A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 133: Snow Globe (1)

I shaped a chair from the mix of soil and snow, then put together a modern-looking shelter in no time. It was a perfect blend of Ductility and Aesthetic Sense. All the while, Sophien quietly enjoyed her ice cream, not a drop out of place. She had a kind of elegance that made it clear she was an Empress.

"Let me make this clear," Sophien said, setting her spoon aside. I turned to face her. "Inside my bedchamber, time flowed as usual. The moment you shook the snow globe, I possessed the cat and stopped your actions. However, beyond the bedchamber, a time difference occurred."

I nodded and replied, "Yes, if that's the case—"

"It seems this snow globe created an energy barrier around my bedchamber," Sophien continued. "Not just inside, but extending beyond it. It’s likely some kind of built-in defense mechanism of the snow globe."

"Yes. And also—"

"The time difference might keep increasing, or it could stay as it is," Sophien said, briefly closing her eyes as she possessed the red-furred munchkin cat.

Tick, tock— Tick, tock—

The second hand on my watch ticked forward.

When the Empress opened her eyes, she glanced at my wrist and said, "The time difference is growing. Four days here now pass for just one day outside."

"I understand," I replied.

It was only the Empress's speculation. Sophien rested her chin on her hand and remarked, "You’re not questioning any of this?"

"You are never wrong, are you, Your Majesty?" I echoed her own words back to her.

Sophien smirked, then went back to scooping up her ice cream.

"... Even so, it's strange," I muttered.

I checked my blood flow, assessed the density of mana outside the snow globe, and tracked its recovery rate. Despite spending 5,000 mana on the Midas Touch and the globe's Comprehension, two hundred mana had already regenerated.

“There’s no noticeable difference from the outside world. If anything, the density of mana here is even greater. It’s an excellent place for training or study," I said, glancing at Sophien, who tilted her head slightly, like a stubborn child avoiding her lessons.

"Your Majesty?"

"... Just go train on your own. I burned through most of my mana training in wordcraft and swordsmanship while waiting for you. I’m completely exhausted."

"Is that so? Then, a question, Sir Keiron," I said, shifting my focus to where he stood, firm and silent behind Sophien.

"Sir Keiron," I called out once more.

There was no response.

"Sir Keiron?"

"That one's just a statue," Sophien remarked.

I tapped Keiron's body, and a hollow, metallic echo followed.

"Keiron left this statue behind and went off to explore, to determine the extent and nature of this world."

I held my silence.

"It will be some time before he returns. Fools always learn the hard way."

I gave a slight nod.

Sophien raised an eyebrow, amusement gleaming in her eyes, and asked, "What's the matter? Don’t tell me you’re feeling shy now that it’s just the two of us."

"It is my greatest honor to remain by Your Majesty's side."

She looked over my face, taking in every line and crease, until her expression shifted oddly.

“You’re telling the truth,” Sophien observed.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Sophien could read human emotions effortlessly. With enough time and focus, no one could hide from her.

Whooosh—

A sharp gust of wind swept past, and Sophien tightened the collar of her cape.

"Are you feeling cold, Your Majesty?" I inquired.

"... I've spent most of my days in the palace. Having ice cream in this weather certainly hasn’t helped with the cold."

I removed my coat, and Sophien glanced at me, a hint of surprise in her eyes. Offering it to her, I said, "This coat is nearly an artifact. It regulates temperature and should keep you warm, Your Majesty."

Sophien silently draped my coat over her shoulders. With the Midas Touch enhanced to its fourth level, it was sure to keep her warm.

"It is quite warm," Sophien remarked.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"However... Deculein."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Were you aware?" Sophien asked, her voice turning cold as her expression hardened. "The Freydens were involved in my poisoning. I’m speaking of your fiancée’s family."

The air grew still, as if time itself had stopped. In this frozen snow globe, I turned my eyes to Sophien.

"It wasn't just the Freydens. Other houses were involved as well, including the Yuklines," Sophien said, taking another spoonful of ice cream. "Nearly every noble family on the continent turned against me, with the Freydens at the forefront."

I remained silent.

"Even now, I can’t help but wonder... what could have driven them to such extremes?" Sophien asked, raising her head, her expression icy and distant. "Of course, I don’t hold you responsible now. It was your predecessors who made that choice."

"Do you seek revenge?" I asked.

"... Even that thought feels so far away," Sophien sighed. "If I were to punish them all, the chaos across the continent would be exhausting to even think about. And it wouldn't make them suffer as I have. It would simply bring an end to their bloodlines, nothing more."

A heavy silence settled between us.

"Therefore, I just wish to be free of it all," Sophien confessed.

I looked at her, and for a moment, glimpsed the death variable surrounding her—a clear sign of suicidal intent. It was almost ironic.

Freed from her ennui and lethargy, she had learned too many harsh truths, too quickly, leaving her disillusioned. The effort required for revenge or securing the continent's future now felt hopelessly disproportionate to any reward she could hope for.

"I will remain by Your Majesty's side, so please do not speak of such matters."

"... Hmph. I have no need for that. And what difference would it make, having someone like you by my side?"

"No, Your Majesty. I have already informed you."

Sophien scoffed at my response. I turned my eyes to the red aura flickering around her, burning like a flame—the death variable taking shape.

"I will always be with you at every step of your journey."

For a moment, her expression hardened. It was meant to hold back the death variable, but there was sincerity in it.

"And I will always accompany you on every journey. When it concludes, I will still be by your side. Even if I must sacrifice my life, stand before you once more, Your Majesty."

There was no point in saying it—if she died, it would be game over.

"So, do not seek to flee, Your Majesty. An Empress of the Empire finds true freedom in facing her challenges, never by turning her back."

Sophien’s expression turned cold as ice, and she stayed silent for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, a faint, awkward smile crossed her lips as she asked, "Deculein, do you still remember?"

"Remember what, Your Majesty?"

Whoooosh—

In the distance, a whirlwind stirred, sweeping up snow and dust to create a blizzard. I watched the turbulent currents.

Then, in a voice as gentle as a breeze, Sophien murmured, "You have died for me before."

There was a deeper meaning in her words that I couldn't ignore. I turned back to Sophien and said, "... Your Majesty?"

A faint smile graced her lips and said, "That will do. Focus on the task at hand. This snow globe is neither a shelter nor a romantic escape."

Sophien stared at the blizzard on the horizon—a force of nature that swallowed the snow globe's sky. The ground beneath us began to crack.

Creeeaak—

"Deculein..."

Before she could speak, the ground crumbled beneath us, and a crevasse suddenly opened up.

Ruuuuuumble—

We plunged into the void. As we fell, I looked at Sophien, and she locked eyes with me.

Fwoooosh—

A powerful surge of mana pressure closed in, squeezing the air from my lungs. Even in that chaos, I did what needed to be done. With Telekinesis and Ductility, I formed a line, linking Sophien to Keiron’s statue above.

Because I acted quickly, Sophien was caught halfway, but I kept plummeting. I didn’t have enough mana left to link myself. Wasting 4,000 mana on that damn ice cream had come back to bite me...

***

The Red Garnet Adventure Team arrived at Derakal Dungeon, located in the western part of the capital. It was a high-level dungeon named after its original discoverer.

"Hyaaah—!"

Ria's shout echoed through the dungeon. Epherene watched as Ria unleashed her mana, her body drenched in blood, and couldn't help but be impressed. Her sheer determination was astonishing.

"That little girl is really talented, isn’t she? What was it called—Property Conversion?" Epherene remarked.

The kids of Archipelago were nearing the dungeon's mid-stage. Ganesha, watching the battle unfold from the corner, nodded at Epherene's remark—it was more of a training session than a real fight.

"Yes, she's our little star~"

Property Conversion was one of Ria's magical talents. As the name suggested, it allowed her to change properties—water into earth, earth into fire, fire into wind, and so on—at will. She was still rough around the edges, but her potential was undeniable.

"What I’m about to tell you was meant to be a secret," Ganesha whispered to Epherene. She hadn’t planned to share this, but... "Apparently, Ria bears a striking resemblance to the professor’s first fiancée."

Ganesha found Epherene fascinating. As a mercenary mage, Epherene had remarkable skill—enough to burn down an entire dungeon room with a single destructive spell.

"Wait, really?!" Epherene exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at Ganesha. "The first fiancée, you mean—"

"Shh. Now, it’s your turn, Miss Epherene. Why are you still digging into Professor Deculein’s past~?"

"Oh..." Epherene murmured, hesitating, unsure of how to put it into words. Even if she explained, she doubted Ganesha would believe her.

"It’s okay. No matter how crazy it sounds, I’ll believe you~ After all, I’m an adventurer," Ganesha said, hoping to give Epherene some courage to speak.

Taking a deep breath, Epherene finally said, "A while ago... I met my future self."

"What a coincidence. So did I," Ganesha replied.

“... Sorry?”

"No need to be so surprised~ I even know how I'll die one day~"

"Oh, Ganesha, have you been to Lokralen too?" Epherene asked.

"No," Ganesha replied with a slight smile, carefully enunciating each word. "A demon."

“... Ah.”

"Those creatures know exactly how to tear someone down~ So they showed me my death. Whether it was a future I couldn’t change, one I could, or one I desperately tried to alter but never did... they’ve turned it into a nightmare I have to relive every single day," Ganesha said with a sigh, a faint smile on her lips as her twin-tails swayed sadly.

"All demons really want is to watch humans fall apart. Some might crave more, but in the end, they’re all the same," Ganesha added.

“I see...” Epherene muttered, lost in thought, a quiet chuckle slipping out.

Ganesha tilted her head and asked, "Something on your mind?"

"It made me think of the professor."

Epherene thought of Deculein. The demons, who fed on human fear and suffering, could never fool him—the one person immune to their tricks.

"If demons thrive on human corruption, then..." Epherene went on. "You know, the professor would..."

"You are right. The professor would never give in to a demon's will. Even demons are afraid of Deculein of Yukline~"

Clap, clap, clap—

Ganesha applauded, praising Ria, Leo, and Carlos for their hard work, and said, "Great job, everyone! Now, let's process the corpses and gather the materials!"

"Yes, Captain!"

After assigning tasks to the three kids, Ganesha turned back to the conversation and continued, "So, I still haven’t heard why you’re digging into the professor’s past. What did your future self tell you~?"

Epherene's lips curved into a faint smile. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost content.

"... She told me to try not to hate him too much. And Mage Gindalf said something odd to me as well."

"What did she tell you?"

"It's even stranger... that the professor values me and carries a pendant with a photo of me as a child or something like that..."

"Oh, really?" Ganesha said, her eyes widening in surprise.

Epherene shook her head, struggling to make sense of his motives.

"That's interesting. If that's the case, it could be true." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“There’s no way...”

"No, there must be a reason why Professor Deculein values or despises you. It’s probably something tied to your family... don’t you think?"

Chop, chop—

The sharp crack of Ria's blade slicing through the beast's hide filled the air. Epherene flinched, glanced over, then quickly looked back to Ganesha.

"Besides, Decalane is still alive," Ganesha added.

“What?!” Epherene gasped, her face turning pale as she glanced around in a daze.

Ganesha nodded with a serious expression and said, "If he’s appearing in your dreams, it means Decalane is after you."

Epherene gripped the edge of her robe, her fingers trembling.

"Just don't stress over it. With your talent, I’m sure you can handle Decalane."

Epherene kept her silence.

"And Professor Deculein won’t let things go the way Decalane plans. You can count on him to protect you!"

... Deculein will protect me, Epherene thought, her heart racing.

Reflecting on it, he had always been there for her—at the Disciplinary Committee at the start of the semester, when she was nearly expelled, when she recklessly ventured into the Mountain of Darkness and almost fell prey to a demon, and even at the formal hearing where she stood as a witness against him...

Despite knowing the truth, she kept looking for reasons to despise him. Epherene gritted her teeth, bitterness swelling inside her. Tears clouded her eyes, stirred by an emotion she couldn't quite grasp.

"All I can do is repeat what your future self already said."

Epherene turned to Ganesha, who offered her a wet towel and said gently, "Try not to hate the professor too much."

Epherene couldn't hold back anymore, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

***

Thud—!

My body slammed into the ground. For a moment, it felt like I’d been lying there forever, only now drifting back to consciousness. Darkness closed in from all around, leaving me disoriented. Pain throbbed through my entire body. Time blurred. But more than anything, an icy cold sank into my bones, worse than anything I had imagined.

At first, it didn’t seem entirely bad. My Iron Man body thrived in extreme conditions, and this was the perfect opportunity to push myself. Accepting Carla’s Authority would force the Iron Man attribute to adapt. It was time to push my limits and strengthen my foundation for true self-mastery.

... But it was cold—No, it was much worse—I was freezing. I tried to speak, but no sound came out. It took every ounce of my superhuman strength just to stay conscious. A bitter laugh escaped me. Even an Iron Man’s body struggled against this relentless cold. Absolute zero? Not even close.

I gathered the last of my mana and tried to cast a flame. But the magic circle froze in mid-air, turning white with frost. The mana itself had crystallized from the intense cold—something that should have been theoretically impossible. I was at a loss for words.

In the freezing darkness, I forced myself to stand. My vision blurred, my mind on the verge of breaking. Still, I pushed my legs to move. I lost count of the steps, unsure of how far I had gone. Then, out of nowhere, my body buckled, tilting to the side.

Am I holding on, or am I dying? Is my unyielding self, the one that never bends or breaks, finally beginning to crack? My eyes grow heavy, slowly shutting... Damn it.

I clenched my teeth and forced my eyes open again. In that brief moment, my eyelids had frozen shut, tearing the skin as they ripped apart. But I refused to let this unforgiving cold break me. I straightened up, driving blood through my frozen organs, forcing my mana to flow.

At that moment, as I struggled frantically...

[Action Quest Complete: Withstood the Unbearable Magical Coldness.]

◆ Authority awakened in Iron Man.

: Cold Adaptation acquired.

◆ Iron Man versatility expanded.

I finished the action quest without even realizing it.