I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist - Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Seeing Minerva Again

“Um… it’s her, Lord King,” Fina said, her voice tinged with shyness.

“No words can express the depth of my gratitude, Miss Fina,” King replied warmly. He gently took Fina’s hand, brushing his lips against it in a courtly gesture.

Fina’s breath hitched at the unexpected touch, her cheeks igniting in a vivid blush. She shivered, overwhelmed by the moment.

“May the Heavens grant us an opportunity to meet again one day,” King said with a soft smile.

“Y–Yes!” Fina stuttered before darting away in embarrassment.

Reynold stood frozen, dumbfounded, his expression mirroring that of the others. It was a scene none of them could grow accustomed to, no matter how often it happened.

Unbothered by their reactions, King turned his attention to the task at hand. He strode toward the door and knocked.

“Enter,” a man’s voice called from within.

King pushed the door open and stepped inside, the others trailing after him.

The room’s occupant, an elderly man with a furrowed brow, sat hunched over a stack of documents. As the group entered, he looked up, his eyes assessing them.

“Who do I have the honor of addressing?” he asked.

“Hunters,” Saya answered swiftly, cutting off King before he could speak. She was clearly worried he might say something that would complicate matters. “We’re here to apprehend Davon Crook.”

The mayor’s lips curled into a wry smile. “Oh? At last, some Hunters with the courage to pursue that wretch?”

“You’ve been waiting long?” Reynold asked.

“A week,” the mayor replied with a weary sigh. “Which feels like an eternity, considering the reward I’ve offered. I suspect most Hunters are hesitant—understandable, given that none of the previous ones have returned.”

“Well, we’re not like the others, Mr. Mayor. We don’t scare easily,” King said, taking a seat without waiting any answer.

The mayor studied King for a moment before nodding. “It seems you aren’t. So, how can I assist you?”

“Are you certain Davon Crook is still in the vicinity?” Saya asked first.

It would be stupid after all for any criminals to stay around after he comitted a crime, a long week on top of that.

“I have every reason to believe he is,” the mayor said. “Local hunters in the nearby forest have reported seeing unfamiliar men behaving oddly—men they’ve never encountered before. I suspect they’re Davon’s.”

“He seems remarkably self-assured to linger here, despite knowing his location has been reported to the Guilds,” Lua said thoughtfully, stroking her chin.

“As confident as anyone would be when they’ve seen no capable Hunters to challenge them,” the mayor grumbled.

“Now, now, Mr. Mayor, no need to be so grumpy,” King said with an easy smile. “Reynold Lightbringer and I are here to solve your problem. Just point us to where the disturbances have been heard recently. We’ve got a few leads, but a more precise location would save us days of work.”

The mayor nodded, pulling out a map. He began marking specific areas with strokes.

“Why am I called Lightbringer again?” Reynold asked, puzzled. His question, however, wasn’t answered.

“At least he knows how to talk when it matters,” Mona muttered, noting King’s uncharacteristic restraint. He wasn’t picking fights or indulging in his usual antics for once.

“That’s only because there aren’t any women around,” Saya said dryly.

It was true that King often behaved differently in the presence of women, but as a former expert assassin, he had dealt with far more stronger and serious clients in his past. A simple mayor was hardly a challenge for him. Despite his frivolous exterior, King was a professional when duty called.

“Thanks a lot,” King said, taking the map and carefully folding it. “We’ll take care of this nuisance soon enough, so don’t worry. Just make sure the promised reward is ready, Mayor.”

“I hope you won’t meet your end in the process…” the mayor said, a hint of concern in his voice.

“As long as we’ve got Reynold here, we won’t,” King replied with a playful grin, clapping Reynold on the back. Without another word, he turned and exited, the others following close behind.

Reynold, caught off guard by the remark, managed an awkward smile before trailing after them.

“By the way, how much is the reward for this job?” Saya asked as they stepped out of the mayor’s office. While they had agreed to the quest knowing it would offer a substantial payout, curiosity still lingered.

“Ten gold coins,” King answered.

“T-T-Ten?!” Reynold stuttered, his voice rising in shock.

The rest of the group stopped in their tracks, equally stunned.

“What did you expect? It’s a C-Rank quest,” King said, raising an eyebrow at their reaction.

To King, such a mount held little value—he could barely comprehend how commoners viewed it. But ten gold coins were no small sum. In this world, it was equivalent to roughly a thousand euros, an impressive reward by any standard.

“Which means two gold coins for each of us,” Lua calculated with a grin.

“This is incredible… we might even be able to restore the old well in the village!” Reynold said excited.

“You might as well buy a new one,” King said, cutting through their enthusiasm. “But before you start daydreaming, we’ve got a job to finish. Davon is dangerous, so stay focused,” he added, his tone unusually serious.

Truthfully, King held high hopes for Reynold and his team. They showed promise, and it would be a shame if their potential was cut short here.

“Y–Yes! Count on us!” Reynold replied.

“Good,” King said with a nod. “Let’s grab a mana car. It should only take about ten minutes to arrange.”

“You’re paying for it?” Saya asked, raising a eyebrow.

“I will. Don’t worry,” King replied with a smile. “You can enjoy your little foursome in the backseat while I handle things.”

“F-Foursome?” Reynold stuttered, in confusion.

When he glanced at the three girls for clarification, their faces turned a deep shade of crimson, their expressions frozen in embarrassment.

…

…

Fortunately, securing a mana car wasn’t difficult. Despite its modest size, the village wasn’t entirely off the beaten path. Mana cars still passed through occasionally, and with enough coins, the group quickly negotiated a ride to the Drales Forest.

Feeling cramped inside the vehicle, King chose to stretch out on the car’s roof, much to the driver’s dismay. However, despite the bouncing and shifting of the ride, King remained firmly planted, as if glued in place. His unusual perch caused a stir, but his confidence reassured the driver, who eventually gave up protesting.

The journey continued uneventfully until the car jolted to an abrupt stop.

King’s azure eyes flicked open, his gaze sharpening suddenly. His surprise quickly turned to amusement, and a faint smile played on his lips. Rising fluidly, he sat up and fixed his eyes on the figures blocking their path.

Minerva Rosenwald stood at the center of the road, flanked by her sister and a cadre of guards. Their presence was impossible to miss, not least because of the two sleek, state-of-the-art mana cars parked behind them—clearly the latest models from the finest manufacturers.

With his signature grin, King leapt gracefully from the roof and strode toward them.

Minerva knelt on the ground, speaking softly to a little girl who couldn’t have been older than eight. The child’s fragile frame was clad in thin, tattered white clothing, her skin marred with bruises and streaked with mud, as though she had fallen repeatedly. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, her tiny shoulders shaking.

Minerva was speaking with a soft voice comforting the girl. She wrapped the child in a tender embrace, patting her back with motherly care.

Nearby, Diana stood stiffly, her expression quite dark. Whatever had happened to the girl had clearly upset her deeply. Meanwhile, Minerva’s guards moved, their focus split between their phones as they attempted to contact someone.

“It’s good to see you again, Minerva, but may I ask what’s going on here?” King asked as he approached.

Minerva glanced up from the child in surprise. The girl clung to her, burying her face in Minerva’s shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” Diana asked suspiciously.

“Please, relax,” King replied, holding up a hand in a gesture of reassurance. “We’re Hunters from the Ocryphia Guild, sent to eliminate a certain man.”

“Would that man happen to be Davon Crook?” Minerva asked as she rose to her feet, still cradling the trembling girl in her arms.

The child flinched violently at the mention of the name.

King’s mind worked, piecing together the likely scenario, but he needed confirmation. “This girl… she escaped from them? She told you what happened? And Davon Crook is involved—is that correct?”

Minerva nodded, her expression hardening as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped the girl’s tear-streaked face. “She only mentioned someone called ‘Crook,’ but given the area and his reputation, it wasn’t difficult to determine the culprit.”

That much was undeniable.

Her guards continued their frantic efforts, their tense movements suggesting they were either gathering information or calling for reinforcements.

King’s gaze narrowed slightly. Reinforcements could complicate things. More people would mean more attention, and where there was attention, there would undoubtedly be media involvement. If the media showed up, they’d demand Davon Crook’s body.

But King needed that body for Gorn.

“You can rest easy, Miss Minerva,” King said. A faint smile on his lips. “We’re here to handle this.”