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 6: The Irredeemable Villain Noble

I had overcome the hell of the entrance ceremony and the magic power measurement, and finally, academy life began.

“So, monsters generally refer to animals born with magic power. Then why did animals come to possess magic power? It is believed to be due to the miasma of the Witch of Calamity. Even sealed away, she still brings harm to the world. That is the existence of the witch.”

While receiving the lecture in class, I was vaguely gazing out the window.

My goal in this academy was just one thing.

—To avoid getting involved with girls as much as possible.

Setting aside my fiancée Fran, if I got involved with other girls and ended up creating a harem, it would lead straight to the doom ending.

Don’t talk to girls. Try not to stand out. Don’t provoke girls. Keep distance from girls.

It already felt a bit too late, but I decided to get through academy life with these four as my basic principles.

Just as I reaffirmed that resolve, it happened.

When the first period class ended, a classmate appeared in front of my desk.

“Lord Orufusen. Do you have a moment?”

The one who called out was a girl with cream-colored hair tied up.

“I am Pino. I absolutely wanted to express my gratitude to you, Lord Orufusen.”

“Hmm.”

Gratitude? Of course, this was our first meeting, and I had no memory of doing anything to deserve thanks…

While inwardly questioning that, I replied.

“If it will end during the break, then it’s fine.”

“Thank you.”

She bowed deeply and began to speak.

She was the third daughter of a grape farming family.

Her family was struggling financially, and she had considered selling herself for their sake.

In the midst of that, she learned about the academy reforms and managed to enroll using the scholarship system.

By the time she finished speaking, she was shedding tears as if overcome with emotion. Her shoulders shook while she pressed both hands to her face.

“Everything… is thanks to you, Lord Orufusen. If you hadn’t been there, I… I…”

“…I see.”

In my previous life, I had zero experience with romance, so I had no idea how to handle a girl crying.

In times like this, should I comfort her, or encourage her?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out the right answer, so I decided to say something noble-like for now.

“Strive harder.”

“Yes! I will strive with all my might and definitely repay you, Lord Orufusen.”

It seemed I hadn’t said anything wrong, as she had eyes that looked like she had made up her mind.

But well, wouldn’t the repayment be to her family rather than to me?

I thought that, but I read the mood and didn’t say it out loud.

After hearing her circumstances, the whole classroom was wrapped in a solemn atmosphere.

It would be tactless to pour cold water on it here.

※

After that, I received thanks from various people.

A light greeting was one thing, but suddenly stopping and having someone burst into tears, or hearing tales of a harsh upbringing—it was honestly hard to know how to react.

Or rather, weren’t there too many freshmen this year who had gone through hardships?

In the original story, most were like pampered young masters who had lived without any troubles, but at least the students I talked to were the complete opposite.

They had entered the academy with extraordinary resolve, or rather, their ambition was just incredible.

And those girls directed an unusual intensity toward me.

That was no exception even during lunch break.

“I never thought I would be able to come to the academy.”

“At home, it was all talk about marriage prospects…”

“I believed that at this academy, I could surely change…”

“I will definitely put in the effort and produce results.”

“This body is all for Lord Orufusen.”

We, heading to the cafeteria with Fran, were completely surrounded.

About ten female students encircled us, surrounding the table.

Their gazes, their sense of distance, their intensity—all of it was dead serious, and it was hardly a situation where I could enjoy my meal.

However, as for me, these were the only words I could say anymore.

“Strive harder. If you strive, anything can be achieved.”

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

The moment I said that, sweet cheers rose in the cafeteria. I hadn’t said anything special, yet it caused this much of a stir—it was as cult-like as ever.

But what was this…?

Every time I spoke, cheers went up, and it wasn’t unpleasant at all; rather, there was a certain thrill to it.

“Fuh…”

In that situation, my expression relaxed for a moment,

“Lord Ol?”

A gentle pressure applied to my leg.

Since it was under the table, I couldn’t tell exactly, but probably my foot was being stepped on.

Slowly, gently, gradually. There was no pain at all, but the weight was definitely there.

And the only person in this world who would do such a thing was one—Fran.

“……………………”

She wore a smile, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all. There was no light in the depths of her pupils; it was like staring into an abyss.

—Oh, this is bad.

When Fran got displeased, she put on a smile. And at the moment we were alone, she would overwrite it.

It was so intense that it left no trace behind, trampling everything—,

“Lord Ol.”

When I tried to pull my foot away to escape, she stepped down again as if chasing it. That weight was so gentle that it was all the more eerie instead.

In this case, it would be better if she stepped hard or ground her heel in.

I could just endure the pain, and that would be easier on my mind.

“Fran?”

“Lord Ol? Is something wrong?”

“It’s not heavy, but it is heavy.”

“Oh my. What do you mean?”

I meant to subtly tell her to stop, but she played innocent with a smile.

It seemed this would continue.

And while that battle was going on under the table, even more people gathered.

—Someone, stop this fiancée.

But no such savior appeared, and I just kept facing that merciless attack relentlessly.

※

—After school.

“Lord Orufusen, what are your plans from now on?”

“If it’s all right, how about some tea…”

“We who worship Lord Orufusen are holding a social gathering—would you like to join?”

The moment class ended, I received various invitations from classmates. Exchanging with classmates is a wonderful thing, but…

However, I couldn’t be so optimistic as to let it go to my head.

“…………”

The point was, Fran was scary.

She sat two seats ahead of me. Despite that, she didn’t particularly call out to me and just silently stared this way.

She was so terrifying that I couldn’t even make eye contact.

“Sorry. I have my own things to do.”

So I turned down all the invitations from classmates. In fact, there was something I had to do from now on.

Appeasing my fiancée, the most important matter.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

I gave a farewell greeting to the classmates and chased after Fran’s back as she left the classroom first.

I hurried down the hallway at a jog, but with so many people, I couldn’t move as I wanted.

Even so, I was chasing her back, but at the moment I turned at what must have been the umpteenth dead end, I lost sight of her.

“…She’s not here.”

Even looking around, Fran’s figure was nowhere.

For a moment, I thought she might have gone home, but direction-wise, it was highly likely she was still in the academy, so I decided to search a bit more.

I left the school building and searched in order: near the school gate, the courtyard, the training grounds.

But her figure wasn’t anywhere.

Had she already gone home?

Thinking that, I headed toward the school gate, and just as I reached the end of the hallway,

“…!”

A dull impact ran through my shoulder.

It seemed I had bumped into someone.

I barely managed to steady myself, but the other person fell hard on their butt.

“Sorry. Are you okay?”

I instinctively reached out a hand.

Then the black-haired woman, rubbing her butt, looked up at me with teary eyes,

“Wh—⁉︎”