I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy

Chapter 187: Walking in Place (3)

Lesser nobles, like barons, are often compelled to walk with constrained strides, believing that wider steps diminish their dignity.

While many students affiliated with the order mostly hail from commoner origins, there is a substantial presence of nobility-born students at Elinia Academy, who are well aware of this fact.

Yet.

Thud, thud, thud.

Theo walked with long, confident strides.

But to those observing from the order, his gait seemed as refined, if not more, than any noble they could compare him to.

In his walk, there was an unmistakable air of arrogance, a sense that he epitomized nobility itself.

“…Huh.”

However, no one seemed to take issue with that.

On the contrary, Theo's silent approach seemed to command the space, his presence felt even without a word.

Unconcerned with the stares around him, he scanned the order's students at the front of the stage intently, as if searching for someone.

“…”

Apparently not finding the person he was looking for, his brows knitted into a frown.

Approaching a student from the order at the front, he stood before them.

'...His presence is intimidating.'

The student, who had just been jostling with another from the Hero Department and wore a colorful face of makeup, thought to herself.

Theo glanced at her indifferently.

“Where is Alphs?”

"······Uh, well..."

He acted as if he were her superior, a demeanor she accepted quite naturally.

The girl quickly looked around.

“He, where is she? Haha… She’s usually in a corner somewhere.”

"Forget it."

Seemingly unsatisfied with her answer, he raised an eyebrow and moved on to the representative at the end of the line of students.

“Please pass this on to Alphs.”

He took a pouch from within his cloak and handed it to the representative.

The slightly open mouth of the pouch revealed the gleam of gold coins.

'This... It's not an amount an ordinary student would part with so easily.’

The representative's eyes widened as they looked down at the pouch.

By its weight, it seemed that all the donations collected from the order students combined might not equal the amount Theo had just offered.

The representative looked at Theo with a skeptical glance.

"Ah, I understand. You are Theo Lyn Waldeurk from the Hero Department, correct? Is there a message you wish to leave?"

"Please tell them to come to the Hero Department's training ground at 5 PM on Friday. However, if it is inconvenient for them, let them know there is no obligation to attend."

"Ah, I understand. Is there any additional message to convey, or is that all?"

"That's all."

With those words, Theo turned and left immediately.

"Ha... He's really something. Even his way of speaking is different."

The representative murmured as they watched Theo's retreating figure.

I frowned and stepped out of the hall.

Alphs seemed to be in a more dangerous state than I had anticipated.

In the game, she had been standing in front of the stage after the event, somewhat disheveled, but to think she would run away right after.

The keyword permeating Alphs's existence in the game is 'self-esteem.'

However, currently, she appears not just to be suffering from low self-esteem but might even be burdened with a severe mental disorder, such as depression.

The game is unnecessarily detailed in certain aspects.

Naturally, the mental disorders that appear are also detailed, ranging from depressive to neurodevelopmental and anxiety disorders.

Patients suffering from severe mental illnesses, whether in reality or in the game, often attach great significance to even the minor actions of others.

For example, a third party might simply offer a smile and a greeting, yet the patients cannot just overlook it.

They might ponder s