I’m the Main Villain but the Heroines Are Obsessed With Me chapter 96

96 – 41. Living as a Hero (3)

The dispatched officers had gone missing.

Ian felt his mind go blank at those words.

“I can’t believe this happened…”

The danger befalling the officers was not something to be taken lightly.

Being a member of Ark meant being a key figure in the Empire, and each loss could have significant repercussions in the future.

“Many officers, including Haley, the platoon leader, and the assistant platoon leaders, have gone missing…”

Moreover, Haley was Ariel’s swordsmanship master.

In a situation where they had to increase her swordsmanship skills to take the lives of Lucifer and Satan, the disappearance of her master was undoubtedly a headache.

“If it was just a simple disappearance, they wouldn’t have sent a message like this. If they are notifying us of an emergency, it means their lives are in danger.”

His head throbbed, and he couldn’t help but wonder why these problems were arising.

However, there was one fact that truly troubled Ian.

“That the platoon leader has gone missing…”

Kaien. Despite his reputation plummeting to rock bottom, he nonchalantly gave another chance, even though the situation could result in harm if embraced.

Even the person who had been immensely helpful since the possession, like an angel, was now missing.

Moreover, his whereabouts were unknown.

That was the real issue.

‘No matter how I think about it, it shouldn’t be regarded as a simple disappearance… Due to the mine’s attack, there is a high possibility, but it’s not something that someone incapable of solving such problems.’

Even if his whereabouts became unclear for a moment due to the sudden attack.

In battles against the mines, Kaien was nothing short of a specialist.

As a member of the royal knights, he must have faced countless situations where he was attacked by enemies.

Naturally, he would know how to handle it.

‘For a squad leader like him to go missing…. The situation is still mysterious. It must have been quite some time since this news was conveyed to the squad leaders.’

Yet, his whereabouts remain unknown.

In other words, those who went missing faced an urgent situation.

The attackers must be more than simple mines.

‘Maybe the cornered demons prepared a plan to pierce through…’

That was the reason.

‘It seems wise to raise the proficiency of the delayed swordsmanship.’

The reason for spending the night practicing with Alex and the sword again.

Predicting the possibility of facing formidable enemies, it was thought to be better to hone swordsmanship in preparation.

It might have been impossible in the past due to time constraints, but fortunately, the special practice progressed slower than reality, allowing adjustments.

‘Now, all that’s left is to find the missing professors in this vast place….’

Ian let out a bitter laugh as he gazed at the endlessly spreading trees.

Originally, the training was supposed to involve surviving in a maze-like forest, but the Jelros Forest, the stage for it, was densely packed with trees. One could easily get lost and struggle to find their way due to the thickly entangled trees.

“If I were wandering alone, I might have run around until I found it… But it’s not something I can do right now.”

They had gathered squad leaders to find the missing individuals, but even they couldn’t afford to get lost. So, Ark’s command decided to deploy pairs of squad leaders.

“We requested support from the Royal Knights and the Holy Knights of Edenria near this area, and calling in squad leaders means the situation is urgent.”

A reasonable decision, but in this gloomy situation, it meant carrying the burden and searching with an uneasy partner.

Fortunately or unfortunately?

Ian looked at the woman cautiously following beside him.

“Celia wouldn’t be so bad…”

Celia Wignoran. She was the one paired with Ian for this search.

The best scenario would have been working with Ria, who was in charge of the other squad, but Celia wasn’t too bad either.

“As the heiress of the spear technique family Wignoran, she’s skilled with the spear… and more than anything, her stamina and mana are considerable, fitting her charging style in battles against enemies.”

There shouldn’t be a problem with stamina, so there wouldn’t be the trouble of a weak link grabbing the ankle.

It was much better to be with Celia than with third-year students lacking in skill or first-year students who hadn’t even had a conversation.

Of course, there was some tension between her and Ian…

“Is it not too difficult?”

“Oh, no… It’s not difficult! I’m fine… Really…”

“Is that so.”

Celia silently followed behind him.

Ian briefly glanced at the desolate figure of the unfamiliar woman, her sorrowful appearance. He looked at the Christmas rose necklace hanging around his neck.

“She wasn’t like this when I gave her this… Has something changed in her state of mind?”

Wasn’t she the one who came all the way to the north in the middle of the night just to deliver a birthday present?

Of course, she left as if running away in the end. But judging by her changed appearance, I thought her feelings had changed.

Judging by that appearance, it seemed like she was still young.

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

He didn’t come here to reconcile with her, nor to find the missing people.

As long as she doesn’t interfere, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Ian began to wander through the forest, caressing the handle of the Revrion hanging from his waist.

Thump. Thump.

He continued walking, stepping on fallen leaves.

The thickly grown trees obstructed his view, and he stumbled over protruding roots here and there.

But Ian didn’t care and kept walking.

There was no time to rest just because it was difficult.

Thanks to that, Ian and Celia were able to explore the forest more quickly.

It was when they were almost finished searching the designated area.

Crack!

“Oh! Ian… Celia?”

“Professor Evan?”

The densely grown vines were being split by a blade, revealing a familiar face.

Collapsed and burdened by the exhausted Hayley, Lieutenant Evan Peters looked at Ian and mumbled as if in a daze.

“You, how did you end up here…”

“We were on a search mission after officers were reported missing. Are there others with you?”

“Most are coming behind me. While moving, we were ambushed, and the carriage fell off a cliff. Instructor Hayley collapsed while helping others in my stead.”

It was as expected, an accident. That moment of nodding my head, thinking so.

“Understood. I’ve sent a signal through the device. People will come here. Let’s gather the patients then.”

“No. This is not the time for that! Ian, your lieutenant is in danger!”

“…What do you mean?”

The moment Ian’s pupils shook at the unbelievable news.

From Noble mtl dot com

Evan cautiously revealed what had happened.

Behind the ambush was Satan, and while Kyan was buying time, Hayley was keeping the wounded behind.

Furthermore, Hayley had once again jumped into the battlefield to help Kyan.

The moment he finished speaking… Ian immediately shifted his gaze to the path Evan had just passed.

“Rest here.”

“I-Ian, I’ll go too! Lieutenant! Please wait, people will come soon!”

Before the words could finish, Ian rushed out like an arrow. Celia also followed him closely.

“Uh….”

It was at that moment when I was staring at their retreating figures.

“Ugh….”

“Hay. Hayley, are you okay?”

The moment Haley’s eyes opened, which had been unconscious just a moment ago.

Wasn’t it her who had replaced Evan, who had passed out, and single-handedly moved almost all the professors to the back?

Moreover, because she had done such a strenuous task with a wounded body, Evan was genuinely worried about what would happen to her.

But now Haley had woken up. With a sigh of relief, Evan gently lowered her to the floor.

“I, I will go too… Please take care of the others. Lieutenant.”

“Yes? No. With that body….”

“I’m sorry. Then….”

Haley bowed her head and gathered her mana, moving her body.

“Ah. I can’t follow her either….”

Watching her receding figure and the professors lying beside him, Evan scratched his head.

***

I realized how difficult the life of a commoner was when I was 13… around that time.

At first, I never resented my birth.

“Phew… you’re back? Our son?”

My father, a hunter in a small mountain village, always smiled at me despite his exhausting work.

Whenever he came back from hunting and saw the meat on the table, no one was more envious than me.

With my proud father and loving mother, I didn’t desire the life of nobility because there were only the two of them.

I just wished for this happiness to last forever… for eternity.

I didn’t need the strength to protect someone. All I wanted was to enjoy a precious life with my loved ones.

But Kaien… the first time I started to seek power was… on the day I turned 14 and it snowed for the first time.

“Ah. Father has, has passed away?”

Father, who had gone hunting in the mountains with colleagues as usual, got caught in a sudden snowstorm. When the onslaught of monsters began, he cruelly lost his life.

His body couldn’t be found. The last sight was the monsters tearing apart his corpse.

Upon hearing the tearful words from Father’s surviving comrade, Cayenne clenched his fist.

“It was resentful.”

Despite hearing of Father’s death. Despite knowing the cause vividly exists…. He felt too ashamed of his powerlessness, unable to do anything.

However, the commoner’s suffering didn’t end there.

*Cough! Cough!*

“Mo-Mother!”

“I-it’s alright…. Son…. Don’t move… go to the room and rest….”

After losing Father, Mother, tirelessly searching for work to take responsibility for herself, fell ill.

Pneumonia. A trivial illness like a cold for nobles with money who can afford a priest. But for powerless and penniless commoners, it was a fatal disease.

Due to the loss of Father, there was no income…. Cayenne could only watch as Mother went to be with Father.

It was another moment when he resented the world.

“That night when I buried Mother and howled at the moon on my way back.”

Cayenne wanted to become a knight.

If only he had been chosen by the gods to be a knight.

If he had the strength to overcome monsters…. Father wouldn’t have had to venture into treacherous mountains for money.

If there was money, he could easily handle the illness tormenting Mother by calling a priest.

And if there was honor.

For the two sacrifices that had been made for me, I could have returned the reward… Not in the forest where there is nothing but trees, but in the advanced city where I could have spent the remaining life happily.

That’s why I wanted to become a hero.

I wanted to protect those dear to me. That was the only reason.

How long had he been living with such an endless wish in his heart?

Living by doing dirty work just to survive, he was recognized for his talent and was able to enter the academy.

There, he met new comrades.

‘Helen, Bruno, Meyris, Zeickfeld…’

Like Kaien, they were commoners with recognized talents who entered the academy through a special selection.

Of course, life there was not easy.

Although it is different now, at that time, nobles discriminated against commoners, and if you just looked like one, you were often pointed at.

But thanks to that, Kaien was able to maintain a closer bond with his commoner comrades.

The comrades regarded Kaien, who was the most skilled, as their leader, and he worked tirelessly like a fiend to protect those who believed in him.

‘Thanks to that… I was even called by such a nickname. The hero of the commoners…’

No matter how much he wanted to lower his status, there were limits to what he could hide.

Kaien’s leadership and extraordinary abilities were something that couldn’t be concealed by hatred or the like.

Even a few nobles, though in the minority, began to talk about Kaien’s name.

It was around that time.

“Are you Kaien? Nice to meet you. I’m Kilian Volkanoth.”

‘That damn guy…’

Kilain Volkanoft.

The moment he found himself in opposition to the eldest son of the prestigious family, known as both a great swordsmanship lineage and the shield of the empire.