The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 127

Ruin hated Ricardo.

From the very first meeting.

It all began at the Academy’s entrance ceremony.

Even before enrollment, he was plagued by the nobles’ harsh gossip, calling him the “Villainess’s Butler,” and in truth, the master he served was indeed a villainess.

Rumors about Ricardo even reached the ears of Ruin, the Disciple of the Tower Master.

Gossip about how he was an arrogant bastard who got into the Academy through the villainess’s backing.

Ruin looked at him through colored glasses.

Red hair.

Sharp eyes.

And a filthy personality.

Everyone avoided him, as he matched the rumors perfectly.

Though Ruin hated to admit it, Ricardo had a tall stature and striking appearance that seemed like he would be quite popular.

Yet, he only sided with Olivia and didn’t seem to care much about Academy life.

Strangely enough.

The real rift between Ruin and Ricardo began with the Ranking Battle.

Back then, Ricardo was nothing special. Was he hiding the fact that he had awakened his aura? He neither stepped forward nor showed any interest in the classes.

He skipped every combat class.

During magic classes, he seemed to be diligently taking notes, but it turned out he was writing a notebook titled “A Peaceful and Pleasant Butler Life.”

In many ways, Ricardo was a crazy bastard.

If it were Ruin, he would have worked tirelessly to deny the rumors about entering through Olivia’s backing, but Ricardo was someone who didn’t even try.

Gradually, Ricardo became etched in Ruin’s memory as a useless bastard.

The day of the Ranking Battle arrived.

A competition to determine the top freshman.

While students in non-combat disciplines were evaluated differently, those involved in magic and weaponry had to prove their worth through the Ranking Battle.

Students who achieved high rankings received substantial scholarships and Academy support that set them apart from ordinary students.

A better dormitory.

A life free from financial worries.

And even the Academy’s backing.

In a competition where everything was at stake, Ruin thought Ricardo wouldn’t be interested.

And for good reason.

-Bothersome.

He lacked any passion.

Even though he somehow made it into the top 10, his performance in the arena left no impression.

He caught opponents off guard and ambushed them.

With savage words, he made them cry, and every match he won was followed by criticism.

People called him a shameless bastard.

Ruin thought to himself.

That bastard, who was already a thorn in his side, needed to be put in his place this time.

-Do it properly, you rude bastard.

-Yes~

-Put some effort into it.

-Yesss~

And so, the duel began.

Ricardo threw sand into Ruin’s eyes.

He seemed like someone without any competitive spirit.

-Die~!

But as soon as the match started, his demeanor flipped, and he beat Ruin mercilessly. Then—

-I surrender.

Wiping the sweat beading on his forehead as if all his stress had been relieved, he gave up.

Since that day, Ruin hated Ricardo. He had always disliked him, but after that incident, it grew into hatred.

He couldn’t understand what went on in Ricardo’s mind.

Nor did he care to know.

Ruin must have felt immense shame for seeking him out. If it were Ruin, that is…

Because Ricardo was the strongest student Ruin knew and was tight-lipped.

He realized it during their fight.

Ricardo’s martial arts were incomparably stronger than Mikhail’s. Knowing it was an overwhelmingly high level, Ruin had no choice but to seek him out.

Asking Mikhail was out of the question due to his pride, and asking the old man was impossible because his mood was particularly foul at the moment.

Ruin decided to approach Ricardo, who was the least likely to cause trouble afterward. By asking someone without friends like Ricardo, he could avoid rumors spreading.

So.

“Damn… just.”

Fool him, Ricardo.

*

“Hmm.”

I sighed as I looked at the green-haired head bowed before me.

Wondering if he even knew what he was saying right now.

Cockatrice.

A monster with the head of a chicken and the tail of a snake, it was considered a high-rank monster in this world.

It didn’t live in groups, but its individual strength was the reason for its classification.

If you locked eyes with it for five seconds, you’d turn to stone, and its sharp claws were laced with poison, making it a troublesome opponent.

And.

It was also a creature Ruin couldn’t possibly defeat right now.

If the Cockatrice pecked at him with its beak, his fate would be to become a tasty snack. Though harsh, this was already a generous assessment.

With a small “Hmm,” I smiled as I looked at Ruin.

Wondering how he knew the Cockatrice’s location.

In the novel, the Tears of the Cockatrice—

That is, the Jewel of Fabia—played a significant role. Not just because of its beauty, but also because the Cockatrice’s location was shrouded in mystery.

Even I didn’t know where the Cockatrice was, so how could this guy?

Intrigued by the situation, I fiddled with the handle of my teacup.

Something felt off.

As if someone had deliberately fed Ruin a clue. Or perhaps there was something else.

Ruin’s expression was serious.

Perhaps because he was aware he was in a position to ask for help, he stood firm despite my dismissive attitude.

Cockatrice, huh…

It was certainly a monster I could handle without much difficulty, but… something felt off.

It didn’t pique my interest.

It also felt shady.

And I couldn’t trust him.

Who would help someone who came out of nowhere like this?

It was an absurd story.

I hoped for a more constructive conversation. Whether I would help Ruin or not would depend on the proposal he offered.

I calmly opened my eyes and looked at Ruin.

“What’s the payment?”

“…I’ll give you whatever you ask for.”

“Do you even know how much I might ask for?”

“Whatever it is, it’s fine. If you keep this a secret, I’ll even add a bonus. You need money too, so it’s a good deal, isn’t it?”

“For the money you’d spend hiring me, you might as well just buy it.”

Ruin said nothing.

He simply kept his mouth shut, waiting patiently to hear what I would say.

So, I smiled as I looked at Ruin.

“Let me ask just one thing. Who told you the Cockatrice’s location?”

Ruin couldn’t open his mouth in response to my question about the Cockatrice’s location. It seemed he hadn’t expected someone like me, who would do anything for money, to ask such a question.

Sensing the upper hand, I voiced another thought that came to mind.

“As far as I know, the Cockatrice’s habitat is notoriously difficult to locate. Adventurers even pay a hefty price just for information about its whereabouts.”

“So… who gave you such premium information?”

A sly smile crept across my face as I looked at Ruin.

“I’m really curious.”

Ruin remained silent. All he did was grip the handle of his teacup tightly and lower his head.

An awkward silence filled the air.

Finally, Ruin muttered in an irritated voice.

“If you don’t want to do it, just say so. Why the hell are you acting like this?”

“Hmm… good point.”

I responded to Ruin’s cold threat with a calm smile. After all, a hedgehog doesn’t raise its quills to kill its opponent.

Ruin’s chilly threat, which seemed like a defensive mechanism, was nothing more than a hedgehog’s harmless quills to me.

Looking at Ruin, I voiced the hard truth I believed in. There was only one way he could have obtained such premium information.

It had to be from his bad-tempered friend.

“Did you hear it from Hans?”

“…Shut up.”

“So, I was right.”

As expected, that was the case.

No wonder it seemed strange that Ruin had come to me out of the blue.

Speaking as if handling an amusing toy, I addressed him.

“How’s life at the Magic Tower?”

“What?”

“Oh, I’m just curious.”

“…It’s just okay.”

Ruin, his face pale, mumbled something incomprehensible. He was clearly trying to say something, but his flustered state made him unable to speak properly.

How amusing.

I smiled as I looked at Ruin.

“You can leave now.”

I didn’t want to continue the conversation any longer.

*

Walking through a dark alleyway, Ruin roughly tousled his hair.

“Damn it. It’s not working.”

As his agitated hand moved, static began to form.

Slowly.

Bit by bit.

Ruin’s face started to distort.

His green hair turned into a monotonous black.

His fierce eyes gradually transformed into the gentle gaze of a model student.

“Haah…”

The man sighed as he pulled a pair of black-rimmed glasses from his pocket.

“Did he notice?”

Hans.

Hans, who had barely escaped from the Magic Tower, wore a bitter smile as he thought of Ricardo, the one who had imprisoned him.

He had tried his best to act like Ruin.

He thought he had provided a plausible reason.

But Ricardo’s iron wall was far sturdier than he had anticipated.

“Crazy bastard.”

He had thought it was a perfect trap.

He believed money would lure Ricardo into the nest he had prepared. If he slowly coaxed Ricardo with a reasonable excuse, he thought Ricardo might fall for it.

But.

The sharp-witted Ricardo hadn’t taken the bait.

“Should I go after Olivia?”

But if he touched her, Desmond wouldn’t sit idly by, so he couldn’t even consider it.

If Desmond, who maintained neutrality, were to take action, the damage to the Heretics would be unimaginable.

Hans had to suppress his personal feelings of revenge for the sake of the greater cause.

With a regretful smile, Hans began to chant a spell formula.

“Teleport.”

*

And in the spot where Hans had disappeared.

“Hmm…”

A man with red hair stood, smiling.

“How interesting.”