Aurora Scroll

Houston, we have a problem.

The problem was Freya possessing a legendary fate artifact now.

His clone might or might not lessen that impact for Viers, he wasn't sure if it worked or how it worked. With the plot device, the villain expected the hero would grow in strength swiftly.

Also, he was in the Church’s radar now. He was already there since his action of seeding Soul Pathseekers in the Free People Coalition but after the Tower of Remorse, the Estellian Church might bump his name up a few spots in their most wanted list.

The cults wouldn't like him too. Tanael killed Prince Vadym of the Bone Ravens. The cult that was closest to him in relationship thanks to Izabella, the Blood Church, Tanael impeded their possessing deity to let Freya get the scroll so he could steal it.

Suffice to say, both the light side and the dark side didn't like Tanael very much right now. Probably shoot-first-ask-later policy.

What a mess... But this is fine.

Just like the meme, Viers was as cool as a cucumber in a house on fire.

His dissection about Freya-events progressed after his clone battle with the Champion of Light, he encountered her dying master.

The old master would have died on his own. In fact, General Gregory was like a terminal stage cancer patient when he found him, by all definition, too far gone.

But Tanael saved him.

Because of Freya.

The reason was to prevent the dead mentor trope for the Chosen One.

Obi-Wan for Luke, Jiraiya for Naruto, Rengoku for Tanjiro, Dumbledore for Harry, and so many more.

A dead mentor figure gave the hero a coreupgrade. Mostly in the mental department but power inheritances were a thing too. At any rate, it was in Viers’ best interest to not let Freya’s mentor die. With the Aurora Scroll plus dead mentor, Tanael feared Freya’s growth rate would go off the charts. That was not something he’d like to see.

Some would argue a living mentor would give as much or even more benefit for their pupil, and they might be right. However, Viers would argue that everybody dies but when someone died in the line of duty doing the right thing, for the right reason, it would be more impactful for the young hero’s journey.

Better narrative that way than a war veteran dying from a car accident or stroke decades later in peace time. The impact was just different.

Still, Viers saving Gregory for his own selfish reason and he didn't owe Gregory or Freya anything. Pulling the old general from the brink would have cost him too much.

Thus, Viers sacrificed Gregory’s Intio.

Using a unique Forbidden Arte he poached from a dead soul, he saved Gregory. His flesh healed, but, oh, too bad he wasn't a Pathseeker anymore. Now he couldn't pass on his power to Freya, only wisdom. What a shame, but it suited Doctor Viers just fine. He couldn't give Freya too much of an advantage, right?

Viers had the option to booby-trapped Gregory, kill-switch and the like, but decided against it. For a Chosen One, such things would be resolved easily. Pure help would be more impactful for himself and Freya. There was no denying she owed him now.

The Freya-events were concluded after the trope denial, but what did it mean? As things stood, where did it leave Viers?

Some would think they knew Tanael’s worth. Two times Freya had beaten him. The second time he had grown stronger and the result was closer than they’d hope but Tanael lacked the chomps when it counted.

The villain ran from Freya, unwilling to risk it all at the end. Freya would tell her superiors how the fight went and her wise elders would glean Tanael’s... cowardly nature.

Tanael was sneaky, favoring sneak attacks and ambushes. Tanael was craven, for he acted big and boisterous against those weaker than him, but when confronted with someone stronger, he preferred to turn tail. Tanael was lacking a warrior’s heart.

He was still dangerous, and growing too fast for their liking, but Tanael wouldn't and couldn’t best Freya. He failed in the testing ground, and the Aurora Scroll crucible, was the truest trial there was.

If the need arose, the Church’s leadership would trust their young champion to finish her... not a rival, but a shadowy villain. A first-rate villain, perhaps, but the defeat -against the granddaughter of their Supreme Commander, no less- made him land under the true threats, like the new Demon King for example.

Viers divined Flavia Marianus’ response like he was in the room with her.

She said to Freya that Tanael who ran away twice from her wouldn't be able to defeat her in their third or fourth encounter. It was her experience as a warrior speaking.

Viers wholeheartedly disagreed.

He was willing to lose and lose again, as much as it takes to gain what he wanted.

Viers didn't like it when he lost. Like everyone else, he liked winning. But extreme caution was needed when going against a powerful MC like Freya. The word powerful didn't do it justice. She had plot armor!

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If she got stronger, tempered by the battle, Viers could roll with it. Her enemies that Fate arranged for her future expected no less.

The stronger Freya got, wouldn't it mean the closer her world peace and order be? Perhaps, but peace didn't matter.

If she could realize it, great.

No problemo. He could just work in the shadows. That was one reason he had many identities. He could work in peace era just fine, as Avel of Javia, Prince Croix’s of Latias trusted vassal, was one example. He wasn't always a dastardly international criminal Tanael 24/7.

Also, peace would only be temporary.

Freya’s enemy for her world peace wouldn't only be humans, demi-humans, monsters, and demons that she could persuade with honeyed tongue or scorch with a beam of light Arte, no. There was an Absolute God-tier enemy that she had yet to understand.

Politics.

People and politics. Sooner or later, these two would be the death of peace.

All the Fables with prequels and sequels corroborated his analysis. Most of all, history. History supported this claim.

You cannot take away politics from people, just as you cannot take away people from politics. Hmph, it is as futile as asking water to stop being wet.

Viers smiled pitiably for Freya.

While Freya was chasing a... futile and transient goal, Viers was going to advance his own agenda and interest.

He was willing to lose as many as it takes, as long as the losses remained controlled, like this one and the one before that. The villain would bounce back, like a character from a kid’s Sunday show, defeated this week, back next week.

Where were his balls, then? Shouldn't he be bristling with rage and deliver a historic revenge against Freya?

Viers remained composed. His emotions and pride did not control him.

If he grew so strong, far stronger than Freya, then he might take the chance to battle her one day. To repay his losses and even the score. If not, he had no problem taking his victory in the form of attending Freya’s funeral, from old age or whatever.

Good guys are such pitiable bastards. Like that guy from Squid Game. He tried so hard to be a decent guy, then what did he get for it? People are not horses, was it? Well, Umamusume came after you and took the world by storm! The irony, Korean guy, the irony... Poor you. The people behind the killing game and the rich villains with the animal masks, all still free doing what they please, while you? Freya, Freya, Freya... You’re so blind about people and peace.

Some people were just too good for this world, so they died. It was unknown if Freya would be one of them. Either she realized her peace, or she died for it. Viers was okay in either case.

He had no doubt that Freya’s peace wouldn't last. A few years, a few decades, or even a few centuries... but people would eventually break the peace.

In the best case scenario, Freya would only get a temporary realization of her dream, but Viers knew she would gladly give her life for it.

Haaahh... Poor bastards.

He would outlast her.

He would be the one with the last laugh!

What was that if not victory? The victory?

As a Civilization player, since Civ IV, Viers had learned how to navigate the eras like God-Kings.

Civilizations rise and fall, cities come and go, but he remained.

He would get his victory, through Science, Culture, Domination, Religious, Diplomatic, or whatever other victory there was.

Freya would be dust, and he would get one more turn.

Here lies Freya Marianus, who defeated Tanael one thousand times.

Even if that happened, Viers would stand before her tombstone with pride.

He found himself in such a good mood now. Leading a hero as she went down her storyline... it was like seeing his evil master plan coming to fruition. Let the Silver Legion believe what they want. He had his own game plan.

He foresaw Freya was going to be busy, fulfilling her hero destiny. Putting out fires left and right, because she was Age of Heroes’ Herald or whatever. Furthermore, if he really erased his name from Fate, or at least reduced Fate’s influence around him, their encounter will be even rarer. This left Viers with free room to maneuver and grow.

If in the near future she was still not busy enough and persistently nipping at his butt, Viers could organize forest fires for her. Specifically made for her. Viers was a thoughtful villain, if he said so himself. Some crisis here, loose demons there, the usual. A paragon of good like Freya couldn't resist helping people in need. It made them predictable.

Order was predictable, while chaos was not.

Losing repeatedly also had another significance, the pattern of three.

Just as the A Practical Guide to Evil generously pointed out, a hero and his fated evil counterpart would create a pattern of three.

The first, the hero lost to the villain, early in his hero’s journey, showing how green he was and how high the mountain he had to climb.

The second encounter would be in the mid-game, when the two clashed again. It would either be a draw or their fight was interrupted. Either way, the result was inconclusive but the hero fared better against his evil mirror.

The third and final encounter happens in the climax, when the fate of the world hung in the balance, the endgame. There, the hero prevailed and the villain vanquished.

It was a common trope. Viers saw this happen most often in video games, especially JRPGs.

Viers concluded the villain made three mistakes.

One, not killing the hero when he was a callow youth.

Elementary, my dear Watson.

Two, being lazy and not grinding his level while the hero got stronger during hours and hours of playtime.

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Oh right, you’re an NPC. Well, too bad! I’m not an NPC! Fear me, and tremble!

Three, he fought the hero, while the fate of the whole world hung in the balance. A hero was at his most powerful during this moment.

I would have struck the hero the night before the decisive battle, when he was having a snu-snu with the main love interest! Finally resolving their unresolved sexual tension since the first time the girl joined the party! Well, let me help you resolve it! Take THAT, junker! Wahahahahaha!

Viers lost to Freya twice. That also broke the pattern of three. There would be none of that with Freya, but Viers might employ such brilliant tactics for other future MC.

But that’s not cool, isn't it?

Viers mimed his left hand like a speaking hand puppet, speaking to him.

Yeah! Isn’t Tanael supposed to be a hot-shot cool villain? What kind of pussy he is to be always getting his ass handed down to him by Freya, huh!?

Viers’ right hand was also opening its fingers-mouth at Viers’ face.

My friends, calm yourselves, Viers spoke like an elderly sage. We can make it work... Like a certain guy.

Two of Viers’ imaginary intelligence in his hands, simultaneously ‘ooooohhh’ in his head.

Vergil.

Devil May Cry.

That guy kept losing against Dante, but he was still a cool-as-shit badass villain!

It is all in the presentation, Viers chuckled. I’m going to sit on a white plastic chair and be a badass! Ahahahaha! Viers, you’re a GODDAMN genius!

A storm was approaching.