Chapter 60 - I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

**Chapter 60 - A Lecture That Loses Its Flavor** Young aspirants of adventure are not the brightest. Hence, being labeled as the department for underachievers, it was natural for their approaches to be bland. And thus, bland lectures did not seize his interest either. The fact that he had vehemently avoided lectures, enforcing restrictions difficult even for advanced classes to approach, was for the same reason. After all, isn’t it the lecture of a former great hero? If just anyone could grasp such an opportunity, wouldn't it lose its rarity? ‘The principal was right, thinking there would be at least one interesting student. Oknodie. This student is amusing.’ Destroyer felt a sense of freshness. For a mere freshman to present a perfect answer out of a hundred to the secret of *The Everlasting Sheep*. Had this child been an active hero, perhaps they would have reached the answer and solved the root of the problem much faster than themselves 15 years ago. “Do you want to know the truth?” “Of course!” “Then I'll tell you.” Destroyer began to recall the truth he had reached five years ago, and started to unfold the traces of slaughter hidden behind the idyllic everyday life. * * 15 years ago, the first to request help from the adventurer’s guild was a shepherd who had lost his sheep. The culprits were fellow shepherds. In a remote village with scarce food, they silently killed and ate the sheep, making it seem like the work of monsters, and the weary adventurers who followed these traces ended up catching trivial monsters or returning without success. Meanwhile, the shepherds who committed the crime became more brazen. They killed the sheep's owner, hiding his corpse within the fleece. The wild animals were the first to notice this crime. The scent of the corpse hidden among the sheep. It instilled fear in them. The smell of death signals the presence of a predator hidden among the prey. Even the wolves, starving to the extent that their ribs were showing, dared not attack these abnormal grazing grounds. As time passed and seasons changed. The criminal laid hands on another shepherd’s sheep, harming their owner. This created vacancies filled by new refugees fleeing from their lord. No matter how many sheep you raise, the return is meager. It’s hard to find a merchant who promises a fair price to a mere village shepherd. That’s why the disappearance of shepherds could be justified by them having sold their sheep and left. The suspicious shepherds repeatedly called for adventurers, but all chased after non-existent monsters, wandering beyond the village into the wilderness. Eventually, every shepherd was affected, and the bizarre cohabitation of sheep and corpses continued. The sheep neither cried nor grazed, nor could they walk properly. The villagers, starved from poverty and hunger, cooperated with the murderer who became the village chief, keeping the secret in exchange for a share of food. Thus, the chief ‘raised’ the sheep, and the survivors who occasionally escaped from wearing the sheep’s guise ended up as just another meal. And so, they sent the request. To find out why the sheep were disappearing. Thus, another flock of sheep arrived at the village. That was the secret of *The Everlasting Sheep* over ten years. “What a nasty request that leaves a bad aftertaste.” He could understand why the rewards varied each time. The compensation changed based on the personal belongings of the sacrificed ‘sheep’. The adventurers’ guild was completely fooled. Even occasionally catching trivial monsters, the guild acknowledged the efforts, establishing over ten years that these were easy quests, how could they suspect otherwise? Many novice parties passed through the village of sheep. Some earned money and left the village, while others disappeared, becoming new sheep. The long history of the village of sheep came to an end when it was exposed by Destroyer. * * “Isn’t it scary? An adventure story made up of human malice worse than monsters.” “It’s chilling, sure. But it was interesting!” “...Interesting? A story where plenty of people died?” “Troubles with monsters or exploring unknown territories is what one usually thinks adventurers do. It felt nice to indirectly experience something unusual in the adventure department.” “Why is that something to be happy about?” “It seemed like finding and eliminating the *monster* hidden within human society, exploring the *unknown within everyday life*. It made me think that heroes too are adventurers, and adventurers can have heroic adventures!” Oknodie’s expression, filled with the excitement of a genuinely throbbing heart, made Destroyer chuckle. “What a bold one. You might not know much about being a hero, but you’ve got the makings of a good adventurer.” “What's that?” “Not being afraid.” “Ugh. How is that impressive? It doesn’t sound grand at all.” “People are often afraid. When they lack the skills and confidence to resolve an issue by themselves, when they are overwhelmed by the ugly truths they wish not to imagine, when they fear approaching the unknown reality.” Destroyer reached out to the fearless girl. Stretching out his hand for a handshake, he flicked her extended hand away and used telekinesis to retrieve some papers. Seeing Oknodie looking sheepish, he warned her. “Still, you seem to need a bit of fear. If a freshman like you walks around fearlessly, who knows where you might end up a victim.” With a nasty story in tow, he waved his hand dismissively. “The lecture's over. Since you got the right answer, this concludes the explanation lecture. As a gesture of recognition for a top student, I’ve added some points, so go have a meal and don't starve.” “Thank you!” “Oh, and I heard they’re serving lamb skewers for lunch today.” “…” “Ha, ha, ha. Eat up. If you can.” Though the lecture was interesting, the professor’s personality was too awful. Oknodie left the classroom with a distinct expression of disdain clear on her face. “With a face that gives everything away like that, you’re doomed.” The untold backstory of the former hero not shared in the first lecture. The village chief, who identified his identity, was not merely a commoner obsessed with cannibalism for survival. Perhaps initially, but as time passed, the chief met a wandering necromancer who eyed his corpse, exchanging it for magic. Preservation against decay. The gait of the deceased’s revenant. A curse of silence. Through various magic, the management of sheep was made more convenient. After the reveal, the situation grew even more dire. The sheep’s uprising. The breath of decay. Corpse bomb. A series of spells that could turn an ordinary adventurer into a pool of blood in mere moments was unleashed. In the 10 years that had passed since my inexperienced past, it wasn’t just the heroes who had grown stronger. “It would be troubling if such a promising individual were to rush out overly confident and end up dead.” To avoid such a scenario, the principal, as a rule, does not allow first-year students to participate in practical training. However, could indirectly experiencing attacks in ‘dreams’ not be considered as training? Destroyer went to visit the alchemy professor's lab. “You want to give a first-year indirect experience through dreams?” “Yeah.” “You, who hated lecturing to the point of rebelling?” “That’s right.” “Weird. For you to find it so amusing.” The alchemy professor smacked their lips. “If they're that clever, should I lure them into attending my lecture?” “Forget it. They’re still a first-year.” “They can skip a grade.” “Shut it. Don’t mess with someone else’s first dibs. Maintain some professional ethics, witch.” “Stingy. It’s not like it wears out with sharing.” “So, when do you plan to have this dream? During the next class?” “I have my own lecture to teach during class time. Why would I have it then?” “...You’re not planning to.” “Tonight. They’ll dream it tonight.” After witnessing the disaster of a village after a decade of waiting, he had made a resolution. To deal with things as soon as they come to mind. * * [You’ve guessed the truth in retired hero Destroyer’s lecture.] [+30 Experience in Situational Awareness] [+20 Experience in Reasoning] [+10 Experience in Willpower] [You’ve earned 3,000 points as a bonus for completing the challenge.] Hidden lectures pay well. But the cost was also severe. “Oknodie. Are you feeling alright?” “No, I’m not sick.” “Then why aren’t you eating your lamb skewers and giving them to me?” “I just don’t feel like eating them.” “Because it’s greasy?” “Just not in the mood for lamb.” “I get it, I guess. Lambs can be quite cute.” Isabella understood Oknodie’s pickiness. Though she understood, she shifted each skewer from her plate back onto Oknodie’s, one by one. “You still need to eat it all. If you want to grow tall, you have to eat a lot.” “2 meters and 30 centimeters seems too tall for a woman. I’d be content with just 2 meters and 20 centimeters.” Making a nonsensical excuse, Oknodie shifted the skewers back onto Isabella’s plate. “That's still ridiculously tall, you know?” Even as Isabella looked at Oknodie with disdain, afraid that eating this might actually make her exceed 2 meters, she hesitated to pass the skewers back. “What are you dawdling for? If the little critter doesn’t want to eat, just give it to me.” Son Ocheon snatched the plate and began stuffing the lamb skewers into his mouth voraciously. “You actually have an appetite, I see.” Giselle chimed in with a comment. “What about you? Don’t you like lamb skewers?” “Have you already forgotten who’s lecture awaits us after lunch?” “Ah. The Principal.” Son Ocheon promptly put down the plate he had taken from Giselle. Even the food-loving beastman lost his appetite at the thought of attending the Dragon Principal’s lecture.