The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 106
What did I gain through this Dortmund episode?
First, the Twelve Divine Beast, Frikkanrisk.
I made an unbreakable contract with the divine beast that avoided contact with humans. Just as she became a shield for me in this war and blocked Salecius, she would be of great help in the Great War that would occur a few years later.
I wouldn’t bother explaining why I chose Frikkanrisk over Craine. The difference was so obvious that stating it would be an insult to the deceased.
Second, the nameplate of the King of Dortmund.
Each regional king and the head of the central church had a nameplate. Receiving this allowed the bearer to choose one item from the <Main Vault> of the central church.
As such, it was rarely awarded, and the number of nameplates was extremely limited. I was given one in recognition of my accomplishments in Dortmund.
You could say the nameplate was the key to success.
It granted access to the most prestigious vault of the largest organization that dominated this world.
One could imagine how many diverse and mysterious treasures it contained. Even picking just one and selling it would be enough to live off for a lifetime.
In the original story, Liam reached this vault during the first semester of his third year. I had advanced that by two years.
‘I wonder what I should take.’
I hadn’t decided yet what relic or treasure to choose.
I was tempted by the sword Liam chose in the original story, but it was not suitable for my use, and I planned to create a weapon through other means.
I had to search inside the vault and pick something that fit me perfectly.
Third, the reward from the central church.
This was separate from the medal.
The rewards given by the church were generally within a certain range.
Land, titles, gold, silver, treasures, and relics.
Naturally, the value of the reward corresponded to the worth of the accomplishments.
If I were to receive a relic, I assumed it would come from the main vault, rather than from some lesser vaults.
In fact, I’d already decided what I wanted as a reward from the central church. If they offered something else, I planned to refuse and negotiate.
Lastly, reputation.
Although I personally didn’t seek fame or wish to be praised, there was nothing more useful when it came to leveraging public opinion.
Given the scale of this incident, I would be able to gain favor just by mentioning my name wherever I went.
With the additional prestige of the Schugenhartz family, the effect was doubled.
For instance, if I were to give bread to a starving beggar on the street and word spread, it would be framed as the noble hero of the prestigious Schugenhartz family, who saved Dortmund, showing noblesse oblige by helping a starving person!
The story would spread as if I had performed a great act of charity.
Achieving great feats was difficult, but once the foundation was laid, building on it could be done quickly.
Of course, the backlash for wrongdoing became greater as well.
But even though it was a double-edged sword, there was nothing more effective when it came to swaying public opinion.
There were some other minor things, but if I left them out, these four were the <tools> I gained by stepping up this time.
Let’s combine and use them effectively.
If I were to compare it to painting a picture, what I’d gained was not the result, but the tools—paint, brushes, a palette….
It was the groundwork for a masterpiece that would one day be completed.
Now all I had to do was pick them up.
Let’s start using the brush and paint on the canvas one by one.
Of course, it was common sense that for a masterpiece to be born, the artist must have skill, so I wouldn’t remain stagnant.
I still had a long way to go to achieve my goals.
I couldn’t stop, even for a moment.
***
For the past few days, I’d been completely absorbed in training.
Helion’s solo lessons were more hands-off than Spartan in style.
He gave a few hints to solve problems at first, then waited for the student to find their way.
After demonstrating dual fusion, Helion hadn’t shown any magic and didn’t even check on my progress. He hadn’t set a deadline either.
If someone wanted to slack off, he would slack off for as long as he could. In this regard, it seemed he considered my personality. He trusted I would do well on my own.
He was busy anyway, and I didn’t want excessive interference, so in a way, we were a good match.
Thus, the morning arrived when we were to head to the central church.
After about an hour of sleep at dawn, I was taming my newly acquired Chimera familiar.
It was a beast composed of seven high-tier monsters, pinned down by a purple magic circle, yet its spirit remained unbroken.
How brave and lovable!
Even though its origin was tragic, I wanted to make sure its remaining life would be a comedy. Our… our… oh, right.
“I haven’t given you a name yet.”
Craine, its former master, probably chose a terrible name, and I had no desire to continue using it.
Besides, I had no way of knowing what it was called anyway, so I would have to come up with a new one.
Chimera… Craine… hmm.
As I muttered quietly, the creature reacted to the name <Craine>.
“Craine… Craine.”
Seeing the child unable to forget its previous master made my heart ache. It didn’t know it would never see him again.
Ah, I’d thought of something good.
I slowly stroked the Chimera’s magnificent mane. It tried to resist but couldn’t, being restrained.
“From now on, your name will be <Kry>.”
I purposely chose a name that sounds similar.
Partly because it was the only word the creature responded to, and partly to replace Craine in its mind.
I would keep calling it Kry until one day, only Kry remained, and Craine was forgotten.
If Craine, who was probably wandering the border between life and death, knew, he’d be pleased… or not. Who cared?
Knock, knock⎯
“Mr. Vargan, it’s time to depart.”
Finn called out from outside the door to notify me of the time.
This was why it was dangerous to spend too much time with your familiar. Before you knew it, time flew by.
“I’ll be out shortly.”
I dismissed Kry, who was still growling in defiance, through reverse summoning. With a flick of my fingers, I wiped away the purple magic circle engraved on the floor.
As the magic circle vanished, the faint morning sunlight illuminated the room. The dust that had been floating in the air quietly settled.
“Hmm.”
With that, I finished my preparations and stepped out with Finn.
Outside the lodging, Helion and Yannick’s team were waiting, probably to say their final farewells.
As Finn and I walked closer, Yannick, the hero who resembled a bear, approached with an awkward smile.
“So much has happened in such a short time.”
“There were some big events back-to-back.”
“Indeed… I owe you a lot.”
Yannick was a man with a firm belief in the role of a hero.
Judging from his expression, he seemed ashamed of Craine’s deeds and felt personally responsible for them.
Yannick spoke.
“… I may not be in a position to say this, but you’ve done so much, and you did it very well. The fact that we were able to get through what could have been a catastrophic event with minimal casualties is all thanks to you.”
“It wasn’t just me; there were many capable people involved.”
Even when I responded playfully, Yannick didn’t show any particular reaction.
I waited calmly for him to continue.
Yannick cautiously opened his mouth.
“Please, don’t be disappointed in the heroes or the church.”
He was worried about me witnessing firsthand how the church handled things.
To think that far… he was more sensitive than I thought.
Was he trying to prevent a future talent from giving up being a hero out of disillusionment with the church? It was a rather humble approach.
Hmm, was that so…
“It’s alright. This incident won’t change my view of the heroes or the church at all.”
After all, I never held them in high regard to begin with. You couldn’t be disappointed if you had no expectations.
Yannick, completely unaware of my thoughts, relaxed a little.
“Is that so? Hmm, I thought so.”
He extended his large hand.
Just like when we first met, he intended to greet me with a handshake.
“Whenever you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. For the Hero of Dortmund, I’ll come running no matter how far.”
I grasped his hand and shook it.
I didn’t forget to give a faint smile as well.
“I’ll accept your help when the time comes.”
Perhaps this would be useful later on.
And with that, another piece was added to my game.
…
After bidding a final farewell to Yannick and his team, I boarded the carriage with Helion and the others.
Our destination was the Central Church located in the heart of the continent.
Guarded by those ranked in the top 10 of the Hero rankings, it was the safest and most sacred place in this world.
***
As Vargan had expected, rumors about him spread across the entire continent, alongside Helion.
In no time, these rumors reached not only humans, but also the demi-humans, the Twelve Divine Beasts, and even the deepest parts of the Goddess Church.
It only took a few days for them to reach Alicia and her companions, who were headed to the southern part of the Troa Empire.
“Alicia, you seem to be in a good mood?”
Having already heard the news about Vargan, Emily teased Alicia despite already knowing the reason.
It had been a while since Alicia had truly smiled, and seeing her radiant grin now left Emily both surprised and amused.
Alicia turned around with her smile still bright.
Blushing slightly, she touched her cheeks, seemingly embarrassed that Emily had hit the mark.
“… is it that obvious?”
“Yeah, only a fool wouldn’t notice.”
“I just received news about the Master after so long, and to hear that he’s now recognized globally made me so happy… ah, is it still showing?”
“Not at all. Your smile is still reaching the skies.”
“What?! No way…”
Alicia, flustered and dressed in her gleaming armor, looked so pure that it was hard to believe she had just been engaged in a fierce battle.
They were members of Hero Charlotte’s team, tasked with eliminating a bishop-level nest.
They had successfully destroyed the priest-levels and the nest and defeated the bishop-level opponent.
Now, they were on their way back.
“Alicia, you mentioned you work for the Schugenhartz family, right?”
The pony-tailed hero, Charlotte, joined in on the conversation between Alicia and Emily with a gentle smile.
“You must be proud of your master?”
“Yes, Master Vargan is truly an incredible person!”
Realizing that she had responded a bit too excitedly, Alicia let out a small ‘Ah’ and lowered her head.
Her ears had turned red.
Watching this, Charlotte couldn’t help herself.
“Ahh⎯! My little sister is so cute!”
She hugged Alicia tightly, showering her with affection. Alicia, overwhelmed by Charlotte’s exuberance, could do nothing but accept the love.
Before they had entered the nest.
Alicia had shared with Hero Charlotte the story of her older sister.
It was a trauma she had never spoken of to anyone except Vargan, but Charlotte quickly reached the depths of Alicia’s heart.
Alicia didn’t feel any hesitation in revealing her past to her. Instead, she felt healed, even shedding tears.
Charlotte warmly embraced Alicia, deeply empathizing with her. Charlotte’s family had also been slaughtered by the Altife, so she knew that pain well.
From that day on, Charlotte treated Alicia like her own little sister, even calling her that.
Though Alicia didn’t call Charlotte <older sister> due to the difference in their positions and feelings, she did feel gratitude and closeness toward her.
Would this have been how things were if her real sister had been alive?
Alicia often found herself comparing Charlotte to her late sister.
“…”
Amidst this cheerful atmosphere.
Liam couldn’t bring himself to smile.
Ever since the incident after the midterm exams of the first semester, Liam hadn’t smiled even once.
His mouth and eyes drooped as if he had forgotten how to.
Though Emily and Charlotte had heard Alicia’s story for the first time, Liam was already familiar with it.
Vargan must have known as well.
The current situation was also a result of his actions.
Even now, Vargan was changing the narrative, wielding control.
But what about himself?
…
Before they knew it, the city came into view.
Charlotte, who had been doting on Alicia, straightened up and took the lead.
She addressed everyone with a spirited voice.
“You all worked so hard. With this, our mission is successfully complete.”
Her energetic voice set the stage for their next plans.
“Students from Academia! You’ve gained enough field experience; now it’s time to strengthen your foundations.”
Students being mentored across the continent began their individual training to further grow.