Destined to perish within the academy's depths, a legendary commander awakens as Velorum's most despised pupil—branded the "villain" slated for execution before the semester ends. While swordmasters clash blades, pyromancers unleash infernos, holy warriors invoke divine favor, and beast callers command creatures of legend, he masters something far darker: the forbidden art of necromancy. Power and vengeance hold no appeal; a lifetime of warfare and loss has taught him to crave something far more transgressive—genuine happiness. Stolen moments of laughter past midnight, the simple pleasure of marketplace delicacies, protecting those rare souls who stand beside him. Yet the priesthood demands a heretic's downfall, nobility requires a convenient culprit, and the academy's celebrated prodigy struggles to comprehend how their "villain" continues to triumph. Whether condemned as monster or denounced as traitor, he will forge an existence brimming with purpose and face it all with unwavering resolve.