A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Future of Each Individual (2)

After finishing the lesson with the Empress, I walked through the palace corridors alongside Yulie. Even within the safety of the Imperial Palace, she remained cautious. As we continued, Jolang approached us.

“Lord Yukline, an incident has occurred in the underground,” Jolang reported.

I nodded and followed Jolang to the palace’s underground, the only route to the Darkness of the Imperial Palace—known as the Demon’s Mirror.

However...

"It’s sealed. This is troublesome," Jolang remarked with a frown.

I inspected the door, finding it encrusted with a dry, black substance, thick and tar-like.

"When did it get like this?" I asked.

"It was just a normal door until today," Jolang replied, gripping the handle and shaking it forcefully, but it wouldn’t give way. "Even the knights couldn’t manage to open it, so I had to send them all back."

I nodded and said, "Then the time has not yet come."

"Time has not yet come... But do you know what lies beyond this door, Lord Yukline?"

I already knew what exactly lay hidden beneath the palace and the details of the Darkness of the Imperial Palace quest. I had completed it back in my days as a player.

"Who’s to say?"

The Darkness of the Imperial Palace was the shadow cast by the Empress—Sophien’s own past. This underground chamber concealed the secrets of that past, and the Demon’s Mirror was the gateway to it.

The true mystery lay in the demon's obsession with Sophien’s past. The reason was clear—if Sophien died, this world would come to an end.

As I had mentioned before, if Sophien died, it would mean the end of everything. That was how the system was set up for the game. It was an extremely important quest, but not one that required immediate action. Since Sophien was a regressor, there were numerous chances—dozens of cycles—to explore her past.

"I haven’t entered, so how could I possibly know? We’re leaving. Inform me immediately when the door opens," I commanded.

"Yes, Lord Yukline. As you command," Jolang replied, his expression still sour as he turned away.

Yulie murmured in confusion, "It's strange. Why has the palace's underground turned out this way?"

"You don’t have to know," I said.

"Sorry?"

"Don’t even consider getting involved."

Yulie’s eyes narrowed, but the truth about the underground had to be kept from her. Sophien’s death was linked partially to the former head of Freyden—Yulie’s father.

"We’re leaving. We have a busy day ahead," I said.

"... Yes."

We left the palace together.

By the gates, Ren, the driver who had been waiting beside the car, glanced at his notebook and said, "The next schedule is in Roharlak, in Yukline County."

Something in Ren’s tone seemed unusual, but I kept my expression neutral as I climbed into the car.

"Let’s proceed."

"Yes, Master."

***

Meanwhile, Epherene, Sylvia, and Karixel boarded the Floating Island. While the island’s mysterious landscape had become somewhat familiar, they still needed to take an airship—a relatively recent invention—to reach the Training Island for the Solda promotion exam.

“Sigh...”

Epherene stepped onto the airship platform, her emotions a blend of excitement and anxiety. It was her first time seeing an airship up close, let alone boarding one.

"Shall we proceed?" Karixel asked, his presence a welcome relief.

Unlike the quiet Sylvia, Karixel’s experience as an adventurer made him both well-informed and chatty, which brought a comforting sense of ease to the group.

"Do we just board? Is there anything else we need to do?" Epherene asked.

"Certainly. Just step aboard as if you were entering your own home. I’ll go ahead," Karixel said, ascending the tall stairs to the platform.

Epherene hesitated for a moment before following. As she reached the stairs, Sylvia suddenly grabbed the hood of her robe, pulling her back.

"Oof! Why are you stopping me?"

“Foolish Epherene.”

"What is it?" Epherene asked, confused.

Sylvia wordlessly glanced down at Epherene’s shoes.

"... Oh, right," Epherene said as realization struck, letting out a small laugh. "Shoes? You must think I’m a fool, don’t you? Of course, I know I need to take them off."

Epherene stood tall, feigning confidence despite her uncertainty. It seemed reasonable to remove her shoes before boarding the airship. After all, Karixel had said to board as if entering one’s own home.

"Well, I’m going up first!" Epherene declared, ascending the stairs with an air of nobility. She removed her shoes before boarding the airship and glanced around, searching for a place to store them. "... Where’s the shoe rack?"

A passenger noticed her bare feet and smirked. Epherene glanced around in confusion, only to see that everyone else had kept their shoes on.

Sylvia, who had followed closely behind, stifled a laugh, "Pfft."

Sylvia walked past her with a self-satisfied smile, her heels tapping sharply against the floor. Epherene's face flushed with embarrassment.

"That... that little...!" Epherene muttered as she hastily put her shoes back on and rushed to her assigned seat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure.

"... Assistant Professor Allen?"

"Oh, Epherene. I see you’ve put your shoes back on," Sylvia remarked from her seat, her voice laced with amusement.

"Oh? I knew you’d enjoy that. I did it on purpose, you know, because you’ve seemed a bit down lately," Epherene remarked, trying to maintain her pride as she took her assigned seat beside Sylvia.

— Flight 305D is now departing. Please fasten your seat belts.

As the announcement played, Epherene swiftly fastened her seatbelt.

Sylvia smirked as she watched Epherene and said, "At least you managed the seatbelt."

"Hmph. I only did that to make you laugh."

Whoooosh—

As the airship hummed and lifted off, Epherene instinctively grabbed Sylvia’s shoulder.

“Woahh!”

“What are you doing?” Sylvia said, startled, trying to shake her off.

But as the airship swayed, Epherene’s hold on her shoulder only grew firmer.

"Let go," Sylvia said, trying to push her away.

"Woooah, we’re... we’re flying. We’re actually flying. Woaaaah..."

"Let go of me, you fool. I said let go."

As Sylvia resisted, Epherene only held on tighter, her arms encircling Sylvia’s waist as she rested her forehead on Sylvia’s shoulder.

“Stop clinging to me, you fool."

"Wait... I’m going to be sick."

Sylvia sensed that something was off.

“Oh... Wh-what’s going on? Am I having an allergic reaction?"

"There’s no such thing as an airship allergy, you fool. Oh no, don’t you dare vomit. If you vomit, I swear I’ll... Oh—"

***

Epherene and Sylvia arrived at the Training Island, where the staff swiftly assigned them their accommodations. With night already fallen and darkness enveloping the surroundings, there was no opportunity to explore.

"Debutants Sylvia and Epherene, you’ve been assigned to Room 503. The exam will start in forty-eight hours, so please take this time to rest. Sign this document and place it in Goro's Mouth outside your door," the staff member instructed.

"Okay~" Epherene replied cheerfully as she opened the door to Room 503, surprised by the room's unexpected spaciousness. She had imagined something more like a college dorm, but this was far larger than she had anticipated. "... This is nicer than my house."

The room was spacious, with two beds, two desks, two refrigerators, and two bathrooms, all symmetrically arranged. A single sofa sat in the center.

Epherene approached the window and, gazing outside, remarked in awe, “Wow... A cliff right outside? I can even see the clouds.”

Rumble—!

A loud crash reverberated through the room as Sylvia created a wall, dividing the large space into two distinct sections.

“... Of course,” Epherene muttered, quickly realizing that Sylvia, still reeling from her recent rejection, likely needed some time alone.

Epherene sighed as she unpacked her things, placing the Roahawk meat in the refrigerator and slipping emergency rations, like chocolate bars, into the pockets of her robe. Afterward, she looked over the document given to her by the exam staff.

Solda Promotion Exam Confirmation

◆ Primary Exam Supervisors: Rogerio, Gindalf, Adrienne

◆ Additional Supervisors: Ropal, Mimic, Relin, Deculein, Ihelm, Crancia, and thirteen others

◆ Security Chief: Deculein

◆ The footage and reports generated during the exam are available for purchase by various Mage Towers, the Floating Island, and noble families across the continent for scouting purposes.

◆ The Floating Island bears no responsibility for any injuries or other incidents that may occur during the exam.

◆ Signature: [ ]

“... No responsibility for injuries or anything else, huh...” Epherene muttered, unease creeping in.

Knock, knock—

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Startled, Epherene whispered, “Who’s there...?”

“It’s Karixel. I’ve brought something for you.”

"Oh," Epherene replied as she quickly moved to open the door.

Karixel greeted her with a broad smile and said, "Miss Epherene, your room is rather unique... The two-person room I’m staying in isn’t quite like this."

"This was Sylvia’s doing."

"Ah, I see. So this must be her Primary Colors. A truly impressive talent for creation," Karixel observed, admiring the perfectly divided room, each side even having its own door.

"But what brings you here?"

"Ah, I brought this for you," Karixel said, offering her a cylindrical container. Epherene examined it curiously, and Karixel explained, "It’s called cup noodles—a popular snack in the south. Just add the seasoning and pour in boiling water, and it’s ready to eat. Be sure to share one with Sylvia as well."

"Oh, thank you. I was just starting to feel hungry."

Karixel chuckled and said, "Haha. Very well then, I’ll see you tomorrow!"

After he left, Epherene looked down at the two cup noodles in her hands. She placed one in front of Sylvia’s door and knocked. The door swung open almost immediately, and Sylvia stepped out.

"Here, I have something for you."

Sylvia ignored the cup noodles and walked right past Epherene without acknowledging her presence.

"Where are you headed?" Epherene asked.

"Goro’s Mouth."

"Oh, right."

Epherene took the document and followed Sylvia into the hallway, where they encountered Goro's Mouth, a large, black pair of lips. Sylvia placed her signed document into it first, and Epherene followed suit.

Munch— Munch—

The mouth made a wet, squelching sound as it processed the papers, then expelled two small orbs—one for Sylvia and one for Epherene.

"What might these be?"

"They’re personal crystal orbs," explained the mage standing next to Goro’s Mouth. "They can be used for communication, and in case of danger, they’ll send a signal to the Security Chief. They have other functions as well, so make sure not to lose them."

"Ah, thank you," Epherene said, slipping hers into her pocket.

Sylvia, still focused on her orb, was likely preoccupied with thoughts of that professor who served as the Security Chief. Epherene, her smile tinged with bitterness as she glanced at Sylvia, soon noticed a familiar figure at the end of the hallway. It wasn’t Assistant Professor Allen, but someone who bore a striking resemblance to him.

"Looks similar."

It was the same face, but certainly not Allen. What set her apart was her impressive figure, especially her chest. Even beneath the robe, the movement of her ample bosom was clear. Epherene knew that discomfort well, which was why she always wore a loose robe—not just for modesty, but to avoid the constriction that tighter clothes would bring.

"Oh, by the way, Sylvia, have you heard of instant cup noodles—"

When she turned to ask, Sylvia was already gone.

"... She’s as tough to befriend as a stray cat," Epherene sighed, trudging back to her room.

— Deputy Director Primien, you understand the significance of today’s meeting, correct?

— Be careful not to say anything that could offend the Professor. Mind your words.

— Professor Deculein is a prominent figure now. He’s far beyond the typical noble you’re accustomed to dealing with.

— Wait, Deputy Director! If you say one wrong word, it’s not just you but the whole—

Click—

"Hmm."

"Ah, Professor Deculein," called a stout, muscular man as he approached with a broad smile. "It’s me Bethan!"

Primien had been considering the steak, but when Bethan noticed something on the menu, he chuckled knowingly and said, "Ah, I see. As expected of you, Professor Deculein—truly remarkable..."

“Haha, I appreciate it,” Bethan said, immediately taking a spoonful.

Drip, Drip, Drip.

The thick liquid dripped back into the bowl as the restaurant echoed with the refined laughter of nobles. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, her composure barely holding. Noticing a waiter passing by, Primien subtly used Telekinesis to draw the waiter closer to the table.