บท 91: Villain Simulator, Ch 90

"How could anyone easily achieve something like that!" La Signora gritted her teeth. "Are you messing with me?"

"Of course not, because for ordinary people, there is another way to instantly reach a state of emptiness," the Doctor whispered softly in her ear. "It's at the peak of ecstasy."

Hearing those words, La Signora's face flushed a bit as she muttered, "Y-You're not just messing with me, are you?"

"I swear by Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, it's all true. If you don't believe me, you can try it out yourself," the Doctor chuckled. "Of course, I doubt you'd lower yourself to do something like that."

"Hmph!" La Signora was too irritated to respond, and she stormed out.

After she left, the Doctor smirked slightly and said, "Come out, Lyudmila."

At his words, a young woman in a Fatui uniform slowly emerged from the shadows of the room, bowing her head. "What are your orders?"

"You must have overheard our conversation just now," the Doctor said calmly. "La Signora is right, the [Ring of Manipulation] must be retrieved as soon as possible. This task is yours."

Lyudmila wasn't aware that the ring's host was Lucas. She hesitated and asked, "Killing someone within Mondstadt's walls, especially someone connected to the Knights of Favonius... that might not be wise."

"Didn't I mention another method earlier?" The Doctor gently lifted Lyudmila's chin with her finger, smiling. "With your skills, it shouldn't be hard, right?"

To the Doctor, everyone—including herself—was merely a tool to be used to achieve her goals. That, of course, included Lyudmila's body.

"I... I understand." Lyudmila's expression was complex, but faced with the Doctor, she could only reluctantly agree.

"Good. Then hurry up," the Doctor waved dismissively. "Don't disappoint me."

...

Due to the gruesome state of Terrence's body, Eula's vanguard squad had to spend the entire night on cleanup duty to avoid causing public panic the next day. They ended up packing his remains into an entire sack.

The Knights of Favonius worked efficiently, especially when dealing with homicide cases. They quickly identified the deceased as a middle-aged widower from Mondstadt with no children or other relatives.

This meant that if no one pressed charges, the Knights could issue a simple statement, even concealing the identity of the murderer.

Furthermore, Terrence's body was so severely mutilated that identifying him was impossible.

Jean, the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, indeed considered concealing the truth. Her intention wasn't to protect the Lawrence family's reputation but to shield Eula.

Over the years, Eula, as a member of the Lawrence family, had worked hard to slowly change the perception of Mondstadt's citizens towards her. If the fact that a Lawrence had committed murder came to light during the Wine Festival, Eula's years of effort would have been in vain.

Not only that, but if the perpetrator's identity were revealed, it wouldn't just damage the already fragile reputation of the Lawrence family. Eula herself would also face immense pressure from within her own family for having killed a member of her extended family.

Jean wasn't a rigid leader, she understood that occasional flexibility was necessary for the greater good.

However, this proposal met with strong opposition from Eula herself. The reason was simple—she didn't want any privileges due to her family name, and she believed her actions were justified.

In the end, Jean had no choice but to agree to Eula's request.

By noon the next day, the Knights of Favonius released a statement. Though the murderer had been brought to justice, the incident still caused quite a stir.

The reason was simple—the perpetrator was a member of the Lawrence family, and the crime happened during the Wine Festival!

It was hard not to suspect that the Lawrence family was involved in some sort of conspiracy again.

...

Meanwhile, in the VIP suite at the Angel's Share tavern, a cute and delicate young bard stretched tiredly as he sat up in bed.

"Ugh, my head hurts..." Venti rubbed his temples. For someone with his high alcohol tolerance, having a hangover headache was quite rare.

However, the sight that greeted him quickly sobered him up.

Laid out in front of him were photos, arranged to spell out the word "bet."

Moreover, the content of these photos... could not be called ordinary—they were downright indecent.

In the pictures, a drunken Venti was dressed in all sorts of embarrassing outfits, posing in various compromising positions.

As he looked through them, even the usually thick-skinned Venti couldn't help but blush.

"How did this happen..." Venti muttered, biting his lip. "Could this be the price of losing a drinking contest? But why would he take these photos, and what's his real intention... Could he have... that kind of interest?"

As this thought crossed his mind, Venti quickly checked his backside.

Thankfully, he was still intact.

Otherwise, if he had been taken advantage of by a man in such a ridiculous way, it would have been a huge loss.

But...

Venti couldn't help but glance at the photos again, a hint of vanity on his face. "I never thought I'd look so cute in these outfits..."

But he quickly shook his head and slapped his cheeks. "No! Now's not the time to think about that. I must find that guy immediately. If these photos get out... I'll never be able to show my face again!"

Although Venti didn't really care much about his reputation or image, he was still one of the Seven Archons of Teyvat.

If those photos only circulated within Mondstadt, it might not be a big deal. But if they were spread to other nations, like neighboring Liyue, and caught Morax's eye, it would be a colossal embarrassment.

With this thought in mind, Venti hurried out the door without even bothering to tidy up.

He spotted the bartender, Charles, cleaning up the tavern. When Charles noticed Venti, his expression became rather peculiar.

"Charles!" Venti quickly called out, "Where did that man from last night go?"

Charles seemed thoughtful as he nodded and said, "Venti, you're still young. Some things are fine to try out once, but don't get too deeply involved."

"W-What are you talking about?" Venti frowned slightly.

"Take a look for yourself," Charles motioned toward Venti. "Young people these days are really open-minded, huh?"

Venti looked down and saw that he was wearing black stockings on his legs. Paired with his slender legs and delicate feet, they were actually more attractive than those of many women.

"Lucas..." Venti gritted his teeth. "You'll pay for this!"

...

At that moment, Lucas had no idea that he had already made his way onto the Anemo Archon's bad side.

Even though he had a busy night, Lucas wanted to get to the bottom of the bracelet on his wrist as soon as possible. So, after lunch, he followed the business card Lisa had given him the previous night and went to her place.

He had already informed Zhang Luo that the weapons had been delivered safely, so there was no rush to return. Staying in Mondstadt for a few days wouldn't be an issue.

Lucas initially thought finding Lisa's house would be a challenge, but he soon found himself standing before a large villa.

The villa had a unique design, with herbs drying outside and a large, lush tree growing from the roof. It looked like something out of a fairytale—a witch's abode, perhaps.

The door itself was a simple wooden panel with visible twisted grain patterns.

"This should be the place... right?"

Lucas stood at the door and gently knocked, but no one came to answer.

"Excuse me, is anyone there?"

He knocked again, and this time, a displeased voice responded, "Stop knocking, it hurts!"

To his surprise, a face formed on the wooden door, staring at him. "The mistress said she's not seeing anyone during her vacation. You should leave."

This unexpected sight startled Lucas, but he quickly pulled out the business card Lisa had given him. "Miss Lisa told me I could come visit her."

"You have that?" The face on the door nodded. "Alright, you can go in."

Lucas expected the door to simply open, but instead, two legs sprouted from its lower end, and it began to walk out, looking rather comical.

"What are you waiting for? Get inside already," the door said impatiently. "Haven't you ever seen a walking door?"

Of course not!

"T-Thank you." Lucas held back his urge to comment and hurried inside.

The room was clean and tidy, with cheerful artwork hanging on the walls.

Just then, a broom floated in from another room, sweeping the floor while swaying back and forth, as if it were dancing.

By the window, a teapot poured water into a potted plant, while a cloth, moving like a spider, cleaned the glass.

Wow, the entire room is fully automated—so elegant!

It seemed that all of this was Lisa's doing.

Though she was only a four-star character, her backstory portrayed her as a woman with unfathomable abilities.

"Well, you really came."

While Lucas was admiring the fascinating setup, a soft and seductive voice drifted in from a short distance away.

When Lucas looked up, his face immediately turned a bit red.

Lisa emerged from the bathroom, slowly drying her damp hair. She was wearing nothing but a small towel that struggled to contain her voluptuous figure, looking as though it could burst open at any moment.

"S-Sorry!" Lucas quickly lowered his head. "I didn't know you were bathing. Maybe I should wait outside."

"Oh my, your face is red again. You're so cute." Lisa didn't seem offended at all and smiled. "It's fine. I can tell you're a good kid."

"Actually, I came to see you because..."

Lucas was about to explain his reason for coming, but Lisa shook her head. "No rush. Sit down. Let's chat over some tea."

With a snap of her fingers, the teapot on the stove lifted into the air and poured tea into the cups on the table.

Since he was there to ask for her help, Lucas felt it would be rude to refuse, so he sat down.

Lisa, however, didn't bother changing clothes. She sat across from him, still wrapped in her towel, completely unbothered by the glimpses she offered with every movement.

"If you want to look, just look. I don't mind," Lisa said nonchalantly. "I'm not the type to be stingy."

Teasing Lucas wasn't because Lisa was overly flirtatious; it was simply that she enjoyed toying with things she found "adorable."

The Lucas in the simulator was unruly and reckless, but the real Lucas... was somewhat timid.

After all, in the simulator, even committing heinous acts only led to a game over. But in reality, if he acted recklessly, he'd be looking at jail time.

"Well, um..." Lucas quickly changed the subject. "This room is amazing. Is this what they call 'magic'?"

"Indeed. But magic isn't all that mysterious," Lisa said nonchalantly. "Even at the Sumeru Academia, it's less popular than fields like medicine or alchemy."

Having visited the Sumeru Academia in the simulator before, Lucas deeply understood this.

In Teyvat, magic was somewhat awkwardly positioned. Its theories were complex and esoteric, its learning curve steep, and its rewards often didn't justify the effort, making many people shy away from it.

Unlike the settings in other fantasy worlds, in Teyvat, the presence of the "Vision" means that there is no concept of "elemental magic" as such. The primary function of conventional magic is mostly limited to object manipulation or shaping.

It is impossible to conjure fireballs with bare hands or create blizzards using magic alone. As a result, magic is rarely practical as an offensive method.

Those with a Vision naturally have no need to go through the trouble of studying magic.

And those without a Vision know that even if they study it to the fullest, they might never achieve powers comparable to a Vision, so most give up halfway.

As for Lisa, her mastery of magic was simply because, for her, magic was not difficult. Plus, it helped her be lazy.

Moreover, publishing papers and conducting research on magic easily earned her generous rewards.

"What's this? If you want to learn magic, I can teach you personally," Lisa said with a slight smile. "But my tuition fees... are quite high."

It was obvious that the "tuition fees" Lisa mentioned were not as simple as Mora alone.

"I think I'll pass," Lucas waved his hand. "Let's get to the point. Actually, I came today because I need your advice on something."

"Could it be... a matter of the heart?" Lisa teased. "Like, should you choose Eula or Jean? Or... both?"

"Please, no more teasing..." Lucas sighed, raising his wrist to reveal the bracelet he couldn't remove. "Do you know what this is?"

"Where did you get this?" Lisa's expression finally turned serious. "Tell me everything, in detail."

Seeing Lisa's serious demeanor, Lucas didn't dare hide anything and recounted everything that happened last night. Of course... he glossed over the details of how he defeated Terrence.

"Based on your description, this bracelet is most likely the fabled Ring of Manipulation," Lisa said as she clapped her hands. "Lany, fetch me the Relic Compendium, please."

"Meow~"

A lazy cat's meow sounded, and a plump blue cat leapt onto Lisa's lap, carrying a book.

"Thank you," Lisa said, flipping open the rather old-looking book and nodding. "Just as I thought. Here, take a look for yourself."

Lisa showed the book to Lucas. On the yellowed pages, there was indeed an illustration of a bracelet that looked almost identical to the one on Lucas's wrist.

However, the text beside the illustration was in an ancient script Lucas had never seen before, making it impossible for him to understand.

---

Author's Note: The extra chapter will be uploaded as scheduled later today.. Still dealing with bad internet till nov 19..