Reincarnated As A First Rate Villain: I Don't Know How To Play My Role-Chapter 27

The next three days following the royal carriage ride were a whirlwind of unexpected events for Lucien.

Valeria, with her radiant blonde hair cascading down her back like a golden waterfall and piercing blue eyes that sparkled like sapphires in the sunlight, had taken it upon herself to visit the Velebrandt estate's vacant mansion with an almost daily regularity.

Her smile, a masterful blend of warmth and nobility, seemed to light up the very atmosphere around her, making her presence both captivating and impossible to ignore. As she swept through the mansion's dusty halls, her footsteps echoed with a purpose, leaving Lucien to wonder what had prompted this sudden interest in a place that had stood empty for so long.

Though the estate was large, polished, and well-guarded, it was undeniably quiet, its grandeur tempered by a sense of stillness. Even with the discreet presence of housekeepers and the occasional patrol, the halls and rooms seemed to echo with the absence of life. But Valeria's visits were like a warm light breaking through thick clouds—lively, persistent, and impossible to ignore. Her presence infused the estate with a vibrant energy, her laughter and conversation weaving a spell of normalcy over the formal spaces.

Lucien, initially tense from their first awkward encounter, had slowly begun to relax around her—if only slightly—finding himself drawn into her orbit despite his initial wariness. Valeria, for her part, seemed wholly unbothered by the shadows of the past, her gaze fixed firmly on the present. Instead, she brought with her an infectious curiosity and an eagerness to talk, her questions and observations peppering their conversations like sparks.

As they walked through the estate's gardens or sat in its sunlit parlors, Lucien found himself responding to her warmth, his reserve slowly giving way to a tentative sense of ease. Valeria's presence was a gentle thaw, melting the frost of his solitude and bringing a sense of life to the estate's empty spaces.

Each visit was filled with snacks, short walks through the garden, or quiet moments on the veranda as the sun dipped low beyond the trees. But most of all, it was filled with her stories—stories from the Reinegard Empire Academy.

"You know," Valeria said on the second day, twirling her long golden hair between her fingers as she sipped a glass of chilled berry wine, "you'll be awakening soon. Which means you're probably thinking about Reinegard, aren't you?"

Lucien, seated beside her and poking at a fruit tart, looked up. "I've heard of it. But not in detail."

Valeria's eyes sparkled.

"It's the best academy in all of Aerithrall—maybe even the world," she said proudly, her voice light with enthusiasm. "Right in the middle of the continent. Every noble family, major guild, and empire sends their best there."

She leaned closer, her voice lowering in importance. "But it's not easy. Just turning fifteen isn't enough."

Lucien nodded slowly, eyes narrowing in focus. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she began, "to even be considered, you need to pass their entrance examination. It's different for every department—but the most prestigious ones... only take the best. Out of tens of thousands, only the top 1,000 students are accepted in each of the two main departments."

Lucien raised a brow. "Two main departments?"

"Yup," Valeria said with a smile. "The Aura Combat Department and the Magic Combat Department."

She lifted her index finger. "Aura users—like knights, swordsmen, bodyguards, and anyone who strengthens their physical body—are placed in the Aura Combat Department."

Then she raised her middle finger. "Elemental Spirit contractors, mana wielders, scholars, and even priests of the holy path go to the Magic Department."

Lucien rested his chin on his hand, listening intently. Valeria's tone was smooth but informative—like she'd explained this many times before.

"The other departments—potion crafting, magical engineering, even architecture of magic designing—don't have such fierce requirements. But they're also not where the powerful gather. Most students there are either weak mana users or awakened late but still want to contribute."

Lucien nodded. "So people with weak mana can still get in?"

Valeria smiled, crossing one leg over the other. "Exactly. Weak mana users can still infuse potions, create minor spell circuits, or help in surgeries that require mana precision. Even the new Health Department is starting to attract attention. Some think it'll revolutionize how we handle injuries."

Lucien blinked. ...Wait. This world has health studies?

Valeria laughed at Lucien's surprise face. "Not everyone relies on holy healers, you know. That's expensive. Reinegard's 12 High Governors been pushing practical applications for mana. Some think it'll change warfare entirely."

Lucien leaned back, genuinely intrigued. "That's... unexpected."

Valeria continued, "But it's not so forgiving for Aura users. If your aura awakening is weak—too bad. There's only one department. The Aura Department. If you're not strong, they won't even consider you."

She exhaled, her expression growing more serious.

"That's why it's so competitive. At least 20,000 to 30,000 aura awakeners apply every year. It's brutal. Some give up before even trying. If you're not confident in your strength, you're just throwing yourself to the wolves."

Lucien frowned. "What about the magic combat department? Isn't it also competitive?"

Valeria nodded. "It is, but it has more flexibility. Mana can be used in research, support, fieldwork... Aura? Not so much. Aura's raw. It's combat, endurance, defense. No practical side branches. If you don't make it into the Aura Department, you're better off finding another academy entirely."

Lucien leaned forward, hands clasped together as he digested everything. The light breeze that passed through the open garden doors tousled his silver hair, and the warm scent of afternoon tea lingered between them.

Valeria looked at him gently. "But I think... if anyone can make it into either department, it's you."

Lucien looked up at her, the corners of his lips faintly twitching into a smile.

__________________________________

The tea in Lucien's cup had cooled but he didn't notice. He stared at the swirling surface for a long moment, brows subtly furrowed, then finally asked the question that had been bothering him since yesterday.

"Valeria."

"Hm?" she hummed, tilting her head from across the garden table. A few crumbs lingered on her white silk gloves as she dabbed her lips with a napkin.

"You said the Aura Combat Department is the only department for aura users in Reinegard," Lucien said slowly. "If it's just one department... why is it considered a main department?"

Valeria froze for a moment, blinked twice, and then let out a sudden, sharp laugh that rang through the open air.

"Exactly!" she said, almost slamming her cup back onto the saucer. "That's exactly what me and my friends were thinking too!"

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

Valeria leaned forward, eyes sparkling with mischief and the thrill of gossip. "When we asked one of the instructors about it, he completely avoided the question! He started mumbling something about 'historic reasons' and then quickly changed the topic to advanced rune theory."

She folded her arms with a huff, the soft folds of her pale blue gown shifting with the motion.

"Me and my friends thought it was strange—so we started speculating."

Lucien sat up straighter. "What kind of speculation?"

"Well..." Valeria's voice softened a bit, her tone now thoughtful. "One of the most believable theories we came up with is that the previous High Governors—you know, the twelve before the current one—made a formal declaration."

She looked toward the distance, the tips of her fingers tapping rhythmically on the edge of her teacup.

"They must've believed that aura might evolve. That it has potential beyond just combat. And to preserve that possibility, they established the Aura Combat Department as a main department—on equal footing with the Magic Combat Department."

Lucien's red and gray eyes narrowed slightly as he processed her words.

A formal declaration made by twelve High Governors... As though it were a seed planted in hopes that it might grow into something more in the future. A symbolic gesture, but one backed by power and authority.

He didn't say anything, but the gears in his mind turned quietly. The idea wasn't absurd—in fact, it made a strange kind of sense. Not everything in this world was static. And while aura lacked the versatile applications of mana now, who was to say what it might become in decades?

He gave a faint nod, offering no opinion.

Valeria noticed but didn't press. Instead, she took a sip from her own cup and leaned back in her seat, a playful smile forming on her lips.

"You're not very talkative when you're thinking."

Lucien let the silence answer her.

"Well," she said, tapping her chin, "you were asking about races next, right?"

Lucien blinked once, then gave a small nod.

Valeria's smile bloomed into a wide, enthusiastic grin.

"There are so many races at Reinegard," she said, eyes glimmering with excitement. "Where do I even start?"

She raised her fingers one by one as she counted off.

"Drakari, for one. They're like walking fortresses. Massive mana pools, insane physical strength, crazy senses—and don't get me started on their wings and horns! Some of them look like divine beasts straight out of a painting. And the way they use mana? Their destructive spells can tear through terrain like butter."

Lucien blinked. "Sounds dangerous."

"They are. But they're disciplined. Most of them, anyway," Valeria said with a small chuckle.

Valeria's tone lifted as she moved on to the elves. "As for the elves," she said dreamily, "they are on a whole other level of beauty. Every elven boy and girl at Reinegard Academy is adored. Their skin glows like moonlight, their hair is silky and light, and those long, pointy ears? They're practically unfair. Not to mention their incredible affinity for magic—they're said to be born with innate attunement to the elements, and many possess rare or hybrid affinities that go beyond the basic four of fire, water, earth, and wind."

Lucien furrowed his brows slightly. He had met elves before—several, actually—whether walking along the outer wall of the empire or among the various visiting parties at the Velebrandt estate. "Then why," he said aloud, swirling his tea absentmindedly, "are the elves I've seen so far... not that beautiful?"

Valeria blinked and then let out a small, weary laugh. "Ah... well, the ones you've seen were probably mixed-blood," she said, lowering her voice slightly, as if someone might overhear. "You see, there's a rather intense belief held throughout the Elven Kingdom in the Eastern Twilight Glade Forests. It's said that elves were the most sacred creation of the goddess Elyssira—created in her own divine image. Because of this, the ruling family of the Sylvandel Imperium—the royal bloodline that governs the entire Elven Kingdom—issued a decree long ago forbidding pure-blood elves from mingling with other races. They view crossbreeding as a taint on their beauty and lineage."

Lucien raised an eyebrow, silently shocked.

Valeria continued, "They go as far as teaching their children from a young age to believe that elves are the perfect race—and all other races are... well, pig-butt looking, as they put it. Seriously, that's a phrase they use." She rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed. "Because of that, many pure-blood elves—while stunning—grow up extremely arrogant. Even more arrogant than the Drakari, if you can believe it."

Lucien sipped his tea, lips pressed in thought. "So... the ones I've seen..."

"They were probably banished or exiled," Valeria said softly, "or they left willingly for love. Some pure-blooded elves fell in love with other races. Those that acted on that love were shunned. Their children—the so-called 'tainted' or 'impure'—are the ones who left or were never allowed into the Elven homeland to begin with."

Lucien's eyes widened slightly. He had seen some of those mixed-bloods living quietly among the empire's borders or working as healers and scholars. But now, his interest was piqued not out of arrogance—but genuine curiosity. Just how beautiful is a true pure-blooded elf, then?

Valeria, unaware of the stray thought flickering through her cousin's mind, resumed her explanation with enthusiasm, diving into the elves' many magical affinities.

"Besides their arrogance their magic affinities? Out of this world. Some of them can control multiple elements effortlessly. And they even have unique affinities—like shadow vines, starfire, or dream mist. Ever heard of that?"

"No," Lucien said truthfully.

She giggled. "Exactly. They're fascinating."

She moved on, voice gaining a hint of affection. "And the Beastkin... gods, they're adorable. You have no idea. Animal ears, wagging tails, fluffy instincts... They're practically the embodiment of cuteness."

Lucien said nothing, but the image of fluffy-eared girls with twitching tails flickered across his mind.

"But the sad part is..." Valeria said, her voice dimming slightly. "All of them end up in the Aura Combat Department." freeweɓnovel.cøm

She sighed deeply, as though fate itself had wronged her. "Since I'm in the Magic Combat Department, I hardly ever see them. They're always on the field, training or sparring. No tea parties. No lunches together. It's tragic, really."

Lucien took a slow sip of tea, hiding a small smile behind the rim of his cup.

Valeria turned to him, a subtle pout forming. "You're not laughing."

"I'm listening," Lucien replied.

Valeria huffed, then laughed anyway. The mood had lightened, the air between them more comfortable than before. The garden around them swayed gently with the breeze, distant birds chirped lazily, and for the first time in a long while, Lucien allowed himself a moment of peace.

He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin and the quiet hum of the world around him.

And somewhere deep in the back of his mind, the thought of Reinegard Academy loomed ever larger.

What would his path be, once his awakening came?