I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain The thick fog cleared up completely before they even reached the Doren River. It wasn't even noon yet. It was likely thanks to Ian having eliminated the source of the fog. Of course, the sky was still full of dark clouds, but the view across the rather wide river was clear. The greenery had disappeared, and a gentle, rocky ridge stretched out before them. "Looks like there’s a fork in the road," Ian murmured from Moro’s saddle as they crossed a long, old stone bridge that was clearly an ancient relic. Even though they had a carriage, he was still riding Moro. It was partly to play the part of an escort knight, but in truth, it was also because he felt cooped up inside the carriage. "The road along the ridge will tire the horses, and taking the path through the valley will add about a day to our journey," Mukapa said from the driver’s seat. The pony he had ridden was now pulling the carriage alongside the two white horses. Despite the size difference and the sudden change into a three-horse team, it was Mukapa’s little mount that led the way with the most spirit. "We’ll take the ridge." Ian’s single sentence decided their route. Mukapa offered no objection and turned onto the path that followed the ridge to the right. A desolate landscape of large and small rocks and stiff grass growing from the cracks continued. As expected, the sea is getting closer. As time passed, the salty smell mixed in the wind grew slightly stronger. Of course, Ian wasn’t surprised. The fork had led to the right, which meant they were heading northwest. Feeling the increasingly strong, yet still lukewarm, wind against him, Ian leisurely brought the wine bottle in his hand to his lips. It was one of the items he had received from the Lighthouse Trading Company. Thanks to that, he had learned the rather uninteresting fact that Southern wine was sweeter than that from the capital, and that quite a few nobles preferred it. Though it was a high-quality product, packaged in individual glass bottles, Ian had taken a crate without hesitation. It was enough to drink instead of water for a while. The small window on the side of the carriage opened a few hours after they had started climbing the ridge. At the sight of the elder fairy’s white face peeking out, Ian said, "Doesn’t look like you got much sleep." Lucia and Thesaya had, quite literally, chatted through the entire night. Of course, it was because of Yog. The arrogant elder fairy and the sinister snake had hit it off from the start. Thanks to that, their conversation had quickly drifted into dangerous subjects, like dark magic and forbidden knowledge, which was a topic that perfectly suited the tastes of the danger-loving saintess. It was a flow Ian could neither stop nor prevent. Deprived of sleep himself, he had only regained some peace at dawn by meditating in the saddle. The two, who had been chattering nonstop even then, had only quieted down when they were almost at the river. The reason Ian was just sitting on his saddle drinking was also to enjoy the silence. "The road is just so uncomfortable. You know how I am about my sleeping arrangements," the former wandering vampire fairy replied. A chuckle escaped Ian’s lips. "Right. A precious lady like you." "Lucy is sleeping soundly, so don’t worry. Drooling and all. In the meantime, nothing happened, right?" Thesaya said, holding her hand out the window. Readily handing her the wine bottle, Ian shrugged. "Nothing at all." "And the ones behind us, are they still following?" Ian glanced back nonchalantly. Far below on the ridge, a single carriage and two riders were following them. It was the second son of Viscount Chambers, his escort knight Brennen, and his squire. The group had left the campsite before sunrise as planned. The campfire had long since gone out, yet Sir Brennen somehow found out and hastily followed them. Of course, it was to ask to accompany them. "I heard the story from the guards, Sir Apostle. Please have mercy and let us travel with you. We will only follow from a great distance. We will not be a bother or an inconvenience to the Elder." It was practically a plea. Ian and Thesaya hadn’t even blinked, but he had succeeded in gaining the sympathy of the Apostle of the Blazing Goddess. And this was the result. "Hmph… persistent, aren’t they? They must be terrified of the monsters, even though they’re covered head to toe in magic gear," Thesaya murmured mockingly, bringing the wine bottle to her lips. Ian, his gaze still fixed on the figures behind them, added, "They’re probably not strong enough to fight a life-or-death battle with the monsters. And it doesn’t seem like they have much experience with that, either." "It just seems like they lack real-world experience in general. They’re country bumpkins from the capital. Then again, that’s probably why they’re out here having fun in times like these." Thesaya snorted, took another sip of wine, and added, "They’ll probably get ripped off left and right in Rune Catis, too. They’ll be lucky if they even make it back to the mainland in one piece." The possibility seemed high. Just by concentrating, Ian could hear a voice inside the carriage complaining that his butt hurt. Glancing at the rather tired-looking Brennen and the squire, who was dozing off in his saddle, Ian turned his gaze forward again. "Well, that’s none of my business."He held out his left hand in front of the window again. As Thesaya readily placed the wine bottle in his hand, she added, "It wouldn’t hurt to help them, would it? They look like they have a lot of money." "Do you know about his family?" "No. But he’s a noble from the capital. That’s impossible without money and connections. And to be traveling for fun like that, well, it’s obvious." A sinister smile spread across Thesaya’s lips. "Wouldn’t it be better for us to fleece them before someone else does?" "You’re already rich enough." Ian, who had let out a soft laugh, brought the wine bottle to his lips. Thesaya’s smile deepened slightly. "The more money, the better. I think you said something similar, Ian." "Forget it. That only matters if you’re certain you’ll make it back alive. We’ll be struggling just to look after ourselves, and I’m not about to take responsibility for them on top of that." Ian shook his head and wiped his mouth with his cloak. "It’s not like the other ships will be any different. Then again, the smuggling ships might refuse to set sail. And we’re setting sail no matter what." Thesaya nodded. The reason she didn’t mention the possibility of dying was likely because it was too obvious to even state. "Right. I don’t know what kind of man that captain is, but he won’t want to die. If he knows he has no other choice, he’ll find the best possible way somehow," Ian replied calmly. It was an incredibly irresponsible thing to say, but this method was surprisingly effective. Most people exhibited abilities beyond their limits when faced with the threat of death. Of course, there was also the calculation that a person who was indebted to the Duke was unlikely to be a novice. "So you’re leaving it to the expert. Fair enough. We know nothing about the sea," Thesaya said with a shrug, putting a long cigarette to her lips. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel·fire.net A moment later, the cigarette flew out the window as if on its own. As Thesaya looked at him, Ian caught the flying cigarette with his fingers and said, "Lucy is inside." "You really do baby her." Thesaya pouted and opened the door. Just as Ian’s brow was about to furrow, she leaped up and landed in front of his saddle. It was a movement as light as a feather. Perhaps it felt that way because she had taken off her cloak. As Moro let out an annoyed snort, Ian’s lips, holding the cigarette, parted. "Do you really have to smoke that badly?" "What’s the problem? Officially, we’re lovers, aren’t we?" Thesaya said smoothly, kicking the carriage door shut with her left foot. How long are you going to use that excuse? Thesaya, who had turned back, brought a small flint to the cigarette. Ian, who had let out a dry laugh, inhaled. The well-polished, finger-sized flints struck each other, creating a spark that soon caught on the end of the cigarette. "I know it won’t change anything anyway, but suppose we really run into the archdemon. What then? Run? Or fight?" Thesaya said, snatching the cigarette just as Ian drew in the smoke. Mukapa, sitting in the driver’s seat, perked his ears. An orc’s ears were rather small for their size, which made them stand out even more. In any case, it seemed he, too, was curious about Ian’s thoughts. "It depends on the situation, but If we have a choice, we should run, for the most part." Ian replied readily, looking down at Thesaya, who was waiting for his answer while smoking. He didn’t bother to add that, based on his experience so far, a situation where they had to fight might arise. Not that he wanted to—he didn’t. The archdemons he had encountered had all been terrifyingly strong, and Bukikia was a particularly troublesome one. It could kill him easily, just by dragging him underwater. Ian could hold his breath for a long time, but he couldn’t live without air forever. "So, running is the priority? That’s a relief," Thesaya said, looking forward. Seeing the herbal-smelling smoke coming out, she was clearly letting out a sigh of relief. The tension in Mukapa’s perked ears also eased. "What chance do I have of subjugating a creature that couldn’t be subjugated even when it was hiding in the inner sea, and by myself at that? The top priority is reaching the mainland safely, no matter what." Ian said, holding his right hand out in front of Thesaya’s face. Grasping the cigarette between his fingers, he added, "To do that, the ship we’re on must not sink. Just think about that." "If a problem arises, it seems a spellcaster will have a lot to do." Thesaya readily returned the cigarette and looked back. "Aren’t you glad I came with you?" "Well, yeah, especially since you’re a blue mage." Ian, the cigarette in his mouth, replied. Thesaya smiled brightly. "A skilled blue mage, no less. Maybe this time I’ll finally get to show what I can really do." "Didn’t you say you hated life-or-death situations?" "Of course I do. But I’ve got you, don’t I? You’ll handle it somehow. Won’t you?" We’d be lucky if we didn’t drown together. Ian inhaled the cigarette smoke, handing the wine bottle in his left hand to Thesaya. Their talk drifted on from there, circling around Yog, the Hexagonal Alliance, and other trivial matters. Clip-clop, clip-clop— The gentle uphill slope gradually flattened out around the time he had almost finished his cigarette. The already gloomy sky was getting darker and darker. Extinguishing the cigarette on the palm of his gauntlet, Ian murmured, "I think we’re really near the sea now." "That is correct. The sea is just beyond this. You will probably be able to see it with your own eyes soon." Mukapa, holding the reins, said, looking back. The crest of the hill continued on to the right. Without realizing it, the road had gradually turned westward. If they kept on, the scenery hidden by the ridge would soon come into view. "The sea… It’s been a while," Thesaya murmured. Ian, who had thrown away the cigarette butt, asked, "If we walk all night, do you think we can arrive sometime tomorrow?" "We will have to let the horses rest for a bit in between, but we should be able to arrive by noon tomorrow at the latest." If it’s that distance, we should be able to see it from here. As Ian nodded, Thesaya added, "Give them plenty of dried fruits. Drizzle some honey on them, too. They need energy." She clearly wanted to take the horses to the mainland safely. A creature like Moro might be fine, but ordinary horses would have a hard time keeping up with the group’s stamina. In fact, since they were the ones doing the walking, it would be even harder. The white horses were already starting to look a little thinner. Nodding in agreement, Ian looked down at the top of Thesaya’s head. "You’ve finished your cigarette. Are you going to stay here?" "The sea’s about to show. I’ll head back once I’ve seen it. Speaking of which, should I wake Lucy?" At Thesaya’s bright question, Ian let out a soft laugh and shook his head. "Let her sleep. She’ll be seeing it until she’s sick of it soon anyway." "You have no romance, Ian…" At Thesaya’s words as she shook her head, Ian snorted. Anyone would become like him if they had spent more years wandering than staying in one place. And it wasn’t even as if he had chosen this life. If he could, he would go back to a small, cozy one-room apartment right now and rest for months without moving a muscle. That seems less realistic than this does now. Smacking his lips bitterly, Ian brought the nearly empty wine bottle to his lips. It wasn’t long before the relatively flat road began to slope forward slightly. Ian, who had been silently drinking his wine, looked down below the ridge that continued downward. Far beyond the area shrouded in darkness, a city with flickering lights was visible, the size of a fingernail. That was likely Rune Catis. Of course, he wasn’t the only one who had spotted their destination. The sea, which had been hidden by the ridge on the right side of the road, was also revealing itself. Only after Thesaya exclaimed in awe did Ian finally turn his head. It was already dark, but thanks to the dark clouds filling the sky, it wasn't difficult to distinguish the horizon. The sea breeze swept over Ian. Waves were rolling in the dark navy sea. It wouldn’t have been strange if a storm were coming. Ian’s eyes, staring at the sea that seemed to be writhing, soon narrowed slightly. Is it because I absorbed the coral’s chaos? A strange sense of foreboding was brushing against the back of his neck. "I think I see land over there. Mukapa, is that land?" Thesaya asked brightly. Her gaze was fixed slightly to the right of straight ahead. Mukapa’s hum followed. "You have sharp eyes. I can’t see it, but you may be right. The farther west we go, the closer we come to the mainland." "Ah, right. There’s a strait at the western end, too. Then can’t we just go straight west from here?" "That would be difficult. The terrain gets higher again the farther west you go. There will be no place to board or disembark a ship." "I see. But then what are those lights?" At Thesaya’s subsequent question, Mukapa tilted his head. "What lights are you referring to?" "Near the horizon. There are lights floating around." Mukapa craned his neck. Finally spotting the numerous small lights flickering in the distance, he let out a low hum. "Those… seem to be ships." "Ships? What, so they were still operating here after all?" Thesaya murmured, looking at the lights that repeatedly appeared and disappeared as if being swallowed by the waves. Mukapa looked back at her. "Smuggling ships do not light their lamps, Elder." "Really? Then those are—" Thesaya, who had paused at the answer that came from above her head, looked back. Ian, who had been staring at the same place as her, added without turning his gaze, "They’re ships sent from the archipelago."