I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 263

Chapter 263

Alice closed her eyes tightly, as if she no longer had the energy to be angry, and then turned around. The fairies who caught her gaze hesitated for a moment before reluctantly digging into their pockets. Soon, they each pulled out a small box and tossed it to Alice. She caught each one effortlessly and selected one to open. That box was soon filled with neatly stacked cigarettes, taken from the different boxes.

"...."

One of the fairy warriors, with platinum blonde hair, grimaced. It was likely his storage box that Alice was filling with cigarettes. However, Alice didn’t spare him a glance as she casually tossed the remaining boxes back to their owners.

She’s probably got her own stash. Yet she’s still squeezing them dry. What a typical pointy ear.

As Ian swallowed his chuckle, one of the boxes flew straight toward him, as if aimed at his face. He caught it effortlessly and lifted the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

"Oh...?"

The case was unmistakably made of silver.

As Ian opened the lid with a satisfied expression, Alice spoke, as if emphasizing her words. "I've added a few extra as interest. Now, there is no debt between Sir Ian and the house."

After counting the cigarettes, Ian looked down at her with a smile. "Should I swear to that as well?"

"... Then farewell." Alice waved dismissively, clearly annoyed, and turned away. The other fairies, who had been watching Ian as if they were fed up with him, quickly moved to follow her.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

The fairies moved away, their pace even quicker than when they had descended the mountain path earlier.

Ian watched them depart with a smile before turning his attention back to the cigarette box. The grin on his face grew wider.

"Who would have thought I’d get so many more of these rare things..."

And in such a large quantity, too.

He took out a cigarette and put it between his lips. It was a little celebration for swindling the fairies.

Besides, there were still a few cigarettes left in Findrel's case, so using one now wouldn’t be an issue. The newly acquired cigarette was thicker and longer than Findrel's, though the aroma that filled the air as it touched his lips and the effects shown in the status window were identical. The only difference was that this one would last a bit longer.

"----!"

Just then, Alice's shout echoed in the distance. Though it was in the fairy language, Ian could understand enough to catch the gist of it—she was hurling some rather primal curses at Findrel.

"Such harsh words..." Ian murmured, amused, as he tossed the silver brooch and cigarette box into his pocket dimension. He then finally turned back toward the coachman’s seat.

Fwoosh—

He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, filling his lungs with the herbal scent as he looked ahead. The mountain path was almost at its end.

Clatter—

The small window at the bottom of the seat opened at that moment. Ian exhaled a puff of smoke and turned his head. He first saw Philip's incredulous expression, then Elia’s wide-eyed, curious face.

Before Philip could say anything, Elia spoke up. "You gambled with a fairy and won? And against one from House Aynas, no less? That's really impressive. I've always heard that fairies have sharp senses and quick wits, making them excellent at gambling."

Ian exchanged a glance with Philip while taking another drag from his cigarette, then replied calmly.

"There's nothing to be impressed about. It was all a lie."

"... What? So, you lost?"

"No. I'm saying the whole story was a lie."

"...?" Elia’s face went blank for a moment, while Philip let out a dry laugh

Ian turned his gaze to Elia and added. "Findrel Aynas is dead. He died a long time ago."

"... No way." Elia blinked and continued speaking, her expression pleading as if she desperately hoped it wasn't true."You're not saying that you killed a fairy from House Aynas, stole their seal, used it fraudulently, and then lied about it... are you?"

"Exactly. Every word of it."

"My goodness... Do you know what kind of house Aynas is?"

"I’m well aware," Ian replied with a low chuckle. "That bastard insulted Charlotte for no reason, and as if that wasn't enough, he tried to kill us afterward. It was a typical Aynas move."

Elia, still staring at him with her mouth slightly open, finally muttered in resignation. "So, you just blamed everything on him?"

"Well, dead men tell no tales."

"...." Elia’s lips moved wordlessly, clearly shocked. Perhaps a part of the idealized image she had of her godfather had just been shattered.

Ian shrugged as if it were nothing. "Thanks to that, things were resolved peacefully. If I’d told them the truth, they would have pretended to accept it, only to return with dozens more warriors."

He took another deep drag of the cigarette, then glanced at Elia.

"Then we would have had to kill all of them over there. We can't just let ourselves be killed, right? After that, we'd probably end up fighting all of Aynas. Other families and anyone connected to them would get involved too. And naturally, we'd be branded as criminals in the process. Isn't that right?"

"...So, in other words, it's what you'd call a white lie," Elie murmured, nodding as if trying to convince herself.

Ian chuckled softly. "You could put it that way."

Although I did it for my own convenience, in the end, it saved several lives too.

Ian exhaled a long stream of smoke into the air. Avoiding a situation where he would have to kill everyone, even those who got caught up in it with bad luck, was for the best. After all, they were in the heart of the Empire now.

"It’s nothing new to me that you would act that way, my lord." Philip, who had been quietly licking his lips, finally interjected. "Still, invoking the name of the Radiant Goddess was a bit much. The Goddess despises deceit and falsehood."

"Is that so?"

Now he’s talking like a real paladin.

Ian smirked and took another puff from his cigarette.

"Then I’ll just have to settle matters directly with her."

Ian clasped his hands in front of him and closed his eyes briefly, nodding as if receiving a divine message.

"She forgives me," said Ian.

"Sigh..." Philip let out a hollow laugh and shook his head. "I can't really argue with that. She probably would’ve forgiven you."

Elia, who had been quietly observing, suddenly chimed in. "Then why did you get that?"

Ian glanced back at her as she continued, her eyes fixed on the cigarette he held in his mouth. "You didn’t really need to go that far. If something went wrong, your lie might have been exposed."

"It’s quite the opposite," Ian replied, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Thanks to that, they completely bought my story. I covered one lie with another."

He nodded toward Elia as he explained, "It’s a tactic those fairies use often. This is probably not written in any book, so you should take note."

"... And what if they find out later?" Elie asked.

Ian shrugged as he turned his gaze forward again. "We’ll cross that bridge when we get there."

Though he doubted it would ever come to that.

He recalled the last image of Alice, who seemed ready to leave for the frontiers to find Findrel immediately. Maybe she really would, but it didn't worry him much. Findrel had died long ago, and even if she found his remains, it would be hard to pin the blame on Ian.

Besides, the frontiers were currently a chaotic mess, overrun with all sorts of demonic realms. If Alice set foot there, she would be more concerned with her own survival than with tracking down Findrel.

Moreover, Ian was aware that Findrel was considered a black sheep within his family. Even if, by some chance, a connection to Ian was made, the repercussions would likely be minimal. The family, quick to weigh their options, wouldn’t go out of their way to make an enemy of Ian over a matter they had already dismissed.

"Truly remarkable, my lord," Philip said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Not only did you deceive the fairies, but you also extorted something from them. You might be the only person who’s ever done that."

Without turning around, Ian chuckled. "Another accomplishment for the record books."

A liar who even fooled the fairies. Not a bad title, Ian thought to himself, savoring the smoke from his cigarette.

"... I feel like I've learned something new about the outside world. The world really is a place where you can’t afford to let your guard down."

Philip responded calmly to Elia’s admiration. "It’s something you don’t need to learn, Elie. Though I can’t deny it’s useful."

Says the one who learned with more dedication than anyone else.

Ian, puffing smoke through his nose, subtly reached toward the small window.

"Pass me another bottle of liquor. I've got another great appetizer, so I can't just not drink."

"Yes, my lord. I’ll bring you something strong."

As Philip rummaged around, Elia spoke up, "Um, Sir Ian."

Ian turned to see her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she continued. "May I try one of those cigarettes? I’ve heard that fairies are fond of them—"

"No," Ian cut her off, his expression turning serious.

Taking the bottle Philip handed him, he added, "You’re never to pick up this habit. Not even when you’re an adult."

The fact that fairy cigarettes were actually beneficial to the body didn’t matter in the slightest.

Ian glanced down at the thick grimoire Elia was holding close to her chest.

"Just stick to reading that book. Don’t let your curiosity lead you astray."

"... Alright. To be honest, I’m most curious about this book right now," Elia responded calmly.

Ian nodded and turned back to face forward.

"Thanks. At least this will keep me entertained for two days," Elia added, making Ian pause.

He frowned slightly and turned back to look at her. "Two days?"

"Yes. I actually needed something to read. I get anxious if I don’t have a book."

"But only two days?" Ian asked, his frown deepening.

"... Is that a problem?" Elia tilted her head, puzzled.

Ian closed his eyes, inhaled the smoke from his cigarette, and then shook his head. "No, nothing."

He closed the small window and uncorked the bottle of liquor. A smoke-laden sigh followed.

"I thought I could go a few days without doing the work..."

Ian took a swig from the bottle. Regardless, he had already decided to drink for the rest of the day, enjoying the view of the central region and the herbal scent of his cigarette.

***

Sir Phaden looked up at the sky. It was the same blue sky that always stretched over the Empire. Although there wasn’t a single breeze, the air was pleasantly cool—fall was in full swing. Gauging the position of the sun, Phaden’s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"She’s late..."

Has something gone wrong?

He muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the rooftops and walls of the buildings lining the alley. Eventually, his black eyes settled on the spires rising higher than anything else in the distance. After staring at the heart of the capital for a moment, he lowered his gaze, shaking off his worries as he returned his attention to the dark alley where he stood.

"...."

The capital was filled with numerous buildings and roads, naturally creating several blind spots—places within the city that seemed forgotten. This alley was one such place, a location frequented not only by criminals but also by nobles seeking discreet meetings. The alley was narrow, with one end blocked off, making it easy to barricade simply by pushing a carriage in backward.

"... Hmm."

Like now.

Sir Phaden glanced at the rear of the stationary carriage. In front of it, his squire, Shelby, stood on guard, ready for anything. The only way into the alley now was through the side doors of the surrounding buildings or by crawling out of the sewers. However, neither the doors nor the sewers showed any sign of activity.

Aside from the rats and insects scurrying among the trash piles, Phaden was the only person standing on two legs. As he shifted his armor to mask his growing impatience, a creaking sound broke the silence.

One of the side doors in the distance opened, and two figures in muted cloaks stepped out. From their builds, they both appeared to be women. Phaden felt a mix of relief and concern as they positioned themselves on either side of the door.

Then another figure appeared, wearing a gray hood. This person was taller than the first two, though equally slender. Unlike the others, she walked directly toward Phaden.

"I’m late. My apologies for keeping you waiting, Sir Phaden."

A clear, resonant voice echoed from beneath the hood.

Phaden straightened and bowed his head.

"Not at all. I was just a little concerned, Your Highn—" He stopped mid-sentence as the woman lifted a finger to her lips. Beneath the hood, her thin, long lips curved into a smile.

"We agreed not to use that title outside, didn’t we?"

"... Forgive me, my lady."

"Yes, that sounds much better," she replied, her blue eyes meeting Phaden’s. His brows twitched slightly in surprise.

"Everything is ready, I trust?" she asked, coming to a stop in front of him.

Phaden nodded and spoke cautiously. "I’ve made all the preparations as you requested, but are you sure about this? Leaving the capital at this time—"

"I just met with my father. That’s why I was late."

"...!"

Her words were enough to make Phaden’s breath catch in his throat.

His eyes widened as he stared at her, and she continued. "My father has given me his permission. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, Sir Phaden. But it was necessary."

"You... received permission?"

"Indeed." She smiled again, this time directly at Phaden, who looked even more surprised.

"After all, I’m going to personally bring back the one who’s been causing such a stir in the capital lately. How could he possibly refuse?"