Episode 9
'...Finally, he's up.'
Just as Frey was getting up from his bed, Kania was observing his every move.
Of course, if she had so much as opened her eyes even a little, Frey, who was an expert at detecting secretly injected life force, would have noticed immediately. But she wasn't opening her eyes right now.
If that was the case, how exactly was she observing Frey without even opening her eyes?
".............."
It was because she was currently inhabiting the black cat doll on the desk.
For some unknown reason, during yesterday's training session when her condition was exceptionally good, she had gathered and condensed black magic power in her palm to create a construct.
Then, using that as a medium for the basic black magic 'Hidden Gaze,' Kania had completely fallen asleep while simultaneously inhabiting the cat doll construct.
This was a black magic she had never shown in front of Frey. Therefore, Kania thought there was almost no chance of being discovered as she muttered internally.
'...Let's see what exactly you do at night, Frey.'
The moment she muttered those words internally, Frey began to move, swirling his right hand as he started walking. Kania stared at him sharply, then hurriedly returned her expression to normal.
Currently, Kania was completely assimilated with the cat doll, so she could move like a real cat. However, doing so risked being discovered by Frey, so she maintained a rigid posture and began observing him.
"Then, shall we start today as well?"
'...As expected, he was doing something at night.'
Hearing Frey's muttering, Kania began to smile inwardly, thinking she might be able to catch his weakness...
- Swish...
'...What!?'
That smile turned to horror the moment Frey stood before her sleeping form and reached out his hand.
'T-that disgusting bastard...'
Seeing Frey reach toward her with an affectionate expression, Kania felt her blood run cold, but there was nothing she could do.
The black magic 'Hidden Gaze,' once inhabiting a construct, couldn't return to the original body until a certain amount of time had passed, no matter what one did.
Of course, using higher-level black magic would solve that problem, but due to the 'Curse of Self-Destruction,' Kania could only use basic black magic even when her condition was good, so she had no choice but to use beginner black magic while knowing the risks.
And now, that decision was about to become the biggest mistake and most terrible experience of Kania's life.
"...Mmm."
Unaware of Kania's thoughts, Frey was touching her body with an incredibly calm expression. Watching this scene with contempt and disgust, Kania suddenly thought of one possibility.
'Shit, that son of a bitch... Don't tell me... since before...!'
Frey's actions were so natural and composed that they suggested this might not be the first time.
The moment she judged this wasn't just a possibility but something that could very well be true, Kania's rationality snapped.
When she first regressed, she had lost her mind and tried to kill Frey somehow, but before long she realized that simply killing him was too merciful for someone who had driven the world to destruction.
So Kania had resolved:
She would enter as Frey's servant, recover her magic power by his side while waiting for the right moment, and once her black magic power was sufficiently recovered, she would gift him with black magic that would inflict pain worse than death.
Or she would secretly gather his weaknesses, reveal them to the whole world to destroy him, and finally end his life with her own hands at the very last moment.
But witnessing Frey touching her sleeping body, Kania decided to throw away such plans and focus on only one goal.
That goal was to kill that filthy, ugly, and disgusting man tomorrow morning the instant she returned to her body, even if it meant dying from depleted black magic power.
She would send her younger sister in the family far away, and take everything upon herself. Tomorrow, Frey Raon Starlight dies.
Having finished her thoughts, Kania began to watch with burning eyes exactly what he was doing to her.
She had to finish any unfinished revenge in hell, so she wouldn't forget her hatred for Frey even after death.
"Haa... Haaah..."
'...Mmm?'
But something was a bit strange.
'...Why is he acting like that?'
Frey, whom she had definitely thought would do something disgusting, was just quietly placing his hand on her stomach with his eyes closed.
"...Hup."
He was even breaking out in cold sweat and letting out groans.
Staring blankly at Frey for a moment at this strange sight, Kania came to her senses and began thinking again.
'...He's doing something to me.'
Frey was definitely doing something with his hand placed on her stomach.
Then, what exactly was he doing?
Why was he keeping his hand on her stomach while making such painful expressions and breaking out in cold sweat?
'...Whatever it is, it can't be anything honorable.'
Doing something late at night, after confirming she was deeply asleep - it couldn't possibly be something honorable. He was definitely plotting something bad with those actions.
'Sorcery, bloodstains, cursed artifacts... and now suspicious actions toward me... If I'm lucky, I might get evidence to destroy him.'
Having calmed herself again, Kania began to record every one of Frey's actions, thinking she might find a clue to destroy him.
"...Whew."
After some time passed and Frey staggered away from Kania, she, having found no particular clues, was about to let go of her regrets and organize her future plans until the magic wore off...
"...This thing is really cute."
'.....?'
Suddenly, when Frey turned his gaze to the cat doll on the desk - that is, to herself inhabiting the doll - she became extremely flustered.
"...Oh, it's soft."
'.........!'
And when Frey, who had sat in the chair next to the desk, picked her up and started petting her, Kania intuitively realized something had gone wrong.
But since she couldn't be discovered inhabiting the doll, all she could do was maintain her rigid posture and quietly receive Frey's petting.
After petting the cat doll Kania was inhabiting for a while, Frey suddenly stopped petting and began to stare quietly at the cat doll.
'...I-is he stopping now?'
At Frey's behavior, Kania began to fill with expectation that she could finally escape this hellish moment...
"...Yup."
But contrary to her expectations, Frey flipped the doll over and began pressing its soft belly firmly.
"Heeei...!"
Since she was completely assimilated with the doll and sharing its sensations, Kania, having her belly pressed at a completely unexpected moment, ended up letting out a winded groan without realizing it.
"".............""
Silence flowed through the room for a moment.
"......Huh?"
Soon, when Frey tilted his head while holding the doll, Kania, who had been in panic, began desperately racking her brain. Just as Frey's expression was gradually hardening...
"...Nya, meow."
Kania made a small cat sound.
"Hah, what..."
Then Frey, who had been looking down at the cat doll for a moment, chuckled and muttered.
"...So it's a doll that makes sounds when you press its belly?"
Completely fooled by Kania's wit, Frey looked at the doll with interest and began pressing its belly repeatedly.
"Meow... Meoww..."
"...I should buy one of these too."
"N-nyeek... meow..."
Thanks to that, Kania, who was having her belly pressed continuously, had no choice but to keep making sounds in time with the pressing of her belly.
Thus, in the dead of dawn, sounds of groans and shame-filled cat cries echoed through Frey's dormitory for a while.
.
- Ring! Ring ring!
Morning broke.
I propped up my heavy body, turned off the ringing alarm clock, and stretched greatly.
"Hwaaahm..."
After sharing my life force with Kania at dawn and trying to go to sleep, I got distracted by the cute cat doll on the desk and ended up not sleeping properly today either.
Still, perhaps because I did some healing by petting the soft, sound-making cat doll quite a bit, my stress seemed somewhat relieved.
"...Kania, breakfast."
"U, ugh..."
"......?"
Anyway, trying to summon the energy to do villainous acts today, I ordered breakfast from Kania, but instead of her answer, I heard what sounded like sobbing.
Wondering what was going on, I looked to the side and saw Kania with a red face, clutching her stomach and glaring at me.
"What's wrong?"
"...N-nothing. My stomach just hurts a bit..."
"Tch, how dirty."
Though I said that, I started worrying whether I had made some mistake while giving her life force yesterday, and was about to change my words to skip breakfast...
"I, then... I'll go prepare breakfast..."
Kania, who had been looking at me, hurriedly finished speaking, turned her body sharply, and rushed out of the room.
"...What was that?"
As I tilted my head for a moment, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[Villainy Points 200pt acquired! (Misunderstanding and Hijinks)]
"......?"
Tilting my head for a moment, I judged that Kania must have misunderstood that I had used some trick to make her stomach hurt, and dismissed the window that had appeared before my eyes.
The points seemed a bit higher than usual, but more is better, so it doesn't matter.
[Notice! System Level Up!]
[Beginner -> Beginner Level]
[Reward: Beginner Skill Level 1 Shop unlocked, Item Shop opened]
"...Oh?"
While thinking that, the system notified me of a level up.
"...Skill Shop."
Seeing that, I decided to check the newly opened skills first and opened the skill shop.
[Shop / Beginner Skill Level 1]
- Silent Casting 500pt
Description) You can open and operate the system window by muttering internally.
- Villain's Deception Lv1 250pt
Description) Permanently increases the persuasiveness of lies by a small amount.
- Information Search Lv2 300pt
Description) The information window skill gains a function showing a person's disposition.
[Accumulated pt: 665pt]
.
After quietly watching the newly opened skill window, I selected one skill without much deliberation.
"Obviously, Silent Casting."
Opening system windows or information windows by shouting in front of people was more embarrassing than I had thought.
Just recently during my meeting with Isollet, when she heard me muttering and tilted her head, it was quite shameful.
Even without that reason, if I kept saying such words out loud, I might arouse suspicion.
Therefore, buying the Silent Casting skill at this point would be the logical choice.
'...Item Shop.'
Having completed the purchase of the 'Silent Casting' skill, I muttered internally to open the 'Item Shop' to test it as well.
[Shop / Beginner Items]
- Mask of Deception 300pt
Description) When worn, completely hides your identity for 1 minute. (Cooldown: 7 days).
- Whip of Villainy 500pt
Description) Those struck by this whip feel no particular pain.
- Elixir of Potential LV1 700pt
Description) This mysterious potion can draw out the potential of whoever drinks it. (Purchase limit 0/1)
"...There it is. The Elixir of Potential."
According to the guide left by our ancestor in the prophecy book, the 'Elixir of Potential' is essential to quickly develop the healing ability possessed by Kania's younger sister.
Originally, it would be an item obtainable only after going through all kinds of hellish struggles, but I can obtain it simply by doing villainous acts.
'...By the way, other than the Elixir of Potential, nothing else is particularly helpful? Is it because it's still a beginner shop?'
Whether skills or items, they have quite useful effects for doing villainous acts, but there's nothing with powerful or flashy abilities. Because of that, I smacked my lips for a moment, but then recalled the structure of the 'Path of the Villain' system and sighed while muttering.
"...Well, it can't be helped."
This 'Path of the Villain' system differs in many ways in structure and purpose from the system our ancestor had, which slowly made someone with nothing grow stronger.
Because, unlike 1000 years ago, no matter how strong one becomes, no matter what powerful items one has, without the 'Hero's Armament,' one cannot stand against the Demon King.
Therefore, the 'Path of the Villain' system has developed only toward twisting the bleak scenarios of this hopeless dark fantasy world while awakening the Hero's Armament faster than the orthodox route.
Of course, the heroines who are constantly looking for chances to kill me are scary, but that was an irregular situation not even mentioned in the prophecy book, so the system probably isn't prepared for it either.
Therefore, I have no choice but to handle the heroines entirely on my own.
In conclusion, it's truly tearful and daunting... but I must continue doing villainous acts to quickly level up the system while preventing myself from being killed by the heroines on my own.
Only then can I twist the scenarios that lead directly to bad endings and awaken the Hero's Armament decades earlier to give this world a 'true happy ending.'
[You have a new notification!]
After organizing my thoughts and trying to close the system, a notification window appeared before my eyes. Wondering what it was, I pressed it and the following text appeared:
- Congratulations on leveling up to Beginner Level! Please continue to be incompetent, ugly, and cowardly in your villainy while saving the world!
"........."
Glaring at the system's notification that I couldn't tell whether it was praise or a curse, I chuckled and muttered.
"Really, they've gathered only the essentials."
'Incompetent,' 'Ugly,' 'Cowardly' are the three elements the system considers important. The villainy point rewards are given by judging all three of those elements.
But the truth can sometimes be annoying.
"...Sigh."
I sighed and pushed away the annoying notification window with my hand, but this time a notification window with a slightly different design appeared.
[Main Quest: Commoner Dormitory Attack Incident]
- Quest Content: Stop the attack incident and capture the mastermind.
[Reward: Increase in Hero's Armament awakening progress]
[Failure Penalty: Life force, lifespan slightly reduced]
"...Finally, the main quest has appeared."
Staring quietly at the main quest that had finally begun, I checked the schedule marked on the calendar on the wall and muttered quietly.
"...I'll need to get that item in the back alley no matter what."
There's one item I absolutely must obtain in the back alley I'll be visiting soon with Isollet.
If I don't obtain it, I won't be able to stop the 'Commoner Dormitory Attack Incident' that will occur soon.
Therefore, no matter the hardship... even if I have to crawl on the ground, I will definitely obtain it.
'...Well, Isollet will be the one actually crawling.'
.
At that same time when Frey was muttering about his plans in the dormitory.
"...As expected, to keep watch on Frey comfortably from now on, I'll need that item."
"This time, I will definitely secure that item..."
"To build my forces faster than in the previous cycle... I'll need that item..."
Kania, Perloche, and Klana were muttering with the exact same thought as Frey.