I Am a Villain, So What?-Chapter 127: P2P Combat Training

"Teacher Samantha killed it."

"Ah!" Merle slapped his forehead. "The Platinum Knight Commander, Samantha? The ’Steel Rose’? That makes perfect sense. If she was there, even a Count-Rank would be sliced into sashimi."

"...."

I kept my expression neutral. It wasn’t entirely a lie. Samantha had finished off the remains, after all. Just... very small remains.

Merle, Kael, and Elisha nodded in agreement, accepting the convenient explanation. They immediately dove back into the discussion.

"If the Order of the Dawn is involved, we must be careful," Kael said, his face grave. "We need to find this demon worshipper hiding in the capital before the ritual is completed."

"Agreed," Elisha added. "But scanning the entire city for a mana signature is impossible without the Imperial Mages."

"And we can’t trust the authorities," Merle muttered.

The conversation dragged on. And on.

I leaned against the dusty shelf, checking my watch.

’Oh, wait.’

My stomach let out a quiet growl.

’Damn, I am hungry now. I want to go home.’

Lily had mentioned she was making lunch. If I stayed here listening to the Protagonist Party theorize in circles, the stew would get cold.

"We must prevent civilian casualties," Kael insisted.

"But we can’t even handle the Shadow Stalkers, Kael," Elisha countered.

"As the Lady says," Merle interjected, "Shadow Stalkers are condensed malevolent energy, closer to spirits than physical beings. One or two might be manageable, but if they unleash a wave of them, only High-Tier Holy Power can counter them."

"Then the only way is to find and kill the Summoner."

"That means we need to identify the demon summoner first."

With three serious people gathered, this talk could go on all night.

I sighed. I decided to toss out a crumb of information just to speed things up so I could leave.

"...It’s an Academy Cadet."

The room went silent. All eyes turned to me.

"What?" Kael blinked.

"I caught a glimpse earlier," I lied smoothly, recalling the original game lore. "Before the shadows attacked. A female. She was watching us from within the darkness."

Their stares screamed, ’Why are you only mentioning this now?!’ but I ignored them and continued.

"She was wearing the standard Imperial Academy uniform."

Elisha’s eyes narrowed.

"If it’s an Academy Cadet, I can identify them. The student registry is accessible to the Student Council. Did you see her face? Hair color?"

"I don’t know. I only glimpsed her figure hidden under a dark robe. But the skirt and blazer were unmistakable."

Still, it was significant progress compared to their blind guessing.

Merle raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Why wear a cadet uniform while committing murder? It only exposes their identity. A black cloak would be better."

A valid point. One only someone unfamiliar with the Academy’s secrets might miss.

"Because the cadet uniform isn’t just clothes," I explained, tapping the crest on my own chest. "It’s a specialized artifact woven with high-grade mana threads. It offers better physical and magical protection than most mercenary armor. And..."

I lowered my voice.

"In a crisis, if you overload the enchantments, it can disrupt one’s presence. It’s a built-in stealth mechanism for survival. The killer is using the school’s own gear to hide."

"Ah, I see," Merle muttered, impressed. "Smart."

I pushed myself off the shelf.

"I have given you a lead. Now, I have an urgent appointment."

"Wait, Lucien! Where are you going?" Kael called out.

"To eat," I said, opening the hidden door. "I’ll leave the detective work to you. If there’s new information, I’ll ask for it later."

I rushed out of the workshop and into the night, leaving the dumbfounded trio behind.

*****

I hurried home, dodging the few remaining patrols.

Thankfully, my fears of cold stew were unfounded. The moment I stepped through the front door, the warmth of the house embraced me.

"Oh, Master! You are back!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Lily popped her head out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She smiled brightly.

"You came at the right time. Lunch is ready!"

I slumped onto the sofa, letting out a long breath.

"Thank God."

*****

[The Next Day - Imperial Academy]

After spending a sweet weekend recovering from the tournament (and eating Lily’s cooking), Monday arrived with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

After the morning assembly, Instructor Samantha gathered Class A at the outdoor Training Grounds.

"Today is Person-to-Person Combat Training," Samantha announced, her steel gaze sweeping over us. "We have invited experienced assistant instructors from the Knight Order and the Magic Tower. You cadets will use your personal weapons. The instructors will use practice weapons."

The cadets groaned. Person-to-person training was code for "Getting beaten up by veterans."

"Nice to meet you, I’m William, an assistant instructor. Swordsman," a burly man said, stretching his neck.

"Oh my, a mage cadet. Let’s spar together," another instructor smiled ominously at a trembling student.

It was a simple but effective education. Real combat experience with immediate feedback.

"Too much force in your sword!" Clang! "Not nervous because it’s me, are you? Relax and come at me naturally!"

"My, your power is strong. But if that’s all, it’s just monotonous. You need more unpredictability!"

With a luxurious pool of talent, the classes rotated by turn. Finally, it was my turn.

"Tada! Hello, Cadet Lucien!"

A chirpy voice rang out.

I looked up to see a petite woman with pink hair and a robe that looked slightly too big for her.

"Assistant Instructor Mia."

"Ugh, just call me Mia! I’m still a student teacher!"

She put her hands on her hips, furrowing her brow in a way that looked less intimidating and more like a disgruntled chick. A pink chick.

When Mia extended her hand, a small sprout shot up from the ground, rapidly twisting and growing into a verdant green wooden staff.

[Nature Magic]. A rare and annoying attribute.

"Shall we?" Mia winked, her playful demeanor shifting slightly. "Just so you know, I won’t go easy. I watched the Tournament. I know your skills, Cadet Lucien."

Oh, look at that. She genuinely wasn’t planning to hold back.

"Didn’t Samantha say you’d use practice weapons?" I asked, eyeing the magical staff.

"Psh, why nitpick? Wood is wood!"

I could tell. While she smiled and chatted, the mana around her feet was already swirling. She’d already cast three silent binding spells.

’Scary.’

Honestly, in a fair fight of raw power, I was at a disadvantage.

"Well... I won’t hold back either."

I unslung the Winchester from my back.

"Start!"

BANG!

I fired a standard piercing round immediately.

Thwip!

A shimmering green barrier made of compressed wind and leaves materialized instantly, blocking the bullet. The lead flattened against the mana shield and fell uselessly to the grass.

"Tch, that won’t do."

I cycled the bolt and fired three more shots in rapid succession.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ping. Ping. Ping.

The barrier didn’t budge.

’Even the pinpoint shooting that pierced Dominic’s armor won’t work on a pure Mage’s shield.’

The barrier seemed to have a regeneration function, fueled by the earth itself. As long as she stood on soil, she had infinite mana regeneration.

Fortunately, Mia couldn’t move effectively while maintaining such a dense shield. But did that really matter for a mage?

I looked around. Thick grass and vines were rapidly growing around my ankles. I was already in her domain.

"Surely, that’s not all?" Mia teased, peeking out from behind her shield.

I had no intention of using my trump cards—the Titan’s Heart Ammo or [Mana Corrosion]—in a sparring match.

So—

"That’s it."

"...Huh? What?" Mia blinked.

"The rifle’s destructive power has its limits against high-tier barriers," I admitted, lowering the gun.

"Uh... That thing... Hmm..."

She seemed disappointed. She must have expected the "Golden Sun" attack from the tournament.

"Well, no helping it. Shall we do Evasion Training instead?"

She waved her staff.

Whoosh!

A vine whip thick as a python struck the spot where I had been standing a millisecond ago.

I leaped aside.

Blades of grass shot up like knives. Petals flew like shurikens. Tree branches swung past my head.

But none hit me.

I moved like water. I ducked under a branch, sidestepped a root, and backflipped over a wave of thorns.

Mia watched my movements with a genuine "Wow" of admiration.

"...Your evasion skills are incredible. Not even a graze."

We were at a stalemate. I was an impenetrable ghost, and she was an impenetrable fortress.

Of course, by judgment, I lost. If Mia got serious and unleashed a wide-area spell, I couldn’t dodge forever.

"Stop!" Samantha blew the whistle.

Feedback began.

"Cadet Lucien," Mia said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "You’re perfect... except for your attack power. Your movements are elite, but against opponents above a certain defensive threshold, you’re helpless. You need to find a way to compensate for that lack of penetration."

I nodded. "Understood."

I’d heard this feedback before. I knew it. But I have system.

As the class continued, I stood on the sidelines, my eyes scanning the other students.

’A female cadet...’