A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

The enigma of Eileen Ziegler's demise, a mystery quietly obliterated in the annals of the empire, remains unsolved.

Of course, Ansel, bearing the memories of that time-traveler friend, is well aware of the truth behind that cryptic "suicide". Three years ago, he intended to use this to utterly shatter Ravenna, but ultimately chose to abandon the plan.

Three years later, Ansel, who originally planned to completely destroy Ravenna, no longer needs or intends to use this crucial information. However, Suellen, in her attempt to win over Ravenna, turned this event, which had shaped her entire life and arguably made her who she is today, into an irresistible bait for Ravenna.

The threads of fate are thousands, even millions of times stronger than anything Ansel could whimsically manipulate in the black market.

Yet, this was within Ansel's calculations. His nighttime chats with Seraphina were not baseless boasts. The contingency he left behind three years ago is enough to decide everything, and fate itself... is well aware.

Just as it would not stand by and watch Seraphina be tamed into a loyal dog by him, it initially stirred up Seraphina's rebellious emotions. But this rebellion would also promote Ansel's training plan. Even if fate is well aware that its operation is within Ansel's calculations, it will still indifferently push everything forward.

Just like the "rational choice" made by Ravenna, it is also a very simple value judgment. Whether to watch Ansel destroy Ravenna's emotions and self, or to follow Ansel's plan but compete with him in the process, the choice is self-evident.

After all, this is not the Red Frost Territory, not a place where Ansel can completely suppress all possible variables with his own power. The Elder Princess, the empress, and even Suellen... There are too many things in the imperial capital that Ansel cannot control. Therefore, even if fate never be "a god from the machine", the disturbances it can cause in this world are incredibly terrifying.

"However, the effect of such a thing is very limited."

Inside an old cottage, Ansel, with his arms crossed, leaned against the wall. He looked at the "detector" in Ravenna's hand and raised an eyebrow, "Even if you don't want the people of the Tower of Babel to know that you are investigating Mr. Ziegler's case, you could have commissioned the Alchemy Association to make one, right? Why do you have to do it yourself?"

Ravenna paced back and forth in the dusty room and indifferently said, "Suellen told me that the assassin who killed my grandfather is still in the imperial capital, and if I commission the Alchemy Association to make a special alchemical tool for hunting, it will inevitably arouse suspicion."

"Because the person ordering this thing is the granddaughter of Eileen Ziegler. Although that is an old matter that may have been forgotten by most people, it cannot be guaranteed that it will not be linked together by someone with ulterior motives."

Ansel clapped lightly, "Even outside the realm of creation and knowledge, your wisdom is always flexible. That's what I like most about you, Venna."

"Are you expecting me to be moved by this joke-like flattery?"

"No, what I want to hear is your slightly sarcastic retort."

The young Hydral half-closed his eyes and chuckled, "Very interesting, it's nostalgic... It seems... you are more accustomed to the rhythm of our past coexistence than I thought."

"..."

Ravenna's expression froze slightly, but she had no way to refute Ansel's words.

When she chose to think about every word of Ansel's and deliberately used rationality as an absolute defense... undoubtedly, Ravenna was hardly affected by Ansel's words.

But now, when Ravenna had no choice but to let down her cold iron wall and open the gates of rationality, the flow of emotions was like a bodily instinct, somewhat beyond her control.

—When she was not deliberately opposing Ansel, she would behave like this.

Unable to refute reality and choosing to remain silent, Ravenna continued to search for clues in this old room.

This was the humble abode of Eileen Ziegler in his destitute twilight years, situated in an inconspicuous corner of the lower city, far from the heart of the empire.

The renowned alchemist, who had once been celebrated nationwide four to five decades ago, met his tragic end in this remote and dilapidated dwelling.

"Could you elucidate your thought process?"

Ansel, no longer standing idly by, began to stroll around the house with his hands clasped behind his back. "Hendrik and his ilk, who possess more resources, greater power, and abundant energy, have failed to uncover even the slightest truth about this incident. Yet, Venna, you hope to find clues with this hastily assembled, half-baked detector."

His fingers brushed over the thick dust on the decaying wooden boards. "Is it because the incident was still unresolved and shrouded in mystery, that you believe their investigation was hindered?"

"And now, as the events from fifteen years ago have been nearly forgotten by all, do you think it's possible to uncover some clues?"

"It's not just that." Within the grey frames of her glasses, Ravenna's violet eyes were icy. "I believe that the murderer who killed my grandfather may very well be active again."

"Oh?"

"Just like they killed my grandfather, they, or the people behind them, want to kill me."

Ravenna's implication was clear, and Ansel responded with interest, "Because you have my support, because you are more likely than your grandfather to... realize his dream, your conviction?"

Eileen Ziegler was the origin of Ravenna's extraordinary dream and the birthplace of the Tower of Babel.

He fell from being one of the top alchemists of his time to a rambling madman, all because of one concept—

Universal extraordinary.

He wanted to create alchemical tools that didn't require ether as a medium, meaning that even ordinary people could use them, completely transforming the world.

The implications of this idea in a world dominated by the extraordinary were self-evident.

If the empress or Hydral had shown some interest, Eileen might have had a chance. Unfortunately, Ephesande at the time, although not as mad as she is now, was already showing signs of resisting death, gradually neglecting her imperial duties and the empire itself, naturally indifferent to this matter. Flamelle, at the time, was still a bit of a rogue, running around the world.

Although he gave Eileen a high evaluation, he didn't care that the alchemist he had once appraised had become such a madman.

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