The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 174:

Unpaid debts weigh heavily.

Even if it’s just 1 gold, the difference between not receiving and being unable to receive is significant.

It’s not about feeling good or bad, but the fact that working for free is simply unacceptable.

Considering my current situation of working for the young lady without pay, I’m not in a position to nitpick. But since the young lady is pretty, I could forgive it.

Upon arriving in the capital, I handed the young lady over to Darbav and made my way to the Academy.

-You’re here, Olivia.

-Dad, give me some allowance.

-Is money more welcome than me?

-Yes.

-How honest.

Leaving the young lady to negotiate her allowance, I departed for the Academy with an awkward smile, recalling unpleasant memories.

-Get out, Academy trash!

-Never come back here!

-I never liked them from the start.

The Academy memories brought a bitter smile. What started with expectations ended in harsh criticism, not exactly a welcome recollection.

I didn’t feel wronged. Understanding the situation, I could move past it lightly, but the unpleasant memories still brought a bitter smile to my face.

“I’ll collect all the fateful encounters I can.”

A slightly misguided regret, but still.

Lost in memories, I wandered around the Academy for a while, forgetting my original purpose, until darkness fell.

I played hide and seek with familiar faces I encountered along the way.

-Isn’t that Ricardo?

-Why is he here? No… I hope he is. I’d like to give him a piece of my mind.

-What are you talking about? Oh, did you hear that rumor? About Ricardo fighting heretics at the banquet.

-That was Princess Chartia and Michail. The student council officially announced it ages ago.

-Is that so?

Time flew by as I avoided people. Since I was already late, I decided to leisurely stroll around the training grounds, postponing my plans. Then, familiar voices began to reach my ears.

-How long… how long will you keep this up?

I heard Hanna’s voice.

-I cannot acknowledge your talent.

A stubborn man’s voice followed. I didn’t know why he was here, but I could tell the atmosphere was tense.

I quietly approached the training ground and witnessed an unusual scene with three people standing there.

Michail.

Hanna.

Rowen.

I thought I’d never see this combination again, especially Hanna and Rowen.

I had assumed Rowen’s resolve had broken after the last incident, but seeing the stubborn adult’s attitude unchanged, I shook my head with a faint sigh.

The conversation was taking an ominous turn.

-Malik said he wouldn’t accept the position of family head.

The boss has gone mad, it seems.

-I still haven’t acknowledged your sword.

I realized the adult’s stubborn persistence hadn’t changed. And Hanna’s clumsy bet as well.

-Let’s do it. Let’s have a duel between your disciple and me.

I unintentionally became aware of the situation.

*

The Empire’s Sword didn’t hide his displeasure.

Perhaps i on his forehead from envy as I looked at Rowen.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

I spoke, taking a risky move in a bet that I was clearly going to lose.

Hanna might be able to defeat Michail, but the gap between Rowen and me was significant. However, I had to maintain the teacher’s dignity in front of the disciple, so I didn’t back down.

That way, Hanna could hide in my shadow. I smiled as I spoke.

“Is it because I’m overflowing with talent in the eyes of the Empire’s Sword?”

“What a crude provocation.”

“Well, I’ve learned a lot of crude things.”

A cold current flowed.

A fierce current flowed between a man who had reached the pinnacle in the field of swordsmanship and a transmigrator who knew well about that man’s weaknesses.

I was certain.

That this man wouldn’t respond to my provocation.

It was a battle with nothing to gain, and if by chance he lost to me, he had more to lose, so there was no reason for him to accept.

My instinct as a swordsman was confident of victory, but my thoughts as a family head were not so simple.

I glared at Rowen with a small smile at my own provocation, and Rowen likewise looked at me without saying a word.

Hanna was looking at me with surprised eyes. She was looking at me like someone who had seen an unexpected savior.

“Butler…?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

With a small smile, I organized the words I had overheard earlier in my head and spoke to Hanna.

“You’ve started something interesting, haven’t you?”

“I’m sorry… I was just so angry.”

“It’s alright.”

The conflict between Rowen and Hanna.

The new disciple Michail.

And the duel aimed at Michail and Hanna.

It wasn’t even funny.

Especially the last bet.

In hter, and in that process, Michail is raised.

In a way, it’s a story that flows well, but looking into the details, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Using a disciple as a reason to make his child feel deprived.

Michail certainly needed a teacher, but it shouldn’t have gone in this direction.

There was no guarantee it would last until the end. It would be better if I taught him as a mysterious masked teacher.

For these reasons, I thought it was unreasonable to create a teacher for Michail in this way.

I glared at Michail once and then looked at Rowen.

“Didn’t I tell you last time? Don’t bother my lovely disciple.”

“I don’t remember answering.”

“How petty of you.”

Rowen frowned as he looked at the black sword at my waist.

He seemed displeased that his collection was now in my possession.

Startled by the original owner’s gaze, I hid the sword behind my back. I had already grown quite attached to it, so I didn’t want to return it.

Come back to my waist from behind my back.

Rowen scoffed at my behavior, as if he found it ridiculous.

“How strange. That you’re not going mad while holding that sword… Or are you already mad?”

Rowen spoke, emanating a chilling magical energy.

“How odd.”

The weight of the rising magical energy felt different. A magical energy denser and purer than that emitted by the Archbishop.

Rowen’s aura began to weigh down on my shoulders.

I brushed off Rowen’s aura lightly and spoke. Aren’t you ashamed as an adult?

“Don’t release killing intent. Won’t it frighten your disciple?”

A red aura began to seep from the sword eerily.

The heavily descending aura gently enveloped the sword and began to erase Rowen’s pressure.

‘Aura’, the greatest turning point that can choke a swordsman’s breath. The aura, the foundation of a swordsman and the symbol of martial arts, spread out like a cool shade.

The answer I could give, and the answer I could prove as a swordsman.

And at the aura, which I spoke of as my greatest strength, Rowen’s sword began to tremble slightly.

“I think I’m qualified enough to teach.”

“…”

“I also think I have a better eye for spotting talent than the Empire’s Sword.”

Rowen looked at me, grinding his teeth.

“You never back down, do you.”

“That’s because I belong to the Desmond family.”

“…”

Rowen held back his words, swallowing his saliva.

The answer to the question I had asked was settled, and it came as an undeniable reality.

Rowen wi ground.

Among heavily.

I smiled slightly and removed my hand from the sword, and at the same time, Rowen spoke to me.

“My eyes were not wrong.”

Asserting his pride.

“I’ve raised and discovered many knights by seeing and removing the sprouts of talent.”

“…”

“This time is no different. As always, there are no exceptions.”

As soon as Rowen finished speaking, I looked at Hanna.

“Is it possible?”

“What is?”

“Michail. Do you think you can win?”

“I…”

Hanna stopped answering and looked at me. As if seeking an answer.

“What about you, Butler?”

I smiled slightly and answered Hanna.

“My eyes are special.”

I smiled as I looked at Hanna, and Hanna drew her sword without hesitation, making a long horizontal slash in the air.

“If you say so, Butler…!”

Michail also drew his sword and began to emit an aura.

A bright light aura wrapped around Michail’s hand, signaling the start of the battle, and Michail spoke, exhaling calmly.

“I forfeit. As I am now, I cannot defeat Hanna.”

I looked at Rowen and smiled.

“We won, didn’t we?”

End of Chapter