I Got Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble, and When I Tried to Create an All-Male Academy to Avoid a Bad Ending, for Some Reason the Gender Ratio Reversed? - Chapter 25-26.1

Chapter 25: The Villain Noble Admired by the Protagonist

[Side: Vista]

Monsters showed up in the town.
And the second I heard it was an Orc King, I just couldn’t sit still anymore.

“Shit!”

I’ve run into one once before, and man, that thing wasn’t funny at all.

Back then I was still weak, so the old guys held it off for me and I barely managed to escape. If I’d been alone, I’d have been dead for sure.

A disaster-class monster even veteran adventurers can’t handle. No way something like that should ever appear right in the middle of town.

If we mess up, people are gonna die. Nah, scratch that—there’s gonna be a ton of casualties. Worst case, the whole town could get wiped out, no exaggeration.

All the really strong adventurers are out on expeditions right now anyway.

My party, the Gray Fangs, just happened to bump into some fleeing merchants on our way back from an expedition, so that’s how we found out. Pretty sure almost nobody else knows yet.

—In other words, this is really bad if we don’t do something.

“Vista, you’re not seriously going, are you?”

“Obviously I am!”

“But an Orc King is dangerous as hell! Even you can’t take it on alone!”

“Shut up! You don’t know if it’s impossible till you actually try, right?! Plus… right now, I’ve got this feeling I can win!”

“Hey, Vista! Wait up!”

I gripped my sword tight and sprinted full speed toward town, shaking off my party members trying to stop me.

—Make it in time, make it in time, make it in time, make it in time.

I kept praying that over and over while pouring every bit of fighting spirit I had into my legs. Just running. Running like crazy.
All those daily hardcore training sessions exist for moments like this. Even if my legs get torn off, I’m definitely gonna make it.

With that kind of resolve I tore down the highway, and by the time I finally reached the town…

“…Huh?”

Everything was already over.

Rubble was scattered everywhere, the town looked like absolute hell, but… there wasn’t even the smell of blood.

Lying around were weak monsters like orcs and goblins.

That’s fine. The town guards could’ve handled those no problem.

The issue is the Orc King.

I ran around town desperately looking, and I found it pretty quick.

—The giant corpse of the Orc King.

“No way…”

Not a single cut on the body. It was lying there perfectly clean. I couldn’t wrap my head around how this happened at all.

“Who… did this?”

And then it hit me. No way regular town guards or some random adventurer pulled this off. Had to be someone insanely skilled.

While I was standing there stunned imagining that kind of person, I started hearing people talking around me.

“They said it was the son of a marquis.”

“Olufusen Starz Island-sama.”

“The guy who reformed the academy.”

“And he improved treatment for adventurers too, apparently…”

—Olufusen.

The second I heard that name, my chest started burning.

The person who reformed the academy, gave adventurers better treatment, supported us. The benefactor of every newbie adventurer out there.

—That guy protected the town?

“…For real?”

He’s not just strong.

He’s not just smart.

He’s not some arrogant noble who only gives orders from above.

He took action himself, got results, didn’t let a single person die, and saved the whole town.

“He’s a damn hero.”

I thought that honestly.

I readjusted my grip on my sword, squeezed it hard, and stared at the Orc King’s corpse.

“I wanna… become like that too.”

A strong guy who can protect people, who speaks with his back turned.

A guy who shows up in the most important moments and saves everything.

I wanna become a hero like that—one who saves the world.

“Alright!”

Something ignited deep inside my chest. A hot flame lit up in my heart.

“I’m gonna get way stronger!”

Olufusen Starz Island.

To become a man like him.

The goal might be sky-high, but honestly that just makes me burn even more. One day I’m definitely gonna surpass him. No question.

“Wait for me, hero!”

I raised my sword high, overflowing with motivation.

But just getting hyped isn’t enough.

To get even stronger. To surpass a great hero. I probably can’t keep going the way I have been.

I need to do something new. To catch up to a hero, half-assed resolve and training won’t cut it.
Well, but first things first—nothing beats real combat experience. That much is for sure.

“Let’s go!”

So I headed straight out of town like that, toward the next battlefield.

—Slash, slash, keep on slashing!

※

“Ol-sama, I have a report.”

It was one of those regular days. Rose came into the room and said it in this totally unbelieving tone.

“What’s up?”

“It’s about that adventurer, Vista-sama…”

“Oh?”

“He apparently took down a wyvern. Solo.”

“…………Huh?”

What the hell, that’s straight-up cheating. That’s stronger than an Orc King, isn’t it?

I mean, isn’t he basically a full-on dragon slayer at this point?

Yep, the protagonist really is the protagonist after all.

—

Chapter 26.1: A Day Off with the Maid

That day was kinda rare—a total free day with nothing planned.

Well, to be honest, I almost never have plans anyway, but somehow I usually end up spending most of my time with Fran.

Lately though, she’s been crazy busy.

Apparently she’s been swamped dealing with the aftermath of that Orc King attack the other day.

――Fran’s gonna handle it somehow.

That’s what I told Lucina, but I never actually thought she’d really take care of everything.

I was grateful, sure, but as the heir to a marquis family, I started wondering if it was really okay for me to just leave it all to her like that.

If things keep going this way, I might seriously end up earning the title of “that villain noble who just fools around at the academy.” Unfortunately I can’t even deny it.

By the way, I’ve barely talked to Lucina since then. Every time I try to say something, her whole face turns bright red and she just bolts.

What the heck even happened…?

I dunno, but probably once some time passes she’ll go back to normal.

While I was thinking that and just rolling around on my bed,

“Excuse me.”

Rose came into the room and right off the bat said,

“Ol-sama, wanna go eat some sweets today?”

“Sweets?”

“Yeah. Things have been super hectic lately, right? Sometimes you just gotta take a breather.”

“You mean you’ve been the one who’s been hectic, don’t you?”

“Yep. Exactly.”

I see. My maid is the same as always.

At first glance it sounds like she’s being considerate of her master, but turns out the subject was herself.

So basically Rose has been busy lately and now she wants a break.

Man, what a shameless maid.

But well, she’s been like this since forever, so I’m pretty used to it by now.

“Yeah, sure. A little bit should be fine.”

Honestly I’ve had a lot going on lately too.

Taking a break once in a while might actually be nice.

“Alright then, let’s go right now!”

Rose’s cheeks broke into a big smile as she grabbed my arm and started tugging me along.

I got ready real quick and headed to the entrance, and who was standing there but

“So where are you two headed today?”

Rose’s mom.

Same black hair as her daughter, giving that soft smile—Maris-san. The woman who used to be my wet nurse.

“Today I’m going on a date with Ol-sama.”

The moment Rose declared that,

“Oh my goodness.”

Maris-san pressed both hands to her cheeks and gave a faint smile.

The gesture was super elegant and calm. Total opposite of the shameless Rose.

It’s pretty rare for a parent and child to be this different.

I was thinking that to myself when my arm got yanked hard.

“Ol-sama? You were just thinking something rude, weren’t you?”

“How’d you know?”

“Heh heh, obviously. Who do you think changed your diapers?”

“Maris-san did.”

At least it definitely wasn’t Rose.

We’ve been together since we were little, but she’s one year older than me.

Which means back when I was in diapers, there’s a high chance she was still in them too.

“Yes, it was Mother. But it’s also true that I’ve been taking care of you like a big sister since you were tiny.”