Rogue Villain-Chapter 305: Good Girl

Wilma’s eyes lit up slightly as Ackster mentioned Vider. He was targeting one of the arsonists he had asked her to look for. But he had just said that they were going to pick up one or two more party members. It was the right decision to decide to supervise him.

"I have already made all the preparations necessary to leave this city in the hands of others. It wasn’t like I did much more than suppress any threats and violence."

Karandiel was the first to finish her food and stand up, ready to leave.

Ackster raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Didn’t you build this city? Are you sure about leaving it?"

Karandiel nodded.

"I built it mostly for the sake of getting the resources I needed. Besides, it will sooner or later fall into the hands of greedy humans, taking advantage of everyone’s goodwill and united hearts. It’s only a matter of time before this peaceful city turns into a center of corruption and desire like any other place filled with humans."

Despise seeped into Karandiel’s voice as she spoke. Ackster wondered what might have caused her such strong feelings, but that wasn’t important.

"What kind of resources did you need?"

As far as Ackster knew, Karandiel didn’t need any resources for her abilities. She grew stronger based on her convictions, which he just now realized might be similar to Covenants.

"Did you forget?"

Karandiel looked at Ackster with a worried look, her previous disgust for humans gone like the wind.

’Is it...’

"The necklace and bracelet I asked you to look for?"

Karandiel nodded with a proud expression.

"Yep. And then some. I have it all in my Inventory."

"Good. Have you used those two items?"

Karandiel shook her head and retrieved a simple silver chain necklace with a four-leaf clover and a bronze-colored bracelet made of three connected metal strings.

"Perfect."

Akcster’s eyes lit up as he grabbed the two items to admire them.

’Excellent timing.’

Denebre’s Necklace and Erbened’s Bracelet would make his trip to Vider a lot easier and his entire mission, especially dealing with The Hero, easier. Well, hopefully, at least. Ackster couldn’t confirm if they would even work against The Hero. That was why he hadn’t put as much importance on them as he had on recruiting strong fighters. But they would work on their next party member. And they would make him stronger.

Ackster patted Karandiel’s head after storing the items in his Inventory, earning her a jealous look from Mara.

"Are we ready to leave, then?"

Ackster looked at the others, none of which had any objections.

After looking at a map so that Mara knew where to go, they took off. Ackster, although slightly confident in his success now, was nowhere near at ease enough to slack off and waste time when they didn’t have a reason not to leave.

Mara, eager to earn Ackster’s praise, didn’t hold back, and it didn’t take more than a day for them to arrive at the Vider Continent, ruled by the Vider Empire, which had complete dominion over the continent.

The landmass was less than that of the Tenger Continent. It might even be smaller than the Land of Dragons. But Vider was larger than Matar.

Yet, Vider was stronger than the other continents, true dragons excluded. It was one of, if not the most, powerful nations and continents of Millmeria. Ackster doubted it was common knowledge, and before learning of the Guild’s true strength, he would have assumed very few knew of it.

But the reason for the Vider Empire’s strength was the fact that they were relying on an inheritance from a previous Calamitous Cycle. It was the oldest nation in the current Cycle, and it had spent the current Cycle building up its power in all kinds of ways while preventing internal strife and collapse.

It was an impressive nation in all ways that superseded most other places in the world in terms of education, warfare, technology, and magic.

Yet, Vider, like many other nations and continents, fell to ruin over the next four years.

The Calamity had sown its roots deep in the world and society. It had even managed to turn one of the dragons. With forces like that, it was no wonder that the world almost went under before The Hero defeated The Calamity.

But the civilizations of Millmeria lost any chances of rebuilding or leaving behind any kind of legacy after The Hero defeated The Calamity and annihilated the world.

Ackster looked at Wilma.

"Do you want us to or have a way to get us inside officially without revealing our identities?"

Wilma shook her head.

"Not on short notice like this."

"Under the radar it is."

Ackster looked at Mara. She was a little exhausted after flying at clothes-tearing speed for so long. But he could tell that she was still in good enough shape to keep going. She just needed a little motivation. And he had noticed how she looked at him, his hand, and Karandiel’s head before.

"Good work, Mara."

Ackster patted Mara’s head.

"Do you want to rest, or can you keep going?"

Mara perked up like a nipple exposed to the cold.

"I can keep going!"

Ackster nodded.

"Good girl."

Karandiel looked at the exchange with a fierce gaze.

Mara took a deep breath and restored her state a little before enveloping them all in a layer of magic that shielded them from the Empire’s detection magic. Ackster and his party members shimmered into invisibility before descending and approaching the Vider Continent.

Ackster kept his senses sharp, and he noticed when they passed through a magic barrier that kept track of anything above a certain level that passed through it. But it didn’t react to them.

Mara kept up the magic, even after passing the barrier, since there were several guard outposts, villages, and towns before they arrived at the city where Makkel, the arsonist they were looking for, was to be found.