The Villian Who Broke The Story

The cheers inside the stadium had yet to die down even after Kael left the arena.

His battle against the Tigerkin had become the hottest topic throughout the academy. Students from every race argued excitedly among themselves, replaying every exchange in their minds. Some were amazed that Kael had fought an opponent ranked fifth while wielding nothing more than a pocket knife. Others couldn’t stop talking about the final strike that mirrored Zion Crawford’s own technique.

Even the guests seated in the VIP section were discussing the battle among themselves.

Some believed Kael possessed a once-in-a-century talent.

Others believed he was simply an arrogant copycat who relied too heavily on imitation.

Regardless of their opinions, every single person had reached the same conclusion.

Kael Draven could no longer be ignored.

Standing on one of the balconies overlooking the arena were Stella and Lyra.

The two instructors silently watched Kael disappear through the tunnel leading back toward the waiting rooms.

Lyra folded her arms behind her head before letting out a long whistle.

”Well... that’s quite the performance.”

She smiled lazily.

”At this point he’s basically toying with his opponents.”

Her golden eyes remained fixed on the tunnel Kael had disappeared into.

”I almost feel bad for whoever has to fight him next.”

Stella simply watched the arena without changing her expression.

”Well, it is expected.”

She answered calmly.

”I want him to reach Rank One among the first years.”

Lyra slowly turned her head toward Stella.

There was something strange about the confidence in Stella’s voice.

She studied her friend’s face for several moments before speaking again.

”Are you sure you actually want him to win?”

Stella finally looked at her.

”And why would you say that?”

Lyra shrugged.

”You never allowed him to fight Aurella Voss.”

She rested both elbows on the balcony rail.

”She’s the strongest first-year student in the academy.”

”But you’re sending him into a possible battle against her without ever letting him experience her fighting style.”

”That’s basically asking him to walk into the fight blind.”

Stella remained completely composed.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

”Well...”

”Kael couldn’t defeat Zion’s simulated version inside the Simulation Room.”

She answered calmly.

”And even if Kael had fought Aurella’s simulated version without my restrictions...”

”...he still wouldn’t have won.”

”There is still too much distance between them.”

Lyra puffed out her cheeks.

”I know that already.”

”But you could’ve at least let him try.”

”Even losing would’ve helped.”

”He would’ve understood her fighting habits.”

”He would’ve learned something.”

”It would’ve increased his odds when they finally meet.”

For the first time during the conversation...

Stella’s expression changed.

She slowly turned toward Lyra.

”...Odds?”

The single word made Lyra instinctively freeze.

Stella narrowed her eyes.

”What exactly do you mean by odds?”

Before Lyra could react—

Stella suddenly grabbed one of her long elf ears.

”Ahh!”

”Stella!”

”What are you doing?!”

”Let go!”

Lyra complained while desperately trying to pry Stella’s fingers away.

”You know how sensitive elf ears are!”

Unfortunately for her...

Stella didn’t loosen her grip in the slightest.

Instead...

She pulled slightly harder.

”I asked you a question.”

”What do you mean by odds?”

Lyra immediately became nervous.

Her eyes darted left and right as she searched for an excuse.

”W-Well...”

”I...”

Seeing Lyra hesitate only made Stella even more suspicious.

”...Don’t tell me.”

Her voice became frighteningly calm.

”You’ve been making bets...”

”...on the academy tournament.”

Lyra instantly stopped struggling.

She became unusually obedient.

Her shoulders drooped.

She slowly looked up at Stella with watery eyes like a puppy that had just been caught chewing on its owner’s shoes.

”...Well...”

”...about that...”

”The Principal already knows...”

Stella blinked.

”...What?”

Lyra nodded awkwardly.

”He even bet one thousand gold coins on Aurella winning the tournament.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even the roaring stadium seemed strangely distant.

Stella slowly raised a hand to her forehead.

”...You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She sighed deeply.

”We’re supposed to be preventing students from gambling...”

”...and now even the teachers are participating.”

She looked utterly exhausted.

”And the Principal is leading them?”

Lyra awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

”It’s... only among the teachers...”

”Mostly.”

”Some instructors chose Kael...”

”Some chose Zion...”

”There are even side bets for the semifinals...”

She quickly smiled.

”It actually became pretty fun—”

”Lyra.”

The lazy elf immediately shut her mouth.

Stella slowly turned toward her.

Her smile had completely disappeared.

Instead...

She wore the exact same expression she had whenever Kael completely ignored one of her training instructions.

Calm.

Cold.

Dangerously calm.

”...Does the Vice Principal know about this?”

Lyra froze.

”...Or the Principal’s Secretary?”

Her silence answered everything.

Stella closed her eyes.

”I see.”

She reached into her spatial ring.

A communication crystal appeared in her hand.

”I suppose...”

”...I’ll be ending this little arrangement early.”

”W-Wait...” Lyra said and without thinking, she swooped forward.

”Sorry!”

She snatched the crystal out of Stella’s hand before immediately flying backward at full speed.

”Lyra.”

Stella’s voice was calm.

Too calm.

That only made Lyra panic even more.

She didn’t dare look back as she shot across the corridor like a frightened bird.

”You’re overreacting!”

”It’s just a tiny betting pool!”

”The Principal approved it!”

”We even made proper odds!”

”You’ll understand if you—”

”Get back here, you doofus.”

Stella disappeared.

Lyra instinctively looked behind herself.

”...Huh?”

No one was there.

She blinked.

”Where—”

A presence suddenly appeared directly in front of her.

Lyra’s pupils shrank.

”...Eh?”

Stella was floating calmly in mid-air, arms folded, waiting for her.

Lyra screamed.

”Eeehhh?!”

She instinctively tried to stop herself.

Unfortunately...

The communication crystal slipped from her fingers.

”No!”

Crack!

The crystal smashed against the stone floor into dozens of glittering fragments.

Silence.

Lyra slowly lowered her head.

Stella slowly lowered hers as well.

A single vein bulged on Stella’s forehead.

”...”

”...”

”Do you know...”

Stella spoke very softly.

”...how expensive those communication crystals are?”

Lyra immediately straightened herself.

”I-I can explain!”

”It slipped!”

”It wasn’t intentional!”

”I swear!”

Stella took a long, deep breath.

She closed her eyes.

When she opened them again...

Her expression had become frighteningly calm.

Lyra knew that expression and what the expression meant.

And someone was about to suffer.

Very badly.

Stella reached forward.

”No...”

She grabbed Lyra by the ear.

”AHHHH!”

Lyra immediately began flailing around.

”Stella!”

”My ear!”

”My beautiful elf ear!”

”You’re stretching it!”

”I’m sorry!”

”I’ll never gamble again!”

”I’ll even repay the crystal!”

”I’ll—”

”Too late.”

Stella began dragging her away.

Since Lyra was still floating, the ridiculous sight looked even stranger.

It was as though someone had caught an oversized fairy by the ear and was dragging her across the Academy.

Students walking through the corridors immediately stopped.

”...”

”...Did Miss Lyra get caught again?”

”I think so...”

”What did she do this time?”

”No idea.”

”Poor Miss Lyra...”

”I don’t feel sorry for her.”

”I do.”

”Look at her face.”

Lyra had already given up resisting.

Her body swayed limply in the air while Stella continued walking with unwavering steps.

It looked as though her soul had already left her body.

Several teachers quietly moved out of Stella’s way.

No one dared interfere.

Everyone knew one thing.

When Stella wore that expression...

Even the Principal became cautious.

Lyra weakly raised one hand.

”Students...”

”Remember me fondly...”

”I lived a good life...” Lyra said dramatically.

”No one is dying.”

Stella replied flatly.

”You don’t know that.”

Lyra answered with genuine despair.

”If you’re taking me to see the Principal...”

”I might actually die.” Lyra complained hopelessly.

A few minutes later...

The enormous doors leading toward the VIP section slowly opened.

Inside, the Principal continued watching the tournament with great interest while his Secretary stood faithfully behind him.

Neither of them noticed the approaching pair.

The Secretary happened to glance toward the entrance.

”...Principal.”

”Hm?”

”You may want to look behind you.”

The old man turned.

The moment he saw Stella dragging Lyra by the ear...

His smile froze.

”...”

”...Oh dear.”

The room suddenly became very, very quiet.

The enormous doors of the VIP lounge opened completely.

The Principal looked toward the entrance before blinking twice.

”What a lovely surprise.”

His eyes shifted between Stella and Lyra.

”What brings you here, Stella and... erm... Lyra?”

The sight before him was honestly bizarre.

Stella was dragging Lyra by the ear while the lazy elf floated limply behind her with lifeless eyes, looking as though her soul had already left her body.

Even several nobles watching from nearby private seats glanced over with curious expressions.

It looked less like two Academy instructors and more like a strict mother dragging her troublesome daughter to answer for her crimes.

The Principal’s Secretary adjusted his glasses.

”...Miss Lyra.”

He sighed.

”What exactly did you do this time?”

Lyra forced out an awkward laugh.

”Haha...”

”I can explain.”

”No.”

Stella cut her off immediately.

”Why don’t you explain yourself, old man? You know exactly why I’m here.”

The Principal coughed awkwardly.

”Now, now, Stella.”

”Let’s calm down first—”

”Hey, Miss Stella.”

The Secretary interrupted.

”Watch how you address the Principal. He’s still the Principal of the Academy, you know.”

Behind him, the old man immediately straightened his posture.

He proudly stroked his long beard with a smug expression that reminded Lyra far too much of an old wizard from a fairy tale.

”Exactly.”

The Principal nodded.

”Respect your elders.”

Stella ignored him completely.

”You do know that he’s participating and encouraging both teachers and students to gamble on the tournament matches.”

Silence.

The Secretary froze.

”...”

Very slowly...

He turned around.

His finger rose until it pointed directly at the Principal.

”...Explain yourself, old man.”

The Principal’s confident smile instantly disappeared.

”...Traitor.”

He muttered under his breath.

”What was that?”

”Nothing.”

The Principal cleared his throat.

”Hey, hey.”

”What’s with all the fuss?”

”It’s just between the teachers.”

”Stella is making it sound as though I’m some sort of criminal.”

The Secretary’s eye twitched.

”That goes against the Academy’s rules and regulations.”

He adjusted his glasses.

”Where are your ethics?”

”What exactly do you expect the students to learn from this?”

”The Academy exists to shape future leaders, knights, mages and scholars—not gamblers!”

The Secretary continued without stopping.

”You are the Principal!”

”You should be setting an example!”

”Instead you’re acting as the bookmaker!”

”The Vice Principal specifically reminded everyone about maintaining discipline during the tournament!”

”And what do you do?”

”You start a betting pool!”

The Principal awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

”When you say it like that...”

”It sounds much worse than it actually is.”

”It is exactly as bad as it sounds.”

The Secretary replied immediately.

While everyone focused on the Principal...

Lyra slowly floated backward.

One inch...

Two inches...

Three...

”If I leave quietly...”

”No one will notice...”

She whispered hopefully.

She had almost reached the door.

”And you.”

A sharp voice echoed through the room.

Lyra froze completely.

Her entire body stiffened.

She slowly turned around.

The Secretary was pointing directly at her.

”Where do you think you’re going?”

Lyra forced out another nervous laugh.

”...Bathroom?”

”No.”

”I’m reporting this incident directly to the Vice Principal.”

The moment those words were spoken...

Both the Principal and Lyra paled instantly.

”N-No!”

”Wait!”

The two shouted simultaneously.

The Secretary stared at them suspiciously.

”...Why are both of you panicking?”

The Principal immediately stood up.

”We can discuss this like civilized people.”

”There is absolutely no need to involve her.”

Lyra dropped to her knees dramatically.

”Leo!”

She clasped both hands together.

”We’ve known each other for years!”

”We can work something out!”

”Please don’t let that mad woman find out about this!”

”I’ll do anything!”

”I’ll grade your papers!”

”I’ll even teach extra classes!”

”I’ll stop sleeping during meetings!”

”I swear!”

Silence.

A cold voice suddenly echoed from behind her.

”..What mad woman?”

Lyra froze.

Very slowly...

She turned around.

Standing at the doorway was a short elf wearing elegant glasses.

Her silver hair was tied neatly behind her.

An overwhelming pressure slowly spread throughout the room as mana leaked unconsciously from her body.

The temperature itself seemed to drop.

Everyone recognized her instantly.

The Vice Principal.

Her icy gaze landed directly on Lyra.

”...Interesting.”

”So this is what you call me behind my back.”

Lyra’s face turned completely white.

”...I...”

”...I can explain.”

”No.”

The Vice Principal calmly adjusted her glasses.

”You can explain at my office.”

The Principal quietly took one step backward.

The Secretary immediately pointed at him.

”You’re coming too.”

”...Must I?”

”Yes.”

The old man sighed heavily.

”...Today truly is unfortunate.”

Stella watched the entire scene unfold.

A satisfied smile finally appeared on her face.

Justice had been served.

Without another word, she turned around and calmly left the VIP lounge.

As the doors slowly closed behind her...

The last thing she heard was Lyra’s desperate scream echoing throughout the room.

”Stellaaaa!”

”Come back!”

”You started this!”

”You can’t abandon me!”

Stella simply smiled to herself.

”Serves you right.”

Outside, the cheers of the crowd once again echoed throughout the Academy as another match began inside the arena.

The tournament continued.

But somewhere inside the Academy...

The Principal and one very unfortunate lazy elf were about to experience a punishment far more terrifying than any tournament battle.