A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 330: Yulie (2)

Knock, knock—

The Intelligence Agency was combative at first, but then became peaceful.

“Professor, please open the door,” said the Intelligence Agency agent, who approached politely and knocked, a rather respectful gesture after having completely crushed the vehicle’s chassis.

I rolled down the window of the vehicle, and the agent beyond it scanned Yulie and me.

“What is the matter?” I replied.

“Are you Knight Yurie from Freyden?” the agent asked, directing his question to Yulie, leaving my own unanswered.

Yulie looked at me without a word, as if asking how she should respond to that request.

“Indeed,” I replied on behalf of Yulie.

“You have escaped from the painting prison. Welcome. We request your attendance as a witness,” the agent said, nodding as he took an official letter from his inner pocket, a document bearing the signatures of Empire ministers and various departments.

Then the agent continued, “This is a request for cooperation from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Safety, and all other departments of the Empire. Knight Yurie, you are nothing less than a key that can solve the continent’s major matters—”

“I refuse,” I replied, glancing at the agent.

Then, the agent pressed his lips together and his eyebrows twitched.

“May I ask the reason?” the agent asked, his voice betraying a heated intensity.

“Because I will conduct my research independently.”

“… Independent research.”

“Indeed, even if any mage in the Empire were to attempt it, none would have as much credibility as I do regarding research progress and spell interpretation, would they?”

This was an irrefutable truth, but only until ten days ago.

“It seems the rumors circulating these days have not reached your ears.”

However, the Floating Island’s accusations of plagiarism imperiled my position and inflicted severe harm upon Deculein’s reputation as a mage, and given that these were acts committed by the previous Deculein, I found myself unable to issue a refutation while even a reduction in rank was being deliberated.

“Is it the way of the Intelligence Agency to act upon mere rumors?” I replied, twisting my lips as I looked at the agent.

“A rumor of sufficient credibility may well become news, and among news, one often finds truth, does one not?”

“Hmm, if that is the case,” I replied to the agent’s words, pulling out my checkbook and scribbling down a few hundred thousand elne before handing it to him. “Everyone gathered here should be able to have a decent dinner with it. Take this.”

Fluttering a check between my thumb and forefinger, I watched as the agent tried to appear calm while looking at it, but his face had already flushed red.

“Knight Yurie,” the agent said, looking at Yulie again. “We request your attendance as a witness as the fate of the continent rests on Knight Yurie.”

The agent, speaking in an earnest tone, handed a tiny note to Yulie as a faint mana shimmered and solidified in her arms, discreetly delivering the note through a small gap, though it was clearly visible to my eyes, and Yulie remained silent.

“Then I will take my leave,” the agent concluded, bowing his head slightly as he took his leave.

That agent didn’t return the way he came and he’ll probably continue to follow us while maintaining a measured distance, I thought.

“We shall depart,” I said to Ren in the driver’s seat.

The vehicle that had just been broken was already restored by the special effect of Midas Touch, otherwise known as self-restoration.

“… Yes, sir.”

After a brief commotion, the vehicle once more progressed along Hadecaine’s forest path, where a hushed and peaceful ambiance brushed past my ears, and though the world was cloaked in darkness, nature’s beauty remained, with the moonlight reflecting on the grass and strangely suffusing my heart with warmth.

“Count Yukline,” Ren said. “Are you genuinely considering putting all the Scarletborn into the canvas?”

I observed Ren without a word as his veins bulged in his hands, while he tightly gripped the steering wheel, and his complexion, reflected in the rearview mirror, was somewhat pale.

“Indeed,” I replied.

“… Might you, perhaps, tell me the reason? Especially in a situation where there is a common enemy known as the Altar—”

“You need not know,” I replied, dismissing his words.

Ren bit his lips without a word, and Yulie’s eyes widened as she watched both of us.

“Yes, sir,” Ren said, and with that, he focused on driving once more.

Whirrrrrrr…

The sound of the vehicle’s wheels scraping the road, the chirping of insects, and the stable scent of the forest permeated my nostrils.

In that moment, I somehow sank into a languid state, my heart feeling comfortably soaked, and to be precise, I felt great—an emotion I could not control with my reason—and soon forgot the recent attack, just wishing for this moment to last a little longer.

I turned my eyes to the side in silence, my head held steady, only my eyes slowly moving.

Then, I was slightly taken aback as Yulie looked at me with a face as white as snow and pure eyes, an appearance sculpted for Deculein to love, and the moment our eyes met, a smile bloomed on her lips while her gentle heart reached out and touched mine.

“For what reason do you continue to stare at me?” I inquired.

Finally, I came to realize why this mountain path felt so beautiful—it was all because of her, because of Yulie.

However, having Yulie by my side—even if she was not the Yulie of the past—made the world beautiful, and at least the world seen through Deculein’s eyes became that much gentler.

“Nothing, Professor,” Yulie replied with a smile and a shake of her head, her voice filled with trust and conviction. “Let’s proceed to the place the Professor wishes to go to.”

***

On Hadecaine’s castle territories, numerous facilities existed—including the knights’ order and magic facilities, the official residences of each department, and even the Evidence Storage Room—because Hadecaine possesses an independent police force and the full strength of a knights’ order, and all the evidence of the crimes they solved was stored there.

Therefore, one of the canvases that Epherene had distributed would be here, and I arrived at the Evidence Storage Room without giving Yeriel any prior notice.

“… Count Yukline!” said one of the knights, who, guarding the entrance, instantly stiffened with surprise and straightened their posture.

“Open the door, for there is something to see,” I replied, giving a slight nod and a hand gesture.

“Yes, sir! However, who is the individual beside you?!”

“The witness.”

“Yes, sir!” said one of the knights, who, without further question, immediately opened the door.

“Follow me,” I said.

“Yes, Professor,” Yulie replied.

Together, Yulie and I entered the storage room and traversed a wide passage leading to the basement before two escort knights and a supervisor approached us.

“Where is the canvas?” I inquired of the supervisor.

“It is located in the lowest depths of the basement. It has been secured with multiple layers of security measures,” replied the supervisor.

“Indeed.”

I turned to Yulie, and she was looking around with wide, innocent eyes, showing not a shred of doubt about me.

“It is this place, sir.”

In the meantime, I arrived at the lowest floor of the Evidence Storage Room, which was a magical vault securely sealed with an iron door.

“Count Yukline, it can be opened by your touch, by your very palm,” the supervisor added.

However, since my fingerprint and information were already entered, no complicated process was needed, and the moment I placed my palm, the door reacted with a loud response.

Clang—!

The iron door opened with a grinding sound.

“You will wait here,” I said to Yulie, who attempted to follow.

“Pardon? Why must I do that?” Yulie asked, her face showing for the first time that she did not wish to comply.

“There is a need for preparation.”

Opening the canvas thoughtlessly risked dragging even myself inside. Therefore, to put only Yulie in, some adjustment of the spell was necessary.

“Yes, Professor,” Yulie replied. “Since you say it is so, I will wait here.”

“Indeed.”

I stepped inside the iron door while feeling Yulie’s strong stare on the back of my head, and perhaps, because of that sudden thought, I looked back at Yulie again.

“… Hmm? What is the matter, Professor?”

Yulie looked at me with a harmless, deer-like expression, but the words she had just said—no, the title she had been using for me, that of professor, which I had held for a long time—I wondered whether it was merely my misconception.

Boom—!

As strange thoughts occupied my mind, the iron door sealed shut, the interior lights turned on, and I silently surveyed this wasteful void of an empty space—more expansive than any playground, yet containing only a single white canvas—and with Sharp Eyesight, I observed the flow of mana emanating from that canvas.

***

Left alone, Yulie surveyed her surroundings blankly, but in this gloomy basement, the desolate iron door occupied nearly all the space, leaving little to observe.

“Hmm…”

Instead, Yulie took out the note from her arms, which was a piece of paper that the Intelligence Agency agent had handed to her.

Deculein is dangerous, as he is cooperating with the painting prison you escaped from for some reason, and therefore you are in danger. Deculein will, without a doubt, take you to the canvas. There, he will try to imprison you again. Get out immediately. I repeat, Deculein is dangerous. However, we stand with you…

After she finished reading the note containing roughly that content, it crumbled into dust on its own, as it seemed to have a magical effect, and Yulie nodded slightly.

“What do you think~?”

At that moment, a voice seeped in from somewhere above, from the ceiling, and Yulie quickly raised her head.

“The contents of that are real, it’s not a lie,” Ganesha said, smiling brightly while standing upside down, with her feet on the ceiling.

“Are you referring to the note from just now?” Yulie asked.

“Yes~”

“… Hmm, is that so?” Yulie muttered, letting out a sigh. “Yes, I think so too. It seems the Professor is trying to return me back to the canvas.”

Tap—

“It’s as you suspected, right? Then come with us now, because we’re about to take this place over~” Ganesha replied, lightly descending from the ceiling and scratching behind her ear.

“… Is that so?”

“Yes, my adventure team is here, of course, and with them there are all the forces of the Intelligence Agency. For your information, even Deputy Knight Isaac is here.”

This place was effectively under siege, with not only Ria, Leo, and Carlos—who, if united, could even contend with Zeit—but also most of the Intelligence Agency’s forces and even Deputy Knight Isaac gathered here, all because of a witness named Yulie.

“But, Knight Yurie, how did you manage to escape~?” Ganesha asked with a smile.

“How do you mean escape? From within the painting prison?”

“Yes~” Ganesha said, a smile spreading across her face.

“I have not escaped,” Yulie replied, looking at Ganesha.

“Sorry?”

“This must be a secret to the Professor, but I am a puppet.”

“… Oh~ You were to connect your consciousness to a puppet inside the prison, haven’t you?” Ganesha replied, momentarily taken aback by the word puppet, but then, as if understanding, snapped her fingers.

“It is similar, but that is incorrect,” Yulie replied, shaking her head.

Ganesha blinked her eyes.

“I have never entered that prison,” Yulie continued, replying with a smile.

It meant that she had never entered the painting prison, and therefore, Yulie had never come out of the prison either.

“What is that supposed to…?” Ganesha muttered, her expression confused.

“I am Yulie, Captain Ganesha,” Yulie explained as if it were the most obvious thing.

***

“… Roughly ten days remain, then?” I muttered.

I analyzed Epherene’s canvas, grasped the will of the mana it emitted, and understood that the remaining time was ten days; in ten days, this canvas would pull in all the people of this continent and imprison all life into the painting prison.

To be precise, I would preserve it. During those ten days, my purpose was twofold—to spread as many canvases as possible across the entire continent, and to resist the Floating Island and the Altar so that this canvas would neither be destroyed nor lose its magic.

Whizzzzzzzz—!

At that moment, a sharp flash of lightning surged into my heart.

Crackle—

Reacting even before me, the Snowflower Stone froze that current, thwarting the sudden attempt of assassination. However, the strain on my body was immense, and my adversary was equally powerful.

“… Isaac.”

Deputy Knight Isaac of the Imperial Knights’ Order, dressed in robes rather than armor, looked at me with a hardened face as he melted into the shadows.

“Deculein,” Isaac called, pouring his sword with mana. “You are, at this very moment, trying to bring about the destruction of the continent and the Empire.”

I remained silent.

“Is it because of your former fiancée? Or is it because of Yulie?”

I activated the Snowflower Stone.

“Having lost your love repeatedly, has the continent become contemptuous to you? Is it merely for that, that you betray Her Majesty, the Empress, and seek to bring about the destruction of the continent?” Isaac continued, sneering as he looked at the Snowflower Stone.

Swoooooosh…

Isaac’s Sword Qi sliced through the air with a cold edge, and he assumed a sword-drawing stance, preparing for battle.

“I find myself unable to tolerate your actions.”

As such, Isaac was thinking of me as a grave traitor and was convinced that I was a villain deserving of death.

If so, the moment to pursue the end had arrived. It was time to tie the knot of the main quest, celebrating our ultimate demise.

“… Hup!” Isaac murmured, taking a breath before his sword shot forth.

In that ineffable moment, the twisting sword aura and mana, like a serpent, suddenly stopped. They were caught by a pure white current of air that surged from somewhere, freezing solid. Immediately after that, Isaac’s eyes went wide.

Snap—

I snapped my fingers, and then the canvas activated, pulling Isaac in.

“Arghhhhhhh—”

Isaac disappeared into the white canvas, screaming, and I watched the uninvited guest exit without a word before turning around to confirm the identity of the one who had blocked Isaac’s sword.

“… Professor.”

She was a person who called me Professor, a knight who called me Professor, a woman who called me Professor, and the woman I loved.

“… Yulie.”

“Yes, is that the canvas?” Yulie asked with a straight face, smiling as she pointed to the paper that Isaac had been pulled into.

I nodded.

“… Is that so? In that case, I am probably inside that canvas and at this very moment, they must be watching us through my eyes,” Yulie said.

By merely hearing it once, I understood who she was and the situation within the prison, rendering my comprehension unnecessary.

“… You.”

“Yes, it is I,” Yulie replied.

At that moment, Deculein’s heart reacted with a significant throb.

“Professor.”

At her title of calling me Professor—at her words, which had long since disappeared, no, which were already dead—I was momentarily speechless.

“I have currently borrowed the body of a puppet, and the medium connecting my consciousness is a diary.”

At some point before Yulie discarded all her memory, there was a diary in which she recorded line by line, pouring all her feelings into it.

“Professor Deculein, I am Yulie,” Yulie concluded.

At that moment, she—in that image—came to me once more and called my name…