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A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Prepare (1)

“That was amazing, Head Professor!”

From the group of police that had arrived late, a high-ranking officer in a flashy uniform approached me. He then saluted.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Senior Inspector Ropha! I must say, the way you stomped with your foot just now was like a scene from a movie! Do you want me to hit this damn murderer a few more times for you?"

“No, leave him be.”

Yes, sir!”

The moment he fainted, his attribute deactivated. I used Telekinesis to lift dirt from the ground, igniting it to mix two elements. The soft soil quickly hardened, taking on metallic properties and extending into thin strands. It was a Basic Ductility spell I had memorized earlier. With it, I bound Lokhak’s wrists and ankles. The police officers' jaws dropped in amazement.

Wow... I’ve seen many spells, but this is the first time I’ve witnessed one performed so elegantly. The way those ropes danced just now was incredible.”

“Just get him out of here.”

Ah. Yes, sir! Thank you for your hard work!”

The inspector pulled a magic restraint device from his belt. It was designed to suppress the wearer's magical power to some extent.

“Your Magic Restraint Device won’t work on him. He nullifies magic, so just leave those bindings as they are.”

“Really?! No wonder he escapes from jail so often and doesn’t show up on our Magitech Radar! Wow, how did you figure that out so easily? And how did you defeat a magic-nullifying opponent like him?” the inspector babbled without pause.

“I’m leaving.”

Oh, yes, sir! Hey, why are you standing there gaping? Everyone, salute the professor!”

Dozens of police officers gathered in the middle of the cemetery and saluted me. At that moment, a system message appeared.

[Real Combat Verification: Attribute Synchronization]

[Due to Quality of Mana Enhancement (Level 1), the limits of certain attributes have increased.]

I already knew how this system worked. It was often referred to as breaking through the attribute's limit, but in essence, it was about raising the Ceiling.

Think of it like an engine designed to operate at full capacity—let’s say one hundred percent. Until now, it had only been able to perform at fifty percent due to poor-quality fuel. But, with a better fuel supply, its output increased to sixty percent.

However, since the engine had been running on low-quality fuel for so long, it needed time to adapt and clear out the built-up residues, which was the purpose of that recent battle. After all, a single real fight taught more than a hundred practice sessions.

“Professor Deculein,” called a familiar voice. It was Yulie. She bowed her head, a few strands of her hair catching in her mouth as if she had rushed over. “... You did well today. Please rest well.”

I nodded and walked past her. As I continued, I looked up at the sky. The crescent moon appeared through the overgrown trees. Leaves crunched underfoot, reminiscent of the path I had once walked with you—a dark, overgrown, and frightening path leading to a grave.

On the day I tragically lost my younger sibling, you walked with me, cried with me, and helped bury him. That’s why, when I close my eyes, your face lingers in my mind. I’ll remember you today and try to forget you by tomorrow... Even so, I didn’t want to kill anyone in a place where traces of you remained.

***

Late at night, Sylvia's mansion, located in the prime area of Haileich, was quiet and still.

“... So, that’s what happened.”

As soon as Glitheon received the report, he rushed to the capital. While Sylvia acted as if nothing had happened, Glitheon wanted to burn Lokhak alive.

“So, sweetie, was it Deculein who saved you this time?” Glitheon asked Sylvia in a subtle tone.

However, Sylvia frowned and said, “Are you trying to get a reaction out of me?”

Huh? No, no, sweetie. Absolutely not. It’s just the way I talk. The way I normally speak to the vassals slipped out, haha. Why would I try to get a reaction from you?”

“Fine, whatever,” Sylvia said, pouting as she sat at the head of a table filled with a lavish feast, pretending to be upset.

“Sweetie, I’m telling you, it’s not like that...”

Taking advantage of Glitheon slip-up to make him uneasy, Sylvia smirked and said, “Then, Dad, I’m going to the Berhert meeting too, right?”

The Berhert meeting. As the head of the Iliade family, Glitheon was invited to this prestigious event, a great honor for any mage. He was allowed to bring one companion and one escort knight.

“... Ah, hmm,” Glitheon muttered, looking away from Sylvia.

Berhert was an incredibly dangerous mountain range. He had hoped to avoid taking Sylvia there until the last possible moment...

“I’m going.”

Sigh.”

Reflecting on the situation, he realized that the journey to Berhert, while significant, posed no real threat. The twelve traditional families had an unspoken agreement that the heir or the top disciple should always accompany the head on such trips.

Moreover, family relations had improved considerably over the past fifteen years. If he refused to take Sylvia along this time, using danger as an excuse, he would not only be seen as an overprotective father but also as a fool.

“... Alright, alright. Of course, sweetie, you’ll be my companion.”

"Oh, Lady Sylvia! In that case, I will be the escort knight for the day!" the man declared seating at the same table. With a noisy clatter, he stood up. It was Sirio, the deputy knight of the Iliade Knights Order.

Sylvia's eyebrows twitched in annoyance and said, "Sirio is too noisy. I don't like him." ƒrēewebnovel.com

Oh, why? I’m better than that Jeyron guy,” Sirio responded.

"Haha, true. Jeyron is serious about everything. Even I find him uncomfortable," Glitheon laughed heartily and continued.

"Besides, Sirio will be staying in the third gate of Berhert. He won't be able to come to the fourth gate where we'll be."

“That’s unfortunate. By the way, Lady Sylvia, the rule in the fourth gate is that those of the same bloodline must act separately. If you and Head Glitheon stick too close, you might just end up with some blood clotting troubles~”

"I know. Be quiet," Sylvia snapped, irritated by Sirio's frivolous tone.

As he sliced the fish, Glitheon said, "But, sweetie, we’ll be leaving a bit early. It’s Thursday, two days from now. Is that alright?"

"That's four days earlier," Sylvia said, narrowing her eyes.

“We’ve received intelligence.”

“Intelligence?”

“Yes. It was expensive information.”

Currently, Glitheon was the only one among the twelve families with this information. Normally, Deculein would have been the first to know, but he had inexplicably severed his ties with the underworld. Glitheon was still puzzled by this.

Deculein had always been paranoid about his safety. Whether he had gained confidence in his own skills or was placing his trust in the assistant professor he had hired was uncertain.

“But I want to leave after 6 p.m.”

Hmm. I don’t mind, but why?”

"Wednesday's class is worth five credits, and I need to review the notes the following day."

Chapter 27: Prepare (1) 1

"Is that so... Ha, I see." Glitheon snorted, slightly annoyed.

"... Nom nom."

"It seems his efforts have paid off! Oh, yes, Professor Deculein's combat talents are undeniable, though not as great as mine! Any more questions? Ah, how did he subdue the Mage Killer?! I don't know either!"

"Argh!"

I floated the stones with my Basic-Beginner-level Telekinesis. This skill combines both Basic and Beginner techniques, hence the classification.

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