I Became the Master of the Villain

“Aaah…”
“It’s a miracle, a miracle happened!”
As Obelice revived a sleep disease patient, the crowd stirred. Gasps erupted from every direction.

The woman he had revived wore a dazed expression, like someone just waking from a deep sleep.
A man who appeared to be her family member hugged her tightly, tears streaming down his face.
“Mother, it’s me. Do you recognize me?”

“My… son…”
The woman spoke slowly, her face still blank. The man embraced his mother in overwhelming emotion.
‘That man… I’ve seen him before at Greenhills Convalescent Hospital.’

I could tell this wasn’t staged.
But I still couldn’t believe it.
Did that woman’s soul really come back?

“That can’t be…”
I muttered to myself, as if denying reality. At that, Alexis looked at my complexion and asked,
“Are you all right, Lady Olivia?”

He looked at me with concern. I forced myself to remain calm and replied,
“Ah… Yes, I was just a little surprised.”
Before coming here, I had thought Obelice was just a con artist.

But I was wrong.
At the very least, he wasn’t an ordinary man.
‘Did he use magic?’
If so, then why couldn’t Imperial mages revive sleep disease patients?

While I was caught in confusion, people’s cries struck my ears.
“A representative of God… The Lord has bestowed power upon Sir Obelice…!”
The people were overwhelmed by the miracle Obelice had performed.

They clamored like worshippers.
“Sir Obelice! Please, let the hand of God reach my family too…!”
“O divine agent, please save my younger brother…!”

Before I knew it, their shouts had turned frenzied.
As the crowd lost order and surged forward, Obelice quieted the commotion.
“Please calm down, everyone.”

He looked around the crowd with a benevolent smile.
“First, show your faith. If you do that, God will surely save your beloved family.”
At his signal, people dressed in priestly robes appeared on either side of the platform.

They dragged out rectangular wooden boxes.
One of the priests spoke.
“Please place your prepared offerings here.”

So that was what Obelice meant by faith.
“Here, thirty million gallons!”
“Don’t push! I came first!”

“Line up, form a line!”
The people swarmed toward the priests.
Disorder spread like a plague.

Alexis grabbed hold of me as I was nearly swept away by the crowd.
Handing me over to Sir Hans, he said,
“Lady Olivia. It’s best we leave this place now.”

“What about Your Highness?”
“I still have something to confirm.”
The true nature of the power Obelice used.

Was Alexis trying to uncover that?
But now didn’t seem like the time to ask. He didn’t look like he’d answer.
Alexis’s golden eyes had gone cold.

Whatever Obelice did, one thing was certain—he wasn’t doing this out of goodwill.
What kind of god performs miracles and asks for money?
To Obelice, the sleep disease patients were nothing more than revenue.

The people excluded from the donation queue were living proof.
“Just hold on. I’ll save up the money, I swear I’ll make you better.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. Next time for sure…”

Even if he somehow restored a lost soul, I found it sickening how he toyed with the desperation of these people.
On the platform, Obelice was already awakening another sleep disease patient.
Then it happened.

Alexis looked toward the entrance, alert.
Pulling me firmly into his arms, he said,
“Come this way, Lady Olivia.”

“W-wait a minute—”
I was just about to tell him I belonged to someone now.
BOOM—!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the air.
It came from the entrance.
‘What the hell is that…?!’

The door that had been tightly shut just moments ago had been torn apart like paper.
Soon after, through the swirling dust, uniformed figures appeared.
Two lions with raised forepaws were emblazoned on the hems of their cloaks.

At the very front of the group, their commander stepped forward.
“From this moment on, this place is under the control of the Imperial Mage Division.”
With his long cloak billowing, the one who made the declaration—

Was Kian.
***
“What’s going on?”

“Why are Imperial mages here…?”
The people were visibly shaken by the appearance of the Imperial Mage Division.
I was just as surprised.

I never expected to see Kian leading the Imperial Mages here.
‘Alexis said he was acting alone.’
Alexis frowned, clearly displeased with the situation.

I slipped out of his arms. He released me without resistance.
“Did Your Highness call for them?”
“Of course not. I don’t have the authority to mobilize the Imperial Mage Division.”

“Then was it His Majesty?”
“Seems so. Looks like Father has been watching Obelice separately from me.”
Kian parted the crowd and stepped forward.

He declared the purpose of his visit.
“Obelice. You are under arrest for falsely claiming to be a divine agent.”
Alexis and I remained hidden in the crowd, and it seemed Kian hadn’t noticed me.

Obelice, staring calmly at the man who had come to arrest him, replied with composed tone.
“Uninvited guests, I see.”
At his signal, Obelice’s guards stepped forward as if to protect him.

But against Kian—an Imperial Mage, and a top-grade one at that—they were no match.
Perhaps aware of that, Obelice scanned the crowd and spoke.
“These people gathered here are in desperate need of my help. Could you at least let me finish treating the patients before obeying your order?”

Pathetically, he was trying to use the crowd as a shield.
The result was immediate.
“You can’t arrest Sir Obelice!”

“What did he do wrong?!”
“He’s my only hope! Please don’t take him away…!”
People began stepping forward on their own to protect Obelice.

Kian silently looked at those blocking his way.
Then he spoke.
“Do not cling to false hope. This man is deceiving you.”

“What…? Sir Obelice is real! He brought a patient back to life!”
“That’s right! We all saw it with our own eyes!”
But no one believed Kian.

Alexis muttered,
“He’s making this troublesome.”
He was right. If Kian harmed innocent people here, public opinion would only turn more hostile.

But Kian didn’t seem troubled at all.
“I have no choice, then.”
With that, blue mana rose from Kian’s fingertips.

He took a step toward Obelice.
Naturally, the people tried to stop him. But—
“W-why can’t I move?”

“My body won’t listen…!”
As if rooted to the ground, the people couldn’t budge an inch.
A faint look of frustration appeared on Obelice’s face.

His plan to use the crowd as a shield had failed, and now he revealed his true colors.
“You’re interfering…!”
As he reached toward the crowd, chains made of mana shot out from his hand.

The people gasped in horror as the serpentine chains flew toward them.
“Aaaagh!”
“W-what is this…?!”

Obelice was trying to take them hostage to escape.
But then, a translucent blue barrier enveloped the crowd.
BOOM!

The incoming mana chains crashed into Kian’s mana shield.
The collision caused the chains to explode into light and vanish.
Those who witnessed the clash cried out in outrage.

“You tricked us?!”
“Please answer us, Sir Obelice…!”
Obelice offered no answer. He turned his back to them and addressed Kian.

“So teleportation magic won’t work outside the mansion… Did you put up a mana barrier?”
“Do I owe you an explanation?”
Kian responded coolly. All composure vanished from Obelice’s face now that even escape was blocked.

He spat out his words.
“Seems I only have one choice left.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a mass of blazing mana formed in both of his hands like twin suns.

A thunderous explosion shook the ground.
***
The hall turned into a battlefield in an instant.

Cornered, Obelice chose to fight rather than be captured quietly.
He fired spell after spell at Kian.
The floor struck by a direct hit caved in, and chunks of stone flew into the air.

The mask of the benevolent savior was gone—Obelice no longer cared about the safety of ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the people.
As the battle broke out, panic overtook the crowd.
“Everyone, this way! Please evacuate slowly!”

The Imperial Mages deployed shields and began guiding the panicked people outside.
I joined the evacuation line and glanced back at Kian fighting Obelice.
I didn’t believe Kian would lose.

But if he realized I was still here, he would worry.
So leaving this place quickly was the best way I could help him.
The people hurried to escape the battlefield.

As I joined the line, I asked Alexis,
“What will Your Highness do now?”
“With the Imperial family involved, I can no longer investigate Obelice on my own.”

Alexis looked visibly agitated, like a hunter whose prey had been stolen.
I was curious why he had been keeping watch on Obelice, but for now, getting out took priority.
We ran down the corridor and arrived at the main hall.

There was a crowd near the exit.
As they tried to leave the mansion, Imperial Mages blocked the way.
“What is this?! Why won’t you let us out?!”

“There may be followers of Obelice among you. We can’t let anyone through until we confirm identities.”
“That’s insane! There’s a battle going on, and you want to check IDs?!”
“We’re under royal orders. We have no choice.”

Despite the people’s angry protests, the Imperial Mages stood firm.
Everyone was visibly upset.
But the person in the most trouble here was someone else.

I glanced at Alexis. He frowned and muttered,
“…This just got annoying.”