I’m the Main Villain but the Heroines Are Obsessed With Me

1 – 1. I Must Get Stronger (1)

“Hoo…”

Taking a deep breath, Lee Hyunwoo absentmindedly stared at the screen.

A serene music played while beautiful heroines cuddled and flirted with each other in the illustrations that filled the screen.

“I was worried because it’s a yuri game. But it’s not bad. It’s fun.”

Heroic Academy.

A yuri harem academy game with a story where Ariel Volkanov of the Ballantyne Volkanov Imperial family, second in line and a warrior, causes mischief with the heroines.

He played it as a way to kill time since there weren’t any games worth playing these days, and it wasn’t too bad.

“So, I wasn’t even expecting much. It wasn’t bad.”

He might even give it a passing score.

Even he, who had reservations about yuri content, was surprised.

Well-crafted main story with rich subplots that sparked interest.

To prevent quick content consumption, the developers also included activities like farming, fishing, exploration, and territory management.

As long as someone didn’t have an aversion to the yuri genre and there weren’t any serious bugs or balance issues, anyone should be satisfied.

Did the lingering feeling of the ending still remain in Lee Hyunwoo’s heart?

“It was all good.”

The charming heroines were good too. The narrative given to NPCs that could easily be ignored was also good. He also liked the events he could experience through interactions with them.

“But there’s just one thing.”

Staring at the screen absentmindedly, Lee Hyunwoo shook his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“Wasn’t the goal for Ariel Volkanov, who is not only Ian’s older brother but also an antagonist, to surpass him and become the head of the Ballantyne family? Why did she suddenly put aside her role as the head and join the royal knights? And what’s the reason for not killing Ian, who is practically her enemy?”

The protagonist, Ariel, was a character who held hatred toward her older brother, Ian Volkanov.

To the point where Ariel hated Ian more than the enemies of the empire throughout the game.

Ian Volkanov, her brother who was a year younger. With a cold appearance, he had an equally cold personality.

He showed disregard towards the parents who showered Ariel with affection, taking over the family and manipulating it with his own hands as soon as their father fell ill.

From that moment, the Volkanov family lost its warmth.

Ian erased all traces of their parents from the family and molded it to his liking.

“And he used his power to drive Ariel out.”

Ian’s threat went beyond simple interference. Countless lives were nearly lost, and even the heroines suffered harm, didn’t they?

The memory of the heroines’ families falling apart because of Ian’s manipulations remained in his mind.

It was frustrating to be in the position of playing the game.

Then, in the ending at least, is it not right for Ian Volkano to be punished and for Arya to take over the Volkano family that he had longed for?

“But why? Suddenly give the family to her own brother and join the royal knights? Does this make sense?”

Rather than killing her, she hands over the family position? What on earth is the reason for such a strange ending, when everything has been going well until now?

As he thought that, a new screen appeared before Soo Hyun-woo.

[Ariel Volcano’s Clear Hidden Story ‘Ian’s Secret’ has been unlocked. Would you like to play?]

“Ian’s secret?”

In that moment, Soo Hyun-woo moved his mouse as if possessed.

Yeah, there’s no way such an ending would suddenly happen.

There must have been something he didn’t know, which led to this ridiculous ending.

“I have to do this.”

He couldn’t just stop here.

He felt like he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t know the secret.

Without hesitation, he moved the cursor and clicked. The monitor started emitting a white light.

“What the hell!”

***

Once, he used to think such thoughts.

Imagining living as a character in the game he played or the novel he read.

Isn’t it interesting? Of course, it’s an unbelievable story, but it would still be quite fascinating if it actually happened.

What would he do if he were to be reincarnated in the game? Would he search for hidden treasures that no one knows about and rise to become the strongest in the world? Or would he be born as a child of a prestigious family and try to grow the family?

Such trivial fantasies.

And in the moment the monitor lit up, Soo Hyun-woo was certain.

“Damn, am I being reincarnated?”

This is a reincarnation. If it’s according to clichés, it has to be!

In that moment, Soo Hyun-woo went over the information about Heroic Academy in his mind.

If he were to be reincarnated in the game, this information would be invaluable, even if he were offered ten million won, he had to memorize it without missing anything.

Thinking like that, Soo Hyun-woo closed his eyes.

He imagined that when he opened his eyes again, this world would unfold before him.

But reality was not as easy as he had thought.

“Reincarnation is bullsh*t… A white screen phenomenon? Ah, I’m gonna make money again.”

As he looked at the completely white monitor, a sigh involuntarily escaped.

Possession was bullsh*t; the white light emitted was simply due to a malfunctioning monitor.

He was just possessed in front of a broken monitor! He only shook in fear as he blabbered nonsense.

Muttering to himself, Im Hyun-woo took out a screwdriver from the toolbox and laid the main body on the floor.

“Well, then, possession doesn’t make sense.”

Reality was cruel. It wasn’t as easy as he thought.

Having gained enlightenment, Im Hyun-woo decided to put possession aside and focus on repairing the computer first.

After a cursory search, there were two possible measures he could take in the current situation.

Replace the monitor or shut down the power and boot up with the internal graphics to determine the exact cause.

Of course, calling in a professional would be the best option, but…

What could go wrong? If it got completely ruined, he could just buy a new one.

It was at that moment when he was rummaging through the main body, accompanied by a creaking sound.

Crack!

Squeak!

“Huh?”

The cup on the desk fell, and the water inside spilled directly onto the main body. Simultaneously, Im Hyun-woo widened his eyes at the surging electricity.

Something was wrong. Even though he didn’t know much about computers, he knew this wasn’t normal.

“This thing isn’t insulated… I have to unplug it right away….”

He tried to remove the screwdriver quickly, but unfortunately, he was a little slow.

Crack!

“Ah!”

An intense current struck Im Hyun-woo, and he lost consciousness.

***

Ian Volkov

The eldest son of the Volkov family, who had been guarding the northern region of the Callos Empire since ancient times.

Im Hyun-woo didn’t have a favorable impression of him.

No, he couldn’t have a favorable impression.

“If this guy plays as Ariel, there’s no one more annoying. He interferes with conquering dungeons and restricts actions using the family’s status.”

He persistently tormented players.

There were reasons why Im Hyun-woo couldn’t like Ian Volkov.

Unless there were hidden facts or appropriate plausibility, that kind of thing wouldn’t be revealed until the end.

Thanks to that, my emotions toward Ian were at their worst.

The reason I cheered for Ariel and the heroines was also because of that.

The protagonist party fighting against injustice was a sight to behold.

But in the current situation, I could no longer cheer for them.

Looking at the mirror in front of me, Lee Hyun-woo opened his mouth wide.

“Why. Why did I become Ian Volkov?”

He couldn’t close his mouth for a while. What on earth was going on?

“Did I really possess someone? Did I become Ian Volkov?”

He rubbed his face a couple of times, hoping it was a dream, but nothing changed.

A height close to 180, black hair, and gloomy eyes. It was the unmistakable appearance of Ian Volkov.

I was possessed by Ian Volkov.

The meaning of those words was simple.

“From now on, I have become a target for Ariel, the heroines, and countless enemies.”

Being in the midst of the enemy’s territory.

This is not a metaphor. It could even be called a real enemy’s territory. The heroines in the game considered Ian Volkov as an enemy and sincerely tried to kill him.

“I might die….”

There was one thing he had to do at that moment.

“I need information. If I hesitate even a little, I will die without being able to move.”

Although it was a sudden possession, the fear of death was enough to invoke coldness.

Lee Hyun-woo, leaving the mirror behind, quickly started rummaging through the room.

And in the empty corner of the desk, he pulled out an old diary.

“The head maid, Shulkin, reported Ian’s whereabouts to Ariel.”

Through him, Ariel could know what Ian was up to.

“Ian doesn’t do anything special other than simple meditation or writing in his diary when he’s in the family. I just know that he writes a diary every day.”

It wasn’t a particularly important line. It was a line Shulkin would laugh and say if Ariel asked him how the family was doing these days.

It meant not to worry since Ian doesn’t do anything special.

Just a simple interaction. It was a line that could be passed over.

But at least for now, it wasn’t a line he could easily overlook.

On the contrary, it meant that there was quite a bit of information he could obtain by reading this diary.

There was no reason to hesitate. Lee Hyun-woo unfolded the diary and began reading each character.

“I might have been a child who should never have been born.

The eldest son of the prestigious Volkanov Viscount, who had been guarding the northern part of the Callos Empire for generations.

Ian Volkanov.

People called him the transparent human.

It was quite literal.

No one ever treated him kindly, and he had never received love from his parents.

Was he untalented? Not at all.

From the moment he was born, he was born with the Dark attribute, one of the five attributes that are difficult to have even one of.

At the age of six, he realized the existence of mana on his own, and around the age of twelve, he began to manipulate mana skillfully.

At the age of fifteen, he honed his skills by hunting monsters alone, and since entering the academy, he had never missed the top rank.

So, was he a hopeless loser?

Not that either. If he had been a loser, his nickname would have been ‘Exile,’ not the transparent human.

He was merely an unloved child.

Kilaine Volkanov’s wife, Leticia Volkanov, despised the son she bore at a young age in her early twenties.

She had many desires she still wanted to fulfill with her husband, but the sudden appearance of Ian blocked everything.

She wasn’t mentally prepared for the child that suddenly appeared.

Her husband had to frequently leave home to eliminate the remnants of the demons, and her mental state had already been shattered by depression and PTSD from battles with the demons.

That pain gradually turned into anger towards Ian, and she eventually unleashed her pent-up anger on her own child.

Then, a year later, when the demon’s attacks subsided, she gave birth to a daughter and began to take better care of her.

‘Madam! Young Master Ian is a genius! Waking up his own mana at the age of six is something no one in the empire’s history has ever achieved. Truly remarkable.’

‘In that case, there’s no need for the planned training for Ian. Let him guide Ariel instead.’

She not only failed to take care of her exceptional son but also cut off his support and blocked his path.

“Mother, I got a perfect score on today’s test. And now, the Family Day is coming up, so I tried making some jewelry with magic stones as a gift.”

“If you’re Kilaine and my child, you should naturally get good grades, shouldn’t you? Are you looking for praise or something? And instead of making such things, focus on your training!”

“Mom! I got 70 points on today’s test! I did well, right?”

“Really? Our Ariel is truly amazing, isn’t she? Just like my daughter!”

She reacted affectionately to her son’s excellent grades and did things she shouldn’t have done.

Ian’s suffering didn’t end there.

Even during meals, Leticia insisted on seafood that suited her daughter’s taste. Unfortunately, the seafood her daughter liked was something Ian couldn’t eat.”

In his early years, Ian had to endure hives, stomachaches, and chills, and the people of his family scorned him as a cursed child.

Once, while Arielle was eating soup, Ian got burned when the wind knocked it over.

“You should have blocked it before your little brother spilled it! Arielle! Are you hurt anywhere? We should call the healers right away,” scolded Arielle, but even then, it was Ian who got into trouble.

When a large burn scar appeared on his thigh, Ian began to speak less. He only asked for help when it was truly necessary, and when he turned thirteen, he stopped talking to anyone in the family.

Naturally, family relationships fell apart.

Every time Kilian returned from his missions, he would reprimand Ian’s mother for her attitude towards him, and Arielle would mock Ian from behind, asking why he treated their parents that way.

In the end, unable to endure it any longer, his parents labeled him as a troublemaker and left Ian to his own devices. He became an invisible person in the family.

He was treated as the eldest son only on the surface, but within the family, he was completely ignored.

This fact shocked Hyunwoo.

“What… is this?”

Hyunwoo opened his eyes wide after confirming Ian’s secret.

“I suspected there was an issue between Ian and Arielle, but…”

This wasn’t an issue between the two, was it? Ian was the one who received all the unfair treatment.

Hyunwoo knew well how Arielle thought of Ian in the original work.

“A person who coldly destroyed the family atmosphere by treating their parents, who gave them love generously, with indifference, and someone who stood in the way of a hero.”

But what was the reality? It was the opposite.

When Arielle received training from a renowned professor, Ian had to train on his own.

When Arielle had good equipment for her training, Ian had to use a crudely made sword from the mountains for his training.

While she enjoyed a warm meal, Ian had to go to the mountains to hunt insects to fill his stomach.

Arielle considered her older brother the worst person, completely unaware of all this.

His hands trembled with a significant shock, but Hyunwoo restrained himself and reached for his diary again.

[Empire Year 234, September 4th]

Arielle’s Holy Sword Elysion had given a prophecy about a Hero Party.

Astelgia, the land of demons, was a place where, due to the power of the Demon Lord, only those who possessed magic or were demons themselves could use half of their innate power. With the blessing of the Holy Sword, they could break free from this limitation, but only those designated in the prophecy could receive the blessing.

The party consisted of a total of five members, including Arielle.

This had caused a great commotion in the royal palace.

Even at the academy, there was a sense of foreboding in the air.

Among them, the information about three individuals was as follows:

Dae Sulin, the heretic of Daeso Forest. The saint of the Holy Kingdom, the ruler of the wasteland.

Up until this point, there were no problems. They were already within the categories that the palace’s informants had expected, and they were individuals with potential.

The problem lied with the last one.

The one who had been watching Ariel since she was young.

The palace passed judgment on the individuals. Despite my defense claiming that Ariel was not the chosen one, not even if the Holy Sword died.

I couldn’t break the will of the palace.

[Year of the Empire 10th Month 5th Day]

The new party members were excellent beings.

With them, capturing the demon king would become much easier.

Ariel, who I had been worried about, was also fitting in well with the party. It seemed like she had expected that my presence would cause chaos in the party.

But when there were no particular movements, she seemed to be gradually opening her heart.

Seeing that child smiling, my heart grew heavy.

I would soon come to know what I had to do… I couldn’t bear to see her.

I continued to check the information. The latter parts were charred and impossible to read properly.

I could only read the last chapter. Even that had damage in various parts, but Hyunwoo once again shifted his gaze to the diary.

[Year of the Empire 235, 2nd Month 15th Day]

Fortunately, just before the battle with the Laziness Demon King, I successfully banished Ariel and disbanded the party.

Although my colleagues protested for reasons that were not valid, it was inevitable.

Even if it meant revealing the hidden truth now and offering their help if necessary, I turned down that offer.

If Ariel were to learn the truth, the wounds to her heart would be immeasurable…

[Year of the Empire 235, 2nd Month 16th Day]

The party members returned to their respective hometowns. After strengthening themselves in their hometowns, they would be able to greatly assist Ariel in creating a future party.

I heard that Ariel returned to her family in anger. But it’s okay.

We were able to avoid a full-on battle with the Laziness Demon King.

The risk of fighting against the Laziness Demon King, who was on par with the Demon King of Gluttony, with just brute force was too great.

There was only one way to go beyond his territory without a direct confrontation.

Trading someone’s life as the price.

That’s why Ariel was banished.

The Holy Sword Elysion, which only she could wield, was the only way to defeat the demon king. I had to protect it at all costs.

So I decided to do it.

I thought it was something that I could handle.

Ariel, who doesn’t know the truth, won’t be sad.

But a problem arose.

The lazy demon made a new contract, different from what I knew.

Instead of ##, he offered me something else.

Because of that, things didn’t go as expected. But it didn’t matter. The plan to protect Ariel remained unchanged.

I have to ^&.

It’s not about our family. It’s about the path for the Carlos Empire.]

That was the end of the diary. Lee Hyun-woo carefully put down the diary and turned his gaze to the calendar.

“Looking at the calendar… Today’s date is February 20th.”

Summing it up, Ian and the party were about to face the lazy demon’s battle four days ago, they expelled Ariel from the party, and then the party fell apart.

The reason is unknown. Why Ian made such an impulsive move. I couldn’t know anything.

There were only two things Lee Hyun-woo knew.

“Now I am Ian Volkanov.”

Being stuck in this damn situation.

And.

[Hidden Story: ‘Ian’s Secret’]

[A quest has appeared.]

[Defeat the Boss Monster and uncover the secret Ian has been hiding!]

[Success: Happy Ending / Failure: Eternal Death]

I had to survive no matter what.

[I will empathize with Ian Volkanov’s emotions.]

At the same time, Lee Hyun-woo felt a wave of overwhelming memories. It would be the fusion of Ian Volkanov’s memories.

When he finally raised his head, he could perceive reality.

And he knew what he had to do.

“Let’s give it a try.”

First, he had to survive.