A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 17: Adult (2)

"Th-that\'s bullshit!" Yeriel finally spat out, almost chewing on her words.

"Such language is unbefitting," I said.

"... You\'re lying!"

"That\'s a little better."

"... See, it\'s a lie!"

Yeriel still didn’t believe me.

"I never lie," I replied, shaking my head.

Her hands started to tremble, and she looked around as if searching for something.

"Wh-where are the pen and paper? L-let\'s put it in a written vow," Yeriel said.

"Maintain your dignity."

"See, you\'re lying!"

"We can make an oath instead," I said, gently interrupting her before she could accuse me.

An oath holds a special significance for a mage. It\'s like memorizing a spell and embedding a vow into your heart or head. If broken, you either die or lose your mana completely.

"You, you really mean it?"

"Yes."

"No, it doesn\'t make sense. Why? Why so sudden?"

I couldn\'t tell her that it was to calm her rage and eliminate the death variable both now and in the future. To Yeriel, this seemed incredibly sudden. But since it was a position I would have passed on eventually, I could easily come up with a reason.

"I plan to dedicate myself to the Mage Tower and my magical research from now on. I won\'t have time to act as the head of the family, and you should already be fairly skilled as a lord," I said.

"You only realized that now?"

"I\'ve known for some time. I was testing you."

"Testing me, my ass! I was testing you!" Yeriel flinched, wondering if I was serious, but quickly shook her head and shouted.

"Believe it or not, it\'s up to you."

"Then... When will the succession ceremony... take place?" Yeriel asked cautiously, still suspicious, licking her dry lips.

Her tongue sticking out at the end was cute, just like a real little sister. Of course, I hadn\'t thought about the ceremony.

"You probably know the best time," I said, giving a vague answer.

Fortunately, Yeriel appeared to have a plan in mind and nodded seriously.

"Three years from now. On the Day of Exceptions."

I didn\'t know what she meant, but she seemed serious, so I went along with it.

"Very well then..." Yeriel said. She thought for a moment, then gathered her things. There was a sword and a pistol on the bed. It looked like she had intended to kill me and deal with the fallout today.

"Are you planning to go back right away?" I asked.

"Of course! Who wouldn\'t hurry to fix things after blowing two hundred million at an auction?" Yeriel shouted, though the fire in her voice had already dimmed.

After all, the role of being the head of the Yukline family was worth far more than two hundred million. The Yukline territory, known as Hakedia, was one of the most fertile regions on the continent. Its location, with mountains behind and a river in front, made it prime real estate, second only to the capital.

Politically, it held a remarkable position—close enough to the capital for easy interaction but far enough to avoid the Empire’s interference. These advantages had allowed it to flourish, hosting both a local Mage Tower and a local knights order, a rare combination. Only the Iliade and Leviaron families could compare.

However, Iliade\'s territory was slightly lacking in size, and Leviaron was too far from the capital. Being the lord of Yukline meant standing at the pinnacle of power.

"Oh, and you, sir," Yeriel said, pausing at the door and continued, "Don\'t try to take this back later."

"You, sir?" I asked.

"... I didn\'t demand an oath because I still have a bit of faith in you..."

With that, Yeriel finished speaking and left the room. No, she stopped just outside the door.

"If this is a lie, I don\'t know what I\'ll do..." she said.

The last part was barely audible.

"If you\'re lying, there will be serious consequences. Got it? Everyone in our territory already considers me the lord," Yeriel continued.

I knew. I knew it very well. There were vassals so loyal to Yeriel that they would poison my food or drink, either on their own or at her command.

"Trust me. It\'s not a lie," I replied.

"... Hmph."

Yeriel packed the dagger and gun into her bag. She started to leave but paused and turned to look back at me. She stared silently, and I met her gaze without flinching. After a long moment, Yeriel grabbed the doorknob, appearing ready to leave, but then she turned back once more.

"I don\'t trust you. I\'m still suspicious. So—"

"Let\'s make an oath immediately," I said.

"... There\'s no need," Yeriel said.

Yeriel opened the door, her face clearly trying to hide a smile. Pouting, she seemed ready to leave.

"Yeriel," I said, stopping her.

"... What?" Yeriel said, halting at the top of the stairs and turning to look at me.

Her expression questioned why I had called her, mixed with fear that I might go back on my word. I wasn\'t sure what to say. I had called out impulsively. But just removing the death variable wasn\'t enough for me. I wanted to take it a step further.

I wouldn\'t live like Deculein, using the system\'s Personality Trait as an excuse. The system\'s Personality Trait might bind me, but it wasn\'t an unbreakable shackle. To reach the end of this world and stand as Kim Woo-Jin, not Deculein, I needed to fix the relationships that Deculein had ruined myself.

"You must be hungry after all that traveling. Stay and have a meal before you leave," I said.

... Even as I said it, chills ran down my spine. It went against my Personality Trait. Yeriel\'s reaction was similar. Her shoulders twitched, and her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. I had tried to be as kind as possible.

"I\'m f-fine! Don\'t say weird things now! I have to go, so just stop..." Yeriel shouted and stomped down the stairs like an impatient child. "I\'m leaving! Get the car ready!"

Her voice echoed from the first floor.

"Hmm."

[Villain\'s Fate: Overcame Death Variable]

As a reward for overcoming the death variable, I received shop currency. I now had a total of six coins and could access the System Shop. However...

"... What a mess," I said.

I wasn\'t in the right mental state for that now. It had only been about fifteen minutes, but it felt like a storm had swept through. I closed the open door and reached into the air. Just as I was about to sit down and use Telekinesis to grab a glass and a bottle of wine...

"How interesting."

A strange voice came from somewhere. Though I was surprised, I didn\'t show it. No matter how startled I was inside, my exterior remained calm. It\'s an odd but effective feeling.

"... I just came by," the voice said, trailing off.

A fragrance then wafted in from the moonlit window, drawing my attention. It was Ganesha, a beautiful woman with her red hair in disarray.

"Something interesting happened here," Ganesha remarked with a playful smile.

"You\'re not welcome here, Ganesha," I said, frowning slightly.

"Sorry. I really am... But are you seriously giving up the position of head of the family? Are you really-really trying to change?"

Why is this adventurer so interested in other people\'s family matters? Technically, Yukline isn\'t my family since I\'m Kim Woo-Jin, but still.

"I simply thought she\'d handle it better than I would," I replied calmly.

"Really? But still... You know," Ganesha muttered, still puzzled. "She\'s not even your real sister."

She\'s not my real sister. I was briefly taken aback, but Yeriel is, after all, a half-sister according to the setting, so in a way, it\'s true.

"She doesn\'t have any Yukline blood in her," Ganesha continued.

No Yukline blood at all. Until that moment, I didn’t understand what she meant. Something felt off. This wasn’t part of the game’s story that I remembered. It must have been the subtle twist the writer hinted at earlier.

"Is this really okay?"

At moments like these, Deculein\'s personality was really useful. No matter how shocking the words, even if someone put a knife to his throat, he wouldn\'t flinch.

"You were the one who first asked us to look into the biological connection... between you and your sister."

So that\'s what she was talking about. I looked at Ganesha in silence.

"Didn\'t I send my subordinate to tell you about this three months ago?" Ganesha continued with an innocent smile.

I chose my words carefully as various phrases came together and fell apart in my mind.

Whirr— whirr— whirr—

Words flew through my mind. Actually, I wasn\'t obligated to say anything. I didn\'t have to explain anything to Ganesha. But I didn\'t want to lose Head Yeriel over something like this. So, I needed to silence Ganesha.

"Even so..." I said.

I forced myself to say something, anything, to serve that purpose.

"... Yeriel is still Yeriel," I continued.

That was my reason, and no other explanation was needed. There was a moment of silence, followed by a gasp. It was Ganesha, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Wow."

Ganesha brushed her bangs back. Goosebumps rose on the back of her hand.

"I didn\'t expect this from you, Professor..." Ganesha said.

I hadn\'t expected this either. It was a detail I was completely unaware of.

"Alright. I\'ll definitely keep this a secret!"

While I was in a daze, Ganesha clenched her fists and bit her lip. It was oddly endearing.

"Oh, and I should tell you this. You know, Professor, you\'ve attracted some attention. The Six Serpents, you know them, right?" Ganesha asked.

The Six Serpents were the leaders of a notorious criminal organization across the continent, with each head carrying a bounty nearing tens of millions.

"They\'re targeting the items you bought at the auction. The delivery will be securely handled by the Luten side, of course. It would be embarrassing for them to lose the auction items. However, be cautious when the items arrive at your mansion," Ganesha said, raising her finger.

"Honestly, it seems like you haven\'t been taking magical precautions lately. Your security is too lax. You should upgrade your safe and reinforce the mansion\'s magical security system as you did before."

"... Alright," I replied.

With that, Ganesha clapped her hands together loudly.

"And I\'m sorry about today. I didn\'t mean to eavesdrop... I promise it won\'t happen again," Ganesha said.

“... Ganesha,” I called her, my gaze steady and unwavering as I looked at her.

“Yes? What is it?”

“If anyone were to target Yeriel...” I said.

It was a precaution. If the Deculein from three months ago had tried to harm Yeriel, or if he had harbored any malicious intent that I didn\'t know about, I would need Ganesha’s help to handle it.

“Oh~” Ganesha said, smiling gently.

Her expression was somehow reminiscent of moonlight, and its mystery left me momentarily speechless.

“... Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

Whoosh—

A gust of wind blew, making the curtains flutter and obscure the windowsill where Ganesha had been sitting. When the wind settled, she was gone.

“... Ha.”

For the first time, my steady posture faltered. I raked my fingers through my hair randomly. Yeriel. I had thought she was my half-sister, but she wasn’t related to me by blood. I clasped the back of my neck with both hands and looked up at the ceiling.

“It was a fact I really didn\'t need to know,” I said.

There was no need to know. It wouldn’t change anything. If I thought about it, it wasn’t much of a revelation. Well, it was a twist, but not a significant one. Since I wasn’t Deculein to begin with, whether Yeriel was Deculein’s real sister or not wouldn’t change my attitude.

So, I decided to keep it hidden. To me, Yeriel would still be Deculein’s sister. For some reason, I felt affection for her—a cute kid. Ganesha was trustworthy, so this secret would be kept for a long time...

***

Meanwhile, on the roof of a house in a residential area near the capital.

“Professor... he’s changed a lot. Has he really changed? Or... is someone else pretending to be the professor?”

Ganesha sat casually on the sloped red brick, recalling the recent scene. It was an exceptionally impressive scene that she wouldn’t forget for a long time.

“Indeed. The professor does seem to have some human side,” her subordinate Rohan replied.

“Exactly. Maybe that’s why people talk about bad boys. A man who’s been a jerk his whole life says one kind word and suddenly seems charming,” Ganesha said.

"... He\'s just good-looking. Everyone knows, Captain, you\'re a huge sucker for pretty faces. You even took this mission because of his looks."

“Then should I tear your face apart for being ugly? I was broke back then, okay? What else could I do when the debt collector insisted?”

Ganesha was with her adventure team, the Red Garnet Adventure Team, which consisted of three men and two women. One of the women had traveled a long distance to reserve accommodations.

“Remember, this is an absolute secret. You must keep it until you die. Revealing it would betray our trust as adventurers. You would no longer be my comrade, and I would have to kill you myself,” she said.

“Of course. We’re not animals. Only a dog would betray a secret like that,” Rohan replied.

“Dozmu, you too,” Ganesha demanded.

The hooded man named Dozmu yawned and nodded.

“You...”

Ganesha glared at her arrogant subordinate before turning her eyes to the distant Yukline mansion. All the windows were already covered with curtains, but the way Deculein had acted there was truly captivating. It was very human of him to say that.

He had poetically declared that Yeriel would always be Yeriel. In the past, she would have dismissed it as ridiculous acting. But Deculein had promised to make Yeriel, who wasn’t even related by blood to the Yukline family, the head of the household. Even she, who prided herself on being progressive, couldn’t have made such a decision.

"... Anyway, it seems we no longer need to be wary of Deculein. He doesn\'t seem fixated on those kids anymore," Ganesha said.

“Yes, that’s right,” Rohan replied.

"Alright then... So, what has he been up to all this time?"

Ganesha glanced at the burly man nicknamed Boar, clinging to the chimney on the roof and wailing loudly.

“He’s crying,” Rohan answered.

"I see that. We\'re both looking at the same thing, aren\'t we? But why?"

“He says he was touched by what he heard,” Rohan explained.

"... Sigh. He’s built like a barbarian, yet he cries like a baby," Ganesha said.

Ganesha sighed and lay down on the roof, staring at the bright moon in the clear, cool sky. The scene felt fleeting, as if it would soon disappear.

The reason she had come to see Deculein, or rather, had been keeping an eye on him, was to determine if he still had any lingering attachment to the Talents of the Archipelago. She couldn’t directly ask if he was still seeking magic slaves. Depending on his answer, she might’ve had to consider him an enemy.

But it seemed Deculein had decided to change in many ways. She didn’t know what had prompted this change of heart, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“What did Reylie say? Has she found a place for the kids to stay?”

Soon, those children would be arriving by boat. Ganesha was both excited and worried about that moment. They needed the kids\' talents to fight those people. However, if the ultimate purpose of training the children was for the war, it raised doubts about whether it was the right choice.

From a strictly moral standpoint, it wasn’t. They were still just children. But if, when they grew up, those children could save tens, hundreds, or even thousands of lives, it would be a clearly just cause.

“Yes. So, we have no money left,” Rohan said.

At that moment, a vein in Ganesha’s temple throbbed.

“What? Don’t mess with me.”

“I\'m being serious,” Rohan replied.

"How can we keep running a deficit no matter how many missions we complete? Did you embezzle funds? Tell me the truth."

“We canceled the Deculein mission and had to pay a huge penalty fee and compensation,” Rohan said.

"Oh, you’re right." Ganesha clicked her tongue and shook her head. “... Alright, everyone. Let’s head back,” Ganesha continued.

"Yes. Everyone, gather up," Rohan called to Boar and Dozmu.

They huddled together like little rice balls. Rohan fiddled with something, and soon, the four of them transformed into blue particles and were transported elsewhere.