The Master of the Villains Has Disappeared

Moments pass and memories fade.

Therefore, what defines a being is emotion.

"Haa, haa..."

What emotion was felt when grasping the warm bread offered instead of abuse and kicks in the back alley?

When risking one's life to help with the notorious northern trials?

When promising to willingly become an ally in the imperial palace where intrigue and behind-the-scenes struggles were everyday occurrences?

At the moment when one's usefulness was first acknowledged when everyone in the Magic Tower pointed fingers saying it was useless?

Indeed, what emotions were felt?

「Young ones...」

-Rustle.

"You lack manners. You were wrong from the start thinking you could just rush in recklessly."

"Ugh...!"

Was it something so trivial that it could be forgotten just because of slightly labored breathing?

Just because a few bones were broken?

No, I dare say it's more precious than one's own life.

The weight of the emotions felt on that day, at that time, is incomparably heavy.

So, in order not to lose it.

To deny the death of the person who became the reason for one's life.

-Swish...

Sharp blades were hidden in the shadows.

Madness was infused into a giant axe.

Light was absorbed into a divine beast's staff.

Dense poisonous clouds from a flask were scattered.

As that person taught in the past.

They did their best.

However.

Just because the opponent was an ancient dragon. Even though it was the only being who knew the answer about that person's death. Because of the insurmountable difference in species that mortals dare not challenge.

"『■』"

-Boom─!!

The best effort squeezed out to the limit of limits was so easily trampled.

Along with the already battered bodies.

"Shall we stop here? There's a limit to how much I can go easy on you."

A cold gaze looks down from beyond the formless mana pressing down on them.

A gaze of clear superiority.

Unlike them, whose hearts felt like they would burst from the continued fierce battle, his breathing wasn't even disturbed.

Their vision naturally blurred as they couldn't find any chance of victory.

However, more than anything, the fact that they couldn't hear the answer they wanted.

The failed plan made their dust-covered heads droop.

"...Hmm?"

It was then that the ancient dragon's cold gaze briefly left them.

Soon after, a little blood stained the dragon's hand as he touched his nape.

"Kuk, kuhuhuk..."

The dragon laughed at the wound he hadn't been aware of.

His shoulders shaking as he realized that the killing intent of those bloodlings had reached him, even if just for a moment.

-Snap!

With a snap of his fingers, the force pressing down on the entire area was withdrawn.

Then came a voice full of amusement.

"That was enough entertainment for a while. As a reward, I'll spare your lives at least."

With the corners of his mouth twisted upwards, bodies that had been pressed down rose one by one at the granted mercy.

Nevertheless, instead of turning their backs and running away, they asked once more.

"Is... Master alive?"

The ancient dragon made an expression of disgust at the persistent question.

After all, these uninvited guests were all those who had only caused trouble for his friend.

However.

"I don't know."

"...!"

Come to think of it, he felt like he could give them a bit of leeway.

He decided to test whether they could find the sage who had become a completely different person.

In any case, the sage was an unpredictable variable for the dragon, someone he couldn't meet before or after.

For him, cursed with eternal life, nothing was as interesting as the sage.

Therefore, he decided to carefully watch the scene of the sage being chased by these bloodlings.

The sight of the sage trying to hide his identity from his disciples would be an amusing entertainment he might never see again.

"I don't even know what happened to that guy in the first place. All I know is this crappy will asking me to take care of you."

Of course, he had no intention of easily giving up the person he had hidden himself.

Why should he tell the truth that the person they mistakenly thought dead was currently sipping warm cocoa while wearing a bathrobe?

From ancient times, the more you delay the ending of a story, the richer its scent and flavor become.

Therefore, until these bloodlings' minds and emotions become as devastated as they can be.

Endlessly blaming themselves and blaming themselves again for the regret that constantly holds them back.

"...We need to meet the Divine Beast."

"If we turn the whole continent upside down, we might find him someday."

"I absolutely, absolutely can't accept it... There's no way Master would die like this..."

"...We'll find him. Definitely."

He hoped they would worry even in their dreams about the sage who was living well as a count's daughter.

It was a personal revenge as the sage's friend, and a last chance given to these fools who were making belated regrets.

Eventually, as the uninvited guests walked in different directions, the vast lair became quiet again.

When the only sound left was the howling blizzard beyond.

"They won't find him anytime soon. Maybe not even until their last breath."

He smiled, thinking of the various disturbances he would hear about soon.

The result of adding the troublemakers' madness-tinged obsession as a seasoning to the image of the sage living the life of a noble lady was sweet just to imagine.

"This is why I like you, Asher..."

○

"I, I like you! Lady Leta!"

"...I'm sorry."

The face of the girl reflected in the lake right next to them shows embarrassment.

In contrast, the boy's face looks as if his world has collapsed.

The problem is that the embarrassed girl is me, and the bigger problem is that the age difference between me and the boy is at least ■■ years.

No matter how I look at it, I can't accept a confession from a child who could be my own child.

'From the outside, there might not seem to be much difference...'

Above all, the most decisive factor is that I haven't developed any romantic feelings since becoming like this.

To be honest, I've never really fallen in love before either, but now it's reached a stage where it's physiologically impossible.

If I date a woman, I'll be socially buried, and if I date a man, I'll be mentally buried.

Therefore, living now as 'Leta Yurt', the option of romance doesn't exist.

Is this what they call the dissonance between mind and body?

All I feel towards the bouquet presented to me is awkwardness.

Anyway, there's no good in crushing the heart of a boy in the midst of puberty.

"Lord Adrian will be able to meet someone better than me."

"T-That...!"

"Thank you for the bouquet. I'll cherish it in place of your feelings."

I rejected him as gently as I could with a soft voice.

The speech pattern also followed the cultured noble speech I had been educated in, so it shouldn't sound too strange.

Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing, but thanks to the age difference, it wasn't unbearable.

It felt similar to when I gently rejected Rita's confession a very long time ago.

It was closer to comforting a child rather than firmly rejecting a man's confession.

The evidence is my hand that was already patting the boy's back.

"Leta!"

A moment later, a familiar voice was heard.

A girl about the same age as the boy in front of me walked up to me with clacking steps and spoke to me affectionately.

However, it would be troublesome for both me and the boy if she found out about what just happened.

"What were you doing here?"

"Umm, young lord Adrian gave me these fragrant flowers as a gift. I was wondering what to give him in return. Right, Lord Adrian?"

I tried to cover up the boy's rejection nicely while implicitly asking him to go along with it.

However.

"...I can't give up on Lady Leta!!"

-Pitter-patter!

The answer that came back was the boy's last struggle, unable to accept that he had been rejected, and his hasty retreat.

...Kids will be kids, I guess.

"Can't give up? What does that mean?"

"I-I'm not sure either."

Once again wearing an embarrassed expression, I said so while gently grasping the hand of the girl standing right next to me.

No, I led Leta Yurt's half-sister 'Isabel Yurt' out of the garden, quietly holding her hand.

'It wouldn't be good if it became known that I received a confession.'

Unlike me, whose mind and appearance are completely different, Isabel is a girl just as she appears.

If she finds out that I received a confession, she'll probably talk about love all day long.nAnd then, she'll spread the fact that I received a confession to various servants in the mansion.

'I heard you got a confession. From a kid ■■ years younger than you... ...Pfft...'

In the end, it would reach the ears of Orphion, that lizard who is the patron of the Yurt family.

Therefore, the priority right now was to change the topic of conversation to something like rumors floating around the continent.

"Did you hear that, Isabel? They say men about our father's age are being summoned to the imperial palace."

"Huh? Really? Why?"

"You know, they say the princess's taste in men is middle-aged? Like uncles? Something like that."

"Oh my..."

Isabel's feather fan gently covered her mouth.

As expected of a noble lady, even her surprised expression is the epitome of elegance.

Thanks to this, I was confident that my conversation topic change had been successful, but.

-Rustle.

-Thud.

-Thud.

"This is all because of you, Leta."

A very familiar person.

No, a dragon appeared from thin air and blocked my path.

"Could you step aside for a moment, Isabel? I have some urgent matters to discuss with Leta."

"Ah, yes...!"

Soon after, Isabel's figure disappeared in a hurry.

She seemed to feel fear at the sudden appearance of the dragon.

Of course, for me, the truth of what I had just heard was more important.

So, when I asked the outwardly normal lizard what was because of me.

"It's exactly as I said. They're summoning all humans around your age to the imperial palace to find you, Asher."

The shocking truth that the rumors floating around the continent were not actually rumors was conveyed.

The news that rumors of the princess going mad were spreading within the imperial palace was also added.

"Of course, it's a futile effort. What the princess really needs to find is a young lady like this."

"...Why are you suddenly grabbing my chin?"

"No, just. I was wondering if this is the kind of face that little Adrian likes."

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

"Yes."

I felt like I was going to lose my mind, literally.

Somehow, it seems like there's never a quiet day when I'm with Orphion, this lizard.

"Anyway, it seems the Divine Beast can't stand by any longer. He made the princess have a prophetic dream."

"What? A prophetic dream?"

"It's probably the kind of prophetic dream you're thinking of. So, let's hide."

A moment later, what was handed to me was a letter of recommendation. A document with the emblem of a prestigious academy on the continent.

"Even the princess wouldn't be able to easily touch a Primus."

"...Now you're going to make me an academy student?"

"Look carefully. Not a student, but a professor."

I wondered where in this world there could be a professor who could teach a sage.

Orphion, still wearing a faint smile, said so and added that I should prepare.

"We leave tomorrow."

"Wait. You want me to teach students?"

"Is there a problem?"

"...You know how the kids I raised turned out."

"Don't worry. This time it's not raising them, but theoretical education."

Eventually, the last words I could hear were that if I stayed here any longer, I would soon be discovered.

In other words, I had no choice.

...Somehow, life has become a series of crises.