I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble, Nothing More Than the Hero’s Foil: Since the Hero Can Only Bring Misery to My Favorite Heroine, I’ll Use My Game Knowledge and Over-the-Top Effort to Rewrite the Scenario and Make Her Happy. - Chapter 24

“Wh-who are you?! Which army do you belong to?”

“We are soldiers of the Ochival family! Lord Ochival has taken up arms to defeat the vile undead ravaging the outskirts of the capital! Isn’t that right, Lord Gordon?”

This was at a checkpoint on our way to the capital. Held up by guards, I declared our purpose loudly and with confidence.

The Schwarz Battalion, disguised as soldiers of the Ochival family, was mounted and charging full speed toward the capital. I wore a helmet to conceal my identity, ensuring I wouldn’t be easily recognized.

“Y-Yes, that’s right! I am Gordon Ochival, the eldest son of the Ochival family!”

Gordon shouted his name with a tone of desperation.

“The hawk emblem—this truly is the crest of the Ochival family!”
“But… we haven’t heard anything about this! As far as we know, the royal edict to defeat the undead was issued to Viscount Fernando. Why is Lord Ochival intervening?”

The guards at the checkpoint looked puzzled. It was only natural; typically, when an army from another region passed through, it would be pre-approved and communicated.

I decided to play the honor card to get through.

“Why, you ask? What an odd thing to question! Lord Gordon, brimming with knightly spirit, couldn’t bear to stand idly by while the weak and helpless were trampled underfoot by the undead. He has risen to support Viscount Fernando! To obstruct such a noble cause would be akin to abandoning both the kingdom and its people! Isn’t that right, Lord Gordon?”

“T-That’s right! Now hurry up and open the gate! Time is of the essence!”

Gordon was practically in tears. He knew full well this would paint a target on his back for Prince Leon.

“O-oh! Our apologies, my lord!”

The iron gates of the checkpoint creaked open. As expected, I smirked inwardly.

Though Prince Leon had secretly ordered nobles to abandon Viscount Fernando to his fate, that information clearly hadn’t reached the soldiers stationed here.

After all, attempting to murder one’s vassal for personal grudges wasn’t something one could openly admit.

“We’re honored, my lord! While the royal government—and Prince Leon—do nothing, Lord Gordon stands as a true noble and knight!”
“Your noble intentions have deeply moved us!”

As we passed through the gate, the guards saluted us with utmost respect.

“N-no, no! I’m not worthy of such praise! The true credit belongs to my friend, Cain Schwarz! Compared to him, I am nothing! Please, don’t spread rumors about me!”

Gordon screamed, desperate to redirect attention away from himself.

“Oh, to think Lord Gordon would speak so highly of someone! We’ve heard of Lord Cain—he must be an incredible man!”

“H-hey…!”

I rode up beside Gordon, gesturing for him to shut his mouth. Why was he bringing up my name now? Was he trying to shift the responsibility onto me?

Once we were through the checkpoint, I decided to make things clear.

“Gordon, don’t mention my name carelessly. If people realize I’m behind you, it’ll complicate things. During this expedition, do not utter my name again. Got it?”

“Y-y-yes! My apologies!”

“And don’t bow your head to your subordinates. Right now, I’m your subordinate, remember?”

This was going to be a long journey. I’d need to keep Gordon in line to ensure he didn’t slip up again.

“Master Cain! You handled that checkpoint beautifully! This Lancelot is in awe of your brilliance!”
“Yes, Brother Cain, your skill with words is incredible! I’m amazed!”

Lancelot and Selvia showered me with praise.

“It wasn’t anything special. I just exploited Prince Leon’s weaknesses.”

The idea that Prince Leon would ignore such a dangerous undead army would likely frustrate the rank-and-file soldiers.

In the main story of the game, Prince Leon eventually became king, but his corrupt reign and lack of popularity made him utterly despised.

“Ah, exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses—that’s the essence of strategy!”
“As expected of Brother Cain!”
“Well… I suppose,” I said, scratching the back of my head.

Honestly, my approach was more rooted in strategies I’d learned from competitive games. In those games, targeting your opponent’s weak spots often guaranteed victory.

Two days later, we entered a dense forest to take a shortcut. Normally, traveling through such a monster-infested area would be risky, but with [Holy Maiden of the World Tree] Selvia in our group, we had an advantage.

Thanks to Selvia’s ability to communicate with forest spirits, we were able to navigate the woods without encountering any monsters.

“If we can get through here, we’ll reach the outskirts of the capital. We’re making excellent progress.”

Unlike the game, the Albion Kingdom is far more prosperous in this world. In the game, the journey from the frontier to the capital was dotted with ruins and abandoned villages.

Was the difference due to Prince Leon’s terrible governance after he became king in the game?

As I sped forward on horseback, a sense of unease crept over me. Could something have happened before the main events of the game that I wasn’t aware of?

“Ah… Brother Cain,” Selvia called, riding up beside me. “The forest spirits told me. My father has set up his camp just beyond this forest.”

“Understood. Let’s hurry to join Viscount Fernando. Lead the way.”

“Yes, Brother. This way.”

Selvia took the lead, and we galloped through the forest at full speed.

By the time the sun was beginning to set and we were nearing the edge of the forest, Selvia’s voice rang out in alarm.

“Brother Cain! My father’s camp is under attack by a massive undead army! Their numbers are… approximately 6,000!”

“6,000?!”

Gordon’s face turned pale with terror.

That was sixty times the size of our forces. Viscount Fernando’s army numbered only about 1,000. A head-on battle would be hopeless.

“Wait, Selvia! I thought you could only use fire magic, but you have [Far Sight Magic] as well?!”

Unaware that Selvia was the [Holy Maiden of the World Tree], Gordon’s question completely missed the mark.

Ignoring him, I barked out orders.

“Damn it… we’re cutting it close. Everyone, move faster!”

“Yes, sir!”

The sounds of clashing swords, furious shouts, and anguished screams soon reached our ears.

“What?! There’s an S-Rank monster among them—a Dullahan!”

“S-Rank?! There’s no way we can handle that! I’m going home!”

Selvia’s pained cry sent Gordon into a near-panic.

An S-Rank monster was indeed a serious threat, but it wasn’t beyond my ability to defeat.

“Don’t lose your nerve! I’ll take down the S-Rank monster! Schwarz Battalion, full charge! Follow me!”

“Yes, sir! Men, show them our strength! Spearhead formation!”

“Understood!”

Spurring our horses into a full-speed charge, Lancelot and I led the Schwarz Battalion of 100 soldiers.

As we burst out of the forest, a horrifying scene unfolded: Viscount Fernando’s forces were being overwhelmed by a massive wave of skeletons.

The terrifying power of the undead lies in their overwhelming numbers. Any who are killed by them rise as undead, compounding their forces and crushing their enemies with sheer volume.

At the forefront of the horde was a dark figure emanating a vile miasma: the headless knight, a Dullahan.

The Dullahan was a top-tier undead, an S-Rank monster with an estimated level of 50—far higher than mine.

Fighting the Dullahan head-on was the bloodied and battered Viscount Fernando. He was barely holding his ground, his breathing ragged as he fended off the monster’s relentless attacks.

“Father!”

Selvia’s scream pierced the air.

I reached into my pouch and pulled out a poison created by Ril. Designed to precisely halve my HP, the poison was a critical part of my strategy.

“Guh…!”

The searing pain was nearly unbearable, but it activated my [Giant Killing] skill.

[Giant Killing]
When fighting an enemy of a higher level, if your HP falls below half, your attack power and agility increase by 100%.

“Let’s do this!”

I kicked off from my horse’s saddle, leaping high into the air and clearing the enemy ranks in one bound.

The combination of my enhanced agility from [Giant Killing] and my trained leg strength allowed me to land amidst the undead horde, cutting down any that blocked my path as I dashed forward.

The Dullahan raised its massive sword, ready to deliver the finishing blow to the fallen Viscount Fernando.

“Not on my watch!”

I intercepted the strike just in time, catching the Dullahan’s greatsword with my own blade. The impact sent a shockwave through my arms, causing my bones to groan under the strain.

“That voice… Could it be… Lord Cain?!”

“Yes! Viscount Fernando Edward, I, Cain Schwarz, have come to your aid!”

At those words, a roar of triumph erupted from the nearly defeated soldiers of Viscount Fernando’s army.