The Villain Dreams Of World Peace

Episode 73

 

“I’ll do it. Are you really lending us the fragment?”

 

When Sadie said that, Debbie looked at her in surprise.

 

“Sadie! Do you really know who that person is?! He’s not just court wizard! His true identity is Kaiton Ur! He’s the Demon King.”

 

“So?”

 

“…What?”

 

“The quickest way to study pacio is to follow the path of Ur. Whether it’s Callhan Ur or Kaiton Ur or whatever, they must have discovered something to create that. There must be hints to study about pacio in there.”

 

Now the magic that bound Sadie and Debbie was completely undone. Sadie confidently approached and accepted the fragment in Kai’s hand.

 

“I don’t mind being your subordinate. Actually, I respect you. I admire strong wizards.”

 

“It’s this side that needs a subordinate.”

 

Kaiton turned and jutted towards Muriel. Muriel, who was happily watching Sadie’s blunt confession, quickly waved her hand and corrected him, saying she didn’t want a subordinate, but a collaborator.

 

“Did you say you’re Muriel? Nice to meet you, Sadie Wales. Wales means princess, but you can treat me as a bell-boy if you want. If it means receiving what I like, I don’t have a lot of pride.”

 

“No, you’re neither a subordinate or a servant.”

 

“But can I call you captain? I’ve never really been able to call anyone captain because everyone hates forming relationships on the plateau.”

 

“No, that’s…”

 

“For your information, Debbie became my friend because I chased after her every day to be friends. It’s not easy to make friends on the plateau.”

 

Sadie didn’t even think about listening to Muriel’s words. Once again, she tried to say that she wasn’t a captain or a subordinate, but this time, Sadie interrupted Muriel’s words and said, “Originally, I wanted to be more than just friends with Debbie, but she said she would never be my lover, so we became friends. Someday, we’ll become lovers who do everything together, so don’t give Debbie any strange looks. It doesn’t matter if it’s between a captain and a subordinate.” Muriel was completely lost for words.

 

“SADIE!”

 

Debbie stomped her foot and shouted loudly. Whether she heard it or not, Sadie, who roughly finished her greetings, observed the fragment as she held it up to the light. Muriel seemed to understand why Sadie and Debbie were friends. Whether it was Debbie, who grabbed a book while running away at the risk of her life, or Sadie, who was only focused on the fragment regardless of whether her friend was trembling or not, they were similar. Even if Sadie hadn’t forced their friendship, the two of them would probably have eventually become very good friends.

 

“Debbie, stop pretending and grab your stuff. Finding a way to supplement pacio is a field you’ve always wanted to study. Why are you getting scared now that you have the golden chicken that holds the golden egg in your hands? You’re cute when you act like a fool, but still.”

 

“Don’t joke around! I… how can I work with someone who can turn me into a demon at any time…?”

 

At the same time, Debbie stuck close to Sadie, stealing glances over her shoulder at the fragment, completely absorbed. Sadie was much taller than Debbie, so despite Debbie’s tiptoeing efforts, she still couldn’t see enough and pouted in frustration.

 

Muriel glanced at Kaiton who did not say anything. Kaiton looked down pitifully at Kaiton, who couldn’t let go of her worries and was losing her mind, but that was it. Even though Debbie accused Kaiton of naturally being a villain who would steal pacio when given the opportunity, Kaiton did not explain or clarify what it meant to hand over his last remaining fragment.

 

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” 

Muriel asked Kaiton. His indifferent face made her frown.

“Why? It seems like it’s almost over anyway.” Kaiton replied.

 

That wasn’t wrong. Debbie was already lost in examining the piece. Seeing that she was busy writing something down on a nearby paper by her side, it seemed like she was about to delve into a thorough analysis if left uninterrupted.

 

“…Still, it’s a misunderstanding. That’s now how Kaiton is.” 

 

Kaiton looked at Muriel silently, pressing his fingers against her still crumpled brows. Even though Muriel glared at Kaitlyn for a moment and then relaxed her expression, his hand didn’t move. Playfully tracing along her eyebrows, his fingers moved down the line of her hair, gently pinching her cheek.

 

“You could be the one misunderstanding.”

 

What…! Muriel’s mouth, which had been nervously agape, closely shut. It was because Kaiton’s finger, which had been tracing along Muriel’s face, had reached her lips. If she had even slightly puckered her lips, it felt like his finger would slip inside.

 

Muriel recalled the scorching kiss that had made her forget the cold of the plateau. Her lips still bore the wounds he had chewed on. Healing magic would quickly mend it, but she had forgotten about it because she didn’t feel pain.

 

The kiss had left more than just a wound. It also left a great deal of confusion and raised questions. Muriel knew that Kaiton harbored intense emotions towards her, but she didn’t think it was that way. Occasionally, she could read the longing in his gaze, but that was all. She never imagined they would share such a passionate and intimate kiss.

 

The kiss had changed many things. Muriel could now read passion in his dark eyes. It had always been there, so she was embarrassed that she’d just now discovered it. Being by Kaiton’s side had always made her nervous and on edge, but now she was at a loss.

 

Her own heart was the same. She had always cared about Kaiton, and sometimes she occasionally found herself lost in thoughts of him, but she never thought it was because she liked him. She believed her feelings towards Kaiton were a mix of responsibility, empathy, curiosity, and favorability. But now, she wondered if that was really it.

 

Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe. She wanted to push away Kaiton’s hand that moved along the line of her lips, and she also wanted to bury her tingling and itching lips deeper into his hand. As her temperature continued to rise, she couldn’t figure out what to call this feeling as she avoided his gaze.

 

“You should have shown some attitude. Since you took risks by lending the last piece.”

 

Muriel said, pushing Kaiten’s hand away. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze and turned her head away.

 

“Even if your fancy words are inconvenient and there are some uncomfortable aspects, I have a very generous heart.”

 

“Wait, no, who told you to show me attitude? I meant showing off to Debbie…”

 

“Why would I give attitude to her? I did it because of you.”

 

Thump.

 

Muriel was left completely speechless. She felt like she was about to sneeze. It would feel refreshing to sneeze and make the tingling sensation she felt disappear. Her heart was beating too fast, and her chest felt itchy.

 

“…You can stop messing around now.”

 

Muriel bit her wounded lip hard. Kaiton’s words that he’d pay her back the same way had become true. Muriel was now being tossed around in a whirlwind of confusion. She even suspected that this new Kaiton might be under some kind of spell.

 

Kaiten burst into laughter at Muriel’s grudging murmur. Seeing that bright smile, she couldn’t help but think it was both annoying and lovely, like something he’d firmly held onto had definitely broken.

 

***

 

Debbie eventually decided to join.

 

It was after Muriel explained Kaiton had no more fragments of Ur left, and that no one could turn them into demons because the piece he’d handed over to them to study was the last piece he had.

 

Debbie also seemed to know that Kaiton could take away the fragment he handed over to them if he decided so, but like Kaiton had said, he’d already made his mind to lend it, and she waited a bit to see if the conditions were plausible before agreeing.

 

Once Debbie’s decision to join was made, everything happened in an instant. Sadie and Debbie had a long discussion about who to go with, and in the blink of an eye, they gathered five young wizards.

 

The decision to have five was also made by Sady and Debbie. They reasoned that if there were too many, it would be troublesome during research, and if there were too few, there would be too much work. They were all wizards who seemed to mix with Sady and Debbie appropriately. Some had eccentric personalities, some were fearless to the point of lacking a sense of reality, and others were timid and sensitive like herbivores.

 

None of them required much explanation. Even though they did not know Kaiton was Ur, they didn’t question why Muriel was trying to restore Ur’s honor or why she was planning a demon eradication operation in the Ghost Realm. To be able to directly study the essence of black magic; that one reason seemed satisfying enough. Muriel once again admired how appropriate Kaiten’s “handling” was.

 

“It will be difficult to move all by carriage…”

 

August looked helplessly at the seven black wizards in black cloaks.

 

Although the carriage with Eklum’s emblem engraved on it was undoubtedly massive, it couldn’t accommodate all the people who had gathered. Furthermore, the carriage was already filled with items purchased from the market, so the space was even more limited.

 

So naturally, it was decided that Kaiton and Muriel would fly separately. And since there was one more seat available, Ondal joined them. Originally, Sadie had offered to take the remaining seat, but Muriel insisted on Ondal. Kaiten openly expressed his displeasure, but he didn’t say anything as Muriel stuck close to Ondal.

 

Among the seven black wizards, including Sadie, there were three female wizards. Ondal was visibly at unease in the same space as them. He tried to hide it, but his normally pale face was growing even whiter. Moreover, when she approached him, she noticed him shivering slightly with goosebumps all over his body. His trauma, which she thought had improved a bit now because he casually hugged and held hands with her, was still embedded deep inside Ondal.

 

“Hold on tight if you don’t want to fall.”

 

“Like this?”

 

Kaiton naturally positioned himself between Muriel and Ondal as he spoke. It was not easy to imagine Kaiton flying with Ondal’s waist in his arms.

 

“I think it’s better for Ondal to be next to me.”

 

“…That’s not possible.”

 

“Why?”

 

“…Because then we’ll break…. Why do you have so many questions? If it can’t be done, it can’t be done!”

 

Muriel’s head naturally tilted at Kaiton’s dubious answer, and he shouted loudly while avoiding eye contact.

 

“Still… Ondal might be uncomfortable. Is there no way for me to go by his side?”

“Are you his babysitter? Just go like this. Or take the carriage.”

“…Then Ondal and I will go together in the carriage… Ah!”

 

Before Muriel could finish speaking, Kaiton hugged her waist and jumped up. Startled, Muriel instinctively embraced Kaiton’s waist, then quickly let go in surprise. Maybe it was because she’d become more conscious of him, but sticking so close to him wasn’t as comfortable as before.

 

So Muriel stiffened like a wooden statue, holding her breath, when two more statues entered her vision. Kaiton, staring straight ahead with an expression like he’d chewed on shit, and Ondal, pale and hugging his waist.

 

“Fufu..!”

 

Laughter burst out automatically at the ridiculous appearance of the two. Thanks to this, Muriel became a bit more comfortable. She was still bothered by Kaiton and her heart was pounding, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as before.

 

“Ondal, even if you don’t like it, please bear with it for a moment. We’ll be there soon.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

“I’m the one who has to bear with it!”

 

Although nothing had been resolved yet, Muriel felt a strange sense of peace. Even though Kaiton had only slightly changed, it seemed like the world had become more tranquil. Muriel hoped that this moderate peace would last for a long time. If not forever, she wished it passed a little slower, just like time at the plateau.

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Aww this is the end of the ‘the plateau where time stands stills’ arc.