I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

"Indeed... Let me see it for a moment," Archeas extended its short arm forward.

Ian, gripping the blade, handed the hilt of the sword to it. Despite its current form, Ian had no concerns about Archeas being swayed by the cursed sword. As Archeas grasped the hilt, a faint vibration emanated from the blade, only to quickly subside. Archeas held the sword in both hands, its eyes scanning the dark, gleaming blade as it spoke.

"Now that I think about it, I was deeply surprised as well. I knew that it hadn’t abandoned its ambitions, but to think it would go so far as to create a crack in the barrier... That is as difficult as a drop of water piercing through stone," Archeas remarked, a bitter smile briefly crossing its lips.

"But yes... A long time has passed, and it is a being with the patience and resolve to endure that time," it continued, looking back at Ian and shrugging. "A being that defied the heavens, attempting to ascend to the divine realm. Such a feat is nearly impossible, even for a dragon."

The group had already put down their drinks and was now focused solely on Archeas. The opportunity to hear a legendary tale directly from the one involved was rare indeed. Even Nasser, who seemed slightly confused, blinked as if trying to grasp the context of the conversation. Of course, Ian had little interest in the backstory of the Heaven Defier.

"There will probably be more who serve the Heaven Defier. They may have lost track of my movements for now, but they’ll soon catch up again. And when they do, they’ll come after me once more. Perhaps... some might even hold positions within the Round Table," said Ian.

"That’s likely," Archeas replied, placing the black sword back on the table.

Its golden eyes met Ian’s. "I must apologize once more. This is my fault. If you weren’t my agent, you wouldn’t have faced this danger."

"No need for apologies. What’s important is how we respond," Ian replied.

"True. But..." Archeas hesitated, unable to continue its thought.

Instead of pressuring it for an answer, Ian stood up and picked up the bottle of liquor. He began to refill Archeas’s empty glass, signaling that it could take its time to think.

"The Heaven Defier... What is all this... Wait, then that corpse...?" Nasser, who had been quietly sipping his drink, suddenly muttered, looking as if he had just realized something shocking.

As Ian sat back down, he chuckled at Nasser. "Ah, so you saw its corpse as well."

"... Yes. It’s likely been transferred to the Grant Church by now. The Heaven Defier... you mean that legendary evil dragon is still alive?" Nasser asked in disbelief.

"More than just alive. It’s still trying to imitate the gods. It even grants power to a few of its followers, calling them apostles," Ian replied, lifting his glass.

Nasser’s jaw dropped in shock at Ian’s words.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Ian’s mouth.

This guy doesn’t know anything, despite being part of the Dawn Brigade.

Well, even if a high-ranking official knew about the Heaven Defier, they likely wouldn’t have disclosed that information to their subordinates.

"Yes... It’s still alive and enduring eternal punishment. A punishment directly decreed by the gods," Archeas finally spoke again.

"..."

"Because of that, paradoxically, I cannot inflict any additional harm on it. All I can do is question and try to dissuade it. But, of course, it won’t listen to me. If anything, it would only make things worse. That’s just the kind of being it is. It was like that even when I was still young."

Archeas looked at Ian with a somber gaze.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Ian. But doing nothing is actually my way of helping you."

With a bitter smile, it took a sip from its glass. Nasser, who seemed at a loss for words, remained silent.

"Well, that’s how you would handle it, I suppose," Ian broke the silence, taking another sip of his drink.

As he set down his glass, he added, "But that’s not how I do things, is it?"

Archeas widened its eyes and looked at Ian. The liquid in the cup it was holding splashed slightly.

Ian shrugged. "I never expected you to solve my problems in the first place. That’s why I asked you to share what you could. In that regard, I have another question..."

Looking directly into Archeas’s eyes, where faint ripples were spreading, Ian smiled.

"I’ve heard that weapons imbued with a dragon’s power can deal fatal damage to a dragon. Is that true?"

Nasser and the rest of the group turned sharply to look at Ian, shocked that he would dare ask such a thing directly to a dragon. But what surprised them even more was Archeas’s response.

"It’s true that they can be more effective. Our bones and hide are extremely tough, and they are also protected by magic. As you know, a dragon’s magic is incredibly dense. So, yes, a weapon imbued with that magic could potentially inflict a more severe wound."

Archeas began to answer Ian’s question without hesitation, its gaze unreadable as it continued. "But ultimately, what matters more is who wields that power. Do you know where that saying originated? Care to guess? It’s a name you’re familiar with."

"... Are you referring to Karha?" Ian asked.

"That’s right. His axe was inscribed with a Mantra. A dragon, moved by the determination of a mortal who dared to defy an impossible fate, offered him help. And with that axe, he managed to wound a being of absolute power. I don’t need to tell you which dragon that was, do I?"

Ian nodded, knowing well that it was the very same dragon that had made him a Dragon Slayer.

Archeas took another sip before continuing. "It’s true that he was aided by a weapon imbued with a dragon’s magic. But by then, he was already a warrior, so great that he had attained a divine nature. That part of the story has been forgotten, leaving only a half-truth. Of course, I never bothered to correct the misunderstanding."

Archeas’s golden eyes glimmered.

"There are those who dream of killing me one day. I’ve laid a cunning trap for them. Only when they try to use the very weapons I created against me will they realize they’ve been chasing a futile dream."

You’re quite honest.

Ian smirked as he glanced at Nasser, who had once again become as stiff as a statue, seemingly forgetting to breathe. Ian had never believed that the pure devotees could actually kill Archeas. After all, he had seen Archeas fight firsthand. Unless the gods themselves struck Archeas down, no one would be able to even touch it.

"But the truly important part of this story isn’t the trap I’ve set."

Archeas leaned closer to Ian.

"It’s the fact that even a warrior as great as Karha, who had attained divine power, still couldn’t kill a dragon on his own. If the wounded Tahumrit hadn’t retreated, it would have been Karha who died first."

So that’s where this was leading.

Ian chuckled quietly to himself as he brought his glass to his lips, and Archeas continued."The power of a dragon grows with age, and it is a dragon who has lived even longer than I have. Even though its power is sealed and it suffers an eternal punishment, that fact doesn’t change. If you face it, Ian, you will die."

This was the firmest and most resolute tone Archeas had used since their meeting. Ian didn’t argue; he had already fought the Heaven Defier in the game, a terrifyingly powerful creature that had brought countless game-over screens.

He had managed to defeat it only by memorizing every attack pattern and relying heavily on luck, barely scraping through. If that last strike hadn’t hit the weak spot, he would have been staring at another game-over screen.

Now, in this reality, that dragon would undoubtedly be even stronger. While Ian had also grown stronger, he knew he still couldn’t match a dragon’s power. Furthermore, the attack patterns would likely be different, and there wouldn’t be any retries.

"So, don’t even think about trying to find it. It’s in a place you could never reach. And I won’t give you any clues about it. Telling you would be no different from killing you myself."

Archeas paused, taking a deep breath as it looked at Ian with golden eyes full of concern. "I don’t want to lose you, Ian. Especially not to it. And certainly not to its underlings, either."

Unfortunately, I already know where that bastard is.

Ian murmured to himself inwardly before speaking aloud. "Anyway, at the very least, fighting its underlings is unavoidable. I can’t just let them kill me, can I?"

"Of course. Show them no mercy, and never let your guard down. After you’ve killed a few of its apostles, it might reconsider. It wouldn’t want to risk everything it has gained just to harass me."

"Well..." Ian took another sip of his drink. "If Heaven Defier is as persistent as I’ve heard, I wouldn’t be so sure."

"You sound as if that’s what you’re hoping for."

Ian merely shrugged. Eventually, Archeas let out a deep sigh, as if the ground might give way. This, too, was a rare sight to behold.

"Fine... do as you will. I won’t stop you if you try to track them down and interrogate them. But even if you do, you won’t learn anything. They don’t know where it is, either."

"If I were to eventually discover the prison where it is confined, what would you do?"

"That’s impossible...." Archeas, mid-sentence, suddenly paused. Its golden eyes shifted to Ian, as the thought crossed its mind that Ian might truly be able to discover the truth.

"If that happens...." Archeas finally spoke in a low voice. "... I would have no choice but to stop you myself. Don’t misunderstand—I don’t mean I would fight alongside you. I mean, I would personally drag you out of there. If you set foot in that place, I have every right to do so."

It sounds like you’re gonna spank me like a child or something.

Ian’s lips curled into a slight smirk. "Well, that’s a relief...."

He added, meeting Archeas’s puzzled gaze. "At least it sounds like I wouldn’t die right away."

"What...?" Archeas repeated, a faint laugh escaping its lips.

"You really are something," it muttered, shaking its head in disbelief before continuing. "I must be the first dragon to have such a stubborn agent. Probably the first and the last."

"What can I say? You were the one who chose me as your agent." Ian replied with a chuckle.

Ian chuckled as he spoke, and the sheer audacity of his words drew a hearty laugh from Archeas as well. Despite his words, Ian had no real desire to face Rakhmah either.

Yet, as he had noted before, the dragon would never give up—not on Ian, nor on clawing its way back to the surface. There was a chance it might even shatter the seal that confined it and reemerge into the world, having prepared for just that.

If it came to that, Ian would undoubtedly find himself fighting alongside Archeas against it once more. However, that battle wouldn’t be any easier than the one in the dragon’s grave, especially since Rakhmah would have its full power at its disposal by then.

A nightmare far worse than Tahumrit awaited them, one that couldn’t even be compared. That’s why it had to be killed while it was still underground. Of course, that would only be possible after Ian had grown much stronger—at the very least, after he had slain all of its apostles. By then, he would likely have more weapons imbued with the dragon’s magic in his possession.

Even so, it won’t be easy.... But if I don’t want to die, I’ll have to find a way to do it.

Ian downed the remaining liquor in his glass with a bitter smile. At least now, he had one final line of defense. Archeas wasn’t one to make empty promises. Of course, it would’ve been better if it had offered to help rather than just trying to stop him.

"Is that enough of an answer for you?" Archeas asked.

Ian nodded as he set down his empty glass. Charlotte, sitting beside him, naturally refilled it as his gaze shifted to the purifier’s cloak lying on the table before him.

"May I ask one more small favor?"

"You’ll do it even if I say no, won’t you?"

You know me too well now, Ian thought with a faint smile.

"Can you remove the emblem of the Order from this cloak? It stands out too much, just like the shield you gave me."

"What...?"

Archeas’s eyes widened for a moment, then it burst into laughter.

"Asking the saint of the Order to remove the Order’s emblem...! What a blasphemy."

Everyone except Thesaya stared at Archeas in shock, their hearts sinking. They had been holding their breath ever since Ian started making demands against Archeas, not daring to make a sound.

But Ian remained unfazed. He knew that Archeas wasn’t offended. Its views on the gods were somewhat aligned with his own.

"Answering that request isn’t difficult," Archeas said with a chuckle, locking eyes with Ian. "But this time, how about you answer my question first? As I hinted, I have a request for you as well."

Of course, I was wondering when you’d bring it up, Ian mused, licking his lips.

"I’m already nervous...."

"Don’t worry. This time, it shouldn’t be too difficult."

"Go ahead."

"Do you have any plans for where you’ll go after leaving this place?"

"Nothing certain yet. We need to discuss it more, but..." Ian glanced at Philip before continuing. "Probably to the capital."

"Is that so...? Good. It seems we’re bound by fate, after all."

With a pleased smile, Archeas set its glass down and stood up on its chair, revealing its small frame down to its knees.

Facing Ian directly, it smiled.

"Then take this child with you, Ian. Just as far as the capital."

"...?"