I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

Ian shrugged his shoulders.

"I had no idea."

All he knew was that a weapon made with dragon bones contained dragon magic. It was something he found out after making equipment from bone fragments obtained from the dragon’s tomb in the game. There was no mention there that it would inflict additional damage on dragons.

Is this another unrecorded setting?

Suddenly, he remembered the bones of Tahumrit that he had given to Archeas.

... I should have asked for a piece, after all.

Nasser blinked and then spoke. "But you already killed the Corrupt Dragon in the North, didn’t you?"

"At that time, the Platinum Dragon opened its chest for me. Thanks to that, I was able to stab its heart."

"I see... As I heard, it seems the process wasn’t smooth."

"I almost died several times. Both before and after that." Ian spoke nonchalantly as his head subtly tilted toward Nasser. "Just like you now."

"...." Nasser momentarily held his breath.

His eyes, heavily double-lidded, stared alternately into Ian’s eyes as if trying to find any glimmer of hope within them. But Ian’s eyes, darker than the dim interior of the carriage, showed no movement.

"... Please spare me." Nasser finally uttered.

Ian merely smiled with the corners of his mouth. "What a cliché last word."

"Please. Give me a chance to atone. Let me wash away the sins I have committed against the Radiant Goddess and you with my own hands. If not, my soul will never be saved. So please...."

Nasser quickly continued, a clearly forced smile on his lips. "Let me serve you."

"What, you want to be a squire?" Thesaya asked.

Nasser responded immediately. "I don’t mind being a servant. I am no longer a paladin, nor a member of the Purification Squad or the Dawn Brigade. From the moment the holy mark disappeared and the moment I confessed everything to you, there was no turning back. Knowing that I was a scapegoat, I didn’t even intend to. So please... give me a chance."

"Hmm...." Ian hummed briefly, stroking his chin.

Nasser’s eyes, looking up at him, were desperate.

Ian, who was indifferently meeting his gaze, turned to Charlotte.

"Put him back to sleep for now."

"Understood." Charlotte threw the handkerchief she had been holding to Nasser’s ear to Thesaya.

The ear of Nasser, which had been cut at an angle, was already scabbed. Even though the holy mark had disappeared, it seemed his body, strengthened by the blessing, hadn’t reverted entirely at once.

As Charlotte raised her left hand, Nasser hastily spoke up. "Sir Ian, please—"

Charlotte’s hand struck the back of Nasser’s neck. Nasser’s eyes rolled back.

As Charlotte released her grip on his face, Ian spoke. "Things are going from bad to worse. Don’t you think so?"

He then opened the carriage door. The darkening scenery outside was fully revealed, and a voice continued from the roof.

"Yes. The Dawn Brigade... really, it wasn’t just the corrupted ones who were the problem."

It was Mev, who had been listening to the conversation inside from the carriage roof. The makeshift window connecting to the driver’s seat opened again.

"They are dangerous individuals. To accept inevitable darkness. And for even the purifiers to hold such thoughts...." Philip said breathlessly.

From his slightly revealed expression, it was clear he was greatly shocked.

Ian shrugged his shoulders. "They probably believe it to be the natural order. Or want to make it so."

"If their plan succeeds, an era of chaos will come. Countless people will be sacrificed in the process. For the followers of Lu Solar to not even consider such things at all...."

"Well, as far as I know, priests who care about such things are rare."

"That is... true."

"What can you do? That’s your order." Thesaya added nonchalantly.

Philip let out a deep sigh instead of answering.

"Inevitable darkness and a new dawn...." Mev muttered.

Ian, curling one corner of his mouth, responded. "Doesn’t it sound familiar?"

"Yes. Not exactly the same, but similar."

"Their methods are also something I’ve seen before." At Ian’s words, everyone except Mev naturally turned their gaze toward him.

"Are you saying the Dawn Brigade is part of the Round Table Parliament?" Philip asked in a subdued voice.

He always makes the obvious sound like a big deal.

From the roof, a reply followed."The only difference is that we’re now talking about purifiers, not corrupted ones. Many aspects remain the same. They use people without them realizing it, and they don’t consider the sacrifices or damages their plans might cause."

"Exactly. At least...." Ian added, looking down at the unconscious Nasser. "Their higher-ups think so. Hold on...."

If that’s the case?

A strange look appeared in Ian’s eyes as he stroked his chin, lost in thought. Meanwhile, the conversation continued without pause.

"There are even many who suspect the Platinum Dragon. What on earth is a pure believer supposed to be? It seems the main order is different from what I thought."

"So always remember the moment you received the revelation, Philip. the part of your heart that has caught the Goddess’s eye."

"Don’t worry. You know who I learned from."

Most of the conversation was between Philip and Mev. Having listened in silence for a long time, they seemed to have a lot to say.

"... It seems doable." Ian, having finished his thoughts, mumbled.

Charlotte, who had been waiting, finally spoke up. "So, what will you do with this guy?"

A quietness suddenly enveloped the area surrounding the carriage. All ears were tuned in, waiting for Ian’s response.

Without turning his gaze, Ian spoke. "Well, I’m still thinking."

"His last words didn’t seem like a lie. I think there might be more to discover from him if we dig deeper." Thesaya added.

Judging by her expression, it was clear that she wasn’t saving him out of genuine concern. She simply didn’t want her new toy to disappear too quickly.

Indeed, she’s a natural-born elf.

Ian laughed through his nose and nodded.

"Yeah. There might be something useful. For now, let’s keep him alive."

Charlotte briefly flicked her tongue. She seemed to have wanted to kill Nasser.

Ian turned his attention away, unfazed.

"Set up camp at an appropriate spot, Philip."

"Yes, my lord."

"And everyone except for Sir Riurel, take off all the new armor we acquired this time. Philip, you do the opposite and remove your old armor. All of it."

"All of it? Why...?"

"Because tomorrow morning, you’ll be wearing full plate armor."

"Me?" Philip turned his head and looked at Ian through the makeshift window.

Ian smiled as he took out a steel glove from his pocket dimension.

"Yes. If we play our cards right, we might make the Duke reveal his identity himself."

"...?"

***

"...."

Nasser slowly opened his eyes.

The feel of dry soil against his face. His neck ached stiffly, and his limbs were numb, but the first emotion that came to his mind this time was relief. He was still alive.

"It’s lighter than I thought. But it still feels awkward. It feels like my senses are dulled."

"Once you get used to it, it will turn into a sense of stability. From then on, your fighting style will change too. I’ll teach you. Starting tonight."

Listening to the voices of Philip and Mev, Nasser rolled his eyes around.

He was under a withered tree. The smell of mold lingered as the morning dew brushed past. They had set up camp here, and it seemed the night had passed.

"Did you sleep well?"

"...!" At Charlotte’s voice, Nasser’s eyes widened in surprise.

A strong hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Be grateful to Ian. You lucky bastard." Charlotte forced Nasser to kneel.

His limbs were still bound and nearly numb. But instead of complaining about the pain, Nasser took in the view of the camp before him.

Beyond the embers of the campfire, Philip stood, moving his body in full plate armor.

"That armor looks familiar," Nasser muttered.

Only the breastplate belonged to Gautier; the rest were all equipment he had worn.

"Sir. Stand side by side." At that moment, Ian, who was sitting with his back slightly turned to Nasser, spoke.

Mev stood up with a somewhat awkward expression. She was wearing the breastplate that had belonged to Nasser. Of course, the rest of the gear was Gautier’s belongings.

"Would you like to try on the helmet as well?"

"...Alright." With a murmur, the magic stones embedded on the sides of Mev’s breastplate flashed once.

Clank.

The helmet that had been tilted back sprang up to cover her head. Next, the visor popped out from both sides to cover Mev’s face. It was a pointed visor, with only small holes for the eyes and nose.

It was the helmet Nasser used to wear.

Ian added, "Is there any discomfort?"

"None. Not at all," replied Mev.

As she answered, Philip, who had been inspecting his body, spoke up. "Indeed, it’s not your average masterpiece. Even the parts with different sizes fit well, and the adjustments are convenient. It’s undoubtedly a collaboration between high-ranking mages of the Magic Tower and master dwarf craftsmen. You could buy a mansion with this if you sold it."

Nasser nodded in agreement.

It was at that moment that Thesaya approached them. "With this, it’ll look even more convincing."

She handed over a bundle of faded cloth she had been holding. It was the robe of the main order. As Mev and Philip silently began to don the robes, Ian turned to Nasser.

"You’re awake, Philip."

Nasser blinked in confusion. "Ph... Philip?"

"For the time being, that’s your name publicly."

"What...?"

As Nasser tilted his head in confusion, Charlotte clicked her tongue and drew a dagger. With a quick slice, the blade cut the ropes, freeing Nasser’s limbs. Though he couldn’t move immediately due to stiffness and numbness, he could only wiggle his fingers.

Charlotte’s low voice followed. "Don’t get too comfortable. I’ll always be watching. The moment you try anything foolish, your soul will lose any chance of salvation."

Despite being threatened, a smile appeared on Nasser’s lips. "Don’t worry. That won’t happen."

"If you want to keep living, you need to do your tasks well," Ian said, crouching in front of him.

Nasser looked at him. "Yes. What’s the first task?"

"Your new name."

"...Philip?"

"Yes."

"...Alright. I am now Philip." Despite his bewildered expression, Nasser answered.

Ian nodded and pointed to the side with his left arm.

"The second task is to become a coachman."

As Nasser naturally turned his head, he saw a black carriage and two white horses tied beside it. Their silver armor shimmered faintly.

"They’re very good horses. The armor is magical, and they still have energy to spare even after pulling a carriage with six people. It’s no wonder they survived crossing that mountain."

"...That’s probably because they have Northern warhorse blood in them. I’m glad they were helpful." Nasser murmured weakly before continuing. "As a token of my gratitude, if you look at the saddles—"

"There are bags attached discreetly. Inside are supplies, including magic stones and food. We’ve secured everything, so don’t worry."

"...You’re thorough."

"Yes. We even took your rings, earrings, and bracelets. Everyone got a fair share." Ian replied nonchalantly.

As Nasser let out a hollow laugh, Philip’s voice continued, "It’s all done, my lord."

Ian turned around and nodded. "Excellent...."

Mev and Philip had their hoods pulled deep over their heads. Mev’s face, now without a helmet, was barely visible except for her chin.

Philip muttered. "It’s amazing that I can see clearly despite this."

"It seems like no one will suspect anything. What do you think? Do they look like purifiers?" Ian asked, turning to Nasser.

Nasser nodded, still somewhat dazed. "Yes, they do, but..."

"Good. From now on, those two are Sir Gautier and Sir Nasser."

"...?" Nasser looked back at Ian in confusion. "What is going on here?"

"What’s going on?" Ian smirked slightly. "You won’t be remembered as martyrs who died fighting me. Instead, you’ll be remembered as traitors who betrayed the Dawn Brigade, fooled by my words."

As Nasser’s mouth hung open in shock, Ian shrugged. "That is if Duke Kralen is part of the council."

"The council... what is that?"

"It’s a group you should fervently hope the Duke is a part of."

"...?" Nasser’s head tilted. Too many parts of the conversation had skipped over his understanding.

Ian, of course, didn’t care at all. "Because that’s how you’ll get to meet the Platinum Dragon."

"... So, this is related to the mission given by the Platinum Dragon."

"When that time comes, you’ll do your third task. You’ll tell him everything you told me, including how you and your group view him."

"Me…? Not you?"

"Yes. I’m too lazy to do it myself. Besides, I have a mountain of other things to discuss."

Nasser looked at Ian, trying to determine if he was serious.

Ian, genuinely serious, continued. "You are now the lowly servant and coachman, Philip. Those two are the purifiers and members of the Dawn Brigade, Gautier and Nasser. And I’m leading them. That’s all you need to know. That’s the setup."

"Why… are you putting on this act?"

"There are things we want to learn from Duke Kralen. This makes it easier to extract that information. Whether it works, we’ll see."

"Duke… Kralen?"

"Oh, right. I didn’t mention it. We’re going to kill him."

"...!?" Nasser’s eyes widened in shock at Ian’s nonchalant addition.