The Guidebook for Villainesses

A month had passed.

A month had passed after the war had ended and after the end of the earthquake that had raged and toppled the whole of the Gorgon Mountain Range. The Allied Forces had won a miraculous victory that day. A loud cheer had broken out. Regardless of nationality and status, people embraced each other and enjoyed the delight.

The appearance of the hellfire and of divine intervention was adapted like a myth. Many war epics were created through different people. Acerus Elin Tarragon became the human hero. And Demian, his comrade, was called the warrior of God. The Barbarians were saviors and the Allied Forces stopped their long feud. Most of the demon-infested black sorcerers and worshippers had fallen to hell.

Destruction would not come. It was a human victory.

"The history of the continent will be rewritten from now on. The term 'Acerus Heroism' may appear around Victory Day."

The aide's face was also full of joy. He could not hide his constant smile, which led to the scorn of old knights.

"I can't believe I'm the chief aide to the hero Emperor… My mother would say it's family honor, right? She opposed it so much when I first said that I was going to enter the Imperial Castle, Hahaha!"

"Be respectful."

"Uhh… My apologies."

"His Imperial Highness' best friend is missing. We have told him many times that we will stay and search so he can go back to Dandelion with peace of mind, but he didn't move."

The old knight sighed heavily. Then, the aide rubbed his face and said,

"It's already been a month. The last place they were seen was crushed completely with no traces left. To be honest, it's a waste of time. I wish they'd come back alive, but at this point, we'd just better prepare for their funeral…"

Objectively, he was right. That was what everyone thought, too. Demian should be dead. Lara should have died, too. However, some people, including Isadora and the Crown Prince, did not believe in that theory. Acerus' aide was about to say that they should start preparing for Demian and Lara's funeral and picked up the pieces.

"Oi! You bastard!"

Eunice came from the other side of the hall. The ladies-in-waiting blocked her with their whole bodies, but to no avail. Eunice came running with her long hair scattered, she was loosely clad in an outfit that looked either like a dress or pajamas.

"Who said that? Who said she's dead? She's not dead! Who do you think you are talkin' 'bout funerals, punk? You have a death wish? Do you want me to show you what a funeral for the living is like?"

The aide stepped back with a pale face. However, Eunice, who appeared like a bolt of lightning, grabbed him by the collar with both hands and shook him back and forth.

"Don't kill my friend off, you arsehole… Waaahh! Who're you to say that Lara's dead? You think you can say that just because you're the Crown Prince's aide?"

"Lady Eunice… Wait, wait!"

"This is all because of Acerus, that bastard! Where's your Crown Prince? Tell him to come out now! Even though he couldn't even protect my friend, he's talking shit asking me to be his consort!"

"La, lady, please don't say things like…"

"No, it's a no! I would never marry your Crown Prince! I will live with Lara until the day I die! Save my friend, you Empire bastards!"

Tears flooded Eunice's eyes. Her face, though usually always dolled up nicely, was now a mess. Her eyes were swollen and she cried so much that she had a fever. Ximena was no different. At first, Ximena chased Eunice to stop her. But then, she cried with her friend and blamed the aide.

"Lara is not dead. There was no body. She can do miracles. You know that. Demian, that monster will not let Lara die. How can an aide be so dumb?"

The aide looked at the old knight for help. But the knight had already run away.

"Ladies, I'm really sorry. I've committed a mortal sin. Okay? From today, I will follow His Imperial Highness into the mountains and find traces of their whereabouts. Okay? Lady Eunice, urgh! Please let go…"

Eunice was strong. There was the sound of a shirt and vest being torn at once. The aide recalled an old saying he had once heard from adults; crazy women are strong! Then he immediately thought of Acerus.

The crazy woman and the crazy Crown Prince. This was a fate that was decided by heaven—a match made in heaven.

'I'll make sure these two get married.'

Despite being scolded by Eunice and held by the collar, the aide was thinking about such a thing the whole time. He did not care about loyalty anymore, he was only thinking of returning the humiliation to the Crown Prince. Being the chief aide of the hero Emperor or family glory had already disappeared from his mind.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

At that time, Acerus was leading a search party consisting of the Barbarians, the mercenary wolves, and his knights deep in the mountain range.

"Search thoroughly! Don't ignore anything, not even a tree or a stone! Are the hunting dogs still not here yet?"

"It's going to collapse!"

The support that had been hastily made to lift the rock had collapsed. The land that was barely dug up was ruined again. The mountains swept by the earthquake were all overturned and in ruins. It was hard for an ordinary person to even walk. Acerus had been looking for Demian and Lara for a month in such a place.

"Your Imperial Highness, we need to rebuild the support first."

"There's a space under the rock, but… It's hard for the hunting dogs to smell because there's a lot of ash."

"What about Lady Isadora?"

"She's handing out mountain equipment to the Barbarians. It's said that the Princess of Hautean got a hold of the equipment from the treasure hunters and adventurers guilds."

What Sonnet brought was equipment that was used to climb up a cliff upside down or to cross a valley. The Barbarians intended to enter the collapsed mountain range to find the two.

It was too dangerous. Even they could have been lost. Acerus said to the knights who looked worried.

"Take one for me too."

"Your Imperial Highness! No! We instead…"

"It's the saintess. It's Demian."

There was a faint bit of moisture in Acerus' eyes, but then it disappeared. He was not angry as he usually was and he did not fall into despair. He just spoke to the knights with a calm face.

"Remember who they are."

The knights bowed their heads. The atmosphere became solemn. They saw the saintess stab herself in the chest. They witnessed the situation up close. Lara had no hesitation. She appeared like a demon lord and did the work of a saintess. She stabbed herself in the heart with her own hands for those who branded her a traitor and shunned her for being a demon lord.

That was how she called out to God. She made a miracle and saved the world. And when the darkness that engulfed the black sorcerers, demon worshippers and hell corps lowered itself as if satisfied and disappeared into that deep ground, the dark sky was filled with radiant light.

"At that time, we witnessed God's back. Don't forget whose favor it is."

Who else dares to make such a sacrifice?

"It's the saintess."

Acerus said gravely.

"Remember it, record it, and let no one doubt it. That's what we need to do."

"Yes, Your Imperial Highness."

"Go. Go get mine, too."

The knights nodded and ran to Isadora and the Barbarians.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Time went by again and summer came by. Green life had re-emerged on the disastrous battlefield. Memoria City had regained its original peace. The Allied Forces returned to their respective countries and the last remaining Imperial Army departed for Dandelion 10 days ago.

But Isadora and the Barbarians did not leave Memoria City. It was now the territory of the Barbarians. Acerus, who became the Emperor of Tarragon, freed all the lands around Gorgon, centered on Memoria City, for those who were still waiting for Lara and Demian.

The Barbarians left the mountain range and began to live in the city. They first learned how to build houses and some of them learned to farm.

Isadora established a branch in Memoria City and took care of the trading company work there. Sebastian traveled back and forth between the capital of Dandelion and Hautean on her behalf. Eunice and Ximena did not leave Isadora's side either.

Konny cleaned Lara's room every day. The maid, who was more diligent than a squirrel, carried a mop and a broom every day as if she could not allow a single dust to exist in her employer's room, even though she had not returned for months.

Valentine shut himself in his laboratory again. He stayed up all night, saying he would make a tool to track someone specifically.

"Lara will be back."

Isadora's words became a habit for everyone.

"Milady will be back."

"Lara will definitely come back. There are so many things we haven't done yet!"

"Hmph, Demian can't be dead. He won't die."

"The two will suddenly appear together one day."

Everyone said so.