I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy

After training with Irene, Theo returned to the dormitory.

Just like yesterday, Amy and Little Fist were waiting for him in the corridor.

"Welcome back, Young Master,"

said Amy, bowing her head with a faint smile tugging at her eyes and lips.

Gone were her lifeless eyes and stern mouth.

'She's becoming more human-like.'

Having spent so much time alone, raising Little Fist had seemingly changed her a lot.

It was a positive development.

However, Theo maintained his usual stoic expression.

"Yes, I'm back. Any unusual happenings today?"

"No, Young Master. Nothing in particular... Ah!"

Amy's words were cut off abruptly as Little Fist, who was standing near her feet, scampered towards Theo.

'What's gotten into this pup?'

Theo gazed down at the fluffy white bundle of fur, who had its tail raised high and was charging towards him, a look of surprise on his face.

Never before had Little Fist approached him upon his return to the dormitory.

─ Woof, woof! Woof, woof, woof, woof!

Little Fist stopped next to Theo and started barking furiously, more precisely at the empty space behind Theo.

Theo glanced at Amy with a puzzled expression.

"Why is he behaving like this all of a sudden? Did anything happen today, Amy?"

"No, Young Master. Nothing unusual happened. Ah."

Amy's words trailed off as she gazed down at the continuously barking Little Fist.

Her eyes held a certain ambiguity.

Amy asked,

"Young Master, have you recently had any interaction with the elf princess from the Great Forest?"

"······Hmm, not particularly."

Theo calmly shook his head as he continued to gaze at Little Fist.

The pup continued to bark as if it had seen some sort of monstrous creature.

It was indeed strange behavior, even for an overly excited pup like Little Fist.

Moreover, Amy possessed extraordinary senses, unaltered by traits.

She could see supernatural beings that he couldn't.

The reason she asked such a question was clear.

'Siena must have attached another spirit.'

It wouldn't be the same spirit that was chased away before.

It would be a higher level spirit.

Otherwise, Little Fist wouldn't be barking so furiously with its tail raised.

Although currently just a small white puppy, Little Fist is a divine beast in its true nature, and divine beasts are the natural enemies of spirits.

Divine beasts and spirits are incapable of coexisting.

Just as a hungry being would naturally seek food, the instinct to repel spirits is ingrained in divine beasts from birth, no one needs to teach them that.

"······You should sleep with Little Fist tonight, Young Master."

While gazing at the still-barking Little Fist, Amy made this suggestion.

'With that degree of presence... it must be at least a mid-level spirit.'

Amy glanced at the empty space towards which Little Fist was barking.

There, she could sense a 'something', hazy yet emitting a strong presence.

It was likely a spirit.

However, its presence was incomparable to when what was attached to Theo before.

At least, it must be a mid-level spirit.

‘Besides, Little Fist... can see spirits.’

Amy felt a sense of elation from somewhere deep in her heart.

The ability to see spirits and the feeling of serving Theo.

It was a sense of kinship.

─Woof, growl... woof-woof.

After standing next to Theo and chasing after the spirit for a long time, Little Fist suddenly stopped barking and flopped down on his side.

"Oh!"

Amy quickly ran over and picked up Little Fist.

She put her ear to Little Fist's neck.

"... It seems he's exhausted, Young Master. He's just fallen asleep."

"...I see."

Amy, making a faint 'kiiing' sound, handed the sleeping Little Fist over to Theo.

"I will take my leave now, Young Master."

"Alright. Sweet dreams, Amy."

"Ah, and..."

Amy turned her back to Theo and continued.

"For your information, Little Fist likes it when you stroke his head while he sleeps."

"...I see."

Theo nodded to Amy and returned to his room.

After laying the promptly asleep Little Fist on the bed, he took off his academy uniform.

"...Haaah."

Theo let out a long sigh and with a somewhat foolish smile that he never showed in front of Amy, he sat down next to Little Fist.

"Good boy."

Theo looked down at Little Fist with a grin.

'He recognized me as his dad after all.'

Theo found Little Fist cute.

He remembered the past when Little Fist, wrapped in Amy's skirt, would bite his finger whenever he tried to stroke him.

'I was too harsh.'

He felt sorry for having cursed at him in his mind, calling him a lustful puppy.

As expected, this little one is a divine beast connected to him by the cord of the soul.

He does his job very well.

Theo, who was gazing at Little Fist with a sweet look for a while, raised his hand and affectionately stroked the sleeping Little Fist.

─Kiing, kiiing.

Perhaps uncomfortable with the touch, the sleeping Little Fist shuddered slightly.

---

---

Two days later, it was Thursday morning.

It was the day all midterms for all departments in the 9th week of the second semester would end.

The exams for departments other than the Hero Department are not yet over.

But it being the 'last day of exams' had quite a powerful effect.

The students rubbed their eyes, worn out by the all-nighters, muttering to themselves, 'Hehe... it's all over after today,' as they each moved to their exam locations.

However, the students of the Knight Department were an exception.

They all moved to the stadium within the Knight Department with resolute expressions on their faces.

And why wouldn't they?

Today was the day of the much-awaited tournament, which makes up an overwhelming proportion of the midterm grades.

In addition, many students from the Hero Department are participating this time.

Even Neike, who is ranked first in the first year of the Hero Department and who has been praised as the most talented since Ryuk, the first headmaster, is participating.

[Neike is participating.]

This was enough to draw the attention of many, but that wasn't all.

Ranked sixth and first in theory, academy idol archer Aisha.

Ranked ninth and recently dubbed 'Genius mage' Andrew is also participating.

Ranked tenth and famous for his dagger throwing skills, Eshild is also participating.

In addition, ranked 53rd and gaining a lot of attention for his tremendous defense skills, Max.

Noctar, the leader of the orcs, who caused an upset by defeating 'Genius mage' Andrew in the previous Hero Department practical evaluation, ranked 71st.

Many well-known first-year students from the Hero Department are participating.

Unlike the Hero Department, which only has a total of 200 students, the Knight Department has many students.

Due to time constraints, the tournament up to the round of 128 is conducted 1v1.

"Damn, I lost, Irene."

Of course, Irene, ranked first in the class, naturally advanced to the round of 128.

"Yes."

Irene looked down at the student she had knocked down with a chilly gaze, much like her nickname, 'Cold-hearted Knight.'

Watching her, reporters, guild & government officials murmuring in the audience.

“Did Irene's photos come out well?”

“Yes. Maybe it's because of her face, but no matter how you take it, it looks good. As expected, her icy expression is like the nickname 'Cold-hearted Knight'.”

"Hmm, indeed, it's Irene. As the eldest daughter of the swordsmanship noble family, the Aslan family, she is ranked first in the class... she's a little too straightforward, but as an aide, that side is rather more of a plus."

"That's right, it's not common to be able to handle a sword to that extent. But according to my sources, she's aiming for the Imperial Royal Knights, not an Aide."

"Is that so... then we'll have to prepare more appealing conditions, I think she's a talent worth it. By the way, the student who forms a team with Irene... is he the successor of the Waldeurk family? Am I seeing wrong? Even if they're engaged, teaming up with someone ranked 181st in the class..."

"I also doubted my eyes. No matter how he defeated ranked 37th Ralph Viole... Teaming up the 1st and 181st in the class is too strange. Irene could have teamed up with Neike."

"Irene Aslan... with swordsmanship so refined that it's hard to believe she's 16 years old..."

1 PM.

Round of 128 in the Knight Department's 2v2 Tournament began.