I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space
Chapter 88: Levy

Chapter 88: Levy

The shop fell into an awkward hush once Bobby hurried out with his bottle of goblin blood. The only sounds were the lazy creak of floorboards and the faint clink of coins as Levy better known to the neighborhood as Joy slid Bobby’s payment into the counter.

He cleared his throat and glanced at the dark-robed figure browsing the shelves. "So... anything you need, boss?"

Razeal shook his head. "Not really. Just killing time until dinner’s ready."

Levy offered a polite nod, then busied himself rearranging an untidy stack of potion flasks. For a moment neither spoke. Finally, as if the question had been nagging him for hours, Levy glanced back at the masked guest.

"You know," he said, keeping his tone casual, "you could take off that robe and mask. I really don’t care what your identity is. I’m not a great person, but I’ve got no reason to be hostile toward you right now and even if I did, it’s not like I could do anything about it. You’re paying me. I’ll still do my job regardless."

Razeal was silent for a beat before answering. "I don’t like wearing all this either. But if someone were to find out who I am, it’d be... problematic. keeping a low profile saves me trouble. Besides, peace and quiet are rare commodities for me."

Levy let out a small sigh, still straightening up a shelf. "I don’t think anyone out here in this backward district would know who you are. Most folks here have never even seen a noble, let alone recognized one. Even if they did see your face, they probably wouldn’t know it. As for me, I’m just your employee. You gave me a job, and I’m doing it,"

Levy also wanted to ask as he didn’t get why someone studying in the Royal Classroom need to hide their face like this...but . still he didn’t think that be a good idea.

"Oh?" Razeal chuckled softly. "They’d recognize me. Trust me... they can."

That caught Levy off guard. "Wait, seriously?" His voice held genuine surprise. "Are you famous, boss? I mean... around here, people might not even recognize the Imperial Princess without a formal announcement. Maybe if it was the Saintess or something... but still."

He tilted his head, curiosity now fully awakened. "So... are you, like... someone important? Heir to a big family, maybe?"

Marquess... Duke? Levy thought. Only those kinds of people have recognizable features like unique hair or eye colors.. rare to recognise but some small knowledgeable one’s can. His gaze sharpened slightly. So... is this mysterious rich boss of mine really some noble big shot?

"Famous?" Razeal repeated with a faint smile. "You could say that. Maybe the whole empire knows me. I’m pretty much a world-famous figure... which is why I have to hide my face."

He then picked up an old book from the shelf and glanced down at it, voice growing colder. "But let’s not dwell on that. Whether I show my face or not shouldn’t concern you. Just focus on the job I gave you."

"Right... yeah." Levy scratched the back of his head, still completely in the dark.

He gave up pressing for more, but he couldn’t shake the growing curiosity. Who the hell am I working for...?

Then, as if something just clicked in his mind, Razeal looked up from the book and turned to him.

"Hey, you mentioned something earlier. About if you had something to sell that no one else could offer, you could start trading for monster cores. Would that really work?"

The thought of being able to use magic again had never left his mind. No matter how much he tried to focus on other things, the desire to increase his mana was always there—quiet, but constant. Maybe, just maybe, this could help in the long run.

"Oh yeah," Levy nodded. "If it’s something unique.. something only you can provide and it’s actually useful, then sure. I can change the price without worrying about competition. People wouldn’t be able to just go somewhere else. That’s the key."

He narrowed his eyes, intrigued. "Do you have something like that, boss?"

Even as he asked, he couldn’t help but wonder. Why is this man so obsessed with monster cores? What’s the real reason? Levy had seen the desperation in his eyes. Is it because he figured out how to use them? Something no one else ever managed to do?

The possibilities raced through Levy’s head like wildfire. If there’s actually a way to make use of those so called worthless materials... it’d be revolutionary. Insane. And suddenly, he was more curious than ever. Is that why this guy wants them so badly?

Razeal could easily guess what was running through Levy’s mind but he didn’t care much.

Even an idiot would figure it out eventually. If someone paid gold for a random tree branch, there were only two possible reasons: either the man had found something valuable in that branch... or he had gone mad.

And judging by Levy’s intelligence, Razeal was fairly sure he was leaning toward the first.

Still, Razeal didn’t care what conclusions Levy came to. Even if he did find something out, it wouldn’t matter.

After all... no one else could use it. Only he could.

Will items like these work?

Razeal suddenly, out of nowhere, took out two flowers Zenocide had gifted him from within his robe, his fingers closing around their delicate stems. He didn’t even know why he kept them, not really. Zenocide had given them with a strange tone as if the flowers meant something artistic or symbolic. But Razeal wasn’t the type to entertain abstract poetry. Still, out of respect, he’d taken them.

Now, maybe they’d come in use.

"Flowers?" Levy adjusted his glasses as he looked at the two flowers in Razeal’s hand. One was a deep, dark blue, almost leaning into purple. The other was pure white, soft and clean, practically glowing under the dim light.

Levy leaned in closer, carefully taking the flowers from Razeal’s hand with both curiosity and care. "Are they something special, boss?"

"Yes. The flowers are special."

Levy set the blossoms on the counter and bent closer, studying faint motes of energy that shimmered around each petal. "Yeah now i can tell. Both of these flowers... they’re absorbing mana from the surroundings. Automatically. And they smell... pretty damn good. Plus, they look exotic. Are they from some foreign region? Just by the quality and aura, I can tell these aren’t normal. They must be expensive."

Razeal raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t realized they drew in mana; he couldn’t perceive white faction energy. Still, he repeated Zenocide’s riddle which flower is more precious, the immortal or the fleeting? though Razeal didn’t really care at the time. Still didn’t, honestly.

"The blue flower," Razeal repeated. "will never wither. No matter the time, place, or condition. It stays as it is, forever."

He glanced at the white one. "This one, though... it only lives for seven days. After that, it withers and disappears."

"Ohhh," Levy murmured, his eyes lighting up as he studied them again. "Never withers... and one that withers in exactly seven days. This is definitely rare. I’ve never heard of anything like this. Where did you get them, boss?"

"Leave that," Razeal said shortly. "Tell me, if I sold stuff like this, do you think it’d work? Could we earn good monster cores from it? I doubt anyone else has something like this."

Levy paused, looked at the flowers, thinking deeply. His merchant instincts kicked in, processing the market, demand, rarity, and practicality all at once.

"Boss, if what you said is true, then yes these could fetch a very high price. Especially if a noble gets wind of them. But here’s the thing: My shop? It’s nothing special. It’s a tiny setup in a backward alley. Nobles won’t be walking in here. honestly these flowers would be wasted here.

"Most of the people who come here can barely afford potions and basic materials. They’re not buying flowers even if they’re magical. This kind of item? It’s luxury. Best sold in limited editions to exclusive buyers. Because if you mass sell it, the price drops fast."

"Also, there’s a risk. If a noble gets interested, they’ll want to know where these came from. That means questions. And I doubt we’re ready for that kind of attention. If you want big money, you’ll need a high end seller, a connected trader maybe one of the major guilds. And even then, they might not pay in monster cores since monster cores aren’t a stable currency. No It’s not even a trade norm."

Razeal stayed silent, absorbing the information. So even this wouldn’t work?

Damn. He needed something better. Something rarer, more directly useful. Fuck so fucking fucked up.

But before Razeal could think any further, Levy’s voice broke through.

"Though I have to say... both of these flowers are truly beautiful. Can I buy them from you?" he asked, his eyes fixed intently on the blooms.

"Huh? Flowers?" Razeal blinked, then gave a short laugh. "Well, take them. I’m not really in a position to appreciate flowers anyway. As for money, forget it just bring me some monster cores if you can."

He paused for a second, glancing at Levy with a hint of surprise.

"Honestly, I didn’t think you were the... ’aesthete’ type."

Levy chuckled at that, casually brushing a strand of hair from his face.

"Nah, ’aesthete’ might not be the right word for me," he replied with a small grin. "I just believe everything looks beautiful to beautiful people."

Razeal raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "Didn’t think you considered yourself a ’beautiful person’ either... considering the kind of things you do. Like scamming people offering them a chance to meet their deceased loved ones... for money."

There was no malice in his voice, only honest curiosity. He was observing, trying to understand what kind of thoughts flickered through the mind of someone author would label as a villain in this story.

Levy’s smile didn’t fade. If anything, it softened.

"I wouldn’t say I’m a bad person," he said thoughtfully. "And believe me if the people I’ve scammed knew I had scammed them... they wouldn’t even be angry. Hell, some might still come back and thank me."

He laughed again, light and unbothered.

Razeal stared, his curiosity piqued. This wasn’t just casual greed Levy genuinely believed what he was saying.

"The only ones who have a problem with it are the ones who think what I do is bad. That’s just their perspective. Because they’ve never known what it feels like... to have even the hope of seeing a loved one who’s no longer alive. Not that I actually make them meet the real thing, of course. I just gave them a stage, a moment to pretend. If they found comfort in that... then did I really do something wrong?"

He gave another laugh, almost like he couldn’t fathom the idea of seeing himself as the villain. In his own mind, he wasn’t just innocent he was righteous.

Razeal’s lips twitched slightly. "Still... you take money from them. Isn’t that just lying? Playing with people’s emotions at that level?" His tone remained calm, inquisitive. "I mean, I couldn’t do something like that, even if I could. Sounds... heinous to me."

Levy’s expression didn’t change.

"Taking money? Of course I take money. That’s the profit I earn. It’s a business. An honest one, if you ask me." He said it with the ease of a merchant closing a deal as he gently placed both flowers into a pot, carefully arranging them.

"To me," he continued, "it’s fair. I get the money, and they get the hope they were searching for. It’s a trade one both sides accept."

Razeal looked at him with a mix of amusement and disbelief.

Indeed a villain material this is. He thought.

"Honest business?" he repeated. "Sounds more like shamelessness to me." But then he tilted his head, asking, "If you really wanted to be seen as a good man the one you say you are why not do it for free? Maybe people wouldn’t call you a scammer then and more like i think people would give donation to you themselves and even power."

He had proud good man smile on his face.

"Oh no, that’d be the worst thing," he said quickly. "For me and for my clients. You see, when something is free, people don’t believe in it. But when the price is high? Suddenly, 80% of them are convinced I’ve got divine magic... that I can bring the dead back, even if only for one day."

His tone was still light, almost proud.

"If it were cheap or free, no one would’ve believed it at all. And besides... I have needs too, don’t I? For the kind of ’good work’ I do, I think I deserve a little something in return."

He gave a small shrug, like this was the most logical thing in the world.

"And is it really so heinous?" Levy mused aloud. "How many people in this world get a chance to speak to their loved ones after death? Even if it’s a lie... a convincing lie. You’d be surprised how many want that lie."

His voice grew softer, more personal. "If I had the chance to see my mother again even for just one evening... just to eat the food she used to cook... I’d take it. I wouldn’t care if it was fake. I’d want to believe."

He set the flower pot on the counter, the two blossoms now arranged perfectly almost glowing with life. He looked at them for a moment, then slowly turned his attention back to Razeal, eyes searching the only part of the man’s face not hidden by the mask.

"Maybe I am wrong," Levy said, his eyes searching Razeal’s. "Or maybe the people calling me wrong just don’t understand."

"Or maybe those people aren’t wrong either," he continued, voice steady but thoughtful. "Maybe we’re all just... looking at the same thing from different angles."

"Some may always call me a sinner, a scammer, even a monster after knowing what i do. But there are others who look at me like I’m a god."

He spread his arms wide, a grin curling on his lips again.

"So if the only people disturbed by what I do are the ones who never knew how it feels... then maybe I’m not hurting anyone, am I? Maybe they’re just upset because I gave others something they couldn’t understand."

"They’re not my problem," he finished, his grin now stretching like a mask of truth. "Because the people who come to me... And if they like what I offer, if it makes them smile, cry, feel something again... then how did I end up being the bad guy?"

"I’m totally a good guy," Levy said with a light laugh, as if the matter had already been settled.

"And if someone still thinks I’m the villain?" Levy murmured, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Maybe it’s just their own disgusting thoughts... or the way their twisted perspective paints me as evil."

With that, he turned his attention back to the counter, humming softly as if the weight of that confession had already floated away like dust in the air.

Razeal stood still, silent, thoughtful.

This dude... he’s a silver-tongued illusionist, Razeal mused, eyes narrowing slightly behind the mask. He doesn’t even see himself as corrupt. No he actually believes he’s bringing light into darkness.

And maybe, in some strange, uncomfortable way... he was.

"Calling himself a god...huh" Razeal thought, a flicker of conflicted amusement crossing his mind. "Guess that kind of delusion does earn him a place under me..."

Maybe the guy had a few screws loosebbut he wasn’t here to debate morality.

Levy might be a bit unhinged, sure but Razeal could see something else in him too. He was... kind of chill.

Might even be useful in the long run.

"What was your age again?" Razeal asked, finally breaking the silence, looking over with casual curiosity.

Levy glanced up, surprised by the sudden question. "Age? Uh... twenty-six, if my memory serves."

"Ten years older than me," Razeal muttered, mostly to himself. It felt odd; Levy’s roguish enthusiasm seemed younger, yet the gulf was there. "Must feel strange working under someone that much younger."

Levy shrugged theatrically. "Embarrassing? Maybe a little. But I’ve learned life treats most of us like dirt unless we’re born with a platinum spoon. Might as well hitch my cart to a... well, a very mysterious horse." He flashed a sly smile.

If only you knew how little silver my spoon ever had, Razeal thought but kept it to himself.

Then, without warning, Levy suddenly blurted out:

"So, how many girlfriends you got boss? I mean you are rich and powerful must be in two digits"

Razeal blinked.

"Bruhhh girlfriends?" he echoed, as if the very word offended his personal reality. "Nah. Not even close. Not in this life. I mean... it’s not just that I don’t have one they don’t even visit me in my damn dreams... No i don’t want any disgusting creature even in my dreams"

His tone dropped a notch, serious now.

"There’s no way I’m letting any woman get close to me."

He stepped forward, placing both hands firmly on Levy’s shoulders, leaning in as his masked eyes locked onto Levy’s.

"Believe me when I say this women can’t be trusted. All they see is profit. If you can provide it, maybe they’ll stay. If not? Gone. Just like that. At last they all gonna betray you."

Levy instinctively raised his hands in mock surrender, caught off guard by the sudden intensity.

"W-Woah boss, boss, easy!" he chuckled awkwardly. "Sounds like your experience with women’s wasn’t exactly... pleasant, huh?"

His gaze flicked toward Razeal’s eyes through the mask searching, quietly studying the man beneath.

Realizing his overreaction, Razeal stepped back, releasing his grip. He cleared his throat.

"Well... you could say that." He coughed again, trying to sound more casual. "How about you? Had any girlfriends yet?"

Levy shook his head with a dramatic sigh.

"Nah. Though... sometimes I wish I had one. And she could die just after."

Razeal blinked.

What?

Levy continued, unfazed.

"Yeah, yeah just think about it! I’d be like one of those tragic heroes. You know, going to the lake every day, mourning her memory. Trying to complete all the promises I made before she died." He paused, clearly fantasizing. "I swear I would’ve become crazy powerful if I had a dead girlfriend... I honestly believe women can make men stronger."

"Maybe i am not strong because i never had girlfriend."

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Razeal stared at him.

Umm yeah..

He wanted.. No he needed to unhear whatever the hell he just heard.

---

3.2k words... Well, coins only count up to 2.8k words, so the last 400 words are free.

Anyway, thanks for reading, guys! The last two days have been super busy for me, but from now on, Chapters will be regular.

Also, big thanks to everyone who contributed Golden Tickets we’ve hit 100 now! And can you believe it? We’re literally ranked 110 on the entire Golden Ranking... that’s honestly shocking to me.

Guys, let’s break into the Top 100 I’d be happy as hell!

Thanks again for reading!

---