I Am The Game's Villain

The intoxicating scent of Alvara wrapped around me, filling my senses, but it was nothing compared to what she was doing to me at that moment.

Her lips—soft, warm, and gentle—pressed against mine.

She was kissing me.

For a second, my mind went blank. Shock gripped me, holding me still as if I had been struck by lightning.

Alvara's eyes were closed, her long lashes fluttering slightly as she processed the unfamiliar sensation, one she had never experienced before. Her touch was hesitant yet sincere, as if she were memorizing every second of it.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, she pulled away.

I blinked once. Twice. Staring at her in stunned silence, my brain struggled to catch up with what had just happened.

Around us, an unnatural stillness had settled. I was too embarrassed to turn and see if anyone had noticed, though considering Alvara's umbrella shielded us from view, only the most oblivious wouldn't have guessed what had just transpired.

Alvara's cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, but she held my gaze.

"I—I might struggle to acknowledge certain things," she began a bit nervously, "but I'm not weak-minded. I'm always honest with my emotions… with my feelings. I don't need a week or month to acknowledge them."

I remained silent, still trying to process it all.

Alvara shifted uncomfortably under my stare, eventually averting her gaze.

"Are you really not going to say anything?" She asked, upset with a tinge of shyness in her tone. "That… That was my first time."

"Alvara… I'm not the man for you."

The words felt heavy, awkward, and wrong. I couldn't tell her the real reason—that I was likely going to die in a month. That I couldn't allow myself to take responsibility for another woman when I didn't even know how to deal with my current ones.

But Alvara wasn't having any of it.

"I'm the one who decides that," she shot back, tapping the tip of the umbrella against my head. "You have no say in the matter."

I wanted to argue that I should at least have some say since I was the one directly involved, but I held my tongue.

Instead, I met her gaze seriously. "Are you certain about this?"

She didn't hesitate.

"My mother already told me everything," she said.

I frowned. "And do you think she's wrong?"

"No."

Her answer came fast.

Silence stretched between us before she asked, "Do you not like me?"

I let out a small, wry chuckle, shaking my head.

"You know that I do, Princess Freydis."

Alvara narrowed her golden eyes at me the moment I spoke playfully. "Then you better make sure my mother accepts."

"Are you really sure about this?" I asked, searching her expression for any trace of doubt.

"Don't waste my time," she snapped, her lips curling in distaste as her gaze flickered toward the surrounding Humans. "I feel disgusted by these humans' stares."

I raised a brow, amused. "I am a Human as well, though."

Alvara fell silent.

"…Well?"

Her pointed ears twitched ever so slightly, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Ahahah!"

Ah, she was still as much of a racist as ever—yet, somehow, I had become an exception. That thought alone was enough to make me smile.

"You might end up marrying a Human one day," I teased, watching her reaction carefully. "Or worse, a Half-Human."

Her glare could've probably burned a hole through me.

I knew, deep down, that I wasn't just another Human in her eyes. She viewed me differently—on an entirely different scale.

Before she could truly get angry, I leaned in and gently bumped my forehead against hers.

She flinched slightly, shifting her head away, but I caught the faintest trace of warmth in her cheeks.

"Can you wait a month for my answer?" I asked, my tone turning serious.

Alvara let out a quiet scoff. "You have time until I come back."

So impatient. So prideful. And yet, that was exactly what I liked about her.

I smirked. "And if I still don't have an answer by then? Are you going to go out looking for another Half-High-Human, Half-Human?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Did I ever tell you that your Human jokes are despicable?"

I sighed. "You did."

"Good." She uncrossed her legs smoothly, moving like the Royal Princess she was. "I'll be gone for a week."

She made a motion to get down from my desk, but I was still close—too close. She stilled, staring at me suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

I placed my hands on the desk, caging her in.

"I'm going to miss you, Alvara. A lot."

"..." Alvara stared at me silently.

Then, she reached out, her delicate fingers brushing against my cheek.

"I don't like seeing you like this," she mumbled. "Depressed. Dramatic. It's unsightly, My Love."

"Huh?"

Before I could even process what she had called me, she pushed me back with a flick of her wrist. I landed in my chair with a light thud, staring after her in shock.

Alvara adjusted her grip on her umbrella, then, without another word, turned and walked off but I could see her pointed ears beet red.

And just like that, she was gone.

A stunned silence settled over the entire room following that.

Every gaze, every pair of eyes, shifted from Alvara's retreating figure to me, filled with pure shock and disbelief.

No one could believe what had just happened.

Victor's mouth hung open, frozen mid-thought, his expression mirroring pure astonishment. Cylien, normally composed, looked equally dumbfounded.

Selene blinked, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something but thought better of it.

And Celeste…

I quickly averted my gaze. Best not to deal with that right now.

I slowly felt embarrassment catching me up until the classroom door swung open.

"Sit down."

Harvey Indi Zestella strode in. He looked different. The time he had spent in prison at Utopia had left its mark—his features were sharper, his expression colder. There was a certain sternness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

I supposed that was why Evan had been acting as Head until now. Melfina was also present, but it seemed she had entrusted the role to Evan, who had been managing things well.

Harvey scanned the room briefly before speaking.

"Today, we'll be discussing Deborah Dolphis's Rebellion," he said. "I've already covered this subject in a previous class, but today, we'll be delving into the details of what actually happened. This is especially important because…"

He paused, letting his words sink in before delivering the news.

"…we'll be going on a field trip to the Fangoria Kingdom in a week."

A collective gasp swept through the classroom.

Eyes widened. Whispers broke out in hushed tones. Some students practically vibrated with excitement.

The Kingdom of the Werewolves.

That alone was enough to stir curiosity. But the connection between Deborah Dolphis and Fangoria was what made this trip truly significant.

It was there, in the heart of Fangoria, that Behemoth—the monstrous war creature—had been slain by none other than Victor Quinn Raven. It was also where Deborah Dolphis and her entire army had met their end.

The Kingdom housed the largest museum dedicated to the rebellion, chronicling the events of that war in quite detail.

Of course, field trips to foreign lands weren't uncommon for students of Trionity Eden Academy. In fact, they were a requirement.

Over the course of three years, every student had to visit each of the major countries within Sancta Vedelia. It wasn't just about history or politics—it was about fostering a deeper sense of belonging to the future rulers of Sancta Vedelia.

Sancta Vedelia wasn't just a collection of separate nations. It was an alliance. A carefully woven alliance of kingdoms, bound together by shared history and purpose.

Of course, I couldn't care less about Sancta Vedelia anymore—but this was different. This was important.

The trip to Fangoria…

One of the key events in the Second Game.

Behemoth's great attack.

My expression twisted instinctively.

Damn…

I really can't catch a break, can I?

At least I still had a week. But how the hell was I supposed to prepare for something like that? Should I even bother trying? Maybe it'd be better to just warn them.

No. That wouldn't work.

If I warned Fangoria, Behemoth would just become unpredictable.

The only good news? They were still missing the last Horn of Behemoth, which was somewhere in Zestel. But even with just two Horns, they could already do catastrophic damage to Fangoria.

I needed to talk to Rodolf.

Wait… that bastard. Didn't he play the Second Game? Or just the First one?

Don't tell me he forgot about the game already.

I mean, from his perspective, it's been eighteen years, so I guess it's possible. Still, I had to talk to him. He was a Prince of Fangoria—he should be able to convince them of the danger.

At least Navas was dead. That was one less problem. But there were still three other monsters that weren't going to be easy to deal with.

No, there was nothing to hesitate about.

Behemoth had been a thorn in my side since the beginning, and now it was time to deal with them once and for all. I should also meet with John while I was at it.

Meanwhile, Harvey kept droning on about the historical event that happened around the same time as the Third Great Holy War in Celesta.

Which wasn't a coincidence. Not even close.

Deborah Dolphis and Xenos Arvatra had planned it together. Those guys were seriously insane.

History was full of lunatics, but those two? They were on a different level.