Taming The Villainesses

─Can you hear the song of the people?

─The song of ‘wrath’-.

‘No, no!’

I quickly closed the window which immediately got hit by a stone. Someone also banged an axe on the door.

Kwajik, Kwajik-!

I blocked the door using the bookshelves and desk, just to prevent people from entering.

—Theo Gospel, pay for your sins!

But in the end, people poured in like flowing water.

I struggled with my arms and legs and fought back, but it was not easy for my thin body to shake off numerous hands.

─Hieek…!!!

I was eventually crucified and lifted high up. People then promptly threw stones and curses at me.

—Don’t worry, you Demon Monk bas†ard, your Queen and other nobles will join you soon!

I turned my head at the people’s words and saw several more crosses rising next to me. They were Aira, Elga, Mirna and Marmar…

─Why am I punished… ! Marmar did nothing wrong…! Crucifixing me is Imp-phobic…!

‘… Marmar?’

Why was Marmar on a cross?

Come to think of it, something was off. Why was there a revolution? Where was I? Wasn’t I in Ark?

‘Wait, what?’

All of a sudden, people’s expressions twisted and everything went silent. Their staring eyes and the eerie quietness gave me goosebumps.

At this moment, the singing, the drums and trumpets all stopped, leaving only an awful silence.

The silence then gradually consumed me like a dark tide.

“……!”

When I came to my senses, I found myself in an old hut, sitting on an armchair with a mosaic blanket draped over my shoulders.

“What, just a dream…”

It was only then that I was able to calm my pounding heart and the cold sweat running down my body.

“Ha, unlucky first thing in the morning…”

A nightmare about being executed by an angry mob of people.

Had it been a month since I stopped Belmott’s rebellion? I never thought I would have a nightmare.

Of course, I knew very well why I had such a nightmare.

It was because of the things I had learned last night.

「Villain Hunter Party List」

I was stressed.

The main character’s party might come to Ark.

That fact was driving my mind into a corner.

Were they really coming here? According to Marmar, it was a party of four composed of a Warrior, a Priest, a Hunter and a Pathfinder.

Except for the random existence of a Pathfinder, everything else was the same as the Villain Hunter’s Party. What if the main character’s party came to Ark?

I’d been pondering about it all night.

In fact, if we used common sense, it was safe to say that Aira would not clash with the Villain Hunter Party now.

Because Aira never awakened as the bloodthirsty Queen she was in the story, who indiscriminately massacred people. In that context, the Villain Hunter Party’s target should no longer be aimed at Aira.

Of course, I, Theo Gospel, would not be targeted by them either.

However, who knew what variables were there in this world…

It would be better to tell Elga or Aira not to approach the crossbow warrior party and stay away from them if possible.

Seureureuk, giiiik-.

Just then, the hut door opened.

“You’re awake, Comrade? Why did you sleep there? It’s uncomfortable. There’s a carpet and blanket on the floor!”

Marmar arrived with a red fruit in hand. It was an apple.

“I could only find one of these for breakfast! Let’s share half and half!”

“Okay.”

And so I shared an apple with Marmar. Wasn’t there something about eating apples for breakfast being good for health?

Anyway, it was crunchy and delicious.

But before I knew it, Marmar ate all of her share and was now eyeing mine. She looked at the apple in my hand with envy.

“… I don’t have much appetite in the morning, so you can have this.”

“Can I!?”

Marmar looked so happy when I handed her the apple that I had already taken a bite of. She ate it in a hurry then said.

“You said you’re going to the Wish Hall today, right? It’s not far from here. But I don’t know what dwells there. So you have to be careful!”

“Of course.”

I simply washed my face with the stream water that Marmar brought. My immediate goal right now was to discover things about Demon King Angmar’s legacy.

For that, I needed to go to the Wish Hall and research information regarding the adventure club.

If I followed through to the end, I would surely stumble upon great power and wisdom.

With my hands on something like that, I would no longer need to fear the Villain Hunter Party nor the evil forces from beyond the barrier!

No matter what, I refused to be Theo Gospel who would get executed in the ending, but Theo Angmar who would write a new ending!

In fact, I’d already changed the story. There was no longer a murderous Queen rushing towards her execution!

「You have calmly judged the situation!

You have gained experience points through the talent 《Calm Thinking》.

All job experience +5」

‘Great!’

With this, my doubt-filled, nightmare-shaken heart had calmed down.

* * *

The fairy forest’s vegetation was overgrown. Going through it, I had to cross a creek or pass dreadful thorn bushes.

“Marmar, is this really the right way?”

“Yes! We’re almost there! It’s because it’s been abandoned for a long time.”

The Wish Hall which we were heading to was originally used as a central hall frequently used by students and faculty.

“20 years ago, bad rumors about monsters, ghosts and demons kept circulating. There’s also birds constantly crashing into the windows and dying—”

“Is that why they closed it?”

It was similar to a military outpost ghost story.

There were rumors of ghosts and constant happenings which shut down a military post. Now that I thought about it, I was heading towards ruins where ghosts might appear.

It was a little scary…

“Marmar, you said you brought some furniture from there. Have you ever seen a ghost?”

As someone who just experienced an incident related to the undead, I really hated ghosts. Would spells even work on a ghost?

However, Marmar’s reaction was a little different.

“There are no ghosts. But since it’s an abandoned space, there are some bugs and beasts building their nests there. You have to be careful because they can attack you.”

Marmar was more concerned about the real threats. Indeed, there was no better place to nest than abandoned human structures.

Was it a bit dangerous to go alone with Marmar?

Perhaps, there might be someone else I could call?

The faces of Aira, Elga and Mirna were what came to mind first, but there was a risk of them discovering the truth about the Angmar Family in the process.

For instance, 「The Angmar survivor had a child named Theo, who’s a Half-Nymph.」If something like such were to be found by them first, I might not be able to handle the consequences…

Therefore, it was best for the Young Ladies of the great families to sit this investigation out.

And even if I did acquire such information, I would learn it first then tell them the filtered version.

Thus, the only available help left was….

Only Marmar…

• Edited by: faker