Reincarnated as a Villainous Duke (37) Who Gets Condemned by His Daughter ～I Stopped Acting Like a Villain, Yet My Daughter Keeps Becoming the 'Ice Lady'～ - Chapter 14: Reviewing the Current Situation

Act 2: Avoiding the Mid-Boss Route – Mark Stewart Blaumont’s Full Effort

Chapter 14: Reviewing the Current Situation

It has been a little over ten days since the Crown Prince’s Inauguration.

Back at the ducal estate, the first thing I did was tackle the pile of work that had built up in my role as the lord of the territory.

With that out of the way, it was time to dedicate myself fully to avoiding the mid-boss route.

But before making any moves, I needed to organize the current information and the events coming up.

Based on my knowledge of the game, a major event, the Demon Lord Army’s Attack on the Royal Capital and the Fall of the Capital, is set to happen two months from now.

In the game, this was the true prologue. The royal capital would be engulfed in flames, forcing the protagonist, Roax, and two heroines to escape to the Southern Great Forest. That forest marks the beginning of Roax’s turbulent adventure.

However, as made clear during the Inauguration, Roax is now heading to the Southern Great Forest even before the capital’s fall. Naturally, he won’t go alone—he’ll likely lead a large expedition that includes Marianlotte, one of the heroines.

If that’s the case, Roax might first hear the news of the capital’s fall while in the forest. With a large force already under his command, it’s reasonable to assume he’d lead that army to reclaim the capital.

Honestly, at this point, the storyline has completely diverged from the game.

What’s even more concerning is Roax’s awful personality. On top of that, during the inauguration, he didn’t just name Marianlotte as his bride but also included Forsina.

In the game, that scene was meant for the protagonist to select just one main heroine as his bride. However, the player also had the option to choose “all of them,” which would lead to the harem route where the protagonist marries every heroine. But here’s the catch: the harem route had a hidden branching path that could lead to something entirely different.

That hidden path is known as the World’s End Route.

As the name implies, it’s a bad ending where the protagonist ultimately sides with the final boss, plunging the world into darkness. Judging by Roax’s personality in this world, he seems dangerously likely to end up on the World’s End Route.

“To think there’s a trap like this on top of my mid-boss route. Sure, getting reincarnated into the world of ‘Orlea Old Stories’ was exciting, but isn’t this a bit too hardcore?”

I couldn’t help but complain a little, but after avoiding the mid-boss route, I’ll have to figure out how to deal with the rest. For now, though, it’s time to solidify my foundation. Looking too far ahead and tripping over the present won’t get me anywhere.

So, the first person I called was the dark elf, Aramund.

When I pressed the summoning device in my office, she appeared instantly before me, dressed in her slightly risqué ninja-style outfit.

“You summoned me, my lord?”

“Have you finished investigating that matter?”

“Yes, I’ve covered the basics.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Aramund rose from her kneeling position and began her report.

“First, regarding the Chaos Demons that appeared during the inauguration: it’s almost certain they flew in from the Demon Territory. However, whether their actions were organized or simply the result of stray monsters remains unclear.”

“Chaos Demons are said to be direct subordinates of the Demon King. It’s hard to believe they were acting without coordination.”

“The royal family doesn’t seem to share that view.”

I wanted to say, “Are they stupid?” but this likely followed the game’s script.

If that weren’t the case, the capital wouldn’t end up being caught off guard, attacked, and falling to the Demon Army later—it’s that ridiculous of a situation.

“So, they’ve taken no measures at all?”

“None. It seems their focus is entirely on the development of the Southern Great Forest.”

How foolish can they be?

Well, most likely, Duke Gentronov is behind this. By marrying Marianlotte into the royal family and having Roax earn credit for the Southern Great Forest expedition, the Gentronov household would secure its future. The fact that the Queen’s belly looked slightly rounded during the Crown Prince’s Inauguration probably ties into this as well. If a second child is born, having Roax firmly established as the heir would reduce any potential conflicts.

“And did you find out why Duke Roterosa wasn’t present at the inauguration?”

“Yes. It seems Duke Roterosa and his sister both contracted an epidemic illness, so they declined to attend.”

“An epidemic, huh? And the truth?”

“At the very least, it’s true that there was an outbreak of illness in the Roterosa domain. Beyond that, I couldn’t find more information.”

“I’ll have to ask them directly to know for sure. Although, judging from the Crown Prince’s behavior, it’s not hard to imagine the reason. Still, for one of the Three Great Dukes to miss the Crown Prince’s Inauguration, even due to illness, it’s not something that should be allowed.”

The term “Three Great Dukes,” which has come up several times, refers to the three dukes who support the Kingdom of Inteclus: myself, Duke Blaumont, Duke Gentronov, and Duke Roterosa.

Duke Roterosa, in the game, was portrayed as a highly skilled tactician specializing in information warfare. If she had learned about the Crown Prince’s character beforehand, it makes sense that she would keep her younger sister out of his sight. After all, her sister is just as beautiful as Forsina and Marianlotte.

Moreover, if her in-game characterization holds true, Duke Roterosa dotes on her sisters immensely. There’s no way she would offer one of them to a man like that as a bride.

“Any activity from the Demon Territory?”

“For now, there’s no notable movement. There’s no sign of demons gathering near the border forts either.”

“I see…”

I knew this was false, thanks to my knowledge of the game. Right now, the demons in the northern regions of the kingdom are likely preparing for their attack on the royal capital while keeping their actions under the radar.

It seems Aramund is following the game’s script by concealing some of the information about the demons. I’ll have to address this issue eventually.

But for now, there’s something more pressing that I need to deal with immediately.

“Alright, Aramund, I’m going to check on that subject. You’re coming with me.”

“Yes, as you command.”

Now, this is the task I’ve been dreading the most. I’ll need to come up with a way to bluff my way through this somehow.