The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

The next day, after returning from hunting with Old Man Rey...

"Just sign here, sir."

The materials I ordered had arrived, and a few people were already unloading them from the carriage.

"What's this all about?"

The old man asked, looking at me in surprise.

"I'll tell you later."

I replied, smirking at him.

Moving on to the next task...

I signed the paperwork one of the workers handed to me, basically confirming that I received everything without any issues.

Then I paid them 7 gold coins, the materials cost 5 gold coins, with 2 paid in advance. The delivery fee was an additional 4 gold coins. All in all, I spent around 10 gold coins, leaving me with 40 left.

'I should probably try to find a job, or else...'

I'd be penniless once those 40 gold coins ran out.

Then after that...

"We're leaving."

One of the workers called out as they finished unloading.

They left as soon as their work was done.

"So, what are you planning to do with all of this?"

Old Man Rey asked, approaching me.

"Hmm?"

I looked at him, smiling, then pointed at the cabin.

"I'm thinking of repairing the cabin. Is that okay?"

I asked him that.

"Wha..."

The old man looked shocked. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out.

Then finally...

"Do whatever you want."

He muttered that, turning his back on me.

'He's probably hiding his face so I can't see his expression.'

I thought, smiling in relief.

I was glad that Old Man Rey seemed okay with the idea, in fact, he looks happy when I said it.

"Anyway, I'm off to prepare our meal."

Old Man Rey said as he walked away.

"Okay, I'll start working on the cabin!"

I replied, loud enough for him to hear.

"..."

He didn't respond after that and just waved his hand, signalling me to do whatever.

So while he was preparing the meat, I got to work on my plan to fix up the cabin.

...

*****

The cabin we're staying in is fairly spacious.

Enough for two people, at least.

There are two small rooms, one for me and one for Old Man Rey, separated by a small hall that leads outside.

The cabin also has a small porch, but it lacks a proper floor, so I'm planning to add one. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

In any case, I have a lot of plans for this cabin.

'I'm excited.'

So after roughly planning, I started on the immediate repairs inside the cabin.

...

...

'Working on the cabin brought back memories of my life before this world...'

Back before I came to this world, I lived alone.

I grew up in an orphanage where my parents had abandoned me, and no one adopted me until I graduated from high school.

After graduating, I completed my mandatory two years of military service.

I also saved up money during that time, so when I got discharged, I bought a small apartment for myself.

There, I would play a bunch of games in my free time as a hobby, including Brave Hearts.

My life was nothing special, but at least I was getting by.

Anyway, during my time in the military...

I learned basic carpentry skills.

I'm skilled enough that, with enough materials and time, I could build my own cabin.

That's why I confidently brought up the idea of repairing the old man's cabin.

And right now...

Thud- thud- thud—

I was hammering in new planks for the floor, replacing the creaky parts and the ones with big holes that could cause someone to trip.

The cabin is more beat up than I thought...

I'd already managed to replace some of the flooring when—

"Stop that for now, let's eat!"

Old Man Rey called out to me.

'Right on time. I was getting hungry.'

I thought, standing up and putting my tools aside.

I went outside the cabin, where Old Man Rey was setting up a table topped with roasted wild boar meat.

"Mmm... thanks for the meal."

I said, taking a seat.

Then we started eating lunch.

And as we were doing so...

"Thanks."

Old Man Rey suddenly said, catching me by surprise.

"..."

I was a bit embarrassed.

But putting on a smug face...

"Meh."

I responded, imitating Old Man Rey's usual response when I thanked him.

"You embarrassed, huh."

And then I teased.

"Shut up."

He said, going back to his meal, ignoring my attempts to keep teasing him.

And so, we enjoyed the rest of our meal in peace.

...

*****

After lunch, I continued repairing the cabin floor, at least replacing the worst parts in Old Man Rey's room...

Then, I washed up in the river and jogged my way to the library.

'Can't miss a day of studying.'

I thought as I ran.

Especially today, I didn't want to miss my study session.

Why?

Because tomorrow is the start of the class placement tests!

And honestly speaking, I'm getting anxious...

'That's why I'm planning to study more today to gain confidence for the upcoming tests.'

...

*****

Arriving at the library...

I noticed that it was a lot busier than usual.

'Looks like everyone wants to review before the exams.'

The students were so focused that they didn't even bother looking at me anymore. That's nice.

The class placement tests include written and theoretical sections, along with stat checks to see how much we've improved.

And based on their results, we'll be assigned to different classes, and the better the class, the more benefits we get in the academy.

That's why I'm aiming to get into a fairly high class, at least...

'Anything below S-Class, where the main characters are.'

So, a bit later than usual, I made my way to my usual study spot.

And there...

"Oh, I thought you wouldn't come today."

Lena was waiting.

"..."

I just stared at her in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?"

I asked.

And with a smug expression on her face...

"To study. It's not like you own this place, do you?"

She replied.

"..."

I frowned.

"You're right. I don't."

I sat across from her and started reading the books I had picked up along the way.

'It's fine, I'll just ignore her.'

I thought.

Lena was probably just here to keep an eye on me, like yesterday. As long as she didn't disrupt me, it was fine.

But out of nowhere, unexpectedly...

"Want to help each other review?"

She suggested that.

"Huh?"

I looked at her, surprised.

Then raising an eyebrow...

"What are you up to?"

I asked her that.

"We'll just exchange questions and answer them."

"It's a simple and effective way to review."

Lena explained casually.

"No, I mean, why are you doing this?"

I followed another question.

And with a shrug...

"I just want to study."

She answered.

"..."

A deep frown rested on my face. Looking at Lena, I wasn't sure what her real motive was.

But after thinking for a bit...

"Fine."

I agreed with her suggestion.

Lena was one of the top students in Zion Academy, after all. Reviewing with her could be a big help.

So with that in mind...

We began our study session.