How the Villain Invests in the Female Lead

Chapter 21: Lancelot du Lac

Dawnreach City. It was one of the twenty cities on the continent of Ashenvale. Built at the heart of the continent, it was the most prosperous and developed crossroads in the land. If I were to compare it to something from my old world, it could be considered the capital of humanity.

Of course, a place like this needed an academy.

Dawnreach Academy was one of the finest academies on the continent of Ashenvale, where rough gems were polished into the leaders of humanity, becoming the pillars that allowed mankind to stand against the demons in the Holy War. And clear the gates scattered across the world to prevent monsters from running rampant everywhere.

To study here, I had to pass an entrance examination with a failure rate of around 80%. Those who failed had no choice but to accept that they did not belong in this dream academy and turn their sights toward other institutions of lower quality.

Potential wasn’t the only factor that determined a student’s strength. Martial arts, bloodline abilities, and background also played a role, so it was difficult to judge how strong someone was just by their appearance.

I wasn’t worried about the examination. But my wife was another story.

She was crippled.

I sat in the back seat of the limousine, staring at the immense city through the window. My wife sat next to me with an expressionless face, still angry at me for what I had been doing to her over the past few days.

But I didn’t regret it at all. After all, the results were worth it. Both of us had reached [F]-Rank.

Ting!

[Mission: Help your wife pass the entrance examination.]

[Support Level: High]

[Warning: This challenge will be extremely difficult, and there are many people who dislike her.]

[Suggestion: Don’t leave her side for even a moment.]

I asked.

’’Still angry with me? Why? It’s not your first time anymore. Besides, I’m already used to seeing your body every day.’’

My wife remained silent for a moment before turning away.

’’I don’t like how harshly you treat me. I want you to be gentler.’’

I nodded.

’’I will.’’

A few hours later, we stopped in front of the academy gates.

Polly walked over to me and handed me a golden storage ring.

’’Here. It’s yours, Young Master. It contains everything you and your wife might need. But I’m sorry, I can’t give you any money. Your father specifically ordered it. Even your bank account has been frozen.’’

’’Thank you.’’

I hung the storage ring on my finger before pushing the wheelchair through the academy gates. Meanwhile, Polly got into the limousine and returned to the family estate.

We headed to the registration office and completed some formalities before going to the hall, where all the candidates for this year gathered to be assessed for rank and potential, and to be assigned to their examination areas.

I sat beside my wife while waiting for the professors to arrive.

The hall was packed with candidates from all over the world. Each of them possessed different traits that I could barely remember.

Chatter spread across the hall about this year’s examination.

One candidate spoke in an excited, happy voice.

’’Thank you, Mom and Dad, for bringing me into this era.’’

Another candidate frowned in confusion.

’’Are you an idiot?’’

The candidates next to him smirked.

’’Actually, I know why. Because we’re living in the era of the strongest geniuses that have ever existed in the world.’’

...

Some candidates nodded in agreement.

’’I can’t deny it. In our generation, there is an individual with [SSS] rank potential, and five others with [SSS-] rank. This is something that has never happened in thousands of years in the land of humanity. You should know that even King Uther only has [SSS-] rank potential, and the Knights of the Round Table are only at [SS+].’’

...

’’But, It would’ve all been perfect if the strongest genius wasn’t crippled.’’

Some candidates sighed in regret.

’’Indeed... the second princess of the Pendragon family.’’

...

’’Her fate is truly tragic. However, the existence of an individual with [SSS+] potential is absurd. I wonder what kind of divine blessing the royal family possesses. Her twin sister, Scarlet, who also holds [SSS-] potential, is the current War Knight. Her elder brother also has [SSS-] potential.’’

...

’’Do you know where the second princess is?’’

’’Who knows? We in the lower class never really know. But I heard she’s been married off to a trash [F-] potential noble.’’

’’Really? How could they treat her like that, like she’s a tool?’’

...

I sighed, ignoring the chatter from the lower-class candidates, and turned my attention to my wife. She was silent, but I knew there were a lot of thoughts running through her mind.

A few minutes later, the professors appeared with a gigantic Appraisal Orb and placed it at the center of the hall.

The candidates quickly fell silent and settled down as the assessment began. The professor cleared his throat before reading the first name.

’’Lancelot du Lac!’’

The entire hall held its breath and turned to look at the young man as he approached the Orb. He was tall and handsome, with sharp yet heroic features.

’’It’s him. The strongest genius of our generation. The son of Sir Ban, the First Knight of the Round Table,’’ a student whispered.

Lancelot placed his hand on the Orb. A second later, glowing text appeared above it.

[Rank: E]

[Potential: SSS]

Everyone widened their eyes in admiration. Although they had known about it in advance, seeing it with their own eyes was still surprising.

My wife looked at Lancelot with a complicated expression before glancing at me.

Finally, she spoke.

’’He’s an old friend of mine... and my former fiancé. We never did anything together. We didn’t even hold hands.’’

I replied calmly.

’’Why are you explaining yourself to me?’’

My wife replied in a firm voice.

’’Because I want you to know that your wife is a pure woman. I don’t want any unnecessary misunderstandings.’’

She added,

’’After I awakened [SSS+] rank potential, my father wanted me to marry someone of the same caliber, or at least the strongest man of our generation. They arranged an engagement between me and Lancelot. We were supposed to marry after graduating from the academy... but after I was crippled, you know what happened. They cast me aside and gave me to you.’’

I paused for a moment before speaking.

’’If you’re explaining all this to me, there must be a reason... Don’t tell me he still wants to marry you.’’

My wife fell silent for a moment before nodding.

’’After I was crippled, he still wanted to marry me, but only as his concubine. Luckily for me, my family refused him because marrying me to you would bring greater benefits to the family.’’

’’However....He said that he would do everything to marry me, even if I ended up marrying someone else.’’