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If I had to choose the most memorable “villain you simply cannot hate” in Mabinogi, I would point to 'Argus', the monster of Fiodh Dungeon.

At first glance, Argus looks like a grotesque creature covered in countless eyes. But he was not born a monster. He was once only a small lizard living in a peaceful meadow.

You can learn this story through a book sold by the NPC Aira at the Dunbarton bookstore, 『The Story of a Certain Lizard』.

Long ago, in a vast meadow, two lizards lived together, caring deeply for one another. But as humans began to damage nature and encroach on their home, that peaceful life slowly began to break apart.

Then one day, the lizard pair happened upon an injured Fomor. They cared for it devotedly, and in return, the grateful Fomor promised to grant them three wishes.

The female lizard wished for the damaged natural world to be restored.

The male lizard wished for a wider field of vision so he could protect the mate he loved, and as a result, he gained countless eyes.

But sadly, even that was not enough. He could sense danger more quickly, yet in the end he still could not save the female from a human attack. After losing the one he loved, he fell into despair and sought out the Fomor once more to use his last remaining wish.

He begged for the dead female to be brought back to life, but life and death lay beyond the reach of even the Fomors.

With all hope gone, the lizard instead used his final wish to ask for the power to take revenge.

And the being born from that wish was none other than 'Argus', the monster of Fiodh Dungeon.

From then on, Argus became a creature that poured endless rage and curses upon any humans who entered his domain.

In the end, he had once been nothing more than an ordinary small lizard who simply wanted to protect the one he loved. But after losing everything, he came to long for the power of revenge, and at last he was transformed into the monster Argus.

Now, he appears as a grotesque and threatening monster, but once you know his story, it becomes difficult to see him as a simple beast. More than that, Argus feels tragic enough to stir real sympathy, which is why I see him as one of the most memorable 'villains you simply cannot hate' in Mabinogi.

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