The Villain Can't Lose

[Rowen's POV: Midnight]

As I sat in my bedroom, I turned to face my butler, Serenu, who had just entered the room. "Serenu," I said, "I wanted to speak with you about something important."

He nodded respectfully and waited for me to continue.

"I want you to know that I trust you completely," I said. "You have been with me for many years, and I have never had any reason to doubt your loyalty or your competence. You are an essential part of this household, and I value your service deeply."

Serenu's face lit up with gratitude and pride, and he bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Thank you, sir," he replied. "It is an honor to serve you."

Feeling the urgency of the situation, I continued, "The king will allow me to meet him soon, and I need to be prepared. I must become more independent and rush my plans."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and I looked up to see Nari standing outside. "Excuse me, Rowen," her voice was calm and soft, "but I have some urgent business to discuss with you."

I nodded and turned back to Serenu. "We can continue this conversation later," I said. "For now, please show Nari in."

Serenu nodded and stepped aside as Nari entered the room. I could tell from her expression that whatever she had to say was not good news, and I braced myself for the worst.

"Nari, what's going on?" I asked.

Nari slowly explained everything about the crown prince and Hector's activities, telling me about the black magic bowl I should seek. Although some of the information seemed unrelated to the story, I knew that if I got the bowl before Hector, it would give me an advantage.

The demon was already in my mind, and I hoped to train faster to be able to face it by myself, but this bowl seemed troublesome. Yet, it could be really useful.

Nari did her job well, and since she came to report to me everything in the middle of the night, I knew she was on my side.

As she finished speaking, I couldn't help but smile. "This is fantastic news," I said, feeling a surge of energy and enthusiasm. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Nari. We need to move quickly on this - I want to make sure we capitalize on this opportunity as soon as possible."

As she nodded and left the room, I felt a sense of optimism and excitement about the future. With news like this, there was no telling what we could achieve, and I felt more confident than ever that our hard work and dedication would pay off in a big way.

After Nari left the room, I turned back to Serenu and thanked him for his service. He nodded respectfully and left, closing the door behind him. As I sat alone on my bed, my mind raced with all the possibilities that Nari's news had opened up for me.

Despite feeling excited and determined, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease. Making plans for the future was never easy, and there were always challenges and obstacles to overcome.

I took a deep breath and tried to push those doubts aside. I was a planner, and I had confidence in my own abilities and the opportunities ahead of me. With that thought, I stood up and walked over to my drawer, admiring its intricate design and luxurious finish. It was a work of art, crafted by a master artisan.

As I opened the drawer, I saw that the pens inside were just as fancy as the drawer itself, made of the finest materials. Choosing one felt like choosing a precious gem from a treasure trove. But as I searched for a piece of paper, I grew frustrated.

After a few moments of rummaging, I finally found a small, battered sheet tucked away in the corner. I grabbed a fancy pen and quickly made a mental list of all the things that needed to be done to achieve my goals.

My to-do list started with finding the killers of Nari's parents and protecting Ace's younger sister, making them completely trustworthy in the future. Next, I needed to find a way to manipulate the king into believing that the crown prince wasn't fit for the throne. Then, I had to prepare to allow the demon to enter my body to destroy it. Finally, I had to kill Hector.

Despite the length of my list, I felt a sense of excitement building inside me. This was what I lived for - the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of a job well done, and the knowledge that I was building something truly great and getting closer to my goals.

As I made notes in my planner, I felt a sense of clarity and purpose settling over me. There were still challenges and obstacles to overcome, but I had overcome them before, and I would do it again.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus on the most urgent tasks first. Despite needing to prioritize and tackle them one by one, every task on the list seemed equally important.

I closed my eyes, sighing to clear my mind, and reminded myself of my capabilities. Slowly, I began to weigh the pros and cons of each task to determine the best use of my time and resources.

After a few moments of reflection, I decided to start with the most pressing task and work my way down the list, taking breaks and reassessing as needed. With a plan in place, I felt a sense of calm and purpose settling over me.

My priority was now killing Hector and finding the black magic bowl to defeat the demon.