I Am The Game's Villain

The fastest way back to Elyen Kiora was by mana car, so that's what we took. Speed was the priority.

At this point, I wasn't worried about the Tower discovering Alvara's disappearance. My only concern had been them using Bryelle to force Alvara's return, but now that Bryelle was safe, their leverage was gone. Let them find out—there was nothing they could do about it anymore.

The ride was silent, almost unbearably so. Alvara sat as far away from me as physically possible, practically pressed against the door like she was ready to fling herself out if I so much as leaned in her direction.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or feel insulted.

After everything, she was still acting like this? As if I hadn't already touched her enough times?

Shaking my head, I decided to push that thought aside and turned my focus elsewhere.

'By the way, Cleenah, where the hell have you been all this time?'

She had vanished again, and I hadn't had the chance to ask until now.

[<I needed some fresh air.>]

I grimaced.

'You think I'll believe that? This isn't the first time you've disappeared like this. It started last year, and now it's only happening more often.'

[<I'll tell you later.>]

Yeah, right. 'Later' might as well mean never.

I wished she'd stop hiding things from me, but maybe she had her reasons. I just hoped that one day, she'd tell me everything.

As I thought about that, the exhaustion of the past few days finally caught up to me, and my eyelids grew heavy. My body sank into the seat as my vision faded into darkness.

…

…

BOOM!

A violent explosion shattered my moment of rest.

My head slammed into the car's roof as I jolted awake, a sharp groan escaping me as I rubbed the sore spot. My vision swam for a second before I snapped my attention forward.

Through the window, I saw that we had arrived at Elyen Kiora.

But something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"Miladies! You should get out—now!" The driver's voice rang out loudly, his face pale as he stared ahead.

I followed his gaze, and what I saw made my stomach drop.

The streets were a battlefield.

Ruvelion Knights clashed violently against armored figures, and I froze when I recognized them.

Teraquin Knights.

Alvara's eyes widened just as much as mine, both of us stunned as we watched the chaos unfold.

Toran's men.

What the hell were they doing here?

More importantly—why in the world were they fighting against the Ruvelion Knights?

Weren't they supposed to be allies?

Wait!

I leaned forward, gripping the seat in front of me as I looked ahead toward the palace.

It wasn't just the streets—this battle stretched all the way to the palace gates.

Anxiousness quickly gripped me.

"Hey! Get me to the palace!" I barked, in panic.

My mother was still in there.

But more importantly—Freyja was there.

If anything happened to her… if she escaped before I could reach her, I would lose my only chance to save my mother. Worse, if the Ruvelions evacuated, my mother might be taken to safety—unless those Teraquin bastards got to her first.

I couldn't let that happen.

The driver was dumbfounded at my order. "M-Milady, you jest! Do you see what's happening out there—?"

"Just drive!" I snapped, my fingers tightening around the back of his neck as I shot him a glare.

He stiffened, swallowing hard before nodding. "Y-Yes!"

The mana car roared forward, speeding through the war-torn streets as he swerved between fleeing civilians and collapsing buildings.

Explosions ripped through the city. Fire swallowed homes, their roofs caving in as terrified families ran for their lives. Children cried. The air was filled with smoke, blood, and the scent of burning wood.

My expression darkened.

Toran and his men… they turned against Elyen Kiora.

But why?

It didn't take long to figure it out.

They weren't here just to cause destruction—they were after the Ruvelion Princess.

Durathiel must have promised something to Kendel Teraquin, and now this was the price of ensuring he kept his word. Those bastards had likely planned this from the very beginning, pretending to support Elyen Kiora's defense while waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

We arrived at the palace, and the situation was even worse than I'd feared.

The gates had already been breached. The courtyard was a battlefield—knights of both sides clashed against each other, blood staining the white stone of the palace grounds.

I clenched my teeth before throwing the car door open and jumping out.

But before I rushed forward, I turned to Alvara.

"You should stay hidden somewhere," I told her, knowing she couldn't use her mana. She'd be at a huge disadvantage.

But instead of listening, Alvara met me with a cold stare. Without hesitation, she reached down, picking up a fallen sword from the ground.

"I can still wield a sword better than you and all the others," she said. She lifted the weapon with ease, swinging it a few times to test it. "And I'm not letting you out of my sight until I see Bryelle."*

I sighed.

Of course she wouldn't make this easy.

Anyway, I didn't waste a second.

Rushing past the wide-open gates, I ignored the chaos around me and made my way straight to the secret room where my mother was kept.

My heart pounded as I shoved the door open.

Inside, two guards flinched, cowering at the sudden intrusion. Their eyes widened in relief the moment they saw me.

"Milady—!"

They didn't get the chance to say anything else. I struck them both with swift, precise blows, knocking them unconscious before they could react.

I didn't have time for them.

Turning my focus back to the room, I hurried forward, unlocking the inner door with the key. My breath caught as I laid eyes on my mother.

She was still there.

Relief flooded through me.

The crystal containing her was more than half-filled now, its glow pulsating faintly. It was taking far longer than I expected—weeks had passed since she was taken, yet the process still wasn't complete.

Damn it.

I shook my head. No time to dwell on that now.

I turned toward Alvara. "Stay here."

She immediately frowned. "No—"

"Please," I cut her off, my voice softer this time. "There might be men coming to take my mother. I just need you to protect her if that happens."

Alvara hesitated, her golden eyes flickering between me and the place that encased my mother. Her brows furrowed slightly, as if trying to understand exactly what she was looking at.

Eventually, she looked back at me. "Where are you going?"

"I need to save the High Elf Princess. I'll be back soon," I said to her.

Alvara grimaced, giving me a look that practically screamed, Scumbag.

Yeah, yeah, I got it. Running off to save another woman while leaving my mother behind didn't look great. But I didn't have time to explain.

Spinning on my heel, I rushed out of the room and back toward the courtyard.

The palace was in complete disarray.

"Milady!"

"It's Lady Loki!"

The moment I stepped inside, the Ruvelion Knights spotted me. Their morale visibly surged, their shouts of encouragement echoing through the halls as they clashed against the Teraquin soldiers.

"Where's the Princess?!" I asked.

One of the knights barely deflected an incoming strike as he shouted back, "Up in her quarters, Milady!"

I nodded and sprinted up the staircase two steps at a time.

I barely made it halfway when angry voices rang out.

"Hey! It's that damn woman! Kill her!"

"How dare you mock us?!"

The Teraquin Knights—clearly still pissed at how I had humiliated them before—immediately turned their blades toward me.

Idiots.

Without hesitation, I sidestepped their attacks. My blade flashed, slicing through their armors

One.

Two.

Three.

Their bodies crumpled to the floor before they even realized what had happened.

I didn't stop to watch them fall as I rushed up the stairs.

The moment I reached the hallway leading to Freyja's quarters, I knew I was too late—almost.

The last of the Ruvelion Knights fell, their bodies hitting the cold marble floor as the Teraquin soldiers finished them off. Blood smeared the walls, the scent of iron blood reeked the air.

My eyes immediately locked onto Toran.
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He had just stepped into Freyja's room.

I shot forward without hesitation.

The remaining Teraquin Knights, who were about to follow Toran inside, noticed me immediately. Their expressions twisted into pure hatred as they turned their weapons toward me.

"Kill—"

-BAM!

The first knight didn't even finish his sentence before my fist smashed into his face. The sickening crunch of his nose breaking filled the air as his body was sent flying backward. He slammed into two of his comrades, sending all three crashing to the end of the hallway in a heap of tangled limbs.

Only one remained.

He gripped his sword, but his hands trembled violently. Fear flashed across his face, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he did the only logical thing.

He dropped his weapon.

Then, without so much as a backward glance, he bolted straight for the nearest window and jumped.

I didn't care if he lived or not.

I had more important things to deal with.

Without slowing, I surged forward, my eyes fixed on the doorway ahead.

"It's over, Princess."

Toran's voice rang out just as I reached the entrance.

I skidded to a stop.

Inside the room, Toran stood, his back to me.

Seated behind her desk was Freyja.