A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 182: Winter's Moon (2)

The line of mountain villagers was endless, and they handed everything over to Rekordak—bundles strapped to their backs, carts laden with grain, and livestock gathered from their mountain homeland, all of which had represented their life’s savings.

"There ain't much, but please take good care of 'em."

"Thank y’all so much! We ain’t gonna cause no trouble, we promise!"

"Come on now, dear, say hello like a good girl."

"Hello..."

Epherene listened to the soft sounds of their voices, so pure and unadorned that they brought to mind her own childhood in the quiet countryside. Whether they stirred warm nostalgia or memories better left untouched, she couldn’t quite tell. For a moment, she lingered in that cloud of thought before turning her eyes back to Deculein.

"Guard," Deculein said, motioning for one of the guards to come over.

“Yes, Professor.”

"I will begin selecting the commoners and see that they are gathered."

“Pardon me? Oh, yes, sir!”

Epherene watched Deculein closely as he scanned the crowd of approaching villagers, his eyes moving with precision until he singled out an individual.

"You there! Step forward!" the guard shouted on behalf of Deculein.

"... Sorry, now?"

“Come over here.”

"Oh, a'right..."

The villagers on Deculein's radar had been selected and gathered in a nearby clearing, their faces pale with fear.

"You there! Yes, you as well!"

The guard continued to gather the people as if he were sorting livestock.

“You as well!"

“And you too!”

“Come now! Don’t hesitate!”

The mountain villagers seemed to number well over ten thousand, but those selected by Deculein numbered only about a hundred.

“Oh? Jupan!” Epherene said.

Among them was a boy Epherene had met once before, named Jupan, a herbalist by trade—a spirited child who would go on to carve out a life in the mountains of the Northern Region for years to come.

“Jupan, what are you doing here?” Epherene asked, her voice tinged with both gladness and concern.

"This is the area where my hometown is located," Jupan replied.

"Oh~ But you're quick on your feet. Couldn't you just run away?"

"I have six younger siblings," Jupan said, shaking his head, his expression bearing a weight far beyond his years.

“... Oh, I see. That’s a lot... Did everyone make it here safely?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad to hear that... Oh!”

At that moment, Deculein gave Epherene a nudge and said, “This is sufficient. There’s no need to select anyone further.”

"Yes, sir," the guard said, nodding.

Epherene couldn’t help but wonder why these specific people had been selected.

"Each of you will record your specialties and submit them," Deculein commanded. "Tasks will be assigned based on your abilities, and rewards will be given according to your contributions."

Deculein selected those who caught the eye of the Wealthy Magnate, knowing that anything valuable—whether from their skills or potential—could serve a purpose. Even among those who were not widely recognized, there were undoubtedly talents and abilities worth noting.

"It is rather uncharacteristically generous of you."

At that moment, a voice broke through the air, paired with approaching footsteps, drawing Epherene to turn toward the sound.

“... Taking in all these commoners, reeking of earth," Ihelm said.

Standing alongside Ihelm were Yulie and Deculein's other colleagues, their eyes on the line of villagers, with each face displaying a distinct emotion.

"Guard! Please, take dis an' enjoy it. Haha. It oughta taste real good."

"Ah, dis here’s just a humble gesture o' our gratitude. Without y’all’s help, we wouldn’ta made it."

Deculein accepted the list of specialties from the selected individuals without a word, while Epherene glanced at it from the side. Herbalists, marksmen, woodcutters, apothecaries, wild ginseng diggers, hunters—the professions were deeply rooted in the mountainous lifestyle, each one unique to the region.

"Hey, Deculein," Ihelm called once more.

"We required only their labor," Deculein stated, clicking his tongue in evident annoyance.

“... Hmm? Their labor? And the supplies... Oh, are you planning to rely on the food they brought? It doesn’t seem like it will be enough, though.”

“That is none of your concern,” Deculein replied.

Ihelm furrowed his brow in confusion, but after a moment, he gave a slight nod and replied, "Well, you’ve always claimed that commoners exist to die in place of nobles... In that sense, I suppose even their deaths could be seen as labor."

Yulie’s eyes trembled faintly at those words, but Deculein remained silent, as it was a sentiment too close to his core, leaving no room for denial or argument.

"Provide the selected commoners the travel permits for Rekordak. There’s much to be done," Deculein instructed the guard, who had been nervously glancing around.

“Yes, sir!”

***

Deculein's decision to accept the mountain villagers stirred much conversation, for the circumstances were extraordinary. Though it sparked debate, the knights of the Imperial Palace, having observed his actions and philosophy during the recent meeting, found little favor in his choice.

"But wouldn’t it be considered a fair decision that the more people there are, the easier it would be to buy time to escape if things were to go wrong...?"

“What’s the point of bringing in tens of thousands of commoners? All it does is add more mouths to feed.”

“Oh, come on. Even if each of them buys us just a second, that’s more than enough. Besides, the commoners brought everything they own with them, didn’t they? We can use their supplies to conserve our resources and assign them to more dangerous tasks. Wouldn’t that be killing three birds with one stone?”

"Hmm... Well, considering the professor's ingenious plans, maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all..."

Such words circled through the hollow land of Rekordak like the wind, but Deculein paid them no attention. No, he was aware of the rumors; however, he made no effort to silence them. Instead, he quietly wrote their names onto his death list. Like a noose cast into the shadows, his patient grudge tightened, slowly choking the life out of its prey.

With the villagers now settled in, part of the Rekordak grounds had been redeveloped through the combined efforts of Epherene, Drent, Ihelm’s division, and the few mages of the Imperial Palace, who numbered fewer than forty but still managed to construct hundreds of communal houses in the blink of an eye.

“... Wow.”

Meanwhile, the new main building of Rekordak finally stood complete, and Yulie, Reylie, and the knights looked up at the towering structure in hushed admiration.

"A structure like this... it feels a bit wasted, standing all the way out here in the Northernmost Region, doesn’t it? I can see now why the professor was so set on it. If it were destroyed, I wonder how much would be lost and how much it would take to rebuild this thing?"

The main building’s height was kept modest to avoid becoming a target for flying demonic beasts, but its broad, towering silhouette captured the austere beauty of the Northern Region, embodying the quiet stillness of winter.

Its exterior, painted in pure white, was adorned with scattered black engravings of Yukline’s crest, adding an air of timeless elegance. Nearby, trees grew thickly around it, forming a natural barrier of protection. On either side, numerous facilities stood, including dormitories, an armory, and a training hall, all arranged with practical precision.

"... The Professor certainly spared no expense," muttered Delic, a knight of the Imperial Palace, letting out a dry laugh.

At that moment, Deculein appeared, standing at the entrance of the main building and said, "Everyone, step inside. I will now assign offices to each knight and mage."

The knights and mages followed in his footsteps, joined by the uninvited—the Red Garnet Adventurers, with Primien among them.

***

... The offices were assigned based on contributions made in Rekordak. I arranged hundreds of knights in order of their achievements, measured by objective standards, and provided offices that reflected their merit.

"Where should our adventurer team stay?" Ria asked, with Leo standing beside her.

"I haven't been assigned an office yet, either," Primien said.

However, these individuals were unexpected. They had been following me all day, their footsteps never far from mine, and as the assignment of the offices neared its conclusion, they began voicing their concerns, one after another.

"Remain in the accommodation," I said.

"As the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Public Safety, shouldn't I be entitled to my own office?"

"Yeah, she's right. Us too—we're an adventurer team, and the rest of our members will be arriving soon."

Yawwn—

I glanced at the half-asleep Epherene, who let out a yawn while counting the remaining offices and said, "Rooms 301, 303, and 306 on the third floor are still available."

"Choose your rooms. First come, first served," I said.

"Oh, got it! Leo, let’s go! I had one in mind!"

“Okay!”

The moment Ria and Leo heard those words, they dashed forward, but Primien, with a flick of her hand, cast a spell that ensnared their ankles.

Thud—!

“Ow!”

“Oof!”

The Deputy Director of Public Safety, a woman in her early thirties, let out a smug laugh as she looked down at the two children sprawled on the ground.

"... Ow! What was that for?!" Ria said.

"Hmph. It's better to give than to take, you youngsters. Room 303 is the largest, so choose between 301 or 306 amongst yourselves."

"That's not fair! Let go of us!"

I turned a deaf ear to their bickering, my hand on the doorknob as I opened the door to my office.

“I said let go!”

"You need to tone it down."

“Ugh... Leo! Get ready!”

“Okay!”

"Stay where you... So, this is how you want to play? Stop right there."

“Ruuuun!”

“Hey. I said stop. Do you hear me? Stop.”

Though there was some chaos outside the office, the interior had been intentionally designed with decorations to resemble the 77th floor of the Mage Tower, featuring familiar surroundings. For now, I was content with the view.

"Wow, it's exactly like the 77th floor. I miss it. Feels like it's already been a month or two... or was it three?" Epherene said.

"This is your desk," I said, giving it a light tap.

“Okay, where...”

At that moment, Epherene’s expression hardened as she noticed the seat tucked to the side of the office—a desk for an office assistant—that had once belonged to Allen.

Snort—!

Epherene let out a snuffling sound, like a pig rooting for scraps, then turned away.

Sob— Sob—

Sob— Sob—

Epherene sniffled a few more times, the sound starting to grate on my nerves, before she sat back down without turning around and muttered, "... I-I’m sorry."

Epherene's reddened eyes were hard to ignore, but I chose not to say anything. Instead, I began writing, focused on composing a letter to send to the Imperial Palace. It was a matter of some importance, a message meant not only for Sophien but also for several other officials...

... Scribble, scribble.

... Scribble, scribble.

The scratch of my fountain pen filled the silence as Epherene slowly closed her eyes and then opened them again.

Yawwwwn—

Epherene yawned, rolling her stiff shoulders, and muttered, "Oh, I almost fell asleep."

“It’s all because of that white noise,” Epherene thought.

"Aah..."

Epherene stretched, reaching her hands behind her neck and yawning a few more times, then, with a sudden start, muttered, “I wasn’t sleeping—no, definitely not. I’m just a little tired... Huh?”

Epherene suddenly looked around, her eyes going wide with shock as she realized she was no longer in the Rekordak office.

“Wait... this is...”

This is the Luna family’s old mansion. Yeah, back when it still belonged to us—before Glitheon took it away...

“... This is my room.”

Epherene glanced around the room blankly, having not noticed before how spacious it was, with a bed, a carpet, a wardrobe, and touches of luxury scattered through...

"So, you’ve returned again."

Epherene snapped her head up, and there, standing at the entrance of the room, was Deculein—or rather, Wood Steel.

"Phew... You scared me," Epherene said, putting a hand to her chest to calm her heart, then glanced around once more. "So, this is another one of my dreams, isn't it?"

“Indeed. Soon, Decalane, borrowing the power of the Voice, will arrive,” said Wood Steel.

With a conflicted expression, Epherene sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers curling tightly around the blanket. She couldn’t tell if this dream was real or false, but the familiar textures and faint scents—though unmistakably born of a dream—were things she had missed deeply, always.

“... You know,” Epherene murmured, turning her eyes back to Wood Steel.

Wood Steel, in Deculein’s guise, sat quietly reading a book—exactly as Deculein would have.

"How are you able to think and move with such precision?"

“There is a mutual understanding between my master and I. Your rich and refined mana flows through me, and, above all, this place exists within your dream,” said Wood Steel.

“Mutual understanding?”

“Indeed.”

With sudden curiosity sparked in her, Epherene asked, "Then... do you also understand what the Professor feels?"

"Indeed. Only until the moment I was given to you—when I still belonged to my master."

“Oh...”

Wood Steel turned to Epherene and said, "Are you curious about knowing what the master thinks of you?"

Epherene flinched and stammered, "N-no, I'm not."

While Epherene pretended otherwise, the reality was that she couldn’t help but be curious.

The feelings Deculein holds for me... No, that just sounds weird. Not feelings, really—more like... his thoughts? Epherene thought.

"Hold on a second. Are you even allowed to tell me that?"

"I am," replied Wood Steel.

"How? Wouldn't the Professor hate you for doing that?"

"It is of no consequence. I now exist through your mana. That is to say, you are my new master."

“Ohh~”

Epherene raised her eyebrows playfully, a smile on her lips, and said, "Then obey me right now!"

There was no response. Wood Steel kept his eyes on the book, and Epherene, caught in the weight of his silence, felt a quiet wave of awkwardness wash over her.

“... Why aren’t you obeying me?”

"Let me correct myself. You are not my master—you are a child under my care. For that reason, I must refuse," said Wood Steel.

“... Whatever.”

Epherene felt a flicker of irritation but couldn’t argue, as it was true—she couldn’t deny it, no matter how many times she turned it over in her mind.

"But I am curious about one thing—how the Professor and my father feel about each other, and what happened between them," Epherene said.

The sensitive question about her father’s connection to Deculein was asked as if it were nothing. But Wood Steel’s hand halted, and in response, Epherene’s heart rate spiked.

"... Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you even know? Ah, I see—you don’t know, do you~?"

“I do know.”

"... Oh, really? What is it? What could it be~? Not that I’m all that curious, but, well... go ahead, let’s hear it if you wanna talk about it~"

What does he know? Will he actually say anything about it at all?

Epherene glanced at Wood Steel out of the corner of her eye, fiddling with the stuffed animals on the bed—a rabbit and a puppy—but no matter how long she waited, there was no response.

Epherene glanced toward Wood Steel, who was already staring off into the distance, and murmured, "... What are you doing?"

Suddenly, a strange voice echoed through the entire room, filling every corner.

"Deculein loathed your father."

At the eerie resonance of the voice, Epherene's eyes flew open, and she sprang to her feet. Shadows bled across the walls, while a metallic aura began to rise and surround Wood Steel.

“... Who are you?” Epherene asked.

"Child, do you still not recognize me by my voice?"

With a voice thick and crackling like phlegm, a figure emerged from the shadows, its presence weighing heavy in the dark.

“It is me.”

It bore the visage of Deculein—or rather, it was the one who had passed that outward appearance onto him. However, this figure was older, more grotesque—monstrous in every way.

"... Decalane," Epherene spat the name as if it left a bitter taste, mana pulsing through her body as she steeled herself, ready to face him at any moment.

"Yes, it’s me, child," Decalane said with a smile, his face resembling a corpse, his skin shriveled and ashen, contorted into a macabre, grotesque mask of sightlessness.

Nausea swept over Epherene in a sudden rush.

"Child, Deculein loathed your father. He scorned him, despised him, and harbored deep hatred for him with every fiber of his being. After all, it was your father’s actions that led to the death of his fiancée."

“Shut up!”

“Furthermore, there is something you may not have known—”

Before Decalane could finish speaking, Wood Steel raised his hand and unleashed a torrent of metal to restrain him. However, the steel passed through without resistance, for Decalane was nothing more than a shadow of reality.

Wood Steel turned to Epherene and said, "Epherene, cover your ears.”

However, despite Wood Steel’s words, Decalane’s voice seeped into her ears, slipping into her mind like an insistent whisper.

"Your father... just as he loathed Deculein, he resented you as well. Although you were his own flesh and blood, he harbored a deep bitterness toward you,” Decalane said.

For a moment, Epherene’s mind went blank, and her brow creased unconsciously. The words she had just heard felt unreal, her thoughts pushing them away as incoherent nonsense she couldn’t process.

"That you should never have been born—"

As Decalane tried to continue, Epherene cut him off and shouted, "S-stop spewing that bullshit, you motherfucker—!"