The Villainous Aristocrat's Efforts Led to a Genuine Harem - Episode 2

Episode 2

The stampede that occurs in the “Forest of Rebellion” will happen in the year I turn fifteen.

In other words, about one year from now.

Alright, let’s have a strategy meeting.

A way for me to survive this with all five limbs intact—in other words, what I need to do and how to do it to avoid a doomed future.

The doomed future for me… that would be if everything follows the original story.

Caught in the pre-main-story stampede, losing an arm, becoming hostile to the protagonist, and getting killed…

My worst bad ending is definitely that.

So, what should I do to avoid this?

Simple. Just make sure I don’t get caught up in the stampede.

…Since I roughly know when it’ll happen, I should just leave town before that.

…Can I even leave?

Reis-kun’s position wasn’t very good.

A child born from a mistress, and the unique magic he had consumed a lot of mana—a space magic with terrible efficiency. It even showed text like, “But you didn’t have enough mana!”

Without a parent’s permission, leaving the town is forbidden. So even if I predict the stampede, I can’t run away.

…Even if I told someone about the stampede, they wouldn’t believe me.

It hasn’t happened in over a hundred years.

That’s also why the Validor family no longer has any sense of danger.

So basically, if I do nothing, I’ll just end up staying in this mansion until the day the stampede hits and I get caught in it.

…Huh? Am I screwed…?

N-No, don’t give up, me.

If the stampede can’t be avoided, then I’ll just face it head-on.

Meaning, I just have to defeat all the monsters that pour out from the Forest of Rebellion.

…Can I even do that?

I recall the specs of the character named Reis Validor.

…Hmm, I don’t remember him being especially strong.

If I had to name something, it’d be that broken space magic of his—but he didn’t do much training, had little mana, and couldn’t use magic. He was more of a joke character.

Even when he fought the protagonist, his swordsmanship and magic were both terrible. He only became somewhat capable after being remodeled into a monster by a demon race.

………………No, I’m not saying I’m doomed, okay? I’m just thinking, wow, this is kinda hopeless.

“But still, if I’m a game character… then I should be able to train using game knowledge, right?”

The difference between the original Reis-kun and me now… is that I have knowledge of the game.

In the game, doing basic training would raise mana and base stats.

Right now, I can’t see any status screen. But if this really is the game world, then training the same way should work… at the very least, I should be able to become stronger than in the game’s main story.

…Next is how to train.

If I just train normally… I definitely won’t make it in time.

In the game, if you trained under a character with the [Instructor] skill, your stat growth would shoot up.

Right now, it’s still before the main story begins… and I’m worried about how much of the game knowledge will actually work here.

But I have no choice but to try.

I even know the locations of characters with the [Instructor] skill… at least where they were when the game began.

“…Alright, let’s do this.”

I don’t know who reincarnated me into this kind of person… but I’ll make them regret reincarnating me into this world.

“Fuh fuh fuh… A situation this hopeless… I’m getting excited… Is this Reis’ fetish lingering inside me…?”

…For some reason, even though I’m being cornered like this, my body is being overwhelmed by an unfamiliar thrill.

Once I started thinking about it, I found myself missing the maid’s whip. And I desperately shook my head.

I’ll overcome the stampede from the Forest of Rebellion, overcome the threats from the original protagonist, and surround myself with the best sadistic heroines…!

No, that’s wrong!

I’ll avoid the doomed future!

…Apparently, Reis-kun still remains inside me. And that part makes things feel less tight. But for now, I’ll start by toughening myself through pain.

—

To find one of the people with the [Instructor] skill, I was checking through the list of soldiers at the mansion.

Among those names, I found one person and let out a sigh of relief.

“…He really is here, huh.”

Former Vice Captain of the Royal Knights—Zangell.

Now around forty years old, Zangell retired from the knight order and is currently working as a training officer for the Validor household’s soldiers.

He really was here in Validor at this point in time.

At the beginning of the game’s main story, Validor had lost most of its functionality due to the Forest of Rebellion.

In that reconstruction-phase Validor, the one leading the recovery efforts was this man, Zangell.

I had guessed that he’d either be with the Royal Knights or in Validor. And it looks like I was right.

However, the problem is whether he’d agree to train me even if I asked.

Zangell understood the rotten state of this country.

He had seen how nobles treated commoners like bugs. Even more so when it comes to the depths of their corruption… So to him, the Validor family was more like the enemy.

Zangell didn’t have much loyalty to the Validor family. If I asked him to train me in sword and magic, there’s a chance he might flat-out refuse.

…Well, I’ll just have to try.

First, I’ll call for Zangell and try talking to him about what I’m thinking.

I stood up from my seat and left the small room. …Compared to my brothers, the room given to me was really small.

That’s because I was a child born of a mistress.

On top of that, soldiers were stationed outside the room to keep me from walking around freely.

When I stepped outside, the two guard soldiers glanced my way.

When our eyes met, they straightened up with a frightened look.

…Now that I think about it, Reis-kun had always acted arrogantly toward those beneath him.

Because of that, not just his family, but even the servants and soldiers hated him… He was stuck in a hard-mode life with no allies.

Why the hell did Reis-kun go so far…?

As I searched through his memories, it seemed… he actually *enjoyed* being in a situation like this.

…What kind of guy enjoys being hated and scorned like that?

A maid passing by in the hallway gave me a disgusted look. And my body shivered with excitement. D-Damn it… I don’t want to feel this, but I’m feeling it… This body is the worst.

A-Anyway… going forward, it’ll be a problem if I have no allies at all.

I’d like to change how people see me. But that’s not something that can happen in a day or two.

For now, I’ll try to be careful with my behavior.

“L-Lord Reis? What’s the matter?”

One of the soldiers asked nervously. I then gave him the best smile I could manage.

Hey, why are you scared? It looks like I’m threatening him with a smile.

“Do you have a moment? I have a favor to ask.”

I tried to speak as politely as possible so as not to scare them… but they only trembled more.

…Why?

I used polite speech to sound respectful, you know? …No, maybe that’s exactly why.

Reis-kun usually used commanding tone and always looked irritated when speaking to commoners.

He understood that acting that way would make commoners hate him more.

And receiving that hostility was the best for him.

So now, when someone who always acted high and mighty suddenly switches to polite speech…

Yeah, that’s scary.