The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 206 - Did He Just Make Her Leave the Team...?

—

After saying those words, which felt less like giving Shuna a choice and more like trying to push her away…

Will finally dared to look up at her.

He had been worried that she might glare at him angrily before he even finished speaking.

But to his surprise, Shuna, who usually stared him down until he finished talking, was looking away today, her gaze fixed on the bustling streets beyond the quiet alley.

Her face was strikingly “beautiful” in a bold, confident way.

She looked like the kind of dependable older sister who would always stand by your side, yet her demeanor carried a streak of stubborn independence.

Although Will constantly reminded himself that Shuna was just his “bro,” every time he saw her face, it was hard to think of her as anything other than a cool older sister.

“Hmm… are you sure you’ll be fine without my help in the future?”

“Uh… yeah.”

Will nodded, but he was lying.

He absolutely wanted Shuna’s help.

She had proven her strength—she could fight Leah in her prime and on her home turf and walk away with only minor injuries. That alone gave Will confidence in her abilities.

But this time, he was dealing with the royal family and Treya, who possessed the mysterious and unpredictable “demonic power.” As a member of the royal family, Treya’s situation didn’t warrant Shuna’s involvement.

In this sense, his mindset was similar to Leah’s when she had advised him not to get involved in royal matters.

Ultimately, the Entark royal family was just too rotten. It was hard not to assume they would target any “ordinary person” who dared to interfere.

Moreover, Shuna had already been injured once because of him. He couldn’t bear to see her hurt again.

Most importantly…

Shuna turned her gaze back to him, her eyes scanning him carefully.

—Will had never understood why Shuna was so willing to take risks for him.

Not only had she repeatedly expressed her desire to join his adventuring team…

She was also willing to accompany him to the most dangerous dungeons.

She had even saved his life multiple times.

It was as if…

She had no other “purpose” in this world. Building a team with Will and exploring dungeons together seemed to be her sole reason for living.

Maybe he was overthinking it.

Shuna, who seemed so sociable and capable, might have already moved past chasing “achievements” or “material rewards” in dungeons. Perhaps she was just looking for some fun.

“Is that so? I thought, with my skills, you’d be begging me to stay on the team, saying you couldn’t do without me.”

A flicker of “disappointment” crossed Shuna’s face. It wasn’t an act, and because of that, it was fleeting.

Seeing her expression…

Will was suddenly reminded of something he hadn’t fully understood before.

This description—of someone who saw being part of a team as the most important thing in their life, but who others assumed wasn’t serious and could be easily dismissed—felt eerily familiar.

It was almost as if he were reciting it verbatim.

This…

This was how the protagonist Shu was described in the original story.

Shu had been kicked out of his team precisely because he gave off this “illusion.”

And his deep attachment to “Morning Star” wasn’t something he had ever shared with anyone.

Because, in the original “Morning Star,” Shu had treated it as his life’s work, and he had seen the team’s deceased “captain” as his most important friend. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spiraled into madness later on.

Come to think of it, Will had already noticed that Shuna’s appearance—her hair color, eye color, school, and even age—aligned surprisingly well with Shu’s description.

Now, he was starting to piece together the mystery of the original protagonist’s disappearance.

The more he thought about it, the more connections he found—

Shuna’s “coincidental” timing for joining Morning Star matched the timeline of Shu rejoining the team in the original story.

Her role as logistics—though she claimed it was because of the strange ideas Will had put in her head through his letters.

Even her identity as a “Divine Condenser” was an exact match.

There weren’t many “Divine Condensers” in this world due to their unique role in the world’s lore.

…

Could it be…?!

The only thing that didn’t align was her personality. Shu, whether in the original Morning Star or in Will’s team later, had never been as cheerful and outgoing as Shuna.

If that were the case, would trying to “kick her out of the team” at this “wrong” point in time even work?

“Alright. I get it—you’re saying this for my own good.”

Shuna didn’t seem to notice that Will’s mind had raced through countless thoughts in a short span of time. She simply stretched lazily.

Her expression remained as relaxed as ever, as if she had anticipated this outcome all along.

“You… saw right through me.”

“If that’s your decision, then… I guess I have no choice but to leave.”

“It’s fine. I trained her; I know her inside out.”

“You’re sure you won’t end up completely under her control like last time?”

“I won’t.”

“You’re sure you won’t get drugged and lose consciousness again?”

“I really won’t!”

“You’re sure you won’t end up stripped bare and drained dry again?”

“This time, I have the advantage!”

Shuna actually chuckled at that.

“Alright, if you’re dead set on heading to the capital, at least hire some bodyguards or ask your father for help, okay?”

“…You’re starting to sound like my mom.”

“Aw, come on, call me ‘Mom’ once? Nah, forget it. That’d make it seem like I have any interest in that lousy father of yours.”

…

The banter seemed to have run its course.

For two people who were usually so good at joking around, the conversation fell into silence.

“Let’s part ways here. If we meet again, great. Oh, and you can still write to me—no need to stay anonymous anymore. Just send it to ‘Shuna’ at the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll head this way. You can take the road that leads to the capital. There’s a carriage stop nearby.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, see you around. Don’t forget to officially remove me from the team at the guild, okay? Otherwise, I won’t be considered a freelance adventurer, and it’ll be harder for me to take on jobs.”

“I’ll handle it when I get to the capital. The missing person notices just went up here, so I don’t want to risk going to the guild in the city center.”

“Alright.”

This time, it was Shuna who replied with a single word.

“Well then, every journey has an end.”

“Goodbye!”

Shuna waved her hand and turned toward the bustling streets filled with people and carriages.

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Her figure grew smaller and smaller in the light until it disappeared entirely at the end of the road.

Will didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stood there, watching.

Shuna might be the type to walk away, only to suddenly turn back and grab him, saying, “Just kidding!”

But…

She didn’t.

Her black hair blended into the crowd, and she never reappeared.

It seemed…

Will had truly pushed her out of the team.

But the timing didn’t match the original story, where Shu had been kicked out of the team.

She…

She really wasn’t the original protagonist, was she?

For some reason…

Will desperately hoped that was true—that Shuna was just Shuna and had no connection to the original character.

Maybe it was because…

During his long correspondence with “S,” he had come to see her as someone entirely separate from the story.

Someone who truly belonged to his own social circle, to his own story.

If someone told him now that Shuna was just a “gender-swapped version of the protagonist,” he might feel that “fate” was even more unfair.

In his life, the people around him always seemed tied to a predetermined, pre-written story.