A Villain's Guide to Saving the World-Chapter 47: The Great Villain! Heads to the Capital...?

The Third Prince smiled before heading off, and Lucian could clearly sense a motive in his voice. Unlike the usual motives he was accustomed to, though, this one seemed more positive.

"Well, if you say so."

The Third Prince walked off, continuing to enjoy the ball.

Lucian sighed, then glanced back at Ignir and the others.

"I have a job to do now. Hope you all don’t disappoint."

He gave a sly wink before following the Third Prince.

The Third Prince returned to talk to Lady Reina, now with Reid also in the picture. Lucian followed the prince, and when he engaged in conversation with them, he joined in too. But a familiar face was there as well—the transmigrator, Jacob, casually speaking with three important figures as though it was nothing.

Jacob saw Lucian and gave him a nod.

"Oh, quite the coincidence running into you here, Lucian," he said, winking — clearly lying.

Lucian chuckled, playing along, even though he wasn’t sure of Jacob’s true intentions.

Jacob smirked and subtly placed a hand on his forehead. A sudden pressure built within Lucian’s head, the familiar chime of a system alert ringing in his mind.

[Mechanical Mind Skill: Telepathy]

"I see you’ve already earned the reputation you wanted," Jacob’s voice echoed in Lucian’s mind, avoiding any eavesdroppers — especially with the recent assassination attempt still fresh.

"I took the liberty of disabling your clones. I’m a reasonable man, of course."

Jacob’s laughter echoed in Lucian’s mind.

"I’ll let you ask me for one more favor, before you owe me one in return."

Lucian’s grin faltered for a moment. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Jacob knew more about him than he let on—too much. It was unsettling, but Lucian wasn’t one to show weakness.

Jacob released his hand from his forehead, and the telepathic link closed.

Lucian smiled once more, though his expression carried a hint of concern. There was something about Jacob that rubbed him the wrong way.

Even now... I still can’t read him.

Reid, having observed the brief exchange, tilted his head slightly. The interaction had lasted no more than three seconds, but nothing escaped the eyes of a duke.

"You two seem close," he remarked, chuckling softly before sipping from his glass of wine.

Lucian smiled back, careful not to appear suspicious.

"It’s nothing, I assure you."

Lucian then refocused his attention on the Third Prince, who was chatting with Reina. But suddenly, the Third Prince stopped mid-sentence.

"Seems like I’ll have to cut this short," he said, urgency in his voice. He turned his back to Reina and headed toward the manor’s exit.

Reina sighed in relief, glad to be done with the conversation. She cast a brief glance at Lucian, who was still talking to Reid, before letting out another sigh and mingling with other nobles.

Lucian shifted his attention back to the Third Prince—after all, he was his new retainer now.

"Now, where are you headed?" Lucian muttered to himself before snapping his fingers and melting into shadows once more.

Lucian reappeared, finding the Third Prince waiting on the city streets, tapping his foot impatiently. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"What’s up?"

Lucian spoke calmly, snapping his fingers to change his attire into something more fitting—an elegant butler outfit. It was more for fun than for actual formality.

The Third Prince looked at him, his expression more annoyed than troubled.

"It’s my father. He received news of the attack and wants me to return."

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that was certainly quick."

The Third Prince let out a brief laugh.

"The perks of having a mage with telepathy in the court."

Lucian smiled at the response, relieved that the Third Prince wasn’t as bothersome in casual conversation.

"You’re not going to formally say goodbye to the Duke?"

The Third Prince thought for a moment, then answered quickly.

"No, he’s a wise man. He should already know why I’m leaving."

As the words left his mouth, an entire army of heavily armored knights appeared, riding horseback and escorting a carriage.

"Guess our ride’s here," the Third Prince remarked.

Lucian chuckled.

"You didn’t even try telling me we were about to leave."

The Third Prince walked toward the carriage, opening its door.

"Well, I’m just not used to having a retainer as annoying as you."

As Lucian approached the carriage, he stomped his foot, summoning the shadow soldiers from their patrols around the ball to gather beside him.

As expected, the knights moved quickly.

Dismounting from their horses and drawing their swords, they regarded him as a casual companion of the Third Prince, unaware of his true status as the prince’s new retainer.

"Move one step closer to Prince Ivan and we’ll cut you down, Dark Mage!" one of the knights barked, his expression hard.

The Third Prince, amused, raised his voice with commanding authority.

"Let him be. He’s my new retainer, and this happens to be his army."

With a smile, the prince headed into the carriage.

The knight didn’t question the prince’s command. Instead, he sheathed his sword, bowed to Lucian, and then mounted his horse, along with the other knights.

"We apologize, my lord," the knight said, before riding off.

Lucian’s smile widened as he thought of another way to assert his power.

"Soldiers, form up!" he called.

The shadows seemed to ripple and twist, rising into the air like dark tendrils. Within seconds, they coalesced into the form of a griffin—its wings unfurled with a snap, dark feathers shimmering as it hovered before Lucian.

With a flick of his wrist, he leaped into the air, landing on its back, and the griffin soared into the night sky, casting a vast shadow over the streets below.

"I’ll patrol from the sky," Lucian declared proudly.

The knights glanced up, their faces still stern and unphased, which piqued Lucian’s curiosity.

I guess these are the elite of the elite.

Before the carriage could move again, Fey suddenly appeared, shouting toward Lucian.

"This isn’t the last you’ll see of me, you hear?"

His face was a mix of pride and challenge, but there was still warmth in his expression.

"We’ll meet again at the royal selection. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you," he called out to Lucian, who was soaring high in the sky.

Lucian couldn’t help but think, How many intriguing characters have I met in just a few days...?