Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 167

Chapter 167. Fighting Poison with Poison (1)

The chaotic moments continued.

Even Fern knew that a gathering of nobles was being held here.

The banquet hall was adorned with splendid portraits and intricate sculptures, filled with nobles in extravagant attire, dancing, sharing hobbies, and exchanging brilliant smiles and laughter.

Though it was also a place where the nobles expertly concealed their distinct dramatic emotions, effortlessly revealing hidden intentions within the bubbles of pretense.

'A gathering, huh.'

Fern, though a fallen noble, had once lived the life of a "noble" even for a short while, and thought this glamorous side was merely fake and an illusion.

However...

'Watching isn't a problem, I suppose.'

Despite thinking so, Fern couldn't adapt to the overwhelming scent of perfume that permeated the hall.

'Why do they apply such strong perfume? Moreover, it's not just one or two people.'

"Hoo."

Fern sighed deeply, stepping outside to take in some fresh air.

'Remember.'

Once outside, with a bit of relief, Fern began organizing his thoughts inwardly.

'I'm here to keep an eye on Dantes.'

Dantes of the Christo family.

While investigating a secret organization known as the 'Dawn Society', they discovered information that Dantes could be linked to it.

The suspicion stemmed from the fact that a person arrested for association with the Dawn Society had interactions with him.

'It's not yet certain, but that's why I need to investigate.'

The fact that secretive dealings might be progressing made Fern's heart race.

During his service in the Azure Lion Knights, he had never felt this way.

The knights generally adhered to the principle of bearing a "crest," and they mostly engaged in public affairs rather than secretive operations.

'Hoo...'

After taking in the outside air and organizing his thoughts, Fern resolved to head back to the banquet hall.

Just then...

"Kyaaaaaah!"

A piercing scream echoed in Fern's ears.

The scream came from the banquet hall where the gathering was taking place.

Upon hearing that sound, Fern instinctively felt that something unusual was happening.

'... What!?'

Clenching the ground, Fern rushed back into the building, the corridor leading to the banquet hall unfolding in front of him.

The ominous energy emanating from there stiffened his body.

Consequently, the previous overwhelming scent of perfume was no longer perceptible.

"S-save me!"

At the moment Fern was about to advance down the corridor, a scream emerged from a side room.

When Fern hastily opened the door, he saw a familiar-faced nobleman and a female servant.

"Lord Merdan, are you alright?!"

Fern, recognizing the nobleman's face, called out his name, only to feel a sinister energy directed toward him.

The man named 'Merdan' had certainly lost consciousness, his eyes clouded with foam and pupils nowhere in sight.

"A-are you a knight? Please help! This noble suddenly lost his senses and then..."

"Sir Merdan?!"

Still, Merdan's body moved.

Acting purely on instinct, the flailing hands of the man aimed an attack at Fern.

Being a knight and having not forsaken his regular training, Fern found dodging the attack was not difficult.

Crash──!

Yet, the sight of the flailing fist reducing furniture to shambles was anything but ordinary.

'What the...?'

Like something imbued with magical enhancement, the man's fists held tremendous strength.

This was not a normal situation.

Instinctively, Fern quickly drew his sword.

"Given the situation, please forgive me."

Mumbling his justification, Fern composedly refocused on the stumbling man approaching him.

Despite his undead-like erratic movement, the speed wasn't significant.

With some room to breathe, Fern struck the man with the pommel, not the blade, to knock him out.

Then, through the open door, another familiar face appeared.

"Sir Yulian...?"

It was bewildering beyond words.

Due to his 'slit-eyes', Yulian's pupils remained hidden, leaving it unclear if he was being 'controlled' like the previous noble.

Thus, Fern hesitated.

At that moment of hesitation, fearing he might make a mistake, Yulian drew his sword and swiftly closed the distance.

'... Ugh!?'

In sheer surprise, as Fern raised his sword, a flashing strike came not at him, but at something behind him.

"G-gurrrrk..."

It was the noble Merdan, who Fern had thought was knocked out moments ago.

Crunch.

This time, the man, struck by Yulian's blow, collapsed.

Fortunately, it seemed that Yulian wielded his strike with care, as no sword wounds were visible.

"It's crucial to finish things properly, Sir Fern. In situations like this, one shouldn't cast unnecessary glances elsewhere."

Slight sarcasm and mockery lacing his words.

There was no need to distinctly categorize; it was evidently Yulian's usual self.

"I apologize, Sir Yulian."

"No need to apologize."

After patting Fern's shoulder twice, Yulian walked past him.

"Th-thank you for your help!"

Once the situation settled, the female servant expressed her gratitude. Observing her, Yulian redirected his gaze to Fern.

"Are you alright, Sir Fern?"

Understanding Yulian's query as checking if he was 'under control,' Fern nodded.

"Yes, I believe I am alright..."

"Hmm, I see."

Saying so, Yulian turned his attention back to the female servant.

"Come this way. I will escort you to a safe place."

"Th-thank you...!"

The female servant let out a relieved sigh and approached, prompting Yulian to swiftly swing his sword.

Since it happened before Fern could fully grasp it, he was taken aback.

Yet, more incomprehensible was the female servant's reaction.

What should have been a decisive blow, even upon a normal person, was effortlessly avoided as the female servant distanced herself.

"Sir Yulian!? What is happening...?"

"She is the culprit behind the current incident."

The culprit? That woman?

"Oh my, the mad hound of the Imperial family is said to have a keen sense of smell, and you've indeed noticed?"

Merely seconds ago, the woman, who had been drenched in cold sweat begging for her life, now had a completely transformed demeanor.

"You must be Annarui."

Annarui?

At the mention of that name, Fern inadvertently tensed up.

Annarui the Malignant Poison.

A renowned name among poison masters. Fern had heard rumors about her poison being so potent and precise that even knights couldn't resist it.

"What brings you to reveal yourself here?"

"Oh my, do you know me? I thought I was living quite quietly despite the fame."

"Stop the nonsense and answer my question."

Annarui shrugged her shoulders at Yulian's indifferent response.

"I was hired."

"By whom?"

Snorting at Yulian's continued questioning, she grinned.

"Am I obligated to tell?"

Ssssshh──!

With her sneering words, air escaping from the nearby furniture could be heard.

'Poison!'

Fern, realizing it, hurriedly attempted to block his respiratory tract and inform Yulian, but—

Bang, crash──!

Before he could, Yulian stepped forward with his right foot.

The moment his foot hit the ground, an immense aura spread furiously like a storm.

The oppressive aura swept across the room, shattering every window and causing the 'poison' that began to seep from the objects in the room to be pushed outside due to the gusting aura.

"Even if you have no obligation to speak, I have an obligation to hear you. Let's determine whose obligation is stronger."

While unleashing an aura akin to tyranny, Yulian maintained an unchanging smile.

Watching this, Fern swallowed hard.

'In swordsmanship, his prowess was dauntingly high, and in aura manipulation, keeping pace with him seemed utterly out of reach.'

"Ho, hoho..."

Similarly exhibiting overbearing arrogance, Annarui seemed oppressed by the force of his aura.

"Indeed, worthy of a disciple of the Sword Saint, your mastery of aura manipulation is impressive; I might fall for it."

"In that case, surrender yourself. Who knows, I might oblige for a date."

"Surely, not behind bars or something like that?"

With his jest, Yulian shrugged, causing Annarui's eyes to glint.

"Do you know? No matter how strong an aura a knight possesses, or how mighty the mana manipulation of a mage is, if they get poisoned, that's the end."

She had something in mind.

Fern predicted as such the moment Yulian's expression turned odd.

"Urgh..."

With a groan, Yulian clutched his head, seeming as if he would collapse to his knees, making Fern instinctually grasp the situation.

'Could it be, the same poison that affected Merdan earlier!?'

The poison that had caused the loss of reason and indiscriminate attacks.

Fern deduced that Yulian had been poisoned by it.

"Sir Yulian, pull yourself together!"

"P-poison isn't just about inhalation. A first-rate poison master can intoxicate under any circumstance."

Annarui opened her mouth, chuckling instead of Yulian providing any answer.

"The champagne at the gathering. It didn't particularly have any smell or noticeable taste, did it?"

Champagne?

Fern had seen it too.

However, because of the overwhelming scent of perfume, he hadn't dared to drink it outside.

'There was poison mixed in it!?'

Fern started to feel dizzy.

Could he possibly subdue a 'poisoned' Yulian who had lost his reasoning?

Witnessing that 'aura' earlier, Fern couldn't envision such a scenario at all.

For now, he could only wait for Yulian to regain his composure or—

'I must subdue the poison master!'

Clutching his sword tightly, Fern began to gather aura around the blade.

However, when he aimed to leap towards Annarui—

"Don't move. If you proceed, I could immediately sever this scaffold's life."

Perhaps noticing Fern's intention, Annarui halted him.

It was bluster.

Had she the means to sever his life, she could have long done so.

But if—

If by any chance it were possible—

A direct cause leading to Yulian's demise would then pivot around his own judgment.

'Even so.'

He had to act.

For Sir Yulian, he would have said so.

Expecting mercy from an enemy is but the thought of a mere ordinary man. The line must be drawn here.

As Fern resolved to act and execute that thought—

"About the champagne, does that mean your employer is someone capable of meddling with the gathering's schedule?"

Yulian spoke as though unaffected.

"N-no way!"

Annarui, now truly perturbed, cried out.

"My mental illusion poison... The puppet poison didn't work!?"

As if her past studies were being invalidated, Annarui's face was laced with desolation.

Yulian jeered at her plight.

"Your low-grade poison must have been unable to scratch the mind fortified by loyalty to the Imperial family."

Utterly brimming with confidence, his tone left no room for doubt.

Although Fern, vaguely aware that Yulian's often-spoken 'loyalty' held little to no real connection to the 'Imperial family'.

'... Impressive mental strength.'

Even so, the fact that Yulian harbored 'malice' greater than Annarui's 'poison' was undeniable.