Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 39

Episode 39. Meat and Meat Cultivation

“Hey, Master Joshua, I’ve come to change the towels.”

Joshua was holding a towel to his flushed cheek. He looked at the maid who brought cold water and a clean towel into his room with half-open eyes.

“Change!”

“Yes, yes……!”

The maid tensed up at the sharp voice and changed Joshua's towel, which had become lukewarm due to the heat from the ball.

The towel got cold again.

But on the contrary, a flame of anger rose up in Joshua's heart.

'On the subject of inferior collateral lineage… …!'

Joshua bit his lip as he thought about the face of the person who had made his cheek like this.

A man born with dark gray hair, characteristic of the Cryphat family, despite being a light-blooded collateral line.

Yurian Kraiphart Frasson.

Joshua could not contain his boiling indignation at the reckless actions of this man.

– 'The moment you draw your sword, you stand before me as Joshua the Swordsman, not Joshua of the Cryphat family.'

Arrogant speech.

A mean laugh that looks down on everyone.

An attitude of not recognizing one's own position.

– 'Is that okay?'

He was a man who did not fit the noble 'Craiphat family' in any way, but for some reason Joshua could not easily answer his questions.

Confidence in your own swordsmanship that can be felt through your skin.

Because it had already gone beyond the realm of nobility.

That's why Joshua couldn't hide his anger that was boiling like an active volcano.

Why that guy?

Of all the members of the Cryphat family, why is it that it is that inferior branch?

Why is the sword so insignificant──.

Hit──!

Joshua, who had been asking himself this question over and over again, slowly turned his head in the direction where the water had splashed on his face.

“Hey, I’m sorry, Master Joshua!”

There was a maid there who changed the towels.

While pouring cold water on a spare towel, the water splashed on Joshua's cheek.

His eyes became colder than the coldness of the towel placed on his cheek. The moment he got up from his seat, slowly approached the maid, and quickly raised his hand.

“Did you call, Master Joshua?”

A familiar voice.

As he remembered that he had called someone, Joshua lowered his raised hand and slowly turned his head in the direction from which the sound had come.

“Alphas.”

Alphas Mayend.

A powerful figure who rose to the position of vice-captain of the 'Blue Lion Knights', a group known for being strong even in the empire.

Although he was a man who had been stripped of his knighthood for committing an evil act, his skills as a prosecutor were recognized even in the empire.

Seeing Alphas' face like that, Joshua sent the maid out with a nervous gesture.

“Can you see my cheeks?”

Then Joshua pointed to his swollen cheek with his finger.

“Yes, I see it, Your Majesty.”

“Where were you, a member of the security force, and what were you doing while things were going this way?”

“Master Joshua. I have received orders from my master…….”

“That’s not what I asked! Your job is to protect the direct line of the Cryphat family!”

Joshua, who was speaking with his body filled with anger, trembled his lips.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but Joshua's priority was to relieve his boiling emotions.

“As expected… I shouldn’t have let a loser like you be my bodyguard.”

“I’m sorry, Master Joshua.”

Joshua sneered at Alphas, who admitted his mistake.

“Do you know that I’m sorry? Even if I had stayed there, I would have been scared and couldn’t do anything.”

Joshua muttered a dismissive remark and picked up a towel soaked in water.

Thud──!

He threw the towel straight into Alphas' face.

“A little bastard.”

A soaking wet towel ran down Alphas' face.

His neatly groomed hair was disheveled and scattered here and there, and his uniform top was covered in water stains.

Despite being insulted like that, Alphas' expression did not change.

“Not only was I insulted by a half-brother, but I was also scolded by Brother Herand! Do you know how humiliating that is for me!?”

"sorry."

“I don’t want to hear you apologize! I want you to figure out a way to repay this humiliation right now!”

The fire burning in Joshua's chest showed no sign of abating.

“Master Joshua, do you wish to take revenge on Yurian?”

Alphas threw a log at Joshua's chest in anger.

"what?"

In response to Joshua's question, Alphas fixed his damaged hair.

“Is there a trick?”

“Yes. That is…….”

“Then tell me right now!”

Joshua cut off Alphas and shouted at him, and he opened his mouth as if he had no choice.

“The current Yurian is definitely strong. He is a swordsman with overwhelming skills that ordinary knights cannot surpass.”

As you know.

It's a reality we want to deny, but must acknowledge.

“But the basis of that skill is Aura. The enormous amount of mana he has within his body.”

“What does that mean?”

“Increased concentration, posture correction, muscle strengthening, etc. The Moonlight Sword is the pinnacle of mana and its use that is enough to infuse all actions with aura.”

“So what? That’s not what I want to hear!”

The man in front of you, Alphas, is one of the monsters that have invaded the true empire.

Although his skills were incomparable to Yurian's, he was still one of the stars of the empire.

It wasn't very pleasant to hear Yurian's strengths from the mouth of such an Alpha.

All we need now is Yulian.

A way to trample on the lofty nose of that lowly collateral branch.

“I would like to tell you that if there is an environment where Yurian’s strength, Aura, cannot be used, then Master Joshua also has a chance.”

Although he did not possess the strength to rival the stars of the empire, Joshua was somewhat skilled in swordsmanship, so he had enough skill to defeat an ordinary knight.

“…….”

As Joshua was lost in thought for a moment, Alphas took out a small ore from his bosom.

A mineral with a soft blue glow.

Joshua also knows that this is called a 'resonance stone' in the world.

“Isn’t that a resonance stone?”

“This is a ‘failed resonance stone’, not the one currently being produced.”

"……failure?"

“Yes. The original resonance stone was a device that forcibly suppressed the magical energy possessed by a demon and caused psychological resistance.”

I know.

Just as he was about to say that, Alphas continued speaking.

“But! This failure suppresses not only the demon’s ‘magic’ but also the general flow of ‘mana’.”

“Mana too?”

Perhaps to answer the question, Alphas took the failed work out of his bosom and placed it in Joshua's hand.

“……Ugh?”

Then Joshua felt something strange in his body. The atmosphere and the mana inside his body, which had been clear until then, became hazy as if covered in fog.

“The temporary barrier made with this will disrupt the flow of mana. Then, Yurian’s special abilities, Aura and Moonlight Sword, will not be able to be used.”

If we form a barrier with this resonance stone as he said, it will create an environment where it is difficult to use aura.

“……But, if what you say is true, then I won’t be able to use Aura either?”

“But wouldn’t it be possible to bridge the gap with Yurian a little?”

Surely, as he said, the gap can be bridged.

But would erasing one of its strengths be enough to match the capabilities of the monster known as the 'Laughing Executioner'?

That question was swirling around in Joshua's head.

“And the remaining gap can be filled with this.”

As if he had noticed his question, Alphas took out a small box from his bosom again.

"……horn?"

What was in the box was the horn of a small demon that emanated a turtle-like magic.

***

'I'm glad that Herand readily agreed.'

After finishing the story, I left Herand's mansion.

An outsider who has no relationship with the Yeomyeonghoe or Geomseong, and therefore no need to worry about officials approaching him.

Obviously, unless something extraordinary happens, it's unlikely to be discovered.

This relieves me of one worry.

With that thought in mind, I was tending to the orchid I had brought to the 'closed eyes' office.

Bam!

“Lord Yurian! Several members of the Dawn Society who were dissatisfied with you have gathered and are plotting an ambush!”

Shudder.

The end of the orchid I was trimming was slightly bent by Lazrot's sudden words.

“Are you sure about that?”

“……Yes. I heard it directly from the Genmel Monastery.”

“By any chance… is there anyone among the bishops involved?”

It is true that I was dumbfounded by the sudden surprise attack, but what I needed to know before that was the identity of the people who formed the conspiracy.

It would be quite a hassle, especially if a 'Bishop' level is involved.

On the surface, the center of the 'Dawn Society' is the Arch Bishop, but the bishops under him are people who entered the Dawn Society for their own selfish interests.

It was not surprising that they eliminated Yurian for their own benefit.

“Oh, I guess not.”

“So you’re saying that guys who aren’t even bishops are attacking me by surprise? Hehe.”

That's a blessing in disguise.

To be precise, I was relieved that there were no bishops opposing me yet, and I carefully stroked the tip of the broken orchid.

Then, suddenly, a 'purple haze' began to wriggle above Lazrot's head as he was reporting.

A definite feeling of 'fear'.

Why? I just touched an orchid.

“……What would you like to do?”

Even while asking me questions, Lazrot's gaze seemed to have no intention of leaving the tip of the misaligned orchid.

“Well, since we haven’t taken action yet, I guess we have no choice but to wait.”

I know they're plotting a conspiracy, but I have no proof, only circumstantial evidence.

I also knew that there was no benefit to taking action in this situation.

'Let's take a step back and observe the situation.'

There is no need to come forward first and cause trouble.

Isn't a conspiracy just a conspiracy until it is put into action?

Maybe that's just how the plan fell through.

“……Gulp.”

While I was gathering my thoughts, I turned my gaze and saw Lazrot's expression.

The color of 'fear' is still clearly visible.

He must have felt quite uncomfortable about being a double spy, as an awkward expression appeared on his face.

I wondered if we would be indebted to each other from now on. As I thought about this, I decided to have a quick chat, even though it might be rude, to ease the tension.

What would be good… … Ah, okay.

“A healthy orchid would not have its leaves wrinkled like this.”

"yes?"

You were interested in orchids a little while ago, right? Since you seem interested, let me give you a quick tip.

“In most cases like this, the problem lies at the root.”

“Is that so?”

After hearing Lazrot's answer, I lightly shook off the soil in the flowerpot and carefully took out the orchid.

Then, numerous roots appeared, and as I expected, one of the roots was discolored yellow.

“As I said, one root is rotten. A single rotten root like this can eat away at the entire orchid plant.”

“Yes, yes…….”

Leaving Lazrot behind to answer, I put my hand on the root.

“But when caring for orchids, I prepare for this by pushing one of the roots to the outside.”

In case the roots are damaged, make sure that other roots are not damaged.

“Like bait.”

Crispy──!

After cutting off the roots with my hands and putting the orchid back in the pot, I looked at Lazrot's face with a satisfied expression.

Wouldn't this kind of trivial chatter be enough to ease the tension?

“As expected……. The reason for watching is to use this opportunity to root out all opposition forces…….”

But contrary to expectations, the 'fear' above Lazrot's head did not disappear.

Rather, it was burning even more fiercely.