Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain-Chapter 110: Butler Training Complete

"It’s exactly as I said, Fort Commander. Don’t you find it strange? I feel like someone is trying to entrap me," Manifesto continued.

He knew the Fort Commander was unlikely to know anything, or whether this conspiracy truly existed or not.

However, since the Fort Commander happened to be in charge of the patrol unit near the Fringe, Manifesto was determined to make the accusation stick.

It would be foolish not to take advantage of this incident.

The event occurred in the Fringe, where the patrols fell under the Fort Commander’s responsibility.

"Are you implying that I’m trying to assassinate you, Manifesto?" Theodore asked bluntly.

"Ah ah ah, I didn’t say that. You said it yourself," Manifesto replied with a smug smirk, wagging his finger to emphasize he hadn’t spoken the accusation aloud.

"Trust me, Manifesto. If I wanted to mess with you, I wouldn’t waste time giving Ricardo’s men special bullets. I’d bring my soldiers and arrest you myself," Theodore said, staring coldly at Manifesto. He despised people like him.

He hated rats who tried to entrap others while hiding behind the system, just like this Manifesto.

"Ahhh, sorry, sorry! It was just a joke! Seriously, you can’t even take a joke, Fort Commander!" Manifesto said with forced laughter, knowing better than to push Theodore too far.

"By the way, who’s Ricardo? Is he a gang leader? You should know his gang tried to extort money from me. Can you arrest them?" Manifesto asked, attempting to change the topic.

"What did you do for them to demand money from you? Let me guess, they said it was for compensation and medical fees, didn’t they?" Theodore replied bluntly.

"Oh? You mean you know about them?" Manifesto asked, flashing a cunning smile.

"Yes, I know about them. They’ve cooperated with me on several occasions," Theodore said without hesitation.

"Never thought you were the type to work with gangsters. I figured someone as honest as you would rather arrest them," Manifesto jabbed with a smirk.

But Theodore didn’t flinch. He felt no shame or guilt.

"Why not? They help me maintain order in the Fringe, especially in places my patrols can’t reach. If I arrest them, some crazier group will replace them. I’d rather use them to maintain order."

Manifesto smirked. "Heh... What a—"

"Moreover," Theodore interrupted before Manifesto could finish. "If the UEC can use rats like you to maintain order, why can’t I do the same?"

At those words, Manifesto’s smile vanished. His glare could have killed Theodore ten times over.

"Be careful what you say, Fort Commander. It’s a dangerous world these days. You never know what might happen to you," Manifesto said, pausing before adding with a grin, "Just a friendly warning."

Theodore said nothing. He simply gestured toward the door.

"If you’ve finished complaining, see yourself out. This is a military area. Non-essential personnel aren’t welcome. You’ve already abused your privileges. Hero." Theodore didn’t bother hiding the contempt in his voice.

"You—!" Manifesto’s anger flared, but he quickly suppressed it. He hadn’t achieved his goal yet, and storming out now would accomplish nothing.

"I want to ask you something, Fort Commander," he said.

Theodore said nothing, only waited in silence, his face unreadable but clearly annoyed and impatient, as if he couldn’t wait for Manifesto to leave.

Seeing that expression, Manifesto understood the cue and continued.

"Do you know where to find Nihilus?"

"Nihilus?" Theodore frowned.

"Yes. The new rising villain. Do you know where he is?"

"I don’t know. Didn’t Strauss already give you information about him?" Theodore asked.

"He did. But all the important details are redacted. My clearance wasn’t high enough. That bastard," Manifesto cursed.

"If your clearance wasn’t enough, then I can’t help you either. Why don’t you request special-level clearance? Strauss should be able to provide the rest of the information after that," said Theodore.

The moment Manifesto heard special-level clearance, his face twisted as if he’d bitten into a fly. The bureaucratic process was... no, tedious wasn’t the right word.

It wasn’t just long, it was painful. He’d need approvals from several departments, most of which hated him.

They’d make the process a nightmare. And even if he got those signatures, he’d still need authorization from Atlas.

But Atlas hadn’t appeared in the Central for years, and no one knew where he was.

"Fine! If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll find another way!" Manifesto spat before storming out of Theodore’s office.

Outside, after Manifesto has come out, he let out a smirk.

Since Strauss hasn’t been of much help, and he has a mission to kill him. Manifesto has thought of a good way to lure Nihilus out, while killing Strauss in one go.

— Several days later - Maximilian House —

Within the café, Maximilian, dressed in a butler suit—moved with precise and elegant motions as he prepared tea for Pierre, Gu Yichen, and Rebecca, who looked like she was daydreaming.

Maximilian placed the tea on the table with a calm smile and flawless butler-like demeanor.

"My lady, I have prepared for you a cup of Earl Grey tea—a classic blend infused with the bright citrus essence of bergamot. Its refined aroma is both uplifting and soothing, perfect for this afternoon’s repose.

I steeped it for precisely three minutes to preserve its delicate balance and accompanied it with a slice of lemon and a selection of lavender shortbread, which beautifully complements its floral undertones.

Should you prefer a hint of honey or a lighter strength, it would be my pleasure to adjust it to your liking," Maximilian introduced the tea in a deep, composed voice.

Rebecca’s mouth dropped open, and her face flushed red.

[Max... Don’t forget to do this to me too! I demand a husky-voiced perfect butler! (ʃƪ＾3＾）] Atherna chimed in, speaking through the link.

Rebecca’s brain short-circuited while Maximilian continued his introductions to the others, especially Pierre, who was currently evaluating him.

After the three of them sipped their tea, Pierre nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect, Mr. Graham. You’ve passed the training with flying colors," Pierre said with a smile.

The words felt like a heavy burden lifted from Maximilian’s shoulders. He slowly walked over to one of the seats in the café before finally allowing himself to relax and collapse into the chair.

"Haaaaaaaaa~ Finally..." Maximilian let out a long sigh. Months had passed inside the café, and he felt like he’d lost weight from all the stress and training.

He never imagined butler training could be this intense.

[Max, I’ll cancel the Temporal Overlay now to save you some points,] Atherna said, and the effects of the Temporal Overlay faded.

Maximilian took out his phone and pretended to press a few buttons to "deactivate" the Temporal Overlay. From Rebecca and the others’ perspective, it was alien tech, so he had to keep up the act.

"So... Max..." Rebecca called out to him, looking at Maximilian with eyes full of anticipation.

"Now that the training is finished, are you going to start using the butler service from tomorrow?" she asked, her heart pounding with excitement.

She had to admit, during these months of training, it felt like she had ascended to heaven. Pierre let her play the role of a young lady, Max’s master. She genuinely felt that if she were to have a heart attack and die the next moment...

She would die satisfied.

Her life... was complete!

But... she still wanted more of it—especially that butler and young lady roleplay. Just thinking about the future made her feel like she was about to fall into another stroke of daydreaming bliss.

Maximilian noticed the silly smile forming on Rebecca’s face and instantly understood what she was hoping for. But the thought of starting café operations tomorrow made him feel a sudden wave of exhaustion.

"Err... Tomorrow... let’s rest for a day or two first. Then we’ll start using the new service," said Maximilian.

Hearing this, Rebecca nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at feed. A few days was nothing, she could wait. After that, she would be free to enjoy the sight of the man she admired, dressed in a butler suit, speaking to her in that husky voice.

Knock Knock Knock.

Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock

At that moment, a rapid, frantic knocking echoed from the door. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Hearing this, Gu Yichen stood up and walked over, choosing to answer it instead of Maximilian, who looked exhausted from all the training. As the disciple, it was his duty to help his master.

"Master, I’ll unlock the door and see who’s visiting us," Gu Yichen said, then opened the door.

The moment the door swung open, a bloodied man collapsed onto the floor, blood seeping out as his breathing grew faint.

Seeing this, Maximilian immediately jumped to his feet. He wasn’t a doctor, but he had stimpacks in his system storage, usually reserved for soldiers.

Maximilian quickly pulled one out and injected it into the man’s heart. The stimpack activated, stabilizing the man’s vital signs.

"Teacher Pierre, please help me take care of him!" Maximilian said, then rushed out of the shop to see what had happened.