A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Mask (2)

The assistant professor's office on the 77th floor was peaceful and cozy, even though Allen only pretended to head home. On the right side, three bookshelves stood in a row, leading to the assistant professor's desk at the end. The desk was spacious enough to hold a typewriter, a pencil holder, and a thick textbook.

As Allen habitually cleaned the dimly lit office, a peculiar feeling washed over him. Deculein was long gone, and starlight shimmered in the distant night sky. It was strange. He felt as though he had been by Deculein's side for too long, but he knew it was only recently that he had caught Deculein's attention.

Everyone else had left, exhausted by Deculein's tyranny and obsessive perfectionism, leaving Allen as the only one remaining. At first, catching Deculein's attention was never part of the plan.

It felt even stranger because, during his time with Deculein, he had simply enjoyed studying magic, reading books, preparing lessons, and teaching students, living like an ordinary assistant professor. It was as if he had always wished for such a life.

Deculein's assistant, Allen, closed his eyes and remembered Deculein's words, "You have indeed earned my trust."

Deculein had said those words to recognize Allen's hard work. However, Deculein didn't know the truth. He didn't know that Allen was far from trustworthy, or that Allen wasn't even his real name.

"Stay by my side," Deculein had requested.

Allen recalled his own response to that request.

"Certainly, sir!" Allen had replied.

Slowly opening his eyes, Allen gazed into the distant sky and murmured, "It has been a long time since I met someone as mysterious as you."

At first, Allen thought Deculein deserved to die, seeing him as a mad noble, a powerless human whose life could be ended with a flick of a finger. But Deculein had changed suddenly, showing genuine sincerity. His exterior was always cold, but this made the warmth he occasionally displayed even more striking.

This intrigued Allen, leading him to save Deculein's life unknowingly during the Berhert train terror and Veron’s attack. Allen had witnessed it all and had even severed Veron’s wrist himself.

"But... I don't think I can uphold your trust," Allen said softly. The darkness of the distant sky gradually began to fracture, revealing the light of dawn breaking. "... This mission has lasted too long."

As Allen, he didn't have much time left to witness sunrises in this Mage Tower. His departure was approaching. He knew he shouldn't feel regret; such emotions were not allowed for him.

"I have become too accustomed to being Allen," Allen thought, pressing his forehead against the windowpane.

Allen felt the cold seeping in from outside and sniffled, a strange warmth spreading through his nose.

***

It was a clear summer weekend, and Yulie enjoyed a rare moment of leisure. Deculein, her charge, was safely in the annex, the duties of the Freyhem Knights Order were light, and her morning training routine was already complete.

"Wow..."

Yulie spent time with the attendants in the mansion's lounge. The room was filled with various advanced gadgets, but what particularly caught her interest was the radio.

"It's not a crystal orb. How does it produce sound?" Yulie asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Oh, the radio? We were amazed when we first saw it too. Inside, there's something called a mana stone circuit. I'm not sure of the details, but it catches what are called frequencies. There are about thirteen channels, and you can listen to broadcasts on them," one of Yulie’s attendants replied.

Mana stone circuit. Frequency. Channel. Broadcast. These were all unfamiliar terms to her.

"That's fascinating. Does that mean you can listen to jousting match broadcasts with this?"

Although radios cost over 5,000 elne and only lasted a year, making them a luxury item, the Empire's media companies had recently begun establishing their own channels.

"Correct. You don't need to buy a ticket to hear the broadcasts. However, it might be frustrating since you can't see what's happening."

As Yulie continued to marvel, a small dog rested on her lap, a pet shared by the mansion’s servants.

Knock, knock—

At that moment, there was a knock on the door before it opened. It was Ren, Deculein's personal secretary, returning from a business trip.

"Escort Knight Yulie, it is time for your schedule," Ren announced.

"Oh, yes," Yulie replied, quickly straightening her attire and preparing for her duties.

Her casual clothes were her light armor, so there was no need to change.

The sun was high in the sky when I arrived in Yukline County. My first event of the day was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Marik Underground Passage.

"How did you conceive the brilliant idea of building an underground railway tunnel? Hahaha!"

"Professor Deculein, your foresight is truly astonishing!"

A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance to the underground passage. Many were notable figures from the political and business worlds. I greeted them alongside Yeriel.

"The underground passage was Head Deculein's idea, but the creation of the shopping district was mine," Yeriel said, placing her hand on her chest and smiling warmly.

The chatter in the hall suddenly died down. Everyone held their breath, anticipating my reaction.

"That is correct," I replied.

Only then did their laughter resume, and they began showering Yeriel with flattery.

"Of course! Such brilliant ideas are only to be expected from Professor Deculein's sister."

"Indeed, intelligence runs in the family! Wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely!"

It was evident that this entire event was steeped in politics and connections. They even questioned the relationship between Yeriel and me.

"Now, let us commence the ribbon-cutting ceremony," Yeriel said proudly, holding the scissors.

We stood together and cut the ribbon stretched across the entrance of the passage.

Clap, clap, clap, clap—

Applause and cheers erupted as the entrance to the underground passage opened. They invited me to join them inside, but I shook my head. The rest was Yeriel's responsibility.

"I have a busy schedule today, so I will leave the specifics to Yeriel. This project is under her jurisdiction, after all."

"Oh, really? That's quite unfortunate."

"Enjoy your leisure at Hadecaine afterward," I said.

They seemed a bit disappointed but soon followed Yeriel into the passage.

"Yulie, let us head back," I instructed her.

"Yes."

I turned to leave with Yulie, but someone followed us. Yulie quickly stepped forward to block her path.

"Stop. Identify yourself before you approach," Yulie demanded, her voice icy.

However, the young woman remained unfazed and responded, "I am an investor."

Wearing a bowler hat and a suit, she was quite striking. After confirming her identity, I gestured to Yulie and said, "It's fine. Go inside first."

"... Sorry?"

"I need you to give us some space. I need to speak with her privately," I instructed firmly.

"Yes, understood," Yulie replied hesitantly. She got into the car, glaring at me through the window.

Arlos remarked, "You have a keen mind for business." _{freeweɓnovēl.coɱ}

"Al, have you also invested in this project?" I asked.

"Al? ... Oh, you mean me? Yes, it seemed like a good business opportunity," Arlos said with a shrug before sharing some information. "The Jukaken and the Altar haven't given up on you. They're likely plotting something. Stay cautious."

"I am not concerned with them. But what about Gerek?"

Gerek was quite important. The mad characters were treated specially even in the game. They were difficult to handle, but once they unleashed their power, their combat abilities soared exponentially, making them valuable strategic assets.

"Gerek is currently underground... Additionally, the Altar is planning some sort of sudden attack. That's why I'm here."

I frowned and said, "A sudden attack."

"Whether it's a sudden attack or a terror plot, I don't know. They're becoming more secretive, and the information is sparse. But knowing their nature, it will be grand," Arlos said, looking around before pulling her bowler hat lower.

"And the reason is?"

"Fanatics are fanatics for a reason—they are unpredictable. Always be wary of crowded places," Arlos said.

As soon as she finished speaking, a system message appeared.

[Sudden Event: Tempest]

"You could have used a crystal orb to convey this information," I said.

"This is much safer than using that little orb," Arlos replied before quickly leaving.

I watched her disappear like a shadow before getting into the car.

"Head to the Mage Tower," I instructed Ren.

The second event was overseeing the project inspection in my role as the director of the Planning and Financial Coordination Office at the Mage Tower.

"Yes, sir," Ren acknowledged, stepping on the gas without further words.

However, I felt a heated gaze beside me. When I glanced over, I saw Yulie staring at me with a stern expression.

"Who was that? She was quite remarkable," Yulie inquired, her eyes meeting mine as she finally voiced the question she had been holding back.

"That is not necessary for you to know."

"Since you said I don't need to know, I won't ask," Yulie replied, pouting as she sat back properly. However, her gaze on the road ahead remained sharp and intense.

Meanwhile, Louina was working on a magic project in her laboratory. The funding she requested had been fully granted, and her protégés from the Mage Tower of the Kingdom had returned. Despite initial hesitation due to financial issues, the approval from the director of the Planning and Financial Coordination Office carried significant weight.

The entire project was established within a week of submitting the proposal. Recently, there were rumors about Louina being Deculein's subordinate—or even his loyal dog—but she didn't deny them. Her feelings towards Deculein had softened somewhat.

"Everyone, you don't need to conserve mana stones anymore! We're not in the kingdom now. Recycle if necessary, but use as much as you need—”

As she encouraged her team, the lab door opened. Louina was startled by the unexpected visitor.

"Professor Deculein, what brings you here?" Louina asked.

"An unannounced inspection. It's part of my duties as the director of the Planning and Financial Coordination Office," Deculein stated.

He inspected the sixteen mages and the tables in the lab one by one. His intimidating presence caused the assistants to bow awkwardly.

Louina crossed her arms and stood beside him.

"There's nothing to worry about," Louina said. "We've been preparing this idea for a long time. We just lacked the funding, but the results will be certain."

"Do you have confidence in this?"

"Absolutely, but there's a small issue with the cost. The initial funding is ten million elne, but the final cost could increase up to twenty times that amount."

Two hundred million. Louina deliberately inflated the cost.

Deculein remained unfazed and said, "You may proceed."

Deculein reviewed and signed the documents without any doubts or questions, then left, his actions always precise and perfect. His calm demeanor left Louina feeling conflicted. She sighed and followed him out.

"Hey."

When Louina called out, Deculein stopped and turned to face her.

"Here, boss. Take this," Louina said, handing him a candy tin.

Deculein furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the sudden gift.

"It's a specialty from the McQueen territory, Quirina candy," Louina explained. "It's only available in summer and in very limited quantities. It's our best-selling product."

"Oh?"

This candy must be truly delicious, Deculein thought with a smile.

"Hmm-hmm," Sylvia hummed as she walked, a rare sound for her. She suddenly took out a piece of paper she had carefully placed in her robe pocket.

Application: Deculein

A friend? I don't have any friends. I've never had one in my life, Sylvia thought.

"Snore... snore..."

"Snore... snore..."

"So, the emblem on the letter from your sponsor matches the one on this handkerchief."

"Yeah, that's how I knew my sponsor was keeping his eye on me. Unfortunately, I couldn't see his face—I was too busy crying during the play."

Why does the professor care so much for her? Is it only because her father committed suicide? ... Whatever the reason, if he doesn’t take me on as an assistant professor, I might just reveal this to Epherene.

"Snore... snore... ow!"

"Ahhh!" Epherene screamed as she woke up, and Sylvia immediately wiped her hands. Stammering in shock, Epherene exclaimed, "Wh-what’s wrong with you?"

That really hurt. My eyes are starting to water. Is this a nosebleed? No, just snot, Epherene thought.

"Ugh, I can’t believe I went through all this... Anyway, look at this. It may seem like an ordinary piece of paper, but then..."