I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 35 – Beginning (3)

Gallimard’s written exams are infamous for their brutal difficulty.

First of all, the scope is absurdly broad.

It covers everything from ancient texts to extreme magical formulas, dismantling and reconstructing circuits… and in the worst cases, even the latest papers from the Magic Tower.

They cram an overwhelming amount of information into the exam, making you question if this is even allowed.

And that’s not all.

The level of difficulty makes you want to curse.

For most students, filling out even half of the exam sheet is impossible, as the questions require advanced thinking and creativity.

You can feel the malice of the professors in every drop of ink.

Some students can’t hold back and end up crying in the middle of the exam.

It’s hell, to put it bluntly.

In such an exam, achieving good grades—let alone second place—was something that deserved applause.

After all, out of countless students, coming in second was an impressive feat.

I was more than ready to congratulate her in style.

“Lady Vanity.”

“…”

“Lady Vanity.”

“…”

“Second place is still a remarkable achievement.”

“I told you to stop. If you say it one more time, I’ll be genuinely mad…”

“Second place is still a remarkable achievement.”

“…”

If it weren’t Emilia, that is.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop mocking me?”

The villainess was trembling with frustration, her expression filled with rage.

It seemed the endless teasing had clouded her rationality, to the point that even her usual dignified speech was falling apart.

Was she really that upset?

She looked pitiable, trying to hold back from raising her voice, glancing around anxiously to avoid drawing attention.

I beamed at her brightly.

‘This kind of reaction is amusing in its own way.’

This is what dopamine feels like.

I had been trying to hold back recently, but my natural instinct to stir up trouble was rearing its head again.

There was something irresistibly satisfying about her reactions.

“I didn’t realize Lady Vanity disliked it so much. I apologize.”

“…It’s fine. Whatever.”

“I didn’t realize Lady Vanity disliked it so much. I apologize.”

“How long are you planning to keep this up?”

She gritted her teeth as she asked.

Honestly, wasn’t this Emilia’s fault?

Giving such a delicious reaction was basically inviting me to tease her.

If she didn’t want this, she should’ve come in first place.

The joy of such moments filled me with happiness.

With the smile of an innocent child, I continued my victory dance aimed at the defeated.

The world is still beautiful.

Maybe I’ll live a little longer.

“Do you seriously enjoy this…?”

“Yes, it’s fun.”

“….”

“Yes, it’s fun.”

“Enough already…!”

Emilia seethed, trying to contain her fury.

While I continued my enthusiastic dance, a pink-haired creature timidly peeked into view.

It was Regia.

“U-umm.”

She hesitated for a moment, but then, with a look of determination, she spoke up.

Her green eyes trembled slightly.

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“U-Um… L-Lady Vanity.”

“What do you want now?”

“Eek…!”

“Are you, a mere commoner and failure, here to mock me too?”

“N-No! I-I just…”

Perhaps it was her sharp retort, but Regia’s shoulders immediately shrank.

Her voice wavered as if on the verge of tears, but even so, Regia stammered on, trying to convey her thoughts.

“I-I just… wanted to say I thought Lady Vanity was really cool…”

“…What?”

“Th-The written exam… It was way too hard for me, but coming in second place is just… so impressive.”

Her words were pure praise.

“I just think it’s so amazing… and I wanted to say I admired you. I’m sorry if I’m out of line!”

“…”

At Regia’s sincere compliment, Emilia faltered.

For a moment, she froze, then her lips twitched.

“H-Hmph.”

She tried to clear her throat and act nonchalant, but she couldn’t hide the growing smile on her face.

She muttered softly.

“Is that so?”

“Yes! I knew Lady Vanity was amazing all along…!”

“H-Hmph… I thought you were just an incompetent nobody, but you’ve got a good eye, it seems.”

“I really respect you!”

“H-Hmph!”

A smile crept out, despite her efforts to suppress it.

The once hostile atmosphere vanished, replaced by a strangely smug expression on her face.

‘What a pushover.’

Was it because she was starved for affection?

She crumbled so easily under the weight of a few compliments.

Coming from someone she’d been wary of, the praise must have felt that much more satisfying.

At this rate, she’d be wrapped around the protagonist’s finger in no time.

‘If only she had been like this in the original.’

This kind of situation would’ve never happened in the original story.

Because of the trauma Emilia had, Regia always avoided her.

And even if they did cross paths, it always ended with Regia being bullied.

‘This is much better.’

I much preferred this version of events.

Rather than them tormenting, envying, and hating each other… I liked seeing them smile like this.

A faint smile spread across my lips.

As I basked in the serenity, I spoke up.

“Lady Vanity.”

“What now?”

“I see you’re feeling better.”

“It’s your fault in the first place.”

“Oh~ I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…Annoying.”

“Thank you.”

“….”

Emilia clenched her fists in frustration.

She was seriously considering punching me at this point, her eyes said as much.

I hurriedly changed the topic.

“By the way… you all realize this is just the beginning, right?”

I was referring to the midterm exams.

Sure, the written part was important, but the practical test accounted for the majority of the grade.

The real test was about to begin.

“With three of the top students in our group… the difficulty of our assigned test will likely be extreme.”

“Wh-What should we do? Can we even manage this?”

“Hmph. A mere test is nothing.”

“It’s not wise to be overconfident, Lady Vanity.”

This exam, in particular, was going to be tough.

Since it was the precursor to a major storyline event, it was best to approach it with caution.

I rallied my teammates.

“Shall we all give it our best?”

“The practical exam is already tomorrow… Please don’t drag me down.”

“I-I’ll do my best!”

“Hehe, I’ll be sure to give it my all too.”

We all exchanged words of encouragement.

Each of us prepared ourselves for the exam that awaited us the next day.

***

That night.

Regia couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed.

“….”

Even though she had spent the entire day frantically focusing on the written exam, sleep eluded her.

Perhaps it was the anxiety making her feel wide awake.

She gently placed her hand over her chest.

Thump thump thump thump-!

Her heart was pounding unusually hard.

Her chest rose and fell with her shallow breaths, her pink hair glowing softly in the dim light.

Regia murmured quietly.

“…Will I really be able to do well?”

A question she asked herself.

Her voice was tinged with doubt.

“I don’t want to be a burden… even if I can’t be of help.”

She was able to summon powerful creatures.

But whenever her emotions became unstable, the summoning would fail.

Just like it had during the placement test.

Regia was worried.

Worried that she’d cause trouble.

Worried that she wouldn’t be able to live up to the trust that had been placed in her.

She bit her lip gently.

‘Lord Snakes.’

The only person who called her a friend.

He had offered his hand without hesitation for this exam, suggesting they form a team together.

Her heavy heart churned with conflicting emotions.

“…Why would someone like him choose someone useless like me?”

He had already witnessed her failure in the last exam.

Her inability to summon properly—he had seen just how pathetic she was.

And yet, he trusted her again.

-Because I believe in you, Miss Regia.

That was how he had answered when she asked why he’d chosen her as a teammate.

Without the slightest hesitation.

“I don’t understand.”

She couldn’t comprehend it.

Why would you—

Why would you trust me, when I can’t even trust myself?

The sincerity of his belief weighed on her.

“…But I don’t want to disappoint you.”

She whispered softly to herself.

With effort, she closed her eyes.

Unaware of the horrors awaiting her tomorrow, she merely sought sleep.

The quiet darkness of the night enveloped her.

***

And then, the next day.

The day of the long-awaited practical exam arrived.

Early in the morning, we gathered at the designated area to listen to the instructions for the test.

It was a teleportation zone inscribed with magical symbols.

“As previously announced, the exam will proceed as follows.”

The snake, the pilot, and the vain noble.

In front of us stood a woman with decadent purple hair.

It was Selena, the supervisor for this midterm.

With a blank expression, she gazed at us.

Her crimson eyes were laced with fatigue.

After standing there silently for a moment, she took a swig from the bottle she held, then continued explaining.

As expected, she was a terrible drunk.

“The exam will involve subjugating monsters.”

A magic circle was prepared before you.

It was a magic circle combining spatial, illusion, and dimensional magic, and when you step on it, it will transport you to a specific location.

In that location, monsters of varying levels will be waiting for each group.

Once you clear the designated area, the exam will end.

“You don’t need to worry about your safety.”

There will be safety personnel standing by.

If any severe injuries occur, the test will end immediately, and you’ll be brought back.

Additionally.

You won’t know what kind of terrain awaits you.

Ruins, forests, oceans, caves… You’ll need to adapt quickly and navigate through the challenges.

That concludes the explanation of the exam.

“Any questions?”

Selena casually asked.

Since we already knew the details, we all shook our heads quietly.

With that, she opened a booklet.

“Well then, let’s begin.”

Her voice announced the start.

Tap.

I calmly stepped forward.

The magical circle glowed softly beneath my feet.

As mana surged around us, I turned to the girls standing next to me and spoke with a meaningful smile.

“Miss Regia. Lady Vanity.”

“Y-Yes?”

“What is it now?”

“I just wanted to offer you a word of advice.”

It was a bit of a precaution.

I didn’t want them to be too shocked by what was about to happen.

“Whatever you’re about to see, please try not to be too surprised.”

A sudden, cryptic warning.

Both girls looked at me with puzzled expressions, but I paid them no mind as I took the final step.

We stood in the center of the magic circle.

Then—

Rumble…!

The mana surrounding us began to surge violently.

As the stored magic activated, blue light flashed around us, illuminating the space in a dazzling display.

Just as our bodies were about to blink out of existence.

Crackle-!

A strange sound rippled through the air.

Like the crackling of sparks, the noise flickered a few more times, then grew uncontrollable.

The originally blue magic circle turned blood red.

“…?!”

“…!!”

Crackle-!!

Dark red shards erupted in all directions.

The mana fragments violently tore through the air like a storm, disrupting everything around us.

We stood in the center of the chaos.

“The magic circle…?!”

“W-Wait, what’s happening…!”

“Kyaa! L-Lord Snakes…!”

“Hehe.”

While Selena, Emilia, and Regia were all panicking, I smiled calmly.

It was starting.

“Shall we go?”

Snap!

With those final words, the world went dark.

And we were flung into the unknown.

To where terrible monsters awaited.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]