Chapter 816

I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

The desperate whispers died, instantly cut clean. Eli coughed as the grip around his throat loosened.

"As you said, we’d be losing manpower as well," Ian added calmly.

Thesaya turned, her lips parting slightly. "Perhaps there is another way for them to atone."

Her tone was as cold as her expression, with veins faintly pulsing around her eyes.

It was clear she thought Ian had stepped in too soon. She had every intention of taking at least a few limbs or ears.

"If I propose a suitable alternative, will you accept it?"

Ian didn’t back down. "Of course, after they swear they will not repeat this mistake and that they will obey my proposal."

Thesaya’s eyes, still shimmering with magic, narrowed slightly.

Eli broke in, his voice ragged. "I—I swear! I swear!"

"We’ll obey!"

The other kneeling wardens quickly followed.

Right then, Diana dropped to one knee beside Ian. "I swear, Agent of the Saint!"

Her sharp gaze swept over the wardens behind her. A few of them flinched before collapsing to one knee as well.

"I swear!"

"Please accept the proposal, Elder!"

Their voices overlapped in a chaotic murmur.

And yet, even now, they remained hushed, almost whispering. Whether it was a fairy custom or a reluctance to be heard begging, it was impossible to tell.

A silent outcry, huh?

Ian suppressed a chuckle.

Thesaya released Eli, letting him drop to the ground. Even as he coughed, Eli forced himself onto one knee.

"Very well, Agent of the Saint. Let’s hear it."

Silence descended upon the area once more.

Ian nodded. "The crime of insulting us and endangering the alliance should be repaid not with blood, but with equal measures of respect and service."

He slowly looked over the kneeling wardens.

"So I suggest pairing them with the beastfolk. Having them live and operate together, sharing duties such as camp management and general labor. In other words, bound as a shared fate." Ian finished, glancing at Thesaya.

A moment later, her lips curled upward.

Behind the wardens’ masks, sharp intakes of breath spread. Some even raised their heads in disbelief, staring at Ian.

"What?" Diana was among them, blinking in disbelief.

Thesaya, who had been watching Ian alone, finally nodded. "I see. Agent of the Saint, you truly have a talent for offering unexpected solutions."

"In the end, all of this stems from the deep-rooted resentment and misunderstandings between the two races."

A faint smile formed on Ian’s lips.

"If you accept this, it could become the starting point for uprooting that long-standing conflict."

"If you put it that way…" Nodding slowly, Thesaya turned her gaze toward the stunned scouts. "Then the Erenos house should take part as well."

"Lady!"

The scouts’ eyes shot open as if struck by lightning. A few even groaned involuntarily. Even Phoebe, her attendant, stood there with her mouth slightly open.

Without taking her eyes off them, Thesaya continued, "We’re the ones who formed the alliance with the beastfolk. It wouldn’t do for us to sit out a decision that could truly mend centuries of conflict in the South, would it?"

The scouts stared at her, speechless—then one by one, they squeezed their eyes shut. Experience had taught them there was no changing her mind.

Suppressing a chuckle, Ian nodded. "A noble decision. Since the beastfolk far outnumber them, this should also ease the wardens’ burden."

That was enough for the wardens, still gasping in shock, to turn their heads toward the scouts. The scouts, in turn, began frowning back at them.

"And it’s a fitting price for the wardens’ misconduct as well," Thesaya added quietly before turning back to Ian, straightening her posture with formal respect. "Therefore, I gladly accept your proposal, Agent of the Saint."

"I’ll issue the same orders to the beastfolk chieftain. If they slack off or harm the fairies, they’ll be punished just as severely. Of course, you may raise objections at any time," Ian replied with a nod, a faint, satisfied smile crossing his face.

In an instant, Thesaya’s expression turned cold again as she swept her gaze across the group, magic flickering faintly.

"What are you all standing around for? Are you not going to thank the Agent of the Saint for his generosity?"

The wardens, who had been exchanging tense looks with the scouts, froze.

"Th-thank you for giving us another chance, Agent of the Saint," Eli spoke first, his voice trembling. Judging by his expression, he was relieved to have escaped losing an arm or his ears.

"Th-Thank you… Agent of the Saint…"

"We’ll do our best…"

"May Lu Solar bless you."

The strained voices followed one after another, clearly forced. They all knew there was no way out of this short of desertion.

Watching them, Thesaya added coldly, "Don’t forget the oath you just made. Break it, and next time it won’t be your arms or ears. It’ll be your head."

It was as good as a final warning. The already heavy atmosphere turned even colder. And yet, not a single one of them dared object.

The murmured voices faded away.

"Now get up. Prepare to move." Thesaya tilted her head to the side.

The wardens rose hesitantly; the scouts turned and scattered quickly, almost fleeing.

Without sparing them another glance, she turned and called, "Acting head."

"Y-yes, my lady." Diana, still staring blankly at Ian, snapped out of it and stood up.

"Once preparations are complete, move out. Leave through a different gate so you don’t draw suspicion, then take a wide route around."

"Yes. Understood." Diana bowed slightly, still looking shaken.

Standing before Ian, Thesaya paid it no mind and continued, "You know the location of the smuggling dock where the beastfolk will arrive, correct?"

"Yes. I have a map marked with the exact location, and I’ve memorized it."

"Good. Ian and I will head back and move separately with the others. We’ll take the western road. Join us after sunset and guide us from there."

Smuggling ships usually moved under the cover of night, and the beastfolk were expected to arrive past midnight.

"Understood," Diana answered with a sigh, then hesitated before adding, "But, Acting Saint, are you really… planning to make us servants of the beastfolk?"

Thesaya’s brow furrowed slightly. Turning to Diana, Ian let one corner of his mouth curl up.

"More like comrades. Allies. Maybe even friends."

Diana squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip. None of those words seemed to sit well with her. For all he knew, she might already be reconsidering the idea of running away again.

"You may call them servants or attendants if you wish, Agent of the Saint. They were the ones who swore to accept any alternative." Thesaya cut in coldly, her tone clearly meant for all the fairies present—not just Diana.

A few wardens heading back toward the ship glanced over their shoulders.

"You haven’t already forgotten our agreement, have you? I know you won’t like it, but I’m asking this of you, Diana," Ian said more gently, his gaze steady on her. "It’s a process you’ll have to go through. You’ll be fighting side by side with them."

"Understood." Diana drew a deep breath to steady herself, then opened her eyes and nodded.

A faint smile finally touched Ian’s lips as he added, "I’ll assign you a partner worthy of a commander, so keep that in mind."

"Commander…" Diana muttered, a sigh slipping into her voice. Clearly, this was another title she took no pleasure in.

At that moment, Thesaya pulled her hood up again and slipped her arm through Ian’s. "Then we’ll leave things here to the acting head and be on our way, shall we?"

"Let’s."

So this lover act isn’t ending anytime soon, huh?

Ian nodded and turned, following her lead. He didn’t forget to tilt his chin slightly toward Diana.

The fairies’ gazes lingered on their backs as they walked away.

"A shared fate… I can’t believe I didn’t think of something like that sooner." Thesaya muttered softly as they left the docks, her arm still linked in his.

Ian let out a chuckle. "Brings back memories, doesn’t it?"

"Of course! I wonder what kind of face Kitty will make when she hears this. I want to see it myself, so I won’t tell her in advance," Thesaya answered immediately as they stepped onto the main road, her pace quickening—no doubt eager to see Charlotte again.

Weaving through the crowd, Ian added, "Don’t expect too much. Not every fairy and beastfolk pairing will turn out as you two did."

"Then I’ll just toss them into some remote demonic realm. Survive a few life-or-death situations together, and even nonexistent camaraderie will start to grow." Thesaya shrugged.

Despite her casual tone, there was a strange spark of motivation in her eyes beneath the hood. Maybe she had found a new sense of purpose.

Not a bad approach.

Nodding to himself, Ian added, "I’m not asking you to like Diana. Or even get along with her. But I’d appreciate it if you at least acknowledged that she’s doing her best."

Thesaya looked up at him, brow slightly furrowed—then smirked crookedly. "Hm… so she’s your friend too, Ian? Honestly, you’ve got a soft side."

"I’m saying this because if you keep pushing her like you are, one day she’ll vanish like smoke." Ian snorted softly and glanced down at her. "And when that day comes, I won’t help you find her. Even from my perspective, she’s already endured more than enough."

"So you’re saying if I want to keep using her, I should pace myself? As expected—you’re smart, Ian."

There was no point in saying more to her.

"You can let go of my arm now. No fairies watching." Ian muttered, turning his gaze away.

"Cold, aren’t you?" Thesaya giggled, almost like Yog, before letting go easily.

"I’m joking. And honestly, I don’t hate Diana that much. Like I’ve said, she’s quite capable. It’s just that…" She trailed off as Ian suddenly changed direction, turning into the street leading from the eastern road toward their inn.

Quickly falling into step beside him, she continued, "I just enjoy her reactions. Every time I say something, I can feel how much it bothers her. …Anyway, I’ll try to tone it down."

She added that last part quickly—likely because she’d noticed Ian’s expression shift.

However, that wasn’t why his eyes had narrowed.

"Looks like we’ve got an uninvited guest."

At his quiet remark, Thesaya finally turned her gaze forward.

A moment later, her eyes sharpened. "Seems that way."

Parked along the road in front of the inn stood a covered carriage—and beside it, a knight clad head to toe in full plate armor.