I Am The Game's Villain

"This concludes today's class. Are there any questions?" A handsome elf with vibrant green hair and matching eyes surveyed his students with a serious demeanor. This was Gamir Teraquin, the Head Teacher of the Second Year White Class. He had been lecturing his class for four hours on the history of the kingdom.

All the professors at Trinity Eden Academy were paragons of teaching excellence. They were geniuses capable of instructing all subjects for their respective year levels, although they had their specializations. Certain subjects, like History, were taught in smaller class settings due to their complexity. It was more conducive for teachers to deliver lectures and address queries when dealing with fewer students.

"Professor." A student raised her hand, capturing Gamir's attention. It was one of the captivating twins, Elizabeth Tepes, a member of the royal Tepes family.

"Elizabeth," Gamir acknowledged.

Elizabeth stood and posed her question. "I'm somewhat confused about why the war extended for a decade. The Vampire-Witch could have triumphed over us easily, so why prolong it? Ultimately, her decision allowed the Heroines to mature and eventually defeat her."

"An excellent question. Although there's no definitive answer, the most plausible explanation is the aftermath of using a forbidden spell against Sancta Vedelia. The repercussions of such magic must have been substantial," Gamir explained.

"Well, the Great Heroes miraculously appeared just in time, didn't they?" Rodolf Moonfang, who was casually swaying in his chair with his hands interlocked behind his head, interjected with a smirk.

"I believe it's more than mere luck," Cain Redgrave, sitting beside Elizabeth, spoke up, casting a glance at Rodolf. "The protection of the Gods was with us."

"Protection? Really?" Rodolf rolled his eyes. "Then how do you explain the millions of lives lost in the Blood Moon War?"

"Seven million casualties," chimed in a poised girl, drawing everyone's attention. She was renowned for her lineage from the Teraquin House and her unique status as a Half-Elf.

Sephira Teraquin's emerald gaze momentarily met her foster father's before she lowered her eyes. "The records could contain inaccuracies, and the actual number of fatalities might have been manipulated to downplay the extent of the Vampire-Witch's power and to uphold the pride of Sancta Vedelia."

An echoing silence followed Sephira's words. The idea hadn't occurred to many of them, as their own pride hindered them from acknowledging that their forebears had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Vampire-Witch, with no ability to counter her.

Indeed, the Blood Moon War was one of the most shameful chapters in history, even in the context of the Third Great Holy War that affected the Celesta Kingdom, the Arvatra Empire, and the Redhorah Empire and nearly razed a continent.

Gamir Teraquin disregarded the silence, gathered his belongings, and departed the classroom, signifying the end of the session.

The chatter started as the students started to leave the classroom.

"..." Sephira glanced at her departing foster father with a hard to read expression but her clenched fists was the proof of her swirling emotions inside her.

"Are you alright, Sephira?" Elizabeth approached, her black shoulder bag slung diagonally across her shoulder.

Sephira glanced at Elizabeth's friendly face and nodded. "I'm fine."

Despite their striking resemblance due to their shared lineage, Sephira couldn't help but notice the distinct difference in the warmth of Elizabeth's expression compared to Selene's.

Elizabeth looked at Sephira hesitantly before asking, "Did Alvara or Allen say anything to you?"

Sephira's body twitched involuntarily at Elizabeth's question. Without providing an answer, she swiftly gathered her belongings and left the room with brisk steps.

"Quit bouncing around like a monkey, Rodolf!"

Turning to her right, Elizabeth spotted Amelia Dolphis, a childhood acquaintance, reprimanding Rodolf. He had been hopping from one table to another, seemingly in a rush to leave the room.

"Shut it, Amelia. Cylien's close by—I can smell her," Rodolf retorted with a predatory grin.

"You're like a dog. It's creepy," Amelia sighed in exasperation. "By the way, I'm the one who called her," she added, departing from the classroom.

"Cylien?" Intrigued, Elizabeth followed Amelia outside.

...

"Cylien! What a surprise," Rodolf chimed in with his signature grin as he approached Cylien, who was accompanied by Celeste.

"Dream on, Rodolf. She didn't come here for you," Celeste playfully wagged her index finger at him.

"I came for Amelia, unfortunately," Cylien responded with a polite smile.

"Forget Amelia for a moment," Rodolf advanced a step, drawing closer to Cylien. His face neared hers, causing Cylien to instinctively tilt her head back at the abrupt proximity. "How about a face-to-face date, just the two of us?" Rodolf proposed, trying to maintain a semblance of modesty, despite the enticing fragrance of Cylien that overwhelmed his heightened senses.

"Hey!" Celeste intervened, attempting to push Rodolf away with her hands, but he clearly overpowered her in strength.

"You can't keep evading me forever, Cylien," Rodolf's bright yellow eyes bore into Cylien's face, leaving her visibly surprised.

Cylien regarded Rodolf for a moment before letting out a sigh, accompanied by a wry smile. She took a step back. "Fine, Rodolf. I'll agree to go on a date with you. You can handle the planning."

Rodolf's grin widened, victorious after his year-long pursuit. "You'll see what a true alpha male is, Cylien," he exclaimed before turning and departing.

"Are you certain about this, Cylien?" Celeste inquired, still taken aback by Cylien's acceptance after a year of resistance. "If he's pressuring you, just tell me—I'll take care of him!" Celeste added, tilting her head slightly, her beautiful whitish-blue side-braid swinging gently.

Cylien chuckled at Celeste's words. "Don't worry, Celes. And who knows, maybe it could work out?"

"With Rodolf?" Celeste winced.

"Ah, my apologies, Cylien!" Amelia clasped her hands together in a gesture of contrition. "I should have met you outside the Academy!"

"I'll grant you my forgiveness, Amelia. But be wary for next time," Cylien responded with a mockingly haughty tone.

"That sounded like something Alvara would say," Elizabeth remarked with a smile.

The attention of the three girls shifted to Elizabeth.

"Oh, Amaya! We didn't get to chat properly yesterday. We're in different classes again," Celeste chimed in, extending a friendly smile.

"And I'm with Amelia again," Elizabeth added with a wry grin, adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag with both hands.

"Am I a nuisance, Miss Elizabeth?" Amelia inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all, Miss Amelia," Elizabeth replied playfully.

"How about joining us, Amaya?" Celeste asked, smiling and grasping Elizabeth's hands. "We're going shopping!"

"Shopping?" Elizabeth tilted her head curiously.

"Yes, indeed. Amelia's friend is probably waiting for us already," Cylien interjected.

"Ahh..." Elizabeth offered an apologetic smile, shaking her head slightly. "I'm sorry, I'll have to pass today."

Celeste displayed a disappointed expression but quickly replaced it with a smile. "Next time then."

"I promise," Elizabeth assured, then asked another question. "Do any of you know where I could find my sister?"

"Selene? She's with Victor in the library. I think they're reviewing today's class," Cylien replied with a knowing smile.

"My dear sister... just as I expected," Elizabeth shook her head with exasperation, then waved to her friends before heading off.

"In that case, it's just the three of us," Amelia said.

"Let's make a swift exit. Things are getting a bit uncomfortable here..." Cylien suggested with a slightly awkward smile, noticing the increasing attention they were drawing. The sight of four strikingly beautiful young women, moments ago laughing and joking, was now a focal point for many curious eyes.

Amelia agreed, adding, "I've already arranged for the car; it's waiting in the parking lot outside."

Celeste chimed in, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Did you at least inform your parents?"

Both Cylien and Amelia responded with identical expressions of confusion, speaking in unison, "It should be my line."

This left Celeste rather embarrassed. "Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, playfully shoving her friends forward to urge them to move on, away from the gathering crowd in the corridor.

….

A few meters away, concealed behind a classroom door, a tuft of black hair peeked out as Edward observed their interaction.

"It seems like everything's fine," Edward remarked with a grin.

"Amelia and Cylien being this close is unusual, and it's the same with them," John next to him muttered, his curiosity piqued.

"Remember, the Game has various scenarios," Edward replied.

"I highly doubt in the Game, you're eyeing Amelia Dolphis with such intensity," John remarked dryly.

Edward winced slightly at John's words. "She's the one being manipulated, so it's only natural I'm keeping a close watch on her."

"Calling it 'keeping a close watch' is enough to make Layla set sail for here," John retorted, giving Edward a pointed look.

"Shut the fuck up then."

"In your dreams."