A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 291: Chairperson (2)

Whoooosh—

The members of the Ages walked through the searing desert, where orange sandstorms lashed like whips and the blistering heat rose from the cracked earth to sting their skin.

“Ugh, it’s like walking through a furnace,” Epherene muttered. “I swear, I’m turning into a roast Roahawk out here.”

It had been a while since Epherene last stepped outside, but today they all came together to gather the ingredients for Yulie’s treatment.

“Hot, is it? Even under this heat, the desert is no Land of Destruction. People often confuse the two,” Idnik replied, adjusting her turban as she climbed the dune.

Then Idnik continued, “And while it may be called the home of the Scarletborn, they are far from its only inhabitants. Of course, the Scarletborn are the majority here, but more than a million people from smaller tribes live on these sands.”

“Wait—did you say a million?”

The Empire looked down on the desert as nothing more than the home of the Scarletborn, but in reality, it was home to many ethnic groups—tribes who had broken free from the Capital’s rule to live lives of their own.

“Yes, that is correct,” Yulie replied. “This desert is home to many tribes—some led by warriors whose convictions are worthy of respect.”

What perfect timing, Epherene thought.

“Have you made your decision yet, Knight Yulie?” Epherene asked, turning to Yulie like someone who had been waiting far too long for an answer.

Yulie shook her head, seeming troubled, and replied, “… You only spoke of this yesterday, and even if that method could save me, if it means losing all my memory—”

“You wouldn’t lose every memory, Knight Yulie. You’d go back to before things turned bad between you and the Professor,” Epherene interrupted.

Epherene’s final method to save Yulie was to create a Time Rewind Cylinder, a machine that would rewind only her time while leaving the rest of the world unaffected, but Yulie only stared as if it meant nothing at all.

“And the resentment you feel toward the Professor will go away.”

“Even so,” Yulie replied, “it would be no different from running away from the fault that is mine alone.”

“What were your faults, Knight Yulie?”

Yulie took a breath, ready to list every fault she’d made one by one…

“Then what? Even if the Professor told you to do it, would you still refuse?”

Yulie’s lips pressed into a thin line, and she said nothing.

“The Professor put up with everything,” Epherene continued, walking through the sand. “To save you, Knight Yulie, he accepted your hatred—your resentment—every last part of it. Do you even know what it feels like to be hated by the one you love?”

Epherene understood Deculein’s sacrifice, but more than that, she knew the pain of being hated by someone she loved and perhaps no one understood that pain as she did.

My dad, the one I loved most, turned his back on me and now even my mentor Deculein can’t stand the sight of me, Epherene thought.

“The Professor will be okay. Even if you forget him completely, Knight Yulie… no—he would probably prefer it that way.”

Yulie clenched her teeth.

Just the thought of Deculein sent a dull ache through Yulie’s heart—because he had spoken of love with such pure honesty, and the way he had shouldered every sin he’d taken on for her safety.

“If the Professor could see you alive and well, Knight Yulie—see that you are whole and living, not just surviving—he would smile,” Epherene concluded, meeting her eyes. “And it would be the brightest smile he’s ever given.”

“… Wait a moment, she is not dying today,” Idnik said, calming them both before pointing past the swirling sandstorm.

“!@#$!@#$”

“$#(!*@#)!”

From beyond the swirling haze of sand storm, voices began to muffle, likely the language of a desert tribe, and though Epherene couldn’t understand a word, they must have been nearing a village.

“They’re the Malia tribe. They have made their home by the oasis, and no one rivals them when it comes to finding hidden springs of water—Shh,” Idnik murmured, pressing a finger to her lips, then cast a transparent barrier that sealed around Epherene and Yulie. “The Elite Guard. They’ve already made it this far.”

Across the continent, the Empress’s Elite Guard stood as a living symbol of authority and control—not just to the Scarletborn, but to every commoner who dared to speak their name.

Gulp—

Epherene swallowed hard as a sudden shout echoed from the village of the Malia tribe.

— Attention!

Epherene looked through Deculein’s Telescope. In the heart of the village, the Elite Guard were scanning the area with menacing eyes—and through the lens, she could see each of their faces in detail.

— Filthy things. Listen well.

Among them, one man stood out as the leader, and he barked an order.

What a weasel whose mustache curls at the ends like a villain out of a stage play and whose hair is like a rooster’s comb, Epherene thought.

— No one here among you speaks the language of the Empire~?

His voice carried a light tone, the end of his sentence curling upward with his words.

That’s the kind of face that promises everything and steals twice as much…

[General Bell]

[Formerly a member of the Imperial Knights’ Order, he was dismissed for a temperamental defect and later volunteered for military service.]

“What the,” Epherene muttered, pulling the telescope away from her eyes.

Did a line of description just pop up in the telescope? Epherene thought.

Epherene brought the telescope back to her eye, zeroing in on General Bell.

— Hmph. Not a single one?

The villagers facing Bell wore pale expressions of fear as they hurriedly sent the children back into their homes, leaving only the adults to confront the Elite Guard while Bell sneered with contempt and signaled to the knights behind him.

— If there isn’t any—

— Please, wait!

Then, out of nowhere, a man came running, shouting in a panic.

— W-We’re of the Malia tribe!

There’s someone who speaks the language of the Empire! Epherene thought.

Epherene found herself holding her breath, fists clenched tight as she watched.

— We have nothing to do with the Scarletborn—

Crunch—!

Bell thrust out his boot, striking the villager right between the eyes, causing the man to crumple, while Epherene gasped with hands clamped over her mouth, and Yulie sprang from her seat but was caught by Idnik just in time.

— Well, well~ It seems no one here speaks the language of the Empire. The mage hasn’t arrived yet, so we can’t tell who among you are Scarletborn. Then we have no other choice—take them all.

Then the Elite Guard poured into the village.

Boom—!

The Elite Guard shattered everything in sight, broke the limbs of those who dared to resist, and slammed the elderly—clutching their hands in plea—into the sand.

“How could the Elite Guard…”

How could the Elite Guard do that to those people? Epherene thought.

Epherene’s chest tightened with a mix of anger and confusion she couldn’t begin to understand.

— … Take them all. This land has potential—I’ll recommend it to the Chairman to become a stronghold. Hahaha.

Epherene glared at Bell as he grinned like the cunning little weasel he was.

“What do you think? Does this look right to you?” Idnik said. “When it comes to the Scarletborn and the minority tribes, Sophien cannot think straight for some reason. That’s why she’s tearing through the desert. But this desert—this is my home.”

Even as the chaos raged, the village of the Malia tribe was being torn apart—homes built over years were reduced to rubble in barely five minutes.

“If they are planning to ravage my homeland, then I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

“… Then shouldn’t we stop them now?” Epherene asked.

“Of course, I want to kill them all where they stand, but doing so may be exactly what Sophien wants,” Idnik replied.

“Sorry?” Epherene said, blinking, clearly not following.

“Sophien has an eye for talent and is aware that man is nothing more than an ambitious fool without a shred of competence.

“But placing men like him in charge—that was not her mistake. If we lose our temper and act first, it gives her exactly what she needs—an excuse not just to condemn the Scarletborn, but to drive out every minority tribe alongside them,” Idnik replied, letting out a bitter smile.

“… Really?”

“That’s right. Sophien is every bit the brilliant and calculating Empress,” Idnik said, turning to Epherene. “Which is why my first objective is simple—to protect them. Once they begin transporting the prisoners, I’ll extract the people out, without making any noise.”

“Wow… You are a mage who saves lives,” Epherene said, her eyes wide with admiration.

Epherene recited the very words Deculein had once spoken to her, but Idnik only let out a chuckle, stripping them of their weight.

“No, I’m going to kill them by assassination, and it’ll look like they just dropped dead.”

For a moment, Epherene’s lips parted in stunned silence.

“By the way, Leaf. What is this ingredient you’re after?” Idnik continued.

“… Sorry? Oh, but why are you still calling me Leaf? Anyway,” Epherene replied, quickly reaching into her robe and pulling out a book, flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for. “Here—Lantern flower. It grows near oases in the desert. It’s a medicinal ingredient that reduces the body’s resistance. With it, the time rewind would become much easier.”

“Ahem,” Yulie muttered, clearing her throat.

“Alright then. Leaf, you go find the ingredient,” Idnik said, turning to Yulie. “And what about you, Yulie?”

Epherene turned her head and looked at Yulie.

“Hmm…” Yulie muttered, hesitating with a hint of awkwardness in her expression. “Then I’ll escort Miss Epherene. Protecting her must be what the Professor would have wanted.”

Epherene smiled, clear as springlight, and Idnik gave a satisfied nod in return.

“Alright. Then, Knight Yulie, we’ll leave the others to Mage Idnik… Oh—Mage Idnik, here, take this telescope. It might help with saving those people,” Epherene said, handing over the oddly significant Deculein’s Telescope as she took Yulie by the arm.

“Alright,” Idnik replied.

“That’s not mine, so don’t forget to give it back! Knight Yulie, you’re coming with me.”

“Yes, Miss Epherene,” Yulie replied.

“You know, I thought of something,” Epherene said as she walked beside her. “Maybe you should try writing a diary since it might not be such a bad idea, Knight Yulie.”

The diary was Epherene’s clue—and Yulie, without needing another word, understood the meaning right away.

***

Bell Derici von Liskov, a general of the imperial army and a member of the Elite Guard, rebuilt a forward base in the desert, driving out the Malia tribe and seizing their supplies and materials to accelerate construction.

“As expected of you, General Bell. This oasis is more than enough to sustain us for at least a year, if not longer. I’m sure the Chairman will acknowledge all the effort you’ve poured into this,” the subordinate said, his tone as sincere as it was admiring.

“Hahahaha…” Bell murmured, letting out a booming laugh, then glanced toward the corner of the command tent, where a child was grooming their nails. “…That child is the vanguard the Chairman sent?”

“Yes, sir, she is known as Adventurer Ria.”

“That kid looks like she was born allergic to manners~”

Ria looked utterly worn down as if time itself had weathered her, her eyes sharp like a hawk’s yet carrying the emptiness of someone who had long since turned away from the world.

“Hey,” Bell said, snapping his fingers to demand Ria look his way.

Ria glanced at Bell from the corner of her eye.

“When does the Chairman expect to arrive~?”

“… Why would you ask me that?” Ria replied after staring at Bell without blinking for a moment of silence.

“… W-What.”

For a second, Bell looked ready to explode, but he swallowed his anger and held his ground.

“That kid’s definitely got no manners at all,” Bell whispered, twisting the end of his mustache as he leaned in closer to his subordinate.

“Yes, sir, it certainly appears so.”

“Why would the Chairman keep that kind of disrespectful child around?”

“… It’s only a rumor, sir,” the subordinate replied.

After scanning his surroundings, the subordinate leaned in to whisper something to Bell, and his expression turned serious.

“But they say that adventurer resembles the Chairman’s late fiancée—”

“The Chairman is arriving!”

At the sudden sound, Bell and his subordinate stood at once, and a moment later, the tent’s canvas was pulled aside as a breeze carrying a fragrant scent washed over them.

“… You’re here, Chairman!” Bell shouted, snapping to a salute.

However, the man gave no response as he walked toward him, each step echoing through the space while his eyes swept over the room in silence.

“H-How does it seem to you, Chairman?” Bell asked, his tone cautious. “We secured it in no time… however, wouldn’t you say the land holds promise?”

“… Hmm.”

Then Deculein—the current Head of Yukline, Chairman of the Mage Tower, an Ethereal-ranked Mage, and the highest authority within the Empress’s Elite Guard—replied, “Well.”

As Deculein spoke, Ria grew more attentive because the real reason she had insisted on joining the desert expedition was the matter of how the minority tribes were being treated.

“I’ve heard that the tribe has been crushed.”

“Yes, of course—hahaha~! They resisted more than expected, so I made sure they were all taken prisoner, Chairman~!” Bell replied, almost gloating with pride.

Deculein stood over Bell, watching him from above.

Bell read too much into Deculein’s stare, mistaking it for approval, and continued, “Haha, but of course, Chairman. There may well be Scarletborn among them, without question~! Furthermore, interrogations suggest there is an organized resistance of Scarletborn operating beneath the desert sands—”

“Is that so?”

At that moment, an authoritative voice interrupted Bell’s briefing, and Bell, his subordinate, and Ria all turned once more toward the entrance of the tent.

“Then I suppose you have done something worthy of reward,” said the woman.

The woman wore a turban and robe, her curves and voice betraying her as a woman, though her face remained hidden beneath the hood.

Bell tilted his head.

“General Bell, are you the one who secured this ground?”

“Oh, yes… That is correct~?”

“Hmm, it is more than suitable to be made into a forward stronghold.”

“Umm… may I ask who you might be~?”

Then the woman removed her turban, and in that instant every eye flew wide as Bell’s body moved before his mind could catch up, his legs buckling beneath him and causing him to drop to the ground.

“Y-Your Majesty—?!” Bell shouted, falling to his knees.

Before them stood none other than Sophien—the Great Empress of the Empire, ruler of not just the Empire, but the most supreme sovereign across the entire continent.

Who would’ve thought the Empress would come to the desert, Bell thought.

“What’s so shocking? This is an expedition for the enemy’s eradication, so of course I must come in person,” Sophien replied with a smile, meeting Bell’s eyes.

“… A-A-Absolutely, Your Majesty!” Bell exclaimed as he remained kneeling and offered a salute.

“Then why don’t we take a look at the prisoners together, Chairman?” the Empress said, turning to Deculein.

“No, Your Majesty,” Deculein replied, shaking his head.

“Then I’ll go on ahead… What was that? Did you just say no?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

While Sophien’s brow tightened and Bell’s eyes widened in shock, Deculein reached into his robe and pulled out the bundle in one firm motion.

“There is no shortage of duty to be done in this place, Your Majesty,” Deculein continued as he opened the bundle, and with a single motion, a mountain of documents blanketed the ground.

“… We’ll deal with that later,” Sophien replied, licking her lips with fatigue behind her eyes.

“Your Majesty gave me your word that the matter would be addressed the day you set foot in the desert, and that promise was the sole reason I agreed to accompany you here.”

The affairs of state were already overflowing with tasks, and the desert campaign was only one of many unresolved matters demanding immediate attention.

“Your Majesty, no matter what follows, this is where we must begin. I speak from duty, as your loyal subject—”

“Alright already. I will deal with it, so enough with the nagging. You’re not the only one with responsibilities, and for heaven’s sake, if you’re an instructor mage, how about you stick to spells and spare me the speeches?” Sophien interrupted, taking the seat in the command tent with a grumble.

Deculein used Telekinesis to lift the documents into the air, sorting them in order.

“Let the rest of you go. Once the Chairman and I have put affairs in order, we will see the prisoners,” Sophien commanded.

“… Yes, Your Majesty!”

Bell, his subordinate, and Ria stepped out of the military tent together.

“Chairman. No—Count Yukline,” Sophien said, looking up at him with feline eyes. “Let me borrow your knee for a moment.”

Deculein furrowed his brow ever so slightly.

“You know it as well as I do—without you beside me, I am at risk.”

Sophien offered an excuse and gave the seat beside her a few firm pats, and with no real choice, Deculein sat down.

“Hold on just a moment longer. I’ll make it quick—for your sake as well,” Sophien concluded.

With empty words slipping from her lips, Sophien leaned into Deculein’s lap and started sorting through official documents while, from a distance, Ria watched them in silence.

“… What am I even looking at right now?” Ria muttered.

Outside the tent, Ria watched through the fabric with full of confusion and disbelief creeping across her face.

***

… Meanwhile, far from the desert in the Mage Tower of the Capital, Louina was conducting interviews for part-time professor candidates, and normally such interviews could’ve been handled with just a glance at their resumes, but there was one name that kept nagging at her no matter how she tried to ignore it.

“… Okay, thank you, Miss Sylvia. I’ve heard everything I need,” Louina said.

“Yes, thank you very much, Head Professor Louina! I really admire you!” Sylvia replied.

“Alright, thank you. That will be all.”

However, as expected, the candidate named Sylvia turned out to be just another mage of no distinction, nothing brilliant, nothing special, and exactly the kind of part-time professor Louina had seen far too often.

“Next, please~” Louina said, gesturing her fingers, flipping to the next resume at the interviewer’s table. “Josephine, another name I’ve seen a dozen times.”

The name Josephine was no stranger to Louina—Freyden’s eldest daughter was named Josephine, and Louina also had a friend who went by the same name.

“You may come in, Miss Josephine,” Louina said.

Creeeak—

The door to Louina’s office opened once more, signaling the arrival of the next candidate.

And…

“My name is Josephine.”

Click, clack— Click, clack—

The rhythm of high heels echoed through the office as the candidate stepped in, and Louina glanced over the resume in her hand, but when she looked up, her face was overtaken by a look of stunned shock.

“You…” Louina muttered.

The candidate’s golden blonde hair shimmered with a luster like polished sunlight and her tailored suit, clearly chosen with the part-time professor interview in mind, was immaculate, and if not for the hawk perched on her shoulder, she might’ve been mistaken for the Chairwoman of the Mage Tower.

“Why are you…”

Sylvia Von Josephine Iliade was the daughter of Iliade—and one of the leading contenders for the title of the next Archmage.

“Because it is time,” Sylvia replied.

That an extraordinary mage of such stature attended for nothing more than a part-time professor interview was surprising.

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