I Am The Game's Villain

"Francis, start the car!" I called out after we exited the academy. I hopped into the backseat alongside John and shouted at our driver.

"Milord? Who is this young man?" Francis questioned, puzzled.

"He's my friend! Just do it!" I responded, urging him to start the car.

"Yes, Milord," Francis complied reluctantly. "Are we heading back home, Milord?"

"No," I replied with a mischievous grin, leaning forward to peer through the windshield. "Follow that green car." I pointed to the vehicle a short distance away, which Amelia, Celeste, and Cylien had just entered.

Francis's eyes widened in recognition as he observed the occupants of the green car. 

"Do you have water in this car?" John grumbled, irritated.

"This is my car, so you better be quiet," I scolded him, clearly annoyed.

"We have water, Sir," Francis handed a bottle of water to John and then glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "May I inquire about the reason for this, Milord?"

"No," I curtly replied.

"But won't your mother wonder why you left for the Dolphis Territory..." Francis hesitated.

Damn, he had a point. I was heading to another kingdom without notice.

I started to sweat nervously at the thought of what my mother might say. Quickly, I came up with the perfect excuse. "Tell her that I'm diligently working on expanding my number of wives."

"PFFF!" John coughed out the water he was drinking and ended up spraying water all over Francis.

"My new car..." I groaned.

"..." Francis remained silent, soaked, and continued to drive, seemingly uninterested in our antics as droplets of water dripped from his head.

…

…

After an hour of driving, we reached a location where a line of cars was waiting. It resembled a toll booth for crossing borders, except instead of a barrier, there was a massive circle drawn on the ground. Each vehicle underwent thorough verification and scrutiny, and once approved, it was granted access to the teleportation circle that would transport it several dozen kilometers away.

Amelia's green car was just three vehicles ahead of us. I instructed Francis to maintain a safe distance from them. Avoiding unnecessary interactions was a wise approach when navigating the complexities of the Games. Our goal was to isolate Nora and eliminate her.

[<Are you certain that 'just' isolating and eliminating her will be enough?>]

'Well, Nora is about to find herself in quite a dire predicament, trust me.'

Eventually, our turn arrived. As the car entered the teleportation circle, we experienced the strange sensation of floating before the surroundings distorted, and we emerged in an entirely different location. Cars and trucks materialized on either side of us, all heading down the road ahead.

"We've arrived in the Dolphis Kingdom, Milord," Francis informed me as he restarted the car.

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the green car within my view.

The Dolphis Kingdom.

If I were to describe it, I'd say it had a distinctly medieval vibe. While it maintained a futuristic touch, there was an underlying aura of the past. Beggars roamed the streets here, a stark contrast to the jubilant atmosphere of Pallas. Everything felt remarkably different. The buildings weren't overly towering, and sky-scrapers were rare in this kingdom. This allowed the clear sky to be seen and the tropical climate to be felt.

However, there was more to it than just the surface. This kingdom carried the weight of a tragic history. A history that left an indelible mark. Three hundred years ago, an anomaly was born into the Dolphis Royal family, triggering a war comparable to Sancta Vedelia's Blood Moon War, albeit with its unique characteristics. It resembled more of a civil conflict. That individual is directly responsible for the existence of [Behemoth] today.

"...I despise this country," John muttered beside me. His gaze fixated on a High Human girl with a collar around her neck, being led by her 'master,' unmistakably a slave. Unfortunately, slavery was rampant in Sancta Vedelia.

This practice was deeply rooted in history. Among the nine major territories comprising Sancta Vedelia—the eight Great Houses and the neutral Central Vedelia—only a few prohibited slavery within their domains: The Olphean House, The Zestella House, and the Elaryon House. In the remaining territories, slavery remained prevalent, and those unaffected by it often turned a blind eye, reasoning that it was not their concern.

Indeed, from an outsider's perspective, those who chose to prohibit something as fundamental as slavery might seem strange. In many territories, crimes were penalized through enslavement, making it a severe fear and deterrent for potential offenders.

This policy had not always worked flawlessly. For the Zestella and Elaryon Houses, banning slavery had led to an increase in riots and crime rates, unfortunately. The Olphean House, on the other hand, managed to find a unique solution to compensate for the abolition of slavery and its associated consequences. This accomplishment was largely attributed to my parents.

"Drop us off here, Francis," I instructed Francis.

Amelia's car pulled up in front of a prominent four-story clothing store, clearly popular based on the number of people entering and exiting.

"Leave your blazer in the car, John," I said, throwing my own too conspicuous white blazer inside the car.

"When should I come back to pick you up, Milord?" Francis inquired.

"No need. Stay here, Francis. Remain right in this spot with the car," I replied as John and I exited the vehicle.

"As you wish."

"Oh, and it's imperative: no napping," I added with seriousness before closing the car doors.

"Now, what's the plan?" John asked.

"It's simple," I replied, offering a mask to John.

"..."

It was a black and gold masquerade mask—the same one I had worn when rescuing children from bandits a year prior.

"Are you serious?" John glared at me.

"Absolutely," I responded, donning my own black mouth-mask. "It's clear that we need to disguise ourselves and alter our appearances when dealing with Nora, and also to avoid unnecessary encounters with Heroines, as you suggested."

"I did say that, but I never mentioned anything about wearing these ridiculous masks!" John retorted. "And how did you manage to get the better one?"

"Are you acting like a child? Come on," I chided, moving forward with my eyes now a striking blue and my lower face obscured.

John stared at the mask in his hand and clenched his jaw. "Curse you, Edward." He reluctantly put on the mask, his hair turning white and his eyes concealed.

"I have a plan to isolate Nora and catch her off guard, but first, we need to change our attire," I informed John as we stepped into another clothing store.

"Stop right there!"

As we entered, security guards in black suits attempted to halt us, but I promptly displayed my pendant in front of one of them.

"I-I apologize, Milord!"

"Enough with the commotion. Keep our presence here discreet, understand?" I instructed the guard with an icy tone. He vigorously nodded. With that settled, we moved to the men's section and began to browse through the clothing.

"What was that back there?" John suddenly questioned.

"What are you referring to?" I asked, my eyes scanning the array of clothes.

"You have an odd way of changing your demeanor."

"Changing my demeanor?"

"Don't act oblivious. This isn't the first time I've noticed that particular manner you adopt with others."

I met his intense red gaze. "You caught on, huh?"

John's chilly stare bore into me. "I don't like at all how you're starting to sound more and more like that despicable bastard of Lucifer."

"I'm not the Edward from the Game. That person I encountered in the Enigma Dungeon who shares my appearance—"

"I don't care about him. But listen, Edward..." John cut me off, his glare giving way to a solemn expression. "If you get too deeply entrenched in this, I don't care if my sister loves you—I'll kill you, for her sake as well. 'Edward Falkrona' is acceptable but Lucifer is another thing."

"I'll hold you to that, but..." I responded, shifting my gaze down to the clothes hanging on racks, my eyes half-closed. "...no one can kill me, John."

John snorted at my words and surveyed the surrounding clothes. "You're going to pay, right? I didn't bring any money."

"I'm aware. Just remember to grab gloves to conceal our cuffs."

"And the clothes?" John inquired.

"Something...like that," I retrieved a t-shirt from a hanger and displayed it to John, who couldn't hide his grimace.

The t-shirt I intended to wear was bright pink and featured an image of a roaring lion.

"Why something so flashy?" John questioned, his reluctance to don those peculiar garments evident.

I smiled. "To catch Nora off guard. We'll have to pass as hicks."