I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 50
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Ca, Casian?!”
It was none other than Casian who rushed forward, raising his blue glowing sword.
Soon, movement was felt from the Laiard side as well.
Sharp metallic sounds echoed through the arena, which was hazily obscured by swirling sand dust.
Clang-!!!
Starting with Casian’s charge, the two armies clashed in close combat.
My gaze, which had been quickly following the flow, turned toward the familiar gray hair moving leisurely at the very back of the formation.
“That, that Ansun bastard!!!”
As I shouted in excitement, Father quietly looked at me.
“Everyone else is fighting desperately, but look at him taking it easy all by himself!”
As I frowned and glared with bright eyes, Father cleared his throat.
“…It’s not quite fighting desperately.”
At those words, I looked at the arena with a puzzled expression. Looking again, the Tigris Elite Knights definitely had relaxed faces.
And among the Laiard forces, something blue was moving rapidly.
Hoooo-
Suddenly, a horn sounded.
“Knights number 16, 5, and 3 of the Rhaiad Knights are eliminated. Please withdraw to the edge of the arena.”
I gaped blankly at the scene that had passed in the blink of an eye.
Several Laiard knights were trudging out of the arena, holding tattered silver bands in their hands.
“Wh, what was that just now?”
When I asked with a surprised face, Father answered.
“Casian broke into the Laiard formation and removed the bands of the rear support troops.”
“Rear support troops?”
“Yes, Laiard has now lost all soldiers who can handle protective abilities. From now on, they’ll be helpless against our attacks.”
My mouth fell open automatically.
Unlike the panicked Laiard knights, the Tigris Elite Knights maintained their formation without a single disruption.
Moreover…
Rubel, who was the strongest in the world in the original work, hadn’t done anything yet.
Tigris had shaken Laiard so much with just a few soldiers.
‘This is why they say Tigris has the Empire’s greatest military power.’
As I was newly impressed by their overwhelming presence,
“It looks like Tigris will win again this time!”
“Certainly seems so. Will they face Belmart in the finals?”
“Haha, I bet on the Kingdom of Carton though.”
Admiring voices were bursting out from various parts of the spectator stands.
The corners of my mouth gradually rose.
“Formation move!”
At that moment, Kopel, who had been holding up his shield in the arena, shouted.
The Tigris Elite Knights slowly moved and began forming a semicircular formation. Ansun was in the center of it.
He, who looked completely listless, suddenly slowly raised his hand. Then he began creating something at his fingertips.
It was similar to the fireball I had seen on the first day we met in the library.
But…
“Wh, what is that guy!”
This time, the size was extraordinary.
The spectators froze at the giant fireball floating in the air.
“Isn’t that guy an alchemist? I thought he was rear support who makes healing potions!”
“He had that level of flame magic power? Last time it was definitely ordinary level…”
“Exactly! At last year’s harvest festival, it wasn’t nearly that much!”
Among the spectators who specifically called Ansun’s ability ‘magic power’, a smile gradually appeared on my lips.
‘Ansun… you enhanced your ability with the tears of god!’
The fireball floating at Ansun’s fingertips kept growing endlessly.
Its size was so tremendous that the hot heat was carried by the wind all the way to the spectator stands.
Finally, he lightly flicked his wrist. Then the fireball began flying toward Laiard at a heavy speed.
“D, dodge!”
Laiard, having lost their support troops, scattered helplessly.
Boom—!!
With a tremendous roar, the fireball crashed into the arena and hazy dust rose up.
The Tigris Elite Knights didn’t miss the timing. Several knights including Rubel and Casian moved swiftly.
Continuous exclamations burst from the spectators’ mouths. I was the same.
“Wow… amazing.”
The Tigris forces were cutting off the silver bands of the scattered Laiard knights who had lost their formation one by one.
Hoooo—
“Laiard numbers 18, 9, 8, 20, 1, 14, 2, 4… up to 6. The called knights please exit the arena.”
The Laiard knights left the arena with pale faces. Among them were knights with quite severe wounds, bleeding.
When they reached the edge of the arena, healing priests flocked to them. Estelin muttered beside me.
“Tigris really is amazing! More than half the Laiard knights were eliminated in an instant.”
Her words were right.
The remaining Laiard knights were gathered in twos and threes with their backs together here and there in the arena, barely maintaining a defensive stance.
‘It looks hopeless…’
That’s when it happened.
“I declare surrender!”
A booming voice was heard from the middle of the spectator stands. Everyone’s gaze turned that way.
An old man in a uniform with a silver lion emblem was laughing heartily while staring toward where the Emperor sat.
“Please stop the match, Your Majesty! This is clearly Laiard’s defeat.”
I looked at the old man with interested eyes.
“My knights must protect the west, so I don’t want to force any more meaningless sacrifice. As the commander of the army, I declare surrender!”
The Emperor nodded. Then the wine steward standing beside him blew a horn.
“Match stopped! Tigris victory!”
Applause and cheers burst from the spectator stands. The Emperor slowly rose from his seat.
He looked at Duke Layard and said.
“Your knightly spirit in honorably acknowledging defeat is always admirable to see.”
“I am grateful, Your Majesty!”
However, the Emperor’s gaze, wearing a languid smile, now turned toward Father and me.
“Duke Tigris as well. I watched the match well.”
He slowly stroked his chin.
“But while watching this match, I suddenly became curious about something.”
The Emperor extended his index finger and slowly pointed toward the arena.
“About that person.”
He was pointing directly at Ansun.
“Your name is Ansun Daniel, correct?”
The Emperor asked. Ansun glanced toward Father and me before answering.
“…That’s correct, Your Majesty.”
It was a voice that sounded quite troubled.
He had been hastily summoned here immediately after the match ended due to the Emperor’s call.
Emperor Simon Alberta smiled languidly and spoke again.
“Hearing that, I think I’m starting to remember. The rumors that have been coming from here and there for the past few years.”
“…What rumors do you mean?”
The Emperor smiled slyly and answered.
“There’s a genius in the Erbia Empire.”
The Emperor’s golden eyes gleamed strangely as he stared intently at Ansun.
“When I heard that rumor, I should have sent someone to you immediately. I was a step too late.”
The Emperor turned his gaze to Father and this time ran his fingers along the armrest of his ornate chair.
“Isn’t that right, Duke Tigris?”
“….”
“Walter Levy too. I’m constantly having my talent stolen by you, so it’s hardly surprising anymore.”
A subtle gaze swept over Father along with a low laugh.
“Isn’t that so? Healing potions, physical enhancement drugs, mana suppressants. How many potions has this man developed in just a few years?”
Father maintained his expressionless face, but his discomfort was clearly visible. However, the Emperor seemed unbothered.
“But now to develop magical power to this extent as well. Though he’s a commoner, he has the skill to wear the uniform of the Imperial Knight Order.”
He added in a strange tone.
“Truly, your eye for people has always been remarkable. How do you manage to pick out only such exceptional talents! Today’s match was the same.”
“….”
“What Ansun Daniel showed was impressive, but in fact, every soldier was flawlessly excellent.”
“…You flatter me.”
Father answered reluctantly. Then the Emperor smiled broadly.
“Flattery? Aleon, you’re still too modest for your own good! Is there anyone on this continent who doesn’t know the military might of House Tigris?”
“It’s nothing so remarkable.”
“Really? If that’s the case….”
The face that had been smiling gently suddenly became serious. He chuckled and opened his mouth.
“If I asked you to give me this man, would you?”
The Emperor grinned and gestured toward Ansun. Shocked by those words, I glanced up.
The Emperor was looking directly at Father with playful eyes.
With everyone’s attention focused on them, an unbearably awkward silence followed.
“Hahaha!!”
Then the Emperor suddenly burst into laughter.
The Emperor, lounging lazily in his chair, was now wiping the corners of his eyes as if he found this incredibly amusing.
He leaned back leisurely and said.
“Just a joke. How could I dare steal your people? That wouldn’t be proper conduct for a ruler.”
My expression hardened. The Emperor was emphasizing the word ‘ruler’ with particular force.
It wasn’t difficult to understand the meaning behind those words.
It was clearly a statement drawing the line between their positions—himself as Emperor and Father as Duke.
‘Something like “know your place,” is that it?’
I clenched my fist as I looked at the Emperor’s coldly gleaming golden eyes.
I could roughly guess what was going on.
‘Certainly, he must have taken offense at Father’s hasty departure from the estate before.’
Otherwise, there would be no reason to publicly embarrass Father in front of all these people.
In short, he was now openly giving Father a hard time in front of everyone.
‘…Still, this is going too far.’
Asking for Ansun, who was already clearly Father’s man.
Even if he was the Emperor, playing such games was crossing the line.
‘He can’t be unaware of that himself, yet he’s acting so petty?’
No, perhaps it was genuine intent disguised as a joke.
It was at that moment I thought this.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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