When the Villain Joined the Knights to Avoid Doom Flags, but Somehow the Heroines Started Approaching Him - Chapter 26: The Dark Guild

Chapter 26: The Dark Guild

If you kill the Third Princess, you’ll earn enough money to live a carefree life for the rest of your days.

Whoever placed the bounty didn’t matter, nor did their reasons.

In the Dark Guild, trust was everything, even for an organization neck-deep in shady dealings. The promised reward would always be delivered. After all, the guild itself would never tolerate unpaid jobs; they’d collect from the client one way or another, ensuring their cut of the profit.

That’s why the job had been accepted.

Even as a member of the Dark Guild, accepting a mission was optional.

But this one? It was too simple to pass up. All they had to do was kill one kid. Even with guards protecting her, as long as they could get close enough—

“My, my… Even though I’m technically in a senior position, I’ve been stuck dealing with obvious small fry.”

She carried no sword, though she wore the uniform that marked her as a knight of the kingdom.

Yet, no one would mistake her for one.

The light blue hair that fluttered in the wind was too dazzling to belong to a typical knight.

And then there were the threads. Blood-stained strands of pale blue stretched from each of her fingers, creating an eerie sight that was impossible to ignore.

“Hmm… I thought at worst I’d capture at least one alive, but you were unexpectedly weak. I couldn’t even hold back properly…”

Beside him lay what remained of the guild members who had accompanied him—nothing more than shredded chunks of flesh.

And then there was his body, split into pieces.

“I’ve heard that even at our level, the Dark Guild can be a tough opponent. But when you actually face them… is this all they amount to?”

Ah… the world is fading. His consciousness was slipping further and further away.

It was obvious the blood loss was taking its toll.

But the only reason he could still cling to even a sliver of awareness was—

“Well, don’t worry. The moment you laid a hand on the royal family, your death was sealed. Honestly, dying at the hands of a beautiful girl like me… isn’t that a surprisingly satisfying end?”

—because the blood-stained girl before him was so breathtakingly beautiful.

♦️♦️♦️

“In situations like this, it’s the senior’s job to handle things properly.”

A short distance away from the academy gates, Celia sighed, retracting the threads back into her sleeves.

“Sigh… I went and did it. They were so much weaker than I expected, and I overdid it.”

Their mission this time was to act as escorts, protecting Fia.

Realizing they were being followed, everyone had split up to deal with the threat.

As escorts, their actions weren’t wrong… but to resolve the issue more effectively, it would’ve been better to capture one of the attackers alive and extract information.

Instead, Celia had killed both of her targets outright.

The reason? They were far weaker than she had anticipated.

(The Dark Guild is notorious for even giving the royal knights a hard time. Honestly, I thought I might not be able to handle them, so I approached it seriously…)

Another sigh escaped her lips.

(Well, if these were the kind of people they sent, they probably didn’t know much anyway. Stay positive, stay positive… If it comes to it, I’ll just rely on my clever junior to figure something out.)

With that thought, Celia turned on her heel, ready to head back.

But then—

“Hmm? Looks like you’ve already taken care of them~?”

The sound of footsteps came from the bushes.

Celia instinctively turned toward the noise.

Emerging from the greenery was a petite girl with hair that was a mix of pale pink and black.

“Doesn’t seem like you’re a student… so, are you lost?”

“Hmm? Is that what you think?”

“I’d like to hope so.”

Truly, that would’ve been the best-case scenario.

But the fact that the girl wasn’t fazed by the dismembered bodies scattered around made it clear that wasn’t the case.

“So, what brings you here? I’m afraid I’m a bit busy right now, but if you’re lost, I can guide you to the nearest help center like a good big sister should.”

“Nah, no need for that. Getting lost at this age? That’s something you’d find in the black pages of my life’s history book. Besides, if I got lost, my sister would be so mad at me.”

The girl brushed off the suggestion, then smiled brightly.

“Anyway, this kind of thing is all about being the fastest, right? But you know, running a race with an overwhelming lead isn’t fun at all. It’s the thrilling, spicy kind of excitement that makes a race worth running.”

What is she even talking about? Celia tilted her head in confusion, though her guard remained up.

As the girl slowly took one step after another toward her, Celia let bloodstained threads extend from her sleeve, ready to act if necessary.

“Unlike my big sister, I love the adrenaline rush, the pounding heart, the thrill! I even love pain! It reminds me I’m alive, and the satisfaction of overcoming it is just… unbeatable!”
“…”

“Yeah, my sister’s not like that. She’s more reserved, only doing what’s necessary… But today? Today’s my turn♪”

Clearly, the girl looked very young.

Younger than Celia… no, younger than even Yulis and the others.

Her small frame was even more petite than Iris’s, and her voice sounded far too youthful.

Perhaps because of this, a small gap opened in Celia’s cautious demeanor.

And into that gap—

“Alright, alright! Let’s kick off the ultra-intense obstacle race! Now then, will this beautiful, talented girl live up to everyone’s expectations and make it to the finish line, or will there be a shocking twist at the goal?!?!?!”

WHAM!!!

A sudden, overwhelming force struck.

For some reason, Celia’s body was hit with a dull, heavy impact, sending her flying through the air, crashing through trees as she went.

“Thrills are important, sure, but reaching the goal is just as crucial! Next stop—the academy and the princess♪”

With that, the young girl sprinted off toward the academy.