I Became the Savior of the Academy’s Villains

Chapter 123

Ravinia was born in a brothel.

Her mother, Amata, was a prostitute, and whenever she became pregnant, she was supposed to take medicine to induce an abortion.

However, she decided to give birth to and raise a child whose father she did not even know.

Of course, giving birth to a child in a brothel is difficult.

She could not work while she was pregnant, and even after, it was hard to care for a baby.

But Amata gave birth to and raised Ravinia.

"You really do go out of your way to suffer, don't you?"

The owner of the brothel where Amata worked took pity on her and offered her some leniency.

Thanks to this, Ravinia was born healthy and grew up safely.

However, perhaps because she had overexerted herself having Ravinia, Amata fell ill when her daughter turned six.

"This is a disease that can't be treated with ordinary medicine. You'll need a special drug made by an alchemist."

A doctor came, but there was nothing to be done.

Even knowing the method didn't help.

Medications made with magic or alchemy were too expensive.

There was simply no way Amata, a prostitute in a small brothel, could afford such a drug.

"Please, master. Please, lend me money to save my mother......"

Ravinia begged the brothel owner.

"Amata's daughter. Do you really think I have that kind of money?"

But he was only the owner of a cheap brothel, not some high-class place for nobles.

He didn't have that much money.

No, even if he did, he wouldn't use it for Amata.

'Amata is nothing but a cheap prostitute.'

For a commoner, Amata was considered pretty,

but that was all.

In a place like this, there were plenty of men who would hire a woman who wasn't even as pretty as she was.

"Please... Then, at least let me work!"

Yet Ravinia did not give up.

She was still just a young girl who didn't even know what a prostitute was, but she tried to work in her mother's place.

"No, that's too much."

Even for the owner of a cheap brothel, making a six-year-old act as a prostitute was impossible.

It was wrong from a moral standpoint, and if he did such a thing, the city guards would come and close his establishment.

"I don't care what it is! I'll do anything, so please, just give me some money......!"

"Hmm......"

Ravinia persisted, and after some thought, the owner said,

"In that case, I'll have you clean the rooms after work is finished. Depending on how quickly you clean compared to the regular cleaners, I'll decide your wage. You can keep any tips."

"R-really? Thank you!"

From that day on, Ravinia took on the job of cleaning rooms in the brothel.

She didn't know exactly what went on in those rooms, but sometimes, seeing them after the fact, she felt sick.

But Ravinia endured.

"I have to earn money and make Mom better!"

For her ailing mother Amata, Ravinia worked hard through exhaustion and hardship.

She would sleep during the day while children her age played,

and get up at night—while others tucked themselves into warm beds—cleaning until dawn.

Cleaning all night was too much for someone so young.

But even harder than that were the people.

Sometimes, people would give her tips out of pity.

Sometimes, others would mock her for looking so ragged.

Sometimes, people would tempt her, saying she could make more money.

Enduring all these ordeals, Ravinia continued to work.

After cleaning all night, she would drag her exhausted body to her mother's side and fall asleep.

Sleep was the happiest time in her life.

"Ugh... ugh, uuuu...!"

"Mom......"

But happiness didn't last long.

Whenever Amata, writhing in pain as her flesh rotted away, let out groans, Ravinia would wake to give her medicine and care for her.

Watching her suffering mother rotted away at Ravinia's heart as well.

Vzzzhhh!

"Haaa."

There was another thing that made it hard.

The rundown inn next door to the brothel where Amata and Ravinia lived was full of bugs.

So chasing out the bugs so they wouldn't eat away at Amata—that was Ravinia's job too.

Squirm!

"Huh?"

But that day, a different bug appeared before her.

A larva with a snow-white body and bright red eyes.

"Oh my, how strange. I've never seen a bug this color before."

Ravinia had never seen such a beautiful bug.

She caught it with ease—having thrown out countless nasty bugs before, this one was easy for her.

In that instant.

― Human. Will you form a contract with me?

"Ahh?!"

A voice rang out inside her head.

Startled, Ravinia dropped the bug,

but it clung to her hand and wouldn't come off.

― I sense the aptitude within you to harmonize with my soul. Form a contract with me.

"Wh-what? A contract?"

Ravinia was so stunned that it took her a while to understand that the bug was talking to her in her mind.

"That's so strange. What kind of bug are you?"

― I am not a bug. I am a Great Soul created by humans. White Noise.

"White Noise? What does that mean?"

― It is a nickname. One given by devils. They say my power is like white noise, so they call me that.

"Devils?"

― Yes. My enemies. The enemies of humanity. The reason I was born. And the beings destined to lead me to eternal rest.

Ravinia didn't truly understand White Noise's words,

but she enjoyed talking to it.

Whenever White Noise spoke to her, she felt energized.

― Human. With my power, anything you desire can be achieved. Form a contract with me and become my harmonizer.

White Noise kept asking her to form a contract.

But Ravinia simply laughed and refused.

"No way. I have work to do."

― If you contract with me, you won't have to toil. If you just vow to slay devils, you'll gain powers some people have wished for all their lives.

"I don't want to kill anyone, not even a devil. I don't even want power. I just want to clean, earn money, and heal my mother's illness."

At Ravinia's words, White Noise was silent for a moment.

-...... Even your kind nature gives me reason to contract, but if you don't wish it, I won't force you.

"I'm sorry."

― No, I'm the one who should apologize for my difficult request. As a token, I'll leave this avatar with you. It won't help much, but it can at least relieve your fatigue a bit.

After that, White Noise stopped mentioning the contract.

Instead, it would replenish her life force when she was tired from work and talk to her when she was having trouble with people.

"Hehe, life's been so tough, but I think I'm happy because I have you, White Noise."

― Then I'm glad.

For the first time since Amata had fallen ill, Ravinia felt happiness.

But the gods always dealt happiness and misfortune together in her life.

"Ravinia. I managed to extend Amata's life with medicine, but I think it's the end this time."

"Doctor......?"

"Prepare yourself. This week will be the critical point."

Ordinary medicine—not something made by an alchemist—could not save Amata.

In the end, Amata's death approached.

"Ravi...nia......."

"Mom...!"

Was it what they called 'the last lucidity before death'?

Though Amata had been groaning in pain, she called for Ravinia.

With tears in her eyes, her mother smiled.

"You've had such a hard time because of me, haven't you? I'm sorry."

"No, mom. I'm fine. It wasn't hard at all......!"

"After I die... get out of this place... live happily......"

"Mom... Mom...!"

"......"

After her final farewell, Amata's breathing faded.

Ravinia desperately called out for her, but no reply ever came.

Crying her heart out, Ravinia suddenly remembered White Noise.

"White Noise! If I form a contract with you, can I save my mother?"

-.......

White Noise was silent.

Ravinia fell into despair.

"So... I can't...?"

― I could save her, but... it won't be in the form you wish.

"You... could save her......!"

She should have asked what those words— "not in the form you wish"— truly meant.

But at that moment, she had no strength to think of such things.

"I'll do it! I'll be your harmonizer! Please, just save my mother!"

-...... Very well. Let us form a contract.

In that way, Ravinia accepted White Noise.

The next morning,

Amata opened her eyes.

"How... am I alive......?"

Bathed in the morning sunlight, Amata was shocked to find herself alive.

"Mom! Thank goodness! You're alive......!"

"Ravinia! What... ahhh!"

Amata screamed as she looked at Ravinia.

"Mom. What's wrong......?"

"You... you... what are you......?"

After contracting with White Noise, Ravinia's hair turned pure white, and her eyes became red.

She looked almost inhuman.

Ravinia realized this, but she was happy.

"It's fine! You're still alive, mom!"

"W-wait. Then...?"

However, something clicked for Amata in Ravinia's words.

She hurried to the brothel and looked in the mirror.

"...... Aaaahhh!"

Amata's hair had also turned snow-white, and her eyes brilliant red.

"Mom! It's fine! Your hair and eyes look like this, but at least your body is healthy now!"

"Ravinia. This isn't right! This is......."

Amata's eyes showed nothing but terror.

"This is like one of those monstrous demi-humans......!"

"What do you mean?"

"Ugh, what's all this noise? What happened?"

At that moment, others in the brothel, drawn by her screams, came out.

When they saw Amata and Ravinia, they, too, screamed.

"Ahhh! What is that?!"

"A m-monster! Get the guards!"

"Uh......?"

Ravinia was flustered by their reaction.

She thought they'd still recognize her, even if her appearance had changed a bit.

But the cook who once brought her cookies out of pity—

the manager lady who used to scold her to clean the rooms properly—

the brothel owner who sometimes told her she could rest—

All of them pointed and called her a monster when they saw how she'd changed.

"Where's the monster?!"

"Th-there! Over there!"

"What monster... Eek?!"

No one else on the continent had pure white hair and red eyes.

So it was only natural they'd see that as a monster or a devil.

Even the city guards, upon seeing them, assumed they were monsters and drew their spears.

"E-everyone, don't you recognize me? I'm Ravinia... and this is my mother!"

Ravinia tried to explain, but the people, gripped by fear, only felt more threatened.

"Kill it! Hurry and kill that dreadful monster!"

"Aaah! A monster in the city! Filthy thing!"

"Damn it. Why'd a monster have to show up today? Attack!"

Ravinia despaired as she saw people giving off killing intent toward her.

At that moment, someone stood in front of her.

"Ravinia. Run away."

"... Mom?"

Her mother, Amata, spread her arms before her, as if to shield her.

Amata turned her head slightly and smiled.

"Thank you for saving me. Even if things turned out like this, I'm grateful. So this time, let me be the one to save you."

"M-mom......."

"Run. To somewhere no one will chase you. Just run......"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Before she could finish, a spear pierced Amata's head.

In quick succession, spears thrust into her chest and stomach.

"......"

Ravinia couldn't even scream.

She went numb with shock.

"What? That's it?"

"Great. We got the big one. Now let's finish off the little one and go."

Shluk!

The guards pulled their spears from Amata's body.

Her mother's body collapsed to the ground.

Ravinia could only watch as it crumpled.

The guards approached her, raising their spears.

"Alright, now for this one......"

Crunch!

"Kill—...?"

At that moment, one guard's arm was ripped off.

The guards couldn't grasp what was happening.

Before they could even scream, countless white tentacles lashed out.

Crunch! Crunch!

"Wh-what is that?"

"Run away!"

"Ahhh! Help me!"

Countless white tentacles reached out, swallowing up everyone nearby.

The only things left were the screams of people and the stench of blood.

In the midst of it all, Ravinia stared blankly up at the sky.