Somehow I’m the Otome Game Villain 9:

Somehow I’m the Otome Game Villain 9:

…

Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by LordMarksman

…

“Holy crap, all of this for a high school party? No wonder these guys aren’t rich. They’re wasting money.”

“W-well, the crown prince and many other heirs are here…”

“Are you seriously defending them? Your family’s bankrupt because they’re trying to keep up with all the fashion trends, you know?”

“It’s still pretty! Don’t you dare trample on the memories of these young women!”

I had to raise an eyebrow at Marie from her place across the venue. She was wearing her hair up in braids and a bun. She was initially planning to dress in a very childish dress with a big bow at the back, but she chose something a bit more elegant. Simple white with matching elbow length gloves, sensible heels, and even new glasses with white wireframes.

Maybe, she wanted to show off the bit of growth she managed with her AI-coordinated diet.

Perhaps, she finally gave up on pretending to be a young girl and dressed sensibly according to her age.

Or, Finally, she wanted to be able to run away if things went badly with the declaration of a duel.

Either way, we were talking to one another from different locations in the venue, because we weren’t exactly sure where the situation would take place. The whole scene had used a generic ballroom background. I bet on the whole thing happening right in front of the grand staircase. She thought it was going to happen at the dancing section. Luxion and Ideal thought things were going to happen right next to the dining area. We all had different thoughts on the issue, so we spread out, and did our best to coordinate my interception.

The drinks section, thankfully, was pretty close to the center of the stage.

Yeah, they were serving alcohol here. The nobility is above the rules, especially when most of the guys regularly fight for their lives in the dungeon. There were a lot of single dudes that’ll just mope and ruin the atmosphere, so some drinks and entertainment were present and free for them to enjoy. Sorry, guys, but Marie can’t matchmake for you all yet. Don’t worry, I’ll offer her a substantial raise if she starts networking and getting you guys dates and potential fiancés in the near future.

What was I thinking about again?

Oh, right.

The hyper-expensive venue filled with expensive booze, professional wait staff and entertainment, and fine cutlery and plates being used by upper-high-school, low-college students. Holfort really needs to figure their shit out, if they’re going to take on the Principality.  Alzer literally has all its warships powered for free, and we don’t waste money on things like this. This Academy might be financed by nobility, but if your noble class has this much to spare,  that just means you’re not taxing your nobility enough!

Seriously, this is all gross.

“You look displeased, Leon-kun. Is something wrong?” I blinked at the voice. Atlee was here and by my side. At her back was an entourage of her family’s underlings’ heirs. More than a couple gazes of jealousy were sent my way, but most nodded at me with respect, especially when I gave their lady a bow in greeting. Her dress was black and with a light blue inner lining, kinda like the regular male uniform with the red tie, black blazer, and light blue button and  in a way. She wore her hair long. Earrings, bracelets, and necklace all matched the color scheme. That’s all that I knew about fashion. “Perhaps, it’s because you had trouble finding a date for tonight?”

She had a little, cheeky smile when she said that and leaned forward.

If not for my sister’s teachings, I’d have lost and looked past her eyes.

Jilk’s absolutely a moron.

“My research took longer than I thought. No time to get anything nice tailored, let alone get a date” I lied, even though I did wear the school uniform to the event rather than anything fancy. I didn’t ask her to come along because I knew that I needed to help Redgrave out tonight. That’d be the same as throwing the girl into the sharks. Rumors travelled faster than light, and Atlee dealt with enough without her ‘date’ abandoning her for another woman. “You look good, Lady Atlee.”

“I told you to call me Clarice!”

“You sure did, Lady Atlee.”

Atlee huffed and I chuckled. Her party moved and pretty much absorbed me into their ranks. I shook hands, some trying to make me very uncomfortable, but I stayed strong. Most of the guys were glad that I helped their patron’s daughter out. Man, I was glad that most of the big guys were the nice ones. My guards would’ve moved in if I made a sound.

Anyway, I was set to let time pass when the situation that I awaited arrived without a warning.

“Leon!” Marie cried out into my hidden earpiece, but I’d already sighted the scene happening. As I’d thought, it was at the base of the grand stair case. All the love interests were between Redgrave and the leading character of the game. Redgrave, in her red dress, was already looking around for someone to help her. She must’ve screamed out the challenge and suddenly found herself without any allies, just like in the game. If this continued, she’d be shamed and exiled, which would horribly destabilize the Holfort Kingdom. “Go!”

I didn’t even respond, instead I ran forward until I broke through the wall of people doing their best to not be involved in a fight against the Crown Prince, even though they were in the wrong.

For some reason, even though I came to help Redgrave, the first person who noticed me and gasped was the protagonist. I had to admit, her being in an all-black dress took me off guard, but I’d prepared for this situation long enough that I could blitz through a small issue like that easily.

“A duel, huh? I’m in, if only to get the chance to teach you lot some manners.” I sauntered in as best as I could into the scene with the fakest lackadaisical and devil-may-cry attitude I could muster. Channeling a certain, pizza-loving Devil Hunter, I yawned, stretched, and eyed up all five of my glaring opponents and pointed straight at their leader. Man, they really look like off-brand power-rangers. Those hair colors are really garbage in real life. Anyway, I looked over my shoulder at Redgrave. Hopefully, she recalled our little talk, even if she hated my guts. “What do you say, Lady Redgrave? You fine with someone stepping up for you instead of letting you out to dry?”

Before Redgrave could reply, Greg Fou Seberg came forward.

“Hah? Is this some sort of joke? You might be a hotshot researcher, but this sort of thing is between men. Do you seriously think you can waltz in here and just pick a fight?” Seberg was the hot-blooded muscle type. Stupid to a fault, he was also the kind of character that wouldn’t accept better equipment until you grinded his relationship up. All his dates were all about enjoying the wilderness and doing what he wanted to. In other words, he’s an inconsiderate jerk who barely listens without the promise of romantic favors on the line. Trash. “Oi, are you lis—

“I was. I just prefer to write things down for people like you. I don’t want to strain your intellect.”

“!!!” Huh, well, I didn’t expect the guy to go straight for a punch to the face after I insulted him, but I assumed that he was just more hotblooded in real life. The only issue with his plan, of course, was that I had more experience at fighting than he did, and maybe even more training. I caught his fist and that was enough to shock him into taking a step back. My hand stung a little. It’s a good thing that I’m working hard to stay strong. “What the he—

Redgrave managed to find her tongue, while Seberg was surprised.

“I accept Sir Rault’s offer!”

That should’ve been the end of things, and I should be free to walk away and ignore the female protagonist’s unnerving stare and blush aimed my way.

Was she getting… turned on by me treating her reverse harem like shit?

Nah.

Couldn’t be possible.

But that wasn’t the issue.

It was the crown prince that was the issue.

Julius Rapha Holfort seemed more… severe than in the game. I suppose that the Otome game softened guys up a fair amount to appeal to the female audience more. In this world filled with death, monsters, and political intrigue, it made sense that the male love interests were more serious than their game counterparts. Holfort was the crazy place that expected all of its men to be capable of slicing through monsters upon young adulthood to earn money, after all.

“Sir Rault, your deeds and actions are exemplary, but you are gravely mistaken. Opposing me here is the height of foolishness. Angelica is in the wrong and doesn’t know her place.” Holy shit. Goddamn. I suppose that hearing those words from someone defending them would make someone happy, but this guy was really torching everything between him and his fiancé since childhood. Redgrave had to choke back a sob, even though her rage made her challenge the crown prince and his whole entourage against an upcoming Saintess. “Nothing besides grief and ill relations between our nations comes from your choice, here and now. Retract your offer and that will be the end of the matter.”

Again, though, I practiced my lines before this event, so that I can be as roguish and attention-seeking as possible.

The less attention on Redgrave the better.

“You know what? I feel the same way. No, that’s wrong. It’s the opposite. I feel like opposing you is the only right thing I’ve done so far.” I gave a single chuckle and extended my hands outward. I could hear Marie grumbling in my earpiece and both Luxion and Ideal were muttering something about my acting being garbage. That didn’t matter. These guys weren’t exactly theatrical critics. Hell, they’ve probably never seen more than a handful of theatre plays, let alone constant streams of movies. The audience was eating this up. “Ever since I’ve been in Holfort, nothing’s made a damn bit of sense. Everyone trying to do the right thing’s treated like shit, and people who go out of their way to do the wrong thing is applauded. It’s ridiculous… so, I figured that I might as well give it a try. Live like Holfort people do, and just do whatever the hell I want.”

And, I made what I want very clear by drawing the glove I wore on my right hand and throwing it on the floor at the Prince’s feet.

“So, c’mon, prince. You five against me. You lot only need to win once to wipe this smile off my face and get everything you want. I need to win five times… to make the world make sense again and whatever the heck this woman wants.” Yeah, that’s right. I’m just taking advantage of the opportunity to act like and asshole and do what I want. Redgrave getting protected barely matters. Mutter that all you can amongst yourselves, while Luxion and Ideal spread the idea around while guided by Marie. I’ll tank all the damage just fine, so drink in all the threat, please. “What do you say, Prince? Are you going to back down from those odds? Or are you going to put your money where your mouth is and beat me?”

A brief silence took over the whole dance hall, while Julius paused and picked up the glove… before gripping it in his hand.

“You’re on, Rault.”

Alright, time for the one-liner to end the evening!

“Well, what do you know? There’s something in that man-shaped pile of scum that might actually be a man after all!”

Holfort’s gaze was steely at my implication that he only acted like a man this one time, but he grit his teeth and turned his heal to walk away. The crowd dissipated seconds later, while the entourage fled with their lover interest in tow, while I took the opportunity to glare at anyone whispering about me as I helped Redgrave up.

The plan was to get her to her retainers, if they had the guts to stick around after not standing up for her, but someone approached that I didn’t expect.

Atlee.

“And, here I thought that she was doing better than me, but in the end she was suffering just as much.” Redgrave started crying right after the prince left, but when she heard Atlee’s voice she looked up… and bawled harder as the young lady held her hands out for her. Soon enough, Atlee had small tears budding in the corner of her eyes, while Redgrave cried. Atlee’s retainers formed up a little, loose group around the two and glared down anyone looking our way. Redgrave’s faraway retainers recoiled at the sight and hung their heads, but didn’t approach. They’ll probably try their luck later, but not now. “There, there, Angie. Leon-kun was right. You did everything right. This is all tremendously, terribly unfair.”

The words gave me pause, especially as Redgrave cries picked up at them. It wasn’t loud, but the sorrow became that much clearer. I didn’t even have a chance to think about my next move, before I took off my blazer and put it over the young woman’s bare shoulders. She didn’t even pay me a glance before wrapping it around herself, while Atlee came in to give her a hug.

That’s about the time when Marie approached me, balking at being let through by Atlee’s entourage.

I didn’t know how they recognized her, but we hung out often enough in school for it not to be strange.

She looked at Atlee comforting Redgrave and then looked at me.

I could tell that she wanted to get away from here, so I looked at Atlee.

“Hey, can one of you guys escort my retainer to get Redgrave’s servants?”

“Of course, Leon.”

“Thanks.”

Just as Marie and the tall, tanned young man left, the sound of footfalls reached me, and soon enough my guards were towering over Atlee’s retainers and backing them up.

“My lord, your orders?” Simple and as cold as steel, especially for trained soldiers glaring down everyone who’d witnessed the scene and didn’t do a thing. If I told them to start trashing the place, they would… but they’d get in trouble for that, so I refrained.

Instead, I just went to the next step of the plant.

“Captain, I want my Armor ready for combat tomorrow… at its full potential.”

“Understood, my lord!”

A runner was sent out a second later, but the two I actually spoke to were long gone before he left.

Luxion and Ideal got the message.

We’re going with the plan that crushes these guys completely.