Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 168

Chapter 168. Fighting Poison with Poison (2)

If nothing else, one thing was clear, and it resonated deeply.

Yulian's toxicity was stronger than Annarui's.

The dominance that Annarui once held changed to fear, and the anxious air around Fern eased considerably.

Surely, if this battle continued, it wouldn't be long before the tide turned in my favor.

"A puppet's poison."

I sensed the shift of momentum after enduring Annarui's poison.

One of her deadly moves.

Having withstood that, it was only natural for the advantage to shift to me.

Of course, that was the expectation, but...

'... Would it really?'

Honestly, I was surprised too.

I hadn't anticipated falling victim to the 'puppet's poison' she spread.

With so many enemies around, I would have usually been suspicious, but I couldn't have imagined such a thing happening at the gathering hosted by Pintel.

To think, she would poison the champagne.

I was blindsided.

Moreover, if it weren't for an alert that came in, I would have immediately fled and neutralized the poison using mana manipulation.

===

⇒ Infected with 'Puppet's Poison'.

⇒ Resisted attacks of a "Mental" nature.

【Poker Face】

【Assertive Presence】

【Duplicitous】

===

This was something I had experienced before with the demon of the frontier.

Yulian's noble ego couldn't be broken by 'mental' attacks.

Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one.

This delusional ego, believing he could carve out the world with his own strength and fend off anyone alone, was nearly immune to 'mental attacks'.

Furthermore...

'Ugh...'

Brrrr──!

My trembling hand came into view.

As if furious at the mere attempt to break my spirit with such a feeble 'poison', Yulian's body rejected the intrusion.

Demanding the immediate execution of that woman.

'Thanks to this damn ego, sometimes I benefit.'

Holding down my trembling, sword-wielding hand with the other, the shaking began to subside.

"What will you do now?"

With the 'puppet poison' ineffective, Annarui was left with no options.

I had dispersed the regular venom she released with my aura, and her ultimate moves no longer held power.

Had this been her workshop, there might have been some countermeasures available, but...

'She couldn't have imagined being exposed like this.'

All thanks to having learned 'Aura Sonar' from Zahard.

Unintentionally, it became helpful.

A gesture of gratitude was in order—perhaps I should send extra rations.

"Ugh..."

All her attempts had been in vain, and though they worked on others, she was unlucky.

Her mental poison didn't work on Yulian.

Annarui, with a fearful face, took a step back.

Still, it seemed she entertained the notion of survival, her eyes desperately darting around.

'But the situation isn't likely to change drastically now.'

"Annarui, a bit of thought will show that surviving and leaving here is quite simple."

I smiled, fostering an intimidating atmosphere to unnerve my opponent.

But I didn't do much else.

With this face, even a slight smile would terrify the opposition.

"If you tell me who hired you, I might show some leniency."

"... You'd let me go?"

"Hmm, that might be difficult. Others are watching besides me."

I glanced at Fern.

That guy exuded a 'Do as you wish' aura, but I knew he was lying.

Despite having served in the order, Fern was now part of the Blind Eyes, keen to apprehend the offender at all costs.

"I'll send you some extra rations. What do you think?"

"Crazy...! You think that's negotiation?"

"Then, do I take this to mean you're willing to die here?"

Once more, I turned to Fern.

"Sir Fern, you know the Blind Eyes offers leniency to cooperating criminals, right?"

"Yes, I am aware."

"There you go. It's better to live off extra rations than to die, Annarui."

If she resisted, she'd meet her end, but if she confessed easily, I'd promise a comfortable prison stay.

That's what I was insinuating, yet it seemed even that was a humiliation to her.

Crack──!

Above her head, Annarui's demeanor transformed to rage lingering in 'fear'.

She knew as well as I did.

That there was no escaping me.

"Though it's infuriating, there isn't much to be done right now."

Annarui shrugged as if conceding, something I'd seen often enough.

She wore a determined look and pulled out two orb-like items from her pocket.

Ah! Like a classic villain leaving with lines like "You'll see!" or "I won't let this slide next time!"

Those were likely magical tools storing 'poison' or 'smoke.'

She planned to escape.

'Should stop her before this becomes a hassle...'

Thunk──!

However, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.

As Annarui's gaze fixated on me, Fern swiftly closed the distance and plunged a sword into her neck.

"Keheuk, cough..."

Annarui staggered, spitting a mouthful of blood.

Fern pursued her relentlessly and kicked away the 'magic tool' orbs before removing the embedded sword.

Ssshh.

Exaggerating slightly, a fountain of blood painted a rainbow without eliciting much effect from Fern, who reported to me post-action.

"I took measures before she could cause trouble."

"I see. Well done."

As expected, he bore the badge of the 'Azure Lion Knights'. It wasn't just a ceremonial title, it seemed.

Though, there was a slight regret.

"What are you doing, Sir Fern? Go stem the bleeding."

"Pardon?"

"The prime witness and evidence in today's incident. We need to keep her alive to extract information, do we not?"

Acknowledging my words belatedly, Fern hastily tore the curtain to provide emergency care to Annarui's neck.

The curtain must have remnants of the poison she used earlier, but well...

'She should be immune to her own poison, right?'

Otherwise, it's just unfortunate.

... But can she survive after a neck stabbing?

***

Isn't there a saying that authorities always show up after the dust settles?

Indeed, the guards arrived at the gathering only after everything was over.

"You've done well, Sir Yulian... Did you anticipate this, and so you waited?"

Ah, I had forgotten.

I was part of that 'authority', too.

The highest-ranking member of the guards posed the question, and I replied with a mere smile instead of words.

I honestly had nothing to say and nothing I was obliged to say, so it was just that.

The murmurs from behind pricked my ears.

"Is he truly the Emperor's hunting dog? He seems to sniff out accomplishments like a ghost."

"Otherwise, why would this Smiling Executioner attend such a prestigious gathering?"

Their words weren't wrong.

Yulian wouldn't attend a gathering like this for personal reasons.

No matter how you sliced it, I would seem like someone obsessed with accomplishments, who came anticipating an incident like this.

"Had he known earlier, he should have given us a heads-up, shouldn't he?"

"He really hogged all the glory for himself."

... Ah, I suppose it might be perceived that way.

To be honest, I hadn't the slightest inkling of an attack from Annarui.

I came mainly to apprehend the rumor spreader, 'Dantes'.

'Speaking of which, that fellow.'

He managed to escape.

I was certain he was the one spreading rumors, and further...

'Is he the one who hired the 'Six Fingers'?'

To hire a group like that requires a substantial amount of capital.

While they are just an organization from the slums,

at least the 'Christo Family' wouldn't have problems in such matters, making me all the more curious about his intentions.

'Well, I suppose digging into Annarui should clarify things?'

That ought to do it.

"Wait."

Just as I intended to leave the follow-up to the guards and exit, Fern addressed the guards murmuring a while ago.

"If Sir Yulian didn't care to lower himself to bother with the likes of you, had another knight heard those absurd remarks, they wouldn't have let it slide."

Fern scolded the guards in a sharp tone.

Why was he suddenly acting like this?

Ah, come to think of it, it makes sense.

'He was quite prideful of the order he belonged to, wasn't he?'

Recollecting my early impression of Fern, he had immense pride in the 'Azure Lion Knights'.

Coupled with his disdain for Yulian from the Blind Eyes, which often clashed with the Azure Lion Knights, he especially resented me.

How he came to the Blind Eyes and now reveres me remains a mystery, though.

"And who are you...?"

The guard looked at Fern with a tone suggesting he mind his business.

Fern then revealed an insignia bearing the 'Azure Lion Emblem.'

"W-Were you an Azure Lion knight!?"

"We apologize for our rudeness...!"

"Apologies should be directed to Sir Yulian."

Fern's words led the guards to apologize to me.

Though it gave off the air of 'not stooping to deal with trash', I had grown accustomed to it, so it didn't bother me.

'Still, if it were Yulian...'

He wouldn't have let it slide so easily.

"For a moment there, I thought you guys had extra lives, but it seems not. Huhut."

What could I do when I genuinely felt no curiosity about people like them or their words?

Offering my signature smile, I left the guards shrouded in the 'Color of Fear' and departed the scene.

Fern followed behind me.

"You still have the Azure Lion insignia, I see."

"Yes? Oh, yes. It sometimes proves useful in places like this."

"That's a sensible approach. The Blind Eyes might not be highly esteemed within, though it's unknown outside."

Yet something felt a tad strange.

"That... Isn't that impersonation?"

"... While it may be apologetic to the guard, it's true I haven't been officially 'discharged' from the Azure Lion knights."

That's also true.

For a knight, he sure has a knack for using crafty methods.

"Oh, I nearly forgot."

"Yes?"

Amid the unfolding situation back then, I had one more question for Fern that had slipped my mind.

"Why were you present at the gathering, Sir Fern?"

Why had he been there?

"The truth is... I was monitoring someone."

Monitoring? Who?

"Dantes Christo. He seemed to have forged close ties with the Dawn Society, currently active in the capital."

"Oh..."

Things began to smell a bit dangerous.

As noted by Lazlot, I was already aware Fern was investigating the 'Dawn Society's' trail.

Figuring it wouldn't yield significant results, I had left it be, but...

'And Dantes is a bishop of the Dawn Society. Though the investigation hasn't clearly outlined the details yet.'

Still, Fern mentioning that name indicated some progress had been made.

Dangerous.

Should they follow this trail to the source, it could become annoying.

Not just for Dantes, but for me as well.

"Sir Yulian, are you alright!?"

Pintel, the host of the gathering, approached at the worst possible timing.

'Did he hear?'

If Pintel had overheard my conversation with Fern, there was the potential for him to overreact.

Although the 'Dawn Society's' survival wasn't important to him, he wouldn't appreciate his identity being revealed.

"Yes, how are you, Sir Pintel?"

"I'm alright!"

Luckily, from his reaction, it seemed Pintel hadn't eavesdropped on Fern.

"Sir Pintel, as the host, you endured much trouble being tangled in such a bizarre incident."

"Hmm, it's nothing. I should have anticipated that such an event could occur."

'I should have ensured more preparedness.'

Pintel muttered to himself.

"What's your name?"

"Ah, I'm Fern."

"Okay, Fern. Could you give us a moment? I need to have a word with Sir Yulian."

At Pintel's request, Fern briefly mulled over it, then nodded, offering me a polite bow before vacating the spot.

"Sir Yulian."

With a sincere look, Pintel began to speak.

"Have you located the source of the rumors?"

"Yes, I believe I have."

"That's a relief!"

"However, it isn't certain yet. I'll make sure of my suspicions through the apprehended culprit of this incident."

Pintel seemed to understand from my response.

"I'm sure you've got plans, Sir Yulian, but might I respectfully make a request?"

With a solemn face, I watched what Pintel intended to say.

"That fellow, Fern."

Hmm? Why him?

"Left unaddressed, he might become a hindrance to you, Sir Yulian. Given that he's probing into our affairs."

Pintel's words spelled out a looming nuisance.

"He must be eliminated."