The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 38: Ultra-rich Villain Dad [1]

"I'll save the heroes."

"...What?"

Her expression shifted—confused, intrigued. Just the reaction I was aiming for.

"Did I hear that right?" she asked, brows slightly furrowed.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"You want to save the heroes?"

"All of them. Across the world, if possible."

"That's... quite the ambitious goal. Unusual too."

"I know."

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Every word I said came straight from the heart. It wasn't for show.

Too many characters had died for no good reason—pointless sacrifices, cheap emotional payoffs, or just because the plot demanded it. And most of those deaths? They were heroes. People who deserved better.

I always hated it when my friend—the author—went on one of his killing sprees. But as a reader, there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Now, though... I had the chance. And I wasn't going to waste it.

At the very least, I wanted to save the ones I could.

Especially Ryen and Leo Taylor.

They were the protagonists, but even they weren't spared from the tragedy. They both spiraled into depression because of how the story was written.

"I want to help the heroes—the ones who die without anyone ever helping them. Because they're the ones who spend their lives saving others."

Yeah, it was a little cheesy.

But that kind of idealism? It worked on people like her.

Ten years of web novels had taught me how characters like her tick. I wasn't making the same rookie mistakes.

"Huh..."

The chairman tilted her head, her gaze distant for a moment. Then she nodded slowly.

"You don't strike me as entirely virtuous," she said. "But I can tell—you're not lying."

Damn right. I was dead serious.

"So this 'saving heroes' thing... Is that why you tried to stop the academy attack?"

That was the reason.

Because I wanted to help Ryen.

...And also, I wanted to save myself.

That part came first, honestly. But she didn't need to know that.

So I just smiled.

I waited for her to say something, but instead of speaking, she quietly stood up from her seat and began walking toward me.

My heart skipped a beat.

Did I screw up somewhere? Was it the smile? Did she think it was suspicious?

Was she thinking, "He knows too much. Better erase him before he becomes a problem."

Crap.

But thankfully, none of that happened.

She didn't glare at me or throw any accusations. Instead, she gently reached out and ruffled my hair, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't realize you were such a timid, easily startled kid."

"...What?"

"I mean it. It was impressive how you answered so honestly, even though you were clearly on edge."

Huh?

That... wasn't the reaction I expected.

Sure, I tried to come across as a decent person, but I didn't think she'd see right through my nerves like that.

"Lena was right. You really are just a 'good kid,'" she said with a light chuckle, then pulled something from her pocket and handed it to me.

I blinked.

A small bottle?

Wait—was this a potion?

"I didn't mean to scare you," she said, "but I ended up doing it anyway. So consider this a little compensation. It should help with recovery—physical or magical."

...Wow.

The Chairman wasn't just sharp. She actually understood how to deal with people. She knew that scaring someone—even unintentionally—came with consequences. And instead of brushing it off, she offered a gesture of goodwill.

Way more reasonable than I'd expected.

Definitely not the same person from the novel.

Back there, she was portrayed as a cold, no-nonsense woman. But that was probably because both Ryen and Leo constantly pushed her buttons. If they had been ordinary students, I doubt they would've gotten off so easily.

"It looks like you liked my gift, huh?"

"Huh?"

Ah, crap. My poker face must've slipped.

I was just too excited. I couldn't help it.

She smirked. "Anyway, back to the main topic—when can you meet your father?"

I took a deep breath, composing myself. "Who?"

She gave me a flat look. "Your father."

Oh. Right. That was why she called me here in the first place.

"I can meet him tomorrow."

"Good. I'll let him know."

Well I was prepared to meet him.

It's just normal meeting between father and son, right?

---

The Next Morning...

Let me take back everything I said.

I wasn't ready for this.

If it had just been a normal father-son meeting, I might've been fine. Awkward, sure—but manageable.

But this?

Yeah. I was not prepared.

"I'm here to escort you, Young Master."

...What?

Standing at my door was a white-haired butler, streaked with a few strands of black, bowing in a perfect ninety-degree angle the moment I opened it.

His posture, his crisp uniform, even the air around him screamed professionalism—like he stepped straight out of a drama about old-money families.

If I had been alone in the dorm, maybe I could've played it off. But I wasn't.

Leona Harper—no, Leon Harper, as far as the world was concerned—was right there. She looked between me and the butler, wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded.

I could practically hear her internal dialogue screaming: What the hell is this guy's background?

God, this was so embarrassing.

The butler remained in his bow, unmoving, patiently waiting. Probably expecting me to say something.

I cleared my throat. "Alright. Got it. I'll come with you."

Somehow, I managed to get those words out without tripping over my own tongue.

If this was some kind of psychological warfare from my father to embarrass me into quitting the academy, I had to admit—it was working. He might actually be a genius.

Still... I suppose it made sense.

Rin Evans's father was the wealthy donor who stirred up trouble for the academy in the early Chapters of the novel. A man with enough power and ego to throw money at anything that inconvenienced him.

So yeah, of course a guy like that would have an elite butler on standby.

...Man. Aren't transmigrators supposed to be poor?

Why'd I have to end up with the ultra-rich villain dad?