Vil and Effort (pt2)

Rook sends Trey away to do battle with Vil one-on-one during Beanfest, ultimately beating him. Vil observes, “I played to the fullest of my abilities and still lost. That’s simply how it goes sometimes.”

This comes up again in Playfulland, where Vil attacks his adversaries despite knowing that he is going to lose: “Adversity is where I bloom —more powerfully and beautifully than anyone!”

Lilia says he is surprised by how well Vil and Jack get along and Vil explains, “The ones I disdain are those who put no effort into improving themselves. Muscle mass is of no consequence whatsoever. Anyone who is working towards a goal, no matter what it is, deserves respect.”

Vil says, “Neither beauty nor a healthy body are built in a day. In that sense, Jack and I are alike. We both work continuously to achieve our goals.”

Vil says that he must be sure to experience everything he can, as taking in beauty (such as museum exhibits) allows him to refine his own aesthetic sense, and tells Jack, “Elegance in one’s mannerisms and correct posture requires constant vigilance.”

Vil explains, “By strengthening one’s core and double checking proper movement in the mirror or through videos, good posture and elegance become part of one’s muscle memory, and moving with beauty becomes second nature.”

Vil seems to suspect that Lilia is “someone who can’t be bothered to make any particular effort at anything,” scolding him for presumably staying up all night playing video games. Vil asks why Lilia’s late-night gaming does not seems to adversely effect his skin or grades and asks him for his “precise schedule,” such as when he sleeps and studies, but Lilia evades the question.

Vil insists that “Diet and study are lifestyle choices —they aren’t something one can simply bypass via magic. Both require a vast investment of time and knowledge,” and hints that Lilia might be delegating such things to other people or is “imbibing some sort of potion.”

Lilia disappears without an answer and Vil reveals the motivation behind his pressuring for information: “knowing could very well elevate my beauty to yet another level.”