I Am a Villain, So What?-Chapter 118: It’s a dogfight

"H-Her Highness... the Princess enters!"

The orchestral music didn’t just fade; it was strangled into silence. A chill wind seemed to sweep through the warm, magically regulated hall, extinguishing the candles nearest the entrance.

"What? Her Highness?" "The Princess? She hasn’t appeared in public for seven years..." "Good heavens. Is she participating?"

The nobles’ astonishment quieted into a fearful silence as a radiant, terrifying figure strode in.

First Princess Rumina Aurelian.

If Valerius was the warm, life-giving Sun, Rumina was a Solar Flare—beautiful, blinding, and utterly destructive.

She shared the same golden hair as her brother and sister, but hers was styled sharply, cascading down her back like a lion’s mane. Her eyes were not the gentle gold of the Prince, but a piercing, metallic amber that looked ready to draw blood.

She wore a dress of deep crimson silk that clung to her dangerous curves, slit high up the leg to reveal steel-toed combat boots instead of glass slippers. A black fur cloak hung from her shoulders, fastened with a brooch that looked suspiciously like the preserved eye of a Wyvern.

She didn’t walk; she marched.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Every step she took on the marble floor echoed like a gunshot. The crowd parted before her instantly, nobles scrambling over each other to avoid blocking her path, terrifyingly aware of the sword hanging at her hip.

She was the Mad Princess. The Empire’s Cleaner. The villain of the rumors.

She walked straight to the dais, ignoring the bows of the terrified Counts and Dukes.

Valerius, sitting on the throne, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Sister," Valerius greeted, his perfect smile stiffening at the edges. "We weren’t expecting you. I was under the impression you were... occupied at the border."

Rumina stopped at the foot of the stairs. She looked up at her brother, a predatory smirk curling her red lips.

"I heard there was a party," Rumina said, her voice raspy and rich, carrying effortlessly to the back of the room. "And I heard the little ones are playing war. How could I miss it?"

"This is a formal event, Rumina. Are you participating?"

"Is there any reason I shouldn’t?"

"...None."

Valerius and Rumina stared at each other silently.

Their golden eyes clashed—one calm and authoritative, the other wild and chaotic. The air between them crackled with mana, sparking a storm of conflicting charisma that made the air heavy to breathe.

The banquet hall brimmed with tense silence. Even the servers froze, terrified that a royal duel might break out right there.

"...Enjoy your time, Princess," Valerius finally conceded, leaning back.

"May this be an unforgettable day for you too, Prince."

Rumina turned away, dismissing the future Emperor as if he were a boring statue. She snatched a glass of red wine from a passing waiter’s tray and brought it to her lips.

In the far corner, Lucien Ashborne was sipping his own drink, trying to blend into the shadows.

Suddenly, a chill shot down his spine. It wasn’t magic. It was instinct.

He looked up.

Across the vast hall, through the sea of hundreds of nobles, Princess Rumina was looking directly at him.

She swirled her wine, her metallic amber eyes locking onto his.

As their eyes met, she smiled.

It wasn’t a polite smile. It was the smile of a wolf spotting a limping deer.

For the first time, Lucien realized that even a smile could feel like a blade against his throat.

*****

Before the Dungeon Tournament began, tradition dictated that participants conduct final checks in their private waiting rooms.

The banquet was over. The hunt was about to begin.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror, examining myself from head to toe.

Gone was the Academy uniform. This was a Hunting Tournament. Here, you didn’t just have to look out for monsters; you had to look out for "accidents" arranged by rival noble families.

So, naturally, I had gone shopping.

[System Item Equipped] [Armor: Shadow-Weave Tactical Suit]

Rank: B+

Cost: 5,000 Points

Description: A lightweight combat suit woven from Shadow Silk and reinforced with mana-dampening leather. Designed for mobility and stealth.

Effect: +15 Agility, +10 Stealth.

[Active: Kinetic Dispersal] - Absorbs one heavy impact every 10 minutes.

It looked like a formal black military coat, but the material was tougher than steel. It fit perfectly, hugging my frame without restricting movement.

"5,000 points," I muttered, adjusting the high collar. "It better be worth it."

I checked my holsters. The Benelli M4 was strapped to my back, disguised as a long weapon case. The Winchester was at my hip.

"No issues."

I took a deep breath and opened the door to the hallway.

I needed to meet up with Alicia and Ariana.

Step.

I turned the corner—and froze.

Leaning against the wall, twirling a dagger between her fingers, was a woman in a crimson dress.

My breath hitched.

"I finally got to meet you, Lucien Ashborne," Princess Rumina spoke, her voice low and vibrating with amusement.

I stiffened. My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced my face to remain impassive.

"I-I greet Her Highness," I said, intentionally letting a slight stutter slip through. Playing the nervous student was the safest bet.

"What? Why are you being so nervous?"

Rumina pushed herself off the wall. She was tall. Taller than she looked from a distance. She loomed over me, smelling of wine and blood.

"I am just here to say hello," she purred, circling me like a shark. "You have been in quite the limelight these days."

She stopped in front of me, her face inches from mine.

"Let’s see if you are really worthy of what the rumors say."

BOOM.

Suddenly, the air vanished.

It wasn’t a sound. It was raw, unfiltered Killing Intent.

[WARNING!] [External Pressure Detected!] [User’s Mental Resistance is insufficient!]

It felt like gravity had increased tenfold. My knees buckled. It was the pressure of a person who had slaughtered thousands—a Platinum-Rank aura focused entirely on one person.

She wasn’t using magic. She was just exerting her will to crush me.

’Crazy bitch!’

"Hoh?" Rumina’s eyes gleamed as I struggled to stay standing. "You’re shaking. Is that it?"

The pressure increased. My bones creaked.

[System Defense Activated.] [Armor Effect: Kinetic Dispersal engaged.]

Hummmm.

The golden magic runes stitched into the lining of my Shadow-Weave Suit flared to life. The muted black fabric glowed with a geometric web of light.

The suffocating pressure was instantly dispersed, vented harmlessly into the floor.

I gasped, sucking in air.

I straightened my back, the fear in my eyes vanishing, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. The act was over. I couldn’t pretend to be weak when I was relying on high-grade artifacts to breathe.

’Should I just flip everything?’

Part of me wanted to draw the shotgun and blast my way out. But having come this far, I couldn’t back down.

I met her gaze.

Rumina stared at the glowing runes on my coat. She looked at my eyes, which were no longer averting hers.

Suddenly, the pressure disappeared.

"Hah!"

Rumina threw her head back and laughed. It was a loud, genuine sound.

"So you are not all talk. And you have expensive toys."

She reached out and patted my shoulder. Her grip was heavy, strong enough to crush bone if she wanted to.

"Good. Very good."

She leaned in, her lips brushing my ear.

"Survive the first round, Lucien. If you die to some trash mob, I’ll be very disappointed."

She pulled back, winked, and turned on her heel, marching away down the corridor without looking back.

I stood there alone, the glow on my armor fading.

My hands were trembling slightly.

"...That woman," I whispered, wiping sweat from my forehead. "She’s a monster."

I checked my status.

[Mental Stability: Unstable]

I took a deep breath.

****

A vast hall, paved with black marble and etched with intricate, glowing magic circles, stretched out beneath the banquet hall.

Eight hundred and forty-eight participants stood upon the glowing runes.

Overhead, hundreds of magical recording orbs floated like silent eyes, broadcasting every movement to the nobles sipping wine in the banquet hall above.

"The Dungeon Tournament will now begin."

The Imperial Head Butler stood at the podium, his voice amplified by magic.

"The Artificial Dungeon you are about to enter is a Level 4 construct, depicting the Empire’s Founding War."

He spoke as if it were a grand, patriotic history lesson, but for those in the know, it was the same recycled map used every year.

"As you know, the purpose of this event is for each family’s promising talents to experience the hardships of our ancestors, achieving mental growth. It is a meaningful opportunity to see how you will lead the Empire in the future."

I adjusted the collar of my Shadow-Weave Suit.

’Mental growth, my ass,’ I thought. ’It’s a dogfight.’ 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If a noble Patriarch had no children suited for combat, they were allowed to send a proxy—a young, promising knight or a mercenary to fight in their name.

But for the Four Great Ducal Families and the ambitious heirs like me, participation was mandatory. We had to bleed for our reputation.

"May fortune and glory be with all participants."