[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-a-villain-so-what":3,"chapter-i-am-a-villain-so-what-i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-143":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am a Villain, So What?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1506418,1956,"Chapter 143: New Recruit","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-143",143,"\u003Cp>\"Don’t tell me,\" Clara said softly, \"that you haven’t investigated him closely, Father. And I don’t mean the gossip columns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henry fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back to his desk. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a thick, sealed file stamped with the Marigold crest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Investigation Report: Subject - Lucien Ashborne]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he had investigated him. As the head of a Marquis family and a major investor in the Imperial Bank, Henry had eyes everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the report... it confused him more than anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Trash\" who had no redeeming qualities had suddenly changed a few months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer bullied others. He no longer acted weak. He had no talent for sword or magic, yet he had carved a terrifying niche as a Marksman—a class considered useless by knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was theincidentsthat kept Henry up at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fern Kingdom Lab Incident: Officially solved by Knight Samantha. But intelligence reports suggested a lone gunman breached the facility first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Theme Park Terrorist Attack: Officially thwarted by princes Celestia and other ducal heirs and timely intervention of knight Samantha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Slums Explosion: Officially an accident by Mariella Arlon. But the magical signature was... ancient. And the bodies found were not human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the masses, the Ducal Heirs were the heroes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Henry, reading between the lines of the intelligence reports, a different picture emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien Ashborne wasn’t a hero. Heroes stood in the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He whipped himself into a weapon,’ Henry thought, looking at the file. ’A weapon that saved my daughter when the knights were too slow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever it is, he’s changed,\" Clara’s voice broke his reverie. \"It’s hard for people to change, Father. But once they do... they don’t revert. You said that yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henry closed the file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Further talk was pointless. He was too late. Far too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Clara. Her mind and heart were filled with Lucien alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, there was a saying in the Marigold family:’Fathers never win against daughters.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trusted his wise daughter. If she saw something in that darkness, then perhaps... there was a light there that only she could see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m heading in, daughter,\" Henry said, his shoulders slumping in defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good night, Father!\" Clara chirped, jumping up and kissing his cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bounded toward the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clara.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember,\" Henry called out, picking up his whiskey. \"Your father doesn’t like Lucien.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara paused on the landing. She looked back, her pink twin-tails swaying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yup! And your daughter loves Lucien to death!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henry grunted as she disappeared upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, when I returned from the Academy—exhausted from dodging Clara’s affection and managing Ariana’s possessiveness—I expected peace. I expected the quiet hum of a well-oiled household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I walked into a spectacle that made me question if I had walked into the wrong house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell of fresh ocean breeze and vinegar filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the open kitchen, an old man was standing at the counter. He was wearing one of Lily’s spare frilly aprons, which looked ridiculous over his formal trousers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was... dancing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle, the former Chief Researcher of the Lumeveil Institute, was shaking his hips rhythmically to a tune he was humming, his knife flashing in the light as he sliced a fish with surgical precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slice. Wiggle. Slice. Wiggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Manager Merle?\" I asked, standing in the doorway with my bag hanging off one shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The humming stopped. Merle spun around, knife still in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh! Mr. Lucien! Welcome back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wiped his hands on the apron, looking far too pleased with himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m preparing Sashimi. Lily taught me the basics, but I applied some... alchemical precision to the cuts. Does it look alright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the platter. The fish was sliced so thinly it was translucent, arranged in the shape of a blooming lotus flower. It was art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... Yes. Sure. It looks... professional.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily and Irina popped up from behind the counter. Irina’s face was dusted with flour, and Lily was beaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grandpa Merle is amazing, Master!\" Lily chirped. \"He learns so fast! He is very quick learner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle picked up a slice with chopsticks and offered it to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Care for a taste, Boss?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you insist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my mouth, feeling slightly awkward being fed by an old man, but I took the bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily, Irina, and Merle watched my mouth with tense anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fish melted on my tongue. The texture was perfect—not too chewy, not too soft. The slight acidity of the vinegar he used was balanced perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s delicious,\" I admitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha! Good to hear!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. It was a rather amusing sight for a man who could level a city block with a card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seems you find kitchen work interesting, Merle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle’s expression shifted. He placed the chopsticks down and looked at me with a newfound seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Lucien.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May Irina and I... join the staff of Kitchen 21?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected request made me blink. I glanced between Merle and his granddaughter. Irina looked hopeful, clutching Lily’s sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Join? What about your workshop? And the Pawn Shop?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Pawn Shop is gone,\" Merle said, his voice steady. \"The Shadow Stalkers’ attack destroyed the structural integrity. And honestly... it was never a thriving business. It was just a hiding spot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around the warm, clean kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m tired of hiding in the dark, Mr. Lucien. And I need a safe place for Irina.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was Merle? He was an A-Rank Alchemist. A walking library of forbidden knowledge. A man who had survived the fall of an Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Him asking to work for me—for a salary of room and board—was like a diamond pie falling from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well,\" I smirked, hiding my internal cheer. \"It’s always welcome to hire new employees. Especially skilled ones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yay!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irina hugged Lily, beaming happily. Merle bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way,\" I asked, looking at his bandaged neck. \"How’s your health? You were at death’s door two days ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lily told me you poured high-grade potions down my throat and even called a Temple Priest for purification,\" Merle said softly. \"Thanks to that, the mana burns from Elena left no scars. That must’ve cost a fortune.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry about it. A life is worth more than money. Obviously.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Though checking the treatment bill nearly stopped my heart,’I added internally. 15,000 Gold was no joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle chuckled. For someone just recovered, he was brimming with energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll be in your care for a while. Oh, and... since I am now an employee, I should show you my first contribution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle wiped his hands and gestured toward the back hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Follow me to the storeroom. The waves of inspiration wouldn’t let me rest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storeroom had been converted into a messy lab. Sketches, tools, and metal filings were scattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You started working right after waking up?\" I asked, stepping over a pile of scrap metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s an alchemist’s nature,\" Merle shrugged. \"And this... is the result.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the workbench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying on a velvet cloth were ten bullets. But they weren’t lead or steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warheads were carved from glowing Gemstones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Magic Bullets,\" Merle announced proudly. \"Developed in the Lumeveil Empire but discontinued before mass distribution due to the Dungeon Outbreak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I picked one up. It was heavy. The casing was brass, but the tip was a perfectly cut Ruby, etched with microscopic runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Magic Bullets? Like your cards?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Somewhat similar. Though crafting is far more complex.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle picked up a blueprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The casing is standard. I add high-grade mana stone powder to the propellant. But the warhead... that’s the key. By engraving a magic circle onto a gem, the bullet activates a spell upon impact.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the scattered gems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ruby for [Explosion]. Sapphire for [Freeze]. Emerald for [Acid]. And Topaz for [Lightning].\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was exactly what I needed. My Winchester had high physical damage, but against spirits or physical-immune enemies, I struggled. These bullets would turn my rifle into a magic staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s tough work,\" Merle admitted, adjusting his monocle. \"But I can produce about five a day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Magic bullets, huh? Nice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Beyond nice—excellent,\" Merle corrected. \"But to use them effectively, your weapon needs an overhaul. Standard rifling will shatter the gems before they leave the barrel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you hand over your guns, I’ll upgrade them. I need to adjust the chamber pressure and re-inscribe the barrel runes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated for only a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re confident?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Lucien,\" Merle smiled, a glint of nostalgia in his eyes. \"I’ve worked on guns multiple times in my youth. I even maintained the firearms of The Executioner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh... The First Gun Master? The Holy Executioner?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, indeed. He was a difficult client. Always complaining about recoil.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merle laughed, unaware of the weight of his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Executioner. The legendary figure whose class I had inherited—or was mimicking. The fact that Merle knew him... this was fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, I unholstered the Winchester and my Revolver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, good. Leave it to me. I’ll make them sing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you. That’s reassuring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having secured the weapons, Merle leaned back against the workbench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One last thing, Boss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lily mentioned you’re planning to move the establishment. When you do... may Irina and I come along?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1571,"2026-06-06T04:52:02.137Z",1,"novelbin.me","523cae46046faa2e41db7b4f853b64e3099eca14a4683001125738b5016987b9","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-144","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-142",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]