A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Adult (2)

"I will give you the position of head of the family."

Yeriel was rendered speechless. The lips that had been hurling bold insults at her brother suddenly stopped moving. Her eyes blinked, her mouth opened and closed, and the sound of her trying to speak was almost cute.

"Th-that's bullshit!" Yeriel finally spat out, almost chewing on her words.

"Such language is unbefitting," I said.

"... You're lying!"

"That's a little better."

"... See, it's a lie!"

Yeriel still didn’t believe me.

"I never lie," I replied, shaking my head.

Her hands started to tremble, and she looked around as if searching for something.

"Wh-where are the pen and paper? L-let's put it in a written vow," Yeriel said.

"Maintain your dignity."

"See, you're lying!"

"We can make an oath instead," I said, gently interrupting her before she could accuse me.

An oath holds a special significance for a mage. It's like memorizing a spell and embedding a vow into your heart or head. If broken, you either die or lose your mana completely.

"You, you really mean it?"

"Yes."

"No, it doesn't make sense. Why? Why so sudden?"

I couldn't tell her that it was to calm her rage and eliminate the death variable both now and in the future. To Yeriel, this seemed incredibly sudden. But since it was a position I would have passed on eventually, I could easily come up with a reason.

"I plan to dedicate myself to the Mage Tower and my magical research from now on. I won't have time to act as the head of the family, and you should already be fairly skilled as a lord," I said.

"You only realized that now?"

"I've known for some time. I was testing you."

"Testing me, my ass! I was testing you!" Yeriel flinched, wondering if I was serious, but quickly shook her head and shouted.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you."

"Then... When will the succession ceremony... take place?" Yeriel asked cautiously, still suspicious, licking her dry lips.

Her tongue sticking out at the end was cute, just like a real little sister. Of course, I hadn't thought about the ceremony.

"You probably know the best time," I said, giving a vague answer.

Fortunately, Yeriel appeared to have a plan in mind and nodded seriously.

"Three years from now. On the Day of Exceptions."

I didn't know what she meant, but she seemed serious, so I went along with it.

"Very well then..." Yeriel said. She thought for a moment, then gathered her things. There was a sword and a pistol on the bed. It looked like she had intended to kill me and deal with the fallout today.

"Are you planning to go back right away?" I asked.

"Of course! Who wouldn't hurry to fix things after blowing two hundred million at an auction?" Yeriel shouted, though the fire in her voice had already dimmed.

After all, the role of being the head of the Yukline family was worth far more than two hundred million. The Yukline territory, known as Hakedia, was one of the most fertile regions on the continent. Its location, with mountains behind and a river in front, made it prime real estate, second only to the capital.

Politically, it held a remarkable position—close enough to the capital for easy interaction but far enough to avoid the Empire’s interference. These advantages had allowed it to flourish, hosting both a local Mage Tower and a local knights order, a rare combination. Only the Iliade and Leviaron families could compare.

However, Iliade's territory was slightly lacking in size, and Leviaron was too far from the capital. Being the lord of Yukline meant standing at the pinnacle of power.

"Oh, and you, sir," Yeriel said, pausing at the door and continued, "Don't try to take this back later."

"You, sir?" I asked.

"... I didn't demand an oath because I still have a bit of faith in you..."

With that, Yeriel finished speaking and left the room. No, she stopped just outside the door.

"If this is a lie, I don't know what I'll do..." she said.

The last part was barely audible.

"If you're lying, there will be serious consequences. Got it? Everyone in our territory already considers me the lord," Yeriel continued.

I knew. I knew it very well. There were vassals so loyal to Yeriel that they would poison my food or drink, either on their own or at her command.

"Trust me. It's not a lie," I replied.

"... Hmph."

Yeriel packed the dagger and gun into her bag. She started to leave but paused and turned to look back at me. She stared silently, and I met her gaze without flinching. After a long moment, Yeriel grabbed the doorknob, appearing ready to leave, but then she turned back once more.

"I don't trust you. I'm still suspicious. So—"

"Let's make an oath immediately," I said.

"... There's no need," Yeriel said.

Yeriel opened the door, her face clearly trying to hide a smile. Pouting, she seemed ready to leave.

"Yeriel," I said, stopping her.

"... What?" Yeriel said, halting at the top of the stairs and turning to look at me.

Her expression questioned why I had called her, mixed with fear that I might go back on my word. I wasn't sure what to say. I had called out impulsively. But just removing the death variable wasn't enough for me. I wanted to take it a step further.

I wouldn't live like Deculein, using the system's Personality Trait as an excuse. The system's Personality Trait might bind me, but it wasn't an unbreakable shackle. To reach the end of this world and stand as Kim Woo-Jin, not Deculein, I needed to fix the relationships that Deculein had ruined myself.

"You must be hungry after all that traveling. Stay and have a meal before you leave," I said.

... Even as I said it, chills ran down my spine. It went against my Personality Trait. Yeriel's reaction was similar. Her shoulders twitched, and her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. I had tried to be as kind as possible.

"I'm f-fine! Don't say weird things now! I have to go, so just stop..." Yeriel shouted and stomped down the stairs like an impatient child. "I'm leaving! Get the car ready!"

Her voice echoed from the first floor.

"Hmm."

[Villain's Fate: Overcame Death Variable]

As a reward for overcoming the death variable, I received shop currency. I now had a total of six coins and could access the System Shop. However...

"... What a mess," I said.

I wasn't in the right mental state for that now. It had only been about fifteen minutes, but it felt like a storm had swept through. I closed the open door and reached into the air. Just as I was about to sit down and use Telekinesis to grab a glass and a bottle of wine...

"How interesting."

A strange voice came from somewhere. Though I was surprised, I didn't show it. No matter how startled I was inside, my exterior remained calm. It's an odd but effective feeling.

"... I just came by," the voice said, trailing off.

A fragrance then wafted in from the moonlit window, drawing my attention. It was Ganesha, a beautiful woman with her red hair in disarray.

"Something interesting happened here," Ganesha remarked with a playful smile.

"You're not welcome here, Ganesha," I said, frowning slightly.

"Sorry. I really am... But are you seriously giving up the position of head of the family? Are you really-really trying to change?"

Why is this adventurer so interested in other people's family matters? Technically, Yukline isn't my family since I'm Kim Woo-Jin, but still.

"I simply thought she'd handle it better than I would," I replied calmly.

"Really? But still... You know," Ganesha muttered, still puzzled. "She's not even your real sister."

She's not my real sister. I was briefly taken aback, but Yeriel is, after all, a half-sister according to the setting, so in a way, it's true.

"She doesn't have any Yukline blood in her," Ganesha continued.

No Yukline blood at all. Until that moment, I didn’t understand what she meant. Something felt off. This wasn’t part of the game’s story that I remembered. It must have been the subtle twist the writer hinted at earlier.

Whirr— whirr— whirr—

"Wow."

I hadn't expected this either. It was a detail I was completely unaware of.

"Oh, and I should tell you this. You know, Professor, you've attracted some attention. The Six Serpents, you know them, right?" Ganesha asked.

“Oh~” Ganesha said, smiling gently.

Whoosh—

“... Ha.”