Living as a Villain 2 (Patreon)

Living as a Villain
Chapter 2

-VB-

Overnight, who I was changed in the eyes of the townspeople.

I was no longer “Alan the Foreign Slave” who was capable of arithmetics in their eyes.

No, they saw me as a warrior standing atop a hundred vikingers (“It was two-dozen!” I protested), drenched in the blood of my foes (“It wasn’t that bad!” I tried), laughed sinisterly (“Now, that’s just made up”), and summoned a demon to make myself a lord of evil (“The fuck is that supposed to even mean?!”).

All in all, I was no longer “a kind young man down on his luck” but “a fierce and bloodthirsty warrior capable of ending armies by himself.”

This, however, did not change how some people treated me.

Anna, in particular, looked at me as if I was still her servant’s servant, and oddly enough, I was willing to indulge her.

Which was why when I answered the door in the morning three days after that fiasco, I found Anna outside my new home (one that I bought from the town with half of the money leftover from buying my freedom).

“Anna,” I greeted her.

She beamed. “You called me by my name!”

“Of course. I’m not a slave anymore,” I replied easily. I looked out of my home and around. “Where are your guards?”

“I left them behind.”

I felt bad for the guards.

“You realize that that is not a good thing, right?” I asked her.

The overly enthusiastic girl who fit more in the 21st century than whenever we lived in now just grinned at me.

I sighed. “Well, come in,” I said as I opened the door.

She hesitated. ‘Oh good.’ Despite her extrovert nature, she was still a woman of what I felt like was early medieval Europe. Women did not just walk into a man’s home except those very close to them by blood like their father, brothers, and sometimes - but not always - the in-laws.

Unlike before, I was no longer a slave, which meant that I was no longer a “property of her father” but a “man.”

“Finally got that in your head, huh?” I asked when I saw her hesitating.

“I-I mean…” she muttered before sighing. “You know I can’t.”

“Yes,” I replied before I acted impulsively as raised my hand up. I cupped her chin with my fingers and then brushed her cheek with my knuckles. “But I’m such a scary person now… Could anyone do anything about this if I decided to …” I leaned in. “Ravage you?”

She squeaked and backed away, and I laughed. She grew an indignant pout in a vain attempt to cover up her blush, stomped up to me, and then kicked my shin.

I just laughed harder.

“But I really am not averse to having you in my home,” I added with a pleased hum. “In fact, I might just go and do a few things to have your hand.”

She jolted in place.

My statement was no different from admitting that I found her likable and someone worth bedding, and as a warrior worth a few dozen men, there were many ways I could go about getting that permission…

Even if Anna didn’t want it, if her father gave me the “right” to marry her, then she couldn’t do more than complain. Seeing as how she was looking at me with those vulnerable eyes and she was actually taking a step towards me, Anna … might even like the idea.

I leaned forward and gave her a kiss on top of her forehead, making her freeze.

“I’ll go and have a talk with your dad,” I said as I parted from her.

It was just convenient that her guards showed up then.

-VB-

“You … want to marry Anna.”

My former master, Merchant Aelfred of Inderawuda¹ (I called him Wilfred in my head), stared at me. Both of us were in the back of his wooden manor with nobody here to listen in on us; there was nothing in the immediate area for anyone to hide behind or under.

“Yes,” I replied honestly. “She’s a sweet girl.”

“... You know that I plan to have her marry someone else already, right?”

I knew that and came asking despite that. I knew that I had little to offer the kind merchant in front of me except for my strength and arms. At the same time, I knew that if I was going to ask him for anything, then right now was the best time to do while the memory of the viking attack and the bloodbath I’ve given them in return.

It would make him consider something that he would have refused out of hand.

After all, most people didn’t want to piss off someone who butchered most of the hardened raiders that nearly destroyed their town. If that meant marrying off their daughter to that warrior, then that was something a lot of people would do in a heartbeat, especially in this day and age.

If that marriage got them a warrior at their beck and call?

Well…

“I know, but I ask anyway.”

He nodded slowly but looked a little upset at the turn of events.

I held my hand up.

“Let me rephrase that. What would get you to consider me as the primary candidate for her hand?”

Aelfred smiled. “Well, there is something that you can do for more…”

I blinked. I didn’t expect that kind of reaction…

“It’s clear that I had utilized you improperly.” I supposed he would think that. “If you are willing to work for me as my son-in-law, then I will give you my blessing.”

… Oh, he was taking this very seriously, wasn’t he? It was an offer I couldn’t not take, considering I was the one who came to him in the first place and because I wanted this. He was essentially asking me to abide by more traditional roles of society instead of what the more adventurous men did: going off on an adventure for coin and fame.

He was right to be wary of such an occurrence. Logically speaking, someone like me could go out and win myself wealth and prestige rivaled only by kings unless I was very unlucky or made too many powerful enemies near me.

That said, would it be bad to stay…?

-VB-

Vote in the comments. 

Do we stay or do we leave? If there's less than 3 votes, then I choose via coin flip.

-VB-

¹Original name of Beverly, Yorkshire, England.