I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 145

I wonder what Theo’s doing right now.

They’d been together every single day recently, so his absence felt even more noticeable. At least it was a relief that he’d received this button—having something from Theo helped ease the hollow feeling in his chest. He wasn’t anxious about being apart from Theo, but holding this made it a little more bearable.

Luke stared at his right hand, the one playing with the button.

It had been a while since he first got injured, and thanks to the ointment he applied regularly, the wound had mostly healed—at least on the surface. But that was just appearances. Unless he found a way to expel the tainted magic that had entered through this hand, he wouldn’t just be unable to continue living as a mage—there was no telling what might happen to his body.

He’d told Theo he was the right person for the mission because of his abilities, but truthfully, he also wanted to resolve this injury himself. Sitting still and waiting for someone else to prepare everything just didn’t suit his temperament.

"I do feel a bit bad toward Theo."

Sneaking an injured person into enemy territory—it made Luke realize just how much conviction it must’ve taken for Theo to approve this mission.

Which meant there was no other option—he had to succeed.

Just as Luke reaffirmed his determination, a knock came from the door. Without even asking who it was, Luke said to come in.

The door slowly opened, and Paul stepped inside. He’d already been told earlier, while unpacking after receiving his room assignment, to stop by Luke’s room.

"You’re here?"

"Yes."

Luke pulled over a chair and set it in front of him.

"First off, I’ll be sticking close to the Foreign Minister and keeping an eye on the prince. Meanwhile, I’d like you and Levi to split up and investigate outside the palace."

Since they were allowed to move around freely during unofficial hours, he planned to take advantage of that.

"I want to believe Nox’s leader is somewhere close to the palace, but we have to be ready in case that’s ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) not the case. Try to gather information discreetly. And also—look into the prince."

"You mean Prince Heath?"

Luke nodded. Even if they couldn’t get a lead on Nox’s leader, they might still be able to glean something useful through the prince.

"Not that I expect this to happen, but if you end up in a dangerous situation—don’t hesitate. Just come straight to me. I’ll take care of it."

For some reason, Paul’s lips twitched at that. He even looked a little shy, as if he’d just been confessed to.

"What’s with that face?"

"Sorry? Oh, no... it’s just that, um, you’re really dependable, Sir Luke. Our usual captain is the type who causes danger more than he saves us from it..."

Luke thought of Leo, who walked around with a lazy grin totally unbecoming of a soldier. Yeah, that did sound like something Leo would do.

"Anyway, I’ll do my best."

"Good."

"Oh, and—shouldn’t we head to dinner soon?"

"I think I’ll skip it tonight."

Paul shook his head violently in protest. Not only that, he even grabbed Luke’s arm and tried to drag him, which made Luke visibly confused. It wasn’t like skipping a meal would kill him, so why the desperation?

"Did someone order you to make sure I eat or something?"

It was a joke—but Paul flinched. That awkward smile, like someone who’d just been caught, gave Luke all the confirmation he needed.

"Who was it?"

"That would be... the Commander."

It was none other than Theo.

"Theo?"

"Yes. He made me promise repeatedly. He asked me to keep an eye on you and make sure you’re at least eating properly while we’re in Welharun."

Luke coughed involuntarily. He hadn’t imagined Theo would go so far as to make that kind of request to one of his subordinates.

"Commander Theo said you might skip meals out of laziness, and... well, it turns out he was right."

Paul nodded, thinking back to how Luke had just said he’d skip dinner. Seriously—how did Theo know him so well?

"Come on. It’s a direct order from the Commander, so I have to see it through."

"Fine, fine. I’ll go eat."

Feeling an odd kind of embarrassment, Luke left the room with Paul.

***

The tribute Hainern had sent was enough to build a tower out of it. The sheer quantity made Luke think of the eccentric Hainern Emperor. From what he’d heard, Welharun had only sent a few tea leaves as tribute last time.

Knowing Cedric, he wouldn’t stoop to a petty tit-for-tat like, "You sent little, so I will too." On the contrary, he was probably trying to send a message by giving far more—using the weight of the gift to apply subtle pressure.

"We are always grateful to the Empire of Hainern."

Luke observed the prince’s face as he inspected the tribute. Currently, the Foreign Minister and Prince were seated in the reception room, having a conversation. Luke stood behind the Foreign Minister, acting as his attendant.

"The tribute Welharun sent last time was so lacking that we couldn’t help but notice."

"Notice? Oh please—what matters in a treaty is the sincerity to strengthen the alliance, not the gifts exchanged."

Luke quietly scoffed at the Foreign Minister’s flattering remark. The same man who normally looked down on soldiers and subordinates like they were beneath him.

"As you know, the Empire’s current circumstances are not ideal."

At Heath’s words, Luke recalled Leo’s report—how they’d raised taxes, tightened control over the people, and poured all resources into military buildup. And yet the prince could lie so shamelessly, without batting an eye.

Once again, Luke was reminded: never trust appearances.

"And how is Hainern these days?"

Heath asked as he set down his teacup.

"Hainern is not so different from Welharun at the moment."

The Foreign Minister deflected with a vague answer. It wouldn’t do to boast about one’s own prosperity when the other side had just confessed to hard times.

"Haha, how modest. I hear Hainern has been steadily reinforcing its military..."

Luke clenched his fist without realizing it. The prince’s tone was casual, but it was clearly a probing question, laced with hidden intent.

"I wonder what the secret is behind such growth."

"There’s no particular secret to training soldiers. If anything, the credit for a nation’s prosperity lies with its scholars."

Even here, the Foreign Minister shamelessly asserted his belief that intellectuals, not soldiers, were the ones who made a nation strong. Luke had gotten used to it by now—it didn’t even annoy him anymore.

Heath didn’t press the issue further and shifted the topic, seemingly to avoid raising suspicion.

The conversation continued, but aside from the prince’s subtle interest in Hainern’s military, there wasn’t anything useful. Luke stayed to listen just in case, but eventually decided it was a waste of time.

He signaled the Foreign Minister, who picked up on it despite looking displeased and excused Luke, saying there was no need to keep his attendant any longer. Heath didn’t seem to mind.

Once outside the reception room, Luke glanced around the long palace corridors. Compared to Hainern’s, Welharun’s palace was definitely smaller.

Was the leader of Nox inside the palace? If so, where could he be hiding?

Benzie and Hays had said he was a master of disguise, so it was entirely possible he was impersonating someone.

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Even if he couldn’t find the leader, Luke was determined to uncover something—anything—that might help. Honestly, he wanted to sneak into the prince’s office and search it top to bottom, but that would have to be a last resort.

For now, as someone with permission to move freely within the palace, he began walking.

When passing the palace staff, he greeted them casually and kept moving.

He was dressed in a Foreign Ministry uniform, after all. The staff all knew he was with the Hainern delegation, so nothing seemed suspicious.

Luke moved quickly, getting a general feel for the palace’s layout. Nothing stood out as odd, and he was beginning to feel disappointed—until his right hand suddenly stung.

It happened right in front of the staircase leading to the top floor. Luke looked between his injured hand and the stairs. Something was different—his instincts shivered with an unsettling chill. And that instinct was pointing somewhere bad.

Just as he was about to take a step, he heard footsteps beside him.

"Is something the matter?"

It was Dante.

Wearing the same smile as his master, he approached Luke.

"Oh, I’m sorry. The Foreign Minister told me to step out and let him speak with the Prince in peace, but I ended up getting lost."

Dante stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"This must be your first time with the delegation."

"Yes. The original attendant couldn’t make it, so I was sent in his place."

Dante’s words had been sharp, but Luke handled the lie smoothly and naturally.

"If this is your first time in the Welharun Palace, it’s perfectly understandable to get turned around. Come—I’ll guide you back to the annex."

"Thank you. You’re a lifesaver."

Luke laughed heartily and scratched the back of his head. As they walked away, he cast one last glance at the staircase.

That odd sensation clung to him like damp air. But before Dante could notice, Luke quickly looked away.

And nearby, just around a corner, someone peeked out.

A figure silently watched the backs of Dante and Luke until they disappeared from view.