“…Ugh.”
Arriving at the academy dormitory, I sighed and quietly began to wrap bandages around my back.
In fact, it’s a wound that requires professional medical attention, but since I don’t know when Kania might return to the dormitory, I need to finish applying first aid as soon as possible.
‘…Damn system. If you‘re going to be like this, at least provide me with some sort of medical assistance like items that can heal my injuries.’
Suddenly, I burst into anger as I cursed the stingy system while applying first aid with a bandage.
How could it give someone like me, who is trying so hard to protect the world, a mask that can hide my identity for only a minute once a week, and a whip that doesn’t deal any damage even if I whip someone with it… Even if the system is mainly based on ‘False Evil’… Isn’t this too much?
At the very least, they should give me an ointment which heals wounds right away, or a potion that instantly restores life force when you drink it.
As I was fuming with such thoughts, my expression distorted when I twisted my body and felt the agonizing pain in my back returning over time.
‘…It’s really driving me insane.’
To be honest, at this point, even with a mental strength figure of 9, my mental state is still shaken.
Even if I’m the only person who can save this wretched world.
Even if the world is destined to perish, if I don’t do this.
Even if I know there is a chance for me to be reborn and live happily ever after.
I can resolve being tainted with evil deeds by thoroughly separating my true self as a hero and my self defined identity as a villain.
I can withstand being hated and persecuted by the Heroines and those around me.
For if they don’t hate me, those whom I love will die.
However, this solitude is hard to bear.
This lonely struggle, where there is no one who understands me, sometimes shakes my resolve, no matter how much of a hero I am.
So sometimes I wonder how good it would have been if I could earn points steadily while reigning as a cool and charismatic mastermind from behind the scenes.
But it’s an impossible wish.
Because I have to become a disgusting, pathetic, and childish third-rate villain, not a fancy mastermind with a noble demeanor and elegant tone.
According to the prophetic book left behind by my ancestor, the route that has the highest clearance rate among the dispositions that can be selected while following the ‘Path of False Evil’ is precisely the ‘Third-rate Villain’ that I’m imitating.
The reason for this is the ‘Cumulative Notoriety System’ that will soon be added to the system.
The ‘Cumulative Notoriety System’ is a system that will evaluate my notoriety spread around the world once a week and convert it into points.
That feature is the heart of the ‘Path of False Evil’ system that literally draws points in abundance… but the disposition needed to unlock this core feature that generously gives points is precisely the ‘Third-rate Villain’.
In fact, in a way, it makes sense.
For example, if you ask anyone passing by the street right now, if they heard about the infamous Count Justiano, the tycoon of the underworld, nine out of ten people will shake their head in denial.
But ask them if they know Young Master Frey, the first son of the Ducal family of Starlight, nine out of ten will nod their head in approval.
As you can see from this example, the world perceives a notorious ruffian known throughout the Empire as a worse person than a quiet, secretive mastermind reigning the underworld, known only to those in the circle.
For this reason, the ‘Third-rate Villain’ disposition has an excellent advantage when it comes to earning points. However, ironically, it was the least frequently selected disposition in the game of the world where my ancestor originally came from.
The reason for this is simple.
Because the game’s storyline was too dark and depressing.
Even though the clearance rate is quite high, the players who played the game with that disposition felt extremely tired, so people who usually play games for fun never selected the ‘Third-rate Villain’ disposition.
However, I chose ‘Third-rate Villain’ because if done properly will certainly save everyone besides me.
This is because the place where I’m right now isn’t ‘Dark Tale Fantasy 2’, a game for fun and entertainment, but the Sunrise Empire where the people I care about and my beloved family lives.
“Let’s see. Yeah, this should be good enough… Huh?”
After I finished wrapping bandages underneath my clothes, I suddenly noticed something strange when I looked in the mirror to examine if the bandages were visible.
“…Where did my brooch go?”
The star-shaped brooch that was crafted by the store owner in the back alley after placing a special order in secret was an artifact that could remotely deliver life force to Kania in case of an emergency, has disappeared.
I must have dropped it in the back alley… but I don’t remember exactly where the hell I dropped it.
Did it fall off when I was fighting the Succubus Queen? Did I drop it when I was being chased by the heroines at the auction house? Or did it fall off while I was navigating through the crowd?
‘…This sucks, it’s such a waste.’
Considering the cost of making the brooch, I would like to put on my coat and go out to look for it right away, but alas, I can’t.
Not only is my current physical condition dire enough that I need to take rest immediately, but there is also the possibility of being discovered by the Main Heroines while wandering the back alley looking for that brooch.
‘…Speaking of which, what happened to the store owner?’
The owner, who had been beaten unconscious by Isolet, was left alone in the middle of the street, abandoned by her because of the emergency case of terrorism.
He probably woke up again shortly after, but it might be difficult to ask the owner to craft the brooch again, since he suddenly became unemployed after his store was wrecked.
Still, the good news is… I already had a spare crafted in advance in case I lost ⟬Remote Life Force Transmission Brooch⟭.
I began to rummage through the secret space I had magically crafted in the front pocket of the bag I brought from home to take out the spare brooch and wear it on my chest.
“…Huh?”
However, a certain piece of paper was tucked in my grasp along with the brooch.
‘…I never put a paper in here?’
After momentarily tilting my head, I quickly unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and discovered something written inside.
To my Dear Son,
“……!”
And the moment I read the first line, my hand holding the letter began to tremble.
This is because the first sentence of the letter was written in ‘Hangul,’ the language of the previous Hero. It was my father’s handwriting who copied the handwriting of the former Hero.
Were you surprised to see this letter? Yes, you must be surprised. I was also quite surprised a while ago.
“…Wh-Why? There wasn’t any letter like this in the previous timeline?”
Obviously, there was no such letter in the secret space of the bag last time around, so I was worried that an unknown variable other than the memories of the Main Heroines had occurred. However, the moment I read the next line, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Yes, it seems you have succeeded in returning with the Demon King after all. Seeing the strange phrase ❴ 10 minutes before Memory Recalibration ❵ floating in front of my eyes.
“…Oh, so that’s what it was.”
I finished reading that line, relieved that fortunately it wasn’t a variable generated by the system that could harm me.
So how did you kill me, my son? Poisoning? Strangulation? Beheading? Decapitation?
And as soon as I read the next line of the letter, I closed my eyes for a moment, then soon opened them again and started reading the next line, unable to control my trembling hands.
Don’t tell me you didn’t kill me because of our bond as father and son? No, that can’t be right. ‘Patricide’ is a necessary act required to make the Hero’s armament rampage.
Indeed, the content of the letter is true. I killed my father with my own hands in the previous timeline.
In order to make the ❰Hero’s Armament❱, which offers blind allegiance to the ‘Starlights’, the family of the Hero, run amok, the direct heir has no choice but to commit abominable sins.
And among those abominable sins, the ‘Event’ that must occur is the ‘Patricide’. In other words, the protagonist must murder his father with his own hands.
To be honest, killing my father was the biggest crisis I ever faced in my life. Why must I kill my father with my own hands in order to save him… How terrible of a fate is this?
So, the first person I wanted to see after returning was my father… but I deliberately avoided seeing him. Because no matter how much I wanted to see him, the moment I would see my father’s face… I would be reminded of that scene and those memories would haunt me.
Anyway, son, if you’re reading this letter now. I hope you will listen carefully to what I have to say from now on.
I tried not to remember that moment again as much as possible, but after reading the next line, I froze.
This father of yours is sorry.
“……”
After staring at that line for a while, I slowly began to read the following content.
I hate myself so much for making you shoulder such a responsibility, who was kinder and purer than anyone else.
“Father…”
Rather, if only I had been part of the prophecy… or I wish I could have inherited that fate in your place. For this ugly old man would be better suited to commit evil deeds than a gentle child like you.
“…What, that’s nonsense.”
Suddenly, I felt a teardrop roll down my eyes, and I smiled as I recalled the figure of my father, a cheerful man, who was kinder and nicer than me.
Honestly, I have a lot to apologize to you for, and a lot left to write about, as it is funny how I’m fussing over every little detail… But, I’m running out of time, and you’re the one who will suffer, so I guess I’ll have to bid farewell with these last words.
“……”
Feeling quite regretful at those words, I soon opened my eyes wide when I read the last part.
I have set up a borrowed-name account at the Imperial Bank. Originally, I was going to leave a complicated clue so that only your clever mind could decipher it, but thanks to an opportunity like this, I got rid of it.
‘…A borrowed-name account?’
There, I deposited the money I had saved up for your second round. Of course, it’s not one of the Duke’s assets, it’s the money I earned from my personal business… Even if my memories are recalibrated, there won’t be any problem.
After looking at the password and authentication method of the borrowed-name account written in the letter for a moment, I lowered my head after reading the PostScript.
P.S. I love you, son.
[Abraham Raon Starlight]
As my shoulders trembled with my head down, I forced myself to swallow my tears and shoved the letter into the secret space and headed to bed, worried that perhaps Kania would suddenly barge in.
“…..Ugh.”
After lying on the bed for a while to calm my mind, I soon clenched my teeth when I felt a stabbing pain in my back and muttered.
“…I’m a Hero. So… something like this… is nothing.”
Somehow I heard someone’s sarcastic whisper in my ear, ‘Really?’ so I muttered powerlessly once again.
“No… it’s not nothing…”
It will probably be difficult to sleep tonight.
.
.
.
.
.
“…I’m back, Young Master.”
“……”
“Young Master, it’s late at night, but if you need anything…”
“…No need.”
I ended up lying listlessly on my bed until Kania arrived, and I answered with a dazed look on my face, having lost the will to even shake my head.
“Young Master, just in case…”
“…Huh?”
“…Does it hurt anywhere?”
However, Kania asked me a strange question. Do I look injured?
“…It’s none of your business.”
“……..”
When I answered unwillingly, Kania momentarily stared at me, then put down the black cat doll on the desk and headed to the extra bed
“Young Master, please change your clothes before going to bed.”
“…You don’t need to worry about it.”
“…Well then, good night.”
“…Yes.”
After the lights went out, I lay there in a daze, awake for several hours, and once I was sure that Kania was sound asleep, I expressionlessly trudged towards her.
“…Then, let’s do it again tonight.”
As I put my hand on her stomach and infused my life force for a while, I suddenly hunched over with an urge to throw up and began coughing up blood on the floor.
“…Cough, Cough!! Cough!!! What, why the hell… Ugh, I’ve overdone it today…”
Giving her life force has become a habit, and since I couldn’t think straight as I overstrained my body, I ended up spewing blood while sharing my life force, even though I was in a situation where I lacked life force.
“…Shit, I’ve got to stop here today.”
As I was wiping the floor, feeling lethargic all over my body, I suddenly started looking up at the cat doll on the desk.
I was quite pleased to see the cat doll on the desk, which had been held in Kania’s bosom for a long time. I picked up the cat doll and started petting it.
“…Kitty, a lot happened today.”
“………”
“I can’t tell you everything that happened today because if I try to tell you, it’ll take all night… I think I’ve almost passed the point of death at least three times.”
“………”
“And… I also read a letter my father sincerely wrote to me. I almost burst into tears back then… but I held it in. Because I’m a Hero.”
“…Honestly, it’s hard. It’s so hard that I feel like I’m going to die. But what can I do? I’m a Hero. I have no choice but to give it my all.”
“…………..”
I had no one to confide in, so I confided my true feelings while looking at the cat, and before I knew it, tears rolled down my cheek as I closed my eyes shut and muttered.
“…Fo-For a moment… I’ll be like this for a moment…”
I hugged the cat, which felt warm for some reason, and began to weep silently as if not to wake Kania up.
“…After all, no matter how much of a Hero I’m… It’s not easy…”
I shed tears for a long time, and as soon as I felt relieved to some extent, I put the cat down and headed to the bed.
“…I really need to buy something like this.”
Having said that, I fell asleep with my eyes closed, and slept peacefully for the first time in a long while, as I dreamt about running around and playing with the black cat.
.
.
.
.
.
“…Young Master, please get up.”
“……Mhmm.”
While I was rolling around on a giant black cat’s belly in my dreams, Kania shook me awake.
“…It’s morning already.”
I glanced out the window and realized that morning has come. I soon got up and started stretching, enjoying the refreshing feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.
‘…When was the last time I cried? Even in the previous timeline, I didn’t cry many times.’
I don’t remember myself ever crying, except when Isolet died, when the Main Heroines died, and when I killed my father with my own hands. Only during those times did I ever wail.
Apparently, I had a lot of pent-up emotions dealing with this irrational situation where the memories of the heroines returned and the difficulty went up several times more compared to the previous timeline
‘…By the way, I’m feeling quite refreshed, aren’t I? Is it because I cried my heart out?’
When I curiously activated the status window, I discovered a pretty surprising situation.
[Stats] Name: Frey Raon Starlight
Strength: ???
Mana: ???
Intelligence: ???
Mental Strength: 9.3
Passive Status: Blessing of the Stars/Exhausted/Depleted Life Force
Disposition: Hero
‘…The mental strength went up by 0.3?’
According to the prophetic book, once a stat reaches the figure of 9, it’s difficult to raise the value any further without some sort of trigger. So, was it possible that the time when I cried yesterday while holding the cat doll acted as a trigger for the value to rise?
‘…Well, I guess there are days when even I would vent my emotions once in a while.’
Apparently, last night was a critical moment for my mental breakthrough. However, since my mental strength figures are almost at the highest level, it seems that I was able to survive the crisis with just the help of the cat doll.
Well, it’s a little embarrassing that I cried while hugging a cat doll… but thanks to that, fortunately I was able to raise my mental strength stat and also I feel quite refreshed, so I can bear that much.
“Kania, what are you standing there for? Go, bring me my breakfast!”
After I was done thinking, just like every other day, I rudely barked orders at Kania to bring me breakfast.
“……..”
“…What are you doing?”
However, something was strange. As Kania didn’t listen to my orders, and instead just stared straight into my eyes.
“…Young Master, let me tell you an interesting story.”
“…What?”
When Kania stared at me for a while and spouted some gibberish from her mouth, I was about to cut her off and scream for breakfast, but…
“Enough! Bring me break—!”
“Yesterday, I went to the auction house in the back alley…”
“—fast, ah…”
Hearing the words coming out of her mouth, I began to stutter, and hastily started racking my brains.
“…Auction house in the back alley, interesting. Go on, tell me.”
“However, there, I found a person wielding a sword identical to the one the Lord used.”
“…Huh?”
The moment she mentioned about my father’s sword, I suddenly recalled the fact that my sword was a gift from my father.
‘…I thought he ordered a new one from a blacksmith, since it looked so beautiful and sharp, but it was the sword my father previously used!?’
I lamented my father’s stingy behavior for a moment, then remembered that it was all to provide me with funds, as I silently coughed before accepting her words.
“Maybe they just looked similar? Or maybe that person was my father who went out to get some fresh air.”
“…Is that so?”
“…All right, so stop spouting nonsense this instant…”
“…Oh, Young Master. You dropped your brooch.”
“Oh? Ugh…”
I was trying to get her to bring me breakfast, dismissing her words as delusional or mere coincidence, but the moment she leaned forward and offered me my brooch, I unconsciously accepted the brooch and reached out to my chest.
“…Huh?”
However, I realized I already had a star-shaped brooch stuck to my chest.
“The man with the sword dropped this brooch when he left… Anyway, isn’t it the same brooch Young Master always loves to wear?”
“……..”
“You won’t call this a coincidence as well, will you?”
Eventually, when Kania silently interrogated me, I urgently started making excuses.
“…This is a brooch I bought from a magic tool store in the back alley. It’s a pretty famous place, so he probably bought the brooch from there as well.”
“…Where is that store?”
“It no longer exists.”
“Didn’t you just say it’s a famous place?”
“The owner got into an argument with a violent tempered person there. So, the store was wrecked in the aftermath.”
“…I see.”
“All right, so stop talking nonsense…”
As I managed to make up an excuse in a cold sweat, I was about to first send Kania away and figure out what to do in the future…
“…Ah, Young Master! Over there!”
“…..?”
When she suddenly pointed backwards with a shocked expression on her face, I quickly turned around, wondering if the Demon King somehow found out about yesterday’s events and attacked us.
And at that moment…
– Tss!
“…Aaarghhh!”
She pressed my back hard. As I screamed in agony, I slumped onto the bed and grabbed my back.
“Wha-What are you doing…”
“…Isn’t that the trick the Young Master used on me yesterday?”
“……!!!”
Kania, who replied like that after hearing my question, asked with a look of incomprehension on her face.
“…Young Master, why did you save me yesterday?”
“Ah…”
And, at that moment…
[Penalty incurred!]
“…I just don’t understand. Besides, I also don’t really understand what happened earlier at dawn. So, please convince me…”
“…Nooo!!!”
“…..!?”
The system window, which I hoped would never appear, floated before my eyes.
Permanent Debuff: The Fate of False Evil The user’s lifespan and vitality will be massively reduced! [Stacks: 1]
“Young Master? What’s wrong…”
“Coug-Cough!!!”
“…Kyaa!?”
And as I looked at that system window with a hopeless expression, I coughed up more blood than ever before and muttered inwardly.
‘…It was a close call.’
When I keeled over while vomiting blood, I noticed Kania reaching out to me in the back of my fading consciousness, as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
“………….Young Master?”
Meanwhile, Kania reached out and caught Frey, who was about to hit the ground, and began to shake him while looking at the unconscious and limp Frey with a perplexed expression.
However, despite her actions, Frey didn’t regain consciousness that day.
We made art and recreated the letter scene. Let us know below in the comments if it’s something we should keep doing in the future.
