A Villain's Survival Guide

"Are you just going to stay silent forever?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Raine’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. His golden eyes found her crimson ones, watching as she brushed her white hair back behind her shoulders.

Despite being fully clothed in his uniform, the cold bleeding from the air conditioner to his right still got to him.

He let out a sigh.

"What exactly do you intend for the faction to become?"

Raine stroked her chin for a second.

"My main priority is building something powerful enough to protect my family and restore our honour. As a holy family, it would be best for us to establish an organization dedicated to hunting down cults that disgrace the Goddess."

Leomaris nodded. Three months to turn his faction into something grand. He’d already sent his butler, Hazel, to round up capable allies for one of the faction’s clans: now his priority was getting stronger himself and pulling someone like Raine up alongside him.

"But are you sure you can lead? I know you’re strong, but when it comes to ruthlessness... I believe Ren is superior."

Raine nodded in agreement. "But this isn’t her fight, is it? I need to protect my family... not her."

Her expression grew cold. "I will become someone capable of leading an army. To protect you and my loved ones."

Leomaris gritted his teeth. Raine had been dead bizarre toward him lately. Ever since he prepared a dish for everyone at Rosay’s, she’d been acting more like his mother. It was almost like she was becoming obsessed.

"I need your help, and you need mine. Isn’t that what our alliance is built upon?"

He exhaled.

"Neither of us is strong enough to go after the Ascension Chest yet, and without you becoming strong enough to locate it, I would most likely lose all my memories before then. And you are certainly going blind if that ever happens."

Raine leaned in her chair.

"That is why we must dominate the underground world, is it not? And that is all the more reason for me to protect you. Without you, I will eventually go blind, and I will never be able to restore my family’s honour. I must protect you with my life."

Reasonable enough, but the last time, she’d come right out and declared he belonged to her alone. That sent chills down his spine. Something his mother would say, that.

Not long after, a seven-foot behemoth came out of a small room opposite Leomaris. He passed the counter and approached them, absently stroking his beard with gentle hands.

He was Tae, the owner of this establishment, Forge of the Ninth Bell. A blacksmith.

Tae handed Leomaris a pen and ink. Almost as though the presence of a high-ranked noble had put him on his best manners, he bowed slightly and excused himself.

Leomaris grabbed the pen and began scribbling a short note for Raine.

"This will complete what you need for your personality synchronization. Ensure you incorporate them into your daily routine. I believe you are already performing some of them, so this should not be difficult."

In the novel, Raine had perfected her personality synchronisation with her entity, Seer, after her maid Ren was kidnapped and needed rescuing.

But that incident had already played out differently this time. Ren had escaped on her own and was found by Sebastian, the butler of Leomaris’s mother.

"Even though that plan has changed, the philosophy can still work. She must be eager to perceive everything, even if it means exhausting herself."

Leomaris handed the sheet to Raine, and after reading it, she frowned.

"Are you saying I should stalk people? I’m not interested in that... the only person I’d like to follow is you."

Leomaris smiled awkwardly. This personality of hers was what he found strange. He didn’t know what had come over her. Just minutes ago, he’d seen her go cold and unwelcoming toward a few men after her attention, just as she did in the novel. But this was completely out of character.

He calmed himself down.

"You must understand the distinction between wanting to know something and wanting to see something. Your ability is based on sight, not knowledge or reasoning. You must develop the trait of wanting to see."

His eyes narrowed slightly. This brought him to something he’d been waiting on.

"In fact, I believe there is something that will help you make this a habit..."

Raine leaned forward slightly, strands of hair spilling over her shoulders, but her eyes never left Leomaris.

"I want you to identify a first-year cadet with the habits of cross-dressing, multitasking, and leaving their hall every day at eleven at night."

Raine didn’t need him to say more. "This is the one who worked with Emerald, is it not?"

Leomaris motioned positively.

When his mother visited the day before, she’d brought a message from his older brother, Samael. Samael wasn’t someone Leomaris could order about or trust, but after the bet they’d made three months ago, he was supposed to serve him for a year.

It was a simple enough ask. As vice captain of the Unholy Priests, Samael was supposed to provide information on the first-year Unholy Priests cadets.

Samael, however, responded with an intriguing professionalism. With Emerald out of the picture, he had only one person in mind and provided information on all the reports related to their work.

Not only was this person skilled with curses, skilled enough to affect non-living things and Sorcerers alike, but they were also remarkably good with disguises. So good that even Samael, the Vice Captain, hadn’t a clue who they really were.

"That is precisely why they will be a perfect match for you, Raine. This individual was responsible for the citadel incident and is also the same person who seeks my death."

His eyes narrowed.

"If you truly wish to protect the frail little me, then you must see this person. Develop an undying desire to see through their disguise."

Raine continued to stare at him a little longer before, finally, curiosity gave way to determination.

"You will probably die without me since you are weak... but don’t worry. I will always protect you."

She gave her words a beat.

"This won’t be for you alone... but also for the lives of all those who died during the citadel raid."

Leomaris liked that look. That was the Raine he knew, the one who fought for what she believed in, even if it meant going beyond her limits.

"But tell me... what’s the relationship between you and Charlotte?"