The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 129

White Magic is different from Holy Magic.

Healing wounds and buffs.

While the basic abilities, such as being strong against the Undead and granting beneficial effects to allies, were the same, White Magic had exceptional efficiency in one-on-one combat, unlike Holy Magic.

Since Divine Power stemmed from the gods’ love for humanity, it was almost ineffective in one-on-one combat, but White Magic was not bound by such limitations.

White Magic (Celestial Magic)

A magic that, by name alone, made one feel chosen. It was a fortuitous encounter Ruin stumbled upon in an old library during the latter half of the novel.

After losing to Hans.

After his master, the Master of the Magic Tower, died.

When he was mentally cornered, it was a magic he obtained as if by a miracle.

It became Ruin’s ultimate technique.

And the foundation that earned him the title of the White Flame Wizard in the latter half of the novel.

As he matured mentally.

Learning patience over anger.

And after many failures, at the moment when he finally blossomed, he gained this power.

That was one of the fortuitous encounters Ruin experienced.

The current Ruin was very different from his depiction in the novel. Perhaps because this was still the early-to-mid part of the story, he was much younger and more lacking.

The Ruin from the latter half of the novel was different.

The Sub Male Lead, Ruin, in the novel was a charming character. Though I didn’t like him because he wasn’t to my taste, I still remembered him as someone who, at least, acted cool in his own way.

The Ruin in the novel was a bit colder and a charismatic presence in front of Yuria.

He had a chic demeanor mixed with decadent charm. Knowing his own talents, he brimmed with confidence, but he wasn’t the type to bully others.

And his temper wasn’t as foul as it is now. Of course, the Ruin I remembered was from the mid-to-late part of the novel.

In the early part of the novel, Ruin’s presence wasn’t as significant as one might think.

To be precise, his importance increased after Yuria’s upcoming kidnapping incident.

From that point on, he seemed to have matured, but he had a distinctly different vibe compared to the current Ruin.

He was portrayed as a bit more serious, still foul-tempered, but when Yuria told him to endure, he obediently complied like a docile lamb.

Perhaps it was after the appearance of someone as remarkable as me that he started to waver significantly.

The rivalry between the Young Lady and Ruin wasn’t elaborated on much in the novel.

While the term “rival” was mentioned, I didn’t recall him getting angry or flaring up whenever he saw the Young Lady, as he does now.

Maybe because the novel only showed fragments of his character, the current Ruin seemed slightly different from the one I knew from the story.

Growing deficiencies.

Quick to flare up.

Childish behavior.

Of course, it could be because I’m directly experiencing parts of the story that weren’t included in the novel, and Yuria’s perspective might differ from mine.

The same could be said for Mikhail.

To my eyes, they seemed like immature children consumed by their deficiencies, but in the novel, they were depicted as determined and admirable.

I suddenly thought it might just be a difference in perspective.

“This is why being overly meddlesome is a problem. I should’ve just let him struggle.”

I tried my best to avoid interfering with the story, but since things didn’t go as planned, I felt a bit regretful.

And about the incident during the Ranking Battle… Even I thought I went too far with Ruin, so I had no excuses.

Back then, I was so excited about being at the Academy. It was like… the thought of being able to legally beat up the Hero I’d only seen in the novel made me lose control.

-Thrilling…!

-Stop…!

-It’s the best…!

-Stop hitting me, you crazy bastard!

-Is this possession…?!

-It hurts, you son of a b*!

Even I thought I went overboard.

Letting out an empty laugh, I pulled out a dusty book from the shelf in the underground chamber of the estate.

The underground chamber, known only to the Young Lady and me, was a place where no one else was allowed. The flickering lantern light illuminated the dark space.

Holding the lantern in my hand, I shone it on the book I had taken out.

“Is this it…? Oh, it is.”

A book covered in dust, bound in Demonic Beast Leather, and seemingly unremarkable. It looked like it would contain trivial content, hiding its presence under layers of dust.

“I never thought I’d end up looking at this book.”

Ancient Grimoire

[Infinite Dance of Light]

The fortuitous encounter that helped Ruin grow into an Archmage in the novel, and the grimoire that set him apart from other wizards.

As a child, I had stolen this book just in case, but I never thought I’d end up using it myself.

Fundamentally, grimoires contained knowledge about magic and unique spell formulas exclusive to the grimoire.

Learning from someone was a good method, but the knowledge and understanding passed down from a long-deceased wizard through a grimoire were immense enough to be invaluable. Even a grimoire containing ordinary magic like Firestorm was worth a fortune.

Especially Ancient Grimoires—they held astronomical value, or rather, a value that couldn’t even be measured in money.

Standing before such a grimoire, I hesitated. I wondered if it was right for me to use this grimoire.

I had taken it out with the thought that I’d rather keep it than hand it over to Ruin, but I couldn’t help but question whether I could use it to its full potential.

If it were a secret art or weapon meant for Mikhail, I might have considered taking it, but I felt that using magic, for which I had no talent, wasn’t the best idea.

This grimoire was a tricky one that would vanish once its successor appeared.

“Sigh… This is troubling.”

Fundamentally, I had no talent for magic.

I objectively recognized that I wasn’t skilled at calculating formulas or materializing imagination.

That’s why I had joined the Swordsmanship Department instead of the Magic Department and had clashed with Mikhail.

I had sought out and learned many fortuitous encounters and spells, but I could never quite grasp the essence of magic, so I eventually gave up on learning it.

That decision had been beneficial for me.

Even without magic, as long as I could wield a sword properly, I could achieve unrivaled success and be useful in the inevitable battles against the Lee Cult.

A sword was stronger than magic in one-on-one combat.

Having focused solely on swordsmanship, I was now deeply contemplating whether to learn magic.

It felt too wasteful to give it to someone else.

But the thought of giving it to Ruin left me feeling bitter.

While it was good to grow stronger, wouldn’t it be better to pass it on to someone who could use it more efficiently than me?

The issue of the story’s progression due to the absence of the grimoire could be resolved by the fact that I had already nipped the Lee Cult’s buds in their early stages.

If Ruin couldn’t handle it from here.

The conclusion would inevitably be that it wasn’t due to a lack of fortuitous encounters but rather his lack of effort.

Not just Hans.

The magic books the heretics would take.

Most of the figures who would grow into great evils later had either been killed by me during their childhood or had their fates altered.

If problems still arose, I could step in. There was no need to overthink it.

Unable to reach a clear conclusion, I kept pondering until the lantern’s wick burned out.

Thinking about whether there was someone smart and reliable out there….

After some time had passed.

A loud noise signaling the start of the day echoed from above.

-Air Raid Alarm!!!!!

I gave a small smile.

“Found them.”

A fool.

Someone who hated studying but had unparalleled magical talent.

And someone I could gladly accept, even if betrayed.

Olivia.

Thinking of the Young Lady lying in bed, I climbed the stairs.

*

“Young Lady.”

The Young Lady, lying in bed, rolled over and looked at me.

“Yes.”

“It’s a gift.”

“Hm?”

The Young Lady raised an eyebrow at the rectangular, dark brown object. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she spread her hands wide and smiled.

“Chocolate!”

“No, it’s not.”

“What…”

At my firm denial, the Young Lady lost interest and turned away from the old tome. To her, anything brown that wasn’t chocolate was naturally excluded from her life. She let out a dismissive “Hmph.”

Even though this one book held the value of building a Chocolate Palace.

The Young Lady let out a deep sigh and voiced her small complaint to me.

“I got excited, thinking it was a huge chocolate.”

“It’s something even better.”

“Ricardo, that’s harsh. Nothing in the world is better than chocolate.”

“…”

The Young Lady firmly declared to me.

“I don’t need it, so give me something else.”

I looked at the Young Lady with a meaningful smile.

“It’s an incredible gift, though.”

Losing interest upon hearing it wasn’t edible, the Young Lady waved her hand lazily, as if telling me to leave quickly.

“Books are boring.”

“This is a very interesting book.”

“More interesting than the book you gave me last time?”

The Young Lady referred to my personal collection that she read every night. How did she know it was a series and ask such a sharp question?

Feeling a pang of guilt, I pressed my lips together tightly.

“It’s not that. It’s a Magic Tome.”

“A Magic Tome?”

The Young Lady rolled her eyes with interest, but soon turned her body toward the window with a sullen expression.

She didn’t seem to want to talk anymore.

“I can’t use magic.”

“But wouldn’t it be fun to look at?”

“What’s fun about looking at something I can’t use?”

The Young Lady let out a “Hmph” and pulled the blanket over her head, making it clear she was sulking.

A Mage Who Lost Magic.

I couldn’t possibly understand how the Young Lady felt, unable to use magic despite her exceptional talent.

Her talent was unparalleled, even greater than Ruin’s. For someone like her to lose the ability to use magic must have brought immense emptiness and shock.

But personally, I had a strong hope that the Young Lady would read the Magic Tome.

Just in case.

Perhaps this Magic Tome could lead her to a clue that might restore her lost mana, or even create a miracle.

I didn’t fully understand the abilities of this Magic Tome either.

The only description in the novel was one line: “With white light, wisdom was gained.”

What kind of power it held—I couldn’t know without reading it myself.

That’s why I extended the Magic Tome to her, clinging to a small hope.

“I’m not reading it.”

Her whiny complaints brought the matter to an end.