A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 125: Ghost Island (1)

Sunlight streamed through the large windows of the Head Professor’s office, but the air around Deculein was as cold as ever. There was nothing to be afraid of—this was simply how he always was.

“... Um.”

Epherene approached him cautiously, one step at a time. She hesitated for a moment before stumbling over her words as she tried to speak.

“So, uh...”

Just as Epherene cautiously began to speak...

“You know...”

“Leave.”

“Oh?”

Thud—!

Suddenly, she was flung backward, the door slamming shut with a thud—it was Telekinesis.

“... What?” Epherene muttered, staring blankly at the firmly shut door. She tried the handle, but it wouldn’t move. “Professor... open the door! I need to say something—"

“Oh, Miss Epherene. You’ve arrived?”

Just then, Allen approached from behind, offering her a warm smile.

“Ah, well... yes, I came, but...” Epherene muttered, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck, feeling warmth spread across her back. Embarrassment crept over her, and she felt a bit ashamed. “It’s just that...”

“It’s okay~” Allen interrupted, shaking his head knowingly, still cheerful. “It happens. Professor Deculein would see it as only natural. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I might have done the same.”

Epherene remained silent, offering no response.

"Sharing your personal matters took courage. Now, you just need to focus on your research to repay that~ None of us are bothered by it, so don’t worry," Allen continued, encouraging her warmly before walking off to his lab.

Assistant Professor’s Laboratory: Allen

Allen’s steps had a noticeable spring to them, likely because Deculein had recently expanded his lab.

As she watched him leave, Epherene’s thoughts wandered back to the conversation she had overheard between Deculein and Ihelm.

“The research remains incomplete, and it’s Epherene’s responsibility, not mine, to finish it.”

What Deculein left to her—the research she still needed to complete for her father’s sake.

“... Right,” Epherene muttered with a firm nod before sprinting toward the assistant's research lab.

She threw the door open, paying no attention to Drent’s startled reaction, and immediately sat at her desk, which was stacked with papers.

“I can do this. I can do this...”

Epherene didn’t hesitate. Her resolve burned brighter than ever, her purpose clearer than it had ever been. With that newfound determination, she plunged into her studies.

***

After the five-day hearing concluded, I was summoned, along with Ihelm, to Adrienne’s office on the 100th floor.

"Great job, both of you!" Adrienne said brightly. "I’ve praised you both, so the thesis review should be done within a month! But before that, there’s one more test for each of you!"

Adrienne, the Chairwoman, had sent my thesis to the Floating Island. It was likely that every Addict there would set aside their tasks to focus entirely on evaluating my work.

"This time, it's to evaluate your practical abilities!"

Ihelm brushed his hand through his hair and asked, "Is withdrawing from the candidacy still an option?"

Adrienne responded with enthusiasm, "Absolutely not! There's still plenty of time to turn things around!"

"... I have no desire to turn things around."

"Too bad! Take a look at this!" Adrienne exclaimed, pulling out a map and a crystal orb, both connected to an island called Goreth.

At that moment, a quest notification popped up.

[Main Quest: The Altar and the Ghost]

◆ Mental Strength +1

Lately, nearly every quest had been marked as either main or independent. There was no room left for side quests anymore.

"The destination is Goreth Island! It's known as Ghost Island, and there's a place there called Ghost Castle!" Adrienne said, projecting an image of the island with her crystal orb.

At first glance, it seemed ordinary—a dock for ships, a towering castle in the distance, with weeds and grass growing wild. The whole place had clearly been abandoned for a long time.

"You’ve probably come across it in your academy textbooks!"

"Yes, I am well aware," Ihelm said, clicking his tongue. "Goreth—a magical space where three thousand islanders vanished in an instant, sixty years past."

"Exactly! It was once known for its unique products and attracted many tourists, but after the incident, it turned into a dead island. But here’s the exciting part—a mana stone mine has been discovered there!"

"... A mana stone mine?"

"Yes~!"

Mana stones were highly sought after by everyone in this world, especially mages. As the saying went, even if they were buried in hell, people would dig for top-grade mana stones. Their value was beyond question.

“There’s about ten thousand tons of mana stones buried there! If you convert that into elne... oh my, oh my!” Adrienne exclaimed, fluttering her hands dramatically. Ihelm crossed his arms, still looking unimpressed. “A purification operation is being organized! And your test will be to determine who can contribute the most to this effort—"

"In other words, unpaid labor," Ihelm interjected.

"No, absolutely not!" Adrienne responded, shaking her head as soon as he asked. "Your contributions will be evaluated, and rewards will be given accordingly. For instance, if Ihelm contributes 3%, then 0.3% of the ten thousand tons is yours! After deducting the half that goes to the Imperial Palace, you’ll receive fifteen tons of the mine’s share!"

Fifteen tons. Depending on the quality of the mana stones, that amount could match the yearly budget of a mid-sized territory.

Adrienne went on, "Ihelm, with his expertise in supportive magic, and Deculein of the Yukline family will handle any demons or ghosts that show up! The two of you will make a perfect team!"

Ihelm gave me a look, silently questioning whether I intended to take part in the test. With the quest now active, there was no point in turning it down.

"Yes, I will participate," I responded.

"... Well, then I suppose I’ll join as well. The Chairman position may be out of reach, but those mine shares are certainly tempting," Ihelm replied with a shrug.

***

The office of the Grand Knight of the Freyhem Knights was a plain wooden room, free of any decorations or luxuries—so minimal, it felt almost empty.

"Hmm..."

Yulie, the Grand Knight of the order, reviewed the ledgers. Lately, the finances have consistently shown a surplus.

"... Hehe."

A faint smile touched her lips. Despite her worsening health, the steady finances of the knight’s order gave her a sense of pride.

Knock, knock—

A knock suddenly echoed in the room. She quickly slipped the ledger into a drawer and composed herself, then called for the person to enter.

"... Grand Knight," said Rockfell, the deputy knight of Freyhem, clad in armor and a black cloak.

The moment Yulie noticed his somber look, she rose to her feet and asked, "What is it, Rockfell?"

"We’ve recovered... Veron’s remains."

“What?” Yulie exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. She quickly moved toward Rockfell, repeating in disbelief, “Veron’s remains?!”

The Freyhem Knights Order had exhausted every resource in their efforts to recover the remains, pouring in vast sums of money, but it was all in vain. The cliffs were simply too treacherous.

"Yes. Lady Josephine aided us."

"Ah... I see," Yulie said, nodding slowly as she stepped back and let out a long sigh of relief. For the first time in a long while, she felt deeply grateful to her sister. "... He’s finally returned home."

A weight seemed to lift from her heart. Yulie looked over at Rockfell, whose eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Grand Knight, what are your next steps?"

"I will arrange a proper funeral for him."

"Understood. I will inform the knights," Rockfell said with a bow before leaving the office.

Yulie took a deep breath and glanced out the window. The sky was clear, the sun bright, and not a cloud to be seen.

"Thank goodness..." Yulie whispered, a faint smile appearing in place of the tears she held back.

***

Meanwhile, Solda Epherene sat in a café, sipping her coffee, but it felt like it might go down the wrong way. Too many people kept glancing at her.

“Ugh, my stomach’s in knots.”

Lately, no matter where she went on campus, eyes seemed to follow her. It was all because she had spoken up, despite being Deculein's assistant. Some people supported her, others worried, and many nobles openly condemned her. But the odd thing was, no one seemed to be on Deculein's side. That part made Epherene feel a little...

"Hmm~ Seems like we've got a celebrity here," someone remarked, taking a seat next to her.

Epherene’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up and said, “...Professor Louina?”

Louina smiled warmly, tossing her green hair over her shoulder, and replied, “It’s nice to see you~ But you still seem a little lost, don’t you?”

“Ah... haha,” Epherene gave a weak smile and lowered her head.

Louina took a sip of her coffee and asked, “So, how’s Professor Deculein? Has he changed a lot?”

“Oh, well, I’m not really sure how Professor Deculein used to be...”

Epherene had only read about Deculein in letters; she hadn’t witnessed his past herself. Now, she chose to rely on what she could see with her own eyes.

Louina let out a quiet sigh, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness, and said, “Yes, I suppose so. He’s changed quite a bit. Before... Well, I can’t even begin to explain how terrible he was. But, as always, there’s a reason people change.”

Epherene blinked and asked, “Did something happen to Professor Deculein?”

"Hmm... I’m not sure. I shouldn’t really talk about it. But who knows, he might be suffering from a terminal illness."

“... Sorry?”

At that moment, as Epherene tilted her head in confusion, a faint memory stirred deep within her mind—a fragment of a voice rising from the depths of her subconscious.

“But... in my world, the professor is no longer there.”

A fleeting, mirage-like whisper passed through Epherene's mind. She reflected on the meaning of those words, uncertain of who had spoken them, where they had come from, or how they had reached her.

“Solda Epherene? What’s wrong?” Louina asked.

Startled, Epherene quickly shook her head and said, “Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Does something seem to be coming together?”

“No, no. It’s nothing like that.”

Epherene didn’t know why he had changed—there was no way she could have known, given how little she knew of Deculein’s past. All she could do was...

“Think it’s just a headache. Maybe it’s from this,” Epherene said, taking a piece of paper from her coat.

Louina glanced at the paper and said with a hint of recognition, “Ah, Goreth Island. Ghost Castle, was it? I heard Professor Deculein will be going there.”

“Yes, he is.”

"Are the assistants required to attend? It’s a dangerous place, and surely not everyone needs to go."

“It’s not required, but...” Epherene said, awkwardly scratching her cheek. “Since I’m his assistant, I plan to go. I can still do my research while I’m there. But, of course, if the professor doesn’t want me there, I won’t—”

***

“... Ahh!”

When Epherene opened her eyes, she found herself aboard the ship bound for Ghost Castle on Goreth Island. Sunlight streamed through the window, the sea calm and glimmering beneath it. The ship’s interior was tranquil, as one would expect from a cruise. Epherene stretched with a wide yawn, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“You’re awake, Miss Epherene?” Allen asked with a warm smile from his seat beside her.

Epherene rubbed her eyes and said, "Yes, it’s my first time on a ship. I must have dozed off unexpectedly. Maybe it’s the seasickness?"

“Ah~ it’s your first time on a boat? That makes sense. ... But, by the way, is it fine for you to be skipping your classes?”

For reference, Drent remained behind, choosing to focus on his midterms, which were now only a month away.

“Yes, of course. I find the Solda classes so easy, they’re almost boring.”

“As expected from you~” Allen said with a hint of admiration before glancing out the window. “Miss Epherene, they say the place we’re going to is full of ghosts! Sounds like there’ll be plenty to research~”

“I’m excited about it. Ghosts are magical beings, after all, aren’t they?”

But Allen didn’t respond. Instead, his head slowly swiveled toward her in an unnatural, almost grotesque way, as if his neck had twisted wrong.

“A-Assistant Professor Allen? What’s wrong with your...?”

Though Allen's body remained facing the window, his head stayed turned toward her, his eyes locked in a disturbing grin as he said, “Um, Miss Epherene.”

“Yes?”

“Do I still look like Allen to you?”

“W-what are you talking... about...?”

Suddenly, blood gushed from Allen’s eyes, flowing in thick streams as if a faucet had burst.

Gush, gush, gush—!

Epherene stood frozen in horror as the crimson liquid splattered across her. Paralyzed by fear, she watched as Allen’s mouth stretched unnaturally wide, resembling a shark’s maw.

“Grrrrrrr...!”

Epherene attempted to cast a spell, but her mana refused to respond. It was like trying to land a punch in a dream...

A dream? Epherne thought.

“... A dream! This is only a dream!” Epherene shouted, squeezing her eyes shut before forcing them open again.

Her body trembled, but the terrifying vision had faded entirely. Allen was still sitting next to her, quietly gazing at the sea. She released a slow breath, placing a hand over her chest. Perhaps it was simply the weight of her exhaustion taking its toll, or maybe her mind was beginning to unravel.

"... Miss Epherene? Are you alright?" Allen asked, his voice laced with concern.

Epherene shook her head and said, "Oh, it's nothing, just a strange dream..."

“What kind of dream?”

“No, no, it’s nothing. Everything’s fine, really. No problem. Nothing to worry about.”

“Could it be... that your dream was something like this?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Grab—!

Allen seized Epherene’s wrist and leaned in closer, blood once again streaming from his eyes, just like before.

Gush, gush, gush—!

Blood gushed from Allen's mouth as he asked, "Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this?"

“N-no, ahh...!”

As Epherene screamed, she snapped awake, drenched in cold sweat. Her eyes quickly scanned the cabin—it was still the ship, but now night had fallen.

Allen appeared, looking concerned, and asked, “Miss Epherene! What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

"You... you're going to do that again, aren’t you?! Don’t come any closer! Stay back!"

“Sorry? W-why...?” Allen asked, stopping in his tracks, clearly hurt by her reaction.

At that moment, a steady voice cut through, “This is no longer a dream.”

Epherene blinked and turned toward the voice, murmuring, “... Oh?”

It was Head Professor Deculein, turning the pages of a book. Without lifting his gaze, he asked, “Epherene, are you familiar with the legend of the Sirens?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of them...”

"The sea’s mana lures people through dreams and illusions, which serve as its medium. Ghosts are entities that take shape from these visions. The island we’re approaching is where this mana is at its most potent."

Epherene listened quietly.

“You were pulled into one of those dreams, but now you’ve been released.”

Epherene swallowed hard and looked down at her wrist, where a distinct handprint was still visible.

“... This is insane. Could I still be dreaming?”

“There is no need to worry. My presence is proof of your reality,” Deculein said.

Epherene looked at him, confused, her brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of his words.

Without lifting his eyes from the book, Deculein said, “They cannot replicate me. If I’m not present in your world, then it is a dream. Where I exist, that is your reality.”

“Oh, well said, Professor Deculein!” Ihelm remarked, clapping from the nearby sofa, a glass of wine in hand.

As usual, Deculein remained silent, offering no response.

“Yes, yes... I’ll keep that in mind,” Epherene mumbled awkwardly as she turned toward the window.

The sea was pitch black, the wind roared, and the waves crashed violently against the ship.

Ruuumble—!

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, briefly revealing a skull-like shape. The sharp light burned into Epherene’s vision, startling her—not just because of the lightning, but from the sudden wave of memories that surfaced.

“But... in my world, the professor is no longer there.“

“So, don’t hold too much hatred for him.”

A message from her future self echoed in her mind, prompting Epherene to quickly turn toward Deculein.

“And if you can, try to keep him around in your world for as long as possible.”

One of the truths she had uncovered about her future was that Deculein would die, and it wasn’t far off.