Ascension Of The Villain

The hunting days of the festival had finally come to an end, leaving behind a trail of exhausted but victorious hunters. Today was the day to savor the spoils—quite literally.

While the idea of chomping down on monster meat might seem like a one-way ticket to an upset stomach, these delicacies were actually renowned for their flavor. The higher the monster's level, the tastier the dish, which made the festival's finale a gastronomic delight.

The morning kicked off with a ceremony where the top three hunters with the most kills were awarded prizes. Following that, the men would ceremoniously offer up their monster kills to the women of their choice, a gesture that crowned the "Hunting Queen."

By afternoon, these ladies would take their spoils to the kitchen, whipping up a dish that would be showcased in a grand buffet for everyone to enjoy.

And by nightfall, the festival would culminate in a gourmet feast prepared by expert chefs, accompanied by a lively drinking ceremony that promised to be just as wild as the hunt itself.

At the moment, the men were in the spotlight, declaring the names of the women they were dedicating their kills to before the top hunters were announced. It was a bit like handing out keepsakes but with significantly more heartbreaks involved.

Of course, not all feelings were reciprocated—just because a man received a dozen keepsakes didn't mean he could spread his monster kills around like party favors. One woman, one dedication. That was the rule.

"Alright, the ballots are in!" chirped the announcer, practically bouncing on the stage with excitement. "However, we will declare the name of the lucky lady later. First of all, our honorable hunters should be awarded, no?"

Iyana stood beside Althea, her expression as calm as a pond on a windless day.

"What do you think the result will be, Lady Iyana?" Althea asked, glancing at her new friend with a knowing smile.

"I couldn't care less," Iyana shrugged. "But if I had to bet, I would put my money on Your Imperial Highness."

"Surely you jest," Althea chuckled, shaking her head. "Lady Iyana has a great chance to win too, you know."

"Now that I have a somewhat okay reputation, I might have had," Iyana conceded with a sigh, "if I weren't the Crown Prince's fiancée. No one is brave enough to offer me their kills."

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"That does make sense," Althea agreed, though her lips twitched into a mischievous grin. "Although I do wonder if a certain Grand Duke would be daring enough."

Iyana rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't get stuck. "That idiot could dedicate his kills to a tree for all I care," she huffed, still irritated by his behavior the day before. Declaring he basically felt nothing romantic for her? Ghosting her in the middle of a conversation? Unforgivable.

Suppressing a laugh, Althea asked, "Did he do something to earn your wrath?"

"Just his face," Iyana grumbled, crossing her arms with a scowl, "and his personality too. Everything about him is just infuriating."

"You know, badmouthing hurts people's feelings," Vyan's voice slid into the conversation from behind her, smooth and playful.

Iyana didn't even flinch. She had sensed him approaching. "Good then. I meant for it to hurt you."

"How mean," Vyan teased, a smirk tugging at his lips, "especially after I dedicated all my kills to you."

Her heart did a somersault as she whipped her head around to face him, eyes wide with shock. "What?"

"Wow, that's quite a reaction," he noted, clearly amused by her surprise. "If I had known, I might have actually done it."

Her eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. "So… you didn't?"

"Well, I didn't want any rumors swirling around about the two of us—"

"Huh, so being linked to me is that revolting for you?" she snapped, her tone sharp enough to cut glass.

"—society would have put you in a bad light. And I couldn't stand the thought of anyone speaking badly of you," he finished, his voice softening.

Her heart did more than just flutter this time—it practically pirouetted. "Oh, um, I see," she murmured, suddenly very aware of the heat rising to her cheeks.

Vyan caught sight of Clyde waving him over, a gesture that clearly meant he was needed elsewhere. But before leaving, he leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear. "Maybe not this year, but I promise I will make you the Hunting Queen next year."

He straightened up, flashing her one last disarmingly charming smile before strolling away with that casual confidence that always left her feeling off-balance. Meanwhile, Iyana stood rooted to the spot, her face growing impossibly redder with each passing second.

"That was some nice atmosphere you both had going on there," Althea remarked, her tone dripping with playful curiosity.

Iyana nearly jumped out of her skin—she had completely forgotten Althea was even standing there, thanks to Vyan's little flirtation.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Iyana hurriedly denied, waving her hands as if she could physically push the idea away. The last thing she needed was for her fiancé's older sister to start getting ideas. "Vyan was just joking around."

"Sure, he was," Althea replied, clearly enjoying herself as she tried—and failed—to hide a knowing grin.

Meanwhile, Iyana's mind was doing somersaults.

What did he mean by that? Did I even hear him right? Next year he would give me his kills? But why? Why would he say something like that? Especially after what he said yesterday...

And, wait a minute—

Her train of thought screeched to a halt as she noticed Vyan making his way onto the stage. A pang of curiosity hit her, mingled with an odd flutter in her chest.

Who did he actually award his kills to?

She found herself straining to see, a little more interested in the answer than she wanted to admit, as The announcer's voice boomed across the courtyard.

"And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for—the awarding of the top three hunters! For that, let's invite His Serene Grace, the Grand Duke of Ashstone, Vyan Blake Ashstone to award the prizes."

Vyan climbed the steps to the stage, every eye in the crowd following his ascent. He couldn't help but notice Iyana watching him too, her expression caught somewhere between curiosity and something he couldn't quite place.

Vyan gave a polite smile to the audience. He didn't want to be doing this hassle, but the emperor had asked him to, so he couldn't deny it. Pushing that annoying thought aside, he took his place beside the announcer, who handed him the scroll with the names of the winners.

"Third place goes to," Vyan began, unrolling the scroll with a practiced air, "Sir Elijah James Tarquin!"

A round of applause erupted from the crowd as Elijah made his way to the stage.

Ah, it's Sir Elijah. Iyana used to praise him a lot back in the day. Something along the lines of he was the best subordinate ever.

Glancing at the audience, Vyan could see Iyana clapping enthusiastically at her subordinate's success. He found himself thinking it would be nice for Elijah to become the Vice-Commander once Iyana was promoted to the Commander. He wanted her to have a reliable colleague to turn to for help.

Vyan smiled as he handed Elijah his trophy, a polished silver cup, along with a noble prize—an ancient relic sword with beautiful designs. "Congratulations, Sir Elijah. You have earned this," Vyan said with a nod of respect.

Elijah accepted the award with a bow, his expression one of humble gratitude. "Thank you, Your Grace. It's an honor."

The applause faded, and Vyan moved on to the next name. He was expecting for it to be Easton, but surprisingly it was the person he assumed would be the first.

"Second place," he announced, "goes to Sir Theodore William Jacques!"

Another round of applause echoed through the courtyard as Theodore stepped up. Nobody could say they were surprised—Sir Jacques was literally the defending champion from the last time this festival took place. He even single-handedly brought victory to House Ashstone in the group category.

Theodore accepted his trophy, a gleaming gold cup, along with a noble prize of a jewel-encrusted sword.

"Really proud of my teacher," Vyan whispered and smiled.

"I can't say the same for my student." Theodore threw him a disapproving look. "Where is your prize, boy?"

Vyan chuckled sheepishly. "How about you look forward to next year for that?"

Theodore shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Well, I guess you still did a good job defeating the Nocturnus Titan that day. So, I think I might be a little proud."

"I am glad then."

After Sir Jacques was off the stage, Vyan finally unrolled the scroll further, his eyes scanning the name at the top. This time, just like him, the entire crowd was sure it would be Prince Easton, although he was nowhere in sight so far.

However, when Vyan read the name of the winner, his jaw nearly dropped.

"And the first place winner…" Vyan hesitated for a split second, glancing over at the crowd, where Clyde stood with his usual good-natured grin, seeming completely confident. "First place goes to… Archmage Clyde Jayce Magnus!"