I’m the Main Villain but the Heroines Are Obsessed With Me

35 – 16. The Empire Unleashed Venom in the Valley

Tap, tap, tap!

The sound of fingers hitting the desk echoed quietly.

A woman with thick gray hair glared at the man standing nervously.

“So, Ian Volkanov is preparing for a combat competition on the Day of Renewal?”

“Yes, that’s right, Master Jane. It’s information we’ve confirmed through cross-verification, so it should be reliable.”

“A combat competition… that boy is quite remarkable. Trying every possible means to gain recognition.”

Jane, who was thinking about Ian’s new plan, chuckled.

Certainly, Ian Volkanov was a capable person. In this barren land, he brought an unexpected source of income like a potato.

That point is commendable. How could they ignore the achievements that he accomplished in a short period that others couldn’t achieve so far?

However, as those who supported Ariel, they couldn’t welcome Ian’s success.

When Jane’s expression wrinkled, an elderly god raised his voice.

“Look here, Master Jane. Are you just going to watch quietly? We need to do something as soon as possible. If that Ian guy ends up devouring the family.”

“Shut up. Can’t you see what I’m doing now?”

“Oh. I didn’t mean that….”

“Sigh….”

Thud!

Jane, who leaped up from her seat, grabbed the god by the neck. Faced with the full flesh of her eyes, the god involuntarily bowed deeply.

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“Do you think I wouldn’t know what you’re thinking? You’re worried that the plan to make money by raising a little brat with a flower garden for a head will be ruined because of Ian, aren’t you?”

“Well, that’s true, but….”

“Then stop babbling and trust and wait. Don’t mess up the work by talking nonsense.”

“I, I was wrong…. Please don’t worry, and just… I was just concerned….”

“Simply do as I ask, quietly. If you do that, it will all be resolved on its own.”

“Cough… Cough.”

As the tightly clenched fist relaxed, the old man, finally able to breathe, exhaled.

His expensive shirt was wrinkled, but he paid no attention to such things. The situation called for reassurance that Lady Xinjiang’s anger had subsided.

Lady Xinjiang’s power, backed by a close relationship with the host, was incomparable, and it was not a position to be challenged lightly.

Furthermore, Lady Xinjiang was a formidable figure, capable of expelling an opponent with just her breath. There was no advantage in challenging her.

Carefully assessing the atmosphere, the old man asked, “So, what should I do? Should I just stand by like this?”

“You can’t just stand by. If you do that, you’ll only end up aiding that scoundrel.”

“In that case… how about creating a document condemning Ian’s actions? Show it to the nobles who gather on the Day of Divine Judgment, revealing all the misdeeds he has committed so far.”

“Haah. Are you trying to siphon money from the family, or do you want to ruin this place entirely?”

Jane pressed her forehead, looking at the nonsense he was spouting.

She knew he was foolish, but she hadn’t realized the extent.

“If you do that, it will not only bury Ian but also destroy the family itself. Do you understand what that means? Are you saying these things without understanding that you’ll be on the streets in an instant?”

“Well, then… what should I do?”

“Listen carefully. Assist Ian as much as possible in his actions. Actively promote the grand event for the Empire’s nobles on the Day of Divine Judgment. If there’s something significant happening on that day, tell them about it.”

“What… isn’t that helping him?”

“You’re being foolish. If your head isn’t just for decoration, think about it… Do you think Ian can turn his plans into reality in time?”

“You mean, are you counting on there not being enough time?”

In response to the old man’s question, Jane nodded.

According to the intelligence they had gathered, Ian was preparing a combat competition.

Certainly, it was a promising business idea. It would be an exciting item for nobles seeking entertainment.

However, Jane didn’t think it could succeed. There was one simple reason: time was critically short.

“As you know, there’s only about a week left until the Day of Divine Judgment. Can he prepare a combat competition within that time?”

What would be needed for a combat competition? At the very least, they would need an arena to accommodate participants, and they would have to create new rules.

Could it really be done within such a short time frame?

“Absolutely not, he’ll spend a lot of time just formulating the rules… of course, there’s the shoddy management aspect to consider as well.”

If Callos Empire had established diplomatic ties with Edenria, all businesses related to colosseums had closed long ago.

Naturally, equipment like armor used for combat in places like the colosseum had also disappeared.

In other words, everything had to be prepared from scratch. Could it all be completed in just a week?

“It’s impossible. He’ll spend a considerable amount of time just formulating the rules… and of course, the shoddy management aspect as well.”

Jane was aiming for exactly that.

If Ian’s ambitiously prepared event, which many people were looking forward to, turned into a mess, what would happen?

In my opinion, Ian’s evaluation would fall flat.

“No need to move too fast, just explode at the right moment.”

Ian’s actions so far had already been organized by himself a long time ago.

If they let it all out at the moment of disgrace, they could fall even further.

Of course, that possibility would not exist. Even if the fighting competition was successful, it would not be a problem.

After all, they had worked hard so Ian couldn’t say anything. They just needed to prepare to force Ian out in a different way.

“If you want, let’s raise the stakes. My lord.”

Looking through the gap in the window, Jane caressed her face, basking in the bright sunlight.

***

She always had that thought.

“Is it really better to live while following traditions and customs?”

Of course, there are good points to it. Traditions are habits passed down by ancestors that contain their wisdom, right?

If it is an unnecessary method, there is no reason to pass it down for a long time.

“Yes, of course it’s a good habit, as it has been passed down. But what I mean is, isn’t it right to keep traditions in line with the times?”

Ian looked at the stream flowing through the mountains before his eyes.

Despite the freezing weather, the stream steadily flowed without freezing. It was the famous valley, “Tears of God,” that couldn’t be missed in the Balkanov domain.

Even on the huge mountain range, the water never froze no matter how cold it was.

“Because the water in the valley is filled with mana flowing from the earth.”

Ian recalled the time when he played Heroic Academia.

While managing the domain, due to the gloomy economy, he had to use brokers to make money by tricking people into thinking that drinking the water from Tears of God’s valley would enhance their vigor.

Of course, he later got caught and suffered quite a hardship… Anyway, that wasn’t important now.

What was important was that this valley water became a weapon to crush the barbarians.

What is Tears of God to the people of the domain? Ian thought about that.

“There is a saying that Tears of God must never be polluted because it is so important.”

A valley that never freezes even in extreme climates? Wouldn’t anyone think that something was off?

That’s why people from Balkanov considered it a great sin to pollute this valley since ancient times.

In fact, there are records of hunters who were executed just because they drank the water from this place when they were thirsty.

Perhaps because of that, even now, after a long time has passed, people never attempted to pollute this valley.

‘Yeah, I don’t really care about preserving that tradition. Whether the spring water is good for you or not, it’s not a big deal. But the problem is that the enemy is using it.’

The residents of Volkanov’s domain never pollute this valley. That fact was well known. It had even reached the ears of the savages hiding beyond the mountains. They used this spring water as their drinking water.

The situation where the worst of enemies are using this valley as their water source. In that case, what should the lord of the domain do to protect it?

‘Of course, we should block the valley or contaminate it to confuse the enemy, right?’

But no one had ever thought of such a thing. Why? Were the ancestors foolish? No. It was simply because of the tradition that had been passed down for a long time.

‘Preserving it means not polluting it? Come on.’

Tradition was considered a sacred promise between ancestors and descendants, and touching the tears of the gods was extremely feared.

Ian couldn’t stand to see that.

‘Tradition is nonsense. We’ve ruined our family in the name of tradition.’

People should know their limits. Is it reasonable to provide the enemy with drinking water just to uphold a trivial tradition?

From Ian’s perspective, it was unthinkable to show mercy to those who spread false terror and didn’t even seek retribution.

That was why.

“Ugh…huff. It’s really high. Much higher than the mountains I used to climb in Vichen!”

The reason for carrying those massive loads up the mountain.

To ensure a perfect ceremony, the savages had to be put to sleep. And as a means to that end, Ian had decided to use this valley.

When Igor reached the valley, he dropped the bag he had been carrying.

Thud!

Igor, who had just put down the hefty bag that weighed up to 20kg, opened his eyes.

“Hey, Ian! What on earth did you pack in there?”

“What did I pack? I packed something good.”

“Don’t lie! While we were climbing up here, I checked the contents of the bag secretly when you weren’t looking. But the only thing inside was this!”

Igor reached into the bag nervously and picked up a stone.

“Ugh…”

A stone so filthy that even touching it made him shudder. He couldn’t understand why he was asked to carry a stone like this, covered in thick mold.

“I won’t let it go unless there’s a good reason!”

“Argh, Igor. It’s not useless at all, I promise.”

“Then tell me. Why did you make me carry this kind of rock?”

“That’s not just an ordinary rock. It’s called ‘decay stone.'”

“Decay stone?”

Startled by Ian’s words, Igor quickly threw the decay stone onto the ground.

In his concern that his hand might be flawed, Ian couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t worry too much. Just holding it for a short time won’t cause any harm, unlike gripping it tightly for several hours.”

“Ugh. Anyway, why did you bring such a disgusting thing?”

“Why did I bring it? Because I plan to corrupt this stream’s water from now on.”

“Corrupt it?”

Watching Igor’s surprised expression, Ian nodded in response.

If he laid decayed stones at the beginning of the valley, it wouldn’t be long before the stream water got polluted.

The contaminated water would flow downstream, and the savage tribes, unaware of anything, would drink the polluted water without suspicion.

Listening to Ian’s plan, Igor, who had been silent, furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Isn’t it easier to just put animal carcasses in there? Was there a reason to buy decayed stones in the first place?”

“Using carcasses would certainly save money, but the savages would notice it right away.”

The key difference between using carcasses and decayed stones was how quickly they caused corruption.

To dirty the water using carcasses, it would take time, and the water would become visibly dirty. Furthermore, it wouldn’t rot easily due to the harsh weather.

However, decayed stones were different. They could corrupt the water quickly without any noticeable change, albeit at a cost.

Given that the goal was to discreetly undermine the savages, there was no choice but to select a method that wouldn’t provoke them.

If they were to induce decay using carcasses, the Imperial forces might suspect foul play and attack, accusing them of contaminating the stream water.

“That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

It had to be subtle. Ian needed to outmaneuver their enemies in the most ruthless way possible.

Splat!

The bag full of decayed stones fell into the stream water.

Soon, the stream water would be polluted, and the savages would have to deal with diseases.

During that time, Ian could focus on preparing the Day of the New Moon ceremony.

“Academy has canceled all classes for a week due to the release of Rilis Gun.”

Although time was tight, it was not impossible.

Ian smiled with a cunning expression as he watched the flowing stream water.

***

Before he knew it, a week had passed quickly.

Reflecting on the hectic schedule he had been through, Ian let out a bitter laugh.

“I’ve been through a lot.”

It all began with selecting participants for the main event and writing down the rules for the original martial arts competition he remembered.

Is it possible to accomplish the schedule that seems almost impossible in just one week, from setting up the stadium to preparing for the guests?

Of course, it was not a task that could be done by one person alone. Fortunately, Ian had good helpers around him.

“Oliver, Eri, Igor, Lya, as well as a tremendous amount of help.”

Oliver gathered the staff responsible for selling potatoes and prepared food and drinks.

Eri managed her accompanying spirits as if she were crazy, while Lya used skilled craftsmen from the Husted family to work on equipment production.

“Igor, who had to take on the role of judge, had to memorize the rules of the games.”

And that wasn’t even the end of it.

“Ian… my hand hurts…”

Neltalion was there, too, helping Ian copy the rules from the paper and implement them, painstakingly writing down every word.

Ian didn’t forget Neltalion’s efforts, and he knew just how noble their efforts were, so they had to make this event even more successful.

That moment had come.

Creak, creak!

In the distance, a carriage with the imperial emblem began to approach.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of Ian, and as the door opened, a man began to step out cautiously.

Ian’s eyes widened as he saw the figure.

“Why is he here…?”

Certainly, it had been announced that the Empress would come as scheduled, but the man before Ian was not the Empress.

When Ian saw the man of the same age with white hair and a golden ring, his eyes widened.

“Instead of the Empress, is it Bedon Arcana…?”

Bedon Arcana, the second prince of the Empire, known as the fighting enthusiast, smiled at Ian.

“Are you Ian Volkanoth? I’ve heard a lot about you. Today, there’s a special event on the Day of Faith, so I came in place of my Empress.”