The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness

“The weather’s wonderful.”

Riding atop the griffin, Muen felt the sunlight shining down beneath a cloudless blue sky.

This enormous magical beast possessed a speed entirely unsuited to its size. The whole world was rapidly retreating beneath Muen’s feet, yet the flight itself was extraordinarily steady. Aside from those few seconds when it had first launched from the ground and he had felt the sweeping gale, what brushed against his face now was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

A faint layer of magic flowed around the griffin’s body. It was precisely this layer of magic that kept its rider stable. Muen curiously looked around from atop its back, inwardly thinking that it was worthy of being his father’s mount. Whether in comfort or speed, it was more than one level above the Dragonblood Horses from back then.

After all, something running on the ground naturally could not compare to something flying in the sky.

Of course, not everything that flew through the sky was this elegant. Muen still remembered being carried the whole way in the claws of that damned calamity dragon. That dizzying sensation, as though his organs had nearly been churned out of him along the way, still left him with lingering fear even now.

But that dragon was an exception. After all, not just anyone in this world had the right to sit on a calamity’s back. Even being grabbed in its claws probably counted as an honor...

Probably.

“Ugh, why am I thinking about that? An existence like a calamity is probably something I’ll never encounter a second time in my life.”

Muen cleared away his scattered thoughts and focused on the present. From time to time, he gazed into the distance. Although this was only an ordinary long journey, given his rotten luck, he still had to pay a little attention to whether any accidents might occur.

Fortunately, no accidents happened.

The journey proceeded smoothly.

Aside from landing once midway, when Muen specifically hunted a magical beast to serve as the griffin’s lunch and replenish its strength, he spent the entire day high in the sky.

It could be said that he had focused entirely on traveling. After all, since a certain greedy little kitten was already so impatient, how would he dare delay?

At the same time the huge setting sun touched the horizon, Muen finally saw the outline of that familiar city.

“We’re almost there.”

Under the glow of sunset, Belrand’s silhouette remained just as majestic as ever, like an ancient beast sleeping low against the earth. Compared to an old city like Saint Blancfazesiya, Muen preferred this vigorous sense of life that was still constantly developing.

The griffin also clearly slowed, beginning to circle outside the city in search of a landing point.

Unlike the wilderness, where it could land wherever it liked, great cities like Belrand all had aerial defenses. If a flying magical beast casually invaded the city’s skies, it would immediately be attacked by magic cannons.

But as the Duke’s mount, the griffin obviously did not need to worry about that. A crystal hanging from its neck flickered with faint light. Several soldiers on the city wall hurried back and forth, signaling with flags, and the muzzles of the magic cannons quickly turned away.

The griffin also began descending. Clearly, it had already found a place to land.

“Huh? Why are there so many people?”

Muen leaned his head out from atop the griffin. Although they were still far away, with his eyesight, he easily saw that a large area outside the city gate—the place where the griffin was about to land—was currently filled with a huge crowd waiting there.

What was going on?

Heretics?

Terrorists?

Or some villains trying to ambush him?

...No.

Muen shook his head hard, freeing his thoughts from the excessive wariness formed after suffering far too much persecution from evil forces. If he had encountered such a huge group of people blocking the road midway, that sort of guess would still be reasonable.

But this was Belrand!

This was where his home base was!

Whether Celicia, who was probably already inside the city now, or Father, or the various connections he had built up over this period, or all the major figures he knew from different sides...

It could be said that after everything he had gone through, Belrand had already become the safest place in the world for him.

Before he even realized it, he was no longer alone. Even without relying on his identity as “the Duke’s son,” and merely relying on the name “Muen Campbell,” he could already gather a force powerful enough to stand at the peak of the continent.

Even if those villains were excellent at causing trouble, how could they possibly come here and make such a huge public move?

Did they think the Empress’s Sword of the King was not sharp enough, or that his old man’s Lion King Fist was not hard enough?

And even if all else failed, a certain King Indra currently working as a janitor at an orphanage would still be willing to explain the principles of ascetics to them...

“So these people are here to welcome me?”

This guess surfaced in Muen’s mind, and he quickly became more and more certain.

Because as the distance narrowed, he keenly noticed that quite a few people in the crowd wore pale-gold armor symbolizing the Imperial Royal Knights, as well as white-and-gold robes symbolizing the Royal Mage Corps.

Not only that, several others were dressed in solemn formal attire, standing at the front with grave expressions.

Judging from the style of their attire and their bearing, these people were undoubtedly Imperial officials.

And fairly high-ranking ones at that.

The Royal Knights.

The Royal Mage Corps.

Added to these officials of considerable status...

Muen quickly thought of two words.

Reward ceremony!

That was right. A reward ceremony!

They were here to receive him and then grant him rewards.

This perfectly matched the current display, and also perfectly fit the premise that his itinerary had been arranged so precisely.

After some thought, a clear line of logic soon appeared in Muen’s mind.

First, Celicia had been unable to endure her loneliness and longing anymore, so she decided to call him back.

But she was too embarrassed to simply call him back. After all, she was now the Empress. She still had to pay attention to the influence of her actions.

So she designed all of this in order to tell the world that she had summoned Muen Campbell back to reward him for his outstanding contributions to the Empire in the previous war, absolutely not because of any personal romantic feelings!

...Heh. As expected of his icy little tsundere. This bashful and roundabout way of doing things completely suited her personality.

How adorable.

“Looks like I’ll have to reward her properly afterward.”

While thinking about exactly how he should reward a certain icy little tsundere once they met, Muen jumped down from the griffin and walked toward the waiting crowd.

At the front stood an old man. When he saw Muen approaching, his expression immediately became stern.

“Muen Campbell?”

“That’s right. That’s me.”

“Son of Lorne Campbell, current designated heir of House Campbell, Muen Campbell?”

The old man adjusted his monocle, his gaze constantly moving back and forth between Muen and the document in his hand.

“That’s correct. I am the Duke’s son, Muen Campbell.”

Muen wore a smile, showing no impatience toward the old man’s repeated questioning.

It was a reward ceremony, after all. The procedure always had to be followed.

Besides, receiving a reward the moment he landed clearly meant the ceremony had already been greatly simplified. Otherwise, according to normal procedure, he would have to go pay respects to Celicia, bow properly, and then have her tap his shoulder with the Sword of the King or something.

That would be far too troublesome. Not just for him. A certain icy little tsundere definitely would not be able to wait either, and would probably feel somewhat awkward about it too.

“Very good. Identity confirmed. You are indeed Muen Campbell.”

After completing a brief identity verification process, the old man nodded in satisfaction.

Muen grew even more expectant.

What kind of reward had Celicia prepared for him?

Although he had not directly participated in the war between the Empire and the Kingdom, the contributions he had made should still be great enough...

A manor?

Jewels?

Beauties...

That was absolutely impossible. Although she did not show it openly, a certain icy little tsundere was the fiercest when it came to jealousy.

So perhaps it would be some kind of privilege allowing him to freely enter and leave the palace and spend the night in the imperial bed?

Muen felt the last option was the most likely. After all, after going in such a roundabout circle, wasn’t that exactly what the icy little tsundere wanted?

Over there, the old man had already put away the document and taken out a parchment scroll that looked like some kind of decree, slowly unrolling it.

Muen’s smile deepened. One hand rested over his chest, ready at any moment to thank her and perform the proper salute.

“Since your identity has been confirmed...”

The old man walked up to Muen.

“Muen Campbell, I am now placing you under arrest.”

Ah.

So the reward was arrest.

So original, so unexpected. What a rather nice...

Hm?

Huh?

What did he just say?

Muen froze for quite a while before reacting, but his face remained blank with confusion.

What the hell?

Arrest?

Arrest who?

Me?

“What does arrest mean?”

After hesitating for a moment, Muen asked seriously, just in case he had misunderstood.

“It means exactly what it sounds like. Muen Campbell, you have been accused of several crimes, and all of them already have corresponding evidence. Please come with us.”

The old man’s words ruthlessly shattered Muen’s fantasy.

It really was arrest.

And the person being arrested really was him.

“You haven’t made a mistake, have you?”

Muen’s eyes widened as he stared at the old man in disbelief.

“You’re arresting me... here?”

“Is there a problem?”

“There’s a huge problem, all right? I-I-I... how could I possibly be arrested?”

“That is the fact. Please look. The arrest warrant.”

The old man placed the parchment scroll in front of Muen and let him glance over it.

It was indeed an extremely standard arrest warrant. The name written on it was also his, and it bore an official seal. From a procedural standpoint, it was reasonable, legal, and impossible to fake.

Muen Campbell was now a criminal about to be arrested!

But from another standpoint...

Why had he suddenly been ordered arrested?

And in Belrand, of all places?

This made no sense!

Absolutely no sense!

“A conspiracy! This must be someone’s conspiracy!”

Muen denounced it with righteous fury.

“Such petty tricks cannot deceive me!”

“Oh? Does Young Master Campbell mean to... resist arrest?”

A faint hostility surfaced. Those Royal Knights and Royal Mages had already invisibly surrounded the area.

So these people were not some welcoming honor guard.

They were personnel arranged in advance to prevent him from escaping!

Damn it!

“Hmph. Do you think I’ll just obediently let myself be captured? Handing my fate over to others before understanding what’s going on—sorry, but that isn’t my style.”

Muen sneered. A dark gleam flickered in his pupils.

Annoyed though he was, these Royal Knights and Royal Mages were indeed elites among elites.

But if they wanted to stop the current him, they were still—

“Oh my, little Muen. Making such a dangerous move right now would not be a wise decision.”

An invisible ripple suddenly swept out.

Muen’s movements stiffened, and his expression turned ugly. Clearly there was nothing around him, yet he felt as though a mountain had suddenly slammed down onto his body, making it difficult for him to move.

In a single exchange, his greatest strength—speed—had been directly neutralized.

The person who had come was clearly prepared.

And that strength, against which he had no way to resist...

“You are...”

Muen looked toward the mature noblewoman walking gracefully out from the shadows, his eyelids twitching violently.

“Miss Phyllis?”