Imperial Palace Garden.
"How was your lesson today?" Julie asked cautiously as she stood amid a winter scenery.
Glancing at her, Sophien answered, "It wasn't that bad."
The emperor had been postponing her knight lessons, using the closure training as an excuse, but no one even knew what kind of training that was.
"That's fortunate." Julie swallowed a sigh of relief.
"However, your chess skills were unexpected," Sophien replied.
The two played chess during their break time, but the knight was no match for the emperor. Julie's skills in it were at an amateur level.
"I had high expectations because I heard you're his fiancé."
"… You mean Professor Deculein?" Julie's eyes widened, not expecting him to be brought up.
"Do you have any other fiancé?" Sophien teased.
"No."
"Learn a bit from him. Give him some use."
"…"
The emperor recognized Deculein's chess skills, but Julie wasn't even aware he played chess.
'I really don't know anything about him.'
"Also, my little brother wants your fiancé's autograph."
The emperor held out a certain book to Julie.
"You mean prince Kreto?"
"Yeah. Ask him to sign here. It's been a while since I've acted like an elder sister."
[Understanding Elemental Magic]
It was a magic theory book written by Deculein, notorious for its excruciating difficulty and exorbitant price.
Julie also bought it with her own money to learn more about him, but she couldn't read more than ten pages of it.
"I'll let him know."
"He said it was just too complicated and difficult. My brother's probably just joking, but make sure to tell him anyway."
"… Noted."
Knights usually didn't talk much, a trait of theirs that Sophien frowned upon.
"You may go."
"Thank you."
"From now on, try not to give me short answers. I know you're here to give me lessons about knighthood, but you can let yourself be someone I can talk to."
"…You mean friends?" Julie's eyes widened.
The emperor smiled and nodded, making her take a deep breath to hide her overwhelming emotions.
"Whoooooooooo…"
"Enough. You may go now, my friend."
"… Thank you. It's been an honor."
Sophien returned to the imperial palace with her knight, Keiron. She respectfully bowed as they left.
"Please come this way."
After that, a maid guided her.
She walked through a separate passageway in the garden. However, the maid soon disappeared from her sights, a eunuch taking her place.
"Greetings, Lady Julie. I'm Jolan."
"… What's going on?"
Julie looked at him with suspicion in her eyes, to which Jolan simply smiled brightly.
"Can I borrow a moment of your time? I have a favor to ask for the stability of the imperial palace. The other knights are already waiting for us."
Despite being dubious of him, she followed after him anyway.
"We're here."
At an annex in the vast and complex imperial palace's eastern corner, Raphael, Syrio, and Gwen greeted her, looking as confused as she was.
"…Oh, Julie?" Gwen waved.
Julie responded with a bow and stood by their side.
Syrio grinned. "Now that you've gathered us all, can you tell us what's going on?"
"Of course."
Jolan replied in a soft tone.
"I have a mission to ask of you."
"A mission?"
"Yes. Monsters are lurking in the basement of the imperial palace, and an imperial insider wants you to deal with them since he can't take care of it himself."
"Is it an imperial order?" Raphael asked, his voice sounding as low and heavy as usual.
"It's not an imperial order, but consider it a test of loyalty. We'll report it as the knights' tribute to the Imperial Family if you can resolve this. Naturally, you'll be rewarded handsomely."
"…"
The knights pondered about it for a moment in silence.
After a while, Gwen pointed to Julie.
"If she's going, that person needs to go too."
"Who?"
"Deculein."
That name seemed to make Jolan slightly uncomfortable.
Gwen chuckled.
Even the eunuchs who often went through all sorts of hardships in the imperial palace were afraid of the name Deculein.
He was also famous for his political power, and his prestige was increasing day by day.
Hence, even though Jolan was one of the emperor's closest aids, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
"It sounds dangerous, so you should ask your fiancé for permission at least, right?"
She was still pointing at her, who hurriedly shook her head.
"N-No. It's okay—"
"Right. His practical skills are unquestionable." Raphael intervened, cutting off Julie's words. Syrio also agreed with a silent smile.
"… Hmm."
The eunuch looked dissatisfied, but he soon nodded, regaining his brightness.
"Yes, I understand. We'll try to talk to Sir Yukline."
Gwen found that answer absurd.
He called them by name, but Deculein was 'Sir Yukline.'
'Maybe that's why family backgrounds are important…'
"You do that. Julie. Let's have dinner tonight. On me."
She answered bluntly and left the palace with Julie.
* * *
—We are still following your orders.
I made a plan to contact them.
Naturally, I would never show impatience or surprise. Likewise, I wouldn't express any emotions, words, actions, or behavior that could be used against me.
Double-crossing people was easier than breathing for me, anyway. It had already melted into this personality and body.
"… These arrived, master."
While I was contemplating countermeasures, Roy came and handed me a couple of documents.
[Luxury Hotel Renovation: Black Krain]
[Future trade routes and plans]
[Overview of the mission of the mercenary corps]
These were the results of the businesses that I invested in. Reading them using [Understanding], I found out they were settling without any problems.
"I'm done. Take it."
"Yes."
They brought good news, but I had no time to think about them right now. I returned to thinking of a way to reply to my old connections after sending Roy back.
… There was no need to think.
—Master.
A shadow gleamed in the corner of the study room. It wasn't an actual being but a magical illusion. Nevertheless, I looked at it calmly.
What I said next felt almost instinctive.
"Guide me."
*
… There was no utopia in any world where people lived.
Even in the capital of the most powerful empire on the continent, light and darkness definitely coexisted.
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Oklan, at the southeast of the continent, was a slum that had been in decline since the mine closed.
Deculein's former henchman took me to a dark and damp cave beneath it. Thick moisture enveloped my body as pale lamps fluttered as if they were about to break.
"I see you, Master."
Two individuals of opposite genders knelt in the cave to greet me. The similarities in their looks made me think they were siblings.
"Tell me. What was my order?" I asked as a test before they could say anything.
"You commanded us not to let Louina enjoy her freedom if she set foot on the continent."
Looking at them, I found no was fortunate. They kidnapped Louina by themselves, after all.
However, the problem was what these guys wanted.
I continued to pretend to be indifferent.
"It was premature."
"We know."
The man's tone carried disrespect.
"We thought you had abandoned us. I suspect that's the case even now."
"Are you rebelling against me?"
"No. If you have abandoned us, then you are no longer our Master. Hence, this is not rebellion."
"I never abandoned you. Guide me." I replied calmly.
The two stood up, and we moved with the man in front and the woman behind me. Not long after, we arrived in a cavern too wide for the number of people present.
Louina was tied up in the middle of it. Her face was covered with what looked like a black sack, and her hands and feet were held cuffed.
She looked like a war prisoner.
"What treatment did you give her?"
"We injected antimatoxin."
Antimatoxin was a famous magic drug for wizards due to its ingredients that acted like 'stabilizers.' However, when injected directly into one's blood vessels, the victim would lose the ability to use magic for at least three days.
I looked at the duo.
"Good work."
The airflow subtly changed the moment I uttered those words. They tried to hide their expressions, but they couldn't fool my eyes.
They were dissatisfied.
Thanks to that, I figured out they weren't out here to gain my compliment.
"…"
I glared at Louina, who had become a wreck. Beside her, a red airstream glimmered.
A death
She had resolved herself to kill me.
The biggest problem of it all was just beginning.
I pondered about all 'probable developments' I could think of.
If I were to say, 'I'm here to save you, Louina. Whoever kidnapped you has nothing to do with me.'
She would answer, 'I don't believe you!'
Her death variable wouldn't be resolved.
I could leave this room and let her free without revealing my identity.
Even so, she would still doubt me, and the siblings would grow even more suspicious of me. Her death would also linger.
If I were to kill her, her screams would fill the cave. After that, she would disappear forever, thus eliminating her death to the 'suspicious siblings.'
Above all, the amazing quests I could get in the future from Louina would be buried with her.
Although she was an enemy from Deculein's point of view, she was, in essence, a Named heroine.
Her death would make me suffer severe damage.
"…"
I raised the stone floor of the cave with Psychokinesis, creating a chair out of it. Influenced by my personality, it became as beautiful as an antique.
I sat on it and considered all of the possible outcomes slowly and thoroughly.
Right now, I couldn't say that my situation was ideal, even as empty words, but I still had the upper hand. After all, the command they followed itself was issued by Deculein.
"Here."
The man handed me a ledger.
… A smirk appeared on my lips as I thoroughly read the content. Hell, Deculein was so damn vicious.
Was there even anyone else in the world who was this tenacious?
"This is fun."
As I read through these amazing sentences, I had no choice but to admit it.
resolved peacefully.
That's why…
* * *
Louina wallowed in the unconscious as if swimming in the sea with her bare body. However, she was growing nauseous.
She could no longer recognize the passage of time and could now only endure out of her anger. She already knew who was behind this. Only a fool wouldn't know.
Deculein.
Woooosh—!
As that name rolled over her tongue, the sack covering her head came off, the light causing pain in her eyes. Her mouth and ears had their plugs removed as well.
"Ugh…!"
Louina exhaled and bent over, looking at the shoes of her abductor as she gasped, then gazed up slowly.
"…"
Shoes that had no stains or dirt. Custom-made and neatly folded trousers. Legs crossed while maintaining his characteristic angle. A high-quality tie that didn't fit the damp air at all.
There was no mistaking his identity.
Her heart sank as their gazes met. A cool shadow loomed over his sharp features, making his hazy pupils look even more terrifying than birds of prey.
"… You." Her voice trembled. Fear, terror, anxiety… The feelings she didn't want to admit she had gnawed at her weakened mind as she felt heavy pressure seemingly crushing her body.
"Don't ever set foot on this continent ever again…" Deculein uttered. There was no intonation or pitch in his tone. "I told you that, didn't I? What did you come back for?"
She remained silent. He sneered.
"I heard you even bought a mansion here."
"… Do you think you'll be able to get away with this? I am still the emperor's magic—"
"Don't even bother."
Deculein stretched out his palm, and he folded his fingers one by one. Five, four, three, two…
"… Magic Vision," Louina replied.
There was no change in his expression.
"I have made several return requests before. I paid all the money my family borrowed with interest, but you didn't even pretend to listen."
Deculein listened quietly, but his indifference remained.
He was like a monster without emotions.
"Right, but you know…" He pulled documents towards him with Psychokinesis.
"Louina, there is something called 'compound interest' in this world. The amount I lent you 15 years ago was 100 million Elnes. The annual interest rate was 20%."
The contract that they signed 15 years ago and was still in effect today. He licked his lips as he looked at it.
"Your total now comes at one and a half billion, four hundred and seventy thousand, two hundred and sixty Elnes."
"What?"
If it were a single interest, it would've only been 400 million, and the contract clearly stated that it was simple interest. However, McQueen's debt was turned into compound interest due to the 'special clause" the Yukline family hid in their contract like a trap.
"Your family still owes us 11,40,722,060 Elnes… Oh, right. I have to add 200 million in interest for every year that passes without any payments being made on top of that."
"…"
Louina found it beyond absurd and outrageous. His words made her feel like vomiting.
"I'm going to file a complaint with the Imperial Family. Such nonsense—"
"Imperial law allows appeals up to 10 years after signing a contract. That window has closed long ago. Moreover, since this happened in the late emperor's era, an official inspection is no longer possible."
He sincerely admired the real Deculein's tactics. Aside from this debt, he had laid several traps acting like time bombs within the McQueen family.
"The foreclosure may start tomorrow."
Louina glared at him. He was still expressionless, his lack of emotion terrifying her.
"You… I mean, you really…"
He didn't let her go. She hadn't been forgiven.
Rather, he was waiting for the time to take her down.
He wanted to let her fall from the highest position, most desperately, to despair until she died.
"Keep talking. I'll listen."
At that moment, all the tension in her body was released.
Now was not the time to be proud.
"… I have no intention of becoming the head professor. No, it would be a lie if I say I didn't want the position, but the professors in the tower were trying to nominate me—"
"I don't care."
Louina made desperate excuses, but Deculein shook his head.
Her heart raced. Her mouth dried up.
"Then what the hell do you want? D-Do you want me to kill myself?"
She bit her lip. However, his next words…
… Were strange.
"Be the head professor."
No, it was bizarre. Louina's eyes widened, not knowing what the hell he meant by it. Tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"I will be the chairman."
His pupils, which were still cloudy, gained blue phosphorescence light as his dark stare landed straight at her.
"If you help me get further ahead from where I am now, then when I become the chairman, I'll return McQueen's vision and free you of all your debt. I will also give you the position of head professor."
Louina couldn't understand his intentions.
"But you have to make an oath to me."
Deculein wrote several demands with his fountain pen then got up.
"First, you'll never tell anyone about what happened today."
"…"
Vague words such as 'swear allegiance' weren't effective. The more specific the content, the stronger the breacher's punishment would be upon breaking their oath.
"Second, keep the terms of this contract for five years."
Deculein presented the document he had written.
Louina was astonished.
It was almost no different from a master-slave contract, the constraint that Deculein put forward being the 'destruction of her mana supply.'
"This is ridiculous—"
"You still haven't come to your senses. We'll talk again in three days."
"No, wait—!"
With one glance from Deculein, they covered her eyes, mouth, and ears once more.
Leaving Louina, who had fallen into darkness again, Deculein turned around.
* * *
… After finishing my work here, I looked around the underground cave without saying a word.
"What will you do if she rejects the oath?" The man asked.
I looked at him.
"Then I'll have to kill her."
This was the best I could do in this situation. If I didn't even threaten her, she would kill me.
"… However, she will not refuse. She desires to live."
[The Villain's Fate: You
◆ Acquired Reward: Store currency +2
The notification came up late.
According to it, I neither overcame nor avoided Louina's death variable. Rather, I treated it, which probably meant she had become determined to take the oath.
"Will it be okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"The McQueen family helped assassinate the former Head…"
So that was what happened.
McQueen wasn't just a victim of the Yukline family.
Since I didn't know that, I just shook my head.
"It wasn't Louina's doing, was it? The current Head of McQueen is Louina, but the sit-in system is enough. That aside…"
I looked around.
This place was too dark, damp, and dirty for anyone to stay in.
"Have you been living in this cave all this time?"
"Yes."
"You promised us money!" Out of nowhere, the woman who had been silent so far yelled. The man tried to stop her, but she didn't back down.
"You said you would give us money and release us when we're done!"
"Money."
"Yes. Great wealth—"
Slap!
A sharp sound rang out. The man had hit his sister.
"I apologize."
The younger of the two sniffed as she lowered her head, her elder brother glaring at her.
"It's okay. For now, come to my mansion. It's too dirty here."
They were very talented. [Man of Great Wealth] informed me so.
I wouldn't let such capable individuals go to waste.
"From today on, I'll be certain to make full use of you. Of course, I will pay the promised remuneration as well."
The woman's eyes widened.
"However, you'll have to discard all orders I issued prior to this day."
"Thank you, thank you!"
The duo quickly knelt.
"Above all else…"
I looked down at them.
"Don't use your hand often. It's demeaning."