Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

Two days later…

The scorching skies of the Red Desert stretched endlessly, with not a cloud in sight for miles.

The only thing visible was a magic airship speeding through the intense heat of the vast red expanse.

The ship was surrounded by a transparent, multi-colored sphere that provided strong thermal resistance.

The heat of the Red Desert was no joke… without proper military training or magical reinforcement, it could easily kill humans, demi-humans, and even the normally hard-skinned beastpeople.

Luciana and Ghislaine were on cloud nine, experiencing their first ride on a magic airship at such high speeds, all while taking in the unique views of the Red Desert and its exotic wildlife.

It was hard to grasp how a place could be so hot that only trained knights or heat-adapted creatures could survive.

They had spotted fire serpents, salamanders, and even red dragon ants. Each new creature made them giggle with excitement. In fact, they started playing games, like predicting which creature they'd see next or how many there would be.

Overall, it was a thrilling experience for both of them.

Esmeralda wasn't too interested in the airship ride, even though the sights were appealing.

Instead, she focused on making tea and experimenting with new recipes using the supplies they had plenty of.

She often begged Vritra to taste her new dishes or tea, and since he didn't have much else to do, he spent most of his time helping her.

He actually enjoyed helping Esmeralda perfect a blend of red and blue tea leaves, which had a unique flavor.

Still, thanks to his ancient god biology, he had a stronger preference for plain red tea.

Meanwhile, Sophia was completely focused on mapping out the Red Desert.

For the past two days, she had her eyes glued to the large map, barely stopping to eat or talk to anyone. Just as Vritra had expected, she was a perfectionist, determined not to make any mistakes on his behalf.

But beyond that, she wanted to prove herself as an Imperial Knight, hoping this would lead to more challenging assignments, not just escort missions.

The few times she wasn't studying the map, she used her spotting scope to search for any armor or weapons she could identify as belonging to Serathen knights.

So far, no luck.

Butler Neron was in charge of piloting the magic airship and had also cast the protective layers of [Barrier Magic] that kept the intense heat of the Red Desert at bay.

While the scorching heat would feel like a cool breeze to Vritra, Neron, Ghislaine, and Sophia, Luciana and Esmeralda didn't have the same durability.

So, treating them like his little princesses, Vritra ordered the use of the protective barrier around the ship. He also had Neron cast an extra layer of protection specifically for Luciana and Esmeralda since they'd eventually need to exit the airship.

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Neron pointed ahead.

"Kaalen Tower City, up ahead!"

"Good…"

That was all Vritra said as he took a small sip of his tea.

Exhausted from all the sights they had taken in, Luciana and Ghislaine were sleeping on his broad chest as they sat comfortably on his lap.

Naturally, the young lord didn't mind.

On the horizon of the endless red sand, a twisted, distorted tower appeared, surrounded by numerous tents.

Sophia's eyes lit up at the sight, and she hurried over to Vritra, saluting him.

"G-, God Vritra, it looks like we've arrived!"

"I can see that. I'm not blind, you know."

Her cheeks flushed red. "I… I apologize. I didn't mean to offend. I was just trying to…"

"Be quiet for a moment."

"Y-, YES SIR!"

Sophia saluted again, her eyes beginning to water. She was clearly on the verge of tears, feeling like she wasn't doing a good enough job, and maybe that's why Vritra treated her so coldly.

Sophia saluted him again, but this time her eyes began to fill with tears.

The lady knight clearly wanted to cry.

She probably felt like she wasn't doing a good enough job for the young lord, which might be why he treated her so poorly.

『Or is the young lord just a dick to everyone?』

She immediately shook the thought away.

『NO! How dare I even think such a thing─?!』

While the lady knight wrestled with her thoughts, Vritra softly tapped Ghislaine and Luciana to wake them from their short nap. Once they were awake, he stood up and let them sit together in his ornate chair, with Luciana carrying the small-bodied Ghislaine in her lap.

Vritra moved forward for a better view.

"Hmm, Sophia?"

"YES, MY LORD!"

The armored knight quickly rushed to his side.

"Tell me about these tower cities in the Red Desert. The structure is unfamiliar, and its architecture doesn't seem tied to any particular race."

"Oh… OH! As you wish!" Sophia saluted again.

Vritra shot her a sharp side-eye.

"That's not always necessary, you know."

"M-, My apologies…"

Sophia twiddled her fingers in embarrassment.

"Proceed…"

Once she got the green light, Sophia began to explain.

"The tower cities in the Red Desert were created out of necessity, not choice. The extreme heat, lack of water, and dangerous conditions made it essential for the people to build cities that could survive these harsh environments.

"Long ago, the Red Desert was a battlefield for warring nations, all vying for control of its strategic location in the heart of an ancient empire. These conflicts, known as the Blood Wars, lasted for generations. As armies fought, rivers of blood soaked into the sand, which eventually dyed the desert a deep red, giving it its name.

"One of the biggest dangers in the Red Desert is a phenomenon called the Sand Tide. Every ten years, the desert faces violent sandstorms that are so powerful they can bury entire cities beneath waves of shifting dunes.

After losing many settlements to these storms, the inhabitants had to find a way to rebuild that would protect them from the Sand Tides and the lingering stench of death in the ground.

"The answer was to build massive tower cities. These towers are tall enough to withstand the brutal Sand Tides and provide a refuge from the suffocating air at ground level. Living high up in the towers means cleaner air and a break from the horrible smells below."

Having heard enough from her, Vritra held out a hand, and the lady knight immediately fell silent.

The young lord gave her a small smirk.

"I'm guessing that over time, the upper levels became more prestigious and now only house the elite and powerful, while the lower levels are left for the common folk, traders, and scavengers, right?"

He seemed too sure of himself to be mistaken, so Sophia just put on a strange grin and nodded back.

Even though she was an Imperial Knight and they were familiar with the Red Desert, they hardly ever ventured beyond Whiterune Tower City for safety reasons. The only knights who went past that point were from Gladius City, and their job was to try to expand the part of the Redsteel Territory that belonged to them.

Vritra's look turned unimpressed and he looked forward.

『Err, she probably doesn't know, and even if she did, she's too naive to realize that cities like this have their own social hierarchy. But that's always how it is. People will use any chance they get to rank others based on their worth to determine their wants and needs. The rich will get everything they want and keep enjoying what they need, while the poor struggle endlessly for the basics.』

The young lord shrugged.

『Meh, I can't be bothered.』

Vritra looked back at Sophia and noticed the sad expression on her face.

Right now, her mind was filled with negative thoughts.

『I don't think God Vritra likes me very much. I mean, it makes sense, but… I just wish he'd treat me a bit better. That's all…』

She lowered her head and sulked.

Seeing this, Vritra sighed, then gently placed his hand on her head, giving her a soft pat.

"You did well…"

Those were his only words before he walked away.

Sophia stared at him with wide, amazed eyes and bright red cheeks.

"Th-, Thank you… my lord…"

She mumbled quietly to herself.

━ ━ ━ ━

Meanwhile…

Deep in Kaalen Tower City, at the lower levels of the massive tower, a red-haired nun was busy tending to a large group of sick commoners lying on mats spread across the ground. It was an outdoor, free clinic. It was clear she was hard at work—her sleeves were rolled up past her elbows, a bowl of clean water in one hand, and a damp rag in the other.

"Urggh… they're so much…"

The heat was starting to wear on her, but she simply wiped the sweat from her brow and weakly moved on to care for more of the sick.

"Alright, back to work…"

She soaked the rag in a bowl of water and gently placed it on the forehead of the sick man.

Suddenly, a sister dressed in a junior nun attire hurried out from the group of commoners waiting for their turn to get medicine and care.

"Sister Rosemarie!"

Rosemarie glanced back and saw her junior sister, who had a baby-like face, running towards her with a worried expression.

The junior sister pointed urgently towards the gates at the far end of Kaalen Tower City and spoke with urgency.

"An Asuran young lord is here in Kaalen Tower City!"

"A what?"

Rosemarie arched an eyebrow in confusion.