Chapter 2: The Villain’s Survival Plan

If this really were a novel, we’d be moving on to chapter 2 by now, so let me mention it again: the character I’ve possessed is a villain.

So, what exactly did he do that was so bad?

He looked down on and bullied the original protagonist at the academy.

The reason I’m suddenly bringing this up is because this possessed body committed school violence purely to attract his father’s attention.

Also, it’s to explain just how unusual it is for Hard Austri to have come to this room.

Karvald Austri did everything he could to be recognized as a member of the family.

But since his father still wouldn’t give him any attention, he decided to go astray.

Not by taking losses himself, but by causing harm to innocent others.

It’s the kind of rebellious thought you’d expect from a teenager going through puberty—extremely immature, twisted, and even selfish.

To get to the point, Karvald Austri never got what he wanted.

His father didn’t even bother to visit the academy to scold his son.

He didn’t even write a letter telling him to watch his behavior.

He simply instructed his subordinates to cover it up.

If that doesn’t mean, “I don’t even want to put in the effort to point out your mistakes or nag you,” then what does?

Moreover, Hard Austri didn’t care at all about the pain suffered by the victims.

He just wanted to avoid the disgrace of “my child caused trouble at the academy and got disciplined.”

Even though this possessed body was disappointed by that, he still found a bit of hope and a strange sense of satisfaction.

Even if his family ignored him, he still had the power to look down on the weak outside, backed by the prestige of the Austri Ducal Family.

Through that, Karvald Austri felt, for the first time, a sense of belonging to the family.

Even after confirming that this method couldn’t attract his father’s attention, he didn’t stop tormenting the protagonist.

At least, not until a certain incident caused the protagonist to leave the academy.

“I kept wondering when the protagonist would finally beat this guy up… Then suddenly, the protagonist just up and left the academy. You have no idea how dumbfounded I was.”

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way; every time a character died, this possessed body’s name would pop up in the comment section.

“Important supporting characters are dying, so why did the author let Karvald Austri, the early villain, live?”

‘Was it because of that? Or did the author have something planned?’

In the end, Karvald Austri reappeared, tried to torment the protagonist again, and ended up dying in the very trap he set for someone else.

Even then, Hard Austri didn’t step in.

Even after receiving a sloppy report, he didn’t bother to investigate.

All he did was mutter, “As expected, defective goods can’t be helped.”

“When I really died, that was his only reaction, but today, he came running the moment he heard his son woke up and even slapped him.”

As I traced the original events, I started to get a feel for why this person acted so contradictorily.

He was just being charitable. “Is this the attention you wanted? Here, take it.”

It was his way of showing how worthless attention is, and telling him to stop doing things that would disgrace the family name.

I never really liked the character “Karvald Austri.”

Still, I couldn’t say Hard Austri’s attitude felt right, either.

An adult—a parent, at that—playing a power game with their own child… I just don’t get it.

After finishing my analysis, the character before me felt almost ridiculous, laughable even.

But since I had to avoid getting on the bad side of the highest authority in the family, I swallowed my sarcasm and gave a meek smile.

“Someone might call this attitude of mine pathetic…”

Still, since I’ve possessed a character from a powerful family, shouldn’t I enjoy all the benefits I can?

Unlike the original owner of this body, I have no intention of desperately seeking Hard Austri’s attention.

In fact, I’d rather be left alone in indifference.

I’ll just live quietly, as if I’m barely there, and use the Austri Ducal Family’s wealth and power for my own convenience and benefit.

“…Did something happen to your head?”

Hard Austri, who had been staring at me, suddenly furrowed his brow and turned to the Head Physician.

He sounded like he was demanding to know what kind of treatment had been done.

Since I just stared blankly after being slapped, and now even smiled, it must have led to some misunderstanding.

“He did lose his memory, but…”

“His memory?”

“But there’s no issue with his communication or intelligence. I just spoke with him, and he was perfectly fine.”

“Then why is he reacting like that?”

“I’m not sure about that part. The poison was completely treated, and there are no aftereffects whatsoever. The memory loss is purely psychological, not due to the poison.”

The Head Physician’s words boiled down to, “Anyway, it’s not my fault.”

That’s not something you say unless you’re pretty confident in your own skills.

Even I couldn’t believe this body had been poisoned, since I felt perfectly fine.

So it wasn’t baseless confidence.

“I’ve wasted too much time. I’ll expect a report later.”

With just those words, Hard Austri left the room, not exchanging even a single word with me.

***

‘I guess he really came just to slap me.’

Now that I didn’t have to watch out for anyone, I frowned openly and glared at the door.

Meanwhile, the Head Physician whispered something to the attendant.

Then he said he’d be leaving as well.

If it’s not about the condition of this body, I have no reason to question the Head Physician.

Now that I’d heard there were no aftereffects from the poison, I had no reason to hold him back, so I simply watched him leave.

When the door closed with a click, I turned to the attendant left in the room and spoke.

“I have a few questions… Ah! Before that, could you bring me some writing tools?”

“I’m just an attendant, so you don’t need to use formal speech with me.”

“I’ll do as you say. Then, bring me the writing tools.”

Even though my polite request had suddenly turned into an order, the attendant showed no reaction and promptly brought over a clipboard with paper and a fountain pen.

He acted as if it was only natural for me to speak this way.

I was worried it might sound awkward, but thankfully, it seemed natural enough.

For reference, this cringy way of speaking isn’t my usual tone.

I was just mimicking the original Karvald Austri’s formal, stiff, and rather unpleasant speech from the novel.

I’d rather not talk like this, but I have no choice.

“In old possession novels, the MC usually never got caught, but these days, they get found out over the littlest things!”

The excuse of amnesia isn’t a cure-all.

Even if the mind forgets, the body remembers.

For example, things like how to ride a horse, wield a weapon, or use ether.

“If I can quickly get the hang of things and pick up the skills, great. But if I keep fumbling for days, people will start to wonder, right?”

I kept in mind the possibility that the body’s memories might not have synced up.

So, to avoid suspicion as much as possible, I decided to at least copy the original’s way of speaking.

Besides, even if I spoke normally, I’d just be told to “act like the child of a high noble” and correct my speech.

For the same reason, I deliberately straightened my back and sat up properly as I took the pen.

That’s when I thought about my handwriting.

“I was planning to organize my thoughts by taking notes… but what should I do?”

I’ve heard that, though rare, amnesia can sometimes change a person’s handwriting.

Still, I concluded it would be best to leave as many traces of Karvald Austri as possible.

Strictly speaking, I’d be “making” those traces, not “leaving” them, but still.

It’s not like I absolutely need to write notes to organize my thoughts.

So, I deliberately made my hand tremble as I held the pen, then let it go slack.

The pen slipped from my hand and landed with a soft thud on the blanket.

“Why is my hand so weak? I feel kind of drained… How many days has it been since I collapsed from Poison Ingestion?”

“Today makes it two days.”

The Head Physician had mentioned “a few days ago,” so I thought at least four days had passed, but it was only two.

It felt a little off, but I just mumbled, “I see. I guess it’s because I haven’t eaten for two days.”

Then I slumped back against the headboard.

“Should I prepare a meal first?”

“First, I need to get a grasp on myself.”

As soon as I realized I’d possessed a body that hadn’t eaten in two days, hunger hit me all at once.

But I ignored it and shook my head at the attendant’s suggestion.

If I ate first, the writing tools would end up back in my hands.

“How old am I?”

“You’ll be eighteen this coming September.”

The attendant answered as he picked up the clipboard and the pen that had fallen.

In other words, I’m seventeen.

The “Valhalla Academy” this body attends accepts students from age seventeen.

So right now, I’ve just finished my first semester as a first-year, which means the original protagonist hasn’t dropped out yet.

“Isn’t this a chance? I could break the bad blood between the original protagonist and this body… and become complete strangers.”

As mentioned earlier, after the original protagonist dropped out of the academy, this possessed body didn’t appear in the novel for a while.

So, wouldn’t it be enough to just keep track of the protagonist’s whereabouts and avoid him? If I could become a forgotten character, maybe I could survive.

That hopeful thought crossed my mind.

“But I still feel uneasy. The original protagonist isn’t the type to easily forget old grudges.”

In the original, Karvald Austri couldn’t break his bad habits and ended up seeking out the protagonist and getting himself killed.

Couldn’t I end up dying to the protagonist who comes for revenge, unable to let go of his grudge?

That anxiety sat coiled in a corner of my mind, always watching me.

It’s not like I’m trembling with vague, groundless fear.

It’s only natural.

Everyone who got close to the protagonist ended up dead, and his mental state grew more and more wrecked.

To make matters worse, 《Nas-e》 is an unfinished novel—the author even posted a Hiatus Notice.

“No one knows how far the protagonist’s mind will break from here on out.”

What if, at some point in the unwritten future, the protagonist snaps and comes after me, saying, “All my friends are dead, so why are you still alive?”

‘How could I not think about that?’

A bit of TMI, but I was bullied during my own school days. So I know.

School violence isn’t something you can forget just because time passes.

The humiliation, shame, and contempt you experience at such a sensitive, impressionable age leave scars that never truly heal.

For those reasons, I want to set up an extra safety measure.

Of course, after graduating from the academy, I’d never seek out the protagonist, and I’ll make sure there’s no reason for him to come after me.

In this novel, the real killing spree begins after that “certain incident” that causes the protagonist to drop out of the academy.

“In other words, before that, even if I run into the protagonist, I probably won’t die.”

So instead of just running away from the protagonist at the academy, maybe I should meet him, apologize, and suggest we go our separate ways from now on.

Whether the protagonist would accept that is another matter.

No, he probably won’t.

He might get suspicious or even angry.

Still, it’s better than not apologizing at all.

If things go south, I could even try saving the protagonist’s childhood friend, who’s supposed to die in that incident, and trade resentment for gratitude…

But the problem with that is, I might end up dying instead of that childhood friend.

So, before that day comes, I need to build up my strength as much as possible.

There’s not much time left—I can’t afford to waste a single day.