A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Family (3)

... I dreamed of a long-forgotten past, a time when I lived with my family in a small, crowded room. The memory was brief, like a sunset fading away, incomplete yet undeniably beautiful. I once had a family, too.

When I opened my eyes, the sun blazed down from a clear sky. I raised a hand to shield my eyes from the intense brightness. A meadow stretched out around me. Insects chirped, the grass swayed in a gentle breeze, and the trees rustled softly as their leaves fluttered.

Pitter-patter-patter—

As I took in the scene, I heard the sound of small, hurried footsteps drawing closer.

“Bwother~” a sweet, childish voice called out. I turned toward the sound. “Bwother~ Whewe awe you?”

The girl couldn’t have been more than six years old, her speech still a bit slurred. But I recognized her immediately, and a smile naturally spread across my face.

“Bwother~” Yeriel called out, her voice small and lisping as she ran deeper into the forest in search of her brother.

I let out a soft sigh and murmured, “This must be Yeriel’s memory.”

It appeared that the diary’s security system, or whatever it was, had drawn me into this memory.

“Bwother...” Yeriel called out, glancing around for a while before lowering her head sadly, a finger pressed to her lips.

Then, all of a sudden, she shouted with determination, “... Come out, come out!”

I nearly laughed at her outburst but managed to suppress it.

"Come out, come out, whewevew you awe! Come out!"

Naturally, there was no answer. Yeriel's small voice was the only sound that echoed through the lonely forest.

“You're so good at hiding, Bwother! I can’t find you!” Yeriel declared with clear admiration.

Whoever her brother was, he had to be a lucky boy.

“Come out! Whewevew you awe!” Yeriel wandered around, repeating her cries. “Bwother...?”

She continued walking, her small steps leading her deeper into the woods. As the forest thickened, she abruptly stopped and glanced back. It was now just an endless expanse of trees—she had wandered too far, and the way back was no longer visible.

"... Uh-oh," Yeriel whimpered, backing away in fear. Tears welled up in her eyes as her small hands gripped the hem of her dress. "Waaah..."

“Tut,” I muttered as Yeriel was on the verge of tears. I stood up and walked toward her.

“Ah, Bwother...?”

Yeriel's face brightened with relief at the sound of someone approaching, but she quickly recoiled when she saw me, bristling like a startled hedgehog. Her voice filled with cautious curiosity as she asked, “... Who awe you?”

I rested my hand gently on her small head and said, “You’re it.”

“... Sowwy?” Yeriel murmured, her wide, innocent eyes lifting to meet mine as she tilted her head in confusion.

Seeing her reaction, I corrected myself gently. “Ah, I forgot—you’re the one who's supposed to catch me, not the other way around.”

My sudden arrival left me feeling disoriented, with a slight ache lingering in my head.

“What awe you doing? Wet go! I hafta find my bwother!” Yeriel yelled, wriggling free from my grasp.

I scratched the back of my neck and said, “He’s probably not around here.”

“Huh? Why?”

“... Your brother probably suggested playing hide-and-seek because he wanted some time to himself.”

I wasn't Deculein, but somehow, I understood what had transpired.

“He likely left you to search on your own while he went off to play somewhere else.”

Yeriel’s face crumpled in disappointment, as if the world had let her down.

But after a moment, she shook her head furiously and cried out, “N-no! That’s not twue! That’s not twue! Bwother! Bwother~! Thewe’s a stwanger hewe!”

She turned and bolted, her short legs scrambling as fast as they could carry her. I trailed behind, measuring the area’s mana density as I moved.

“Aah! He’s following me! Don’t fowwow me!”

“I’m just walking.”

I hadn’t yet fully grasped what kind of magical phenomenon this was, but for some reason, I felt strangely light-hearted.

***

The young Yeriel turned and bolted, her short legs scrambling as fast as they could carry her.

I trailed behind, measuring the area’s mana density as I moved.

I hadn’t yet fully grasped what kind of magical phenomenon this was, but for some reason, I felt strangely light-hearted.

“What is this...” Yeriel murmured, reading the sentences being recorded in the notebook titled Deculein. This could only mean that Deculein, like the other vassals, had also become part of a notebook. “... Was Deculein just here?”

“Indeed,” the diary that resembled Deculein responded.

Frowning, Yeriel lifted the notebook and asked, “Why is my story recorded here? Why did Deculein encounter the young Yeriel?”

"The world within this artifact adheres to its own set of magical laws."

“Hey, explain it fucking properly! Who the fuck is supposed to understand that if you put it—”

“Deculein entered through your diary, Yeriel, and the security system recorded him. That’s why he has been recorded in Yeriel’s Memories,” the diary explained.

For a moment, Yeriel's mind blanked, her thoughts swirling in confusion as she asked, "Then how did Deculein get in here? He didn't even have a key."

"The diaries were crafted as a pair. When one is opened, the other unlocks simultaneously."

Yeriel's mouth fell open in shock. She had never opened the diary before and had been completely unaware of this mechanism.

“Then, how do I reverse this recording?”

“Is there any reason to reverse it?”

"... What?" Yeriel muttered, her eyebrows twitching.

In an even tone, the diary said, “Yeriel, you desire the succession, don’t you? If Deculein stays in this state, the position of family head will naturally fall to you.”

Yeriel remained silent, her gaze fixed on the human-shaped artifact.

With his unwavering tone, the diary continued, “If you find it difficult to decide, why not see Deculein for yourself?”

“See him myself?”

“Those who are recorded express their thoughts and desires with greater honesty. This phenomenon is known as unconscious internalization. Examine Deculein’s record, and you will discover his unfiltered desires there.”

Yeriel bit her lip as she looked down at the notebook in her hand, the one belonging to Deculein.

... The young Yeriel had used magic to build a castle out of dirt. She proudly showed it off with a flourish, and I couldn't help but smile.

The two appeared to have grown closer. Yeriel scowled as she read the next entry.

When I praised her, the young Yeriel puffed out her chest and said, “Heh! My bwother is way more amazing than me! He’s alweady leawning univewsity magic!”

Deculein had been reduced to mere words being recorded. As Yeriel examined the text more closely, she suddenly came across a peculiar word.

As I spent time with her, memories of when I was ■■■ surfaced in my mind.

"What’s this? One of the words is scrambled," Yeriel muttered, puzzled.

“That’s impossible. You must have read it wrong,” the diary replied.

“No, I...”

Before she could investigate further, the page flipped on its own, and new thoughts rapidly filled the page, preventing her from going back.

“Ah, forget it. You’re fucking useless,” Yeriel muttered.

"The fault must be with your eyes."

Frustrated, Yeriel had continued reading the record.

Rather than leaving her to play hide-and-seek on her own, I thought it would be better to spend some time playing with her.

As Yeriel read that line, a realization dawned on her, and she muttered, “Hide-and-seek alone... Hold on. I remember this.”

Yeriel recognized the memory—playing hide-and-seek alone. Of all her memories, this one was especially painful. That day, Deculein had pretended to play with her, only to abandon her, leaving her lost in the forest for two days. It was a memory that had scarred her deeply.

Yeriel turned to the diary and asked, “Where are my memories? If this diary is a pair, it should contain my records too, not just Deculein’s.”

“They’re in the hallway opposite,” the diary replied.

Yeriel turned and walked down the left corridor. As he had said, the walls were lined with frames that contained her memories, each with a title displayed beneath.

The Day I First Learned Etiquette.

Waaah! The Day I Was Spanked.

The First Magic I Demonstrated to My Brother...

Most of her childhood memories involved Deculein. She had relied on him so much during her youth that many of the titles seemed absurd.

“... Ah,” Yeriel said, her eyes caught on a particular frame. “This...”

A Lonely Game of Hide-and-Seek.

The memory in the frame depicted the heart of the forest where she had once gotten lost. Without hesitation, Yeriel peered inside, her eyes widening in recognition. It was the day she had wandered the forest alone—a memory that still caused her pain.

I can do dis too!

Oh, that’s impressive.

Deculein had been there beside her younger self, recorded within that memory.

“Could it be...” Yeriel murmured as she pulled out the Key of Yukline from her pocket, her eyes locked on the frame. She slowly inserted the key into the frame.

Clunk—!

The key slid into place, catching within the frame. As expected, in the diary’s world, the Key of Yukline served as a master key.

Clack—!

Yeriel turned the key as if unlocking a door, and in that instant, her entire body was drawn into the frame.

“Wha—!”

Whoooosh—!

It felt as if her soul had been pulled from her body, stretching and contracting in all directions like a rubber band. The twisting sensation overwhelmed her, leaving her nauseous.

“Ugh...”

When she finally steadied herself and opened her eyes, Yeriel found that she had shrunk in size. She looked around in a daze. The same clear sun from the frame shone overhead, and before her stood the dirt castle her younger self had crafted with magic.

And in front of her there was...

“Shouldn’t you be heading home?”

A kind-faced Deculein stood before her, a look she had never seen from him in all her life.

Yeriel's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly nodded and said, "T-there's still pwenty of time. Miswer, awe you...?"

***

"T-there's still pwenty of time. Miswer, awe you...?" Yeriel said, nodding her head.

I narrowed my eyes at Yeriel, causing her to flinch and step back, fear flickering in her eyes.

"... Mister?" I said.

"Y-yes? Y-yes, yes..."

Her lisp was endearing, bringing a smile to my face. From her perspective, I really was an older man.

"I’m not sure when I’ll leave. I’m actually trying to find a way back home."

"Aha..."

“Ah... Then, do you... diswike your sibling too?” Yeriel asked, her voice grew quiet, weighed down by an unexpected sadness.

Whoosh...

“... Oh?”

Poof!

"Hmm?"

Drip-drip...

"Haha."

"Hoo... Haa..."