
“Disliked? The two of you?”
Rose shook her head, insisting that was impossible.
“Our Master never shows mercy to people he truly dislikes. He doesn’t even treat those he considers a nuisance as human beings.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with this statement.
“Perhaps he strangely rejected you two at first, but that is no longer the case now.”
This wasn’t entirely wrong.
Kang So-hyun already viewed Aisha as something of a friend, and he was in a state of wondering if Baek Seol might reach a different conclusion than in the 1st Timeline.
It was true they were behind the others, but they could be seen as having at least reached the starting line.
“I guarantee it, there will be no problem even if you dig in more aggressively than now. You’ve already gained enough favor that he can laugh off minor incidents.”
The people there nodded, each lost in their own thoughts.
In a way, it felt like they were taking advantage of his kindness and affection to trouble him, but at the same time, it was true they were greedy for the chance to get closer.
In the end, the meeting dispersed with the conclusion that everyone would think about it a bit more.
* * *
“…So, what’s the reason you’re telling me all this?”
“My, why are you giving such a cold look to the maid who volunteered to be a spy for her Master? Am I just a honey-water dispenser to you now…?”
And now, seemingly right after the meeting ended, Rose was reporting everything she had heard and said at the meeting to me without a moment’s hesitation.
“…First of all, I don’t think of you as a honey-water dispenser, and the reason I have this expression is because of the pose you’re taking right now.”
To be specific, she was crouching with her legs wide apart, hands interlaced behind her head, and except when she was speaking, she kept her mouth open to show her tongue.
Seriously, is there any reason I shouldn’t look at her with contempt?
“Mm, as a maid, I am taking a posture of submission to my Master…”
“Get to the point.”
“How cold. I really did this to be of help, Master. Unexpected elements are only unexpected when you don’t know where they’re coming from. If you know how they’ll move in advance through someone’s information, it’s not that hard to control them.”
“…Oh, so I’m asking what it is you want to request while gaining favor with me by infiltrating as a spy without anyone even asking?”
“Hmm, can’t you think of it as the goodwill of a pure servant?”
“Is it the goodwill of a pure servant?”
“Not a chance, right? I just hope that when you have free time during the festival, you might share a cup of tea with me.”
“…Sigh.”
“To borrow Baek Seol’s words, she said betraying and snitching seemed more rational. I also think those are very true words, don’t you agree, Master?”
“Yeah, it’s so incredibly rational that my head feels like it’s going to explode.”
If I were to judge whether it was helpful or not, of course it was helpful.
But in the first place, I didn’t know if it was right to play with some people and leave others out.
It wasn’t like we could all go around together, either.
“I wish I had multiple bodies, it would be so much easier…?”
Wait.
“Hmm?”
“If I have multiple bodies? Why wouldn’t that work?”
Of course, one might call this insincere, but isn’t it much better than everyone going together or, conversely, not picking anyone?
“Did you come up with a good idea?”
“I don’t know if everyone will like it, but I think I’ve found a compromise.”
“Hmm, then was the information I brought not very useful?”
“No, no. I think I’ll need that too.”
“Hmm?”
Even if I get permission in advance, the mood will be ruined if our paths cross.
Deciding to set the full-scale plan later, I injected mana into Ruyi and the Purple Gold Red Gourd for a test run, and several ‘me’s appeared before my eyes.
Previously, I could only use one, but now, with the cloning technique strengthened by obtaining the gourd…
“Couldn’t I go on dates simultaneously!?”
And Rose, looking at the multiplied me, muttered with a very surprised face.
“My, what should I do? I only have one mouth, so I think it will take some time to handle all of you.”
…But since it was nonsense, I decided to ignore her.