The Villainess with a Heroine Harem



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"So you think that the hero had something to do with that crowd?"

Emilia hummed thoughtfully. 'Well, I'm not really sure, but… weren't some of those 'random' people a bit too malicious? Other than the hero and the two of us, probably no one else knows just how much one's progress within Arcadia really matters at this point, so how can they care so much?'

Of course, it was entirely possible for some people to be just overreacting and making a mountain out of a molehill, but Emilia would rather be more cautious and overestimate her enemy than the other way around.

No matter how intelligent or cunning the hero might be, there was no way for him to really know who she was and what she was really capable of. He might not even know how exactly she managed to get ahead of him, which could actually be the real reason behind his 'provocation'.

That was why Emilia did her best to make herself appear both smug and somewhat ignorant. As if she was just a girl who'd already been blinded by her overflowing pride in her 'talent', not even realizing that the opportunity she'd stumbled across was mostly just her being really lucky.

It might not fool him for long, especially since Emilia had no intention to 'hold back' and foolishly sabotage herself, but the longer the hero remained at least somewhat 'complacent', the more time she would have to pull ahead.

Cynthia considered her partner's words for a while before nodding. "Although mortals sometimes behave really erratically, you're right. It's better not to be careless."

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Emilia's 'interview' didn't have much of an impact on those who didn't play the game, but for those who did, it was like dropping a bomb in a still lake.

"What?! She didn't just get an event mission to go out, but actually advanced to level ten?!"

"How is that even possible? I'm still only level four, and I've been grinding non-stop since day one!"

"Not everyone is a noob like you. Most players who properly completed their main quest instead of botching it up, and have been grinding in a decent spot with a good team are already past level seven, you know?"

"Even if that's true, didn't level seven need like forty thousand experience points to level up? Since that number will only go up later, how can someone have hit level ten? She's definitely lying!"

Obviously, not many people believed Emilia's claims at this point, but that was only natural.

Even the 'best' pro players have only just managed to progress past level eight at this point in the game, and some of their live streams made people both gasp and admire their incredible efficiency in farming the [Boar King].

Some of them even had loyal 'fans' who would help them spawn the boss, and then leave the team and area in an attempt to increase the share obtained by their 'star'.

Of course, as it was right now, there was no proof that this strategy really worked, and the streamers who indulged in it were mostly only those who didn't really care about their audience.

After all, in hopes of giving them just a slight boost, their 'fans' were actually sacrificing both their experience points and time. And some even died while confronting the boss, losing far more than they expected.

Fortunately, her adorable face and childish arrogance quickly earned Emilia a lot of 'parents', who all jumped to defend her against the 'trolls' who tried to 'bully' their newfound daughter.

"Nobody knew that there was a way to earn a lot of experience from the main quest just a few days ago, right? Before calling Emilia names, shouldn't you consider the fact that she might have discovered an even better way to complete it instead?"

Of course, these arguments only made those who were already furious more angry.

"If she knows a better way to complete it, why not let everyone know? Hoarding a good thing like that, she's just being petty!"

"Yeah, it's not like us doing better would make her account worse!"

Luckily for Emilia, very few of the people defending her actually cared about their 'lost' experience, with a majority being 'non-players', even, so they naturally didn't get very jealous.

"I don't really understand or care about the game, but looking at that darling face, how can you bear to bully her?!"

"You all are just greedy and jealous of a little girl's luck, don't you feel ashamed?!"

Although the opinions were still mixed on the topic of her actual 'progress', Emilia was actually quite satisfied. After all, while many might slander or despise her at the moment, none of them seemed to suspect that she might really 'know' any insider information about Arcadia, and that was the only thing she really needed to conceal from the hero and the rest of the world.

As for being disgustingly lucky and arrogant… those rumors would only work out in her favor.

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"Chief Secretary… how surprising of you to make a personal visit to my humble abode."

Despite the gentle smile on Darryl's face, the middle-aged lady in front of him only sneered. "We've always been very patient with you, Darryl. But let me tell you clearly this time… if you're really playing around, you might not be able to shoulder the consequences."

That dark-haired hero didn't take her threat seriously at all, however, and his smile only turned gentler. "Why, madam Secretary… if I didn't know any better, I would think you were threatening me."

The middle-aged lady smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Professor Eina fainted after looking through your reports, you know? And when she woke up, she started acting like a crazy woman, as if she'd been possessed."

Nobody knew better than herself how much of a scare that had been, and even the president almost had a stroke when he learned that their most reliable scientist might have gone crazy.

Compared to her, even Darryl wasn't considered as 'valuable'… at least until now.

"If you say that I'm playing around… that's actually true." Darryl smiled, but before the middle-aged lady in front of him could fly into a rage, his expression turned serious. "However, I'm only playing because that is what I need to do in order to lead the world into a new era. The only question is… will you help me make this country a true leader of this new era, or become the greatest obstacle in its way?"

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