133 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

--- 淦！He should have figured it out earlier—Mirexia was pushed to the brink and didn't use her token for help, not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. It was clear now. These cloaked figures were formidable, even beyond Mirexia's abilities. Wenny was perplexed and found it hard to believe. He had some understanding of Mirexia's power. In the original work, Mirexia was like a humanoid dragon; even if she wasn't at her peak, she could still retreat unscathed from an entire regular army, unless faced with the royal knights of a nation. Either these creatures were excessively strong, or Mirexia had encountered some unforeseen trouble. Staring at the dilapidated cathedral surrounded by brambles, and these chilling creatures alongside the figure in the purple robe, Wenny began to understand. Could this be a conspiracy against Mirexia? But something felt off. Wenny searched his memory, unable to find this part in the original plot. In the original, there were no incidents during the monster-clearing mission in Rismill. Whether these cultists targeted Mirexia was unknown, but nothing happened to her. The mission concluded smoothly, ending the mid-term exam without any noteworthy events. Mirexia was ambushed and defeated by a group of cultists; why? Why did this even happen? Where exactly did things go wrong to deviate so significantly from the original plot? Wenny couldn't figure out which element went astray. Was it because the student council's members were different from the original due to his presence? With one addition—him, Wenny—another character from the original storyline was displaced. Who was that person? Wenny felt he'd stumbled on a blind spot, gradually recalling the silhouette of the person who was originally in the student council, now starting to form in his mind. That person seemed to be... Right! It was Bern! Wenny remembered—the person he displaced was Bern, who was eliminated during the new student competition! But if the issue truly stemmed from this change, why was it that with Bern in the mix, the monster-clearing would remain uneventful? And without him, Mirexia faced disaster? What was the connection here? Did he do something Bern wouldn't have done, or was it the other way around? "Wenny, what are you doing here?" "I was about to ask the same thing, Princess Mirexia. Are you alright?" Wenny helped the weakened Mirexia, who could barely stand. "Wenny, quickly leave and notify the mentors. I'll hold them off." Mirexia panted, clearly reaching the limits of her strength. "Your Highness Mirexia, even if I wanted to leave, I can't," Wenny replied helplessly. "Since coming here, the path back has vanished." "In any case, I'll block them. You should try to hide—whatever you do, they mustn't find you. The demon realm tied to the Terrylis continent is inherently unstable. As long as you can delay, there's a chance," Mirexia said, breaking free from Wenny's support. Hide? Wenny found it rather ironic. How could he hide in an enemy's territory? Resisting seemed equally futile— how could he, alone, stand against opponents even Mirexia couldn't defeat? The odds weren't in his favor— likely he'd end up in pieces in no time. He'd reached an impasse. Wenny lamented his situation; he wasn't the protagonist, yet he kept stumbling into scenarios typically reserved for one. His quest for an NPC-like existence felt unattainable. But was this hopeless scenario truly out of his hands? Ha, what a joke. Wasn't he known for his resourcefulness? Carmella College's idea guru—Wenny! Surely he could devise a plan. Suddenly inspired, Wenny devised a brilliant idea. Taking advantage of the moment when all eyes were on Mirexia, Wenny steeled his expression, quietly drew a dagger from his waist, and pressed it against Mirexia's swan-like neck. "Nobody move!" Wenny threatened, using Mirexia as leverage. "Make any move, and my blade won't show mercy." "What??" Even the figure in the purple robe paused, taken aback. Expecting they were already cornered and ready to surrender, Wenny's unexpected move caught him off guard. He hadn't anticipated such an act. "Imposter boy, what are you trying to do? That’s your princess," the person in the purple robe frowned. "Haha! What's more important than my life? But you said you want to catch us alive, didn't you? If I kill her here, that would be quite troublesome for you, wouldn’t it?" Wenny hid behind Mirexia, revealing a standard villainous grin. Mirexia, trusting Wenny completely with her back, was equally taken aback by his actions. Her beautiful eyes slightly widened in disbelief. "Virtue +100." "Current Virtue: 1754." "Heh, stop acting. Don’t think I don’t know you two planned this; you wouldn’t dare harm your mistress," the purple-robed figure sneered defiantly. "Your act is pointless; I won’t buy it." "Hahah, you hooded clown, you mustn't have heard of my infamous name from down there in your rancid underground. Do you see 'Easily Fooled' written on my face?" Wenny smirked cruely, the dagger now drawing a thin line of blood on Mirexia's snowy neck. "I’m the infamous villain of the capital—known for bullying and amorality. Do you think an elusive oath matters more to me than my life?” “Besides, if I escape here, who would know I betrayed the princess?" Wenny laughed wildly, his manner and speech convincingly portraying the image of a devious scoundrel. “Apologies, Your Highness, for this disrespect. But it’s a necessary evil. One's survival is preferable over mutual demise. At least, there’d be someone to seek justice for you, wouldn’t there?” Feeling the cold steel and undeniable sting at her throat, Mirexia was silent. Although disappointment and an unexplainable sense of loss filled her, Wenny was right. Trading her for his escape was her original intention. Even if she could break free, she didn't. Protecting her subjects was her duty. Yet… Thinking back to their childhood and all the moments shared, as well as Wenny's changes over the past months, she believed there was more to this than it seemed. “Don’t act rashly. What do you want?” The purple-robed figure didn’t anticipate becoming a protector of the princess one day. Indeed, Eurnes wanted her alive, not dead; failing to deliver could result in punishment. That would be a fate worse than death—a terrifying ordeal that made one’s bones shiver even at the thought. “Let me leave, hooded clown,” Wenny demanded viciously. "Unless you crave a corpse instead." “Turn and leave then. No one cares about a dispensable life like yours,” the purple-robed figure stated. “Heh, you think I'm some naïve child? Do I have 'Gullible' scribbled on my face? Don't try to fool me; I know you’re the only one who can get us out of this wretched place. Clear a path; otherwise, forgetabout live captives!" Wenny snarled fiercely, the dagger continuously drawing against Mirexia's neck. "Don't even think about playing tricks! As fast as you scheme, my blade's already on her neck. Any hint of mischief, and I won't hesitate to take us both down!" Wenny declared manically. --- "I'm trapped here, there's no escaping! At least I'll take you bastards down with me!" “Alright, alright, let's not get rash. We can talk this through,” the purple-robed man soothed the agitated black-horned creatures. He retrieved a vial of cerulean potion from his cloak, smashing it on the ground beside him. The blue potion erupted, forming a magical circuit on the ground. A portal emerged, revealing Rismill's landscape beyond. This had to be the potion for escape. There was no way these cultists prepared a fake in advance to deceive anyone in this specific scenario. "That's your exit. Let the princess go and leave through there," the purple-robed man indicated the portal. "Hah! Do you think I'm a fool? Once I release the princess, my bargaining chip is gone. You wouldn't need to keep any promises then; you'd simply deal with me," Wenny scoffed. "I swear on my honor not to harm you," the purple-robed man insisted. "That's the funniest thing I've heard today. Honor? Do you even possess such a thing? You can't put stock in what you don't have," Wenny mocked. "Besides, I’ve never trusted something as intangible as honor in the first place!" “What do you propose then?” "How about this? I need to retreat to a safe distance where I can leave without doubts. Otherwise, I’ll just stay, and you can prepare for the princess's funeral." With that, Wenny slowly backed toward the portal, carefully watching the cultists' every move while keeping Mirexia as a shield. During this standoff, the restrained monsters watched them, making no moves. "Alright, that's far enough for you to leave. Any further, and we'll need to act," the purple-robed man frowned. In his eyes, Wenny's self-interested and cowardly demeanor was exactly how a petty villain should act, matching his notorious reputation. To the purple-robed man, the world was full of opportunists like Wenny, incapable of altruism or self-sacrifice. The instinct to survive is innate in all creatures; when one's life is in jeopardy, who cares about anything else? People will always prioritize self-preservation. Given Wenny's previous vile behavior and words, portraying himself as a villain for purely selfish reasons, the purple-robed man believed it almost entirely. Such conniving degenerates show extreme arrogance when unchallenged, only to expose their true cowardice when danger looms, using others' lives as shields. These people won't take risks for others, least of all at the expense of their own lives; that's simply impossible. "Well then, farewell to all of you—and to you, Princess." Wenny grinned slyly, and in one seamless move, pushed Mirexia toward the portal. "Princess Mirexia, run!" Mirexia, momentarily stunned by the push, took a moment to process. “Virtue +300.” “Current Virtue: 2054.” "You dare trick me?!" the purple-robed man looked taken aback, then furious. "Hahaha! And what if I did? You tiny-brained fool." Mirexia was only a step away from the exit, and Wenny not far behind, already celebrating his victory. The victory alert in his mind turned into a taunting expression as he stuck out his tongue at the purple-robed man. Most of Wenny's villainous tirade and actions were to convince the demon pillar followers he was a cowardly and petty villain—prone to put up a tough facade but ready to crumble when push came to shove. The information gap often leads to underestimation by the opponent. Although partly because playing the villain felt exhilarating—he found genuine enjoyment and liberation in it. Frankly, the feeling of not needing to overthink, of blowing smoke and boasting, was invigorating. "You'll remember this! I am Camella's Idea King, Wenny!" Running toward the portal, Wenny stuck out his tongue and opened his shirt. "Brat!" The purple-robed man was prepared for such a contingency; he hadn't let down his guard completely. Wielding his staff, a massive tentacle-like appendage emerged from a void summon circle, reaching for Wenny. What?! There's another trick? Wenny's expression changed drastically. "Wenny!" In the split second before stepping through the portal, Mirexia turned back. She shoved Wenny aside, sacrificing herself to be ensnared by the tentacle and dragged into the air. Wenny tumbled near the exit, looking up at the golden-haired girl in agony, wrapped in tentacles, eyes wide open. Behind him lay the portal, within arm's reach. All he needed to do was stretch out his hand to escape alone. "Wen… ny… go…" Mirexia, using her last breath, pleaded weakly. “…” “Ah, damn, that blue-haired brat managed to escape,” the purple-robed man's frustration was palpable. His staff could conjure only one hand of Eurnes, leaving Mirexia in reach. While she was the main target, the blue-haired impostor was deemed worthless—they had nothing valuable to offer Eurnes. A mere charlatan, of no value whatsoever. Wenny glanced at the portal just inches away, stood up, bypassing the escape route, stepping forward instead. He removed an icy crystal earring, transforming it into the [Ice Fang], skillfully twirling it. “Wenny?” Mirexia, desperate, urged him, “Hurry, tell the mentors… the portal’s about to vanish!” Wenny was silent. Leaving the demon realm for reinforcements to inform their mentors might be the optimal move—or maybe not. Wenny watched through the portal, observing the disparity in time between the demon realm and Terrylis. The demon realm's time was noticeably slow; despite their prolonged presence, Rismill's skies hadn't changed. The time needed to summon help might allow the demon pillar cultists multiple trips to transport Mirexia to their home. Moreover, "If I leave, what will you do then?" Wenny shook his head, smiling at Mirexia. "Your Highness, aren't you really terrified I might abandon you?" A tremor flickered in Mirexia's eyes. “You’re terrified inside, yet you still insist I must escape. You’re just as you were in childhood—terrified of being left alone, but overly selfless.” Wenny's words left Mirexia speechless, as though her façade of strength and reason shattered, unveiling her tender, genuine self for all to see. She felt ashamed and embarrassed at having her vulnerability so openly exposed. Perhaps, her true self was never really hidden from the young man before her. After all, he was her childhood friend. Childhood memories resurfaced. "I won't leave! I'll stay with Mirexia. She's always been terrified of loneliness, of the dark, of being left all by herself..." "Mirexia, please don't cry. We will always be friends. I won’t leave, I will always be here with you." A young blue-haired boy stood outside a girl's door, refusing to leave no matter how she tried to drive him away, talking to and comforting the girl who wanted to shut everyone out yet longed for someone to comfort her. That past moment mirrored this one perfectly. Though time had passed and people had changed, Wenny could still see through Mirexia’s façade, perceiving the core of her that remained unchanged. As time rolled on, the blue-haired youth remained true to his childhood vow, appearing at her most helpless time, sacrificing his chance to survive alone, choosing instead to stand by her side. At this moment, Mirexia realized for the first time that throughout her life, his presence and companionship had never left her side. “Wen… ny…” Mirexia gazed in awe at the blue-haired youth she’d always seen as a friend and childhood companion. “Virtue +400.” “Current Virtue: 2454.” [Ah ha, someone actually pirated this book, https://www.jiangnanxs.com/novel/442946/. Thank you, thank you, I'll just borrow (copy, just kidding) it a bit. But why are there so many typos starting from Chapter 139? 『Add Bookmark for Easy Reading』 Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter Bottom Ad | Hovering Ad Enter Title • Author]