The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 274 - Eir’s Thoughts Are Very Simple

Eir’s thoughts were very simple.

The message the young master left her implied— He doesn’t hate you. He was just taken by a bad woman, so you need to save him, and then cherish him by your side.

So—

As the pet the young master needed, as the dog who would always, always be by his side, she just needed to do that one thing.

`The young master needs me. The young master loves me. The young master hasn’t abandoned me.`

`I have to rush to his side! NOW!`

`Yes yes yes, that’s exactly it—`

Her thoughts were crystal clear.

“First, find the young master. Find him, find him, find his trail.”

`Scraaaape— Scraaaape— Scraaaape—`

Eir dragged her massive shield, each step across the forest floor spreading her bone-chilling aura further. The heavy Snowsong Aegis carved deep furrows in the already frozen earth, revealing the ice-laced, rock-hard permafrost beneath. The surrounding trees, once vibrant green, turned a sickly, brittle yellow wherever her coldness touched them.

In her nose, more sensitive than anyone’s, even better than tracking magic...

Will’s trail was perfectly, unmistakably clear.

She could even pinpoint exactly where he had been... where he’d treated his bleeding, injured leg, then dragged himself forward, still limping. She could smell it all!!!

“Then, beat up the bad woman who took him.”

Eir tensed her muscles. Years of training had sculpted her body to the point where, when fully tensed, she strained the seams of her maid uniform. Her eyes were wide, her lips stretched into an ecstatic, almost predatory grin. Her ears stood taller, her tail wagged faster, higher, a blur of excitement.

Eir’s thoughts were very simple.

Regarding how to treat the young master afterward, she had it all figured out—if she didn’t know something, she’d just consult the ‘300 Questions for Going Dark’ he wrote for her. That was definitely definitely definitely the right thing to do!!!

“And then, take him away, hide him somewhere no one will ever find.”

“Question two hundred twelve: If you imprison the one you love, what should you do?”

“If he wants something to drink, deliver it to his lips!”

“If he wants something to eat, deliver it before his very eyes!!”

“He must not touch anything dangerous!!!”

“He can only move within my line of sight!!!!”

Muttering phrases from the ‘300 Questions’, Eir’s pace quickened, making it seem impossible that she was dragging such an enormous shield. The forest environment, rather than hindering her, seemed to ignite the wild, beastkin half of her nature. Moving this fast through the woods felt like pure instinct!

`Rustle rustle—`

`CAW—!`

With each step, she startled another flurry of birds, sending them scattering towards the dawning sun.

She arrived at the wedding scene.

Moving far faster than Will and Treya, who had taken a convoluted path, she reached this... surreal, ‘fantastical’ place.

She saw it: in the middle of the forest, a beautiful archway had sprung from nowhere, adorned with elegant white ribbons and pristine white flowers.

Except, the woman standing in the middle was as repulsive as a black crow.

Eir’s thoughts were very simple.

She understood immediately what she had to do.

`Since Treya is the ‘bad woman’ the young master mentioned.`

`Since Treya has already hurt the young master, made him bleed—or maybe she didn’t inflict the wound, but he got hurt under her watch, so it’s her failure to protect him, her dereliction of duty!`

`Since Treya forced the young master to such an extent that he had to flee all the way here.`

`Then this marriage... how could she possibly agree to it?!`

`An Empress who can’t even protect the young master properly, letting him get injured and bleed, forcing him to leave clues, making him look so weak in engagement photos—`

`—how is she worthy of marrying the most perfect, most powerful, most beloved young master, who loves her (Eir) the most?!`

`—He will definitely be happy that I’m destroying this wedding, right?!`

“THAT—GATE—CRASHING—MARRIAGE—I DISAPPROVE!”

`[Rimefrost Phalanx: Lockdown Deceleration]`, activate!

The instant she unleashed the skill...

Starting from her position, a rapidly expanding circle of intense cold spread outwards, drastically slowing everyone and everything within its range, as if time itself had ground to a halt.

This was a simple, fundamental skill of the Rimefrost Phalanx, one the young master himself had patiently taught her, word by word, how to cast.

It was just a shame... the young master hadn’t yet commanded her to use such a skill against many bosses—but now was definitely the time to unleash it!

`You see, young master? I am so strong now, aren’t I?`

Lifting her head, she looked at Treya and Will, her face alight with the purest, most unrestrained joy. And her eyes... her eyes blazed with an equally unrestrained, furious glare.

“You... How are you here, and how did you... Hah...” Treya’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Outside the palace, her control over the dungeon’s power was less refined; she could only manifest such a small, localized domain. But even so... it shouldn’t be... it couldn’t be possible for someone to find this place so easily, and then just... barge in.

She felt her body temperature plummeting rapidly, a chilling numbness spreading as her nerves, her very actions, slowed.

And... she... she... Wasn’t this just Will’s little maid? The Shield Knight who only ever acted as a frontline tank in their party? The maid who only ever did exactly what Will told her, just serving them tea and water?

“Because, I’m here to take away the young master who is clearly unhappy and trying to escape from your clutches!” Eir declared, her voice ringing with conviction.

“Can’t you see it?”

“He’s in so much pain, so much pain, SO MUCH PAIN...”

“He’s even injured! His palm is burned! The scrapes and bruises on his right leg haven’t even healed!”

“He’s not happy at all! His usual handsome, cute smile is gone! He can’t even do the things he loves most anymore!”

“His heart is crying, bleeding! He wrote in his own blood that he needs me!”

“CAN’T YOU SEE ANY OF THAT—!?”

Eir’s voice alternated between a pained, trembling whisper and a furious, earsplitting roar.

Treya felt a flicker of surprise. But she maintained her composure. She smoothed down her dress with her right hand, perhaps to appear more ‘unflustered’.

`That maid, Eir... why is she here? Could it be... Will left her something?`

`No matter.` Treya decided that dealing with such an inconspicuous maid, one who faded into the background beside Will, wouldn’t be difficult.

`No one...` `NO ONE is going to snatch Will away from her wedding!`

“You want to ruin the wedding... Impossible. Though you managed to display a little power, this... Hah... is still my domain...” Treya’s voice was still so calm, so cold.

“And... I know your weakness. I’m well aware your mental resistance is very, very poor...” She extended her hand, meeting the oncoming wave of ice. The purple in her left eye flared brilliantly. “Now, you can also fall asleep in pain.”

“Hm?” Eir tilted her head. Her forward momentum was checked by the surreal ‘wedding’ scenery. Those figures seated on the church pews on either side... suddenly, all their heads swiveled towards her—their bodies remaining stock-still, necks twisting as if broken.

They looked so real.

Each one, before turning, had been a distinct figure from the young master’s life. After turning... they all had the young master’s face. Brown hair, blue glasses, intelligent deep blue eyes—and every single pair of eyes reflected her image.

They stood up, more and more and more of them.

They raised their hands, a cacophony of clapping, snapping, and waving sounds washing over her.

They opened their lips, and a jumble of voices, saying all sorts of things, trickled into her sensitive, upright wolf ears.

“Eir, don’t do this.”

“Eir, I really want to marry Treya.”

“Eir, what you’re doing is wrong.” “Eir, please stop.”

“Eir, I want to see this wedding through.” “Eir, I don’t like you at all.” “Eir, you’re mistaken.”

“Eir, I love you, but I love her too, so stop.” “Eir, can’t we all just be together?” “Eir, see? I’m not hurt.” “Eir, won’t you listen to your young master?” “Eir, put it away, quickly.”

...

............

“Is this... enough then? Hooo...” Treya turned her head slightly. Since this was her domain, she could at least redirect the brunt of the sudden cold onto her various demonic constructs.

But... Will seemed to be frozen in a state of ‘time suspension’, caught mid-turn, the faint smile lingering on his lips from the moment he saw Eir’s shield-wielding silhouette.

“Seeing her appear... makes you happier?” Treya murmured, a flash of something unreadable in her eyes. “It doesn’t matter... That kind of smile... I... I’m not unfamiliar with it.” A memory surfaced: Will, wearing that same smile, walking down the long corridor of the Near-Divine Palace on the day her father died, his eyes finding hers.

`He’s... unhappy?` `But does being happy... really matter?`

Then...

She heard the sickening thud of a shield impacting human flesh.

And not just any flesh, but... “frozen” flesh. It sounded like a blunt instrument smashing into a corpse that had been encased in ice for millennia—a hard, heavy impact followed by the soft tearing of tissue.

She whirled back around.

“You think—YOU THINK—YOU THINK—Eir would be fooled by this kind of TRASH?!” Eir roared.

“These...”

“These ARE ALL—ALL OF THEM—EVERY SINGLE ONE—FAKES OF THE YOUNG MASTER!”

“REEKING OF THAT STENCH, THAT DISGUSTING, NAUSEATING SMELL THAT’S EXACTLY LIKE YOURS!!!!!”

Eir’s thoughts were very simple.

She was a purebred, standard-issue canine beastgirl. She believed every word the young master had ever told her. Her loyalty was unshakeable.

For example...

`—”Eir, you must trust your sense of smell. A sense of smell a billion times stronger than a human’s is your most precious treasure.”`

Her shield lopped the ‘young master’s’ head off at the bridge of its glasses. `CRUNCH`

Her shield severed the ‘young master’s’ head from its slender neck with a swift chop. `SLICE`

Her shield bisected the ‘young master’s’ torso at the navel. `SPLAT`

...So satisfying. So comfortable. So exhilarating. To destroy these false, deceitful ‘young masters’, reeking of that bad woman, using the most violent, most vicious methods.

The ‘young master’s’ cold, frozen limbs flew in a gory spray across the wedding scene; ‘his’ glasses frames, lenses, and arms scattered everywhere; ‘his’ filthy blood splattered onto her dress.

She dragged her blood-soaked shield forward, step by deliberate step.

“NOW—are you willing to hand over the REAL young master, the one standing right beside you?!?!”

Treya didn’t hesitate. She drew the Shadow Wraith Sword from her waist. The sword Will had given her. Not only did wearing it enhance her control over demonic power, but it also felt more natural in her hand, allowing her to wield it with greater speed and recklessness. It allowed her to execute the ‘Entark Sword Style’ more smoothly—though, in the end, it was just a combination of demonic illusion and black magic creating sword-like effects.

If ‘mental’ methods wouldn’t work, then physical force it was. She was, after all... the Entark Empire’s sole, legitimate, and strongest inheritor of the Entark Sword Style. She swung the sword towards the ground with a flourish.

“The wedding will not be stopped by this. The ritual’s timer will resume, and the final contract will conclude in a blaze of glorious color.”

“Come then—you presumptuous maid.”

The Shadow Wraith Sword, gleaming with an ominous black light, moved so fast its trajectory was invisible, striking directly towards Eir’s shoulder. At this point, Treya merely intended to disarm her, take off an arm.

But...

CLANG—!

“It... it won’t cut...?”

“My dear Princess Treya,”—Eir used the title from years ago, when Treya was still a ‘princess’, not her current title as Empress. It sounded exceptionally mocking.

“Dammit—!” Treya snarled. Backhand, forehand, thrust, slash. No matter the method, no matter the force, even when Eir wasn’t raising her shield, Treya’s blows landed harmlessly. Eir stood unmoving, like a completely immovable block of solid ice, planted firmly in place.

“Your Highness, do you recall? Several years ago, you couldn’t even scratch me then, could you?”

“...!”

“Because, for all these years the young master has known me, I am his favorite, the student he poured all his resources into, the one he invested the most in.” Eir’s grey eyes widened suddenly, her manic grin vanishing. She raised her shield.

Upwards—!

A blast of frigid air, carrying an icy gale, sent Treya, who had been standing her ground, flying backwards. Treya, managing to block the initial assault with her sword, spun several times in mid-air before finally regaining her footing on the ground.

Eir’s thoughts were very simple.

She was just an ordinary Shield Knight. She didn’t have those fancy combat skills, no ability to slay enemies from behind her shield, no killer instinct for brutal slaughter. All she had... was the simple ‘protective instinct’ to shield the person who said he loved her, to keep him from falling into someone else’s hands. That was all.

So, whoever hurt Will, she would beat them up. Severely.

“Hooo...” Treya panted, watching Eir advance step by step. For the first time, she didn’t know what to use. Memory? Perhaps... drag her into the same... the same place as Shuna. Treya extended her hand, aiming at Eir. “Demon Castle Zero: Memory Construction Layer—”

Her words died in her throat. freewebnσvel.cøm

In her vision, everything became even colder, even slower. Falling leaves seemed to freeze mid-air. Will, standing there, was frozen from the feet up. She tried to step forward, but her own feet wouldn’t move. A thick layer of hoarfrost had encased them. Her throat was incredibly dry; speaking took effort.

`[Rimefrost Phalanx: Congeal]`

The ancient magic of the Rimefrost Phalanx was wondrously powerful; the shorter the incantation, the stronger the spell. ‘Congeal’, for example, congealed all... moisture. So no one could move.

Then, Treya watched as Eir’s shield, moving like a blur, like she’d teleported, slammed down towards her arm.

“Tch... Demon Castle Zero: Fallen Angel—”

THWACK.

As Treya’s hoarse voice spoke, Eir’s shield crashed down.

“Does it hurt? Does it HURT? SCREAM! THAT’S IT! THAT’S IT! That’s for bullying the young master! That’s for...”

With laughter and crazed shouts, the heavy shield in Eir’s hands felt as light as a brick, raised and slammed down, again and again. She didn’t know how many times she’d lifted it, how many times she’d smashed it downwards, nor how deep this blackish-red ‘crater’ before her had become.

She looked at the ‘altar’, overflowing with blood, and wiped a splatter from her own cheek. Then, her dress stained crimson, she turned around.

Eir’s thoughts were very simple.

She truly just wanted to return to the side of the person she loved, who loved her back, the person who had been with her since she was little. Like... a lost puppy, straying far from home, but no matter how far it wandered, it had to, had to return to its master’s embrace. That was where she belonged, her place of peaceful sleep.

“Young Master—Young Master.”

Eir dragged her shield. The heavy, solid metal scraped across the ground, its harsh, grating sound echoing through the forest.

“Young Master, Eir is here.”

Eir slowly ascended the steps to the ‘altar’, then gently placed her shield to the side.

“Young Master, good day to you.”

Facing the frozen Will, Eir lifted the hem of her maid dress and performed a deep, respectful bow.

“Young Master, please rest assured, Eir will forever be your most loyal...”

Eir knelt, gently taking Will’s right hand.

“As long as you need me, I will always reach your side...”

Eir pressed a soft kiss to the back of Will’s hand.

“If you only ask for help, no matter where you are, I will come...”

Eir looked up, her wolf ears standing tall and alert, as if listening for Will’s every frozen command. Her tail wagged happily on the ground behind her.

“Am i a good doggy, right~?” Eir purred, her smile tinged with a manic obsession, a possessive desire, and something...

Pathological.

tln : INSANE