A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 149: Unexpected Wager (1) Part 1

“That Deculein’s time is running out,” Louina said.

The room grew quiet, leaving Epherene staring at her in a blank silence.

Buzzzz—

The Wood Steel vibrated in her pocket, startling her, as if it were nudging her back to reality. Epherene flinched, her shoulders tightening.

“… So, if his time is running out—” Epherene squealed, giving away her rising anxiety.

Louina glanced around warily. She had already used a spell before speaking to ensure privacy, but the nagging feeling that someone might be watching remained.

“I believe it could be a terminal illness,” Louina said.

Epherene’s mouth dropped open in shock, as if her jaw might hit the floor.

Louina gave a faint, bittersweet smile and added, “I can’t say for sure, but people rarely change without a reason, and it’s usually something significant.”

Though Louina expressed doubt, Epherene already knew. She still remembered the words her future self had left her with.

Louina let out a gentle, affectionate laugh and said, “You look like you’re about to cry, like a little baby.”

“Oh? No! I’m not crying! Who said I was…”

Louina wordlessly gestured toward Epherene’s eyes. Epherene, without thinking, brushed her fingers across her eyelids and felt the dampness.

“Oh, what the!” Epherene yelped, jumping up as if on instinct.

Louina was taken aback by the sudden reaction and said, “Oh my, that surprised me! What’s got you so flustered?”

“Uh…um… I think I just yawned or something,” Epherene mumbled, scrambling for an excuse.

Louina let out a quiet chuckle, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Epherene tightened her expression, nervously fidgeting with her fingers, and said, “I wasn’t really crying. Even if the professor is really ill…”

Epherene’s cheeks puffed up, like a deflated pufferfish.

“I think it’s just karma catching up to him.”

“A karma?” Louina echoed.

Epherene pouted and said flatly, “… Because he did so many awful things in the past.”

“Oh? You know what Deculein has done?” Louina asked.

Epherene gave a small nod. With all the rumors and stories she had uncovered while digging into her father’s dealings at the Mage Tower and Floating Island, it wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. Extortion, bullying commoners, stealing research papers—Deculein’s list of wrongdoings was long and shameful.

Louina nodded and said, “Yes, Deculein was anything but normal. Especially during his academy days… there were times I seriously doubted if he was even human.”

“The academy?” Epherene asked.

“Yes, the academy was much more bound by noble status than the Mage Tower ever was,” Louina said, her expression growing tired as she recalled those days.

Epherene imagined how frightening it must have been for the commoners when Deculein ruled the academy with sheer malice. The thought alone sent a chill down her spine.

“I had my share of bad blood with him… but now, it doesn’t really matter to me anymore. In his own way, he even helped me, and honestly, I forgot about it before I even realized.”

Epherene remained quiet.

“I still find myself wondering,” Louina mused, “how Deculein’s magical abilities reached this level. I’ve heard he’s ranked as the seventh strongest in the Empire. Honestly, I’m not sure that’s even possible, but he did create this stone we’re studying now.”

Epherene thought she might know the answer. Rohakan had once told her that as a mage nears death, they gain a chance to grasp a deeper truth—something about the soul drawing closer to mana than to the earth as life slips away.

“Oh my, look at the time,” Louina said, glancing at her watch before standing up then gave Epherene a warm smile. “Miss Epherene, let’s keep what we talked about between us, alright?”

“Oh, yes, of course. Are you headed somewhere?” Epherene asked.

“Yes, I still need to check on the project we’ve been working on. I have more teaching to do, and my little ones still need my guidance. It’s a bit concerning.”

Epherene nodded. It was both a little cringy and heartwarming how Louina called her students little ones.

“Alright, take care. And just call me Epherene, you don’t have to call me Miss Epherene,” Epherene added.

“Come now, I must show proper respect to Deculein’s protégé. But keep up the good work, alright?” Louina said with a playful wink and a small fist pump before walking off confidently.

As Louina walked away, her presence exuded a maturity that Epherene admired. One day, she hoped to be that kind of mentor to her own protégés.

“… You really need to stop now,” Epherene muttered, tapping the Wood Steel in her hand, which had been buzzing nonstop in her pocket.

The Wood Steel went quiet for a moment, but then—

Bzzzzzzzzz—!

The vibration intensified, tickling Epherene with a growing intensity.

“Oh, ow, ah! Hey, cut it out already!”

***

Today, as PCO Director, I wrapped up my work by reviewing thirteen teams. In short, four teams passed, five had their budgets cut, and the rest were rejected. I did give them enough suggestions, though, so most of them will probably come back with revisions. If they can’t manage even that, then they clearly don’t have the ability to continue their projects.

“I’ll be leaving now,” I said.

“Oh, of course, Professor!” Allen, who had been organizing the reports, stood up quickly. “I’ll handle the rest here. Have a good afternoon!”

Buried in paperwork, Allen’s overly enthusiastic farewell came off as strangely pitiful. I nodded and opened the office door. Just beyond the threshold stood Epherene, looking up at me with wide eyes, swallowing nervously. After a long moment, she forced an awkward smile—though it was more of a twitch, almost like a facial spasm.

“Oh, a-are you heading out, Professor? Haha, hahaha…” Epherene stammered.

“Step aside,” I said.

“Oh, right,” Epherene mumbled, stepping back.

I brushed past her.

“Goo-goodbye… Professor.”

Behind me, her voice came, soft and oddly wistful. My brow furrowed automatically. I turned to glare at Epherene, but she only bowed her head with a slight nod. It was the kind of response that made me want to dismiss her entirely.

“Have a… have a good one!”

Even her parting words felt strange. I ignored her and headed straight for the elevator, making my way to the parking lot. Ren, already waiting, opened the car door for me.

“Would you like me to take you straight to the mansion, sir?” Ren asked.

“Yes,” I said, settling into the back seat.

The walkie-talkie in my pocket began to buzz, releasing a faint crackle.

— We’ve secured Rockfell, but it seems unlikely we’ll reach Hadecaine.

It had been a while since I’d last heard Arlos’s voice. This was a real walkie-talkie. The crystal orb was too much of a security risk—it could easily be tapped by the Altar—so I had this walkie-talkie custom-built at a hardware shop.

“It’s of no concern. Just ensure it’s dealt with properly.”

— Understood.

I cut the transmission and leaned back in the rear seat for a moment before testing the Duct Tape attribute I had just acquired.

“Hmm.”

Mana gathered at my fingertips, forming a strip of tape, just like the ones I’d seen in the modern world.

[Proficiency: 0%]

The proficiency was clearly at 0%, as seen through my Sharp Eyesight. But I knew plenty of ways to boost it quickly. All I needed was some practical training. The method was simple—just pick someone and…

“I-I can’t move! My body won’t move!”

I called for Yeriel, who had been lounging around the mansion. She had arrived in the capital the night before, claiming she had business in the city.

“Let me down! Quit fooling around!” Yeriel shouted.

Disguising it as a magic lesson, I had started a practical training session with Yeriel, and as a result…

“I said, let me down!”

Yeriel was now bundled up in tape, stuck to the trunk of a massive tree in the garden.

I calmly asked, “Are you unable to free yourself from it?”

“Ugh!”

Yeriel’s face flushed with anger as she trembled with frustration. Just five minutes ago, she had eagerly followed along, excited like a playful puppy.

“Hrrrrrrr—”

Yeriel’s groans were loud, but that was all. No matter how much force she used, the tape’s grip didn’t budge. Even when she unleashed her mana and spells, the Duct Tape held firm. Despite her struggles, the tape’s primary function—binding—was undeniable.

Snap!

I snapped my fingers, and the tape released her.

“Ouch!”

The tape disappeared in an instant, and Yeriel, who had been stuck to the tree, dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Covered in grass and dirt, she quickly scrambled to her feet, shooting me a glare.

“What’s gotten into you lately?!” Yeriel yelled.

Watching her yell, I felt a mischievous urge rise within me.

“It seems you can’t even handle something this basic,” I said.

“What?”

“I wonder when you’ll finally grow up.”

“… Whatever,” Yeriel muttered, casting a scornful glance before grabbing a pouch from nearby. She pulled out a document and continued, “Here, just take it and be quiet!”

I silently took the document.

Annulment Agreement: Yukline and Freyden

Even reading the title of the document made me feel uncomfortable.

“What’s with that look? You’re not actually going to call off the engagement?” Yeriel asked.

I remained silent.

“Neither we nor Freyden stand to lose much from this. Honestly, it’s worse for us. We’re letting them off the hook for all the years Yukline has supported them.”

I gave a slow nod. If that was how things stood, it felt right to let go now—for Yulie’s sake, and my own.

“…So, does that mean you’re agreeing to call off the engagement?”

At this point, Yulie’s only path was to hate Deculein, to despise me enough to want me dead. Even if I discovered a way to cure her one day, that was still a long way off.

“Yes.”