How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 25

Chapter 4: A Party, or Rather, a Chaotic Mess (2)

Fortunately, there was a merchant not too far away, so I bought a robe with the money I had on me. The announcement that the swordsmanship tournament was about to start echoed, so I hurriedly put on the robe and rushed back to the arena. The thought of finally getting to move around and fight again made me feel great.

“Participants, please move to the waiting area!”

The man who seemed to be the event coordinator was gathering the participants. I scurried over to the waiting area and noticed a few familiar faces. There was Robert, the guy who fainted when he saw me last time, and the nervous-looking one, if I remember correctly, his name was Peter? Worried that someone might recognize me, I quietly crouched in a corner, trying to stay unnoticed, when suddenly, I heard a familiar voice from a distance.

“Can’t I just take them all out at once?”

With a graceful flick of her hair, Dia casually dropped that outrageous comment.

Despite being a girl, Dia, the heir to a swordsmanship family, smirked confidently as she taunted the male members of the Swordsmanship Club sitting in the waiting area. But not a single person took the bait. And why would they? Dia was overwhelmingly skilled in swordsmanship.

She was the second most famous swordsman in the academy, right after Kyle. The members of the Swordsmanship Club knew all too well how fierce and terrifying Dia could be.

I’d heard rumors that on her very first day, she practically wiped out the Swordsmanship Club during a sparring session. Apparently, Kyle had to step in to calm her down, and ever since, the male students in the club had developed a collective trauma. Scary Dia…

She seems to keep her temper in check around me, but you never know when her true nature might show. Still, Dia is beautiful, so I resolved to stay on her good side. I have a soft spot for pretty faces, after all.

“Do I really have to participate?”

Following behind Dia, Kyle made his entrance. His neat and tidy appearance practically shone. He was wearing a knight’s uniform instead of the usual school uniform, and it suited him so well that it was hard to look away.

Uh-oh, I must have stared too hard because Kyle glanced in my direction. With the robe covering me, he didn’t seem to recognize who I was, but Kyle had sharp instincts. I’d better be careful.

“It’d be boring if you didn’t participate.”

Dia said this with a faint smile. It had been a while since I’d seen such a gentle smile from her, but the atmosphere was anything but serene.

Kyle furrowed his brow as if he was annoyed, then plopped down onto a chair. Dia watched him for a moment before starting her stretches. I’d always been curious—were those two on good terms or not?

“The matchups have been updated, so please check them!”

The organizer reappeared! He brought the revised matchup board and planted it in a visible spot. Oh, it seems they’ve already replaced the injured participant’s name with my alias.

I pulled my robe down low and, blending in with the tall male students, snuck a glance at the board. Most of these guys were towering over me, like telephone poles… I used to think I was average height, but apparently, I’m on the shorter side. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

I stood on my tiptoes and finally managed to see the matchups. I could only see the top part, but fortunately, my alias was listed there.

My first opponent had a familiar name: Peter Edeline. He was the guy I gave the medicine to. I’d caught a glimpse of him earlier—he was quite cute. He always seemed nervous, which only added to his charm.

“Oh, it looks like I’m up against a girl,”

Peter said, looking surprised after checking the board. A group of good-looking male students gathered around him, discussing the matchups. The Swordsmanship Club was filled with handsome guys, making it seem like a nest of beauties. Of course, they all paled next to Kyle, but still.

“Do we have another girl in the Swordsmanship Club besides Dia?”

“Huh, Dia is a girl?”

I noticed one guy who was puzzled by my alias and another who was currently being pummeled by Dia. Right, Dia was the only girl in the Swordsmanship Club. But since the students here were pretty clueless, they just shrugged and moved on without questioning it too much.

Still, it turns out Dia isn’t just good with a sword—she’s pretty handy with her fists too. I felt a bit sorry for the guy getting hit, but… well, he had it coming.

“Peter, are you scared?”  

“N-no! Of course not!”  

“Then why are your legs shaking?”

Peter’s legs were trembling as if he had motors attached to them. I was so captivated by the unusual sight that I almost missed the loud announcement from the organizer, snapping me back to reality.

“The first match is about to begin! Contestants, please come forward!”

The first match was between Peter and me. With my heart pounding from the anticipation of the first match, I walked confidently to the center of the arena. Oh, this is exciting. Since he’s from the Swordsmanship Club, his skills should be above average. I quietly smiled as I faced Peter.

“Ready… start!”

The referee announced the start. The large crowd in the audience held their breath, watching the match unfold. This was much grander than the sparring sessions I had in the tavern, and the pressure was intense. But I maintain my composure, drawing my sword.

“The match has finally begun! Who will emerge victorious?”

As soon as the organizer finished speaking, Peter charged at me. He swung his sword with the precision and fierceness befitting a knight. I barely dodged his attack and engaged him in a struggle of strength, our swords clashing.

As expected, the Swordsmanship Club was on a different level. If the men I sparred with in the tavern were thugs, Peter had the aura of a true knight. We exchanged a few blows, each looking for an opening, and then I swung my sword at Peter again. I had to be careful not to let my robe slip off during the match.

“Wow, that swordplay is just like the one I saw from that woman before!”

The organizer laughed heartily as he commented. Wait a minute, that voice sounded familiar… I realized it was the same organizer from the tavern! The one who had given me that embarrassing nickname and was still searching for me through flyers. Running into him here—maybe my luck wasn’t as good as I thought.

“Knight of the Red Rose, huh? I even gave her that nickname…”  

Ugh, someone, please shut that organizer up! As I fought in the match, I was cursing him inwardly. I wanted nothing more than to throw that organizer out of the Academy as he reminisced with a smug expression.  

Just stick to organizing, will you?!

“Ugh!”  

Determined to end the match quickly, I brought my sword down with force. Peter instinctively tried to block it, but his grip slipped, and his sword went flying. For some reason, Peter suddenly dropped to the ground, looking up at me in a daze.  

“Uh, you are…”  

With my face partially obscured by the robe, Peter quickly recognized me. He stared at me dumbfounded, but when I subtly signaled for him to stay quiet, he nodded slightly.

“The winner is Rader Karen!”  

The referee raised my arm and announced loudly.  

In the Academy’s swordsmanship tournament, losing your weapon or surrendering results in a defeat to ensure the students’ safety.

I extended my hand to the seated Peter and helped him up, even offering a handshake. It felt like a heartwarming scene from a sports drama. The audience cheered as we shook hands.

“Phew… That was tough.”  

I leaned against the wall and drank some water, feeling exhausted. The match had drained more of my energy than I expected, leaving me slumped against the wall.  

As expected, the Swordsmanship Club was different. But it wasn’t an impossible challenge. While I regained my strength, I watched the other contestants’ matches.

As I observed the matches, it felt different from just participating. It was nice to watch how other swordsmen wielded their swords, and I thought it could serve as a good reference for me, so I made sure to pay close attention.

“The winner is Kailon Raven!”

Kyle’s match was over in the blink of an eye. As soon as the referee signaled the start, Kyle, who had been lazily yawning, swiftly dealt with his opponent. The terrified opponent either surrendered immediately or was defeated in an instant, making the match quite dull. Kyle seemed bored as well, yawning repeatedly. Occasionally, the girls in the audience would scream and cheer, and their voices were so loud that they startled me, sounding louder than an elephant trumpeting.

‘Ah, it’s my turn next.’

I walked over to check the bracket and realized my match was up next. Since I had won the first round against Peter, there was an X marked next to his name. Curious about who my next opponent would be, I followed the bracket down and…

“Huh?”

Something unbelievable had happened. I had expected to face Kyle much later in the tournament and had been relieved by that, but now I found out that our match was coming up much sooner than anticipated.

“Kailon… Raven?”

Oh my god, such a familiar name. My next opponent was Kyle. I had planned to forfeit before facing him, but to think the match would be so soon…

“Oh, there you are. We’re about to start the next match. Please proceed to the arena.”

“Ahhh, wait a second!”

Just as I was considering fleeing, the announcer suddenly appeared, grabbed my wrist, and began to drag me along.

Wait a second! I need time to prepare myself!

The announcer, pressed for time, placed me right in the center of the arena and laughed heartily. Damn announcer, I’ll get my revenge someday.

“Ready… Begin!”

“Will Kailon be victorious once again this time?”

Before I even had a chance to think about fleeing, the referee shouted for the match to start, and the announcer resumed his commentary. As I hesitated, considering whether to run away, Kyle stood there, his eyes gleaming.

He looked like a predator.

This felt like a Level 1 hero suddenly facing the final boss…!

Tears welled up in my eyes on their own.