The Strongest Villain Sets Out: Reincarnated into a Merit-Based Clan, I Become the World's Strongest Swordsman - Chapter 33: Small Justice

The MMORPG [Monochrome Sword]’s event had begun.

The event’s content was that bandits would infiltrate the academy where the protagonist Eiden was enrolled to steal a certain item.

In the original route, the protagonist controlled by the player would engage in combat with enemy characters and hear the final boss’s purpose.

Because of that, I, who wasn’t the original protagonist, stepped into the floor where aura enhancement items were hidden, bringing along the Second Princess Cornelia.

Fortunately, there was enough of the target medicine for two people. When I shared it with Cornelia, an incident occurred after we drank the medicine.

The original protagonist had appeared in a way different from the original route.

In the regular route, he would fight the fleeing bandit leader inside the school building. This was beyond the hidden passage.

You could call it inside the school building, but the scenery had changed quite a bit.

“That guy… isn’t he the scholarship student who picked a fight with Luka before and got beaten to a pulp?”

Cornelia glanced at the visitor Eiden and remembered.

While internally retorting that you should be in the heroine position in the original work, I nodded to affirm her words.

“Yeah, that’s right. Eiden… why is he here?”

Was it because he found and opened the hidden passage I had left closed? I certainly hadn’t bothered to close it using the switch on the inside since it was troublesome, but could he really find it with such good timing? This was the very back of the empty classrooms.

Various questions raced through my mind. However, I didn’t have time to leisurely ponder. While I was thinking, Eiden, who had drawn his sword from its sheath, declared to the black-clad men who were similarly readying weapons in front:

“That’s the academy’s warehouse. It’s not a place for people like you to enter. Return what you stole!”

“I refuse! Kill him if he interferes!”

“Yeah!”

Flatly rejecting Eiden’s words, the black-clad men kicked off the floor. They closed in on the protagonist.

Both sides refined their aura and exchanged sharp sword strikes.

“Hmm… his skill is fairly decent.”

“He’s gotten stronger than before.”

“Really?”

Cornelia tilted her head, but having actually crossed swords with him, I understood.

He had grown surprisingly since then.

At least his total aura had jumped up, and his swordsmanship had no more openings.

Interesting. As expected of the original protagonist. He had grown steadily in the short time I hadn’t seen him.

The current him might provide a good fight if I hold back.

Of course, that would be in a battle without divine prayer, without enhancement magic, and without Muramasa.

“But what do we do, Luka? That scholarship student is in the way and we can’t fight.”

“Right. Should we watch until it ends… or lend a hand?”

“Lend a hand? I don’t want to cooperate with someone like that.”

Cornelia puffed out her cheeks, extremely dissatisfied.

Just how much did she hate Eiden?

Well, whatever.

“Our goal is the same. If we’re killing those black-clad guys, the more allies the better.”

“Mmm… won’t he drag us down?”

“That guy should be barely qualified.”

At least he was fighting well in a many-against-one situation. Just by continuing to watch, I understood he could defeat the small fry.

The problem was…

“—Oi, what’re you guys doing there?”

“Here he comes.”

The only source of concern opened the door and came outside. A man in his thirties with a bandana wrapped around his head. He stroked his stubble and looked at Eiden fighting his comrades.

Eiden also jumped back greatly and said:

“You’re the bandits’ leader. Return the treasure you stole!”

He pointed his sword tip sharply forward. In response, the bandana man grinned and replied:

“I refuse. If you want it back so badly, try taking it by force.”

The sword he drew from its sheath was a cutlass. A weapon slightly more curved than a normal sword. He wrapped his entire body in aura and made his comrades fall back.

“Heh. That guy’s pretty good.”

Cornelia, standing beside me, honestly evaluated the bandana man after looking at him.

I agreed.

“That guy’s fairly strong. The current Eiden can’t win.”

“Should we help?”

“No… let’s watch the situation first.”

This was a good chance to investigate how strong Eiden currently was. Besides, if I helped after he got into a pinch and sold him a favor, I could recover more later. There would be no loss in selling a favor to the original protagonist.

I continued watching with a chuckle.

Cornelia had no objection to my opinion either. She drawled “Okaaay” and relaxed.

“Don’t you understand that justice always wins!”

While we were relaxing, Eiden and the bandana man crossed swords at high speed. The sound of metal clashing rang out repeatedly.

For now it seemed like they were putting on an even match. However, the bandana man was holding back. He wasn’t serious yet.

In contrast, Eiden was clearly giving his all. The bandana man deflected his sword that showed no composure, and his kick pierced into the protagonist’s abdomen.

“Gahah⁉”

“Like I give a damn about justice. I kill because I want to kill. I rape because I want to rape. I steal because I want to steal. That’s the essence of humanity.”

The bandana man looked down with a grin at Eiden, who had spit up saliva and fallen to the ground.

Hmm, what to say. There was no doubt the bandana man had superior skill, but Eiden had his own problems.

Perhaps because it was still early on, there was an undeniable sense that he was being overwhelmed by power. Originally he was a character operated by players, so his skill depended on the player.

How strong Eiden was in this world that had become reality… I still couldn’t fully measure that.

“Come on! What was that about justice?”

“Guh⁉”

Eiden took another kick. A sword wasn’t even being used. He was completely toying around.

Perhaps fear had emerged after taking that hit, because Eiden was completely backing down.

He probably hadn’t taken that much damage, but at this rate it was only a matter of time before he was defeated. In fact, this event’s boss battle was also a guaranteed-loss event.

It was natural for the protagonist to lose, but then I suddenly thought:

—If the battle location changed, would the character who was supposed to come to help make it in time?

I became slightly anxious and thought it would be a waste to let Eiden die meaninglessly here.

“It’s about time to end this.”

I smoothly emerged from the corner of the room. Cornelia formed a smile.

“Going?”

“Yeah. I’ll sell that guy a favor or two.”

There would be important uses for him in the future. It was still too early to kill him. Muttering that internally, I slowly walked toward the two while making my footsteps audible. Partway through, both the bandana man and Eiden noticed Cornelia and me.

Shock appeared on Eiden’s expression. I ignored that and spoke to the bandana man.

“Yo. Let us join in the fun too.”