The Shut-In Prince’s Splendid Social Debut — Me, a Villainous Imperial, Have Spent the Last Fifteen Years Fighting the “Wicked Thoughts” Eating Away at My Mind. When I Finally Returned to High Society, There Were Way Too Many People I Didn’t Recognize — - Chapter 6: I Want a Sword

I finished the meeting with Mother.

It seemed Mother was going to take some action regarding my “Socializing Virgin” problem.

For that purpose, she went out somewhere with Ange.

Well, I suppose no mother wants to see her son fail.

It was something to be grateful for.

So, I decided to prepare for the Entrance Ceremony in three days.

In my previous life, I couldn’t even attend elementary school.

If anything, I hadn’t even graduated from kindergarten, so I was a little excited.

Ange arranged for the uniform and textbooks, so that was sorted.

My lodging seemed to be the academy dormitory.

If one had a familiar, some procedures were apparently necessary, but that had nothing to do with me.

In the original story, the Hero Academy was under Yoan’s control, but in this world, I hoped it was a proper educational institution.

Yoan particularly liked “Competitive Battles,” and he would immerse himself in pleasure watching the students fight from the spectator seats.

I wanted to do without that kind of thing.

When preparations were somewhat finished, I realized something terrible.

“—This is bad, I don’t have a decent sword.”

What was in the Tiarma Imperial Palace was at best an [Azellan Knight Sword Lv. 1].

There were only swords that a common knight would hold.

The name of the Royal Family might cry, but that might just be my current ability.

As expected, I couldn’t take an [Azellan Knight Sword Lv. 1] to the academy.

If I did that, I would definitely be a target of ridicule.

“I wonder if Klaus has something…?”

If it was a veteran warrior who had run through the battlefield in the past, he should surely have something.

Thinking that, I visited Klaus, but…

“Yoan-sama, this Klaus is going on a journey.”

“Eh?”

Klaus was dressed like a traveler.

He carried several swords at his waist and had an atmosphere as if he were going pirate hunting at any moment.

“I have been conceited until now. I forgot my own mission, and even committed the folly of doubting my master’s power and testing him. I am disqualified as the Head Retainer…”

“I-I don’t think that’s the case, though…”

Klaus’s eyes were completely glazed over (high on resolve).

“Therefore, I decided to retrain myself. I will acquire ability worthy of being by Yoan-sama’s side, and I will definitely obtain the ‘Genealogy of the Traveler’ and return…!”

“I-Is that so… That’s heroic.”

Klaus said while burning with flames of fighting spirit.

I didn’t really understand what he was saying.

The only thing I could say was that the atmosphere was not one where I could say “Give me a sword.”

“I have left the rest to Ange and Serta, so please use the two of them well. Those two will definitely be of use to Yoan-sama. …Farewell.”

Leaving such words behind, Klaus departed.

Seriously? What about my sword…?

No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t think Klaus would return in three days…

Both Mother and Ange were absent right now, so I couldn’t rely on them.

That being the case, I also hurriedly decided to go on a journey to find a sword.

◇◇◇◇

I was moving while being shaken by the carriage—gata gata.

The driver was the old man who took care of the horses.

Although the Imperial Capital Kingshaven was paved with cobblestones, compared to things like asphalt, it was inferior after all.

My butt looked like it was going to be bloody, so I maintained an air chair state.

“I can’t quite find it—a ‘Ruined Noble Mansion’.”

In the midst of that, I was gazing out the window, looking for a certain thing.

“A Ruined Noble Mansion, is it?”

The maid Serta, sitting opposite me, asked.

“I mean a noble’s mansion that was demolished and abandoned. Aren’t there a few of them recently?”

“I do not hear stories like that very often.”

Hmm.

In the original story, Yoan was purging nobles left and right, so they were everywhere, but it seemed there were few in this world.

“Ruined Noble Mansions” were inhabited by “Thieves,” “Mafia,” or “Spirit-type Monsters,” and sometimes “Treasures” slept there.

“Um, if you are looking for a sword, wouldn’t it be fine to go to a blacksmith…”

“No, a blacksmith is no good. If I’m getting one, I want to hold something better… This is absolute.”

“H-Haa.”

Gamers love rare items. It was practically a disease.

By the way, in the original story, it started with a request from a certain noble’s daughter to the protagonist to retrieve her “Family Heirloom Sword” stolen by the mafia.

The protagonist retrieved it and handed over the heirloom sword and, incidentally, a pendant with a picture of her family.

Then the daughter said in tears, “I will give you this heirloom sword. With this, please help people like me who were oppressed by Yoan.”

And so, the “Ruined Noble Mansion Tour” was unlocked.

(This is also probably the effect of Yoan not rampaging around.)

“Oh, isn’t it that place over there? Stop the carriage for a moment.”

“Eh… Y-Yoan-sama?”

The ruined mansion I found was dilapidated to a nice degree, and it didn’t feel like people could live there.

This reeked of the presence of “Spirit-type Monsters” settling in.

“Whose mansion was this?”

“I do not know. Perhaps it is a house that was demolished in the dawn of the Azellan Empire twenty years ago…”

If it wasn’t Yoan’s influence, it went back that far, huh?

“Let’s go take a look.”

“Eh, eeeh…? ! It, it is dangerous!”

“Spirit-type Monsters” didn’t have physical attack means.

Instead, they used mental attacks called “Illness Demon” that gradually reduced HP.

If one’s “Mental Strength” was low, it wouldn’t be strange to be buried in one hit.

In other words, it was an evasion game.

(My gamer blood is boiling…)

The genre of Hack and Slash was my field of expertise.

Seeing through the enemy’s attack patterns, mowing down powerful enemies with only one’s “skill.”

In ERT, I played high-difficulty RTA (Real Time Attack) extensively, so I was intimately familiar with enemy action patterns.

The fact that I was able to gather a certain amount of people on my stream was also thanks to that.

Also, the fact that I made Klaus say “Magnificent” was actually secretly giving me confidence.

(Well, this time, I should just loot the “Treasure” and go home without fighting.)

Besides, since the academy was approaching in three days, I couldn’t afford to dawdle.

The current me was lacking too much in “Equipment.”

“Serta, you wait in front of the carriage. I’ll be back soon.”

“Ahh, no way. You must not…!”

That being the case, I passed through the entrance of the “Ruined Noble Mansion.”

The structure inside looked like a general noble building similar to the Tiarma Imperial Palace.

There was a connecting corridor, and several rooms existed along it.

“Kekeke…”

Mu?

I turned around at some presence. But there was nothing behind me.

Despite it being daytime, the inside of the mansion was dark like a hospital ward at midnight.

Gara.

It seemed something hit my foot.

“Uoh, human bones…!”

What I kicked was the skeletonized corpse of a human.

Judging from the clothes, it didn’t seem to be a previous resident. Probably “Spirit-type Monsters” settled in after thieves or mafia occupied it.

Death was nothing rare, but it was still startling.

Well, let’s advance briskly.

“—It’s here.”

Where I arrived was probably the study of this mansion’s master.

Nobles usually had a “Hidden Room” to hide their treasures.

In ERT too, hidden rooms existed in “Ruined Noble Mansions” almost without fail.

Under the carpet, behind the bookshelf, a switch in the fireplace, etc.

“There are traces of it being ransacked. And…”

The hidden room behind the bookshelf was—already opened.

It was what you would call an empty shell.

“Kaaa, dammit. Was I beaten to it…?”

In the time of ERT, since it was a game, it was impossible for there to be basically no reward.

However, this was reality.

It wouldn’t be strange even if a noble’s treasure had been looted earlier.

“No wait… Don’t tell me.”

However, even in ERT, there were cases where the treasure was stolen first.

But in that case, it was the most troublesome pattern, and could be tricky.

And often, that became reality.

Killing intent…

“Tsk…!”

I instantly retreated backward.

Then, a slashing attack passed right before my eyes.

(Physical attacks shouldn’t be usable for “Spirit-type Monsters” but…)

…However, that exception existed.

“I see, —a ‘Reaper,’ huh?”

“Kekeke…”

A ghost whose body was completely covered by a black cloak was there.

In one hand, a “Treasure Sword” with gems embedded in it.

(Bingo. Is that this mansion’s “Treasure”?)

Enemies that dropped weapons were all equipping some weapon like this.

And the “Reaper” before my eyes was a being that could handle weapons despite being a “Spirit-type Monster.”

In other words, physical attacks became possible.

The “Reaper” swung the sword again.

“Yotto! …Haha! Good, this guy is a winner.”

It was lucky that the drop was a “Treasure Sword.”

With this, it shouldn’t look inferior even at the academy.

“Hmph…”

I rolled forward to dodge.

I mimicked the movement of the evasion motion.

This kind of thing was my specialty.

As I approached, the “Reaper’s” hand glowed.

(“Illness Demon”, huh…)

Black mist was released from the “Reaper’s” hand.

(Hmph… If I were a normal Lv. 1, I would probably die instantly, but…)

—It didn’t matter if it didn’t hit.

“…Kekeeeh!?”

I could see the “Reaper’s” astonished face.

He was probably surprised that I suddenly emerged from under the black mist.

I closed in on the “Reaper’s” chest and readied the [Azellan Knight Sword Lv. 1].

However, in that moment, I noticed something bad.

(Ah, crap… This sword doesn’t have magic effects…!)

The “Reaper” was a “Spirit-type Monster.”

Physical attacks didn’t work unless they were skills.

(For now, shall I try mimicking a skill’s movement…?)

What I unleashed was the horizontal sweep of the “Samurai” job.

“[Sword Wave]!”

I released it as a hail mary, but…

For some reason, the torso was cut.

“…Kegyaaaaaaaaaah…!”

The “Reaper” retreated backward in pain.

(It cut…)

Did I succeed in activating the skill?

This easily?

As I was thinking that, the “Reaper’s” appearance changed.

“…Kekekkekekekeeeeeeeeeeeeh!”

It released a chaotic black aura, and clearly, the intimidation increased.

The “Reaper” was a type of Area Boss.

When it reached its second HP bar, it shifted to berserk mode.

Therefore, the attack pattern also changed.

“…Kekekkekekkekekkekekke!”

It fired a barrage of multiple slashes.

I dodged them, but…

*Gara…*

“Tsk…!”

Suddenly, the footing collapsed.

I lost my balance.

(Damn…)

Unlike a game, the shape of the field changed.

“Kekekkeeeeeeeeeeeh!”

Did the “Reaper” see that as an opening? It released the “Illness Demon” over a wider range than before.

“Shi…!”

I slammed the sword onto the floor instantly.

The floor flipped up, and the shockwave dispersed the “Illness Demon.”

I escaped from the dust cloud while keeping my posture low.

“Tch… Did I inhale a little?”

There was a sensation of touching the “Illness Demon.”

However, there was no sign of taking damage.

“…Ke, kekeee…?”

The “Reaper” also looked somewhat shaken.

Hm, could this mean…

(Does “Illness Demon” not work on me…?)

“Illness Demon” was a vicious technique where the damage amount changed depending on the “Mental Strength” stat value.

Unless you changed jobs to a magic class, it should be quite tough to defeat.

Thinking that way, there was a possibility that my “Mental Strength” value was abnormally high, but…

(Is that possible…?)

…No, carelessness was forbidden.

What I should think about now was defeating the “Reaper” in front of me.

(I’ll push through like this…!)

It was when I thought that.

“…Keke…?”

A red magic circle suddenly floated at the Reaper’s feet.

(This is…!)

The next moment, a pillar of flame rose.

“Kekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…!”

The Reaper raised a death rattle.

(This is… [Firestorm]?)

Or rather, amazing…! Magic.

My heart danced at the power of magic I saw for the first time.

Perhaps it was a quite high-ranking caster.

Because [Firestorm] was a magic that wasn’t unlocked unless you raised your level quite a bit.

Eventually, the Reaper burned out.

What was left was a single “Treasure Sword.”

(Oh, “Treasure Sword” get!)

Of course, this was mine.

Stealing was a rule violation.

It’s not like I needed saving, I would have defeated it!

Yes, as I was preparing to complain…

“—Yoan-sama, are you safe?”

A familiar girl’s voice was heard.

I slowly turned around.

Standing there was a red-haired girl holding a “Staff with a crystal on the tip.”

Hair like flickering flames was swaying.

That face I had known well since I was a baby.

I called out in relief.

“Yeah, well done—Serta.”

“Geez, please do not do dangerous things, —Onii-sama.”

My personal maid Serta said with eyes that looked like they were about to cry a little.

(Ugh, even if you make a face like that, I absolutely won’t give you this “Treasure Sword”!)