Taming The Villainesses

065 – Shadows Looming Ark #1

The first weekend after school started disappeared in an instant.

I slept through the whole Sunday after coming back from the haunted mansion.

Perhaps, it was because I had encountered a ghost in the middle of the night and watched the sunrise in the morning with my now-chess partner Narmi, that my body was exhausted.

━See you later, Theo! Keep it a secret from my sister that you met me!

━Goodbye, take care!

As soon as I got back to the dorm, my body drooped like wet cotton once I laid down on the bed.

By the time I woke up, it was already Monday morning.

Upon opening my eyes, I discovered someone looking down at me from the bedside.

Someone with deep blue eyes.

There were very few associates of mine with eyes like these…

“It’s morning. MORNING. Wake up!”

It was Elga.

Elga had come to wake me up.

According to the rules, women were prohibited from entering the men’s dormitory, but Elga did not care about that and just barged in like always. Well, as someone who ranked 5th, there was no one capable of stopping her anyway.

“Didn’t I tell you to wake up!?”

At Elga’s urging, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and got up.

A quick look at the clock revealed that it was 8 in the morning. Usually the first lecture started at 9 o’clock, so if I prepared quickly, there should be just enough time.

“Why are you waking up so late? Did you want me to pick you up or something?”

‘Pick me up…’

As I thought of what the lecture I was taking with Elga today could be, I realized that my only Monday lecture was the ‘Introduction to Combatology’.

… But that wasn’t a lecture with Elga, was it?

Without any hesitation, Elga grabbed my pajamas and lifted me into the air, as if grabbing a stray cat on the nape.

“Go wash up and get ready!”

At the sound of Elga’s scream, my drowsiness immediately faded away.

Benjamin and Hans, who were lying on their beds, also got woken up. Rubbing their eyes, they asked, “What’s happening?”

Being in the same room as me, they were caught in the crossfire.

Afraid that Elga would cause more harm to the surrounding people, I quickly finished washing my face and showering. Finally, I was ready to go to class.

Today’s lecture was an introduction to combatology.

Was it a hands-on lecture taught by an instructor who was formerly a famous mercenary?

Despite the practicality of this subject, I was fairly certain that it would be newbie and beginner friendly, considering that the word ‘Introduction’ was in its title.

“Speaking of, I didn’t expect Elga-nim to also take the ‘Introduction to Combatology’.”

Elga didn’t need to learn combat mechanics. She was already a seasoned warrior who had been honed in the battlefield, not just in mere practice.

However, it seemed that Elga had a plan of her own.

“Maybe I’ll find hints that can help me master my axe.”

“I see…”

“Then let’s hurry and go! Don’t you know that we have to arrive 10 minutes before the lecture starts?”

… Was Elga more of an honor student than expected?

I thought she was the type who’d always be late and just scroll through her smartphone at the back of the class…

* * *

Introduction to Combatology was an outdoor lecture.

It was held in a spacious training ground, full of old scarecrows. There was also the subtle smell of oil in the air.

Fragments of shattered armor, pieces of wood from the scarecrows, nails and teeth, etc., were rolling in the sand on the ground, making it clear what kind of place this was.

“Hmph, a bunch of petty weaklings.”

Elga snorted in disinterest as she saw the people starting to flock around her.

Most of those who attended this lecture were Silver or Bronze Class, so it was difficult to attract Elga’s attention.

Still, I found them interesting.

Seeing the warriors equipped with various weapons, I wondered how far my magic could fare against them.

First of all, I had a record of defeating Conde, who was Silver Rank 321; even if it was a surprise attack. I also defeated the zombie in the cemetery.

So shouldn’t I be able to handle half of them on my own?

In this lecture, I vaguely set a goal to gauge the power and recovery parameters of my newly acquired magic.

After all, one must know not only the performance but also the limitations of their abilities.

━Look at that blonde girl, she’s in the single digits rank, holding the 5th place!

━True, true… At first, I thought I was seeing it wrongly. Why would a single digit ranker take this introductory lecture?

━No ideas. How would we even know what those high rankers think? Is she from the student council?

With my sensitive ears, I managed to hear gossips about Elga. As expected, Elga could attract attention wherever she went.

“Alright, let’s begin the lecture. Everyone be quiet.”

At this time, someone’s clapping suddenly appeared in the open training ground.

It was a brown haired man, around his mid 30’s, who had a short beard and an eye patch on one eye.

The man was also wearing an auxiliary tool on his left leg and a hook instead of a hand on his right.

The forearm exposed under his short sleeves was full of scars. Furthermore, he wore leather belts and holsters all around his waist and shoulders, hanging all kinds of tools.

My first impression was, ‘That’s a lot of damage.’

However, most of the professors and instructors in Ark also felt this way.

This was because they hired old and/or injured veterans who no longer had active duty as instructors, professors and staff.

The man then entered the circle formed by the crowd and introduced himself in all directions.

“Hello, I am Mikhail Heidner. I was a Gold Tier Mercenary in the Angkar Duchy. You can comfortably call me Mikhail. You can even call me Hyung.”

Elga liked the light and easy-to-follow introduction, even giving out a “Hooo-.”

“That guy is the real deal.”

‘A *honmono?’

[T/N: *Comes from the Japanese word – 本物 (means “real thing”)]

For Elga to give interest, the man must be a capable warrior. Well, even without Elga’s reaction, I could sense to some extent that he was very strong.

Although one of his hands and legs was lost, and he was using assistive tools, I had a strong feeling that he could easily twist my neck with his other hand.

Name: Mikhail Heidner lv. 45

Job: Vagabond lv. 9

Striker lv. 8

Adventurer lv. 8

Survivor lv. 5

Mercenary lv. 15

Talents: 《Deceitful Tactics》 《Narrow Escape》

Inclination: Neutral.

A widowmaker from the Angkar Duchy.

A life molded by battles and wanderings, weaponized.

Wounds that do not kill only make him stronger.

• Edited by: faker