I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 930

Chapter 27: Questioning Old Dung

“Let me handle Valoran, Roy. I have another request for you.”

Janthea looked earnestly at Roy, “Just in case Valoran has any bad intentions, could you please protect Nia?”

“Count on me.”

That night.

Nia’s room.

“So this is how you protect me?”

The elf girl, arms crossed, gazed at the boy sprawled on her bed as if he owned the place, her cheeks twitching.

“Bodyguard, what’s the problem?” Roy shot back as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Nia stomped her foot in embarrassment, “So sleeping on my bed is part of your protection strategy?”

“Well, it’s to make sure that if an assassin attacks, I can use you as a meat shield right away.”

Not gonna lie, Nia’s bed was pretty soft and comfy, scattered with dried flowers, just like her fragrant, soft body.

Roy chuckled lightly, “With a high-level Extraordinary Being as your bodyguard, you should be happy.”

“…… Fine.”

Although she often snuck into Roy’s room at night, this time being invaded by Roy made Nia a bit shy.

Of course, sleep was still a necessity. She didn’t mind resting her head on the boy’s arm as she drifted off to dreamland.

Only when they were alone did the cheerful smile vanish from Nia’s face, replaced by a hint of gloom as she recalled the day’s events.

Anyone knowing someone wanted to kill them wouldn’t feel great. Especially if it was someone close.

While Janthea still had about 70% trust in her assumptions, Nia had fully bought into Roy’s theory. To her, Valoran was already part of All Things Wither.

“Even though we don’t like that old dung, I never thought he’d really stoop this low… he really wants my life.” Nia’s self-deprecating tone held a bittersweet edge.

Roy hated that expression on her face.

“It’s fine. As long as I’m here, what are you afraid of?” He ruffled Nia’s hair jokingly, letting out a laugh, “You really think I’m here to take advantage of you? I promised to protect your safety; do you think I’d go back on my word?”

“True, I guess.” Nia’s expression brightened a bit.

“Just…”

I don’t want to always be protected by you.

Caught between sweetness and mild frustration, Nia felt complicated thinking about how she couldn’t help Roy but relied on him instead.

It had been like that today as well.

As a Forest Elf, counter-surveillance was supposed to be her specialty, but being tracked all day without noticing? She had to rely on Roy to uncover the truth.

Being a rank 5 just wasn’t cutting it; she couldn’t keep pace with him until she reached a higher level.

Until the boy whispered softly in her ear, like a gentle evening breeze unraveling her worries.

“One day, you’ll become a remarkable Adventurer. Meals are taken bite by bite, and roads are walked step by step. So until then, let me take care of you a little, help you deal with those pesky guys, what’s the harm?”

“….. Hehe, then I’ll trouble you.”

Exactly, even if she couldn’t catch up now, it was okay. Before she could soar, she had a warm and reliable shoulder to lean on.

She gently pecked the boy’s cheek, feeling reassured, and sweetly fell asleep.

————————

The next morning, the council of the Verdant Council commenced as scheduled.

In the open-air meeting hall at the center of the sacred tree, bright sunlight poured in, and the circular seating accommodated over a hundred representatives from various trades, ordered in a sequence of seats.

As the council’s chair, Janthea sat at the forefront. Opposite her was Valoran, the vice-chair.

The elven descendants were known for their indifferent nature and aversion to conflict, but that didn’t mean there was no power struggle among them. In fact, the rivalry between Janthea and Valoran had been ongoing for years, leading to a considerable number of political factions forming on both sides, creating a tense atmosphere in the council.

Elven descendants didn’t favor noisy disputes, yet their silence didn’t prevent them from casting hostile and dismissive glances at one another.

From the moment the meeting began, the atmosphere felt heavy.

However, Janthea was the first to speak, breaking the tension.

“Everyone, throughout history, councils have been established to consolidate the consensus of various clans to unite us elven descendants. Yet, as you all know, there is a serious division among us regarding whether to fully resist All Things Wither.”

“Today, it’s time to resolve this issue once and for all.”

As she spoke, Janthea’s gaze fixed solely on Valoran, her greatest rival in the council.

Valoran, the vice-chair of the Verdant Council.

Tall and stoic, the unamused elven representative looked like he was caught between an uncle and an old man in age, but with a lifespan long enough to place Janthea in the junior category. Now, he held one-third of the council’s members, making Valoran an undeniable obstacle for Janthea.

And his stance remained as stubborn as ever.

“Janthea, I’ll say it again: After several epochs, dragons have fallen, giants are sleeping, and the gods’ glory has faded, why is it that only we elven descendants have persisted until now, still active on the stage of the Extraordinary world?”

“It’s not because we are powerful; it’s because we abide by the survival rules of our forebears! Staying within the council and remaining docile, avoiding trouble, is our only option!”

Valoran’s voice was resonant, with solid support from the representatives behind him.

“The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed!”

“Lady Janthea, you mustn’t let your head get dizzy and fall into the trap of conflict with the Cult!”

On the other side, representatives backing Janthea expressed their outrage.

“Yesterday is yesterday; today is today!”

“All Things Wither has repeatedly attacked us and even threatens the Forest Elves. Are we just supposed to ignore it?!”

One-third of the representatives backed Valoran, another third supported Janthea, and the remaining third were caught vacillating between the two.

Only with the support of a majority in the council could any topic reach a conclusion. Otherwise, under the inability to unite, even Janthea, as chair, would find it hard to push through policies.

Valoran’s argument wasn’t completely baseless.

The Cult of the Evil Dragon from the Lionheart Kingdom had previously cooperated with the dragon kin to incite wars throughout the kingdom. The Necromancer Faction from the eastern continent had orchestrated horrifying tragedies, such as sacrificing an entire city filled with countless lives.

However, All Things Wither had been comparatively low-key. Whether through cult rituals or stealthy assassinations, the scale was relatively small and primarily under the control of the rangers.

The only significant incident had occurred in the Academy City, not in the Verdant Council.

That’s why some were reluctant to provoke the cult and find themselves in a quagmire, which Janthea could fully understand.

Hoping to resolve sibling conflicts with time—until yesterday, Janthea still held that fantasy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the continuation of our race is the utmost priority! The notion of three human enemies is merely the words of a Sage; we have no need to proactively get involved in conflicts with cultists!”

As Valoran continued to incite the crowd, Janthea finally chuckled coldly.

“A good obsession with the utmost priority.”

“Then let me ask you: spying on my daughter in secret, is that also in the name of the greater good for the continuation of our race?”

The moment this was spoken, even the indifferent elven descendants couldn’t help but create an uproar in the meeting hall.

And Valoran’s expression finally turned grim.