Ascension Of The Villain

"Vyan!" a voice called out from behind just as Vyan was about to respond to Sienna. He glanced over his shoulder to see Iyana sprinting towards him, then looked back to the front only to find Sienna had vanished. Along with her, gone was the crushing pain in his chest.

Iyana skidded to a halt beside him, gasping for breath. "Clyde said you had something to check. Let me assist—" she started, but then her eyes went wide.

He was startled as she grabbed his chin, her grip firm.

"What the hell happened to you? Why is there blood spilling out of your mouth?"

"Ah, that's nothing," he murmured, wiping his mouth with the back of his wrist. He attempted to stand, only to feel his legs betray him. Iyana caught him just in time.

"Are you okay? Are you suffering from mana exhaustion?" she asked, her voice laced with concern as she crouched to rub soothing circles on his back.

Vyan nodded, knowing he would get an earful if he told the truth. "Yeah, totally. Just a little mana tantrum," he said, attempting a weak smile.

"Who are you kidding?" she snapped, her eyes shooting daggers. "Don't you think I know what mana exhaustion looks like?"

"Um," Vyan hesitated.

"Spill it. What did you do?" Iyana demanded, her eyes narrowing. "I bet you pulled some stupid stunt to beat— Wait, did you do something to counteract dark magic?"

"Sienna was here," Vyan blurted out, desperate to change the subject. "She was here just now."

"Huh? Why would she—oh." Understanding dawned on her face. "Of course, it's her behind all this."

For a moment, Vyan was relieved to be off the hook, but his reprieve was short-lived as Iyana continued, "But I don't sense her close anymore. She must have run away as soon as she saw me."

"Right, of course. She is terrified of you," he muttered sarcastically.

"Don't worry, I will teach her a lesson as soon as I get the chance," she said, as if she were talking about teaching her little sister how to play piano.

"But she knows I am a mage now and that I am weak against her dark magic."

"Hire me as your bodyguard then," Iyana suggested, her tone completely serious. "I will protect you. Nobody is more suited than an Aura Knight to fight a witch."

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He let out a chuckle, which promptly turned into a grimace as blood trickled down the corner of his lip. Iyana's glare could have frozen fire.

"Vyan," she warned, her tone sending shivers down his spine.

Gulping, Vyan knew he had no choice. He knew that glare of hers. After all, this wasn't the first time she was acting like this. She did so back when he was her knight as well. "I will tell you, but only if you promise not to tell Clyde."

"That depends on what you tell me," she responded with a raised eyebrow.

He sighed and narrated the spell he had used on himself. The further he explained, the worse her expressions became.

"Were you out of your mind?" she yelled.

"No, but as you can see, I am fine—"

"How is throwing up half a bucket of blood being fine?"

"It's not that much—"

"Have you seen the ground? One would think someone was murdered here!"

"Please, you are exaggerating."

"Oh, really?" She removed her hands from him, stood up, and took a step back. "Stand up then," she challenged.

"I will." Saying so, he actually managed to stand up, feeling better now that the oppressive weight of the black magic had lifted.

"See? I am perfectly—" His legs wobbled, and he grabbed Iyana's shoulder for support.

"Perfectly pathetic," she finished for him. "You know what? I will scold you for this dumb move later," she said, exasperation etched on her face. "But for now, let's get you to Princess Althea."

"No, I have to go back into the forest and check if everything is okay," Vyan insisted, his voice determined.

"Like hell you are, not in this condition," she retorted, gripping his arm tighter.

"I have to. It's my responsibility—"

"Fine, you can go after you get treated," she conceded with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

"But Clyde is there," Vyan pointed out, his expression a mix of reluctance and dread.

"So what do you want to do? Do you happen to know any healer other than Princess Althea?" she demanded. "And also, why are you so scared of Clyde? It's Clyde."

"Yes, exactly, it's Clyde," Vyan said, shivering as he recalled past experiences. "As goofy as he seems, he takes his job as my aide very seriously. One time, he made me drink a potion that tasted like rotten socks because I forgot to eat the entire day."

"Sounds like you deserved it," she muttered under her breath.

"Can you imagine what he would do if he finds out about this?" he let out in horror.

Iyana let out a sigh. "Fine, I will distract Clyde, and you can get Princess Althea to treat you in the meantime."

Vyan flashed her a cheeky grin. "Thanks. I owe you one. Maybe even two if Clyde doesn't catch me."

———

Once Iyana haphazardly managed to distract Clyde, giving them both a chance to be treated by Althea, Vyan was left to wrap up the chaos. He methodically removed traces of the S-grade monster, Nocturnus Titan, and snapped all the peripheral guards out of their mind control. His knights, posted around the camp, were summoned to assist him, while Iyana followed like a bodyguard.

Iyana watched Vyan handle everything with sincerity, dedication, and an almost annoying level of calmness. He didn't dwell on the damage; instead, he focused on fixing things and ensuring everything would go smoothly for the Monster Hunt Festival.

No lives had been lost, except...

"Victor, make sure all five of them get an honorable funeral," Vyan said, his face expressionless, though Iyana could see the pain lurking behind his eyes. "And don't forget to send me each of their dates. I want to attend personally."

She could tell he used to care deeply about the lives of his knights. She could relate to that feeling. When she lost her comrades in the war, it was tough for her to deal with it as well.

"And when the festival is over, I will visit their families and handle the compensation myself," Vyan added.

Iyana couldn't help but smile.

Once Victor left, Vyan noticed her expression. "What's got you smiling like that?" he asked.

"Just realizing you are not a complete jerk," she teased with a grin.

He chuckled. "Well, sorry to disappoint. I guess I can be a little decent to the people I care about."

"That's more than good enough," Iyana said softly, her smile widening. "So, what is next?"

"Everything has handled. Some imperial knights just informed me that they have scoured the entire forest and there are no more high-level monsters or casualties," he said. "Therefore, the forest is officially marked safe."

"That's good to hear."

"Now, all that is left is—" Vyan was interrupted by a frantic Easton rushing up to Iyana.

"Are you okay?" Easton asked breathlessly.

Iyana was a little startled but managed to compose herself, "Yes, I am okay."

Easton sighed in relief, then his eyes narrowed at the coat draped over Iyana's shoulders. "What is this?"

Iyana followed his gaze and internally rolled her eyes, bracing for the inevitable fuss. "My uniform had a minor... incident," she said, gesturing to the burned upper portion of her sleeves. "His Grace was kind enough to lend me his coat."

"But it's dirty," Easton remarked, his face scrunching up as if he had sniffed something foul.

Vyan crossed his arms and scoffed. "Pardon, Your Imperial Highness?"

"Oh, Your Grace, I didn't notice you were here," Easton replied with a flat tone that suggested he would have been happier if Vyan continued to be unnoticed.

Vyan resisted the urge to roll his eyes and plastered on a tight-lipped smile. "What do you mean, my coat is dirty?"

"Your Grace, you must have had quite the adventurous day. I imagine you spent a good deal of it rolling around on the ground," Easton said, barely hiding his smirk.

"Sure, I got a little dirt on me, but do you think I am daft enough to lend her a used coat? I had a servant bring a fresh one," Vyan retorted, lying through his teeth. In reality, he had conjured it with magic.

"Well, that's a relief," Easton said, clearly out of ammunition. "Iyana, let's head back to the main camp. It's getting late and everyone is returning."

"I will stay with Vyan for a bit. He is a little short on knights," Iyana insisted.

"Oh, okay. Then I will stay too, Your Grace," Easton added.

"There is no need for either of you to accompany me. I am heading back to the main camp myself now," Vyan interjected, desperate for an escape route.

But of course, the universe had other plans. Both Iyana and Easton decided to tag along, turning his would-be solo journey into an awkward parade.

When they arrived, Vyan was greeted by a sea of displeased nobles gathered near the altar, with the emperor and empresses at the forefront, their expressions collectively screaming disappointment.

Vyan couldn't help but think, Ah, another glorious evening of basking in the warmth of noble disapproval.