I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

Chapter 302

Chapter 302

Elia’s eyes widened as she looked up at Seras, who nodded meaningfully.

"Yes, that’s exactly why," Seras confirmed.

The smile on Ian’s lips grew wider.

A prophetic dream at this time?

There would likely be some useful information in it for him as well. Still, he didn’t nod his head immediately.

"I’m not exactly known for giving good advice. It might not be helpful," he said.

He didn’t want to feel any unnecessary sense of responsibility. Besides, Seras was the type who became more eager and open when she felt like the other person wasn’t too desperate for her attention. True to form, Seras shook her head right away.

"That’s alright. All I need is for you to listen to my story and share your honest thoughts afterward. And of course..."

Her gaze shifted past Ian to Elia, who was watching with bright, eager eyes.

"The young lady should join us, too. After all, we’re all sharing secrets, aren’t we?"

"I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, but I’d be glad to think it over with you," Elia quickly replied.

Ian gave a slight shrug and started down the stairs, his gaze fixed on Philip, who was dragging Felix among the heavily armored soldiers below.

"Once you finish your tasks, meet us in the dining hall. Ask Sir Philip to guard the door; he’ll do it with no complaints."

As Seras followed him down the stairs, she finally allowed herself a small smile.

"Understood, Sir."

***

The rich aroma of stew bubbling in a pot, bread baking in the oven, and meat sizzling on the grill filled the dining hall, mingling with the warmth of the firewood.

Already getting lukewarm...

Ian clicked his tongue softly as he poured his second glass of beer from the bottle. The first glass had been refreshingly cool, but now, thanks to the heat in the room, the beer had warmed to a tepid state. Still, it was better than plain water. As he took another sip, his eyes followed Elia as she bustled around the kitchen.

... And I’ve rarely had the chance to taste her cooking.

Despite the reputation of the central region for having the best food, Elia’s culinary skills were unmatched. If they hadn’t been traveling with the princess’s group, there would have been far more opportunities.

... Well, that’s life, isn’t it?

If everything always went according to plan, he wouldn’t have ended up in this wretched world in the first place. As Ian sipped his beer indifferently, Elia finally returned to the dining hall, carrying a large tray over her head. She deftly set down the dishes of food in front of him.

"I threw it together in a rush, so there’s not much here."

"It’s too impressive to say that," Ian replied, picking up a fork.

The meal was a hearty spread of thick stew made with meat, vegetables, and a blend of spices, accompanied by warm bread and slices of golden-brown ham, perfectly seasoned and grilled to a crispy texture. The dishes looked both inviting and delicious.

"Why don’t you sit down and join us?" Ian suggested.

"I’ll just finish preparing a meal for Her Highness," Elia replied, already heading back to the kitchen. "She should be here soon."

As Ian took a bite of the ham and scooped up some stew, he nodded slightly. Even though Elia had prepared the meal in a hurry, the food was excellent. The slightly salty flavor, in particular, was especially satisfying to him.

Creak—

The door of the dining room opened only a few minutes later, just as Elia had predicted.

Without pausing his meal, Ian looked up to see Seras and Asme entering, with Philip standing guard outside, his back to the door.

"You arrived sooner than I expected," Ian remarked.

"My brother’s men are quite capable. There wasn’t much I needed to oversee," Seras replied, sitting down across from Ian.

He nodded casually and continued eating. Asme, taking a seat next to Seras, twitched her nose as she glanced toward the kitchen. Seras licked her lips before speaking.

"Sir, about yesterday—"

"Hold on a moment," Ian interrupted, raising the fork with a piece of ham on it. He looked over at Elia, who was bringing a large tray of dishes toward them.

"Let’s eat first, then we can talk," he said.

"I’m not really hungry..." Seras said, but before she could finish, Asme jumped up and took the tray from Elia, quickly setting the dishes in front of Seras.

Finally catching a whiff of the enticing aroma, Seras closed her mouth.

"Thank you, Asme," Elia said with a smile, and Asme returned the smile gently. Unlike when they first met, Asme didn’t taste the food for Seras beforehand; she simply laid out the fork, knife, and spoon in front of her.

"... Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since last night," Seras admitted, reluctantly picking up the spoon and looking at Elia, who took a seat next to Ian.

"You prepared all this in such a short amount of time. Thank you, Lady Elia. I’ll enjoy the meal."

"I hope it suits your taste," Elia replied.

As Seras took her first bite of stew, her eyes widened slightly. The same reaction came from Asme, who sat next to her.

The two exchanged a glance and then, like Ian, silently continued their meal. Watching them, Elia finally seemed to relax and picked up her fork. Her plate contained only stew and bread.

Ian was the first to finish his meal. He cleaned his plate completely, then leaned back and sipped his beer at a leisurely pace.

"Wow...." Seras was the next to put down her utensils, finishing her meal with surprising speed. She wiped her lips with a napkin before turning to Elia.

"I never expected your cooking to be this exceptional, Lady Elia. It reminded me of the royal palace cuisine."

"You’re too kind, Your Highness. I really didn’t prepare much," Elia replied with a bashful smile.

Seras shook her head immediately. "I’m not just being polite. It was a bit more flavorful than palace dishes, which made it even more enjoyable for me. It feels like you’ve had proper training. May I ask where you learned to cook like this?"

"Well... I learned from books, Your Highness," Elia answered with a modest smile.

"You learned it from books?" Seras repeated, her eyes widening in surprise. Asme also looked at Elia with a hint of astonishment, and Elia simply nodded.

"That’s incredible. I remember hearing a similar story once," Seras said, letting out a sigh of admiration.

"There was a chef who recently joined the palace from a fallen noble family, and they also said they learned to cook purely from books. They say that achieving such flavors without formal training is impossible without a natural talent. You must be the same, Lady Elia. So knowledgeable and skilled in so many areas...."

At Seras’s compliment, Elia paused, then looked back at Seras.

"Do you happen to know the name of that chef?" she asked.

"I’m afraid not. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the name. But if you’re curious, I could find out when I return."

"... No, that’s alright. I was just curious because of the similarity," Elia said quickly, shifting her gaze back to the plate in front of her.

Is she thinking of her sister who taught her to cook?

Ian wondered as he took another sip of his beer. Then, placing his glass down, he finally started speaking.

"If everyone’s finished eating, let’s get to the main topic."

"... Yes, of course," Seras replied, her expression turning serious as she looked at Ian. "As I mentioned earlier, I had a glimpse of a crossroads in the future during the night... It was after the erosion had begun."

Elia, who had been taking a bite of her food, froze in place, while Ian’s brow furrowed slightly.

"I thought you could only see glimpses of the near future? If it’s after the erosion, that would be at least two months from now."

"It’s unusual for me as well. This is the first time I’ve glimpsed so far into the future. Perhaps...."

Glancing at Elia, who was sitting next to Ian, Seras added, "My fate must have already been entirely sealed by then, just like the inevitable erosion that’s bound to occur soon."

…Did last night’s event somehow lock in this princess’s future?

Considering that she had the dream after Felix was handed over, it seemed plausible. There was no telling what kind of causal link might exist, but it was clear that the pieces were falling into place.

Ian took a sip from his glass and asked, "So, what exactly did you see in your dream?"

"I saw my brother seeking my advice. Because of that, I was able to learn a little about the situation on the front lines," Seras said, pausing briefly to wet her lips with water.

As Ian took another sip of his drink, Seras let out a quick sigh before continuing, "Not all the fortresses and walls on the front line were able to hold back the invasion as I’d hoped."

"Are you saying the front lines collapsed?" Elia asked, her brows knitting together in concern.

Seras gave a wry smile, looking both regretful and resigned. "Not entirely. But significant gaps appeared in the defenses."

"My goodness... The beasts, driven mad by the Black Wall, will flood into the continent," Elia said, her voice tinged with worry.

"Not just the beasts, but the madness itself will spread, drawing even more monsters in its wake," Seras added in a calm voice, her gaze shifting back to Ian.

She stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "You don’t seem surprised at all. Not even this time. Did you expect breaches to occur on the front lines?"

Ian shrugged nonchalantly. "If all the front lines had succeeded in their defense flawlessly, that would have been even more surprising."

Because that would mean the future I know has completely changed.

Ian kept that thought to himself, and as he did, Seras finally let out an inaudible sigh.

"Of course. I can’t match the insight of someone who’s faced countless monsters firsthand. It makes me feel embarrassed for being so certain before."

"And what advice did the prince want from you?" Ian asked.

"My father summoned a few of the princes and told them to put all their disputes and rivalries on hold, to unite for the Empire. He then ordered them to prepare for deployment," Seras explained.

"... He’s trying to manage the chaos on the front lines by utilizing the princes’ abilities."

At Ian’s remark, Seras nodded. "Yes, most likely. However, my brother believes that is still part of the process of selecting the next heir. He thinks that by summoning only the three most promising princes, my father wants them to rally their forces and use them strategically, showing their capability to lead."

Ian nodded in agreement. It was indeed a situation that would test their worthiness and right to the throne. Memories from his time playing the game flashed through his mind—passing through the front lines, he occasionally came across the camps or buildings where princes were stationed. He had often wondered if there were quests to be found there, but the heavy guard presence prevented him from getting close. Even on the battlefield, he never caught a glimpse of a prince.

In any case, any brave prince who fought on the front lines likely wouldn’t have survived long. The ones who survived would be those who remained in the capital or stayed hidden in the fortresses, collecting glory without risk.

"And then he asked me to choose where he should be deployed. He gave me four options. It’s just the way we siblings do things," Seras said, adding an explanation quickly.

She continued, "Ever since my abilities were discovered, we’ve developed a system. When discussing anything with me, even if I already know the details, he always lays out the options clearly. He does this in case I might foresee that moment in my dreams."

"So you can know the paths in advance."

"Exactly. My brother doesn’t always appear in my dreams, but when he does, it usually makes my decisions easier."

"So, not this time, then."

Seras nodded again, and Ian gestured with his drink for her to go on. Seras raised her fingers one by one as she listed the options.

"The choices are straightforward: the northern front, the eastern front, the southern front, and eradicating the plague-ridden areas in the central regions."

"My goodness...." Elia breathed out, her expression stricken. She had put her fork down entirely as she spoke. "It sounds like every front has been breached."

"While I don’t know the specifics of each front, yes, it seems that’s the case." As she replied, Seras brought the glass of water to her lips.

Despite her calm response, her hand holding the glass was trembling slightly. Well, it was only natural. The belief that the Empire could never fall had been shattered, so the shock she felt must have been immense.

So, in the end, what’s meant to happen will happen, sooner or later.

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Despite all the changes he’d made, the overall tide of events had not altered. The inevitable still seemed to find its way through.

Ian took a sip of his beer and then finally asked. Seras, having finished the entire glass of water, took a moment to steady her breath before she answered.

"I advised him to go to the northern front."