Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 23

Episode 23. Clothes that fit your body (2)

After receiving the sword from the blacksmith shop, 'Twilight Flame', I started walking down the well-trodden path to return to the mansion.

As the ground spiders began to fall and the surroundings grew dark, the 'mana stone streetlights' installed on the street began to light up.

Before long, the system became as bright as day again.

A road that smells like people.

As I walked along the street where people were gathered and talking noisily, I looked at the two swords hanging from my waist.

One is a simple steel sword that was used previously.

The other is a moonstone sword custom-made in 'Twilight Flame'.

When I saw the beautiful scabbard of the Moonstone Sword, a smile escaped my mind.

'Now I can easily deal with most threats.'

The reason I've been trying so hard to act as Yulian up until now is because I haven't been able to completely obtain power.

However, now that I can fully use the <Moonlight Sword>, I am able to obtain it at least 70% of the way, even if it is not 'perfect'.

“Huh huh…….”

A laugh escaped my mouth without me knowing.

“Hee, heek…….”

“Cough, cough.”

Some people passing by had a look of fear floating over their heads.

Oh, no matter how good I feel, I have to endure it.

This cross-eyed villain can even be threatening to others with his muffled laughter.

'I also need to decide what to do going forward.'

The reason for returning to the mansion on foot instead of taking a carriage.

It was partly because I was in a good mood after completing <Moonlight Sword> that I wanted to go for a walk, but it was also because I wanted to organize my future work.

'It's essential to act like Yulian, and other than that, you also need to find a way to return… '

Of course, one of the concerns was finding a way to return to the original world.

Without any warning, I was possessed by a character in a game, and the worst villain at that.

Even though it was a world view and characters that I was familiar with, I couldn't continue to settle for this reality.

'How do I get back? Is it to see the ending of the game…?'

I walked down the alley of the system, lost in thought. If you pass this place, the distance is shortened considerably.

As I stepped into the alley, the sound of rushing water greeted me. It seemed that the rain that had fallen earlier had not dried because the sun was not shining.

'Then, preventing the resurrection of the demon is the top priority. We will have no choice but to confront the Dawn Society.'

Dawn Society.

If 'Yurien Cryphat Prasson' is a deviant among the villains, then the Dawning Society is a group that is deviant among the numerous groups in the game.

What they want is the resurrection of Barbatos, the drinker.

They are heretics who do not hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve that goal.

In addition, they are the enemy of the player's alter ego, 'Haydn Reich', and the group that killed Linne Rondvel's father.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is the so-called 'axis of evil'.

'Should we first cooperate with Haydn Reich? But… … .'

I could make a suggestion to the blacksmith for the sake of the cause, but a scene from the trailer kept running through my head.

The scene where Yurian strangles Haydn Reich and Linnaeus.

'What should I do…? …Huh?'

That was when.

Electrical signals tingled and stimulated my brain.

It was a kind of signal sent by Yurian's body.

Trait <Amazing Intuition>.

It was sending me a warning.

“Who are you?”

A road where you can't find any signs of life.

An alley as quiet as a mouse.

The only thing that resonated was my voice.

There was no response in return.

Was it because of my mood?

But <Amazing Intuition> doesn't lie.

'There is no choice but to use mana to detect it.'

The moment when mana was being drawn up within the body.

Hit──!

Someone came up to me.

***

Linne, who had stopped by the dusky flames to look for the sword she had left behind, opened her mouth when she heard that Yurian had been here a little while ago.

“I’m glad we didn’t run into each other.”

“Haha… Linne really hates Sir Yurian.”

Listening to Linne's grumbling words, blacksmith Lupina smiled bitterly.

“Of course. Such shamelessness. I don’t want to care. By any chance, you didn’t cause trouble or anything here, did you? If you did, I’d eat Master’s face…….”

“There was a bit of a commotion, but it wasn’t a big deal.”

He is a scoundrel who has always had bad behavior and who goes around disgracing his teacher, Haydn Reich, in many ways.

Linne was secretly worried when she heard that he had stopped by here.

I thought I had an accident like before.

“Don’t worry too much, he didn’t threaten to kill you if you didn’t make him a sword like last time.”

“That’s… fortunate.”

A year ago.

After challenging and losing to his master Haydn Reich, Yurian found the reason for his defeat in the sword.

There was a time when he came to this place, 'Twilight Flame', to ask for a sword identical to Haydn Reich's sword to be made.

At that time, when Luger Orland, who had shown his craftsmanship, stubbornly refused to make an identical sword, he pulled out his sword and threatened him.

“In fact, this time, unlike before, he was quite polite. He paid the bill on time and also paid all the additional charges.”

"is it so?"

Lupina nodded to Linne's question.

On the one hand, I breathed a sigh of relief, but on the other hand, questions arose.

“Then, what is this commotion…?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. Sir Yurian came and asked me to make a sword out of jewels.”

With jewels?

Linne asked, “What on earth are you talking about?”

“Yes, with jewels. I asked them to bring a bunch of jewels called moonstones and put them in the center of a sword made of steel.”

“It was definitely meant to be used as a craft.”

Although Linne did not have a close relationship with him, he was a fellow student who had the same teacher and was aware of the personal information of a person named 'Yurian'.

One of them.

Yulian is fascinated by art.

“No, you said you were going to use it yourself?”

"……yes?"

“They say that rather than decorating the house as a craft, they use it as a weapon.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Linne denied Lupina's words at the unexpected answer. That was understandable, since the 'moonstone' was a gem with much lower strength than steel. If you were to swing it like a sword, it would break from the center.

That was basic common sense that even Linnaeus knew.

“If you swing it a few times, it will break from the inside out. Thinking of using a sword made of jewels…….”

“I thought so at first too. But he said he didn’t mind so I asked him to make it for him?”

Another unexpected answer.

Linne looked up with a blank expression.

Lupina opened her mouth with an embarrassed smile.

“Would you like to check it out? I haven’t cleaned up the test site yet.”

"test?"

When Linne answered, tilting her head, Lupina nodded.

After that, Lupina took the lead and guided her to the empty lot of the 'Twilight Flame'.

Linne turned her gaze to the center of the empty space.

What immediately caught my eye was the stand for holding the armor and the armor split exactly in half.

The armor looked so thick that it would break if swung with a normal sword.

“It was Sir Yurian who cut that armor with that jeweled sword.”

At Lupina's explanation, Linne slowly approached and examined the armor.

It's hard to do this with an ordinary sword, but it's possible to do this with a jewel sword that's far less powerful.

‘No, to this extent, I too… … .’

Thinking that way, Linne examined the armor closely and couldn't help but be astonished.

A cleanly cut cross-section.

A sword path that is so smooth that it is almost like a bone marrow sword.

It wasn't a blow swung with all one's might.

The more you swing a sword with all your might, the more its path becomes distorted. This is the case no matter how great a swordsman you are.

But there was absolutely no sign of disarray with this sword. That means… … .

'I cut it slowly without using much force.'

Linnaeus thought.

He said that he could break armor of this level. However, the result would be the same.

I didn't have the courage to follow the process.

'Is that… possible?'

My eyes became dizzy.

I know that I have shortcomings.

Although he was called the disciple of the Black Sword Master, he was not very good compared to his former disciple.

But, I didn't know it would be this far──.

“The cross-section is so clean.”

When she heard a familiar voice, Linne turned her head to check.

Gray hair and a gaunt face.

'Black Star' Haydn Reich.

“Master, did you receive the sword you asked for from Lord Luger?”

“Yes, I got it.”

The reason I came here, to the 'Twilight Flame' forge, was to retrieve the sword that I had previously commissioned to be made.

Haydn pointed to the sword at his waist.

There was a crude scabbard there, devoid of any aesthetic sense.

“……Did Yurian stop by here?”

“How did you know?”

“This was cut with the Moonlight Sword. Its aura is specialized for cutting.”

He approached the fallen armor and began to examine it carefully.

Soon, an inexplicable feeling of heaviness began to form in both eyes.

“Still amazing.”

When he heard Haydn's soliloquy, Linnaeus felt something boiling in his heart. However, his pride did not allow him to honestly express this feeling.

All I could do was suppress my anger and bite my lips.

“Don’t worry too much about it.”

Haydn immediately saw through Linnaeus's intentions.

“Just as people’s personalities are diverse, each person’s swordsmanship and aura have different goals. You can be stronger than Yurian in a different way.”

"yes……."

Even with Haydn's consolation, Linnaeus' voice did not regain its vitality.

This is because it was not easy to imagine that one would reach this level even through training.

“By the way, how was the Yurian you met on the mission?”

Haydn asked, running his hand over the armor.

A mission solved with Yurian a few days ago.

In fact, it is no coincidence that Yurian and Linnaeus became entangled in that mission.

The proposal for a joint investigation and the request to send Yurian were both requests made by Haydn Reich when he visited the Imperial Secretariat.

The reason was very simple.

The Dawn Society, a religious group secretly plotting the revival of the demonic spirit.

To check if Yulian belongs there.

Of course, Linnaeus had not heard of it beforehand.

“I put it off until now because my personal thoughts might have been reflected at the time the mission was over. You… don’t like Yurian.”

That too, terribly.

Linnaeus felt that he was about to add the following.

“The demon that emerged from the slums was clearly the work of the Dawn Society.”

"yes."

“Does he look like a member of the Dawn Society to you?”

“……I don’t know yet.”

“Then why don’t you tell me what you think?”

Haydn spoke monotonously, like a flowing stream. His whispering voice had a strong power.

“……I knew that demons could use humans as hosts.”

“The guy has taken the lives of countless demons, so he must have encountered many forms. It’s not strange.”

Haydn, who had been examining the cross-section of the armor, stood up from his seat.

“What's next?”

"yes?"

“Is there nothing after that?”

"……yes."

“Then what do you think? Do you think he is a member of the Dawn Society?”

He looked at Linne with eyes filled with strong determination. They were sharp as a knife, making it impossible to tell a lie.

“Yurien……”

Linne hesitates, unable to continue speaking properly.

My mind flashed back to what had happened in the slums.

– 'You invited your neighbors over for dinner, gave them medicine, and fed it to the 'demon' in that locked room.'

He was angry.

To the old woman who fed her neighbors in hopes of saving her son who had become the demon's host.

That was the first human appearance Linnaeus had ever seen of the man known as 'Jurien Kreifart Frasson'.

“I think it’s hard to judge right now.”

“Why do you think so?”

“I didn’t feel anything like that during the mission. Besides, the demon that appeared in the slums was the work of the Dawn Order. If he was really a Dawn Order member, he wouldn’t have accepted the job.”

Linney, who hates Yurian, will be able to give an objective evaluation.

Haydn nodded at her straightforward answer.

“Yeah, I wish I could do that too.”

Although he was the disciple who excommunicated me, he was a disciple I had some affection for.

Haydn, who did not want to be at odds with him, smiled bitterly.

***

Hit──!

In a dark alley, two figures wearing black robes appeared, stepping through a puddle of water that had not dried up.

One is a man so bulky that even a thick robe cannot cover his entire body.

The other one is of small stature. Judging from the outline, she is clearly a woman.

… … That robe and that combination, I know that woman.

So the moment the two appeared, a question arose in my mind.

'The Dawn Society… … why is it here?'

The main character Haydn Reich's arch-rival.

The axis of evil that is beyond words.

So I placed my hand on the sword I had prepared at my waist.

“Bishop, Eleanor. What brings you here?”

He insisted on saying a woman's name.

Then the shoulder of the woman wearing the robe flinched.

“Oh my, you know me.”

“Of course. And that’s why you came here.”

“As expected, it’s Sir Yulian.”

There was a small laugh, “Kuk kuk.” Then Eleanor pulled back her robe and showed her face.

“I’m Bishop Eleanor from the Dawn Society. Is this the first time we’ve met?”

A bishop belonging to the Dawn Society, a 5th-tier magician of the 'Yin' element, and a Bargo rank.

Eleanor Demichel.

She looked at me with a captivating smile.

“You said you came here for some reason, so I’d like you to give me an answer soon.”

What is that?

For a moment, those words almost came out of my mouth, but I couldn't bring myself to say them because I was already putting on airs by saying, 'I know what your intentions are.'

“Well, it’s a problem I want to keep thinking about.”

I have no choice but to maintain this stance.

Eleanor's purple eyes wavered slightly at my words. She seemed a little annoyed.

“It would be difficult if it came out like that, Sir Yulian. You were the one who made the first contact and made the offer, weren’t you?”

“That’s right. So, I’d like to think about it a little more.”

“……So what you mean is, you’ll postpone joining the Dawn Society a little longer?”

"yes."

At this moment, I couldn't help but be surprised at my own response.

How can you answer 'yes' so calmly?

'… … You're joining the Dawn Society!?'

I was really surprised by this.