The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 94
From the beginning, I never intended to kill him.
Nor did I plan to take the child of the divine beast or ally with the Goddess Church.
A colleague of many years, Aintern.
He was a hero with a pure heart, always wearing a bright smile.
When I heard he had fallen in love with Frikkanrisk, I was surprised, but my interest was piqued.
Yes, at first, it was purely out of curiosity.
I wanted to meet the pinnacle of being capable of loving familiars and monsters.
So, despite his objections, I pushed forward and finally succeeded in entering the abode of the divine beast with him.
The moment I saw her for the first time.
I was overwhelmed.
To think there was a monster so close to perfection in this world.
Aintern’s wild claims were no exaggeration.
She tried to push away the unfamiliar presence with a cold glare, but even that felt enchanting.
Returning to Dortmund alone, I reminisced about her.
I was captivated by the sensation of awe, a feeling I had experienced only once before in my life, and for days, weeks, I could think only of her.
It was a sensation akin to the first time I laid eyes on Archbishop Glashalavolas.
A being equal to a creature composed of all manner of monsters.
Frikkanrisk, the winter-bearer of the Twelve Divine Beasts.
‘If I were to place her, so close to perfection, within the body of a chimera, wouldn’t it become even more perfect?’
Such a thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it.
No matter how greedy I became, I couldn’t kill the wife of a former comrade to use her as material.
As impure thoughts about Frikkanrisk grew, I immersed myself more deeply in chimera research, and she gradually began to fade from my mind.
However, five years later.
⎯Goodbye, Craine. Thank you for everything.
Aintern, who had announced his retirement, came to return his weapons to the church after his term of service had ended.
He had spent the last few years protecting a village near their home, but now his duty was over.
When I grasped his outstretched hand, I was shaken by a surge of emotion.
The fire I thought had been extinguished rekindled with renewed intensity.
Perhaps a part of me was saddened that I might never see him again, but that was only a small part of it.
What occupied most of my mind, what overwhelmed me, was the thought.
‘Will I never be able to see the divine beast again…?’
It was driving me mad.
Just imagining it was excruciating, as if my body was burning from within.
Therefore, I said what I did, to hold onto him.
Even then.
No, truthfully, long before that.
I had been brooding over and planning the dark deed.
⎯Aintern, why don’t we have a drink together one last time?
It was the first and last suggestion I ever made to him.
Though he seemed reluctant, his kind nature won out, and he eventually agreed.
The fact that it was the last time and the bitter memories of the past helped sway him.
Throughout the drinking, he looked genuinely happy.
He didn’t boast, but it was clear from his relaxed expression and soft chuckles.
Watching him, I felt an unexpected anger rising from within.
He was happy.
He had the divine beast as his wife and cradled her child.
How possessive and selfish he was.
Reflecting on it, his nature seemed less kind and more wicked. There was no one as greedy as him.
Such greed deserved punishment.
When he stepped away for a moment.
I laced his drink with poison.
A potent paralytic poison that would take effect hours later.
Watching him drink it down brought a sense of relief.
… haha.
To tell the truth, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment plan.
I had already been in contact with the Goddess Church and arranged for Ami to be involved. The deal had been made long ago.
From the moment I first saw Frikkanrisk, the plan was already in motion.
I didn’t care if it was deemed low and vulgar.
That was how sincere I was about monsters.
I didn’t touch the mother.
Not out of guilt, but because it was easier to target someone else.
‘Doesn’t she have a child?’
When Aintern didn’t return after a few days, Frikkanrisk began to grow anxious. I allowed Ami to start destroying the nearby villages during this time.
In exchange for this collaboration, I gave Ami six villages and various information about Dortmund. It didn’t matter even if the massacre continued; there were appropriate targets to shift the blame onto.
After all, all witnesses would turn into Altife, and when investigations began later, I could just distort the information.
I had the seniority and capability in Dortmund to handle that much.
When the village Aintern had been protecting went up in flames, Frikkanrisk emerged. Ami then presented her with a head.
Naturally, it was Aintern’s head.
Witnessing her husband’s death, she screamed, triggering an avalanche on the snowy mountain and unleashing a fierce snowstorm.
That was the signal.
I headed to the place where she and Aintern lived.
The cabin was just as I had seen it five years ago.
I wasn’t worried about them having moved. Aintern was bound by his duty to protect the village, so relocating would have been difficult.
… well, I had scouted the village beforehand.
When I opened the door and entered, I saw a boy who looked about ten years old.
In just five years, he had grown rapidly.
As expected, you couldn’t judge a divine beast by human growth rates.
I took him with me.
I used somewhat rough methods, but after all, he was to be used as material. A few scratches wouldn’t be a problem.
At the time, I was excited about the many possibilities.
I thought I returned with a thrilled heart.
I thought…
… this should be okay, right?
Surely Aintern, who was assassinated by Ami on his way back to the snowy mountain, wouldn’t have any complaints.
If he did, after being so happy, he would truly be a lowly person.
Yes, that was right.
……
But there was a problem.
Frikkanrisk’s child did not possess the power of the Twelve Divine Beasts.
At first, I thought he might be hiding it, but no.
I knew that the power of a divine beast was passed down through inheritance, but I never expected it to not be passed down <at all>.
Like this, he was just a slightly better monster.
After all that effort, for this…!
There were three ways to resolve this.
Kill the current Frikkanrisk who held the name.
Cut off the horn that contained her power.
Or force her to <inherit> the power.
The problem was that if Frikkanrisk activated the inheritance out of fear for her life, her power would multiply several times for five days….
To address this, I proposed a second deal with Ami.
Once again, I dirtied my hands.
This time, he even implanted a parasite inside my body.
Ah.
Why did God keep trying to corrupt someone who was purely passionate about academic pursuits?
Was this supposed to be a trial or a test?
It was so exhausting.
***
Three days had passed since Frikkanrisk flew away in the form of a dragon from Dortmund.
Craine was in his personal space in the church’s basement, nervously trying to adjust to the rapidly changing situation.
Things were unfolding completely differently from his original plan.
He had lost contact with Ami.
It seemed that the immense aura of mana he saw that night, which he fought and then fled from, was indeed Ami.
Perhaps the other figure was Helion.
“That stupid bastard! That useless monster!”
⎯Whack! Thud!
Craine kicked and stomped on the boy who was curled up on the ground.
⎯Crack.
The boy had two horns on his head that looked like they would feel cold to the touch.
His body was covered in wounds and bruises, and his hollow eyes were empty, like a creature that couldn’t feel pain.
Whether he had lost the will to resist or not, he just stayed curled up, taking the beating.
“That dim-witted Altife!”
After venting his anger, Craine wiped the bloodstains off his shoes.
He had intended to observe the situation a bit longer, but he couldn’t hold back any longer.
He planned to go out now.
After finishing the preparations, he locked the door to the basement, which was like a prison. The boy, Frikkanrisk’s son, still laid motionless.
Though alive, he seemed hardly different from the dead.
Without sparing him another glance, Craine moved on.
Leaving the church, he hurried to his steps.
His pace was so quick that it was almost like he was running.
Ignoring the changes around him, he continued his interrupted thoughts.
Ami.
After ignoring him so thoroughly, he was eventually defeated by Helion and fled.
Though considering his personality, he probably wouldn’t back down easily, he had likely completely forgotten about anything related to Frikkanrisk by now.
No matter how much he pretended to be human, he was still just an Altife.
‘No, forget about him. There’s something more important to focus on.’
“Break the non-aggression pact with Frikkanrisk, the ruthless killer! Break it!”
“Hunt down Frikkanrisk and console the spirits of those who have passed! Console them!”
A crowd had gathered in the square, protesting. They were all demanding the same thing: to break the pact with Frikkanrisk and hunt her down.
On the night Frikkanrisk awakened in the city.
All the citizens saw the dragon flying up from the city to the snowy mountains, and it naturally became a hot topic.
The dragon was revealed to be Frikkanrisk.
A divine beast infamous for recently massacring people and destroying villages.
The fact that she had been hiding in Dortmund was shocking, but that wasn’t why they were angry.
Craine recalled a man who had given a speech in front of everyone.
⎯Frikkanrisk and I, Vargan Troa Schugenhartz, have made a <contract>. This means a non-aggression pact, ensuring that she will no longer continue her killings.
The prodigy of familiar magic who he had failed to secure at the Academia as his mentee.
Vargan Troa Schugenhartz.
He had come to this city as Helion’s mentee and was the one who had driven Frikkanrisk out.
On the first day, Vargan had told the angry citizens.
That he had chosen to negotiate with Frikkanrisk rather than hunt her down.
… how absurd. On whose authority?
Who gave him the right to do that?
She must die.
She must die for her child to inherit her power, so what was this about negotiation?
There was no end to the absurdity.
Vargan, who claimed to have made a <contract> with her.
Frikkanrisk, who left quietly without her child.
And the church, which had shown no reaction at all.
Craine had stormed into the church, confident that he could exert his influence, but the petition to hunt her down was rejected, seemingly unread.
If he was being treated this way, despite his standing in Dortmund, it must be because of Helion’s influence.
… that bastard. There was nothing likable about him.
So, Craine was now on his way to meet Vargan.
He intended to confront him directly and uncover the truth behind the lies.
If Vargan didn’t speak willingly, he would be more than willing to use his familiar.
Surely, everything Vargan said was a lie.
Frikkanrisk wouldn’t have just left, and there was no way she would have made a <contract> that even Aintern couldn’t make!
Anyway, Vargan no longer had any connection to him.
Had they been in a mentor-mentee relationship, Craine might have been a bit more cordial, but Vargan had sneered and kicked him aside.
It didn’t matter if Vargan was with Helion’s team members.
If Craine claimed he was there on church business to confirm the facts, who could stop him?
Craine acted based on his own reasoning.
Currently, all the blame in the city was directed not at Craine, who had orchestrated the events, but at Vargan.
Craine didn’t know what ideals or beliefs Vargan held.
But all the arrows of criticism were pointed at him, so at least justice and public opinion were not on his side.
Bang, bang⎯!
Craine arrived at the door of the lodging where Vargan was staying.
He knocked on the door roughly, not hiding his anger.
“It’s been a while.”
The face of that sly bastard appeared.
It seemed absurd that someone so despised by the populace of a major city could look so calm and composed.
“Yes, it has been a while, Vargan.”
You arrogant fool.
I will uncover your lies and use them as the foundation of my research.