Duke Levi glared at Viktor and left without a word.

As for Viktor,

He never intended to explain anything from the beginning.

Helping Duke Levi was merely a convenient act. Although he indeed needed the Duke's family's power to do something, there was no need to tell Duke Levi about it.

Viktor had a better candidate in mind.

He waited for a while at the city gate and soon saw Gwen running towards him.

Gwen was in such a hurry, as if she was chasing someone. She only stopped when she saw Viktor.

"I've been waiting for you," he said to Gwen, as if he knew she would come looking for him.

But Gwen didn't have a pleasant expression for Viktor.

"Don't you have anything to explain to me?"

Viktor noticed many mages who hadn't left yet were looking in their direction.

"We'll talk later."

Viktor hinted to Gwen that they were in a crowded place, and it would be better to tell her some things in private.

Gwen received his hint and nodded.

"Get in my carriage."

"Alright."

Gwen agreed without much thought.

They walked side by side to the carriage, and Viktor extended a hand towards Gwen.

Gwen didn't understand the gesture and hesitated for a moment.

Seeing her reaction, Viktor shook his head and explained, "When inviting a lady, this is a necessary basic etiquette."

"Troublesome etiquette," Gwen complained, not even noticing the strange looks from those around them, and placed her hand on Viktor's.

Under Viktor's guidance, they both got into the carriage. The door closed, and the carriage quickly drove away.

Viktor looked out the window, satisfied with the various complex expressions on people's faces.

Then, he drew the curtains.

Surely, after this meeting, tomorrow's public opinion will have a new direction.

He turned his head to look at Gwen again.

Gwen, however, was the first to take out a bag from her waist.

"This is what you wanted."

She handed the bag to Viktor, who was a bit confused but still accepted it.

Opening it, he saw various red crystals of different shapes inside.

He suddenly remembered the reason he had mentioned to Gwen before.

Viktor was surprised, not expecting Gwen to remember such things.

He did indeed need these to make some special magical items, but it was just a side task.

When leaving the volcano, he felt a bit regretful for not collecting some, but it didn't matter anymore.

Unexpectedly, Gwen had collected some for him.

A warm feeling rose in Viktor's heart, but he wasn't the sentimental type. He put the bag into his player inventory.

"Thank you."

Gwen looked at Viktor with some amusement, her tone slightly mocking.

"I didn't expect you to actually say thank you."

"Now, it's time for your explanation."

Viktor nodded and said:

"I've already explained everything in front of the Emperor."

"You were there, you should know if I was telling the truth."

Gwen suddenly spoke to him coldly:

"You should understand, that's not what I want to ask about."

She had grown up with Viktor since childhood. If Viktor was said to be kind-hearted enough to want to stop the volcanic eruption to save everyone,

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Gwen would absolutely not believe it.

Viktor had shown his cold-blooded side since childhood.

If necessary trade-offs were to be made, even if it meant sacrificing a town full of people, he would choose to gain his own benefits.

"What was your purpose in triggering the volcanic eruption?"

"Purpose, huh..."

Viktor thought for a moment. Why did he decide to follow when he heard the news of Gwen going to the volcano?

He could have gone there alone later.

Without the Knight Corps following, perhaps Viktor could have done everything more discreetly.

By the time the royal capital discovered it, everything would have been over.

It wouldn't have caused such a commotion, even dragging all the third-tier mages in the royal capital into this muddy water.

But...

"Perhaps it was because of you."

"Because of me?"

Gwen was suddenly stunned, even her Heart of Justice trembled a bit.

Under the surveillance of her Heart of Justice, Gwen could see that Viktor was clearly not lying.

Which means, he really had such thoughts.

'Wait, if it's because of me...'

He went to the volcano crater alone, just to challenge the magical beast in the volcano.

And it turned out to be for her?

Gwen couldn't quite understand. Did Viktor think she would encounter some danger?

'That Viktor, he actually thought like this...?'

Gwen placed one hand on her chest, clearly feeling her heart rate accelerate.

Even if she was slow with emotions, she had some guesses in her heart.

Could it be that Viktor liked her?

How else could all this be explained?!

Hearing that she was going to such a dangerous place as the volcano, he came running in the middle of the night just to go with her.

Staying in the same room together, and fulfilling so many of her unreasonable requests.

To prevent danger on the volcano, he went ahead alone to subdue the magical beast under the volcano.

"This, this..."

Gwen's rationality told her that she shouldn't think like this, Viktor couldn't possibly like her.

He was such a selfish person after all...

But her Heart of Justice never made mistakes.

'If he really likes me, what should I do?'

Gwen's heart was a bit confused.

As for Viktor, he was still thinking.

'Hmm... it really was because of her.'

On one hand, Viktor genuinely wanted to fight with the Furnace Beast, to test himself and see how long it would take to defeat it.

On the other hand, Gwen going on a mission, leaving the royal capital for a long time,

was a very dangerous thing for him.

If Gwen was still within the royal capital, he could still understand Gwen's movements through Lia.

But if Gwen went to the volcano.

Who could imagine what kind of opportunities she might encounter?

Viktor made a bold guess, what if Gwen suddenly fell off a cliff, woke up the sleeping Furnace Beast, and ended up fighting with the Lava Beast, gaining some of its power?

This wasn't impossible.

Since Gwen in the game survived until the end, then without his influence, Gwen's mission this time would absolutely not go wrong.

To avoid his own death ending, he needed to suppress Gwen as much as possible.

At least keep Gwen acting under his watch, so he could feel at ease.

So saying it was because of Gwen that Viktor chose to insist on going to the volcano with her, defeating Guledon in advance, wasn't just a casual remark.

The two had different thoughts. Viktor didn't know what Gwen was thinking, but this explanation should be convincing to Gwen.

After all, he really thought so.

"Do you have anything else you want to ask?"

"No... wait, where have you been these past few days?"

Gwen suddenly asked.

This was what she wanted to know the most.

During these days when Viktor was missing, almost everyone believed that Viktor had fled due to guilt, and worse rumors spread that he had already died in the volcano.

During his disappearance, the Kravina family's situation was equally bad.

Their business was attacked by competitors, and their mansion was blocked by many people every day, throwing various things into the courtyard.

One can imagine how much people hated Viktor, to the extent that even after his 'death', there were still a bunch of people coming for revenge.

It was hard for Lia to hold on alone for so long.

"I was injured and found a place to recover," Viktor explained.

Strictly speaking, this statement wasn't a lie either. The three-day and three-night battle with Guledon did indeed leave him wounded.

Although the injuries weren't severe, it was indeed a reasonable excuse for recovery.

Moreover, after the battle ended, he really was unconscious for three days and three nights.

As long as it matched the truth, Gwen's Heart of Justice wouldn't judge it as a lie.

"Was that magical beast... that strong?"

Gwen couldn't imagine that with Viktor's strength, he would be so severely injured.

Needing so many days to recover, obviously that beast was incredibly powerful.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered what the old woman in Sanchel Town had said:

A volcano god was sealed within the volcano.

Such legendary stories couldn't necessarily serve as evidence, but since that thing could be called a god, its strength was naturally not to be underestimated.

Viktor closed his eyes, using magic to create a visual scene for Gwen.

Red magical energy began to swirl around Gwen.

Gwen felt the surrounding scenery changing rapidly, and the sky suddenly darkened.

"It was very strong."

He synchronized his feelings to Gwen.

The temperature in the carriage suddenly rose, and at this moment, Gwen seemed to see that magical beast as if she were there herself.

Flames raged to the sky, as if a demon god had descended.

Viktor dispersed the magic, and Gwen was a bit dazed.

Viktor had actually defeated such a thing... for her...

"...I have no more questions."

Gwen was speechless.

"Then, I'll send you home."

Viktor activated a spell. Now, first-tier magic in his hands was as simple as sprinkling water.

A strand of green magical energy flew from his fingertips and wrapped around the wheels.

The carriage turned in a new direction, heading towards Gwen's home.

This was the advantage of being a mage.

Sitting in the carriage, they didn't even need a coachman to drive.

Afterwards, they were silent.

They soon arrived at Gwen's mansion, and Viktor watched as Gwen got off the carriage.

"By the way," Viktor called out to Gwen before leaving.

"Thank you for covering for me in front of His Majesty."

Gwen turned back, about to say something.

But the carriage had already turned and left.

She watched Viktor leave in a daze, standing at the door, her feelings complicated.

The maids, seeing Gwen alighting from the Kravina family's carriage, were a bit surprised and started whispering:

"Didn't the young lady hate Viktor the most?"

"This time she actually came back in Viktor's carriage?"

"Could it be..."

They got more and more excited as they talked, even blushing when they reached the crucial point.

They completely failed to notice the footsteps coming from behind.

"What are you all chatting about? If there's something good, why not chat with me?"

The maids turned around to see a smiling woman walking out of the house, and they quickly lowered their heads.

"We're sorry, Young Mistress."

The woman came out still wearing that smile and said:

"Mm, don't slack off during work hours."

"Alright, I'm going to welcome my sister whom I haven't seen in a long time."