I Am a Villain, So What?-Chapter 128: A variable

I nodded. "Understood."

I’d heard this feedback before. I knew it. That’s why I needed Merle.

As the class continued, I stood on the sidelines, my eyes scanning the other students.

’A female cadet...’

Even in the original game, the identity of the serial killer was a mystery until the final reveal. There was no mention of which class she was in.

"Cadet. Are you listening?"

"Hey! Cadet Lucien!"

"Yes, I’m listening."

"Hand on your conscience, were you really listening?"

"...Maybe."

I got chewed out again by Samantha for daydreaming.

****

[After Class]

I packed up my rifle case in the classroom. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the desks.

"Wait a moment. I need to talk, Cadet Lucien."

I froze.

I turned around.

Standing in the doorway was Kael.

And behind him stood Celestia, Elisha, Bordon, and Mariella.

The full "Protagonist Party." The Avengers of the Academy.

My head throbbed. I didn’t like this.

"What if I say no?" I asked, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"It’s about yesterday," Kael said, his voice serious. "And the information you gave us."

Celestia stepped forward, her golden hair shining. She looked at me with a complicated expression.

"Lucien. Kael told us everything. About the investigation. About your... help."

"Search on your own," I said coldly, walking toward the back door. "I’m not part of your club. I’ll handle things my way."

"We can’t do it alone," Elisha spoke up, blocking the back exit. "If the enemy is truly a student... we need someone who thinks like a criminal."

She looked me in the eye.

"We need you."

Here is the improvised Chapter.

Chapter 149: The Survivor of Lumeveil

"Search on your own," I said coldly, walking toward the back door of the classroom. "I’m not part of your club. I’ll handle things my way."

"We can’t do it alone!" Elisha spoke up, stepping in front of the door to block my exit. Her violet eyes were desperate, stripping away her usual noble pride.

"If the enemy is truly a student... if they are hiding in plain sight... the Protagonist Party is too conspicuous. We follow the rules. We think like heroes."

She looked me dead in the eye, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"But this killer is insane. To catch a monster... we need someone who thinks like a criminal."

She paused.

"We need you."

I stared at her. It was a compelling argument.

But I wasn’t going to be leashed.

"Move, Ravenscroft."

Like a stubborn child, I sidestepped her. The Protagonist Party, knowing they couldn’t sway my stubbornness without a fight, let me pass.

I could feel their gazes burning into my back as I left.

[The Academy Main Gate - Sunset]

I stood in the shadow of the clock tower near the main gate.

[Skill Active: Detection ]

I watched the cadets streaming out for evening leave. I checked mana signatures, gait, and equipment. I waited until the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of bruised purple.

But no cadet resembling the culprit appeared. No strange mana fluctuations. No one carrying the scent of dried blood and herbs.

’Are they staying in the dorms tonight?’

If so, I was out of luck. The dorms were protected by high-level wards I couldn’t breach without triggering an alarm.

’I’ll search tomorrow. I feel sorry for today’s potential victims, but this is my limit.’

I adjusted my collar, turning to leave.

Tap. Tap.

The sound of a cane against cobblestone echoed behind me.

I turned around.

An old man in a worn brown coat was approaching me from the direction of the faculty buildings. He looked out of place among the young students.

It was Merle.

He wasn’t smiling. His usual grumpy shopkeeper demeanor was gone, replaced by a sharp, scholarly intensity.

"Mr. Ashborne," he greeted, stopping a few paces away. "Do you have a moment?"

An unexpected guest. But I wasn’t fazed. In fact, I had been hoping for this.

’Hmm.’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Why did he seek me out? Logic dictated he should be sticking to Kael, the "Hero" who saved him yesterday.

But I was glad.

Merle was a special supporting character. In the game, he was just a merchant. But lore-diggers knew he wielded mysterious Card Magic of unknown origin and possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of Ancient Artifacts that surpassed even the Royal Mages.

To me—someone seeking a "True Ending" for this broken world—he was an invaluable asset.

That’s why I had gritted my teeth and cooperated with the Protagonist Party yesterday. To plant this seed.

"I have time," I replied politely.

"Follow me. There is a quiet place nearby."

*****

[The Scholars’ Nook - Private Booth]

We sat in the back of a dimly lit café frequented by professors. The steam from two black coffees rose between us.

"I was surprised," Merle said, stirring his drink without looking at it. "To think the heir of Count Ashborne would come all the way to the slums to save an old man."

"I thought visiting your shop again might be rude without a gift," I deflected.

"Thank you for your consideration."

Merle took a sip. His hand trembled slightly.

I knew why.

His granddaughter, Irina. The girl I saved yesterday.

In the original timeline, she would die to a demon summoner within the week. Merle would wail for days and nights before burning his research and taking his own life. That was his scripted fate.

But that script was already cracking.

"Since you’ve shown consideration, I’ll engage actively in this conversation," Merle said, setting his cup down. "Mr. Lucien. I didn’t come here to thank you."

"I assumed as much."

"The matter I need to discuss is grave."

Merle reached into his pocket. He took out a faded, yellowed business card made of a material that looked like metal but felt like paper.

He placed it on the table, face down.

"Tell me," Merle’s eyes sharpened behind his spectacles. "Are you a Holy Assassin from the Holy nation or somehow related to them. Like maybe apprentice or something.

"...No."

I blinked. To think everyone would start suspecting me of being a Church agent just after using that Divine bullet. The misunderstanding keeps increasing.

"I am not affiliated with the Holy Empire," I stated firmly.

"Then how?" Merle leaned forward, his voice dropping to a hiss. "How did you know about the Shadow Stalkers? How did you know about the Order of the Dawn? Those names were erased from history five hundred years ago. Only the High Priests of the Holy Empire... and the survivors of that place... know them."

He flipped the card over.

My eyes widened.

[Lumeveil Imperial Research Institute] [Chief Manager: Merle Aris] [Clearance Level: 0 (Director)]

"...!"

The Lumeveil Research Institute!

’What the actual fuck?’

’This is whole new development.’

’Hey this is cheating. This was not in the plot. Where did this new development come from’

I screamed inwardly as I saw that card.

I thought Merle was just an unusually knowledgeable antique dealer. I knew he had a backstory. But to be the Chief Manager of the Fallen Empire’s Research Division?

He wasn’t just a survivor. He was one of the architects of the modern magical world.

"Tell me, Mr. Lucien," Merle pressed, his gaze piercing. "You wield a weapon from my era. You know the names of the ancient enemies. Who are you?"

’A bold move.’

If he came out like this, revealing his biggest secret, I couldn’t just back off with a lie. He would see right through it.

’But... this is what I wanted.’

I leaned back, crossing my legs. I let my "Villain" mask slip, revealing the tired player underneath.

"I am not a Holy Assassin. I am not a hero."

I looked him in the eye.

"I am a variable."

"A... variable?"

"I want to correct the chaos and disasters in this world," I said quietly. "I don’t want to die in a scripted apocalypse."

I tapped the table.

"I want to find a breakthrough from the predetermined destruction that is coming. I will protect my people, my home, and yes, even your granddaughter. That is my only wish."

Merle stared at me. He searched for deceit in my eyes.

"I am not connected to the Holy Empire," I continued. "I am merely using their history—and yours—as a means to survive."

If this was a war of information, I would trade.

"Since you questioned me, Manager Merle, it is my turn."

I pointed at the card.

"As a Director of the Lumeveil Empire’s Research Institute, you must know the truth that the history books hide."

I lowered my voice to a whisper.

"What is the connection between the Lumeveil Empire... and the Dungeons that suddenly appeared worldwide and swallowed your civilization?"

Merle froze.

The color drained from his face. It was the expression of a man who realized that the Pandora’s Box he thought was buried... was actually sitting wide open on the table.

"You..." Merle whispered, his voice trembling. "How much do you know?"

"Enough to be scared," I replied.