A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 190: Younger Sibling (3)

... I also once had a younger sibling, though now, even the echo of their voice has long since slipped from my memory.

There were moments when they became temperamental without warning, their frustration spilling over for reasons I couldn’t understand. Even when I called their name, they would glance at me with an annoyed look on their face, as if my presence itself was a bother.

Of course, they weren’t Yeriel, just as Yeriel wasn’t them. Any resemblance I thought I saw in their personalities, or any sense of familiarity, was likely nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

Perhaps it was nothing more than my selfish desire to see Yeriel take their place. From the moment I first met her, that thought might have taken root in my heart without me even realizing it.

However, searching for the roots of unspoken emotions was nothing more than a foolish chase. I had no patience for the empty philosophies of self-reflection or the endless spiral of doubt. I refused to waste my time unraveling the reasons behind fleeting feelings.

I was an unchanging self, carrying a proud sense of dignity in my identity. Because I did not tell lies, I was able to declare this with absolute certainty.

When I became Deculein from Kim Woo-Jin, Yeriel was the first to seek me out. Whether she was Scarletborn or not, it changed nothing—I had already accepted her as my sister. These were the words of a man who had once lived as Kim Woo-Jin but now walked as Deculein.

"Yeriel," I said, meeting her eyes.

Yeriel pressed her lips together tightly, her wide eyes trembling like water in a fragile glass, on the verge of overflowing.

"Return now and take care of your territory. Yukline needs you."

“... What did that Scarletborn ask for?” Yeriel asked, swallowing hard as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.

Yeriel seemed curious, but Elesol’s terms were simple. There were requests that the gas chambers in Roharlak remain inactive, that political prisoners be spared from arbitrary executions, and that, at the very least, once every six months, permission be granted to arrange discreet communication with those inside Roharlak under silent approval.

“There’s no need for you to know,” I replied.

“Then... what will happen to the Scarletborn from now on?” Yeriel asked hesitantly.

“The tide cannot be turned, Yeriel. The Empire, the continent, and the Empress herself call for the oppression and annihilation of the Scarletborn, and I cannot stand against the weight of such a current.”

Sophien bore a grudge against the Scarletborn, yet they were the only means of leading the Empress to the Altar.

"The Scarletborn and the Empire have strayed too far down separate paths. Though I will continue the oppression of the Scarletborn, when the time comes, I may yet reveal a single truth to Her Majesty," I concluded.

Sacrificing the Scarletborn to complete the main quest was far from just or righteous, but a villain spared no means to achieve their goals. If the most efficient way to destroy the Altar had been within my reach, I would have done so without hesitation. Even if I were to face the consequences one day, I would accept them with no regrets.

"... And, um, one more thing," Yeriel said, looking hesitant as she stepped closer. "You used to hate me, didn't you? But why...?"

Yeriel trailed off, her words faltering under the weight of hesitation, her thoughts knotted like threads in a web she couldn’t untangle.

"It is a natural part of growing up for siblings to fight. Now, return to the territory," I ordered.

“What... Hmph.”

Yeriel seemed to be back to her usual self, as if her eyes were puffy and red, swollen as if bees had stung her, and she stood silently, arms crossed.

“What are you doing?” I inquired.

"... You told me to leave, but I have no idea how to get back from here, so I’m just standing here trying to figure it out," Yeriel replied.

At that moment...

“Oh! There you are, Professor!”

A bright, cheerful voice rang out from a nearby hillside, and Yeriel and I turned to look in its direction.

“Haha! It’s been a long time!”

There was an adventurer who often carried my mail, including the official letters meant for the Empress, and brought back Her Majesty’s replies to me.

"... Here is the reply from Her Majesty," the adventurer said, kneeling on one knee and presenting the official letter from the Imperial Palace.

I maintained my formality as I took the letter from his hand.

"Wow, Professor, your official letter was exceptionally eloquent. I found myself admiring it as I read it to Her Majesty," the adventurer said, rising to his feet with a chuckle.

I stared deeply into his eyes.

“... Well then, I’ll take my leave—”

"Wait," I said, stopping the adventurer as he was about to leave. "Do you provide transportation for people as well?"

“Transportation for people?” the adventurer asked, tilting his head slightly.

I glanced at Yeriel, and as she caught my meaning, a slight frown appeared on her brow.

"Oh, yes, I can~ I’ll prepare the contract document right away~"

"Are you serious? You're leaving me with some random postman?" Yeriel said.

"He is not an ordinary postman—he is an adventurer."

“That’s not the point—”

"Silence."

Ignoring Yeriel’s protests, I took the contract from the smiling adventurer and glanced through its details. The price stood out, positioned at the higher end of the usual range.

"What?! Seven million elne?! This is daylight robbery! Even transporting dozens of VIPs doesn’t cost this much!" Yeriel yelled, glaring at the adventurer as she glanced over the contract on my shoulder.

“Take her,” I said, silencing her complaints with a hand over her mouth as I signed the contract.

"Yes, Professor! Lady Yeriel, your safety and comfort will be my top priority throughout the journey!" the adventurer said.

Yeriel looked at me with a complicated expression—a mix of slight frustration, mild regret, a touch of guilt, and a hint of sadness.

“Yeriel,” I said.

“... What?”

"Remove that look from your face; it is offensive. Show the proper respect siblings owe one another."

"... What is that supposed to mean—"

"Carry on as if nothing ever happened," I said, using Telekinesis to brush away the snowflake that had landed on Yeriel’s hair. "Just as you always have, just as you do now, and just as you will in the days to come."

Yeriel silently looked up at me, her jaw set and her fists clenched tight. After a moment, she lowered her head, releasing a deep breath, then looked up again, her eyes locking with mine once more.

“... Alright,” Yeriel said.

I gave her a silent nod, and Yeriel made her way toward the adventurer.

"Hey, excuse me, but isn’t seven million a bit too much? Could you offer a bit of a discount or something?" Yeriel whispered to the adventurer.

“Professor! Lady Yeriel is trying to—”

“Ahhh! Shut up! Fine, just go already!”

I watched Yeriel for a moment as she silenced the adventurer and slowly disappeared down the mountainside.

***

Under the night sky of the Northern Region, where stars and the moon adorned the heavens and the Milky Way flowed like a shimmering cascade, Yeriel walked home with the adventurer, Deculein’s words echoing in her mind.

"Even if the day comes when Yukline turns its back on you, I will not turn my back on you."

Yeriel had heard it clearly with her own ears—the unreal, almost impossible sincerity Deculein had shown her. Yet, it still felt like a dream, and because of that, doubt continued to creep into her heart.

“... Do I deserve it?” Yeriel murmured.

Do I really deserve to hear such words? Am I worthy of this kind of love? I’ve hated Deculein so much, despised him to the point of madness. I even had the thought of killing him... Yeriel thought.

Yeriel clutched her chest, as if the mere thought alone were enough to squeeze the life out of her heart.

“... Since when?”

When did Deculein find out? Could it have been long ago, back when we were so young? Did he know about my true bloodline even then? Or at the very least, did he suspect it? Is that why he hated me so much?

Yeriel let out a shaky sigh.

As a child, I wanted Deculein’s love. I tried so hard, but in the end, I convinced myself it was impossible and gave up. To protect myself, I closed my heart off and chose to hate him instead.

While I remained stuck in place, being immature, he changed after losing someone he loved, grew, and matured time and time again. In the end, he forgave me and finally accepted me as his sister. And without knowing the truth, I mocked him when his fiancée died, calling it punishment from God himself.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

"... Sniff," Yeriel murmured, blowing her nose.

The adventurer walking beside her turned back to glance at her and asked, "Are you crying?"

“What? Who says I’m crying? I’m not crying. My nose is just a little stuffy, that’s all.”

“Hmm~”

“Anyway, can we revisit our negotiation?”

“What negotiation?”

“No... I’m saying, stop overcharging my brother.”

“Come now, the journey from here to Yukline is worth every bit of seven million elne. After all, I’m offering not just guidance—it's a full escort service,” the adventurer said.

Yeriel puffed out her cheeks, her narrowed eyes locking onto him with a piercing stare.

“But I’ll make sure to escort you as safely as I can!”

“... You do realize that our Yukline family is the Adventurers' Guild's major client, right?" Yeriel asked.

“Oh, of course, I’m aware. It’s an honor that the professor has placed such trust in me to—”

“Yes, so, I just don’t get it—if he trusts you this much, why would you raise the price? Isn’t it normal for regulars to get rewarded with discounts, not overcharges? Run a business like this anywhere else, and people would be lining up to throw stones at your door.”

“Now, now—”

“Okay, let me ask you this, then. How much did you charge the Empress for that letter delivery?” Yeriel asked.

“... Pardon?”

“You must have already charged the Imperial Palace when you delivered the messages and formal letters, right? Their mission fees are ridiculously high—basically the market’s ceiling price. If a single noble house starts paying more than that, it could cause some serious problems, is what I’m saying,” Yeriel explained, tapping her fingers against her palm.

“Umm...”

"I wonder if the Adventurers' Guild knows that you're charging this much."

The adventurer grew silent.

"You don’t report the full amount to dodge taxes and cut corners on guild dues, do you?"

“... Ahem. Ah, ahem!” the adventurer murmured, clearing his throat. “Five million...”

“What was that? Oh, sure, you seem to be higher up in rank than the average, but you do know that two million is the standard rate for an escort, right?” Yeriel replied.

“... Let’s make it four million elne.”

Four million is still a pretty high price, but given the situation—traveling together for a day through an area full of demonic beasts—it’s probably best to leave the price as is instead of risking any tension, Yeriel thought.

“... Hmph! Alright, then. Once it’s over, take some time to rest in Yukline. We’ll cover all the expenses.”

***

The shocking news of Deculein burying the Scarletborn alive spread like wildfire, igniting whispers that danced from one end of the continent to the other.

The brutal act of the professor, who had entombed forty Scarletborn alive, ignited a storm of heated discussions, even in the heart of a winter ravaged by demonic beasts. From the Imperial Palace to the Mage Tower and stretching across the Empire's farthest reaches, debates raged like a tide, crashing against the walls of reason without end.

Boooooooooom—!

A massive meteor struck the ground with force that could shatter the earth, sending waves of mana rippling outward like a storm.

The spell, known as the Meteor, was a legendary feat of magic, cast by a single individual across the vast expanse of the continent. It was a force of utter destruction, summoning a massive boulder from the heavens and sending it downward in a cataclysmic assault, as if the sky itself had crumbled.

“... Phew!” Adrienne said, dusting off the flames flickering around her hands. “There, much cleaner now!”

Fwoosh—

The searing winds raged on, and the charred embers clung to the earth, flickering in ghostly light. Just moments ago, the cries of demonic beasts had filled the air, but now, nothing remained. Every living thing had been reduced to ashes, leaving behind only a massive crater in the earth.

"As e-expected of the great Archmage Adrienne!" one of the soldiers murmured.

Adrienne had been sent on a support mission to the Northern Region, a summons from the Imperial Palace itself. The destination she was assigned lay in a remote corner of the Northeastern Region, and she opted to make the journey alone, unwilling to let the presence of others cloud her path.

"That was easy! Oh, right!" Adrienne muttered, quickly pulling a thick sheet of magic paper from her robe.

It was Deculein’s Advanced Lecture exam, and although a month had passed since the remote test began, no one had managed to solve it. Even the most dedicated participants—the Addicts—had yet to uncover its answers.

“... Wow, this is impossible! My head is killing me!” Adrienne groaned, pressing her fingers to her temple as she glared at the spell she had read over several times.

“Tough, ain’t it? Didn’t I tell ya it’d be wicked hard?”

Adrienne snapped her head toward the direction of the voice, and there stood Rogerio, holding the identical exam sheet in her hands.

“This heah? Might as well toss it in a Symposium as one of the prize problems, don’t ya think? I mean, seriously. First week or two, I gave it a real shot, y’know? But when somethin’s this wicked hahd, what the hell’s anyone supposed ta do with it?”

"Exactly! This feels like the fault of the person who came up with the problem in the first place! The entire concept doesn’t even align with conventional magical principles!"

Crinkle—!

Adrienne and Rogerio slapped Deculein’s exam paper onto the ground.

Final Examination of the Advanced Lecture

The deceptively simple name of the exam had become the focal point of whispers on the Floating Island, its significance growing to overshadow even the southern advance of the demonic beasts.

Since Deculein had not released the exam beyond his lectures, those outside the classroom were left in the dark, their access to the questions forbidden. However, the exam's sheer difficulty became a silent force, drawing students together in secret, for no one could hope to solve even a single problem alone, the answers slipping through their fingers like smoke.

“... By the way! There’s been a lot of talk about Professor Deculein—something about burying people alive?!”

“Ayuh, sounds ‘bout right, considerin’ it’s Deculein, y’know? If it was them damned Scarletborn, then sure, buryin’ ’em ain’t so so out there. Though, buryin’ folks alive’s kinda pushin’ it, even for him—still, they did invade first, didn’t they?” Rogerio said, shoving a paper toward Adrienne. “Anyway, nevah mind that. Do ya mind taking a look at my solution to question one?”

Rogerio’s solution was written on the magic paper, stretching across an exhausting three hundred pages.

"Three hundred pages? That's way too much! You need to cut it down!" Adrienne said.

"Ain't like I can cut it down, that’s why I’m showin’ it to ya!" Rogerio replied.

"Forget it! If I look at your solution, it's going to mess mine up! Just take it back!"

"Oh, for cryin’ out loud. How in the blazes did he even come up with somethin’ this impossible?" Rogerio muttered, pouting her lips as she tucked her solution back into her coat.

Boom—!

A sudden, thunderous rumble filled the room, drawing synchronized frowns from both Rogerio and Adrienne as irritation crept across their faces.

“Ayuh... Fuckin’ hell. Here we go again."

It was the thirtieth tremor of the day, each one a harbinger of the demonic beasts' southern advance.

***

Lately, more and more mages have been mysteriously drawn to Rekordak. They traversed roads infested with demonic beasts, a perilous journey so thick with danger that even those who had long known the tranquil safety of the Floating Island found themselves irresistibly pulled toward Deculein’s Rekordak.

Why they had come remained a mystery to Yulie, and even the knights did not know the reason.

“... Célienne Jane and two other mages of Lumiere rank from the Floating Island. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Today, another group of three visitors, flanked by their escorts, arrived at Rekordak. Yulie greeted them, but a look of confusion crossed her face, as if the arrival itself whispered of an unknown truth.

“If you don’t mind my asking, may I ask what brings you here?” Yulie asked.

As a knight, Yulie upheld a strict code of decorum, ensuring she never crossed the boundaries of propriety, and to her, superfluous questions had no place in her conduct.

However, this constant arrival didn’t last just a day or two—it stretched on for three days, then an entire week. In the end, it became too much to ignore without asking questions.

Beyond that wall, numerous demonic beasts still roam—perhaps an infinite number of hordes—filling the air with their haunting cries, while the Scarletborn cut off merchant guilds from supplies.

Knowing all this and seeing it with their own eyes, why would they willingly come to Rekordak? Not adventurers or knights, who find purpose in battle, but mages—those who value their safety above all else? Yulie thought.

“Sorry?”

"Rekordak is a place fraught with peril, and there is a significant chance that you may not make it out alive," Yulie explained.

“Oh, yes, we are aware of that. However... we have come for knowledge.”

“... Knowledge?”

“Yes.”

“They said there are unpublished books that can only be read here, and we were told the professor might hand out exam papers if we came,” one of the three young mages said, glancing beyond the walls of Rekordak.

“By professor... Do you mean Professor Deculein?” Yulie asked.

“Yes, that’s correct. Perhaps as a knight, you’re unaware of it? So...”

The young mages began to speak with patience, explaining the reasons behind the gathering of so many of their kind here, and why the tide of their arrival would only grow in the days to come.

“Professor Deculein’s unpublished works are kept in the library here, and that’s the primary reason we came. We’re definitely going to read them. The second reason is similar—his past exam papers are also available in the library, and I’ve heard they’re free for anyone to access...”

The exclusive repository of Deculein’s writings and exams—prized treasures inaccessible even to the wealthiest—was located in Rekordak. As a result, this isolated region had recently gained a reputation among both the Floating Island and the Mage Tower, celebrated as a frozen Eldorado where unparalleled knowledge lay concealed beneath its frosted veneer.

“... Yes, I understand. However, may I inquire if you have encountered any attacks on your way here?” Yulie asked.

“No,” one mage replied.

"Then, may I ask if you brought provisions with you?"

“Sorry? Oh... yes. We’ve packed enough in our bags. There’s plenty for us, so please don’t worry!”

Yulie exhaled a quiet sigh.

Their claim of having enough food is clearly an exaggeration—at most, it might last ten days. The merchant guild’s routes to Rekordak are completely cut off, and with landslides destroying the roads, hoping for supplies is unrealistic.

Since the carriages and wagons are far too conspicuous and incapable of crossing the mountains, the fact that any personnel made it here at all feels like a miracle—something to be quietly grateful for, Yulie thought.

“Here is your entry permit. Please make sure not to lose it,” Yulie said, offering a slight nod with slight uncertainty.

“Okay! Thank you very much!”

The mages clenched their fists with enthusiasm as they moved forward, their every step fueled by purpose. Behind them, Yulie stood, her eyes on the mages, a veil of quiet confusion clouding her mind.

“... Mages journeying into this forsaken land, driven by the pursuit of knowledge...”

Still, there’s a certain romance to it—hiring mercenaries, risking their lives in pursuit of magical knowledge, and traveling all the way to Rekordak, knowing they might not survive. The journey must have been extreme, not only because of the demonic beasts but also the Scarletborn. It’s impressive they managed to navigate a safe path to reach this place.

Yulie glanced toward Deculein’s distant mansion, and an unexpected moment occurred. Silhouetted in the window, Deculein came into view, and their eyes met as if he had been watching her all along. Startled, Yulie quickly turned away. Thankfully, tasks awaited her, pulling her thoughts elsewhere.

“Knight Yulie, another group of mages is approaching—this time accompanied by an escort knight. It seems the Scarletborn are maintaining a wide perimeter with tight formations and are strategically cutting off supply lines,” the guard reported, gesturing toward the slope beyond the entrance.

“... Yes, that seems correct. See to it that the mages are welcomed properly. They, too, are a valuable resource,” Yulie replied, her tone carrying a hint of awkwardness as she straightened her posture.