I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 5 Part 4

Peidos skillfully selected a few document folders from inside and then turned to look at me.

“Let’s sit down for now.”

He stacked the document folders on a low table and gestured for me to sit on the sofa. Then, he removed the map that was attached to the wall and laid it on the table.

Curious about what he was doing, I watched as he took out a pen from his pocket and handed it to me.

“Just mark the villages listed on this document.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a difficult task. While he spread out the documents he had given me, we took turns referring to the map and marking with scissors.

The list was quite long, so I had to concentrate for quite a while. I had been sitting hunched over for a long time, and my neck started to hurt.

I rubbed the back of my neck and stretched it, and something that had been lingering since earlier suddenly resurfaced.

I stole a sidelong glance at him, who was examining the documents so seriously. They were documents taken from the safe, so they must be classified.

“Sir Peidos, can I ask you what kind of places these villages are?”

Even if I didn’t know the exact details he was looking at, I wanted to know why he was marking the places I was marking.

I asked cautiously, aware that it might be classified, but surprisingly, he answered without hesitation.

“They are areas where the Magic Tower has attacked.”

“… The Magic Tower?”

I looked down at the map again. Numerous places were marked with red X’s like bloodstains.

“They sent demons to turn these villages into ruins or attacked the temples, resulting in casualties.”

“……”

The face of a man smiling sweetly and curling the corners of his eyes suddenly came to mind. When he says nonsense and teases me, he’s just a very shameless young man.

Looking at the red marks covering the map, I tightened my grip on the pen. For some reason, it’s something I want to deny.

“The loss of the holy relics has weakened the barrier, and more and more damage is being done. That’s why we are planning to excavate ancient relics to reinforce the barrier.”

“Then the reason you went to the Ohars region…”

After the St Gabriel Knights finished the purification work in Luticia, their original plan was to go to the Ohars region. Was it because they wanted to find ancient relics there?

“No, that was due to subjugation. Another order of knights was supposed to go there.”

“I see.”

It seemed that their priorities had changed. Judging by all these signs, even if I were the Pope, I would do the same.

Hiding my awkward feelings, I read through the list again.

The scene of monsters appearing in Luticia kept replaying in my mind. Loud, howling, terrifying creatures, attacking indiscriminately with razor-sharp teeth and claws.

I could feel my wounded arm stinging all over again. I tightly bit my lips and thought about what Keene might be doing right now, somewhere far away.

“Why does the Magic Tower…. attack the Holy Kingdom like this?”

I knew that their motives didn’t align. But aside from the Magic Tower, you could count, on one hand, the number of places that had bad relations with the Holy Kingdom. The Lucan Empire was a prime example.

There had been frequent conflicts with them, but it wasn’t to the extent of what the Magic Tower was doing.

“I suppose there might be some reason, but I doubt if it’s convincing enough.”

Among the words I had heard from Peidos, this was the most sarcastic one.

“Have you ever thought about the reasons why the Magic Tower attacked Luticia, which was already in ruins?”

“….”

I had been curious about that point as well. So, I asked Keene, but he didn’t give me an answer.

“The Magic Tower doesn’t simply want to destroy the Holy Kingdom. They want to crush hope and, by extension, faith.”

“Faith?”

“Faith in God.”

Peidos said that, staring at the symbol behind the Pope’s desk. Light, the only image of God allowed to man.

He gazed sharply at the sharp iron fragments spread in all directions, then he half-closed his eyes.

“Sometimes I wonder. The prophecy mentioned in the scriptures, what if it wasn’t a metaphor for the Magic Tower.”

The prophecy that a massive hole would devour the Holy Kingdom. It was called ‘destruction.’

As someone who hadn’t read the novel to the end and whose understanding of the parts I had read was vague, I had no way of knowing the reason behind the appearance of destruction.

But it was clear that the final boss, the master of the magic tower, intended to bring the Holy Kingdom to ruin. Perhaps Peidos’s speculation was correct.

“No matter the intentions of the tower master, we can never lose. Many people will die.”

“….”

I felt my heart grow heavy at the look of determination on his face. It was as if the presence of the Magic Tower, which had seemed so distant even as I met Keene, had finally become clear.

I looked down at the map covered in marks once again.

The events in Luticia overwhelmed my mind, and my stomach churned.

“If Ren finds out, she will surely be surprised.”

I suddenly lifted my head at the familiar name. Dense dark clouds shrouded his usually clear and vivid green eyes.

I know only one person named Ren. Ren Lione, who appeared in the original work. An unfortunate character who died a year after taking the position of the Great Saint.

Suddenly, I felt strange. Although it was not explicitly stated in the original work, it is not surprising that Ren Lione and Peidos Carmel are acquaintances.

But I couldn’t help but feel concerned. The name that came out of his mouth.

“If you mean Ren, are you talking about the previous Great Saint?”

“That’s right.”

In response to my question, he turned around and nodded. There, portraits of past Great Saints and Guardians were hung.

Faces from generations past filled my sight.

It was easy to find Ren Lione’s face. She was right next to the current Great Saint, Chelin Sniter. Even if it weren’t for that, she stood out as an extraordinary beauty.

“…Huh?”

But somehow, she looked familiar. Even though I had never met the person who had become famous long before I entered the temple.

Jet-black hair and gentle violet eyes. As I kept looking at the portraits, I immediately thought of another person with similar characteristics.

“…Look alike.”

“With whom?”

“What? No, well, it’s, um, it reminds me of a friend from my hometown….”

In response to Peidos’s question, I answered dejectedly and avoided eye contact.

There’s no such thing as a friend from my hometown. The past Great Saint looked eerily similar to Keene.

I felt even more confused. I scratched my forehead and continued marking on the map with a pen. No, that’s what I intended to do. Until Peidos started talking again.

“Do you believe in God?”

“What?”

His eyes were unusually intense. It somehow felt sharp in an indescribable way.

I stiffened my expression in surprise.

Believe in God? That was a question that could never be asked in the Holy Kingdom. The citizens of the Holy Kingdom were required to be followers of the Herr, and heretics could not obtain citizenship. If one was found to have unorthodox beliefs, they were exiled.

My eyelids twitched with tension. His formerly gentle gaze now scrutinized me, as if he were digging into my inner thoughts.

I managed to raise the corners of my mouth and replied.

“Of course. I am a person from the Holy Kingdom.”

“I see.”

His eyes softened, as if he had been mistaken. At the same time, I relaxed and took a shallow breath.

Drawing two red crosses on the end of the list, I let out a self-mocking laugh.

Whether I believed in a state religion or not, it was difficult to answer, honestly. But there had to be a creator out there who determined my fate.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be stuck in this cycle of being a supporting character without explanation again.

* * *

“Thank you for helping me today.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful for walking me here.”

Without hesitation, Peidos kindly brought me to my accommodation.

If you keep doing this, it will become a habit, Sir Knight.

I smiled modestly, remembering the curious gazes I received while walking with him. It seemed like he would be teased by the other knights once he went back.

Of course, deep down, I didn’t mind. It’s separate from feeling sorry. I had to constantly put effort into restraining the smile that kept breaking out, betraying its master’s will.

“If the deacon asks, just sell me out.”

“If I say I helped you, Sir, I would surely get praise instead.”

Most people from the Holy Kingdom are fans of Peidos Carmel. That wouldn’t be too far off.

He smiled and patted my shoulder twice. Now, I felt a ticklish sensation in my chest, realizing that this had become his familiar habit.

“Go rest and have a good end to the day.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Unable to meet his eyes in embarrassment, I watched him turn away with a light smile.

I stared at the back of the knight, who was heading towards his quarters, for a long time. Who did that man look after, he even looked handsome from behind.

It still didn’t feel real. Having this level of familiarity with Peidos Carmel, it was something unimaginable for the original Duna Valorem.

Maybe, just maybe.

It was at this moment, when my unaware brain was about to reach the pinnacle of delusion, that I discovered something sparkling in the place where he had been standing.

“Hmm?”

I bent down and picked it up. It was a small gem-encrusted platinum pendant.

“This is… the key to the safe.”

* * *

Time passed quickly. Before I knew it, the last day of the deal had arrived.

I absentmindedly stared at the air while I sat on the sofa, then took out my pocket watch, checked the time, and slowly got up. It was almost time to meet.

I put on my clothes and went outside. We didn’t designate a specific location, but it didn’t matter since Keene would know where I was with the magic charm he planted under my ear, anyway.

Rather than staying in the stuffy room, it was better to enjoy the cool night breeze. Besides, I didn’t want to be trapped in a small room. From now on, this chapter in the life of a worthless supporting character will be highlighted with a fluorescent marker.

Perhaps, it might even be the last chapter.

“Why are you out here? Isn’t it cold?”

Noticing someone standing next to me, I turned to face the villain. He had a smirk on his face, as always.

As I looked into his round, purple eyes, I suddenly had a thought. Does he have that expression even when he kills someone?

“It’s quite chilly. Should I take off my coat for you?”

“…No need. It’s not cold.”

No matter how bad a cat is, it wouldn’t play with a mouse like this.

After I coldly responded to his usual mockery, he looked at me with a hint of anticipation. His observing eyes seemed to be prying into my inner thoughts.

When I turned my head to avoid his gaze, Keene chuckled lightly. After taking off his jacket, he gently asked,

“Did you get the key?”

One wouldn’t know the wicked personality hiding behind that seemingly harmless mask. This has been revealed in the records and maps I’ve checked.

I couldn’t become a martyr with strong convictions or a brave warrior who’s ready to fight back. I’m just an ordinary citizen with a faint conscience.

However.

“Keene, did you know?”

I tightly clenched the hand holding the pendant. This might be a means to spread the horrors of Luticia to the entire Holy Kingdom.

One by one, I remembered the bloody scene, the screaming priests, and the wolven swinging its sharp claws at me. I could even recall the feeling of that sharp pain and the horrifying fear of my imminent death.

The last thing that came to mind was the face of Peidos Carmel, tainted in the shadows. His hunched shoulders, his raised prayers, and his trembling hands.

“Great protagonists have one thing in common.”

“……”

“Righteousness. It seems to be for righteousness, as I see it.”

I realized that more intently when I looked at Peidos Carmel. Perhaps that was the element that made him the protagonist.

Keene narrowed his eyes. It seemed like he was trying to figure out my intentions.

I let out a fake laugh and took a long breath.

“Honestly, you knew I couldn’t get it. You were just playing with me.”

“……”

“That’s why, I’m telling you.”

I smiled, hiding the pendant beneath my sleeve. The presence of the necklace together with her was a trace of her fierce deliberation until the very end.

I looked straight into his violet eyes, and spoke as if chewing and spitting the words out.

“Even if I found it, I wouldn’t give it to you, you bastard.”