A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 57: Routine (1)

Deculein’s final order in January was to wait. At that time, hundreds of informants were active, operating out of Oklan and navigating the underworld and other shadowy places.

Ren was one of the key figures, but Deculein’s orders abruptly ceased. Without further instructions or support, and with the disappearance of their primary incentive—money—the hundreds of informants dwindled to dozens within a month and just two after two months.

Each informant went their separate ways. Ren and Enen had nowhere else to go. The siblings remained in the filthy cave, waiting for their master’s possible return. There was also a materialistic reason; with fewer people, they hoped the promised reward would be significantly greater.

Ren and Enen changed into suits that Deculein had personally bought for them from a tailor shop near the capital, experiencing high-quality fabric for the first time. They then scrubbed the grime off their bodies and had their hair trimmed at a salon.

For them, the best disguise was dressing up. Ren and Enen entered the Yukline mansion, looking completely different from before. Deculein introduced them as his new personal servants and had a warehouse on the mansion grounds renovated into a clean living space for them.

“... Wow.”

Enen, the younger sister, stared wide-eyed in wonder at the mansion’s splendor. She had never seen such a bright, luxurious, and refreshing residence.

“We could even raise a puppy here,” she said, her voice filled with awe.

A mansion with its own backyard and garden was beyond her wildest dreams. She never imagined such places existed on the continent.

“... You shouldn’t have done that,” Ren said to Enen. She remained silent, her cheek still swollen from the slap. “Does it hurt?”

“Of course, it hurts,” she replied, her voice tinged with frustration.

“... Even so, you shouldn’t speak out like that, especially in front of the Master.”

Despite not receiving payment for six months, the siblings diligently completed all their previous orders. When they had no food, they caught and ate rats, and when they had no money to hire help, they did everything themselves.

“Do you still trust the Master?” Enen asked, looking at Ren.

Ren shook his head and replied, “No.”

Although Deculein had shown mercy to Louina, pretending to be a noble, Ren could never forget the look on Deculein’s face when the former head of Yukline died. At that moment, Deculein’s expression twisted with unbearable joy—a disturbing mix of a smile and tears that Ren would always remember.

“I still have my doubts. I can’t tell when he might betray us again.”

Anyone who felt joy at his father’s death lacked something essential to being human and was, therefore, dangerous.

“Even so, the Master isn’t hostile toward our people. He kept his promises,” Enen argued, her voice filled with conviction.

Ren glanced at the bag in his arms and swallowed hard. Deculein had indeed doubled the promised amount. They received five million elne—a sum Ren had never seen in his twenty-one years of life.

Enen suggested, "... Let's use 10,000 elne for ourselves and give the rest to our family."

“10,000 elne? For us?”

“Yeah, why not? We earned it through seven years of hard work. We deserve a reward. Just 10,000. I won’t be greedy for more.”

Ren bit his lip in thought, then eventually nodded and said, “... Alright.”

Ren and Enen had a large family. Even though they weren’t related by blood, they considered everyone family. It was for their family’s sake that they clung to the lifeline called Deculein. Even when the future seemed uncertain, they held on...

“Let’s do that.”

They were the Scarletborn.

***

... Hello, hello~ It’s Maho here. Thanks to you, Professor, I arrived safely in the principality. Were you surprised by my sudden letter? Please read it to the end! These days are peaceful and calm, but sometimes I think back to that time and my heart sinks. Professor, if you hadn’t been there, I’d probably be a pile of bones by now, right~?

Oh no, bones! Ah! Just the thought is terrifying! That means I wouldn’t be able to write this letter, talk, or eat sweets, right? Once again, thank you! Thank you so much~ Oh, and I heard from Charlotte that you called it a deal. A deal... it sounds so cold, but I felt your warm heart!

I believe you didn’t help me just because it was a deal, but if I can ever help you, I’ll gladly do it! To prepare for that day, I’ve been learning swordsmanship and magic. Even though I’m not strong yet, I don’t want to be a burden~ Also, you said I didn’t have to act anymore, right? You have no idea how shocked I was. I mean, really, I was so surprised~

But seriously, (with a very serious face), my feelings weren’t all an act. Please remember that.

Lastly... oh, one more thing. Our principality is starting a huge project. It’s a redevelopment plan, and I think it has a bright future because I designed it! If you’re interested, I can offer you an opportunity to invest~ But if you don’t trust me, feel free to ignore this! We’re not asking for investment because we’re short on funds, really!

Oh no! Charlotte just arrived! I started writing this at 2 a.m., and now it’s already 7 a.m. I have so much more to say, but I’ll end here for now. Please reply~ I’ll write again soon~

Best wishes,

Princess Maho of the Principality of Yuren

To my savior, Professor Deculein

I sat in my study, reading Maho’s letter. Her writing style mirrored her speech, a stark contrast to my current work. It was strangely endearing.

“Can a letter be this lively?” I said, chuckling and placed it in a drawer.

Then I picked up the account book Ren had given me, my expression hardening.

Exploitation of Leviaron's Serfs

Bribes from the Beorad Family...

Deculein had been gathering the weaknesses of various nobles and orchestrating numerous atrocities. He had even accelerated the decline of the Oklan slum, planning to buy the land at a low price. I didn't know the exact reason, but with my Wealthy Magnate attribute, there must have been a solid basis for it.

I still didn’t know the full extent of Deculein’s actions or how much money he had funneled into the underworld. There could be allies like Ren and Enen or deadly enemies. As Deculein, I couldn’t simply ignore or cover up these issues. The seeds he planted would eventually grow out of control. Therefore...

“... I must turn them to my advantage.”

The best course of action I could take was to align Deculein’s misdeeds with the main quest.

Knock, knock—

Roy knocked on the door and announced, “Master, Lady Yulie has arrived.”

Snapped out of my thoughts, I found myself at the door, my body having moved on instinct. I opened it to find Yulie standing there in her armor, her white hair neatly arranged like delicate snowflakes.

“... Have you been well?” she asked, her lips trembling as she tried to manage an awkward smile.

I gave a faint smile and said, “Come in.”

“No. There’s no need to—”

“I said come in.”

“... Okay.”

Yulie stepped forward to enter, but I blocked her path.

“I have changed my mind. Let us talk outside.”

It occurred to me that I should keep this encounter at a distance. Yulie blinked, then nodded in agreement.

“Understood.”

“What is it?” I asked Yulie.

“I’ve been given a task.”

“A task?”

“Yes...” Yulie said, fidgeting with her hands. “I... unexpectedly became an instructor knight, if you recall.”

“Yes. Is this task from Her Majesty?”

“Yes, Grand Prince Kreto has requested your autograph, Professor... if that is possible.”

She handed me a book. When I saw the cover, my face flushed slightly. It was a work by the former Deculein, and its content was embarrassingly convoluted.

“That’s not possible.”

“Oh, I see.”

Yulie accepted my refusal too easily, and I began flipping through the pages.

“I will release a revised edition soon.”

I silently apologized to the former Deculein, but the content was barely worth using as kindling. He likely understood the reason—the book was intentionally convoluted.

“When the new edition is published, I will include an autograph. Convey this to Grand Prince Kreto,” I continued.

“Yes, thank you,” Yulie said, performing a knightly salute by placing her right hand on her opposite shoulder and bowing slightly.

“I will take my leave now.”

She didn’t linger and left quickly, and I made no move to stop her. As she walked away, she suddenly halted. Her white hair fluttered as she seemed lost in thought. She mumbled something I couldn’t hear, then turned to face me and spoke loudly.

“... Would you like to play chess with me?” Yulie asked, her cheeks flushing with shyness.

I had a good idea of what she had endured with the Empress.

“Very well.”

I needed the practice anyway. I had read several books on chess and studied many grandmaster games, but nothing compares to real practice.

“Follow me.”

I led her to a spot in the garden under a tree. Yulie sat in a sunny chair, watching me expectantly. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she waited for the chessboard. I crafted one, lifting stones from the ground to form the board and pieces, neatly decorating it with leaves and grass.

“Wow, this is amazing.”

Her childlike wonder was charming.

“Let’s play.”

“Yes,” Yulie said, placing her hands on her knees and taking a deep breath. “I will begin.”

With an unnecessarily serious expression, she moved a piece.

“Checkmate.”

She lost in fifteen minutes, with me using only 300 mana.

“... How did this happen?”

Yulie stared at the chessboard in bewilderment, unable to comprehend how she had lost.

“You should not have moved your bishop here; it was too hasty,” I explained kindly.

She soon nodded and said, “Oh, I see. That was impressive. I would never have considered that move. If it’s not too much trouble, could we play one more game?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you!”

One game became two, and two became three. Yulie challenged me four times in a row, but she never managed to offer a real challenge.

“You are quite poor at this,” I remarked.

“... I’m sorry.”

“If you continue to show such a disappointing performance, we will grow apart even more easily,” I said jokingly.

However, Yulie looked up sharply, her lips forming a sulky pout.

“Is that so? But I am one of the top three in our knights order...”

“You seem to have potential. Let us stop for today; we both have responsibilities to attend to,” I remarked as I rose from my seat.

Yulie quickly regained her composure after a bit of praise and said, “I enjoyed our time today.”

“It was not as enjoyable for me, but you may keep the chessboard and pieces. Consider it a gift. Reflect on today’s defeat and strive to improve.”

“Oh, thank you very much!” Yulie said cheerfully.

She appeared to value heartfelt gifts more than expensive ones.

***

Meanwhile, Epherene lay asleep on the sofa in the club room.

"Hehe..." she smacked her lips, smiling contentedly. The fragrant aroma and rich taste of the meat filled her senses. "Roahawk, come here... hehe... so succulent..."

As she shifted in her sleep, she rolled off the sofa.

"... Ouch!"

Her tailbone struck the marble floor. Epherene stood up, rubbing her sore back.

She sighed deeply and said, "What a mess this is."

Since the collapse of the third dormitory building three days ago, she had been staying in the club room. Until yesterday, she had not been in her right mind. Her notes, kept in her bag, were safe, but she had nearly lost all the letters exchanged with her father. Fortunately, they were found unharmed, thanks to their magical coating.

Yawning, Epherene headed to the bathroom.

Splash, splash—

She quickly washed her face and returned to the club room. With exams approaching, she decided to study and opened her notebook. Just then, the door burst open.

"Epherene! Look at this!" Julia exclaimed as she entered the room with Ferit, Rondo, and several other club members.

"What?"

"Look!"

They spread a large photograph on the desk, revealing the cleared site of the collapsed third dormitory building.

"I always wondered why they attacked the third building. But look at this! See these black marks?" Julia exclaimed, pulling out a pen. She traced the marks on the ground, forming a magical pattern. As she infused it with mana, a single line of text appeared.

Expect the retribution of the ash. The time to test your frailty and weakness has arrived.

“Look at this! Isn’t this a declaration of war from them?” Julia exclaimed.

“... No way,” Epherene muttered.

It was unsettling, but it seemed far-fetched. No matter how desperate they were, the Ashes wouldn’t dare attack the Mage Tower of the University.

"It might be true! Look at the structure of the spell. It’s completely different from what we learn at the Mage Tower!" Julia insisted, her voice rising with urgency.

She was right. The spiral pattern differed entirely from the formal magic they were taught. Rumor had it that the Ashes favored such irregular spell structures.

“Shouldn’t we inform the professor?”

"I think so, but do you think they will believe us?"

“We have to inform them! If we don’t, more commoners will die! Look, they only destroyed our third building! They’re so cowardly. Why do they only attack us? The nobles are the ones at fault!” Julia said passionately, her argument resonated deeply with Epherene.

Based on the professors' attitudes during the incident, it was obvious—if they didn’t take action themselves, nothing would change.

"You're right. Let’s at least try to inform them. It won't hurt to try, right?"

***

“Get lost! What kind of nonsense are you spouting? I'm already on edge! Get out before I give you all group penalties!” Relin shouted, slamming the door with a loud bang.

The gust from the impact ruffled the robes and hair of the club members.

Julia gritted her teeth and said, "That chubby professor, really..."

"See? I told you it wouldn’t work. If we’re going to do something, we have to do it ourselves. I've been making significant magical progress lately, so—"

"No, Epherene. There’s still one more person we can ask—the professor," Julia said, her voice tinged with hope.

From Siare to Relin, all the mid-level professors had turned them away, but there was still one more. Epherene knew exactly who Julia meant. They exchanged nervous glances, swallowing hard.

Head Professor Deculein

Just seeing his name made Epherene's palms sweat. Her breathing quickened, and her heart raced uncontrollably.

“Whew...” Epherene said, taking a deep breath as she tried to steady herself.

The club members behind her murmured words of encouragement. Together, they all knocked on his door.

Knock, knock—

The door opened. At first, Epherene thought Deculein had opened it, but it slid open on its own. It seemed it had never been locked.

"Hmm?"

Epherene peered inside. A woman with short hair was rifling through Deculein’s office.

Epherene was the first to shout, “Who are you?!”

“Ahh! I’m sorry! I didn’t do anything!” the woman screamed as she tripped and fell. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Epherene and said, “... What.”

Her expression quickly turned hostile as she frowned deeply.

"Who are you guys—"

At that moment, a grimoire fell from a drawer and struck her on the head.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, clutching her head in pain. Her expression quickly shifted from pain to anger as she glared and shouted, "God dang it, hey!"

Epherene and the club members flinched and backed away. Trembling, Epherene said, "Wh-who are you?! Don’t come any closer! I’ll call the guards!"

"I’m his sister! Who else would I be?!" the woman retorted sharply.

"... Sorry? His... sister?"

"Yes! You startled me! Who are you all?!" Yeriel exclaimed, her voice edged with irritation. Her threatening gesture caused them to retreat even further.

Epherene quickly bowed her head and explained, "Uh, sorry, the door was open."

"Whatever. I'm your senior, by the way. What do you want, and what's your name?" Yeriel asked, still rubbing her head as she pointed at Epherene.

"Uh..."

"Hurry up and answer. Don't make me more annoyed; my head still hurts. Answer before I sue you!"

"... Epherene."

"What?" Yeriel said, her face froze as she realized something. "Wait, Epherene... You are Epherene Luna, then?"

"Yes."

Yeriel paused, deep in thought. After a moment, she released her anger and spoke more gently.

"Alright. I'm Yeriel. Why are you here?"

"Uh, well—"

Ding—!

At that moment, the elevator chimed, indicating someone's arrival. Yeriel's eyes widened in surprise, and she swiftly shut the office door.

"Hide!"

"What? Why? You said you're his sister," Epherene questioned, confusion evident in her voice.

"No, I mean, I came in without his permission! Just hide! Why is he back so early?"

Yeriel had sneaked into the office to investigate the rumors that Deculein had kidnapped Louina. Though she was hesitant to suspect him, there was no one else who seemed more likely responsible for Louina's disappearance.

Directly confronting him could result in a conflict, and he probably wouldn’t tell the truth anyway. If her worst fears were confirmed and Deculein was indeed behind it, she needed to carefully plan her next steps.

“But we could just leave—”

"Don't ask any questions, just hide!" Yeriel commanded urgently.

Yeriel hid under Deculein’s desk. The space was surprisingly spacious, easily concealing her. The club members, envious of her hiding spot, scrambled to find their own places to hide.