[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-a-villain-so-what":3,"chapter-i-am-a-villain-so-what-i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am a Villain, So What?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1506348,1956,"Chapter 23: Grouped","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>The morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, falling straight onto my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I groaned, rolling over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a blissful moment, I forgot about the academy, nobles, and the absolute chaos that followed me like a curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then my eyes landed on something sitting on the nightstand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small, leather pouch — the one Ariana had handed me last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Ah, right. The ’tuition fee,’\" I muttered, dragging myself upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached over and untied the string lazily. The contents jingled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I peered inside — I froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What the hell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, glimmering faintly in the morning light, were coins. Not gold. Not silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Platinum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked. Then blinked again. Maybe I was hallucinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I poured them out onto the table — one, two... twelve platinum coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twelve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just that — nestled among them were six gold coins and a handful of silvers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, I just stared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I burst out laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even when she’s neglected, she’s still a duke’s daughter through and through.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put things into perspective — platinum coins weren’t even circulated among commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because of discrimination, but because no one sane would ever need that much money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One platinum coin equaled ten gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the average citizen, that was enough to live comfortably for few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she just—handed me twelve of them like pocket change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the gods...\" I muttered, running a hand down my face. \"If anyone finds out I have this, I’ll get stabbed before sunset.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thought crossed my mind — with this ’tuition fee’ my wealth has crossed 500 gp;d coins. Isn’t it too much money to be kept home for a lone living person. Maybe I should visit the Imperial Bank and deposit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I’ll deal with it later,\" I sighed, tying the pouch again and stuffing it deep inside my storage bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now — breakfast, and then, lunch prep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, I still had leftover ingredients from yesterday. So today’s lunch was simple — cheesecake, version two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not as fancy as last night’s, but good enough. I packed a few slices neatly into the box and headed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I reached the academy gates, the morning crowd was already buzzing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cadets in crisp uniforms, laughter echoing, chatter everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, thankfully, no rumors about Ariana visiting my house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least not yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were others. Oh, plenty of those.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you hear? Lucien Ashborne told off Princess Celestia yesterday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not just that — he humiliated Kael, the top student, right in front of everyone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard he made the princess cry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way! He wouldn’t dare—right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I walked through the gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Man, word really spreads like wildfire around here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t all bad though. Most of them just watched from a distance — some in curiosity, some in fear, and others in amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I entered the classroom, the noise dropped instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of eyes turned my way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could practically hear their thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There he is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villain who cursed at a duke’s daughter and argued with the princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked straight toward my usual seat at the back, ignoring the heavy silence that trailed behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On my way, my eyes methis— Kael.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat in the front row, posture straight, expression sharp. The righteous glow in his eyes almost blinding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at me like I’d just personally murdered his god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave him my best deadpan look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Yeah, yeah. Fuck you too, protagonist.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the rest of his merry band — Celestia, Elisha, and Bordon — followed suit, glaring daggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored them all and kept walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I reached my seat, I casually waved toward Ariana — who was sitting near the side rows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She startled slightly, then gave a small, shy wave back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that, the entire class collectively held its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of gazes instantly shifted — from me to her, from her to me — and back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whispers erupted almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, did he just—?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are they... friends?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How dotheyeven know each other?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wasn’t she the quiet one who barely talks to anyone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana, meanwhile, seemed to shrink into her seat, her face red as she stared fixedly at her desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost laughed. Poor girl. She wasn’t used to attention — especially notthiskind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning dragged on quietly — at least, until the door slid open and the familiar sound of firm footsteps filled the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha Everheart, the homeroom teacher — walked in with her usual poise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" she said, voice clear and firm, \"I assume you all remember what I told you few days ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of heads nodded almost in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. I told you to form your teams for the upcoming dungeon assessment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes narrowed slightly. \"Let’s see how well you listened.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She began checking the roster in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Team One — Kael, Celestia, Arnold, Sia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course. The golden quartet. The \"model group\" of the class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she continued reading through, most names were ticked off one by one — neatly divided groups of four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time she reached the end of the list, her brows furrowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Hmm. Four students still ungrouped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t even need to look up to know I was one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien Ashborne — the outcast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ariana Solmere — the timid duke’s daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And two others: a freckled girl who looked like she’d rather disappear into the wall, and a lanky boy who clearly regretted every life choice that led him here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha lowered the paper and fixed her gaze on us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still no groups?\" she asked flatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy, Ren, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. \"W-Well, ma’am, it’s not that we didn’t try, it’s just—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha raised an eyebrow. \"No one wanted to team up with Ashborne?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ren froze, caught in the crossfire. \"I—uh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thought so,\" she said curtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lips twitched. \"You could’ve said it more politely, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sharp eyes turned toward me, and for a moment, I thought I saw a faint smirk tug at her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Politeness won’t help you in a dungeon, cadet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she wrote something on the sheet. \"Alright. Group Ten — Lucien Ashborne, Ariana Solmere, Livia Crestfall, and Ren Halberd.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few whispers immediately broke out in the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait,thatcombination?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re gonna die in there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Poor lady Ariana...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored them all, though I could feel Ariana stiffen beside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha tapped her clipboard once, drawing everyone’s attention again.\u003C\u002Fp>",1105,"2026-06-06T04:52:01.856Z",1,"novelbin.me","d0baa8ee16e8eaff10c3021e2d99cf330dc837a09b1ca5c30beac87eadb6f21a","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-24","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-22",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]