Reincarnated in a novel: I am the villain!-Chapter 264: Rusty Nail!

[Location: River-Cross – The Rusty Nail Inn]

Returning to the wagon, the three of them continued their journey through the town as they continued to gather more information on the current state of the world

According to reports, since the end of the war, both the Dragon and Central empires have begun to aggressively kidnap and attack all elves outside their empire as well as recruit soldiers

Cultists such as the Twilight cult and others had become more frequent with demon sightings and appearances being more and more common

In the veridian light or the kingdom of light, a decree for a holy war had been launched, and they had begun to aggressively recruit and train paladins

All over the world, all kinds of moves had begun to speed up, churches began to deliver miracles more frequently and recruit believers

Mage towers and aura schools began to shut their doors in fear of being caught up in the wild fire

All over the world, no where was calm as a dark shadow seemed to hover across the whole world.

And after a few more hours of information gathering, they slowly made a way to a an in called the rusty nail, and after paying for one room, the three of them entered with a look of exasperation on their face

The room was small, smelling of damp wood and boiled cabbage. The single candle on the table flickered, casting long, dancing shadows against the peeling wallpaper.

Alaric, Elena, and Lukas sat around the rickety table, eating a silent meal of hard bread and stew.

The rain drummed relentlessly against the roof, drowning out the noise of the drunken patrons downstairs.

Elena pushed her bowl away. She hadn’t eaten much.

"I always thought..." Elena started, her voice soft.

"I always thought his lessons were just about power. About not dying."

She looked at the candle flame.

"’Hesitation is death.’ ’Greed is a tool.’ ’Trust no one.’" She recited the maxims Damien had drilled into their heads during the hellish training sessions at the Academy.

She looked up at Alaric.

"But today... seeing those armbands. Seeing that bread."

She traced a pattern on the wood table.

"It seems we have barely begun to comprehend the teachers mind"

On the side, Lukas rested his metal arms on the table. The heavy brass clunked against the wood.

"The Empire calls us terrorists," Lukas muttered.

"From the fliers they say we helped a monster destroy the peace."

He looked out the dirty window, down toward the Lower District where faint lights still glowed in the soup kitchens.

"But I haven’t seen peace like that in years. People sharing food. Kids playing without fear of being beaten by a noble’s carriage."

Lukas looked at his mechanical fingers. He flexed them, the mana circuits humming faintly.

"He played the role perfectly, didn’t he?" Lukas whispered, a look of awe crossing his face.

"Mozart. Zero. The Villain."

"He made himself the target," Elena realized. "He gathered all the hate in the world, from the Emperor, the Church, the cults and he focused it on himself. And while everyone was looking at him... he broke the chains."

Lukas chuckled, a dry, rasping sound.

"he is indeed my teacher!."

As for Alaric he didn’t speak as he was currently busy.

He had a rag in his hand, and he was slowly, methodically polishing The Anvil. T

he massive slab of black iron, the weapon Damien had helped him get gleamed in the candlelight.

"He’s gone," Alaric said abruptly.

The room went quiet.

"The Professor is gone. Zero is gone. He’s in the Abyss, somewhere we can’t reach."

Alaric stopped polishing. He slammed the rag down.

"But he left us."

He looked at his friends. His eyes, usually tired and burdened by leadership, burned with a new, fierce light.

"We are his students!.We are the only ones who know the truth. If we run... if we hide in the mountains... then everything he did was for nothing. The Empire will rebuild. The Nobles will make things go back to the old ways and the cultists will run wild."

Alaric stood up. He strapped The Anvil to his back. The weight seemed to ground him.

"We aren’t going to hide."

He walked to the map pinned to the wall. He stabbed a finger onto a marked location deep in the south.

"The Kingdom of Light."

"The Sword of Heroes?" Elena asked, standing up.

"Yes," Alaric nodded. "Although I don’t know why, but I know if I get my hands on this sword, my strength will get a qualitative leap."

He looked at them.

"Not to become saints. But to protect the world he built. We’re going to steal the symbol of justice right out from under their noses."

Lukas stood up, the chair scraping loudly. He grinned, clashing his metal fists together.

"Hahaha! Indeed! I couldn’t have said it better myself."

"Not to become saints. But to protect the world he built"

And so with a hearty laugh, the three of them slept in separate parts of the room with Elena taking the bed and lukas and Alaric taking the floor

Each with a smile on their face as they looked forward to making their teacher proud in the future!

.......

The next morning, the rain had stopped. The air was crisp and cold.

The wagon was packed. The horses were fed. They were ready to move.

Alaric was tightening the harness on the lead horse when he froze.

"Look," Alaric nodded toward the wall of the inn.

Pasted there was a fresh Imperial poster.

[WANTED: ZERO.]

[The Enemy of Humanity.]

[Reward: 1, 000, 000, 000, 000 Gold coins.]

The sketch showed the masked figure standing amidst the flames of war, looking terrifying.

A thick, black line was drawn through the word WANTED.

And above it, in jagged, defiant letters, a single word was written.

HERO.

Alaric stared at it for a long moment. Then, he climbed onto the driver’s bench.

"Hyah!"

The wagon rolled out of River-Cross, heading south. The wheels kicked up mud, leaving the town of whispers behind, carrying three students who were no longer running away.

They were running toward the fight, with hopes for a better future.