The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Ye Xiao's self-introduction was concise: "And this is Professor Rhodes."

"We are all from the Elemental Magic Department. If you have any questions about elemental magic, feel free to ask us."

Seeing that others were chatting, Rod immediately joined in the conversation.

"Oh, hello, Professor, I'm Robert from Class 5... but I major in natural magic and swordsmanship, elemental magic... um, I don't know much about it."

The male trainee smiled sheepishly.

The conversation ended, and the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence once again.

Chapter 41 Bonfire Party

“Elemental magic… is actually quite interesting.”

After a long silence, Professor Rhodes spoke again, trying to break the quiet atmosphere.

"Yeah, indeed."

Robert nodded. "It's just that I'm not very good at appreciating different elements, so I can't learn them."

The air fell silent once more.

"...Ahem, what about you guys? How do you understand elemental magic?"

Professor Rhodes was persistent and wanted to liven things up, but his questions sounded like a teacher checking students' homework.

“Elemental magic… I know, I know some.”

One student stammered.

"Oh, then let me test you. Do you know how many ways there are to write the incantation for Fireball?"

Professor Rhodes found what seemed like an opportunity to chat and began to talk at length.

Ye Xiao covered her forehead, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

If the silence just now was merely a bit dull, the current awkward conversation is pure torture.

He had a feeling that when the next break came, this carriage would probably only have him and Professor Rhodes left.

……

As time went by, the convoy full of students gradually drove into the dense forest.

Dawnwood, a vast forest located on the eastern coast of Aslan, is named for the way sunlight filters through the leaves on summer mornings, creating shimmering golden veils that drift through the woods.

But this winter, there is no such beautiful, dreamlike scene; only a gloomy sky is torn apart by dry branches with sparse leaves.

"Beep beep... tap tap..."

Fine rain suddenly fell from the sky, turning into a dim twilight that filled the forest.

Although Ye Xiao had roughly guessed that it would rain based on the gloomy weather ahead, he didn't expect it to come so soon.

He recalled that it often rained when he left school in winter during his high school years, and he always forgot to bring an umbrella, having to feel the cold rain seeping into his collar.

As evening approached, the rain intensified, and the carriage gradually slowed down.

They arrived at a slightly larger open space by the roadside, where five carriages stopped and formed a circle. Professor Rhodes used earth magic to build a large pavilion in the middle, providing temporary shelter for the resting students from the rain.

"The rain is getting heavy, and it's getting dark. Why don't we rest here for the day?"

Ye Xiao made the suggestion.

Although each group is assigned three professors as mentors, there still needs to be someone in charge.

Van Drian was the leader of this group, namely the third field team, so Ye Xiao discussed it with him first.

"no problem."

Van Delian immediately agreed.

The group lit a bonfire in the middle of the stone pavilion, and some noble students opened their bags and took out tea sets and snacks.

Ye Xiao's lips twitched at the sight. It was a good thing that he couldn't bring servants during the trial, otherwise Ye Xiao thought these guys would start organizing a banquet.

Although there were no attendants, the students still had followers.

The higher-ranking aristocratic students sat around the campfire, chatting and laughing with the handsome professor over tea, while other students busied themselves around, serving tea and water, and setting up pots and pans to cook.

It is a miniature version of Aslan society.

"...At that moment, I felt the power bestowed upon me by the Earth Goddess gradually increasing, and with one sword strike, I slashed at the beast's neck..."

Van Delian continued his eloquent speech. Although it sounded like an old-fashioned adventure story to Ye Xiao, the way the handsome young man told it made the female students' eyes sparkle with admiration.

Princess Femisil seemed somewhat distracted, glancing at Ye Xiao every now and then, as if trying to confirm whether she had mistaken him for someone else.

Ye Xiao naturally noticed this gaze, but it didn't mean anything other than making him feel uncomfortable.

Although Professor Rhodes' conversations with students often drifted into a dry lecture mode, this devoted family man seemed to have a unique talent for cooking.

He manipulated the iron pot to float on another fire beside the pavilion, stir-frying vegetables and meat slices. The rich aroma finally got the male students talking about food.

Despite the heavy rain, the scene inside the stone pavilion was still quite lively.

Ye Xiao pretended to go to the carriage to find his luggage, but in reality, after avoiding all eyes, he took out a gold coin engraved with a double-headed eagle from his clothes.

This thing is indeed "Mamon's Crown," but Ye Xiao had asked Greta about the double-headed eagle on it, but the little guy didn't tell her. As a result, Ye Xiao was always very curious about whether this was Greta's real appearance.

Now that Ye Xiao's intimacy with Greta has greatly increased, he can use this gold coin to contact Greta, who is active in other directions in the forest, in real time.

"Greta, how are things going?"

Ye Xiao was referring to the use of Favina to lure out the Silent Words cultists.

"With me in charge, there's absolutely no chance of failure."

Greta's childish voice came from the gold coin, "The news that Favina was chatting with the priest of the Earth Sanctuary in private has already spread. She always looks like she's in a daze and might turn herself in at any moment. The cultists behind the scenes definitely can't sit still."

"Yes, yes, it has to be the maid, that's wonderful."

Ye Xiao didn't hesitate to praise the little guy; compared to paying off his debt with kidneys, verbal praise was always much easier.

"hey-hey."

Hearing that laughter, Ye Xiao could almost see the girl's proud chest puffing out.

"However, if we find out there are still secrets, we'll have to find someone to replace Ilyas and continue to explore the inner workings of the Dark Cult."

"That's easy,"

Ye Xiao smiled and said, "I have the perfect person to play the arrogant and conceited villainous duke."

“Oh dear, I have to tell Ella that you’re badmouthing her behind her back.”

"What happened? What happened to our love? She bribed you with a few dried fish."

"Um...three...no, five!"

On the other end, Greta seemed to be seriously considering it.

"Wow, you're so rich. I surrender. Go ahead and tell her."

"Hey, why aren't you playing by the rules? Shouldn't you have said you'd give me double!?"

The little guy immediately panicked.

"There's nothing I can do; my secret stash of money all comes from her."

Ye Xiao shrugged subconsciously.

"Hmph, what a gigolo!"

"You don't know how good rich women are when you're young. Congratulations on hitting the nail on the head."

"Hehe, Ella is a rich woman, so does that mean I'm your mistress whom you're keeping with a rich woman's money?"

"The things in the comics you've been reading lately are just too real."

Ye Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "But to be precise, you should be considered the second richest woman."

"What utter nonsense!"

Originally, Ye Xiao only wanted to ask about the mission progress, but chatting with Greta always made him feel good. Since they had some free time, the two of them ended up having a long phone conversation.

If a greedy believer were to see his revered great demon god one day engaging in romantic love with another believer using the legendary supreme artifact, he would likely lose his mind.

Chapter Forty-Two: Morningwind Fortress

Day two.

The light drizzle finally stopped, but the fog in the forest was still quite thick.

The convoy continued its journey and finally arrived at its destination at noon—a castle located on a hill by the sea.

A cylindrical lighthouse, built of white sand bricks and topped with an orange-red spire, stands majestically. The outer fortress walls are built along the black cliffs, with the beach and the sea with its rolling waves at its feet.

This is a fortress of the Second Marine Corps of Aslan, used for monitoring border waters and training. Its towers sometimes also serve to guide nearby ships.

"Uh, I thought the Ocean Legion's trial would allow us to sail out to sea, but there's only a fortress and not even a single sailboat."

Trainee Robert looked out at the distant scenery from inside the carriage and seemed somewhat disappointed.

"The Legion's ports are definitely located in the city of Bluemane Bay, so the ships will naturally only dock there."

Professor Rhodes explained, "In previous years, we would have trained on ships, but recently several of the legion's ships have suffered damage overseas and need repairs. In addition, the seas have been rather unstable lately, and the remaining ships are needed to carry out patrol missions. Therefore, this trial has been arranged on land."

"Ship damage?"

Another student asked with some surprise, "When did the Empire's naval legions go out to fight? Judging from the situation, the scale of the damage seems to be quite large."

“I heard about it from my father; it seems they were attacked by pirates.”

Another male student said that this person was also a nobleman and therefore well-informed. However, he was not as hostile to outsiders as other noblemen, and he got along quite well with the group of junior students, including Ye Xiaoluo and others.

"……pirate?"

Robert stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "What kind of pirates are so powerful that they can destroy our empire's fleet like this?"

"Ahem, we're almost there. Everyone, get ready to get off the bus."

Ye Xiao interrupted the enthusiastic chatter of several students.

"receive."

“Yes, Professor Brandon.”

……

The convoy slowly drove into the castle gate, and under the guidance of the soldiers who came to meet them, passed through the ramps under several layers of walls and arrived at the open training ground.

Although the Second Ocean Legion is not as renowned as the Sky Knights, it is still a relatively famous legion in the Aslan Empire. They are known for their strict discipline and excellent training. Patrols could be seen everywhere along the way. While nothing seemed amiss from the outside, the castle's defenses were exceptionally tight, and the soldiers training in the training grounds were in perfect formation, with not a single one slacking off.

Ye Xiao and the others got out of the car and joined the large group of chattering students surrounding Professor Van Derrian in the car in front.

A neatly styled male officer in the square seemed to have been waiting for a long time. After the students gathered, he came over and greeted Professor Van Derrian, who was leading the group, in a friendly manner.

"Alright, alright, my dear classmates. I know you're all still a little unsatisfied, but from now on, our trial officially begins."

Van Delian flashed a hearty smile, patted the officer next to him on the shoulder as he faced the trainees, and said, “Now let me introduce you. This is my old friend, Commander Hillnass Vivelif, the deputy commander of the Second Ocean Legion, and also the main person in charge of the legion during this trial.”

"Hey, is the deputy commander personally leading our trial?"

"He's actually a friend of Lord Vandrian, that must be why he came!"

"Lord Van Derrian is so handsome..."

Severif smiled kindly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before suddenly stopping on a very familiar face, his pupils contracting sharply.

Ye Xiao, who was being stared at with intense gazes, did not look away, but naturally nodded slightly to Severif as a sign of politeness.

This guy was present when Prince Aslan was assassinated, so naturally he was very familiar with Ye Xiao's face.

But since he was disguised, Ye Xiao wasn't worried about being recognized. If he acted suspiciously, it would only make him seem more suspicious.

And indeed, after seeing Ye Xiao's calm greeting, Severif's expression softened slightly. Yes, it should just be that they look alike; if you look closely, there are actually some differences.

He figured he was probably overthinking it; it was highly unlikely that the pirate king who attacked Aslan's fleet in the Seven Seas City would inexplicably become a professor at the academy.

After Vandrian introduced Ye Xiao and Professor Rhodes's identities, the vice-captain's doubts diminished further.

"Thank you for your introduction, Professor Vanderrian. On behalf of the Second Ocean Legion, I would like to welcome you all to Morningwind Keep..."