There Is No Hidden Villain in This Novel Chapter 65

‘What is this? This massive gain?’

I do like to get a sweet deal, but this was an excessively massive gain. The former family head and current chairman of the council of elders is backing me to become the family head? Where else could you find such an amazing give-and-take? I don’t know why, after saying that his own son trying to murder his great-grandson wasn’t just a one or two day affair, he suddenly came today and took his great-grandson’s side over his own son’s, but…

It was a matter of trust, too much to just let it slide comfortably.

“What might your intentions be…?”

I have to know what this bastard is thinking to decide whether to join hands with him or not.

“It is as I said. It seems it would be better for you to be the family head than anyone else.”

“Is it not the same that there is no justification?”

“I saw your report card.”

Well, well. That grade leak was fast.

Unlike my inner sarcasm, I smiled outwardly as if it were nothing. Because that’s more effective. No way, Cassis de Millang would be surprised by this.

“What does that have to do with justification?”

“It means you have become strong enough. Without any reason to be bound by a mere place like Areia.”

No, wait a minute, I still have a lot to learn…? I may have glossed over it with blood magic, but there are so many things I’ll be X-ed if I don’t learn…

“Leave Areia. And build up a record of achievements.”

Nevertheless, my bravado saved my face. Meaning, no matter how much of a mental breakdown I was having inside, my outside was full of bravado.

“A record of achievements?”

“What else would there be besides raids? The family head has almost no battlefield experience, so…”

“Could you get to the point?”

“Cut down a Named. If you can do that, I will move the council of elders.”

In that moment, a shiver ran through my entire body.

It was because Jung I-an’s mind knows what the de Millang council of elders symbolizes.

The family head is absolute. The family head decides all matters of the family. Even the position of the minor head of the family depends on the family head’s decision.

However, the council of elders has one absolute authority that can be used only once, and only if all existing members agree without a single objection or dissent.

“That means…”

“A vote of no confidence.”

—A resolution of no confidence.

It meant they had the authority to pull a stunt and say, ‘We cannot have confidence in the family head, so expel us all from the family and dissolve the council of elders.’

Of course, they could be dissolved. If one intends to ignore the history of the de Millangs, one can release the countless old and powerful elders who have dedicated themselves to the de Millangs into the world. If one wishes to tremble in fear imagining a future where they will be faced as enemies.

I couldn’t help but be thrilled at the words that he would use that very resolution of no confidence, which can be used only once against the opinion of the current family head, for me.

But at the same time, reason whispered this: Such wholehearted support, what kind of trick is this?

It was then. The previous family head, who had a young and boyish face, suddenly became the face of a decrepit, tired old man full of sorrow, as if he had instantly accepted all the years he had passed through.

His back was scattered thousands of times through the cracks of the broken mirrors. He spoke slowly, deliberately, and arduously, his hair, which I couldn’t tell if it had turned white or if its original color was white, fluttering.

“I cannot tell you everything. But I will let you know that there was a reason I had to.”

“Was there a problem with the family head?”

“…Please try to understand what process I must have gone through to decide to cast out my own son.”

I get the gist. It seemed the great-grandfather wasn’t stepping in just out of pity for his great-grandson. In that case, it’s actually better.

‘This is what builds trust.’

I took his hand and shook it. The smooth, white hand, devoid of any wrinkles, was no different from a boy’s, but only his face was weary, and I liked that very point. Because it seemed I could backstab him anytime I wanted. Although my trauma, my great-grandfather, was sending jolting stimuli every time I saw his decrepit face, apart from that, the fact that I had gained something didn’t change.

I know the regressor will be bewildered as the original story changes rapidly. But hasn’t the original plot been broken for a long time, starting with the contract relationship? Therefore, I hope he will just take my withdrawal from school in stride.

That being said.

“But, I came to see the pharmacist…”

Let’s take care of my business too. My business that I almost forgot because the previous family head suddenly popped out.

“Ah, was there a problem with the medicine?”

“Well, I suppose he would know.”

“I understand that there was no problem?”

“…?”

The nuance of those words sounded strange somehow, so I tried my best not to show any agitation.

“Great-grandfather?”

“Yes, was there a problem with the medicine I gave you?”

‘For now, since he’s taking my side, I’ll accept that but won’t trust him.’

Cassis de Millang decided to choose that way.

Jung I-an had a fundamental distrust of people. He was a lone fortress who didn’t even trust Ryuseong, whom he thought he had thoroughly figured out by reading the original work. However, just because he was isolated didn’t mean he didn’t know how to calculate his gains and wear a smile.

Thanks to that, the unexpected meeting ended smoothly.

The previous family head seemed to have interpreted the words “I came to see the pharmacist” as a signal to treat him with the identity of a pharmacist, and the previous family head was too much of a senior and a person whose inner thoughts were unknowable to fiercely question why he had swapped the medicine.

So he asked nicely.

“Why did you change the ingredients?”

To that, the great-grandfather replied that he did it for my health.

As if you’d been addicted for a day or two, his eyes held a deep sorrow for his son who was trying to murder his great-grandson.

Still, it felt very fishy, so right after I expressed my intention to no longer take the altered medicine, the previous head nodded and said he understood. That was all, but,

‘Hmph…’

My whole body felt stiff. Was it because my entire body was resonating with the surrounding mana, matching its frequency? The muscles in my arms and legs felt as if they weren’t mine. A dissonance like walking around with a doll’s limbs attached.

However, he was Cassis de Millang. In reality he was Jung I-an, but still, to others, he was Cassis de Millang, and he thought he had a duty to show a corresponding appearance.

‘And I have a martial art that’s good to use at times like this.’

The founder of the Heavenly Scripture Art was a quadriplegic. He created the martial art to control his own unmoving body. He constructed nerves with mana and made it function as tendons, allowing him to operate his entire body as if he were moving on his own, at least in the eyes of others.

Cassis de Millang does not know his life. He only thinks that his life must have been a struggle stained black. In an era where the Black Fog raged, amidst the selfishness where everyone was busy just taking care of themselves, the insults and hardships he must have suffered were of a weight that Cassis de Millang could not even begin to fathom.

Even so, he doesn’t feel any burden in using this martial art for his own selfish purposes.

‘Martial arts are a super sweet deal.’

A tool is just a tool. Cassis de Millang did not feel human emotions for tools.

He just thinks that he should at least not forget.

He just hopes that the sorrowful wish to not forget the origin will remain.

‘Did I catch Ryuseong’s serious-freak tendency?’

Anyway, Cassis de Millang, judging that it was difficult to control his body, operated the Heavenly Scripture Art as smoothly as flowing water.

Whoosh…!

For a moment, a white whirlwind raged around Cassis de Millang as he approached the car.

The halo of light imbued in that wind held an unusual mystery even to a passing glance, so the butler, doubting his senses, turned to look back, but by then the mysterious wind was long gone, and even its remnants had scattered into the air.

All that remained was a gentle breeze. That slow wind only made the hazy cape coat and the tight cravat at his neck flutter gently.

His splendid features, which made even a diamond brooch look simple, curved bewitchingly, silently asking if there was a problem.

The doll-like young man, as if crafted from platinum with hair sculpted from moonstone and amethysts embedded in his eyes, having just shed his boyish frame, warns with such a bright smile. Is there a problem?

His red lips utter no words, but the butler feels it.

He is currently considering him… an enemy.

It had always been this way. That person would never reveal anything. Even if he were injured, he would not summon him unless it was absolutely necessary. But why does his heart ache? The butler, an old man called Vincent, felt an inexplicable sorrow seeing the young boy he had practically raised grow up so poisonously, but.

“…”

He could say nothing. He could only bow his head and silently show his loyalty; anything more was impossible.

Because that was Cassis de Millang’s order, and not the order of a minor head or a young master, but simply the directive of a human being.

“Let’s return to Areia.”

There was no way not to follow.

‘Wow! The feeling of going to school to drop out is fucking awesome!’

In fact, even my original self didn’t have the temperament to attend school regularly. So I desperately wanted to drop out of high school, but then my hyungs said they would buy me a house if I just got into college. They even said the specs of the house would improve the better the university I got into, so I gritted my teeth and studied, and the result was the Department of Astronomy at Hankuk University.

To be honest, my hyungs didn’t seem to expect me to be this good at studying, and they were flustered, asking why I hadn’t studied before, and said they would give me several houses, but I just humbly said it was fine and took only one. I chose the best house instead, though. Hehehe. I don’t know for sure, but their stomachs must have been quite twisted.

I didn’t go because I liked stars. Someone said you had to be insanely good at studying to get into the astronomy department, so I set it as my goal and just happened to get in.

Everyone asked me why I didn’t do it when I was so good at it.

But I, I am…

‘I guess dropping out is just my thing!’

Just thinking about leaving school was making my whole body feel refreshed! At this point, I don’t think I even need to use the Heavenly Scripture Art. Ah, I feel like I could fly! It’s the best!

There was no one to stop me from tasting the ultimate pleasure.

For one thing, it’s dangerous to mess with a target in a state of peak mana synchronization.

‘And also because that target is Cassis de Millang.’

Therefore, if there was anyone who could stop me at this moment…

“…Why is your face in that state?”

Of course, that could only be Ryuseong.

Just as the plot of some novel would have it.