A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 132: Missa (2)

The clear sky was dotted with a few clouds, and the sunset gradually turned deep red as the autumn leaves rustled in the breeze—a quintessential autumn scene.

Josephine stepped into the alley where they had agreed to meet, her steps light and almost dancing, like a waltz. And she knew exactly why.

"... Brother-in-law," Josephine said.

When she arrived, her expression hardened naturally. Deculein stood across from her, turning to meet her eyes. They remained silent, staring at each other. This was their only chance to save Yulie from her curse, even if the method was uncertain. Josephine trusted Deculein, and he was ready to play his role for Yulie's sake.

There was no signal, but Josephine was the first to break the silence and asked, "Let me be clear—did you kill the knight, Veron?"

She then gestured to the recording artifact resting against her neck. Deculein glared back, his gaze cold and unwavering.

"You can't deny it," Josephine continued. "Witnesses confirmed that you were the last to be seen with Veron. Moreover, the wound on his chest is inconsistent with a simple fall or the mark of an assassin."

Even so, Deculein remained silent, his eyes filled with cold disdain.

"If you insist on your innocence, then lend me your weapon—your Wood Steel," Josephine demanded.

"... My Wood Steel?" Deculein asked.

"Yes. We have recovered Veron's remains. It will be needed to compare the wounds—"

"Is there really a need for comparison?" Deculein asked, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "He was an arrogant fool, unworthy of life. How dare he forget his place and set his sights on things he could never have?"

He recited the words as if they were scripted, imitating the original Deculein perfectly.

"And even if I were to admit it, what could you possibly do? Do you think you can punish me—the one favored by Her Majesty?"

Josephine clenched her jaw.

Then, Deculein's lips curved into a cold, empty smile as he continued, "In any case, she is worthless now."

"... Could you clarify your meaning?" Josephine inquired.

"It’s only a matter of time before she starts to fall apart."

A vein pulsed on Josephine's forehead. Despite knowing it was an act, his words had hit a nerve.

“A knight worn down by her curse. She reached for something beyond her grasp, while I wore the mask of kindness. But I’ve grown tired of it,” Deculein said, his face unmoved, his voice cold and cutting. “I lack the mercy to love a woman teetering on the edge of death, and the Yukline name cannot afford to suffer such a loss again."

Whether it was an act or his true feelings, his voice sliced through the air like a cold wind.

"So, Josephine. Is that all you brought me here to say? Such insignificant matters?"

Josephine suppressed the surge of murderous intent within her. She knew it was all an act, yet he played the part so convincingly that he might have won an award.

"I have nothing more to say to those who would present me with such a defect. The engagement with Freyden is hereby annulled. Relay this to Zeit as well," Deculein declared, turning and walking away without a moment's hesitation, leaving behind a video barely five minutes long—the very proof Yulie would need to despise him.

"... Defect, he called her," Josephine muttered under her breath.

The gratitude Josephine felt quickly turned her murderous intent into calm reasoning. Deculein loved Yulie as much as, if not more than, she did. For him to speak so harshly, he must deeply, desperately wish to save her—more than anyone else in this world.

If that’s the case, I can only hope this plan works out well, Josephine thought to herself, letting out a quiet sigh.

She made her way back to the funeral hall, but suddenly came to a halt. Someone was hiding in the distance, quietly watching her.

"... Yulie?"

Her head hung low, hair falling over her face. Yulie trembled, her body tense, barely containing the torrent of emotions inside.

"So... you heard it all, didn't you?"

Yulie bit down so hard that blood seeped from her lips. Josephine hadn’t meant for her to find out like this. She was briefly stunned, but soon, a twisted sense of satisfaction welled up from deep within her.

"... It's alright," Josephine whispered softly, offering her sister comfort even as she silently planned the fall of the Freyhem Knights' Order.

If the Order collapsed, Yulie would lose her place in the capital and be forced to return to Freyden. And if Deculein’s words were true, the curse would be cured, keeping Yulie by her side forever...

"You still have me, remember?" Josephine said, hiding every hint of her dark intentions, gently wrapped her arms around Yulie’s shoulders.

***

"Such a shame... what a pity.”

A ghostly voice crept into Epherene's mind, a dark whisper luring the living toward the world of the dead. Mesmerized, she found herself drawn to his face. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“... Do you know what your father desired most?”

In an instant, she sprang awake. Epherene glanced around in panic, realizing she was in the assistant's research lab, her body drenched in sweat.

It was only a dream. Or was it? Epherene thought.

Epherene shot to her feet and hurried to Deculein’s office. If this world was not a dream, he was the only one who could confirm it. She raised her hand to knock but hesitated, her eyes drifting to the nameplate.

Head Professor Deculein’s Office

He was always nearby, yet somehow felt so far away. I felt bitter toward him, but I couldn’t ignore the feeling that I owed him. I couldn't forgive him, but in some way, I understood. He knew all my mistakes and betrayals, yet still told me it was alright because I was his protégé, Epherene thought with a sigh, lowering her hand from the door before turning away.

Just then, she noticed Allen and Drent walking down the hallway, deep in conversation.

Drent noticed Epherene and called out, "Hey, Epherene! Did you hear? A Gerocecream shop just opened nearby!"

“What? No way! Really?!”

Gerocecream—short for Gero Ice Cream—was hugely popular in the southern region and had finally made its way to the Empire.

Epherene clasped her cheeks, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and continued, “This has to be a dream, right?!”

Drent shook his head and replied, “What dream? I went there, but the line was so long, I just gave up.”

Allen sighed in disappointment and added, "Yes, they mentioned the wait would be about three hours..."

"No! I'll go wait in line! Just give me the money!"

Studying her thesis while standing wasn’t an issue. If anything, it actually helped her focus. She could handle three hours on her feet without a problem.

“Hurry, hurry! I’ll do it!” Epherene urged, reaching out to Drent and Allen, her eyes shining with eagerness.

~

Fifteen minutes later...

"... Ugh. There really are so many people," Epherene muttered, fanning herself with a hundred-elne bill as she eyed the line for Gerocecream. Just like Allen and Drent had said, at least two hundred people stood waiting. "Oh, well."

Epherene considered the wait a small price for Gerocecream. While standing in line, she reviewed her thesis, reading about one page every twenty minutes as the line inched forward at the same pace. After nearly three hours, with the sun starting to set, only twenty people stood ahead of her.

“Whew...”

She had read enough for the day. Epherene stretched her stiff neck and tucked her thesis back into her bag.

“Next customer, please!”

Time dragged on as the line inched forward, person by person, until at last, her turn came.

“Next customer, please!”

"Yes, that's me~" Epherene exclaimed, raising her arms in excitement like a playful puppy.

Screech—

Just then, a luxury car pulled up to the curb. The driver stepped out and whispered something to the frog-faced store owner.

"... Ah, I see," the owner replied, his expression turning serious. He nodded, handing over most of the remaining ice cream to the driver. Then, he turned to the waiting crowd and announced, "I'm sorry, but we're out of stock! Please come back tomorrow!"

“What!”

"If you have a waiting ticket for today, you'll get priority service tomorrow! Oh, wait, tomorrow’s a holiday."

“Argh!”

"Looks like it'll have to be Monday then!"

Before Epherene could utter a word, still clutching her ticket, the owner pulled the shutters down. Her eyes, filled with resentment, shifted to the luxury car parked nearby.

"Are you kidding me?!"

I waited hours for this! It’s not fair! They could’ve just taken one serving—there was plenty left. Why take everything?

Epherene ran up to the car, banging on the window as she shouted, "Excuse me! Hey, excuse me—!"

Her patience broke, anger twisting her face as she glared through the window.

"Heeeey! Excuse meeeeeee! Open the windooooooow—!"

The window slid down, and Epherene instinctively reached her hand inside. However, the moment she saw the face within, she froze in shock.

"Oh... Professor?"

Inside was Deculein, his eyes fixed on Epherene with pure disdain.

“Professor, do you... really like ice cream?” Epherene asked, her voice trailing off.

“No,” Deculein replied.

"But why? Why... did you buy so much...? I was right next in line..."

The sight of the ice cream tubs piled on the passenger seat sparked something in her—courage, or maybe just plain greed.

Epherene demanded, “Can you at least tell me why...?”

Without a word, Deculein reached into his inner pocket. Along with his wallet, a small object slipped out. Epherene glimpsed a silver chain glinting in the light, with a hint of a pendant just below it.

"Here, take this as compensation," Deculein said, extending three bills—totaling three hundred elne.

"No, I don’t need the money. I’ll just... go. Enjoy your ice cream," Epherene murmured, bowing her head. Shoulders drooping, she slowly turned to leave.

Deculein sighed quietly before saying, “... Ren?”

“Yes, sir.”

The driver, who seemed to be his secretary, offered Epherene a tub of ice cream.

"Sorry? Oh... really? Thank you so much! Here, let me pay you. One serving is thirty elne, right, so—"

“You may leave now,” Deculein commanded.

The engine roared to life, prompting Epherene to step back in surprise. Without hesitation, the car sped away into the distance.

"Was he just in a bad mood?" Epherene muttered, feeling a bit awkward. She cringed at how she'd lost her cool over ice cream. "... Well, at least I got one, heh."

As she walked away with the ice cream in hand, a small smile crept onto her face.

So, the professor likes ice cream too... I guess we do have at least one thing in common... But that pendant I saw—could it really be the one Mage Gindalf mentioned...? No, it’s probably something else, Epherne thought.

Just then, Epherene spotted someone standing by the job board near the Mage Tower. The large board at the entrance displayed short-term job postings for mages, put up by certified adventure teams or enterprises.

“Ganesha?”

"... Oh?" Ganesha said, turning to Epherene. She flicked her hair back and pointed at the ice cream with a smile. "Is that Gerocecream? Wow, it looks delicious~."

“Sorry? Oh, yes...” Epherene murmured, instinctively hiding the ice cream behind her back. There wasn’t enough to share. “What brings you here?”

“Hmm~ Just putting up a short-term job notice. We figured we could use a skilled mage on our team.”

Epherene blinked, her eyes wide, mouth opening and closing as if trying to find the right words.

Ganesha tilted her head, laughing softly as she asked, "What's the matter~?"

“I’ll do it.”

“... Pardon?”

"But I... ahem, I have one condition. Instead of money," Epherene paused, swallowing hard, "I want information. I need to know about the relationship between the Luna family and the Yukline family."

Ganesha fell quiet, her smile turning a bit rigid.

Epherene hesitated before asking, "Don’t adventure teams ever give something besides money if you ask...?"

"Well, I'm not sure about that. We might need the professor's permission first~," Ganesha replied, leaving Epherene certain of one thing.

She knows. She has to know what happened between our families. She wouldn’t react this way otherwise, Epherne thought.

"I'll do whatever it takes. Besides, this involves me directly—"

“You know, this dungeon raid won't be easy,” Ganesha said.

“But your team has kids too, right? Do you really think I’d be worse than them? And besides...” Epherene paused, her voice faltering.

“Yes, go on,” Ganesha prompted, watching Epherene stumble over her words. “Or are you planning to betray the professor again? That rumor is already making the rounds, you know~?”

“No, absolutely not! I want to help this time,” Epherene blurted out quickly.

“Then why is that~?” Ganesha asked.

"Well... it’s just that... I keep dreaming about the former head of the Yukline family—Decalane," Epherene admitted.

At that moment, Ganesha's expression turned serious.

She took down the poster she had just pinned to the board, dusted off her hands, then offered one to Epherene and said, “When can you start? I’ll say it again, this mission won’t be easy. You might even come back missing an arm.”

"... That's fine. Just tell me the details and the timing."

"It's a dungeon raid. Our team hit the jackpot this time and got lucky. It should take about two days—quick but intense, right?"

In the Empire, when the Imperial family or a lord called for a dungeon raid, the guild assigned resources based on the difficulty and then selected a team through a lottery. This was known as the Dungeon Raid Lottery.

“Two days should work,” Epherene nodded in agreement.

“Here, take this—your temporary adventurer permit,” Ganesha said, tearing a slip from a booklet and handing it to Epherene. “It’s called an Adventure Mercenary Permit. Since I’m an S-rank captain, I can issue it myself. Just sign, and you’re all set. Don’t forget to bring it to the raid.”

“All right... but first, can I be sure the information is solid?” Epherene asked, a flicker of doubt in her voice.

Ganesha smiled faintly and replied, “Of course. I was once under a demon’s curse, and it was the Yukline family who cured me. So, I do know a bit about the history between the Yukline and Luna families.”

Ganesha reflected on those memories. She had spent all the wealth she had worked so hard to earn over ten years just to stay alive. Though grateful to have survived, she still couldn't bring herself to like Decalane.

“Besides, I’m the captain of the Red Garnet Adventure Team. Do you really think there’s anything in this world that I wouldn’t know~?”

“... Alright, that works. And you know me well enough, so there's no need to question my skills,” Epherene said with a confident nod.

“Of course, I trust you. After all, you’re the only protégé that Professor Deculein has ever recognized.”

Epherene felt a bit shy at the compliment and, with a slight pout, mumbled softly, “... Yup.”

***

I arrived at the Imperial Palace in a sour mood, and it wasn’t only because of the ice cream I was holding.

“Her Majesty awaits you,” Jolang said, leading me to Sophien’s chambers. “This way.”

I gave him a brief glance, smirking as I said, “So, you’re still alive, Jolang.”

"... It’s all due to Her Majesty’s grace," Jolang replied, retreating cautiously.

With a respectful bow, I opened the door and announced, "Deculein of Yukline, here at Your Majesty’s summons..."

Her Majesty’s chambers were empty. All that remained was a snow globe—a glass sphere filled with clear liquid and floating snowflakes that fell gently when shaken. The instant I examined the item’s details, a chill ran down my spine.

───────

[Ancient Snow Globe]

◆ Information

: A snow globe, intricately crafted by a devout believer of the Holy Era.

: Inside, it holds a miniature, self-sustaining world complete with its own unique ecosystem.

◆ Category

: Miracle ⊃ World

───────

The snow globe seemed like a perfect gift for Her Majesty—an object so rare and miraculous that it could easily pique Sophien's curiosity. I couldn't guess who had presented such a thing. Holding the snow globe, I peered inside. A figure stood there—a vague silhouette—but the unmistakable red hair gave it away.

“Quit shaking it,” came the voice.

"Meooow!"

A small, red-furred munchkin cat suddenly leaped onto my back.

I sighed, gazing at her within the snow globe, and said, “Your Majesty, I take it you’re trapped in there.”

"That's right. Shaking it just makes me dizzy, so keep it steady," Sophien said.

"Can you manage the possession spell from inside there?" I asked.

“It does use up quite a bit of mana. Anyway, why did you take so long? I’ve been waiting all day. Now, hurry and get in here. Just infuse your mana, and you’ll enter.”

"...Yes, Your Majesty," I said, placing my right hand on the snow globe while gripping the ice cream bag with my left. Taking a deep breath, I infused my mana into the globe.

Huuuuuuum...

A strange sensation swept over me as my mana and soul shifted elsewhere. When I opened my eyes, I stood in a vast, pure white expanse. This had to be the inside of the snow globe.

"You’re here."

In the distance, I saw the Empress and Keiron. Sophien, wearing a fur hat and cape coat, approached me. Her dark red hair stood out sharply against the snowy expanse.

"Hand it over," Sophien commanded.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I said, offering the ice cream to her.

The Empress stared at the ice cream for a moment, her brow slightly furrowing in thought. Then, she glanced up at me, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

Sophien remarked bluntly, "This feels strange. No one has ever dared to eat in front of me, and I've always stayed away from such luxuries. I've never seen or tasted anything like this before. So, how am I supposed to eat it—just with my hands?"

What she really wanted was for me to explain how to eat it.

“The only ice cream I know comes on a wooden stick,” Sophien muttered.

It wasn't just ordinary ice cream; this was Bingsoo—a dessert made of shaved ice topped with ice cream, making it quite a luxurious treat.

“You will have to open the lid, stir it with the spoon provided, and then take a spoonful, Your Majesty,” I instructed.

“And where might the spoon be?”

“It’s fixed to the underside of the lid.”

Sophien stirred the ice cream as I had shown her, moving with a surprising elegance. Despite the harshness of her words, every action carried a quiet sophistication, almost rivaling my own.

"So, Deculein, what do you make of this place?" Sophien asked, stirring the ice cream.

I looked around. It was an empty, snow-covered field stretched out in all directions—for the time being, at least.

"I think this might have been an ancient bunker or perhaps even a prison," I replied.

"Is that so?"

"... You are not questioning my judgment, Your Majesty?"

"You’re never wrong, are you? I came to the same conclusion," the Empress replied, a faint smile on her lips as she took a spoonful of ice cream. Her weary eyes brightened. "Mmm. This is surprisingly good!"

"Is that so, Your Majesty?"

Of course, it had to taste good. I had infused it with the Midas Touch at level four, which demanded a massive four thousand mana.

"You’ve managed to pique my appetite. Now, it’s time for you to figure out how we’re getting out of this endless white expanse," Sophien remarked, turning her focus back to the ice cream.

I knelt and pressed my hand against the ground, beginning a Comprehension. In a single moment, nearly a thousand mana drained from me.

"... Cough," I choked, spitting out dark blood.

The Empress watched me for a moment and then asked, "Not feeling well?"

“No, not at all. It’s simply a sign of my overflowing health,” I replied.

There’s a link between blood and mana. When too much mana is used at once—more than what a mage can typically handle—the blood burns up, creating what we call—tainted blood.

Most mages avoid this by carefully controlling their mana, but I don’t have to worry about that. Thanks to my Iron Man attribute, my blood regenerates remarkably well. I simply spit out the tainted blood and wait for fresh blood to take its place.

Sophien looked at me and asked, “Have you discovered anything?”

“No, I have not. Has Your Majesty discovered anything?” I asked.

"I’ve spent four days here and learned little. This place feels so real; it’s almost mysterious."

"Four days..." I muttered, watching the Empress carefully. Something about her words felt off. "Your Majesty, you possessed the cat to relay the message. When exactly did you do that?"

"When? It was just a day ago, of course. You certainly took your time getting here," Sophien replied.

"No, Your Majesty," I said, shaking my head. "I came as soon as I received your message. There might have been a small delay, but it was still within the same day."

Sophien paused, her spoon resting in the ice cream. She glanced at me and asked, "Hmm... Could the possession spell have caused a time discrepancy outside the globe?"

“No, I suspect the problem lies within the snow globe itself,” I replied, glancing up at the sky. Only clouds filled the expanse—no sun in sight. “We’ll need to investigate this carefully, one step at a time.”

Sophien chuckled softly and said, “Spending this strange time with you... it brings back memories of the old days.”

I couldn’t make sense of her words. When I turned to look at Sophien, she only pretended not to notice, focused on eating her ice cream.