ALL NOVEL I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble But I’ll Be Executed as a Traitor if I Do Good Deeds Chapter 11
11: A Path to Survival
My father had poisoned someone who became his enemy. I have no way to counter poison. So, the option to escape from the Black family, which was my last hope, disappeared.
Still, I need to confirm the situation. Poison isn’t the only assassination method. To think of countermeasures and move forward, I need to solidify my foundation.
“Father, how did you kill your enemies besides poison?”
“Want to know? Well, Rex, you’re a proud son. Of course, I’ll teach you. Duke Arius was crushed by a falling rock. Count Cordelia was framed and killed. And that despicable Duke Sverl was forced to commit suicide after his daughter was taken hostage.”
Falling rocks are one thing, but framing someone or taking hostages are beyond my comprehension. Framing someone would be a bad move, and taking hostages is impossible to do for long. Therefore, until I can think of a countermeasure and execute it, I can’t escape from the Black family.
“There are various methods, aren’t there? It’s a good reference.”
“That’s right. I’m an excellent noble, after all. It’s only natural.”
“Well, I don’t think I can be your enemy, though.”
“You don’t understand. Just because you can use dark magic doesn’t mean you’re not envied. I, too, have received useless envy just because I’m from the Black family.”
Useless envy, huh? Even just hearing about the evil deeds makes me think it’s enough to be hated. But it seems that’s not the case, and that’s what makes me the villain. Well, I can’t help it. At least, not now.
After finishing our conversation, I parted ways with my father and thought about what to do next.
“What should I do? At least for now, it’s unrealistic to escape from the Black family. I need to think of a way to counter my enemies.”
If I can’t come up with a countermeasure against assassination, relying solely on my power won’t work. Maybe I can use magic to counter it, but for now, I can’t think of a way.
Can I use dark magic to counter poison? No, that might even harm my nutrition. The fundamental problem is how to distinguish between poison and other methods.
What about hostages? How can I counter them? I don’t know, so for now, I need to verify other methods.
“It’s not just about me escaping, either. If I do, Aria, Wes, Filis, and Erena might also be in danger.”
It’s really foolish. What’s the point of me surviving if I have to sacrifice everyone else? If it were someone I didn’t know, I might be able to abandon them. But it’s different for the people I’ve gotten close to, like the maids and my mentor. I don’t want them to die. If someone dies because of me, it would be a tragedy.
But if escaping is no longer an option, are there other ways? Should I continue to pretend to be evil while doing good deeds, just like my original plan?
Wait, I’m still inside the Black family. I’m in the midst of an evil noble family.
“Then, can I change the people in the Black family? Father might be difficult, but my brothers might have possibilities.”
My father, who has already committed many evil deeds, might be too late to reform. But if I can do something to change the people around me, even a little, I wouldn’t want to kill my family members, no matter how much I’ve come to know them through our meals and conversations. It’s scary to take someone’s life.
If possible, I’d rather not kill anyone. If I can do something, I want to do it. Even if a future where I’ll be killed arrives, I want to be able to say I did my best. I want to reduce my regrets as much as possible.
“First, it’s Camilla. She’s the only one I have a connection with, and we just fought, so I can use the excuse of making amends.”
It’s not like I’m always eating with others, but it’s a big deal when there’s an event. As for me, I’m thinking of a present. But it’s weird to suddenly give something to someone who doesn’t have anything, right?
It’s like trying to hook them with something, but I can’t think of a better way. I don’t think using some casual words will work, and it’s basic to do something with an effect.
As for Camilla, I don’t know much about her. I have knowledge of “Destiny Blood,” but I know her skills, appearance, and future. Still, I don’t know the words that will get through to her. She’s not a heroine, just a simple villain.
“Then, it’s the sword, right? The dark magic can invade objects, too. Can’t we use that to strengthen our weapons? Let’s consult with Phyllis.”
So, I headed to Phyllis’ place. If I’m going to discuss magic, Phyllis is the only one I can think of.
“…Simple. Just infuse your will into the magic within the range of dark attributes. For example, invading the enemy’s magic…”
“Hmm, not bad. Let’s go with that direction. First, I’ll try experimenting.”
What Phyllis said was basic magic knowledge, but it gave me a starting point. What I want to do is use the magic I infused into the sword. Since it’s a sword, if I can do something like the “Fatal Blade,” that’d be great. I want to penetrate the enemy’s magic defense. After that, I just need to add my infused magic to the sword.
After trying it out with the swords at home, I was able to create something stronger than a normal sword. This should be enough as a present. Well, since it’s a sword tailored to my body, I need to make one for Camilla, too.
“Yeah, the cutting edge is pretty good. If it can cut through metal and magic, that’s strong enough.”
So, I was satisfied with the sword’s power. Next, I need to make it fit Camilla’s hand.
I thought of asking a swordswoman about the sword, so I consulted with Erena.
“A sword that fits Rex’s sister’s hand. In my opinion, a light, one-handed sword would be good. We can use magic to increase its durability, right? Then, making it slender wouldn’t be bad, would it?”
I got a great idea like that. What I need is a mentor, and Erena and Phyllis are good ones.
Camilla accelerates with lightning magic, so a strong sword that can keep up with her speed would be great. She’s already fast, so if I can strengthen the sword with magic, that’d be great. So, I adjusted it to let the lightning magic flow well, with Phyllis’ help, too.
As a result, my sword became thicker and larger, while Camilla’s became smaller and slender. By the way, I can also summon the sword to my hand. Well, it’s a function that only works with my sword, but since I have magic, I can control it with a similar feeling to magic operation.
Both swords have a dahlia flower carved on the hilt, taken from my name, Rex Daria Black.
“I’ll name my sword ‘Hope of Tribe.’ What about Camilla’s?”
We thought of various candidates, but if Camilla wants to name it, that’s fine, and it’s not bad if it doesn’t have a name. Anyway, I left it up to my sister’s discretion.
So, I made a sword for Camilla and presented it to her.
“Sister, here, take this. I made something pretty good.”
“What’s the catch? Well, I’ll use it, but does it have a name?”
“How about ‘Thunderbolt’?”
“Hmm, you’re aware of my lightning, right? Well, that name is fine.”
Camilla took the sword I gave her and headed to the training grounds. Then, she quickly swung it down.
“…Whoa! Not bad, right? Then, I’ll go.”
She was really using the sword, and I felt a sense of accomplishment.
From that day on, Camilla continued to train with the Thunderbolt. She was using it properly, and I was happy.
I realized something after making the sword: the position of the magic-infused object can be detected. When I tried to search for Wes’ location, I couldn’t find it. Maybe the magic is no longer on his right arm.
“Do you like it, sister?”
“Since Rex went out of his way to make it for me, I’m grateful. The power is pretty good, too.”
“Yeah. Well, if it breaks, you can just throw it away.”
“Of course. A weapon that breaks easily is not worthy of me.”
Every day, Camilla continued to train with the same sword. Seeing her like that, I felt a warm feeling in my chest.
“Camilla, you’re using the sword I gave you every day. This might be a chance to deepen our bond.”
I hoped that from now on, I wouldn’t have to fight Camilla. I prayed from the bottom of my heart. From now on, I’ll build relationships with my other family members, too. I vowed so.