The Villain Purchased the Heroine

According to the original story, Rubid Village should have been destroyed, but it survived.

Once the situation wrapped up, the villagers, particularly the Village Chief, were bowing down to the ground so much that they could almost kiss it. I mean, the guy was bleeding from his forehead, and I had to intervene to stop him from going overboard, but he just kept knocking his head to the ground.

He said to me:

"You are our savior! Thank you so much for saving our village… I am truly, truly grateful!"

Seriously, what a ridiculous scenario.

He seems to think I saved the village out of goodwill or something. Really? You think I saved this village without any benefit to myself? Not a chance!

I made sure to set him straight. I spoke loudly enough so that even the teary-eyed old man could hear me clearly.

"Of course, I will take back what I deserve. I saved every one of your lives, so you must pay the appropriate price."

I laid out what their village would need to do moving forward. Originally, they were supposed to be doomed, written out of the story. I would be the one to redeem their burnt-out remains and turn them into something useful again. Surely even the god of this world would forgive a little bending of the rules.

Oh, by the way, I'm an atheist.

I established a direct contract with the Village Chief. In simpler terms, I placed an one-sided curse on him. Cursing is kind of my specialty, especially illusions and taming, so it was a piece of cake.

"This curse ensures that if you disobey my orders, you will have an immediate reaction. It is loaded with highly potent poison that will seep into every corner of your body in an instant. The pain will be so overwhelming you'll wish you were dead, even if it meant cutting off your own tongue."

This is necessary, as he will need to move like a puppet going forward. As long as he doesn't rebel, it won't trigger, and it even has a nice little bonus effect of boosting his energy when things are calm.

While the essence of this contract is similar to the agreement I made with Alicia, the details are, of course, different.

This village is going to be reused efficiently. And I chose the Village Chief to lead them. In a small village like this, age basically equals rank. Since he already holds the position of chief, there's likely to be less resistance, and I've seen him handle his duties well, so he's the right person for the job.

"Sure, if you want to hand over a correction too, communicating with me is possible. It was set up that way for me to easily give him instructions from afar.

Oh, and he also has a reward that he receives. It's a benefit that both of us can gain from, but for him, it's more important than wealth or people. It's his lifespan.

He will receive continuous care from my specialized physician. We will minimize any current diseases or pain and forcibly train his mana to improve his stamina and physical condition.

Well, I can't guarantee that he'll live an extra 20 years, but at least he should be able to move around for another 5 years without a hitch. If he wants to be useful, he has to hold on for that much.

Now then, how is Alicia doing?

Having safely finished the loop, Alicia should already be unconscious and deep in sleep, yet she's holding on with a strong mind.

This loop seems efficient on the surface, but unless Alicia finds herself in the same special situation again, there's absolutely no reason to use it; in reality, it boasts garbage-level efficiency.

Besides, there are quite a few things to prepare, and it comes with the side effect of being unable to wake for several days, with its power being quite potent.

Still, she's hanging on to keep her promise with the little girl named Edel and insists she cannot be a hindrance to me.

She really is a handful in many ways. Once she gets out of here and onto the wagon, I'll have to force her to sleep.

"I'm going to hold out until we arrive at the mansion…!"

"…Alicia, stop being so stubborn. Even though you're closing your eyes, the time is the same whether you're asleep or awake."

"Princess, you look tired. It's tough, isn't it? You should be resting after fighting monsters, but you're holding on because of a promise you made to me, right?"

"No, Edel…! Look! See how I can stand here so perfectly?"

"Gondu, Mommi's shaking…."

At Freesia's innocent remark, Alicia panicked and waved her arms dramatically. Even as she did, she wobbled around.

What a strange type of stubbornness she has.

"Stop it, just stop that fidgeting. It's hard to bear looking at you with your eyes wide open. One person doing such ridiculous things is more than enough."

"You just saw me, didn't you, Young Master…? Why, why did you look at me?! I'm not asking for you to respect me as a teacher, but please don't ignore me!"

Paula's loud voice fills this cramped little house. The small space is filled with furniture and equipment arranged neatly. It's clear that the kids' parents organized it, but it also has a somewhat messy side.

It seems the kids have made a mess. I really hate kids. They just don't understand and waste so much time.

"Bad magician is being mean to Captain Oppa…! Captain Oppa, hurry up and punish him. If you don't punish him now, he'll only get worse later!"

Edel clung to one of my arms with her tiny frame. With every sentence she completed, she pulled me toward herself, trying to strengthen her claim.

"Edel…! Why am I the bad magician and the Young Master is Captain Oppa? Anyone can see that he looks worse! No wait, he was originally called the 'bad magician captain.' How did that title change?!"

"Why am I the only bad magician while the young master is the great big brother? Just look at how much worse he looks! No, wait, he was originally the 'bad magician leader'! How did his title change?!"

Ever since I wiped out those bizarre red creatures, these little brats have been clinging to me annoyingly. They tug at the hem of my clothes with their filthy sparkling eyes, trying to get my attention. They're sticking to me like gum.

If they were going to be this bothersome, I'd rather go back to being the bad magician leader.

"The leader brother isn't a bad person…! He defeated all the scary monsters along with the princess and protected the villagers too! Don't say that!"

"Madya, don't talk like that!"

"Even Freesia… If I had known this would happen, I should have wiped them all out."

Big brother, huh.

Sure, I have two younger sisters with Vargan, but neither of them have a straightforward personality. In that sense, it might be better if these little ones were my siblings instead.

No, wait, at least they don't annoy me. They don't even engage in conversation normally.

While I was lost in thought, Paula discovered something from Edel, who was expressing her anger with her entire body.

"Um…? Wait a minute, Edel. Can you show me the back of your hand? I think I might have seen something I shouldn't have."

"No way! This is the symbol that leader brother made for us, and I won't show it to a bad magician!"

"By 'us,' do you mean even Freesia…?! Young master, what's going on here?!"

It seemed to be the most shocked expression I had ever seen from Paula. Her mouth was agape with disbelief.

For the record, I didn't force a curse on them. These little brats saw the village chief doing something and begged me to place a curse on them, so I reluctantly obliged to keep them quiet.

Of course, if their mother finds out, she might faint.

"They wanted the village chief's symbol and begged for one each, so I gave them."

"'Gave them'? It sounds so light… This is a curse…! How could you place a curse on such young children? Lady Alicia, why are you suddenly avoiding my gaze? Could it be… you knew?"

"…Yes."

Paula's eyes widened further as she covered her mouth. She was shocked that Alicia had known about this fact yet kept it quiet.

"Teacher, but it's not a bad curse. The young master wouldn't do such a thing for no reason, and it doesn't harm the children's bodies at all. If anything, it's a helpful curse…!"

"Ah… Lady Alicia is defending the young master… Ah, wait a minute. My head is spinning. I'm overloaded with this unexpected turn of events."

Paula then cradled her head in her hands and let out a deep sigh. Then, she pointed out a strange part of Alicia's statement.

"Lady Alicia, you clearly just called it a curse. A curse, a curse! Because it's an unequal relationship rather than a fair contract, it's called a curse! This right now—"

"It's called a request, you know! Right now, this is—"

"—Alicia. Shut Paula up."

"Understood. …I'm sorry, Teacher."

In an instant, Alicia rushed out and covered Paula's mouth with a handkerchief. Paula continued to resist, unable to believe Alicia's actions.

What a noisy kid.

*

It's time to leave.

Finally, I can escape this backwater!

I didn't have much stuff, so it didn't take long to prepare. The villagers even came out to help each other, so it ended even faster.

Once our things were all loaded onto the wagon, Edel and Freesia started to look teary-eyed.

What a bunch of sentimental kids. What's got them so upset?

As I watched the little ones, Alicia entered my line of sight. She was trying to comfort them by hugging them, but she also had quite the solemn expression on her face.

Who's comforting whom here? It seems Alicia matches their mental age perfectly.

"Edel, Freesia. Stay healthy and well. We'll meet again someday, so don't cry like that."

"Sniff, really…? We really will meet again, right? We'll remember you, Princess! You can't forget us…!"

"Gondyu… I'll remember."

"I'll never forget. That's a promise."

Alicia wiped her tears and extended her pinky with her other hand.

Seeing this, Edel nodded and linked her pinky.

Freesia placed her tiny hand over her sister's hand.

"You kept your last promise. This time, it's just a bit longer. We will definitely meet again."

"Okay, I believe it. I'll wait…!"

I wanted to say, 'What do you think will happen if I don't give you time to meet?' but I held my tongue. After all, it was just a verbal contract with no real power. I didn't want to waste any more time.

"Let's wrap it up, Alicia. It will take a long time to get back to the mansion. We need to hurry."

"Yes, understood. …I'll be going now. See you later, Edel, Freesia."

"Okay, but Princess, one last thing. Just for a moment…."

Edel guided Alicia's ear toward her. Then, she tiptoed and whispered something, but the sound was so soft that I only caught the last part.

"…I won't tell anyone you found it."

After hearing Edel's whisper, Alicia's face turned red as she quickly checked my reaction. When she confirmed that I didn't hear well, she passionately pleaded with Edel that it wasn't anything like that.

Seeing her react that way indeed piqued my interest. Should I force them to reveal it before I put them to sleep in the wagon?

The little ones seemed to be enjoying it, covering their mouths with their fingers and grinning.

"I know it's a secret!"