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 26

With a thunderous roar, a cloud of dust billowed into the air as a battalion stormed onto the battlefield.

It was a horde of undead—zombies, numbering no less than three thousand.

“No way… Don’t tell me this is a wave attack!?”

I felt my heart clench with dread.

The enemy had anticipated the possibility of failing to wipe out Viscount Fernando’s forces in the first assault. As a contingency, they had prepared reinforcements.

Their strategy was clear—by gradually deploying troops and exhausting their opponents, they could ensure an eventual victory.

With an overwhelming force of over ten thousand and the undead’s advantage of never requiring rest, this was a well-calculated tactic.

This enemy commander knew what they were doing.

I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement—my gamer’s instincts were kicking in.

“Aaaaaah! This is impossible!”

Gordon’s face twisted in terror.

He wasn’t alone—though they remained silent, the other soldiers likely shared his despair.

We had managed to take down the Dullahan, but the skeleton army still numbered over five thousand. Now, they were closing in, surrounding us and cutting off our retreat.

“We’ve achieved our objective! All units, retreat to the forest!”

“Yes, sir!”

I issued the retreat order to the Schwarz Battalion.

“Gordon, we’re the rearguard. We’ll cover the retreat. Selvia, go ahead with Lancelot and set up a base in the forest!”

Shouting my command, I charged straight into the enemy forces.

If these creatures were programmed to target commanders, I could use that against them—I would act as the decoy. At level 39, my chances of survival weren’t too bad.

Plus, I still had a High-Grade Healing Potion (Ex-Potion).

“Understood, Cain! May fortune be with you!”

“Noooooo! Why does this always happen to me?!”

Tears streaming down his face, Gordon hurled a Fireball spell into the enemy ranks.

After stirring up as much chaos as possible, Gordon and I slipped into the dense cover of the nighttime forest.

“How are we supposed to regroup with the main force now!?”

Gordon, completely exhausted and battered, grumbled in frustration.

As expected, the enemy had focused their attacks on me, which had given Gordon a chance to survive.

“…Sorry. To be honest, I didn’t think that far ahead.”

I was utterly drained. My entire body ached, covered in deep wounds.

I had used up the last of my Ex-Potions.

Still, we had managed to take down at least two thousand of them.

“Are you serious!? Tonight, I was planning to cuddle with a cute, big-breasted maid, and now I have to sleep outside!? In a monster-infested forest!?”

“Does the Orchival family really bring maids to the battlefield?”

That was when I noticed something.

A trail of delicate white flowers—baby’s breath—lined the path ahead.

This flower held a special meaning for Selvia and me. But more importantly, it was past its blooming season.

Could it be…?

Following the trail, we soon arrived at a fortified base—one that Selvia had constructed using her Blessing of the World Tree.

Giant trees stood densely packed, forming an impenetrable natural barrier that kept monsters at bay.

“Huh? Cain, what the hell is this?”

Gordon stared in disbelief at the impossible sight.

As we approached, the massive wooden wall parted on its own, opening up an entrance for us.

“What the—?!”

“It’s a long story. But basically, Selvia is the real Saint of the World Tree. This is a temporary fortress she created.”

“Whaaaat!?”

“Keep this to yourself. No exceptions.”

Too exhausted to explain further, I simply issued the order.

Inside, both Viscount Fernando’s troops and the Schwarz Battalion were already setting up tents and resting.

As soon as we stepped in, the wooden gate seamlessly sealed itself shut behind us.

Amazing. Selvia was growing more adept at wielding her saintly powers.

“Cain has returned!”

“He’s alive! Thank the gods!”

Soldiers from both armies rushed over, their voices filled with relief and admiration.

“Cain, we can’t thank you enough! Thanks to the Ex-Potions from the Schwarz Battalion, we narrowly escaped death!”

Edward approached me, accompanied by his guards.

His wounds had completely healed.

“Even those we thought beyond saving have made a full recovery thanks to the High-Grade Healing Potion (Ex-Potion)! I never imagined we’d be granted such a valuable elixir!”

“We cannot thank you enough!”

Fernando’s soldiers all expressed their gratitude one after another.

“I’m glad to hear that!”

I took the Ex-Potion they handed me and drank it.

In an instant, my exhaustion and injuries vanished.

“I’ve heard the details from Selvia. To think she is the true Saint… It is shocking, but after witnessing such miracles, I cannot deny the truth.”

“Yes. However, I must ask that you keep this strictly confidential. If Prince Leon finds out, he will surely try to reclaim Selvia.”

To prevent that, I had two choices:

One, I could win the martial arts tournament and force Prince Leon to publicly acknowledge my engagement with Selvia.

Two, the Schwarz family would have to surpass the royal family in power.

There was… one more option, but—

“Oh! Young Master Cain! Thank the heavens you’ve returned safely!”

Lancelot rushed over and knelt before me.

“Just as you predicted, we found suspicious individuals snooping around the forest!”

Lancelot turned, and behind him, my soldiers dragged several unconscious men, tightly bound with ropes.

“Well done, Lancelot. Keep the perimeter secure.”

“Understood!”

“Who are these men?” Edward asked, tilting his head.

“Judging by their poisoned weapons and the lingering scent of bl00d on them, they are assassins. Most likely, Prince Leon’s men, sent to ensure your demise.”

“A-Assassins!? First, they send you to die in battle, and now they resort to such cowardly tactics!?”

Fernando’s soldiers erupted in fury.

I understood their anger, but personally, I didn’t consider assassination cowardly.

In war strategy games, assassination was a common and effective tactic.

“Young Master Cain, how shall we deal with them? Shall we execute them?”

“Negotiate with them. Offer them a slave contract. Use force if necessary.”

“Oh? You intend to add them to your forces, Young Master?”

“No…”

Before I could finish my sentence, Selvia ran up to me and threw herself into my arms.

“Cain! You’re safe!”

“Whoa!? Selvia!”

“You were amazing today! But please, don’t be reckless. I believed in you, but I was… really worried.”

“Ah… yeah.”

Selvia’s warmth melted away my exhaustion.

Even in my past life, after a long day at work, just seeing her in my game had brought me comfort.

We held each other for a while, silently confirming our safety through our shared warmth.

“I did my best to build the base you asked for, Brother. What do you think? Will everyone be able to rest properly here?”

“You did great, Selvia. This is perfect. We can all sleep peacefully.”

“Ehehe~”

As I patted Selvia’s head, she closed her eyes in bliss.

“Selvia, despite being engaged, you still call Cain your brother?” Edward remarked.

“Father… I’ve called him that for so long that I can’t seem to stop. But I think… once I marry Cain, I’ll naturally start calling him something else.”

Marriage, huh?

Just thinking about it made me grin like a fool.

Being in love with my favorite heroine and having those feelings reciprocated… It was like living a dream.

Which is exactly why I couldn’t allow anyone to stand in our way.

“Cain, I have prepared a private tent for you and Selvia. Please, get some rest.”

Edward bowed his head as he spoke.

…Wait, huh?

“Selvia, you are fortunate beyond words. A true hero such as Cain as your husband… Now, go and properly care for him tonight.”

“Yes, Father. Cain, I don’t know if I’ll be good at it since it’s my first time, but tonight, I will do my very best to serve you.”

Selvia’s eyes shimmered with emotion, her chest rising with anticipation.

“W-Wait… serve me? W-What exactly do you mean by that!?”

I swallowed hard, my body heating up.

“Hahaha! What else do you think a woman does for her man after a battle?”

“Brother, let me help you undress. Please take off your clothes.”

“W-Wait, what!? No, no, no! That’s completely unnecessary!”

Selvia had only recently turned fifteen!

And we weren’t even married yet!

This was dangerous! Immoral!

“It’s fine. Cain, you’re exhausted, so just lie down and relax. I’ll handle everything. And… if it hurts, please tell me, okay?”

“N-Nooo! Wait! Apocalypse wasn’t supposed to be an R18 game!”

Panicking, I tried to back away.

“Apocalypse?”

“Lancelot, please escort Cain to our tent.”

“Understood, Lady Selvia!”

“Wait, Lancelot! Stop! Let me go!”

“Young Master, as much as I respect your orders, this is… well, this is simply your duty as a noble!”

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you feel really good. Just leave everything to me.”

That night, Selvia wiped down my sweat-soaked upper body with a towel.

It felt incredibly refreshing.

…And that was it.

Nothing else happened.

…Wait, what?