I Became the Academy's Worst Villain Chapter 15: Morning training

The bruises from Adrian’s duel had faded to a dull yellow-green by the ti I arrived at Training Ground Seven. Three days of healing potions and rest, and I could move without wincing.

For the most parts.

Professor Helena was already there, running through sword forms that would make most knights weep and stare her her for days with a dazed expression. Each movent she made was precise and deadly with no wasted motion, no florish. It was as if each of her moves were made to either stab or slash sothing to death.

What pure efficiency.

She noticed approaching and stopped mid-swing. "You’re early, Ravana."

"Punctuality is a virtue."

"So is not getting your ass kicked in front of the entire academy." She planted her sword in the ground. "But here you are anyway. Glutton for punishnt?"

"I prefer committed to improvent." I said, looking at her wearily.

Helena’s lips quirked. Almost a smile. "Six AM lessons weren’t part of our arrangent. What do you want?"

I t her red eyes steadily, trying my best not to flinch. "To learn how to not die. You’re the best combat instructor here. Teach ."

"I already teach you. In class with forty other students."

"I need more than that." I gestured at the empty training ground. "Private lessons. Real training. The kind that doesn’t pull punches and hold back."

She studied for a long mont. "I saw your fight with Adrianz you fight like soone who knows they’ll lose but refuses to quit."

"Is that a complint?"

"The highest one I give." Helena pulled her sword from the dirt. "Most students fight to win, but you fight to survive. That’s real combat."

Sothing in my chest ward. Recognition from a master warrior wasn’t sothing to take lightly after all.

"So you’ll teach ?"

"I’ll try to teach you. Whether you can learn is on you." She tossed a practice sword. "We start now. First lesson, montum and redirection. Prepare yourself."

The training was brutal.

Helena didn’t believe in gentle instruction. She believed in hitting you until you learned to not get hit.

"Again!" She drove forward, sword coming in low and fast.

I tried to block, but it was a wrong move! Her blade slipped past my guard and slamd into my ribs. Even blunted, it knocked the wind out of .

I hit the ground. Again.

"You’re thinking like a noble," Helena said, standing over . "Block, parry, counter. Textbook dueling."

"What’s wrong with that?" I gasped, trying to rember how lungs worked. That was the only training my host body, the character I was inhibiting has.

"Textbook gets you killed against soone stronger. You can’t match Adrian’s power, so stop trying, the difference is that big." She offered a hand up. "Use his power against him. Redirect his attack and stop trying to resist."

"How?"

"Watch." She demonstrated, moving in slow motion. "Enemy cos in hard, and you don’t block straight-on. You deflect. Small movent, big result. Let their montum carry them past you.

"Now, you try!"

I tried it. Failed. Tried again. Failed better.

By the tenth attempt, sothing finally clicked.

Helena’s practice sword ca in fast like quicksilver. Instead of blocking, I angled my blade, let her sword slide past, and redirected the force.

The move made her stumbled slightly off-balance but she recovered in split second.

"There." She scowled but there was approval in her eyes. "That’s the principle. Now do it a thousand more tis until it’s instinct."

We drilled for another hour.

And we did more than montum and redirection. She taught vital point targeting and using the environnt, also a bit of pain tolerance. It was must things the academy didn’t teach because it wasn’t honorable.

And I loved every brutal second of it.

When we finally stopped, I was drenched in sweat and covered in new bruises. Helena looked like she’d gone for a light stroll.

"You’re tougher than you look," she said, wiping down her sword. "Most nobles would’ve quit after the first knockdown."

"I’m not most nobles."

"No. You’re not." She sheathed her weapon. "Sa ti tomorrow?"

"Every day until I can hold my own."

"That’ll take months. Years, maybe."

"Then I’d better start now."

Helena studied with those sharp red eyes and for a mont, I saw sothing beneath the harsh exterior. Curiosity. Maybe even respect.

"Why?" she asked finally. "Why push this hard? You’re already competent. Already survived Adrian once. Why keep reaching for more?"

I could’ve given her a dozen political answers.

Instead, I told her part of the truth. Sothing she would like to hear.

"Because people are depending on . And I refuse to let them down because I wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, smart enough." I t her gaze. "You can accept being good. I can’t. Not when lives are at stake."

But I didn’t tell her the whole truth. That I am selfish and did not want to die. Who knows what would happen if I die here in a book world? Will I return to the real world? Although, the real world isn’t a place I am eager to return to as well.

Sothing shifted in her expression when she heard that though. "I was the best once."

"What happened?"

She was quiet for a mont. Then she said with a casual shrug. "Guild Master Krevic happened."

I already read most of it in the book and yet I waited. Helena clearly had more to say. Ti to start building my relationship with her.

"I was a rcenary, one of the best. Blood Warrior, they called . Could take contracts no one else could handle and fight enemies they avoid." Her hand tightened on her sword hilt. "Then Krevic decided he wanted more than just my sword arm. Made an offer, sothing called marriage."

"You refused." I raised my brows.

"I’m no one’s property." Her voice was flat and controlled, with a dangerous tilt. "He didn’t take rejection well. Used his influence in the rcenary guilds, blacklisted everywhere and made sure no one would hire ."

"So you ended up teaching."

"So I ended up here. Overqualified and underpaid, teaching nobles who think combat is about looking good."

I heard the bitterness in her voice and the frustration about the waste of talent. The frustration of a caged predator.

"His loss," I said simply. "Our gain."

She glanced at sharply. "What?"

"A blade is a blade, if one person doesn’t want it, another can still swing it." My heartbeat picked up from her heavy gaze but I still keep my face expressionless.

Helena was quiet for a mont. Then she added softly. "I miss real combat, it brings real purpose."

I took a breath. The words that hovered in my mouth was a risk, but risks sotis paid off.

"When I need soone to lead an army," I said carefully, "I’ll ask you."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Army? Ambitious for a re academy student."

"I don’t plan small." I shrugged. The book I am in might be like a low risk one but I’ve read so dangerous things there, especially for those without plot armor.

"No. I suppose you don’t." She smiled, a real smile this ti, sharp and predatory, almost all fangs. "I’ll think about it."

As I turned to leave, she called out. "Ravana."

"Yes?"

"Sa ti tomorrow. And bring that enchanter friend of yours. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. I want to see what kind of combat enchantnts he can make."

I grinned. "Consider it done."

[ANALYTICAL EYE: HELENA CRIMSONFANG]

[EMOTIONAL STATE: Intrigued, Hopeful, Cautiously Interested]

[MOTIVATION: Craves purpose, real combat, respect]

[RECRUITNT POTENTIAL: 50% → 65%]

[NOTE: Offer concrete opportunity, not pity]

[RECOMNDATION: Continue building relationship]