I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

Chapter 276

Everyone except Ian and Elia turned to Philip with a look of bewilderment, wondering what they had just heard.

"I, Philip, Apostle of Lu Solar, will formally introduce," Philip continued, laying one hand over his breastplate, as if oblivious to the gazes upon him.

"A crusader of the Strict Goddess, the bearer of the flame that rekindled the Brazier of the Blazing Goddess, and blessed by the Goddess of Prosperity."

"...?"

The officials, soldiers, and even the caravan leaders and their bodyguards furrowed their brows in confusion. They hesitated to speak, likely due to Philip’s authoritative presence and solemn tone.

"...?!"

The only one whose expression was changing was Fael. Unlike the others, Fael’s expression was the only one changing. Momentarily bewildered like the rest, his eyes slowly widened as if something had dawned on him.

"The last punisher of the Giant Kingdom and the true Great Warrior of the North. The Dragon Slayer who pierced the heart of the corrupted ancient dragon. The executioner of the vampire clans and also the savior of Lu Sard."

At this, the soldiers finally glanced at each other. After all, no one was unfamiliar with the Dragon Slayer from the North. Unlike them, the merchants were already wide-eyed in realization.

Several eyes naturally turned toward Fael.

But Fael didn’t even look in their direction. He simply stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, at someone else, not Philip.

As others tilted their heads in confusion and followed Fael’s gaze,

"The purifier of corruption and plague, the executioner of the demon of the void, and the fallen duke. Also, the one and only official Agent of the Great Platinum Dragon and the one blessed by the Platinum Dragon!"

Philip’s booming voice filled the air, and he paused for a moment. He looked around at the official and soldiers, who could barely even breathe, then lifted both hands respectfully and pointed forward.

"Sir Ian Hope, the superhuman!"

Finally, everyone turned to where he was pointing.

"...!"

The official, now locking eyes with Ian, opened his mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out—only a faint breath. The silence, as though time had frozen, didn’t last long.

Philip swiftly drew his sword from his waist and shouted, "Kneel! Ignorance will be forgiven, but willful defiance is blasphemy! Pay proper respect to the Agent of the Saint!"

At the same time, a golden light flashed between the slits of his visor.

"Glory to the Radiant Light...!"

The first to cry out and drop to their knees were the merchants. Kneeling with their heads bowed, their eyes were trembling as if an earthquake had struck. It was only natural. The person who saved them was just exposed as the Dragon Slayer of the North and the Agent of the Platinum Dragon. The memories of their rudeness and disgrace must have been flashing through their minds.

"Lu Solar..."

Unlike the others, Fael had collapsed to the ground, his legs seemingly giving out. His face, still fixed on Ian, looked somewhat dazed. The shock and surge of emotions he had felt were so overwhelming that they didn’t even show on the surface.

Clang, clatter—

As if the merchants’ reactions were a signal, the soldiers dropped their spears and shields, all kneeling on one knee at once.

The only one still standing was the official facing Ian. Breathing heavily, as if entranced by Ian’s gaze, he finally stammered out, "C-can you prove it—"

"How dare you...!" Philip spat the words out but stopped short when Ian raised his left arm to stop him. Ian gave Philip a calm glance, though internally, he was suppressing a smirk.

—Was using divine power really necessary on top of the sword?

At Ian’s Whisper, Philip, sheathing his sword at his waist, answered.

—You asked me to ensure there would be no room for further dispute. That’s why I did it.

Nonsense. I know that you just wanted to do it.

Regardless, there was no turning back now. Ian, lowering his raised arm, slowly clenched his fist.

Bzzz—

A golden light radiated from the back of his hand, instantly forming a hexagonal shape. Watching the official’s attention being drawn to the golden shield, Ian added with a slight smile.

"Do you need an identity certificate too?"

"G-glory to the radiant light...!" The official, finally collapsing to his knees, buried his face into the ground as he added hastily.

"P-please forgive my disrespect, O Agent of the Saint...! I-I only—"

"You were just doing your duty. I know." Ian cut him off and glanced around the room at the crowd, all kneeling before him.

It was clear they now saw him as the incarnation of Archeas. Even Ian was getting used to these kinds of reactions by now.

I keep pulling this trick, but one day it’s going to backfire...

As Ian mused, he suddenly suppressed another dry chuckle. Among the people, his gaze met Fael, who still looked half-dazed.

You said it was fine when I offered to tell you.

Ian smirked slightly in Fael’s direction before speaking again.

"Everyone, rise."

As if waiting for the command, everyone stood up. Though they snuck glances at Ian and the golden shield on the back of his hand, no one dared to speak or raise their head. After dismissing the Platinum Barrier, Ian looked back at the official, who still had his head bowed.

"If I cooperate, can we conclude the investigation without waiting for the Great Church’s actions?"

"Of course, O Agent of the Saint...! The lord won’t object either."

"Then take me to the lord. I want everything resolved before the night is over."

"No, no...! O Agent of the Saint, how could we let you go there...!" The official quickly exclaimed, cold sweat dotting his forehead despite the weather.

"If you permit it, I will bring the lord here right now."

If you insist on doing that...

Ian, telling Philip to open the carriage door, added, "Can you ask the soldiers to handle the collection of the bodies inside the mansion? They were innocents, after all, merely caught up in the curse."

"Of course. I will do so."

Ian nodded, then cast a glance at Elia before moving forward.

—Follow me.

—Me too...?

Elia, who had been watching the situation with interest, widened her eyes as she trailed after him.

—If you stay here, you’ll just attract attention. Keep your hood pulled down and stay seated quietly. As long as you don’t open your mouth, no one’s going to bother you first.

—Ah... got it.

She nodded, passing through the silent crowd briefly.

—But, Godfather.

Elia added a moment later.

—You’re not affiliated with the Great Church, so don’t you lack the authority to lead an investigation?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

... Even in this situation, she was thinking about that.

Ian let out a silent, amused laugh, turning his gaze to Philip, who stood by the carriage door, before answering.

—It doesn’t matter. The Great Church can’t ignore my words, anyway.

—So this is how mercenaries handle things.

It’s how modern people handle things.

Ian answered inwardly as he climbed into the carriage. Elia followed and sat beside him, while Philip closed the door respectfully from outside. Only then did it feel like time had resumed as the commotion outside stirred.

"My goodness, Lu Solar...."

"To think we failed to recognize the superhuman of the North right before our eyes...."

Even amidst the shock and astonishment, no one dared to raise their voice.

***

"Glory to the radiant light... It is an honor to meet the Agent of the Saint, whom I had only heard of in rumors. This is truly a blessing for my family."

Count Thaddeus, who had ridden in on horseback, greeted them respectfully, despite his clear unease, as he climbed into the carriage. A scribe holding a thick book and quill pen sat next to him.

The Count, thin and with a sharp, sensitive face, was visibly pale. It wasn’t just the light from the magic stones. The commotion from the mansion and the sudden appearance of the Agent of the Platinum Dragon must have felt out of the blue.

It could also have been the sight of Ian, covered in blood and grime. Either way, as Ian recounted the events, the Count’s expression gradually regained a measure of calm.

"So, in the end, this dark mage had no ties to Basmut whatsoever," the count added cautiously, clearly wanting confirmation from Ian’s lips.

Glancing at the scribe, who was still furiously writing, Ian nodded. "That’s correct. As I said, he was targeting the leader of the Ark Caravan, a central figure in the Hexagon Alliance, under someone else’s orders. However, I didn’t expect that he would cause this much trouble within the city."

As usual, Ian mixed in just the right amount of truth and deception. The Count didn’t question him. Even if he had his suspicions, he had no reason to press for the full truth. Doing so would not benefit him either. It was the same now.

"Who could have foreseen such a thing? Rather, I should thank you. If the Agent of the Saint hadn’t been with them, not only the members of these trading companies but also the citizens of the city could have suffered."

"I hope you understand why I didn’t reveal my identity or intentions earlier. It was an unavoidable decision. The corrupted are cunning and quick to disappear at the slightest hint of danger."

"Of course, I understand. But…" As the Count nodded, a faint smile formed on his lips.

He then continued, "Everything you have said will be recorded and reported in full. As the person responsible for the city, this is a duty and responsibility I cannot ignore. I hope you will understand this."

As expected. Nobles are always easy to communicate with on matters like this.

Ian silently mused as he nodded agreeably.

"I have no right to interfere with your duties."

"Indeed, you are fair."

The Count’s smile deepened, his face now appearing calm and composed. This was essentially a trade between them, an exchange of what each needed. Ian got convenience, and the Count got a name to shoulder the responsibility. Ian waited patiently for the Count’s next words, knowing their deal wasn’t quite complete.

"You mentioned you only brought back the head of the dark mage. Where is the rest of the body?"

"It should be at the bottom of the river. Either it drifted away or became fish food. A smuggler was working with him—if you find him, he could testify, assuming he didn’t drown."

"I’ll see to it. As for proof of the dark mage’s existence…"

"There are remains of a sacrificial altar the mage built in the underground waterway beneath the mansion. If that’s enough for you, I’d like to keep the dark mage’s head."

"That’s fine with me. May I ask one more thing?"

"Go ahead."

"You mentioned that someone hired the dark mage. Do you have any evidence of this? The Imperial court or the Great Church might request proof to support this claim."

"I have no physical evidence." Ian cut the question off sharply.

Of course, the dark mage’s bag was in his pocket dimension, but he had no intention of handing over its contents.

"But I do have a speculation."

Instead, he planned to offer a different bait.

"A speculation?" The Count’s eyes gleamed subtly at Ian’s words, leaning in slightly and lowering his voice.

"Could you perhaps share a little more about this speculation?"

"You’ve probably already considered some yourself, haven’t you?"

"Not at all. Unlike yours, Agent of the Saint, my perspective is quite limited."

Yeah, right. You just want to quote my words to leave out your name.

Knowing the Count’s intentions, Ian ‌responded calmly.

"Someone with the financial resources and connections to hire a corrupted mage."

After all, this was the very question Ian had maneuvered him into asking. Now that his name was on the line, he intended to use it well.

"And likely someone who stands to lose the most if the merchants unite."

"Indeed…"

The Count nodded, casting a glance at the scribe to ensure he was recording everything accurately.

A faint smile formed on the Count’s lips as he added. "Come to think of it, there isn’t a single representative from the capital here, is there?"

"A remarkable coincidence. But as I said, it’s only a speculation."

"Of course. Merely a speculation. A reasonable one, though. I will include that phrasing."

You catch on quickly.

Ian hid a smile as he observed the Count, whose satisfaction was now obvious. The story they’d spun would not only clear the Count of responsibility but also redirect the attention of the Imperial court and the Church.

The heads of the trading companies are going to love this.

It was exactly what Ian intended. Although he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was sowing chaos within the Empire, this was the only way to keep the focus away from himself. Besides, the Empire was bound to fall into worse disorder sooner or later.

"Thank you for your fair and merciful cooperation, Agent of the Saint. That concludes the investigation."

A satisfied smile from Ian followed the Count’s words.

A quest completion window appeared in front of his eyes, signaling the removal of all immediate threats.

Ian added, "I apologize for any damage caused to the mansion and the city. The merchants of the Hexagonal Alliance will handle the compensation."

"How could we demand compensation from those who have already suffered such great losses in life and property? In fact, it would be more appropriate for us to offer them our condolences."

So, you’re leaving a debt.

Ian thought to himself but kept his smile intact.

"You are generous."

He had no intention of meddling in the relationship between the alliance and the Count any further. That was for them to sort out. Shortly after, the Count added with a subtle look in his eyes.

"In that spirit, I would like to invite everyone here to my family estate. Would you permit this?"