Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Hero and Heavenly Demon's Master (3)
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The village chief of Wonderhill, Kevin, was breaking out in a cold sweat as he listened to the report on the current situation.
A rural village in a remote area where few people ever visited, and because of that, the locals had grown even more insular and clannish. And now, guests had arrived.
"The Gold Tower Lord?! Wolfram Alchemista herself is here?!"
The master of the Magic Tower, established to fend off the Demon King's invasions in this world. Wolfram, who could supposedly turn even a roadside pebble into gold.
A person famous for measuring human worth solely in terms of money and wealth, and for ruthlessly eliminating anyone who caused her even the slightest loss, no matter the cost.
Rumors abounded in even the back-alley black markets of people who had gone bankrupt owing her massive debts.
"What in the world...?"
Kevin gnawed at his nails, forced to imagine the reason based on the reports from the other villagers.
Did they find out he'd diverted goods meant for the capital after claiming they'd been raided by bandits, then split the spoils on the sly?
Or had word spread about him buying up sick or infirm beastkin slaves and selling them at a premium to nobles with peculiar tastes in the countryside?
Maybe his unfair tax collection to fill his own pockets had been exposed?
Or if not that, had it come out that he'd colluded with black mages to gather lepers and whores from the alleys—people no one wanted to see—and turned them into living blood pouches?
'If even one of those gets out, my head's on the chopping block...!!'
Village chief Kevin swallowed hard and hurriedly prepared to receive the Gold Tower Lord.
He had no idea that all this stemmed from Verdandi receiving a divine oracle and being chosen as the Hero.
He was just a vile, repulsive man fretting over his hidden misdeeds being uncovered.
"Aigoo...! Welcome to our humble Wonderhill village!!"
The moment he spotted the Gold Tower Lord Wolfram, Kevin rushed over and bowed deeply. Oil glistened on his shiny bald head, sharply reflecting the sunlight.
"Ugh, it's the bald guy? I thought it was an octopus from afar."
Wolfram spoke as if utterly disgusted by the sight of him. It was quite rude, but he swallowed his boiling rage and forced himself to reply.
"What brings a noble figure like you, Gold Tower Lord, to this wretched little village...?"
Kevin rubbed his hands obsequiously like a fly while gauging the mood around him. Hmm? There were two unfamiliar faces.
A sturdy man with distinctive white hair and blue eyes stood beside the Gold Tower Lord, along with a girl who looked like his upside-down version—black hair and red eyes.
"And who might these two be...?"
They didn't seem like fellow mages from the Magic Tower; their attire and aura were far too different.
"This guy's the junior sister?"
In that instant, a chilling sensation like a blade at his spine shot through him, and a cold voice pierced his ear.
"H-Huh?! A ghost...!!"
Crushed by the killing intent, Kevin collapsed in place, unable to stand, committing a grave breach of etiquette.
"Yes! The village chief's always been eyeing me with that sticky gaze! Scanning me up and down, panting hot breaths like a total pervert!"
At that moment, Verdandi emerged from behind Biwol and Bing Yeon, covering her mouth and giggling as if it were hilarious.
"V-Verdandi...? How are you with the Gold Tower Lord? Did you do something disrespectful...?"
Kevin realized something was terribly wrong from her face.
How could the child of that woman, whom the whole village had relentlessly ostracized, be accompanying such a noble figure as the Gold Tower Lord?
"The disrespect was all yours!"
Verdandi pointed at the wet stain between Kevin's legs. Amid the acrid stench of urine, someone stepped forward.
"Kevin Osclo, you know your crimes better than anyone."
The white-haired man pinched the bridge of his nose, expressing his displeasure through his body language. His identity was Bing Yeon, who had come from the East searching for Verdandi.
"What are you talking about...? I've lived righteously, never committing a single sin under heaven... "
"...A villain! He's definitely a villain!"
Verdandi stuck out her tongue to taunt him. Kevin clicked his tongue, inwardly cursing up a storm at her antics.
"Shut your mouth! What do you even know, Verdandi?!"
The child born from being violated by bandits, yet always smiling so brightly—it grated on him.
A lecherous urge kept surging to paint that bright smile with tears and despair.
"I was the only one who voted against kicking you out of the village! You should be grateful for my mercy!"
Originally, he'd planned to orchestrate the whole village shunning Verdandi, then play the sole understanding savior to take everything from her.
To turn her into a toy he'd beg not to discard no matter how cruelly he pranked her.
That was the ugly inner world of the villain Kevin Osclo, as depicted in the original work Must Kill the Hero.
"...Biwol. This one's head seems a bit too high."
Han Do-hyun, the original author who knew this better than anyone—now inhabiting Bing Yeon's body—slowly pointed downward with his finger.
"Yes, Master. As you command."
"......Urk?!"
Then, with a bam!—Kevin's forehead slammed into the ground. The moment Biwol's hand touched the back of his head, immense force drove it down.
"Illegally selling beastkin slaves to rural nobles, and turning alley kids, elders, and women into blood supplies for black mages."
Bam!—Bam!—!
Each time Bing Yeon listed a crime, Kevin's forehead met the earth. Hot blood trickled from his cracked brow.
"Lying that tribute goods for the capital were raided by bandits, then exploiting the villagers for more land and gold under that pretext."
A chill ran down his spine.
Kevin shuddered as Bing Yeon recited every misdeed he'd imagined without missing a beat.
"H-How do you...!"
"How could you hide from the heavens with the palm of your hand?"
Bing Yeon let out a disbelieving scoff at the panicking Kevin and began listing the unfinished crimes.
"Molesting married women and offering children to bandits to use as serfs—that was you."
Each time, Biwol's hand sent his head crashing down, carving a crater into the ground from the repeated punishment.
"Ch-Chief...?!"
"Isn't that the Gold Tower Lord...?"
Only then did the villagers catch on, gathering around the chief and murmuring. The bloodied village chief, and the suspicious outsiders with Verdandi.
"And you orchestrated the whole village badmouthing my precious disciple and pointing fingers at her."
Bing Yeon slowly lowered his gaze to Kevin, who wailed amid snot and tears.
No matter that it was a setting he'd created himself, he'd thought giving a chance for repentance might change things.
"What a piece of trash."
"Exactly! Total trash!"
As Biwol and Verdandi said, he was trash through and through. Even now, Kevin kept insisting he was innocent, repeating his grievances.
"I-I didn't do anything wrong... "
"Fine, then let's ask the villagers directly. You there, tell us one bad thing the chief did."
Bing Yeon, thoroughly sick of the hypocrite, pointed at a boy to confirm the kill.
"Me?"
"Yes, who else here did I point to?"
To the boy glancing around evasively, Bing Yeon exhaled a hint of chill to loosen his tongue.
"...He spread false rumors that my sister was a witch and called for a trial to burn her at the stake!"
The boy's words shocked even Bing Yeon. An innocent girl reduced to ashes by the chief's villainy.
"Th-That was because your parents wouldn't pay the village development fund...! Families with kids have to pay double...!"
"You tried to lay hands on her with filthy intentions, and when she fought back and fled, you spread rumors to have her killed."
Bing Yeon ground Kevin's face into the dirt himself to silence his excuses. He was done hearing that filthy mouth.
At that moment,
Thud, thud. Small objects came flying from the surroundings.
"...Y-You demon in human skin!"
"Yeah! You trash! Die!"
"We had no idea he was like this!"
The villagers, shifting all blame to the chief, began hurling stones from right at their feet.
"Gold Tower Lord! We've been deceived by the chief all this time!"
"Let's all help the ones who came to save our village!"
Good and evil flipped like the palm of a hand. A quick turnaround from black-hearted, scheming folk.
[The person before you is a 'villain.']
Just for throwing stones at the village chief, as if that erased years of accumulated sins.
"Verdandi, it must've been tough all this time...?"
They flashed kind smiles at Verdandi and extended hands that felt more like a beast's claws than a human's to her.
Terror, disgust, revulsion flooded her in that moment.
"Shut up! You're all the same scum as that dog getting stoned!"
A broad back and shoulders blocked the way between her and the villagers. A man who now inspired even a sense of relief.
"You had your chance!"
The white-haired, blue-eyed Bing Yeon.
"You could've treated Verdandi kindly, scolded the chief upon learning his wrongs, welcomed those chased to the alleys...!"
Bing Yeon raised his voice at the surrounding villagers. Veins bulged on his neck, bloodshot eyes glaring.
"But you didn't. Out of petty fear or 'everyone else is doing it' nonsense, you turned a blind eye to injustice!"
His words halted even the stone-throwing. All eyed Verdandi with displeased faces.
"I hate scum like you most. Liars to themselves, rationalizing their own faults."
At Bing Yeon's sharp words, the beating in Verdandi's heart grew louder.
'He's angry for me...'
Her heart felt broken; she pressed her hand to her chest center, trying to still the pounding, but
"...Not one of you is free of the chief's sins. You filthy mutts."
She couldn't.
Bing Yeon, emanating chill enveloping the whole village in rage, looked too cool.
"It's a shame to leave like this. Still, I got kinda attached hanging with you guys. Thanks for the Philosopher's Stone location too..."
"Then take good care of Verdandi's mom."
I boarded a carriage heading a different path from Wolfram to meet Azazel.
Time to part with the Gold Tower Lord. I'd leave Eila's safety to her, so it should be fine.
"Yeah! Take care, Bing Yeon! Swing by the tower sometime and visit me!"
Wolfram waved vigorously in farewell. Saving someone who should've died filled her with emotion.
"Now you owe me one. Junior sister. You got revenge on those villagers, right?"
"Thank you, senior!"
Biwol and Verdandi chatted animatedly inside the carriage. Seeing my suggestion work perfectly tugged my lips upward.
"Verdandi, no regrets? You got revenge on those villagers, but it might be too late for you to accept..."
I asked just in case, wondering about her feelings. The deep scars in her heart probably wouldn't vanish so easily.
But,
"...It's not too late!"
Verdandi smiled brightly, as if it were nothing.
"I'm grateful just to have met my master now! I nearly did something insane relying only on that oracle!"
I'd stopped her from accidentally killing her mother and spiraling into madness.
Feeling thankful like this was only natural.
"I'll work hard like you, senior!"
"Good, that's the spirit... What?"
Just then, as I momentarily glanced out the carriage window and let my guard down,
Mwah.
"As the Hero, I want to save my princess master and make her my wife!"
She shyly pecked my cheek,
"Y-You vixen...!! Doing something even I haven't before first...?!"
And Biwol shrieked, her face frozen stiff as stone at the sight.