A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Amidst the devastated battlefield, Seraphina, utterly spent, reclined indolently upon Ansel’s lap, seeking repose.

The prodigious feat of rending a dragon asunder while freshly ascended to the fourth stage would undoubtedly soon resound throughout the empire. However, by Seraphina’s own admission, cleaving the great lizard’s skull in twain was no trifling matter.

The culmination of Hydral’s supreme dominion over abyssal beasts, coupled with a state attained by exhausting every droplet of aether within her, enabled Seraphina to violently tear asunder the dragon’s cranium.

While the former’s potency against bestial entities needs no elaboration, the latter… as Seraphina intimated, was a perilous and unwieldy state for her, fraught with the risk of being overwhelmed by tumultuous power if not handled with utmost care.

The confluence of the Beast King’s murderous essence and Hydral’s might—particularly that of Ansel, the most special Hydral—yielded effects both prodigiously potent and fraught with immense latent perils.

Once Seraphina perfects her mastery over this state, contending with fifth-stage entities while still in the fourth stage may indeed become a feasible prospect.

“Of course, it remains but a possibility,” Ansel remarked patiently, his fingers gently caressing Seraphina’s tresses.

“Your combat repertoire remains inadequate. Do not grow reckless merely because you possess such power, understood?”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Ansel, you are now feeling like a grandmother,” Seraphina retorted.

Perched upon Ansel’s shoulder, Ravenna observed Seraphina’s languid demeanor, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Your audacity has grown considerably, stupid dog. Are you aware of the myriad troubles you’ve brought for Ansel with such a grandiose display?”

“Troubles? What troubles?”

Seraphina nuzzled Ansel’s thigh, exhibiting not a shred of contrition. Instead, she declared with unbridled arrogance, “Whosoever dares trouble Ansel shall be dealt with BY MY OWN HAND.”

Miss Scholar’s eye twitched perceptibly. “One might mistake you for having already attained the fifth stage.”

“Fifth stage? Is such necessary? My current strength is enough,” Seraphina replied.

Liberated from her former dependence on Ansel, she had reclaimed the arrogance and bravado he once deemed foolish. Though still reclining on Ansel’s lap, she no longer resembled a docile pup, but a true wolf, untamed and fierce.

Seraphina raised her aching, powerless arm towards the heavens, slowly clenching her fist. Crimson tendrils of murderous intent coiled around her limb, exuding an aura of terrifying menace.

“…”

Ravenna remained silent, sensing the menacing power emanating from Seraphina. The force that devoured murderous aether… if further refined, could it not rival the all-consuming Flamefeast source flame that reduces everything to its primordial state?

“If I were fifth-stage,” the wolf grinned, her smile sharp and dangerous, “the entire empire would dance to Ansel’s and my tune!”

“… As expected of fate’s chosen enforcer,” Ravenna conceded, her words still barbed but acknowledging Seraphina’s raw power. “In this regard, you’re quite competent, stupid dog.”

Seraphina shrugged off the comment. “Power is all that matters. After all, aren’t all those conspiracies and schemes merely a result of being unable to beat one’s enemies outright?”

She exhaled slowly, her weary countenance adopting a stern expression.

“As long as we can make all those bastards understand the price of defying Ansel and me, as long as we can keep them in line… any means are alright against such ilk. Violence is undoubtedly the most effective and direct way.”

However, the imperious look quickly faded from the young girl’s face. She wrapped her arms around Ansel’s neck, grinning mischievously. “I overthought things before, always thinking over this and that… But it’s actually unnecessary. If there’s ever an issue—”

Seraphina flexed her fist, tilting her chin up defiantly.

“We’ll let these do the talking!”

Ravenna, exasperated by Seraphina’s sudden leap in logic to “if I’m invincible, nothing can stand in my way,” turned to Ansel.

“What’s your next move? Have you devised a strategy to address the chaos Seraphina has wrought?”

Ansel, gently caressing Seraphina’s cheek, fell into contemplation. Seraphina’s purpose in coming here was to find the catalyst for breaking through to the fourth stage. Now that she had achieved her goal, there was no need for her to remain in the Western Lands.

Sending Seraphina directly back to Hydral territory would undoubtedly be the optimal choice. It would simplify the handling of this affair and prevent Seraphina from influencing subsequent plans.

However…

Given her current state, she was unlikely to be so compliant.

Ansel gazed into Seraphina’s eyes, and she stared back intently. Suddenly, she broke into a mischievous grin, reaching out to playfully pinch his cheek.

The once docile and obedient Seraphina, who had behaved like an adorable puppy around Ansel, was gradually revealing her more aggressive side.

…Very well, let it be.

Seri was no longer the helpless girl unable to face any challenge. Her current strength, while not yet sufficient to support the absoluteness in her words, had gained considerable weight.

As Ansel prepared to outline his subsequent plans, Seraphina’s eyes suddenly widened, and she abruptly sat up straight.

“Ah! I almost forgot something important!”

She fixed her gaze on Ansel, her dark red eyes brimming with pride and confidence:

“Ansel, Ansel, I did something really impressive yesterday. Do you know what it was?”

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Even those tasked with monitoring Seraphina couldn’t keep watch around the clock, so Ansel was genuinely unaware of what his cute wolf had been up to. Intrigued, he asked, “What did you do?”

“Hehe…”

*

Had it truly concluded?

Marlina, leaning against the window frame, pushed open the pane and gazed upwards at the upper district where the smoke was gradually dissipating.

She had witnessed it—the shadow of that monstrous wolf, towering above the city, rending a colossal dragon asunder.

Marlina felt a sense of disorientation; she had always harbored confidence in Seraphina’s talents and abilities, yet only now did she truly comprehend the terrifying extent of her sister’s power.

This was… the innate gift truly worthy of Mr. Ansel’s investment.

Lowering her gaze slightly, Marlina observed the panic-stricken civilians in the streets below, shaken by the frequent tremors. She exhaled a soft sigh.

Despite having steeled herself mentally, despite repeatedly acknowledging the chasm between herself and Seraphina, when confronted with this overwhelming talent, Marlina couldn’t suppress a surge of envy rising within her heart.

She genuinely coveted this ability to contribute more substantially to Ansel’s cause.

“If only Seri could be more considerate of Mr. Ansel,” Marlina murmured.

“Although she’s become far more thoughtful than before, Mr. Ansel still makes excessive concessions for her sake.”

If Seraphina could wholeheartedly devote herself to Mr. Ansel’s cause, rather than stubbornly clinging to her naive ideals, how much trouble could be spared for Mr. Ansel?

Yet Marlina knew this was an impossibility. If Seraphina were to abandon those beliefs, she would cease to be herself.

The young girl tilted her head, resting it against the wall. She opened her notebook, glancing idly at the entries.

“Moreover, Mr. Ansel could easily manage with just Seri, but if you add…”

The phrase “Mr. Ansel is fundamentally kind and gentle” was followed by a small blacked-out section, obscuring what had been written originally.

“Add to that, Miss Ravenna,” Marlina whispered, “things become… problematic.”

In the absence of Lady Annelisa and Mr. Flamelle, Seri and Miss Ravenna wield the most significant influence over Mr. Ansel. However, the nature of this influence…

By all rights, it wasn’t Marlina’s place to overstep. She lacked the authority to judge whether Seraphina and Ravenna’s influence on Ansel was beneficial or detrimental. Such contemplation could be seen as presumptuous.

Yet Marlina never considered herself presumptuous. This was the deepest, most closely guarded ambition of this eternally gentle and composed young girl, never revealed to another soul.

Leaning by the window, she gazed down at the streets below, muttering to herself while meticulously recording her thoughts in concise language in her notebook.

“Seri’s identity is likely to be exposed. If Mr. Ansel intends to continue operating in the Western lands as Faust, he must distance himself from Seri. The most direct approach would be to send her back to the Hydral domain, which would also prevent her from causing further complications for Mr. Ansel.”

“Mr. Ansel will probably choose this course of action, and as for Seri…”

Marlina’s pen hesitated briefly before continuing, “Seri is deeply dependent on Mr. Ansel. She won’t question the reasoning behind his orders, believing he’s always right. So, even if it may cause her some distress… she’ll likely obey Mr. Ansel’s instructions without protest.”

“However, this means the Garden’s work in covering for Seri will conclude, presenting the final… and best opportunity to extract benefits from… Lady Rhine.”

The young girl gently rubbed her brow with her quill, a gleam of inspiration in her eyes.

“Dispute Fortress is a major city, currently in the crucial period of the selection tournament. Countless witnesses have observed Seri’s power. The Garden cannot possibly manage the aftermath with just two or three people, but I can control the false Milo and Inothea.”

“The price… can be set higher,” Marlina’s mind raced with cold calculations. “The overtures from the Shadewell can also be used to apply pressure, but not excessively. Lady Rhine will remain my nominal superior for the foreseeable future.”

“But if I can use Dispute Fortress as a starting point, leveraging Faust’s influence to radiate outward and weave a new network, even if it can’t rival the Shadewell, I could accomplish so much more for Mr. Ansel.”

In Marlina’s view, Ansel was destined to unify the Empire ultimately.

The Western Land, a realm of chaos, required someone to firmly control the underhanded grey order from the shadows.

That person need not be her, but he must exist.

“No one shall… impede Mr. Ansel’s progress.”

Marlina slowly closed her notebook, a fleeting glint of cold darkness passing through her eyes.

She returned to her desk, locked the notebook in a drawer, and prepared to resume her work after this brief respite.

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