Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 166

Chapter 166. Lies from the North (2)

"But I can take care of it myself, after all."

At Yulian's confident words, Dantes sensed something was wrong.

"W-What do you mean?"

Yulian's image began to form in Dantes' shaking pupils.

A man with slit eyes smiling broadly.

His face showed no emotion as he spoke in a calm and unshaken tone.

"It means exactly what I said."

However, the torrent of words that followed would not be as light as his smiling face.

"Shouldn't you know your place, Sir Dantes? Didn't I warn you before?"

Cold sweat started to uncomfortably slide down Dantes' back.

His warning, delivered with an indifferent expression, was instinctively felt to be on a completely different level than others' threats.

"For now, why don't you smile?"

"Wha...what?"

An unexpected demand from Yulian to smile.

Dantes, who was utterly tense, could only respond in a slightly deflated tone.

Because it was completely unforeseen.

Towards him, Yulian's smile pounced, like a predator eyeing its prey.

"Aren't others watching us? It seems they wish to converse with Sir Dantes."

With a chuckle, Yulian shifted his gaze towards the crowd without looking back at him.

When Dantes unconsciously followed his gaze, he saw a group waving at him.

"We want to see the pictures Sir Dantes took too!"

"Could we exchange them once?"

Normally, he would've just laughed it off without much thought.

The childish tone.

The vulgar amusement.

But perhaps because of the situation, those things were starting to grate on his nerves.

"Uh, uh, well..."

"Didn't you hear what I said?"

Even though Yulian was not in sight beside him, it was easy to imagine his smile had grown thicker.

After seeing it many times.

But... the exact memory was hazy.

What was it, what was it...

When the clothes on his back were soaking wet.

Ah, he told me to reply with a smile. As usual.

"Ah, uh... I'm having an urgent conversation with Sir Yulian right now. Please postpone it for a moment."

"What, really?"

Disappointment colored the faces of the women who wanted to exchange photos.

"Don't say that~ If it's not Sir Dantes, I fear no one will appreciate the elegance of these photos!"

"That's right, right!"

Except for Yulian, who was smiling mischievously nearby.

'I wish I could too.'

The thought grew stronger, but there wasn't much he could do.

"I'm sorry, but, mademoiselle. Sir Dantes has something to discuss with me."

Mademoiselle, he said.

"Could you please excuse us for a moment? I warmly request this."

Despite being metaphorically a guillotine in thought, his exterior was intact. One might say he was rather handsome.

Thanks to this, the women who were addressed in such a gentlemanly manner blushed and nodded shyly, moving toward other nobles.

"Then, back to the main topic."

With people distancing themselves, Yulian opened his mouth once more.

"Having understood the purpose behind spreading those rumors, it's time we discuss your disposition, Sir Dantes."

Gulp.

Dantes found himself swallowing involuntarily.

Although his tone was polite and his appearance gentle, chills ran down his spine.

***

In the game storyline.

Uberon becomes the head of his household with the help of the Dawn Society, ambitiously expanding and building up the Hynix family by annexing surrounding territories.

Losing his territory, Dantes vows revenge and pledges his soul to Tenelon.

Eventually, he goes through the event of becoming a tri-horn demon and falls into full-on Red Demonization.

'I can't believe I forgot this.'

In fact, would remembering it have changed anything?

Anyway, the original story of 'Tenelon' being killed by the 'Sword Saint' now holds no meaning.

'Pintel' who was supposed to die in the storyline is still alive.

I have taken the place of the 'Black Knight'.

I act as the guardian for the 'Unique Talent of Five Colors' and witnessed Aiden's death.

There are no longer any stories of Yulian dismantling the Dawn Society at the end.

'Hmm.'

I subtly observed Dantes' complexion.

There was no sign of his usual composure.

His face was pale, and his aura was tinged with the 'color of fear'.

'... Should I kill him?'

After all, he truly intended to meddle with my life by spreading those 'rumors'.

However, taking a life still frightened me.

Not out of fear of the act itself, but fearing what might happen to my mind if I do it without hesitation.

Yet, when necessary, one must boldly act.

Nothing is more precious than life.

"Sir Yulian, would you hear me out?"

As I was about to move for a discussion, Dantes hastily grabbed me.

Though he was filled with trembling, it seemed he had made some kind of resolve.

Then, as he ran his hand over a champagne glass, a buzzing sound was heard.

'Suddenly? At this moment?'

That action seemed a bit odd, but I didn't mind. It posed no threat.

"Yes, please speak."

"As you've mentioned, I did spread the rumors. But I've never intended to target your life."

It was hard to believe.

To be frank, Dantes had no reason to leave Yulian, who knew his 'secrets', alone.

"So, regarding this matter..."

"You do know I can't just let it slide, don't you?"

Spitting on a smiling face and stabbing in the back are easy actions for a nobleman, aren't they?

For their interest.

Indeed...

My connection with Dantes, a member of the Dawn Society, should end here──.

"AAAAAHHH!"

During my conversation with Dantes, a piercing scream echoed through the meeting hall.

'What!?'

Startled, I surveyed the hall and noticed that some nobles, who had been smiling and exchanging photos, were falling one by one.

"Wh-What is this!?"

"What suddenly happened!?"

Watching the members of the gathering fall one by one, the people panicked, lost in confusion.

'... Could it be an attack?'

No, that can't be it.

With Yulian's near-divine kinetic vision, no flying attacks were visible in the air.

If it was magical, my "Foresight" would have reacted.

Which means.

'Poison...?'

Thinking that far, I hurriedly covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

Even though no smell or signs were perceived, a skilled user of poison could create a tasteless and odorless poison.

First, blocking the respiratory tract was essential for safety.

'Could it be.'

Seeing the hall turn chaotic, I quickly started looking for Pintel's location.

Not being certain of who spread the rumors, the plan might be to kill everyone suspected.

'Could it be that they executed such a drastic measure?'

"Guards! Assist the fallen!"

However, seeing Pintel, who appeared flustered but was sorting things out quickly, told me that can't be the case either.

Then it must be.

'A third party.'

Someone daring to cause trouble in a place filled with nobles.

Is this someone brave enough to have such arrogance?

'Or quite confident in their skills.'

For now, I'd have to postpone the discussion with Dantes.

Thinking so, I shifted my gaze to him.

"Sir Dantes...?"

The Dantes who should have been present was nowhere to be found.

Where did he...

"Wh-what are you doing!"

"ARRRRRGHH!"

Once more, a scream pierced the air. This time, it didn't carry the confusion of before, signaling something unsettling.

"This... This can't be real, guren! You surprised me by collapsing!"

Those who had been poisoned and collapsed began to stagger to their feet.

Yet, their aura wasn't normal.

"Aaaaaargh!"

The reanimated people, like puppets on strings, started attacking those around them like modern-day zombies.

Fists and teeth.

Driven by sheer instinct, those who initiated the assault threw the already chaotic hall into further disarray.

"Gu-Guren! What the hell... Ugh!?"

"What on earth is happening right now!?"

"Sir Yulian, are you alright!?"

In the midst of chaos, Pintel hurriedly approached my side.

As the host of this gathering, he should be in control, yet here he was, rushing to me.

"... It seems to be poison."

"Indeed, it does."

Answering my observation, Pintel covered his respiratory tract with a handkerchief.

It seemed Pintel had some experience with 'poison.' As evidenced by his immediate move to block his respiratory path.

"I'm relieved Sir Yulian is safe."

"It seems that as I wasn't mingling with the crowd, I was spared."

"But this poison... causing people to act like ghouls is something I've never... Ack!"

While speaking, Pintel suddenly spat blood and collapsed to his knees.

'Huh?'

His abrupt reaction caught me off guard.

'Was he too late in blocking his respiratory tract due to the emergency?'

Regardless, there aren't many poisons capable of affecting a 5th-ranked mage like him.

So, perhaps it was not a respiratory poison but rather.

'They tampered with the food.'

At last, I started forming a vague idea about the culprit's identity.

Someone who could freely use poison and infiltrate such a place stealthily.

'It was Annarui's doing.'

Annarui the Malignant Poison.

Assistant of the Ring Finger among the Six Fingers.

Judging by the reaction of the poisoned individuals, the type of poison was 'Puppet Poison'.

A poison that allows the controlled subject to perform simple commands.

While the moment the individuals become poisoned, the game (勝機) passes to Annarui. Now that I knew the poison's identity, it was possible to slightly resist.

"Sir Pintel, circulate mana through your minor blood veins to make it flow continuously."

"Huff, huff..."

Though Pintel's eyes were filled with bewilderment, he began taking deep breaths as I instructed.

His complexion gradually returned with a bit of vitality, though his face remained in agony.

"Though it must be tough, please take care of this place."

"Sir... Sir Yulian, what do you plan to do?"

"I'll need to have a conversation with the 'culprit'."

With that said, I lightly tapped the scabbard of my sword, prompting Pintel to nod his head with pain-stricken eyes.

As I kicked off the ground, I immediately dashed out of the hall and headed toward the outskirts.

'Is it here?'

Annarui's 'Puppet Poison' serves as a tool to control the poisoned target.

Though simple commands are all it can execute, rendering the opponent defenseless marked a certain victory card.

'However, to control the subject, mana is necessary, so they must be nearby.'

===

⇒ Remarkable Intuition

⇒ Foresight

⇒ Single Stroke

===

Additionally, the form of the mana acts like a 'string', linking the target and the user, as per the settings I had read.

Thanks to familiarizing myself somewhat with Zahard's aura operation methods, my 'vision' had improved enough to perceive the 'strings' floating in the void.

Following this should lead me to 'Annarui'.

'Pintel can't afford to die right now, so I need to hurry.'

The 'string' leads beyond the door before me.

Without hesitation, I flung it open, and a figure leaped out, as though lying in wait.

The members of the gathering affected by the 'Puppet Poison'.

'Were they placed here in advance?'

It was an obvious decision in self-defense.

I drew the sword from its scabbard.

As my mana seeped into the Moonstone Sword, a soft, moonlit glow began to emanate.

Blam──!

Nonetheless, there was no need to swing my sword.

The suddenly dull thud that echoed out took down the charging poison-affected individuals.

Huh?

The thud's origin, which had defeated these individuals, was the un-drawn scabbard. It was someone who had knocked the afflicted down with a swing to the head.

Who could...

"Uh... Sir Yulian?"

The one who subdued the affected individuals was none other than Fern, someone I knew.

Clacky's Corner:

Fern, oh, the new member of Blind Eyes, the dude from Azure Lion Knights.