I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

Chapter 85

Luke immediately understood the gravity of Theo's words, his eyes widening. The moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived.

"Hold on, I'll get ready right away."

Luke's demeanor shifted instantly. The news that Benji had regained his mana meant they could potentially trace back to the mastermind behind everything. They might finally uncover the location of the ones orchestrating all these events.

After quickly preparing, Luke stepped out of the mansion with Theo. Before leaving, he scribbled a brief note for Pale, letting him know they were stepping out for a short errand.

As they headed out of the village, Luke suddenly caught sight of a familiar face in the distance.

"Hey, that bastard."

It was none other than Woods. The moment Luke recognized him, a blaze of fury ignited in his eyes. That bastard was the reason he had made such a fool of himself yesterday. If Woods hadn’t ordered such strong drinks, none of it would have happened.

Woods also spotted Luke and slowly came to a halt.

“Hey! Woods!”

Usually, Woods would greet him with something playful like, "Luke, looking gorgeous as always!" But today, he stood stiff and awkward. Luke didn’t care—he was determined to rip every strand of hair off Woods’ head.

“You, you bastard! I’ve got you now! Because of you, I—”

“Luke! I’m sorry about yesterday!”

“...What?”

Luke’s raised hand faltered as Woods abruptly apologized. Up close, Woods looked a little off. His face was bruised in several places, as though he’d been beaten or fallen, and his right arm was in a splint. He even had beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. What on earth happened to him?

“I’ll never mess with you again! I swear I’m quitting drinking too!”

Had Woods eaten something strange this morning? Why was he acting so out of character? Despite his repeated apologies, Woods kept nervously glancing past Luke, clearly directing his apprehension at someone behind him—Theo.

Realizing this, Luke turned around to face Theo, who only shrugged nonchalantly.

“Well, I... I’ll just get going now...”

The moment Woods locked eyes with Theo, he let out a startled gasp, as if he’d seen a ghost, and scurried away.

"You... what did you do to him?"

Luke narrowed his eyes. If Theo had taken care of him yesterday, it was likely he had encountered Woods as well.

“Who, me? What could I have possibly done? I just...”

“Just?”

“Gave him some advice on how to live a better life.”

Advice? A better life? What kind of advice could possibly turn a carefree scoundrel like Woods into that pitiful creature?

“Are you worried about him or something?”

“Are you insane? Of course not.”@@@@

Theo, seeming satisfied with Luke's denial, urged him to keep moving. Luke followed but made a mental note to ask the village chief, Chess, about what really happened later. For now, they continued their journey toward the Calum branch.

"It’s not a big deal... He’s just another person, after all."

"And that’s precisely what’s remarkable about your perspective."

Luke scratched the back of his head, unable to make sense of Kalon’s reasoning. To him, his behavior toward Theo wasn’t particularly noteworthy.

"Well, I enjoy it. It’s entertaining to watch."

"What does that mean?"

"Since you arrived, I’ve seen sides of the commander I never thought I’d witness."

To Kalon, Theo had always been the epitome of a perfect soldier—unyielding, composed, and impeccable. Kalon had even respected him personally back when they both held captain-level ranks. Yet, Kalon had heard a story from a medic who treated Luke after an injury:

"You won’t believe it. He grabbed the commander by the collar and shook him! I thought blood would be spilled right there! But the commander just stood there, like he was used to it."

At first, Kalon hadn’t believed it. But after seeing Theo’s interactions with Luke during interrogations and other moments, he started to think there might be truth to the story. Their dynamic had become an amusing curiosity in an otherwise grueling military life.

After all, it was Luke and Theo—the two who were once infamous rivals, known across both headquarters and regional branches. Watching the pair interact so candidly was nothing short of fascinating.

"Sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about."

Luke eventually gave up trying to understand Kalon’s logic. Kalon didn’t bother explaining further and simply chuckled.

Their conversation didn’t last long before Theo’s stern voice rang out, cutting through the room. He cast an annoyed look at the two of them, clearly unimpressed with their casual chat.

Luke muttered under his breath, complaining about Theo’s sudden bad mood.

***

The interrogation room they entered was as dark as before. Spending too much time in such a place felt like it could drive anyone to madness. Luke followed Theo to the table, suppressing an uneasy feeling.

Seated there was Benji. His demeanor had changed noticeably since the first time they’d met. He looked... oddly at ease.

"How have you been?"

"It’s only been a few days..."

Benji’s timid response earned him a sharp glance from Theo, who pressed his lips tightly together.

"Getting cheeky, aren’t we?"

"I-I’ve been fine. They feed me well here... and they even let me sleep at night."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Benji was still a key suspect in this case. There was no way he was receiving lavish treatment. But his comment about being allowed to sleep hinted at the harsh conditions he had endured before.

"Let’s cut to the chase. Your mana?"

Benji nodded, indicating that it had fully recovered. Kalon, who had been standing nearby, placed a crystal orb on the table—it was Benji’s own.

As the cuffs on Benji’s wrists were temporarily unlocked to facilitate the process, he flexed his fingers nervously.

"Alright... I’ll start."

Benji placed his hand on the orb. Inside, the faint blue hue began to darken, the ink-like black mana spreading slowly, like dye seeping into water.