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 43

“Everyone, listen to me! Prince Leon tried to frame the Undead Slayer, Viscount Fernando, out of personal grudge! I was once an assassin under Prince Leon’s orders—to kill Viscount Fernando!”

In a remote border town, a man was giving a passionate speech.

He was a former assassin I had turned against Prince Leon.

This was part of my carefully crafted plan to strip Leon of his claim to the throne.

“To think that Prince Leon would order the murder of a hero who fought to protect the people—it’s outrageous! I grew disgusted and left his service! Compared to him, his sister, Princess Lydia, is far more suited to inherit the throne! She is even forming a private knight order, The Princess Guard, to protect the people from monsters!”

“Is that true!?”

“I can’t believe such a man is next in line for the throne!”

The people, swayed by the speech, grew more and more enraged against Prince Leon.

I had decided to act quickly. Both Prince Leon and Hero Abel needed to be removed.

According to my informants from Dark Crow, Prince Leon had appointed Abel as Vice Captain of the Royal Guard. His plan was to use the hero’s reputation as a deterrent against the Empire…

But Abel had grown arrogant, acting like a tyrant in the capital.

He was abducting women at will, assaulting anyone who opposed him, and even demanding Princess Lydia and the Saint of the World Tree for his harem.

Yet, Prince Leon refused to punish Abel, and as a result, a single madman had thrown the entire royal capital into chaos.

The Report from Dark Crow

“The people want Viscount Fernando, the Undead Slayer, to defeat the hero. Abel believes that since only he can stand against the Demon King, he is free to do whatever he pleases.”

“When the Royal Military Police tried to arrest him, their captain was killed by Abel. Worse, the captain’s entire family was crucified in front of the royal palace and branded as traitors.”

“A noble, whose daughter was taken by Abel, raised a rebellion. The royal army has been sent to suppress it. If this continues, the kingdom will collapse from within.”

The situation was spiraling out of control.

I had no intention of letting Abel set his sights on Selvia.

However, fighting both Prince Leon and his newly appointed Vice Captain, Hero Abel, meant facing the full might of the royal army—nearly 100,000 soldiers.

I needed to prepare carefully.

“…You’re impressive, Cain. Not only are you a warrior, but you’re also skilled in strategy,” Angela remarked.

“I was already surprised by how you used Dark Crow to prevent the Demon King’s revival, but… this is also a move to make Princess Lydia the next queen, isn’t it?” Selvia added.

“That’s right. Princess Lydia is a noble knight who seeks to protect the people by forming a private militia.”

In the game, Princess Lydia had been one of the hero’s allies. The Princess Guard was supposed to be a personal force under Abel’s command.

In the original story, King Leon was overthrown due to his tyranny, and Lydia took the throne as queen.

“If we can’t eliminate Prince Leon and Abel, then at the very least, having Lydia ascend the throne will allow us to exile Abel from the kingdom.”

That would ensure Selvia’s safety from Abel’s grasp.

“Incredible… Brother Cain, you always plan several steps ahead,” Selvia said in admiration.

“That’s only because I know the future…”

“Knowing the future and taking the right steps are two different things. You could be a strategist, you know?” Angela said playfully.

“Arrest that man for speaking against Prince Leon!”

The military police stormed in, but my former assassin disappeared without a trace.

Similar speeches were being made throughout the kingdom. As a result, Leon’s reputation was plummeting, and the people’s support was shifting toward Lydia.

The nobles, growing resentful of Leon for condoning Abel’s atrocities, would soon rally behind Lydia’s claim to the throne.

For now, things were going according to plan.

“Alright, let’s move out!”

With that, we rode toward the Atlas Empire’s border.

Five days later, we arrived at the Enchanted Forest, where Angela’s mother lived in a hidden elven village.

“Heh… No wonder the nearby villages call this the Forest of No Return. The illusion barrier here is incredibly strong. If we enter without guidance, we’ll be lost forever until we die,” Angela noted.

She gazed at the dense, mystical forest before us, her expression serious.

The elves living here had completely cut ties with humans, shielding their village with a powerful illusionary barrier.

“I considered sending my Death Knights to scout, but that won’t work. This barrier distorts sight, hearing, and even magical perception. This is beyond my abilities,” Angela admitted.

“Brother Cain, how will we break through the barrier?” Selvia asked, frowning.

“Selvia, can you manipulate the plants to create a single, straight path? That way, we won’t get lost.”

“…I see. Understood. Move aside!”

As Selvia raised her hands, the trees and vines shifted, forming a clear path wide enough for a carriage.

In the game, if Selvia was level 35 or higher, her powers as the Saint of the World Tree allowed her to bypass the Enchanted Forest.

Her current level was 36.

“Impressive. I can’t imagine anyone defeating you in a forest,” Angela said in awe.

“The power of a saint isn’t limitless. Don’t let your guard down just because we’re in a forest,” I cautioned.

“Of course. But… I’m exhausted,” Selvia sighed, looking drained.

“Thank you, Selvia. Leave the rest to us.”

Angela watched curiously.

“So, this is another way to break through a barrier… By creating a path yourself, you avoid getting lost. Clever.”

She turned to me with an amused expression.

“For a swordsman, you sure know a lot about magic, Cain.”

“Brother Cain even taught me how to use magic. He advised me to focus solely on fire magic, which made me stronger,” Selvia said proudly.

“Usually, specializing in one element weakens adaptability. But for Selvia, focusing on fire magic works best because of her saintly abilities.”

“Hmm… Then what’s the best way for me to develop my skills?” Angela asked teasingly.

I hadn’t thought about that before. In the game, Angela never became an ally.

“Your best approach would be illusion and stealth magic. You should also focus on necromancy and instant-kill magic. Avoid direct combat—never engage in one-on-one duels like you did before.”

That reminded me… If anyone could train Angela, it would be her mother, the elven expert in illusion magic.

“Hmm… I did lose that last fight, but I’ve never lost to a swordsman before,” Angela pouted.

“Brother Cain! The forest spirits—!”

Selvia suddenly shouted in alarm.

A storm of arrows rained down from both sides of the path.

Elven arrows were coated with potent poison—just a scratch could be lethal.

With Selvia too exhausted to fight, I had to intercept them all.

“Death Bringer—Double Cast!”

Skill: Death Bringer
Consumes 50% of HP to double sword attack power for 5 minutes.

By using Death Bringer twice in a row, my HP dropped to 1, but my attack power quadrupled.

At the same time, I unleashed Sonic Blade in both directions.

“HAAAH!”

A shockwave of immense power sliced through the air, shattering the incoming arrows.

“N-No way! That’s beyond swordsmanship!” Angela exclaimed in disbelief.