BJ Villainess

The black curtain that descended before my eyes was only momentary. Yet, in that brief time, something significant changed. First, the air felt stuffy. And then,

“If you’re conscious, open your eyes, Stranger.”

It was a voice I didn’t recognize, speaking in an unfamiliar language. The owner of the voice, who clearly addressed me, used a gentle and elegant tone and called me a ‘stranger.’ The moment I realized that, light seeped into my field of view, and everything became bright.

“Where is,

!” I tried to ask where I was, but my throat was so dry that I coughed uncontrollably.

As I struggled like a fish out of water, a woman dressed in cocoa-colored clothes soaked with water came over and helped me drink. “Drink slowly.”

After drinking all the water from the ladle, the previously stuffy air felt softer. I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and looked at the woman who had given me the water. Despite covering her lower face, she was very beautiful.

“Thank you.”

The woman seemed surprised that I could offer a proper word of thanks and smiled even more softly. “A polite stranger. Despite being transferred to an unaffiliated dimension, you’re still in good spirits.”

Her words contained too much information, and I needed a moment to process it all.

“Wait a minute, may I have a moment to think?”

“Smart and calm too. It seems this isn’t your first time experiencing something like this.” The woman appeared thoroughly pleased with every word I uttered, almost to the point of making me uncomfortable with her praises.

However, when I tried to bring up my status window, it was non-responsive. The support from the stars had also stopped.

Next, I checked my surroundings. I was inside a tent. The floor was covered in sand, and the living conditions seemed extremely modest, almost destitute. It was also stiflingly hot. It seemed like summer, but the woman in front of me was wrapped in cloth from head to toe.

Does that mean we’re in a desert area? This was a question that could be immediately answered by looking outside.

“May I check outside for a moment?”

“It would be quicker for you to understand this planet that way.”

The woman, implying it was a good decision, took me outside the tent. And what unfolded before us was…

“A wall?”

The first thing that caught my eye was a massive wall. Wondering if we were inside a fortress, I turned around only to see another huge wall. There was a difference between the two walls. The wall behind us was much cleaner than the one in front.

The woman pointed to the wall in front and said, “Beyond that wall lies the desert.”

I nodded and then noticed a large moon hanging in the sky.

“Let’s go back inside the tent. If we stay out any longer, your delicate skin won’t be able to handle it.”

We went back into the tent and sat down at an old table.

, should we introduce ourselves first?

“My name is Theresa Squire. You can call me Theresa.”

“

? I thought you would ask where this place is before introducing yourself. My name is Gufel.”

Gufel maintained a dignified and elegant demeanor, but I could sense an undeniable playfulness. Despite being a stranger, I felt an inexplicable affection towards her. It seemed Gufel felt the same way.

“Where are we?” I finally asked the question I had been waiting for Gufel to ask.

“This is the planet of the Signio Royal Family. And this is Area 7. Area 7 means it’s the seventh area to be abandoned.” Gufel seemed to enjoy explaining.

“I’m sorry, but none of this matches the settings of where I come from, so I’m having a hard time understanding.”

“Settings? That’s an interesting way to put it.”

“So, this planet belongs to the Signio Imperial Family, meaning the entire planet is like one empire?”

“Exactly.”

So, it’s like an imperial family ruling over Earth, in that sense?

My head was starting to hurt, but this was a story that could be explored in a science fiction narrative.

“Being the seventh abandoned area means this place became barren for some reason and was left behind. The areas inside the walls would be more prosperous, right?”

“You’ve got it right. This stranger has good comprehension.”

Now, I have a basic understanding of this dimension.

“Do people from other dimensions often end up here like me?”

“As the power of the stars weakens, external interference becomes easier. That’s why sometimes lost strangers drift here. By the way, you were found collapsed by the well over there.”

As the power of the stars weakens, it seems related to the continuous creation of abandoned areas.

“Is this planet becoming weaker?”

“Yes. Too much of the star’s energy was used.”

Suddenly, Gufel knelt on one knee on the ground, spreading her palm downwards. Then, from the sandy floor where grains of sand had been rolling, green leaves sprouted rapidly, and the inside of the tent transformed into a grassy field. It was a sight filled with vibrant life.

Gufel stood up and continued, “Using the star’s energy, we can revive even the dead. But somewhere on the planet, it becomes even more desolate.”

“Is there no magic here?”

“Magic? What’s that?”

“Gather.” I tried to use magic to create water in the air, but it quickly disappeared.

“

?” Surprised that the magic didn’t sustain, Gufel’s eyes sparkled. “

, so that’s magic. It’s a very weak force but interesting.”

“Magic doesn’t seem to last here.”

“Perhaps because there’s a higher energy present. Magic is energy after all, so it gets absorbed by the star’s power.”

“I see.”

This was a world unknown to me. And I had experienced something like this once before.

“Is the emperor of this planet named Ozworld?”

Gufel seemed very surprised. She hesitated for a moment, then pulled down the mask covering her face. “You know His Majesty?”

“Yes. I’ve met him.”

“You’ve met him? …Was that in the imperial palace?”

I nodded, and Gufel touched her forehead. “You were the stranger His Majesty issued a search warrant for.”

“A search warrant?”

“For a while now, His Majesty’s knights have been searching for an intruder who disappeared along with a butterfly.”

Gufel suggested moving to a more secretive place, took my hand, and then hesitated. “Did His Majesty share some of his star power with you?”

“No, I haven’t…”

Before I could finish saying I hadn’t, suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind like a light turning on.

Ozworld…?

The scene was in the heavenly realm. It seemed to be when I was particularly sleep-deprived and not in good condition. But it was

strange. I hadn’t met Ozworld at that time. Moreover, I would never forget if Ozworld had done something as repulsive as kissing my face.

Furthermore… I was clinging to him, begging for more kisses. No, to be precise, I was craving some power he was pouring into me. Wherever he kissed, a sensation as if starlight was pouring in filled me with awe.

Ozworld had deliberately erased my memory.

The memory ended there.

When my vision returned to normal, I met Gufel’s astonished gaze.

“You are a being from a far future. That strange, red-clothed man looked like His Majesty.”

“Did you see my memory?”

Gufel let go of my hand and nodded. “Yes. His Majesty’s star power resonated with mine, reviving memories that were deliberately erased.”

I touched the hand that Ozworld had kissed.

But I didn’t feel any power other than magic.

While I was checking for the star power, Gufel muttered bitterly. “His Majesty finally obtained what he wanted.”

Gufel, as if knowing what I was curious about, added, “Omnipotent freedom.”

The term ‘omnipotent’ added to freedom made it sound profoundly meaningful.

Ozworld was an entity that toyed with humans as if they were toys, wielding overwhelming power even in the Pantheon, where the constellations lived.

Then I suddenly felt something odd. “What kind of being are you to know so much about the emperor?”

Gufel awkwardly answered, “Because I was His Majesty’s teacher.”

The revelation of being Ozworld’s teacher was surprising, but then another shocking truth was revealed.

“And I was once his fiancée. It’s been a long time since we broke off the engagement.”

As I stared in shock, Gufel quickly waved her hands. “It wasn’t out of love. A saintess is destined to marry His Majesty.”

Why would someone who was the emperor’s teacher and fiancée be living such a modest life in this desolate place? And though I wasn’t sure about the exact position of a saintess, it seemed to hold a significant status akin to that of an empress.

I became curious about Gufel’s story. But before we could continue our conversation, noisy sounds started coming from outside. Gufel, with a serious expression, spread her star power to make the tent semi-transparent. Armed knights were seen riding towards us.

“

, it’s the Twelve Knights. They must be here looking for you.”

“Doesn’t it look more like thirteen?”

“There are supposed to be only twelve knights directly under His Majesty. It’s impossible to have thirteen. Anyway, that’s not important. They are the most powerful in this dimension, so we must escape quickly.”

Suddenly, my body lifted into the air, surrounded by light and starting to fade. It didn’t feel dangerous.

Gufel looked at me and opened her mouth with a relieved expression. “Your god is merciful. Seeing that it’s taking you back to where you came from when it becomes dangerous.”

Now that I think about it, the Squire’s arcane magic book sent me here, but what was the reason?

“It was nice meeting you, Gufel.”

“I also enjoyed meeting you very much.”

Then, Gufel grabbed my hand, which was becoming transparent.

“This is a parting gift.” With those words, a dazzling force like a star poured into me.