I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One
“Alright—, I finished running!!”
“Ufufu, Lord Weiss, you’ve really built up your stamina, haven’t you?”
“Well, yeah, I’ve been exercising properly for a week, and… Rosalia made me all sorts of nutritious meals, so…”
“Lord Weiss… please don’t worry about it. I’m your personal maid, after all. It’s only natural!!”
When I honestly expressed my gratitude, Rosalia smiled happily. According to what I heard from Meg, ever since Weiss became the lord, she had been cooking for him because he often skipped meals. She went out of her way to prepare his favorite dishes and make things that were easy to eat.
She really is loyal to Weiss… Judging from the reactions of the other maids, it’s not normal to build this level of trust. If I get the chance, I’ll try to subtly ask what happened between the two of them.
“By the way, Lord Weiss, you’ve really been surprising everyone lately. You’ve been doing your work properly, and the other servants have been speaking well of you too. Especially Meg—she’s been telling everyone how much you’ve changed.”
“Is that so… That’s good… But you seem really happy about it, even though it’s about me.”
“Of course I am!! Because Lord Weiss is truly a wonderful person… It’s just that you had some tough times and went through a rough patch, but everyone kept complaining, and it was so frustrating!!”
As she said this, she got angry as if it were her own problem. While I found her reaction amusing, I also felt a slight pang in my chest.
She trusts Weiss, not me… Is it really okay for me to stay silent about this?
To brush off the fleeting thought, I changed the subject.
“Well then, I want to practice magic. Is that okay?”
“Yes, you’ve been working hard on the basics this past week. I think you’ve gotten pretty good at releasing your magical energy. Next, let’s work on control. Try using Shadow Hands to hit that tree over there about ten times. If you don’t control it properly, you won’t hit it. You might not get it right away, but if you focus, you should be able to do it eventually.”
With that, she pointed to a tree in the courtyard. Up until now, I had been training to unleash shadows and increase their power, but it seems I’m finally moving on to the next stage.
But there’s something that’s been on my mind.
“Is something that simple really enough?”
I mean… this seems way easier than the paperwork I usually deal with… Or is there some deeper intention behind it?
“Fufun, people who aren’t used to magic often say it looks easy, but controlling and visualizing it is actually really difficult. Wait, whaaaaat? No way!! How can you do it so easily?! Most people take a month just to get to this level!!”
As I started hitting the tree with Shadow Hands while she was explaining, Rosalia let out a shocked voice. Well, I knew from my gaming knowledge that repetition is key, so I spent almost the entire week practicing while replenishing my magic with potions…
Plus, I was able to control it pretty easily from the first day. Maybe Weiss had a talent for dark magic. It’s something I wouldn’t have known in the game since he died early on…
“By the way, I can do this too.”
“Whaaaat? How can you do that much with just the basics? That’s incredible control!! I don’t think there’s anything left for me to teach you…”
When I split the Shadow Hands into three and started juggling stones with them, Rosalia’s eyes widened in disbelief. It feels good to get such a reaction. And… it makes me really happy to hear Weiss being praised. It’s like hearing someone praise your favorite character!!
And… if control and visualization are important in magic, then maybe I can use a little cheat. A certain idea crossed my mind.
“Fuhahaha, that’s right. Weiss is amazing!! I’m glad you understand!!”
“Just like Lady Phyllis, it seems Lord Weiss is also a genius…”
Phyllis, huh… For a moment, my chest felt uneasy. Unlike Weiss, who was more of a stepping-stone character, she’s a main character. She’s one of the heroines in the protagonist’s harem and… Weiss’s stepsister.
I think she’s currently at the royal capital’s magic school. In the game’s scenario, Weiss and her didn’t have a great relationship, so I’d rather not get involved with her until I’ve solidified my position.
“My apologies. Well then… since you’ve mastered the basics, let’s move on to practical training.”
Perhaps sensing something from my expression, Rosalia changed the subject.
“Ooh, sounds fun. What kind of practical training are we talking about?”
“Well… try to take me down. Ice!!”
“Huh?”
I could only stare blankly as Rosalia, who was smiling gently as usual, conjured an ice spear with her magic.
“Ugh… that was scary…”
“I’m sorry, I did stop it in time, but… I didn’t have the luxury of holding back too much…”
After receiving a one-sided attack under the guise of magic practice, I was on the verge of tears as Rosalia followed behind me with a wry smile.
Coming from Japan, a world free of conflict, I was genuinely scared just seeing an ice spear being swung in front of me. All my Shadow Hands were deflected, and my sword didn’t even come close… But if her words weren’t just flattery, it seems I wasn’t completely outmatched.
“By the way, I used to hit Rosalia when I was in a bad mood, but if I went all out, I could probably dodge her attacks easily, right?”
“It’s fine. I managed to deflect most of it, so there wasn’t much damage… And I don’t mind being hit by Lord Weiss. It’s just part of the training.”
“Ugh…”
“And if hitting me helps Lord Weiss vent his frustrations, then I’m more than willing.”
Rosalia’s loyalty, expressed without a moment’s hesitation, is truly remarkable. I was inwardly amazed by her almost fanatical devotion as we headed to the conference room.
“I hope it’s not too presumptuous of me, but even though you must be tired from training, please try not to fall asleep during the meeting. While Lord Weiss’s efforts have started to be recognized by everyone, it’s still mostly limited to the mansion’s staff and those you interact with daily…”
“Ah, thank you for always worrying about me. If anything happens, I’ll count on your support.”
I stood nervously in front of the conference room door. This is the big moment. I took a deep breath and nodded to Rosalia.
“Lord Weiss has arrived.”
As Rosalia opened the door, the eyes of everyone in the conference room turned toward me. Their gazes felt somewhat appraising… and a little uncomfortable.
“Starting from the right, we have the finance officer…”
Rosalia began introducing who was in charge of what, but my eyes were fixed on a sturdy, serious-looking middle-aged man. From my information gathering, I knew that my territory had all sorts of problems, but the most pressing issue was public safety. That’s something I need to address immediately. So, I need to have a serious discussion with the person in charge of that.
At first glance, the middle-aged man seemed reliable, but why had he been neglecting the deterioration of public safety?
“And this is Mr. Kaiser, in charge of toilet cleaning.”
“Huh?”
Wait, the sturdy guy was in charge of toilet cleaning? Why is the toilet cleaning guy even in this meeting? And more importantly…
“Where’s the public safety officer?!”
“Lord Barbaro is probably drinking in the lounge as usual…”
Kaiser answered my outburst. Why isn’t he here? And Barbaro, seriously…? He’s someone with a bad history with Weiss.
I just finished looking into him, but… I never expected he’d be in charge of public safety…
“Is he mocking us?! Why hasn’t anyone complained about this?”
“Well… Lord Weiss, you once said that Lord Barbaro was your proxy, so no one could complain…”
It’s Weiss’s fault?! I wanted to scream internally.
“Dammit… I’ll go get him. Rosalia, take me to him.”
“Yes, Lord Weiss.”
And so, I headed to Barbaro’s location. I brought my sword, just in case.
