I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind – Chapter 317

A decrepit wooden boat drifted in the middle of a vast swamp.

Swarming around it were countless bugs, too many to count.

It was as if the carcass of a massive, tragic beast was aboard.

Despite the repelling effects of the insect-repellent artifact, the bugs circled persistently, waiting for an opportunity.

On closer inspection, there were two figures atop the boat, locked in fierce combat.

Their opponents, naturally, were the bugs.

“These damn things! They just keep coming no matter how many I kill!”

Thud.

“Instead of complaining, just kill them, would you? Fine, I’ll catch the biggest bug in the world today. Let’s name it Bernstein, shall we? Oh, what a coincidence, it even shares your name!”

Thud thud!

“Oh? You got a problem with that? You might hit someone at this rate! Go ahead, try it! I’ll show you how even small things can pack a punch! And yes, I’m talking about size. You know I’m no less impressive than you, right?”

Thud thud!

“Arrgh! What the hell!? Did you really have to hit me!? I told you, getting hit by you is like getting hit by a bear!”

Crack.

Bernstein grabbed Roy’s neck tightly.

“Aaargh! A bear is tearing me apart! Someone save this poor rat… Huh?”

Roy’s head, forcibly turned by Bernstein’s immense strength, finally allowed him to see something.

Two men were watching them from afar.

“Isn’t that Principal Dwener and Lord Caron? Oh, so that’s why you kept hitting me? You could have told me! None of this would’ve happened if you’d said something.”

“…”

Bernstein squinted. His eyes seemed to ask, Don’t you know I can’t talk?

“You idiot! You could have sent a telepathic message or something. Anyway, let go already! My neck’s going to snap at this rate.”

Bernstein released Roy and took hold of the oars.

Roy busily scurried around the small boat, making preparations for departure.

Crackle!

As Roy manipulated the artifact, a bolt of lightning shot out, incinerating the surrounding bugs.

With black smoke rising around them, the boat slowly began drifting towards Dwener.

“Let’s do as we planned. You’re not scared, are you?”

Bernstein nodded in response to Roy’s question.

The boat soon reached the edge of the swamp.

After spraying more insect repellent, Roy and Bernstein disembarked from the boat.

“As commanded, we have arrived. I am Roy, and this is Bernstein.”

When Roy and Bernstein knelt in greeting, Caron frowned.

It wasn’t the typical greeting of a rat.

In fact, rats don’t usually greet others at all.

Caron preferred skipping such pleasantries, believing it was more efficient. Besides, rats lived by concealing their identities.

Carelessly greeting someone could lead to being captured and tortured by pursuers.

Yet here they were, bowing respectfully and even using formal language, which was completely unlike Roy.

There could only be one explanation for this.

‘They want to work under Dwener.’

Roy and Bernstein were two of the most outstanding rats.

Not only were they great at completing missions, but they also had excellent judgment and critical thinking skills.

For the sake of the mission, they would sometimes disregard Caron’s orders with flexibility.

‘I knew they were clever, but… they’re craftier than I thought.’

He hadn’t expected them to make up their minds this quickly.

Tsk…

Caron clicked his tongue. It seemed he was about to lose two of his most competent rats.

Though visibly annoyed, Roy and Bernstein remained motionless.

They knew it well—Caron couldn’t dismiss them so easily.

And they also knew that Caron would respect their decision.

“…”

Caron glanced at Dwener for a moment.

Though it was a shame to lose them, if they could be of help to Dwener, he would let them go.

They were loyal and skilled in torture and intelligence gathering.

Roy and Bernstein would serve Dwener well.

The only concern was…

‘Can Dwener handle them?’

They were clever and had sharp judgment. If Dwener was deemed incompetent, they would leave immediately.

‘A leader with no command over his people is as useless as any failure.’

Command doesn’t just mean martial strength.

It requires leadership, charisma, integrity, confidence, courage, decisiveness—all sorts of skills.

‘Dwener has just hatched from his shell. It’s too early to expect strong leadership from him.’

For now, Caron knew he had to help.

It was a bit bothersome, but this was all part of testing Dwener’s growth.

Caron’s gaze flickered over to Roy and Bernstein.

The two of them were cautiously watching Dwener.

Their polite greeting was a testament to their skills and dedication.

But Dwener, for his part, didn’t seem particularly interested in them.

“How’s their condition?”

He was likely asking about Count Zachary and Administrator Rieur.

Roy smiled slightly before responding.

“Both enjoyed their journey… though one seemed to enjoy it so much he wished to leave this world.”

Count Zachary and Administrator Rieur. One of them was dead.

Hearing this, Dwener clicked his tongue sharply.

Tsk!

“They couldn’t even last a week, let alone the full month I ordered… They weren’t as skilled as I thought.”

Twitch.

Roy and Bernstein flinched unconsciously.

They hadn’t slept for days, battling bugs relentlessly. They had endured the unbearable discomfort of the swamp, all to prolong the agony of their targets.

And yet, this was Dwener’s reaction?

“…We just made a small mistake. What you ordered was beyond what we could have imagined.”

“Is that an excuse? You call yourselves the best rats… Pathetic. Don’t speak a word about what happened here. Even a rat that’s fallen from grace should be capable of that much, right?”

Roy and Bernstein quickly raised their heads.

They weren’t just at risk of losing a chance to work under Dwener; they might not even survive this.

Bernstein jabbed Roy hard in the ribs with his elbow.

It felt like a hole had been punched through his stomach.

No, it was definitely pierced. Damn this bear-like guy!

‘You told me to leave it to you! You said it’d take just three seconds to win over the principal, didn’t you?’

Bernstein’s eyes seemed to say.

To be honest, there were several curses mixed into that message, but now wasn’t the time to focus on such details.

‘This… wasn’t what I expected.’

Dwener had a much stronger personality than anticipated.

Only now did Roy realize his mistake.

Dwener had been hiding behind the facade of a passive principal all this time.

But now that he had revealed his true self, it was obvious his personality would be different.

‘I can’t believe I made such a rookie mistake.’

Drunk on his own competence, Roy had stumbled.

He glanced up at Dwener again.

His eyes bore the signature gaze of a powerful man, looking down from above. This guy was no ordinary person.

Dwener’s eyes seemed to say:

Why are you still here? Have you forgotten how to walk, or are you just that stupid?

There was no chance to make up for this. No time. No right.

In this situation, there was only one option left.

‘Convey sincerity.’

Roy lowered his head deeply.

“My apologies. This is the first time we’ve faced such a situation, so we made a few mistakes. However, I assure you, if it had been any other rat, they wouldn’t have lasted even two days.”

Caron, standing beside them, was impressed.

The situation had shifted.

It was no longer Roy and Bernstein who wanted to work for Dwener; it was now Dwener who had chosen them.

‘They’ve tied themselves to his leash instantly. Impressive.’

His skill in handling people was remarkable.

Far from having a problem with leadership, Dwener’s commanding presence was the issue. He was too good.

Pressing someone too hard could backfire. You had to leave them an escape route so they wouldn’t resist and would eventually accept their fate.

“Let’s leave it at that. They’ve understood.”

“Caron, you’re too soft. That’s why they make mistakes and yet act so brazenly.”

“A mistake once, incompetence twice. How about giving them just one more chance?”

“Tsk… Just this once.”

“You heard him. This is your last chance. Next time, show me your full capabilities. It’s fine if you want to seek a different job, but make sure to do this one right first. The reputation of the rats shouldn’t be tarnished.”

“…Understood.”

Caron felt a slight pang of bitterness.

The rats he had raised through thick and thin were now boldly declaring that they were leaving him.

‘There will still be plenty of work for the rats in the near future, but…’

As Dwener’s organization grew, they would be absorbed into it.

It was hard not to feel bitter at seeing his rats leave for reasons other than death.

“Leave us for now. I’ll call you when we’re done.”

“Understood. We’ll be nearby, so call anytime!”

Roy and Bernstein disappeared into the bushes.

Once their presence was gone, Caron spoke.

“Your acting was superb.”

“Not as good as yours. Those rats… They’re good at their job, but they’re far too confident. They don’t even realize they’re rushing to an early death.”

Dwener clicked his tongue.

Normally, rats were terrifying to even approach, but strangely, that wasn’t the case today.

Maybe it was because Caron was by his side. Or perhaps it was because they had begun dreaming of something greater. Or maybe it was simply because the task ahead was so nerve-wracking.

Creak, creak.

Dwener and Caron boarded the small boat.

Had the bugs attacked fiercely?

The boat was covered with nicks and holes all over.

A foul stench assaulted their nostrils.

The smell of rotting flesh mixed with excrement was indescribable, but one thing was clear—it was horrendous.

“The one who died was Administrator Rieur.”

“…Seems so.”

The body was riddled with holes, decaying flesh hanging loose, bones exposed in places, and bugs crawling all over, laying their eggs in the remains.

The grotesque sight made it almost impossible to identify the body, but the clothes gave it away.

It was Rieur.

“Far better than expected. It’s quite the effective method of torture.”

“…It’s light compared to the crimes they committed.”

Many people in Carpathia had died, but when students were deployed in the emergency situation, the casualties became significant.

First-year students were almost unscathed, but not the second and third years.

Thirteen second-years, twenty-five third-years.

A total of thirty-eight students had died. And when you added those with severed limbs or mangled bodies, the number doubled.

Young lives were lost and injured in vain.

All because of these vile adults.

Szzz, szzz.

Administrator Rieur had met a gruesome end.

And beside him, barely clinging to life, was one more person.

Count Zachary, lord of Carpathia and the mastermind behind this entire incident.

Dwener gripped his spear tightly.

“Are you planning to do it yourself?”

“Why even ask? If I don’t finish what I started, who will?”

Indeed, ending the lives of Count Zachary and Administrator Rieur.

That was Dwener’s final task before leaving Carpathia.

–TL Notes–
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