Villain Transmigration: Author Transformation

An early night and the battle also ended swiftly, at most before the music ended. 

What happened before Athan's eyes was too much of slaughter, with Sylvester and the rest ripping through the enemy ranks, and Veronica and the rest of them supporting them from behind with staves and bows on their hands.

Magical explosions came, blasting off the enemies to smithereens, and finished the crazed beasts before they hit Athan's men-at-arms.

Right now, things slowly died out, and the ghouls continued to rummage through the enemies' flesh. The rest went on to scavenge what was deemed valuable left on the ground like special artifacts—although armors and weapons were also welcomed.

With the ground filled with carcasses, he trudged his way out of it while wiping off the smears of blood on his face.

Even then, the field started to smell a tad putrid, which he then beckoned the rest to hurry up and pack what was needed to be done, so he could burn everything to ashes.

Sylvester and Veronica went to him, reporting about the cases with only a few people in critical conditions, and the majority had minimal injuries that could be treated with a healing spell and potions from the storage. 

Unbeknownst to him, Arnold descended with a cloud of frost on his feet, and then landed on the ground with grace. He covered his nose as he scrunched his face. "Ugh, what disgusting smell."

However, the Grand Duke of Blackwell already had a menacing countenance, not aimed at them, but everyone could feel the bizarre aura around him, and not the fun kind.

"Your Grace..." Athan turned around, greeting him accordingly with such a gesture. "What about the one you set up?"

"... I've kept it for a long time already..." He massaged his temples like he had a sudden onset of vertigo as he groaned aloud. "I can't believe this all happened."

"Pardon?"

"Mysti…"

"I see," Athan added, nodding his head slowly. "But I suppose you've already known what she was about to do—"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Arnold fired back at him, close to fuming with his head letting out steam. "In no way, my daughter could've danced like that! Let alone in that kind of revealing outfit!"

While it was true that it was quite a rare occurrence that she had prepared such a presentation, it was for the crowd— of which both enemies and allies in the battlefield— having such an effect on everyone.

What Arnold thought that she wore was unwarranted, to begin with, as far as his over-protectiveness went, Athan pondered that he had to deflect it with the dance she put up, for it would only be more of a disservice of what her father implied.

"Your daughter showed exemplary abilities back then at the Frozen—"

"Still no! While I think she'd been secretly doing it, especially not on my watch, I would never expect her to wear it—Makes me go insane, but even I couldn't move at all!"

All of them looked at him, frowning deep from his words.

Even Sylvester couldn't help but query his claims, "How could you not, Arnold? You've even seen us being alive and well."

"You fool! You know nothing about what happened to me for I'm not like you!" 

Right now, it left a bad taste in his mouth, and Athan wracked his brains on how he could uplift the situation. But then, he ended up blurting out the words.

Only he could bet his assumptions on it.

"Perhaps she knew that you would stop her channeling spell the moment you saw it—"

"Oh, I sure will!" Arnold became too livid, with his gaze glinted in horror, striking a cold shot to their hearts. "I could've easily squashed them all with my power." 

From his hand revealed a frosty mist that crackled as lightning swirled around it.

'Oh goodness, he's too pissed off…'

However, Athan was there to ease the situation, trying to salvage whatever he could as it wasn't the right time, looking around as they almost finished cleaning up the mess. 

"If you're willing to hear me out, Your Grace."

"Go ahead."

"It might be because she needed more help from you, as things were far from over."

Arnold hummed deep, with squinting eyes and rubbed his stubble chin, which Athan implied for now.

From there, he mentioned how Arnold's presence would arouse suspicion, and for him to be present in the West instead of North would've meant leverage of those who sought the opportunity from there.

Moreover, Mystique had plans she ought not to tell, lest it would drastically shift the future that she foresaw as she laid them out and for them to carry out seamlessly.

Veronica caught the gist of the conversation, chiming in, "It might be the one posing a greater problem under the place in the 'Desolate Ravine' that Lady Mystique mentioned hours ago..."

"I concur about that." Athan nodded. "With our part done in here, we can charge towards the unknown city as it's more complicated than we ever thought then."

Clarice's problem bore great resemblance to what Arnold did in the past; from the most loyal figure in the Dysnomia Empire to a great defect and ended up making his beloved home suffer, almost to ruin.

Never did they think that because of Mystique, his principles and goals in life would change, making him the worst enemy out of everything. With secret information he had, the Empire became too vulnerable, and everyone hopped in for the opportunity.

Even then, with the situation developed today, things were never too late. Mystique also had the idea and the same perception as Clarice. 

Only time would tell, but for now, he had no choice but to believe in her.

Arnold scratched the back of his head as he clicked his tongue. Somehow, his blood had yet to boil further as he simmered down to great disappointment. "How serious could this even get then?"

"Do you think... " Athan trailed off his voice, after looking at how they packed up and went back to Arnold's pocket. "You could give her a… Call?"

"Now that you mentioned it..."

By the time he got the smartphone from rummaging, the glass went bright, beeping, with an urgent call from Nathan.

"You've called—"

"Arnold! Come here! Now!"

All of them furrowed their eyebrows, but Sylvester and Veronica snapped theirs as their eyes and mouth went agape from what they saw from far afield.

Veronica shrieked as she pointed in the direction. "What's that?!"