How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 126: Blanks Filled

Two down.

As the second wolf's body began to collapse, I pulled the short sword out and then hurled it at another. A third Dire Wolf dropped dead before they could recognize that they had gone from predator to prey.

When I formed a lightning bolt in my hand, I didn't throw it right away.

I held it and watched the remaining wolves. After seeing their comrades fall so easily, they hesitated.

Even though they were monsters, they still had the instincts of an animal.

I could see their confidence quivering in their eyes. The only monster that showed no reaction was the alpha, which didn't flinch or even seem bothered that I was killing its kind.

Stepping forward, I finished the rest of the regular Dire Wolves in quick succession and tried my best not to waste a single movement or draw out their deaths. I gave it to them as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Turning my attention fully to the remaining monster, the alpha Dire Wolf, its eye was burning not from fury or panic from being the last one alive but rather from a desire to duke it out with me to see who would come out on top.

The mana inside the alpha burst out in an instant.

Good. Neither of us plans on taking it easy to begin with.

I threw a bolt and the alpha shifted to the side and a blur, a mirage of where it had just been was struck rather than its real body.

It then dashed at me and crossed the distance much faster than it had dodged. Raising my leg, I raised it and kicked the paw that was trying to strike me.

The impact of our limbs clashing sent a gust of wind echoing into the trees.

A pair of claws tried to rake cuts across my chest, but I countered with just the force of my palms. I was able to push it back and the force sent it skidding backwards, its claws carving lines into the ground.

Moving towards it, I slashed with the sword sword and it caught some fur. Although it was shallow, it was enough to draw blood.

Not stopping, I met it head-on as it retaliated with full force.

My fist collided with its skull, the sword stabbed into its neck, and a grey cloud appeared above the wolf, striking the alpha's body with numerous bolts of lightning until its fur had turned either black or had been burned off.

It went limp then—

Thud.

It collapsed onto the ground.

Silence returned to the road and I thought to myself that I had reached my goal.

Twenty-five seconds. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Letting out an exaggerated exhale, I wiped my hand on my pants before turning around.

"That should be all of them," I said as I flipped the sword in the air and caught it by the tip. I extended the blade's handle at him.

The man stared at the handle, then at me.

…Huh?

Something was off. His breathing was steady now. Not just the kind of steadiness you would feel after being pulled out of danger but a level of steadiness that was only possible if you had never actually been in fear to begin with.

His hands had no signs of shaking, and there wasn't a single hint of fear lingering in his unwavering eyes.

What's going on?

It wasn't just him. Even his horses that had been their minds earlier were now totally calm as if nothing had happened.

"Nice to meet you, Bell Agnus," he said. That was when it clicked. Something was off — very much so.

"...How do you know my name?" I asked.

Without answering my question, he said slowly, "I'm Herol Walker. You handled that situation rather well."

Tilting my head, I was starting to get freaked out. The difference between before I arrived at his wagon and now was night and day.

"You… too? I mean, most people don't recover to your level of calmness after nearly getting killed."

He didn't respond for a second and grabbed the sword from my hand.

Then he chuckled. Not just a soft chuckle but a full chuckle that could get on someone's nerves if it went on too long.

The man had stood with a slight slouch the entire time, but he was slowly getting taller as a result of his back straightening. His shoulders lowered and the lack of mana presence suddenly flipped upside down.

The mana was so dense and heavy that my eyes almost popped out of my sockets.

It was similar to the level I've only seen in my father and in the Headmistress.

Ah… so that's how it is.

My eyes glanced up at the sky. The shitty god wasn't there at the moment, but if he was, I would ask him if this was another example of his lack of depth in his writing being filled in by the universe when it came to life.

"I sensed you before you even caught sight of me," Herol said, his eyes sharp now, nothing like the terrified merchant who had been screaming for help moments ago. "Although I was confused why you were hiding behind a tree, I figured that you would come to help me if I called for it. Bell Agnus, the young hero of Valdonia. Your reputation… It's not exactly accurate, is it?"

Looking in the direction of the person whom I had knocked out and hid in the grass some distance away, he added, "You even eliminated the third party who was coming ot help me… then saved me all on your own. That means it's no coincidence that you were there. You want something from me. Am I wrong?"

I didn't respond immediately.

In the novel, this man was never named. He was just a passerby who happened to have an artifact that the protagonist acquired, then once his duty as a device in the story was served, he never appeared again.

But now that he was real, the blanks caused by the poor writing were filled in.

How was it possible that a weak merchant had possession of a powerful artifact? Because he was pretending to be a weak merchant.

"If you're wondering if I was testing you once I noticed you, the answer would be yes," he said.

He did the same to Arthurr. And whatever test it was, Arthurr had passed with flying colors. He had no secret intentions behind his action and had simply tried to save the man who needed help.

Unlike him, I clearly was in this for a selfish reason.

I knew that characters weren't hollow like they were when they were words on a page so although I was shocked by this revelation, it didn't shatter my mind.

"...Who are you?" I asked.

"Herol Walker," he responded.

"Not that. You know what I'm asking. What are you?"

As he waved his hand, the corpses of the wolves began to stack on his wagon.

"They'll sell for something," he said. I could tell that he hadn't used telekinesis, as that was an ability only available to some humans such as the Headmistress. This was something much simpler. It was just him grabbing the corpses with his mana and brute-forcing them onto the wagon.

He took a seat, grabbed the handles and gestured for me to take a seat next to him.

I sat down and the wagon began to move.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

The hooves of the horses hit the ground with perfect sychronization and we drove in silence for a minute before he said in a light tone, "If you're wondering how I know you even though I look like a bum who lives in a rural area with no internet… you would be correct about that part. But I have friends who visit me. They showed me videos of many young warriors such as yourself. None as accomplished as you."

Who is this man?

He's so strong and yet, he was never mentioned in the novel, meaning that if I had never come to this universe, he would've remained an unnamed side character who never does anything significant in the story, regardless of the rest of his life story that was filled in by the universe.

"You know, despite who your father is, I was convinced," he said. "I saw your videos, read about your story and thought to myself that hey, we have a new prodigy, a hero on the rise. Someone who will rise to power someday and help lead the human race to victory against our enemies."

"...And you don't think that now?" I asked.

He said calmly as he used his mana to also toss the unconscious man into the wagon, "I don't have an answer for that. I'm not an oracle who can see into the future. But… I do think that the reputation of your flawless character is nothing more than a sham. Or at the very least, a slight exaggeration."

"...Does that bother you?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "I couldn't care less about a person's nature. Character is cheap. You could have a great character and commit a heinous crime. Or you could have the worst character in the world but work at an orphanage and save the lives of numerous kids without ever committing a crime a day in your life."

He turned to me when he said the next part.

"Forget your character. All I care about is your actions."

Herol held his gaze for a long moment after that, his expression unreadable as none of his facial muscles moved or twitched even a little bit.

The ride continued on and the wagon was surprisingly smooth even though the road was quite bumpy and there were a few cracks and holes here and there.

Then he gave me this thin smile.

"So, what is it that you want from me?" he asked at last.

I could tell by his words that he wanted no games, no lies, and to just answer him the truth.

There was no threat behind his voice though. Although I wasn't sure if that would still be the case if I chose to lie to him.

Not answering his question immediately, I leaned back slightly, relaxing just like he had done earlier.

Lying here is pointless. He can probably guess it if I am.

Since he gave it up for nothing in the novel, I might as well just tell him, as there was still a chance that he would hand it over without making a fuss about it.

"I want the orb," I said finally.

At the mention of one of the objects he was transporting, Herol chuckled softly. "Straight to the point. I can respect that."

Turning back to the road, he just looked at me through the corner of his eye.

"Before I give you an answer, tell me this, Bell. How do you know I'm in possession of that artifact?"

Another plot point that the universe filled in.

In the novel, he didn't know that the orb was an artifact, but he must have been pretending when he gifted it to his "savior" Arthurr.

But now that I knew he was faking his lack of knowledge, it was starting to make more sense. Why else would a random person possess such a powerful artifact?

"Because I'm an Agnus," I answered. My go-to answer. A copout that usually worked. Would it work again against someone this strong?

"...True," he nodded.

Is that my true superpower?! It's not lightning or my knowledge of the novel. It's my freaking last name.

"Well, in regards of that orb, I'm delivering it at the moment. It's actually the reason why I'm heading to this city."

Now the universe was also filling in the blanks of the man's purpose in Valdonia.

But who?

Who was he delivering it to?

Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Although our bodies are naturally good at expelling weak toxins like this, if you're able to control, you can still feel a little buzz. Want one?" he asked, to which I declined.

He snapped his fingers and a spark lit up the stick. It wasn't fire magic, just the friction of his fingers.

"Although I can't tell you who I'm delivering the orb to, as that is information I can not give away, I'll tell you at the very least that they will put the artifact to great use."

"Do you know its ability?" I asked and to that, he shook his head.

"We have records of its previous owner using it."

"...So it'll be a no?"

He shook his head. "Although I can't just simply hand this orb over to a talented young hero just because he asked…" especially one that seemed to have a fraudulent personality, "...I'm not exactly contracted or obligated to complete the delivery."

Is that why he was willing to give it to Arthurr in the novel?

"Although you are a clearly flawed person, why isn't?" he smiled. "So I'll give you a chance. Although I can't hand it to you for free, as you did technically save me, I will give you the chance to earn it."

"Earn it?"

This wasn't something that the protagonist had to do. It was extra work. And yet, I didn't feel terrible about it. It felt more rewarding. Something fitting for the value of the orb I desired.

"What is it that you want me to do?"

"It's nothing difficult. I just need you to—"