I Am The Game's Villain

Taking a deep breath, I finally voiced the question I had been holding back.

"Rodolf, about Connor's death..."

Rodolf barely hesitated before replying. "Oh, right. I have no idea who killed him."

I frowned. "Then what exactly did you mean when you said you knew something about it?"

He exhaled through his nose, arms crossing over his chest. "My brother."

That got my full attention. "Which one?"

Rodolf had two older brothers—Jefer Moonfang and Brian Moonfang. Neither were the type to get involved in petty conflicts, but they weren't saints either.

"Jefer," he said, his tone shifting into something more serious. "He was in contact with Connor a lot—especially in the days leading up to his death. They met multiple times, but I have no idea what they were talking about. It seemed serious, but Connor never told me a thing."

"Are you kidding me? You do know that my brother and Dereck Zestella were found dead together, right?"

Rodolf's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "Wait... Are you saying my brother killed both of them?"

I shook my head. "I'm saying your brother and Connor worked together to kill Dereck. They must've found out that Dereck had a hand in the Prophetess' death, confronted him about it, and things escalated."

Rodolf's brow furrowed. "Then why the hell would Jefer kill Connor? That would mean he backstabbed him."

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I'm going to ask him myself. There has to be a reason he did it."

Rodolf stared me for a long moment before clicking his tongue in frustration and leaning back against his chair. "I always had a feeling he was hiding something, but I had no idea what."

I scoffed. "Not like you would've figured it out anyway."

Rodolf bristled. "You wanna die?!"

"Alright, enough, you two." Cylien sighed, rubbing her temples. "Let's focus on what really matters. Behemoth is preparing to attack—what exactly does it want?"

"Behemoth's body is sealed beneath that cave. They're planning to invade, break the seal, and resurrect it using the two Horns they have in their possession."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember this Event somehow," Rodolf nodded, a smirk creeping onto his lips. Then, as if something just clicked, his expression turned serious. "Wait... wasn't a Heroine destined to die in this one?"

"Huh?" I blinked, caught off guard by his words.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it! In my session, the one who died was Roda."

"W–Wait! Roda is going to die?!" Cylien's voice shot up in panic.

Rodolf shrugged. "It could be any of the Heroines, really. In my playthrough, it was Roda." His gaze flicked toward me. "What about yours?"

I scratched my head, trying to dig up the memory.

Who was it again?

"It was either Elizabeth... or maybe Cylien?"

"What did you just say?!" Rodolf's voice dropped an octave as he grabbed the front of my shirt.

I groaned, shoving him back. "Why are you getting mad at me like I'm the one who's going to kill her?!"

Cylien, pale-faced, mumbled anxiously, "I–I'm going to die...?"

I quickly raised my hands in an attempt to calm her down. "Relax, Cylien. It's just a game."

But Rodolf shook his head, his smirk completely gone now. "No, no, if a Heroine is fated to die, then this is serious."His brows furrowed. "I have a bad feeling about this… Wait, hold on. You played the first game last year, right? In the Enigman Dungeon Event, a Heroine was supposed to die no matter what—but you prevented it, didn't you?!"

I hesitated.

Rodolf's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

I let out a slow breath before finally answering. "Louisa died."

"..."

Rodolf leaned back, his fists clenching. I could see panic written all over his face.

I understood why he was so tense. Even if this was just a game, knowing that a Heroine was supposed to die in this Event made it feel disturbingly real.

"Who is Louisa?" Cylien asked hesitantly.

Rodolf turned to her, his grip tightening around her hand. "She was the Heroine of the First Game… just like you are for the Second Game. But don't worry, Cylien. I'll protect you. Or better! You should skip the trip!"

"W–What? Why should I skip the trip? It's just a game, right?" Cylien frowned, crossing her arms.

Rodolf hesitated. "I mean… just as a safety measure—"

"What safety?" Cylien shot back, her eyes narrowing. "You said you'd protect me, didn't you? Then I'm safer by your side." She huffed and turned away, making it clear she had no intention of backing down.

Rodolf sighed, throwing me a desperate glance for support. But I barely registered his plea. My mind was elsewhere.

A Heroine was going to die?

Celeste, Cylien, Roda, Elizabeth… One of them?

No. It could be any of them. That meant Alicia, Amelia, and Jennyfer were at risk, too. And Myrcella… though at least she wouldn't be at Fangoria.

A bad feeling gnawed at my gut.

"Rodolf…Under no circumstances can we let them resurrect Behemoth."

Rodolf met my gaze, his usual carefree expression replaced by something far more serious. He gave a short nod. "Got it."

"Alright, let's change the subject," Cylien said, then suddenly turned to me, her tone deceptively sweet. "Nyr, mind telling me why I saw Celeste on the verge of tears earlier? Don't tell me you didn't take responsibility after sleeping with her?"

I stiffened. "W–Wait! I never slept with Celeste or anything!" I waved my hands in protest. "I just… thought we wouldn't end up together. Her brother and father hate me."

Rodolf snorted. "You bet they hate you. You gave the Seed and married that Princess. Didn't expect you to be that kind of guy. Then again, you ignored Ephera and Shayna till the very end, all because of your paranoia."

I scowled. "Don't label me as a scumbag already. I had my reasons, but not the ones you're thinking of."

Cylien tilted her head, her smile just a little too innocent. "Of course, Nyr. We believe you."

Rodolf chuckled, his smirk returning. "The problem is, that guy isn't just Nyr anymore. He's some weird mix of Amael and Nyr. Who knows what kind of 'quirks' Amael gave him?"

"Rodolf!" Cylien glared daggers at him.

I groaned audibly. "You guys enjoy your little bonding session. I'm done."

With that, I pushed myself up and walked away, leaving them to their bickering.

I stepped out of the cafeteria, hands in my pockets, with nothing else to do in such a dull place.

"Coward."

"Traitor."

The words slithered through the air, barely above a whisper, but enough to make me stop mid-step.

[<Edward…>]

I turned just in time, my fingers snapping around the handle of a knife hurtling toward my back. Pathetic. Did they really think a mere knife could do anything to me? It wasn't meant to harm—it was meant to humiliate though.

I sighed, twirling the blade between my fingers before letting my gaze sweep across the cafeteria. Every head had turned, but the moment my eyes met theirs, most looked away, feigning sudden interest in their plates.

"Am I the coward?" I asked, a slow smile reaching my lips. "Or is it the one who attacks from behind?"

Silence fell obviously.

[<You should just ignore them… They aren't worth your time, Edward.>]

I knew that. I really did. But even I had my limits. Anyone with a shred of self-respect wouldn't just let this slide.

My steps rang out as I walked toward a specific table. A group of elves sat there, their once-boisterous chatter now nothing more than hushed murmurs. One of them, the one I was looking for, was practically drowning in sweat, his hands trembling against the wooden surface.

"What's his name?" I asked, wiping the blade clean on the shirt of a nearby elf, who flinched but didn't dare protest.

"L-Lyn… Elaryon…" The elf stammered out.

"Oh? A branch family of House Elaryon." I let out a small chuckle. "That explains the arrogance."

With slow steps, I closed the distance until I was standing right behind him.

"Y–You shouldn't—"

-BAM!

Before he could finish, I slammed his face into his plate. The wooden table cracked under the force, plates and food crashing to the floor. A chorus of gasps rippled through the cafeteria as Vyne tumbled to the ground, groaning, blood trickling down his forehead.

"You're awfully quiet now," I said, nudging his side with the toe of my shoe.

"I–I'm… sorry," He choked out, clutching his head.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have done it in the first place if you were just going to cower afterward." I raised my foot, ready to stomp down—

"Stop it."

A voice stopped me. I turned my head slightly, locking eyes with Dentiel Elaryon.

"What are you doing? This is an academy, not a battlefield," he said with a cold gaze.

I sighed, resting my foot back on the ground. "He insulted me and threw a knife. Could've killed me." I gestured lazily to the mess around us. "I was just teaching him a lesson."

"I think you've done enough," Dentiel said. His gaze flickered then toward the men behind him. "Take him to the healers."

They stepped forward, ready to drag Vyne away, but before they could, I pressed my foot against his back, forcing another pained groan from him.

"It's not up to you to decide when I've had enough," I said, my eyes locking onto Dentiel's. "As the victim, that decision is mine."

The few students who had rushed to help hesitated, their gazes darting between me and Dentiel for help.

Dentiel's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "Do you even understand your current position? Are you really willing to make it worse—just to flaunt your strength?"

I stared at him for a moment longer, then scoffed. Without another word, I kicked Vyne's limp body, sending him rolling across the floor until he landed at Dentiel's feet.

"Take that trash away," I muttered, already turning my back on them.