Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 137  Trip.

'I am bored.'

The gentle afternoon light of the spring warmed my body as I grumbled in my head while running through the training ground.

"Huff, huff..."

Beside me was a boy who was huffing his lungs out.

His posture, his breathing—everything was a mess as he barely kept up with me.

"Are you serious, man?" I spat, glaring at him and hitting his back with the back of my hand. "Keep yourself steady. It's only been an hour."

"Huff... Why are you torturing me!?" he yelled between ragged breaths, an agonized look on his face.

"I'm helping you become fit," I calmly replied, looking at his face. "Just think how many girls will be after you when you become handsome."

"Huff... Haaah!!"

He dashed faster with whatever energy he had left, as if running away from me.

[Why all of a sudden?]

'No particular reason.'

Shrugging, I replied as I looked at Chubby.

[Don't lie. It's definitely because he was boasting about how good his mother's food tastes, isn't it?]

'.....'

Okay, that might have influenced my decision to train him, but that's definitely not the real reason.

[It's fine; even I would have snapped if someone kept mentioning things that I could never have.]

'Hey, at least I can taste now.'

[From someone else's hands... Without her, it will remain the same.]

'...'

[You're not planning for her to always feed you, right?]

'....No, I can't be too dependent on her.'

[That's good to hear.]

'What does fried chicken taste like?'

[... Spicy?]

'I want to try it sometime.'

"Hey Chubby, when are you going to invite me to your home!?" I yelled as he dashed faster.

"Huh? Why?" he questioned back, slowing down.

"Just wondering," I shrugged nonchalantly.

...I seriously want to confirm if that woman is real or not.

I mean, with how Chubby looks, how can she be so—Ahmm, I don't know how to say it.

[....Beautiful]

'Right, beautiful!'

"How about next month?" he replied vaguely, as he sat on the ground.

"Really!"

[Stop being so excited.]

"I mean, really?" I asked, looking at him.

"....Sure," he replied, his eyes narrowing.

[Since when did you start liking older women?]

'I don't like them. Maybe it's because I merged with Inder... Blame him.'

[You both are the same, but yeah, whatever.]

...Older women.

'That makes me wonder how things ended in the prequel game in this world.'

...I'm itching to know how many women Ragnar ended up with before 'dying.'

Did things happen the same as in the game, or was there someone like me who changed everything?

[How many women did he have in the game?]

'Best case, five.' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

[Wow, what a scumbag.]

'I agree, I agree.'

I vigorously nodded my head, earning a confused look from Chubby.

[You're the last person to judge him.]

'Hmm, what?'

Why are you salty?

[Nothing.]

'Anyway, I hope that motherfucker died a virgin.'

But then again, knowing the game, that's just wishful thinking.

[Why do you even hate him?]

'That fucker is just way too handsome.'

[Again, you're the last one who should hate him for that.]

'Come on, I got rejected just a few days ago.'

I'm not that handsome.

[.....]

"Could you please stop staring at me so intently?" Chubby asked meekly, a slight blush on his face.

"..."

"Arghh... Cough."

Without thinking, I kicked his bulging stomach, making him scream in pain.

[Explain this.]

'...Shut up.'

I grimaced as I turned around, walking away.

"Where are you going? We have classes now!!" Chubby shouted from behind.

"Which class?" I asked, turning back.

"Professor Daphne's," he replied as he stood up.

"I won't be attending that," I replied as I moved toward the main building, where the principal's office was.

I don't have a problem skipping classes as long as it's not Lauryn's class.

[Come to think of it, hasn't she become a little too aggressive?]

"... Right."

I mumbled, looking at the empty garden between the two buildings.

For some time now, Lauryn has become increasingly aggressive, like every small thing has started to irritate her.

Even in class, she throws students out for every small mistake.

"She wasn't like that before," I mumbled, walking through the hallway.

At least toward the other students, she wasn't this petty.

'...Hmm, what actually happened to her?'

I wondered, standing in front of a door before rapping my knuckles twice on it.

"Come in."

A tired and aged voice came from inside. I opened the door and walked in.

His office was still the same, with books and documents all around the place.

"What brings you here, student Azariah?" Glancing up, Nathan asked, his voice filled with fatigue.

"You all right, old man?" I asked as I sat opposite him.

"Aren't you being too casual?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Cut me some slack," I replied, shrugging my shoulders and leaning back in the chair. "I almost died because of your poor management."

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to go through that." He let out a tired sigh as he earnestly apologized.

"It's fine," I replied, not being too bothered, before asking curiously, "Anyway, where were you during the competition?"

"..."

He silently observed me without saying a word.

He kept looking at me until it started to make me uncomfortable before he replied, "...I got a clue about who killed my daughter."

"I see," I mumbled softly, looking at him. "But isn't that quite coincidental?"

He nodded with a thoughtful look, "I was thinking the same... The timing of the attack and the clue are somehow linked."

...Okay, this much should be enough.

Hopefully, he can connect the dots.

"Is your wife not waiting at home...." My words trailed off at the end as he flinched slightly.

His gaze fell as he softly replied, rubbing his temples, "...She isn't home now."

[You already know that, right?]

'Yeah.'

[Then—]

"Was she important?" I asked gently, ignoring El while tapping on the chair I sat on.

"...She was a princess," he replied, his lips curling up in a sad smile, "...An idiot princess."

"Makes me wonder if your daughter had a child, wouldn't she be quite important?" I asked jokingly, which made him chuckle.

"She would have been," he nodded as he leaned back in his chair.

"I see," I mumbled, not saying anything else.

We both sat in silence as he reminisced about his past, vacantly looking at the ceiling.

"Right, I should tell you this," he snapped back after a while. "You guys are going on a trip."

"Huh?" I asked, frowning. "Someone just attacked the academy students, and you planned a trip now?"

"It's not in my hands, brat," he grumbled in frustration. "Due to the pact between the two empires and kingdom, we have to do this."

"Did the church order this?" I asked curiously.

There wasn't any mention of this in the game.

So, it's new information for me.

"They did," he replied, nodding. "From what I was told, students from different academies will visit each other's lands."

"So, we're going out of the empire?" I asked, and he nodded.

"To show their sincerity, they're sending high-ranking nobles—"

"And we're going to do the same, right?"

"Yes," he nodded gently. "It's a direct order from the emperor, and if you're wondering, then yes, he asked your mother, and she allowed it."

"So... Where are we going then?" I asked, leaning back in the chair until I felt comfortable.

"Mizraim Empire."

....Same as the game.

'Hmm, then there shouldn't be any problem.'

The whole event was just for fun; nothing serious happened in the game.

It ended with Ethan having a fight with Keegan and Lucas over all the pent-up frustration.

And, of course, he won against both of them.

And around this time, I had already given up on living, so I didn't join the event.

'...I just hope nothing happens.'

[... Don't jinx it.]

'...Fuck!!'

"Anyway, do you know anything about Andarnaur?" I asked, sitting up with curiosity.

"Yeah," he affirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"...Can you tell me everything about him?" I eagerly asked, my voice a little excited.

Finally, I could know the proper backstory about him.

"Hmm, instead of me explaining it, why don't you go to the library?" he mumbled, taking out a paper before writing down something. "Here's the name of the book."

"It's in the library?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"Yes."

Damn, I didn't know that.

"And you should know that Andarnaur took his last breath in the Mizraim Empire." Passing the paper, he replied, "You'll get some clues about him if you search."

"Thanks, old man," I replied as I stood up from the seat.

"Don't call me old man," he grumbled as I turned around and walked out.

Wait....

Just as I took a few steps, I halted, looking back at him. "Why are you helping me so much?"

Isn't his behavior weird?

He told me everything I asked.

Not even once did he get angry, even when I asked something personal.

He gave me a mysterious smile as he replied, "You'll know one day."

"...Okay," I mumbled, helping myself out.

What a weird old man.