Villain Simulator, Ch 161
[True to your promise, you offered him a generous gift. From your treasury, you retrieved a bottle of rare divine wine and bade the bard to drink it.]
[After ten years of camaraderie, the bard trusted you deeply. Without hesitation, he drank the wine and was astonished to find his body restored to the youthfulness of a decade prior.]
[You explained that the wine had the power to grant eternal youth, returning him to his younger self. Overcome with gratitude, the bard played one last melody for you before leaving the tower.]
[The bard's extraordinary fortune shocked everyone. What was once thought to be a ten-year imprisonment with the Lord of Tempests turned out to be a path to unparalleled reward.]
[Thus began the second round of selection. Unlike before, this time everyone hoped to be chosen.]
[To ensure fairness, the process was changed from voting to drawing lots. Only one lucky individual would earn the privilege of serving the solitary king in the tower.]
[The second chosen one was a young knight. Unlike the bard, the knight had no interest in wine or comforts. In contrast to the lively bard, the knight was stoic and silent, like a stone. His only wish was for you to hone his skills so he could become a protector of his homeland.]
[You agreed to the knight's request. Though you had never formally studied martial arts, centuries of battle had forged you into an unparalleled warrior.]
[You had to carefully restrain your strength during practice to avoid harming the knight. While he couldn't bring you the joy of music, your sparring sessions became an engaging way to pass the time.]
[Age 1381: The knight couldn't even graze your robes. Against you, he was as powerless as a child.]
[Age 1385: The knight began to perceive your movements, but striking you was still an unattainable goal.]
[Age 1388: The knight progressed rapidly and unknowingly became one of the finest warriors of his era. However, because you were his only opponent, he had no sense of his own strength.]
[Age 1390: At the end of the ten years, the knight issued one final challenge. This time, his assault left no room for retreat, forcing you to take him seriously.]
[At last, his blade grazed the edge of your garment. But he paid a steep price—the protective winds around you instinctively activated, and their violent force left him gravely injured.]
[As with the bard, you granted the knight a fitting reward. You administered a divine medicine that miraculously healed his wounds.]
[You explained that the medicine granted him extraordinary regenerative abilities, ensuring he would remain undefeated in battle.]
[The knight, elated, expressed his gratitude before departing the tower.]
[Everything unfolded as you had hoped: they alleviated your solitude, and you bestowed upon them your blessings. Was this not the ideal relationship between a monarch and their subjects?]
[To you, humans were endlessly fascinating. Both the bard and the knight brought you joy, and you eagerly anticipated what kind of person the third servant would be.]
[The bard had gained eternal youth, and the knight an indestructible body. The prospect of receiving such blessings drove the people of Mondstadt to vie for the chance to serve.]
[This time, the chosen one was a timid young girl.]
[She wasn't a citizen of Mondstadt but a refugee from beyond the storm barrier. To the impoverished wanderers in the snowbound world outside, the Lord of Tempests' realm was a paradise.]
[Occasionally, refugees would make it into Mondstadt. Although they couldn't gain citizenship and were relegated to slavery, even that was preferable to perishing in the frozen wastes.]
[As a slave, the girl wouldn't have been eligible for the lottery. However, she possessed a Vision attuned to the Anemo element, which allowed her to enter the storm barrier.]
[All Vision holders were permitted to participate, and none dared cheat under the gaze of the God of Storms.]
[Thus, the girl was sent to your tower. Watching the dirty little child cowering behind a pillar, you couldn't help but feel exasperated.]
[The bard had brought you songs, the knight had provided combat, but what could this stammering, timid girl offer?]
[You decided to let it be. Ten years would pass quickly enough. After a long silence, you finally spoke: "Go take a bath, little flea."]
[Like a tarnished piece of copper restored by polish, the girl emerged from her bath transformed. To your surprise, she looked oddly familiar.]
[You suddenly recalled the girl named Yuni from your past, when you had once been revered by monsters. Your memory, so vivid, felt more like a curse than a gift. Unlike humans, who could forget pain with time, you could never escape the tragedy of Yuni, even after a millennium.]
[The girl didn't speak Mondstadt's language. As a slave, she only knew the name others had given her: "Amos." In Old Mondstadt, it meant "the unwanted one," reflecting her status.]
[An idea formed in your mind—a way to pass the time. You decided to raise Amos. The process might not be thrilling, but it would at least occupy you for a while.]
[To put her at ease, you assumed a human form once again. You began teaching her the language, how to eat with utensils, and that she couldn't change clothes in your presence.]
[Age 1391: Amos learned quickly. In just a year, she had mastered the Mondstadt language—a feat far beyond what you had achieved in your youth.]
[Often, the vast tower would echo with the sight of a barefoot girl trailing behind you like a duckling, as though afraid you might abandon her.]
[Age 1392: Amos obeyed you in everything but one matter—she refused to wear shoes. She explained that the soft soles reminded her of the icy snow beyond the barrier.]
[You didn't force her to wear shoes, but a spotless girl couldn't have filthy feet. Every day, you used the winds to clean the tower thoroughly, ensuring her feet remained pristine.]
[Age 1393: Amos expressed interest in archery, wishing to become a hunter like her father. You indulged her, providing a bow and teaching her the craft. You even built a hunting range within the tower for her to practice.]
[Amos's talent exceeded your expectations. Her only shortcoming was her lack of strength. While her arrows couldn't pierce a boar's tough hide, they effortlessly struck its vulnerable eyes.]
[Age 1395: You inquired about Amos's past, including her parents. The answer was unsurprising—her mother had died in childbirth, and her father had been killed protecting her from monsters.]
["If you like, you may call me father," you generously offered. "But only within the tower."]
[To your surprise, Amos refused, blushing furiously as she shook her head.]
["Fine, fine, you don't have to," you said, stopping her before she shook her head into mush. "But why not? Don't you want a father?"]
["I don't want to be Decarabian's daughter," Amos replied earnestly. "I want to be your wife!"]
["How dare you be so impudent?" you roared in anger. "How many times have I told you not to call me by name?"]
[Amos had often addressed you directly, showing no reverence for your divine status. This was intolerable, yet you felt powerless to correct her. She was too fragile to withstand punishment and too sensitive to endure scolding.]
[As usual, you warned her not to use your name. But as the words left your mouth, you realized her statement contained a more startling revelation.]
["You want to be my wife?" you asked with a laugh. "Impossible. You're human, and I am a god. Gods and mortals cannot love—that is the rule."]
["Why?" Amos's innocent eyes brimmed with confusion. "Aren't you the one who makes the rules?"]
[Her retort left you momentarily speechless. She was right—you were a god, capable of shaping the rules. Moreover, you had once loved a human yourself.]
[But the tragic fate of Yuni made you wary of loving mortals again. So, you casually replied, "If the day comes when you can shoot an arrow that strikes me, I will marry you."]
[It was a promise without consequence. The gap between gods and mortals could never be bridged. Your protective winds would deflect anything—a longbow's arrow or a catapult's boulder alike.]
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Author's Note: Next extra chap: 400 p.s
Be quick if you want more extra chapters today! :)