How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 158

Normally, an attitude this cold and resolute would be enough to make an ordinary person shrink back and hesitate to argue, but Enheduane seemed completely unconcerned as she sneered.

 

Yves also refused to back down and countered.

 

“Since Laura and I were talking first, it is clearly you who interrupted, Your Excellency.”

 

And somehow, I ended up standing between them, calmly watching their exchange.

 

‘Those two really never change.’

 

At first glance, it might have looked like they were fiercely arguing while using me as a shield, but in reality, I knew it was just a pointless back-and-forth of empty complaints with no real impact or meaning. 

 

That was why I could remain relaxed.

 

The meaningless squabble, one thing leading to another, eventually circled back to the very first question of why Enheduane had come here. 

 

She also learned that Laura would be accompanying them to the Zagros Mountains.

 

“Does Lady Laura dislike the idea of me going?”

 

And at that moment, the arrow of the conversation suddenly turned toward me.

 

I had been watching the two of them from a step behind, so I quickly waved my hands in denial.

 

“No, not at all. I had heard from His Holiness that one of the High Priests would be joining us, but I was just surprised because I didn’t expect it to be Enheduane.”

 

That was true.

 

When I had visited the Pope’s office a day later than Yves after receiving his message, I had been informed that one High Priest would accompany us as a guardian and witness.

 

They simply hadn’t told me which of the seven it would be.

 

So naturally, I had assumed it would be the Crimson High Priest in charge of the Astarte Temple.

 

The reason we were heading to the Zagros Mountains was due to the oracle of the goddess Astarte.

 

When I laid out these thoughts in a logical manner, Enheduane, who had been listening silently, quickly showed signs of agreement.

 

“It would have been better if that were the case. What a shame.”

 

“Who?”

 

I asked back absentmindedly, wondering who exactly was feeling disappointed, when she burst into a cheerful laugh and answered.

 

“Me, of course. The youngest one who got saddled with this annoying task.”

 

“Ahh…”

 

While I was pondering what words of comfort to offer Enheduane, who had ended up with an unwanted mission,

 

[Hey, is everyone gathered?]

 

Fenrir appeared at just the right moment.

 

“Fenrir, you’re late.”

 

[More importantly, who is this kid?]

 

I was lightly scolding him for arriving later than the appointed time when I noticed his light blue eyes fixed on Enheduane.

 

“Ah, right. This is Enheduane, who will be traveling with us.”

 

After I explained the circumstances of her joining us, Enheduane put on a friendly smile and introduced herself.

 

“I am Enheduane, a priestess who serves Lady Nanna. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

[Yeah.]

 

Fortunately, Fenrir didn’t seem particularly bothered by Enheduane’s presence.

 

[Anyway, we’ll be departing right away. Gather close.]

 

“Don’t we need to hold onto you like last time, Fenrir?”

 

[Last time, it was only moving the consciousness to another space, so contact was necessary. This time it’s fine.]

 

That made sense. When we went to Dilbat, we had simply stood on a floor engraved with something like a magic circle.

 

As I recalled the memory of riding a carriage and using the teleport gate, Fenrir added,

 

[Though it will feel a little different from a teleport gate.]

 

The moment he finished speaking, a strange pattern rose beneath our feet, followed by an intense blue light so bright it engulfed our vision.

 

Unable to see anything, I squeezed my eyes shut. Before even a few seconds had passed, Fenrir’s voice echoed in my mind.

 

[We’ve arrived.]

 

Thinking that it really was different from a teleport gate, I slowly opened my eyes… only to be greeted by an unexpected landscape.

 

‘I expected something since it’s a mountain range, but…’

 

The surroundings were so dark that one could mistake them for night.

 

Even though it was midday, the densely grown leaves completely covered the sky, blocking even a single ray of sunlight.

 

What was even stranger was that, aside from the thickly packed trees, not even the faintest sound of birds could be heard.

 

It felt like a space where no other living creatures except plants existed.

 

“Is this the Dragon’s Lair?”

 

Overwhelmed by the vast nature I was seeing for the first time, I was busy looking around when Yves broke the silence and asked Fenrir.

 

[No. There’s a barrier ahead, so from here we have to walk.]

 

Fenrir replied in a casual tone.

 

[It’s not particularly dangerous, but if you let your guard down, you could end up wandering until you die. I’ll take the lead.]

 

I wondered if a barrier that could make someone wander until death could really be called “not particularly dangerous,” but I decided to chalk it up to the difference in values between a divine beast and humans.

 

I knew that raising an objection to Fenrir on this topic would only be a waste of time.

 

Pushing aside my pointless thoughts, I stepped forward and followed behind Fenrir.

 

We moved at a steady pace, neither fast nor slow, maintaining consistent spacing. Before long, Fenrir, who was at the very front, stopped walking.

 

[We’re here.]

 

“What? This is… the Dragon’s Lair?”

 

I couldn’t hide my astonishment.

 

After all, it was a dragon with a grand legend attached to its name, so I had naturally imagined something like a massive, gloomy cave or a splendid, dazzling castle.

 

Yet what lay before my eyes was a small, cozy cabin.

 

There was no clear lake like the one in the Astarte Temple’s backyard, nor any breathtaking flower garden.

 

It was just an ordinary log house with a small vegetable plot—something you could easily find in any mountain valley.

 

‘Actually, the first place we arrived at felt more like a dragon’s lair.’

 

While I was recalling the eerie jungle whose atmosphere made it impossible to tell whether it was day or night,

 

“It’s been a while since a fly wandered in.”

 

A voice that was eerily alien, much like Nanna’s voice I had overheard in Selene’s memory, spoke softly.

 

My body stiffened at the unpleasant sensation. From the sky, a man with dazzling golden hair, as if spun from pure gold, slowly descended.

 

He was extraordinarily handsome, but the vertically slit pupils proved he was a dragon.

 

The man, who had been calmly observing us with his arms crossed, soon met my eyes.

 

“You are…”

 

He narrowed his eyes and lazily dragged out the end of his sentence.

 

On the other hand, I froze like a herbivore facing a predator and couldn’t move an inch. Because the slightest movement felt like it would result in my neck being torn apart.

 

At that moment, Yves, who was beside me, stepped forward and blocked my view.

 

Seeing his broad, familiar back, the tension drained away and my previously hunched body gradually relaxed.

 

I took a deep breath to shake off the remaining fear, then carefully spoke.

 

“I’m sorry for entering without permission. We came after receiving an oracle from the goddess Astarte.”

 

“Astarte?”

 

The dragon’s slow reply carried a hint of puzzlement.

 

Conversely, I became flustered by his reaction.

 

I had assumed that since the goddess who gave the oracle must have made some arrangement, mentioning her name to the dragon would make him immediately understand the situation.

 

‘Don’t tell me I have to explain everything in detail?’

 

My mind grew complicated at the unexpected turn of events, and I hesitated. Then, a surprising answer came from the dragon.

 

“Well… I owe you a debt, so I’ll at least hear you out.”

 

A debt?

 

While I was tilting my head in confusion, he continued.

 

“However, the rest of you will wait here.”

 

“I refuse.”

 

The one who reacted fastest was, of course, Yves.

 

“Y-Yves…”

 

“I cannot send Laura alone.”

 

I tried to stop Yves, who was defying a dragon far more intimidating than the rampaging Fenrir, even though not a trace of killing intent leaked from him. But he showed no sign of yielding.

 

“I guarantee that child’s safety.”

 

In the tense standoff that could explode at any moment, the dragon was the first to attempt a compromise.

 

“I swear on the name of the heavenly god Anu.”

 

He acted as if he could read Yves’s inner thoughts, much like Fenrir could.

 

[Yves, do not step forward any further.]

 

Yves still wore a displeased expression, but seeing even Fenrir intervene to stop him, he seemed to sense that something was off.

 

“Follow me.”

 

When Yves reluctantly stepped aside, the dragon turned around without even waiting for my answer.

 

“I’ll be back soon.”

 

I said with a deliberately bright smile to reassure Yves.

 

“Be careful… and come back safely.”

 

Of course, his eyes as he watched me leave were filled with worry and anxiety.

 

Leaving Yves behind, I followed the dragon into the small log cabin.

 

Surprisingly, the interior was warm and overflowing with a lived-in feeling.

 

A dining table and chairs that looked handmade, a roughly woven carpet made of coarse wool yarn, and on one wall, old books and worn photographs.

 

Rather than a dragon’s lair, it felt more like the old grandmother’s house or a witch’s cottage, often depicted in fairy tales.

 

“Sit wherever you like.”

 

Snapped out of my daze while admiring the house, I came back to my senses at the dragon’s invitation.

 

“Ah… yes.”

 

As I sat on the slightly creaky wooden chair, he placed what he had been holding in front of me.

 

It was a cup filled with a murky brown liquid.

 

“What is… this?”

 

I asked while looking at the cup with steam rising from it.

 

“It’s cocoa.”

 

“…”

 

No wonder I thought I smelled something sweet.

 

“Why? Do you dislike sweet things?”

 

“Ah, no. I like them.”

 

I couldn’t possibly admit that I had been rendered speechless with surprise because the dragon, who looked like he didn’t have even a mustard seed’s worth of emotion, had personally served me cocoa. 

 

I hurriedly shook my head and picked up the mug.