I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 110

As they moved to the innermost section of the first floor of the library, they came upon a door that seemed to divide the area into specific zones. The librarian walked past the door and led them deeper inside before finally stopping.

“This is where the requested documents related to incidents are stored.”

“Incidents?” Luke glanced around, his eyes scanning the bookshelves that lined the walls. After stating that they could be called upon if needed, the librarian quietly excused themselves.

“What exactly is stored here?”

“Just what it sounds like. This is where records of various incidents, both large and small, from the Empire and other nations are kept.”

“Even incidents from other nations?”

Luke asked, sounding mildly intrigued.

“As the Empire prospered, many people started coming in from abroad. There were also those who spent years overseas before returning. Over time, materials documenting incidents from other nations were gradually accumulated,” Theo explained as he checked placards placed at regular intervals. Each one had an identification number written on it.

“This way, Luke,” Theo called out after spotting a placard marked “D-89.”

“What’s this?”

“This is where records of incidents related to black magic are stored.”

Luke nodded slowly, finally understanding why Theo had insisted on coming to the library to investigate Nox.

“So, there might be clues here about incidents that are suspected to have been caused by Nox, even if they haven’t been proven yet?”

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Theo gave a small nod in response, acknowledging Luke’s perceptiveness. Thankfully, the volume of materials here wasn’t as overwhelming as the piles of documents back at the investigation unit’s office.

Though the collection included records of incidents from other nations, there were still limits to what could be gathered. Nevertheless, this was their best chance to find a lead.

“Let’s start by narrowing it down to incidents involving black magic, especially those tied to summoning arts.”

“Got it.”

This section of the library was restricted, and entry was only allowed with special permission. As a result, Theo and Luke were the only ones there.

The two of them gathered materials and settled into the profound silence, delving into their respective documents. Both focused less on incidents within the Empire, which they were already familiar with, and more on black magic-related incidents from other nations.

As Luke flipped through the records, he occasionally glanced at Theo, who sat across from him. Theo’s composed posture as he turned the pages was striking, almost like a painting.

His thick eyebrows occasionally twitched, accentuating his sharp, determined gaze—an expression that exuded masculinity. His overall demeanor conveyed an unshakable strength. Luke had to admit, he’d been envious of Theo’s rugged features before. Compared to him, Luke’s own appearance was more delicate and refined.

Noticing Luke’s gaze, Theo raised his head.

“What is it?”

“You’re lucky.”

“Lucky? Why?”

“You’re good-looking.”

To be precise, Theo’s distinctly masculine and authoritative aura stood in stark contrast to Luke’s own. Was this what they called the “protagonist’s buff”?

At Luke’s half-hearted tone, Theo cleared his throat loudly, his lips pressed into a straight line.

“Focus, Luke.”

“I will.”

Thinking back, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) life certainly had its unpredictable turns. Back in the academy, whenever they ended up in the library together, Luke would always sit as far away from Theo as possible. They belonged to different circles—Luke preferred to fend for himself, keeping his peers at a distance.

In contrast, as the years passed, Theo gained the trust of those around him. Though many dismissed his success as a result of his noble lineage, Theo had built a following of loyal supporters.

Luke remembered once seeing Theo from afar in the library, surrounded by his peers. Now, sitting face-to-face with Theo felt surreal.

Suddenly, a strange tingling sensation ran through Luke’s fingertips.

“Stop thinking about pointless things and focus,” he muttered to himself. Mimicking Theo earlier, Luke cleared his throat noisily before diving back into the documents.

Time passed unnoticed until both men eventually closed their documents at the same time.

“Did you find anything?” Theo asked.

“One suspicious case, at most.”

“Same here.”

Theo was the first to open the records he had found.

“The case I discovered is from five years ago, during the civil war in the Kingdom of Felter in the northern continent.”

Luke quickly scanned the section Theo indicated.

The Kingdom of Felter was small, its terrain rugged and resources scarce. Economic hardships had fueled public discontent, leading to the formation of rebel factions and constant outbreaks of civil war, which steadily weakened the kingdom’s power.

Five years ago, the king of Felter had mobilized the military, determined to crush the rebels and restore order. He succeeded—his army completely suppressed the rebellion.

“This part here mentions that the commander of the kingdom’s army at the time was an outsider. And the important part is here.”

Theo pointed to the next paragraph.

[According to testimonies from rebel survivors, non-human entities were seen among the soldiers during battles. After the civil war ended, mages who volunteered to assist the Kingdom of Felter reported finding evidence of black magic used during the conflict.]

[A former attendant of the king testified that the king often spoke of using summoned creatures to easily subdue the rebels.]

“...It’s similar to the Membren War,” Luke noted.

“Exactly. It’s highly likely that the same group was involved.”

“And the citizens didn’t react to this coming to light?”

The report made it clear that the king had employed summoned creatures to subjugate the rebels—an unethical method of warfare.

“The king, who suppressed the rebellion through such means, died of a plague the following year. After his death, evidence of his actions gradually surfaced. Additionally, the new king likely quelled public resentment by ruling with a more people-centric approach.”

“You really know your history, huh?”

“Part of the basic education for a duke’s household. I was familiar with Felter’s civil war, but learning about it in this new light changes everything.”

Knowing about Nox made these incidents, which had previously seemed like mere black magic-related cases, take on a more sinister implication.

“The problem is, Nox has been orchestrating large-scale events like this for at least five years, likely longer.”

“Luke, what did you find?”

“Oh, mine isn’t related to war.”

Luke opened his documents next.

“It’s about an incident that occurred ten years ago in the desert city of Bité, part of the Rockbell Empire. I’d never heard of it before this.”

Bité was one of the largest desert cities on the continent. Though under Rockbell’s jurisdiction, its Saharin inhabitants were highly insular, with their own unique culture and language, making it almost like an independent nation.

“Ten years ago, a small village in Bité was completely wiped out by a sudden large-scale explosion. The village was erased from the map, and the Empire sent investigators to uncover the cause. This is what they found.”

[A massive amount of magical energy was detected in the atmosphere above the destroyed village. Investigators concluded it was the result of unholy black magic, which likely triggered the explosion.]

[Witness accounts from some Saharins suggest that numerous summoned creatures appeared after the explosion.]

“Is there any additional information?”

“No. The Saharins probably refused to cooperate further. They likely wanted to prevent any further tarnishing of their city’s reputation.”

Luke closed the document.

“This case is certainly different from the others.”

“One thing’s clear: whoever’s behind Nox has been active for at least ten years.”

“Right. We’re making progress. Let’s take these documents back—it’s almost lunchtime anyway.”

Looking at the clock on the wall, they realized it was nearly 1 p.m. The intense focus had made time fly.

As Luke stood to return the documents, Theo stopped him.

“I’ll handle it. We’ll need permission from the librarian to borrow them anyway.”

“Alright.”

Luke yawned, too drained to argue. Sitting still and staring at text for so long had left him exhausted.

“Wait here.”

“Sure.”

Theo carefully returned the other documents to their respective shelves, keeping only the records related to Nox. He then went to obtain borrowing permissions from the librarian.

The process took longer than expected, likely due to the special handling of such records. By the time Theo returned to their table, he braced himself for Luke’s scolding.

“Luke, sorry to keep you—”

His words trailed off. Instead of complaining, Luke was slumped over the table, fast asleep.

Theo instinctively softened his footsteps as he approached, taking a seat beside him.

“...”

From his vantage point, he could see Luke’s long, elegant eyelashes resting against his pale skin, his prominent nose, and his soft, slightly parted lips. Without thinking, Theo reached out and lightly traced Luke’s lower lip with his fingertip.

The tender sensation traveled up Theo’s arm, stirring something deep in his gut. If just a touch felt this electric, what would it be like to actually kiss him?

Theo’s gaze lingered on Luke. He knew it was wrong to touch someone without permission, but whenever he looked at Luke, these dangerous thoughts kept creeping into his mind.