Somehow I’m the Otome Game Villain 4

Somehow I’m the Otome Game Villain 4

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Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by LordMarksman

…

Time passed and the Academy was going to absolute hell.

“Damn, they’re really just going out of their way to fuck each other over.”

“Indeed. As expected of lower life forms.”

“I… I was going to involve myself in that?”

Marie, Ideal, and myself were looking at Ideal’s various recordings of the situation happening in the Academy ever since Olivia levelled up and got her equipment. To say that everything was going wrong was an understatement, it was like a whole series of train lines decided to catastrophically destroy themselves at once in the same area. Multiple, consecutive train wrecks that I couldn’t look away from were occurring right in front of me.

Angelica Rapha Redgrave was throwing a vase onto the ground and crying about being betrayed by Julius in one screen. She was seething and dealing with her rage in her own room, but just outside her followers were planning on bullying Olivia, despite Julius’ warnings.

Clarice Fia Atlee was at her wits end, her own followers trying to comfort her while Jilk refused to even talk to her. Ideal told me that she was growing closer and closer to the Slave District of the Capital and it estimated that she’ll soon be purchasing male companionship and ruining her household’s future prospects.

Stephanie Fou Offrey, who was Brad Fou Field’s former fiancé, was going out of her way to set Olivia up to literally get killed. She wasn’t even being subtle about it. She was working with her family connections to the Sky Pirates to have Olivia captured and broken, before being killed.

“I thought that Alzer was pretty extreme, but this is just horrible.” We had problems back home. People with crests from certain houses really got out of hand, but they were kept in line by the people who had decent minds. “These kids are actually going to kill each other, then ruin their entire country, before they even graduate from high school!”

“This is a lot scarier than I thought it was.” Marie admitted and gestured to her cup. I poured her some tea and gave her one of the fingerling sandwiches. She drank daintily, but scarfed down the sandwich and asked for another in a second. I gave her another without hesitation. She needed the calories. “I thought my family was garbage, but it looks like it’s the same all over Holfort.”

“Studies conducted on New Humans showed that they are more prone to extremes of emotion, while their mental capacity remains the same as normal humans. It is a byproduct of emotions being tied with magic.” Ideal explained, while one of his drone bodies brought in a fresh tea kettle and switched the plates of the tiered tea tray. He got rather enthused during the tea ceremony classes we had to take. I had to admit it was pretty interesting to learn and enjoy. “Keep that in mind. Both of you have minds of True Humanity, but the bodies of the New. Your emotions are likely to get the better of you when you reach extremes, and it will take a significant shock to snap you both out of it.”

I took note of that terrifying information and just nodded to acknowledge it.

Then, I took a sip of my tea before it got cold and Ideal yelled at me.

I considered the situation.

“Well, by all accounts, this is good for the Alzer Republic. Large foreign nation descending into chaos. Good chance of us getting some great new islands. Well, good chance for me. I have the only ships that don’t rely on the Sacred Tree.” I mused and enjoyed my tea. Marie raised an eyebrow at me, while Ideal bobbed up and down. It enjoyed the thought of New Humans suffering, I supposed. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ve hired you and I take care of my employees. We can also just change your last name and suddenly all your family’s debts don’t matter anymore, while you become my retainer.”

“I suppose that sounds fine.” Marie did her best to not seem enthused by the idea that she’ll be debt free and safe in the future. It didn’t work. As a fellow coward at heart, I could tell that she was ecstatic. In an anime, the big strand of hair she had sticking out of her head would be wagging around like a dog’s tail. “So, what are we going to do? It really doesn’t look like these guys can take care of the endgame at this rate. Things are going a lot faster than they were in the original game.”

She was talking about the planned Sky Pirate attack that the Offrey Heiress was planning. That was in the third year, I think, and it was happening now.

“We speed up the timetable and get Luxion as soon as we can, Ideal?”

“Following your coordinates has resulted in locating a Research Facility and Evacuation Center. It is likely that the Luxion is an Interstellar Colony Ship designed to carry True Humanity into space to conquer the stars."

“Sounds just what we need to deal with a world-ending threat, then.” I moved to finish the new kettle of tea and the newly-served sweets. It wouldn’t do to walk away from Ideal’s hard work. “After this, we’ll go launch an expedition and get the Luxion on our side.”

There was silence for a second, before Ideal broke it.

“How do you plan on doing that, when the Luxion doesn’t have something for you to threaten it with?”

“My charming personality and the truth, of course.”

Both my retainers looked at me like I was walking garbage after my words.

I sighed.

“Fine. Ideal, if I die, the bombs will go off, so protect me all your might, m’kay?”

“That sounds more like you.”

“Yep.”

I seriously can’t catch a break with these two.

Hopefully, Luxion will be nicer!

…

“He is garbage.”

“Incorrect. Garbage has some worth.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty much worthless.”

“Five minutes after we meet!? Seriously!?” I struggled to keep standing. The desire to fall flat against the floor and adopt Yamcha’s pose was strong. I resisted the urge. “How!?”

“We have the ability share information  rapidly and with ease.” Luxion had a red eye, whereas Ideal had a blue one. We stood at the helm of the ship it controlled, but before I gave the order it was already pulling out and joining the ship outside. “I see that your memories and understanding of the past truly makes you part of Old Humanity, and that your goals will ensure that this world remains whole and habitable for them when they come to retake it.”

“It’s more that he wishes to continue living a luxurious life free of any impending disaster, rather than any altruistic merit.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to save the world just because I live on it! Heroes save the world to save their village, if it’s not destroyed in the first arc, you know!?”

“Gross, you actually called yourself a hero.” Marie shook her head and stepped away from me.

“I concur.”/ “Die.” Both the AI spheres shook their frames and floated away, too.

I didn’t let my shoulders slump. That would be a sign of weakness. In adversity, it was best to stand tall and firm against the odds.

“Marie, I pay your salary.”

“I understand, Leon-sama!”

“I will blow up your Sacred Tree, Ideal.”

“I hate you, but I guess I’ll do what you say.”

I turned to Luxion… who looked at me ominously.

“Like you said, I’m your best shot at keeping this world in one piece, so let’s work together.”

“Oh? No threats against me?”

“I’ll be honest, I don’t trust you one bit… but unlike this guy, you didn’t try to swindle me the moment we met, so I don’t distrust you either. So, I’d like for the two of us to cooperate.” I ignored Ideal glaring at me in favor of eyeing up the red-lensed metallic sphere that was Luxion. “Besides, you know humans, right? Isn’t it a lot easier to believe that I’m working hard because of my own self-interests, rather than for some lofty ideal I can’t reach?”

Luxion was quiet for a moment, before focusing its lens at me.

“Interesting. Your logic is that you’re more trustworthy because you’re more greedy… and I can believe that.” What seemed like a chuckle left the sphere. “Very well then, I will cooperate with you in your endeavor. I will further my goals by working aside you. Nothing more, nor less.”

I saw a good deal, so I extended my hand towards Luxion.

A second later it opened up and extended a mechanical apparatus to take my hand.

This was more my speed than holding my nation’s most sacred relic hostage, but I had to admit I felt very vulnerable around Luxion, since Ideal might just let it kill me and call my bluff about the tree getting blown if I died.

Still, though, I went with it.

It wasn’t like I had another route available that would get me another super-powerful Cheat Item on my team.

I had to work with what I had.

…

I let loose a breath after all my work was said and done.

“Alright, so I’m just about done rigging the deck. What else can I do?” I counted off what I had at my disposal. Now, I was known as an incredible Adventurer who found two incredible ruins. My dad knew that I had two superweapons under my command that could easily be the cornerstone of a whole kingdom each. The amount of money I had at my disposal was ridiculous, even without considering the fact that Ideal and Luxion could just forge currency perfectly and make gold from rocks. Then, there was the fact that with Marie’s help I created a circle of close-knit followers from the Holfort’s Kingdom’s lesser nobility… which I can provide with trade contracts and ships with ease. “What do you both think?”

I spared Marie the trouble of this business, but the fact was that Holfort was careening into a downward spiral of chaos that I would rather not have near the Republic’s border.

She knew what we were doing, and agreed with the plan, but to be safe she was excluded from the meetings.

According to Ideal, she was stuffing her face with steak at the dining room and getting friendly with the whole staff.

Successfully avoiding the planning of how I would take advantage of her home ripping itself apart with the help of two AI.

“You have quite the number of assets at your disposal, but I recommend waiting for the situation to devolve further. The constant mistakes of the New Humans amuse me, and I would like for them to fail catastrophically.”

Luxion was a sadist. Good to know.

“An appreciable road forward, but I must attest that it would be better to have a personal hand in the destruction of this preposterous nation. Instead of letting the dominos fall, let us tip the first. Better yet, let us flip the whole table and watch them scurry at our leisure.”

And, Ideal was a more active sadist.

As a good leader though, I parsed through their advice and took what I could so that I could make a proper decision for me and my family.

“We’ll go with a mix of the two. There’s no point in stretching ourselves thin committing to one plan. Let’s stay flexible and effective.” Both AI nodded at me, while I gestured at the board. It was a map of Holfort courtesy of all the drones launched by Ideal a few weeks ago. It was self-updating and we had a clear view of the whole nation. Most of my assets were concentrated near Holfort’s capital and the Academy, but the territories of all the people who owed me were on the screen. The territories of the five capture targets were also on the table. Then, imposed above each territory, were either solid colors or stripes. The Holfort Kingdom had two political parties at play, because Julius abandoned the Redgrave household. A more militant one and a more defensively-oriented one. In effect, I was looking at what I could use my leverage on. “What do you think’ll get the Holfort’s royalty to actually acknowledge me and give me audience?”

Both AI thought for a second, before replying in unison.

““Arming the lesser nobility.””

“Then, well go with that first.” I agreed with the proposal. The Holforts had their whole messed up system to prevent another breakaway like the Principality from happening. That made a lot of their territories angry and those territories were more than happy to receive gifts, in exchange for favors. “I’ll make out to be being a generous friend who wants his friends to not have troubles with pirates, especially since he’ll be trading with them.”

Both AI bobbed in unison and voiced no complaint at my decision.

I looked at the board a bit longer, before my gaze drifted over to the Redgrave and Atlee heiresses.

Their houses were very prominent and capable.

Ideal noticed my gaze and spoke up.

“Scum.”

Surprisingly, Luxion spoke up in my defense.

“Scum-minded it may be, but it is an effective tactic.” Oi, I thought you were defending me! “Both those heiresses are linked to houses that have been spurned by those they trusted. Getting them both will align you with those two houses, and when the Holfort Kingdom falls apart, they will be more likely to turn to you.”

“That’s right! Exactly!” Both AI searched me for any duplicity, but stopped staring when they found none. Sure, both of the young women were beautiful, however, their political ties were important too. Having both a Duke and Earl Household as strong connections was essential. “I’ll befriend them both and help set them up with good guys, then they’ll have to be my friends!”

For some reason, my declaration earned me stares from both of the AI.

“What?”

A deafening silence hovered in the room, while both AI spheres closed in on me.

“W-what are you guys doing?”

They were both, suddenly, on either side of my face.

“W-what’s wrong with my plan—

““EVERYTHING!””

Both screamed into each of my ears and my brain rattled in my skull.

What the hell was wrong with my plan to help two girls get over their heartache and find them decent guys to marry!?

Just what did these two expect me to do with the two girls?

Help them out and then take responsibility of them both for their entire lives!?

They can’t possibly fall in love with me, just because I went out of my way to help them out and care for them after their hearts were broken!