A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 139: Upheaval (2)

... Two young adults and two children raced through the tunnel, their footsteps carrying the weight of their parents’ final words—a promise to hold back the danger so they could escape. It wasn’t fear of capture that pushed them onward, but the aching knowledge of those they had left behind.

“... Ah!”

A dim light shimmered in the distance, hinting that the tunnel's exit was close.

“We're almost there guys. Just a few more steps...”

They rushed forward, only to stop dead in their tracks. The tunnel’s exit loomed just ahead, and there, a solitary figure waited. He held a book as if reading, but with a slow, deliberate motion, he turned toward them.

In the darkness, a cold blue light flickered in his eyes, sharp and merciless. At that instant, they were paralyzed, every thought of retreat erased from their minds. It was Deculein of Yukline—the heir of an ancient, cursed bloodline and the fiend who had laid waste to thousands in the desolate plains of Roharlak.

Now, that very monster stood before them. His presence alone demanded silence, making threats unnecessary. The two children trembled, wet themselves in terror, while the young men felt tears stinging at the corners of their eyes.

“... Hmm,” Deculein murmured, his eyes drifting past them to the tunnel beyond and asked, "Are you the last of them?"

No one dared to respond. The question hung in the air, tightening around their throats and sealing their lips in silence.

“... Please.”

In the suffocating silence, a young woman in her early twenties finally spoke. Her lips trembled as she forced out a desperate plea and said, "Please, I beg you, take my life. The children are still so young. Please let them go. I beg you..."

“Do not overestimate your value. You are but one among many,” Deculein said as he slipped his book inside his coat. In that moment, a cold breath of death surged through the tunnel. To the four, it felt like the air itself had turned to ice. “However, if you are so eager to sacrifice yourself, then let us make a wager.”

Deculein reached into his pocket and drew out a coin.

Flick—!

With a flick of his thumb, the coin sailed through the air before landing squarely in his palm.

“Heads or tails. Are you willing to risk it?”

She couldn’t understand the rules of this twisted game, but her life rested entirely in his hands. Even the smallest hint of resistance could lead to dire consequences. Swallowing her fear, she nodded quickly and replied, “Y-yes, sir. I’ll do as you say.”

“Tails, and you meet your end. Heads, and I spare your life.”

It seemed a straightforward offer, but there was something deeply unsettling about it. For all they knew, the coin itself could be rigged. Yet questioning him was not an option.

“... Yes, sir.”

Deculein opened his hand to reveal the coin. It showed heads.

“Phew...”

A faint, shaky cry slipped out, barely more than the sound of a leaking balloon. The four exhaled in relief, though unease still clung to them. Deculein settled back into his chair, casually opening his book as if oblivious to their presence. They hesitated, taking a few cautious steps forward, stealing glances over their shoulders. Still, Deculein made no move against them.

Gulp—

Even as they emerged into the open air, unease clung to them. They surveyed their surroundings, then began making their way westward.

“East,” Deculein ordered, his eyes still fixed on the pages of his book.

“... Pardon?”

“Head east.”

“... Yes, sir.”

Trusting him once more, they pushed through the tangled undergrowth, pressing eastward. Their path was uncertain, guided only by a silent prayer for mercy...

... As the members of Scarletborn vanished into the forest, silence settled over the tunnel. Deculein closed his book and glanced down at the coin resting in his palm.

───────

[Coin of Alignment]

◆ Description

: A special coin acquired from the item catalog.

: Its toss reveals a character's alignment, deciding whether they lean toward good or evil.

◆ Category

: Special ⊃ Miscellaneous

◆ Special Effect

: The coin determines a character's alignment. Heads indicate a good nature, while tails mark one as evil. (Note: The wager is only valid if the other party agrees to it.)

[Midas Touch : Level 3]

───────

The coin that revealed the alignment of those it tested. Among the Scarletborn, there were both the innocent and the villainous, just as there were fanatics of the Altar. Those found to be evil, Deculein would destroy without hesitation...

Tap, tap, tap— Tap, tap, tap—

Footsteps echoed from the depths of the tunnel. Deculein listened, calmly turning a page in his book as he awaited the next group’s arrival.

***

Deep into the night, a message arrived, confirming the operation's conclusion. When I returned to the battlefield, a vast plain stretched before me, littered with captured prisoners.

The Elite Guard who had reported the tunnel's location hurried over, saluted, and then said, "Professor, what happened in the tunnel?"

“I eliminated roughly twenty,” I replied.

"... Wow. Impressive, as always, Professor!" Duren replied.

I scanned the captives—about three thousand in total, most indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

"Can we distinguish the Scarletborn from ordinary humans?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, Professor. With the blood magic developed by Sir Bethan, we can identify them to a certain extent. However, it did require a significant amount of their flesh..."

The prisoners bore strange wounds—too brutal to be used widely. Still, given the circumstances, it proved effective.

"Hello Professor, a pleasure to meet you!" a voice suddenly called out with a salute.

A man with long blue hair, tied back in a sleek ponytail. I know his name—Gurken. Like me, he commands the strength of steel.

“Haha. But do we really need to keep these scum here? They’re a drain on our time and resources. If you give the order, I'll take care of it immediately.”

Clatter— Clatter—

At his words, the fragments of steel began to vibrate in the air. They were true shards—so fine they could slip beneath the skin, delivering unbearable pain. A mage who could create such magic must possess a mind twisted beyond comprehension.

“That won’t be necessary,” I replied, halting the steel in mid-air with my Telekinesis.

Gurken blinked in surprise at the sudden magic interference and muttered, “Ahem...?”

He attempted to reactivate his spell, his jaw clenched in concentration, but his steel fragments remained motionless under the grip of my Telekinesis.

"These filthy creatures don't deserve an easy end. We will send them all to Roharlak," I said.

"An easy end was never what I had in mind..." Gurken muttered, rubbing the back of his neck before giving a nod. “Very well, Professor. We'll do it your way.”

"... Take them away," I commanded.

The soldiers saluted, while the prisoners grew pale. They were likely weighing which fate was worse—dying here or living in Roharlak.

"Listen up, you scum! You're headed to Roharlak, so get on your feet! Move it! Anyone who drags behind will be left to die in the sands!"

In time, they would realize that, no matter how difficult, survival was still better than the alternative.

***

"Deculein of Yukline has shown exceptional valor in uncovering and destroying the Scarletborn’s hidden lair, and thus..."

Upon my return to the capital, the Imperial Military Honor Medal was bestowed upon me. Sophien herself affixed the second-class insignia to my chest. Not a bad reward, especially with the bonus stat I gained from it.

“Good work,” Sophien said.

“I remain deeply honored by your favor, Your Majesty.”

Sophien, still on the podium, looked down at me and said, “Since we're here, I have some advice for you.”

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will gladly accept your advice," I replied.

"Don’t reach for what you can’t handle."

Her words didn’t make sense to me.

“Now! that concludes the ceremony,” Sophien announced.

With her strange advice, the medal ceremony concluded, and the banquet began. The grand hall echoed with elegant music as guests mingled, calling out my name—Count Yukline, Professor Deculein. After enduring these exhausting social formalities, I finally made my way to my vehicle.

“Hmm?” I muttered, casting a glance at the back seat, where a letter caught my eye.

From Karixel.

It was a Message Paper from Karixel in Roharlak. I ripped open the envelope. The first line laid bare the depth of his suffering.

I have finally secured a pencil to write this letter to you, Professor. To begin with, life in Roharlak is challenging, though not as dreadful as I had anticipated. We managed to locate a water source, and fortunately, not too many of our members are starving or dying of thirst. This is largely thanks to the regular appearance of edible beasts...

Karixel’s letter went on and on, but to sum it up, the Scarletborn were managing well in Roharlak. Whether it was meant as a taunt or a challenge, I couldn't tell. After reading it, I replied with a single line.

Maintain your feigned dread, and if any among you appear to show loyalty to the Altar, handle them as you see fit.

Just then, the car rolled to a stop. Glancing outside, I saw that we hadn't even made it past the mansion gates.

“Professor,” Ren called out, his voice tinged with confusion.

I glanced out the window and saw a woman standing near the mansion entrance—Yulie.

“What are your orders?” Ren asked.

“... I’ll step out. Drive around the block and return when I call,” I said.

“Yes, sir.”

I stepped out of the car, keeping my eyes on her from a distance. I activated my Sharp Eyesight, enhanced by authority, and infused it with mana. Her pale, worn face stood out, but something even more concerning caught my attention.

[Status Effect: Cursed]

Slowly, her time was running out. I could see the remainder of her life wearing out right before my eyes.

[1,084:53:23]

1,084 hours. Just under two months left.

I approached her slowly, my footsteps purposefully loud on the cobblestones. Once she spotted me, she immediately went rigid.

“Yulie. I see you’ve been showing up quite often lately,” I remarked.

Yulie stayed silent.

"How far are you willing to go to make yourself look even more pathetic?"

Yulie couldn't meet my eyes and lowered her head, her voice thin and brittle as she said, "... Our knights' order is falling apart. Corruption and bribery, things I never realized, are tearing it down."

"Ignorance does not absolve you of responsibility."

Rockfell and the other knights of Freyhem. Josephine had set her traps meticulously, and no ordinary knight could ever hope to escape them.

But then...

Thud—!

Yulie collapsed to her knees. For a moment, it felt like a weight had lodged itself in my chest.

“... I beg of you,” Yulie said.

I steadied my unsteady breath, forcing composure. Looking down at her kneeling before me, I said, “Is a knight's honor so easily bent?”

Yulie clenched her fists on her thighs and added, “... I’m kneeling before you, not as a knight, but as a person. Innocent knights are suffering, their titles on the verge of being stripped away. These young men and women gave up everything for this path. I will take full responsibility, but at least for them...

She went on, and through my Sharp Eyesight, I watched her time slip away, like sand through an hourglass.

Tick, tock— Tick, tock—

Tick, tock— Tick, tock—

Yulie’s curse weighed heavily, refusing to relent.

“No. I will bring down your entire knights' order,” I replied.

And in that instant, with just those few words...

"Leave the capital, Yulie. If you are meant to die, do it in your homeland."

Her time seemed to come to a slow halt.

[1,084:52:23]

The system's clock paused, then began to tick backward, extending her life from 1,084 hours to 1,098, then to 1,120, and finally to 1,180. Her life force grew stronger.

... It was an astonishing moment, unfolding right before my eyes.

"Worried about your comrades, are you? That’s not of my concern. Those so-called allies of Veron will be expelled from the capital, no matter what," I continued, a faint smile touching my lips.

At the very least, this method wasn’t a mistake. It was just another way to buy her some more time.

"If you care for their lives at all, you will need to leave the capital."

For that reason alone... she had every right to despise me.

"Go as far away as you can and die out of my sight. Do not let your death bring disgrace to my family."

Yulie’s trembling came to a halt. She went still, her emotions fading like a flame smothered beneath a layer of frost. An oppressive silence settled between us.

At last, she raised her eyes, a glint of resolve shining through. She nodded and said, “Yes. I will do as you command.”

In that moment, the eleven hundred hours of life I saw before suddenly expanded, extending into sixty full years.

***

Screeeeech—

The train screeched to a stop, metal grinding against metal, followed by the shuddering of the carriage as it settled. Yulie stood and looked out the window. Outside, a barren, colorless landscape stretched out before her—pale ground, a sky drained of life, and a light, swirling snow that drifted like dust in the wind.

It was a vast, frozen wasteland, a world of endless white where the land and sky blurred together. This was Freyden, her homeland in the Northern Region of the Empire.

Yulie stepped off the train and stood still, staring at the familiar yet unforgiving landscape. She had tried to leave this place long ago, but now, against all her efforts, she had returned—worse off than she ever imagined.

Crunch— Crunch—

Yulie started walking without a word. She carried little—a lone sword and a small bundle. Returning to her family’s castle was out of the question. Instead, she intended to find a place to settle, even if only for a short time. No one understood better than her how little time she had left. But even knowing that, she wasn’t about to surrender to despair.

“... Deculein.” Yulie muttered the name under her breath, tightening her grip on the sword.

The memories flooded back—her shattered knights' order, her fallen comrades, the shame of that day, and the distant past, all surfacing with piercing clarity. The rage and sorrow that once burned in her had long since frozen over, solidifying into something cold and unbreakable. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling the faint, hollow pulse of her heart.

Thump... thump...

The cold inside her was undeniable. Her pulse, weak and fragile, felt as if it could stop at any moment. To a doctor, she would seem like a woman already halfway to the grave. Her heart, locked in an eternal winter, beat faintly. Yet, this only steeled her resolve. She wouldn’t let it end like this. She had to fight. She had to endure.

“I will...” Yulie murmured, her footsteps crisp against the frozen ground.

“She’s in no condition to be of any use,” Zeit remarked, observing Yulie from a considerable distance.

Beside him, Josephine shrugged lightly and said, “It’s Yulie. If she’s struggling, doesn’t that only make her more a part of this family~?”

“Enough with the jokes. What’s the situation with the engagement?” Zeit asked.

“You always knew it wouldn’t work, didn’t you, Count? Freyden and Yukline were never a good match from the beginning.”

“... Hmm. Even so, it’s maddening. That curse she bears—it’s Deculein’s fault in the end.”

Yulie had gotten herself cursed while trying to protect Deculein. Of course, she dismissed it as just another part of the mission, insisting she was fine, speaking as if it meant nothing, like a fool. But Zeit wasn’t fooled—he knew better.

“Have Yulie join the Freyden Knights,” Zeit commanded.

Josephine blinked in surprise and asked, “Now? She’s known for corruption, brother. Do you really think the northern knights will simply overlook that?”

“That’s her responsibility. She’ll prove herself and let her skill silence them,” Zeit said, clicking his tongue as he turned to leave.

Looking at his broad back—or rather, his towering frame—Josephine asked, “When will you finally let Yulie go, Count?”

Zeit turned his head slightly, meeting her eyes with a look that carried the weight and authority of the strongest knight in the human world.

“... One day, when she defeats me, I will let her go.”

The thought of Yulie defeating Zeit seemed far-fetched to Josephine. She carried serious doubt. Zeit was a figure of immense power, unrivaled not only in the Freyden family but likely throughout the Empire’s history. No one had ever come close to his strength.

"But you, Josephine, I can't shake the sense that you'll never loosen your grip on Yulie," Zeit added.

Zeit’s gaze was icy and unrelenting, but Josephine smiled and responded, “Do you really think I’d do something like that~? As long as Yulie is happy, nothing else concerns me, hehe.”

***

As the last days of autumn faded, Epherene, newly promoted from Solda to Kendall, entered the assistant’s research lab, proudly wearing her new robe.

"So, what do you think? Doesn’t the color look a bit more upscale?" Epherene asked.

"Mm-hmm, yeah," Drent said without looking up, too focused on his magic experiment. Like Epherene, he was a Kendall now, but Allen was nowhere to be found.

"... When am I ever going to get an assistant?" Epherene muttered, sinking into her chair. Her eyes drifted to the half-read newspaper on the desk.

... Disbandment of the Freyhem Knights’ Order.

The Freyhem Knights' Order had been caught up in a bribery and corruption scandal, making waves in both radio and print recently.

“Isn’t Freyhem...”

The name Freyhem felt familiar to Epherene, but her focus soon shifted to the next article.

Bestselling Hit: Blue Eyes by Anonymous Author.

“... This girl.”

The book Sylvia had published became a bestseller. A copy of Blue Eyes rested on Epherene’s desk, though the only frustration was that the next volume hadn’t been released yet. It would have made more sense to publish both volumes together, rather than splitting it into two parts.

"Huh? Oh," Epherene muttered as her proud smile soon faded, her eyes widening at the sight outside. She leaned closer to the window. "It’s snowing already?"

Snow fell gently from the sky, the flakes thick and heavy, far too large to be mistaken for sleet. They gathered quickly, covering the earth in a soft, white layer. Epherene let out a quiet chuckle, sinking comfortably back into her chair.

"Ah, the seasons are changing, and I still have so much left to do~ I haven’t finished a single thing~" Epherene hummed, following a catchy tune as she took out the Wood Steel. She was still engraving Deculein into her unconscious mind. It was tough work, but oddly enough, she enjoyed it.

"Just a little more, then I’ll head to class," Epherene mumbled. "... Drent! Remember, we have Professor Deculein’s class today."

"Uh-huh, I know," Drent mumbled, barely registering the words as he stayed absorbed in his work.

Epherene smiled to herself, channeling her mana into the Wood Steel and whispered, "This time...”

She was determined to complete the spell, whatever the cost.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om