I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 606 606: Night Talk With Roda

In the end, after a fierce pillow war with Roda—a skirmish that definitely sparked more than a few misunderstandings among our neighbors—she finally, albeit begrudgingly, agreed to share the bed with me.

Not that it was a tight squeeze. The bed was massive—larger than a standard king-size, probably something youʼd find in a palace suite. There was more than enough space between us to fit a whole army, but…

Wasnʼt that a bit overkill?

I turned my head slightly to the left. Between us was a veritable wall of pillows—stacked high, like she was expecting a siege in the middle of the night.

Roda lay quietly on the other side, wrapped in the covers like a burrito, her back turned slightly toward me.

”Are you awake?” I asked, my voice low.

There was a beat of silence, then her voice came.

”Yes.”

”I have questions about the future. I answered yours, so now itʼs your turn,” I said, resting my head against my arm as I stared at the ceiling.

”…What kind of questions?” She asked.

”You said Leon joined your academy, right?”

She nodded, her white eyes reflecting the faint moonlight spilling through the window. She kept them fixed on the ceiling, not looking at me.

”I was in my first year when I met him,” she said quietly. ”He was always around Victor and Celeste. They were…close. Friends, even. Some things happened and I ended up getting involved. Leon seemed like a good person back then. He said he came from a distant kingdom, and that he got into the academy thanks to his recognized talent.”

”Thatʼs a load of crap,” I muttered. ”He got in because Ante Eden pulled strings.”

”Yes,” she nodded. ”But we didnʼt know that at the time. Celesteʼs grandfather helped him join. He used to work with Ante Eden.”

Of course he did. That old bastard had worked with Manuel Hylkren too, so I wasnʼt the least bit surprised. In her timeline, it made sense that he was the one who paved the way for Leon to enter.

”He trained with us. Fought beside us. He was one of us,” Roda said. ”But then… out of nowhere, he turned his blade against us. No warning. No explanation. Just betrayal.”

I didnʼt say anything. I could imagine it—the confusion, the disbelief.

”Victor was devastated,” she continued. ”After Aliciaʼs death, Edwardʼs betrayal mightʼve been the last straw for him…”

My eyes widened.

”A—Aliciaʼs death?!”

I sat up instantly, staring at her.

Roda turned her gaze toward me and gave a nod.

”Lazarus Raven… he must be killed.”

”What…?” My voice dropped. ”He killed his own granddaughter?”

”I donʼt know exactly what happened,” she said. ”No one did. One day she was gone. We found her body. And we knew. Everyone knew he was behind it. That monster… he activated the Blood Moon Spell after that. Took control of Sancta Vedelia. He killed Duncan Tepes too.”

”How did you defeat him if he killed the only other Demigod?” I asked, blinking in disbelief.

”We fought,” Roda said, bitterness etched in her face. ”But the one who actually killed him… was Edward.”

She spat out the name like it was poison on her tongue. ”Just before he turned his blade on us. We barely survived—with the help of the Apostle of Lumen at Celesta, and a few others who followed him. We believed we had killed him back then. Or at least, we wanted to believe it. But then he came back... at Edenis Raphiel,” she added, almost like an afterthought. B

”Wait.” I shook my head, confused. ”Iʼm still trying to make sense of Alicia…”

Alicia wasnʼt supposed to die in the Second Game.

Or rather, not in Nihilʼs game.

But I had to admit, things hadnʼt played out the same way. Leon wasnʼt the Edward from the game. And Alicia... her role had felt strangely off, like sheʼd been pushed into the narrative without much thought. Nihil hadnʼt given her proper closure or even significance. There was no dramatic setup about her potential death. No emotional anchor. It was almost like sheʼd been thrown into the Third Game as an afterthought, a discarded piece.

If Nihil had made a bigger deal about her death being possible, I wouldʼve been more careful. More paranoid. But the way it played out... she was treated like she didnʼt matter. Like she was expendable.

No. That couldnʼt be the whole truth. I couldnʼt afford to think that way. Alicia had relevance—she had to. If nothing else, her route had made it clear that Lazarus Raven was dangerous. Filth wrapped in charisma. A threat that needed to be dealt with. That could be what Nihil wanted to show me then.

”There wonʼt be any problems,” Roda said. ”As long as you deal with Lazarus Raven when the time comes.”

Right. He was a problem for later. But my curiosity got the better of me, tugging me away from the strategic and back into the personal.

”So… since you became the Prophetess, did you end up with Victor?” I asked bluntly. No hesitation. No shame. I was prying, yeah—but I needed to know. Victor was important. His presence could make a difference, and I had to understand what kind of person heʼd become in her world.

Roda didnʼt answer immediately. Her eyes darkened, staring somewhere distant—as if she were watching memories flicker like dying embers behind her eyes. For a moment, I thought she was going to tell me to shut up. Or maybe punch me.

But instead she replied me.

”After the Blood Moon Festival… he changed,” she whispered. ”He wasnʼt the same anymore. Something inside him broke.”

Her eyes didnʼt meet mine.

”He became obsessed with Ante Eden—the one who took his family. And then he lost Celes, Cylien, and the others. We tried to reach him. We really did. But he pushed us away. Shut himself in. Wouldnʼt let anyone in,” she said, her eyes turning a bit sad. ”And in the end… he died too. At Edenis Raphiel.”

”I see…” I muttered, leaning back. ”But things arenʼt going to play out the same way as in your world. Alicia wonʼt die. And Victor wonʼt go all edgy and unhinged. You donʼt need to worry about that.”

Roda let out a soft, amused snort—half a laugh that slipped past her before she clamped her mouth shut. She turned her gaze away, hiding something behind her eyes.

”How can you be so sure?”

I shrugged like it was obvious. ”Alicia and I have a good relationship. She listens to me. If I tell her to steer clear of her creepy old grandpa, sheʼll actually do it.”

Roda whipped her head around, eyes widening. ”Wait. You… Youʼre dating her? You and Alicia?!”

”What—when did I say that?” I grimaced, eyebrows furrowing. ”Why do all of you jump to conclusions so damn fast?”

She didnʼt answer right away. Instead, she stared at me like she was trying to decipher a language she didnʼt recognize.

”I mean…” She finally muttered, her voice more subdued. ”I donʼt remember Alicia ever being close to anyone. Maybe Elizabeth, sure—but after Elizabeth died, it was like she just shut down. Like nothing mattered anymore. She didnʼt care if she lived or died.”

”Well,” I said, spreading my arms a little, ”in this world, Elizabethʼs still alive.”

”Even so…I just canʼt imagine Alicia getting close to any man. Adrian really messed her up. Even after Victor took care of him, she still couldnʼt let anyone get near her. It was like she was... haunted.”

”Maybe itʼs because I helped her deal with Adrian myself,” I said, casually rolling my shoulder like it wasnʼt a big deal. ”I beat the crap out of him, and he ended up cancelling the engagement.”

”You—Really?” Roda blinked, looking stunned. ”You actually did that?”

There was a weird expression on her face. Part disbelief, part curiosity. Then something else flickered in her eyes. ”Do you… like her?”

”Can I not help a girl in trouble without someone accusing me of falling in love with her?”

”Then why help her?” Roda shot back.

”I needed her father to teach me Raven Arts,” I replied honestly. ”That was the main reason.”

Roda scoffed, arms crossing in that classic ʼI knew itʼ gesture. ”So it was for personal gain after all.”

”Oi,” I said, frowning, ”I appreciate Alicia as my junior too. That played a part. Sheʼs definitely more likable than a certain furry-eared junior I know, whoʼs busy swooning over a guy who already has a wife.”

Rodaʼs cheeks flushed. ”I–I wasnʼt like that! And besides, he disappeared! He abandoned us, anyway!”

I didnʼt say anything for a moment. Honestly, I wasnʼt surprised.

Victor had always been someone ruled by his emotions. It was just in his nature. The only reason he was so balanced right now, in this world, was probably because of Selene—she anchored him. Made him feel whole, maybe even happy. But clearly, in Rodaʼs timeline, things hadnʼt gone so well. The way her eyes dulled at the mention of him, the sadness buried beneath her words—it was more than clear.

”If itʼs any consolation,” I offered, trying to sound light, ”heʼs doing really well here. With Selene. And you.”

She blinked, slightly startled, and I added, ”Jennyfer Eginfer might also join… or maybe she already has? Honestly, Iʼm starting to feel like I know more about Victorʼs love life than I should…”

”There is no you. Not really. Iʼm not the Roda you know,” Roda quickly retorted.

She was right. Sheʼd moved on—or at least, she was trying to. And here I was, constantly dragging her back to the ghost of someone else. No wonder she was annoyed.

And truth be told, the Roda of my world…she was never going to become like this Roda that was for sure. Too many paths had already diverged. Too many scars written in different ink.

”Why are you different from the Edward of my world?”

Roda asked suddenly a more personal question.

I looked at her, then leaned back and let my gaze drift to the ceiling.

”I told you,” I said. ”The Edward in your world inherited the memories of a man named Leon. As for me… I have the memories of someone else. From the same world as him.”

She stared at me, wide-eyed.

”So… other worlds really exist?”

”They do,” I replied simply. ”So maybe stop glaring at me like Iʼm your mortal enemy every time I speak?”

”I know already by now,” she said softly. ”That, youʼre not the Edward I know.”

”Thank the gods for that.”

She let out a small breath, something like a laugh mixed with disbelief. But then her curiosity got the better of her.

”But… how do you know? About Edward. About Leon. About all these things? How do you know so much?”

It mustʼve sounded strange to her—unbelievable, even.

”Leon… killed my parents. In my past life.”

”...!”

Rodaʼs head snapped toward me, her eyes wide with shock.

Since sheʼd chosen to open up to me, I decided to return the gesture. She deserved at least that much.

”As for how I know things... itʼs complicated,” I continued. ”Letʼs just say I have glimpses—some knowledge of whatʼs to come. But I canʼt rely on it too much.”

”Because too many things have already changed?” She finished for me.

I nodded.

”I believe,” I said slowly, ”that sometimes itʼs better not to try changing the future—especially the big, world-shaping events. The more you tamper with them, the more unpredictable everything becomes.”

Roda looked thoughtful for a moment. Then her gaze narrowed.

”Then why did you ask for my help during the Behemothʼs attack? If someone realizes something was tampered with, they might retaliate. Fangoria could take extreme measures.”

”I know,” I said, my voice hardening. ”But there are people Iʼm worried about. They might die if I do nothing. Iʼm not doing this for the world, or for some grand moral reason. Iʼm doing it for them.”

There was a long pause. She watched me, a mix of conflict and understanding in her eyes.

”You can call me selfish or whatever,” I added, ”but I donʼt have the luxury to worry about everyone. Not like you.”

”I had to worry,” Roda said. ”I was a Princess. Isnʼt that our job? To carry that weight?”

”Yeah…” I chuckled, bitterly. ”Maybe for you.”

She frowned slightly. ”Arenʼt you royalty, too? Donʼt you have that same responsibility?”

She wasnʼt wrong. If I truly belonged to this world, I shouldʼve been the same—noble, devoted, dutiful. But that wasnʼt my reality.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh, dry and humorless.

”My parents of this world...theyʼve rejected me. Kleines Falkrona called me a monster. He told me to die… to give back his ʼtrueʼ son. As for Alea Olphean… she hasnʼt spoken a word to me since she found out what it meant for me to carry another manʼs memories. Not once. So no—Iʼm not royalty. Iʼm basically an orphan.”

Roda was staring at me silently before she spoke.

”Iʼm sorry… for your loss.”

She looked away, her voice cracking as she added, ”I lost everyone too. Even if I return to my world… it doesnʼt matter. My friends are dead. My family. Everyone I loved. Thereʼs no one left for me, either.”

She turned her face slightly, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes.

I think I made her remember things she had been trying hard to bury.

Her truth. Her past. Her loss.

Rodaʼs reality wasnʼt something you could just forget. Leon didnʼt just hurt her—he obliterated everything she cared about. Her home, her people, her future... all of it, gone. So of course she had nothing waiting for her in that world. Nothing to return to.

Itʼs strange—my own grief feels like a distant echo now. Time has dulled the sharp edges of it, made it bearable. But for Roda… for her, it was fresh. Raw. She had fought Leon just a day ago from her perspective. She watched everything fall apart in real time. Her pain hadnʼt had time to fade—it hadnʼt even had time to settle.

Maybe thatʼs why she seemed composed up until now. Maybe living in a timeline where the people she loved were still alive gave her some space to breathe, to pretend—for a little while—that everything was okay. But eventually, even the strongest mask begins to crack.

And when it did, I saw it.

Looking back on how I treated her, I couldnʼt help but feel ashamed. Iʼd been impatient… thoughtless. My grief may have been deep, but hers was still bleeding. And I hadnʼt even noticed.

I let out a quiet breath and slowly reached out my hand toward hers.

She flinched slightly at the contact, surprised—but didnʼt pull away. I gently laced my fingers around hers and cast Sloth. Not the usual way—not the heavy, draining kind. This was something gentler. Softer. Like a lullaby whispered to the soul, easing her restless heart. Calming her pain.

She couldʼve pulled her hand back but she didnʼt.

I think she understood what I was doing.

”Itʼll be okay,” I said. Just that. No empty promises. No hollow reassurances. Just a quiet truth I hoped sheʼd believe, someday.

Her gaze lifted to meet mine, those ghostly white eyes glistening with tears. One rolled silently down her cheek. She didnʼt speak. Just gave my hand the faintest, trembling squeeze before her eyes fluttered shut. Her breathing slowed, became gentle, rhythmic. Sheʼd fallen asleep like that—still holding on to me.

I smiled faintly and pulled the covers up over her. Just enough to keep her warm.

Then I leaned back and stared at the ceiling, letting the silence settle around me.

”Good night, Cleenah,” I muttered into the stillness.

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