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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Villainess, Rose van Darmian
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Was it because it was my first time cutting down a person?
Or was it because something I believed in had shattered?
I didn't know why, but my heart was pounding like it would burst, and a faint fever spread through my body.
"Just one question."
"Ask away."
As I raised my sword and asked, Jetee's lips curled into a smirk, and he nodded.
"Why did you do it?"
"Why? Because I wanted to."
"...That's it?"
"Well, there's talk of revenge and all that, but it seems I don't have time to explain such things."
Jetee shrugged at my question, then gestured with his eyes toward what was behind him.
"Brave friends, indeed. To boldly interrupt a party hosted by yours truly."
There, I saw Cayden, who had somehow gotten to his feet and was gathering mana.
"Everyone, be careful. Seeing how he cut down Jackson and Daniel in one go, he's no ordinary opponent."
"Those guys just let their guard down."
"Wait, those two idiots are dead, so I'm next, aren't I? Let's finish this quickly and get back to what we were doing."
The beasts standing before them were also approaching me, each clutching their weapons.
Unable to ignore them, I quickly assessed the enemy's strength.
Count Cayden and his seven subordinates, plus Jetee.
The total number of people I had to face was nine.
'Could I kill them all?'
The question arose naturally. Could I protect Rose against those knights?
'No.'
The answer came to me quickly.
I might be able to kill them all, but I wouldn't be able to protect Rose safely.
Just a moment ago, the reason I was able to strike down the necks of those who held Rose by the shoulders was that they had let their guard down.
But those guys, wrapped in mana, were different.
Moreover, Cayden was a 5th Circle mage, and Jetee, judging by the aura I felt, was at least Sword Expert level.
'At most, about 10 minutes.'
On the other hand, the time I could maintain my physical condition to face them was limited.
After that, all the acceleration and enhancement magic layered on my body would wear off.
'First...'
Perhaps it was due to the urgent situation.
Calculations churned rapidly in my mind, and my body moved instinctively.
'Secure Rose first.'
I rushed to where Rose had fallen, then swung my sword.
-Shwaaak!
"Guh!"
Then, with the sound of flesh being split by the sword, a knight collapsed backward.
'Reduce their numbers as much as possible, then.'
There was no time to check on the state of the man I'd cut down.
Because a mace was coming straight for my head.
-Whoosh.
I arched my back, dodging the mace, and heard the whoosh of air just above my face.
I saw the wrist holding the mace. Without hesitation, I struck upwards with my sword.
-Sliiiice.
The wrist that had been holding the mace flew into the air.
"Aargh!"
"…!"
Then came the scream of the now one-armed man, and I saw the faces of the knights contorting in horror.
Just as I was about to swing my sword horizontally, I felt something from the side.
-Shwaaak!
As I cut through something, a fireball, split in half by my blade, scattered into the air on both sides.
"Oh-ho."
What I had cut was a fire spell Count Cayden had launched at me.
'I need to escape.'
This time, a familiar voice accompanied a sword thrusting towards my flank.
"Where are you looking?!"
-Clang!
As I parried the sword, a loud clang echoed through the clearing.
'I really want to kill that bastard right now.'
I wanted to kill the other bastards too, but not as much as Jetee, who was swinging his sword sharply at me and grinning.
So, what could I do?
I had no choice but to push myself a little and kill him before I left.
I tricked the scales again. I cloaked my body in acceleration and enhancement magic to their absolute maximum.
-Clang!
Then I struck his sword with maximum force.
This created a slight distance between him and me.
Gulp. Seeing the remaining knights' faces contorted with tension, I steadied my stance.
I pulled the sword in my right hand back behind my left hip.
I bent my knees. My right foot aligned with my body, my left foot two steps behind.
"…!"
Did he sense my momentum? Jetee looked surprised and took a defensive stance, but I ignored him, muttering as I swung my sword.
"Divine Sword Style, First Form: Soul Slash."
Then, a pure white light erupted from the sword.
-Shwaaak!
And that light instantly drew countless white lines in all directions.
****
Dunkel had to let out a hollow laugh.
"Hahaha, what in the world is this...?"
After casting illusion magic on Viscount Darmian and his wife, he had rushed here, worried he might be late for the party.
"Y-you're late, Dunkel."
The only one alive before his eyes was Count Cayden, sitting on a rock with a haggard expression.
"Haa, haa."
And Jetee, gasping for breath, with both arms severed.
"Hahaha..."
Dunkel was dumbfounded.
Corpses and bloodstains were scattered everywhere.
And the remnants of pure white mana left behind.
How could he not be dumbfounded, knowing that these traces were created not by many, but by a single person?
"Re... Revenge must be had..."
Dunkel looked at his dying old friend with dry eyes and thought.
What revenge was this friend trying to get, again?
"Ah, yes. During the height of the war, Viscount Darmian threw your daughter to the soldiers, didn't he?"
"I... I, too, that daughter..."
"I'll make sure that revenge is carried out."
Of course, even that was an illusion created by the illusion magic he had cast for his own amusement.
But such things weren't important to Dunkel.
"So just tell me his location. Where does that boy live?"
"Ha... Inkel... M-mountain... Log... cabin..."
"I see." Dunkel muttered, frowning deeply, and began to murmur.
"I thought it was a mistake."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Dunkel reached a conclusion.
It seemed the familiar aura he had felt from the boy was real after all.
"In that case..."
A strange smile spread across Dunkel's lips.
He was truly delighted. Because there was so much he stood to gain today.
"Du-Dunkel, you just..."
Just then, a familiar voice reached Dunkel's ears.
His head turned. Dunkel's gaze fell upon Count Cayden, who was now gripped by fear.
"Ah. The Count was here."
Dunkel surveyed his surroundings, a sigh escaping him.
Around him, black tendrils of mist began to subtly rise.
"Count, I'm afraid you'll have to assist me."
He whispered to the Count, unconcerned.
Thinking that his amusement with the Count would end today.
****
The price for overexerting myself came as soon as I arrived at the log cabin.
My entire body felt like it was tearing apart, heavy and aching. And my nose hadn't stopped bleeding since earlier.
I had tricked the scales and wielded mana beyond my body's capacity, and now the backlash had come.
It wasn't that this had never happened before, but it was the first time the backlash had been this severe.
"Ugh, I'm really going to die."
I wasn't joking; I genuinely felt like I was going to die.
"D-don't die, Camel. W-waaah!"
It's not like I was actually going to die, though.
Watching Rose, who was sobbing with a handkerchief pressed to my nose, my feelings became complicated.
Hey, what are you doing, blocking my mouth too?
"Lady Rose, I'm really fine and not dying, so could you please take the handkerchief away? I can't breathe."
"Gasp."
At my words, Rose startled and hastily tossed the handkerchief aside.
'Now the floor will get bloody.'
I felt the urge to say something, but I couldn't.
Rose's fidgeting was cute, and more than anything, considering what she had gone through today, I simply couldn't bring myself to.
"Are you okay, Lady Rose?"
"Uh, yeah..."
At my question, Rose bowed her small head deeply and spoke in a tiny, mouse-like voice.
'How could she be okay?'
She had almost suffered such a terrible fate, and on top of that, she had been betrayed by someone she trusted more than anyone.
I was more worried about the wounds Rose must have received than my own body, which would soon recover.
So I was about to tell her it was okay to cry, but then.
"I'm really okay. Actually, I was somewhat prepared for it."
"Prepared for what?"
"A viscount's daughter being violated by a high-ranking noble. Honestly, it's a common occurrence."
The words that began to spill from Rose's dainty lips complicated my thoughts.
"Camel. I love our family."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"It means that even if I get a little hurt, I hope no one in our family ever gets hurt."
"..."
My words caught in my throat.
Even though her face still showed traces of tears.
Even though she was just a twelve-year-old girl.
To think she was prepared for something so absurd for such a reason.
"That's why I'm saying this. I don't want you, Camel, to get hurt because of me either."
"I'm not hurt."
"Liar. You just kept saying you were hurt, that you were dying, non-stop, a moment ago."
"Oh."
Come to think of it, I had. I really was in pain.
"Camel. So, can you grant me one request?"
"What request?"
"If..."
Rose tightly clasped my hand, then bowed her head deeply and continued speaking.
"If Count Cayden tries to take me again, please don't step in like you did before."
"..."
"I truly don't want you, Camel, to get hurt."
Rose spoke with a trembling voice, her head still deeply bowed.
Seeing her small figure, my lips parted of their own accord.
"What are you even saying?"
"Uh, huh?"
Surprised, Rose's eyes widened like a rabbit's, and she lifted her head.
"Ow!"
I gave Rose a light smack on the head, my voice tinged with annoyance.
"You little mouse."
"Why are you speaking informally...?"
"Why? You keep trying to do things your way, but I can't do things my way?"
"That's..."
"Hey, Rose. Stop messing around and listen carefully."
Then I gripped Rose's shoulders, met her eyes, and began to speak seriously.
"You, you said you're okay with being hurt, but you don't want someone precious to you to be hurt, right?"
"Uh, huh."
"Then did you ask those precious people what they think? Even if you did, would they really give you the answer you want?"
"..."
"No, absolutely not. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they'd say this: 'Rose, I'm okay with being hurt, but I don't want you to be hurt.'"
I wondered if she understood. Rose was listening to me with a blank expression, her mouth slightly agape.
"What this means is that your way of thinking was wrong from the start. Come on, repeat after me: 'If I'm hurt, the people precious to me are hurt even more.'"
"..."
"Repeat it."
"If I'm hurt, the people precious to me are..."
"Exactly. They're hurt even more."
Rose mumbled, then bowed her head deeply again.
I stroked Rose's head and added.
"So let's make a promise. You need to."
"What... promise?"
"From now on, you'll never... wait, that's not what I meant. From now on, you'll think about protecting yourself first, rather than hurting yourself."
"..."
When I held out my pinky finger and asked, Rose pressed her lips together and hesitated.
It wasn't that I didn't understand Rose.
Being treated like a baby by someone her own age, and a commoner at that, she must naturally feel embarrassed.
Fully understanding Rose's feelings, I spoke in a warm voice.
"Do it."
Just as expected.
The effect of my warm voice was remarkable.
Judging by the soft touch I felt on my pinky finger.
I think this is it.
This very moment.
The moment a new path of destiny opened for the girl who had appeared as the villainess in the game.
****
Deep in the night, Rose was sleeping soundly beside me, clinging tightly to me.
'Thank goodness.'
She had almost suffered a terrible fate, but she hadn't.
She was destined to be a villainess, but that fate had been averted.
So, a sigh of relief was inevitable.
Thinking that, I covered Rose with a blanket, then got up.
'My body has recovered somewhat.'
Though the aftereffects of the backlash still lingered, when I moved my limbs, I found I could move them sufficiently.
'He's finally coming.'
Feeling the unpleasant aura gradually drawing closer from afar, I grabbed my sword and stepped out of the house.
The aura I felt now was unmistakably Dunkel's demonic energy.
What was strange was that the aura I felt now was far more powerful than any of Dunkel's auras I had felt before.
'What did he do?'
That question crossed my mind for a moment, but that was all.
In any case, as long as Dunkel was a follower of the Chaos Cult, there was no chance I would lose to him.