A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 191: World of the Voice (1)

The influx of mages into Rekordak had grown unexpectedly in recent days. Even while studying in the library, Epherene remained unaware of the cause of this sudden migration.

Rekordak, cut off from supplies because of the demonic beasts and the Scarletborn—how is it that five or six people, sometimes even ten, manage to arrive here daily? What drives them to come all the way to Rekordak? Epherene thought.

Seated in her usual spot in the library, Epherene slowly glanced across the room. Among the familiar faces of the Imperial Palace mages, she noticed several new arrivals she didn’t recognize.

“... Excuse me.”

Someone tapped Epherene lightly on the shoulder, startling her and making her flinch as she quickly turned to see who it was.

“Yes?”

“Have you finished reading that...?” the male mage asked, gesturing toward the book on Epherene’s desk.

The Magic of Probability: Advanced Edition

It was Deculein’s groundbreaking theoretical work, which introduced the concept of probability to magic and was structured into three levels—basic, intermediate, and advanced.

“Oh, yes, I should be finishing up soon,” Epherene replied.

“Then, perhaps, is there anyone next in line?”

“There’s no set order. Once I’m done, I’ll pass it to you.”

“Thank you.”

The library in the basement of Rekordak’s main building housed only a modest collection, as most of the valuable books had been relocated to Deculein’s mansion. As a result, the space contained just four shelves, each entirely dedicated to Deculein’s most recent works.

The shelves were lined with titles such as The Magic of Probability, Magical Analysis of Phenomena, and Spells of Inductive Magic. In total, seventeen distinct works authored by Deculein during his time in the Northern Region were present, with three hundred and forty copies, including duplicates, nearly arranged in perfect order.

"... Is this what brought them here?" Epherene murmured.

But the mages I know aren’t the type to risk their lives and come all the way to Rekordak...

At that moment, a robed mage briefly appeared in her line of sight before quickly disappearing between the shelves. Yet, the glimpse of radiant golden hair—lustrous as molten sunlight and meticulously kept—left no doubt that it was Sylvia.

“... Of course, it’s her.”

Well, it’s no surprise—she’s the type who lights up when it comes to books, Epherene thought, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Yet, she made no move to go up to her and instead resumed her studies.

Just until the next wave hits...

“Yawwwn,” Epherene murmured, stretching her arms slightly before slowly looking around the room.

Of course, Deculein had insisted that Epherene sleep—whether for a nap or through the night—only under his supervision. But following such an instruction proved far more challenging than it seemed.

Just as Epherene was succumbing to the slow pull of sleep...

"I had anticipated it would come to this."

At the sudden sound of a voice, Epherene snapped her eyes open and shot upright, her upper body springing off the desk as she screamed, “Oh no! Was that a dream?”

Everyone in the library turned to look at Epherene, but the room seemed unchanged, grounded in reality, with even the Wood Steel showing no reaction.

It didn’t feel like a dream... but what was that voice?

“What was that...?” Epherene muttered.

“Here.”

At the sound of the voice again, Epherene jumped in her seat and turned toward its source. On the mirror she had placed on the desk, Deculein stared back at her from its glassy surface.

“Professor, h-how are you... there?” Epherene stammered, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

“I have told you numerous times that you must never sleep when you are alone,” Deculein said.

“Oh, no, I wasn’t sleeping! I just yawned, that’s all—”

“You will get a warning."

“... Yes, Professor,” Epherene muttered, nodding as her shoulders slumped.

***

Yulie visited the garrison farmland. Although less than ten days had passed since the seeds were sown, the barley fields had already begun to show promising growth.

"Oh, bless my stars! Knight Yulie, you done showed up!” one of the villagers said, pausing their work and strolling over.

“They’re growing well without any issues,” Yulie observed, her eyes sweeping over the lush expanse of the fields.

The most pressing issue in Rekordak was, without a doubt, the food supply. With supply lines cut off and the rising number of demonic beasts making hunting increasingly difficult, securing sustenance had become a constant struggle. Yet, seeing the barley sprout so healthily brought an unexpected sense of comfort.

"Yessum, reckon we’re gonna get a good yield outta this here field. Shoot, even the grains look mighty big!"

“... Yes. Thank you all for your hard work.”

“Oh, now, don’t ya go sayin’ that! We’re just doin’ what we gotta do to keep food on the table, is all.”

Watching the villagers smile so brightly, Yulie felt a bittersweet warmth welling up within her.

Will I be able to protect them safely? Will I have the strength to preserve their home? If only I could... Yulie thought.

“Hello there~”

At that moment, a voice rose from behind a nearby tree, catching Yulie’s attention as she snapped toward it, trying to pinpoint its source.

“Oh! Captain Ganesha?” Yulie said.

Standing in the shade was Ganesha of the Red Garnet Adventure Team, a hero who had managed to delay the southern advance of the demonic beasts alone.

"I pay my deepest respects to the captain of the Red Garnet—"

“Oh, there's no need for that—it’s too much,” Ganesha said with a smile as she approached. “I’ve heard the news. Apparently, Deculein buried dozens of Scarletborn alive.”

“... Yes,” Yulie replied, lowering her head for a moment.

"Is it absolutely sure that all of them were Scarletborn?" Ganesha asked.

Yulie offered no response to the question, her silence heavy with disappointment, which ran deep in Deculein. Although she had grown numb to such feelings, Deculein always managed to reveal new depths of cruelty to prove her wrong.

“... Even if they were Scarletborn, burying them alive cannot be justified. However, I was already aware that such actions aligned with the kind of man the professor was.”

Deculein had buried forty individuals alive without verifying whether they were Scarletborn, neglecting any thorough investigation or assessment.

If he had chosen to hang them instead, the act might not have been as horrifying. Burying them alive, like execution by fire, was one of the most barbaric forms of capital punishment—long since abolished within the Empire due to its cruelty.

“Well, I see it written all over your face. Anyway, about that favor you asked Reylie for the other day~?”

“... Pardon?” Yulie responded, her eyes widening in surprise.

“I’ve heard you gave Reylie some money to hire a few adventurers,” Ganesha asked.

“Yes, I do recall that, though I wasn’t aware the adventurers who were hired were from your team, Captain Ganesha—”

“Come on. If you asked Reylie, it’s as good as asking me. Besides, I happen to like you too, Knight Yulie~ Don’t I, Dozmu?” Ganesha said, casting a glance at the shadows.

From the shadows stepped Dozmu, a founding member of the Red Garnet Adventure Team, who approached Yulie without a word and placed an envelope in her hands.

“That mission was assigned to the man over here. Based on the investigation, it seems likely that Veron was killed by Deculein, and Rockfell’s death... Well, let’s just say it’s suspicious,” Ganesha added.

Yulie opened the envelope and read its contents, and for a moment, her breath caught in her chest.

“It’s Rockfell’s... diary,” Yulie muttered.

“Yes, that’s correct. There are also the letters he exchanged with someone, as well as the words of the family who communicated with Rockfell through the crystal orb before his death. We found out he had a son and a daughter, both eight and seven years old.”

The contents of Rockfell’s letter were simple and straightforward.

I am being chased by the unknown. I am in desperate need of help. It seems that Deculein is trying to kill me...

“Thank you,” Yulie said, slipping the items back into the envelope before tucking it securely into her robe, as such matters were not meant to be exposed in the open.

“You're welcome. So, what will you do now?” Ganesha asked with a smile.

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“I don’t understand. I really would like to know why, but I can’t. I can accept why he might have turned against me, but why Rockfell and Veron...” Yulie muttered, shaking her head and keeping her emotions in check, though her fists were clenched and her lips tightly pressed. “But once the truth comes to light, even Professor Deculein will answer for his actions. No matter what.”

"I'll dig up what I can on my end, too~" Ganesha replied.

Then Ganesha regarded Yulie with uncharacteristic gravity, for her, Deculein was no longer a man who could be dismissed as a mere villain. Rather, he was a cold-blooded man, willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his goals, yet deeply committed to his family, whom he held dear above all else.

“... Don’t let your heartache get the best of you~ If you wear yourself down now, you won’t have the strength to face what’s ahead.”

“Yes, I understand,” Yulie said, her face hardening just a heartbeat too late.

Ganesha’s return signaled that the moment she had been holding back—the time that could no longer be postponed—had finally arrived.

***

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

Drums thundered as the horde of demonic beasts began its advance. Their sheer numbers defied imagination, and the strength of each creature grew more fearsome with every passing moment.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!

Crossbow bolts streaked across the sky, their shadows flickering over Rekordak as destructive magic rained down upon the battlefield. Knights, cloaked in supportive wind spells, charged forward, their steps quickened as they plunged into the fray.

"Fear not! Our mages stand strong upon the walls!" declared Knight Delic, commanding as he rallied the knights to stand resolute.

True to his words, as the mages assembled in defense, Rekordak's resources reached their peak. The walls would not fall until the very last drop of their mana had been fully spent. After all, both the siege warfare and the mages themselves were designed to withstand and repel even the most ferocious onslaughts.

Thud—!

At that moment, the earth quaked beneath thunderous footsteps as an ogre emerged from the shroud of winter mist. Towering higher than the walls of Rekordak, the demonic beast gripped a club as massive as the walls themselves, radiating an overwhelming presence of raw power.

“Requesting magical support! Target the ogre!” Yulie commanded.

At her command, the mages unleashed a barrage of spells on the ogre.

Kabooooom—!

The destructive spells burst forth in a series of explosions, a combination of fire and wind.

Fwwooooosh—!

From the ogre's abdomen, a pillar of fire blazed upward.

■■■■■—!

The furious ogre released a deafening roar that shook the very air, then hurled its enormous club with unrestrained rage.

Whoooooosh—!

The enormous club, spanning dozens of meters in length, tore through the air in a whirling arc, its trajectory as violent as that of a boomerang. The mages atop the wall were struck into stunned silence, their wide eyes riveted to the weapon's terrifying flight.

Shrriiing—!

Along the club's path, a shimmering web of metallic threads materialized, formed from Wood Steel. The moment the massive club collided with the barrier, it exploded into fragments.

Immediately after, nineteen steel blades rained down like thunderbolts, striking deeply into the ground.

Whoooosh—

Lances of steely light pierced the advancing demonic beasts, cutting through the chaos. Towering above it all, Deculein stood atop the wall, commanding like a sentinel guarding his dominion.

Surveying the battlefield from above, Deculein took stock of the beasts' numbers. Realizing that Wood Steel alone would not be enough, he closed his eyes, drawing deeply on his mana and concentration to prepare a spell.

Whooooo...

Sensing the ominous tremors beneath their feet, the knights instinctively stepped back. Moments later, the ground shuddered violently, splitting apart the earth across the battlefield. With a deafening crack, the fractured terrain collapsed, swallowing the demonic beasts into the abyss below.

“What the...”

“Holy sh—”

The knights quickly pressed themselves against the wall, their swords momentarily forgotten as they stood in silence, watching the surreal scene of the ground splitting open, the Land of Destruction consuming the demonic beasts and dragging them into its gaping depths.

Rrrraaaakkk—!

Though merely an intermediate spell, Telekinesis, empowered by the full breadth of Deculein’s theories, unleashed power unrivaled in efficiency, its force seeming to tear the very ground apart—no, it wrenched the earth asunder.

The ground, cracked and splintered like a barren wasteland, had already swallowed hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts into its depths. The previously endless tide of monsters stretching across the horizon had been reduced to less than half.

Delic stared up at Deculein, disbelief written across his face. Deculein, however, stood unshaken, his tailored coat fluttering gently in the breeze, exuding calm as if untouched by the effort that had shaken the earth.

“Well... It seems all that confidence was not without reason. Knights, ready your arms!” Delic commanded, his sword gleaming as he raised it.

The frontline had already been shattered by magic, leaving only one task for the knights to complete—the final blow...

***

Late into the night, as the battle entered a lull, the flickering glow of campfires danced along the base of the wall of Rekordak.

“... Wounded, are there any wounded?” Yulie asked, moving quickly among the knights, knowing well how they tended to hide their injuries.

“I see one right there—a wounded one,” Sirio said.

“Who is it? I have herbs to assist them,” Yulie asked as she quickly approached him.

“The wounded one is right there—right there. It’s you,” Sirio said with a dry laugh.

“I am fine. It’s merely a minor wound, nothing serious.”

"... Don’t lie to me, at least."

Without a word, Yulie offered him the herbs.

“It’s not about whether I need it,” Sirio continued, shaking his head. “You won’t last like this. Your mana recovery won’t be able to keep up with the pace of the battles, and your fatigue is only piling up without relief. Your core is already contaminated.”

Gwen approached from nearby, her exhaustion evident, and the look in her eyes seemed to confirm Sirio’s words. Today’s battle had been nothing less than grueling, leaving its mark on them all.

“I’m not going to tell you to leave because I know you won’t, but you need to take care of yourself. This level of southern advance looks like it’ll last the whole month, and you’ll burn out long before it’s over,” Sirio said.

“I appreciate your concern. But—”

Yulie closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.

At that moment...

“I will be fine...?”

The world had changed. Yulie stood in a daze, her eyes wandering over the unfamiliar surroundings. This was no longer the Northern Region; instead, she now found herself in a dimly lit corridor, shrouded in shadows.

“Where is this place...?” Yulie muttered, her steps faltering as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

Then, a sudden voice echoed through the darkness.

“You’ve come here too.”

Yulie turned at the sound of the flat voice, her surprise flickering across her face, and muttered, “... Lady Iliade?”

“Welcome, not, to the Voice,” said Sylvia, heir to Iliade, narrowing her eyes at Yulie with an intense stare.

***

Meanwhile, I walked the corridors of the Voice with Epherene by my side.

“I’m completely running low on mana since I used it all while holding back the southern advance. But, Professor, Professor, what was that spell you used? The one that split the ground open?” Epherene chattered.

I didn’t even have the energy to respond. The scale of the phenomenon I had created with Telekinesis during the battle had drained me profoundly.

I should not have disturbed the earth so severely, I thought.

"Professor, have you thought about holding classes here in Rekordak? So many mages came all this way just to see you, and I’d really like to attend too.”

“Quiet down,” I said.

“... I mean,” Epherened muttered, her lips curling into a slight pout.

Thud, thud.

Step, step.

We walked down the corridor in silence, but not for long.

“But where are we going? You can at least tell me that, right?” Epherene said.

"... There are many places within the Voice, and it stretches far and wide. However," I said, stopping in one of the corridors as a sign came into view just a block ahead.

Tavern

"First, we need to head to that tavern," I said.

“Why?”

"You'll understand when we get there."

The standard walkthrough for navigating the Voice always began at the tavern, where one would receive a quest. From there, every move followed the path set by the task’s objective—a familiar pattern that guided each step forward.

“Follow me,” I said.

“... Okay,” Epherene replied.

I approached the tavern and pushed the door open. A wave of noise and scents poured out—boisterous shouts, raucous laughter, and the thick tang of spilled ale. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was bearable.

“... Professor?”

I stood still, my hand clasped tightly around the door handle.

“What are you doing?” Epherene asked, standing behind me, blocked by my hesitation. “Professor? If you don’t go in, I can’t go in. Aren’t you going in?”

“... Ahem,” I murmured, clearing my throat and taking another glance through the narrow gap through the door, my eyes landing on the familiar heads within.

It was clear that the stark white and pale yellow strands were unmistakably Yulie's and Sylvia's.

“Professor, what are you doing? Are we going in or not—”

I closed the door and turned toward Epherene, giving her a pointed look and said, “... Keep it down. I have my reasons for this.”

“... Yes, Professor. I’m sorry,” Epherene said, lowering her head.

I stood by the door, lost in thought. While Sylvia’s presence wasn’t surprising, as it made sense, I couldn’t understand why Yulie was involved and seated beside her. Perhaps it had something to do with the story's progression or a twist in the quest line.

"... It is done."

No matter the circumstances, this tavern was the first stop I had to make. Even if Yulie was inside, avoiding someone wasn’t something I could bring myself to do.

“Let’s proceed inside,” I continued.

“Yes, Professor,” Epherene said, nodding and following as I pushed the door open once more.