I Am The Game's Villain

After my talk with Cleenah, I left my room. The hallway was quiet as I made my way down to the reception hall, where I immediately spotted Roda.

She stood off to the side, dressed in a deep grey cloak that draped over her figure, the hood pulled low over her head to conceal her ears. A smooth white mask covered her face, leaving only her eyes visible.

I blinked. "You trying to give people heart attacks with that getup?" I asked, half-joking as I approached her.

"I need to hide," she said. "I'm coming with you."

And there it was.

I saw this coming, to be honest. Ever since she chose to tag along during the killing Medusa operation, I had a feeling she wasn't planning to stay on the sidelines.

"You're sure?" I asked, tilting my head. "All the Second Years will be there for the expedition. If you run into people who knew you—Victor or the others—things could get… complicated."

And by complicated, I meant catastrophic. I didn't know how the timelines might react to a cross like that, and I didn't want to find out the hard way.

"That's why I'm wearing the mask," she replied calmly. "And I'm not going to sit back while Behemoth attacks my kingdom. I can't just stay hidden."

Fair point. She knew exactly what was coming, and asking her to sit it out would've been like asking a soldier to watch their homeland burn from a bunker.

"Alright," I said with a sigh. "I can make it work. I'll say you're my bodyguard or something. Just stay close and let me do the talking."

Roda gave a simple nod, no questions asked.

With our plan in place, we set off together toward Trinity Eden Academy. As the grand silhouette of the school came into view, Roda fell silent, her eyes fixed on the towering structure with a faraway look in them.

"Bringing back memories?" I asked, glancing sideways at her.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah… It feels like it's been forever. The Edward—Leon—he destroyed it at the end of my first year. We tried to rebuild it afterward, but… it never looked the same. It lost its soul. It wasn't as majestic as this one."

I let her words hang in the air for a moment, just listening. As we stepped through the academy gates, I couldn't help but notice the low murmurs that followed us. Whispers. Students talking behind cupped hands, casting sideways glances. And they weren't saying nice things about me—that much was clear.

"Don't worry," I muttered under my breath. "I don't plan to destroy the academy... even if every student inside makes me want to."

Roda giggled at my words. "Wow. You might actually be more hated here than the Edward from my world. But to be fair… you did them dirty."

I had already brought her up to speed on the whole situation—the Utopian War, the Tree, and everything else. And to my surprise, she hadn't been upset. Not really.

She listened. She understood.

Unlike the Roda from my world, who probably hated my guts right now.

That difference said a lot, I realized. This Roda had been through hell. She wasn't just older—she was wiser. Her thinking was deeper, quieter. Hardened by the timeline she came from.

I guess talking to people like that was easier.

We were walking through the academy's corridors without any real destination, even though I should be hurrying up. Roda stayed close and I was just about to say something when—

"What are you doing here?"

We both turned to see James Raven standing there, arms crossed, frowning at me.

"For the trip to Fangoria," I said, shrugging.

"You're late, Amael. It's been ten minutes since everyone left."

"I see that," I muttered. "Can you help me, Professor?"

James sighed with the weight of a man who knew this would be his responsibility from the start. "As always. Follow me."

We fell in step behind him. I'd only spoken with James once since the judgment by the Heads, and even that had been short. I knew he'd opposed my banishment—which was something—but I always suspected that came more from a personal bias than anything else. After all, I had been his student. We knew each other well.

Still, I needed to talk to him properly soon. About Lazarus.

But now wasn't the time. First things first: Behemoth.

And maybe… Alicia. I could use this opportunity, though I had to tread carefully. If I pushed too hard, James would smell my intentions a mile away.

"How's Alicia, by the way?" I asked casually, trying to make it sound offhand.

James didn't miss a beat. "You should know that. You saw her not long ago—and even walked into our house."

I grimaced. That jab landed.

"How the hell do you know that, Master?" I muttered, almost to myself.

Neither Leora nor Alicia would've told him. Not unless—

Oh no.

Did he install surveillance in their house?

Honestly… wouldn't be that surprising. The guy was the dictionary definition of daughter-con.

Trying to recover, I gave him a smug little smile. "If I remember correctly, it's not 'your' house anymore, Professor."

"Ugh…" James groaned, clearly regretting everything. "Whatever. She's fine. Better than before."

I tilted my head. "Really? Huh. I couldn't tell."

He shot me a glare.

"She's resumed training with Elizabeth."

Ah. That explained a lot.

She and Alicia had trained together as kids until two years ago when Elizabeth threw everything aside and started picking fights with anyone who breathed near her. If they were training again, that was indeed a good sign for their relation.

Anyway, perfect. Time to drop the real request.

"In that case," I said lightly, "maybe you could let Alicia stay in her own house instead of dragging her back to your empty and tragically boring palace at Ravenia?"

There was a beat of silence.

James turned his head slightly, eye twitching.

"I mean, both your eldest son and your father are bullying Alicia. She needs some space, and I think she'd feel a lot better staying in her own home. Besides…" I added with a smile, "she'd definitely be happier if her Daddy gave a little freedom to his cute daughter."

James narrowed his eyes. "Right…"

But it worked. Obviously.

Then his brow furrowed, the suspicion creeping in. "But why are you so concerned about Alicia? Don't tell me you're—"

"No," I cut him off immediately. "It's not like that."

I sighed and continued, "One of my friends, Vina, is staying with Alicia right now. I'd rather not have her in the same house as Lazarus and Cyril Raven. I don't trust either of them."

"Oh… that girl," James muttered, the tension in his expression easing. "I see. Fine."

He clearly knew who Vina was. And he seemed to understand the concern. Good—though Vina wasn't the only reason, it was convenient to let him think that.

Eventually, we arrived at a secure room protected by dense mana barriers—engraved with complex mana circles. The teleportation chamber. This was the portal directly to the Capital of Fangoria.

James walked ahead and spoke to the guards, who looked like they were moments from shutting it down. Luckily, he stopped them in time.

But just as Roda and I stepped forward to use the circle, James held out a hand, blocking us.

"Who is she?" He asked, eyeing the cloaked figure beside me with suspicion.

"My bodyguard," I said.

James frowned. "I'm sorry, but we can't authorize strangers to use the circle. Especially not for direct teleportation into the capital."

Damn it.

Of course they'd be strict. The security around this trip was airtight, and for good reason. Still, what could I do now—

"It's me, Professor," Roda interrupted, her voice calm as she pulled down her mask to reveal her face. "Roda."

James blinked. "Ro…da?"

His expression twisted as he tried to process what he was seeing. She looked older, sharper—but definitely her.

"Roda, you should be in class," he said sharply. "And what is with that look and outfit?"

Right. The real Roda of this world was probably attending class at this very moment.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Roda said quickly. "My uncle Jefer called me urgently. I needed to leave immediately and I didn't want to attract attention."

James sighed, still frowning. "If it's urgent, I suppose it's fine… but you should've told me directly and come sooner."

"I delayed her," I spoke up before he could say more. "It's my fault, Professor."

"How many girls is he hanging around with…"

James mumbled something and gave me a tired look but didn't push further. He gestured to the guards.

"Fine. Just go before I change my mind."

I quickly pushed Roda forward, not giving James time to reconsider.

Thankfully, James hadn't interacted much with the real Roda—he didn't know her well enough to notice the subtle differences. That small window of ignorance was all we needed.

I stepped in right behind her, and in an instant, our surroundings twisted. Our vision blurred and the ground seemed to fall away beneath us—then, just as suddenly, we landed.

The sensation of teleportation faded, and the air changed immediately. It was light, less charged with mana, and carried a metallic tang unlike the heavier air of Central Vedelia.

We stood in another chamber—smaller, darker. Two Fangorian guards near the exit gave Roda a suspicious look, clearly put off by her cloak and hood.

But then they noticed me.

Their expressions shifted the moment recognition sparked in their eyes. After all, I was no stranger—I was perhaps the most well-known figure in Sancta Vedelia these days. And whether that fame came with praise or infamy, it still had power.

They nodded and stepped aside without a word.

"That was risky," I muttered to Roda as we stepped through the reinforced doors and out of the chamber.

"I had no choice," Roda replied calmly. "He wouldn't have let me through otherwise."

"Thankfully, Professor Raven is so obsessed with his daughter that he only remembers her face," I said.

Roda grimaced a little at that but smiled faintly, brushing it off.

Then we emerged from the building, and light poured over us.

I stopped for a moment, my eyes narrowing slightly at the sudden brightness. And then—

There it was.

The Capital of Fangoria.

The Kingdom of the Werewolves.