Volume 1 Chapter 64 The Villainess Contemplates War
Vittoria walked down the dark basement dungeon, step by step.
The person locked up there was Holy Maiden Silvia.
Vittoria wanted to figure out if Silvia was just a [victim of fate] or a [reincarnated person] herself.
With the annoying sound of squeaking metal, Vittoria stood in front of the prisoner she was after, behind the cage.
There, Silvia crouched down, her head bowed.
"I need to ask you something."
"My head hurts so much..., I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Please forgive me..."'
"Whether I forgive you depends on your answer."
"It's not about you...! Ugh..."'
Vittoria looked down at Silvia coldly. Silvia kept apologizing, tears falling, and Vittoria wondered if it was an act.
Is this fake?
It doesn't seem like it, but maybe she's sneakier than she looks.
"Earth, Japan, America, Europe, Asia, Africa... Do any of these sound familiar?"
───This person! She's a Reincarnator!
The [Cursed spirit] was furious but couldn't act freely without a body. It kept attacking Silvia relentlessly.
Silvia was in so much pain she wanted to die, but she forced herself not to scream.
At the same time, she realized why things had gone wrong so far.
This woman was causing trouble behind the scenes.
───If you're going to die, then die and make me feel better!
Silvia was frustrated because she wanted to curse back but couldn't. The pain kept torturing her.
Slowly, the pain started to break her spirit, killing her will to live.
───Hey, useless human. Tell this awful woman what I say, and I'll stop the headache as punishment.
"W-well, I don't know, but, uh, someone else inside my head does..."
"Inside your head? ...No way."
Vittoria, who liked reading online novels, guessed from her experience that Silvia, the heroine, was in a strange state.
"...A failed possession, I guess. I'm glad I read novels now."
Vittoria crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes after saying that.
In her mind, Silvia was no longer her main focus.
The real question was what to do with the reincarnated person inside Silvia's head.
The easiest way would be to kill Silvia, but Vittoria didn't want to involve the innocent Silvia in her plans.
It was because of Silvia that Vittoria would be exiled or executed, but since that fate had changed, there was some room to think differently.
"What are you going to do with that girl?"
"N-no...! No!"
"Sil-Sil, what did they say?"
"T-they thought if I die, I could start over? So they want me to die!"
"Tch, I can't tell if she's serious about having a cheat or if she's just a game addict. It's annoying."
Silvia, free from her headache for a moment, jumped at the bars, thinking hard.
"Miss! I don't want to die! I'm sorry for everything! Please forgive me! Please help me!"
"I can't focus on you right now. Just tell me what the person inside said."
Vittoria told the crying Silvia that dealing with the [person inside] was more important, whether she helped her or not.
"...Um, what's that Gorilla? What are you talking about?"
"About Lady Kamitafira? You don't know? I thought she was added after I died."
"They said, 'I-I don't know. Is she a friend of the miss who was reincarnated?'"
"...She's not an added character? Then who is she?"
The mystery about Eleonora grew, but it wasn't a priority.
"What do you want?"
"They said, 'I-I want a body I can move freely...'"
"I figured."
And that body was probably Silvia's.
With the power of a protagonist and a female body, any otome game player would want it.
"Let's wait for now. I don't have enough information to do anything."
"No..., no! Don't leave me!"
Vittoria turned her back on Silvia, who reached out desperately through the bars, and started walking up the stairs.
"The war is about to start. Without a Holy Maiden or target, we might lose, and I might die in the flames. Then maybe you can start over."
Leaving those words behind, the light from the dungeon disappeared.
"I wonder if the Ashreach army will win."
"Don't worry, my lady. Both the head of the family and the young lord have joined the battle."
The servant said that, but their numbers were still doubled.
And there was no Holy Maiden or hero with true power.
It was better to be ready, so she clenched her fist.
* * *
That afternoon, despite defeating the enemy general, the outnumbered Ashreach army retreated to the royal capital.
Before sunset, the women of the Grand Duke, including his wife, sisters, and some servants, were gathered in a room and given daggers.
"Before being dishonored by the soldiers of Loriengita, stab each other in the chest."
Since suicide was forbidden by doctrine, [killing to protect dignity] was encouraged by the Grand Duke.
The castle walls were still intact, but depending on tomorrow's siege, they might have to act.
"Elder Sister..."
"It's okay, Beatrice. There's nothing to fear..."
Vittoria's voice, meant to reassure, was shaking. Could she really stab her beloved sister's chest?
With a sense of despair, the room filled with sobs.
There was no hope left, anywhere.
As she hugged Beatrice tightly, a loud cheer echoed through the royal capital from the main street.
───Long live the Kingdom of Ashreach!
───Long live Eleonora!
───Cheers for our hero!
"No way... No way! Lady Kamitafira! You did it!"
Vittoria stood up with force, holding her sister, and walked to the window. She opened the shutter so hard it seemed like it would break.
"The prince of Loriengita and the Twelve Sacred Blades have been defeated!"
"The strongest knight, Eleonora!"
"The kingdom is saved!"
The streets were crowded with soldiers celebrating, and even at night, citizens cheered with joy.
At the front of the welcomed soldiers was a female knight everyone recognized.
Eleonora walked proudly with the soldiers, heading to the royal palace without shaking off the dust of battle.
"Ah... you always keep your promises, don't you?"
Strictly speaking, there was no actual deal; it was just a promise from a duel trial. Vittoria had simply wished for victory without asking anyone specifically.
Eleonora deployed troops to protect her territory and people, as required by feudal obligations.
Even so, Vittoria was grateful.
Even if you flip the board before losing, a win is still a win.
She didn't want to experience another death, like being killed by her mother after hurting her sister.
The next day, her father and brother returned home, waiting for breakfast while talking about the previous night's victory. No one had slept or eaten properly.
"She did what no one else could; what does it matter that she's a woman? Calling her a knight is too low."
Cesare spoke excitedly and drank some warm water, which tasted good.
"As for the proxy... if Lady Kamitafira is the only heir, someone from their family could have been chosen. With this achievement, she'll likely become a Baron."
The Grand Duke tore the bread served to him as he said this.
Vittoria also took a sip of soup.
"So, what happens now?"
"If His Majesty has fallen and no formal marshal is designated, our nomination needs the Second Prince's approval, but... I'd like to leave it to Lady Kamitafira."
"Well, we've already beaten the imperial army, and the soldiers are ready. A commander who makes them fearless is strong."
"...Can we win?"
"I don't know, but the chances are higher than if she were in command."
The Grand Duke closed his eyes and sighed.
"Anyway, I didn't sleep much; you all should rest after eating. It'll be a long road ahead."
As the Grand Duke said, Eleonora, now commanding the army, chose strong defensive positions and even repelled the emperor's troops. She expanded her territory, even entering Loriengita's mainland.
"...Huh, are we really going that far?"
Vittoria, still thinking like a modern Japanese person about war, felt a bit surprised.
Character Notes:
Beatrice - Loli Succubus.
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