A Villain's Will to Survive-Chapter 192: World of the Voice (2)

The world of the Voice was connected in rippling waves, its mysteries even unknown to one of its developers, Yoo Ah-Ra. However, one thing was certain—its concentric layers were deeply tied to the concept of memory.

“... So, what I’m saying is, in this world, it’s possible for even the dead to exist,” Ria said to Leo and Carlos.

The three, cloaked in robes, settled at a table in the corner of the tavern.

“How?” Leo asked, tilting his head with curious eyes.

“Are you actually dumb? This world can store the memories of people who’ve died. That means someone who’s already gone could come back, remembering everything from when they were alive,” Carlos explained.

“Yeah, that’s close to what Carlos said. But...”

Ria stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as they landed on a nearby table in the room. There, bathed in the warm glow of the light, sat two people—Sylvia and Yulie—casually sharing a plate of roasted chicken. The sight, so unexpected, sent a ripple of surprise through her; yet they were not the only ones present.

Creeeeak—

The wooden tavern door creaked open, and the air shifted with a sudden chill, like the shock of an ice cube slipping into a glass of lukewarm cola. A wave of cold rippled through the room, drawing Ria and the children’s eyes instinctively toward the entrance—no, everyone in the tavern turned to look.

“... It’s Professor Deculein.”

A noble who commanded the attention of everyone in the room, an irresistibly magnetic villain whose very presence made one feel impossible to look away, as if caught off guard; an irregular beyond Ria’s status to describe; the living embodiment of independence and dominance; and a named character who alone held weight—Deculein.

Thud, thud— Thud, thud—

Deculein’s measured footsteps carried an unshakable elegance, while a frosty aura of authority flowed from him, cutting through the air like a winter gale—a reflection of his meticulous and almost obsessively pristine nature, even here, in the world of the Voice.

Leo's eyes grew wide with panic as he gasped, “Ria! What do we—”

"... Shh," Ria whispered, pressing a finger to her lips as she silently watched.

Leo nodded silently, pressing his lips together, while Carlos tugged his hood low over his robe.

“... Ria, what do we do? Should we run?” Leo whispered.

"No, let’s not run. We will have to face him sooner or later."

In the world of the Voice, Deculein was indispensable—now more than ever, as he had grown far stronger than he was in the original game. After all, the final boss of the Voice was none other than his father, Decalane.

Tremble, tremble—

The table shuddered without warning, its surface rippling faintly. Ria turned instinctively, her eyes scanning for the source.

It was Carlos.

Tremble, tremble—

The child’s pupils had already lost focus, his face drained of all color as though life itself had slipped away. Though he was far stronger than Ria, his hands trembled violently, cold sweat trickling down his pale skin. This wasn’t fear he’d learned—it was terror seared deep into his core. Watching him quiver so helplessly, one couldn’t help but feel nothing but sympathy.

"... It’s okay, Carlos," Ria said, taking Carlos’s trembling hand in hers.

"Yeah! Don’t worry, he won’t even notice us~," Leo said, adding his hand to the pile of theirs.

Carlos couldn’t help but let out a faint chuckle, drawn out by the easy confidence in Leo’s words.

***

The moment I opened the tavern door, all eyes turned toward me, a reaction I had grown used to. Paying no mind to the weight of their stares, I moved toward the bar with Epherene, choosing a seat far from the unruly crowd scattered across the room as I had no intention of mingling with their kind.

“... Professor, everyone’s staring at us,” Epherene murmured.

Epherene wasn’t wrong; everyone in the tavern openly stared at us for far too long. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Yulie, now wearing ridiculous béret in a feeble attempt at disguise, pretended not to notice us.

"Is this your first time here?" the barkeep asked, wiping a cup clean with a practiced hand.

“Yes, it is. Why?” Epherene replied.

“Hmm, I never expected to see Professor Deculein walk through my door," the barkeep remarked.

“You know the Professor?”

"Who doesn’t? Even the news of Professor burying the Scarletborn alive has made their way to this place."

Epherene flinched, her shoulders stiffening as she glanced nervously at me before murmuring under her breath, "That might have been a bit too much..."

“I’d like to hear about other rumors,” I said, getting straight to the point.

The tavern was the nexus where all news converged and where all quests were born. It was, without a doubt, the starting point of the Voice.

"Hmm. News, you say? Had it been some nameless adventurer asking, I would’ve scoffed and sent him on his way... But you, Professor, are another story. Even in this world, your reputation across the continent carries weight," the barkeep said, arching an eyebrow as he slid a mug of beer across the counter.

Of course, there was no chance I would ever consider drinking such a cheap excuse for alcohol.

"Ahem. I hear Count Dimitheon is currently recruiting for a mission."

“Recruit?”

"That is correct. They say the Count seeks those who will hunt down a demon masquerading as a human," the barkeep said.

I remained silent, leaning back in my chair with my eyes on the barkeep. On the surface, I seemed calm, but beneath the stillness, a quiet storm stirred. Then, without warning, Telekinesis flared to life, shaking the tavern. Tables rattled, chairs skidded, bottles trembled on the brink of shattering—every object in the room shook violently.

Ruuuuuuumble...!

A subtle quake rippled through the walls and floor, faint yet impossible to mistake. My Telekinesis, pushed to its limits, was no longer a mere skill—it had become an extension of my very presence, a tangible aura. In that moment, I felt an almost transcendent connection, as though the line between my existence and the world around me had dissolved.

"Easy now, please calm down," the barkeep said, clearly startled.

The more enraged I became, the colder my heart turned—an innate aspect of Composure, an attribute that brought me a frigid calm. In mere moments, I quelled the aura completely, as if it had never stirred.

“House of Yukline, the Demon Hunters—I can see the weight of your emotions. Will you take on this mission?” the barkeep asked.

[Main Quest: Voice (1)]

◆ Objective: Demon Hunt

◆ Reward: Store Currency +10

Ten store currencies offered a rare opportunity—perhaps the last—to strengthen the quality of my mana. It was an opportunity too significant to ignore.

“I accept,” I said with a nod.

"Alright then. You can head through that door," the barkeep said, gesturing toward the entrance next to the counter. "Farewell."

I rose from my seat, and Epherene followed closely behind me.

Creak—

Using Telekinesis, I opened the door and stepped inside. Two men immediately caught my attention. One was stretched out on a sofa, appearing to be asleep, while the other sat in a chair, his eyes closed and his fingers interlocked as he pressed them to his forehead, adopting a theatrical pose as if trying to project an air of importance.

“Hmm. Who dares to—huh? Deculein?!”

As the man in the chair slowly raised his head and blurted out in surprise, I recognized him immediately. I had encountered him before—Jukaken, one of the Six Serpents.

"... Ahem. Deculein, this must be the first time we’ve met since the Gerek incident," Jukaken said.

I gave no reaction.

Jukaken, looking slightly awkward, adjusted his expression and continued, "The situation may be uncomfortable, but in a way, it’s for the best. After all, no one is better at hunting demons than you."

The Six Serpents, a criminal syndicate cloaked under the guise of a guild, operated deep within the shadows of the underworld. They would commit any act, no matter how vile, as long as it turned a profit. It was clear they deserved no courtesy from me.

"I have no time for pleasantries or meaningless chatter. Tell me—where is the demon?" I demanded.

"... I have no intention of dragging this conversation out with you either. Here, take this," Jukaken said, pulling out an envelope containing a document.

"Who is Count Dimitheon?" I inquired, taking the envelope with one hand.

Jukaken paused, seeming to reconsider his words, then said, "... That can wait. For now, focus on this—it’s the demon you will be hunting. The advance payment is ten coins, and the reward upon completion is ten times that. For reference, ten coins are equivalent to a fortune of a thousand elne within the Empire."

Shh-zip—!

I tore open the envelope, revealing two montage sketches inside. Picking up the first sheet, I glanced at the drawing on the paper, and recognition struck me immediately—the face was all too familiar.

"Long story short, the mission involves a demon within the Voice—or more precisely, a human it has brought back to life," Jukaken said.

Jukaken's words hung in the air for a moment before fading into nothingness.

“They are essentially puppets infused with fragments of the Voice’s own soul. Destroying those puppets weakens the Voice itself, leaving it incomplete. It’s the simplest and most direct way to bring it down.”

It was a face I had never seen before, yet the name escaped my lips—a woman indelibly ingrained in Deculein’s memory.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

“... Cielia,” I murmured.

"Correct, but don’t be mistaken. The face and memories may be hers, but what lies within is a demon. It will act just like her, behave as if it’s the real thing, but it isn’t. However... for you, it shouldn’t be a challenge," Jukaken said with a smirk. "After all, she’s someone you’ve already killed before."

"... Huh? Who... is this?" Epherene asked, her shoulders tensing as she glanced around cautiously.

I turned to look at Epherene, her wide, round eyes blinking like lamps in the dark.

“Sylvia’s mother,” I stated

“... Sorry?! So y-you mean th-that—”

Ignoring Epherene, I turned back toward Jukaken and asked, “Jukaken, do you not wish to see the Voice sustained?”

"Hmm? No, of course not. Think about everything I’ve built in the underworld—the wealth, the treasures. Do you really think I’d abandon all of that to live in a world created by some demon?

"Besides, people like us—those from the underworld—are far too easily drawn to illusions like this. The existence of the Voice is as much a threat to us as it is to anyone. A false world like this needs to be destroyed without delay."

Those words carried an unexpected weight of conviction, and there was no hint of deceit in them.

"Oh, before anything else—there's one more page in there. You must look at it now and make your decision," Jukaken said, his expression turning unexpectedly serious.

I glanced down again, swapping the two montages and setting Cielia’s softly smiling face aside. As I lifted the next sheet and looked at it, an unusual wave of confusion swept through me. For a brief moment, my thoughts came to a complete halt.

“Professor?” Epherene said.

I couldn’t respond; it felt as if my lips were sealed shut, refusing to open.

“Professor...?”

Epherene leaned over my shoulder, her eyes catching on the montage as she started reading the name written at the bottom of the page and murmured, “Yuara... von... Vergiss meinnicht...?”

Yuara von Vergiss Meinnicht was the first woman Deculein ever loved, more deeply than anyone else. At the same time, she was an Easter egg placed into the game by someone I once loved—a character who might as well have been her own avatar.

“Who is this?” Epherene asked.

Of course, I had no memories of this woman, and it was unlikely she was the real Yoo Ah-Ra to begin with. As for the House of Vergissmeinnicht, its name drawn from the forget-me-not flower, it was a legacy I knew nothing about.

However, the face in the montage resembled her—no, it was identical. The sight of that familiar visage after so long stirred something within me. The dark hair, the playful curve of her lips, and those eyes were as vivid as ever—vivid enough to still ache and refuse to fade. And yet, the sound of her voice... that, I could no longer remember.

"Professor?" Epherene called, shaking my shoulder.

"You can choose only one if it feels like too much to handle. Or, if you prefer, you can walk away from this entirely. I understand—love can complicate things," Jukaken said, his voice brushing against the edges of my thoughts.

A pathetic, rat-like sympathy seeped from him, turning my stomach, and I twisted my lips into a sneer, my eyes locking onto his with a cold glare as I asked, "And when was it that you lost yet another boyfriend?"

“... Are you crazy?! I said stop saying things like that!”

“Boyfriend?” Epherene asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t need to know,” Jukaken replied, brushing his hair back without another word.

"Um... ah, I mean, I think I get it, but... who is this person, anyway?" Epherene asked, not giving it much thought, her eyes on the montage sketch.

"That’s Deculein’s first fiancée—the only woman he has ever loved," Jukaken replied, as if delivering a calculated response.

"Then... W-what? No way! This can’t be right!" Epherene burst out, her whole body jerking as she threw her arms up in wild protest.

"Why not?" Jukaken replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Why not, you ask...? Even if it’s a demon, you just said it looks exactly like someone he loved.”

"And they don’t just look like her—it’s practically the same person. Even her memories have been recreated in perfect detail."

"That’s even worse!" Epherene exclaimed. "That doesn’t make any sense. How could—"

Epherene began muttering something again, but I paid her no mind, my eyes remaining locked on the montage, on the face of a woman whose voice I could no longer remember. Her face, which I had missed with quiet desperation, felt like the rediscovery of a treasure lost to time, hidden in the distant past. However...

Plop—

I gently set the montage sketches on the table.

"That doesn’t make any sense at all—!"

"You crazy bitch! Let go of me right now! What are you even doing? Have you lost your mind?!"

"Oh, whatever! Just let someone else handle it—"

"Epherene," I called, stopping her as she wrestled with Jukaken.

"... Yes, Professor?" Epherene asked, releasing her grip on Jukaken's collar.

"If your father were brought back as a demon... would you find it within yourself to kill him?" I asked quietly.

Epherene remained silent, clearly disturbed by the question, biting her lower lip, her frustration evident—perhaps more so because it had come from me, the one who had taken her father’s life.

Then, as if lashing out in frustration, Epherene snapped, “Then what about you, Professor? If someone you loved—”

“I would.”

I looked into Epherene's eyes—her eyes, clear as the open sea and untouched by any hint of lies, reflected my own image back at me.

“Without hesitation.”

[Quest Accepted: Voice (1)]

***

Meanwhile, Sylvia’s eyes rested on the door behind the counter—the one Deculein had just stepped through.

“Lady Iliade.”

Sylvia meant to observe Deculein—not to sneak or spy—but the woman in front of her kept getting in the way. Frustrated, she puffed out her cheeks and glared at Yulie.

"Do you mean to say that such a thing is really possible?" Yulie asked, her face full of seriousness.

"... Yes. But are you sure you really want that?" Sylvia asked.

“Yes. I really do.”

Sylvia listened to the desperation in Yulie’s voice and thought, This woman... She knows nothing at all. How foolish she is.

“You might regret it.”

"I won’t regret it."

In the world of the Voice, every sound and memory from across the continent was stored. What Yulie sought was the truth in the voices of Veron and Rockfell at the moments of their deaths.

"Then let’s work together. I need a knight too," Sylvia said.

"Yes, of course. However, may I ask what kind of cooperation you’re referring to?"

Sylvia hesitated for a moment but then honestly said, "In this world, my mother is still alive."

Sylvia continued, "I know she’s not real, but I still want to see her—just once. To make that happen, I’ll need the help of a knight. This world is full of dangers, even tigers."

"... Yes. I understand. In that case—"

“We want to help too!”

At that moment, a clear sound of enthusiasm interrupted from somewhere, drawing Sylvia and Yulie to turn toward the source. Ria, Leo, and a boy—a group of three children—were making their way toward them.

“We don’t really know what’s going on, but let us join too! We can help, really! We need to earn some coins too!” Ria pleaded.

Instinctively, Sylvia furrowed her brow.

Trying to calm her down, Yulie said, "Oh, Lady Iliade. These children... they are adventurers—"

"Yes, I know. We met them on the way to Rekordak," Sylvia replied.

"Oh, yes. That’s right," Yulie said, glancing toward Ria.

Ria nodded with a bright smile, as clear and innocent as the morning sun.

"Miss Ria demonstrated exceptional skill in protecting Professor Deculein during the hunt for Daeho. Though she is still young, her abilities are nothing short of extraordinary. Therefore—"

Sylvia rose from her seat without a word, and Yulie silently followed. Together, the five of them stepped out of the tavern and into the bustling streets outside, chaotic and alive, filled with the noise as if it were a crowded marketplace.

"Come, come! Take a look, everyone~ We’ve got goods here you won’t find anywhere else on the continent~"

In fact, it was indeed a marketplace, and Sylvia moved through it with no intention of stopping. However, her eyes were suddenly drawn to a particular dagger—a silver blade gleaming among the wares displayed at a vendor's stall.

"Perfect for self-defense, miss! Light enough for your hand to hold without a problem, and if you manage to land a single stab—instant death! Just one coin for this fine blade!"

Sylvia turned away silently, her usual frugality showing through. There was no reason for her to make a purchase, after all. With just a moment of focus and the brush of her mana...

Zing—

Sylvia could easily recreate an identical silver dagger, exactly like the one she had just seen, and it would appear in her hand without the slightest difference.

“Phew. Look, there goes Deculein,” Carlos said with a sigh of relief.

"... Oh," Sylvia murmured as she turned to look back at the spot.

There, Deculein walked ahead, his steps weighted with an unspoken heaviness, while Epherene followed three paces behind, her sorrow as quiet as her footsteps. The silence between them hung heavy, like a still pond disturbed only by ripples.

Sylvia vaguely understood that the emotions she felt for Deculein were both love and hatred—two irreconcilable feelings tangled together in a maze of contradictions, impossible to separate and destined to remain at odds.

"Lady Iliade, where should we go from here?" Yulie asked.

Three children had gathered around Yulie, and while Sylvia didn’t care much for them, as Yulie had mentioned, their skills seemed reliable enough.

"Does that mean we can join too?! Oh, and by the way—this is Carlos, that’s Leo, and I’m Ria!" Ria said excitedly.

"Alright, I get it. Just follow me," Sylvia replied quietly.

“Okay!”

"Loud child, quiet down. Lower your voice."

“Okay...”