Reincarnated as a Mob in an Otome Game, but the Characters Were Worse Than I Expected, So I Crushed Them All and Destroyed the Story - Chapter 16: Mob Lays the Groundwork for the Destruction

Chapter 16: Mob Lays the Groundwork for the Destruction

[Hey… are you really gonna do this, Master…?]

(Of course. Why do you think we’ve been training all this time?)

[Well, yeah, but still…]

As I walked through the main building of Freesia Academy, where most of the noble students studied, Lana’s voice rang in my mind, filled with hesitation.

This building housed the top-ranking classes—Class A, B, and C.

Most nobles were placed in these upper classes unless they were truly bottom-of-the-barrel nobility.

Even some commoners were placed in the upper ranks if they had been recommended by high-ranking nobles.

Jessica, for example, had been recommended by Count Hamilton, a prestigious noble house.

On top of that, the kingdom’s leadership already recognized her as the next Priestess of Light, so she had been placed in the highest-ranking Class A.

(Get ready. I told you from the very beginning that this was the plan.)

[I never agreed to this from the moment we met, though…]

(Yeah, yeah.)

[Don’t just brush me off like that, Master!]

Despite all her complaints, I already knew Lana would still go along with it in the end.

She had trained with me all this time, after all.

So instead of wasting time convincing her, I just needed to push forward and create a situation where she had to cooperate.

Without another word, I kept walking toward my destination.

The nobles barely paid any attention to commoners in the upper classes, so as long as I didn’t stand out, no one would even notice me.

(There it is… That’s the one…)

My eyes landed on the classroom plaque labeled “1-A.”

This was the elite class, where only the most powerful and academically gifted high-ranking nobles of my age were placed.

Even just standing here, I could feel the difference in atmosphere compared to other classes.

(Alright… I can’t just walk into Class A like I own the place, and there’s no way a noble would agree to pass along a message for me. I need to figure out a way to meet the person I’m looking for…)

Jessica was the only commoner in Class A.

That alone made her an easy target for the nobles, who saw her as an outsider and bullied her relentlessly.

I had completely overlooked that fact, and realizing it now made me a little anxious.

But—luck was on my side.

“Excuse me. Move aside. You’re in my way.”

“…!”

A voice—beautiful, yet cold as a blade slicing through the air.

I knew that voice.

And the person it belonged to was exactly who I had been looking for.

(Damn… I can feel the pressure from her voice alone, and she’s not even facing me…)

Slowly, I turned around.

There, standing before me, was a stunning beauty with long, glossy black hair that reached down to her waist.

Her sharp, icy black eyes locked onto mine with a gaze so piercing, I almost felt like she was trying to kill me with her stare alone.

“Oh? A commoner, are you? How bold of you—to not only block my path but also dare to make me stop walking. Do you have a death wish?”

“If I have caused you any offense, I sincerely apologize. I, Edward, would never dream of obstructing your way.”

I put on a polite smile and bowed my head.

Losing my composure here would be the worst mistake I could make.

Her overwhelming presence was enough to make anyone falter, but more than that—this girl standing before me was an enigma.

There was no telling just how deep her true nature ran.

“Oh? So you knew I was Charlotte Maxwell—and still dared to behave so rudely? It seems I’ve been thoroughly underestimated.”

Her sharp gaze grew even colder.

Charlotte Maxwell.

The undisputed top of Freesia Academy’s first-year students.

Her family, House Maxwell, held the title of Duke in the Criminal Kingdom, a position backed not just by noble status, but by sheer power.

She was the embodiment of strength, influence, and beauty.

On top of that, she was already engaged to Prince Alec and counted as one of the major pillars of the Criminal Kingdom’s ruling class.

And in the game—

(At last… we finally meet, villainess…!)

In the original story, she was too perfect—so much so that she became isolated and was eventually discarded by the prince.

Her family, House Maxwell, was furious, but right at that moment, their ties to black magic were exposed, leading them down a path of ruin.

Abandoned and left with nothing, Charlotte became a pawn of the Demon Lord and reappeared in the final act of the story—standing as the strongest mid-boss, an overwhelming force the protagonist’s party had to defeat.

In the end, she was slain.

“It would never cross my mind. Not even once have I dared to underestimate you, Lady Maxwell.”

“Spare me your empty words. More importantly, I don’t want to breathe the same air as some filthy commoner, let alone speak to one. Hurry up and disappear—you’re utterly revolting.”

“My apologies.”

“Hah… Forget it. This is an absolute waste of my time.”

She let out a small sigh, brushed her hair aside with a flick of her fingers, and walked away.

It took everything I had to keep my face from breaking into a grin.

(Heh… Ahahaha!!! Yes—that’s a villainess! That’s exactly how a villainess should be! No need for some weak ‘she’s actually kind deep down’ nonsense! A villainess shines the brightest when she is unapologetically a villain!)

Unlike the love interests, who disgusted me, I felt nothing but pure joy at being looked down on like this.

This—this was her true form.

The way she carried herself, the way she scorned me—this was exactly what I wanted from her.

And she had delivered perfectly.

How could I not be thrilled?

[Are you okay, Master!? This is getting really bad!!]

(I’m fine. Completely calm, as always. This is the very definition of normal.)

[Eh!? No, but… wait—huh!? Master, are you sure you’re okay!?]

Lana’s voice barely registered in my mind anymore.

I was too elated—too thrilled that Charlotte had lived up to my expectations perfectly.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Please wait, Lady Charlotte.”

At my words, Charlotte came to an abrupt stop.

And in that instant—her killing intent flooded the air.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. And don’t you dare call me by my first name. I will kill you—no joke.”

“Is that so? Well then, this is perfect. Let’s have a duel.”

“…Ha?”

Her aura became even more murderous.

She turned back toward me, her expression as beautiful as ever—but precisely because of that beauty, it was terrifying.

Not that it mattered.

Right now, fear was the last thing on my mind.

All I felt was pure euphoria.

“A duel, Lady Charlotte. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

“A duel between a noble and a commoner? Don’t be ridiculous. I’d eliminate you before the fight even started.”

At this academy, there exists a system called dueling.

Duel matches take place in a specially designed room where, no matter how intense the battle, death is impossible.

However, magic constantly monitors the fight, and any fatal injury results in an instant loss.

In other words, it’s a real battle—a fight to the brink of death, just without actually dying.

This system was originally created to prevent conflicts between noble houses from escalating into full-blown blood feuds.

By settling disputes within the academy, personal grudges wouldn’t turn into larger-scale wars.

At least—that’s how it was supposed to work.

But as Charlotte had pointed out, when it came to nobles versus commoners, the duel system was meaningless.

Nobles didn’t need an official duel to punish a commoner they disliked.

They could simply declare the matter resolved without lifting a finger.

“Don’t waste my time with nonsense. You’re irritating me.”

“Are you scared?”

“Haa?”

Her eyes snapped toward me.

She bit.

Exactly as I expected.

I couldn’t help but grin.

“Lady Charlotte, you don’t seem to be hearing very well, so let me repeat myself—”

I deliberately lowered my voice, speaking with a slow, taunting clarity.

“Are you running away because you’re afraid of losing to a lowly commoner—someone you always claim to be beneath you?”

The instant I said it—

A terrifying surge of killing intent and magic exploded from Charlotte.

The pressure alone was enough to make several students foam at the mouth and collapse on the spot.

To me?

It was nothing.

Right now—my mindset was unshakable.

“Oh, I see. My apologies, then. It’s truly a shame that Lady Charlotte Maxwell, the most brilliant noblewoman in her family’s history, is nothing more than a coward. But I suppose it can’t be helped—if you’re too scared to fight.”

[Master! You can’t push her this far! She’s seriously dangerous! And the spirit inside her is incredibly powerful too!]

So what?

If I couldn’t defeat the strongest, I wouldn’t be able to change anything.

The story wouldn’t break.

I had already decided—I would put my life on the line to challenge her.

Whether it was now or later, facing her was inevitable.

Her talent was real. No matter how much effort I put in, the gap between us would only grow wider.

That’s exactly why I had to crush her early—before that gap became impossible to close.

“Enough. You’re going to regret ever opening that arrogant mouth of yours.”

“In this duel… if you win, Lady Charlotte, you can do whatever you want with me. Make me your slave, kill me—it’s entirely up to you.”

“Oh? That works for me.”

“And if I win… well, I’ll write the terms in the contract. You can check them afterward.”

First, I would shatter her pride.

That would be the starting point of my plan.