Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

The man who shouted that wept and cried in the streets, and he wasn't the only one in disarray. The men they encountered in the streets of Azurra looked forlorn and distraught.

Some were drinking themselves to the brink of death, cursing the Crow Baron over and over again. Some were sobbing and being comforted by their friends and families.

Cermin had not seen so many people suffering, much less men openly expressing vulnerability like this.

But if you lost the love of your life, it would make sense to be so pained.

It was different to what one would expect with your world crumbling apart.

It was more like the world was slowly eating you alive, and you have no choice on escaping it. The grief consumes you, every single part of you was aching to be with your beloved again.

At least, that was what it was like for Cermin's experience.

He wanted to approach the crying man and ask him how he could help, but Ronin clutched his shirt.

"Remember, Your Highness. We're just passing by here in order to get to Scirocco." Ronin frowned. "We have very little time."

And he had a bad feeling about this.

This event was so sudden that it could not have been just a random side quest for Cermin. There has to be something that will come to blows here.

And all three of them were still injured. Cermin just came out of Lovushka's trap, he himself just had many scars from his claws, and Zeuxis had dealt with two major fights consecutively.

Their bodies desperately need rests and potions.

"Maybe we can just ask a bit. I can't just ignore people who are suffering, Ronin." Cermin said.

(I did before, and I will never again. I will never let anyone suffer like my gege and ignore it again.)

He heard that thought, and it all made sense now.

Why he went to become a hero transmigrator in the first place. It was not just for the girls.

He legitimately feel like it was his task to help others in exchange for failing to help this 'gege' of his.

It was like an act of penance. To bargain with his past mistakes as if it will help with his guilt.

'But that guilt would never go away even if you slave yourself away to others and be bound by duty your whole life.' Ronin said.

He turned to Zeuxis if he heard this again, but Zeuxis had been oddly quiet in his mind.

Then, he tried to communicate with him.

'What do you think we should do?'

There was no answer. Either he was too preoccupied.....

Or he could not hear Ronin anymore, that's why he hadn't been responding.

Ronin tried to connect with Espinella, but his theory was indeed confirmed. Espinella's was no longer reachable too.

While he was focused on this, Cermin had already went over to the crying man earlier and asked.

"Hello. We're travelers here and we were looking for some place to stay, but I can't help but overhear your shouts. Who is the Crow Baron?" He asked as politely as he could.

The people's face darkened, and they begged him:

"Just leave this place now if you have a woman with you!"

"Keep her safe! None of our daughters and wives were safe from him, no one!"

"He took them all in at that wretched castle!"

CAW! CAW!

Crows suddenly dropped by at Cermin's shoulder, and he got alarmed. The people also were, frozen to see what will happen.

The crow stared with its beady eyes into his, and after a while…..

"Caw! No bride! A bachelor! Wretched bachelor!"

It flew away, and the people looked relieved.

Cermin was so confused and his heart almost leapt the moment the crow spoke. "What the hell was that just now..."

"He sends his crows to see if you have a bride or a wife." The crying man said. "So he can steal them from you."

An old man who seemed to be the father of this crying man's bride placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That daemon did not get satisfied with enchanting single women now that he became handsome. He made a law to take every woman to sleep with him on their wedding night."

Cermin gritted his teeth at this. "Who? Who would make such a terrible law?"

He had slept with wives of villains before, but only when they were freed from them after he defeated them. He had never been into NTR and saw that stuff as despicable.

"Baron Corvis. He lives in Castle Calegana."

Zeuxis had joined in the conversation while Ronin was still trying to reach out to Espinella, rubbing his temples.

"That can't be. The baron I know just buys beauties from other kingdoms and ships them. He has no interest in birds as well, especially crows that he finds ugly."

The bride's father scoffed. "That's Corvis the First. He had died now, and was replaced by his son Corvo de Corvis."

Zeuxis raised an eyebrow. "That disfigured boy?"

Cermin was really surprised that Zeriav knows so much about this family. "What was he like?"

"Well, he was just the most hideous— Unattractive person I have met." Zeuxis cleared his throat. "Ahem, but he was also very weak-willed."

"He was made fun of a lot, and he always kept his head down covering it with a shawl. I can't imagine him as someone stealing brides, much less enchanting them."

The crying man shook his head sadly. "He's not hideous anymore. He made a deal with a daemon and gained a better face."

"But what I don't understand is... How can our brides and wives leave us be just for good looks!? My Pamela had only loved me in this world, and yet he managed to keep her!"

Cermin asked: "She wasn't taken by force?"

A young blonde boy came towards them and joined their conversation. He seemed too young to have a bride, just about 13 years old.

"The law that he implemented was this: Anyone who was about to be wed must stay in his Castle Calegana on their wedding night or a family member would suffer execution."

He lowered his collar and revealed rope marks.

"These family members would be taken in at the night before the wedding as hostage until the bride agrees to spend the night with Baron Corvis."

Cermin felt so much pity for the boy. So it was not just the lovers who were in pain, but the whole family as well.

Then, a young woman came. A beautiful one with black hair braided haplessly.

"But there's more. If the woman doesn't agree to stay with him after staying the night, they are free to go." She said. "It was still an unfair law because of his powers."

"You are really lucky that you like women, Hildas." The young boy said. "His powers did not work on you."

Cermin nodded. "So it only worked on women who liked men? Wait, how did he get Hildas if she was a—"

"There's a law here that all women need to get married at the age of 18. It was to avoid conflict."

Ronin had returned from contacting Espinella through the Communication Crystal.

There, he had learned of the chance of Pavone plotting against him. So his hunch really was right, something was off with the timing of this quest.

He had been paying attention too while calling, and was able to join the conversation smoothly. Explaining about the Azurrian laws.

"You see, since the Kingdom of Azurra was filled with so many beautiful women…." Ronin gestured to Hildas.

"That meant that rivalry would be even tougher, and some women could exploit that rivalry to their benefit. Men used to kill each other on the streets everyday."

Hildas scoffed. "Of course. Because they see women as property to fight over, not to court for love. Some don't even mean to exploit them, they just go for each other's throats for their pride."

Ronin nodded. "That is also true. However, the point stands that the King of Azurra believed this law would be the only way to solve this issue."

"Therefore, any woman at the age of 18 is at risk for this Crow Baron." Ronin nodded. "His victims will always be of that range if he only takes away brides."

The father shook his head. "It's not just them. If the woman was married just within 3 years time with no children yet, he will also take them."

Cermin saw that there was almost no young women left on the streets besides Hildas. Then he thought….

He was a man at the age of 20 right now. Within 3 years of being 18.

And Ronin have the skill to change people's appearances thanks to the Lord of Darkness—

Ronin's eyes widened. "No, Your Highness. You can't—"

"I will save your brides." He told the people, mindful of the crows watching.

Zeuxis grinned. 'Is he really going to? Little prince will turn into a princess now?'

"I will bring them back." Cermin promised. "If you could give us a place where we can hide from the crows, I'll be able to do it."