I Raised the Villain's Daughter Too Well-Chapter 23: Didn’t Know! -

“Ughhh...”

I only crawled out from the belly of the yeti after confirming that they had all passed by.

Steam was still rising from the carcass. I shook off the clinging blood clots and used a small Ignition spell to dry off the remaining blood.

The scent of blood was so strong that there was no other way but to resort to such a crude method.

Covering my blood with the yeti’s blood.

I doubt that sorcerer even imagined that a noble like me would go this far...

Of course. It was that horrifying.

...I’ll make sure to repay this debt.

Gritting my teeth, I drew my sword and moved in the direction from which the yetis had come.

“Oh, wait. Ughhh...”

Pausing to retch a couple more times.

****

Misellini couldn’t believe his eyes.

“What the hell is this...!”

Yes, the target from before was monstrous enough to warrant that descriptor.

Closing the distance in an instant, severing a yeti’s neck before it could react, then leaping back.

It sounded simple, but the series of actions, all occurring in less than 0.5 seconds, transcended swordsmanship and approached the realm of art.

However – now, seeing that woman, he realized.

The word “monster” existed solely for beings like her.

“Graaaah!”

It was a massacre.

The blackened blade, radiating such intense heat that it evaporated even the blizzard around her, seared and cleaved through the yetis’ bodies.

It wasn’t the graceful, efficient movement the target had shown.

It was as if the yetis were her mortal enemies, and she was hacking them into dozens of pieces. A strength that couldn’t possibly come from such a small body.

“...”

Naturally, Misellini wasn’t just watching in silence.

The more reckless the movements, the more openings they create.

“Now!”

Using the dismembered yetis as a stepping stone, five yetis lunged at her simultaneously.

“Graaaargh!”

Misellini synchronized his sense of touch slightly, enduring the pain to further refine the yetis’ movements.

The yetis’ claws and teeth, sharp enough to tear and crush human flesh with ease, closed in on Arin.

And then – the impossible happened.

“You monster...”

She didn’t dodge.

Not out of recklessness, but because there was no need.

The teeth and claws couldn’t pierce Arin’s skin.

“...”

Arin, standing amidst the yetis’ attacks, locked eyes with Misellini.

Her eyes were utterly devoid of life, as if she had been dead for hours. Misellini forced a smirk.

“So that’s what a witch is?”

“I’m not a witch.”

“And which dumbass told you that? Another witch?”

“I did.”

Misellini immediately spun around.

There stood his target, looking furious for some reason.

****

The sorcerer was that arrogant noble brat I had seen in the waiting room just before the exam.

His family name... I don’t remember.

Not that it mattered.

I drew my sword and spoke to Arin.

“Hold off the yetis for a bit.”

“Okay.”

“Graaargh!!”

The grotesque sound of flesh being torn apart echoed over the howling blizzard, reverberating through the snowy field.

I locked eyes with the bastard. He was staring daggers at me.

“How did you avoid being tracked?”

“By crawling inside a yeti.”

“You crazy bastard...”

“And you? How did you control the yetis?”

“Bloodline Manipulation.”

A well-known sorcery. I understood it immediately.

But he couldn’t have had enough time to prepare for it...

Ah.

“...Pre-arranged?”

This bastard knew in advance that the exam would take place in the Crovan Mountains.

I drew my sword with a grim expression.

“How powerful of a benefactor do you have backing you up?”

“It’s a request from such a benefactor, so I have to comply. Nothing personal.”

“No need to say it. It’s Emily, right?”

“You know I can’t say that, you piece of shit. Just get lost and stop blocking my path to success.”

“Opposite. If you want to succeed, drop to your knees right now, sincerely apologize for making me crawl inside a yeti, and then shatter that compass of yours.”

Hearing my threat, the bastard’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“...What?”

“Oh, did I forget to introduce myself? I’m a member of the Seriratus Family.”

“ㅡ”

The bastard swallowed audibly, then let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Since when did Lady Firnea have a cross-dressing hobby? News to me.”

“Serbus Virdem. It’s an honor, but I’m her personal butler.”

“What the hell...”

The bastard squinted at me, scrutinizing my appearance, then his jaw dropped open.

“...Wait, Serbus? You’re really Serbus? The Seriratus family’s exclusive warhorse clan with the branded necks?”

“...”

Strangely, being called a beast didn’t feel bad.

There was something about the word “warhorse” that stirred a man’s heart.

The man let out a disbelieving laugh as he looked me up and down.

“Oh, ohhh! I see. That butler uniform... I was wondering what kind of bullshit that was... You’re an actual butler? Fuck, that’s... unbelievable.”

“Now that you know, get down on your knees. Even an idiot like you should understand by now why Emily hired you, right? Even if you make it into the Academy, your enemy will be Seriratus. You know you won’t survive that.”

“Spare me the bullshit.”

“...”

Not that I had any right to talk, but his words were more like a mercenary’s than a noble’s. freёwebnoѵel.com

Normally, when faced with the name Seriratus, any noble would prostrate themselves and beg ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) for mercy, but this guy? He kept closing the distance, as if the name meant nothing.

“You’re mistaken. I have no intention of helping my benefactor if Seriratus attacks them. In fact, even if Seriratus doesn’t attack, if there’s nothing left to gain, I’ll just walk away.”

“You sure you’re a noble?”

“And you? Are you a fucking idiot?”

The man sneered.

“You seriously think you’re a member of Seriratus? You don’t actually believe in that embarrassing delusion, do you? You’re just Butler No. 1. You think you’re the only one? Obviously, there’s a No. 2, No. 3. Whether you die here or not, Firnea won’t give a damn.”

“That’s not entirely true.”

“...You really are a piece of shit. You remind me of the old me.”

The man’s eyes abruptly narrowed, turning blood-red like a yeti’s.

His body swelled, muscles bulging beneath his skin. I scowled, bracing myself.

“Synchronization, huh? I knew you were from a sorcery family, but...”

“Creshel Misellini. Bet you’ve never heard of it.”

The man, now a monstrous figure, grinned wickedly.

...The mana emanating from him felt more like that of a beast than a human.

“Of course not. We’re just background characters.”

“We?”

“Yeah. You and me. As much as it pisses me off, we’re the same.”

“What kind of bullshit are you spouting now, you fucker–”

“Ahahaha...”

Despite my outburst, he just laughed and murmured seriously.

“Do you know that this Special Talent Exam was originally designed for commoners?”

“...?”

I didn’t respond to the random statement, and he continued talking to himself.

“But you and I... on paper, we’re nobles. How do you think we were allowed to take the exam?”

“Any noble who didn’t receive a summons can still participate, you dumbass.”

“Then what’s the difference between a ‘noble who didn’t receive a summons’ and a commoner? Why are we being treated this way?”

“What the hell are you trying to say? Are you saying we’re not nobles?”

“Worse.”

Misellini lowered the hand holding his sword as if he had no intention of fighting.

“If you’re born a commoner, at least you learn your place. You know there’s a ceiling you can never break through, and you accept that it’s not yours to reach. But we... those like us, who are neither commoners nor nobles – how the hell are we supposed to live?”

I was stunned.

...This bastard.

He was still clinging to childish thoughts that should’ve been abandoned before he turned ten.

“We’re the ones who aren’t invited to any social gatherings, who are envied and ridiculed, who are feared and scorned by commoners. When other nobles call me over, it’s only to play with me like a toy – because the monsters I control won’t obey them. I refuse to live like that for the rest of my life.”

“So you’re going to pull some stunt at the Academy? What, aiming for first place?”

“No. I know my place. I’m going to seduce a noblewoman and marry her.”

“...?”

After rambling on about some delusional philosophy, he suddenly stated his plan as if it were a realistic objective.

“While working as a lackey, I learned something. Noblewomen have zero resistance against men. Just whisper a bit of love, and they’ll hand over their hearts. Seducing a noblewoman is the easy part. Convincing her family is the hard part. That’s why I’m entering the Academy and making money.”

“This bastard is fucking insane.”

I spat to the side and raised my sword.

Trying to understand the logic of a lunatic was a waste of time.

Might as well just beat the shit out of him.

Misellini seemed to have expected it. He twirled his sword once and –

“I didn’t think you’d understand. Someday, you’ll realize it too – that you’re just a disposable pawn.”

Before he even finished speaking, he lunged at me, swinging his sword.

–Clang!

“...Ugh.”

“For a butler, you’re pretty strong.”

“...”

Crack–

I couldn’t respond. It felt like being pressed down by a massive boulder.

At least the strength of three yetis.

I met Misellini’s glowing red eyes and forced a smirk.

“Hah, let’s see how long you can keep this up.”

“Not long.”

There was no reason for him to admit it, but he did.

Of course. Synchronizing with beasts... That wasn’t something a sane person would do. It was a last resort.

But I clenched my jaw. The fact that he was openly admitting it meant –

“That’s why I need to finish it before then.”

He was confident.

“Oh, really?”

But – there was one thing this bastard didn’t know.

“I’ll grant your wish.”

“...?”

I’m closer to a mage than a swordsman.

“What the–”

Misellini’s expression twisted in confusion as red threads began crawling up the surface of his sword.

And then – he exploded.