A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 171: Secret (3) Part 1

In the unexplored region, vegetation was absent, for the land had long succumbed to death. Ordinary plants could not take root, leaving only creations born of demonic energy to flourish. Therefore, in this Land of Destruction, not only the demonic beasts but the very terrain itself posed a constant threat.

“Yulie, you’ve never had much sense of direction. Why are you trying to lead us?” Gwen asked.

Even within the walls of the knights’ headquarters, Yulie had often lost her way. However here she was, confidently leading the way—a sight that left Gwen in disbelief.

“It’s alright. As long as I have this map,” Yulie replied.

Yulie pressed onward, her eyes fixed on the map she held. Her single-minded focus piqued the curiosity of her teammates—Gwen, Drent, and Devlyn—whose attention lingered on the mysterious sheet she gripped so tightly.

“The red dot here marks our current location,” Yulie said, coming to a halt over the dry crunch of her steps as she glanced around the area. “This should be the place. Let’s set up the Waystation.”

A key part of their mission was to set up Waystations, even in unexplored regions.

“Are you sure this is the spot?” Gwen asked, her tone tinged with skepticism.

“Yes, here,” Yulie replied, lifting the map for all to see. The red X marked on the paper aligned perfectly with their current position, leaving little room for doubt.

“... Hmm? Is this map an artifact? Well bought, Yulie.”

“I didn’t buy it.”

“Then where did you get this?”

“It’s mission equipment,” Yulie said, then turned toward Drent. “Mister Drent?”

“Yes, Knight Yulie,” Drent replied, setting down the materials that Yulie and Gwen had carried. With a single spell, he began establishing the Waystation.

“... But I don’t see the point of building it here. The demonic beasts will simply destroy it anyway,” Gwen muttered, watching the scene play out.

“I’ll place the mirror as well,” Yulie said, disregarding her words as she set the mirror in place.

Yulie didn’t understand why the mirror had to be installed, but it was part of the mission, so she carried it out without a question.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh—!”

A sudden scream sliced through the air, prompting the three knights to hone their senses and turn toward the source of the sound.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Drent said, waving his hand as if it were not of any concern. “It’s nothing serious. That’s just Leaf screaming.”

“Leaf? An actual leaf from the tree?” Gwen asked.

“No, her name is Epherene, one of my colleagues.”

“Shouldn't we offer her some assistance, then?” Yulie inquired.

Drent shook his head with a smile and replied, “That won’t be necessary. Leaf is... exceptionally talented. She even trained under Professor Deculein himself for some time.”

“Oh, Epherene? She’s that mage from Sirio’s team, isn’t she? Sirio will handle it,” Gwen chimed in. “We should just stick to our own tasks. Jumping in without a real reason would be rude, Yulie—you know that, don't you?”

“... Yes.”

Screeeeeeeech—!

The moment Yulie nodded, a whirlwind spiraled beyond the Land of Destruction, coiling like tempered steel. The thick, unforgiving gusts swept through the air, enveloping the surroundings in a violent tempest. The earlier scream faded, dwarfed by the raw power of the advanced destructive spell.

“... That friend of yours, Leaf, is quite good at making a fuss, isn’t she?” Gwen said, raising an eyebrow.

“Umm. Actually, I wouldn’t call it making a fuss. It’s more that she simply hasn’t understood the full extent of her own strength.”

“Why? For that level of strength—”

Screeeeeeeech—! Squaaaaaaaash—!

Epherene’s wind spell took shape as a genuine maelstrom of destruction—a whirling tempest that devoured everything in its path, the air churning with a voracious fury, as though the very atmosphere had transformed into an insatiable predator.

"Ah, as I mentioned earlier, she trained directly under the Professor in practical training. She struggled to maintain her footing, taking blow after blow... No wonder she hasn't realized the true extent of her own strength," Drent said with a faint smile.

“... Hmm,” Gwen said, nodding after a moment of thought. “Well, it makes sense. Deculein’s known as a top combat mage... Even the scouting report had mentioned it.”

The scouting reports were a privileged resource, carefully curated for the elite members of the Imperial Knights' Order.

“A report?” Yulie asked.

“Yes, Deculein’s report is the longest of all the mages.”

When knights and mages united, understanding one another’s abilities became paramount. Therefore, the Orders of Knights exchanged thorough accounts of their allied mages, with Deculein’s report standing apart, its wealth of information unmatched.

“Is that so?”

“It stated that, even setting aside his role as a mage, his individual combat skills were exceptional. The report described him as extremely analytical, with no hesitation when it came to taking a life... And the summary? That was the most ridiculous part. It said—”

“It mentioned that ‘Collaboration with knights was deemed entirely unnecessary’," Devlyn said, the third knight of middle age—a member of the Imperial Knights' Order and a man of few words.

Then he added, “I have never, in all my years, encountered such a statement in a mage’s report. Typically, these documents revolve around strategies to ensure the mage’s protection. However, this one declared—‘Do not protect,’ or worse, ‘Protection is unnecessary.’ The very boldness of it was beyond comprehension.”

Yulie glanced at her wristwatch, pretending not to feel the discomfort. Gwen had likely mentioned Deculein to break off the tension, but the effort succeeded only in part. Beneath her composed exterior, a subtle discomfort lingered.

“We have little time to spare. Let us proceed to the second location without further delay,” Yulie said.

"Okay. How about you, mage? Are you holding up well? Can you manage to keep going?" Gwen asked.

“Yes, of course,” Drent replied.

“Alright. Let’s get moving. By the way, you’re kinda cute. How old are you?”

“... Sorry?”

With that, the four of them advanced deeper into the unexplored region.

***

The battle was over, and the snow-laden field lay desecrated, scattered with the lifeless bodies of predators and beasts. What had once been a pristine expanse of white was now drowned in crimson, its surface marred by the remnants of slaughter—torn flesh, pools of blood, and streaks of viscera—heavy with the stench of death, sprawled before me.

In the heart of such chaos, my eyes were drawn to the system notification.

[Action Bonus: Through intense combat, the subsidiary property of 「Iron Man」 has been unlocked.]

◆ Attribute Experience Complete

◆ Subsidiary Property Iron Bone Acquired

[Perfect Massacre: You have eliminated over 3,333 individual demonic beasts in a single battle.]

◆ Rare Attribute Demonic Beast Slayer Acquired

Iron Bones remained something of a mystery to me. The only description offered was that my bones had grown tougher—an explanation that left little room for interpretation. In contrast, Demonic Beast Slayer was far more direct, its meaning straightforward.

───────

[Demonic Beast Slayer]

◆ Grade

: Rare

◆ Description

: An achievement earned in the heat of large-scale battles. The greater the horde of demonic beasts, the stronger the magic becomes.

───────

“P-Professor! Is everything all right?” the guards and officers cried, hurrying toward me, their faces pale with shock.

“Clear away these corpses. You should be able to sell them for a reasonable price,” I said.

"Y-yes, Professor!"

I struck down the demonic beasts with precision, their numbers surpassing three thousand. However, their corpses were not drenched in blood; their skins remained pristine, waiting to be stripped and sold.

"R-rest well, sir! We'll take full responsibility for everything here—leave it entirely to us."

I walked slowly into the wall, a brief wave of dizziness washing over me. My mana had been entirely depleted—reduced to zero in the heat of battle. However, I did not falter. With unwavering resolve, I forced myself to keep a steady, measured stride, refusing to let exhaustion break my will.

I returned to the mansion, washing away the remnants of battle before wrapping myself in the comfort of a robe. Stretching out on the bed, I let my body align with the stillness, my eyes drifting closed as silence enveloped me.

***

Elsewhere, Zeit and the group reached the gates of Rekordak.

“It’s an honor to see you, Lord Freyden!” the guard said at the gate, straightening his posture and offering a crisp salute.

In the Northern Region, Zeit's name was one that no soul could fail to recognize.

“Step aside and ensure that my presence here remains undisclosed,” Zeit commanded. @@novelbin@@

"Yes, sir!"

Thanks to him, the others—Ria and her group, along with Sylvia and Primien—were able to enter Rekordak without issue.

“So, what are your plans? There is little to be done here, I believe. I highly doubt you will find any opportunities for spying that would benefit Iliade.”

"I am not a spy," Sylvia replied, shaking her head.

Zeit let out a soft chuckle.

“We are going to wait here for Ganesha!” Ria answered.

“I have matters of business to discuss with Professor Deculein. For now, I plan to wait for him in the prison office,” Primien stated.

“Very well. Let us each attend to our respective tasks here. Though our time together has been as fleeting as stars crossing paths, this farewell is but a pause, not an end. I trust that fate will guide our paths to meet again soon. May your journey be without misfortune.”

"Thank you for everything!"

"Farewell, King of Winter."

Ria, Leo, and Carlos bid a warm farewell, while Primien offered a respectful gesture in the manner of the Northern Region. Meanwhile, Sylvia had already disappeared.

“... Hmm.”

Left alone after the group's departure, Zeit folded his arms and looked up at the branch above. There, the faint silhouette that had lingered in the shadows began to take shape.

“... You’re here,” Josephine greeted, her smile soft.

"Where is Deculein?" Zeit asked.

"Hmm? Right now?"

"Time is precious. I am here for one reason alone—to hear directly from Deculein whether your theory holds true."

True to the nature of a Northerner, his temperament was impatient, fueled by an urgency that seemed ingrained in his very being.

Josephine shook her head slowly and said, "Alright, I will guide you. But allow me to go first. Follow quietly—Professor Deculein is still asleep..."