บท 45: The villain who torments the heroes

This is something I did not expect.

What are Freydis and the others doing in Rosenheim?

This is something that should only have happened much later.

In the original story, the protagonist group heads to Rosenheim to investigate the Schmetterling family; at that stage in the novel almost everyone was suspicious of the Reclesia family, and with the Schmetterlings being their main suppliers of magical items, they began to suspect them as well.

In the end, it turned out that the Schmetterling family knew nothing about the Reclesia's corruption, but instead they discovered the whole thing about the beastmen tribes and also several illicit acts the family had committed, such as dealing with criminals or embezzling the citizens' funds, as well as charging to keep their mouths shut about some heinous crimes that had been committed by some nobles in their territory.

They finally ended up revoking the position of city lords from the Schmetterling family and gave the position to a trusted nobleman from the capital who knew how to manage the city's affairs well.

"But why did they come now...Oh, right.

It must be because of me.

Since nothing had happened since I arrived in Rosenheim, I forgot that I was now a wanted criminal. They must have come to capture me by order of the academy to demonstrate the ability of their students or something.

"This could complicate things, though it could also benefit me."

While with the presence of the protagonist group, my actions are more restricted, I could also use them to my advantage to take care of the Schmetterlinge.

"If I do things right, I could make the process easier."

Something like dropping hints about the Schmetterlinge's actions or treatment towards the Beastmen tribes. While the mission of the protagonist group has to be to capture me, if they discover the Schmetterlinge's dirty laundry, they won't sit still either.

If I had to emphasize one problem, it would be that at the moment the protagonist group is much weaker than when they originally arrived in the city. I doubt Kein has understood his power yet, and Alexander must still be having trouble with his excessive mana, plus they are all inexperienced.

In the original novel, when they arrived in Rosenheim to investigate the Schmetterling, the group had already passed several tests that had helped them mature and get to know each other. But at this point they must still be very green, and their relationship must not have been very close.

"Hmm, how to fix it?"

In order to use them effectively, it is necessary to increase their capabilities at least to a minimum level to be able to cope with the family with the help of my reinforcements.

"...In stories, heroes become stronger by overcoming trials."

Challenges that endanger their lives, that force them to give every ounce of their being to overcome them and reach new heights. Changing their way of thinking to find solutions; questioning their beliefs and ideals, their goals and dreams, all in order to spread their wings to overcome adversity.

A warrior does not leave the battlefield without scars.

A goal cannot be achieved without a clear objective.

And a hero does not grow if he does not face a villain.

"I can become that villain."

To put myself in the role of the villain.

To be the wall that the heroes must cross if they want to become stronger.

I've done it before; I can do it again. Put the protagonists in a desperate situation so they can grow up quickly, push them to the limit, and maybe leave them with a scar or two.

"This is also a contingency measure."

The plot has gone off the rails; it has from the moment I appeared in this world.

The Reclesia know my plan; I'm still alive even though I should have been dead by now; the Pendragons know things they shouldn't have known until long after, and the protagonists are now here.

So much has changed from the original novel; it won't be long before things get out of hand and my knowledge becomes useless or inaccurate.

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was overconfident."

Being knowledgeable about future events and having prepared ahead of time was something that made me think nothing could go wrong. I acted according to my role, being confident that as long as there was no unexpected variable, things would go exactly as I wanted them to.

But I overlooked the fact that I myself was the biggest variable.

As a result of that oversight, the professors found me out; Freydis saw through my mask; and the Reclesia family discovered my plan.

What if the plot gets so derailed that even the protagonist himself, unable to keep up, ends up dying?

What if, when the day of the battle against the Reclesia arrives, something unexpected happens, causing our failure?

What if, by relying too much on my memories about the future, I end up making a decision that ends up leading me to ruin?

These are questions that had been haunting my mind ever since I left the academy, but now with Freydis' presence in the city, those thoughts finally gained more strength.

"To become a villain."

To guarantee success and eliminate any variables that might appear, I needed to become the villain that torments the heroes on their journey, to be the reason they can't sleep at night, the bastard they wish to hit with all their might until they kill him.

I should become the Demon King that the hero must decapitate with his sacred sword.

To make them grow and mature by force so that they might be able to face whatever challenges they might face in the future.

But I had to prepare myself if I wanted to do something like that.

"I have some ideas, but they need refining."

With resolve, I closed the tailor shop earlier than usual, and with Livia's company, I set about planning a way to push the protagonist group to the limit.

***

"Wow, your wife sure is good at making tea."

"Thank you very much for the compliment."

At a table with several snacks and cups of tea sat Christa, Johan, and Mari, having a pleasant conversation.

"I tell you, those noble children seem to have no common sense; I feel sorry for their families who have any of them as heirs."

"Well, living surrounded by luxuries and with servants who fulfill your every whim will naturally lead people to think differently."

"You seem to speak from experience? You're a nobleman too, aren't you? You have a last name and everything, though I've never heard of a noble family with the surname Schneider in this city."

"Technically yes, but let's just say I'm not exactly one anymore."

"Ah, that's about it, isn't it? I understand, I won't ask anymore."

It's been a week since Christa has been coming over for tea. During that time we have become quite close, and we could already consider ourselves friends.

"Ah yes, I didn't tell you before, but it seems we have some guests at the mansion."

"Some guests?"

I have a slight inkling of who they might be.

"Yes, I hadn't noticed them before, as our schedules didn't allow us to meet, and, as you know, no one in that mansion tells me anything, but one day I came back earlier than usual and happened to run into them. It seems they are looking for a criminal who is hiding in the city, and they are getting help from the family."

She said as she sipped her cup of tea, but then paused as if remembering something, and with an amused expression, she spoke again.

"It also seems that my little sister has a crush on one of them."

Ah, that must be Dorothea, Christa's younger sister. In the novel, she is a character who fell in love with Kein after he found her crying in the rose garden after getting lost.

Kein, like the kind-hearted person he is, comforted her, and after that, Dorothea fell madly in love with Kein, like a little fan admiring her idol.

It was a comical situation that didn't have much importance in the novel, so it shouldn't matter much.

"I see, your sister Dorothea, right? You mention her sometimes; you seem to love her very much."

Livia, who was sipping her tea quietly on the side, joined in the conversation; since she's not much of a talker, she usually doesn't participate and just blurts out occasional comments.

"Well, she's a bit silly, but she's my sister after all, although as a good big sister I'll have to check if the guy she fell in love with isn't a jerk."

Their idle chatter lasted until the sun began to set. Taking that as an indicator, Christa said goodbye to the couple and walked to the exit.

"Ah, I almost forgot."

But before she left, she seemed to remember something and turned to look at the couple.

"Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to come for a while; there's a project I'm working on, and I'll be shutting myself away for a few days to concentrate on finishing it."

She said it somewhat reluctantly. While she loved alchemy, it was the first time in her life that she was able to chat quietly with a "friend." It was a rare but pleasant feeling that Christa found hard to give up.

"I see, that's a shame, but how about this?"

A chance.

During the week that Christa had been coming over for tea, I had strived to make our relationship as friendly as possible. I squeezed all the knowledge I had about her to make sure I touched on the exact topics that would bring us closer together more quickly.

All so that the request I was about to make would not be rejected when the time came.

"How about I go spot you at your mansion? We could keep you some company and also discuss some issues about the outfit you requested."

Perhaps a bit hasty, but I had to start moving if I wanted to begin the plan I discussed with Livia to put the lead group on the spot.

Christa rested her hand on her chin and took on a thoughtful expression, but it didn't take long for her to give her answer.

"Sure, why not? I feel like my life would become more difficult if I didn't enjoy your wife's tea."

She said it teasingly with a smile.

"I see. I hope I won't cause you any inconvenience."

"Haha, don't worry about it, and I already have plenty of inconveniences in my day-to-day life anyway; adding one more wouldn't make any difference."

"That's not a very good way to put it; please don't overdo it."

"Yes, yes."

With that, Christa said goodbye with a smile and a promise that we would visit regularly.

The plan I had was simple.

Taking opportunities to visit Christa at the Schmetterling mansion, I would come into contact with the main characters in the character of Johan Schneider, the pleasant tailor shop owner.

I will try to maintain close contact with them; perhaps I will ask Freydis for help to make that easier.

Once contact is established, I'll drop hints about the Schmetterling's hidden actions—nothing too scandalous but noticeable enough to make them suspicious.

"I may have to ask the Fuchsvolk for help in putting together a little scenario."

The poor tribes of beastmen, who were constantly repressed and discriminated against by the evil Schmetterling family. Knowing this, the protagonist group will not be able to stand idly by, and with the previously implanted suspicions, they will stand up to the Schmetterling family.

"And while all that is going on, I will also perform my own actions to put even more pressure on them."

He was targeting the nobles that the Schmetterling family was charging to hide their crimes. Since no one knows about their wrongdoings, it will look like I am attacking innocent nobles who have done nothing.

Then, when the true colors of the Schmetterling family are revealed, the protagonist group will be forced to face two enemies at once.

"My goal is to make them lose miserably."

While overcoming trials is essential for growth, failures are also strong motivators for improvement.

I will make them see how weak and immature they are by putting them in a desperate situation where they can do nothing but give in. Then, when they barely make it out alive, they will be strongly motivated to become stronger so that they will never go through a similar situation again

"This plan is only applicable because it's them."

If it were anyone else, this experience might make them collapse or even generate some traumas for them, but we're talking about the protagonists here; they wouldn't collapse so easily.

"I'll have a lot of things to do."

This might seem too extreme and immoral to take young people who are not even 20 years old to these extremes. But this is a world where you don't know if a monster could get out of control and destroy a town with all its inhabitants.

There are gods and unfathomable entities that mere mortals cannot even dare to look at. In such a world, having strength is the best way to survive. Connections, money, or status are overshadowed by individuals of exceptional power.

Only the strong have the right to decide, and only the strong are able to protect what they hold dear.

These children will be forced to face increasingly difficult challenges in the future anyway. They will have to make sacrifices and fight with everything they have to survive. Building their character now is actually a favor they might thank me for in the future.

"I'm not going to stand still either."

I have been training with Livia tirelessly in order to reach the state of aura apprentices. At the moment, it seems that Livia has been seeing results, but I still don't feel anything.

"Although at the moment I have the strength equal to an aura apprentice, I must take advantage of all the resources I can."

As Arthur pondered his future plans, he failed to notice a small crow on top of a house watching him from a distance.

After a few minutes, this crow spread its wings and flew away, dropping one of its feathers that was carried away by the wind.