The Novel’s Villain

54. Vacation (2)

Breakfast was chaos for Jin-woo.

The food was quite tasty, but he felt like time was flowing backward due to the awkward atmosphere.

He also got goosebumps when he saw Luna smiling while taking care of him and washing the dishes while humming.

She couldn’t even clean her own room before, and her hobby was messing around with Maze.

‘Arina used to scold her every time about it.’

She thought she would be liberated and become holy.

Jin-woo took out the setting book and looked at it. He found out earlier on that he was the only one who could see it.

Luna’s character had been completed.

[Name: Luna

Gender: Female

Age: 14

‘I have to take care of my brother!’

Lee Jin-woo’s younger sister.

Adopted into the protagonist’s family when she was still a child, she likes her brother a lot and is always filled with a sense of duty to take care of him since he always causes accidents.

Because of her beautiful appearance, her top grades in her school, and her friendly personality, she’s known as the Silver Saint in Temple Middle School.]

‘Luna’s… good at studying?’

The thought shocked and terrified him.

Jin-woo got up from his seat and looked around the living room, noticing a family picture.

In it, he stood next to his parents and Luna. They were all smiling, creating a harmonious ambiance.

‘… Parents?’

They were not his.

His real parents were in a crazy relationship and often tried to kill each other.

Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off the family photo. It made his heart feel warm.

‘To miss you now…’

He shook his head flutteringly.

Next to it was a picture of his grandfather. He looked quite serious in it.

“Brother, what are you doing?”

Luna seemed to have finished preparing for school, considering she now wore a school uniform.

She always did wear a wide array of clothes while broadcasting, but she never wore a school uniform since she looked young.

Still, it suited her quite well.

With a sigh, she brought him a school uniform directly from his room.

“What will you do without me?”

“…”

“Don’t worry! I’ll take care of you.”

“… Ugh…”

Luna smiled brightly.

This shocking development seemed like it came out of a manga or anime.

The Great Emperor’s resistance was being eroded.

After giving him a school uniform directly, she hesitantly hugged him.

She seemed quite cuddly.

‘There’s something in her body.’

He could feel it.

An Emperor’s energy.

Jin-woo took a closer look at Luna’s condition with the Magic Eye of Information. Flustered, she blushed as he stared at her with a piercing gaze.

On the other hand, he didn’t put much thought into it.

[SS+] Settings Fragment

It secretly sets and implements the situation one has dreamed of. The world it establishes gains strength from it, which it then uses for maintenance. Fragments can be separated from their hosts under special circumstances, such as fulfilling a dream or being satisfied with a setting.

‘Should I forcefully separate it from her?’

It was worth a try. Jin-woo looked at Luna intently.

“Sit here.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.” Though nervous, she did as instructed, then closed her eyes tightly for some reason.

He stretched out his hand, placing it on the upper part of her chest.

“O-oh, brother!” Luna began making strange noises when he tried to pull the fragments away from her.

But he didn’t care at all.

‘Taking it out this way might prove difficult.’

Luna might get hurt if he removed it with force.

He took his hand off of her and backed away, but she remained in her position, her eyes still closed.

‘I should go to school for now.’

Anyway, since he was now the protagonist of this story, he had to act like one. Still, this world was crazy for sending them to school at their age.

Even while he was immersed in his thoughts, Luna still didn’t move.

“Oh, sorry. I just removed a bug on you.”

“Ah…”

Luna sighed deeply and shook her head upon hearing his words, her eyes as if telling him she was stupid for hoping.

‘Her reaction…’

He admired it. He often saw it before.

‘This is similar to the situations dense protagonists deal with.’

Such characters often appeared in anime or mangas suited for teenagers.

Jin-woo wasn’t like them.

He was well aware that all of the Golden Women’s Association members liked him.

That was the reason why the Golden Women’s Association was created, after all. It was a burden at first, but he now took it for granted.

“… Brother, let’s go to school.”

Luna stomped out of the house. Jin-woo followed her not long after.

The Temple High School and Middle School were sister companies and built close together. Collectively, they were called the Temple Academy.

Only those with Holy Power could enroll in it. Upon graduating from Temple Middle School, students were automatically enrolled in Temple High School.

“I’m so glad my brother entered the academy.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This way, we get to stay together without going anywhere else. I thought you were moving away… I was worried.”

Luna continued spouting cheesy lines.

According to the setting book, the main character didn’t have any Holy Power.

He was just an ordinary being that couldn’t enter his dream high school and almost moved to another area.

However, the principal of the Temple Academy made a special recommendation for him, admitting him into it under the notion that he had something just as unique as Holy Power.

‘This…’

It was quite the common plot.

An academy revolving around the protagonist. That much was not out of the ordinary, but he couldn’t help but feel ominous about it.

He decided to observe for now.

Jin-woo came across many students on their way to school, each of them carrying what looked like a weapon. Perhaps they used it as a medium to utilize their abilities.

Soon enough, he found someone familiar.

‘Hee-yeon?’

She was standing across the street, wearing a school uniform with her hair tied in a ponytail. A sword wrapped in black cloth was draped over her shoulder. Her getup suited her quite well. It was like looking at an illustration.

‘That type of character…’

It was quite common.

The moment Luna saw her, she attached herself to Jin-woo’s side.

Hee-yeon walked towards him.

“Oh, hello.”

She greeted him with a slight blush on her face.

When he glanced at the setting book, a “Little Girlfriend” line was added to her page!

That was quite interesting, at least.

Jin-woo and Hee-yeon were the same age here. Luna stared at her.

“Have you been waiting long? You could’ve just gone ahead.”

“It’s a coincidence.”

“You’re acting way too obvious for this to be a coincidence.”

“Aren’t you too close to your brother?”

“We’re not blood-related.”

The relationship between the two was unusual.

Jin-woo tried to go first, leaving them next to each other. He smelled the scent of shampoo as he passed by them.

‘Oh…’

It was quite fragrant.

Dense protagonists would’ve been unable to enjoy this kind of situation. Luckily, Jin-woo wasn’t such a character.

‘It’s okay to enjoy this a little.’

This sensation was fresh and nice.

His favorability towards the Emperor of Settings rose slightly.

Neither Luna nor Hee-yeon had any intention of falling behind, forcing him to walk uncomfortably.

However, since Temple High School was closer, they had to part ways with Luna.

She looked at Jin-woo with an almost crying expression. On the other hand, Hee-yeon had a cool smile on her lips.

“Let’s go. You have to go to the principal’s office.”

“Really?”

“Wasn’t it written on your transfer notice?”

“How do you know that?”

Jin-woo wasn’t even aware of it.

Startled, she clasped her hands together.

“Oh, uh… Why do I know… That’s because you’re my friend…”

He looked at her quietly.

She was charming, which was why that type of character became common in the first place. Since they were childhood friends, they had quite a lot of nonsensical conversations, but other than that, he felt as if a lot had changed.

The light atmosphere had disappeared, making him feel as if gravity itself became stronger.

“Anyway, come with me.”

“Okay.”

They headed to the Temple Academy, a school that could only ever be found in fictional worlds. Its main building looked like an extremely grandiose castle.

It also had a large garden with a tall fountain in the middle of it, swimming pools, sports facilities like running tracks and tennis courts, all of which were top-notch in quality.

However, in Jin-woo’s eyes, it looked ordinary. Unless it were at a level beyond Frontline University, it wouldn’t even surprise him.

Following Hee-yeon, he noticed there were only female students around him.

“Where are all the men?”

“Well, you know that divinity is stronger in women, right? Even if men have Holy Power, it’s never at a high enough level to enter the Temple Academy. Your case must be rare.”

‘Woah.’

It was such a cliche that he couldn’t help but be amazed!

“Oh! Hee-yeon is with a man…”

“No way!”

“There’s no basis for that…”

The girls around him murmured, which was a typical reaction since Hee-yeon was quite popular. Being slandered was something the main character normally would have to endure.

And the more he experienced such treatments, the more he got used to it.

“Well, he looks nice…”

“Wow…”

But their responses were different.

After all, the protagonist’s appearance in plots like this would be ordinary, but Jin-woo’s looks were far from that.

The deeper they went into the building, the more attention he gained.

“Who’s the principal of the school?”

“A stellar warrior with the greatest power of all time. After retiring, she founded this academy.”

“Right.”

“Be careful and respectful, though… I can hardly tell what she’s thinking. No one has ever survived after rebelling against her.”

The principal had a mysterious background story!

Jin-woo was now completely enjoying himself.

As soon as he reached the top floor, a huge door appeared.

This wasn’t an ordinary school, which was why it was quite understandable.

Opening automatically as soon as he got close, it revealed a red carpet and antique decorations. On one side of it were bookshelves filled to the brim.

In the middle was the principal, looking outside the window while sitting on a huge chair behind a luxurious desk. Jin-woo could only really see the back of her seat at the moment.

“You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you to cross the stars.

Her voice was pretty charismatic… and familiar.

It made Hee-yeon nervously break into cold sweat.

With the vertex of the stars in front of them, she looked like she was about to collapse due to sheer pressure.

However, with Jin-woo next to her, she couldn’t allow herself to look ugly or undesirable. Clenching her teeth, she endured through it.

“Miss Hee-yeon.”

“Yes, principal.”

“You know dating is forbidden in the Temple Academy, right?”

“… I know.”

“Of course. You can’t be called ‘Red Star’ otherwise.”

Their conversation sounded quite serious.

Hee-yeon didn’t answer. Rather, she just stared at the chair in front of her in fear. The principal was still looking out the window.

“Leave us.”

“… Alright.”

Though she looked worried about Jin-woo, she had no other choice but to do as instructed.

Whiiiik!

At that moment, the principal’s chair turned, revealing her identity.

Her expression was terrifying, almost as if she was blatantly trying to kill his spirit.

“Welcome, greenhorn. You’re now…”

The principal’s body stiffened, blinking and frowning as if she was trying to remember something she had forgotten. After a while, surprise dawned upon her face.

“Huh? Master…?”

Arcana’s ferocious momentum was gone. Rather, she was now dominated by panic and confusion, unable to face him due to the scandalous behavior she showed.

“Oh god! What have I done? I was out of my mind. Everything felt like a dream, and…”

“You were pretty cool. I think you should keep acting like that.”

“Ugh… Please forget what just happened. Please…”

Arcana’s information in the setting book had been updated.

[Name: Arcana

Gender: Female

Age: ??

Black Witch Arcana.

She was the greatest warrior of light of all time, but the pain of love made her retire and create the Temple Academy, meant to teach extraordinary students. She is so powerful that even the Head of the State bows to her.]

Arcana got up quickly, then sat on the sofa in the room. She seemed capable of communicating with Jin-woo properly now even though she couldn’t before, perhaps because of this world’s influence on her.

He told her about their situation.

“You have traveled to a strange place.”

“I am so glad you’re here, master.”

“The others?”

“There are a few of us in this school. As for the rest, I’m not sure. I’m sure they’re safe, though.”

He agreed with her. It didn’t matter where they were sent off to. He knew they’d survive and thrive on their own.

Whoong!

From Arcana’s chest came a small glowing object, which Jin-woo immediately realized was the fragment in which the Emperor of Settings’ power resided.

Jin-woo remembered its description.

[Fragments can be separated from their hosts under special circumstances, such as fulfilling a dream or being satisfied with a setting.’

Looking at it for a moment, Arcana smiled and handed it over to him.

“My wish was to have a natural conversation with you, master.”

“That’s… simple.”

“Not at all. This moment’s more valuable than all the time I’ve lived. I can’t believe my dream finally came true.” Arcana laughed brightly.

She seemed on the verge of tears, considering her eyes were red and watery. Was she moved that much by this?

Jin-woo decided to talk to her a little more, which Arcana appreciated.

“As the principal, can you do whatever you want here?”

“Yes, the Temple Academy is mine.”

“Did you ban dating?”

“… I did enforce that rule, but at the same time, it wasn’t me that did it. Think of it as a rule created by my past self…”

We talked for quite some time.

A smile did not leave Arcana’s face. She was on the verge of ascension.

“Ah, your homeroom teacher’s also been decided already. You’ll find out who she is when you meet her. However, since she’s not an Emperor like us, she won’t be able to come to her senses on her own.”

“I see.”

“Please be careful. We need to prevent them from doing anything dark.”

Jin-woo let out a villainous chuckle.

“Like you did?”

“Ugh…”

“Your behavior then… There’s nothing more fun than teasing you about it. Are you sure you want to be the only one suffering from such a case?”

“Now that I think about it… No.”

“With my power, I should be able to determine what they want to some extent. Let’s just go with the flow for now. I’m sure I’ll determine their wishes sooner or later.”

“Alright.”

Once their conversation had ended, Arcana rang the bell on her desk. After a while, a woman in a suit came in.

‘Yoo-na?’

With make-up on, she looked a little different.

Arcana stared at her for a moment, then covered her mouth to hold back her laughter. She was unaware of her character back then, but now that she had regained her consciousness, she found it quite funny.

Jin-woo’s reaction was no different.

“Did you call, principal?”

“Ahh… This is Lee Jin-woo. You’ll be in charge of him. He’s a student who entered through a special admission process, so please act accordingly.”

“Alright.”

Looking at him, Yoo-na nodded.

He was assigned to Class A, which only those with outstanding abilities could join. Before leaving the principal’s office, Arcana approached him, whispering next to his ear, “Master, I have found her wish.”

“What is it?”

“It’s to have a passionate relationship with a younger person. Her target is, of course, you.”

“… Huh?”

“Don’t worry. I will support you.”

Arcana clenched her fist, her sense of duty burning. At this point, he knew he could no longer stop her.

When Jin-woo came out of the principal’s office, Yoo-na was already waiting.

“I am Kim Yoo-na, your homeroom teacher. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah… Yes. It’s my pleasure, teacher.”

Unlike her usual self, she seemed quite proactive. She was even the first to reach out her hand to offer a handshake.

However, his touch startled her, causing her ankles to bend and her body to lean forward.

She had no choice but to hug Jin-woo to prevent herself from falling.

Did the Emperor of Settings intervene? If so, it was quite a cliche, but at least it created great results!

Jin-woo looked down at Yoo-na, who was still in his arms, causing her ears and cheeks to redden.

A few moments passed with them remaining in that position before Yoo-na stepped back, finally coming back to her senses.

“Oh, I’ll guide you to the class.”

“Yes.”

Jin-woo looked at Yoo-na as she hurried away from him. That was the first time he had seen her so flustered.

‘This…’

His lips curved into a deep smile.

‘This is fun.’

He couldn’t help but like this situation, considering it was definitely quite interesting, to say the least.

Jin-woo decided not to kill the Emperor of Settings.