Episode 2 of the Overly Competent Villain

Relic

A magical engineering locomotive emitting hazy smoke runs wildly on the railroad tracks.

The steel carriage running through the white snowy mountains presented passengers with a majestic sight.

‘It’s an admirable scenery every time I see it.’

It is famous that you cannot drive without riding on this locomotive to see the cool scenery of Shigarna Snow Mountain, which is called the unexplored region of the empire.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

The man across the street seemed to have a similar sentiment. Roden returned a kind reply to his fellow passenger in the train cabin.

“That’s right. It’s a beautiful view any time you look at it.”

Roden glanced at the man across from him.

At first glance, he was a wealthy gentleman.

An expensive suit from a luxury brand.

The staff, which is the measure of gentlemen, is engraved with gold, and the hat is also a handmade product made of leather.

Age is around 30… maybe more than I thought.

Maybe the striking ultramarine blue hair makes him look younger?

Or is it the unique aura of a man that makes him look old?

In any case, what you can tell from first impressions is that he is very wealthy, and that he is sociable, asking strangers about the scenery rather than greeting them.

The man who opened the door with Roden’s answer made headlines while looking at the magazine Roden was reading.

“Ah~ It’s an academic journal of the Imperial Academy. Is it this month’s book?”

“Yes… it was provided in the room.”

“When I was young, I fantasized about becoming a knight or a wizard.”

“Is that so?”

Roden inadvertently hesitated at the difference of one letter. The man didn’t miss it.

“Why do you emit blades with aura from a sword, or shoot fireballs and electricity with magic? Things like that.”

If it’s common, it’s common, but the eyes of the man who says it are somehow clear and clean. Like a child who really has a ‘dreamlike’ imagination.

“hahahaha, who wouldn’t?”

Childish imagination stemming from innocence. However, in the era of swords and magic, if that wasn’t impossible, the man had eyes as if looking at a distant star.

“I quit in the end.”

“Why?”

“Because it wasn’t realistic. Well, one unlucky writer said that there is no ‘talent’ of talent.”

“Well, let’s follow the talent.”

Roden shrugged at the man’s words. I poked at his blind spot with a relaxed smile.

“Have you ever considered going to an academy?”

Roden glanced at the man’s attire. It is an expensive suit. The man smiled awkwardly at Roden, who guessed at his childhood wealth.

“My childhood was rather dynamic.”

“Oops… I’ve been rude.”

At Roden’s apple, the man waved his hand and put the apple back.

“It wasn’t something you could learn at the academy in the first place.”

“I heard that the Imperial Academy’s educational level is very high?”

“It’s not ‘skills’ that I want to learn. I wanted to learn ‘real’ magic.”

“yes?”

-Kikiiik!

Just as Roden was about to say something, the door to the room opened violently and someone entered.

It’s not a classy suit like a man’s, but he’s wearing two suits in a row. They each took their own seats next to the man and Roden.

“Who, who…!”

clap.

A chilling sound went to Roden’s heart.

Roden trembled and looked at his fellow passenger, who was aiming a pistol.

“Then Mr. Roden.”

The man said with a gentlemanly smile, the same as when he asked about the scenery of the snowy mountains.

“Where is Relic?”

* * * *

Roden Hearts.

Guardian of the Fallen Sanctuary.

Before returning, he was a long-time associate of Archmage Osman Bright.

Osman Bright, a young archaeologist who came to him when he was running an archaeological laboratory in a large southern city.

The one who received the ‘Revelation of the Stars’ from him and guided Osman to the sanctuary to inherit ancient magic.

In other words, you need to find a sanctuary with Roden’s help and receive a Relic. so–

“aaagh! Now, wait! Sleep aaan

Roden, who was pushed out of the window by his size, let out a cheer as he sipped in the fresh breeze.

“Sa-save me! Stop! Gmaaan!”

You’re a little overjoyed.

[That, stop it, you bastard! What are you doing!]

‘Mr Osman. In order to enter the sanctuary anyway, that friend has to open it. I’m going to convince you now.’

[Pushing a person out of the train? Why don’t you just throw it away!]

I shook my head at Osman’s opinion.

‘If I drop it, I won’t be able to open the sanctuary.’

This is just a stage of negotiation and persuasion, not the purpose. This is why he is a precious house master.

“Stop screaming. I think my patience will run out before your throat runs out.”

“aaagh! Don’t do this! Suh, sanctuary! I don’t know about that!”

“It’s such a great loyalty. That’s why I respect you.”

Wasn’t it because of that loyalty that he was shot by the warlocks while protecting Osman until the end?

– aaagh! Bar, I almost bumped into it! aaagh!

Hee hee, that’s because it’s such a great loyalty.

“Hold on tight. You can’t even find a body if you fall in a place like this.”

Stubborn. I had Gehrig pull Roden back into the cabin.

“Heo-euk! Heo-euk!”

After inhaling the refreshing snowy mountain air, he clearly showed signs of exhaustion.

“Mr. Loden. I believe this will advance our conversation.”

“I-I don’t know what a sanctuary is—”

“Well, even if you don’t stretch out like that, your secret sanctuary will be exposed.”

“What is that…”

The smoke is flimsy. I should have done it until the end to pretend I didn’t know.

But my story was true. Roden and Osman, who were attacked by warlocks, destroy the sanctuary and run away.

“Do you know what the reason is?”

“·······.”

Roden had a firm expression that he would not open his mouth no matter what, but he listened attentively to the matter at stake in the sanctuary.

“It’s real estate development.”

“???”

Roden with blank eyes. I’m looking at you as if you’re not looking at me, but what I said is not something to be taken lightly.

In fact, the location of the sanctuary that the Warlocks of the Golden Dawn have been seeking so much is revealed for a really absurd reason. To be precise, it would have been ‘already revealed’.

“To think that a sanctuary hidden for thousands of years is only exposed by real estate development. Isn’t it funny? It’s ironic, but it’s true.”

I handed over a document I had prepared to Roden.

[Construction plan for Sigarna Snow Mountain Prison]

“······This?!”

This is why the Industrial Revolution and capitalism are scary.

Whether it’s ruins or underground secret cities, they’re all getting hit by the unstoppable shoveling of the builder based on the logic of capital.

“It’s a plan to build a first-class prison to hold the Empire’s heinous criminals. It’s basically a warning to criminals rather than efficiency. The Empire’s heinous enemies like me.”

Sigarna Prison. It is the second branch of Alcatraz, a prison for serious criminals of the notorious Empire, where once you enter, you die.

An execution ground where villains are put in a facility blessed by nature and tortured until they die. It is an imitation of Alcatraz, where no one escaped.

Except for me.

“Not enough for Alcatraz’s infamous uninhabited prison. They’re poking around the snowy mountains doing groundwork.”

As a plus, advanced information is also spilled.

“Why are you building a prison in a snowy mountain like this? That’s because that prison is a secret laboratory for man-eating warlocks.”

“??!”

Roden, who had been pretending to ignore my words until now, widened his eyes.

black magic. An old nemesis of wizards, an adversary who has been feuding with them. They are a secret society with the ambition to steal magic and rule the world.

“No way······.”

“A snowy mountain that no one visits. There is no place where dark magic is easier to cultivate than a closed facility where felons who don’t care if they die.”

“·······.”

In response to my bombshell remarks, Roden remained silent as if he was lost in thought.

This is a problem for the old-fashioned people who shut themselves up in the mountains and practice meditation.

Keeping secrets and whatnot, and being oblivious to public information. Although that closedness helped to keep the secret of the sanctuary, it did not help at all in nurturing the power to grow.

Aren’t you guarding the sanctuary with the Relic, who can inherit ancient magic right now, with Roden Hearts Hall?

Until Osman inherited ancient magic, Sigarna’s sanctuary was guarded by Roden alone.

“What the hell do you want?”

Roden had no choice but to ask me about my purpose, suspicious of me with a worried look on his face.

“I’m trying to get tested by Relic.”

* * * *

Roden was at a loss as to how to deal with this notorious criminal named Zak.

When he first came to visit him and asked where the sanctuary and Relic were, he wondered if he was a warlock, but if he had, he wouldn’t have threatened him like this.

“Get off first. It’s an intermediate station soon.”

Besides, he seemed to know the way to the sanctuary. If you’re going to do this, why are you threatening me?

‘Did you even know that you need the guardian’s awareness to open the door to the sanctuary?’

It was a fact that had not been noticed even by the black magicians for a long time. how does he do that?

Even though he was confused, Roden had no choice but to guide him because of the information he gave him about the snow mountain development and what he said.

Relic Verification.

The first step to verifying the successor for the guardians who instruct the guardians to train the heir to become an archmage by giving a star’s revelation.

Roden was afraid of the information power of the man who knew that.

[I’m sorry, Roden…]

He never imagined that in the future his friend would have confessed it all.

The sanctuary they arrived at was inside a cave entrance that was only open to the Guardians’ awareness. When we finally reached the top of the mountain, Zach gave instructions to his men.

“You guys are waiting here.”

Are you coming all the way here and waiting for your men? Roden saw an opportunity to counterattack, but Zach just smiled and put Roden in the lead.

When they reached the depths of the sanctuary, the two were able to face the Relic.

“That’s… the Relic.”

As if pure white light was condensed, noble jewels glistened in the starlight from the hole in the common ceiling.

An ancient artifact that selects those who are gifted with magical destiny. The relics of that old history show off their brilliance as if they were new.

“Touch the Relic.”

Roden urged Zach as if he needed to verify that he had come this far.

‘If it’s not the heir… Relic will reject it.’

According to a record given only to Guardians, the Relic punishes those who come in contact with it unjustly.

So, only suitable people brought by the guardians through revelation could touch the relic, and unless Jacques Pietro was the successor, the relic’s defense system would operate.

In other words, the moment he is rejected by Relic, he will die.

But the results far exceeded his imagination.

* * * *

[Pretend to lightly touch the Relic. I’ll connect to Relic and try something.]

‘Don’t you think I’ll be recognized by Relic?’

Osman exaggeratedly gasped at my flames.

[You?]

Osman was sarcastic as if he were teaching an immature child.

[The magic that Relic selects and inherits is of a different rank than the magic on the market. Compared to magic, which is the result of formulas and techniques, this is literally a ‘mystery’.]

Osman laughs at the subject who can’t even use the magic he learned from the magic book, saying he has a big dream. When you lose your body and only have fragments of your soul, be proud of yourself.

[Spirit Arts are the mysteries of awakening the ‘origin’ and guiding their destiny. They say that only geniuses born with destiny are recognized. A genius like me!]

It was the moment when he approached Relic while listening to Osman’s nagging.

────!!

Relic shakes. Osman exclaimed urgently.

[I told you not to contact me and just pretend! If Relic’s defense system activates, you die!]

‘No, it hasn’t arrived yet–‘

“The origin of contactees is a villain.”

[·······?!]

The great mage’s astonishment. And it was the same with Roden.

“Le, Relic…!”

‘Did you do something?’

[Oh, no. I didn’t do anything?]

Apart from the confusion of the Archmage, Relic’s voice did not stop there.

“The second origin of contactees is sorcery aesthetics.”

“Two, second wishes! How could it be! Awakening one origin is a common record?!”

This is unprecedented! Osman scratched his head as Roden was shocked.

[This, is this because of me? No, even my origins have been verified?!]

“Oh”

Have you finally been able to say “I’m lucky”?

I thought the reincarnation lottery had popped, but it wasn’t the end.

「Read the performance of the soul.」

-The sword star was destroyed by you.

-The Dragon Star has been transformed into your hands.

-Slayer (殺星) failed because of you.

-The magic star has bet on you.

-The Golden Star has been corrupted by you.

-Kwangseong (狂星) has received your grace.

-The Hungry Star (凶星) was erected by you.

“·······.”

Roden’s pupils toward me dilate. He is glaring at me like a villain with trembling eyes.

“You were involved in 51.7% of the planet’s catastrophe.”

-Malignant. You are at the pinnacle of evil.

It’s overrated, but it’s not wrong.

Before returning, he was called the world’s worst villain…

“······!!”

Roden’s gaze at me cooled down. As if it would kill me right now.

Either that or not, Relic continues to recite the message.

「An error occurred while reading the performance of the soul. It is an abnormal route.”

‘Hey Osman.’

‘I heard it too.’

“The evil star, Jacques Pietro. Consider the specificity of the soul. It fuses the origins.」

“I am correcting the star’s revelation for you.”

“The Final Origin ‘The Villain’s Aesthetics’. Correct and improve your performance. The protection of the stars will be with you.”

In the next moment, the Relic completely clung to my hand and entered me with a momentum that was incomparable to when the magic book’s magic was absorbed.

“Le, Relic…!”

In Roden’s astonished gaze, I can only shrug my shoulders.

“It’s not my fault.”

maybe?