How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 132

[Suddenly, a dragon? No. More importantly, that’s the first thing you say upon meeting me?]

 

‘Oops…’

 

You looked so perfectly fine that I skipped the pleasantries.

 

Belatedly remembering that beneath your rough exterior lies a surprisingly delicate interior, I quickly admitted my mistake.

 

“I’m sorry. Hearing your lively voice, Lord Fenrir, put me at ease, so I accidentally jumped straight to the point.”

 

[Honestly, unbelievable.]

 

Though his tone was brusque, the icy-blue eyes staring back at me showed no sign of displeasure.

 

[Tsk. Seeing you shamelessly spout such a flimsy, unconvincing excuse at least confirms there’s nothing seriously wrong with you.]

 

That stung a little.

 

It wasn’t an excuse—just me honestly expressing my feelings.

 

‘What kind of image do I usually have in Lord Fenrir’s eyes?’

 

The question popped into my head, but not wanting to drag out unnecessary chatter, I awkwardly smiled and changed the subject.

 

“I’m healthy, but I can’t say there’s nothing wrong.”

 

Lightly brushing my bangs aside to imply an issue, Fenrir’s gaze naturally shifted to my forehead.

 

[Ahh… I did hear the news about Lady Astarte’s mark appearing. But isn’t that more of an honor than a problem?]

 

He added that since the creation of the world, among all living beings—beasts and humans alike—I was the first to receive the blessings of two deities.

 

[If anything, you’ve achieved a feat worthy of eternal reverence in the continent’s history. You should be proud! Right?]

 

From my perspective, it felt less like an achievement and more like being forcibly saddled with something I never wanted. 

 

But I couldn’t outright refute him to his face—especially since his tail, which had been lazily swaying, was now wagging even more vigorously, as if he was inexplicably even more excited.

 

‘It’s almost like the attitude of a brother or friend genuinely happy for someone else’s success…?’

 

Moreover, for him who was born from divine power, the gods were like parents.

 

Thus, in his presence, they couldn’t exactly voice their true thoughts—that they found it less than glorious, or burdensome, and would rather it not be recorded in the continent’s history.

 

And while they weren’t keen on readily agreeing either, they opted to subtly steer the conversation elsewhere.

 

“Ah, right. Actually, I came to see you, Fenrir, because I had a question about this symbol.”

 

[What is it?]

 

Yves Leblanc seemed to notice I had deliberately changed the subject, but fortunately, Fenrir easily focused on my question.

 

Thanks to that, I was able to continue more comfortably.

 

“When I lost consciousness, I met Lady Astarte.”

 

[What?]

 

Fenrir then stepped closer, his expression disbelieving, and repeated the question.

 

“It was in a dream, but it was real.”

 

Having somewhat anticipated this, I wasn’t startled by Fenrir’s intense reaction and responded smoothly.

 

[Wait, a dream? Wasn’t it just an illusion? By the ancient pact, gods aren’t supposed to directly intervene in the mortal realm—]

 

“You’ve already told me they can’t interfere. Of course, I remember.”

 

I cut him off and stated the facts, but Fenrir’s skepticism didn’t fade easily.

 

[And yet you insist you really met her?]

 

“Yes. The symbol of Lady Astarte on my forehead is the proof.”

 

[Hmm…]

 

Faced with undeniable evidence, Fenrir let out a thoughtful hum. He still seemed unconvinced, but since the proof I presented was a divine symbol, he couldn’t easily refute it.

 

I knew why Fenrir hesitated to accept my words outright, so I added a reason that might persuade him.

 

“The covenant of the gods only applies while they are on the earth. It seemed possible to meet them when their consciousness left the earthly realm and entered another space.”

 

[You’re simplifying this because you don’t fully understand, but consciousness is the soul, and it’s impossible for the soul to leave the body and travel to another space. The moment the soul separates from the body, it moves underground, following the natural order.]

 

Fenrir spoke as if the very idea of consciousness leaving the earth and entering another space was impossible.

 

“Then what about the space where Lord Huluppu is?”

 

[Huluppu’s space is still fundamentally on the world. It’s merely a rift between dimensions, where the flow of time differs from the earthly realm.]

 

Fenrir reiterated that even dreaming is a phenomenon that occurs on the earth, and once the soul leaves the body, it can never return.

 

“But…”

 

Honestly, I had no counterargument to Fenrir’s claims.

 

The idea that the space where I met the goddess Astarte might not have been on the earth was, after all, just speculation based on piecing together various bits of information.

 

Not to mention, she never explained how we were able to meet in the first place.

 

She said there wasn’t much time, brushed off my questions by telling me to ask the dragon, and then disappeared.

 

Even so, I refused to back down.

 

Because I was absolutely certain that meeting her had been real.

 

“But I definitely met Lady Astarte. Unless she broke the covenant herself, she must have called me through some other method.”

 

[Why are you so convinced of that?]

 

“Well… You once said that instinctive intuition is important, didn’t you?”

 

[And that’s all the evidence you have?]

 

“All? That’s harsh.”

 

A little hurtful to hear.

 

Well, there are other reasons too…

 

To explain that, I had to reveal that Selene had regressed. Because in that space, I had seen her past—a past that wasn’t even depicted in the game.

 

‘If the past of Selene I saw was real, then that space must also be a special place. But I can’t reveal everything here.’

 

Moreover, Yves Leblanc and Fenrir currently hold prejudices against Selene.

 

So, carelessly mentioning her could provoke strong opposition, making it all the more necessary to tread carefully.

 

“Well… there’s more to it, but… this is just my speculation, so I’m not entirely sure.”

 

[I’ll listen first and then decide.]

 

I hesitated to share other evidence since it wasn’t concrete, but Fenrir wasn’t so easily brushed aside.

 

‘Do I have no choice but to convince Fenrir?’

 

Aside from Yves and Fenrir’s dislike for Selene, there was another reason I was reluctant to speak.

 

It was the fact that, on the surface, I couldn’t avoid Nanna’s gaze.

 

At any rate, it was already known that I had met the goddess Astarte, and I had openly shared this with Endymion and Yves. Revealing that the space might be related to my unique ability wouldn’t be a problem.

 

After all, hiding my unique ability itself would be difficult.

 

‘Still, if possible, I’d prefer to conceal the fact that I eavesdropped on Selene and Nanna’s conversation.’

 

Lost in thought, a plausible plan suddenly flashed through my mind.

 

It involved using the lie Selene had once told Yves.

 

Choosing my words carefully, I spoke cautiously, “Hmm… Well, it’s possible that the space where I met Astarte might be related to my unique ability. I did awaken it not too long ago.”

 

Bringing up the topic of my awakening out of nowhere, Fenrir responded in a puzzled tone.

 

[Your unique ability?]

 

“Yes. You remember, don’t you, Fenrir?”

 

[Of course.]

 

In a short span of time, several events had unfolded, but thanks to awakening on the same day he first met Fenrir, he remembered it all clearly.

 

“Actually, that night, I had a strange experience. But before that, there’s something we need to address first.”

 

[What is it?]

 

“Selene and I can foresee the future.”

 

[You can foresee the future? Is that your innate ability? Another Saint candidate… No, wait. That criminal girl had a time-related ability, didn’t she?]

 

Fenrir, having apparently heard that I had been officially chosen as the Saint, started to call me another Saint candidate, but quickly corrected himself.

 

Then, in a voice tinged with confusion, he began firing off questions without pause.

[So, because she can manipulate time, she can also foresee the future? Wait, then shouldn’t you be able to see the future?]

 

“I’ll explain everything step by step, so please calm down. More importantly, Yves, I mentioned this to you once before—do you remember?”

 

Yves’ reply came a beat slower than expected.

 

“…I suppose so.”

 

It seemed he had forgotten until I brought it up.

 

Since I had only asked to prompt a response, I paid no mind to Yves’ vague answer and continued.

 

“The nature of divine power is inherently complex, so I can’t say for certain whether it’s connected to Selene’s and my innate abilities. But in any case, both of us could faintly glimpse the future.”