Ascension Of The Villain

The next day, the monster capture mission wrapped up, and Vyan's team had wrangled enough creatures to satisfy the nobles' favorite pastime: monster hunting.

Exhaustion hung in the air like a heavy fog, with everyone teetering on the brink of mana depletion. The night had settled over the camp, the empty village's quietness thickening.

Once the gates clanged shut, Spencer began taking attendance.

Vyan slumped into a chair, rolling his shoulders, his face a canvas of pain. "I feel like a ragdoll run over by a carriage. There is no way I am going to be able to move tomorrow with these sore muscles."

Clyde, already lounging beside him, let out a hearty laugh. "Honestly, I am surprised you lasted this long. All this forest adventure must have turned you into jelly."

"It did," Vyan groaned, stretching his neck.

Clyde's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I would offer to massage your shoulders, but I know you would hate it."

"Please don't even try," Vyan shot back, eyes narrowed.

"How mean," Clyde pouted, feigning hurt. "Oh, by the way," he perked up, pulling out a maroon rectangular box that shimmered with faint magical energy. It was an enchanted artifact for exchanging letters. "I received an update from Princess Althea."

He handed Vyan the artifact, and Vyan opened it to find a delicately rolled scroll inside.

The parchment was smooth, with a faint scent of lavender. Unfurling it, he began to read:

"Dear Vyan,

I write to you with urgency, for today's meeting in the imperial court has borne significant tidings. Edward Clark Estelle has been officially stripped of his title as Marquess and demoted to the rank of a mere Lord. He will remain the Lord of the land of Estelle, but the Lords of Natrin, Clober, and Fremen are poised to use their influence to take even that from him.

powered-by-MvLeMpYr

Soon, he will have nothing, just as you planned.

Do not worry; I have ensured that Lady Iyana remains unaffected. I convinced the Emperor to keep her as the Vice-Commander, recognizing her value and loyalty to our nation.

However, the matter of her marriage to Easton remains on the fence. Easton obstinately refuses to call off the wedding, while Father is strictly against it. If things escalate, Father will not hesitate to take drastic measures to remove Lady Iyana out of the way, if you know what I mean. However, I will do everything in my power to protect her and her position, as you requested.

Sincerely,

Thea."

Vyan's brows knitted together as he read the part about Easton.

"Why is this guy so stubborn about marrying Iyana?" he grumbled, irritation lacing his words.

"Jealous, are you?" Clyde teased with a mischievous grin.

"As if," Vyan rolled his eyes. "I am just furious that this guy is so oblivious. He seems to have no idea his father might have Iyana killed if he doesn't comply."

A deep concern settled over Vyan, his features hardening as worry gnawed at him. Maybe he should go see her again tonight—

Spencer came barreling in, his breath ragged and heart pounding as he reached Vyan and Clyde.

The sudden sight of Spencer made Vyan sit up straight, his expression turning serious. "What's wrong?"

"My lord, it's the mages. Three of them—Jorath, Elara, and Myn—haven't returned from the forest," Spencer blurted out, his voice tight with urgency.

Vyan's face darkened instantly. "What do you mean, they haven't returned? It's been hours since nightfall. Didn't anyone do a headcount before?"

Spencer ran a hand through his hair. "We did, but someone said they had gone to the toilet, so we assumed they were just delayed."

Clyde frowned. "And you didn't double-check? You know, the Forest of Beasts is no joke, right? We can't afford to lose anyone, especially not mages."

"I know," Spencer said, his voice strained. "But we need to act fast. If something has happened to them—"

Vyan stood up, cutting him off with a raised hand. "Get the search parties ready. We go in five minutes. No one should wander off alone; it's already dangerous enough as it is. If anything happens to those mages, we will have to answer to the Tower of Magic and they are not easy people."

Spencer nodded, already turning to leave. "I will gather the others."

As Spencer dashed off, Vyan looked at the gate that he had shut close and thought about what laid beyond. This was going to be ten times more dangerous than the daytime, so he had to be fully cautious.

He could only hope there were no more casualties.

———

In the dimly lit warm, Priscilla approached Iyana with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Dear, let me take that bracelet off for you," she said gently, her hand extended towards the glimmering accessory.

Iyana suddenly sensed something was amiss, instinctively pulled her hand back, clutching the bracelet protectively.

"No, thank you, Priscilla. It stays with me," she replied firmly. There was no way she would take off that bracelet—the only means for her to protect herself in the face of any danger.

Undeterred, Priscilla's smile faltered momentarily, replaced by a subtle hint of frustration.

"Oh, dear, it is the medical facility's policy. We need to remove all jewelry for your safety," she insisted, her tone masking her true intentions.

Iyana's gaze hardened as she shook her head. "If that was the case, why wasn't I asked to remove this for the past two days?" she demanded.

"At that time, I thought it would be alright. But now, I am starting to think the bracelet might be giving you a little bit of trouble with your sling," Priscilla reasoned.

Iyana narrowed her eyes in suspicion and asserted, "I understand, but this bracelet is important to me. I will keep it on," she asserted, her fingers tracing the jewelry that concealed its extraordinary power.

Realizing she couldn't persuade Iyana, Priscilla decided to give up. "Very well," she murmured curtly, withdrawing her hand.

With a forced smile, she turned on her heels and left the room, leaving Iyana with a lingering sense of unease.

"What the hell was that?" Iyana let out. "Is her son that sick and she thinks she can get money by stealing this?"

She shook her head in disbelief. If she needed money, she could just ask.

Of course, she didn't have money on herself at the moment and Priscilla must know that, but Iyana could just ask Vyan. There was no way Vyan would refuse to lend her some money if Iyana promised to return it when they got back.

Speaking of Vyan, it was getting late into the night.

Was he not going to visit her today?

"Well, he didn't promise he would," she mumbled, feeling like she was acting unreasonable. "He must be tired," she justified on his behalf, nodding her head in agreement. "Even so, he could come rest here," she withered with a pout.

"Lost in my thoughts, Iyana?" the voice she had been waiting to hear all night interrupted her thoughts, and her face lit up.

"Vyan!" she nearly exclaimed, catching herself before she sounded too eager, and composed herself. "Hey, you are here again?"

"Yes, of course," he walked over to her, his eyes glinting with something she couldn't quite read. "I couldn't wait to see you."

"Why is that?" she asked, arching an eyebrow playfully.

He stopped beside her bedside and tilted his head with a half-smile. "Because I was missing you," he murmured, bringing his hand to touch the side of her face.

Instead of the usual butterflies she felt from Vyan's touch, Iyana was overwhelmed with a feeling of nauseousness.

What's this? Why am I repulsed by his touch? she wondered as her eyes roved over him, checking for anything unusual, but there were none.

"Vyan, were you in close contact with any gruesome monsters today?" she inquired in concern.

"No, not really. Why do you ask?" He sat down on the edge of her bed, and she suddenly felt the need to distance herself from him.

She got up from the bed, trying to remain casual. "No, you just feel a little out of it. Did you eat something weird from the forest?"

"Ah, maybe that's it. I did," Vyan let out. "I had these weird berries in the forest, and ever since I ate them, I have been feeling weird."

Iyana couldn't help but let out a sigh. It seemed like her worries were for naught.

"Geez, you should know better than eating something from such a dangerous forest. What are you, a kid?"

He laughed lightly. "What to do? Clyde insisted."

She shook her head in disbelief and opened the small window to get some fresh air. "That is weird, even for Clyde—" She froze as she remembered something Vyan said to her last night.

"Yep, don't worry, I am not going to be alone. Spencer is going to be my partner for tomorrow as well since, you know, Clyde is going to be busy leading the mages from the Tower of Magic. And I cannot exactly show off my powers in front of them, so it's better to stay separated."

As Iyana's sharp gaze flickered towards Vyan, a sudden gust of wind through the window tousled his bangs, exposing a flawless forehead devoid of any scars.

Her senses heightened instantly, scanning the open door for the guards who should have been stationed nearby, only to find their conspicuous absence.

They had clearly been dealt with.

Quickly assessing the perilous situation, she concluded there was no escape route other than through the door, and if she wanted out, she would have to confront this impostor head-on.

Summoning her courage, she calmly demanded, "Who are you, and what do you want from me?"