Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Velmuth
As the imperial army hunted down the male members of the Hindonpon royal family, the first thing Neonidas did was set a date for the ceremony where all the lords of the kingdom, whether great or small, would swear fealty to emperor.

Neonidas then officially declared the two princesses of the Hindonpon kingdom as his concubines and took the former queen as his slave. This could easily be seen as a highly disrespectful move.

In conquests like this, princesses and other high nobles were usually gifted to the king—or, in Neonidas’s case, the emperor. But Neonidas didn’t do that. The reason he took these two princesses as concubines was that he didn’t want Emperor Gredor, his future enemy, to gain more power.

With these two new concubines, Neonidas could lay claim to the Hindonpon throne, but even if he didn’t, his son would naturally become the ruler of the Hindonpon kingdom—or, in the future, the duchy of Hindonpon.

As for the queen, she wasn’t a particularly valuable political asset. Her family governed a viscounty, but they weren’t overly powerful. Neonidas’s reason for making her his slave lay partly in being impressed by her intelligence and partly in not wanting to sell her as a slave.

Shortly after capturing the capital, Neonidas ordered the reactivation of the teleportation portal there and its connection to the empire. This allowed him to send Zalira back and then summon the two little girls he had taken in months earlier.

There was always a significant reason behind him taking in these two little girls—specifically, their father. And that man was now likely the leader of the capital’s underworld.

While Neonidas was putting things in order at the royal palace, Hindonpon’s aristocracy and populace were trying to adapt to the new regime. Familiar scenes unfolded in the conquered kingdom; the lords loyal to the old regime had to choose between kneeling or dying. But Neonidas’s approach differed from that of other conquerors. He wasn’t just showcasing his strength—he was making strategic moves to secure his throne for the future.

Reactivating the capital’s teleportation portal wasn’t just a logistical convenience; it was also a symbol of Neonidas’s efficiency in governance.

After sending Zalira away, Neonidas met with the two little girls. The older one, Cirenna, and the younger, Erylia, ran to him immediately and hugged him. It seemed both girls now viewed Neonidas as their father.

Neonidas knew the warm embrace of Cirenna and Erylia would last only briefly. Power was the greatest capital a ruler could possess, and those who succumbed to sentimentality were doomed to lose it. Still, having the two girls see him as their father was part of his plan, and he knew he would soon reap the benefits.

—

A few days later —

As the imperial army quickly seized control of the capital, the local populace, initially terrified, soon realized their fears wouldn’t come to pass. Aside from a few minor skirmishes, the imperial soldiers showed no aggression. Though the locals initially boarded up their windows and doors with wooden planks and furniture, they soon understood that the imperial soldiers refrained from sexual assaults or theft.

In no time, the capital regained its former vibrancy. Since Neonidas himself had ordered the soldiers to treat the populace kindly, the imperial troops—though relatively rough—were more peaceful than one would expect in a typical occupation.

Around this time, a giant of a man roamed the streets, helping the locals, especially the child and elderly. The people of Hindonpon had a slightly darker complexion, but this massive man stood out with his pale skin. Clearly, he was from the empire or one of the northern kingdoms.

Yet, the capital’s inhabitants held him in great respect, and the elders smiled at him whenever they saw him. This man was actually the leader of the largest crime organization in the entire country, including the capital of Hindonpon.

Standing nearly 250 cm (8.2 ft) tall, his stylish hat shielded his bald head from the sun and gave him a cooler appearance. His most striking feature was his thick, black handlebar mustache.

This man’s name was Velmuth. In the original novel, he was the strongest and most resilient character. In short, he could best be described as a tank character.

As Velmuth made his way through the alleys, a young man appeared before him. With blond hair and blue eyes, it was clear he wasn’t from around here. Naturally, this young man was none other than Neonidas. However, Velmuth didn’t recognize the person standing before him. Neonidas had rarely shown his face to the public, and many blond-haired, blue-eyed men roamed the empire.

So Velmuth merely grunted, changed his path, and continued down another street. But when he entered a different alley, he found the same man standing there, wearing the same smile. His hand clenched into a fist instinctively.

“What do you want?”

Neonidas kept smiling, his gaze fixed on Velmuth’s eyes. The calm and confident expression on his face caused the giant’s muscles to tense involuntarily. Velmuth was someone who trusted his instincts, and he quickly realized the young man before him was no ordinary person.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Neonidas strolled forward.

“I’m here for a friendly chat.”

Velmuth’s thick eyebrows knitted together. A few people nearby quickly withdrew, as if an invisible wave of tension had spread through the air. Normally, when someone approached him, it was either out of great courage or sheer foolishness. But there was neither fear nor ignorant bravado in Neonidas’s eyes—only calculated composure.

“Those who want to talk to me are usually either in debt or thirsty for death. Which one are you?” Velmuth asked, crossing his arms.

Neonidas chuckled softly. “I have no debts. And what I thirst for is not death, but power.”

“What do you want from me?”

Neonidas noted how Velmuth’s massive hands had balled into fists. It was clear he was irritated, but he hadn’t lost his patience yet. The key to winning over a powerful man was to negotiate with him. Taking a few steps closer, Neonidas fixed his gaze on Velmuth’s thick handlebar mustache, which framed his expressionless lips.

“I want to make a deal with you.”

“Interesting. I was just on my way to visit a man who failed to uphold a deal. If you want, you can come with me. That way, you’ll see firsthand what happens to those who don’t honor their agreements.”

Even as he felt Velmuth’s menacing gaze, Neonidas maintained his composure and stepped forward. He knew that a man who had spent years gaining power in the underworld wouldn’t trust easily. But every great power had a weak spot. And if there was one thing Neonidas excelled at, it was reading people’s weak spot.

“I’d be happy to assist you.”

Velmuth tilted his head slightly at Neonidas’s response. He let out a deep sigh before continuing down the street with heavy steps. Without hesitation, Neonidas followed behind the giant man. The streets grew narrower, the shadows stretched longer. As they distanced themselves from the city’s lively center, the number of people around them dwindled.

At one point, Velmuth suddenly stopped. Without turning around, he spoke in a low, threatening voice.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he said. “If you do anything to ruin my plans, I’ll tear you apart with my own two hands.”

Neonidas smirked. “A fair warning.”

Velmuth didn’t respond. He simply kept walking. Before long, they arrived at a large building in the city’s backstreets—one that looked abandoned from the outside. Velmuth shoved the door open with a powerful push, revealing a dimly lit interior where flickering lights cast long shadows.

As Neonidas and Velmuth stepped into the spacious room, all eyes inside turned to them. Four men sat around a table. Three of them looked like common street thugs, but the fourth—the man seated in the center, with deep wrinkles and a pipe in his hand—was different.

Neonidas stepped forward, approaching the seated man. Velmuth, curious about what Neonidas was planning, watched in silence.

Neonidas’s gaze locked onto the man smoking the pipe. The room was steeped in silence, broken only by the thin wisps of smoke curling through the air from the pipe’s embers. Tilting his head slightly, Neonidas gave a small, knowing smile.

“You remember your business partner, Velmuth, don’t you?”

The man pulled the pipe from his lips and exhaled a slow breath. Narrowing his eyes, he studied Neonidas. He was trying to figure out what this young man—whom Velmuth had brought—was after. The other men standing around the table shifted uneasily. The tension in the air was like the eerie stillness before a storm.

Neonidas could feel the growing pressure, but he carried on with a casual ease, as if he were completely unbothered. “I heard you owe Velmuth a debt.” His gaze flickered to the man’s wrinkled hands gripping the pipe. “And from what I understand, you’ve been rather lax about repaying it.”

The pipe smoker paused for a moment, then let out a laugh. The amused, mocking tone in his voice filled the room.

“My debt? Ah, young man, in Velmuth’s world, debt is only a burden for the strong. The weak… well, over time, they are simply forgotten.”

A shadow of a smile spread across Velmuth’s face. He slowly rolled up his sleeves, placing his massive fists on the table with a dull thud.

“Do you know what happens to those who forget their debts, old friend?” His voice carried a dangerous edge.

The pipe smoker hesitated for just a fraction of a second. But Neonidas caught it.

Fear—no matter how well hidden—had flashed in the man’s eyes.

“Where’s the money, old ass?”