Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 13

Episode 13. Behind the scenes (1)

“Demons are running away!”

After Irene finished repairing the resonance stone and the demon she was leading died, the remaining thugs began to flee outside the barrier.

"thank god……."

“We survived!”

The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he glanced at Yurian.

It wasn't a look of fear like before, due to the notoriety of the 'laughing executioner'.

There was a sense of respect and gratitude towards the hero who saved everyone from the crisis.

“Thank you for your hard work, Sir Yulian.”

The eyes of Fern of the Knights of the Blue Lion were completely different from when he left the Imperial Capital.

Still, he disliked 'closed eyes'.

But I thought differently about the Yurian in front of me.

At least I had no choice but to painfully realize and acknowledge that he was a strong man of a different class.

The rumors that were hard to believe were true.

Even the elegance that flowed through his body was so noble that it was difficult to dismiss him as a collateral.

“I’ll leave it to Lord Fern to sort things out. I’m not used to this kind of thing.”

"All right."

“Thank you. Well, I guess I’ll have to wipe the blood off my sword. Before I came here, I found a nice lake.”

“Then I will send soldiers to take care of it.”

“No, there is no need for that.”

“Huh, huh,” Yurian said with a short smile as he walked away.

Fern suddenly remembered that he had fought against such a monster for the initiative of the mission.

That was really stupid.

Because it was a meaningless act like hitting a rock with an egg.

'You killed that monster called Igak Demon single-handedly, and yet there was no change in your expression… … .'

I couldn't help but be amazed as I looked at Yurian's back.

I wonder if his heart is made of steel.

Fern found himself having absurd thoughts without even realizing it.

***

“Hh …

I sighed as I looked at the half-open face reflected in the lake.

'I thought I was going to die.'

No, to be exact, I came close to death.

Actually, it's the first time I've seen this demon.

And I never imagined that I would suddenly have to face a monster of the 'two-cornered' level.

Anyway, in the end, I'm glad I survived.

When I think back to that time, I feel at a loss as to what to do.

I put my hands into the water to wash my face.

A cool sensation ran through my fingertips. At the same time, a trembling sensation also occurred.

'The actual battle was more brutal than I thought.'

The sensation of cutting down the demon still lingered in my hand. At the same time, the dizzying emotions I had felt back then began to surge back.

The hideous looking demons, the disgust towards them.

Fear of death.

The despair that arose upon seeing the power of the two-legged demon.

However, Yulian reflected in the lake was smiling faintly with her eyes half-closed.

It seemed like they were taking this for granted, as if it were nothing.

'Does this mean that in order to perfectly digest Yulian, I have to take this situation for granted?'

It's impossible. I'm scared. I want to run away.

It would have been normal to have such feelings, but now I was very calm.

I even felt confident that I wouldn't be too flustered if this situation happened again.

“As your body changes, your thoughts change too……!”

Thud, he hit his mouth with his hand.

I was gradually getting used to it, but it seems I still can't use the honorifics out of the blue.

==

▶ Trait, "Insight"

Rating: Unique

▷ You have a very keen eye and can easily spot the weak points of your target.

▷ You can more easily perceive the other person’s emotions.

▷ You can inflict additional damage on enemies who have feelings of 'Fear' towards you.

==

I washed my hands with water and brought up the UI to check my newly acquired trait.

The final blow that took the life out of the two-legged demon.

The sword path that was seen just before that.

Perhaps it is because of this characteristic called <Insight>.

It seems that my 'knowledge' and Yurian's 'experience' have become one and have emerged as a characteristic that shows the opponent's weaknesses.

'If it were a perfect Yurian, it would be easy to defeat a two-legged demon… … .'

I don't think I could have cut it down with one stroke like before.

But this trait called <Insight> made it possible. Even for me, who still can't fully use Yurian's abilities.

'With this, we can implement Yurian's power to some extent.'

You've got a good hand.

Because I will be able to perfectly portray the strength that 'Yurien' possesses.

In that case, it would be nice to worry a little less about the suspicions of those around us.

"after……."

As my mind began to clear up to some extent, my heart, which had been pounding during my first real match, became calm.

And the first thought that came to mind was the perfection of the <Moonlight Sword> used in the battle against the two-legged demon.

'The tooth fell out.'

When I pulled out my sword, I saw a number of small but numerous gaps on the blade.

This is a crack that was created because a lot of mana was poured in at once.

If I swing it a few more times like this, it's obvious it'll break.

'That means that the power and stability are still not as good as the original.'

However, I didn't feel any regret about that fact.

What I learned from this actual battle was not only the 'method of combat'. I was also able to figure out how to complete this incomplete Moonlight Sword.

After I put the road sword away, I thought.

'If I go back, I have to prepare the ground first.'

***

Heland, the third son of the Cryphat family, one of the four most prestigious families of the Empire.

He gulped as he saw the poisonous stares directed at him.

The noble council of elders.

It is an aristocratic organization established over many years to represent the aristocracy and protect their interests.

The names of executives from various families were listed here.

Herand, who received all their attention, had his body hair stand on end.

One wrong word could cost you your life.

“So, you’re saying he figured out our plan?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

At the stern voice, Herand bowed his head and answered.

The noble elders clicked their tongues and pointed at Herand with faces full of discontent.

“Isn’t it because you’re incompetent that you couldn’t hide it properly?”

“Sorry, sorry. Right ball…….”

“If it weren’t for the bloodline of the current head of the household, a punk like you would have been kicked out long ago.”

Orn Kraiphath, the current chairman of the Noble Council.

Herand, who had his gaze all over him, lowered his head.

“Right-handed, and recently, in ‘Closed Eyes’, it is said that this proposal was submitted to Secretary Hwang Seol’s office.”

“What is that?”

“From now on, when we conduct the entrance test for ‘Closed Eyes’, we will not hold the instructors responsible.”

Oren listened carefully to what the other elders had to say, then frowned.

But the story isn't over yet.

“He also added that even if there are casualties, any act of holding anyone accountable must be strictly prohibited in the name of the Imperial Family.”

“Oh my……!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a sigh came out of the mouth of another elder.

Because he was frowning so much, his already wrinkled forehead became even more prominent.

Some of them didn't even try to hide their displeasure, and some even cursed in small voices.

“If you say that it was posted on ‘Closed Eyes’, doesn’t that represent Yurian’s words?”

“That’s right. Naturally, the Secretariat rejected it before it was presented to the Imperial Family.”

Chairman Orne looked at the other elders with a troubled expression.

Until now, 'Closed Eyes' has never once violated or sought to amend the imperial discipline.

This is the first time a proposal like this has been submitted.

And this timing too.

It was clear what this proposal was intended to do.

“Then, this is…….”

“Yes, I think it’s probably Yurian’s warning.”

Orne stroked his beard as if he was dumbfounded by what others were saying.

He knows everything.

If you keep wasting your time, I won't stay still.

The reason I submitted that proposal to the secretary's office was probably to send this kind of warning.

“This damned collateral bastard… is already sullying the name of the other nobles and the Cryphat family with his notoriety, and now he’s planning to threaten them?”

Oren was furious as he recalled Yurian's actions.

“On the subject of the royal dog… who dares to warn anyone….”

“But, right? Isn’t that a better opportunity?”

Perhaps to calm down the one who was raising his voice, a middle-aged man suddenly joined the conversation.

“Aiden, what are you talking about?”

Aiden, who was considerably younger than the other elders, spoke in a calm tone.

“It’s not normal for Yurian, who has only listened to the royal family’s orders, to issue a warning like this. He is now thinking and acting on his own. If you act rashly here, you could face disaster.”

Yurian's principle of action was to simply understand the imperial intentions.

But now that he is making his own decisions and moves, there are many variables to consider.

“So, how about we just wait and see for the time being?”

“Are you saying we should just watch!?”

“What the heck! How much will it tarnish the name Cryphat if we neglect that monster with a human face and a deep heart……!”

“Be quiet!”

As the council of elders became tumultuous, Oren rebuked them.

He looked at Aiden's face with a sharp gaze like a snake.

“Please continue speaking.”

Aiden nodded politely at Orn's words and continued speaking.

“It’s just my guess, but there may be more useful uses for it than just banishing Yurian to the northern front. The previously thoughtless Imperial Sword is now starting to think.”

Aiden's face showed strong determination as he said that.

***

“Old man, your eyes are still clear.”

After finishing the council meeting, Aiden muttered as he boarded the carriage back to his mansion.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

A little while ago, I was the recipient of the snake-like gaze from the right.

As Aiden gestured, the carriage began to move.

He looked out the window at the scenery outside and became lost in thought.

'The noble council is in a terrible state.'

The noble council of the Adratan Empire.

This organization was created by executives from numerous families to protect their interests from the imperial family's checks and balances.

However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the current noble council was under the control of the Craiph family.

The current chairman, Orun Kreiphat's one word made most of the elders tremble, and there were countless cases where every decision benefited the Kreiphat family.

Aiden was not pleased with the current state of affairs in the council.

That's why I didn't want the character 'Yurien' to return to the northern front.

Yurian Kraiphart Frasson.

This is one of the few tumors that the current Cryphat family has.

“It seems that the rumor that Sir Yurian lost his memory is a false rumor.”

Aiden, who had been lost in thought, raised his head at the coachman's words.

“It looks like that.”

“Then, is it okay to resume the recruitment of Sir Yurian that we were working on before?”

“Well, let’s do that. If the rumors about you losing your memories are false, then you probably remember what we did. So, let’s proceed without any unnecessary procedures.”

"yes."

The coachman bows his head politely and answers.

Looking at him, Aiden became lost in thought again.

'A monster that can even take down a high-level demon with its own body. If we can recruit such a monster to our side, there's nothing more reassuring than that.'

Aiden then had one question.

The medical condition determined by Yulian's attending physician.

The only people who knew that fact were members of the Cryphat family.

Still, the rumor spread like wildfire to the nobles' ears, as if someone had spread it on purpose.

As Aiden thought about it, a possibility occurred to him.

'Perhaps, it was Yurian himself who spread such rumors.'

The thought made Aiden cringe.

Baiting a trap is one of the most basic hunting basics.

But no hunter sets a trap with himself as bait.

Because if you do something like that, your life could be in danger.

But if my guess is correct, Yurian was using himself as bait to find prey.

To wipe out all the beasts that have heard rumors that he has become weak and are baring their teeth.

“He might be crazier than I thought.”

"yes?"

“No, it’s nothing.”