Episode 5
"...Young Master, please wake up."
"Mmm, what is it..."
"...If you sleep here, not only will your dignity be damaged, but the family's reputation as well. Please get up."
"Yaaaaaawn..."
Just moments ago, I nearly died on my first day after regressing due to Irina's curse.
Shocked by that fact, I was staring blankly in the empty banquet hall when Cania entered, so I quickly pretended to be dead drunk.
"Caniaaa... carry me..."
"Young Master, as you well know, I..."
"That's right~! Our Cania is a black mage, isn't she?"
"...Young Master!"
"And besides~... As a black mage, you're always in a frail state due to the curse you carry, sooo... well, it can't be helped..."
"...I will carry you. Please, just stop."
"Hehe... Thank you, Cania!"
Cania let out deep sighs as she carried me, then began to stumble this way and that.
"Ugh... urgh..."
"...Shall I set you down for a moment?"
"If you carry me properly... wouldn't there be no need to set me down?"
".........."
Hearing those words, Cania lightly trembled for a moment, then replied in a voice that was clearly suppressing anger.
"...I will correct it."
"Giddy up! Run, run!"
"...Sigh, seriously."
Like that, Cania with dead eyes began slowly heading toward my quarters while listening to my fake drunken antics.
"Khek! Cough! Cough!"
"What is it this time?"
"Don't mind me... just keep going, you black mage... ah, I didn't say black mage just now, I said 'black one'...?"
"......."
And while being carried by her, I began infusing life force into her.
If I don't periodically infuse life force like this, Cania will die before long. So, whenever opportunities like this arise, I must spare no effort in infusing her with life force.
For reference, the larger the area of contact between my body and Cania's, the more life force gets transferred to her.
That's why I tried to infuse several months' worth of life force all at once this time, but then I recalled that Cania was also constantly watching for a chance to kill me, so I abandoned that thought.
Instead, I clung tightly to her back and pretended to sleep while starting to transfer a bit more life force than usual. To help reduce the fatigue she would feel.
"Whether it's God's trickery, or whatever else..."
Just as I was in the midst of sharing life force, Cania, who was carrying me, suddenly began muttering in a voice filled with venom.
"...For my younger sibling's sake, this time I will definitely kill you."
'...That's too harsh.'
I was holding blood in my mouth that had come up along with nausea from overexerting myself to share life force with Cania, and she was declaring her intent to kill me. Thanks to that, I felt strangely depressed.
But, this is unavoidable as a villain.
After all, to Cania right now, I am trash who is constantly eyeing her younger sibling—who shows exceptional talent in healing magic—in various ways.
"...Gulp."
Having quietly swallowed the blood I'd been holding in my mouth, thanks to the side effects of life force transfer, I began to doze off while still on Cania's back.
Of course, I didn't fall completely asleep for fear of being murdered while sleeping.
Being a villain really isn't something one should do.
.
"...Young Master, we have arrived."
"Yaaaawn... where...?"
"This is the quarters where the Young Master will be staying from today. The academy has specially prepared the highest quality accommodations, so there shouldn't be any inconveniences..."
"...Get out."
"...Pardon?"
"I said get out. Let me sleep for a bit."
Cutting off her explanation, I gestured dismissively and issued a command for her to leave.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
At that, Cania smiled brightly for some reason and bowed at a ninety-degree angle. After watching her for a moment, just as she was about to open the door and leave, I quietly spoke.
"Wait, don't go yet."
"...Yes?"
"I said don't leave yet."
"...Understood."
When I reversed my position after just telling her to leave, she tilted her head in confusion for a moment, then began to show an expression of understanding.
Probably going from the self-questioning 'Why is the Young Master acting like this?' to the self-answer 'Ah! The Young Master is about to throw another tantrum!', I imagine.
"...Come over here for a moment."
Thinking such nonsensical thoughts, I purchased [Mind Reading Lv1] from the system's skill shop window that had been floating before my eyes, and called Cania over.
"..........."
At that, she began approaching me with a rotten expression. Being met with disdain when I haven't even done anything yet makes me feel like the shepherd boy from the Empire's fables.
[Cania's Current Emotions: Revulsion/Killing Intent/Anger/Contempt/Shame/Strong Will]
When I used the mind reading skill on her after she came before me, the emotions that floated up were quite a sight, except for the last one.
Even the one somewhat normal emotion, 'Strong Will,' was clearly born from her determination to definitely kill me. This is starting to make me a bit afraid to use mind reading in the future.
Still, it's amazing that I can read emotions in such detail even at level 1. I look forward to seeing how useful it will be if I level it up.
"...Status window."
Having finished testing the beginner skill 'Mind Reading,' I muttered in a small voice to bring up her status window.
[Name: Cania]
[Abilities: Strength 3 / Magic Power ??? / Intelligence 7 / Mental Strength 4]
[Special Notes: Frail Health/Mana Instability/Curse of Self-Destruction]
'...The magic power value is strange. Is it because of the curse?'
Born with an innate affinity for black magic, Cania possesses the potential to literally blanket the world in darkness.
However, black magic wasn't the only thing she was born with.
The 'Curse of Self-Destruction' that came attached to her innate talent for black magic periodically eats away at her life force, and because her mana became highly unstable as a result, at this point in time Cania cannot even use magic properly without my help.
That's probably why her magic power value shows up as a question mark.
'...I really need to do something about that curse.'
Of course, right now I'm alive because of that curse, but if I keep neglecting it, a moment will come when even my life force won't be enough to solve it. In just a few months, her first crisis will arrive.
So I need to accumulate villain points as quickly as possible, even a day sooner, to advance to the next stage and find a way to awaken her younger sibling, who holds the key to breaking the curse.
Having finished my thoughts about Cania's curse, I made an expression that said even answering was bothersome and gestured vaguely for Cania to leave.
"........"
Then, Cania also made an expression that said even speaking was bothersome, briefly bowed her head, and left the room. We really get along well in this regard, which is nice.
After Cania left the room, I stared blankly for a moment, then began checking the list of skills I possessed.
[Owned Skills List]
[Villain's Intuition LV1]
Description: As a villain's intuition, once per day detects threats that could lead to death.
[Information Search Lv1]
Description: Displays important information about the target being observed in a system window.
[Emergency Defense]
Description: Protects the target once from a fatal blow. (Single use) (Purchase limit 1/3)
[Mind Reading Lv1]
Description: Once per day, can read a person's emotions for a short time. (First use has no cooldown applied)
"...This should be helpful, at least."
Since the system is still in the beginner stage, there are no powerful abilities capable of defeating the Demon King, but even this much will be very helpful to me right now.
The Villain's Intuition goes without saying. It's a skill I desperately need in my current situation.
The [Emergency Defense] skill seems to be the most useful among the skills I currently have, alongside Villain's Intuition. It's unfortunate that it's single-use and has a purchase limit, but given that it protected me from Irina's curse, its performance is certainly reliable.
Aside from that, Information Search and Mind Reading will definitely help rather than not. For reference, Mind Reading has no cooldown on its first use, so I'll be able to use it one more time today.
"...Item Shop."
As I was looking through the skills, I tried to open the item shop, but instead of the item shop spreading before my eyes, a red notification window appeared.
[Notice: This function is not supported at the current stage!]
"Is this still not enough villainy?"
Feeling like the system was urging me to commit more evil deeds, I closed the window and finally opened the stat window.
[Name: Frey Laon Starlight]
[Abilities: Strength ??? / Magic Power ??? / Intelligence ??? / Mental Strength 9]
[Special Notes: Fatigue]
"...What? Why is it like this?"
But something is strange. All stats except Mental Strength are showing as question marks.
Flustered, I tapped at the stat window, but no interaction occurred except for the Mental Strength stat. What on earth is going on?
'...By the way, Mental Strength is quite high?'
Probably because I strove to not be corrupted by evil while committing villainous acts in the previous cycle, my Mental Strength was set high.
But why are the other stats question marks? Is it that I can only properly raise or view stats starting from the next stage? Or is this some kind of error from the effects of regression?
Making various guesses as I gazed at the system window, I tried to level up Mental Strength, the only stat that allowed interaction, but the system left me another message stating this function isn't supported at the current stage.
'...I guess I really have no choice but to steadily accumulate villain points through villainous acts?'
I let out a sigh and closed the system, feeling fatigue washing over me as I closed my eyes.
The system did say I'm in a fatigued state, so now is probably the time to rest my eyes for a bit. Starting tomorrow, I'll be facing the heroines' hostility in earnest, so I should at least be in good condition.
Like that, I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep not long after, but...
- Knock knock knock!
"...Hm?"
Someone suddenly started knocking on my door, and thanks to that, I had no choice but to get up from bed with a frown.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Young Master."
"...Cania?"
I had planned to get angry at whoever dared knock on my room at night to accumulate some villain points, but for some reason, Cania was standing at the door.
"What is all that?"
"...My luggage."
For reasons I don't understand, she had piled her luggage—brought from home—all over the hallway in front of my room.
"Then, excuse me."
".....?"
I was tilting my head at this strange sight when suddenly Cania pushed past me, entered, and started unpacking.
"...What are you doing?"
"I'm unpacking my luggage."
"No, why are you unpacking your luggage here?"
"Because starting today, I also have to live here."
"...What?"
Startled by those words, I calmed my surprised heart and began to speak slowly.
"...What kind of bullshit is that? You, a lowly one, should go to the dormitory where lowly people gather. This is the noble dormitory."
"...Did you not know?"
Hearing my words, Cania quietly smiled and said something completely unexpected.
"...I enrolled in the academy as the Young Master's servant."
"What? What does that mean?"
Cania definitely enrolled in the academy as a regular student in the previous cycle. So why...
"Yesterday, I requested permission from the Young Master's father via telegram. And fortunately, I received permission."
"...Why on earth?"
"Well, isn't it because I'm worried about the Young Master whom I've lived with since long ago? There's no other reason."
Cania answered coldly to my dumbfounded question, then slightly raised the corner of her mouth and added.
"Ah, and the Duke said... he told me to watch over the Young Master so he doesn't cause trouble. If I am kicked out, he will have you expelled from the academy."
"...Damn it."
The moment Cania said 'expulsion,' the system displayed a red warning window to me.
[Warning! Game Over Crisis!]
- The Path of the Villain system judges 'Game Over' in the following three cases:
[First: Being expelled from the academy, or becoming unable to attend the academy for some reason.]
[Second: Even a single main heroine dying.]
[Third: The system owner dying in a situation other than the 'Final Battle'.]
That's right, the system places these constraints on me. Among them, the problem right now is the first case—expulsion from the academy.
According to the words of the ancestor written in the Book of Prophecy, it's a constraint that exists because 'Blacktail Fantasy 2' is set in an academy... Thanks to this, I'm now in a very troublesome situation.
You might ask, can't I just explain the situation to my father who knows I'm a villain and kick Cania out or send her back as a regular student?
This damned world isn't that easy.
Due to the magic cast on the Book of Prophecy, the moment I regress, the memories of everyone except me who knows the contents of the Book of Prophecy are readjusted.
The reason such magic is in place is because there's a penalty that my life force and lifespan decrease if someone who knows I'm a villain through the system appears.
Therefore, if the 'game scenario' written in the Book of Prophecy is correct, my father has probably changed into someone who treats me, a scoundrel, very strictly while feeling conflicted love-hate and cannot bring himself to cast me aside completely.
It's an incredibly awkward and strange setting, but when even the 'scenario' has 'enforcement power,' what can I do? There was a reason the ancestor kept using the word 'trash-fire game.'
In conclusion, my father, who was the only one who encouraged and supported me when I couldn't tell anyone the truth in order to make the hero's weapon—powered by 'goodness'—run wild in the previous cycle, is no longer on my side.
In other words, no ally who helps me exists.
Lost in such depressing thoughts, Cania, who had finished unpacking all her luggage into my room, lay down on a cot, smiled coldly, and bid me goodnight.
"Then... sleep well, Young Master."
"........."
Having finished speaking, Cania quietly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"...I'm going crazy."
For a moment, I thought about throwing a tantrum for no reason and going outside to sleep, but I soon realized that if I kept doing that repeatedly without any reason, Cania might find that suspicious. And crucially, even if I went outside, there was nowhere to sleep.
It seems getting a good night's sleep from now on is out of the question.
'No, can I even sleep at all?'
.
"Holy Sun God, I offer my prayers to you today as well..."
While Frey began spending the night with eyes wide open,
"...For having mercy on me, a heretic who dared doubt the Sun God's existence, and granting me another chance, I can only offer thanks, and more thanks."
Not far from the dormitory where he was staying, in the female dormitory, a small-framed girl was praying devoutly with both hands clasped.
"Though I am shameless to make a request to the Sun God..."
With fine, flowing white hair and a kind, pure heart that earned her the title 'Saintess of Pure White' from the world, as golden aura began to rise from her body,
"...Please help me tear Frey Laon Starlight to death this time."
She finished her prayer with an expression turned cold.
"...If necessary, I, Ferroche Astelraid, will offer even my life."