I fell for the villainess at the academy (Chapter 4) (Patreon)

A very short, uneventful chapter. Initially, there was a huge infodump, but I ended up cutting it  because it felt too unnatural. If anyone is interested in learning a bit more about the world, I can paste it in one of the replies.

After rereading, the story seemed very jumpy, so I felt I had to include at least one in-between scene. In the next chapter, some more interesting things will happen, revealing what Will was trying to ask, and what Edmund's 'ability' is.

We might even run into the person the nun and the mercenary were talking about, who's basically Edmund's rival from their childhood.

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Edmund strolled out of the examination hall, absentmindedly wiping ink from his fingertips. After dealing with admissions yesterday and writing politics today—his least favorite subject—he wanted nothing more than to return to the residence and take a nap.

While pressing through the crowd of milling students, he suddenly felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Turning his head, he spotted Will’s awkwardly smiling face.

“Oh, I found you. Did you take the test? How was it? I didn’t expect you to be interested in politics.”

Edmund shrugged, moving over so Will could walk next to him. Frankly, he found the guy a little annoying, but there was no sense in being rude.

“It was fine. Yeah, I don’t really like politics.”

They chatted for a bit, but not having much in common aside from their studies, both soon turned silent. Heading to the room where their possessions were kept, Edmund stared off into the distance. Will, in turn, quietly studied the side of his face.

“Hey, are you perhaps-…?”

Before he could get the question out, a group of teenagers suddenly approached from the side, talking and laughing amongst themselves. Predictably, they weren’t here for Edmund, He’d gone out of his way to avoid meeting people.

“Will!”

For a moment, it seemed as if Will would brush the arrivals aside, the question still lingering on the tip of his tongue. But when a pretty, red-head girl came over and grabbed his arm, he lost the ability to resist.

“Okay, I’m coming. See you later, Edmund.”

Edmund watched as the group of teenagers welcomed Will, patting him boisterously on the back. However, the scene wasn’t able to hold his interest for long. Grabbing his meagre possessions from a locker, he headed down the hallway in the other direction. Not being a very striking individual, nobody gave him a second look.

After about thirty minutes, navigating his way out of the complex and through a few side-streets, he arrived at his temporary residence. It was an L-shaped three-story building, built from orange bricks and with a clay tile roof. Despite its simplicity, it was neat and well-kept, having a manicured lawn and well-tended garden. Flashing his key at the front door was enough to satisfy the doorkeeper.

Stepping inside, he immediately turned right, heading downstairs below ground. The cafeteria was located there, and after skipping breakfast and taking the test, he was rather hungry. The place was pretty empty, so getting to the front of the line wasn’t difficult, but he suspected that would change over the coming days.

Arriving at the counter, he picked the cheapest, most nutritious options: a few eggs, some coarse seed-bread, and a smattering of boiled vegetables that weren’t too unpalatable. When the time came to pay and he checked his wallet, he found it far too empty. As things stood, he only had three pennies left—enough for one more meal.

Sighing to himself, he walked over to an open table. For fear of something happening, namely missing one of this week’s admission tests, he wasn’t willing to take a job. That would have to wait until everything was over.

He shoveled the food into his mouth, barely tasting anything on account of his exhaustion. Despite having turned in early last night and waking up well-rested, using his ‘ability’ for hours on end had sapped his energy.

With machine-like efficiency, his meal was soon over. After returning his plate and cutlery, he exited the cafeteria, finding the winding stone staircase leading to the third floor. He was pretty fit, but his condition made something so menial as climbing stairs into a herculean task.

Reaching the top, he was pale-faced and sweating, half-stumbling his way toward his room. Rummaging in his pockets and finding his key, he was about to unlock it when he heard voices coming from inside. It only took a moment for his confusion to fade, remembering it was a shared room.

Without bothering to knock, he turned the doorhandle and stepped inside.

“Who-…?”

A group of three boys turned their heads to look at him, standing around one of the beds.

Edmund glanced at them, walking over to his closet and putting his suitcase inside. After that, he climbed on top of the vacant bed, reclining with his arms behind his head.

“I live here. The name’s Ed.”

One of the boys, the one leaning against a wall, looked at Edmund with curiosity. He was on the taller side, six feet or so. Having medium-length black hair, a sharp face and a good physique, he was rather handsome.

“Oh, so you’re my roommate? I’m Jason. Nice to meet you.”

Edmund simply grunted, turning from his back to his side, facing the other wall.

“Likewise. Sorry, but I’m kinda tired right now. I think I’ll take a nap. Don’t mind me. Feel free to continue with what you were doing.”

The was a surprised pause and a few shared whispers before the other two boys spoke up, polite enough to take the hint.

“Well, I was about to leave anyways. It’s economics tomorrow, and I still need to brush up.”

“Same. See you later, Jason. You too, Ed.”

After exchanging farewells, they shuffled out the door, closing it behind them.

Soon, the room turned silent, the atmosphere slightly awkward. However, Edmund didn’t much care. As things stood, he could barely keep his eyes open.

Jason cleared his throat before walking over to their shared narrow wooden desk, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. The ruffling of papers followed, the sound of things being stacked, and then the scribbling of a quill.

He asked something then, his tone enquiring, but Edmund’s could barely hear. A powerful drowsiness came over him in that moment, pulling him into unconsciousness.

Soon, he was fast asleep.

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