How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 191

“Is that Anne Carson, the former Red Mage?”

Chelsea’s murmured words, upon seeing the inscription, made me nod in confirmation.

“Yes, she was Beatrice’s master.”

“First, the legendary mage Katryzin, and now the former Red Mage…?”

Chelsea, who was usually so composed, found herself muttering in awe as she continued to scan the area. It wasn’t every day one stumbled upon the hidden research lab of a Archmage.

For someone like Chelsea, who was training to become a swordmaster, a place like this might be an incredible opportunity—a chance to discover unimaginable secrets.

Besides, this place hadn’t even been mentioned in the original story. We were the first to uncover it.

But there was something more important than just stumbling upon a treasure trove.

‘I need to check if there are any more traces of Anne here.’

I needed to find Anne Carson, the former Red Mage. She was the key to breaking the curse that had been plaguing my body.

I called out to Frilla, urgency in my voice.

‘Frilla, did Anne visit this place before?’

[From what I remember, there was no mention of such a place.]

Frilla shook her head, answering decisively.

I nodded and turned my focus to both Airsya and Frilla.

‘Then can you two quickly check if there are any traces of anyone else who’s been here recently?’

[Why should I—]

[I’ll get on it right away.]

Frilla immediately responded, cutting off Airsya, who clicked her tongue in Annoyance.

[Ugh, that guy doesn’t know how to relax, does he!]
Airsya grumbled.

‘So, are you not going to help, Airsya?’

I asked, trying to hold back a smirk.

[Fine, fine! Stop rushing me. I was going to check anyway.]

Despite her complaints, Airsya begrudgingly complied.

‘Wouldn’t it be easier if you just agreed to help from the start?’

I kept the thought to myself, watching as Airsya and Frilla went about their task. It was amusing how different they were, yet their dynamic somehow balanced things out.

Just then—

“Kamon,”

Chelsea called out to me in a quiet tone.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I think we should head deeper inside. There’s nothing here for us.”

Chelsea’s tone was certain, as if she’d already scouted the area thoroughly. I gave her a nod.

“Alright, let’s head further in.”

This place wasn’t just any old laboratory—it was the secret research lab of Katryzin, a legendary mage who had been part of the hero’s party that sealed the Demon King, Agnito. Even though it seemed someone had already been here, there was still a good chance we might stumble upon incredible artifacts or long-lost treasures.

‘I don’t know much about Katryzin’s full capabilities, but just being part of the team that sealed Agnito proves she was extraordinarily powerful.’

In the original story, many of the hero-related adventures and opportunities that Kyle, the protagonist, encountered were connected to the members of the hero’s party who had sealed the Demon King.

So, this lab likely held valuable secrets, just like those places did.

Moreover, according to Frilla, this lab was already infused with a significant amount of healing energy long before Anne had sealed her here and forcibly converted her power into life energy. The secret to that energy might still be hidden here.

‘That means there’s a high chance that the secret behind the healing power lies within this lab.’

I set two clear objectives.

First, to find more traces of Anne and figure out where she might be now.

Second, to uncover the secrets behind the hidden powers of this place.

And if I could discover some way to harness those powers for myself, all the better.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, we approached a door deeper inside the lab.

[Master, there are no other lifeforms detected in the area.]

[Frilla’s right. There doesn’t seem to be anything else around.]

‘Not even any guardians or golems protecting the place?’

[None, Master. It looks like the previous visitor already dealt with them.]

[Judging by the debris and damage, whoever was here before us likely took care of all the defenses.]

With both Airsya and Frilla confirming that there were no threats, I relaxed slightly.

It seemed there was nothing left here to endanger us, and while Anne had left traces behind, she had long since departed.

‘Well, the inscription itself implies she’s already gone, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.’

Satisfied with the findings, I turned to Chelsea.

“If we pull that lever, it should open, right?”

Without hesitation, Chelsea grabbed the small lever attached to the door and pulled.

*Rumble, rumble!*

With the sound of gears grinding into place, the massive stone door began to open, slowly revealing what lay beyond.

*Rumble, boom!*

The door fully opened, as if welcoming new visitors into the lab.

*Hack! Cough, cough!*

Both Chelsea and I immediately covered our faces, coughing as a thick cloud of dust and a strong, musty odor billowed out from inside.

It seemed no one had been here in a long, long time.

After a moment of adjusting to the air, we cautiously stepped inside.

The interior revealed a long, dimly lit hallway. The architecture was surprisingly elegant, more reminiscent of a noble’s mansion than a secret research lab.

“Is this really a secret lab?”

Chelsea asked, disbelief coloring her tone.

It looked more like a place where people used to live.

The further we walked, the more that impression was solidified. There was an ornate carpet lining the floors, and—

*Fwoosh.*

Unlit torches hanging on the walls ignited automatically as we passed, illuminating our path.

“There are paintings on the walls.”

Chelsea pointed out, drawing my attention to the artwork that adorned the hallway. Most of the paintings were extravagant, showcasing scenes of nature, grand landscapes, or people dressed in opulent attire.

“Do you think we could sell these paintings for a good price?”

Chelsea gave me a blank stare in response, clearly unamused.

“I was kidding, kidding.”

Though, to be honest, ancient paintings like these could fetch a high price if sold to the right buyer. A bit of a shame, really.

I sighed and refocused as we continued walking down the hallway.

“Are those artifacts over there?”

“Yeah, that seems right,” Chelsea nodded in agreement as she scanned the cluttered corridor. Scattered around us were numerous magical artifacts, or at least what appeared to be magical artifacts. They were strewn across the wide hallway, some looking ancient and worn, others still gleaming with faint magical energy.

If these were all created by Archmage Katryzin, they would undoubtedly be priceless.

‘Looks like even the Romanoff family doesn’t know about this place.’

I couldn’t tell why the secret lab of the Archmage, who had been part of the hero’s party that sealed the Demon King, was hidden beneath the Romanoff family’s territory. But judging from the state of things, it seemed clear that neither Duke Romanoff nor his predecessors were aware of this lab’s existence.

‘If they did know, they would have excavated and sold everything off long ago, or claimed it for themselves.’

Just then, Chelsea interrupted my thoughts.

“Kamon, over there.”

I turned in the direction she was pointing and saw a small door nestled between the walls of the corridor. It was the first deviation we’d come across since entering the hallway.

“A door?”

Both of us immediately tensed, raising our guard. Even though the place seemed abandoned, we couldn’t ignore this door.

“Should we check it out?” I asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Without further hesitation, we approached the door together. I reached for the handle, and as I pushed it open—

*Creeeeaaak.*

The door groaned on its old hinges, revealing a stale, musty smell that wafted into our faces.

“Books? Is this a library?” Chelsea observed.

“Seems like it.”

The room was lined wall to wall with towering bookshelves, each filled with countless volumes.

“Huh, the first room we find in this grand lab is a library…?” I muttered. There was something strange about the architecture—it didn’t feel like a typical research lab. But that wasn’t the issue now. We needed to see what we could learn from this place.

“Let’s start searching, Chelsea.”

“Got it.”

We split up, each taking a section of the room to explore. I made my way toward a particular shelf that caught my attention.

[Diaries]

The label was simple and direct, written in neat, precise handwriting. Archmage Katryzin, it seemed, was a very organized person. Several books labeled as diaries were lined up neatly on the shelf, sorted by date.

“Looks like I can start with the most recent entries,” I muttered to myself.

I pulled out the last book in the sequence and opened it without hesitation. The final entry was dated nearly two hundred years ago.

“Wow, this is old.”

I thought about the legendary party of heroes as I flipped through the pages, scanning the contents.

Soon enough—

‘So, Katryzin was the one who originally planned and created the Vishran Hot Springs?’

The diary recounted the early history of the Vishran Hot Springs, a place now considered a sacred site by the Romanoff family. According to Katryzin’s notes, long before the Romanoffs claimed the land, Katryzin had built this secret research lab, and in doing so, she had wanted to create a hot spring infused with healing magic that would last indefinitely.

“And the Romanoffs just stumbled upon it and took credit, huh?”

Katryzin had originally created the hot spring as a personal retreat, a place to indulge in relaxation while also preserving her healing magic. But it wasn’t until about thirty years ago that the Romanoff family rediscovered the springs and began fully developing them.

This was around the same time that the Spirit of Sloth, Frilla, had been captured and sealed by Anne Carson, the former Red Mage.

“So something must’ve happened in between…”

It was possible that the hot springs, originally created by Katryzin, had been forgotten over the centuries and then revived by Ann.

“Well, it’s not that important now.”

I shrugged and continued reading the diary, going further back in time with each entry.

I was lost in thought, flipping through the pages, when—

“Kamon!”

Chelsea’s voice broke my concentration.

I looked up to see her walking toward me, holding a book in her hand.

“Take a look at this,” she said as she handed it to me.

The title of the book read:

[On the Demon King Agnito and His Sealing]

It was a detailed account written by Archmage Katryzin herself, focused on the sealing of the Demon King Agnito. Chelsea pointed to a specific section of the text—an entry about the seal.

“Here, read this part.”

[…In truth, the Demon King does not die. Or rather, it is more accurate to say that he cannot be destroyed. Until the day comes when a true hero, chosen by the world, emerges to bring eternal rest to the Demon King, no force, no being, will be able to end him. Thus, we were left with no choice but to seal him. Though the seal may not last forever, it should hold until the hero chosen by the world appears.]

The passage sounded grand and ominous, but knowing the original storyline, it wasn’t that shocking to me.

In the original plot, the Demon King eventually revived, and Kyle, the protagonist, became the chosen hero destined to defeat him once and for all. It was the cornerstone of the story.

“The Demon King can’t be destroyed…?”

Chelsea’s voice trembled slightly, and I could see the fear settling into her eyes.

For Chelsea, someone living in this world, this revelation must have been terrifying. If what the book said was true, then the Demon King, who had been sealed by the hero’s party two hundred years ago, could come back to life at any time. And if the hero hadn’t yet appeared when that happened, the world could very well be doomed.

Seeing Chelsea tremble slightly, I patted her on the shoulder to reassure her.

“Don’t worry. The seal won’t break so easily.”

“…You really think so?”

She tried to be optimistic, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. I nodded confidently.

“Yeah.”

‘The Demon King’s revival is still years away, anyway.’

Of course, I kept that thought to myself and continued reading the text.

[Thus, we divided the Demon King’s soul into several parts and sealed them across the far reaches of the continent. By combining my power with Camel’s, we succeeded in splitting the Demon King’s soul into seven fragments, ultimately securing his imprisonment.]

“Seven fragments?”

Now this was news to me.

The exact method of the Demon King’s sealing had never been clearly explained in the original story. All I knew was that the Demon King eventually revived when the time was right, and Kyle, as the chosen hero, had to step up and stop him.

“If the Demon King’s soul was split into seven parts, that means it’ll be much harder to break the seal on him.”

Chelsea, who was reading alongside me, sighed in relief, her voice sounding a bit more relaxed now.

*Thud!*

I suddenly slammed the book shut.

“…?”

Chelsea looked at me in confusion, silently asking why I had stopped reading so abruptly.

I smiled and shrugged.

“We’ve gotten all the information we need. Now, it’s time for the real treasure hunt. Don’t you think?”

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