Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 32

I stepped into her open arms and wrapped mine around her shoulders. Her grip tightened as if she didn’t want to let go, and she buried her face in my chest, speaking in a trembling voice.

“You’ll come back, right? You’re not lying, are you?”

“I promise. I’ll be back for sure,” I reassured her once more.

It was only five days of survival, not like I was being drafted into a war. So why did this feel like I was being sent off to battle? I sighed, patting Raphne’s head gently as she whimpered in my arms.

I still had a bit of time left before I needed to leave, so I waited, letting her cling to me until she was satisfied.

“Sniff, Ken…”

“Okay, I really have to go now,” I said eventually, after giving her enough time.

As I closed the door and left the tower, I could still hear her sobbing echoing from the top floor. How could I not come back after hearing that? I needed to finish the event as quickly as possible and return. I had no idea what state Raphne’s mind would be in after five days.

The forest clearing was bustling with activity.

I found a spot near the stage where the event’s organizer stood. The area was filled with students, far more than I had anticipated. While I had expected this many participants because of the game, seeing the crowd in person was still impressive.

“Now, I’ll explain the rules of the event,” said the teacher in charge as they stepped onto the platform.

The Survival Event wasn’t a major plot point in the game; it was more of a side event. So the rules weren’t particularly complicated. Each student would enter the forest one by one, and the goal was to survive for five days.

In the game, things like food and shelter weren’t as important, but in reality, the organizers provided basic supplies, like food. There were also tents and other survival gear hidden throughout the forest.

Of course, in this world, magic existed, so even without those hidden supplies, a skilled participant could find ways to survive.

But the real point of the event was the badges.

Each participant would be given a badge, and the goal was to collect as many as possible by the end of the five days. The person with the most badges would win the event.

Three winners would be chosen, with the first-place winner picking their prize first, and the third-place winner taking whatever was left.

“Ken.”

Just as the explanation was finishing, Mary approached me.

“I’ll be giving it my all in this event,” she said.

“Oh, right,” I replied.

Mary’s face was as expressionless as ever, but there was a sense of determination behind her eyes.

“So, if we run into each other… don’t expect me to hold back,” she added.

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” I said with a nod.

Mary was one of the two participants I was most wary of in this event. Since the badges could be taken by force, someone as skilled as Mary was a serious threat. Could I beat her if it came down to it?

Suddenly, her serious expression softened, and she blushed, avoiding my gaze.

“T-that being said… if I win the prize… would you go with me? To the restaurant…?” she asked hesitantly.

Oh, right. She hadn’t explicitly asked me before. It seemed she wanted to clear that up now.

“Of course! I’d love to,” I answered.

At my response, Mary’s anxious expression turned into a small, relieved smile. Now that I thought about it, both Emily and Mary were really invested in this restaurant. It must be incredible if they were both so eager to win the voucher. I was starting to get a little excited about it myself.

“Well then, it’s my turn to enter, so I’ll see you later,” Mary said, waving as she headed toward the forest.

I watched her go with a content smile, only to feel a sharp pain in my side moments later.

“Ow! What was that for?” I yelped.

“Why are you smiling like that? You look way too happy,” came Emily’s voice.

“E-Emily?” I turned to see her standing there, her face full of irritation.

“Hey, I didn’t get a proper answer from you either,” she said, pressing her fingers into my side with a pout.

She wore a slightly timid expression as she looked up at me. It was obvious she was referring to the same thing as Mary— the restaurant.

“Of course, I’ll go. Why wouldn’t I?” I reassured her quickly.

“Really?”

At my answer, Emily smiled softly and stepped back, finally releasing her grip on my side.

“Alright then. I’ll do my best, and you’d better try hard too,” she said, waving before walking away.

I waved back at her, recalling the look of frustration on her face earlier. It seemed like everyone was really serious about this event.

“…Well, I guess it’s my turn,” I said to myself as I stepped forward.

And so, the Survival Event—an event that would turn out to be more important than I initially thought—began.

In the quiet forest, Albert, a participant in the survival event, cautiously made his way forward, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Like most of the other students, his reason for joining the event was simple: the restaurant voucher.

The luxury restaurant was one of the most famous in the city, and the cost of a single meal there was incredibly high. Many students, especially couples, joined the event with the sole goal of winning that coveted voucher. Albert was no exception.

‘If I could at least make it to the top three…’

Of course, the event rules allowed the top three finishers to choose their prize in order, so there was no guarantee the voucher would still be available by the time the third-place winner got to choose. But Albert had resolved to do his best, especially for his girlfriend who was waiting for him.

‘I’ll win it for sure. Just wait for me, Laura.’

With thoughts of his beloved girlfriend giving him strength, Albert moved carefully through the forest, scanning his surroundings. The event had started early in the morning, and by now, it was well past noon. He was certain that many students had already staked out their spots in the forest.

Albert's first priority was finding a suitable place to set up camp. After all, this event wasn’t just about surviving for a day. It was about surviving for five days, and food and shelter would be crucial. The event provided some food, but not much, and he might need to gather more himself from the forest. In his mind, the best place to set up camp would be near a river.

As he searched for a suitable spot, a figure at the edge of his vision caught his attention. Someone was approaching, but the person was partially hidden by the shadows of the forest.

‘Please don’t let it be Adrian…’

Albert had considered dropping out of the event when he heard Adrian Ferreday was participating. He knew he stood no chance against him. If he had to face Adrian, there was no way he’d win. Cold sweat trickled down his back as he kept his eyes fixed on the approaching figure.

Finally, the figure stepped out of the shadows.

“Oh? Hello there!”

It wasn’t Adrian. It was Ken Feinstein, a fellow student from the same year. Albert knew who he was—just another weakling in the Academy, someone who was often bullied.

“Ha, it’s just you, Ken? What bad luck you have!” Albert laughed, quickly drawing his sword.

Of course, killing wasn’t allowed in this event. Even if they fought, the moment an opponent surrendered, the battle would end, and the loser would hand over their badge. Albert didn’t even think it would come to that. Ken was a weakling, someone who followed Mary around and couldn’t stand up for himself. He figured a little intimidation would be enough to make Ken hand over his badge without a fight.

“Just leave your badge and food, and get lost,” Albert growled, pointing the tip of his sword at Ken.

He had nothing against Ken personally, but this was a competition, and he needed to win. By being forceful, Albert hoped to avoid an unnecessary fight. He expected Ken to panic and flee, leaving his badge behind. But instead, Ken smiled.

“I’m sorry… it seems you know me, but I don’t know who you are,” Ken said, still smiling.

“…What?” Albert blinked in surprise.

Of course Ken didn’t know him. Albert wasn’t famous, just another student. But what really confused Albert was why Ken wasn’t scared.

‘Why isn’t this guy trembling?’

Was he underestimating Albert? That didn’t make sense. This was a combat-focused event, and Albert was confident in his skills. His well-trained body alone should have been enough to make Ken back down.

“…Albert. Albert Kaiman,” he finally said.

“Oh, Albert! Got it,” Ken replied cheerfully, like they were having a casual conversation.

What was he trying to do? Was Ken trying to make small talk to escape the situation? If that was his plan, it wasn’t going to work. Albert wasn’t about to give up an easy badge for the sake of pleasantries.

Then Ken suddenly asked, “Hey, Albert. You’re using a sword, right? Are you mainly a close-combat fighter?”

Albert frowned. What kind of question was that? Why would Ken care?

“Yeah, and what of it? I don’t need magic to beat someone like you,” Albert spat, growing irritated.

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Ken’s smile grew wider, almost snake-like, as if he had just heard exactly what he wanted.

“So… your special skill must be close-combat based too, huh?”

“…What?”

Ken began walking toward Albert slowly.

“H-Hey! Stop! Don’t come any closer!” Albert shouted, his voice trembling slightly as he raised his sword.

Why was he feeling so uneasy? Why was he tensing up in front of this guy? None of it made sense. But before he could process what was happening, Ken’s voice echoed through the quiet forest.

“…Calorie Burn.”

With those words, Albert’s eyes widened in disbelief. The once round and flabby figure of Ken began to shrink. His excess fat seemed to melt away, revealing a muscular, well-built man beneath it.

“…W-What the hell?”

In an instant, Ken had transformed into a completely different person, someone with a strong, imposing physique.

“S-Stay back! If you come any closer—!” Albert’s voice trembled as he held out his sword, but his hands were shaking.

What was going on? How had Ken changed his appearance so quickly? Was it some kind of illusion magic? Maybe Ken was just using magic to trick him.

But before Albert could react, Ken vanished.

“Guh—!”

The next thing Albert felt was an intense pain in his stomach. Ken’s fist had slammed into his gut with incredible force.

‘H-How…? When did he…?’

Just moments ago, Ken had been several feet away, walking toward him at a leisurely pace. But in the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance and landed a devastating punch.

“Gugh… bleegh—” Albert doubled over, gasping for breath, as he vomited everything he’d eaten that morning.

Tears and snot dripped down his face as he looked up at Ken in terror. The man standing before him now was nothing like the Ken he knew. Ken smiled kindly, but there was no hint of mercy in his eyes.

“Well, Albert. Why don’t you go ahead and hand over your food and badge? I’m in a bit of a hurry, you see,” Ken said with a sinister grin.

Albert, trembling with fear, had no choice but to comply.