The Butler of the Villainess Has Returned

Chapter 29

Just before colliding with the ground.

Sudden halt.

The acceleration disappeared completely, and I stopped in midair. Then, I turned half a circle and landed feet first.

"You may open your eyes now."

I set down the Young Lady and Claudia, then straightened my disheveled clothing arrangement.

"Still alive...?"

The still-dazed Young Lady.

"I want to ride again!!"

And the excited Claudia.

I waited until the two calmed down, then found a suitable rock and sat around it.

"First, I will explain."

Picking up a stick, I drew a large oval on the dirt floor.

Inside it, I drew a small circle, then divided the outer circle into four zones.

I pointed to the center first.

"This is where we are."

Moving the stick, I added an explanation. Centered around the forest, the upper area was the snowfield, the lower area was the Evil Land, the left was the swamp, and the right was the desert.

"Since the number of new students this year is roughly a thousand... If evenly distributed, about two hundred people would be in each region."

The Young Lady fell into thought immediately, while Claudia was startled.

"Two hundred people in just this forest!?"

"Yes. So if you make such loud noises―"

Clang!

"You'll quickly give away our location."

Swinging the sword sheath, I deflected the mace flying toward Claudia.

"Heh heh heh, you're lucky, huh?"

A wild bald head appeared.

"It's a bald head."

"What did you say?"

Oh no.

I unintentionally voiced my thoughts.

Creak.

The bald head clenched his hand. Stroking his head, he opened his mouth.

"Just so you know, this isn't hair loss but a voluntary shave. To prevent being caught by enemies―"

"Young Lady."

Interrupting him, I called out to the Young Lady.

"Step aside, Yuri."

As she responded, I felt heat from above. I quickly stepped back.

The heat floating above my head moved toward where the bald head was standing.

The bald head stiffened upon seeing it.

"...What is that?"

It was a massive flame.

Not a fireball or a meteor, but the most basic of flame magic, Flame Creation.

But something was different.

It was massive like high-level flame magic and carried the accompanying heat.

The Young Lady lowered her hand.

"[Fall]"

"You crazy!!"

It fell before he could dodge.

Whoosh!

The flames poured down like a waterfall, instantly incinerating everything around the bald head.

At the same time, something appeared.

[Frey Salvatore]

[Opponents Suppressed: 1]

[Yuri]

[Opponents Suppressed: 1]

For a moment, my eyes met the Young Lady's.

"Why is this being displayed?"

"Probably because of the reward."

"Reward?"

I nodded and added.

"There was a student who once achieved the most suppressions but ended up in second place due to a ridiculous mistake."

"And?"

"He threatened to destroy the island if he didn't get something, so they gave him a gift. Since then, the person with the most suppressions gets a reward."

"That's insane. Who was that person?"

"Who knows."

It was Ian.

When I mentioned entering the Academy, he smiled nostalgically.

-Isn't it strange?

-What is?

-If they had just given it when asked, there would've been no need to hit the dean.

Thinking I misheard, I asked again.

-...You hit the dean?

-Haha, I was young and reckless back then.

-No, seriously, you hit the dean?

-Yes, well. Thanks to that, my successors now get customized weapons for the most suppressions, don't they?

He wasn't wrong.

It's a story only a few know, but the person with the most suppressions gets a customized weapon regardless of their assigned grade.

I shared this fact with the Young Lady.

"A customized weapon!?"

"Yes."

"Who makes it?"

"A veiled Imperial Master Craftsman, apparently."

After a moment of silence.

The Young Lady spoke.

"Let's split up."

"Split up?"

"We're all Academy students now, and I don't want to be treated one-sidedly."

Just as I expected.

At Sion, all students are equals.

Even here, if people were divided by status or financial power, true progress couldn't be achieved—that's the Academy Sion's philosophy.

Thanks to that, upon admission, all students' statuses became equal, and even relationships like master-servant ones, like between the Young Lady and me, were no exception.

Even so, there were many who flaunted their status and wealth, but the Young Lady wasn't one of them.

She was endlessly strong toward the strong.

She was also strong toward the weak but gentle.

She constantly strived to surpass the strong and willingly lowered her gaze to learn from the weak if they had something to teach.

This choice was also made with consideration for us.

The moment the points appeared, she realized this exam was not about cooperation but competition.

She must have thought that tying me and Claudia to her side because she was our master would hinder us. Her personality of wanting to earn things herself also played a part.

The Young Lady asked again.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

To interpret, it meant this.

I want to be rewarded too, and it's obvious you all want to be rewarded as well.

But if you stay by my side, you'll inevitably have to yield to me, right?

So, it would be better for all of us to split up and compete fairly.

Krrr....

As expected of our Young Lady.

The epitome of a proper noble.

Outwardly, she doesn't show it, but inside, she is endlessly kind, my Master.

I nodded and replied.

"Absolutely not."

"?"

But no way.

"I won't leave the Young Lady alone."

Perhaps she didn't expect this, as the calm expression on the Young Lady's face slightly twisted.

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous."

"What's dangerous?"

"Just... everything?"

I wanted to explain in more detail, but there were too many eyes watching us now.

Especially the spectators.

Since they were notable figures in the Empire, mentioning anything about the future might make them suspicious.

Pout.

The Young Lady's upper lip stuck out.

"I'm not a child, Yuri."

It was an adorable habit she wasn't even aware of, sticking out her lips when angry or focused.

"You even nodded your head."

"I just stretched my neck because it was stiff."

"In Sion, everyone is equal!!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

It was certainly true.

I bluntly said to the Young Lady.

"Then I dislike it even more."

I spoke freely.

The Young Lady was the one who said we were equal!

"...What?"

The moment I met her sharp glare, I almost raised my tone without realizing it.

Holding it back, I spoke again.

"I said I dislike it."

I bent down to meet her eyes.

"No matter what, I won't leave you alone."

She was always a kind Young Lady.

That's why I always lost her and regretted it in two lifetimes.

I absolutely cannot let it happen again.

That's why I was moving so busily.

"Look at me, Frey."

I bent down and brought my face close.

The distance between the Young Lady's face and mine was just a hand's span.

"W-What are you doing?!"

The Young Lady's face turned red in real-time. I spoke once more.

"Because you're precious."

"H-Huh...! Suddenly...! What are you even saying all of a sudden!?"

She flailed her hands while stammering.

Now was the opportunity.

I grabbed her flailing hands and pulled her strongly toward me.

"There!"

"?"

And I threw her.

Thud.

The unguarded Young Lady landed safely in Claudia's embrace.

"So stay with Claudia!"

Whew!

Now I can relax.

I still had to move around, and that's why I brought Claudia and Kali as maids.

The Young Lady's expression hardened.

"...Wasn't it supposed to be you staying with me?"

"I'm busy too, you know?"

"...You're my butler."

"Here, I'm a student."

Honestly, I wanted to stay with her too.

I didn't need the highest kill reward or a high-grade assignment.

The biggest reason I enrolled in Sion was to protect the Young Lady.

Of course, there were minor reasons too, but protecting the Young Lady was my top priority.

And to protect her, I needed to move separately.

Shifting my gaze, I looked at Claudia.

"Remember everything I told you?"

"Yep! Don't worry and go!"

"Take good care of the Young Lady."

"Geez, I told you not to worry!"

Claudia saluted playfully. I also saluted playfully toward the Young Lady.

"I'm off."

2.

The observation room of Academy Sion.

"Is that the one Rania chose?"

Everyone who had applied to observe was looking at the same screen.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Are you sure?"

"...Yes, probably?"

The black-haired student, the only one chosen by the Continent's strongest, Rania.

After talking with his Master, he turned away magnificently.

-Ah! Young Lady! My bones! My bones are broken!

-Die! Just die, Yuri!

He was in the middle of being thoroughly beaten by the Young Lady of the House of Salvatore.

-Ahhh! Why are you hitting me?!

-Shut up! Speaking informally without manners!!

-But you said we were equal!!

-If I hit you, just take it!!

And take it a lot.

The heat that had risen due to Rania's choice immediately cooled down.

"Is that the guy I told you to investigate earlier?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"...Let's stop investigating."

The Knights' Order as well.

"Salvatore is mine!!"

"Every time he sees something red, he claims it's his."

The Red Magic Tower Master and the Blue Magic Tower Master too.

"The blonde-haired maid is ours, the Yellow faction."

"Her eyes are green. She's ours, the beggar's faction."

All the other Magic Tower Masters and other strong ones lost interest.

Only Rania continued to stare straight ahead.

At that moment, as the depth of her concentration deepened.

"Yuri is still the same."

Someone spoke to Rania.

Rania immediately realized.

That the one speaking to her was her master.

As she hurriedly stood to pay her respects, she was stopped by a delicate hand.

"Act naturally."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Oh, come on, shh...!"

Understanding Arista's intention, Rania simply nodded and sat down.

Arista looked at the screen.

-Go! Just get lost!

-I was planning to do that anyway!

-You're really leaving?!

-You told me to leave!!

Pfft.

She let out a small laugh. Her silver pupils glimmered softly as she murmured.

"Knowing everything, yet not understanding a woman's heart at all."

The exam continued.

3.

"Ah, it hurts so much I might die."

She had struck him thoroughly.

Only targeting sensitive areas like the shin, liver, and other parts where pain is keenly felt.

Without understanding my heart.

It was an unavoidable choice to protect her, yet she wielded violence.

Someday, I will definitely explain.

Steeling her resolve, she organized her thoughts.

In this exam, the threats to the Young Lady were divided into three main categories.

The first was a raid by Philia Gospel and a group of small fry.

They had some talent, and their affinity with the Young Lady was unfavorable.

The second was mana exhaustion caused by excessive magic usage, but since Claudia was assigned, it didn't seem to be a major concern.

The last was due to the Demon God Cult.

The fact that she received Mana's Favor could leak to the Demon God Cult through a hidden spy.

Since they would occur in the listed order, they could be blocked step by step.

The first was already near completion.

The group of Philia Gospel and his followers had just arrived.

"The villainess's butler...?"

"The one Rania chose...?"

"No way! He came back after being beaten to a pulp!"

There were more of them than expected.

'Maybe a little under twenty?'

It seemed they had maximized their numbers at the cost of a penalty.

Pathetic.

It didn't even seem necessary to draw his sword. He simply unfastened it, sheath and all, from his waist.

"Young Lady Frey said she came here to learn."

Raising his head, he looked at them.

"What do you think I came here for?"

There was no answer.

In the end, he decided to kindly explain.

"I came to beat you up."

"...What?"

"I'll return exactly what I received."

"Damn it, we didn't even hit you―!"

Whack!!

He struck the head of the one who responded. With a cracking sound, a nosebleed spurted out.

"Only answer what I ask."

"You... crazy bastard...."

Thud.

He stepped on the fallen man.

"Anyone else want to get hit?"

This time, no one answered.

Bang!

Crack!

He picked another guy he could see and struck his skull in the same manner.

Then, he declared once more.

"Even if you don't answer, I'll keep hitting you."

Isn't it sad to talk to myself?