The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 77

The peaceful estate yard today.

The Young Lady was staring nervously at Perry No. 1, parked in the yard.

A week after her birthday.

After completing the verification of the protection magic’s performance, the historic moment of the Young Lady’s test drive had arrived.

From the butler’s back to the owner’s.

The Young Lady had become the owner of Perry No. 1.

There were concerns she might become a reckless driver, but fortunately, the nervousness of a beginner driver was evident in her eyes.

“Hmm…”

The Young Lady, staring at Perry No. 1, which had been redesigned from black to red to reflect the rapidly changing trends of the Empire, widened her eyes and spoke.

“Oh… Oh… Oh my goodness…”

A sleek body.

A luxurious red paint job and a chair made of top-quality memory foam left a strong impression on the wheelchair.

Although the footrest, backrest, and handles were equipped with complex buttons, the astronomical cost ensured the wheelchair did not appear cluttered.

I lifted the Young Lady in a princess carry and carefully seated her in Perry No. 1.

The Young Lady widened her eyes at the soft cushioning she felt.

“Oh…”

The Young Lady couldn’t stop marveling.

She wiggled her hips to feel the cushion and tested the sturdiness by leaning back against the backrest, then gave a thumbs-up.

“Approved…!”

Seeing the Young Lady’s satisfied smile, I nodded and placed a helmet on her head.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Then let me go over a few precautions. I told you yesterday, but I doubt you remember.”

“Yes. I forgot everything.”

As expected, the Young Lady did not defy my expectations.

I held up three fingers and began explaining.

“First. No driving after drinking.”

“Okay.”

“Second. No hitting people.”

“What about people who make me angry?”

“Hmm… Shall we allow that?”

“Okay.”

Nodding at the Young Lady’s reasonable suggestion, I agreed.

“And lastly, the third.”

While fastening the seatbelt around the Young Lady’s waist, I spoke.

“No over-speeding. Especially, do you see the flame symbol next to the lever?”

The Young Lady glanced at the armrest.

“This one?”

Looking at the button with a flame symbol, the Young Lady tilted her head with a question mark on her face.

I nodded, affirming the curiosity in the Young Lady’s gaze.

“Yes, that one. That is…”

“Hey!”

-Click.

Before I could finish speaking, the Young Lady pressed the button. She looked at me with a face that seemed to ask if she did well.

I gave an awkward smile.

“Uh… You weren’t supposed to press that.”

Feeling something was wrong with Perry No. 1 as it vibrated with a ‘vroom,’ the Young Lady looked at me with startled eyes.

“I wasn’t supposed to press it?”

I nodded.

“Yes…”

“But I pressed it…”

“Uh… Hmm… Good luck?”

Watching Perry No. 1 roar like a bull, I waved my hand. Trusting in the protection magic, I believed it would be fine no matter where she crashed. With that faith, I bid farewell to the flustered Young Lady.

“Drive safely.”

-Vrooooom!!!

“Eek…”

The Young Lady flew off into the distance.

“Aaaaaaahhh!!!”

The Young Lady’s wheelchair raced across the yard.

I nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Magnificent…!”

It was a touching moment.

Wiping away tears at the grand unveiling of Perry No. 1’s majestic form, I chased after the Young Lady.

“Kyaaaaaa!!! Hic… Hiccup!!!”

Hearing the Young Lady’s excited screams, I fell into thought.

‘Now… another episode will begin soon.’

At the end of the Academy’s 2nd year, I thought of Yuria, who would soon face the heretics, and smiled bitterly.

‘Well, she’ll figure it out.’

It would be an episode of utter defeat.

A loss to Mikhail.

A shock to Yuria.

A sense of helplessness to Ruin.

Hoping they would grow through this episode, I followed the Young Lady.

“How is it? Perry No. 1!”

“Kyaaaaaaah!!!!”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Hic… Hoooooo!!!”

I’m glad she likes it.

*

The dungeon beneath the capital.

Three silhouettes descended into the damp dungeon floor.

“It’s dark, so be careful, Yuria.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Mikhail, you be careful too.”

“…Alright.”

Yuria, with her pink hair.

Mikhail, who had awakened his aura.

And Ruin, walking with his hands in his pockets, descended into the dark dungeon.

Ruin, with his hands in his pockets, muttered to himself. His complaints, loud enough to echo through the dungeon, suggested he was annoyed about something.

“Why does the Imperial Family broadcast something the Magic Department could handle…”

“Quiet, Ruin. The Student Council President must have their reasons.”

“That’s exactly what I don’t like. You sword-obsessed fool.”

Mikhail and Ruin bickered back and forth.

Standing between the two, who were clearly incompatible, Yuria awkwardly smiled and tried to mediate.

“Don’t fight, everyone… Let’s get along.”

“What did you say?”

“Do you want to get hit?”

The two were far from friendly.

*

The beginning of the incident stemmed from a student council meeting.

This morning, the Student Council President, Chartia, gathered the student council members and brought up the rumors circulating within the Academy.

-You’ve all heard the rumors, right? That a 2nd Year from the Magic Department went missing in the underground dungeon.

-Isn’t it a lie? Seems like they just skipped class because they didn’t want to study.

-Ha… I wish that were the case… but a witness came forward saying they saw him entering the dungeon at the end.

With dark circles under her eyes, Chartia addressed the members.

-It’s almost certain. Something strange was even found in his dormitory room… No, for now, just make sure no weird rumors leak out. The Academy’s atmosphere is already bad because of the last incident.

-Especially you, Ruin.

-Why me?

-Don’t go around looking for Magic Department students like last time. Just wait. The Imperial Family said they’d send a search party.

Chartia had warned Ruin, ‘You never know what might happen.’ She told him to stay put.

However, as a fellow Magic Department student and a close friend from the Magic Tower, Ruin was not the type to sit idly by upon hearing of Hans’ disappearance.

After the meeting, Ruin sought out Yuria. He asked if she would join him in searching for Hans.

He made the suggestion, believing that Yuria, who had been friends with Hans since their 1st Year, would share his feelings.

-Yuria. I’m going to look for Hans. Want to come with me?

-The Student Council President told us to stay put.

-Who knows when the search party will arrive? And you know Hans isn’t the type to skip class. I think he found an undiscovered region in the dungeon.

-But still…

-Come on. I’ll buy you something delicious.

The missing 2nd Year from the Magic Department, Hans.

He was from the same Magic Tower as Ruin.

He was a timid student with few friends.

Since childhood, Ruin had taken him around, and that’s how he became acquainted with Yuria. Yuria decided to follow Ruin’s suggestion.

Yuria was meddlesome.

And she was confident in her abilities.

Compared to their peer Ricardo, her skills were lacking, but Yuria knew that they, hailed as the Academy’s Golden Age, were better than most search parties.

Thus, the search party for the missing person was formed.

Ruin, the top ranker of the Magic Department.

Yuria, the prodigy of the Healing Department.

And even Mikhail, who followed out of concern for Yuria.

This was the party that would lead the Academy’s Golden Age.

*

-Step.

As Yuria descended into the damp underground, sticky mud clung to her shoes.

‘Hoo… It’s okay. It’s been over a year.’

This was the place where she had a horrifying memory of being abandoned by the friends she trusted. As she descended into the dungeon’s basement, Yuria clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly out of nervousness.

‘It’s okay…’

Even after a year, Yuria vividly remembered the fear of that day.

-Guys…?

-Where are you…?

Unable to shake the memory of being left behind in the dungeon, Yuria shuddered and tried to erase the bad thoughts.

“Are you cold?”

Ruin, standing beside her, asked as he noticed Yuria trembling. He tried to take off his coat for her, but Yuria shook her head, refusing his gesture.

“No, it’s a bit chilly, but I can manage.”

“Really? Let me know if you’re cold. I’ll make a Fireball for you.”

“Okay, I will.”

An awkward silence fell again.

They had descended into the dungeon with determination, but they hadn’t gathered any information.

As they trudged through the dungeon aimlessly, Ruin spoke up to break the awkward atmosphere.

“Oh, right. I ran into that guy last week.”

“That guy?”

“Ricardo.”

-Flinch.

At Ruin’s sudden mention, both Yuria and Mikhail flinched. Ricardo was someone they had recently received help from but also sharp criticism.

It was a name that was hard to bring up casually.

It was uncomfortable at the same time.

He was undoubtedly someone who had helped them.

But hearing the name of someone who had tormented them in a place filled with terrible memories wasn’t pleasant.

Unaware of Yuria’s cold expression, Ruin rambled on about what had happened recently.

“I went to Hamel for Magic Tower business. On my way back to the Academy, I saw a nice bracelet I wanted to buy. But that guy was there.”

Ruin recounted what had happened in Hamel.

He mentioned how Ricardo had spoken harshly to him and how he couldn’t buy the bracelet because Ricardo knew the store owner.

Ruin grumbled about how he couldn’t give the gift he had intended to.

“I’m never going back there. I’ll spread rumors about it in the Magic Department.”

Ruin was plotting a childish prank.

As he chattered on for a while.

“Haa… Haa…”

Ruin was startled when he noticed Yuria’s complexion growing paler as they descended deeper.

“Yuria, what’s wrong!?”

“It’s just… I feel a bit sick.”

Yuria recalled the harsh words she had heard from her friends in the dungeon.

-You were bad luck from the start.

-Why is a commoner acting so arrogant?

-Friend? Who said you were my friend?

Bad memories made her stomach churn.

Friends who had hurt her with their words and then disappeared.

And herself, left behind alone.

She remembered fleeing to the basement to escape the sudden onslaught of monsters, but Yuria couldn’t recall anything after that.

She had been told that Ricardo had saved her afterward, but she had no memory of it.

Her past self had harbored resentment, blaming Ricardo for everything and accusing him of orchestrating it all.

-Stop it already! I… I trusted you…

-I thought you’d be different…!

-Get lost… Don’t ever show up in front of me again.

It was a past she didn’t want to think about.

She was angry and scared.

Recalling the moment she was left alone in the dark dungeon made Yuria feel nauseous.

Seeing Yuria’s pale face, Ruin gritted his teeth.

“Ricardo, that son of a b*…”

Muttering under his breath, Ruin suggested they turn back out of concern for Yuria, but she shook her head and continued toward the deep layer.

“…I’m fine. It’s just an upset stomach. Nothing serious.”

“Haa…”

Ruin grew to dislike Ricardo even more.

The three of them continued descending deeper into the basement. Along the way, undead knights and ghouls appeared, but Yuria’s simple gestures made them vanish, allowing them to proceed without significant danger.

“Haa… Haa…”

Noticing Yuria’s complexion again, Mikhail spoke with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m just a little tired.”

“This won’t do. Let’s go back.”

Mikhail glanced at Ruin, signaling with his eyes that they should give up for now because of Yuria’s condition.

Ruin nodded in agreement. While finding the missing person was important, Yuria’s health took priority. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and began to support Yuria.

Yuria shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just a little suffocating… I’ll feel better if I keep walking.”

“Still…”

Yuria shook off the eerie feeling and strode forward with determination.

“I said I’m fine.”

“Let me know if it gets too hard.”

“Okay.”

Unpleasant memories kept surfacing faintly in Yuria’s mind.

Yuria vigorously shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts.

“Let’s find him quickly. Hans must be waiting for us right now.”

It was then.

-Aaaaargh!!!

A man’s scream echoed from nearby.

Yuria turned her head.

She looked toward the end of the dimly lit corridor.

Unlike the dungeon corridor illuminated by torches, a pitch-black hole in the dungeon wall caught Yuria’s eye.

It was where the man’s scream had come from.

Yuria stared at the black hole with a startled expression.

‘Why… does this feel familiar?’

It seemed like a place she was seeing for the first time.

Yet, strangely, it felt familiar.

As if she had been here before.

Although it was a dungeon she hadn’t visited since the day she got separated, Yuria had a general sense of the dungeon’s layout from completing numerous tasks.

And.

She was certain that the hole in front of her was something she had never seen before.

Mikhail and Ruin, who had visited the dungeon countless times for training, would also have known the dungeon thoroughly.

They, too, would have confirmed that the dark hole in front of them was new.

Yet, Yuria felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

As if she had been here before.

In an instant, a faint memory flashed through Yuria’s mind.

-Run.

-…

-I said run.

The silhouette of a red-haired man flickered in her thoughts.

“Was this place always here?”

Mikhail’s question snapped her out of her chaotic thoughts.

“What? You don’t know either?”

“No. This is my first time seeing it too.”

“Wow… Damn.”

Ruin looked at the dark space and smiled faintly. Excited, he speculated that there might be valuable artifacts in this undiscovered region.

At the same time, the three of them felt it instinctively.

Hans would be here.

With an instinctual hunch and growing certainty, Ruin’s face lit up with a glow of hope.

“Let’s go.”

Ruin swallowed hard and spoke while staring at the dark space.

“There’s nowhere else to go anyway.”

Though tense, the three of them couldn’t ignore the man’s scream. They nodded as they looked at the black hole.

Mikhail, supporting Yuria, asked,

“Yuria, can you manage?”

Yuria nodded weakly.

And then.

-A quest has been triggered.

A blue window appeared before their eyes.