A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 318

Chapter 318: Moon (2)

The Land of Destruction’s lighthouse marked the final main quest branch, leading to the worst ending, in which alien ore would be drawn in, obliterating the continent. As she watched Deculein, Ria’s eyes were filled with doubt and hostility.

“... Who is repairing the lighthouse?” Carlos asked.

“Shh,” Ria murmured, pressing a finger to her lips.

Then, Ria concentrated on her observation once more, just in case she had been mistaken in her sight.

Hummmmmm—

Deculein’s Telekinesis moved the massive lighthouse like the body of a giant, repeatedly dismantling, disintegrating, and reassembling it—progressing it into a more proper structure.

“Why...”

Ria was unable to understand, as in her estimation, Deculein was unequivocally no saint, and not a hero capable of sacrificing himself to rescue the continent, as Yulie or Ganesha might be.

However, Deculein, who had changed considerably from the original game, was likely a character like a noble himself—one who adhered strictly to principles, aspired to his house’s glory, and proclaimed himself a loyal servant to the Empress.

Watching Deculein construct the lighthouse in the Land of Destruction, Ria bit her fingernails hard.

Thud—

At that moment, the chilling sound of footsteps behind sent a shiver down the necks of Ria and her group.

"... Is it the priests?"

For the moment, Ria gathered the mana within her body and watched someone ascending the stairs...

Yulie? Ria thought.

“Hmm? Knight Yurie?”

It was Yulie.

"Miss Ria, are you alright?" Yulie asked, looking up at Ria as well.

"... What, you just followed us?"

"Yes, I decided to leave the matter to Lord Zeit. Thinking about it, he wasn’t someone who could be helped even if I tried," Yulie replied, joining Ria’s group. "But what caused you to leave in a hurry?"

Ria once more looked upon the Land of Destruction’s ground as Deculein continued to build the lighthouse with his mana, imbuing it with the blue, frigid properties of Snowflower Stone.

If constructed thus, the lighthouse would remain undamaged, capable of withstanding the occasional demonic energy storms and downpours that raged across the Land of Destruction, including lightning and other disasters, for Snowflower Stone was precisely such a metal.

Ria silently glanced back at Yulie, catching her own reflection in Yulie’s transparent pupils—a face that had forgotten all memories, even those of Deculein.

At that moment, a hypothesis surfaced in Ria's mind.

“... There is no way.”

The significance that Yulie and Ria hold for Deculein might be a programmed setting or relationship, or it could be part of the programming itself.

However, of the two, whichever one it proved to be...

"... He couldn't possibly not have suffered," Ria muttered, lowering her head.

Deculein had lost both of his fiancées—one, Yuara, a character inserted by Ria’s greed, and the other, Yulie, the knight who, at this very moment, looked at Ria from this place.

“... Pardon?”

Watching Yulie question, Ria experienced a certain pain in her heart.

Deculein couldn’t possibly not have suffered, nor could he possibly have been unaffected. Seeing me, who resembles his former fiancée, and Yulie, who has forgotten all her memories, Deculein’s inner self—his heart that no one could see—was slowly rotting away, Ria thought.

“... First.”

Was it my oversight to think of Deculein as nothing but cold steel or an unyielding tree all this time? Was it my immaturity to merely consider him an unyielding tree or cold steel, without ever trying to understand his heart?

Ria pressed hard on her temples, her hand closing into a tight fist.

“First...”

Ria’s head ached, but the words she meant to speak refused to come forth.

If Deculein had turned into an enemy, if he had joined the side of the final boss...

"Are you, then, strangers to this place?"

At that moment, a chilling voice resonated, causing Ria and her companions to quickly raise their eyes and turn as someone approached from the bottom of the stairs, deliberately making their footsteps heard.

“Hmm.”

The man in the robe, letting out a relaxed hum, looked up in Ria's direction.

"You, indeed, are outsiders, then?"

The voice was somewhat familiar to Ria, and so was the subtly revealed lower face.

“... Your Highness?!” 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

At the mention of the honorific title Ria involuntarily blurted out, Yulie’s eyes snapped open.

“High knees? Why high knees?” Leo muttered.

Smack—!

"Hey, be quiet," Carlos said, smacking Leo on the head.

“Argh!”

"Haha," Creáto murmured—the man Ria called Your Highness—then chuckled and pulled back the hood of his robe.

"I greet Grand Prince Creáto," Yulie said, immediately dropping to one knee.

“Those formalities serve no purpose now, as I have devoted myself to the Altar.”

Ria’s and Yulie’s mouths fell open simultaneously.

Creáto snapped his fingers, and then a vaguely defined soul rippled around him as the Courier.

“God has permitted me. What God has created, I too can use,” Creáto said, his eyes holding Ria's.

Ria swallowed hard.

“Adventurer Ria, I would like to offer you a commission.”

“... Sorry?”

“Just as you believe, Deculein is likewise collaborating with the Altar.”

"Pardon?!" Yulie said, her eyes widening.

Leo and Carlos wore similar expressions.

While Ria was lost in thought about what answer would be appropriate, Creáto took out a map from within his robe.

“Therefore, take this. It is the map for the Sanctuary of the Altar. See that Empress Sophien receives it. Her Majesty will understand its purpose without delay.”

“Sorry?”

To a bewildered Ria, Creáto personally placed the map into her hands.

“Only Her Majesty can halt the Altar,” Creáto continued, his voice softened by a smile.

“... Yes.”

Upon hearing those words, Ria realized that Creáto had intentionally infiltrated for Sophien.

“And now... Knight Yulie,” Creáto said, addressing Yulie, who remained on one knee.

Startled by Creáto addressing her as Yulie, she nonetheless knew that hiding oneself—even from the imperial family—was not proper conduct for a knight.

"Yes, I am Knight Yulie, Grand Prince Creáto," Yulie replied, bowing her upper body.

“Indeed, Zeit is here.”

“... Yes, Your Highness.”

“He is confined to the flower garden.”

Yulie’s face bore a look of innocent questioning.

“Haha, and furthermore, refusing the favor of the imperial family would be impolite for a knight.”

Whoooooosh—

“Zeit has been confined to the flower garden.”

Reliable—for Yulie, uninjured and unrestrained, possesses talent equal to Sophien’s, even transcending Zeit, Ria thought.

Before she devolved into Eternal Winter—before Yulie's heart completely froze over—Yulie possessed the Four Seasons, a power encompassing all four seasons and one of the most brilliant talent settings.

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