I Became the Villain's Trainer-Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Red hair. That girl also had red hair. That’s why he had been drawn to her earlier. But why was she being treated differently from him? Unlike him, who had lost his parents at birth and suffered neglect from Thersion. Scruffy Hair sniffed.

‘What’s the difference?’

Alexa doesn’t have the scent of dark arts in her. Of course, not all red-haired people belong to the Red Clan. But he’d bet both his wrists that she’s part of the Red Clan. Or maybe just one wrist? In any case, a clan member can always recognize another.

Instead of the cursed smell unique to the Red Clan, Alexa carried a sweet floral fragrance. Scruffy Hair’s pupils widened.

[‘The day will come when the curse on the Red Clan will be lifted. When one of our clan is born who is not cursed, who does not wield black magic...’]

It was something he had heard from an old woman living in the mountains, a story passed down by those who had been following the trail of the Red Clan. The old woman had been leading a small group of Red Clan members who had hidden themselves in the mountains. She was both their leader and a shaman, possessing knowledge that others did not.

[‘The one who enchants wolves and carries the scent of flowers – that is the person. He will be born as the very first of the Red Clan was.’]

Before the curse, the Red Clan could not wield black magic. But a fallen member of the Red Clan had ruined everything. They betrayed Thersion and cursed the Wolf God. That member of the Red Clan was killed by having their neck broken by the Wolf God, but the mastermind behind it all was never revealed. The Wolf God cursed the Red Clan, passing the curse through their blood.

[‘Run from the wolves for the rest of your life. The stench of filth will emanate from your blood. You will wield black magic instead of the magic of light and will no longer stand with the wolves!’]

The curse bestowed by the Wolf God continued to be passed down through their bloodline. A tower was erected at the place where the traitorous Red Clan member died, and that tower continued to change hands, passing the curse along.

Scruffy Hair’s black eyes gleamed. He wanted to shout in triumph. From the girl, there was a scent of light. At last, there was hope that the curse on the clan might be lifted.

‘I made a mistake. I should have treated her with care.’

No, he should have killed her. He was going to die here anyway. He would die without ever tasting the glory of lifting the curse. Scruffy Hair bitterly smiled. This was a secret he would take to the grave.

Curse the Red Clan. Let them all die.

Scruffy Hair closed his eyes. His bleak life was fading. Was death also part of the curse the Red Clan had received? They were beaten to death, chased away for being unlucky. They lived clutching all kinds of misfortune, just as he had.

* * *

Ysildus curled up. In the embrace of the large wolf, Alexa lay wrapped in blankets. A sweet scent, mingled with the smell of medicine, wafted from Alexa. Ysildus breathed into Alexa’s hair, as if trying to breathe life into her cold body. Despite using all kinds of magic and herbs, she still hadn’t regained consciousness.

It had been three days since Alexa’s accident. Terrun staggered over and clung to Ysildus’ tail. Glancing at Terrun, Ysildus buried his head back beside Alexa.

Outside, the howls of wolves and the joyful songs of the festival could be heard every day. These were the things Alexa loved. Ysildus rubbed his nose against Alexa’s cheek.

Wake up.

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Please.

Ysildus whispered, his voice failing him. Red strands of hair scattered over Alexa’s pale face. Karrolf, who had finally examined Alexa properly, said that the power of light was lying dormant within her. He said she might be able to use healing magic. If she could, it would be great if she could first heal herself. Ysildus licked Alexa’s cheek.

Wake up. Ysildus sighed and closed his eyes again.

* * *

Carlisle’s sharp eyes twisted with fatigue. He hadn’t slept a wink in three days. During that time, he had taken care of various matters to manage the situation. The foolish wolf knight who had let the scruffy-haired man inside had lost an eye. It could have been worse if Visten and Essellia hadn’t intervened. They said that killing someone in hopes of saving another was wrong.

Carlisle ground his teeth. He had thought it would be fine, that there was no harm in leaving them a little room. He thought it wouldn’t be a problem if their target was Ysildus or Terrun. He never considered that Alexa would get caught up and hurt. Why had he been so complacent? Carlisle rubbed his forehead with his palm, letting out a heated breath.

“Is Alexa still not awake?”

“No, Your Excellency.”

Though Karrolf said she had passed the critical stage, Alexa still hadn’t regained consciousness. Carlisle looked out the window with a somber gaze. The snow was falling thicker and thicker. Winter was deepening, but the streets were still full of people enjoying the festival. New bridges were being built between the towns.

The one who had brought about this miracle was lying in bed, yet everything was going smoothly. Karrolf and the magicians had testified several things about Alexa. They said she was born with the magic of light and that she was of the Red Clan’s bloodline.

To notice such details amidst all that chaos – no wonder Karrolf had such a reputation. The bloodthirstiness that sometimes stirred within him would subside when he thought of Alexa’s smiling face. Everyone, even the wolves, had listened to Karrolf’s story.

But Ysildus and Terrun, as if uninterested, had holed up in the bedroom with Alexa, not even eating, leaving the Head Maid fretting. No one was shaken by the fact that Alexa belonged to the Red Clan. Alexa didn’t smell of black magic. She had the soft fragrance of flowers rather than the stench of a curse.

And Carlisle was the wolf closest to the curse of the Red Clan. The Red Clan, who had betrayed the Wolf God, had been wiped out on the spot. The Wolf God had to disappear because of the curse and was lost in human reincarnation.

The Red Clan had originally been a clan that served the Wolf God. Their blood carried the scent of flowers that soothed wolves. They healed their wounded allies with the magic of light and were a race blessed by the Wolf God with long life. Until their leader betrayed them.

The leader cursed the Wolf God, killing him in exchange for her own life. No one knew what had driven her to such actions. Even Lunailliah hesitated to speak of the memories of that day. But then Thersion, the one who inherited memories, was born, and a Red Clan member not bound by the curse appeared. Not even Carlisle could guess what this meant.

He just…

‘Alexa.’

He just hoped that child would wake up. He wished she would smile again like before, handing over a cheap fountain pen, calling it a gift. Carlisle gazed absently at the fountain pen in his hand.

She had said it was something she bought at the festival. It was nothing special, yet it had become one of the things decorating Carlisle’s office. Visten was no different, holding onto his own cheap fountain pen and praying. This was yet another miracle Alexa had created. Even the deep-rooted hatred toward the Red Clan had begun to dissipate. Carlisle let out a faint laugh.

‘What have you done to us, Alexa.’

I wished she would wake up by tomorrow, just for the sake of Essellia and Violeta, who had braved the snowstorm to gather good herbs for her. I really hoped so.

* * *

Alexa was dreaming. Or perhaps it wasn’t a dream, but somewhere else entirely – she couldn’t tell. Black letters filled the white space, fluttering around her.

[The Wolf God who founded the Temperchi Empire, and the Red Clan cursed by the Wolf God.

The one who killed the Wolf God...]

Incomprehensible words poured into her mind. Alexa struggled to open her eyes. Above the white ceiling, red lips kept speaking incessantly. The words they spoke turned into letters and flowed into her. It felt like something was piling up inside her.

“Oh, you’re awake,” the lips spoke to Alexa.

“You are...?”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Where is this place?”

“The space of letters – Karacter. Here, the world is written and recreated.”

Alexa frowned. She couldn’t understand what the lips were saying.

“Creating the world? What do you mean by ‘writing’?”

“Writing the world. To create a world, there is something called the core of the story.”

“Core of the story?”

“Creating life is the domain of the gods. It’s not something humans can do. But there’s a way to breathe life into the world humans have created.”

“What is it?”

The lips burst into laughter as if asking how she didn’t know.