The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 96
The square was beyond mere commotion and was close to chaos.
Just minutes ago, the citizens’ voices had united, chanting the same phrase in unison, but that flow had been abruptly reversed.
The video magic had not ended, and remarks regarding the aftermath continued, but the crowd had become too excited, each person more focused on raising their own voice.
When a man watching the video expressed his confusion, a white-haired old man nearby answered him.
“So, what does this even mean, in the end?”
“What do you think? It means Craine deceived us all!”
“Why would someone like him, who lived quietly like a mouse, do such a thing…?”
“Ah, come on! Don’t you get it yet? He went mad, doing all of this to obtain the divine beast, Frikkanrisk! Innocent people died because of him! If that bastard appears before me, I’ll turn him to mush!”
Another man interjected into their conversation.
“Listening to you two, I’m baffled. Weren’t we all just a moment ago here in this very square, chanting for Frikkanrisk’s defeat? We’re all corrupt in this too, so who’s in a position to criticize anyone?”
“That’s different! We were victims, deceived by that wretch Craine!”
Those who had called for Frikkanrisk’s defeat began to scatter in different directions.
—This video magic is a plot orchestrated by a man named Vargan.
—No, what have you been watching until now? Didn’t Craine admit it himself? The hero who was supposed to protect people committed a massacre instead!
The majority opinion was that Craine was indeed the villain. His unstable mental state was apparent, but the fact that he had confessed with his own mouth was the most damning evidence.
The old man shouted again.
“In any case, we did nothing wrong! It’s all that criminal Craine’s fault! We need to catch that scoundrel and beat him senseless!”
“……”
A man in a top hat, listening to their conversation, frowned—not because he found humanity’s inherent wickedness revolting, but because the old man’s loud voice was grating on his ears.
For a moment, he considered silencing them by cutting their throats but quickly suppressed the thought.
Holding the brim of his hat with one hand, he looked up at the video magic. A young student with a noble, refined appearance was shown.
The figure in the video magic was Vargan.
The man who had recently visited <Terrarium> and left quite the impression.
‘So, this is how he used the <Cardinal’s Contract>.’
More specifically, it was the contract infused with the power of Cardinal <Beleth>, which exerted binding force.
Vargan had formed a contract with Frikkanrisk, not as a familiar, but based on the Cardinal’s contract.
Though Vargan had spoken as if speculating, the truth was already apparent.
Vargan had come to the Terrarium and requested the Cardinal’s contract, making his intentions clear. That was proof enough.
Of course, that wasn’t the only thing he asked for.
He had also said this.
—One of the Twelve Divine Beasts, Frikkanrisk’s child, is currently bound to the hero Craine of Dortmund, isn’t it?
The answer to that question was obvious.
But it was a delicate issue.
Like a prickly thorn or crayfish.
If it had been simply a matter of Frikkanrisk and Craine, he would have had no qualms about selling the information at a high price and establishing a good connection with the mysterious Vargan. But the situation was more complex than that.
The Goddess Church’s Ami was also involved in their relationship.
Though it wouldn’t be easy, carelessly providing information could lead to another archbishop’s head rolling.
Thus, the bishop, Ultima, regretfully informed Vargan that the Terrarium did not hold such information.
That was when the once relatively amicable atmosphere shifted completely.
“……”
Recalling his conversation with Vargan, the bishop in the top hat, Ultima, smiled faintly.
Vargan.
He knew too much.
Ultima had considered killing him, but ironically, it was Vargan’s knowledge that made it impossible.
Vargan was aware of this too.
Perhaps that was the source of his confidence.
‘He’s a difficult guest to deal with, for sure.’
But business often thrived on troublesome customers.
Vargan likely knew what Craine had referred to as the <voice>. Though he feigned ignorance and dismissed Craine as nothing more than a madman, one serpent could recognize another.
The massive serpent coiled within Ultima recognized Vargan as one of its own.
‘The door of the Terrarium is always open to you, guest.’
He stopped watching Vargan’s projection and lowered his hat, stepping forward.
Like a desert creature burrowing into the sand.
He vanished into the crowd, erasing his presence.
Vargan’s next moves… it wouldn’t be long now.
‘Looks like we might need to elect some new archbishops soon.’
They always existed among the people.
Whenever people gathered, there was a space for them to thrive.
This was true in the past.
Still true now.
And would be true in the future.
***
At the scene where Craine had been subdued.
Led by Vargan, they cast a curse upon him.
With his focus lost, Craine’s mouth moved on its own.
As though a restriction had been lifted from his mind, he began to spill all the information he knew.
Then.
The sound of a bird chirping was heard.
A member of Yannick’s team, who had a familiar capable of communication, heard the report and relayed it.
“They’ve secured Frikkanrisk’s child safely. However, the wounds are severe, so he’s receiving treatment.”
“… I see.”
Yannick responded in a subdued yet simmering voice.
Though he appeared calm, flames of anger clearly burned in his eyes.
Craine, who had also heard the news, suddenly shouted.
Though under the effects of the curse, where he had been revealing all the facts, the news of Frikkanrisk’s child being secured snapped him back to reality.
“What right do you have to steal that from me! That’s mine⎯⎯!”
“Craine….”
“No, no! I didn’t do it; the voice… it’s mine, but I just….”
Yannick’s heavy steps approached, his large legs threatening to crush the floor beneath him. His clenched fist tightened further as he advanced toward Craine.
Seeing Yannick like this, Craine begged.
“Yannick… help me. Haven’t we known each other for a long time, just like Aintern? Clear up this misunderstanding for me!”
Yannick, barely suppressing his rage, could no longer stand the sight of the fallen man.
Wham⎯!
With a massive iron fist, Yannick struck Craine’s face.
The impact was so powerful that the objects in the room trembled.
Craine’s nose broke, causing him to bleed profusely.
“Craine, do you have no shame⎯⎯!”
Panting heavily, Yannick ground his teeth.
Though his desire to beat Craine to death was strong, he restrained himself and spoke instead.
“Mark my words! No matter how much I want to rip out your heart, I’m holding back because it’s not my place to do so, not because I forgive you!”
When Yannick thought about it, the one who would directly deliver punishment to him was neither himself nor Vargan, but another being.
Even if his heart was tortured by betrayal and guilt, his emotions were no more than a grain of sand compared to hers.
Yannick politely bowed his head to Helion’s team, Vargan, and Finn. As if he were the one at fault, he deeply apologized and said.
“I shall take Craine and have him face judgment. This incident… truly… I have no excuse.”
From Dortmund’s perspective, this situation was nothing short of shameful.
To exterminate Frikkanrisk, they had requested reinforcements from the Central Church, borrowing the strength of Helion’s team.
Just when it seemed that everything would be resolved purely thanks to their help, the source of the problem was found within Dortmund itself.
They were in no position to lift their heads before them.
“We will make reparations for this during the post-incident process. Then…”
He deliberately used the word <reparations> and dragged away the bound Craine. Before leaving, his team members all bowed politely as well.
Craine, until the very end, glared at Vargan with vacant eyes. But the one directly involved, Vargan, didn’t even seem to care.
Thus, Helion’s team, Vargan, and Finn remained.
“It seems like Student Vargan is quite good at negotiations. Handling everything with just a verbal agreement with Frikkanrisk without even a formal contract.”
“As I mentioned to Lord Helion earlier, I’ll say it again—if what the other party wants aligns with what I want, negotiations won’t fall through. It doesn’t necessarily require force.”
Vargan concealed the fact that he had used the Cardinal’s contract.
Helion didn’t completely believe his words, but he didn’t show it.
“Thank you for not revealing anything about Ami. No matter how much blame we place on Craine, this incident would have severely damaged the church’s reputation, but thanks to you, we can at least maintain some semblance of it.”
The fact that Craine acted alone.
Compared to him cooperating with the Goddess Church’s Ami carried vastly different implications.
It would have been best to direct all the blame at Ami, but realistically, that wasn’t possible.
Thus, the church chose to discard only Craine.
The story would be spread that everything occurred because Craine acted independently, demonstrating his extraordinary abilities while the church’s incompetence remained hidden as much as possible.
Additionally, the notion that heroes and Altifes might join forces would severely damage their credibility and image, so they kept that secret.
In the end, it was like cutting off a rotten branch.
To prevent other things from being harmed.
Wasn’t that how the world worked?
“You want to take Craine’s familiar with you, Student Vargan?”
Helion pointed to Craine’s familiar, the chimera.
The chimera was bound tightly with chains of light, sealed by Helion’s powerful magic.
“Yes, as you know, I handle familiars. Though its owner, Craine, was trash and an awful person, the familiar he created is still a creature. It deserves to be cared for with love.”
“You’re not taking it just because it looks strong?”
“I won’t deny that but consider it the justice of someone who truly cherishes familiars. I would appreciate it if you could see it that way.”
Helion smiled faintly and nodded.
Vargan was the one who contributed the most to this incident.
Normally, the church would be responsible for protecting Craine’s familiar, but giving it to him as a gift was not difficult.
Vargan crouched in front of the chimera, which laid flat on the ground, growling.
Its lion mane was quite magnificent.
As he gently stroked it, it bared its sharp teeth in threat, but since it couldn’t move, resistance was impossible.
“On the surface, it looks like five types of monsters are mixed together… but there are two more inside. So, seven in total… a true chimera.”
Vargan let his mana flow and examined various parts of the familiar.
The first two familiars formed the core of the fusion, with the five others surrounding them. Though the triple fusion had failed, it was physically patched up.
Still, overall, the craftsmanship wasn’t bad, and it was more efficient than an ordinary triple fusion.
Though it was sad to call them <materials>, the familiars used as components were all high-level creatures.
With this level of fusion… it was just shy of successfully merging four high-ranking monsters. And it even retained the seven distinct traits from the number of familiars used.
The more he looked at it, the more he felt sorry for it, but it was an impressive creature.
In terms of sheer power, this was stronger than any familiar he currently had.
“As long as I can get it to obey, it’ll be fine.”
Vargan muttered to himself as he stroked the chimera.
Then…
Helion’s team’s youngest member, Gaon, had a parrot familiar that suddenly screeched.
⎯A group approaching Dortmund. Group detected.
Everyone who had briefly been at ease immediately sharpened their senses.
⎯Archbishop, one in number. Eight bishops. Approximately 3,500 priests advancing on Dortmund. Advancing on Dortmund.
Yes.
It was about time they arrived.
After fleeing in such disgrace, of course, he wouldn’t remain quiet.
Vargan looked at Helion.
“It seems Ami is truly furious.”
Surely this time he would come after liberating his full power.
After all, he had been caught off guard and humiliated.
The story in Dortmund was drawing to a close.