I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Who Gets Killed Midway Through the Story but It Looks Like I’ll Be Executed as a Traitor if I Try to Do Good Deeds

10: Careless Complacency

I was living a fulfilling life, learning magic from Phyllis and sword techniques from Elina.

One day, my sister suddenly thrust a mock sword at me. When I looked up, I saw she had tied her black hair back in a ponytail. She was about the same height as me, maybe a bit shorter. She gave off a strong impression, and her low voice was even more intimidating than usual.

It was clear she was looking at me with hostility. I had no idea why she would do such a thing.

“Hey, Rex. Let’s fight. I’ll crush you.”

She was seriously challenging me to a fight. Her sharp gaze and low voice conveyed a strong sense of hostility. As for me, I didn’t particularly dislike her. My father had directly killed people, but my sister hadn’t done anything yet.

“Why, Camila? There’s no reason for us to fight.”

“You, who can use dark magic, are playing around with swords. You’re making a fool of me.”

Ah, I understood. My sister, who had been a single-attribute user of lightning magic in ‘Destiny Blood’, felt that magic alone was weak and had combined it with sword techniques. That’s how it was.

Camila Aster Black, also known as Bolt Edge. She was a character who had devoted herself to killing multiple-attribute magic users. Now, it seemed she had changed.

It seemed that Camila, who had learned sword techniques as a means of survival, felt that I was unnecessary and was stepping on her own resolve by using dark magic. That was a bad thing to do. However, I still found sword techniques enjoyable, so I had no intention of stopping.

I had no choice. She had prepared a mock sword, so I had to accept her challenge. If not, Camila wouldn’t be satisfied.

“Understood. Then, let’s settle this with swords?”

“That’s right. I’ll crush you. Since it’s just a mock sword, I won’t cause any serious injuries.”

But if I’m not careful, I might get seriously injured. Well, I’ll be fine. With the Dark Garb (Gratinee Wear), I can handle anything.

“It’s settled then. Let’s get started.”

“Let’s go!”

Kamira comes at me with all her might, swinging her sword, but it’s clearly slower than my mentor Elina’s. So, I can receive it with ease. I take the consecutive attacks, but it’s no big deal. By looking at her footwork and gaze, I can easily tell where she’ll attack next.

I can feel my solid growth. Kamira is a formidable opponent who has killed multiple-attribute magic users in the original story, after all. If I can handle her, I should have confidence in myself.

As I flow with Kamira’s sword and create an opening, I land a clear hit.

“Here! Silent Kill!”

It’s not as fast as Elina’s, but it’s a quick and precise strike. I manage to stop Kamira’s attack at her neck.

“…Damn, you won’t beat me like this! I’ll definitely make you cry someday!”

Kamira growls, tears welling up in her eyes. But I don’t sense any anger or malice in her words. It’s more like… Well, if I had to describe it, it’s like she’s being tsundere.

With my easy victory over Kamira, I feel the urge to test my abilities even more. How far can I go? Can I even escape from the Black House? I want to find out.

“Hey, how about we fight with magic this time? Let’s go all out.”

“…I’m ready. I don’t intend to kill you, but accidents can happen.”

With the Dark Garb, I’m not worried about dying. I’m confident that I won’t make a mistake and kill Kamira either.

“I won’t kill my sister, though.”

“I don’t intend to kill you either. But there’s always a chance.”

“It’s okay. I’ll handle it.”

“…Yeah. Regrets are useless later on. Let’s get started then.”

“Come on!”

Kamira readies her sword, gazing at me sharply. But my strategy is simple: use the Dark Garb. That’s all I need. The defense that can even block Philis’s Chainblade is unbeatable.

“Let’s go… Bolt Spark!”

“Dark Garb!”

Kamira charges at me with lightning speed, her sword flashing with electricity. The Bolt Spark technique, which was also used in the original “Destiny Blood” story. But my defense can handle it. The sword stops in its tracks, and Kamira looks surprised. This is amusing. Maybe I can win against anyone.

“Damn, it didn’t work!? Then, I’ll do it again! Bolt Spark!”

“Using the same trick won’t work! Fatal Blade!”

I summon a blade born from dark magic and aim it at Kamira’s neck again. This time, I win again!

“Again, I lost… Just you wait! I’ll definitely make you cry someday! Until then, I won’t lose to anyone!”

“Of course. I’m the strongest, after all.”

In reality, I might actually become the strongest. That’s the feeling I get from this easy victory.

Kamira runs away, probably not wanting to show her tears. Well, she did cry during our first victory, too.

If I try to comfort her, it might have the opposite effect. So, I’ll just wait for time to heal her wounds.

As Kamira disappears into the distance, Aria and Wes rush over to me, looking worried. It’s nice to see them concerned about me.

“Lord Rex, are you injured?”

“I-I’ll be sad if you get hurt, Master…”

“There’s no need to worry. I’m invincible, after all.”

In reality, I want to become strong enough to protect Aria and the others. I don’t know how far I can go, but there are many strong enemies in the original story. I don’t want to lose anyone close to me, no matter what.

Next, Philis and Elina approach me, looking a bit uneasy. Did I do something wrong?

“…Focus. You could have taken her down more efficiently.”

“Yeah. You’re still inexperienced, Rex. Don’t forget that.”

“Of course, it’s like I’m being arrogant.”

I’m not being arrogant. In the original story, there were people with unreasonable abilities, and the protagonist, Julio, even defeated them. If Julio were to become my enemy, I couldn’t afford to be careless. I might not lose to those mob characters, but there are many strong enemies among the original characters.

And now, my other brothers have arrived. Maybe our battle has spread far and wide?

“Rex, you’re amazing. You even won against Camilla.”

“Big brother, you’re strong.”

“Brother is our pride.”

Being praised like this makes me feel like I’m part of a good family. But in the original story, we were the evil Black family. I can’t let my guard down, no matter how strong I seem.

As we chatted, we were summoned by our parents after a while. I met Camilla’s gaze, but she turned away, looking a bit sad.

I was thinking carelessly, but my father’s words made my heart chill.

“You’ve all gathered. This time, we’ve succeeded in assassinating Ox, the enemy candidate. Let’s celebrate.”

“This will be a memorable day for us.”

“No matter how much magic you train, you can’t counter poison. It’s foolish.”

Those words pierced my chest. As someone who betrayed the Black family, I have no means to counter poison. Even if I escape, I have no way to survive.

It was as if the fact that I was arrogant just a moment ago was splashed with cold water.