[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-am-i-the-villain-or-not":3,"chapter-am-i-the-villain-or-not-am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Am I the Villain or Not?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},571426,820,"Chapter 17: Quarrel at the Head of the Bed, Make Up at the Foot","am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen looked a little puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor had come together with the knight order, yet at this moment he suddenly proposed to separate and move alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't quite understand. If Viktor didn't need the knight order's protection, then why did he travel with them in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, what exactly was his purpose in coming to Mount Vesuvius?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to head to the crater first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what Viktor said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Gwen's Heart of Justice, any lie would be instantly revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he hadn't lied, meaning Viktor really did intend to go to the crater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen recalled the reason Viktor gave for coming along in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could it be that the kind of monster you mentioned… is up there, at the crater?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor fell silent for a moment. Right then, in his heart, he pictured the colossal shadow of that monstrous beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he replied, \"Something like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'…What does he mean by \"something like that\"?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet he wasn't lying. Gwen felt a little curious, but she wasn't the type to pry into others' secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was an extinct volcano, and Viktor had also said before that he was quite familiar with Mount Vesuvius's terrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There shouldn't be any problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen nodded, agreeing to his request to leave the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll go find you after I'm done with my business.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Viktor finished speaking, a blue magic circle, flickering with specks of starlight, appeared beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of blue light, his figure vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A living person disappearing right before her eyes left Gwen a little dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the knights, who had watched their whole exchange, saw Gwen still standing there blankly and walked over, asking, \"Captain? You two… had a fight last night?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen turned her head, her lips parting slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"N-no, it's not what you think…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could finish, the knight continued, \"Ah, it's normal for couples to argue. I quarrel with my wife all the time, but our son's eight years old now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quarrel at the head of the bed, make up at the foot, there's no overnight grudge between husband and wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more she listened, the redder Gwen's face grew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough nonsense! Move out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She barked at the knight and quickly walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh? Captain Gwen! I didn't say anything wrong… sigh, women these days, so sensitive. That reaction... definitely means I hit the mark.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever else that knight said afterward, Gwen didn't really hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face was slightly flushed, like a shy girl whose secret thoughts had just been exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in truth, no one knew better than her, there was absolutely nothing between her and Viktor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she would never fall for Viktor, Viktor would never like her either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mounting her steed, Gwen thought with a faint sense of melancholy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If nothing unexpected happened, she would probably end up marrying Viktor in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the marriage between their two families had been arranged long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the second daughter of her house, Gwen could only obey the family's decision. She couldn't change it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't want to marry at all, especially not to Viktor, who had always left her with such a terrible impression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How could I ever marry that kind of bastard?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought flashed through her mind, and suddenly she remembered last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had acted like a refined noble, every gesture calm and gentlemanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At some point, he had even given up the only bed for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she woke up, she found Viktor quietly sitting in a chair, reading some obscure magic book, he had stayed like that the whole night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She'd felt guilty, but Viktor told her that mages had their own ways of resting, and as long as it was quiet around them, they didn't need sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is he… really a bastard?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen couldn't help but wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Determined to be a knight of absolute justice, Gwen had never truly hated anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even Viktor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I should've been pretty quiet last night… right?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking off those unnecessary thoughts, she raised her silver sword and swung it forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Move out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shower of blue light fell from the air, forming a teleportation circle midair and revealing Viktor's figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened his eyes, the scenery around him had changed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surroundings were barren, nothing but scattered chunks of charred, coal-like rock standing on the slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now halfway up the volcano, far ahead of the knight order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the farthest range his teleportation magic could reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to teleport straight to the summit was still unrealistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that no one was around, Vega, perched on his shoulder, croaked out, \"Why did you choose to split up from them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The knight order's route should lead here anyway. Following them would've brought me here sooner or later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor pressed down on the bird's head and explained calmly, \"I don't need their company.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are some things I need to investigate alone. No need for others to know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vega found that strange. From Viktor's attitude, it seemed like he had planned this long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking back to how intrigued he'd looked when he first heard about Mount Vesuvius, Vega couldn't help but suspect that Viktor knew something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man and the bird walked along the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. It had erupted once in the past,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but after that, the volcano lost its power and became dormant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The townspeople at its base had lived there for centuries now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hundreds of years of wind and sun, the ground here had turned grayish like charred lime, full of cracks and weathered volcanic rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to find plants here was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after so many centuries, no one worried that the volcano would erupt again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain wasn't too tall, only a few hundred meters, and soon Viktor reached the summit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer he got to the top, the more clearly he could feel that extremely dense fire element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only he, Vega felt it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bird turned its head and gave Viktor a subtle glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Interesting. I really want to open up your skull and see what made you think of coming here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You actually found a 'Calamity.'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor's expression stayed calm. Vega's eyes narrowed, he clearly already knew something was here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strictly speaking, that was the official name recorded in history for the \"Forge Beasts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were six Calamities in the world, each corresponding to one elemental force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind, Wood, Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sealed within Mount Vesuvius, was the Fire Calamity, Guldon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body was massive, towering toward the heavens, its entire form infused with molten flame, like a demon god born from fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were called Calamities because wherever they appeared, natural disasters and chaos followed, beings so powerful that they made all tremble in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For any living creature, their existence brought only harm, never benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what made them \"Calamities,\" just as their name implied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm curious,\" Vega said, looking down into the crater where Guldon slumbered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's sleeping soundly here, what do you plan to do with it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Collect a little interest in advance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor stood at the crater's edge, looking down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The depths were pitch-black, one could hardly tell if anything even existed inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot air blasted upward, scorching heat sweeping over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes suddenly hardened with resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold wind and burning heat mixed together, whipping at his cloak. Standing at the volcano's highest point, even Vega's voice became hard to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, hey! What are you doing standing there? Don't tell me you're planning to jump in?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor didn't answer. Vega was silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're not… seriously… going to… jump… are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its question didn't help in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Viktor had already said, \"Hold on tight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, he leapt into the depths of the volcano.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would it kill you to ask me first?!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glowing red rocks around them blurred as they plunged downward. Vega clamped its beak tightly onto Viktor's clothes, so panicked that it even forgot it could fly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene spun wildly, until finally… a flash of white light, and the two vanished from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've been a god for so long, and this is the first time I've ever felt this insane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Vega opened its eyes again, it seemed they had arrived in another space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was pitch black. Only the floor could be faintly seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So dark… Viktor? Viktor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor stood just behind it. Seeing the raven awake, he picked it up and set it on his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vega was just about to tell Viktor to light a flame so they could see when a massive snore thundered through the darkness ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so loud it nearly burst the raven's eardrums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it, who the hell is snoring, uh…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vega fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had found the source of the sound, or rather…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right there before it, eyes closed, sleeping deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it even describe such a thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a towering pillar piercing the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huge as a mountain, overwhelming in both awe and terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fire Calamity, Guldon, lay right there before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat trickled down Vega's head, the feathers on its crown seeming to stand upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid… you're not seriously thinking of fighting that thing, are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't joke around! I'm just an ordinary bird now, I can't help you at all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viktor didn't even look at it. A spark of flame appeared at his fingertips, lighting up the darkness, and revealing the full form of the giant beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't say that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're my greatest help in defeating it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, the snoring stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Massive crimson eyes opened, glowing like blazing lamps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked down at the two specks before it,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and its roar shook the entire Mount Vesuvius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon.com\u002FXenosX\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰\u003C\u002Fp>",1659,"2026-05-30T15:48:18.313Z","2026-06-01T04:31:37.164Z",1,"novelbin.me","3eebef863d6806c2ed1f7dae5de5442b772150f775ca0039c9f7dcea769bee84","am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-18","am-i-the-villain-or-not-chapter-16",393,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fam-i-the-villain-or-not-cover.jpg"]