How to Survive as a Trash Extra Villain

Chapter 165

“Lady Anette!”

A knight in red armor. She was a girl who had grown up knowing the protection of Anette as her entire life, just like Gilbert's Lina. She greeted Anette at the capital gate. Anette, also pleased, shared a deep hug with her old friend.

“Verdi! It’s been so long! I missed you!”

“Me too! We’ve never been apart for this long!”

After a short reunion, the two girls left the capital for the first time in a while and headed to a quiet forest. The underground waterway was too gloomy to share their pent-up stories.

“Your Majesty Anette.”

“Hm?”

Anette’s red eyes, looking back at the Red Knight Verdi, were even deeper. Her hair was also glossy.

“You’ve… changed somehow.”

“Huh?! I’ve changed?”

“No, I don’t mean you’ve changed as a person…. It seems your very class has risen. Like the legendary state of changing into the primordial, most beautiful and powerful body after all impurities have been drained.”

At Verdi’s words, Anette paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.

“That’s right. For the past month, with the help of the World Tree, I succeeded in obtaining only the power and talents of the past emperors of the Defardly Empire.”

“The past… Emperors….”

“The Elf Queen also said that transcendent humans like me have been few in history.”

Though it was a war criminal nation that had murdered countless people while waging a merciless war of conquest against the entire continent, in other words, it meant they had that much potential. How could an empire be prosperous if its leading emperor was incompetent?

“Verdi. Do you know who was the first person that came to mind as soon as I reached this state?”

As if she wasn't expecting an answer, Anette immediately answered her own question.

“It was Lord Martin.”

“Lord Martin… you say?”

“While mingling with the cadets at the academy, I asked them what kind of person Lord Martin was. Some said trash, some said villain, some said a demon in human skin… but now, they say he’s not just acting like a person, but a super rookie who is soaring to a point where they can’t even guess how far he’ll go.”

Martin as seen by the academy cadets. He was a trash extra villain, but he suddenly returned and seemed to have reformed, then at some point, became a hero.

“I also heard the profound opinion of the World Tree through the Elf Queen. That he is one who twists, destroys, and pioneers fate.”

From the World Tree's perspective, Martin was so. To be precise, it would be Kim An-hyun, but.

“Cadet Luri said she wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for Lord Martin. That she would have been thrown into the pit of hell with her friend who was deluded by a demon. And Princess Adela also said that if it weren’t for Lord Martin, she would still be burning with a desire for revenge against the world… they both called Lord Martin their ‘savior’.”

Luri and Anette. Martin had twisted and destroyed both of their fates. He had also paved a way forward for them with the Primordial Flame and the Desert Hierophant.

“And Cadet Gilbert and his party, who have probably seen Lord Martin the longest, said this. In the past, they thought he was just the worst kind of person, but now they don’t know. He is definitely standing on the opposite side of evil and fighting with us…, but he alone is looking somewhere far away. Like he knows something we don’t.”

Martin as seen by the protagonist’s party was, in a word, a complete enigma. It might be similar to how William saw Martin.

“And in my view, having inherited the power and talents of the past emperors and achieved a rise in class, Lord Martin is… seeing the future. I can see it too. The heavy and frightening terrors approaching this world. Mighty disasters that could end the world and terminate the history of mankind. Lord Martin was acting to stop them.”

Verdi looked into Anette’s two red eyes. They were shining brilliantly. Like red gems.

“And in Lord Martin’s grand design to save the world, I was there. Shattering my false world, my false beliefs of trying to resurrect a war criminal nation, must have been just a part of that process.”

In truth, Martin had intended to kill Anette and hadn't even considered this before the World Tree's advice, but from Anette's perspective, that's how it was.

“I have finally obtained power. A power that will at least allow me to struggle against the apocalypses to come.”

The raven with red eyes declared.

“With this power, I will protect humanity.”

“….”

At the resolve of the transcendent Empress Anette, Verdi also acknowledged the command.

“With my lacking abilities, I don’t know how far I can assist you… but to the best of my ability. No, I will go beyond that and stay by Your Majesty’s side until the moment all of me burns away and disappears.”

“Huhu, thank you. But that won’t happen.”

Anette raised her head and looked up at the capital of the Imperium Empire.

“Because I won’t let anyone die.”

The two girls, who had made their resolution while having a serious conversation, returned to the capital, talking about things like whether the other had lost more weight or gotten prettier, as if nothing had happened. The moment they were about to pass through the gate.

“Oh, please! It took me a month just to get here!”

“Inspection.”

A merchant who had brought a large baggage cart was begging a guard. Inside the cart, pigs were squealing noisily. At the upright guard's demand for an inspection, the merchant finally decided to use a loophole.

“Phew, s-sir. Please take this….”

The moment the merchant took out a wad of cash from his pocket, the guard struck the wad with his scabbard.

“Search the cart!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Oh no, please!”

The guards began to search the cart, and soon after, pale-faced young children, packed tightly in the empty space between the pigsty and the floor, were discovered. They were all alive. Needless to say. It was human trafficking. He was a slave trader.

“Bind that man! He is a felon who dared to desecrate the Founding Festival!”

“Heek! S-save…!”

Anette, who was watching the scene quietly, muttered.

“It is a joyous day. Yet even amidst this, there are those who engage in lawlessness to line their own pockets.”

“There have always been those who climb up by trampling on the happiness of others.”

Verdi added, explaining Anette’s words.

“This case is a minor one. There are so many crimes taking advantage of the Founding Festival… I have seen hundreds of slave traders alone. Once, dozens of slave traders were caught all at once.”

“There are that many?”

“Yes. Of course, they were caught on the spot and thrown in jail, so there will be no problem. The people who were captured as slaves are also being protected in a shelter until their identities are confirmed.”

“Mmm, the Imperium Empire does its job well.”

Anette said in praise, but.

‘What is this? This feeling…’

She couldn't hide a sense of unease. As Anette and Verdi headed towards the underground waterway hideout, the slave trader was dragged by the guards towards the underground prison. In this damp, dark place where the gazes of heinous criminals glittered in the darkness, the merchant was thrown into a cell.

“Get in, you son of a bitch!”

“Keok!”

As he was thrown in, the iron-barred door slammed shut violently. The merchant shot up and clung to the bars.

“Hey! This isn’t right! Please! At least let me have a trial! Please! Let me out! Don’t go! Listen to me! Hey! Hey!”

“Oi, be quiet.”

Startled by a voice from behind, the merchant whirled around. There, dozens of people were sitting with their backs to him.

“What are you people doing….”

At the end of where they were looking, a man was standing.

“Worship.”

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“Worship.”

The prisoners repeated in unison. The voice echoed quietly throughout the prison.

“W-what, what is this.”

It wasn't just the prisoners in this cell. All the prisoners in the jail, even the guards, were chanting along. Like a giant religious group.

Not knowing what would happen to him, the merchant began to tremble in fear. The merchant's eyes, looking around anxiously, met the eyes of a worshipper.

“Do you not worship?”

“Y-yes?!”

“It is fine.”

“…Yes…?”

“Be at ease.”

“Th-thank….”

The worshipper’s eyes flashed red. The merchant felt his vision turn completely red… and soon knelt. And then.

“W-worship….”

He smiled. With tears streaming down, the merchant stretched his lips into a smile that seemed to tear them, repeating the word 'worship' over and over. His ego had been crushed and erased by a wicked spell, and in its place, only fanaticism remained.

The worshipper looked at the fanatics and spoke.

“Laugh.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

Everyone laughed their heads off. The sight was bizarre, eerie, and unpleasant to watch, as if mechanical contraptions were laughing… but the worshipper smiled as if satisfied.

“For Lord Joverka, the Demon Lord of Proliferating Laughter. Let us make this Founding Festival joyous and fun. Shouldn't we do better than the apostles of Lord Kragakh, the Demon Lord of Endless Wrath?”

***

‘Strange.’

On the way to the imperial castle in a carriage with Lilac.

‘Everything is going smoothly.’

Was I overreacting because of the Star Child’s revelation and the information Mary gave me?

‘Right. The scales have tipped, he said. The demon lords will have a hard time making a move, so maybe the time of betrayal the Star Child mentioned isn't now. The group Duke Frohadin helped smuggle in might just be an ordinary black market group.’

But it felt strangely ominous.

Wild Instinct (Master) agrees. There is nothing that can be done right now. However, the feeling is not good. Something will definitely happen. Let us head to the imperial castle heavily armed.

Then, regret suddenly washed over me. Should I have told the Star Child? He was in a weakened state as a price for the revelation, but a month had passed, so wouldn’t he be a little better?

‘Ha, I don’t know.’

Wild Instinct said there was nothing I could do now, but the anxiety wouldn’t go away. Wasn't there something more I could have done? Maybe it was because I had lived a life full of regret.

‘No, let’s trust Wild Instinct.’

I didn't raise it to the final stage for nothing. I didn't have any memories of losing out by trusting it. Of course, I would have to take minimum precautions.

“Master, are you alright?”

“Lilac. When we arrive, stick close to me. You must not separate from me under any circumstances.”

“Yes, I understand.”

When the carriage arrived at the entrance of the imperial castle, the smell of money already began to waft. It was full of carriages decorated with jewels and silk painted with family crests.

‘Mmm, not good.’

On the other hand, our carriage was an ordinary carriage that roamed the streets… what you would call a ‘taxi’.

As expected, the imperial castle guards approached. Towards our carriage, which stood out in a bad way.

“Excuse me. Only invited guests may pass from here. May I check your invitation?”

“Huh? Well, uh….”

I heard the driver’s flustered voice.

‘It can’t be helped.’

According to imperial etiquette, it was also impolite to enter the imperial castle grounds in a carriage not owned by a noble. As it was, the gazes of the surrounding nobles were already gathering due to the small commotion.

“Lilac. We’ll walk the rest of the way. It seems like a bit of a distance… will you be alright?”

“Yes! It’s nice to see the imperial castle too!”

I really liked Lilac, who smiled brightly and showed her consideration. I flung open the carriage door.

“The invitation is here.”

The guards looked at the door that was flung open. Then they were startled to see a man walk out with a dignified posture. They then struck their hearts once with their right hands and stood at a firm attention.

“We greet the Guardian of the World Tree, Sir Martin von Targon Ulvhadin!”

Oh dear. I hadn't expected such a loud reaction.

“The Guardian of the World Tree?! He’s here?!”

“Hah, what luck. Isn’t that the Princess' Black Knight?”

“The super rookie of the academy….”