The Villain Bought the Heroine

Chapter 14

“Listen carefully, Alicia. You must never come out. I’ve sealed everything – your eyes, nose, mouth. Do you understand what your sister said?”

When the girl asked in a firm tone, the child reluctantly nodded. Tears rolled down her large eyes one after another despite her small frame.

Watching the bursting tears of the child, the older girl, rather than a child, gently pats her head. A trembling that cannot be calmed is transmitted. The girl senses it. But it’s not just the girl who feels the vibration.

The child spoke. Despite knowing she shouldn’t because the girl told her to keep her mouth shut, she parted her lips.

“Sister… come back?”

“…….”

Upon hearing the question, the girl grits her teeth and bows her head. She suppresses the trembling of her lips with even stronger force as they try to quiver. She controls the expression of her emotions through subtle muscle adjustments.

“Yes, I’ll be back soon.”

The girl embraces the child. Normally, one should act immediately without going through this process. From the moment she decided to put the child in this narrow and filthy warehouse, she had already resolved to do so and acted accordingly.

However, the girl couldn’t do that. She couldn’t just close the door like that. The moment that could be the last with her precious family was so precious that it broke all her determination, and she hugged her younger sibling tightly.

The child knew. Despite trying to hide it, she was someone whose emotions easily showed. Her irregular heartbeat was clearly conveyed to the child.

“It’s not ‘Unni, come back.’ It’s ‘Unni, come back.’ The child tried to say that. She wanted her sister to come back and take her away. Otherwise, she wanted her to stay close by her side. She wanted to say that. However, she couldn’t casually utter such irresponsible words.

No matter how young, she wasn’t incapable of reasoning. Given the circumstances, she shouldn’t throw a tantrum. She had been doing well so far. She could do it. She must not be hindered by her sister.

However, the tears continued to flow without fatigue. Is blood something that can’t be hidden? The more she tried to conceal them, the stronger the emotional reaction became, revealing her feelings.

The girl separated the child from her body. She let go of the desire to stay like this for hours and closed the door of the warehouse where the child was. She saw it until the moment it closed. The distorted face of the girl’s precious younger sibling disappearing into the dark space.

The girl’s expression mirrored that of the child.

The only difference was that she held back her tears, not shedding a single one. That was the only thing.

And.

Clang⎯.

The door closed completely.

***

⎯Thud.

Fingers snap.

At that moment, something magical happened. The monsters that were about to open their mouths wide to devour her and the man, suddenly shut their mouths and turned around, pushing other monsters aside as if they were possessed by something. They seemed completely disinterested in their prey.

The feeling when he released mana was not entirely dissimilar to the mana discharge she had used while fighting the monsters, but there was something decisively different.

Alicia landed on the ground and looked at Vargan. His expression was as composed as ever. Even amidst the urgent situation of the village crumbling, he maintained a consistent demeanor.

“It’s not something like magic, Alicia. It is magic itself,” he says.

A slight smile plays on his lips.

“Open your eyes wide and watch carefully. Remember everything happening from now on and replay it in your mind over and over.”

Imprint this in your mind to the extent that no other useless thoughts or nightmares come to mind. If you find yourself groaning over such trivial matters in the future, I won’t stand idly by. Saying this, he proceeds with his actions.

He drew the azure sword that was loosely strapped on him. It was a sword she had never seen before while accompanying him. Was this the artifact he had mentioned getting this time?

“You rarely get to see me wield a sword. Perhaps you won’t even get to see it until the day you die.”

The drawn azure sword emitted a prediction. Soon, that prediction took form and emitted a deep light. That, aura. However, the intensity was incomparable to what she wielded.

“Two years from now,” he says.

“From now on, you have the time to recreate the spectacle unfolding before you.”

“Master… What… do you mean…?”

“Don’t stutter. Have you become so stupid that you forget to speak from the shock? Looking at your eyes and state, it seems like a lot has changed in just a few hours.”

However, it’s not bad.

【Krrraaah⎯⎯⎯⎯!】

Trampling the monsters hindering their path, the heavily armored men waiting behind rushed forward. Their bulging muscles seemed about to burst.

“Indeed, they look even more grotesque up close. If their blood stains you, don’t bother washing your clothes; just throw them away.”

Vargan raised the corner of his mouth, almost as if expecting something. He seemed excited.

Swish, swish. After waving the burning sword in the air a few times, he nodded at Alicia. Then, lightly, as if it were inconsequential, he said his final words.

“Surpass the me of now, Alicia.”

Flash⎯!

In an instant, the world plunged into darkness and everything turned black. It immediately returned, but it was strange, considering the sun hadn’t even set yet.

When she regained her senses, his figure was nowhere to be seen. No matter how many times she blinked, he was gone. Where could he be…

【Krrrack!】

The sound of battle, starting from a considerable distance, spread like spilled ink on a canvas in an instant. In the swirling space filled with thick blood, his figure could be seen.

With just one strike, more than ten monsters were cut down. Mana, saturated with moisture, spread at lightning speed, piercing holes in their bodies.

Monsters from afar, realizing the situation, roared sinisterly and surged even more.

The girl, who had been repeatedly attacked by them, feared that the current seemingly favorable situation would soon deteriorate.

Alicia was familiar with the current situation. She had experienced it firsthand. It was still manageable for now. But she couldn’t face it alone. Soon, she would be embroiled in an unwinnable battle against the monsters.

“I… need to help….”

The monsters around her had already turned into corpses, no longer maintaining their original forms. She realized too late that he had taken care of them.

Alicia planted the tip of her sword on the ground and rose to her feet. Despite staggering, she pushed herself up firmly with both legs.

At that moment, a familiar voice grabbed Alicia’s shoulder and embraced her. Her large hat, worn as if it were a part of her, was nowhere to be seen, and her tousled hair brushed against Alicia’s face.

“You’ve been through a lot, Alicia dear!”

Paula faced Alicia and assessed her condition. She checked every nook and cranny to see if there were any injuries or if her mind was intact.

“Oh my, not a scratch anywhere! This is why I opposed it! Alicia dear, are you in your right mind? Do you recognize me? Or perhaps you don’t know who I am?!”

“Miss… Paula, I’m fine, but we need to help the young master…!”

“Who’s worrying about whom right now, really! That cold-hearted one doesn’t need worrying about. To worry about others when you’re a wreck yourself, goodness! …Huh? You’re really fine?!”

Ignoring Alicia’s words and attempting to move forward, Paula blocked her with her entire body. Alicia’s will was so strong that Paula had to draw on her own magic to stop her.

“Please don’t stop me, if the teacher won’t help, I have to go…!”

“Oh, you’re really fine! You don’t need to worry at all! Hmph… When did you become so strong? Just a few months ago, you were stumbling. Alicia dear! Alicia dear! Calm down and assess the situation. Do you really think you’re the one who needs help?”

“Yes…?”

Alicia looked up to find Bargan. She knew he was holding his own, but there would come a limit at some point. So she had to help… but…

“Phew, do you understand now?”

Alicia, ceasing to exert strength in her legs, stood still and absorbed the current scene. The expression of someone who had witnessed something unbelievable. Paula thought.

“Alicia dear, listen. Even though I look like this, I’m a professor at Academia. How many geniuses do you think I’ve seen, huh?”

Paula continued to babble, believing that she was listening.

“Among them, I’ve acknowledged three geniuses. One is the headmaster of Academia. He’s at the peak. It’s not an exaggeration to say that there’s currently no one in the field of magic who can surpass him. I don’t like how he handled my case, though.”

Paula slightly grimaced and pointed at her.

“Another one is Alicia dear. The most recent genius I’ve acknowledged. The duration of proper mana activation was six hours… If this fact spreads, it might end up in textbooks. Although it hasn’t been long since the beginning, she’s showing remarkable progress. And lastly…”

The eldest son of the most noble family in the Troa Empire.

Bargan, the third son of the Shugenhartz family.

“Bargan, young master. He’s an undeniable gem. Until I met Alicia dear, he was the most outstanding in terms of potential. Moreover, he’s backed by his family and has received ample support. It was a bit disappointing that he was somewhat lazy, but recently, something has changed significantly. He will continue to grow immensely. His skill is already on par with, if not surpassing, that of most rookie adventurers.”

Listening to her words, Alicia followed Bargan with her eyes. She couldn’t look away. If one knew even a little about magic and swordsmanship, how could they look away from this sight?

The monsters rushed in like mad, not just a few of them. Every horde charged as if possessed by something, their eyes gleaming. And this wasn’t just a momentary focus.

It continued incessantly.

In the midst of this kind of chaos, he moved smoothly without shedding a single drop of sweat. He continued his movements gracefully like a magnificent swan. In contrast, the state of the monsters facing him was horrific.

Monsters rushing from all directions were either cut, burned, turned to ash, or pierced. The extraordinary catastrophe in human form seemed to pass through them.

He said he would grow even more from this point. Was that even possible? Really? He’s already so strong that it’s hard to believe…?

As she looked at the battlefield, a sense of awe washed over her entire body, her hairs standing on end.

If she had been in a time when she didn’t know about magic, perhaps only fear would have filled her. Humans tend to avoid the unknown out of fear.

But now, she was learning magic. Therefore, she could sense how fitting this moment was for her.

Cheating.

What is this?

This is a scam, a scam!

A ticking sound can be heard. She watches in disbelief as her sister, Charlotte, witnesses a miracle caused by one person.

Alicia, you were lucky.

You risked your life. I thought the young lord was just full of himself, but he turned out to be capable of this. Impressive.

This time, I missed the opportunity.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m leaving. I will stay by your side. I’ll be with you until the end of your life, forever. You know that, don’t you?

You can’t forget me.

Her voice, no longer continuing, fades. With that, Charlotte’s apparition vanished.

Alicia remained still, watching Vargan sweep away the monsters. The expression on her face was something new, unseen until now.