I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 166

“W-wait a moment... Then are you saying... Prince Heath... isn’t actually Prince Heath?”

Luke nodded as he removed his robe, then unfolded the letter in his hand and showed it to the three of them. As they read the bloodstained pages, their expressions gradually shifted to match Luke’s.

“Prince Heath never intended to approve Hainere’s invasion plan from the beginning.”

Then, Luke explained everything—what he saw in the secret room on the top floor, the summoning circle, and what Felix, who was impersonating Heath, was plotting.

“High-tier monsters in massive numbers... If that’s true, the villages near the western border will be annihilated.”

At Paul’s words, the other two men’s faces darkened. It wasn’t just the villages along the western frontier. If those upper-class monsters advanced quickly, the scope of destruction would be unimaginable.

No matter how strong the Hainere Imperial Army was, or how many gifted individuals it had, it would be impossible to defeat monsters of that class in one blow.

“That’s why we have to stop it—no matter what.”

The three of them swallowed nervously and nodded. Though clearly shaken by the sudden turn of events, their expressions showed they were ready to receive orders at any time.

“Levi, you {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} said you’re experienced with barriers, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then from now on, Jade will use warp to send you to the border between Welharun and Hainere. Once you arrive, find the summoning circle Felix set up.”

There had to be an auxiliary circle—one that responded to the main circle drawn in the palace’s secret room. It was likely hidden somewhere near the Welharun border, to call the summoned monsters directly into the region.

“Destroying it would be ideal, but realistically speaking, that won’t be possible. Summoning circles are too complex, and the mana infused into it by Felix won’t be ordinary.”

“Then what should we do?” Paul asked.

“Levi, you need to cast a suppression spell on the circle to delay the ritual as much as possible.”

“But I specialize in barriers, not summoning rituals...”

“Circles and barriers operate on fundamentally similar principles. You’re just unfamiliar with it—not incapable.”

Luke gave Levi’s shoulder a firm pat. This wasn’t empty comfort out of sentiment. All three of them were elite operatives of the Imperial Army—only one rank beneath Luke himself. Within the force, they were considered highly competent assets.

“Paul, you’ll provide Levi with cover. Try not to clash with the Welharun soldiers guarding the border—but if you're discovered, put them to sleep with your power.”

“Understood.”

“And Jade.”

Luke neatly folded the letter and handed it to Jade.

“After you get these two safely to the border, cross into Hainere immediately. Deliver this letter to Theo, and report everything I just told you. After that, Theo will know what to do.”

In truth, this was the core of the entire mission.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you delivered it yourself, Commander?”

Jade asked, looking a little worried as he accepted the letter.

“To return to Hainere quickly, we need someone with warp-specialized abilities. Besides, I can’t go. Felix... likely knows who I really am by now.”

“H-how?”

“Remember when I pretended to be sick at the banquet? He touched me then.”

“Ah—then he definitely would’ve sensed your mana. It’d be odd for a low-ranking diplomat to carry that much magical power.”

Paul ruffled his hair with a look of frustration. He wasn’t wrong. Most likely, Felix had sensed not only Luke’s natural mana but also the corrupted mana. But since these three didn’t know about Luke’s right hand, there was no need to bring that up now.

“It was a mistake on my part. I never imagined the bastard would be pretending to be Prince Heath. Anyway, what’s fortunate is that Felix only caught on to me. He has no idea about the three of you.”

Luke pulled the robe back over his shoulders. He gathered a few sheets of paper from the room and tucked them into his inner coat.

“My role is bait. I’ll keep him occupied here in the capital until you safely reach the border—and until that letter finds its way to Theo.”

If Felix had already begun watching him, then the moment he made any suspicious move, Felix would likely show himself. Luke planned to use that.

“Honestly, this role should be reversed.”

When Paul hit the nail on the head, Luke simply shrugged with a smile. Normally, baiting the enemy or buying time was the job of subordinates—while the commanding officer completed the most critical part of the mission.

But Luke didn’t feel like dividing roles by rank anymore. In the past, when he lived as a "villain," he had been greedy, looked down on others, and insisted on hogging all the most glamorous, dangerous, and important parts of the plan. But now, he didn’t have a reason to do that.

“By the way, Commander... did you tell Prince Cailern about all of this?”

“...”

Luke went quiet for a moment. Now that the truth was clear, one thing was certain—Prince Heath’s fate was unknown. The bloodstains in the secret room were likely his. Whatever Felix had done to him, it was definitely bad. Perhaps even the worst-case scenario needed to be considered.

“I didn’t tell him directly. I asked his knight to deliver the message.”

They were allies for now, so it was necessary to share the operation. And while it was a painful truth, Cailern needed to know—more than anyone.

“He’s probably aware by now. Anyway, that’s enough small talk. Time to move.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Let’s go.”

Luke pulled his hood down low over his eyes as he spoke.

***

Felix, still crawling on the floor with a dazed expression, couldn’t bring himself to accept reality. He had believed everything was perfect. He never imagined things would unravel this badly.

Where had it gone wrong? From the moment he allowed the Hainere delegation into Welharun? He had welcomed them in so boldly to avoid raising suspicion—was that the mistake?

“Hey. Want me to tell you what’s about to happen?”

No. It was all because of that man.

“The Hainere army will arrive here soon—to arrest you for violating the treaty. All those strike team leaders you planted throughout Welharun? They’ll be rounded up too. And as for you... you’re not going to die so easily. Not until every single crime you committed comes to light—and the mana you planted in both me and the Welharun emperor is completely purified.”

Felix’s bloodshot eyes filled with hate. That mocking grin... the way that man smiled like everything was under control made him seethe. If that bastard hadn’t interfered, Cailern wouldn’t have pulled something reckless, and the whole plan wouldn’t have been exposed.

Benjie and Hays wouldn’t have been captured either.

Felix clawed the ground in frustration, his nails scratching at the dirt. Then his eyes flicked toward a sword lying nearby.

“Excuse me... you...”

“...Me?”

Dante, who had been standing slightly apart, approached Luke with a different tone in his voice.

“You know the corrupted mana is spreading pretty badly, right?”

“Ah.”

Yeah. He knew. Honestly, he was barely staying conscious through sheer willpower. His whole body felt like it was burning from the inside, like he’d been beaten with a club dozens of times.

He’d gone all out against Felix. And in the end, that bastard had even injected him directly with his mana.

“You... you can’t stay like this.”

“Just to be sure—could I die in the worst-case scenario?”

“...”

Dante fell silent. Luke, reading the grim look on his face, cursed under his breath.

“...In the worst case, yes. But if we purify it, it’ll be fine. First, we should get my father—wait!”

The moment Dante turned his gaze toward Felix—

“Die!”

Felix shot up with the last of his strength. A sword gleamed in his hand, aimed squarely at Luke.

Luke knew he had to dodge. For someone as ragged as Felix, landing a hit should’ve been laughably easy to avoid.

But his body wouldn’t move. It was as if his legs were shackled with iron weights.

“I get it. I won’t get hurt. I won’t put myself in danger. I’ll complete the mission and come back safely.”

He had promised Theo he’d return without a scratch. Seeing him now like this would definitely make Theo furious. He was probably already on his way here...

For some reason, Luke suddenly wanted to see Theo’s face.

Just before the sword reached his nose—there was a sharp sound of wind being cut. A sword, flying from somewhere unseen, passed cleanly through the hole Luke had slammed into the rear gate of the palace earlier.

It pierced Felix’s right shoulder in one clean shot.

“AAAGH!”

It struck the same spot where Luke had injured him before. Felix screamed in agony—and then collapsed, unconscious, from the pain.

“...”

The sword that passed through Felix’s shoulder landed in the ground with a dull thud. It was wrapped in blue flame.

Familiar mana. Familiar firepower.

Luke turned his head, gasping for breath. The rear gate of the palace, normally fortified like iron, was now engulfed in blue flames.

The knights stood frozen, mouths agape at the unexpected blaze. Luke was no different. Then, a figure stepped through the flames.

Luke clenched his fist.

Hair as black as the night sky. Eyes just as dark.

“...Luke.”

Theo approached slowly, his face stricken with disbelief, eyes wide as he looked at Luke’s battered form.