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

6 – My Sandbag Has Risen

Who are the essential characters at the academy?

There are probably many.

There might be nobles who tick all the boxes by taking care of you while maintaining an air of grace.

There could also be those who exude an attractive charm through their simplicity and subtlety.

Or even a heroine with noble origins who dedicates herself to the protagonist and possesses exceptional abilities.

Among them, what Ian considered important was the Student Council President.

“It’s always charming when someone who follows the rules and used to stand in your way becomes submissive and grovels only to the protagonist.”

Unfortunately, there was no such position as a class president in this game.

Instead, there was a “Platoon Leader.”

Even if they divided the members into platoons, taking care of around 20 people as platoon leaders was a challenging task.

Platoon leaders appointed outstanding students as squad leaders.

The responsibilities of a squad leader were similar to those of a class president, such as finding squad members and assigning missions.

“And I’m a squad leader too.”

Ian was also a platoon leader.

After ranking first in the entrance exam, he was appointed as a 1st Platoon Leader and had not lost his position even as a second-year student.

“Thinking about it now, Ian was quite lucky. If you consider the reputation of students, there’s no way this guy would become a platoon leader.”

Indeed, a platoon leader was a respected figure within the squad.

Ian was a bit distant from that.

His abilities were acknowledged, but his reputation was a mess.

The reason for not believing that Ian was a platoon leader was also because of this.

“They may say they appoint outstanding students as squad leaders, but… as it goes in the real world, platoon leaders are usually those with power.”

Just look at the other squads; aren’t there people from prestigious families leading them?

For Ian, who was a nobody from an unknown family, being a platoon leader was a strange occurrence.

On the other hand, there was a reason why someone like him could become a platoon leader.

“That’s all thanks to the 3rd Platoon Leader, Kian.”

Kian, the 3rd Platoon Leader.

A commoner who joined the Imperial Knights, he made a significant contribution to the Empire, which was almost an enemy of the Great Mine Stronghold.

Ruthlessly meritocratic, he appointed Ian as the platoon leader.

And not just any platoon leader, but the 1st Platoon Leader that only the most exceptional individuals could hold.

“Same as always. At least he didn’t hate Ian.”

That was why Ian had to behave without any military language in the presence of the platoon leader.

Sitting stiffly in his seat, Ian felt his blood run dry.

“Damn it… It’s demotion.”

Grumbling, Kaien, who was sitting next to Ian, spoke as if throwing it out.

“I heard the rumors. They say the assassination of Masin failed.”

“I apologize, sir.”

Ian automatically bowed his head in response to his words.

Perhaps Ian was frustrated. Kaien chuckled.

“Nobles are humans too, they can make mistakes… Don’t worry too much. You did well on the transfer exam, right? Then it’s fine.”

“No… But still, it was my mistake, so I’m willing to pay the price.”

“Pay the price, huh. Of course you have to, by the way, the punishment has already been decided… What do you think will happen, according to you?”

A punishment that’s worth receiving… There can only be one.

“I think I’ll be stripped of my platoon leader position.”

At Ian’s subdued response, Kaien gently nodded his head.

“Stripped of the position, huh. Something like that. From today on, you’re not the 1st Platoon Leader anymore, you’re the 3rd Platoon Leader.”

“The 3rd Platoon Leader? What does that mean?”

Ian stood up from his seat abruptly. A change from the demotion to becoming the 3rd Platoon Leader?

It was an unexpected turn of events.

‘Continuing as a platoon leader? Just a change to being the 3rd Platoon Leader from a punishment?’

Of course, it was a punishment.

Compared to the 1st Platoon, which carried out important missions, the 3rd Platoon performed more behind-the-scenes tasks, like taking care of the platoon.

But still, being a platoon leader was being a platoon leader. The weight of that position should never be underestimated.

‘Is the punishment too light?’

Perhaps reading Ian’s thoughts, Kaien made an effort to get him back in his seat.

“Still, it’ll be easier than being the 1st Platoon Leader. You won’t have much contact with the others, you just have to do your own tasks well. Isn’t that more convenient in a situation like this?”

“Is that what the platoon leader said…”

“Yeah… I pushed a bit. In the general officers’ meeting, I even argued that they couldn’t strip the platoon leader position from you even if you died.”

“Master… No, Lieutenant, has there been any discussion with the assistant platoon leader?”

The assistant platoon leader of the 3rd Platoon was Haily Millerus, who used to be Ian’s master.

Why wouldn’t she try to leave herself alone?

Kaien also knew that fact and grabbed his collar.

“You already made a fuss… Do you know what the platoon leader said? Either you join the 3rd platoon or you get expelled. We had a little fight over that.”

“…”

“We couldn’t narrow down our differences until the end, so we decided to go our separate ways. The platoon leader went to the 1st platoon to train your brother. We decided to operate with a vacancy in the platoon leader position.”

Ian had only one thing to say to him, honestly and openheartedly.

“…Why did you do that? Even now, why exclude me from being the squad leader?”

“It’s over. It’s already finished. And I don’t want to work with a bastard who discards his disciples.”

“But still, won’t the platoon leader suffer because of me?”

Concerned, Ian asked, and Kaien chuckled and took out a cigarette.

With the lit cigarette in his mouth, he asked Ian.

“Can I smoke?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Okay. It’ll be tough for you, as you said. If there’s no platoon leader, I’ll have even more work to do… But Ian, my life has never been easy. I’ve always lived in hardships.”

“…”

“When you said you would bring yourself to our squad. Do you know what the others said? They called me crazy. They said bringing that bastard would be useless.”

The advice that the professors gave at that time was still engraved in his mind.

“Bring in one proper noble student and raise them well…. It’s great. By putting them in, your life will improve. Why are you chasing after discarded bastards in your family?”

The way for commoners to succeed is to attract the attention of nobles.

By cultivating the nobles well and placing them in suitable positions, they ensured a prosperous life from that family’s side.

Thanks to that, most of the instructors only took care of high-ranking noble students during class.

Kaien despised it to the core.

“These damn bastards…”

Seeing honorable people with prestigious positions leading students down the road of success made him boil with anger.

In a way, he might be considered a foolish person. Leaving the easy path behind and insisting only on the difficult path.

But still, Kaien never regretted it once.

Absorbing the smoky haze, he looked at Ian and said.

“After you entered the Knight Party with the Divine Sword’s prophecy, do you know what other platoon leaders say about me at social gatherings? I thought that Ian would do well! He looked so impressive with his swordsmanship, so I knew he would do well from the beginning! Bullsh*t.”

Does that even make sense?

“If that’s the case, why didn’t you guys raise him from the beginning? Why are you spouting that nonsense now?”

Ian didn’t know anything about the effort. He didn’t even try to find out how hard it had been for him to live.

Talent, just because he succeeded? Did he really think that?

“They know nothing! They belittle your achievements, which you worked so hard to achieve, attributing them solely to talent! But I know. I know how fiercely you have lived! That’s why even though I hate it, I trust you and make you the Third Lieutenant…”

It might be dangerous? It doesn’t matter.

“You’re right, it might be dangerous. If the promised period with His Majesty the Emperor ends, I might be executed. So what? What does it matter? I’ll just get executed.”

Go to the fields and farm, train the neighborhood kids when you have the time, that’s all you need to do.

It must be the right path for someone born with commoner blood.

Kaien, who breathed out a puff of smoke, grabbed Ian’s shoulder.

“When His Majesty the Emperor said he would give me a title for my achievements in mine-clearing, I said I would die before accepting it. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Because the kids who followed me died because of my wrong judgment. The world thinks I killed the mines by infiltrating and killing them personally. But it wouldn’t have been possible without my subordinates.”

At that time, Kaien was at a crossroads.

Would he go back with the injured subordinates? Or would he wipe out the mines?

He chose the latter, and he succeeded in annihilating the mines in the area. But his subordinates had become cold corpses a long time ago.

He killed his subordinates with the wrong choice… and now he’s asking for a reward.

“When I refused the title and came out, I made a promise. I said I would take full responsibility for my subordinates. Didn’t I tell you that too?”

That statement reminded him of a scene.

When he subdued Ariel, who had tried to surprise attack Ian, he said to her as she screamed.

[Why are you protecting that brat? What do you know about him?]

[I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on between you and your older brother.]

[But why!!]

[Still… My child is about to die. I can’t just stand by and watch…]

“I remember.”

“Yeah. You’re my subordinate. You’re no different from my child. No matter how terrible things you do, you’re still my child, and I’ll take responsibility for you till the end, right?”

The platoon leader finished his statement and flicked his cigarette and extinguished the fire.

While turning his back, he said to Ian.

“In the future, you’ll have to prove yourself countless times. You’ll have to convince not only the students but also the higher-ups within the Arc. Can you do it?”

“Yes.”

“Then prove it. That’s all it takes. I’ll go ahead, so come slowly.”

With those words, Kaien entered the Arc first. Ian stared blankly at his back.

“I have to prove it…”

Walking into the classroom, Ian echoed what Kyan had said.

It was probably an attempt to boost his courage, but it stung like a blow to the head.

In reality, he had lived his life carelessly. After all, it was a second life he’d been thrust into, so he had thought he’d simply avoid death.

Kyan’s words gave Ian a goal.

“Yeah… there’s no reason to live carelessly anymore.”

He acknowledged the fact that he’d been reincarnated, but a part of him still believed it was just a game.

But wasn’t the previous version of himself unquestionably dead?

From that moment on, this was his real life.

“I shouldn’t just focus on surviving; I should strive to live well.”

Unavoidable proof would follow, but Ian had confidence that he could overcome it.

Lost in thought, Ian found himself on the second floor of the main building before he knew it.

As he headed toward the right end after passing the classrooms of the 2nd Company in the center, he spotted the classroom of the 3rd Company.

The moment he opened the classroom door.

Creeeak!

“It’s chilling.”

The gaze of the people inside the classroom pierced through his heart.

Even though they gave him a stern look, Ian responded with indifference.

There was no need to provoke them.

There was nothing he could do in this situation anyway.

“I’ll prove it gradually.”

According to the original work, there were rigorous training sessions scheduled for the beginning of the semester to straighten out the newcomers.

There was still an opportunity.

– Ian! These guys are giving us a hard stare! Should I tear them apart?

“Neltalion, what on earth are you talking about…”

– I don’t like it!

“But there’s no need to confront them, we’ll be the only ones at a loss. Later, when the opportunity comes, we can show them.”

– Alright. I’ll endure until then…

While trying to calm the enraged Neltalion, Ian made his way to his seat.

His seat was at the far end of the classroom, by the window. Ian, seated in his chair, let out a deep sigh.

“Well, leaving that aside… How can I improve my skills from now on?”

After the battle with Igor, Ian had decided to shape his fighting style around boxing, at least until he could resolve his aversion to blades. However, there was a significant issue at hand.

“Where can I find a sparring partner…?”

In the realm of boxing, sparring was an essential presence. Some might suggest shadowboxing, but shadowboxing was merely a process of practicing techniques while imagining an imaginary opponent. It wasn’t real combat training.

“Faking it with just shadowboxing won’t enhance my skills.”

To train for real combat situations, Ian urgently needed a sparring partner.

“What should I do? I can’t just approach those guys and ask…”

“Ian… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I think the same way.”

It would be fortunate if all they received when asking was a refusal. He wondered what to do.

Thud! Thud!

He felt heavy footsteps approaching, accompanied by a robust voice echoing in his ears.

“Hey, Ian Volkhanov.”

Turning his head, Ian found Igor there. He was swollen to the point of looking pitifully disfigured, and Ian was taken aback.

“This won’t be easy…”

Even though Igor had a menacing appearance to begin with, the stitched-up wounds and deep bruises made him unbearable to look at.

“But why has he suddenly come to see me? In the original work, Igor and the Bishen recruits are supposed to be assigned to the Second Platoon, not to my platoon. Why would he come to a unit that isn’t even his?”

“Is there something you want?”

“Something? Of course, there is. You have no idea how much I’ve suffered since morning because of it.”

“Suffered? What are you talking about?”

“You don’t remember?”

“What can’t you remember?”

When Ian’s eyes shifted, as if contemplating, Igor spoke nonchalantly.

“I said I would teach you how to become stronger, didn’t I?”

“Did I say that?”

“You definitely said it. You can’t win like this, right? So, if I come next time, that means I’ll teach you, doesn’t it? That’s why I intentionally came with the 3rd squad, to learn from you.”

Ian couldn’t easily accept what he was saying.

‘Who is this guy?’

He had said it sarcastically. He interpreted it on his own and even changed their affiliation…

Even though he couldn’t believe it, Ian felt a surge of joy in his chest.

‘My punching bag is here.’

As things worked out better than expected, a smile appeared on his face.