I was Reincarnated as the Villainess's Older Brother, but it seems My Sister is Obsessed With Me. And for Some Reason, the Male Love Interests are also Doting On Me.(BL) - Chapter 13

Time passed, and there was now less than a month left before the academy’s entrance.

Fiona devoted herself to her queenly education, while I focused on honing my swordsmanship and training in magic with Stefan Raveles. Of course, I did not neglect my studies either.

If Fiona were ever forced into the role of a villainess and faced danger, I had to be prepared for any situation.

If she were to be sentenced to execution, I was ready to cut down anyone who stood in my way to save her. We could then escape to a foreign land and live a peaceful, slow life.

I had the resolve. But until the heroine appeared, the only thing I could do was continue refining my skills in swordsmanship, magic, and academics.

“You’ve certainly made impressive progress. As expected of you, Clive.”

The man praising me was Stefan Raveles. His ability to effortlessly shower noble ladies with sweet words remained as sharp as ever. He was, for better or worse, my friend.

“Thanks. I should also learn some defensive and offensive spells for combat, just in case.”

Thanks to Stefan’s guidance and my daily training, I had become proficient in manifesting ice shards and manipulating wind to move objects.

On top of that, I had successfully learned how to control air pressure and cold to make it snow. That time I accidentally created sleet must have been a failed attempt at this technique…

It felt like the right time to take the next step. As I was considering my options, Stefan made a suggestion.

“Practical experience is essential for improvement. How about going to a dungeon?”

A… a dungeon?!

“There are dungeons here?”

“Of course there are. You didn’t know?”

“Well, no one ever told me…”

I glanced at Louis, who tried to cover up his guilt with a laugh. When I shot him a sharp glare, he finally started talking.

“Before you lost your memory, Master Clive, you loathed physical activity… You also disliked all living creatures—bugs, animals, fish, and most of all, monsters. So I simply forgot to mention the existence of dungeons.”

That wasn’t an excuse!

“I want to go! Let’s go right now! Do we need to gear up? Should we form a party? We can find members on-site if needed. We’ll need potions too, right? I don’t want to get injured and have to quit halfway.”

“Hold on, hold on, Clive, calm down.”

I was too excited, and Stefan had to rein me in.

“There are procedures to go through, so let’s go tomorrow. By the way, for someone who just learned about dungeons, you seem quite knowledgeable about them.”

“Uh, well…”

In my previous life, I played countless RPGs. I had wished to reincarnate into one of those worlds rather than an otome game.

“I read about them… in a book, once.”

I tried to dodge the question, but my excuse was weak. If I had read about it in a book, then I should have already known dungeons existed in this world.

“I see. You are quite studious, Clive.”

Wait… He believed me?! Sometimes, Stefan could be surprisingly gullible.

Still, just the thought of a dungeon stirred my sense of adventure. I had no regrets about being reincarnated.

“All right, I’ll pick you up early tomorrow morning. Be ready.”

“Got it!”

◇◇◇◇

“Why am I the only one who looks ridiculous?”

“It couldn’t be helped. You only decided this yesterday.”

When I told my father last night that I was heading to a dungeon, he said, “I shall lend you something special.” That’s how I ended up borrowing an old combat outfit.

The problem was… it was twenty years out of date.

Looking around, I saw everyone else wearing sleek, stylish battle attire.

“Louis, your knight uniform looks great.”

“As Master Clive’s butler and bodyguard, this is my work uniform.”

“Wait… You’re a knight? Since when?”

“I have always been one. Rest assured, Master Clive, if you are ever in danger, I will protect you immediately.”

I had never noticed before. I had thought he was just a particularly muscular butler. I should spar with him sometime.

Stefan, meanwhile, looked dazzling as ever. His green hair complemented his red-and-white combat attire, adding to his natural charm.

“You can always buy something that suits you better later. For now, let’s get registered as adventurers.”

With Stefan’s encouragement, I headed to the registration desk.

“This is your first time, correct? Please fill in your name, contact details, and magic attributes to the best of your knowledge.”

I filled out the form as instructed, then listened to the explanation about dungeons.

As a beginner, I was ranked E. The ranking system worked so that adventurers could either steadily defeat weak monsters to accumulate experience or take down powerful monsters for a rapid rise in rank.

Naturally, I preferred the latter. Defeating a final boss in one go sounded way cooler.

“Huh, you’re a B-rank, Stefan? Impressive. Louis, what about you…? Wait, you’re S-rank?!”

It made sense that Stefan, who excelled at both magic and combat, was B-rank.

But Louis… The man I had thought was just a butler… was an S-rank adventurer?!

He must be an incredibly powerful knight. Why was he even working as a butler? I suddenly felt like my efforts to protect Fiona were unnecessary. Louis could probably handle everything better than I could.

Had my job here… already ended? Was it time to pass the baton to Louis?

“No! No! Once I set my mind on something, I have to see it through!”

“Is something the matter, Master Clive?”

I had accidentally spoken my thoughts aloud.

“Nothing. I just want to level up quickly! Let’s go!”