Chapter 774: A Villain [1]

Chapter 774: A Villain [1]

Crackle~

The fire raged on.

It crackled in the air, devouring the timber beams one by one. Windows shattered under the heat, spilling glass like falling stars, while tongues of flame licked greedily at the curtains, swallowing them whole in a single breath.

The estate groaned.

Smoke coiled upward in choking plumes, blotting out the night sky, while embers rained down on the ground.

“…..”

A figure stood outside the fire, staring at the raging fire with a blank expression.

Crackle! Crackle—!

The faint sound of screams echoing in the background.

People rushing in and out, screaming at him.

“Leave this place!”

“You must run, family head!”

“Run before it’s too late! You must save yourself!”

“Family Head!!”

“A-ha.”

A tremor ran down the figure’s body, the haze in his eyes clearing as he snapped out of it. His lips quivered as he did.

“I… I should’ve known.”

He brought his hand to his chest, slowly clenching it.

“Why…? Why did I not do it… W-why did I not kill him when I had the chance?”

Tears streamed down his face, smearing the ash that had settled on his face. It had all happened incredibly quickly, but he could still remember it all vividly.

A purple dome that covered the entire area.

Hands that shot out from beneath the ground, grasping at the maids and workers in the estate.

Screams.

Falling bodies.

The knight group coming, but inevitably getting pushed back.

Captain Albas’s shouts.

Linus could recall all of it as he stood numbly, replays of the scenes flashing in his mind. But in particular, if there was one thing that he could remember, it was the cold figure that stood at the center of it all.

His gaze was cold. So cold that it almost felt chilling.

But at the same time, he saw it. The madness hidden within his gaze.

“I… I… should’ve…”

All that was left was regret.

He thought that possibly, the nightmares were fake. That Julien had changed. But that wasn’t the truth.

He had always been the same.

The nightmares weren’t fake. They were a premonition of the future that was to come.

If only… he could’ve trusted them.

This. All of this.

It was on him.

“Haaaaa—!”

Hearing another scream, Linus slowly turned his head.

‘Right… I still need to help.’

His body was heavy, and he could barely stand. He had fought alongside the guards, but even he was helpless. It was just one person, but he was enough to completely overwhelm him.

“H-help!”

“Someone help me—!”

Stumbling back towards the raging fire, Linus used his last bits of energy to help anyone who was in need.

“One more… Just… one more.”

***

“Princess, the situation is dire! There’s been an attack in Evenus County. Reports say the main estate is in flames. For now, the assaults have halted there, but we believe they will continue.”

A figure sat on a throne, her cold gaze flickering upon hearing the report. Her long red hair cascaded down her shoulders as her yellow eyes shone under the dim lighting of the room.

She sat in silence, a silent pressure coming down on the room before she nodded.

“…I understand. You may leave.”

“But Princess—”

“Did I not make myself clear?”

Although Aoife didn’t shout, the pressure that came out of her voice was enough to cause the attendant to shiver as she hurriedly closed her mouth and left the room, leaving Aoife sitting in silence.

The silence stretched on as she looked ahead.

How much time had passed since he turned…? Aoife had started to forget. It all happened suddenly. It wasn’t instant. It was gradual. Aoife had been so busy with the succession that she had never gotten the chance to pay close attention to him.

Still, he was useful to her.

He helped her push her brother onto the brink of destruction.

But that was when it happened.

Strange, powerful figures appeared out of nowhere, striking the Empire from multiple fronts. They were brutal and efficient; each attack felt calculated, and all the momentum she had fought to build crumbled away.

Aoife tried to resist, but they were incredibly powerful.

They drove her onto a path of retreat, and it was only after a year of relentless battles that she managed to find the slightest semblance of balance.

Perhaps it was the unending stress of battle or the relentless threats she faced, but her abilities began to surge at an astonishing pace. In only a year spent at the frontlines, she broke through from the sixth tier to the seventh, a feat that would have taken others far longer.

Even then, her progress showed no signs of slowing, hinting at even greater heights yet to come.

Her growth was so astonishing that it started to make her question herself.

‘Is my growth really because of all the dangers that I’ve faced, or is there more to it…?’

She wasn’t entirely sure, but this wasn’t a change that she disliked. The more powerful she became, the greater say she would have with her army and citizens.

‘Do you really think it’s a coincidence?’

Suddenly, a voice pierced the silence surrounding her. Aoife turned to her left and was met with a smile. One worn by a figure that looked far too much like herself.

Aoife didn’t react to her sudden appearance.

She had grown used to it by now.

“Is this your doing?”

‘Haha.’ The figure smiled, her smile stretching all the way to her eyes, ‘There’s no such coincidence in this world. One does not simply become this strong from just battle.’

Her finger pressed onto the bottom of Aoife’s chin, lifting it up slightly as the pair of yellow eyes met.

‘The power that we hold within our bodies is immense. Far stronger than you can ever imagine. You’ve only just started to tap into it because you’ve started to become of age, but it won’t be long until you gain full access to it. Once that happens, nothing will stop us. We’ll be able to rule this world.’

Aoife’s yes grew hazy upon hearing the words.

Rule the world…?

It didn’t sound too bad. In fact, it sounded rather tempting.

But—

“I’ll think about it.”

Aoife’s eyes snapped out of their haze as she looked ahead. The figure next to her faded, and the doors slowly began to open.

Creaaaak—

A figure appeared shortly after.

Clad in a black hood, their features were obscured. Yet Aoife didn’t need to see their face to recognize them. When the hood was finally lowered, a pair of haggard gray eyes stared back at her.

A pair of yellow eyes met a pair of gray.

“…You look terrible.”

In the end, Aoife was the one to break the silence as she looked at Leon. Her words held a lot of truth. Leon’s current state was terrible. Heavy dark circles sagged beneath his eyes, his face was drained of color, and his lips were cracked and dry. It was clear he hadn’t known proper rest in a very long time.

And that was probably the truth.

Ever since the incident with Julien, he had been different.

Aoife’s face turned colder at the thought.

“What are you here for?”

“….”

Leon’s lips quivered. He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on her, seemingly trying to get his words out.

“What is it? What are you struggling to hard to say? Are you going to tell me how the Julien that is currently rampaging the Empire isn’t the same Julien that I know?”

Aoife suddenly smirked.

“I’m not that stupid. I can tell that there’s something wrong. Even so…” Her eyes flickered with a cold and dangerous light, “It doesn’t change the fact that he’s become a monster. If you’re here to tell me to stop fi—”

“N-no.”

A hoarse voice cut Aoife off, prompting her to stop as she looked at Leon.

“No…? What are you—”

“I… am not going to stop you.”

Leon answered a moment later, his voice growing even hoarser. His words caused Aoife to pause as she took a good look at him.

“You’re not going to stop me?”

“N… no.”

Leon shook his head, blinking his tired eyes.

“I’m not going to stop you.” He repeated, trying to make sure she heard him correctly. His sudden actions prompted Aoife to frown as she slowly stood up from her throne. “You’re saying that you’re going to allow me to kill Julien, or whoever that person is?”

“…If you must.”

Leon nodded slowly.

Aoife’s eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing as she tried to discern Leon’s intentions. Yet the longer she studied him, the clearer it became just how serious he truly was.

In the end, her face relaxed and she sighed.

“Relax, I’m not going to do anything to him yet. Not because I don’t want to, but because it’s impossible for me to do so.”

The Empire was in a state of turmoil. Julien wasn’t the only individual that she needed to worry about. There were several others. The issue lay in the fact that the other Empires were also struggling to handle the current situation.

Her Empire wasn’t the only one that had been attacked by these strange forces.

All Empires were facing the same situation.

Normally, Aoife wouldn’t have worried so much about the situation. Her Empire was powerful, and with notable figures like Delilah, it would usually be hard for any external force to do anything to them.

But this was the problem.

Things would be calm if Delilah were present.

However, after the announcement of her engagement, which occurred several years back, she vanished entirely from the Empire and from the world itself. It was as if her very existence had been erased.

Many had tried to get in touch with the Duke, but even he wasn’t sure.

In the end, the situation turned out like it had because of her disappearance.

Had she not…

‘No, there’s no use thinking about it.’

There were no “what ifs” in this world. The situation had already unfolded as it had. All she could do now was look ahead and try to find a way out of the predicament she faced.

Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the subtle shift in Leon’s expression. He closed his eyes, sensing a faint pulse emanating from his chest. As the rhythm grew, his features began to change, and he instinctively brought his hand to the spot where the chalice rested.

This…

Feeling the pulse, Leon’s lips parted. A conversation from long ago echoed in his mind, and the hand pressed against his chest clenched tightly.

Could this be the signal?

Could he… finally stop this hell from continuing any further?

Clank—!

The doors of the room burst open, and a figure rushed in.

“Princess!”

Her voice was panicked, bringing both Leon and Aoife’s attention towards her. Just before Aoife could say a word, the attendant shouted.

“We’ve managed to stop the Seat of Madness! He… He…” The attendant swallowed, quickly catching her breath as she resumed, “He’s in the Mirror Crack in Bremmer!”

Leon’s face changed as the sensation in his chest settled.

It was there that he understood.

His hell…

It was finally going to come to an end.