The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness

“Hm? Still not ready to leave?”

At the academy’s main gate where they had gathered, Ariel looked up at the sun that was already nearly hanging overhead and frowned.

“Didn’t they say we’d meet in the morning? But it’s practically noon already.”

“No idea.”

Liya also shook her head, her gaze quietly sweeping around before she lowered her voice.

“Probably not everyone’s arrived yet. Looks like the professors aren’t here either.”

Because it was a day students were allowed to leave campus, the academy’s gate was especially noisy. Students dragging their luggage flooded out through the gate, while the street outside was already clogged with the carriages of families who had come to fetch them.

But amid all this chaos, there was one area that seemed to have been sectioned off specially, extremely spacious and empty. Only a handful of people stood there—some with arms crossed, some resting with eyes closed, some like Ariel and Liya whispering to each other.

Every student passing by inevitably cast glances full of envy and admiration in their direction.

“Would even Professor Prang be late?”

Ariel frowned, thinking of Professor Prang’s stiff face. It felt a bit inconceivable.

“The one accompanying us might not necessarily be Professor Prang.”

Liya guessed:

“After all, even though he’s only nominally the head of the Magic Department, I heard a lot of matters are handled by him now. Especially with Dean Pink Bear temporarily acting as head and Dean Hatherway in transition, he probably has even less time to spare.”

“That’s true.”

Ariel nodded. “Escorting on trips like this is usually something a teacher would do.”

“Just not sure which teacher.”

Liya added:

“If it’s one who manages things loosely, that’d be nice.”

“Mm?”

At those words, Ariel’s eyes instantly turned sharp. With a mischievous grin, she lunged and grabbed Liya’s ticklish spots.

“Well, well, you little floozy—want a teacher who goes easy on us so you can get up to no good, huh?!”

“I-I did not!”

Liya’s cheeks turned red as she pushed Ariel away, puffing angrily.

“I just think the journey itself is already boring. If we also get a strict teacher, it’ll be unbearable.”

“That’s true too...”

Why did it feel like this little brat’s reactions were getting quicker lately—she couldn’t even cop a feel anymore.

With some regret, Ariel pulled her hand back and rubbed her chin.

Come to think of it, from Belrand to the Holy City usually took at least ten days under normal circumstances. If a teacher who meddled in everything came along, someone like her, always unrestrained and free, really wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Besides, if that happened, she wouldn’t be able to pull off her little tricks. Once she left Belrand, she was still planning to use other means to gather the materials she needed.

Well, whatever for now.

Snapping back to the present, Ariel suddenly rubbed her hands nervously, craned her neck, and secretly sized up the people around her.

That sweet-looking senior—that should be the third-year top student, Fanny Sawyer. Since she was so pretty, Ariel remembered her clearly.

And that rich-girl type standing next to her should be Vicky Morse, said to be the only daughter of some powerful merchant guild leader.

Under the tree in the distance sat a guy with his eyes closed and a “don’t come near me” face, while the one next to him basked smugly in the admiring looks from others. That should be Marshall and Aaron from the list.

Adding herself and Liya...

Even though Professor Prang had announced a challenge system, the roster hadn’t changed at all. That alone proved the academy was screening candidates with utmost strictness and sharp judgment.

But...

“No Muen Campbell!”

Ariel swept her eyes around again, this time not even sparing the surrounding students, the carriages blocking the street, the academy gradually emptying out, or the distant departing figures.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

Muen Campbell, as a noble, no matter what other faults he had, had received elite education since childhood. He shouldn’t commit a small mistake like being late.

So that meant...

This time, I won!

Just remembering the bet she’d mustered up the courage to place, Ariel’s heart couldn’t help but stir.

Though, after calming down later, she realized she wouldn’t actually earn much money.

But still, she won!

“Huh? Did something happen over there?”

Liya suddenly exclaimed.

Ariel looked over and saw that on the rooftop of a building on the academy’s edge, some students stood as if they were about to jump.

Though a cushioning spell had already been set up below by the teachers, the sight of those students crying bitterly, utterly miserable, still drew tears from the watching crowd, filling them with grief and sighing that it served them right.

“Hmph, those must be the so-called gambling dogs.”

Ariel sneered inwardly.

They’d clearly been lured in by those exaggerated ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) odds, wanting to take a gamble, so they’d bet on Muen Campbell. And now that Muen hadn’t shown up, they’d lost everything and could only vent their grief on the rooftop.

But such behavior was already useless.

Not like her—steady, never betting unless she was absolutely sure!

“Is that so?”

Beside her, Liya tilted her head and sighed.

“Then there are kind of a lot of gambling dogs in the academy this time. So pitiful.”

“Hm? A lot?”

Ariel blinked.

A lot?

But it was twenty to one.

Did Liya mean a lot of people had bet?

She’d been buried in training recently, hadn’t really paid attention to such things.

But as Ariel thought about it, her heart grew hotter.

If the base number was large enough, even with odds that absurd, her winnings might still be quite a sum.

...

“Phew, really lucky—it could’ve been me standing up there.”

At that moment, Fanny glanced at the commotion inside the academy and couldn’t help wiping the sweat from her brow with a sigh.

“Oh?”

Next to her, Vicky Morse asked curiously:

“You play this stuff too?”

As both rival and friend, she knew the third-year’s top student had never touched such things before.

Though lately she’d quit the Magic Arts Club, joined some strange new group, and become a bit mysterious and odd.

“Well...”

Fanny thought of her three little underclassmen who gave her headaches yet whom she couldn’t do anything about, and gave a wry smile.

“Call it forced participation.”

“And the result?”

“The result...”

Fanny suddenly turned to Vicky and asked:

“I heard your family started selling new magic crystals?”

“Mm. Our house discovered a new magic crystal mine up north. We dug up quite a few top-quality pieces—very pure, extremely adaptable and conductive to mana. Perfect whether for making wands or strengthening weapons.”

The moment her family’s products were mentioned, Vicky grew animated:

“I remember you do need these for your training. Want to buy some?”

“I want to buy!”

“Mm... the best premium ones go for a hundred thousand Emils apiece. I can give you a friendship price of eighty thousand. With your means, you should be able to manage...”

“Not one.”

Fanny slapped her chest, eyes flashing, her voice full of boldness.

“I’m buying ten!”