Raising Villains the Right Way Chapter 233

The girl blankly stared at the man before her.

A man wrapped in blue lightning.

Before him, the followers of Baarma had already begun to gather.

At first, there were dozens.

Then, hundreds from afar.

!!!

After the horn, which sounded like a human scream, blared, an uncountable number of followers gathered at this “priest.”

Just like when they attacked her village—

“R-Run—We have to run—”

Overwheld by instinctive fear, she forced out the voice that wouldn’t co.

The eyes of the playthings, who had also been running away until just a mont ago, were now filled with despair.

The fact that so many of them had gathered here ant one thing: no one would survive this place today.

That was why—

She let out a pained sigh as she watched the followers reach the man’s front before she even realized it.

Numbers were an overwhelmingly important factor in war.

No matter how strong an individual was, they could never defeat the masses.

Just like her village.

Just like her parents.

…Just like her entire race.

No matter how exceptional one’s power was, a single hand could not block ten.

Before the violence of overwhelming numbers, even the strongest was reduced to a re individual.

With an expression full of fear, the girl looked beyond the man.

Already, countless followers were charging forward, enough to fill the vast passage, all with the intent to kill him.

The thunderous sound of their footsteps, like an overwhelming roar, sent her into a panic.

Their screams repeatedly resurfaced the traumatic mories buried deep within her.

And then—

At the very mont when the soldiers reached the man and swung their spears—

She saw it.

The man, wreathed in lightning, suddenly shone brilliantly.

And then.

Crackle—!

The lightning clutched in the man’s hand—

It spread its greedy tendrils in all directions as if it sought to consu the entire world.

The followers who had charged at him to kill him— were incinerated in an instant.

And then, the man threw the lightning.

A simple, short motion.

Yet—

A decisive one.

And then, after a burst of pure white light so blinding it nearly robbed her of sight—

“…Ah?”

A pristine landscape lay before her.

No more followers remained in her view.

No longer did she see the bloodstained weapons they had carried.

No longer did she see the cruel decorations they had crafted in devotion to their faith.

Only the man stood there.

With an utterly calm and indifferent expression—

The man who had swept away her fear and terror.

The white-haired girl blankly stared at the man’s back.

As if trying to carve it into her mory.

Blankly.

####

Rumble—!

In the ashen world, a golden crown, still shining in brilliant gold, was bent and broken here and there.

Right after the last of the approaching n were slain—

“…It’s over now. I don’t sense any more enemies.”

“…I see.”

Penia, who had just been using magic to scan the surroundings, reported.

Alon let out a deep sigh as he looked around.

Everywhere his gaze landed—

Those who had just monts ago been slaughtered like playthings by those wielding weapons—

Now looked at him with a mix of bizarre hope and fear.

‘…Was this the right choice?’

Seeing their expressions, Alon unconsciously questioned himself.

From his own standpoint—

It was hard to say that the choice he made today was the right one.

He didn’t even know who exactly he had just killed.

Nor did he understand why they had been so cruelly hunting these other races as re toys.

In other words, Alon had saved these people without any special knowledge.

But that didn’t an he had done it thoughtlessly.

From the beginning, the reason Alon had co down to save them was—

Because, with the help of Rine’s “eyes,” he had confird in advance that no overwhelming threats existed here.

Of course, even with that confirmation, choosing to oppose an unknown force in an unknown land, without knowing their full strength, was never a wise decision.

But even so—

Alon did not regret his actions.

Even if it wasn’t the best choice—

He believed it was the right one.

“Um—”

Just as he was lost in thought—

A faint voice called from behind.

When Alon turned around, a wolf beastman with a long scar over his right eye stood there.

As soon as Alon turned to face him, the beastman suddenly dropped to his knees.

“Thank you for saving us!”

His head struck the ground with a loud thud.

While Alon was montarily caught off guard—

“I—I truly thank you.”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you.”

“Thank—”

One by one, the other beastn followed the wolf and knelt, offering their thanks.

n and won, young and old—

All bowed their heads to the ground.

Watching this, Alon spoke.

“Rine, can you remove their restraints?”

“I just finished analyzing them. They can be undone right away, Guardian.”

“Then, please do.”

“Yes.”

Rine moved her hands lightly, murmuring sothing under her breath.

Then—

Clang—

The restraints binding the beastn’s hands began to fall away.

“The—the restraints—!”

“They’re gone!”

The chains that had bound them vanished in an instant.

As they looked down at their now-free hands, they were overco with emotion.

Alon judged that the priority now was to leave this dreadful place.

“We must leave here at once.”

####

“If you are looking for a place nearby where the Baarma fanatics won’t find you, leave it to .”

The first to step forward was the wolf beastman who had bowed his head to Alon in gratitude.

As soon as his restraints were removed, he moved eastward with practiced ease.

They walked for nearly an entire day before arriving at a cave.

“If it’s here, the fanatics won’t find us. The divine blessing in this area prevents them from entering.”

The wolf beastman led the other non-humans and Alon into the cave.

Only then did Alon finally hear his introduction.

“I apologize for the delay in introducing myself to my savior. I am Rangban, a warrior of the Azure Fang Clan.”

“I am Alon Palatio.”

Rangban bowed deeply.

Then, after so hesitation, he carefully spoke.

“May I ask you sothing?”

“What is it?”

“Did you co from the Human Federation to aid us?”

“The Human Federation?”

“…I see. You are not.”

At Alon’s reaction, Rangban let out a deep sigh, as if he had expected that answer.

There was a faint trace of resentnt on his face, prompting Alon to ask,

“If possible, can you explain the situation to ?”

“Explain, you say?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, we are not fully aware of the current state of affairs.”

“…What do you an?”

Rangban tilted his head in confusion.

Alon hesitated, wondering if he should reveal the truth, but soon decided to be honest.

“We ended up here due to an unforeseen accident from the Allied Kingdom.”

“…The Allied Kingdom?”

Rangban spoke as if he was hearing sothing utterly foreign.

Alon responded,

“Yes. Do you not know of it?”

“I apologize, but this is my first ti hearing of such a place.”

“It borders the Empire.”

“…I’m sorry, but I’m not sure where you an.”

At Rangban’s words, Alon felt a sense of unease.

‘…Is this not part of the Empire?’

Alon had assud it was.

He knew that ‘Calypsophobia’ was set in the Empire, filled with grotesque and brutal tales.

Yet Rangban had no knowledge of the Empire.

Sothing was off.

‘I’ve heard there are primitive tribes and even islands far from the Empire in Calypsophobia… But could soone really not know about the Empire at all?’

As he pondered this,

“…Regardless, since you seem unfamiliar with the situation, I will explain.”

Rangban began his explanation.

It lasted for quite so ti.

“In summary, humans who worship the god Baarma have declared war on non-humans, slaughtering them rcilessly to gather faith?”

“Yes, that is correct. That is why we ford a coalition to resist Baarma, but we are being utterly overwheld.”

Rangban grimaced, as if recalling terrible mories.

‘A fanatic cult that slaughters non-humans indiscriminately to gain faith… Baarma, huh?’

Alon repeated the na in his mind but found nothing familiar.

‘Was there ever a cult nad Baarma in Calypsophobia?’

He shook his head.

He had never played the ga.

But he had seen plenty of spoilers and discussions about it.

If Baarma had been a significant faction—

At the very least, he would have rembered its na.

Even a similar na should have co to mind, yet nothing did.

What troubled Alon even more was—

The sheer scale of the war between Baarma’s cult and the coalition.

‘If it’s this massive at this point in ti… I should have at least so mory of it…’

As he pondered, Rangban moved.

“For now, would you wait here a mont? I need to properly conceal the hideout, just in case. We ca in a hurry and didn’t set up proper defenses.”

“I thought you said the divine blessing prevents entry?”

“Preparation is never a bad thing. I’ll be as quick as possible.”

He bowed and then walked off.

‘Co to think of it… would Rine know sothing?’

Alon’s thoughts turned to Rine’s library.

When he looked toward her, she wore a serious expression, as if sothing had co to mind.

Just as Alon was about to call out to her—

“U-Um—”

A voice interrupted.

The white-haired girl had approached without him noticing.

Her purple eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, like reflected moonlight.

She hesitated, rubbing the front of her dirt-stained dress.

“T-Thank you for saving .”

Then, she bowed deeply.

Her trembling voice echoed through the space.

As if trying to suppress her unease, she fidgeted with her soiled dress.

Alon, looking down at the girl’s white head, noticed a wound that had remained despite Penia’s healing magic.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah— Y-Yeah, I’m fine!”

She exaggeratedly puffed out her chest, as if to prove her strength.

It was both pitiful and endearing.

“What’s your na?”

“R-Ryanga.”

When he asked, her shoulders shrank slightly.

“Ryanga… Ryanga.”

Alon repeated her na a few tis in his mouth.

It was a good na.

And then—

“…Ryanga?”

“Y-Yeah… Is sothing wrong?”

A strange sense of déjà vu brushed past his mind.

Alon— knew that na.

Yes.

He definitely knew it.

As he searched his mory—

“…Ah.”

He realized whose na it was.

His eyes widened instinctively.

Silence filled the space.

Once he cald his thoughts, Alon carefully asked,

“Ryanga, can I ask you sothing?”

“Uh, yeah? It’s okay.”

“…What is your race?”

“M-My race?”

“Yes.”

At his question, Ryanga’s expression turned slightly anxious.

Then,

“…I’m a Demonkin.”

She mumbled quietly.

At that answer, Alon let out a quiet breath and looked at her forehead.

There—

A small but unmistakable horn had grown.

“The Demonkin… They are known to use unique, non-repeating true nas among their kind, correct?”

Just to confirm, Alon asked again.

“Y-Yeah… But how does a human know that?”

Ryanga looked slightly surprised.

Alon let out an involuntary chuckle.

Because he had realized who she was.

He knew the na.

And—

As far as he knew, there was only one white-haired, purple-eyed Demonkin with that na.

“…Ha.”

One of the Four Great Powers.

The ruler of the Hundred Ghosts— Hyakki

“Godfather, I believe… we might be in the past.”

“The past?”

“Yes. Approximately 700 years ago…”

Because it was the na of the Demon Lord.

Only then did Alon understand.

This place— was 700 years in the past.