Chapter 21

^{I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One}

“Everyone, help that beast!! Rosalia, lure the goblins away! You two, stay hidden here!”
“Understood, Lord Weiss!! So kind to animals too. I don’t mind buying time, but is it okay if I take them down?”

At my words, Rosalia draws her weapon and charges towards the goblins. She says something reminiscent of a certain archer, making me momentarily uneasy, but goblins themselves are early-game weak monsters. They won’t be a match for her.
The real problem is this one. The divine beast… a creature that lends its power to those with strong and righteous wishes. It’s like the game’s mascot, forming contracts with protagonists or heroines to grant special skills, and later even becoming a mount in the latter half of the game.
It would be powerful as an ally, but the issue is whether we can form a contract… To gain the recognition of the divine beast, one must show strong resolve and conviction. That’s what’s important. As I recall the story from early in the game where the protagonist formed a contract after their master was killed by a Hades cult officer, feeling regret over their own weakness and wishing to become stronger, I wonder… do I have such a strong wish…?

“Are you alright?”
“Kyuuu—”

The divine beast seems to have injured its leg while escaping from the goblins, with noticeable abrasions. Despite looking like a rabbit, there’s a gem-like stone embedded in its forehead, giving it an adorable appearance.
I reach out my hand to treat it, but it bites me hard.

“Ouch!!!”

I cry out involuntarily but take a deep breath to stay calm. The divine beast glares at me while still biting, but its body trembles.
Of course, it was attacked by monsters. It’s only natural to be scared. I understand why it’s wary of me. Remembering how my pet rabbit used to behave similarly when I first got it, I gently stroke the divine beast’s back and reassure it.

“You don’t need to be afraid. I’m on your side.”
“Kyuuu?”

Though it may not understand my words, surely my intentions will get through.
After a while, the divine beast starts licking the wound it made by biting me, almost apologetically…

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt. More importantly, I want to heal your wounds. Can you trust me?”
“Kyuu?”

First, I apply medicinal herbs to the bite wound to show that it’s harmless. Then, after reassuring it, I apply the herbs to the divine beast’s wounds. Its fluffy fur is incredibly soothing.

“Kyuuu!!!”

Perhaps the pain has eased; the divine beast makes a happy sound and rubs its body against me. Rosalia, who defeated the goblins, and the other two who were watching approach us.

“Well, Rosalia is really strong, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, I’d love to have her among our soldiers.”
“Thank you. Protecting Lord Weiss is necessary… Lord Weiss, that’s a divine beast, right? So cute…”
“Yeah, thanks to Rosalia, we managed to save it. Thank you.”

Rosalia gazes lovingly at the divine beast I’ve protected. Perfect. If Rosalia, who has high magical power, becomes the divine beast’s master, it’ll provide her with great strength and also help protect her.
Her determination to protect me is strong—just like the protagonists’ resolve to save the world. Therefore, she should be able to form a contract.

“Kyuu…”

Thinking so, I tried to make Rosalia form a contract, but for some reason, the divine beast hid behind me. Is it afraid of people other than me? Perhaps it’s still wary because it was attacked by monsters.

“Kyuuu, kyuuu!!!”
“Hehe, it seems the divine beast has taken a liking to Lord Weiss. It must sense that you’re a kind person.”
“Is that so… I think Rosalia is much kinder than me…”

Forming a contract with the divine beast requires meeting the previous conditions and offering one’s magical power, but given this situation, it seems difficult. Well, since it’s already attached to me, rejecting it would feel wrong.
After spending more time together, it might warm up to Rosalia too. Having the divine beast around isn’t a bad thing—it’s incredibly soothing.

“So, will you follow me?”
“Kyuu, kyuuuu!!!”
“Ah, don’t get too excited… By the way, what about Aegis? You haven’t said anything since earlier.”

While calming the divine beast playing on my shoulder, I call out to Aegis, who seems frozen.

“N… nothing’s wrong.”
“Could it be that Lady Aegis is afraid of small animals? Even though they’re so cute.”
“Hmph! Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not scared or anything!! I just didn’t know how to react because I couldn’t predict its actions. Anyway, shouldn’t we hurry to the Spirit Spring?”

Surprised by Aegis’s unexpected weakness, I decide to press forward. Her mother’s life is at stake, so we can’t afford to waste time.

“That’s right. The Spirit Spring is just ahead. Let’s hurry.”
“I… it’s not that I dislike the little guy… When I was a child, a hamster bit me… and ever since then, I’ve been afraid of small animals… Sorry if I came off as rude…”
“No, everyone has something they’re not good with. Thanks for being honest. Somehow, I feel closer to you as a friend now.”
“Really… hehe, hearing you say that doesn’t feel bad at all.”

As we chat and walk towards the Spirit Spring, the divine beast on my shoulder cries “kyuu kyuu,” as if trying to say something, causing Aegis’s face to freeze. Seeing her unexpectedly vulnerable side, I can’t help but smile, earning a glare from her.
This reaction… could it mean the Spirit Spring is near? As we move forward a bit more, a fantastical scene unfolds before us: spirits dancing above a shimmering water surface.

“Wow… it’s so beautiful…”
“To think there was such a place in our territory… As expected of you, Lord Weiss!!”
“This could totally become a tourist attraction, don’t you think?”

The three express their varied impressions. As for me, it wasn’t that I had no thoughts—I was simply speechless. The scenery was overwhelmingly more beautiful and mystical than anything I’d seen in the game…
And then, as I took a step closer to the spring—

“Lord Weiss!! Danger!!”

Rosalia’s spear deflects an arrow shot at me. An ambush?! We hadn’t told anyone about coming here…

“Who’s there?! Show yourself!! Do you know who this person is—Lord Weiss Hamilton—and dare to attack him?!”
“Never thought we’d find the Spirit Spring here…”
“You guys are…”

I recognize the ones who ambushed us. They’re members of the Hades cult we encountered at Aegis’s mansion—the thin man and the large man duo. Did they notice I was making the antidote…?
I break into a cold sweat. The Hades cultists are mid-game enemies, each possessing unique and troublesome abilities. Meanwhile, our side hasn’t even properly prepared for battle yet… Even though there are only two of them, can we win…?