I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

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“Lucia, all the way there?”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m asking you, Ian.”

Ian fell silent for a moment.

He couldn’t find any connection between Lucia and the temple of the furnace beyond the unpassable Abyss.

“Is there a reason for that?”

“There are several reasons. Well… it might be a long story, are you okay with it?”

“Start with the most important.”

Ian picked up the bottle of wine that had been on the table.

It was indeed a bottle of grape wine.

“Would you like a glass?”

“Yeah. That sounds good.”

Certainly not an ordinary day.

Ian poured wine into the glass.

Maeve looked at the glass.

Her voice continued.

“After a while, Lucia will be sent to the Empire. As you predicted before, His Majesty won’t give up on the war.”

“To the Empire…?”

“Yeah. Surface-level adoption, but… essentially a puppet. You could call it hostage.”

“The Empire wouldn’t care about Agellan.”

“You’re right. But the situation might be different regarding the war. Of course, they could continue to stay uninvolved as they have. But there will be enough justification for them to intervene now.”

“Hmm…”

Ian recalled a game moment.

The Empire had no interest in the distant kingdoms. As long as they didn’t refuse tribute or raise a rebellion, they were largely ignored.

Their focus was solely on the Black Wall and what lay beyond it.

Inter-kingdom wars were the same.

The Empire had never gotten involved.

But whether it was due to tribute or just their usual disinterest, he couldn’t tell.

“Maybe this time they’ll just conquer the kingdoms altogether. So, His Majesty decided to have the powerful royal family offer a separate tribute.”

“….When was this decision made?”

“Before I returned. As they began preparing for war, they would have seen the need for an ally within the Empire to protect Agellan.”

A bunch of fanatics about wars, those guys.

Ian let out a chuckle.

“But why Lucia, of all people?”

“That’s…”

Maeve took a sip of her drink and looked at Ian.

“Because the royal bloodline flows within Lucia. Her biological mother was His Majesty’s younger sister.”

Ah, a strategic marriage.

Not surprising at all.

There weren’t many surefire ways to solidify a bond, apart from mixing blood.

“Her Ladyship gave birth to Lucia and then passed away. Her stepfather… died a few years later. His Majesty didn’t consider Lucia as a niece. He saw her as the enemy who took his sister’s life.”

“Hmm…”

Selling off the hated niece.

It made sense, though.

If His Majesty had asked, Lucia probably would have refused. But they wanted Lucia on their side. So, she didn’t have a choice.

“There seems to be more to the reason for Lucia’s necessity.”

“Lucia… is a blessed child.”

“Blessed?”

“According to the words of the family elders, she received the grace of Luenter.”

“…!”

Surprise finally appeared on Ian’s puzzled face.

The origin of this world’s magic users was the imitation of divine power.

Among those discussions, those born with extraordinary talents were considered to have received the grace of the gods.

Luenter, the god of passion and madness.

Receiving his grace meant being born with the talent to control red magic.

It was probably similar to the Elemental Affinity trait.

When using magic of that element, it reduced magic consumption while enhancing performance.

The exact differences were unknown without personal experience.

“You’ve personally witnessed her control fire?”

“Yeah. When she was around two years old, she conjured fire in midair. No one had taught her magic, and Ian, you’d understand the significance better than anyone else.”

I get it. Seriously, I’m envious.

Ian let out a dry laugh.

“…A truly remarkable lineage. Producing both a divine knight and a mage.”

“That’s the influence of the royal family. The first king did it, and afterward, there were descendants who received his grace across generations.”

Ian’s dry laughter deepened.

As magical talents and abilities were very much real in this world, bloodlines couldn’t be ignored.

When you traced the bloodline of those called nobles, more often than not, the progenitor had possessed some unique ability.

“And they ascended the throne. …Until the twilight of magic sets in.”

Ah, now it’s come to this point.

Ian took a sip of his drink.

The term twilight of magic was a direct indication that the era of magic was fading away.

After the Black Wall divided the continent, magic had begun to wane.

Magicians could no longer abuse magic as before, and their influence inevitably declined.

In this world, the reason why magical users tend to fall into corruption more often was also due to the decline in their numbers born with magical talents.

“Lucia doesn’t fully understand her own talent. Not everyone in the family mentioned it. It could be interpreted unfavorably. Of course, it was also to protect Lucia.”

“It seems His Majesty lacks talents.”

“Yeah. Previous generations were the same. So, it’s possible he treated Lucia as talentless.”

“After sending her to the Empire, you’ll probably feel relieved. …So, you don’t want to witness that sight?”

Ian had expected a denial, but Maeve took another sip of her drink and smiled wryly.

“I can’t say I don’t feel that way at all. Lucia is my last blood relative. …But that’s not the only reason.”

Maeve’s voice grew softer.

“Vernon seemed worried about Lucia as well. There were documents investigating the imperial family. After reading those, I became convinced that we shouldn’t send Lucia.”

“Hmm.”

“Apparently, their family was deeply involved with magic. They frequently recruited children and talented people born with innate abilities. It seems they have close ties to the Gray Mage Tower. But what they’re doing there, what kind of research they’re conducting, is not known. Everything within the family is shrouded in mystery.”

Ian’s eyebrows twitched.

“Could the family’s name be… Larmuth?”

“How did you… Well, they are one of the most powerful families in the Empire, so you might know.”

“Oh… I see.”

Ian sighed inadvertently and drank from his glass of wine.

“… Lucia is no exception. If she is sent there, she will probably no longer be able to contact me nor will I know how she is doing.”

The destiny of Larmuth, the ancestral headquarters of that family, would become a demonic realm. It was also the place where the corruption of the Gray Mage Tower would be unveiled. Ian, imagining the horrific experiments inside, took another gulp of wine. The taste of the alcohol was lost on him.

If Lucia were sent there, she would undoubtedly become one of those experimental subjects. Perhaps they had already met in the game.

“That’s why it’s better to send her to the temple of the furnace. Being a child blessed by Luenter, the priests will take care of her with great dedication. She’ll receive their teachings and might have a chance to fully develop her innate talent. So…”

Maeve looked at Ian.

“I had no choice but to ask you, Ian.”

“I understand the situation, but…”

Ian, who had fallen silent, finally looked at her.

“Northland is very far from here. The journey won’t be smooth, especially for a young girl. Of course, it won’t be easy for me either. And certainly not for Lucia.”

“…True.”

“Besides, Lucia herself must be prepared for it.”

Even for me, pacifying a grumbling child on that long journey is practically impossible.

“That’s why I need to get answers directly.”

“The journey itself is also a problem. I don’t know the fastest and safest route to the temple. The journey could become excessively long, or we might end up on the wrong path altogether.”

“Hmm…”

Maeve, who fell silent for a moment, seemed to think of an unexpected aspect.

“Well, there is a Northlander guide. I’m not particularly fond of the idea, though.”

“Who is it?”

“Miguel.”

“…!”

Ian’s expression momentarily changed. He remembered Miguel’s statement about settling in Agellan.

Maeve continued speaking.contemporary romance

“He’s from the Northland Mountains. He said he lived there for half of his life. Although I hate to ask another favor… like you, there’s probably no guide more trustworthy than Miguel.”

“…Ah.”

Ian chuckled softly.

He wondered how Miguel would react to hearing this.

“Then, please accept that as well.”

“I will. … Is there anything else on your mind?”

“Yes. I’m just wondering.”

Ian leaned toward Maeve.

“It would be enough if we left, but the aftermath won’t be good. Are you all right?”

Maeve answered without hesitation.

“I have nothing more to lose, Ian. If Lucia can live a peaceful life, that’s enough.”

“You seem to be willing to give up your life at every opportunity.”

Ian tapped the glass with his fingers and fell into a deep thought.

Then he looked at Maeve.

“Alright, let’s agree to that. If I receive a commission, that is.”

“…?”

“Miguel and I would demand additional compensation from the Sir. Say, this mansion.”

“I can give it if you want.”

“That’s what I’m saying. It’s just a suggestion. Sir naturally refused, and…”

Ian shrugged.

“Miguel and I kidnapped Lucia and left. To sell her for her talent. It’s something mercenaries would do quite easily.”

“…!”

As if she finally realized Ian’s intentions, Maeve’s eyes widened.

Ian’s tone was nonchalant.

“In that case, Sir becomes the victim. Miguel and I, well, we won’t set foot in Agellan again. And Sir is no longer a saint of condemnation, so telling this kind of lie should be acceptable, right?”

Gently lifting the corner of his lips, Ian added.

“In fact, even the goddess would gladly approve. You made the right choice.”

“Ian, you’re unbelievable.”

Maeve, who had been pursing her lips a few times, suddenly approached him and enveloped him in an embrace.

It was as if she wanted to express her gratitude in the only way she knew how. Quite a surprise.

In a flash, a quest window appeared before Ian’s eyes as he grew larger in her embrace.

[Flame of the Hearth.]

As he closed the window, Ian whispered.

“But there’s still something I haven’t said yet.”

“…Ah.”

Maeve finally stiffened.

With her ears burning red, she awkwardly untied her arms and backed away.

Ian added.

“I haven’t told you the most important thing yet.”

“….? Oh yeah. You haven’t decided on a paycheck.”

“In addition, I haven’t received the reward from the previous request yet.”

Although the king gave a reward, it was kind of a bonus.

Her gaze became determined.

“I’ll give you anything I can give. What do you want?”

“…It might be the most worthless thing to you right now, but…”

Ian, who had paused for dramatic effect, finally spoke up.

It was enough to make Maeve’s large eyes widen even further.

After a brief frozen moment, she blurted out.

“…Are you serious?”

“Would you accept it?”

“If that’s what you want… Fine. I’ll give it to you. Absolutely.”

A satisfied smile crept onto Ian’s lips.

“The contract is established.”

***

Ippotranslation

***

The next day.

Ian, who had woken up quietly, learned as soon as he left his room that Maeve had already spoken to Miguel about the situation. It was evident from Miguel’s face, which was quite literally as pale as death.

“You are awake”

Miguel spotted Ian and spoke in a sigh-laden voice.

Ian’s lips curled into a wry smile as he asked.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“What else? Who else would guide you on that long journey but me? Damn it. I was finally thinking of settling down here for a while. But now I’m supposed to head back to the North… I’m pretty sure I’m destined to die as a wandering vagabond.”

Miguel sighed.

Ian, who chuckled lightly, interrupted him.

“Make some preparations before you start spouting nonsense. You have a lot to do.”

“Well, I thought you had to recover before making any preparations… Don’t tell me you’ve recovered already?”

“That’s right. I’m just pretending not to.”

“That’s impossible… The doctor said it would take a few more months for your injuries to heal. I thought so too. But you’ve recovered this quickly?”

“I have pretty good regenerative abilities. Besides, I’m not the only one who’s fully recovered.”

“No way… Aren’t you the apostle of the gods? …Did you become like this without me noticing?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Miguel let out a sigh as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

He had definitely thought that Ian would stay here for a while longer.

“A day and a half at most. Get ready properly.”

“Damn it… Alright, I got it. And Lucia is waiting for you in her room. It’s been about an hour.”

“Then let her wait a little longer. I really need to have breakfast now.”

After just a few days, he had started missing the food here so much.

Having finished his meal, Ian leisurely headed to Maeve’s room. Maeve, Lucia, and even Philip were there to greet him. Ignoring Philip’s gaze filled with complex emotions, Ian spoke.

“Did you have a productive conversation?”

“Yes. Lucia wants to go.”

Ian turned to look at Lucia, who was sitting calmly in a chair. Her expressionless face almost looked like a carefully crafted porcelain doll.

A genius magician, that one.

Thinking that, Ian spoke.

“It’s going to be tough. You won’t get any special treatment for being young. You’ll encounter many near-death experiences. You won’t be able to turn back. There will never be an instance where you can come back midway, so make sure you’re prepared for that.”

After staring at Lucia’s eyes for a moment as if flipping through her thoughts, Ian added.

“But even with all that, do you really want to go?”

“…Even if I go to the Empire, it won’t be much different.”

Lucia’s voice had that characteristic monotone. She turned to Maeve.

“If I go to the Temple of Furnace, at least I can keep my name. I want to live as Liurel. Not Larmuth.”

Maeve smiled faintly.

Quite a grown-up statement.

Ian reached out and lightly swept away Lucia’s long red hair, revealing her face.

“That being the case, we’ll start by cutting this hair short. Really short.”

Lucia’s head snapped back to him.

Translator; ippo

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