[{"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-27":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},1506352,1956,"Chapter 27: Party member #2","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-27",27,"\u003Cp>Crimson Witch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, she didn’t appear until the second half — not some mid-tier mob boss, but a full-on commander of Infernus. One of the big names. A late-stage raid boss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia Valemont.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last princess of the Valemont kingdom — a tiny independent nation swallowed by endless dungeon outbreaks. Multiple fissures opened at once, monsters flooded the land, and the kingdom collapsed in under three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her family died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her retainers died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only she escaped — dragged out by those who loved her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game never gave more details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only that she hated the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hated them deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simplyappearedone day as the Crimson Witch — a calamity in human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It always bothered me why she hated the empire. But I think I know now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have been sold to some perverted noble of the empire and would have suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now? Nothing like that will happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing her condition now I couldn’t even imagine her to become a villainous who spread terror among masses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...she looked like a hollow corpse sitting in human shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fragile, malnourished girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No spark. No fire. No life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lv. 9 Fire Magic Comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Insane,\" I whispered under my breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Kael — protagonist golden boy — only had Lv. 8 Sword Comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One level above him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she hadn’t been defeated for plot convenience... how far would she have gone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Archmage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grin stretched across my face without my permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t worry, Alicia Valemont.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll make your talent bloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villain party member #2 — recruited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pfft— HA HA HA HA—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed out loud like a madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily, seated across from me in the carriage, jumped back in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia didn’t react in the slightest — her eyes remained dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I coughed lightly, regaining composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem— don’t mind me. Sometimes I laugh for no reason. You’ll get used to it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily’s eyes screamedI don’t want to get used to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I noticed both their clothes — or what was left of them. Rags barely holding together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. This won’t do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the carriage reached the market district and I hopped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve got something to take care of here,\" I said, handing Lily my house key. \"Go ahead first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I told the carriage driver my home location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I headed straight to a clothing shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bought 10 sets of clothes for each — simple, clean, durable outfits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing fancy — but leagues above rags.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Total cost: 8 silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pocket change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, I headed home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened the gate, both girls were sitting on the floor waiting like abandoned puppies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Why are you sitting here? You could’ve gone inside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We were waiting for you, master,\" Lily said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pinched the bridge of my nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, first rule — stop sitting on the ground like you’re strays. Use the chairs, the sofa, anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stood upright instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And second— stop calling me master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily blinked. \"T-Then... what should we call you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucien,\" I said. \"That’s my name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily shook her head rapidly. \"W-We cannot. A slave cannot speak her master’s name—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. Then call me ’boss’.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. Boss. Someone superior. That works, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily bowed. \"Then... understood, Boss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing \"Master\" from a girl older than me was cringe-level painful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss is fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed in relief and unlocked the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Now get inside — both of you. Standing around like this makes it look like I kidnapped you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...well... technically Iboughtthem legally — but semantics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily’s gaze darted around the living room — curious, cautious, a little overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia... walked like a wind-up doll. Hollow eyes. No reaction. No interest. Just movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed the folded clothes on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are yours. Change into them later. Bathroom is down that hall — first door on the left. Clean yourselves first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily bowed lightly. \"Understood, Boss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia didn’t respond — didn’t even blink. Just stared at the clothes like they were random stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...yeah. rehab project level 100.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a breath and headed into the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their stomachs had growled several times in the carriage. They tried to hide it, tried to suppress it — but hunger hits harder when you’ve had nothing decent in ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So — simple decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fried rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d wanted to make it before, but without soy sauce or proper condiments, it would never taste right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>4900 points sat in my system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened the shop and purchased:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soy sauce – 2 points\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>• Sesame oil – 2 points\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>• Pepper blend – 1 point\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheap. Dirt cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worth every point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the points deducted, the ingredients materialized on the counter — glossy black soy sauce in a small glass vial, aromatic sesame oil, a packet of pepper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I washed the rice and set it to boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As steam slowly filled the kitchen, I sliced hare meat into fine bits — tiny granules, uniform, smooth, no ragged edges. My knife moved in a rhythm so natural I barely had to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>slide slide tap tap—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then vegetables — cabbage, onion, small bell peppers — chopped fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flicked sesame oil into the pan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>whoosh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft, mellow fragrance rose instantly, sweeter than butter, richer than anything this world normally had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tossed the meat in — the pan hissed sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>shhhh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aromas flared. The scent of browning fat mixed with sesame — savory, smoky, addictive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands moved on autopilot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eggs cracked and whisked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veggies tossed in at perfect timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat adjusted with subtle flicks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Culinary Creator (Passive)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cooking done in natural flow improves dish quality and aroma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah. I didn’t even realize I was smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without thought, without recipe — just muscle memory — the dish rose and turned golden before my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I added the rice, then soy sauce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>black drops — sizzling — instant color change\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything coated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything fragrant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the kind of fried rice you’d smell ten meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that’s exactly what happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bathroom door opened — footsteps — and both girls walked out in simple robes provided by the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lily froze mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia... stopped too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time — her dead crimson eyesmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>",1042,"2026-06-06T04:52:01.856Z",1,"novelbin.me","6aacffeb0bdd5ff5c25bfc848dc54a194b35733068ba772f2588dd900c8fc5a0","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-28","i-am-a-villain-so-what-chapter-26",230,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-a-villain-so-what-cover.jpg"]