I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 63 – Seizing Control (1)

[EP???. How to Cross a Desert]

- The Door that Opens in the Sky, The Boy Who Walks Among the Stars -

A fairy tale that was long, if long, and short, if short, had come to an end.

What remained afterward was a brief moment of contemplation.

After standing in a daze for a while, we soon began walking back toward the dormitory.

The time of day had already shifted into the dark of evening.

Whiii—

A sudden gust of wind.

The academy's scenery remained completely unchanged.

Even though we had spent ten days inside the book, it seemed only a short time had passed in reality.

At most, perhaps a few hours had gone by.

'Everything's back to normal.'

The shoes covered in sand, the clothes stained with the blood of scorpions, even the loosened tie—it had all returned to the way it was before we left.

As if every scene had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.

Only the vivid memories lingered in our minds.

The story of a boy, old and older still, who had set out on a long journey to meet a girl.

'I wonder if they met.'

I found myself gazing up at the sky.

Stars twinkled in the pitch-black backdrop.

Among those countless stars, I was certain that the two of them were living together on one of them.

As I wandered through the starlight, on the verge of pouring down from the sky, a faint smile crept onto my lips.

'I hope they arrived safely.'

Had they succeeded in their reunion?

Had the boy swum through the vast sky and finally reached the girl?

There was no way for us to know.

But imagining them in each other's embrace, the stars seemed to smile back at us.

On the contrary, if we imagined they had failed, the stars seemed to well up with tears.

The world changes entirely depending on what we choose to believe.

I still believed that the night sky was beautiful.

"…"

As I walked, lost in thought for some time, a voice suddenly broke the silence from beside me.

It was none other than Regia.

"…It really feels like I just woke up from a dream."

"It was certainly an unbelievable experience."

"I doubt anyone would believe us."

"It'll remain just a memory between the two of us."

"Yeah."

Her voice stretched out softly.

The pink-haired girl murmured as though she were reflecting on a particular moment.

"I feel like I learned a lot."

It seemed she had gained some insights from this journey.

Her expression was unusually serious.

I let out a faint smile.

'That's a relief.'

As long as it had helped the protagonist grow, I was satisfied.

After all, this journey had been prepared for that very reason.

I hoped she would continue to grow, without straying off course.

As I quietly savored my pleasant thoughts, I gently held out my hand toward the girl.

"Miss Regia."

"Yes?"

"Could you give me your hand for a moment?"

"Wh-What? All of a sudden…?"

Regia tilted her head in confusion, but she soon obediently extended her hand.

Carefully, I placed my hand over her pale skin.

"Y-Your Highness…?"

"We did go on a date, didn't we? Even though we got caught up in something strange midway."

Warmth spread between our hands.

Through her transparent pupils, only the blond boy was reflected.

As the protagonist stood there frozen, holding her breath, I showed her what I had been hiding in my hand.

It was a ring, shimmering with a green hue.

"It's a gift."

One of the two rewards that had dropped from the latest episode.

Since we had tackled the episode together, and since she had carried us through the latter half on her own, this reward rightfully belonged to her.

But receiving it this way would feel far more special.

And, honestly, explaining the whole thing would be a hassle.

It was much easier to say that I had picked it out for her as a gift.

Plus, it would be a good way to earn some favor from our protagonist.

With shameless ease, I told my little lie and slipped the ring onto her slender finger.

"I chose this after much thought, so I hope you like it."

The ring fit perfectly on her finger, as if it had been made for her.

Regia stood there, dazed for a moment, before stammering in confusion.

"Y-Your Highness? Wh-What is this…?"

"I mentioned it in the desert, didn't I? That I'd always stay by your side. You haven't forgotten already, have you?"

"I-I remember! But what does that have to do with a ring…?"

"Think of it as a symbol of that promise."

Though it looked like a simple ring, it was an incredibly powerful item.

It was one of the rarest drops, only obtainable under the lowest probability.

I guess you could say we were lucky.

The accessory, the Ring of Bonds.

It was an item that could block a single attack, no matter what kind, aimed at the player.

Though it disappeared after use, in the original work, it had even been able to withstand Judas's [Liar's] attack.

In terms of consumable items, it was considered top-tier.

"Always keep it with you. If the day ever comes when I can't keep my promise, this little friend will protect you in my place."

"B-But it looks so expensive! I can't possibly accept something like this…"

"It's fine."

I gently stroked her hair.

My voice was soft and gentle.

"You more than deserve it. After all, you're my dearest friend."

"Y-Your dearest…?"

"Please, don't refuse."

"Ugh, um…"

Regia let out a small groan before she timidly nodded her head.

Her face was flushed bright red, as always.

She shyly lowered her head, seemingly still unused to the idea of being called a "friend."

"…I-I’ll accept it gratefully."

Her voice was quiet.

She was clearly trying to keep her composure, but her fingers trembled, betraying her nerves.

Seeing such an endearing reaction, I couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.

"Haha, it’s getting late. Shall we head back now?"

"Ah… Y-Yes!"

Still holding hands, we walked side by side beneath the night sky.

***

We returned to our daily lives at the academy.

Though only two hours had passed in reality, for us, it had felt like nearly ten days.

Naturally, the academy was unchanged.

Peaceful air filled the usual routine.

"Young Master Judas!"

"Miss Regia."

I waved lightly at the girl approaching me.

"I'm late. The lecture ended later than expected."

"I'm fine! I didn’t wait long at all."

"You're such a good girl."

"Hehe…"

As I patted her head fondly, the bright expression on her face slowly melted into a softer one.

Warmth from her skin spread into my palm.

'She’s been in a good mood lately.'

If anything had changed, it was Regia.

Since our return from the desert.

The emotional distance between us had lessened considerably.

Even the way she addressed me had changed. She used to call me by my surname, but now she called me by my first name.

I think it was safe to say she had opened up to me.

She no longer showed any signs of fear when I touched her.

Now, even when I stroked her head like this, instead of running away, she quietly stood there.

It felt like taming a skittish cat, and I found it deeply satisfying.

Of course, I wasn't the only one who noticed this change.

Emilia, who had been watching us, suddenly asked, puzzled.

"Things feel different between you two… Did something happen while I wasn’t around?"

"Haha, who knows?"

"You're acting suspicious, you know."

Her blue eyes scrutinized us closely.

Before long, her gaze fixed on one particular spot.

Regia's ring finger.

"Commoner? What’s with that ring on your finger?"

"Ah, this is…"

It was the accessory I had given her.

Regia hesitated, seemingly embarrassed, before she finally confessed in a trembling voice.

"It’s a gift from Young Master Judas"

"Wh-What?"

"We made a promise a few days ago. We walked around the outer district together, and during that time, Young Master Judas gave me this as a token of his promise."

"That's right. We had a lovely date."

"D-D-Date?"

Thud.

Her pupils shook.

Frozen in place as though in shock, Emilia soon burst out with a shriek in our direction.

Her pale face was flushed with heat.

"You shameless scoundrel…!"

"Hmm?"

"You—You dare do something so indecent to me, and now you’re playing around with other girls?!"

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"You said you liked me!"

"Of course, I like you."

"Wh-What does that even…?!"

"I like both you and Miss Regia. I care for both of you equally."

Why was she getting so worked up all of a sudden?

Her glare was sharp with indignation.

To calm her down, I gently placed a hand on her blue hair.

Inadvertently, I found myself in the rather comical position of stroking both of their heads at the same time.

Was this what it felt like to be a cat mom?

"…You're the worst."

Emilia averted her gaze with a slight turn of her head.

But she didn’t pull away from my hand.

Perhaps the contract was on her mind, because she couldn’t bring herself to resist.

I let out a soft laugh.

The lively atmosphere scattered with the summer breeze.

As we enjoyed the peacefulness of the day, someone suddenly spoke up.

"Come to think of it, the school trip is just around the corner."

The school trip.

The academy event that was now only a week away.

"I should probably head to the library. I need to finish reviewing the material for the next exam before we leave."

"Can I come along too…?"

"Do as you please."

It seemed the students were intent on focusing on their studies until the trip.

"Unfortunately, I'll have to decline. I have other matters to attend to."

"O-Oh, I see…"

With just a week remaining before the school trip, if you asked what I planned to do during this short time, I already had something in mind.

"I need to meet with someone first."

I murmured to myself meaningfully.

***

A few hours later.

I was sitting alone with someone in a professor's private study.

"This is unexpected. I didn’t think you'd seek me out."

The person sitting in front of the desk was none other than Selena Drunkard.

She was the professor in charge of Class A, the class I belonged to.

Her red eyes looked directly at me.

Blinking indifferently, she absently fiddled with the bottle of alcohol in her hand.

Her long, violet hair swayed gently.

"I'm curious about your reason for coming here."

The thick scent of alcohol filled the air.

I replied calmly.

"I need you to do me a favor."

An incident had occurred during the midterm exam.

Selena owed me a personal debt.

Despite being the proctor of the exam, she hadn’t been able to prevent us from getting caught up in that accident.

As a result, she had promised us.

That while I remained enrolled at Galimard, she would grant me a single favor of my choosing.

"You’re not going to claim you don’t remember, are you?"

"Of course not."

"I heard you were stripped of your position as the Head Professor after what happened. Is everything alright?"

"It’s not a big deal."

Selena tilted the bottle of alcohol indifferently.

As if it didn’t concern her at all.

She drank for a moment before her dull red eyes flickered with interest.

"So, what’s this favor you’re asking for?"

"It’s not a difficult request."

I grinned ominously.

The time had finally come.

In the future, there would be many incidents.

In order to suppress the looming dangers, it would be necessary to seize power, even within the academy.

A power that would allow me to crush ordinary students beneath my feet.

"I want you to appoint me as the head teaching assistant."

It was time to take control of the academy.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]