Ch.4Meeting the Villainess

Ruide took out the Phoenix Feather and stuffed it into his pillow.

“I brought just one since they said that would be enough.”

Of course, one feather was nowhere near enough. While wondering what to do, Ruide grabbed the Phoenix Feather and infused it with mana.

He did this because most problems in this place could be solved with magic.

“Wow.”

Fortunately, it worked. The Phoenix Feather had multiplied into two.

Ruide continued the multiplication process. After about three minutes, he had gathered plenty of Phoenix Feathers.

“But I wonder if these will really work as pillow stuffing.”

The Phoenix Feathers looked peculiar. They were distinctly different from ordinary bird feathers. They appeared to be burning with a mixture of blue and golden flames.

Though they weren’t hot to the touch. The pillowcase was made of fabric. He felt some physiological resistance.

Still, since he’d brought them, he decided to try. Ruide gathered all the feathers scattered on the floor and stuffed them into the pillowcase.

Thankfully, the pillowcase didn’t burst into flames.

“It seems a bit lacking.”

Thinking there weren’t enough feathers, he put his hand into the pillowcase and infused it with mana.

Blue light flashed a few times, and soon the pillowcase swelled to an appropriate size.

Ruide began applying several magical treatments to the fabric. Water-resistant magic, frequent washing magic, durability enhancement magic, and so on.

“Is this enough?”

After layering multiple spells, Ruide examined the pillow. The white fabric emitted a subtle glow of blue and gold mixed together, making it quite beautiful.

“Hmm…”

Ruide reached out and added one more spell.

It was a heating spell. The idea came from the burning feathers. Perhaps it would have a massage effect?

Gulp.

Ruide swallowed.

He placed the pillow in the center and very carefully laid his head on it.

“—!”

The warm pillow embraced his neck. The Phoenix Feathers felt like cotton candy. Without any resistance, they perfectly supported his neck.

It felt like lying on a cloud.

Like floating in the sky.

The final verdict on the Phoenix pillow was…

“Zzz…”

No words were necessary.

**

—

<Class Newspaper>

-The Chancellor’s Fury.

This morning around 10:30 AM, the feathers of the Chancellor’s familiar, the Phoenix, were forcibly stolen.

Upon hearing this news, the Chancellor was furious and announced that the Phoenix, which had been made publicly available for the great Imperial Academy students, would be withdrawn.

The name of the person who unlawfully stole the Phoenix Feather is <Ruide Christopher Windsor>.

Though he is a famous genius first-year magic student, his arrogance as a genius has caused harm to everyone. Meanwhile, it is known that student Ruide has not offered even a hint of apology, earning him widespread condemnation.

While skill is important, this writer believes he lacks “character,” the most important virtue for a magician, which is truly regrettable.

—

In front of the Imperial Academy bulletin board.

Many students had gathered and were whispering among themselves.

“Isn’t that going too far?”

“He’s really selfish…”

The “Phoenix Feather” is used as a very important magical material.

Until now, thanks to the Chancellor’s generosity, anyone qualified could get it “for free,” but that’s no longer possible.

This threw many magicians into confusion. Naturally, the blame was directed at Ruide.

“I never liked that lazy duke’s son from the beginning.”

“Right. He acts so high and mighty because he’s a genius. I heard he hasn’t attended a single class.”

“Ugh… I was just about to get one. I was getting friendly with Phoenix-nim.”

“I guess the rumors about Windsor being a troublemaker were true.”

Among them, the most furious were those who were “just about” to obtain a feather.

After all, the Phoenix Feather was a reward given as a sign of trust when one became friends with the Phoenix.

And here.

There was someone particularly enraged.

“What?!”

Hersy Minerva, the young lady of the Minerva Marquisate.

She was shocked after reading the bulletin board.

“I-I can’t get Phoenix Feathers anymore?”

It felt like everything went dark before her eyes.

Hersy had also been climbing up and down the 1004 steps every day without fail to obtain the “Phoenix Feather,” the best material for magic wands.

She was just about to get one…

“Ah, aagh.”

Hersy pulled at her hair. A month’s worth of effort had gone to waste.

“I can’t forgive this.”

Hersy trembled with anger.

Unable to contain herself, she quickly made her way toward Dellin’s Lake.

**

Meanwhile, Ruide, completely unaware of this commotion, was grinning happily.

“Wow, this is amazing. Really amazing.”

He lovingly stroked the pillow made from Phoenix Feathers.

It was truly a magical pillow that put him to sleep the moment he laid down.

Ruide was feeling grateful to the professor and thinking about buying a gift for him when—

“Ruide Christopher! Are you there?!”

A high-pitched voice pierced through the forest.

Wondering who it was, he looked in the direction of the voice.

Soon, a red-haired girl approached, breathing heavily.

“Who are you?”

“…I am Hersy Minerva.”

Hersy momentarily flinched at Ruide’s harmless appearance, but her anger wasn’t going to subside just because the culprit was handsome.

“You. Do you know what you’ve done…”

As she was about to speak in an angry voice, Hersy noticed the pillow shimmering with colorful light in Ruide’s hands.

“N-no way.”

Hersy approached with large strides, her face filled with disbelief.

Ruide discreetly hid the pillow behind his back and thought.

‘Why is she here?’

Hersy Minerva was a familiar name.

One of the main villains of this novel.

And the person who would play the biggest role in a series of events that would unfold in the early stages.

‘I need to send her away quickly.’

“T-that. What’s inside that pillow… it couldn’t possibly be… Phoenix Feathers, could it?”

“It is.”

Hersy drew in a sharp breath.

Using the Phoenix Feather, known as a “treasure trove of magic,” for such a trivial purpose?

“A-are.”

“Are?”

“Are you insane?!”

Hersy trembled as she tried to snatch the pillow from Ruide’s hands.

Ruide dodged her attempts.

For a while, a comical scene unfolded with Hersy trying to touch the pillow and Ruide trying to hide it.

Hersy grabbed the back of her neck.

Then, with an incredulous look, she asked.

“…Do you even know what that is?”

Ruide was contemplating how to get rid of Hersy.

He wanted to avoid getting entangled with major characters as much as possible.

This was inside a novel. Getting involved with them would surely lead to all sorts of troublesome situations.

“Why did you come here?”

“The Chancellor has withdrawn the Phoenix. Because you stole the Phoenix Feather without following proper procedures!”

‘So that’s what happened. I was worried for nothing.’

Realizing it wasn’t as serious as he thought, Ruide lost interest.

“I’m sorry about that. You can go now.”

“Oh, yes, I understand… excuse me?”

“Hmm? Do you have something else to say?”

Ruide positioned himself as if he was about to go to sleep, suggesting the conversation was over.

“That’s it…?”

“I already apologized.”

“This isn’t something that can be fixed with just an apology…!”

“Then what more do you want?”

Ruide said with a lazy yawn.

“It’s already in the past.”

“That’s, but still.”

Hersy was getting caught up in Ruide’s pace.

He had acknowledged his mistake and apologized.

Anything beyond this would be a waste of time. It was indeed a past event. Ruide’s punishment was for the Chancellor to decide, not for her to debate.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“No, I mean, well.”

But backing down now felt like losing, and she didn’t like that.

Hersy bit her lip.

Come to think of it, she wasn’t even sure why she had come here.

Venting her anger wouldn’t change anything, would it?

‘Change…?’

At that moment, the image of the feather flashed through Hersy’s mind like lightning.

Ruide’s pillow.

What was inside was undoubtedly Phoenix Feathers.

“Excuse me…!”

“Yes?”

“I need Phoenix Feathers too. They’ll be used for something much more important than a pillow.”

Ruide, who wanted to get rid of Hersy as quickly as possible.

But that request was problematic.

Ruide really liked this warm pillow.

“Do you know how much time and effort I put in to get those feathers?!”

“I put in effort too.”

Though it took less than 10 minutes to get these feathers.

After being possessed in this world, overlapping with the original character’s setting, going out to do anything was extremely bothersome.

These feathers were precious, obtained despite that inconvenience.

“In that case.”

Hersy wanted to stop this pointless argument and get the feathers.

“Tell me what you want. I am, after all, the young lady of the Minerva Marquisate. I have the ability to pay any price.”

Hersy stopped speaking mid-sentence.

She realized that the man standing before her…

…was the son of one of only two ducal families in the empire.

He lacked nothing.

“…Even money.”

“Why do you need the feathers?”

Ruide decided to at least hear her out.

Being disliked wasn’t good. Especially since Hersy was an important character. Trying to avoid immediate trouble could lead to permanent trouble.

“…There’s a magic exam in a week. You wouldn’t know since you’ve never attended a class.”

“Magic exam?”

“It’s a class placement assessment. A very important evaluation that determines your entire year based on your performance.”

The Imperial Academy is a place where people from various regions gather.

Naturally, individual skill levels differ, and classes are conducted according to those levels.

The quality of education varies drastically depending on the class. Every magician wants to be placed in the highest class.

“I was crafting a personal weapon for the exam. I was at the final stage… but I lost the Phoenix Feather.”

“You lost it?”

“…Yes. I think it was stolen.”

Hersy looked at Ruide with desperate eyes.

“I absolutely need it. To successfully take the class placement exam. And to prevent my father from finding out I lost it. …Please. Give me the feathers.”

Hersy bowed her head deeply.

Ruide thought with a troubled expression.

‘So that’s how it is.’

Hersy Minerva was a stereotypical villainess, as if drawn from a picture.

A character who envies and is jealous of the protagonist and their group, doing everything to steal the admiration that should have come to her.

Public humiliation, blatant insults, using her family and power to interfere with the protagonist’s group, and so on. The evil deeds she commits are numerous.

And the rift between Hersy and the protagonist begins with this episode.

Because it was the protagonist who took Hersy’s feather.

Of course, from the protagonist’s perspective, they just picked up an interesting-looking feather on the road.

From Hersy’s perspective, she mistakenly believes that the protagonist, a commoner who looks like a beggar, stole her feather.

Naturally, the two come into conflict, and from then on, Hersy harbors tremendous ill will toward the protagonist.

In other words, this feather is the trigger.

The problem now is that the object of Hersy’s hatred might become himself instead of the protagonist.

‘That was close. Good thing I didn’t stand out as usual.’

This is why one should always be cautious.

Now, if he gives her the feathers, a fearsome villainess like Hersy won’t consider him an enemy.

But—

“Then I’ll help you get placed in the Expert class.”

Despite everything, Ruide couldn’t give up his pillow.