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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The first time Verdandi laid eyes on Bing Yeon, the translucent window that appeared before her displayed a chilling message:
– [The person before you is an Archvillain.]
Not just a villain, but an Archvillain. It was a classification she had never encountered before. Her mind raced, trying to process this new information.
He didn’t seem like a typical murderer. He was dressed in strange clothes unlike anything she’d seen in the village, accompanied by a woman and what appeared to be a mage.
They were clearly outsiders.
Perhaps he was a fugitive, a murderer on the run, or a traitor who had sided with the Demon King.
Or maybe he was a corrupt official who exploited the weak and enslaved the innocent.
She believed her Eyes of Truth to be infallible. There had to be a reason why he was labeled an ‘Archvillain’.
‘…This doesn’t look good! He must be incredibly dangerous!’
She just needed to eliminate them and then kill everyone in the village.
She had already subdued her mother, Eila, preventing her from interfering.
The thought of Eila dying, her breath growing shallow, sent a pang of anxiety through her.
“…”
Was she really a villain?
Despite trying to kill her, despite the lies she had told, Eila was the one who had raised her.
‘Don’t get distracted, Verdandi. The Divine Solarion himself has acknowledged you.’
Verdandi shook her head, refusing to entertain the possibility that her abilities might be flawed.
‘He said I would be the one to punish the wicked!’
She tightened her grip on the knife, her body tense with anticipation. It didn’t matter who this man was.
– [The person before you is good.]
She was the Hero of Justice.
She was pure, righteous, the embodiment of good.
She was the hero from a fairytale, destined to vanquish evil and uphold justice.
She smiled, a cold, determined smile as she stared at her reflection in the blade of the knife.
“You came to take me as your disciple? Are you insane?!”
“Yes. I’m here to guide you down the right path. If you come with me, you won’t have to suffer anymore. You can escape the burden of being the Hero and live a normal life…”
– [The person before you is telling the truth.]
Verdandi froze, her eyes widening in shock as she read the message displayed on her cornea.
‘…The truth? Really?’
The Archvillain was telling the truth. He was offering her a chance to escape her destiny, to live a normal life.
A life free from hatred, a life where she could be loved, a life where she could be a normal child.
But…
“Ha… Hahaha! It’s too late for that!”
Verdandi laughed, her voice laced with despair. She had already crossed the line by spilling her mother’s blood.
“Even animals cherish their young! But I almost died at the hands of my own mother when I was just a baby!”
Honestly, it wasn’t fair.
Why couldn’t she have been born normal?
Why was she cursed with this ability that made it impossible to trust anyone?
“I would rather die than have a villain like that as my master!”
She lashed out at Bi Wol, who was trying to get past her, convinced that there was no turning back.
Even if Eila survived, she would surely hate her, knowing what she had done.
Verdandi couldn’t bear the thought of being judged, of seeing that cold, accusing look in her mother’s eyes.
“I’ll be your opponent.”
Suddenly, one of Bing Yeon’s eyes flashed gold, a spark of unwavering resolve, devoid of hatred or anger.
A deafening cracking sound filled the air as a wall of ice materialized between her and Eila.
“…A wall of ice? Are you mages?”
Verdandi stared at them in disbelief. If they were this powerful, they could have easily killed her and rescued her mother.
“Master, I’ve secured the injured.”
The black-haired girl moved with blinding speed, while the blonde-haired mage quickly healed the injured woman.
“Wolfram, take her outside and treat that neck wound. I’ll handle things here.”
The most intimidating of the three was the white-haired man who claimed to have come to save her.
“But Master…! You’re not well! She’s strong, Master! Even I could barely react to her attacks!”
Blood streamed from his eyes, his nose, his mouth, and even his ears. He was clearly injured, yet his gaze remained fixed on her, wary of her every move.
‘…One wrong move, and I’m dead.’
The chilling aura emanating from him sent a shiver down her spine. Something wasn’t right.
Why wasn’t he attacking? Why was he trying to save her?
“A master is always stronger than his disciple, isn’t that common knowledge?”
– [The person before you is telling the truth.]
The translucent window continued to provide its unwavering judgment, never once showing a false reading.
“I may not be the leader of the evil sects, like you said. And I’m certainly not the greatest in the world. Definitely not the strongest of all time.”
No, it couldn’t be true. It shouldn’t be true.
“But I am a master, and I have many disciples. I may not be the strongest, but I am loved.”
Verdandi shook her head, her gaze fixed on the translucent window. He couldn’t be an Archvillain. It simply didn’t make sense.
“And I have to set a good example, for my disciples. So they can surpass me one day, so you can achieve greatness.”
[The person before you is telling the truth.]
What if this white-haired man was telling the truth? What if he really had come to save her, to heal her mother?
What if he was truly a good person, someone who could understand her?
Then…
What did that make everything she had done, everything she believed in…?
“You’re all talk! You’re still a villain!”
Verdandi screamed, her words laced with a desperate defiance. The possibility that everything had been a misunderstanding, that her mother had truly loved her, was slowly taking root in her mind.
“Why do you think I’m a villain?”
“Because… I’m the Hero…”
“…What if you’re not the Hero? Have you ever considered the possibility that you’re just an ordinary person?”
Even as Eila lay dying, stabbed by her own daughter, her only words had been “Mama’s sorry.”
“What are you trying to say?!”
“Your abilities, the Eyes of Truth and the Scales of Justice, have two fatal flaws.”
Bing Yeon, having successfully subdued her, looked at her with an unwavering gaze.
“The Eyes of Truth can be deceived. If the person you’re observing truly believes their own lies, your ability will register them as truth.”
“…?!”
His gaze was kind, gentle, a gaze that reminded her of the father she never had.
“And the Scales of Justice can be tipped. A single act, whether good or evil, can outweigh a lifetime of deeds.”
Verdandi hated that look. It was a look of pity, a look that made her feel as if her entire life had been a mistake.
She tried to escape, but…
“Look at me. Look closely. Do you still believe I’m a villain?”
Bing Yeon stomped his foot, and ice instantly encased her legs, rendering her immobile.
– [The karma level of the target being evaluated by the Scales of Justice has changed. Recalculating.]
“…This… This is impossible.”
– [The person before you is good.]
Verdandi couldn’t believe her eyes. Hadn’t this man been classified as the worst of the worst, an Archvillain, just moments ago?
“Yes, I am. Now, will you put your trust in me, your master, instead of relying on your abilities?”
“…”
Was she wrong? Were her abilities truly flawed? Had she misinterpreted everything?
“I came here on a mission, a mission to save you. I was sent by a being akin to a god.”
Despite the blood staining his lips, he smiled at her. That gentle smile made her heart skip a beat.
– [The person before you is telling the truth.]
“It’s true… How can this be…?”
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Her heart pounded in her chest, a strange, unfamiliar feeling washing over her.
“You will learn about love and hate, about the complexities of human emotions, about the contradictions that make us who we are. Just like your mother.”
“My… mother…?”
Was this what it felt like to love and hate someone at the same time? Verdandi nodded, feeling a strange sense of understanding.
“Yes, your mother. She was assaulted, impregnated against her will. What she did, trying to strangle you, was unforgivable. But…”
“…”
This was new information. Her abilities, her flawed perception of truth and lies, had obscured the real truth.
“…Her love for you was stronger. She confessed her sin, her shame, to you. But her words were likely registered as lies because of your ability.”
– [The person before you is telling the truth.]
Verdandi finally understood. If Bing Yeon had wanted to kill her, he would have done so already. He wouldn’t have bothered to save her mother.
The two women who had accompanied him had fled, fearing her wrath.
“Are you… a messenger of the Divine?”
Verdandi’s voice trembled as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes. He seemed to know everything, as if he were a true servant of the Divine.
“No, I’m just an ordinary person. Just like you, I’m afraid of being misunderstood, of my true feelings being rejected.”
Verdandi had always felt that way. No matter how hard she tried, the villagers looked down on her with contempt.
“Don’t worry about what the villagers think. They’re like snakes, coiled together, bound by their own wickedness.”
His words were a balm to her soul. It wasn’t her fault. It was their fault.
“Is that… really true? Does that mean… I’m not a bad person…?”
She couldn’t help but open her heart to him.
“Yes, you’re a good person, Verdandi. You may have been naive and immature, and you may have made mistakes, but it’s not too late to fix them.”
He pulled her into an embrace, his body surprisingly cold. And yet, she felt a warmth spread through her, a warmth she had never felt before.
“Sob… Sob…”
Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t stop them.
“I was so lonely… My ability showed me that Mother was evil, that even her words of love were lies…”
She didn’t understand why she was confiding in a stranger.
Perhaps it was because of the Divine’s oracle. She felt strangely drawn to him, as if they were connected on a deeper level.
“There, there.”
”I was so scared to sleep next to her, knowing that she had tried to kill me… It felt like I was suffocating every night.”
She just wanted someone, anyone, to comfort her.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
She just wanted someone to listen.
“The villagers hated me. They put bugs in my food, they spread rumors about me, saying I was promiscuous, just like my mother…”
She just wanted someone to tell her that she wasn’t a bad person.
“Your elder sister and I will take care of everything. Don’t worry. No one will ever hurt you again.”
Verdandi continued to cry in Bing Yeon’s arms, her tears flowing freely for what felt like an eternity. It wasn’t until almost an hour had passed that her sobs finally subsided.
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“…I have a bad feeling about this,” Bi Wol muttered, glancing at the house from which she had just fled.
“Huh? But this woman’s injuries are completely healed! She’ll be waking up soon!”
Wolfram tilted her head, giving Bi Wol a puzzled look.
The stab wound, though deep, was completely healed. There wouldn’t even be a scar. Eila would make a full recovery.
“What’s giving you a bad feeling?”
Wolfram couldn’t understand Bi Wol’s concern.
“It seems a wolf has been flirting with Master. And she took advantage of my absence.”
Bi Wol clenched her jaw, imagining Verdandi’s face.
“Master is mine.”
Blood trickled from her bitten lip, and a voice, cold and sharp like a serpent’s tongue, whispered in her heart.
– I told you, didn’t I? Once you have a new junior sister, you’ll become obsolete.
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O.o
Yander heroine