The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 327-328

"Slurp"

After the academy party had all left.

At a gukbap restaurant I visited alone with a mysterious woman, I let out a hollow laugh watching her bury her head in a black earthenware bowl. In that small body, she was already finishing her fifth bowl.

"To think that only commoners eat this kind of food is quite arrogant!"

"Puhaha...!"

"Shuen, the noble lady of the Tetra family...! I think the capital needs a restaurant like this too!"

"Is it that good?"

-Nod. Nod.

Shuen nodded and poured out her grievances, talking about her difficult three-day journey.

"I thought I was going to starve to death eating only beef jerky for three days! It was cold, I was hungry, and I had no money!"

"I see."

"It was tough! I never thought I'd meet a commoner on the way, though!"

"Ahem."

I didn't expect to meet her here either.

It was nice to see Shuen eating so deliciously, but how should I put it? I felt a strange sense of pity at the sight of Shuen eating ravenously, abandoning her noble dignity.

I placed a side dish on Shuen's heaping spoonful of rice and asked.

"I never expected to meet you here either, Shuen."

"I never expected to see a commoner here either! As expected of an unemployed bum with nothing to do, you're everywhere!"

"I'm here for work."

"Hmm."

Shuen nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

"You're a busier person than you look for a commoner."

"What did you think of me to say something like that?"

"I thought you were unemployed."

"..."

I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head. I thought it could seem that way.

"Should I order you another bowl?"

"Yes!"

"Alright."

Whatever the case, it was nice to see Shuen clean her bowl, so I wasn't in a bad mood. It was something I heard often, and she probably didn't say it to be mean.

Honestly, I still didn't know why Shuen came to the North. In the novel, Shuen was a character who had already exited. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Shuen, whose only role was to be rejected by Mikhail and then sullenly exit, was suddenly in the North.

Especially since it coincided with the time they came to retrieve the holy sword. It didn't seem like Shuen came to the North for the holy sword.

"It's delicious!!!!"

"...Haha."

Well, it didn't really matter.

I put down my spoon and asked Shuen. It was best to ask what I was curious about.

"Excuse me, Shuen."

"Why do you call, commoner? I haven't finished this bowl yet...!"

"Uh... what brings you to the North?"

"Eh...?"

At the sharp question, Shuen flinched, then began to mumble her lips while glancing at me.

"Well..."

"Yes."

"That..."

"Take your time."

"It's...!"

I smiled as I picked a grain of rice off Shuen's lips.

And Shuen's heart.

'...Arrhythmia!'

Was beating like crazy.

"You had a grain of rice on your lips."

"Th-this is a seductive act!!"

"What?"

"Se...sesese...seductive...!"

She seemed to be malfunctioning.

Watching the malfunctioning Shuen, I laughed and patted her head. I figured it was a lost cause to hear why she came to the North.

'It's probably not because of the holy sword.'

Because Shuen was a mage.

Around the time the malfunctioning Shuen started to calm down, she picked up her spoon again and this time, looked me straight in the eye and asked.

"Commoner, what brings you to the North?"

"Me?"

"Yes!"

"It's a business secret, so it's difficult to say."

"Then mine is a secret too."

'Hmph!' At the sight of Shuen turning her head, I nodded and said in a low voice.

"Still, don't climb the snowy mountains of the North."

"Why not?"

"Because demonic beasts live in the snowy mountains of the North. They also say ghosts come out at night. The lost spirits of those who died in the mountains..."

"Hiiiiiii!!!!"

'Screech!' Shuen stood up from her chair, made a cross with her fingers, and held it out.

"Be gone!"

"Ha..."

She really is a funny person.

After talking with Shuen a little more, I said my goodbyes. She had things to do, and so did I.

Of course, I paid.

-I'll get it!

-Shuen.

-What money does a commoner have...!

-It seems you barely have enough for your return trip.

-...

There was a little incident where Shuen, who offered to buy me a meal, trembled so much that I saw the contents of her wallet, but all in all, it was a pleasant encounter.

Anyway.

Tomorrow is the day.

The procession of those seeking the holy sword will begin from the early dawn.

The conflict between the forces of the heretics and the forces of the empire.

Seeing that the nearby inns were full, it seemed the imperial family had put in quite a bit of effort. Judging by the aura I felt, Lowen wasn't here, so he would probably arrive around dawn tomorrow.

Considering that the Sword of the Empire couldn't leave his post lightly, I thought it wasn't a bad force.

Most importantly.

-Saint.

Elysia was on our side.

'She's here.'

I turned my head towards the ringing in my ears. And I held my breath at the sight of a woman with her face covered by a robe on a bench.

The woman was sitting demurely.

In a pious posture like a saint waiting for God.

Black hair.

Alluring eyes.

Although she wore a hood, her aura was not easily concealed, and I could guess who she was at once.

'The Apostle of Meekness.'

The moment I took a step towards the bench she was sitting on, the space began to distort. As if preparing a space for just the two of us.

The trees crumpled like threads, but no one passing by noticed, and the street began to transform into a silent space with only her and me.

'...A monster.'

I felt it again, anew.

That she was one who held the title of Apostle.

"Hoo..."

I slowly approached the bench she was sitting on and sat down next to her, and after a little while, a voiceless ringing began to fill my ears.

-I've been waiting.

'Is this telepathy?'

I nodded and asked Elysia.

-Were you followed?

-I took care of them myself.

-Saint.

-Can't we do something about that title?

-...

-I guess not.

After a short breath, I asked Elysia.

-Before we begin our discussion, there's something I want to ask to be sure.

-...I will answer any question.

-Then I'll ask without holding back.

-Nod.

-Whose side are you on, Apostle?

-...

-Are you on the side of the Empire, or the side of the Order?

-I am.

Elysia clasped her hands and answered with an unwavering voice.

-I am on the Saint's side.

-...

-Not on anyone's side, but the Saint's side. The Saint is my pillar.

I nodded heavily.

'On my side, huh.'

It was still difficult to trust Elysia completely, but nevertheless, I felt a sense of trust in her words.

[Elysia Lv. 100]

[Favorability: 100]

Favorite conversation topics: Son, Saint, Resurrection, Family, Warmth…

Disliked conversation topics: Apostle of Temperance, Heretics, Ugliness, Filth…

The convenient feature called the favorability window was revealing her true feelings.

What's certain is that I gained a tremendous asset for this matter. Just by her being an observer, the academy party gains a great advantage.

Considering that in the novel, Lowen, who had checked two Apostles, would be facing the Apostle of Temperance alone, I thought that we might be able to take down one Apostle in this incident, so I nodded and clenched my fist.

-Good.

Now that we had confirmed our mutual trust, I thought it was time to get to the main point.

As if reading my mind, Elysia began to relay information about the heretics through telepathy without any hesitation.

-I've identified the location of the holy sword.

-You figured it out faster than I thought.

-Yes. I haven't found the exact location yet, but I've confirmed that there is a temple where the holy sword sleeps at the foot of the Andes Mountains.

-You won't be able to enter now, though.

-The members of the Order are breaking through the barrier.

-They're guinea pigs.

-That's right.

I asked Elysia the most important question.

-What's the strength of their forces?

-...

-Two Apostles and one Archbishop?

Elysia shook her head.

-Two Apostles. Five Archbishops.

-...Five?

-Yes. And...

-...

-There are about 100 regular believers.

I calmed my trembling heart and asked.

-Are you crazy...?

100 people.

It's easy to say 100, but hearing that there were over 100 'madmen' who had lost their sanity, my eyes widened.

If that happened, the imperial forces would be consumed with stopping the heretics' forces, and the academy students would have to face the Archbishops on their own.

The imperial forces were a formidable power, but unless they were elite troops, it was hard to expect much from them.

Then...

'This is dangerous.'

I asked Elysia with a trembling voice.

-Don't tell me...

Elysia nodded with a grave expression.

-It seems Temperance has noticed.

And.

-It seems they are trying to establish a new Apostle.

'Damn it.'

-It seems Temperance has found someone to replace the vacant position of the Apostle of Benevolence.

A variable.

A variable I hadn't thought of.

Perhaps.

No, if by some chance two or more Apostle-level powerhouses participated in the battle for the holy sword, our forces wouldn't be able to handle it.

If that happened.

We might have to give up the holy sword.

There is a saying, "reckless endangerment with willful intent."

It refers to the psychology of acting while knowing that a momentary action will lead to a bad result.

'Reckless.'

Fully recognizing the possibility that a certain result will occur.

'Willful intent.'

An act to intentionally cause a specific result.

A ridiculous saying.

At least for Ruin, who acts knowing that everyone will dislike it.

-Just leave me alone.

-...

-I'll just watch like a totem, so don't give me orders... why are you telling me this and that, after dragging someone who didn't want to come.

Inside the tavern's dining hall, one day before the struggle for the Holy Sword.

Ruin, sitting alone at a table, swallowed his drink while looking at the bustling table next to him.

-So... Yuria, is there someone you like?

-...Well.

-Why, tell us! It's just us girls here now.

-Don't you have anyone, Student Council President?

-Where would I find time to date? I don't even have time to stamp documents, I'm dying.

-President, you seem to be in a better mood these days.

-Is it... that obvious?

Chartia.

Hanna.

Yuria.

And the other female officers.

Trapped in a bustling space, Ruin was hiding his envious feelings as he watched them share stories about each other.

Especially, he was envious of them talking comfortably with Yuria.

In the past, the seat next to Yuria was his, but now he couldn't even get close to her, let alone sit next to her, and Ruin's irritation was growing.

'Fuck.'

Yuria was getting better and better.

She was shining so brightly that his regressing self looked shabby.

Much more so than when she was being bullied by Olivia at the academy. It seemed she had given up on being loved by everyone and had also given up on trying to understand everyone. Of course, she looked better now.

-Don't joke around...!

-Look at her blushing...!

-...I'm going to get angry!

Ruin, stuck in a moment of the past, had a wistful expression as he looked at the smiling Yuria.

'She's brightened up a lot.'

Her angelic appearance, where she tried to give love to the students who had ostracized her until the end, seemed to be gradually forgotten. Of course, she was still beautiful and kind, but her old self, who offered indiscriminate kindness, was long gone.

Yes, as if she were becoming like that red-haired fellow.

"Fuck."

Ruin sighed, looking at his belly fat that had piled up like a mountain. His body and mind were all broken, and he looked so shabby.

What confidence did he have?

"..."

With what confidence did he lie about seeing the inside? He was a moron who only saw the outside.

He had liked her.

He had really liked her, and the fact that it was none other than himself who had thrown that relationship into the abyss made Ruin angry, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Pathetic. So pathetic."

His confidence, which had hit rock bottom after Hans took his magic, showed no signs of recovering.

"Was this how that bastard felt?"

Ruin, thinking about Hans's feelings for the first time, lowered his head deeply. He felt like he was just now beginning to understand the reason he had said, 'You don't know how I feel.'

It was a funny thing to have such thoughts because of the enemy who had stolen his magic. Well, it was all meaningless now.

He used to run wild with his own self-importance, but now he was just a piece of trash with nothing to be proud of. He should have known a day like this would come. Ruin sighed, looking at the empty seat next to him.

"Haa..."

There was nothing he could do.

He couldn't even use magic properly.

Because the only thing he could do now was to disappoint the grandfather who believed in him.

Love.

Pride.

Fuck.

He didn't even have a clue how to fix his life, which was broken beyond repair.

"..."

He had participated in this absurd journey to get the Holy Sword because his grandfather had put him in.

-I don't want to.

-It will be a good opportunity for you.

-Grandfather, you're honestly regretting it too. You're thinking you should have raised another disciple instead of someone like me.

-...

-Ah, there's one. That Shuen or whatever, the one grandfather dotes on.

-Ruin.

-I don't know, do whatever you want.

It's really like a dog.

-Bang!

As Ruin's self-reproachful thoughts continued for a long time, a man pulled out a chair and sat across from Ruin with a 'bang!'.

"Who is it."

The man ignored Ruin's words and began to gulp down the glass of liquor on the table. As the instantly emptied glass showed its bottom, the man wiped his mouth, let out an exclamation of 'Khaa', and lowered his head.

"..."

Ruin opened his sharp eyes and looked at the man. He wasn't in a good mood right now. The moment he was about to say that if he was looking for a fight, he had come to the wrong address, his mouth closed upon seeing the man's face.

"It's me."

"...Senior Director?"

"Call me 'sir'. Academy problem child."

Malik, sitting across from Ruin, swept back his hair and glanced at the bottles of liquor piled on the table.

"Drink in moderation. We're leaving at dawn tomorrow, so it would be troublesome if there are any issues."

"And what about you."

"Because I have this."

As if waiting for those words, Malik showed a Mandrake hangover drink from his pocket and said to Ruin.

"What's that."

"Mandrake hangover drink."

"Ha...?"

"You could say it's the best among the hangover remedies sold. It maximizes the detoxification effect by brewing 100 percent of the extract of Mandrake grown in the polar regions..."

"Did you come here to sell things."

"Ahem."

At the sheepish response, Malik put the hangover remedy in his inner pocket and gave an awkward smile.

"If you want, I can sell it to you for 1 gold."

"...Did you really come to sell things."

"More than one or two people have bought it. Yuria, Chartia, Hanna. Rather than living as a corpse hungover tomorrow, it's better to invest 1 gold and..."

"Shut up. If you came to sell things, get lost. I don't even touch things that don't taste good."

"I see."

Malik nodded his head and looked at Ruin.

"..."

"What..."

"..."

Ruin frowned, looking at Malik who wasn't leaving. He thought Malik was persistent for not leaving after he had said that much.

"Why don't you get lost."

"Why should I be the one to leave? The seat next to me is completely empty."

"Haa..."

"Who taught you the habit of sighing."

"Why, are you going to expel me or something?"

Malik shook his head and replied.

"I was going to fire the professor who taught you that."

"..."

"Because a professor who teaches strange things in a place of learning is no better than an infant."

"Fuck, not a single one of them is normal... I should just leave the academy."

Ruin emptied his glass with an expression full of irritation.

"Your personality is foul."

"Mind your own business. You're the only one who doesn't know my personality is foul."

Malik let out a laugh and poured liquor into Ruin's empty glass.

"Hey, kid."

"...What?"

"I'm talking to you. You wet-behind-the-ears brat."

Ruin glared at Malik who called him a 'brat'. Because being treated like a child was one of the things he hated to hear the most. If he had magic, he would have sent the Senior Director and whatever else flying.

Ruin, clenching his fist, glared at Malik and said.

"Don't treat me like a child. It pisses me off."

"Having a potty mouth is also very much like a brat."

"...You really..!"

Malik looked at Ruin, who was about to leave his seat, and said in a cold voice.

"Sit down."

"..."

"I said sit down before I stomp you."

He was serious.

The killing intent leaking from Malik's eyes.

With a gaze full of the will to stomp him, student or not, Ruin's momentum was broken, and he swallowed his breath.

"This is really like a dog."

Ruin let out a deep sigh and sat down.

"Just get to the point."

"Alright."

Malik, seeing the now docile Ruin, smiled with satisfaction and said.

"A year ago, I met an academy student."

"..."

"He was pathetic. He had nothing to his name but was strong in pride, and he was a fellow who lectured others without knowing his place."

"So you stomped him?"

"Not a chance."

Malik let out a hollow laugh and filled his glass.

"If I had tried to stomp that fellow, I wouldn't be in this seat."

"...What?"

"He was an amazing fellow. So amazing and strong that I, who had ignored him, ended up asking for his teachings."

"...Hey."

"Thanks to that fellow, many things have changed."

Malik lightly ignored Ruin's sharp gaze and looked around the shop. The splendidly hung chandelier, Chartia talking with a smile. And he glanced at his younger sister Hanna with eyes full of affectionate feelings and smiled.

"He was a fellow who could afford to ignore others."

"..."

"He was a fellow who was qualified enough to act rash and lecture others."

"..."

"Unlike someone sitting in front of me who only throws tantrums. He was a fellow who kept to the proper path and brought benefits."

Ruin could instantly tell who Malik was talking about.

"This bastard and that bastard are all just talking about that bastard."

That the person he was talking about was 'Ricardo'.

He was angry.

Because it was unpleasant to hear the name of the person he hated the most, the one who had taken everything from him. To hear praise for that fellow from the mouth of someone he had never expected, Ruin's heart was filled with displeasure, but.

"But, what are you."

He couldn't help but shut his mouth at Malik's question.

"You can't do anything, yet you stubbornly cling to useless pride."

"..."

"You're just drinking yourself silly at a moment when you should be running towards a crucial goal."

"..."

"What's so great about a guy who shows not a shred of effort that you're ruining the team's atmosphere?"

Malik glared at Ruin and said.

"If you're not qualified, shouldn't you at least try to become qualified?"

"..."

"If you have a shred of conscience, shouldn't you at least show the will to try?"

"Shut up. What do you know to be spouting that?"

"I know. I know very well. Because I've met more than enough morons like you."

"Do you want to die?"

"The Tower Lord begged to have you included in the group, but what is this."

"..."

"Disrupting the atmosphere."

"..."

"What kind of mentality is it to lower morale?"

"..."

"The Tower Lord definitely said you would do your part if he took you along."

"..."

"He doted on you, saying you were a prickly but definitely helpful child, and he bowed his head to a mere temporary director. But what are you doing?"

"..."

"Are you that great?"

Malik glared with cold eyes at Ruin, whose shoulders were trembling.

"Is it because you're a greater person than the Tower Lord's bowed head?"

"..."

"It doesn't look that way to me."

"..."

"If you don't have confidence, pack your bags and get lost right now. Right now, you're just a parasite that will only have a bad influence here."

"..."

"I've been looking at you favorably because of the Tower Lord's request, but your delusion that the favorable gazes will last forever ends here."

"..."

Malik looked around again, scanning those who were laughing and drinking, and said.

"Right now, do they all look like they're laughing to you?"

"..."

"Of course they do. With your slow head, you wouldn't be able to see that they're trying to shake off their fear even through conversation."

As if affirming Malik's words, Chartia's hand was trembling faintly. She was trying her best to smile and talk, but she couldn't straighten her shoulders, which were crushed by the pressure of responsibility.

-So...

-...Ha

-...Haa...

"You are a child right now."

"..."

"A child who only knows how to throw tantrums."

Countless daggers flew and lodged themselves in Ruin's chest. Malik said one last thing to Ruin.

"This is the last time."

"..."

"If you act like that one more time, I'll stomp you, direct disciple of the Tower Lord or not."

Ruin bowed his head at Malik's words.

Clenching his fists.

Feeling shame and humiliation.

He could only lower his head.

Late at night.

Malik, who had come out to smoke a cigarette, let out a deep sigh and said softly.

"Are you there."

"..."

"I know you're there, so come out."

As Malik's voice, tinged with a cold sigh, spread through the dark night sky, a man who walked out with a hollow laugh was reflected in Malik's eyes.

"How did you know."

Malik, seeing the man's face, smiled and shook his head.

"I knew you would be here."

"...Am I some kind of god that I appear when called?"

"Weren't you?"

"Pardon...?"

"Pwahaha! I'm joking."

Red hair.

Black butler's uniform.

At Malik's strangely good intuition, I scratched my head sheepishly and approached Malik's side.

I glanced at Malik and said.

"I heard you well earlier."

"What was that."

"The compliments about me. I didn't know you thought so highly of me, I was moved."

"I only spoke the truth."

"Do you not know the word 'shame', Boss?"

"What's that."

I let out a hollow laugh at Malik's nonchalant attitude, even after spitting out such embarrassing words. This wasn't the reaction I was expecting.

With a small smile, I said to Malik.

"Will it be alright?"

"What is it this time."

"You spoke quite strongly, didn't you? You really hit him where it hurts."

"Haha..."

Malik let out a hollow laugh and exhaled white smoke.

"Shouldn't I speak strongly?"

"..."

"So that he too will become stronger."

"That's true."

Malik glanced at me and asked.

"What do you think."

"About what?"

"Do you think he'll show up tomorrow?"

"Hmm... I wonder. Seeing as his mentality has crumbled to dust, it seems unlikely."

"Hmm..."

"But still, I..."

I smiled, glancing at Ruin's lit room.

"I think he'll show up. He's the Tower Lord's disciple, after all."

"Is that so."

"Isn't that why you said that, Boss?"

Malik let out a hollow laugh and nodded his head.

"I think so too."

I stretched and began to talk to Malik.

"Now, shall we get to the main point?"

It was time to make a plan.

At that time, Ruin was sitting at his desk, gritting his teeth.

"Damn it...."

The words he heard today were, for Ruin.

"I just have to do it...!"

heralding the beginning of a change.