A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Group Project (1)

The large moon cast a pale mist, and stars dotted the night sky over the Principality of Yuren. Maho lay curled up in bed, contemplating the day's events and reflecting on her life thus far.

"I have survived longer than you, my brother and sister..."

Maho had been fiercely attached to life since childhood, instinctively aware of her impending death. The Royal Court of Leoc was a perilous place, like a frozen battlefield swept by icy winds. The king’s sons and daughters were filled with ambition, and the king himself took pride in their destructive natures. Disaster was inevitable.

To survive, Maho chose to escape. She left the kingdom and settled in the capital. To change her fate, she amassed wealth and desperately performed acts to earn the knights' loyalty. In the end, she survived because she truly wanted to live.

“But to realize that all my actions were merely pretending...”

Deculein’s words about dropping the pretense echoed in Maho’s mind. She pouted and got out of bed. It was true that she had acted to win their favor. Pretending to be a child wasn’t entirely wrong; humans instinctively want to save a child in danger.

However, her gratitude towards them was genuine. She was sincerely thankful to Charlotte, Ron, Gedeur, and Deculein for their help today.

"... How did he discern that?"

Yet, she wondered. No one in the Empire had seen through her as Deculein did. They all regarded her as merely a pitiable and insignificant royal hostage from the kingdom.

"In such a brief span of time..."

Professor Deculein had discerned her true nature. He understood her motives and chose the word pretending accurately. This insight likely contributed to his position as the head professor of the Mage Tower of the Empire.

"Incredible, truly incredible..."

Years of maintaining her pretense had been uncovered in an instant, leaving her feeling utterly exposed.

Maho sighed and sat at her desk. She glanced at a piece of paper in the corner—a letter expressing her gratitude. Deciding it would be appropriate to send it to the professor, she picked up a pencil.

***

Early in the morning in Hadecaine, Ganesha shared breakfast with three children in the dining hall.

Munch munch—

They ate ravenously, their hunger evident as they devoured their food with their hands like famished wild animals. Even Ria, who was usually composed, had lost her decorum after an intense eighteen-hour training session.

"Phew..."

"Have you finished eating?" Ganesha asked, smiling gently.

"Yes, finally... I feel alive again," Ria sighed with relief, rubbing her belly as she leaned back in her chair, looking utterly worn out. Leo and Carlos also slumped back, clearly exhausted.

“Today's training was difficult, wasn’t it? But you all did well. If you keep this up, you could take the adventurer’s exam this year,” Ganesha said softly.

"Really?!" Leo exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement.

“For this year?” Ria asked, her voice tinged with surprise.

“Yes~ adventurers can take the exam at any age, so starting early is advantageous. If you continue to improve, it shouldn't be too difficult.”

The Adventurers Guild prioritized skill above all else. Regardless of age—be it five, eight, or eighty—anyone with the will and talent to pass the exam could become an adventurer.

However, the real challenge began after earning the certification. Adventurers could choose to specialize in a specific field or focus on missions to earn money, but the key was to forge their own path. An adventurer without notable achievements or unique skills would fail the renewal evaluations, which were conducted annually for three consecutive years.

"If you've finished eating, shall we head out?"

“Yes!” the children chimed in unison as they stood up.

As they left the dining hall, Leo and Carlos bickered about who had eaten faster and more, while Ria stepped in to quiet them. They soon arrived at Hadecaine Station.

“Wow... look at all the mages,” Leo said in awe.

The station was filled with people in robes, returning from the Mage Tower after completing their Educational Retreat. Among them, Ganesha spotted a tall, elegant man who stood out with his crystal-like appearance and impeccable suit. It was Deculein, the Head Professor.

"Kids, come here quickly," Ganesha said, gently urging the children to gather behind her.

However, Ria couldn’t help but keep glancing at Deculein, her large, curious eyes seemingly fixed on him.

“Ria?”

“Yes, Ganesha?”

“... Nothing,” Ganesha said with a chuckle.

Everyone, be they children or adults, was easily captivated by Deculein’s striking appearance. His icy demeanor, paired with an aristocratic presence, made him stand out across the entire continent. Though the world was replete with handsome men, Deculein’s unique charm was exceptionally rare. As a well-traveled adventurer, Ganesha could attest to this fact.

Just then, Deculein, who had been standing still, turned his gaze towards her. Startled by their sudden eye contact, Ganesha offered a wry smile. She swiftly and deftly moved to shield Ria from his view, but Ria peeked around her, her large, curious eyes fixed on him. Deculein’s brow twitched ever so slightly.

Suddenly, someone bumped into Ganesha, causing her to jump. She quickly turned around.

"Oh, I’m sorry," a female mage said, her head down and looking hungover.

“It’s fine,” Ganesha reassured her.

However, when she looked back, Deculein had already vanished.

"Excuse me, are you Ganesha, the adventurer?" the mage inquired.

Ganesha gave her a quick once-over, immediately recognizing some of her talent. The mage's aura was quite promising.

“Yes, I am.”

"Ah, I knew you looked familiar... I'm a fan of your work, Ganesha. I've read your books."

"Oh, is that so? Thank you very much."

“Would it be possible to get your autograph...?”

“Certainly. May I have your name?”

“Epherene Luna, a Debutant from the Mage Tower—”

“Epherene Luna?” Ria interrupted, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Do you know me?” Epherene asked, looking puzzled.

“No, I don’t, but I’m Ria,” she replied, extending her hand.

Surprised, Epherene shook her hand and said, “Oh, hi. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m an apprentice of Ganesha.”

Ganesha was intrigued by Ria’s unusual behavior.

Ria usually never initiated conversations. Perhaps it was because there were no mages in the Archipelago. Ganetha thought.

"Really? That's impressive~ You look so young."

"I’m not as young as I look. And these two are Leo and Carlos."

“Nice to meet you, Mage Luna!” Leo said eagerly.

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you too,” Epherene replied, slightly flustered. “But—”

“And I’m Carlos,” he said, introducing himself.

“... Oh, nice to meet you, Carlos...”

Leo and Carlos, fascinated by the mage, kept Epherene busy with a barrage of questions until the train arrived. As a result, she never got her autograph from Ganesha.

***

As soon as I returned to the mansion in the capital, I resumed my routine. I pushed the proficiency level of Beginner Telekinesis to 99% and trained my body. This part of the routine was the same as always.

However, I then sat down and opened Wizard Academic. I scrutinized the pages filled with numerous magical problems, contemplating which one would grant me the most mana. As I skimmed through, the section titled Millennium caught my eye.

"Millennium..."

In the Magical Realm, there are seven Millennium problems, inspired by our era's Millennium Prize Problems. With a mana level of only around 4000, understanding these problems was impossible. I turned my attention to the lower tier, the Symposium problems.

... Challenge the Symposium to earn honor as a mage. You might gain valuable insights along with the prize. Hurry! Many mages on the Floating Islands are already tackling these problems.

6. An ancient inscription features the following spell and runes. Historically, these runes also served as circuits. Deduce the ancient spell.

At first, I simply stared at the ancient inscription. Then, my heart began to race as an idea sparked within me. ... I recognized these runes. As a game designer, I had refined the font for these very runes. I was familiar with their meanings, structures, and settings. Though the memory was distant, my Comprehension brought it back vividly.

"Oh, it seems to be due to an announcement from the imperial family."

"Oh, yes, of course. As expected of you, Professor."

Whoooooooosh—!

“Ah!” Allen cowered and trembled, but I observed the phenomenon with keen eyes.