Act 43

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Having completed an academy mission and returning to the mansion, I was taken aback by the suddenly changed atmosphere of the estate, yet I managed to maintain a calm expression.

A mansion rippling with murderous intent.

An unnatural exterior.

Unstable mana.

‘The expected has come…’

Ever since I became the villain ‘Julian’ in ‘Let’s Kill the Demon King’, I anticipated such events would occur at least once.

There are as many individuals bearing grudges against this narrow-eyed villain as there are stars adorning the imperial night sky. It’s only natural that there are those out to settle their grudges.

‘But I have accumulated enough skill.’

Now, unlike before, I have perfected the ‘Moonlight Sword’.

I’m in a state where I can easily protect myself, so there’s no need to fear.

With heightened alertness, I slowly opened the entrance to the mansion and stepped inside.

The interior was a mess.

Fragments of unknown origin scattered here and there, artworks lying in pieces. The floors and walls splattered with a dark red liquid, and bodies strewn about, their identities unknown. These were all proofs of the fierce battle that had taken place here.

‘What happened here?’

Feeling puzzled, I continued walking towards the living room where I sensed movement.

Artworks ruined and shattered.

A brief surge of anger rose within me, seeing the destroyed items, though it quickly subsided, perhaps because they weren’t objects I was particularly fond of.

‘The real Julian would have screamed in anger here.’

I felt the strange boundary between ‘Julian’ and ‘me’.

Although this was ‘Julian’s’ mansion, I had lived here long enough for the chaos to not evoke much emotional change in me.

‘Could this life be changing my emotions…?’

Just as I was contemplating this odd feeling, a surge of intense emotion obliterated it.

‘Angelica!’

My reaction upon seeing the cherished orchid pot, ‘Angelica’, smashed to pieces in a corner of the living room.

“How much did Julian pay you? Five thousand nars? Ten thousand? You dog, you never imagined that would be the price of your life, did you?”

“- Cough, cough… Wait! I… I’m not… hired by Julian!”

I ignored the heightened voices and groans, drawn instead to the shattered pot.

This orchid pot was the first thing I watered when I became ‘Julian’.

‘Angelica’

It was a habit that started when I began growing orchids in this world.

Naming and nurturing them… it made them more endearing.

“Oh oh…”

The sight of ‘Angelica’s’ final state stirred indescribable emotions within me.

Unknowingly, an ‘aura’ began to emanate from my entire body.

Although using mana had always brought a certain discomfort, my anger now completely overshadowed it.

“Oh, aura… How can this be…”

Ssshhh.

Ignoring Joshua’s bewildered mutterings, I drew my sword. Without even thinking about it, the blade was imbued with the ‘Moonlight Sword’ skill, turning a bluish silver, and my mind was filled with nothing but fury towards the two uninvited guests before me.

‘Angelica’s’ death must be avenged.

For that purpose, these individuals… need to be eliminated.

‘Eh? Wait a minute…’

The flow of my thoughts was so swift yet natural that it startled me. The fact that I felt no emotion towards the chaos in the house and the bodies strewn about, yet was filled with such rage over a single orchid, was absurd.

‘This doesn’t make any sense, does it?’

Is this another change brought about by becoming ‘Julian’?

This isn’t a normal emotional response. Hadn’t I been trying not to let ‘Julian’s’ persona affect me, merely acting the part to the best of my ability?

And yet, here I am.

‘Ugh…’

Caught in a whirl of confusion, my gaze accidentally fell upon the broken pot, prompting me to quickly look away.

Calm down.

Don’t get swept away by emotions.

It’s just an orchid, after all.

Just an orchid that I watered every day, moved to a sunny window, wiped its leaves before bed, and even gave special nutrients…

That Angelica…!!

So infuriating.

“I didn’t hire anyone, just as he said.”

Feeling it difficult to control my emotions any longer, I changed the subject.

My quiet words made the two somewhat conscious individuals flinch.

Joshua and William.

They looked at each other with puzzled expressions. The awkward atmosphere between them clearly indicated they weren’t allies. There were even signs of a fight between them.

‘Is this mess the result of two groups trying to ambush me and running into each other?’

As unbelievable as it seemed, there was no other explanation for this situation.

I came to a temporary conclusion, feeling absurd, but I kept my composure as I looked at them.

“So, what will you do now?”

My question seemed to jolt them out of their stupor.

“The nighttime ambush has failed, after all. Do you have a next plan, Joshua?”

“Ugh.”

Mentioning the only name I knew, the guy cringed and stepped back.

A complete submission.

Above his head, the color of ‘fear’ was thickly flowing. The one lying down was in a similar state.

Should I start wrapping up this situation?

Just as I was about to move, a concern flashed through my mind.

‘But attempting an ambush on ‘Julian’ means they must have some confidence in their skills, right?’

Joshua, appearing to be a swordsman, seemed like he could be easily subdued. The problem is…

‘That wizard…’

The wizard, who had somehow picked up his fallen staff and was standing by Joshua’s side.

I’ve never fought a ‘wizard’ in this world before.

Of course, having played the game, I have some expectations about what kind of magic exists and what they might use, but that’s just speculation, not experience, making me cautious.

‘Of course, if it’s just the wizard alone, it seems like an opponent I could easily defeat…?’

In an attempt to resolve the situation, if I moved to deal with both of them, the two with similar objectives would likely band together against me.

‘That would be somewhat troublesome.’

While I didn’t feel a sense of impending defeat, the ordeal seemed like it would be bothersome regardless.

So, what should I do?

As I pondered, a brilliant idea struck me. But first, I needed to establish who held the position of the predator here.

“You both realize that even if you work together, you can’t defeat me, right? And I assume you know I don’t let those who bare their fangs at me off the hook easily.”

As I continued, the color of ‘fear’ above their heads deepened.

If they’re this frightened, they’re unlikely to act against me unless directly threatened.

“However! Since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll offer you both a chance.”

Having thought it through, I sat down in a chair, crossed my legs, and adopted a haughty demeanor.

“Fight each other. Hehe. The one who wins will be spared.”

I gave them my most disdainful smirk.

***

What?

Joshua, who had been quietly listening, doubted his ears at Julian’s words.

Fight this wizard and the survivor gets to live?

Joshua’s anger flared at the overbearing tone, and he gripped his sword tighter.

‘He wants me to perform like a clown…?’

What infuriated him more was that Julian hadn’t even bothered to ask him or the other party the ‘reason’ behind their scheme.

Joshua’s body trembled with rage as he grasped the underlying implication.

‘He doesn’t care about our motives!’

He wasn’t interested in the reasons behind their conspiracies and tricks. To him, they were merely intruders in his mansion.

Joshua, angered by this attitude, positioned himself to charge at Julian, but the intuition that he couldn’t defeat this monster on his own restrained his movements.

Even in an environment where magic was difficult to use, Julian managed to naturally wield his ‘aura’.

‘I don’t know who this is, but I have to join forces with this idiotic wizard. And the horn…’

Joshua glanced at the case he had brought.

Remembering what was inside, the fear in Joshua’s eyes seemed to dissipate slightly.

Slyly, Joshua looked at the wizard.

They had come to this mansion with the same goal; now, it was time to cooperate.

“Eeek!”

Whoosh-!

However, the terrified wizard, instead of conjuring magic, simply swung his staff at Joshua in panic.

“You madman…!”

Joshua cursed as he dodged backward, realizing that fighting like this would only play into Julian’s hands.

The very thought was intolerably vexing, prompting Joshua to speak up about cooperating.

“Don’t make me laugh…! You expect me to believe that, after saying such things, you won’t stab me in the back!?”

Fool!

Joshua trembled with rage at the sight of the wizard William, who, overwhelmed by fear, seemed to take Julian’s words as gospel truth.

To be spared if victorious?

‘The Laughing Execution Stand would do such a thing?’

To actually believe that?

‘He’s just enjoying watching us struggle!’

Regardless of Joshua’s thoughts, William, with eyes wide with fear, continued to swing his staff, despite foaming at the mouth from exhaustion and mana depletion, clinging desperately to Joshua.

“You idiotic fool!”

Swoosh- Swish.

In his anger, Joshua managed to dodge the staff and swung his sword at William’s torso, slicing through his shoulder.

“AAAAGHHH!”

With a horrific scream, William collapsed, clutching his blood-spurting shoulder. Though not a mortal wound, he would no longer be able to wield his staff.

Having subdued the wizard who had been against him, Joshua felt a sense of despair rather than victory. Now it was his turn. The Laughing Execution Stand does not let those who show animosity towards him go unpunished.

Death.

For Joshua, who had been favored by the elders of the Kraipart family and led a life of arrogance, death had always been a distant concept. But now, it felt ominously close.

“Um… Are we done here?”

That ‘death’ stood up from his chair with a nonchalant smile.

“Oh dear… So much blood. That must hurt.”

The face hidden under a mask smiled, but it didn’t seem to convey genuine emotion.

What now? Is there a way out of this situation?

‘The horn!’

The demon’s horn given by Alphas, while the exact side effects were unclear, promised the power inherent to a ‘demon’.

Using the horn could give Joshua the strength to kill Julian, or if not kill, at least flee with significant power.

Joshua hastily turned his head towards the case he had brought.

‘…Gone?’

However, the case that held the horn was missing from its original spot. After a brief search, Joshua finally located the case.

The case was empty.

“This, this is… the demon’s horn?”

Ironically, the contents of the case were found in front of the wizard he had knocked down.

With a furrowed brow, William grasped it in his injured hand and brought it to his mouth as if under a spell.

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