The Fresta Empire, Deep Blue Territory.
The border city of Resa.
In a manor close to the outskirts of the city, the light from magictech lamps illuminated the entire banquet hall.
Shiayar sat by a table in the corner, watching the noisy banquet.
The attendees were boys and girls around sixteen or seventeen years old, their faces youthful and immature. Their coarse clothes stood out awkwardly against the banquet's refinement.
"We're really lucky! Who would have thought we'd be taken in by a noble's daughter just as we arrived in Resa?"
"Indeed! Not only is she willing to provide us with food and shelter, but she has also agreed to recommend us to the Extraordinary Academy. As a noble, she's like an angel compared to the stingy lord of my hometown."
"My uncle warned me that the big city is full of people who would eat you without spitting out your bones, but it seems there are more good people in the world after all."
"I must make something of myself in the big city and then make my hometown prosperous! I'm carrying the heavy expectations of the villagers on my shoulders."
The chatter reached Shiayar's ears, making him feel the urge to facepalm.
Do they really have to set so many flags for themselves? If nothing happens at this banquet, it would be a real shame, considering all the flags they've raised.
Of course, if this noble manor were truly peaceful, he wouldn't be here.
Shiayar leaned against the table, quietly eating sunflower seeds, and went over the information on his target once again.
Anlina Tazela, the owner of this manor and a hereditary titled nobility, was also a second-tier wanted target by the Jurisdiction Bureau. She was suspected to be involved in several disappearance cases in Resa City, with a bounty of three thousand Rhine gold coins issued in the Bureau's secret warrant.
Of course, the purpose of his visit wasn't entirely for the bounty offered by the Jurisdiction Bureau.
It all came down to the pale blue light screen clearly displayed in Shiayar's consciousness at this moment.
[Destined Great Villain System]
["Humans are but beasts that do not sing the praises of life without sacrifice; ignorant children can only grow up after learning pain. Only blood and death can nurture beautiful flowers."]
["So, let this world feel the agony!"]
[Newcomer Mission: Let the young and naive Grand Duke's daughter of the Azure Garden Dukedom, Miss Silvia, experience the betrayal of her loved ones and, amidst the pain and despair, complete her transformation and rebirth.]
This system had appeared in his mind at the same time as his transmigrator's memories awakened when Shiayar was eight years old.
At first, Shiayar was very calm about the appearance of his golden finger.
Although the system seemed inherently a bit evil, perhaps it was better suited to doing the dirty work.
After all, transmigrators of this era were no simple matter. Some became slimes, others turned into treasure chest monsters, and some were even reduced to mere skulls, incapable of amorous exploits. There were also those who wanted to leave the hero's party, those who aspired to be powers in the shadows... even those who played it safe, preferring shields or staffs—such things were all commonplace.
It was nothing more than playing a villain. It wasn't to say that, according to traditional customs, there might be a redemption arc later. Even if he truly couldn't be redeemed, Shiayar didn't care. Wasn't it only natural to pay some price to become stronger?
He had even repeatedly tormented Miss Silvia, whom he had not yet met, in his mind with various plots like the 'boil the hound after catching the rabbit' strategy, the exile strategy, and the engagement annulment strategy.
This calmness lasted until Shiayar thoroughly searched the entire continent's map and, to his shock, couldn't find any mention of the 'Azure Garden Dukedom'.
After turning over information on the Abyss and the Element Plane to no avail, Shiayar, feeling like he was hurtling towards a Frenzied Flame King ending, finally found a clue.
It was a brief line of text in a dusty historical record within the Empire Capital Grand Library.
"The Azure Garden Dukedom, perished in the Twilight Catastrophe in Holy Calendar Year 346."
It is now Holy Calendar Year 902.
In other words, nearly six hundred years ago, the Azure Garden Dukedom had already returned to dust.
According to the records, the Azure Garden Dukedom was established in the First Year of the Holy Calendar and had a history of only over three hundred years until its demise. It is no wonder that after more than five hundred years, it had long been forgotten by the world.
Following this clue, Shiayar also found records of the Grand Duke's daughter, Silvia—
"Gray-Silver Witch" Silvia, a Legendary Beastmaster, had ascended to the highest legendary throne more than five hundred years ago.
After establishing the "White Chalk Tower", she disappeared without a trace, never to be found again.
After confirming the records were true, Shiayar stared at the line of distinct black and white characters on his system panel—"ignorant, young, and naive Grand Duke's daughter"—speechless for a long time.
For a time, he couldn't tell whether he had transmigrated five hundred years too late or if the system's reaction time was indeed five hundred years long.
Originally, Shiayar had intended to completely ignore this unreliable system.
But alas, no human can escape the "true fragrance" law.
In the face of those generous task rewards, he ultimately chose to complete this newbie mission that was five hundred years late.
After ten years of daily perseverance, Shiayar's exploration had finally made some headway.
His special trip from the Empire Capital to the frontier city of Resa this time was precisely for this purpose.
The noisy chatter around him suddenly quieted down and then disappeared entirely.
A woman in luxurious clothing appeared at the center of the banquet. She wore a pure white gown, and her features were soft and beautiful.
She was none other than Miss Anlina, whom the young people spoke of as angelically holy, kind, and beautiful.
She was also the target Shiayar had seen on the secret wanted order from the Jurisdiction Bureau.
Almost the moment Anlina appeared in the hall, Shiayar detected the putrid scent of death accompanying her.
"The aura of an Evil God."
Shiayar instantly became alert; even the sunflower seeds in his hand lost their appeal.
Woman, you have successfully captured my attention.
According to information Shiayar had painstakingly pieced together from various dusty and fragmented historical texts, the short-lived Azure Garden Dukedom was destroyed by a disaster triggered by the revival of a Twilight deity.
Due to the passage of time, the specific details of that Twilight Catastrophe were no longer traceable. It was only known that ultimately, it seemed a powerful figure had intervened to quell the revived Evil God.
Based on the intelligence he had gathered, this noblewoman named Anlina likely possessed a token, or rather a contaminant, left by the Twilight Evil God that had revived in the Azure Garden Dukedom.
And this was one of the last two keys Shiayar lacked.
Indeed, he had spent ten years and countless amounts of money and wealth, all to complete a plan that went against his ancestors.
He intended to—
[Make a Fool of History]