I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

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The letter contained a lengthy discussion about subduing the dark mage, punishing those involved, and rescuing the kingdom. It went as far as uprooting the betrayers and saving the kingdom, even aspiring to govern their land.

“The Lirel family doesn’t have a separate territory to govern?”

“I’ve lived only to protect the royal family. To protect the king’s side, that’s the only purpose. I couldn’t have done anything else if I wanted to protect the king. Of course, I knew Vernon was discontent with that fact.”

Maeve’s voice, holding the letter, faded away.

“At some point, after calming the turmoil beyond the border, I thought of establishing our territory there. As a family guarding the border. I planned to return to the king’s side, and Vernon would govern that land.”

“But maybe your brother didn’t share any clues just in case you would seize the credit, thinking you’d steal his achievements.”

“….”

Maeve looked Ian in the eyes.

Ian added, “If I overstated it, I apologize.”

“…It was only your insight that surprised me. There’s nothing more to see.”

It’s not that big of a deal.

Ian just shrugged his shoulders.

The letter mainly discussed the existence of the dark mage and the purpose behind it. It only left a note for Maeve that when she arrived in the capital, things would be different. It was easy to deduce what the young lord, driven by inferiority and the desire for recognition, must have thought.

“In the end, his concern became a reality. His Majesty directly made you seek out the dark mage. He even hired mercenaries for that.”

“That wasn’t my intention initially. At first.”

Maeve’s breath faltered for a moment.

It was brief. She quickly returned to her usual dry expression and continued speaking.

“But there was no response to the reply I sent to the letter. Not until the day I left. And even now.”

“He might be busy dealing with the dark mage. You never know.”

Of course, he thought the chances of that were slim, and Maeve nodded in agreement.

“If that were the case, someone from the family should have contacted me. Most likely, they were instructed not to leave any response until he returned.”

“What if the letter ended up in the hands of the wrong person?”

“It’s unlikely. The messenger was a long-serving servant of the family, and only someone from the Lirel family can break the seal on the letter. Unless they wanted to forge it, there would be no reason to intercept it.”

That’s true.

“How long has it been since you sent the reply?”

“One month. …And today marks another week.”

“Oh, no…”

Ian barely stopped himself from clicking his tongue. The thought that Vernon might already be dead crossed his mind.

“A month is a very long time.”

Ian looked at Maeve.

“In His Majesty’s eyes, the family may still be safe, right?”

“It’s hard to say. Maybe. Probably.”

Despite her composed response, there was a hint of unease in her gaze as she averted her eyes.

“But even if he’s not safe… Nothing will change. No, it might even be worse.”

She clenched her fist tightly.

“Starting with the dark mage, we need to uncover the truth step by step.”

“Hmm…”

Ian scratched his head.

It was now that he was realizing that Maeve might become a bloodthirsty avenger, driven to avenge with her own hands, revealing what she’s heard.

Why she had infiltrated the palace with just a piece of news, why she attempted to kill the king, what the previously unheard end meant, even what she would do even if she became a specter.

In the game, Ian had killed the dark mage, so it was likely that Maeve ultimately failed to find him. There was a good chance she didn’t even know whether Vernon was alive or dead.

And egging on such madness, whispering to her who her wrong targets of revenge were, might not have been a difficult task for the fallen agents of Agellan.

‘Very easy prey.’

Suddenly, Ian glanced at Maeve.

And now that easy prey was within his grasp.

Furthermore, this seemed to be a clear branching point of a quest.

Her fate might be hanging on his choice.

“So, you want me to find the dark mage?”

Finally, Ian spoke.

Maeve slowly looked up at him.

“While I hope for that, Ian, my reason for telling you this long story is not only that.”

She looked at Ian directly.

“As you said, one month is a long time. It’s long enough for those who serve Vernon to figure out his intentions. So, they might try to hide their true selves. But I’m coming back.”

Her voice was calm and firm.

Her gaze, too, had sunk into the light of the lantern, but beyond it, Ian could now glimpse the fragile emotions she had hidden.

He found it surprisingly inappropriate for her face.

Her attire, her status, her manner of speech and behavior had all created a kind of halo effect.

If you only looked at her face, she didn’t look much older than her early twenties.

Even in a world with a short average lifespan, she couldn’t have been much older than that. At least from Ian’s perspective.

‘Seems like she was a real girl.’

“If Vernon no longer exists in this world, I won’t have a single person I can believe in. Even if he’s alive, it won’t change anything. That child will never follow my will.”

After a brief breath, she continued.

“That’s why I need a trustworthy ally, Ian.”

“….!”

Ian’s eyes narrowed.

So, that’s why she had been circling around the topic.

And this was a one-sided request.

After going to such great lengths to reveal her story and even risking her dignity.

It meant that she had concluded that she couldn’t handle everything on her own.

At the same time, it also meant that she saw Ian as the only alternative.

It was unknown how she had reached this conclusion, but at least it seemed like she was ready to make such a statement.

She probably wouldn’t have wanted to say this in front of Philip and Miguel.

“…So, you’re looking for an ally who is already in opposition with the dark mage, possesses mental power, insight, strength, and wisdom.”

As if declaring his decision, the quest window appeared in front of Ian.

It was a related quest. Corrupted Ones.

The goal was to find and eliminate the nobles who worshiped darkness.

The rewards were gold and stats. And a few question marks.

It was tempting, but Ian continued to think calmly.

Like when it was during the time of Lou Sola’s apostle.

He had no intention of blindly getting dragged around by the situation and quests.

Especially in a situation where he could choose a more convenient and advantageous path.

Fortunately, in this case, choosing that path wasn’t particularly difficult.

“I am a mercenary. Mercenaries don’t move solely on requests.”

Unfortunately, there was no choice but to be the last one to make the decision in this world as well.

With a calm voice, as if explaining it to himself, Ian continued.

“However, I understand that as a request for a new contract with different terms after the commission is completed, right?”

“….!”

Translator; ippo

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