TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 127
Ruin hated Ricardo.
From the very first meeting.
It began at the Academy’s Entrance Ceremony.
Even before enrollment, he was infamous among the nobles as the ‘Villainess’s Butler,’ and in truth, the master he served was indeed a villainess.
The rumors about Ricardo even reached the ears of Ruin, the Disciple of the Tower Master.
They called him an arrogant bastard who entered the Academy using the villainess’s backing.
Ruin looked at him through colored glasses.
Red hair.
Sharp eyes.
And a filthy personality.
Everyone avoided him because he matched the rumors exactly.
Though Ruin hesitated to admit it, Ricardo, with his tall stature and striking appearance, seemed like someone who would be quite popular.
That Guy only sided with Olivia and didn’t place much importance on Academy life.
Strangely enough.
The real falling out between Ricardo and Ruin began with the Ranking Battle.
At that time, Ricardo was nothing special. Was he hiding the fact that he had awakened his aura? Ricardo neither stepped forward nor showed interest in the classes.
He skipped every combat class.
And though he seemed to take notes diligently during magic classes, it turned out he was writing a notebook titled ‘A Peaceful and Pleasant Butler Life.’
In many ways, he was a crazy bastard. Ricardo was.
If it had been Ruin, he would have worked himself to death to disprove the rumors about entering with Olivia’s backing, but That Guy didn’t even try.
Thus, Ricardo became etched in Ruin’s memory as a useless guy.
The day of the Ranking Battle arrived.
A competition to select the top ranker among freshmen.
Students who weren’t in the combat department were evaluated differently, but those involved in magic and weaponry had to prove their worth through the Ranking Battle.
Students who achieved high ranks received significant scholarships and enjoyed Academy support far beyond that of ordinary students.
Better dormitories.
A life free from financial struggles.
Support from the school.
In a Ranking Battle where everything was at stake, Ruin thought Ricardo wouldn’t be interested.
And for good reason.
-Bothersome.
That Guy lacked passion.
Even though he lucked into the top 10, his performance in the arena left no impression.
He made his opponents drop their guard and then ambushed them.
He made them cry with his savage remarks, and every match he won was followed by criticism.
They called him a shameless bastard.
Ruin thought.
He was already an eyesore, so this was a good chance to crush him for good.
-Do it properly, you rude bastard.
-Yes~
-Put in some effort.
-Yess~
Thus, the duel began.
Ricardo threw sand into Ruin’s eyes.
He seemed like someone who didn’t care about winning.
-Die~!
But as soon as the match began, his eyes flipped, and he fiercely beat Ruin. And then.
-I surrender.
As if all his stress had been relieved, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave up.
Since that day, Ruin hated Ricardo. He had hated him before, but after that incident, it turned into hatred of the highest degree.
He couldn’t understand what kind of thoughts drove that guy.
And he didn’t care to know.
Ruin must have felt deeply humiliated to come looking for him. Ruin being Ruin…
Because Ricardo was the strongest among the students Ruin knew and the most tight-lipped.
Ruin realized it during their fight.
That Guy’s martial arts were far superior to Mikhail’s, so overwhelmingly advanced that Ruin had no choice but to seek him out.
Asking Mikhail for help was out of the question due to Ruin’s pride, and the Old Master was in a particularly foul mood at the time.
Ruin decided to ask Ricardo, who was the least likely to cause trouble afterward. By asking someone like Ricardo, who had no friends, he could prevent rumors from spreading.
So.
“Damn… Just.”
Fall for it. Ricardo.
*
“Hmm.”
I sighed as I looked at the green-haired head bowed before me.
Wondering if that guy even understood what he was saying.
Cockatrice.
A monster with the head of a chicken and the tail of a snake, it was considered a high-rank monster in this world.
Though it didn’t live in groups, it was treated as such because of its strong individual power.
Five seconds of eye contact could turn you to stone, and its sharp claws were laced with venom, making the Cockatrice a troublesome opponent.
And.
It was also a creature Ruin could never defeat in his current state.
If the Cockatrice pecked him with its beak, he’d end up as a tasty snack. As harsh as it sounded, this was already a generous assessment.
With a small “Hmm,” I smiled at Ruin.
Wondering how this guy even knew the Cockatrice’s location.
The Tears of the Cockatrice.
In other words, the Jewel of Fabia played a significant role in the novel. Not just because it was beautiful, but also because the Cockatrice’s location was shrouded in mystery.
Even I didn’t know where the Cockatrice was. How did this guy know?
Intrigued by the situation, I fiddled with the handle of my teacup.
Something felt off.
As if someone had deliberately fed Ruin a clue. Or maybe there was something else.
Ruin’s expression was serious.
Perhaps because he was aware of his position as the one making a request, he remained steadfast despite my dismissive attitude.
A Cockatrice…
It was certainly a monster I could handle without much difficulty, but… something felt off.
I wasn’t tempted.
Something felt shady.
And I couldn’t trust him.
Who would help someone who came empty-handed?
It was an absurd story.
I wanted to hear something more constructive. Whether I’d help Ruin or not depended on the proposal he put forward.
I calmly opened my eyes and looked at Ruin.
“What’s the payment?”
“…I’ll give you whatever you ask.”
“How do you know what I’ll ask for?”
“Whatever you ask is fine. If you keep it a secret, I’ll even throw in a bonus. You don’t have money either, so it’s a good deal for you, isn’t it?”
“If you have enough to hire me, wouldn’t it be better to just buy it?”
Ruin said nothing.
He simply kept his mouth shut, waiting patiently for my response.
So I smiled as I looked at Ruin.
“Let me ask you one thing. Who told you the Cockatrice’s location?”
Ruin couldn’t open his mouth to answer the question about the Cockatrice’s location. It seemed he hadn’t expected someone like me, who would do anything for money, to ask such a question.
Seizing the momentum, I voiced my lingering doubts to Ruin.
“As far as I know, the Cockatrice’s habitat is notoriously difficult to find. Adventurers even charge a high price just for passing along its location.”
“So… who did you hear this premium information from?”
A sly smile directed at Ruin.
“I’m really curious.”
Ruin didn’t speak. He simply gripped the handle of the teacup tightly and kept his head bowed.
An awkward silence filled the air.
With an irritated voice, Ruin muttered at me.
“If you don’t want to do it, just say no. Why the hell are you making a fuss?”
“Hmm… Exactly.”
I responded to Ruin’s cold threat with a calm smile. After all, a hedgehog doesn’t raise its thorns to kill its opponent.
Ruin’s cold threat, which seemed like a defensive mechanism, was nothing more than a hedgehog’s thorns that could simply be avoided.
Looking at Ruin, I voiced the Hard Truth I had in mind. There was only one way he could have obtained such premium information.
It had to be from his Bad-Tempered Friend.
“Did you hear it from Hans?”
“…Shut up.”
“So, it’s true.”
As expected, it was just as I thought.
No wonder it felt strange that Ruin had come to me out of the blue.
Speaking as if handling an amusing toy, I addressed him.
“How’s life at the Magic Tower?”
“What?”
“Oh, I’m just curious.”
“…It’s just okay.”
Ruin, whose face had turned pale, mumbled something incomprehensible. He was clearly trying to say something, but his flustered state left him unable to speak properly.
Interesting.
I smiled at Ruin.
“Leave.”
I didn’t want to continue the conversation any longer.
*
Walking through the dark Alleyway, Ruin ruffled his hair roughly.
“Damn. It’s not working.”
The shaking hand began to emit static.
Slowly.
Bit by bit.
Ruin’s face started to distort.
His green hair shifted into a monotonous black.
His fierce gaze gradually softened into the look of a Model Student’s Eyes.
“Sigh…”
The Man pulled out a pair of Black-Rimmed Glasses from his Pocket and let out a deep sigh.
“Did he notice?”
Hans.
Hans, who had barely escaped from the Magic Tower, thought of Ricardo, the one who had imprisoned him, and let out a bitter Smile.
He had acted as much like Ruin as possible.
He thought he had given a plausible reason.
But Ricardo’s Iron Wall was far higher than he had imagined.
“Crazy Bastard.”
He had thought it was a perfect trap.
He believed that, with money, he could lure Ricardo into the Nest he had prepared. Slowly, with a reason that wouldn’t seem suspicious, he thought he could persuade Ricardo.
But.
Ricardo, quick to catch on, didn’t fall for it.
“Should I capture Olivia?”
But if he touched her, Desmond wouldn’t stay quiet, so he couldn’t even dare.
If Desmond, who maintained neutrality, were to take action, the damage to the Heretics would be unimaginable.
Hans had to suppress his personal Emotions of Revenge for the sake of the greater cause.
With a regretful Smile, Hans recited a Spell Formula.
“Teleport.”
*
And in the place where Hans had disappeared.
“Hmm…”
The Red-Haired Man stood smiling.
“Interesting.”