I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree - Chapter 81

(TL Note: I struggled with these lengthy chapters and wasn’t sure how to handle them. Initially, I wanted to keep them as they were, but after working on some, which are equal to 3–4 normal chapters each, I decided to split them. Don’t worry! Each split chapter will be the same length as a normal chapter, at least 1,000 words per chapter.)

Three hours earlier.

In recent days, the Emperor had summoned the six dukes to Saint Roland City to discuss the escalating activities of orc tribes along the eastern border.

Since it was a summons from the Emperor himself, the dukes, no matter how busy they were, had no choice but to make the trip to the capital.

The orc problem was not to be underestimated. Eighteen years ago, orcs had invaded the Empire, wreaking havoc in what is now the Antica Duchy, pillaging and burning everything in their path. The destruction caused immense suffering to the Empire.

At that time, the Empire had relied on Lucius’ leadership to drive the orcs back to their desert homeland. However, the Empire had lacked the strength to pursue them further.

In the years since, tensions with the orcs had remained high, with small-scale skirmishes along the border claiming lives every year. But recently, the orc tribes’ movements had become increasingly suspicious, with a noticeable rise in border conflicts. This was the reason Lucius had been so concerned about the state of the military.

“So, gentlemen, have you all given the orc issue due consideration?” the Emperor, Odysseus, asked, looking around the room.

“Your Majesty,” Lucius stepped forward. “The areas most affected by the orc incursions are within my Antica territory. For over a decade, the Antica Duchy has served as the Empire’s eastern shield, protecting the rest of the Empire from orc invasions.”

He paused before continuing, “However, this has come at a cost. Antica’s development has been hindered. We can muster soldiers, but we lack the resources to adequately equip them, let alone provide sufficient pay and provisions.”

“I understand,” Odysseus nodded, then turned to the other dukes. “You all remember the devastation caused by the orc invasion eighteen years ago. If not for Duke Lucius driving them out, your lands would have suffered greatly as well.”

“Your Majesty, let’s not mix up these issues,” Duke Giovanni of Napolis interjected. “While Duke Lucius deserves credit for repelling the orcs, he was also rewarded with his title of duke, an unprecedented honor. He’s had over a decade to govern the Antica Duchy, yet he’s unable to resolve these border issues. Doesn’t that point to poor governance on his part?”

Lucius stared at Giovanni without a word.

It was true that Lucius was not skilled in internal affairs, but he had delegated those responsibilities to capable individuals, and the duchy was not poorly managed. However, the Antica Duchy had been rebuilt from the ground up after the war, and its foundations were weaker than those of other regions. Furthermore, significant military expenditures to guard against the orcs had strained its resources.

Everyone in the room was aware of these challenges, but Giovanni conveniently ignored them, focusing solely on Lucius’ shortcomings.

“Alright, alright, we all know the difficulties faced by the Antica Duchy,” Duke William of Prussia, with his kindly demeanor, stepped in to ease the tension.

“We understand the challenges facing Antica. If Antica falters, our territories will be affected as well. We should support them and work together to overcome this crisis,” William proposed. “I suggest we provide Duke Lucius with some military supplies to alleviate his burden.”

“Duke William,” Giovanni spoke again, “I don’t mean to cast doubt on Duke Lucius, but are you certain that providing supplies will effectively counter the orcs?”

“I’m not being pessimistic, but given the current state of the Antica Duchy, I find it hard to believe that our supplies will actually reach the front lines. They might be embezzled before they even get there. Duke William, you wouldn’t be defending Duke Lucius simply because he’s your son-in-law, would you?”

“Duke Giovanni!” Lucius could no longer remain silent. He knew he and Giovanni had clashed in their youth, but he hadn’t expected Giovanni to prioritize their personal grievances over the Empire’s safety. “If you doubt my integrity, I’m willing to stake my honor on ensuring that every shipment of supplies sent to the Antica Duchy will be used to repel the orcs.”

“No need for that, Duke Lucius. I was merely making an observation,” Giovanni said, feigning innocence. Then, with a mocking tone, he added, “Speaking of honor, Duke Lucius, I heard your son Litte was recently detained for harassing a female classmate?”

“That’s just a rumor!” Lucius snapped.

“Of course, I believe it’s just a rumor. But, as they say, flies don’t swarm around uncracked eggs,” Giovanni said with a sly smirk.

At that moment, Odysseus rapped the table to signal for silence, his gaze sharp.

“We are here to discuss matters of national importance, not to gossip about anyone’s children,” Odysseus said, looking down at the assembly. “Let’s proceed to a vote. Those in favor of supporting the Antica Duchy, raise your hands.”

Odysseus raised his hand first.

Lucius, William, and Duke François of Orléans followed suit.

With four votes already in favor, Duke Leon of Aragon and Duke Ivan of Lucia also raised their hands.

Finally, all eyes turned to Giovanni.

“What are you all looking at me for?” Giovanni shrugged, then raised his hand as well. “If this is the consensus, I’ll go along with it.”

“Good. Let’s take a short break before reconvening to discuss the specifics of each territory’s contributions.”

—

Half an hour later, the dukes returned to the conference hall to negotiate the allocation of supplies. The discussions were intense, with constant bargaining. It took an hour and a half to reach an agreement.

In the end, the royal domain and the Prussia Duchy bore the largest share of the costs, while the Napolis Duchy contributed the least.

After the meeting, as per tradition, the group was scheduled to attend a banquet.

As Odysseus led the dukes out of the conference hall toward the banquet, a man ran up from the street.

Fearing an assassin, the guards swiftly subdued the man, but he shouted Giovanni’s name repeatedly.

“Let me go! I need to see Duke Giovanni!” Odysseus, intrigued, ordered the soldiers to release the man and motioned for Giovanni to step forward.

“Is he one of yours? He seems rather unruly.”

“…” Giovanni hesitated. He didn’t recognize the man, but since the stranger knew his name and was in the capital, he assumed he must be one of his son’s subordinates.

With that in mind, Giovanni addressed the man, “What’s your name, and why are you here?”

Upon seeing Giovanni, the man acted as if he had found his savior. Ignoring the presence of others, he cried out loudly, “Duke Giovanni, please save Young Master Donny!”

“Donny has been detained by the Student Council!”

Hearing this, Giovanni slapped the man hard, knocking him to the ground.

“Insolent fool! Do you know the consequences of lying in the presence of the Emperor?!”

Giovanni’s reaction wasn’t because the man’s words were false but because he had foolishly aired the matter in front of everyone, including the Emperor.

If only Giovanni had been informed privately, he could have pressured the academy. But now that Odysseus had heard, the situation had spiraled out of control.

Sure enough, Odysseus approached.

“Duke Giovanni, what’s this about? Why has your son been detained by the Student Council?”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I was unaware of this matter.”

The man on the ground, however, seemed to see Odysseus as his savior. He cried out again, “Your Majesty, there’s a trial tonight! Young Master Donny is innocent—please intervene on his behalf!”

Giovanni shot the man a vicious glare, silently vowing to punish him later. Despite the slap earlier, the fool had dragged the Emperor into this mess.

“Oh, and Your Majesty, Princess Elsa is also a member of the Student Council. She’ll be attending the trial as an observer.”

Hearing this, Odysseus turned to the dukes.

“It seems we need to alter our plans, gentlemen.”

The other dukes nodded in agreement. Aside from Lucius, both Leon and William had children at the Imperial Academy. Even if another vote were held, the Emperor and the three dukes already had the majority.

After the group departed, the messenger smirked and slipped into an alley.

“Well?” Virgil, leaning against a wall, asked the messenger.

“The Emperor has agreed to attend the academy.”

“Good.” Virgil nodded, tossing a pouch of gold coins to the man. “Take this money and move to a small town near the border. If you stay here, the people from Napolis will hunt you down.”

But the messenger shook his head. “I don’t want the money, Mr. Virgil.”

“Oh?” Virgil’s smile turned dangerous. “Then what do you want?”

“I want to work for you, sir. Let me serve you from now on,” the messenger said, attempting to return the coins.

Virgil was taken aback by the unexpected response but shook his head. “This line of work is dangerous. One mistake, and you’ll end up dead.”

With that, he stepped out of the alley.

The messenger lowered his head, visibly disappointed.

“But if you’ve truly made up your mind and are prepared for the risks, come back here tomorrow. I’ll give you a chance.”

With those parting words, Virgil vanished into the night, leaving the messenger with renewed determination.

Virgil, however, had another task to complete—escorting Tyril back to the academy.