The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness Chapter 316: Ancient Ruins

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

By the lakeside, now fallen quiet, Barton’s eyes—nearly blinded by that blinding Illumination Spell—bulged wide in helpless rage.

“Illumination Spell? Muen Campbell, his so-called ultimate move was Illumination Spell?”

Impossible. How could it be Illumination Spell?

That kind of magic surge—how could it turn out to be the most basic spell that even a cat could learn?

And that brightness, strong enough to blind—who in their right mind would raise a re Illumination Spell to that level?

With the Campbell family’s background, he could have learned any powerful magic. Why that one?

It had to be deliberate. He did it deliberately to humiliate him!

Barton felt like a clown, toyed with by that damned Muen Campbell.

Humiliation.

Absolute humiliation.

“Barton, don’t move.”

Through his blurred vision, Fular’s voice reached him.

“I’ll heal you.”

“Get lost! I don’t need your healing!”

Barton roared:

“You cowards, weaklings, greedy snakes! Don’t think I don’t know what you were scheming. We had a perfect chance, and you let a little Illumination Spell from Muen Campbell scare you!

“If you’d acted sooner, he never would’ve escaped!”

“You!”

Fular’s face darkened instantly. She drew back her magic, snapping back:

“You’re blaming us, but wasn’t it all because of you? If not for your ridiculous tricks, we’d have captured him already!

“And you talk of cowardice? The one truly frightened just now was you, wasn’t it?”

“Nonsense! Nonsense! I wasn’t afraid! You’re the fools—tricked by sothing so childish, so obvious a three-year-old would see through it. You—”

“Enough.”

The quiet rebuke cut in.

It wasn’t harsh, but carried a weight that crushed argunt.

The vile words caught in Barton’s throat. His face twisted with fear, and though his eyes still saw little, he turned instinctively toward the voice.

There, where he had sat praying like a statue all this ti, the priest finally rose. He closed his holy book. His expression was serene, compassionate, as if nothing that had happened concerned him at all.

“You are not wrong, Barton. We are not of one path. Everyone harbors their own sches, so pulling in different directions is normal. I don’t bla you.

“But because of you, Muen Campbell escaped, and now we must waste more ti and energy.

“Therefore, when this task is done, you will surrender thirty percent of your reward. Do you agree?”

“I...”

Barton’s face flushed red, then pale. Fierce one mont, cowed the next. At last he bowed his head hard, rasping:

“I have no objection.”

“Good. Fular.”

“Tch. Only because of the money.”

Fular clicked her tongue, waving her wand again.

Magic surged, healing light covering Barton’s eyes until vision returned.

But he kept his head low, hiding his expression. Only his trembling, tightly clenched hands showed.

“F... Father.”

Hyena crouched low, sniffing frantically.

After a mont he looked up, alard.

“T... Ten Billion is gone. Gone! I can’t feel his presence!”

“A concealnt technique? Not surprising. That Muen Campbell has proven far sharper and more cautious than our intel described.”

But—

The priest lifted his head. He gazed toward the silent forest, where not even a bird stirred. Slowly his lips curved into a hungry smile.

“Under my Lord’s gaze, where could you possibly flee?”

...

...

Within the forest, inside a pitch-dark cavern.

A faint glow lit Muen’s fingertips as he looked at the girl beside him.

“You alright, Liya?”

“I... I’m fine.”

She shook her head, though her chest still heaved as she panted.

After escaping thanks to Muen’s ever-reliable Illumination Spell, they had run hard to shake their pursuers. Only upon stumbling into this hidden cave did they {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} dare stop and catch their breath.

“Um... your hand.”

“Hm?”

“...Hand.”

Her voice was tiny, mosquito-soft, her head lowered.

“Ah. Sorry.”

Muen realized belatedly that in the rush he was still holding her slender, pale wrist.

But he didn’t let go.

“Sorry. Only like this can I conceal both our auras at once. Bear with it, alright?”

Arcs crackled faintly over his body—the alchemic domain triggered through Elizabeth.

Through her wrist, that field spread into Liya, cloaking both of them completely.

“...Mm.”

She made a soft sound and said no more.

It wasn’t on purpose, after all.

And besides... holding hands wasn’t new.

“Thank you,” Muen said suddenly.

“Hm?”

“That holy light just now. Perfect timing. Saved .”

He smiled.

“I’d told you such cruel words. When I shouted then, I had no hope at all.”

“B... because,” Liya bit her lip, answering,

“I didn’t believe you’d really do sothing so bad. So I left a little... insurance.”

“Is that so?”

Muen’s eyes lit, his chest swelling proudly.

“So you’ve finally realized I’m a great good man, not the villain you call ?”

“...Hmph.”

Her cheeks puffed as she turned aside, muttering,

“No... you’re a big villain.”

“Eh...”

...

By the glow in his palm, Muen studied their surroundings.

The cave entrance was well-hidden, yet inside it was surprisingly spacious, not damp, and held none of the snakes or insects he’d feared.

“Strange. Doesn’t feel natural.”

He frowned.

“A trap?” Liya grew wary.

“Unlikely.”

He shook his head.

“If they had such foresight, predicting we’d hide here, we wouldn’t have escaped with just an Illumination Spell earlier.”

After a mont’s thought, he tightened his grip on her hand and led her carefully deeper.

Light revealed a sudden opening—and before them stood unmistakable artifice.

A massive bronze gate.

“This is...”

Liya gasped. “An ancient ruin!”

“Ancient ruin?”

Muen blinked at the gate’s strange carvings, scratching his head.

“A crisis turns into an encounter? Have I really started getting protagonist treatnt?”

Ancient ruins were remnants of vanished civilizations or mighty beings—secret realms, tombs, ruins. Especially from the “ancient” thousand years ago, that chaotic, obscure era.

Every discovery shook the continent. Relics dug from them carried not just history, but strange powers beyond price.

“There’s writing!”

Liya’s eyes sparkled, utterly captivated. She even tugged him closer, brushing away dust and rust from the ancient letters.

“Can you read it?”

“I’ll try!”

Her fingertip traced the odd marks—like tadpoles searching for their mother to Muen’s eyes—while faint light flickered in her gaze. Soon she pieced together a coherent sentence:

“‘Calamity descends, and we are powerless. At the brink of destruction, we place all we are here. Behind this gate crisis and opportunity both await. May those of later ages...’ The rest is unreadable.”

Her small face showed regret. The civilization’s na was lost. Had she known it, she might have recalled records.

“Still, at least we know its origin.”

Muen stroked his chin, studying the designs.

Cleared of gri, they told a clear story:

Above a bronze city, a colossal dragon descended, raining fla and destruction. n raised swords in defiance, but the dragon overwheld them. Won and children turned to ash in fire. Even bronze lted beneath its breath.

That was the aning.

“So this calamity is what we’d call a calamity.”

He exhaled slowly.

“The Death-Calamity Dragon in this forest’s depths.”

“Yes. I thought so too.”

Liya nodded softly, her gaze complex.

“So long ago, this vast forest was once a flourishing kingdom? What a pity.”

“No civilization lasts forever. Only the manner of decline differs.”

Muen offered faint comfort, then asked, staring at the gate:

“Can you open it?”

There was no lock or chanism visible. If that destroyed civilization wanted its legacy found, surely it wouldn’t leave it sealed forever.

“I’ll try...”