A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Epherene’s Time (3)

The field, frozen by the Snowflower Stone’s power, gleamed in a flawless blue, its surface shining like smooth glass under the light.

Epherene stood there, staring blankly, before murmuring, “Your heart... is dead?”

It was a concept difficult for her to grasp, even by common reasoning—a heart that had stopped beating and lay dead.

However, Deculein answered calmly, “Indeed.”

A cold wind swept past, tugging at her collar and sending a chill down her spine. Though her future self had hinted at it, hearing it firsthand was far more unsettling. Epherene’s lips parted, but no words came—she felt as though she were gasping for air, like a fish out of water. She had nothing to say.

“Don’t worry. I’ll manage to live for a few more centuries,” Deculein said with a soft chuckle, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. “Let’s move. Staying here any longer will only bring trouble.”

Then, without another word, he turned and began walking away. Epherene, still in shock, hesitated before rushing to catch up.

“W-where are we going, Professor?”

“There’s still much for you to learn.”

“... Sorry?”

Everything he said unsettled her, leaving her at a loss for how to respond. The gentleness in his tone and the warmth that laced his voice felt foreign, almost unnatural to her.

“You’ll understand once you follow,” Deculein said.

“... Okay.”

Epherene walked alongside him, though it seemed as if he adjusted his pace to match hers. These small gestures struck her as odd. Still, without a word, she followed him, hesitantly watching his broad shoulders from time to time. Her thoughts, meanwhile, wandered far ahead, imagining what lay in the future.

***

Sophien’s eyes fluttered open, her eyelids trembling faintly, almost as if begging for more sleep. She closed them again... but no, after a brief hesitation, they opened once more, and she turned her head. Seated near the sofa was a man—Deculein.

“Why... are you there?” Sophien murmured, her voice still thick with lingering sleep.

Deculein responded plainly, “I am here to keep watch over Your Majesty.”

Deculein sat with an unshakable presence, his posture perfectly upright, exuding a quiet authority that filled the room. The weight of his attention settled heavily on Sophien, making her shift in slight discomfort.

“... Hmm.”

Tick— Tick—

The rigid ticking of the clock mingled with the steady rattle of the snowstorm against the window. Unsure whether to drift back to sleep, Sophien eventually sat up. Deculein’s eyes widened just slightly as a quest completion notification suddenly appeared before him.

[Achievement Quest: Empress’s Awakening]

◆ Achievement Complete: Awaken Empress Sophien.

◆ Store Currency +1

Deculein had earned store currency simply for waking her—a testament to the Empress’s boundless potential for quests. The Empress herself was undeniably a figure who generated an unending stream of quests.

As Deculein concealed his satisfaction, Sophien said, “Deculein.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Sophien watched the snow drifting beyond the window, a sight so unfamiliar it felt as if the world itself had slipped into something foreign. Only then did she notice this was the first time she’d ever slept outside the Imperial Palace. Turning to Deculein, she found him composed, his presence steady and unbothered.

“Deculein.”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t we play a round of Go?"

“Yes, Your Majesty," Deculein replied, using Telekinesis to bring over the Go board and stones.

Sophien straightened, sitting upright. She may have come to the Northern Region under the guise of a patrol, but her real aim was far more personal—to find an opponent worthy of testing her intellect. In a world full of lackluster rivals, the chance to face true strength was a rare delight. She had decided long ago—this man, Deculein, would forever be her Go partner.

“I’ll take black this time, as I held white in our previous match,” Deculein said

“As you wish,” Sophien replied, arranging the white stones in front of her.

As he gathered the black stones, Deculein said, “Would you prefer we continue without a referee, Your Majesty?”

“You there!” Sophien said.

At her summons, a knight hurriedly approached and responded, “Yes, Your Majesty! Commander Kindegel, at your—”

“Stand here and act as the referee.”

“Your Majesty, as referee, you mean..."

"Just stand here—I’ll keep track of the timing myself."

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

With that, Sophien raised an eyebrow at Deculein, her expression keen and assessing.

“You may begin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Deculein said.

Tap—

Deculein began with a move to the star point in the lower right corner. Without hesitation, Sophien claimed the upper right, and Deculein countered by securing the small point in the lower left. It was a classic opening—unremarkable yet laying a steady foundation.

After her 8th move, Sophien said, “Professor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Deculein replied as he set down his next stone with careful precision.

So far, the board had taken on a clear north-south divide. Deculein’s black stones dominated the southern territory, while Sophien’s white stones occupied the north.

"I hear you've been spending a fair amount of time in the Imperial Palace library."

However, with her 10th move, Sophien pressed forward into Deculein’s territory, her white stone settling firmly into the lower right corner, challenging his defenses.

“Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty,” Deculein replied.

In response, Deculein countered by pushing a black stone into Sophien’s upper right corner, meeting her challenge without hesitation. His boldness and confidence were unmistakable—an assertive play that echoed his pride.

“Why is that?”

“Because the entire history of the continent is kept within the Imperial Palace library.”

By the 24th move, Sophien placed a white stone squarely within Deculein’s black formation—a bold, frontal attack, like a swift cavalry charge breaking into enemy lines. But Deculein held his ground, calmly shoring up his defenses and sealing off the critical path she might use to advance.

“What do you hope to know from learning that history?”

Throughout their exchange of words, the match advanced steadily, each stone taking its place on the wooden board without pause. The heated clash migrated from the right side to the lower left, where Sophien’s initial strike at the 24th move grew into an unrelenting offense. Every move—27, 28, 29th—pushed the tension higher, intensifying the conflict with each stone.

“Did you seek to know about the giants, or perhaps...”

Unshaken, Deculein maintained his composure, carefully executing each move. His style was undeniably elegant.

“... Was it me that you wanted to know about?”

... Hoping for Sophien’s happiness...

The words etched themselves deeply into her mind.

"... Your Majesty, for me, dreams hold no difference from memories," Deculein remarked suddenly, his words strangely out of place.

Sophien looked up, her eyes meeting him directly.

"When I dream, parts of my past seem to come back to me."

With the body of Iron Man, he required only three hours of sleep each week. Yet in those few hours, the memories that surfaced always belonged to Deculein’s past. But once, just once, he dreamed of a time already lost to oblivion.

"But at times, memories appear—memories I have never experienced myself."

Sophien placed her 26th white stone, completing the 52nd move with a resonant impact. Deculein’s brow twitched subtly, while a satisfied smile slowly curved across her face.

“Muhaha.”

It was a brilliant move—one that filled Sophien with a subtle pride in her own cunning. She gave an involuntary shudder, a flicker of triumph that even she hadn’t expected, though her expression remained as composed and icy as ever.

At that moment...

With a gentle tap, Deculein set down his next stone, saying, “In some of those memories, Your Majesty, you appeared as well.”

Sophien went rigid, though the course of the match remained in her favor. Her 52nd move had dramatically increased her chances of winning, and if things have continued as they were, her victory seemed nearly assured.

“It lasted quite some time, though I remember only fragments. You were still young, Your Majesty... and I was by myself.”

Sophien kept her expression unreadable—a well-practiced defense mechanism. Dragging memories of a previous world into this one—a world now erased through regression—served no purpose. Clinging to what had already vanished only plunged her into despair, leaving suicide as the only conceivable escape. That world was, after all, already gone.

That’s how it should be... but how could this professor...

“... It must have been nothing more than a meaningless dream,” Sophien replied.

“If Your Majesty says so.”

“Focus on the match—you are on the edge of defeat,” Sophien commanded, gesturing to the board.

Deculein replied calmly, “A victory on my part seems doubtful, Your Majesty—unless, by chance, you were to make an unexpected mistake.”

"So, was that remark meant to make me stumble and make a mistake?"

"I’ll leave that for Your Majesty to interpret as you see fit."

"... Arrogant as ever, I see."

Though her words were laced with cold indifference, an unexpected tremor stirred within her. She remembered a promise made by a Deculein from a world now lost to shadow. He was not the same man who stood before her now, yet he had vowed to remember her—a pledge bound to echo through time, never to fade...

Boom—!

A powerful explosion thundered outside, rattling the ground beneath them and reverberating through the walls within.

An imperial knight called out urgently, “Your Majesty, we must secure your safety—”

“Shut it,” Sophien said.

The knight halted, momentarily stunned.

“It’s nothing serious. Go and see what’s going on.”

“But, Your Majesty—”

“Deculein,” Sophien said, “see to it that this match proceeds without any disruptions.”

“If that is Your Majesty’s wish.”

Swoosh—

Tap—!

Tap—!

“Huh.”

“Come out.” _{freewёbnoνel.com}

“... Wow.”

“The view is... Oh?”