Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 197

Chapter 197. Proof of Loyalty (1)

Late Night.

The meeting place Kolparan selected for a secret discussion was the very bridge where a sword had been theatrically stabbed into Fern's stomach.

"Sir Yulian must be working hard at this late hour."

Unlike before, there was no brightly shining full moon or heavy rain crashing down, leaving the place a bit dark and desolate.

This made it a place where no presence was felt at all.

Waiting for me there, Kolparan had donned a long-brimmed fedora, pulling it down to hide his face.

Next to him stood a man with a hood pulled over his head.

Judging by the sword tied to his waist and the aura he exuded, he seemed to be the monsignor I had seen before, named 'Al Hashar'.

"Isn't it my duty to stay up all night and take care of the 'concerns' of the imperial family?"

Kolparan snorted, as if thinking my reply was a ridiculous joke, and looked down at the water flowing through the canal.

"Anyway, what's the reason for this? If your aged body catches a cold from the chilly winds of the capital, my heart might ache."

"A voice that does not match your heart."

Knowing he was being criticized, Kolparan furrowed his brows.

However, he couldn't afford to react differently.

He wasn't bold enough to attack 'Yulian' for provoking him like this.

"......"

A brief silence lingered.

Was it because they had been drenched before?

An almost chilling aura began to rise from the ground, surrounding our bodies.

As if the chill seeped into him, Kolparan adjusted his collar and slowly began to speak.

"The news of the Sword Saint's return... You must have heard it as well, Sir Yulian."

As expected...

Kolparan, likely informed by some source, was talking about the 'return of the Sword Saint.'

"Though he is not entering the capital as an imperial citizen this time, but as a member of the Dawn Society—and I don't find that return the least bit welcome."

Rubbing his beard, Kolparan voiced his thoughts.

His white beard caught the moonlight, softly shining and fluttering.

He had the air of a sage, but...

I knew this old man was a fox-like opportunist focused solely on his own survival.

'An opportunistic old man.'

That expression was probably quite accurate.

"Lady Eleanor, rather, Archbishop Eleanor seems to be aware of this as well. And she resolutely dismisses the idea of dethroning the 'High Pontiff' before the Sword Saint's return as too challenging."

So, Eleanor knew too.

Just as she said, carrying out the grand scheme before the Sword Saint's return might indeed be challenging—it was a difficult matter.

With only a day left until 'that day,' saying even this might not be an exaggeration.

With a serious air, Kolparan glanced at me and began to speak.

"However, setting aside the Sword Saint's return, I have another concern."

Kolparan's concern, huh.

"So it seems."

I dismissed his concern with a single word.

So what.

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"How could I meddle in personal matters? Just as Sir Kolparan does not interfere in the matters between me and my master."

"Khm..."

Continuing to speak, Kolparan showed a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

"Then, think of it as me talking to myself from here on out."

Did he call me just to talk to himself?

If I went that far, I might be seen as too indifferent, so I decided to let it go.

Whatever it was, it wasn't related to me...

"Pintel Obradin, is that guy truly trustworthy?"

Huh?

Hearing Kolparan's mumblings, I slowly turned my head toward him.

Was Pintel Obradin trustworthy?

What was there to ask?

'He is trustworthy.'

However, that doesn't mean I 'trust' him.

What I rely on are the characters who, even once, stood out in 〈Kill the Demon King〉.

The ones who interacted with the 'protagonist' and thus had their own narratives, settings, and clear ideologies.

'Pintel.'

No 'setting' worth mentioning exists for him.

Originally, he was a character who should have died at the Sword Saint's hands long ago.

'Why does he show me such loyalty?'

That doubt arose.

If Pintel's loyalty was a 'lie', then...

'Hmm.'

There would be a significant setback in the matter of replacing the 'High Pontiff', a matter built up until now.

"Originally, wasn't 'Pintel' the one who opposed you the most inside the Dawn Society?"

Kolparan's words made sense.

"The sudden change in Pintel's stance regarding you is beyond my understanding."

For the characters who haven't died or disappeared 'as planned,' they are 'unknowns.'

What actions they might take.

What thoughts they might have.

Without experiencing it firsthand, I would never know.

"If, perchance, Pintel harbors 'bad intentions', a significant crack could form in our objectives..."

"That's the same for you, Sir Kolparan."

Kolparan was also part of the subject he spoke of.

"That... Well."

Kolparan, quick on the uptake, seemed to instantly grasp what I wanted to say.

The old fox had his beard in hand, gazing endlessly at the flowing river.

Judging from that, the implication that he was not an exception either seemed well conveyed.

"It seems I made a needless remark."

"Not at all, Sir Kolparan. Doubt is only natural."

"No, no. I trust you to handle it competently, don't I? Hm. I'll take my leave now."

Uncomfortable with my words, Kolparan bid farewell and disappeared.

Well, that much should suffice.

Even if I assuredly handle it.

'... It makes sense, though.'

There's nothing wrong with being cautious.

Regarding the characters who should have died in the progression, who were they?

Pintel.

Eulsis.

And... Angelica.

Grrr──.

The moment I thought of 'Angelica', it tilted its head, thinking I was calling for her.

Though Kolparan and Al Hashar, who were growing distant, wouldn't be able to see it, it would be problematic if demonic energy leaked out.

'I wasn't calling you, Angelica.'

Pressing gently with a finger, several of her eyes spun around and then retracted back into my embrace.

'Angelica herself was originally an unknown existence, without a name.'

Though she'd become a reliable ally now... calling her a trustworthy pet seemed more fitting.

'Giving her a name, she started showing clear loyalty toward me.'

Only a conjecture, but assigning a 'name' might have helped in fostering a bond.

They do say a 'name' marks one's place now and in the future, don't they?

'Hmm.'

My thoughts deepened.

Although it might be meaningless.

***

"I'll say it once more."

In the silent underground prison of the Obradin family.

There, Pintel's voice, hands resting on a magic staff, reverberated harshly.

"Don't think of leaving that place."

It wasn't loud, but the voice that spread clearly echoed in Gerard's ears as he opened the prison door.

Hearing Pintel's voice, Gerard found himself unable to move easily.

'This bastard...'

The pressure Pintel exuded now was unlike when he was almost killed by Gerard's own hands before.

As a somewhat promising mage, Gerard knew Pintel was well-versed in his family's unique magic.

The power and the reputation he built earned him a place in the Dawn Society.

However, having felt 'demonic energy' through Aiden's research and learning to handle 'shade magic', Gerard couldn't help but feel intimidated by the 'mana' emanating from Pintel.

By understanding 'magic', albeit through unconventional means, Gerard could now sense Pintel's level.

"Pintel, my friend, why are you behaving foolishly?"

Gerard originally planned to sneak out at dawn when no one was around and simply hand over a 'recording' to the High Pontiff.

By doing so, he aimed to restore his place in the Dawn Society and live as a nobleman again.

That was all he intended.

"What has Yulian ever done for you to make you such a loyal dog!!"

Gerard's lips trembled with anger.

Before that incident, one could clearly tell their respective positions at a glance.

Heaven and earth.

While Gerard held sway in both the Dawn Society and the nobility, Pintel was merely a mage who focused solely on studying magic.

"So disgusting."

Now with Pintel's cold eyes directed at him, Gerard bit his lips hard.

"The forked tongue remains the same, Gerard."

Even as he realized that no words would scratch the almost devout mindset Pintel had, Gerard, known for his flippancy, took a step forward instead.

"Just listen to me. Give this magic to the High Pontiff..."

One step.

The moment Gerard stretched beyond the cell, a knife imbued with mana was flying toward his eyes.

Thunk──!

The blade pierced his right shoulder.

"Gahhhh!"

As the sharp blade embedded itself, excruciating pain shot through Gerard, causing him to fall onto his backside.

"Damn it...!"

With agony akin to a volcanic eruption, crimson blood streamed down his shoulder.

"Damn bastard!"

Despite absorbing Gerard's sharpened ire, Pintel dusted off his own shoulder with an emotionless stance and opened his mouth.

"Did I look like I was joking? Consider this your last warning, Gerard."

Tremble.

When Pintel poured mana into the staff clenched in both hands, 'blade magic', his specialty, began to ripple through the air.

'There's no way to avoid this...'

Avoiding all those spells was impossible.

If Gerard attempted to leave the cell, those daggers would rain down like a storm.

'Was this guy always this strong?'

Evading them was impossible.

The 'shade magic' Gerard had learned in an almost underhanded way would hardly fend them off fully.

'I have to shake him somehow.'

A keyword capable of throwing Pintel off balance.

Luckily, Gerard knew this.

"Do you know the secret of Yulian, whom you trust so much and follow?"

"No need to know until he tells me himself."

"In that case, let me share something with you!"

With this, he could surely disrupt Pintel's focus.

"Yulian, that guy is the Black Knight."

That would create an opening in the blade magic, allowing for an unforeseen strike.

"... What?"

Indeed.

As soon as 'Black Knight' left his lips, fractures appeared on Pintel's otherwise emotionless face.

"The one who drove you to ruin with his plan, the Black Knight! That Black Knight is Yulian himself!"

It made sense.

The Black Knight was the one who disqualified Pintel from the rank of 'Bishop' due to his failed plan.

Discovering that the person he served was also the one who had led him to ruin, the shock would be...──.

"So what?"

But Pintel replied with an uninterested tone.