The Villain Wants to Live

“…Masal? Kill Deculein?”

Ganesha asked. Lia leaned back in the chair, and Lawaine calmly nodded.

“Yes.”

At that moment, the mana lamp in the room went out. Lia quickly started a fire. That was so creepy all of a sudden…

Lia swallowed and asked.

“Your Majesty the Emperor herself ordered it?”

“That’s right.”

Lawaine pointed to the letter.

[Confirm the establishment of the new Imperial unit Masal]

A short sentence and a huge Imperial seal.

“…”

Suddenly, a certain thought sprang up in Lia’s head of what Deculein once said.

“Her Majesty knows.”

Lawaine said. Lia flinched.

“The existence of the Altar has been formalized, and now they are trying to exert influence even in the Imperial Palace. Deculein was the head of that operation.”

The head. What if Sophien, who loved Deculein so much, who sought advice from her in a very un-Imperial way, was trying to kill Deculein?

…If so, was this Sophien’s wish?

“Her Majesty spoke directly to me.”

Lia was still confused. Of course, Sophien might be disappointed with Deculein’s actions. She might be disappointed enough to kill him, but…

“But why did you come to us~?”

Ganesha asked.

“It wasn’t me. Her Majesty has personally selected the Red Garnet Adventure Team.”

The Emperor herself had chosen them. Lia asked.

“Is it just us, then?”

“No.”

Lawaine shook his head, then held out another letter.

“There are still two more, and above all, Her Majesty is asking you to choose, Lia.”

“…?”

“If you are an adventurer who has traveled across the country, aren’t there many people you can trust? You must have met a lot of people who also hate Deculein.”

“…”

Someone who hated Deculein. He was right. On this continent, especially in the desert, some people hated Deculein scattered all over the place. For some reason, Deculein’s evil deeds spread easily and quickly.

“Will it be okay if I choose a Demon Blood?”

Ganesha asked. Lia looked up in surprise.

“C-Captain!”

It would be difficult for the Imperials to accept a Demon Blood. Lia grabbed Ganesha’s arm, but Lawaine answered first.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Lia’s eyes widened as Lawaine calmly continued.

“There is a famous proverb, the enemy of your enemy is a friend.”

Lia gently bit her lip.

“Also, which enemy is more dangerous, we already know. Compared to that enemy, the Demon Blood is a cute friend.”

Rattle-

Lawaine placed a sword on the table. It was a gift from Her Majesty the Emperor, embroidered with jewels.

“So, together with Her Majesty, we will deal with the great evil and save the continent….”

—Let’s take a break.

At that moment, the Emperor’s voice announced the meeting’s end. Lawaine stood.

“Please follow me. Now we’re going to see Deculein.”

* * *

Her Majesty paused the meeting. The key figures began to gather at the garden lake for an off-site meeting. The forces that arrived first were the pro-imperial factions, including Romellock and Lawaine.

“…Here he is.”

The next one that came was Deculein. He was with an armored knight.

“I see there aren’t many people.”

Lawaine’s comment was answered by an angry Romellock.

“Because he only trusts himself!”

Deculein trudged closer and looked at Romellock as his knight settled in three steps behind him. But that expression was very unpleasant. Beyond the sneer, it was the eyes of pity. It was like seeing a hungry dog on the roadside.

“I, I….”

Romellock grabbed the back of his neck. Deculein grinned and shook his head.

“You will rise to the next world at this rate, Romelock.”

“Shut up, Deculein!”

The old man shouted.

“You showed your rebellious side today! No servant has ever stepped on the Emperor’s path in the continent’s history!”

The Emperor’s path meant the red silk walkway through the center of the room. Deculein trampled on the symbol that only the Emperor could walk on.

“It was a mistake.”

He shrugged. Romellock nearly burst a blood vessel at his nonchalance.

“Y-You bastard—! You are finally revealing your true colors! I’ve known since before you were pretending to be loyal! You pretended to serve Your Majesty, increasing your power, and aimed for this moment when the Empire is shaken!”

Saliva splashed from his wide-open mouth. Deculein frowned and brushed off the hem of his clothes.

“Can you even say that you are a nobleman who has received the grace of the Empire after all that? Do you think you can even take the place of Her Majesty-“

“The Emperor first doubted me.”

Deculein’s expression hardened. Romellock unknowingly took a step back, and Lawaine instinctively warmed up his mana.

“Romellock. The Emperor has a disease. Envy and jealousy, doubt and distrust.”

“…T-This bastard!”

“You think she doesn’t? Then let me ask. Who was the one who had the intelligence service watch over me, going so far as to invade Hadekain and try to assassinate me?”

“…”

Romellock was speechless. He swallowed and forced his mouth open.

“That, that’s… you only just chose to do things that would arouse suspicion—”

“I’m just responding to it, Romelock.”

Stomp.

Deculein took a single step forward, and Romellock and his subordinate took two steps back.

“To survive… no.”

The moment he paused, his eyes curved to resemble a hawk’s. Anger and contempt burned like embers in his eyes.

“In order not to be killed by the Emperor.”

“…”

Romellock was silent, and Lawaine clenched his teeth.

“So, from now on, be careful.”

Deculein changed his tone in an instant. A smile appeared on his lips, and his voice calmed.

“My life is infinitely more valuable than all yours combined.”

Romellock’s jaw dropped.

* * *

…Late at night, on the island’s outskirts, the Red Garnet Adventure Team and Lawaine were standing in front of a small building on a corner.

“It is the official residence of Masal.”

Lia looked back at Lawaine. Was he kidding with them? No, no way.

“This?”

“Yes. The residence size doesn’t matter, and the facilities and security are important.”

“…”

Lia blankly nodded.

“As you may have also heard in the Imperial Palace today, Deculein is now out of our control.”

Lawaine spoke and opened the door to the residence. Fortunately, it was clean inside.

“We have an office and a meeting room. You can overhear all radio transmissions over that station.”

Lawaine introduced them one by one. Lia listened to him in the back of her mind, thinking about the scene in the Imperial Palace.

-My life is infinitely more valuable than all of yours combined.

What Deculein said. His narcissism was enough to bring out goosebumps. However, thinking about it carefully, he might be right. The life of the villain named Deculein might be able to seal all wounds on the continent.

“And here.”

Meanwhile, they reached the third floor, the highest floor. Lawaine adjusted his clothes.

“Her Majesty is waiting.”

“…In this shabby place?”

Lia asked. Lawaine bitterly laughed.

“Of course, Her Majesty is in the Imperial Palace. However, they are communicating with us remotely through magic.”

“Oh.”

“Are you ready? Once this door is opened, it will be irreversible. Together we will have to kill Deculein.”

“…”

Lia nodded, then Lawaine opened the door.

Creak-

Beyond the open door was a wooden table with a red cat with short legs sitting atop it.

—You came.

Emperor Sophien. She looked at Lawaine and Lia before yawning. Then she pointed her tail to the seats in front of her.

—Sit down.

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

They both sat.

—Is this all? You two?

Lawaine turned to Lia, meaning for her to answer.

“No. Captain Ganesha and her team also promised to participate.”

Lawaine, Leo, Carlos, Reylie, and the rest of the Red Garnet Adventure Team. They already wrote a contract in blood.

-Hmm. And?

“And….”

Lia pondered for a moment but then took a deep breath.

“The Demon Blood. I have sent them a letter of cooperation.”

—…

The red-haired Munchkin stared for a while before answering.

—The Demon Blood.

“Yes. Your Majesty.”

—…

The silence was tense, but Sophien didn’t ask about them again.

—Other than that?

“Also, it would be convenient to have an interior spy.”

—There is already a spy.

“…There is?”

As if it was something that Lawaine didn’t know either, he, too, looked surprised.

-Yes. I’ve already prepared a spy. They’re someone you can trust.

In other words, an insider in the Yukline family who’d help them kill Deculein.

“That….”

—Yeriel.

Lia and Lawaine grew still.

“Your Majesty. But Yeriel is Deculein’s-“

Lawaine tried to dissuade her, but the red-haired Munchkin snorted and struck Lawaine’s crown with its tail.

—The relationship between those two is the worst.

“It could also be part of his plan.”

“No.

Lia shook her head.

“Yeriel and Deculein. Those two are enemies.”

She said so and clenched her fists. This meeting was igniting a fire in her head. She could see why Deculein had said, ‘Follow me.’

“…Yeriel will help us. She will become the new head of Yukline.”

“…”

Lawaine looked between Lia and the cat. The red-haired Munchkin nodded.

—That’s right. Yeriel has already reported to us about Deculein’s schedule. Soon he will cross into Annihilation.

Lia pondered.

The assassination of Deculein in cooperation with Yeriel and the Demon Blood. If Deculein became a giant evil, and Masal succeeded in killing him…

—All you need to do is assassinate Deculein, considering that schedule.

Then, justification would be given. Such a beautiful cause that the Emperor would forgive the Demon Blood, and Yeriel could safely take over as the head of Yukline…