I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One
“This is bad… I’m completely lost…”
After that, I continued to stuff my face while somehow managing to chat with the other nobles and get through the party. But since I wasn’t used to talking with people I didn’t know well, I decided to take a walk in the garden to clear my head. However, I ended up completely lost.
I wondered if calling out “Rosalia!!!” would summon help like in the movie *Blue Tanuki*… Just as I was thinking that, I noticed the bushes in front of me rustling slightly.
“Huh, just like in Pokémon,” I thought. “But then again, it could be an intruder. Lord Reinhard did mention there were some issues. Maybe if I catch whoever it is, it’ll earn me some favor.” I carefully masked my presence and approached the bushes when suddenly, a fist came flying at me with a buzzing sound!
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! That was close!!”
“You… you’re that rose guy from earlier! What are you doing here?!”
The fist stopped just inches from my face. The owner of the fist turned out to be Aegis. Damn, she managed to completely ambush me even though I’ve had some training! This girl’s dangerous!
“Aegis-sama, why are you here…”
“Shh! Be quiet, or else…”
“Is someone there?”
As Aegis and I were talking, another voice interrupted us. It sounded like Lord Reinhard… Judging by the way Aegis glared at me, she must have been eavesdropping.
If that’s the case…
“What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to attack me? I’ll crush your balls!”
“Quiet! Shadow, conceal us.”
While thinking, *Who the hell would get turned on by a brat like you?*, I covered her mouth with my hand and cast a spell. Shadows enveloped both of us, plunging us into complete darkness.
It was a spell that hid our bodies, immobilizing us but making us invisible—like a support skill in games that hides you for one turn. It’s useful for preparing healing magic or setting up strategies.
I expected Aegis to resist, but realizing her situation, she stayed quiet.
“Sorry, it seems it was just my imagination… So… if I donate this money, will my wife truly be cured?”
“Yes, with the power of our Hades cult, I swear we will save your wife.”
“I see… I’ll pay whatever you want. Just please… and this sword should fetch a good price. Use it as you wish.”
Lord Reinhard continued his conversation with the slim man in the hood and the large man. He handed over a mystical sword embedded with glowing stones, and they parted ways. Did I imagine it, or did the slim man smirk before leaving? But more importantly, something else caught my attention.
The Hades cult… That’s the evil sect that led the Valkyria Tactics empire down the path of corruption in the game. In the game, the main battles are against the Twelve Apostles of the Hades cult, who are like the Four Heavenly Kings. Even before the events of the game begin, they’re already worming their way into influential noble families…
“Father… You said that sword was a precious family heirloom passed down through generations… You said it was the second most important thing to our family after us…”
“Aegis-sama…”
When I dispelled the magic, I found Aegis sobbing quietly beneath me, and I was at a loss for words. Gone was the aggressive girl from earlier; now she cried like a child, and in that moment, I felt like I was seeing the real her.
“Aegis-sama, the Hades cult is an evil sect. I doubt they’ll keep their promises. Please tell Lord Reinhard to distance himself from them.”
My words probably wouldn’t reach her, especially since we’d only met today. But I couldn’t stay silent. Those people are part of a corrupt cult—they feel no guilt about using others. Moreover, they’re considered evil in the current empire. If other nobles find out Lord Reinhard is associating with them, it could cause trouble. And what if they threaten him to keep their relationship secret? I don’t want to see that person, who has treated me kindly, suffer.
“I know that already!! But listen, our family made a lot of money from war, but we don’t know anything else! We don’t know how to cure diseases! Sure, there are people who try to deceive us… but what choice do we have?! There’s a 1% chance they can save my mother! If that’s all we’ve got, then I’ll cling to any hope, no matter how small!”
Though I didn’t want to believe it, I couldn’t deny the truth. Watching her cry out in despair reminded me of her character in the game. She must have been deceived many times in the future, which is why she eventually became someone who trusted no one and fought alone on the battlefield. The protagonist couldn’t save her, but maybe I could—if I acted now, while she still had some hope left.
“What illness does your mother have, Aegis-sama?”
“What? Are you saying you’ll save her? I won’t believe you!”
Even as she rejected me, her eyes betrayed a flicker of hope. Her despair-filled gaze reminded me of Weiss, the character I rooted for in the game… That’s why I wanted to save her. But my words probably wouldn’t reach her today. If words failed, I’d have to show her through action.
“You don’t have to believe me. Even if you don’t trust me, I swear I’ll save your mother anyway.”
“Why… Why are you trying to save my mother…?”
“Well… My territory is weak, and I need the protection of the Bloody family.”
I gave her a reason that made sense, and it wasn’t entirely a lie. As the ruler of a small territory, I really did need the backing of a powerful noble family like the Bloodys, especially one known for their military strength.
Of course, I wanted to save Aegis… but that wasn’t the only reason. If I helped them now, it could give me leverage later, perhaps even a way to counter Stambird. I’m not the protagonist—I have to use her crisis to my advantage. Otherwise, someone like Weiss, a weakling like me, wouldn’t survive.
“Fine… I don’t trust you. But just in case, I’ll tell you the name of the disease.”
After staring at me for a moment, Aegis hesitated but finally told me the name of her mother’s illness. It was the same plague that would later torment the protagonists in a major event in the game.
It was troublesome, but maybe… just maybe, I could handle this.
With that information, I recalled the solution from the game and waited for Aegis to stop crying before heading back to the party venue.
