The Author Reincarnated?! ~I’ll Become an Amazing Villain!~ Vol 2 Chapter 12

“Got it. Then listen well to what I have to say now.”

　I took a deep breath and started to talk to Fraudia.

“First of all, I want to say again that I swore my loyalty to His Majesty and Her Imperial Highness from the bottom of my heart.”

“I also know that.”

“Yeah. Then, Fraudia should also have heard this, Her Imperial Highness is an important tool for negotiations for His Majesty and Franz Kingdom. In such a situation the Princess will be married off to another country’s royal family or a local n.o.ble sooner or later. In the end, it’s for political reasons, right?”

“That’s what the Princess always says as well. She said she’s ready for it.”

“That’s right, isn’t it? But I feel sorry for Her Imperial Highness to end up like this. One has to sacrifice themselves not to defeat an enemy but for political reasons. Besides His Majesty the King is in conflict with the n.o.bles at the moment. Under these circ.u.mstances, if Her Imperial Highness is married off to a n.o.ble to reconcile with them what will happen to her?”

“That’s……”

“It’s inevitable that His Majesty and the n.o.bles will clash sometime soon. I want to avoid that Her Imperial Highness is used for the things I mentioned earlier. If possible, I want her Imperial Highness to have a happy marriage with a partner she chose.”

“But even if she gets married to Carlo-sama you aren’t a partner she chose herself, right? Ah, please forgive my rudeness.”

“No, you’re right. Getting married off to me would be the same thing. Fraudia, make sure to keep what I’m going to tell you now a secret from His Imperial Highness.”

“Yes, I kind of feel scared asking you now.”

“I asked His Majesty for an engagement with Her Imperial Highness for the reasons I told His Majesty additionally to the reasons I just told you. However, I don’t intend to marry her Imperial Highness. I just want to get engaged to her.”

“Just get engaged……?”

“That’s right. As I said before, I want Her Imperial Highness to find her own happiness with a partner she chose herself and I myself haven’t fallen in love with her at first sight.⌈1⌋
Everything is for her to be exempted from those political matters. Therefore, I will ask for my engagement with the Imperial Highness to get cancelled after the conflict with the n.o.bles is over with the help of His Majesty.”

　I can’t really tell her that this partner is supposed to be the Hero and that I’m actually the author who created this world and decided on that but what I said wasn’t a lie.
　Though Fraudia will bear a grudge when the time comes for Carlo to betray the Princess and the King in his coup d’état but please forgive me because there’s a happy ending waiting for her (planned).

“Is what you said the truth?”⌈2⌋

“Yeah, it’s the truth. That’s why I, of course, don’t plan to do anything with the Princess even if we get engaged. You’ll understand if you watch closely, Fraudia, right?”

“Carlo-sama, I didn’t think you would consider the Princess that much……”

　I could see, even though she wore a shawl, that Fraudia was touched and moved to tears.
　You did it, Carlo, Point Uuuuup!!⌈3⌋
　Is now the time to attack?
　When should I attack? Now, right?! (Stale)⌈4⌋

“In the first place, I thought that Fraudia was much prettier than Her Imperial Highness when I met her.”

　I gave a smile mimicking Lunos.
　How’s that? Did it work?

“That’s, Carlo-sama……”

　Oooh, it worked, it worked!
　That attack just now was a direct hit!
　While I was at a loss if I should hug her a voice sounded.

“Carlo-sama, there’s a strange presence.”

　Doji who was standing guard close by came over and whispered in a low voice.
　He already held his axe in his hand.
　That’s right, there was a setting that Doji had a superior wild intuition.

“Fraudia, there’s something strange. Don’t leave my side.”

“Ye, yes……?”

　I also pulled out my Oricalc.u.m Sword and investigated the area for that presence.
　I certainly feel a disturbance in the dark.
　Who is it that dared to disturb this good moment?!

　Reus……!
　I call for the lizard (Salamander) Reus the fire spirit in my mind.
　Then I formed seals with my left hand and chanted the aria for a light spell in a low voice.

　Paaa

　Fireb.a.l.l.s started to float in the air and at the same time illuminated this area.
　There were five men dressed in black.
　Each one of them held Swords resembling j.a.panese Swords in their hands and covered their faces with a mask.
　Aren’t they the same as ninjas?

“You guys, quit acting cool. What are you doing?”

　Doji asked but no one answered.
　Those five people made a semicircle and gradually shuffled around the three of us.

“Hmpf, I bet our friend, Rejum sent them over. Are you aiming for me or Fraudia?”

　The man standing in the middle was going to answer my question.

“Margrave Medici, we will take your life. Of course, we won’t let the other two live either.”

　Mmm, it’s like a historical drama.
　But I can’t forgive them.
　If it went well I might have gotten my first kiss or we might have gone a little further.⌈5⌋
　When I thought about that I got really angry.

“I feel sorry for you guys. To especially come here on a day like this. I’m in a pretty bad mood.”

　I held my Oricalc.u.m sword in front of me as I said that.
　Fraudia was properly following behind me.

　Hyun!
　Kakiin!

“How……?! To dodge that”

　I knocked down the thing which suddenly flew towards me with my sword.
　As I thought what you threw was a shuriken, wasn’t it?
　I was able to deal with it and I think I looked pretty cool.
　Thanks to the fireb.a.l.l.s it was bright and the author’s correction was applied.
　They seemed surprised that I was able to deal with that.

“Those tricks don’t work on me. If you don’t believe me want to try it again?”

　Hyun, Hyun, Hyun!

　On my provocation, several shuriken flew towards me.

　Kakin, Kakin, Kakin!

　I repelled them left and right.
　Looking to my side, I saw Doji using his axe as a subst.i.tute for a shield and he was able to block them properly.
　The intuition of a wild nature child is truly splendid.

“s.h.i.t! They are able to do it”

“I told you, didn’t I? It won’t work on me. So, what are you going to do next? Ninjutsu?”

　As soon as I said that several shurikens came flying from the left again.
　Then I turned my head towards the Ninja who appeared at the place where I tried to repel those flying things.
　He ran close to the ground and tried to stab me with his sword from a low posture.
　I didn’t think about combined attacks from above and below.

　But my speed doesn’t allow it to work.
　I just swung down my sword after I repelled the shurikens in the upper corner.
　My sword reaches my opponent faster than the tip of his sword could reach me.

　Zen!

　Just when I cut one another guy came flying from the sky about to cut me.
　I stepped into the opposite direction and blocked my opponent’s sword which swung down on me from the front.

　Giin

　Followed by the impact my opponent’s sword broke from the root.
　That guy lost his balance from the shock and flipped over, at that time I stabbed him with my sword.

　Guse

　The Oricalc.u.m Sword penetrated through my opponent’s chest along with an indescribable response.
　At the moment I pulled out the sword I felt a burning sensation running up my spine.

　Buun!

　As I turned around when I felt that sensation I saw a sword nearly cutting me from behind.
　While I twisted my body and dodged it I swung my sword to the left.

　Zuba!!

　The one I slashed at was the leader-like man who answered my question a while ago.
　My sword dug deep into the man’s body.
　Guhaa
　After the man coughed up some blood he slowly fell down.

　Far from the blade even being scratched there wasn’t even any blood sticking to the Oricalc.u.m sword even after I pulled it out of that man.
　Even after cutting down three people its sharpness didn’t decrease.
　As I expected this is a good sword, it’s worth its price.

　When I looked to the side I saw Doji cut down one guy and faced the last one.⌈6⌋
　Let’s capture that one and interrogate him, shall we?

“Doji, let this one live and capture him.”

“Understood”

　Seeing that all his companions were done in he turned his back to us and tried to flee.
　I struck his back with the back of the sword.
　The man fell from the impact and let go of his sword.
　This caused me to grab that man’s head.

“I’ll have you tell me who your employer is.”

“Gu, gufuu……”

　Blood ran down the man’s mouth.
　In that moment the life left his eyes.
　s.h.i.t, did he bite off his tongue?
　What a guy, going this far to keep that secret.
　For my opponent to use these guys, I can’t be careless, huh?

“Are you alright, Fraudia? You must’ve been scared.”

“I’m alright. Because I know about Carlo-sama’s strength.”

　I approached Fraudia and took her hand.
　While trembling a little, Fraudia looked at me firmly.
　Her brown eyes were looking through the veil at me for a while.
　s.h.i.t, like I thought that girl’s my type.⌈7⌋

“People will come soon. If it comes out that we met here it would become troublesome in various ways. Leave quickly.”

“Understood. Then I shall take my leave. Carlo-sama……”

“What?”

“Please call me Frau. Well then”

　When I put out the fireb.a.l.l.s Fraudia disappeared in the darkness.
　Ah, I mean Frau.
　Frau, I wonder when we’ll be able to meet again.

　Meanwhile, three knights rushed here.
　It seems like they were the knights in charge of guarding the royal palace.
You’re slow, good grief.

“What on earth happened here? Please state your name.”

“I’m Margrave Carlo de Medici. And that over there is my attendant, Doji.”

“Forgive me for my rudeness, Margrave-sama. What happened here? Who are these dead people?”

“That’s what I want to know. When I was taking a walk I was suddenly attacked by those guys. Who are they?”

“You don’t have any idea who they are?”

“No idea at all. Investigate those guy’s ident.i.ties with your people”

　Well, they won’t be able to find any evidence, though.
　Those guys are obviously professional shin.o.bi.

“By the way, what was Margrave-sama doing here?”

“Do I have to explain myself in front of you?”

　When I glared at them the knights suddenly became fl.u.s.tered.

“No, there won’t be a problem even if we don’t question you. Be careful”

“I’m sorry but could you please investigate this. Tell me about your progress.”

“Certainly”

　I returned to the mansion together with Doji.
　Oh man, I was almost able to kiss her.