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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 198: Dragon Kin

~Side Iris~

Time rewinds a little back to when Miria arrived at the tavern.

Iris was standing near the Adventurers’ Guild, a bit away from the tavern.

(What an amazing robe. I really went unnoticed by everyone.)

Wearing the Misty Hermit’s robe handed to her by Lewis, Iris had drawn no attention on her way here, and she no longer felt the unpleasant gazes from adventurers that she had felt before.

And currently, standing directly in front of the guild entrance, she noticed the adventurer next to her did not acknowledge her presence, even when she waved her hand in front of his face, receiving no reaction.

(However, it doesn’t silence everything, so I must be careful of my voice and footsteps.)

The effect of the Misty Hermit was to dampen her presence, but it didn’t include muting sounds, so Iris tread carefully into the guild.

(Perhaps because it’s night, there are hardly any people around.)

The last adventurer passed her just before, and there were no adventurers inside the guild; only a few guild staff members on night duty and a couple of knights with swords at their waists.

(Knights, huh? Given the security concerns, it’s not strange to hire knights as escorts, but the atmosphere feels unusual. They seem quite vigilant.)

The knights stationed in the corners of the guild radiated a sense of vigilance, their gazes carefully scanning the entrance, windows, and the staff.

(The arrangement seems odd too. Normally, they would focus on guarding the entrance and windows, but they’re standing near the stairs leading to the second floor. There must be something else they’re protecting. They appear to come from the black faction too.)

Having calmly observed the guild, Iris passed between the knights and climbed the stairs, opening the door at the far end of the third floor hallway, slipping inside.

(Is this the guild master’s room? Just as Lewis said, it seems they aren’t here right now.)

According to Lewis’s prior investigation, the guild master had gone to the base of the Poisonous Serpent’s Claws where Miria was, leaving only guild employees and knights here.

Iris began searching behind desks and paintings for evidence of the ledger and the guild’s connections with clans, but no suitable items could be found no matter how hard she looked.

(This is troubling. There isn’t much time, and I need to hurry… What’s that?)

Looking around for anything else, she noticed a bookshelf against the wall and approached it.

(This book’s corner is dirtier than the others, indicating it has been taken out repeatedly.)

Upon checking the books lined up on the shelf, there was one at the end that seemed worn from repeated use.

Intrigued by the book, Iris was about to pull it out when suddenly, she heard a sound, like a key turning somewhere.

Then, unexpectedly, the bookshelf slid to the right, revealing not a wall, but a purple door-like structure behind it.

(Is this magic? No, it must be an artifact. The wavelength of magic is different from regular spells. It feels closer to a dungeon.)

If it were magic, due to its purple color, it was likely the dark magic “Abyssal Door,” but that spell was known for its high difficulty and considerable magic consumption, making it impossible to maintain continuously.

Furthermore, the magic emanating from this door didn’t seem to be crafted by spells, resembling more of the natural magic that creates spaces like dungeons.

Only an artifact could facilitate something like this, and Iris, being proficient in magic manipulation, quickly understood this.

(Should I turn back here?)

Wondering how to act in this situation — whether it would benefit or harm Lewis — Iris briefly glanced at the ceiling, then slowly approached the door.

(Let’s go.)

Deciding to proceed, Iris reached out and touched the purple door, disappearing as if she were sucked inside.

(Is this… a prison?)

After the sensation of being drawn into the door, Iris opened her eyes to find herself in a dark place, resembling a cell for holding prisoners, where not a single beam of light penetrated.

(I’d prefer to light a torch, but there might be someone here. Let’s be cautious.)

After observing her surroundings for a while, Iris quietly moved deeper in, keen to determine where she was and the purpose of this place.

(So far, it seems there’s no one captured or any guards patrolling.)

Whether the guild master was confident this location wouldn’t be discovered, or if it was merely an abandoned spot, there were no signs of a patrolling guard in the cells.

(This is… a presence.)

Iris, who had been using detection magic since arriving, sensed a weak human presence and quickened her pace toward it.

“Who… are you…?”

In that spot, a beastman man was chained inside the cell, missing an ear and fingers, his body covered in dried, dark blood, indicating he had been neglected for a long time.

The nearly dying beastman seemed to catch Iris’s presence, speaking in a weak voice.

“Nice to meet you. I’m the adventurer Lily. And you are?”

Instinctively judging that this beastman was not an enemy, Iris, still wearing her hood, replied to his voice and asked who he was.

“I am… the vice guild master, Ronnie, of the Carirro Adventurers’ Guild…”

To her surprise, Iris discovered that the one imprisoned here was the vice guild master of the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Why is the vice guild master like you in such a place?”

“I was trying to… stop the guild master’s… wrongdoing, and send evidence to the guild in the imperial capital. But… it got exposed, and now I’m captured here.”

“I see. So you were trying to report him.”

“Yes. However, it seems the guild master had been suspicious of me for some time… and enlisted the help of a clan to monitor me.”

It seemed that, to summarize his tale, this beastman had attempted to report the guild master’s misdeeds but was locked up here by the guild master, who had tortured him for the evidence he collected.

“Has that evidence still not been found?”

“No. I didn’t reveal it until the end. However, due to that, I’ve nearly reached death, and perhaps they thought it was fine to leave me to die, as I haven’t been touched at all recently.”

“I see. So there isn’t a guard watching at the moment?”

“Right.”

“Understood.”

Saying this, Iris used magic to break the lock and entered, destroying the restraints that held Ronnie. She then took out a healing potion from her storage ring.

“Please drink this. Even if it doesn’t fully heal you, you should at least be able to move.”

“Thank you…”

Ronnie sniffed the healing potion she handed him before hurriedly downing it.

“Can you stand?”

“Yes, thanks to you. But why are you helping me?”

“Because I’m in a similar situation. I also came to this town to eliminate the Poisonous Serpent’s Claws for my own reasons, but I found out that the clan, the guild, and even the knights protecting the town are all connected behind the scenes. So, I plan to take them all out at once, but I need concrete evidence.”

“I see. So you need the evidence I collected?”

“Exactly.”

“Understood. I will hand over that evidence once we leave this place. So first…”

“What are you two doing?”

Just as Iris and Ronnie were about to leave, a man’s voice echoed from the previously empty room, and a black-haired man emerged from the dark hallway.

The man had a horn protruding from his forehead, crimson pupils sharp like a monster, and dragon-like wings sprouting from his back.

“Could it be… a Dragon Kin?”

The Dragon Kin—a unique race distinct from the Demon Race—was a powerful breed bearing the blood of dragons, endowed with a strong physique, unprecedented strength compared to humans, and the exclusive ability to wield Dragon Magic, placing them among the strongest races.

The weakest among them was said to have strength comparable to an S-class monster, while the strongest could rival the power of SSS rank.

“Why is a Dragon Kin in a place like this?”

“Why, you ask? Don’t ask strange questions. That line belongs to me. We were supposed to retrieve that beastman today, yet why is he out of his cell? Why are you trying to escape with him?”

“Could it be that the guild master is even connected with the Dragon Kin…?”

Ronnie felt despair at the shocking revelation, but before him stood Iris, who quietly instructed him in a voice too low for the Dragon Kin to hear.

“Ronnie-san. I’ll buy you some time, so you need to escape.”

“But I can’t just leave you behind like this!”

“Don’t worry about me. Your information is what matters right now. Once you get out of here, head to the most reputable inn in Carirro town. My companions will be there, and they will protect you if you mention my name. Just pass the information to them.”

“It’s not possible for me to do that…”

“You understand, being a guild member, that information can sometimes be more valuable than a person’s life. This is one of those times.”

“…! Understood. I will call my comrades and have them come to rescue you. Until then, hold on!”

“Yes.”

Ronnie said this, turning his back on Iris and sprinting toward the exit.

“I won’t let you get away.”

“Unfortunately, I won’t allow that. ‘Marine Dragon King!’”

Just as the Dragon Kin was about to move to catch Ronnie, Iris quickly unleashed the Marine Dragon King spell toward him.

“Oh? You dare to use a spell imitating a dragon against me? How foolish! Hah!!!!”

Before the approaching Leviathan, the Dragon Kin showed no signs of retreat, instead letting out a loud roar that seemed to nullify Iris’s magic as if it hit a wall, causing the Leviathan to disperse as mere magic.

“How about that? This is one of the Dragon Magic spells, ‘Dragon Roar.’”

Dragon Roar was a spell that infused the Dragon Kin’s special magic into their voice, launching it as sound, the impact of which held unimaginable power, obliterating anything that couldn’t withstand its frequency.

“Just as I anticipated, it didn’t work.”

“Hmm? You’re not very surprised. Nor are you despaired. How boring.”

“I knew my magic wouldn’t affect you. I merely needed to buy time.”

“Buy time, you say?”

“Yes. There’s no way that person could sit idly by, watching a strong adversary like you. Thus, all I needed to do was buy time until that person arrived. Right, Luna?”

“Fufu. You’ve got a good grasp of things, Lily.”

The moment Iris called out to the empty space, a beautiful girl with flowing deep blue hair, as if illuminated by moonlight, appeared, her ocean-like blue eyes shining sharply like a predator spotting prey.

“Thanks for buying time. You can go now; I’ll handle the rest.”

“No, if you don’t mind, could I watch you fight, Luna?”

“Well, I don’t mind. But don’t complain if you get caught in the crossfire, okay?”

“Of course.”

Thus, Iris, having completed her final role, quietly stepped back to observe the upcoming battle for her own future.

 

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