Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 243: Chapter: 242 The sun clan city.[1]

"Where are we going?"

Jasmine asked as she flew through the open sky.

The wind rushed past them in steady streams, tugging at her crimson hair and causing it to dance behind her like a flowing banner.

The cool air brushed against her face while scattered clouds drifted lazily above them.

Flying had always felt different from traveling on the ground. Roads, forests, mountains, and rivers that would normally take days to cross became little more than scenery passing beneath their feet.

Beside her, Kavin moved through the air with practiced ease. His short black hair fluttered in the wind while his dark eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon.

Far below them, endless fields stretched across the landscape. People appeared occasionally between forests and rivers before disappearing behind them as they continued forward.

Thin roads connected distant settlements like threads woven across the continent. Farmers worked in the fields, merchants drove large caravans from one village to another...occasionally children could be seen playing.

Kavin did not answer immediately. He seemed to be organizing his thoughts before finally speaking.

"We have four years." His calm voice carried easily through the air. "Four years until the tournament begins. Before then, we need to make a name for ourselves."

Jasmine nodded and waited for him to continue.

Four years sounded like a long time to ordinary people, but for spell casters it was surprisingly short.

A single period of secluded training could consume months. Some experts disappeared for years before emerging again.

If they intended to become famous throughout an entire continent, four years was barely enough time to establish a reputation.

"There are one hundred and twenty major cities throughout the Heartreach Continent. Although it’s the smallest of the Four Stationary Continents, it’s still roughly the size of Auranel. Those one hundred and twenty cities possess special privileges. They’re the only cities permitted to host official regional tournaments."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and pointed somewhere ahead.

"Our objective is simple. We travel to the nearest major cities and participate in their local tournaments."

Jasmine listened attentively while flying beside him.

Unlike normal people, who occasionally explained things in a way that somehow created three new questions for every answer, Kavin was usually straightforward.

When he decided to teach something, he tended to begin from the beginning.

Kavin continued his explanation.

"Those cities constantly compete with one another. Every city can only send two spell casters to the grand tournament. The first-ranked and second-ranked competitors."

His expression remained relaxed.

"Naturally, everyone wants those positions."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"And because everyone wants those positions, chaos follows."

Jasmine snorted.

"That sounds about right."

"It is."

Kavin nodded.

"The local tournaments never truly stop. Every year, thousands of challengers arrive hoping to defeat the city’s Top Ten. At the same time, the Top Ten fight continuously to defend their positions and climb higher."

The more he explained, the clearer the picture became. A constant cycle of competition.

New challengers arrived. Old champions fought to remain relevant. Talented spell casters emerged while others disappeared.

The rankings never remained stable for long.

"Some people spend years trying to enter the Top Ten," Kavin added. "Others manage it in a few months and then lose their position a week later."

"Sounds brutal."

"It is."

He shrugged.

"Talent matters. Strength matters. Luck matters. Sometimes all three."

Jasmine could already imagine the atmosphere. Massive arenas filled with spectators.

Crowds cheering as challengers attempted to defeat famous competitors. Merchants selling equipment, food, and information. Nobles observing from elevated platforms while evaluating promising talents.

It sounded exhausting.

It also sounded fun.....after all keeping her strength in mind she would definitely get cheering from the crowd and who knew she might get some cool alias like Goddess of death like Julius’s mom....

"Because of that," Kavin continued, not caring about her fantasies, "those cities attract enormous crowds. People come to watch the fights, merchants come to make money, nobles come searching for talent, and young spell casters come chasing fame."

"Entire local economies practically revolve around people beating each other up."

Jasmine stared at him.

"When you phrase it like that, it sounds incredibly stupid."

"Most successful industries are."

She opened her mouth and paused and then thought about it...actually it made sense, there were many examples in the Valentina clan’s territory....

Having no words to shot back....she reluctantly nodded.

"Fair point."

Kavin looked extremely pleased with himself.

"The tournaments are also recruitment grounds. Major clans constantly observe promising competitors. If someone’s talent, luck, and strength are exceptional enough..."

His gaze shifted toward the clouds overhead.

"...they might even attract the attention of the Solarian Family."

Jasmine’s eyes widened slightly.

Everyone knew, among the Zlycons, the Solarian Family occupied a position that bordered on mythical. Their influence stretched across continents.

Their resources were immeasurable.

Their reputation alone was enough to make countless people dream.

Entire noble families spent generations attempting to establish even the smallest connection with them. For many spell casters, simply being noticed by the Solarians was considered a life-changing achievement.

Whether one was a noble, a commoner, a righteous spell caster, or a demonic spell caster hardly mattered.

Status was status....and power was power. And opportunities capable of changing one’s life forever were difficult to ignore.

"Oh."

Jasmine slowly nodded.

"I see."

A look of understanding appeared on her face.

"So that’s how it works."

Kavin glanced sideways at her.

Then he glanced at her again. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"...That should have been common knowledge."

"What?"

"I learned all of this when I was a child."

He sounded genuinely confused.

"As the heir of an ancient family, I was taught these things from a young age. Political structures, major powers, influential organizations, important cities..."

His expression became increasingly puzzled.

"Didn’t your family teach you any of that?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Jasmine’s face darkened. The change was so sudden that Kavin instinctively leaned away.

"Those fuckers didn’t teach me anything."

Her voice dripped with irritation.

"No politics! No economics! No history! No diplomacy!"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. "They taught me how to swing a weapon." She counted on her fingers.

"How to stab people."

Another finger.

"How to kill people."

Another finger.

"How to survive being stabbed by people."

Another finger.

"And occasionally how to stab people harder."

Kavin stared at her.

"...That last one sounds suspiciously similar to the second lesson."

"Exactly."

Jasmine pointed at him aggressively.

"That’s because they kept repeating it."

She looked genuinely offended now.

"Do you know how many times I attended a training session expecting to learn something useful?"

Kavin wisely chose not to answer.

"Every single time it was just another old man explaining different ways to hit people."

Her expression twisted. "One of them spent three hours lecturing me about proper stabbing posture."

"...Proper stabbing posture?"

"Three hours."

Kavin winced.

The bitterness in her voice intensified.

"Now that I think about it, that bastard never considered me a successor."

Her jaw tightened. "He wanted a weapon."

The wind around her began to fluctuate slightly as her mood worsened. Her expression became increasingly murderous.

"That trash of a father looked at me and apparently decided that education was optional."

Kavin wisely remained silent.

Jasmine continued without needing encouragement.

"I swear, one day I’ll wipe them out completely."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"They’ll become a historical footnote."

The murderous aura surrounding her lasted several seconds before she finally exhaled.

Kavin waited a moment. Only after determining that she was no longer preparing genocide did he cautiously speak.

"Of course."

Jasmine blinked.

Kavin smiled. "I’ll help."

"As a matter of fact, my father would probably volunteer."

Jasmine looked at him.

"My father."

Kavin continued. "My mother, my uncles, my aunts. Actually, I think my entire family would enjoy helping destroy your clan."

Jasmine stared at him for several seconds.

The Hayes and Valentina clans had hated each other for generations.

The hostility was so old that neither side probably remembered how it started.

At this point they simply continued out of tradition.

"That’s surprisingly supportive."

"I know."

"It feels less like you’re helping me and more like your family has been waiting for an excuse."

Kavin thought about it.

"...Those things are not mutually exclusive."

Jasmine immediately burst out laughing.

The anger she had been carrying moments ago finally faded away.

"Haa..."

She released a long breath and shook her head. The irritation lingering in her chest gradually disappeared.

Then she turned toward him again.

"So."

Her expression brightened.

"What’s the name of the city we’re heading to?"

Kavin looked ahead. Far beyond the clouds, hidden somewhere beyond the horizon, lay their destination.

A faint smile appeared on his face....the destination was pre-planned, before he even entered here, his goal was reaching there after, in his opinion it was the perfect place...

"The Sun Clan City."

The wind howled around them as they continued flying forward.