Taming The Villainesses-Chapter 408: Leader (5)

The Fallen Monk Teodoros. The Demon Monk Basago.

The man had many names.

And he said he had lived a life worthy of those names.

A name was the title given to a person.

Just as every book or tale followed the direction set by its title—

So too, people would live a life shaped by the name they bore. That’s what he believed.

“Teo Gospel. The weight of that name is not something you can compare to anything in this world. Master, you will one day come to a crossroads.”

The Grand Sorcerer Basago of Solomon had prophesied an imperfect future.

Though I couldn’t quite grasp what he meant. Why did people in this world love speaking in such difficult riddles?

No one was ever straightforward.

Trying to make sense of it, I spoke.

“So Teodoros, to sum up what you’re saying—this ‘new millennium’ is real, and I will eventually have to make a choice.”

“Correct.”

“What kind of choice?”

In response, Teodoros held out a closed fist—then extended two fingers, index and middle.

“Between what you already have—and what you have yet to gain. One of them you’ll lose. One you’ll gain. That’s all I know right now.”

A choice between what I already have... and what I must gain.

That was when Mirna suddenly stood.

“Sir Teo, a moment please.”

She took me by the arm and pulled me around the corner behind the mansion. Then she glanced around cautiously and whispered:

“To be honest, I don’t understand a single thing that man just said.”

“Same here.”

I gave a vague «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» answer. Mirna peeked back around the corner at the man still seated near the fire.

“They say Roman priests value the spiritual and emotional above all. Their words are always full of obscure metaphors.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. He’s not exactly the clearest speaker.”

“When you overthink things, you fall into heresy. If people would just follow scripture and doctrine, none of this would happen.”

“...So why did you pull me aside?”

“Because it’s nonsense. Don’t let it get to you. That kind of talk only clouds your mind. It won’t help you in life.”

I understood what she meant. She probably thought I was falling into some weird cult. Her concern was unfounded—but I didn’t show it. I just nodded in thanks.

“I’ll be careful.”

And with that, we returned to the fire.

Since Mirna seemed uneasy, I decided to wrap this meeting up quickly. It’d be nice to get back in bed before midnight.

Plus, I was late feeding Kang-Kang the chipmunk squirrel.

“Teodoros, I’ve just got a few final questions. Let’s skip the philosophy and keep it clear.”

“Understood.”

As he nodded, I asked:

“When should we schedule the wedding? I’m trying to pick a day with good weather—no rain, clear skies. You’re good with this kind of thing, right?”

Teodoros raised an eyebrow at the question, then slowly looked up at the dark Gracia sky.

“Clear skies, huh... Lately it’s been raining all across the continent.”

Mirna jabbed me in the ribs.

“Sir Teo, is this really the time to be asking that?”

“That’s why it’s important. Surely even you wouldn’t want to have your makeup run and your dress get soaked on your one and only wedding day.”

“Well... I suppose not...”

Then Teodoros answered.

“Ten days from now would be good. Every other day will bring rain—but ten days from now, the skies will be clear.”

Ten days, huh?

Perfect.

Having gotten the answer I wanted, I turned to Mirna.

“Miss, would you give me a moment alone with this man?”

“But, Sir Teo...”

“I won the martial tournament, remember? You know no one can harm me.”

Reluctantly, Mirna nodded and stepped away.

Once her footsteps had faded, I asked the one question I’d been holding.

“Basago, I have something to ask you.”

“Then I’ll answer not as Teodoros, but as Basago.”

“I see letters. What the Church and the heroes call ‘the system,’ or ‘status windows,’ or ‘blessings’... I see them.”

I saw many such letters. They informed me of my condition. They guided me. Like revelations from the heavens.

Some say it’s just Solomon’s magic system, but I’ve been feeling... something different lately.

“Is it divine revelation? The hallucinations and voices the Angmar family used to report—am I seeing those in the form of letters?”

“That...”

Basago fell silent. That silence was enough of an answer.

Then I asked the real question.

“After I obtained Grand Sorcery Basago, the letters gave me a final objective. One of four has been fulfilled.”

That happened after I defeated Opal.

The progress bar had moved from blank to...

[Final Objective Progress: 1/4]

Seeing that had sent a chill down my spine. I felt it instinctively. I knew what the letters were truly asking of me.

But I hadn’t confirmed it. Jumping to conclusions without proof would be foolish. Still, this guy would know.

A question I’d been holding alone for a long time—

Now I asked him.

“Does that progress bar mean I must kill the heads of the four families? I can’t think of any other conditions.”

The thirst for revenge against the Four Families. It ran deep in Angmar’s blood.

Maybe that’s why, when I burned Opal alive with magic, I felt that rush.

A high so sharp it could shatter my skull.

I used to think that was just a side effect of high-level magic. But after using other great magics, I realized... that high was something else entirely.

The letters wanted blood.

They wanted revenge.

And that revenge, just as Mirna and Elga had warned, meant bloodshed—nothing short of it.

But I didn’t follow that path. Because I didn’t understand it.

“The letters once told me to spread the blood of Angmar. To subdue the noble daughters and rebuild the family.”

I sensed a kind of good intention in that.

Weird and absurd, like a prank from a nymph—but still, some kind of good.

That’s why I followed the plan.

But now, it told me to destroy the very girls I’d made my wives?

That was malice. So pure it felt mechanical.

“Basago. Answer me.”

The man stared into the fire for a long time before replying.

“That... I do not know. But I do know the one who can answer. He is the one who gives the questions, and also the one who provides the answers.”

“Who is he?”

“Master, he has always been with you. But his true self watches from a far-off land. Go to him. Beyond the window. Just as you were always meant to.”

Beyond the window.

With those words, I had nothing left to ask.

***

While I was speaking with Basago, Mirna had gone back to her villa to gather some things.

When I went to meet her out front, she was struggling with heavy bags.

She shoved a whole bundle into my arms.

“What’s all this?”

“Family heirlooms.”

Family items, huh.

Sure enough, included among them was a portrait, and what looked like a very old “photograph”—something taken at great expense back in the day. I looked at the childhood photo of Mirna and Narmee.

Mirna asked:

“Isn’t this ‘photograph’ amazing? You can preserve someone’s likeness so clearly. It’s like freezing time itself. Even magic can’t do that.”

“It is impressive. I wonder where the camera came from, though.”

Mirna blinked.

“Camera?”

She knew what the photo was—but apparently not how it was taken.

That made sense.

In this world, things like broken electronics and cameras sometimes turned up.

They fell from the shattered sky and were scavenged beyond the barrier by illegal pickers.

But since no one knew how they worked, they usually ended up as collector’s curios.

It made me wonder. Why did such things fall from the sky shattered by Solomon?

Of course, no one could answer that. Not unless I saw for myself.

So I asked:

“By the way—have we decided on a honeymoon location?”

“We’ve got a few candidates. Why do you ask? Did that man say something that got to you?”

“Sort of. If you haven’t locked it in yet, would it be alright if I made a suggestion?”

“A place you want to go?”

Mirna tilted her head. I looked up at the far northern sky.

Somewhere beyond that barrier... lay the broken sky, like shattered glass.

Then—

“Ah! Comrade! There you are!”

From afar, someone came running straight toward me. She was so frantic, I worried she’d fall flat on her face.

It was Marmar.

She ran like a squirrel chased by a tiger and finally reached me, panting hard.

What in the world had her so worked up?

“Marmar, what’s wrong?”

“Listen, comrade, listen to me! Something’s happened...!”

She was completely flustered, like an imp stung by a bee.

Marmar didn’t usually panic this much, so I naturally paid attention.

Her shoulders and chest were heaving as she caught her breath.

“I-I looked everywhere for you, ran all over... Anyway, listen—Professor Balan...”

Then Mirna narrowed her eyes coldly.

“So Professor Balan caused trouble.”

“Wh—how did you—?!”

Even though she hadn’t finished her sentence, Mirna had already understood. Marmar stared at her, wide-eyed.

Mirna gently stroked Marmar’s jaw and head to calm her.

“I always figured she’d get into trouble eventually. A person’s nature doesn’t change so easily.”

Well, she’s got a point.

So what kind of trouble did Professor Balan cause?

I turned to Marmar, who had finally calmed down enough to speak.

“What happened exactly?”