A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

"But with this, it's different." The man's eyes were full of hope. "With this thing, it feels like not only the foul air is gone, but the whole environment has improved. Our children will grow up healthy!"

These answers reassured Ravenna, but she remained meticulous and cautious, asking, "It hasn't caused any trouble, has it? For instance, has anyone tried to control it, demanding money from you in return for its use?"

"Ha ha ha, we were worried about that at first too! But Lord Milo thought of everything!"

The man laughed heartily, his expression full of admiration. "He always thinks of us… I even heard that this thing cost a fortune! Lord Milo spent a lot of money to—"

"How could it be Milo?" Ravenna interrupted. "Isn't it Faust who maintains its stable operation? And wasn't it Faust who created it?"

And costly? It was just a little gadget she had made casually. How had it been rumored to be so expensive?

"…Faust? That's right, he's the kind-hearted man who's been helping us lately! I know, he's also a benevolent extraordinary being! But in the end, it's still Lord Milo who… wait, how can you call Lord Milo by his name directly?"

The man's expression changed to one of horror. He stepped back in fear, "How can you… are, are, are you an extraordinary being too? Do you know Lord Milo?"

In an instant, his fear intensified, and he dropped to his knees in front of Ravenna, pressing his forehead to the ground, his voice trembling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, great extraordinary being, I didn't mean to offend you! I didn't recognize you, I—"

His reaction drew the attention of many. Ravenna, with a complex expression, took a step back, cast a forgetting spell, and disappeared, leaving the man to stand up, confused and not knowing what he had just been doing. She walked over to Ansel.

"Shall we continue?" The young Hydra asked softly.

Ravenna exhaled slowly, "…Continue."

As they moved downward along the purifiers, the further they went, the more pronounced the people's reliance on and praise for the purifiers became. Simultaneously… their reverence and worship for Milo grew, making Ravenna feel a physical discomfort.

When they finally reached the bottom layer of the lower district, the area most heavily polluted, they found six purifiers set up. After wiping the memory of the last person with practiced ease, Ravenna stood next to Ansel, looking at the pit below filled with floating garbage and filthy black water.

What Ravenna had tried to create in the workshop earlier was a large device intended to be installed at the bottom of the pit. It was designed to be more efficient than a simple purification spell, saving magic crystals and providing a permanent solution to the lower district's environmental problems.

But now it seemed that the issues in the lower district… were not just environmental.

"Milo, I mean that fake Milo, would never dare to usurp your credit."

Ravenna murmured to herself, "He even wishes to sever all ties, attributing all the good reputation to you. But why... why do they venerate Milo even more?"

"Moreover, if it weren't for your continuous assistance to the commoners lately, they might not even remember your name."

Ansel was about to speak, but Ravenna waved her hand, "No, you don't need to tell me. I understand, I can imagine."

"Milo has left an indelible impression on them. No... it's more than that. It's not just Milo. Those people are inherently abnormal, blinded and ignorant... No, that's not right either.

It's both, isn't it..."

Ansel watched Ravenna quietly, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes.

She truly was his kindred best friend, discerning the crux of the matter just by observing along the way. Though still slower than Marlina... perhaps much slower.

While Ravenna hesitated, Marlina had already made her judgment and acted accordingly.

Ultimately... it was the limitation of her position. For Ravenna to reach this level of insight was already remarkable.

As Ansel pondered this, Ravenna's eyes suddenly brightened. "I've got it!"

Ansel chuckled softly, "What have you realized?"

"The issue lies with you, Ansel!"

"..."

The youth was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Ravenna to say that.

But he found it amusing, resting his chin on his hand, full of interest, "How so?"

"Milo's esteemed position in the hearts of the commoners is simply because he has been operating in the Dispute Fortress for many years."

Ravenna declared with conviction, "If someone in the Hydra territory did something particularly beneficial for the people, most of them would immediately attribute the credit to you, wouldn't they?"

Ansel raised an eyebrow. He wanted to say that the reasons behind the two situations were completely different but still encouraged her, "And then?"

"And then… and then it's simple. All you need to do is to perform more, and better, deeds than that hypocrite. The commoners will naturally lean towards you."

Ravenna grasped Ansel's hand, speaking with utmost sincerity, "You've only been fulfilling commissions for a short time, yet many people remember you. So what if it wasn't just commissions? What if it were more important, more meaningful, more impactful deeds? With your abilities, Ansel, replacing Milo, and becoming the idol in the hearts of more commoners, is entirely within your reach."

Ansel's previously amused smile faded slightly. He pondered for a moment before earnestly asking Ravenna:

"But your initial question wasn't about that, Venna. Weren't you concerned about the purifier issue and the subsequent matters...?"

"I just want to find problems, any problems," Ravenna replied.

"As long as I can identify the issue and solve it, that's progress for me. The type of problem doesn't matter to me."

"But what does this have to do with whether I'm more important than Milo?"

"How could it not matter?" Ravenna frowned. "Why would you compare yourself to that trash? Are you trying to insult me indirectly, Ansel?"

She cupped Ansel's cheeks with her hands, speaking with deliberate emphasis:

"The connection is that you are a remarkable person, Ansel. If they idolize and follow you, you will undoubtedly bring them peace and happiness."

Ansel, forced to gaze into her violet eyes, remained silent.

But Ravenna, with unprecedented resolve, continued, "The commoners aren't at fault. Their ignorance isn't their fault. They can't choose their birth, their environment, or their leaders... So the ignorance they exhibit now isn't their essence, but the result of countless external influences."

"If it weren't Milo leading them, but someone upright, kind, strong, visionary, and extraordinarily wise, they wouldn't be like this now."

"This world wouldn't be like this now."

"Ansel... my Ansel."

Ravenna, filled with immense gratitude and adoration, pressed her forehead against Ansel's.

"You are that person."

After a brief silence, Ansel chuckled lightly.

"But those descriptions seem too distant from me, Venna."

Ansel patted Ravenna's back, as if joking, "Have you forgotten what you used to say to Seri? I'm not a good person."

Ravenna, without turning her head, said, "That was in the past, when you were training that little dog. You weren't a good person then, were you?"

"So am I now?" The young Hydra tilted his head slightly.

"Not yet."

Ravenna gazed at Ansel tenderly, "But it's just 'not yet.'"

"You will be, Ansel. I believe you will."

"..."

You will be an upright, kind, and strong man.

Ravenna spoke these words to him, and Seraphina believed it with even greater conviction.

A good man...

Anneliese's words, his mother's gentle prayers, still echoed in Ansel's ears from time to time.

Sometimes, Ansel found it incredible. How did those four heroines build a new nation, a new order, from the ruins? Was it merely a glossed-over, illogical tale in a game, or was such a future truly possible?

Ansel believed that such a grand transformation couldn't be achieved as easily as a jest.

Even if the Empire were overthrown, even if the old world were destroyed, the birth of a new order would still require a long and complex struggle…

—One steeped in darkness, blood, hatred, conspiracy, and brutal combat.

But if... if that wasn't a fairy tale created by the game to ignore logic for the sake of a happy ending, but rather a predetermined future... wouldn't that mean he could bring about some... changes?

He was reluctant to share his understanding with Ravenna, hoping she could find her own path while he pondered this matter.

He contemplated… how he should proceed from here on out.

Defying fate was a given. Although he no longer sacrificed everything, including his parents, Ansel would still pursue his goals with unwavering determination, regardless of morality.

But beyond that? His life was no longer solely about defiant resistance and revenge against fate. His father and mother had survived, and the two girls willing to lay down their lives for him needed his help.

Moreover, as he began to rekindle his past aspirations, he felt a faint yet fervent desire for the innocent and naive dreams of his childhood.

["Be a kind person, Ans."]

The road back would be arduous, Ansel.

But you have two girls who trust you, love you, and possess unparalleled talents. You saved your father and mother's lives.

From now on, don't you... have more choices?

As Ansel delved into these thoughts, a dark shadow suddenly plummeted from above. Ravenna, quick as lightning, used Nidhoggur to catch the shadow just before it fell into the foul pit.

"What happened! Who did this!"

Ravenna's voice was filled with fury. Ansel turned his gaze to the shadow she caught, quickly understanding the source of her anger.

For the shadow, which had nearly fallen to a gruesome death in the filthy pit, was a boy—a youn child.

*