Do you know that?
In stories like this, when something seems overly suspicious, there’s usually not much behind it. Or maybe the villain isn’t that powerful after all, so there’s no need to worry.
Whether in subculture light novels, visual novels, comics, or movies that draw in millions of viewers and cost hundreds of billions to produce, the villains in such works are important. Whether they look handsome, have a great voice, or possess traits that linger in people’s minds, the charm of a villain is as crucial as that of the hero.
A villain must be strong for the hero who defeats them to look impressive—that’s the common sense in most stories.
So, a blatantly pathetic or seemingly unimpressive villain tends to be the disposable character in the early parts of the story.
Unless they’re actually a misunderstood good guy.
In that sense, what position does the vice principal hold?
“So, Ms. Anderson.”
The vice principal settled us onto the guest sofa and brewed tea, placing a cup in front of each of us while speaking.
“I heard from your homeroom teacher, Seo-A, that you declined early graduation?”
Then, after going to his place and taking a sip of tea, the vice principal said that.
How do I put it? If this were a light novel set in the medieval era, he’d have the kind of vibe of an early appearing villain baron—strangely frivolous yet sophisticated. Is this guy from a wealthy family too?
In response to the vice principal’s words, Aurora and Linea subtly glanced my way, rolling their eyes. I had, of course, informed these two beforehand. Besides Rina, who heard it right after the duel, the others still didn’t know.
“Yes. I would like to decline. I want to graduate properly from this school.”
I replied and took a sip of tea, letting the leaves’ aroma fill my mouth perfectly. Wow, this tea is surprisingly good. You’d think someone like the vice principal would always drink what he brews for himself instead of serving others.
…He could either be someone who loves tea enough to brew it for himself often or someone diligent who doesn’t make others do such tasks. Going by his brewing skills, he leans more toward the former.
Since I started using this body, my heightened sense of smell allowed me to appreciate the rich scent of black tea without shortage. Well, I can’t distinguish between different types of teas, though.
Chuckle, chuckle.
If it weren’t for that laugh, I might have gotten drawn in more.
Is she laughing on purpose? Hm, probably not. You can’t easily fake the sound of laughter. Some laugh heartily while others produce a wheezing sound.
And what could you gain by faking such a sneaky laugh? If you’re trying to curry favor, it’s bound to look terribly suspicious.
…And being a vice principal while attracting that kind of misunderstanding could mean either hard work or an exceptional ability strong enough to withstand all those misinterpretations, right?
As long as there’s no potion or magic in this tea I drank, the vice principal’s choice to serve us tea was a remarkable one. Just one cup was enough to get me thinking like this, especially.
“Looks like the tea suits your taste?”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
“Ha-ha, that’s good to hear.”
…This guy really should practice smiling with his mouth open a bit more.
“Now, back to the main topic…”
The vice principal cleared his throat and continued.
“May I ask why you declined early graduation?”
His tone was soft like a teacher calmly inquiring, but the slight scratchiness in his voice made it less so. Perhaps he didn’t mean to convey anything in particular.
“I am affiliated with the Church. I was accepted into this academy thanks to a recommendation letter from the Church. Since I entered on good will, I can’t arbitrarily toss aside that favor and stop my studies. Also, regarding hero registration afterward, I don’t know if I can manage the responsibilities as a saintess within the Church once I graduate.”
Of course, I never intended to rot in the Church for life, and I had plans to escape somehow in five years… However, putting aside thoughts on how to escape for now, the best card I had at hand was the Church.
Besides, there’s not a single lie in what I said. Even if I plan to escape in five years, St. Ariel Academy offers a three-year program. After graduating, I would still have to work for the Church for another two years, so it’s not a lie at all.
“Hmm.”
However, the vice principal’s expression didn’t look favorable after hearing my explanation.
In fact, looking back at all the expressions he’d made so far, none of them seemed positive. Even his “smiling” face didn’t look like he was happy but rather like he was mocking or forcing a grin.
Whether it was genuine derision or simply a result of his appearance, it was impossible to confirm unless I could delve into his brain. Regardless of how I thought, I kept hitting blind spots; it would be more apt to call him a master of poker face… or perhaps just someone with a very poker-faced face.
Adding my personal opinion, honestly, it seemed like there’d be more disadvantages than benefits.
Just looking at it now, Linea and Aurora were tense as can be.
If you make your conversation partner feel on edge like that, even a simple discussion ends up becoming a tangled mess.
“Ms. Anderson, there’s no need to be too caught up in religion.”
The vice principal leaned slightly toward me in his seat. He probably thought he looked serious while doing so.
The expression of someone plotting like a villain went, “You don’t need to see a specific religion or ideology as the truth at such a young age. Especially someone like you, Ms. Anderson, with exceptional abilities, should think of various possibilities rather than being bound to predetermined paths. Your future is yours to decide. If someone else has laid out a future for you, it’s probably not a path for you.”
And then he flashed a grin. Hmm… did he think he was genuinely smiling?
Listening to the vice principal’s surprisingly reasonable words, I couldn’t help but admire him a bit. Yeah, all the characters that had appeared so far to sway or threaten me had been overly blunt in their manners. It wouldn’t work to say something like ‘If you don’t come this way, you’ll be in big trouble’ to someone who speaks to God.
Rather, pretending to benefit the other side while gradually forming trust and then taking them apart was more effective. Although it might be less efficient, if the other party really believes they need to be on my side, then some sort of approach is necessary.
If the vice principal was saying this to persuade me, then his choice was excellent.
The problem was whether his intention was personal or aligned with the goals of the organization he belonged to or if he was genuinely offering mentorship to a bright young person; it’s impossible to judge based on appearance.
So, what should I say? Yeah. It was impossible to get swindled. Listening made me start doubting everything from the get-go.
If someone were tricked while talking to the vice principal, it would be less about being deceived by him and more about repeatedly doubting their own heart.
“However, I owe a debt to the Church. I want to repay the grace of the Church that took me in when I had no family.”
Upon hearing my voice, the vice principal seemed to adopt a mocking expression. Hm… or perhaps it was a bitter one.
“Of course, the Church does a lot for society. They handle everything from the detailed aspects of health and welfare that local and central governments often overlook. However, that’s a duty society has as a society. Just because you are an orphan doesn’t mean you have to live like a lesser person, nor should you feel obligated to repay that help.”
The vice principal nodded slowly to himself.
“Yes, just like the students who graduate from this academy. Heroes don’t work expecting anything in return from people. Simply having the desire for many people to live peacefully is the heart of a hero.”
Then he slowly straightened his back and leaned back into his chair, pulling one corner of his lips up.
…Perhaps I should seriously consider advising someone on how to not display such expressions when making good points, or else people might misunderstand the intent completely.
“But yes, of course, not everyone can live with that mindset. I know that too. If someone does something for you, you want something back in return, and if there’s truly no compensation, no one would bother doing that. Therefore, we teach those who help us how to be grateful. It’s essential to engrain in our hearts from childhood why we should be thankful and why we should support those people. In this world, it’s necessary.”
If there are no heroes sacrificing their lives for work, the world might collapse. If being a hero isn’t deemed a “desired profession,” people might be swarming with super-powered villains. A strong legal system is necessary for societal maintenance, but the attitudes of citizens who uphold that society are just as critical—and it’s impossible to control all those attitudes with laws.
So, the vice principal was speaking about the moral norms of this world.
After taking a sip of tea to wet his throat, the vice principal said,
“However, even so, that only pertains to individual relationships. Wanting to be a hero out of a desire to help others, wanting to support and aid such heroes, or wanting to become one—those thoughts all belong to individuals that compose society.
But when the conversation shifts to society versus the individual—
Of course, there are humanitarian reasons behind why society takes in orphans, and in the case of the Church, there might also be religious motivations. But ‘society’ never acts purely out of humanitarian or religious intentions.
There are clear social benefits arising from taking in orphans. If we leave orphans unsupported, as they grow up, they are less likely to adapt properly to society and are at a higher risk of falling into the darker side of social life. By preventing that possibility in advance, we gain the advantage of making them grow as followers of the Church’s faith.
If you believe you owe a debt to the Church, I’d like to say that everything you’ve done until now has already more than repaid that debt. While it’s great to feel grateful to the organization that helped you, there’s no need to feel obligated to repay it.”
—And thus, he delivered a lengthy speech.
“…Uh…”
I didn’t think everything the vice principal said was entirely rational. Of course, I don’t believe it’s necessary for people to be thankful to societal systems; however, I do think it’s quite natural to express gratitude towards the people who make that system operational.
The same goes for heroes. In a world where heroes and heroines exist, while there’s no reason to praise the registration system, one can still be grateful to individual heroes even if they don’t Thank the Church as a whole, as they might feel grateful for the Mother Superior or the guiding priest who raised them in their childhood.
…Could this person be an anarchist beneath that appearance?
I thought he was aligned with the central government, but that notion might not hold true.
“But about that hero registration after graduation…”
I wondered just in case,
“Hmm?”
The vice principal cocked his head.
“When I asked the homeroom teacher, she mentioned that there was a suggestion for hero registration after early graduation.”
As I clarified, the vice principal’s brow furrowed slightly.
“You’re referring to Ms. Seo-A, your homeroom teacher, right?”
“Yes…”
What’s this?
Did I say something I shouldn’t have? Maybe I revealed something off-limits?
The vice principal raised his right hand and rubbed his smooth head, lost in thought before responding.
“…I’ll have to ask Ms. Seo-A about that matter, but personally, I’ve never discussed hero registration. There seems to have been some misunderstanding… I’ll check with Ms. Seo-A regarding that.”
He had a serious expression on, like a dictator of a galactic empire who just lost a space colony.
“Um, uh…”
Cold sweat trickled down my back for unintentionally putting Seo-A in a bind.
“What I just said about the Church also applies to the government.”
The vice principal, looking slightly flustered, replied.
“You, Ms. Anderson, are still too young to be bound by something. Of course, there are those who chose the path of a hero from a young age. I have no intention of belittling those noble souls. However, as the vice principal teaching students, I want to help students see more and choose the path they truly desire so that they can live without regrets.”
Listening to those words, both Aurora and Linea stared at the vice principal wide-eyed.
“If you decide on a lifelong path at too early an age, it could end up narrowing your vision.”
The vice principal then wickedly smiled, receiving our gazes.
“I never offered the path of a hero to Ms. Anderson. I did draft an official document stating that I would write a recommendation letter for Ms. Anderson upon early graduation. I wanted to help Ms. Anderson utilize her talents as quickly as possible by writing her recommendations to her preferred university and program.”
…..
Oh wow.
Hearing those words from the vice principal, I had a slight epiphany.
“…I understand. I’ll think seriously about early graduation again.”
I expressed my thoughts and lowered my head.
“Thank you.”
The vice principal also gave a slight nod in response.
“However, I would like to ask you something.”
“Feel free to ask anything.”
“What method did you use to convey that to your homeroom teacher? Did you meet her in person to tell her?”
“Such matters shouldn’t just be conveyed verbally. Everything must be thoroughly documented and forwarded; whether approved or declined, it all needs to be recorded. After all, the students’ futures are at stake; it can’t simply be glossed over without any documentation.”
“…One more thing, may I ask?”
“Of course.”
Calmly replying while sipping tea, I more directly probed the vice principal.
“Where did the discussion about early graduation actually originate?”
I didn’t think it originated directly from the vice principal. This was my first proper conversation with him. Even if my stories were swirling in the news and I was regarded as a significant religious symbol, it wouldn’t mean I was notably bright enough to start a discussion about early graduation. If something came up within the school itself, it would somewhat suit the student council president.
It probably seeped in from outside the school.
“A few national universities made suggestions. They wish to nurture your talents. All of them are well-known universities with impressive faculty and diverse majors. I thought it would be the best opportunity for you, Ms. Anderson.”
Upon hearing that, I paused for a moment to think and then responded.
“…I see. Thank you.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you.”
In response to my gratitude, the vice principal offered a rather cowardly-looking smile.
*
“…The vice principal is a nice person.”
As we left the vice principal’s office, Aurora clasped her hands together and sparkled with bright eyes.
“Yes, it seems so.”
He was the exact opposite of what he looked like.
To be honest, I could understand how he attained the vice principal position. As we talked, one could easily overlook appearances; the vice principal’s strong educational philosophy was evident. He clearly must have excelled to rise through the ranks.
“However, that doesn’t mean I can just follow the vice principal’s words blindly.”
“…That’s true.”
Though the vice principal was certainly capable, he seemed clueless about the politics at play. While he seemingly held a firm belief regarding the individual-society relationship, that alone wouldn’t inform him about the ongoing power struggles surrounding me between the Church and the government.
The talk about early graduation this time also emanated from outside.
‘National’ universities, huh…
And it wasn’t just the vice principal; the homeroom teacher, Seo-A, seemed to be in on it too.
…What on earth? It’s only been a short time since school resumed, and they’re already pulling these annoying tricks.
Even more so, it’s coming from within the school.
I’ll definitely catch the culprits and give them a piece of my mind.
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