Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though?

The lich’s thin, bony index finger lightly brushed against my chest. He soon bowed deeply with an awed expression.

“So, the Dragon is also a servant of the Dark God…!”

“What, a servant?”

I’m not some temple bell. Why would you turn a perfectly alive person into a servant?

I responded with a baffled expression, and the lich stammered as he replied.

“That is, this curse is a spell of subjugation to the Dark God. So, if you engrave this curse onto an ordinary human or beast, using a magic stone imbued with miasma, they become a monster and can serve as a faithful servant of the Dark God!”

Only then did I realize things were starting to take a very strange turn.

If this so-called Dark God was turning monsters into his servants… and if dragons were counted among those monsters?

“Does that mean I was being controlled?”

“Pardon?”

The lich asked back in confusion, jerking his head up.

Thanks to that, I found myself staring right into the empty eye sockets—where his eyes should have been—in his skull. The sight was so gruesome it made my stomach churn a little.

But as soon as our eyes met, the lich suddenly flinched and dropped to his knees. Then he pressed his forehead to the floor, bowing low.

“What is this?”

Surprised by his sudden action, I started to step back, but then something came to mind. The day I first left the lair and encountered a monster—when our eyes met, the monster had also shown its surrender to me.

“What’s wrong with you, all of a sudden?”

—He’s submitting to you, Master.

Larry, whose presence I’d nearly forgotten thanks to being distracted by the lich, spoke up as if to say, “Isn’t it obvious?”

There were plenty of other things I wanted to ask, but I decided to ask just the most important question before heading back.

“So, you’re spreading these magic stones everywhere on the Dark God’s orders? To turn beasts into monsters—or rather, servants?”

“Yes, and it’s not just me. All over the continent, there are followers of darkness who serve the Dark God. When the Dark God returns, the army we’ve created will conquer this world.”

In that case, this lich was just one of the Dark God’s minions that I was meant to face.

At this point, I’d gathered enough information that I needed to go back and organize it.

“I see. Then that’s enough for now. I need to get back before morning.”

As I headed for the door, I glanced back at the lich, who was still prostrate on the floor.

“Oh, by the way, Lich.”

He didn’t seem like a particularly good sort, but since the lord had lied, I figured he at least deserved a warning.

“Yes, please speak.”

The lich replied politely, still pressing his forehead to the floor.

“You’d better move your lair somewhere else. Otherwise, the hero’s party will show up tomorrow and destroy everything. Or, tell the lord before morning that he doesn’t need to pay any more tributes.”

“Yes, I’ll do as you say!”

The lich’s reply was still suspicious, but whatever happened next wasn’t my responsibility.

I rushed out of the altar to head back to the lord’s castle. As I hurried through the maze-like corridors, Larry flew over.

—Master, I’ll go with you too!

“Oh, right, you were here.”

I’d been in such a hurry I’d forgotten he was there.

I paused to let Larry perch on my shoulder, and realized my shirt was still unbuttoned. I hurried to fasten it, when suddenly, I heard a familiar voice from somewhere.

“Lysian!”

It was a faint sound from far away, but I instantly knew it was Kyle’s voice.

Wait, why was Kyle here, too?

I stopped buttoning my shirt and felt for my face. If he saw the helm, he’d probably ask where I got it, but I had no idea what excuse to make, so I just took it off right away.

—Master! The smoke…!

I heard Larry say something, but right now the poison smoke wasn’t my main concern. I hastily tossed the helm into my subspace and walked toward where Kyle’s voice was coming from.

But for some reason, my vision was starting to blur. My footsteps felt heavier and heavier.

I tried to reach out into the air, but my body tipped forward faster than I could react.

Thud! I collapsed onto the floor, and the green smoke wrapped around my whole body. At first it stung and felt awful, but gradually the smoke started to feel warm and cozy.

My eyes slowly closed. Was I really going to die so pathetically, poisoned by smoke? The great Black Flame Dragon, ending like this…?

Wait, was I even really the final boss?

If the Black Flame Dragon was also just one of those who served the Dark God like that deathless mage, the lich, then it meant I wasn’t the final villain after all.