The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: A Shocking Revelation

“Hah… Haa… Haah,” I panted, gazing at the bodies sprawled before me. I tilted my gaze to the guy seated upright on the ground beside me.

Victor.

One of the protagonist’s allies.

He was one of the few genuinely good people in the novel. By genuinely, I mean the kind of person who would walk into a volcano to retrieve lava if it were the only way to save a friend. The protagonist, on the other hand, was just a selfish, greedy bastard who wanted every skirt in the world. Sure, the protagonist might seem selfless on the surface, but he was anything but.

Throughout the story, the reason he kept fighting wasn’t because he was trying to save the world. No, that honor only came as a bonus. The main reason he fought most of the time was either because some bitch he wanted to fuck later was in danger or…

…he himself was in danger if he didn’t fight.

Well, what did I even expect, it’s a harem novel int he first place.

“Why… did… you help… me?” I asked between gasps.

If it weren’t for this guy’s intervention, I would’ve been done for. I’d been forced to expend almost every drop of mana I had in my mana pool for Nelia to cast a high-grade spell. The spell knocked out three of the bastards, but two were left—the leader and the guy I’d knocked unconscious, who had, at some point, woken up.

I’d been left in a dilemma.

Though the leader was critically injured, he still managed to heal himself considerably with some mid-grade healing potion. Just how many of those did they even have, anyway?

In anger, he attacked, but just at that critical moment, someone passed by.

And that person was Victor.

“We’re in the same class, right?” he asked calmly. “You seemed like you needed help, so I helped,” he said honestly.

“But…” he trailed off, looking at the bodies sprawled around us.

“These guys aren’t first years, are they?” he asked, and I nodded in agreement.

We’d both almost died—even when the bastard was clearly injured. It just went to show how powerful he was. The only reason we were able to overpower him was due to a distraction stunt I pulled. If not, even with Victor—a main character and a level 6.4—we still wouldn’t have beaten that fool.

“So, why are they here? No, why were they trying to kill you?” Victor asked, a frown on his face as he tried to piece things together. It wasn’t every day you saw a group of higher years gang up on a lower year—and all while breaking a stringent academy rule.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” I replied. “But they did say something about being hired.”

I couldn’t exactly tell him that I suspected a reincarnated person was trying to send a message to me, since I was also a reincarnated person.

“Hired? That’s sick. Why would someone hire second years to… Wait, doesn’t that—” Victor started, but I interjected with a nod.

“Yeah, the person who hired them must also be a second year… or higher,” I said, and he frowned.

“Do you know anyone in the higher years who could do this?” he asked.

I shook my head.

The second years never officially make an appearance to the first years before the grading exams. However, they are always watching us. They have their methods. That was also one of the reasons Molly was said to be associated with the second years. Sometimes, they just get a first year to act as an informant for them, using subtle persuasion or promises of protection to ensure their cooperation. These informants often report on their classmates, feeding the second years valuable insights into the dynamics of the new batch.

“That girl, the one I saw you with in the last class,” he said, and I looked him in the eyes.

“Who?”

“… I think she goes by Anna here,” he muttered, a hand on his chin as he thought deeply about it.

“… What about her?” I asked, looking up at him as he got up and offered a hand.

“Doesn’t she have a fiancé in the third year?” he asked, and I frowned.

“She has what?” I asked as I grabbed his hand and got to my feet.

“Wait… You don’t know?” he asked, looking at me like I was an idiot.

“…. No,” I replied, my voice measured.

There’s no way.

The novel never mentioned it, and she herself never told me anything about having a fiancé.

If she really does have one, why is she keeping that from me?!

This omission felt like a betrayal of trust, considering how close we had become. If something this significant was being kept from me, what else could she be hiding?

“She didn’t tell you?” he asked, surprised.

“…” I kept silent, but my silence spoke volumes.

“How do you even know this?” I finally asked after a while.

“Well, that’s because she is no ordinary person. It’s even more surprising you don’t know who she is, bro. Wait, you’re not from Yuphenia, are you?” he asked, and I finally began to understand.

“I am.”

“Now it makes sense, but she should have told you,” he muttered, rubbing his chin. “Being as close to her as you are, and you not even being a noble, it’s dangerous. I’ll be honest with you,” he said, looking at me with stern eyes.

Yeah, that’s right.

Not everyone knows who I am.

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“She is Princess Evangeline Selena Mortelia, the third daughter of the Emperor of Nevalia,” he said, his tone full of seriousness.

No.

She’s a princess?

But why didn’t the novel say anything about it?

“I don’t know what she is to you, so I won’t say more than this. You should be careful when dealing with her. This sort of thing probably hasn’t happened yet because of the induction process, and it’s been less than a week since we started. But if you keep on with her, and at that, being as close as you are, I bet you’ll face scrutiny from the nobles and even potential interference from her family. The problems will only grow. You should also know that the current principal is her aunt,” he said, and the shock compounded even more.

“WHAT?!”