I Got Reincarnated as the Villain and Saved the World, but After the Ending I Was Betrayed and Exiled. I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life in the Frontier, but for Some Reason My Former Companions Started Chasing Me with Yandere Eyes… - 21

Chapter 21: Cain’s Agitation

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“This is terrible, Cain-sama! We’ve received word from the Adventurer’s Guild! There’s been a sighting of a demon!”

“What…?”

We were in one of the rooms in the castle and I couldn’t help but let out a voice of shock at my subordinate’s report. So it had finally come… The start of the second game’s world… I could feel a bead of cold sweat running down my cheek as the beginning of the ruin flag finally unfolded.

“We still haven’t found Elena or Ceres?!”

In the published materials, it was stated that Cain—the protagonist of the previous game—was known as the Demon Lord Slayer and, because of that, was hated by demons. As a result, there was a route where he could be killed by one of them. To prevent that, he needed to keep powerful companions close by… But…

“No, sir… It seems neither the Elf village nor the church knows where the two of them are…”

“Then what about the Shadows?! Gathering information and assassination is their specialty, isn’t it?”

“We have them on the search, but… Most of the key members died during the parade…”

“The ones who got taken down by Phantom in retaliation…”

Other than Henrietta, my crucial party members were all missing. I had thought at the very least I could recruit the main characters from the sequel… but…

“Ughhh…”

Groaning, I crumpled the letter on my desk. It was the response to my inquiry sent to the Adventurer’s Guild, saying I was looking for an adventurer named Tia. The reply had been far from favorable. In a world without the internet, trying to find someone when you only knew their name was close to impossible.

“If only Phantom-sama were here at a time like this, he would surely be able to help you…”

“What are you saying? That man is a monster with the Evil Eyes!”

“Y-yes, but… With his personal information network and sharp mind, he might be able to provide a good plan. Perhaps we should include him as a search target—”

“I don’t want to hear stupid excuses!! Just find them already!!”

The moment I heard Phantom’s name, I flared up and shouted at the soldier. I absolutely hated Phantom. Because…

“I was supposed to reincarnate as the game’s protagonist and live a cheat-filled harem life… But thanks to him, who reincarnated first, everything got messed up… It’s all because of him…”

In my previous life, I loved light novels and games. I despised that shitty world where your life was decided by things like the ‘parent gacha’ and ‘education gacha’… I always wished I could reincarnate into another world, but when my dream came true and I became the protagonist, nothing went the way I wanted.

It was all because Phantom, who had reincarnated first. He had done all those unnecessary things. He had wrecked the scenario, and I had only been trying to set it right.

“The protagonist is supposed to be loved by the heroines and live happily ever after without lifting a finger… If it weren’t for him… If it weren’t for Phantom… I would have ended up with Henrietta-tan… Damn it!!”

Of course I felt hostility toward someone who had reincarnated first and reshaped the world for his own benefit. He must have used cheats without putting in any real effort. That was why I would never rely on that coward, and I wanted him to die a pathetic death.

“Cain-sama, are you all right?”

“Josef!! You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face to me!! You said that if I followed your advice, everything would go well!! But Henrietta won’t fall for me, and Elena and Ceres have disappeared!! At this rate, the demons will kill me…”

“I do admit my fault in that matter… However, I will keep my promise. I will make you king, without fail.”

The fact that he didn’t retreat a single step in the face of my shouting, and instead soothed me as if calming a child’s tantrum, only made me more irritated.

“If it’s power to kill demons you want, I have just the thing. Are you familiar with the Holy Sword ‘Laevatein’?”

“The Holy Sword…?”

Of course, I had completed the game, but I had never heard of it. Still, I decided it must be a weapon that was supposed to be introduced in the sequel.

“With that sword, you could defeat even the new Demon Lord or anyone else who stood in your way. And if you became a true hero, even Henrietta, whom you’re so fixated on, would surely change her opinion of you.”

“Really?! Then I’ll get that sword. The Holy Sword should be wielded by me, the hero!!”

All my previous anxiety vanished at once, and I allowed myself a smug grin.

Yes… This is it. This. The protagonist definitely needs a cheat item.

And I thought to myself once more.

After I overcome this crisis, I will gain power and claim Henrietta-tan as mine.

“Yes, with that power, you could surely defeat the new Demon Lord, who must bear a grudge against you. And then… Yes… We should begin a demon purge. Anyone suspicious of being a demon should be executed immediately.”

“Ah, you’re right. Even if they’re demons, our soldiers could take them down with a surprise attack. I grant permission to implement the encirclement plan you proposed!!”

In my excitement, I failed to notice…That the look in Josef’s eyes was the same as someone watching a child who had just been handed a new toy.

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