The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

-Buzz.

A crimson light falls from the sky, making a thunderous noise.

In a split second, the flashing light cleaves through the dark night, leaving a deep, imposing mark on the ground.

Hans, watching me cast spells with a blank expression, sighed deeply and spoke.

“Did I get hit by that?”

Since receiving the grimoire, Hans had started using formal speech. It was awkward, but his stubborn insistence that formal speech was more convenient made me shake my head and reply.

“No. I adjusted the intensity back then, so it would be weaker than this.”

“You call that adjusted… ha.”

Hans, forcing a wry smile, began to fill in the holes in the ground. Watching him enthusiastically fill the yard with a shovel, I could infer how diligently Hans had lived at the Magic Tower.

“You’re good with a shovel.”

“I worked at construction sites when I was young.”

“Didn’t you get allowance money at the Magic Tower?”

“How could I spend money that wasn’t mine? Besides, I couldn’t use magic when I was young, so I felt pressure.”

Hans grew up more properly than I expected. Unlike the green-headed guy from the same Magic Tower, Hans had a sound character.

Satisfied, I pointed to a corner of the yard.

“Could you fill that side as well?”

“Of course.”

“And over there too.”

“Understood.”

Hans followed my instructions better than I expected. Despite being bound by a contract, he could have grumbled, yet he remained courteous. This made me curious.

The Hans in the original work didn’t feel like this. He had a rebellious, dark Honor Student vibe, but the current Hans was as polite as an honor student who received a test summary.

With my hands in my pockets, I asked Hans directly. It was more comforting to get clear answers. If he suddenly turned around and complained, it would be awkward for both of us, so I decided to ask.

“Why are you acting so subserviently?”

Hans, puzzled by my question, replied.

“Why are you treating me so well?”

“Pardon?”

“The grimoire you gave me.”

Hans placed his hand over his heart, with an emotional expression.

“Isn’t it an ancient grimoire? You gave me something created by a Grand Mage who defended the Empire in ancient wars… why are you being so kind to me?”

“About that?”

“I’m already honored just to see a grimoire I only read about in textbooks, but to actually read it…. sniff.”

Hans spoke like a boy who had found treasure, with an emotional expression. If I told him I had more grimoires to give, he might actually cry, so I held it back and nodded.

‘It’s not that great of a grimoire.’

The grimoire Hans received, ‘Black Wall.’

It was indeed written by an ancient mage, but it contained more myths than facts.

While it’s true the Grand Mage with the title ‘Iron Wall’ achieved great feats in ancient wars, the enemy never invaded the Empire, and the Grand Mage wasn’t as great as people believed.

If I place my hand on my heart, I didn’t think much of that grimoire because I didn’t know its limits.

There were better grimoires in abundance.

Furthermore, Hans didn’t use the ‘Black Wall’ spell much in the novel. He mainly used stolen magic and rarely utilized ‘Black Wall.’

So I decided to give it to Hans…

“Brother.”

Well, at least he’s satisfied.

Whatever the case may be, I’m glad he appreciated it, so I chuckled and began stretching my wrists.

“Shall we begin?”

“Gulp.”

Hans looked at me with trembling eyes. He grew nervous from the nightly sparring sessions.

I placed my sword aside and spoke to Hans.

“I will use a wooden sword again and refrain from using magic. Do your best.”

“Just a moment to prepare…!”

I didn’t give him time to hesitate and kicked the ground towards him.

-Boom.

The roar that spread along with the sound of the air being pierced made Hans hastily chant a spell.

“[Area]”

A black magic barrier spread out from Hans. It slowly encroached upon the space, soon reaching my feet.

Quickly, I stepped out of Hans’s territory, rotating my view.

‘Did he have such abilities…?’

Seeing Hans showcasing a spell not seen in the novel, I asked curiously.

“This seems like a new spell.”

“I developed it recently.”

“?”

“Combining dark magic with regular magic… Rediscovering my passion for magic helped…!”

As Hans srasping hands, feeling a light smile form out of interest.

‘This is fun.’

Waonists, he was sufficiently powerful.

He was worth training.

“I’m curious about one thing.”

“What is it…!”

“What will you show me next time?”

“Huh…?”

Red aura began to flow from my hands. As Hans’s pupils trembled, I lowered my stance.

Hans gulped, preparing for the approaching attack.

I took a breath and spoke to Hans.

“There are many limitations with wooden swords.”

“…”

“It’s hard to cause fatal injuries, and it just breaks no matter where you hit.”

“So.”

-Slash!

Hans’s waist twisted, and he let out a soundless groan.

Raising his head in disbelief, Hans saw me preparing the next move.

His barrier crumbling.

Seeing the wooden sword swing with a crimson glow, Hans’s pupils began to quake.

“Just take the hit.”

I swung the wooden sword at Hans.

*

After a light sparring session.

I glanced at Hans sprawled on the ground and smiled.

“This should be sufficient to use you as a bodyguard.”

“…Cough …Cough. What kind of bodyguard gets beaten like this!”

“It’s so I can trust you with the task.”

Hans looked at me with an emotional expression. He seemed touched by the acknowledgment of his usefulness.

Surprised by how well-adjusted Hans was, I gave him a gentle smile and handed him a water bottle.

Gulping down the water, Hans looked at me as if to clarify something.

“Come to think of it, why did you mention the habitat of the cockatrice when you came to our mansion?”

“…”

At the mention of the cockatrice, Hans froze like a robot and looked at me with a puzzled look.

He had thought it was a perfect crime, only to realize the victim knew all along.

To dispel any misunderstanding, I decided to give Hans a hint. I didn’t want to be too harsh on someone who worked hard.

“I knew you intended to bury me. I’m not trying to scold you; just curious.”

“…Sniff.”

“Did you really hate me that much?”

*Cough* “Honestly, I…”

Hans began spilling the details to me.

Describing his plan to a ‘monster’ who had figured him out, Hans slowly unraveled his past scheme. As I nodded in response, saying, ‘Oh, I see,’ I observed Hans’s expressions.

When he confessed about his plan to lead me to the cockatrice’s nest and bury me with the heretics, Hans’s trembling voice was a pleasure to hear.

Especially when he candidly admitted he wanted to kidnap Olivia, which was unexpected.

If he had tried to hide it, I would have pursued him relentlessly.

One could accuse me of nitpicking past events, but I was that type of person.

Addressing unresolved issues was more comfortable for both of us.

After hearing Hans apologize for his thoughts on kidnapping the lady, I nodded.

Then.

I asked Hans the most important question.

“Does the heretics have any plans that might affect the lady’s safety?”

There must be things I wasn’t aware of.

Considering the possibility of heretic involvement in unintended encounters, I asked Hans.

“None…”

Hans stopped speaking and pointed at his tongue with his finger. He indicated that a restriction had been placed on him by the heretics, and understanding this, I pulled my hand out of my pocket and snapped my fingers.

‘Snap,’ Hans’s bewildered face looked at me.

‘This can’t be happening,’ he muttered.

“How did you break it?”

“That’s a secret.”

Hans nodded, clasping his hands together, and murmured something significant with a serious demeanour, making me chuckle.

‘It’s thanks to Tyrving, but I’ll keep that secret.’

Skipping the tiresome explanation, I looked at Hans, and he, shaking off his bewilderment, answered my question.

“There aren’t any.”

“Really? I figured there would be.”

“So far, no one in ood at covering your tracks, and I didn’t say anything either.”

“You do have a tight lip.”

“Even though it may not seem like it, I held a fairly high position among the heretics… It was difficult to report my failure.”

“Understandable.”

I nodded, showing I understood Hans’s position.

After a moment of silence.

Hans, as if remembering something, exclaimed.

“Actually, there is one thing the heretics are planning.”

“Planning?”

“Yes.”

Hans swallowed and continued.

“Michail.”

“The heretics plan to deal with Michail.”

His words made me react mildly, placing my hands in my pockets.

“Oh, I knew that.”

“Sorry?”

“I just had a feeling they would.”

Leaving the puzzled Hans behind, I walked back to the mansion.

An episode from the novel.

‘Murder.’

It was the episode where Michail’s mercy towards the heretics vanished for good.

End of Chapter

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