I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One
The evil god Hades’ revival was drawing near. In the underground temple where the resurrected Hades resided, a group carrying a flag embroidered with the emblem of the Zeus Church faced off against a group dressed in black.
“You understand, don’t you, Astesia? Hades isn’t trying to save you all. He’s just using you!! So…”
“So what? What good will it do to ask for help now? You followers of the Zeus Church aren’t going to save us, are you? Even if we know we’re being used, we have no choice but to go through with it.”
Astesia, the girl addressed by the young man, responded without changing her expression. To be frank, there was little hope for them—the followers of Hades. Though their numbers were about equal, most of them were amateurs at fighting.
Those capable of battle had already been wiped out on the surface by their enemies. But… even if they surrendered, the future for these believers of the heretical faith wouldn’t be bright.
“I’ll try to convince everyone…”
“It’s impossible. Both sides have shed too much blood. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what happened to our comrades who surrendered. Reconciliation is out of the question now… and besides, do you really think the followers of Zeus would ever forgive those of Hades?”
Astesia’s words left the boy speechless. His sense of justice had prompted him to speak, but he too seemed to remember the reality of the situation.
After the battles, the Hades followers he had protected were lynched and killed by the townspeople. In retaliation, she had slaughtered all the captured followers of Zeus… They had both gone too far to turn back now.
“You say I’m being used by Lord Hades… but aren’t you just being used by Zeus too…? Maybe if I hadn’t cared about the will of some god, none of this would have happened…”
She laughed self-deprecatingly. She should have ignored the will of the gods. Her life had been tossed around by two deities—Zeus and Hades—and she had even been called a false saint. These were her final thoughts.
These were the last words of Astesia, the last surviving member of the Twelve Apostles. She never stopped fighting until the very end.
If only she had defied the will of the gods, things might have turned out differently.
——–
“It’s finally over!!”
“Thank you for your hard work, Weiss-sama. The paperwork is finally done. White-chan is praising you too.”
“Kyuu♪ Kyuu♪”
After fetching medicine from the Spirit Forest and concluding discussions with Reinhard and the others, I had been busy with preparations for joint exercises and writing reports on the Spirit Spring.
But now, that’s finally come to an end. As I stroke White, I take a sip of the tea Rosalia prepared for me.
“Since we’ve finished, why don’t we go outside for a bit? We can call it an inspection. Plus, there’s something I need to discuss with the church…”
Rosalia and White happily agreed to my suggestion.
“That sounds nice. The public order has improved recently, and the markets are bustling. Let’s go out! Besides, I’ve already informed the sisters at the church that Weiss-sama might visit soon, so I think it’ll be fine.”
“Kyuuuu♪”
White danced on my shoulder as if understanding every word. With that settled, we quickly began preparing for our outing.
Come to think of it, this will be my first time walking around the town properly… Before, my loyalty to the lord was precarious, so I couldn’t walk around carelessly. I’m actually looking forward to it.
For the outing, I changed into clothes that weren’t too flashy but still well-tailored so as not to draw attention. Of course, Rosalia also wore civilian clothes.
It was refreshing to see her in something other than her usual maid outfit or leather armor during battles. Actually, she looked stunning. I thought about how staring too much might be rude, but when I caught her smiling at me, my heart skipped a beat.
“Ah, Weiss-sama!! Going out with Rosalia and White-chan is unfair! Take me with you too!”
“That’s not it, Meg. Weiss-sama is conducting an inspection, and I’m here as his guard. This isn’t a leisure trip.”
As we were leaving the mansion, we were spotted by Meg, who was cleaning. She’s always cleaning, isn’t she?
Meg gazed at us hopefully, clearly wanting to join. I suppose we could bring her along, but it might get noisy.
“But, Rosalia, you’re wearing such a fancy dress. It feels like a date…”
“Meg… Should I report to the head maid about that plate you broke and replaced?”
“Have a great time!! I’m looking forward to some cookies as souvenirs. Ah, I’m so busy, busy!”
At Rosalia’s words, Meg suddenly started sweeping again. Such a materialistic maid. By the way, Rosalia had gone to the trouble of dressing up, and I hadn’t commented on it yet.
She had changed out of her maid uniform into a blue dress adorned with lace and wore a ruby pendant, looking more mature than usual. Was Meg right? If so, I should compliment her. I remembered reading in a dating guide from my past life that this was important.
“Rosalia, you look fresh today in something different from your usual attire. It suits you very well.”
“Hehe, thank you. I’m glad to hear that.”
When I complimented her, she shyly smiled. The effect was immediate. In my past life, I could never have said such things, but now, as Weiss, the words flowed smoothly.
And so, instead of taking a carriage, we walked toward the church under the pretense of an inspection.
“The market seems lively now. It’s good to see more people around.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Hey, White, calm down while eating!”
“Kyuu kyuu♪”
When I bought fruit from a street vendor and gave it to White, she eagerly chomped on it. The fruit seller didn’t realize I was the lord. Well, without TV or anything, people don’t memorize the faces of lords. Plus, Weiss had only recently become the lord and hadn’t made many public speeches…
This might actually be perfect for an inspection.
“Hey, Rosalia, I’m feeling a bit hungry. Do you know any good food stalls?”
“Hmm, yes. I know a place that serves meat skewers you’d like. Meg loves it too and sometimes enjoys it with a drink when she goes shopping.”
“Isn’t that slacking off…?”
“Hehe, I might have let that slip.”
Rosalia grinned mischievously. Was this payback for teasing her earlier? She’s always kind to me, but maybe she can be scary when angered.
We walked through the bustling market. Seeing smiles on the faces of passersby made me happy. At least the townsfolk seem to be living peacefully. Following Rosalia’s guidance, we arrived at a meat skewer stall. Pigs, cows, and chickens were lined up, reminding me of festival stalls from my past life.
“Shopkeeper, give me your recommended skewers for me and her.”
“Coming right up!! Young man, you’ve got quite the beauty with you! Since it’s a special occasion, I’ll throw in a bonus.”
“Weiss-sama… I can pay for this myself.”
“Kyu kyu!!”
“It’s a thank-you for always cooking delicious meals. Does White want some too…? Can rabbits even eat meat…? Well, rabbits are omnivores, so it should be fine…”
I replied playfully to Rosalia’s apologetic whisper, and she shyly smiled. She’s always taken such good care of me. Let me do this much for her.
Soon, the fragrant skewers were placed before us. Taking a bite, the tender meat released its juices, filling my mouth with flavor. While the refined dishes at the mansion are nice, this kind of food is enjoyable too. It felt fantastical and lifted my spirits.
“How is it, young man? Delicious, right?”
“Yeah, it’s wonderful. By the way… I heard this territory’s lord was corrupt, but the market seems lively.”
“!?”
Rosalia’s eyes widened as if to say, “What did you hear?” Her concern for whether I’d be hurt was clear.
I understood her worry. But I had vowed to develop this land. To do that, I needed to hear the raw truth.
The shopkeeper opened his mouth with a slightly troubled expression.
“Well… After the previous lord died and his son took over, things were terrible at first. He dabbled in various ventures, failed, and worsened the economy. His subordinates brought in shady characters, and public order deteriorated. Everyone wished Lady Felis, his sister, had inherited instead.”
“…”
As the story went on, Rosalia’s face stiffened. I understood her feelings. I gently held her trembling hand, silently assuring her I was fine.
Unaware of our exchange, the shopkeeper continued.
“But after he fell ill, he changed completely. He arrested his unruly subordinates, implemented tax cuts and reforms, and gradually the economy recovered. That’s not all. A lazy maid from the lord’s mansion sometimes comes here to slack off, and she says the lord personally led military campaigns to crush criminals. ‘The lord is amazing,’ she said. Plus, joint training exercises with the Bloody family, known as battlefield heroes, helped improve public safety. Thanks to that, the townsfolk can live in peace, and the market regained its vitality.”
“Is that so…”
My reforms seemed to have worked. Unfortunately, Weiss’s efforts weren’t widely recognized, but Rosalia and I knew. That was enough… Feeling a mix of sadness and acceptance, I nodded.
“But now that I think about it, when the current lord was a child, he often came to town with his servants to listen to our stories and ask how to improve our lives. After Lady Felis was adopted, he stopped coming…”
“Eh?”
Weiss listened to the townsfolk…? This was news even I didn’t know from the game, so I couldn’t help but gasp.
“So… It’s less like he was reborn and more like he returned to his old self. Thinking back, he must have tried hard in the beginning, despite being inexperienced. That’s why I’d appreciate it if you stopped calling our lord corrupt.”
“I see… Thank you…”
The shopkeeper’s words brought tears to my eyes. What… There were people here who acknowledged Weiss’s efforts…
“Master, use this to wipe your tears.”
Reading the mood, Rosalia handed me a handkerchief without calling me by name. Her eyes were also slightly teary—it wasn’t my imagination. Yes, she believed in Weiss more than anyone else… and had heard the bad rumors about him.
Hearing someone acknowledge Weiss must make her happier than me.
“Thank you, shopkeeper. I heard some fascinating stories.”
“Sure thing! Come again! Hmm… I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”
We quickly paid and left the stall before our identities were discovered. Our steps felt lighter than when we arrived.
“So… What’s the sister running the church like? She’s Rosalia’s friend, right?”
“Yes, she’s a priest and one of my adventurer companions. She used to be an adventurer due to certain circumstances, but when the previous priest retired due to old age, she quit adventuring to take over the church and care for the orphans. She’s blunt but serious and kind at heart. Just a bit lazy, so I hope she listens to Weiss-sama’s request…”
A blunt sister, huh…? With that thought, we pushed open the church doors. Though I’m the lord and the highest authority in Hamilton territory, the church is different. In this world, gods grant rights to kings and nobles, so church members have veto power.
“Listen up, you brats! Behave, or you’ll get punished!”
“Waaaah, big sis is scary!”
Sounds of laughter echoed from inside the church. The children seemed to be having fun, so it didn’t seem like abuse. A blonde sister was playing tag with a few kids.
“She seems lively, Angela. I’ve brought Weiss-sama.”
“That voice… Rosalia, it’s been a while… Wait, who’s that…”
Angela, the sister, smiled warmly at Rosalia before turning to me with a fierce expression.
Eh, did I do something wrong? Did Weiss mess something up?
