Chapter 18: Master of the Hero and Heavenly Demon (3)

* * *

Kevin, the village chief of Wonder Hill, was sweating profusely as he heard about the current situation.

In this rural village rarely visited by people due to its remote location, and thus all the more territorial, visitors had arrived.

"The Gold Tower Master?! You say Wolfram Alchemista has come?"

And not just anyone, but the master of the magic tower established to protect this world from the Demon King's attacks. Wolfram, who was said to be able to turn even roadside stones into gold.

A person famous for calculating human value only in money and wealth, and removing anyone from sight at any cost if they proved disadvantageous to her.

Rumors of people who went bankrupt after owing her huge debts were often heard even in back-alley black markets.

"Why on earth..."

Hearing reports from other villagers, Kevin could only bite his nails and imagine the reason.

Had they discovered how he diverted and secretly shared goods meant for the capital, claiming they were raided by bandits?

Or had word spread about how he bought sick and diseased beastkin slaves and sold them at a premium to provincial nobles with peculiar tastes?

Or perhaps his unfair tax collection to fill his own coffers had been exposed?

If not that, had the world learned how he worked with black mages to gather unsightly lepers and prostitutes in back alleys, turning them into living blood bags?

'If even one thing is discovered, my head will roll...!!'

Chief Kevin hurriedly prepared to receive the Gold Tower Master while swallowing hard.

He didn't know that all this was happening because Verdandi had received an oracle and been chosen as a hero.

He was just a vile and disgusting person, anxious about his hidden evil deeds being exposed.

"Oh my...! Welcome to our Wonder Hill village!!"

Kevin immediately ran and bowed his head upon seeing Gold Tower Master Wolfram. His shiny bald head was so oily it clearly reflected the sunlight.

"Ugh, it's the bald mister? I thought it was an octopus from far away."

Wolfram spoke as if disgusted by him. Though it was quite a rude remark, he suppressed his bubbling emotions and spoke.

"What brings such a noble person as the Gold Tower Master to this humble village...?"

Kevin read the atmosphere while rubbing his hands like a fly. Oh? There were two unfamiliar figures.

Next to the Gold Tower Master stood a sturdy man with white hair and blue eyes, and a girl who seemed like his inverse with black hair and red eyes.

"And who might these two be...?"

They seemed too different in attire and atmosphere to be fellow mages from the magic tower.

"This one? Sister?"

At that moment, a chilling sensation like a knife in his spine ran through him as a cold voice pierced his ears.

"Huh, huuk...! A ghost...!!"

Crushed by that killing intent, Kevin couldn't stand and collapsed in place, losing control of himself.

"Yes! The village chief always looked at me with sticky eyes! Looking me up and down while breathing heavily like a pervert!"

At that moment, Verdandi appeared from behind Bi Wol and Bing Yeon, covering her mouth and snickering as if finding his state amusing.

"V-Verdandi...? How are you with the Gold Tower Master? Did you perhaps commit some offense..."

Seeing her face, Kevin couldn't help but realize something was wrong.

How could the daughter of a woman who had been thoroughly ostracized by the village be acting together with the noble Gold Tower Master?

"You're the one who committed offenses!"

Verdandi pointed at Kevin's wet crotch. As someone stepped forward in this serious situation that was starting to smell.

"Kevin Osculo, you know your crimes better than anyone."

The white-haired man pressing his brow with his fingers, expressing his displeasure through body language. He was Bing Yeon, who had come from the East searching for Verdandi.

"What are you talking about...? I am a good person who has never committed a single sin, looking up to heaven..."

"...He's evil! This person definitely shows up as evil!"

Verdandi stuck out her tongue teasingly. At her behavior, Kevin clicked his tongue and cursed internally.

"Shut up! What would you know, Verdandi!"

He had always hated how this child born from rape by bandits always went around smiling brightly.

A sinister desire to paint over that bright smile with tears and despair kept welling up.

"I was the only one who voted against expelling you from the village! You should be grateful for that kindness!"

Originally, he had planned to make the entire village ostracize Verdandi, then pretend to be the only person who understood her to take everything from her.

The desire to make her into a toy that would beg not to be thrown away no matter what cruel pranks were played on her.

That was the ugly inner nature of the villain Kevin Osculo as described in the original "Must Kill the Hero."

"...Bi Wol. This fellow's head seems a bit too high."

Han Do-hyeon, now dwelling in Bing Yeon's body, who knew this fact better than anyone, slowly pointed his finger downward.

"Yes, Master. I will follow your command."

"...Ugh?!"

Then, with a BANG─! Kevin's forehead met the ground. The moment Bi Wol's hand touched the back of his head, tremendous force drove him down.

"You illegally sold beastkin slaves to provincial nobles, and turned back-alley children, elderly, and women into blood suppliers for black mages."

BANG─! BANG─!

With each crime Bing Yeon listed, Kevin's forehead hit the ground. Hot blood flowed from his broken forehead.

"You lied about royal gifts being raided by bandits on their way to the capital, and used this as an excuse to plunder more land and gold from the villagers."

Shudder.

Kevin felt chills throughout his body as he watched Bing Yeon list every evil deed he had thought of.

"H-how did you...!"

"How can you cover the sky with your palm?"

Bing Yeon let out a derisive laugh at the flustered Kevin and began listing the crimes he hadn't finished mentioning.

"You harassed married women and offered children to bandits to be used as serfs."

Each time, Bi Wol's hand drove his head into the ground. The repeated punishment created a depression deep enough to form a hole.

"Ch-chief...?!"

"Isn't that the Gold Tower Master...?"

Finally noticing the situation, villagers gathered around the chief and whispered. The village chief with blood streaming from his forehead, and suspicious outsiders with Verdandi.

"And you were also the one who led the entire village to slander and point fingers at my precious disciple."

Bing Yeon slowly lowered his gaze to look at Kevin, who was making pained noises through his tears and mucus.

Even though it was a setting he had created, he had thought Kevin might change if given a chance to repent.

"Trash."

"That's right! He's trash!"

Just as Bi Wol and Verdandi said, this fellow was indeed trash. Even now, Kevin kept repeating that he was wronged, as if he had done nothing wrong.

"I... I haven't done... anything wrong..."

"Very well, then let's ask the villagers directly. You there, tell us one bad thing the village chief has done."

Bing Yeon, sick of such hypocrites, pointed at a boy to deliver the killing blow.

"Me? Me?"

"Yes, who else here am I pointing at?"

To the boy who tried to avoid answering while looking around, Bing Yeon released a slight chill to make him speak.

"...He spread false rumors that my sister was a witch, and called for a trial to burn her at the stake!"

Even to Bing Yeon, the words from the boy's mouth were shocking. An innocent girl had been reduced to ashes because of the chief's evil deeds.

"Th-that was because your parents didn't pay the village development fund to me...! Originally, if you had children, you had to pay double...!"

"Actually, you spread rumors to kill her because she fled after strongly resisting when you tried to lay hands on her with lecherous thoughts."

Bing Yeon spoke while personally grinding Kevin's face into the ground. He couldn't stand hearing anything more from that filthy mouth.

Then,

With thud, thud sounds, things began flying through the air.

"...You demon in human skin!"

"Right! You trash! Die!"

"We didn't know he was this kind of person!"

The villagers began throwing stones at their feet to shift all blame to the chief.

"Gold Tower Master! We were deceived by the village chief all this time!"

"Let's all help these people who came to save our village!"

Good and evil switched as easily as flipping a palm. They were dark and sinister human beings who changed sides incredibly quickly.

- [The person before you is 'evil'.]

Their accumulated evil deeds couldn't be erased just because they threw stones at the village chief.

"Verdandi, you've had it hard, haven't you...?"

They showed kind smiles to Verdandi while extending their hands. To her, their hands felt like those of beasts rather than humans.

At that moment of fear, disgust, and discomfort.

"Shut up, you're all the same as that bastard getting stoned!"

A broad back and shoulders appeared, blocking between the villagers and Verdandi. A man whose presence now brought even relief.

"You had your chances!"

It was Bing Yeon, with his distinctive white hair and blue eyes.

"You could have treated Verdandi kindly, could have rebuked the chief knowing his wrongs, could have willingly accepted those driven to the back alleys of this village...!"

Bing Yeon raised his voice toward the surrounding villagers. Veins stood out on his neck, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"But you didn't. You turned a blind eye to injustice for pathetic reasons like being scared and following what others did!"

At Bing Yeon's words, even the stone-throwing stopped. Everyone was looking at Verdandi with disapproving faces.

"I hate people like this the most. Trash who lie even to themselves while trying to rationalize their wrongdoings."

At Bing Yeon's sharp words, the beating in Verdandi's heart grew louder.

'He's getting angry on my behalf...'

She felt like her heart was malfunctioning and tried to stop its pounding by placing her hand on her chest, but.

"...None of you are free from committing the same wrongs as the chief, you sons of bitches."

She couldn't.

Because Bing Yeon, releasing a chill that enveloped the entire village while expressing his anger, looked too cool.

* * *

"It's a shame to leave like this. I feel like I've grown attached to you all. Thanks for telling me about the Philosopher's Stone's location too..."

"Then take good care of Verdandi's mother."

I spoke while getting into the carriage departing on a different path from Wolfram to meet Azazel.

We had to part ways with the Gold Tower Master now. It would be fine since we'd entrusted Eila's wellbeing to her.

"Yeah! Take care, Bing Yeon! If you ever need to visit the magic tower, make sure to find me!"

Wolfram waved her hand vigorously in farewell. It felt deeply moving to have saved someone who should have died originally.

"This means you owe me one, sister. I helped you get revenge on the villagers, right?"

"Thank you! Senior!"

Bi Wol and Verdandi chatted warmly in the carriage. My lips naturally curved upward seeing my suggestion work successfully.

"Verdandi, don't you have any regrets? Though we got revenge on those villagers, it might have been too late for you to accept..."

I asked how Verdandi was feeling, just in case. No matter what, I thought the wounds carved deep in her heart wouldn't have disappeared.

But,

"...It's not too late!"

Rather, Verdandi spoke brightly with a smile as if nothing was wrong.

"I'm grateful to have met Master even now! I might have done something crazy just believing in the oracle!"

Because I had stopped her from accidentally killing her mother and falling completely into the path of madness.

It wasn't strange that she felt such gratitude.

"I'll work hard like Senior!"

"Yes, good think... What?"

And so, taking advantage of the moment I was distracted looking at the scenery outside the carriage, Verdandi.

Chu.

"As a hero, I want to save Master, my princess, and make you my wife!"

She shyly kissed my cheek, and.

"Y-you jackal...!! Doing something even I haven't done first...?!"

Seeing this, Bi Wol screamed with a face frozen like stone.