The Villainous Noble Tried His Hardest to Break the Original Storyline, and Now the Heroines Are Acting Weird - 31

Chapter 31

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“Thank you very much… This is the first time someone has said that to me.”

“That’s a shame… Maybe everyone is too caught up in the fact that they were hurt.”

“Oh my, you knew about it?”

“Just a little, only as a rumor. Was it the demons who did it?”

“…Yes, that’s right. But I have no regrets.”

Aifi gave off a fragile impression, but her resolute expression was filled with strength. She probably wouldn’t speak of it in detail. What happened to her legs had been caused by a demon who came to the city.

That demon had the purpose of injuring and driving a set number of people to despair each year. But when he went beyond that quota and began harming even more humans, Aifi tried to stop him and ended up becoming his final victim.

The one who carried it out was a demon named Bryunas. Bryunas was the demon in charge of the city of Boldright and possessed a strong sense of ambition.

He had plans to one day overthrow Zoldra and rule as the new Demon Lord. To do that, he gathered more negative energy than he was permitted, skimmed off a portion for himself, and used it to strengthen his own power.

In human terms, it was like collecting excessive taxes and pocketing the extra for personal gain.

Aifi had noticed Bryunas’s dangerous ambition and reported it to the Demon Lord in a letter.

The Demon Lord, amused, handed that very letter over to Bryunas with a laugh.

Bryunas, furious and wanting to draw out Aifi’s anger, came to the human world and took her legs from her.

Aifi had believed that if she reported it to the Demon Lord, Bryunas would be punished. That’s why she sent the letter.

But in truth, what the Demon Lord thought was:

“If Aifi expects Bryunas to be punished, but instead he escapes punishment and even retaliates by harming her… wouldn’t that stir up more negative energy?”

And so he ordered exactly that.

…The Demon Lord of Wrath didn’t care if his own position was threatened.

He was arrogant, full of confidence, and boasted that he would never lose to any other demon.

He even liked ambitious ones like Bryunas.

At the time, Aifi hadn’t been able to fully grasp just how deranged Zoldra, the Demon Lord, truly was.

Bryunas, huh…

…After Zoldra was defeated, Bryunas took over as the provisional Demon Lord of Wrath. So he was one of the demons that would eventually have to be dealt with too.

Well, the power of the Demon Lord apparently grows stronger the longer they hold the position, so Bryunas, who had only just ascended to the throne, wasn’t nearly as powerful as Zoldra—but he was still undeniably a dangerous opponent.

And Aifi… well, in the game, she dies.

The heroes were sheltered by Aifi, who had become the head of the household, and conducted their activities under her protection. But they eventually had to confront Bryunas, who was dispatched to the city of Boldright.

Aifi also joined the heroes as a guest character, supporting them with her magical prowess.

However, since she couldn’t move, she failed to dodge Bryunas’s attacks and was ultimately struck down. That was the turning point where a portion of the hero’s powers finally awakened in a fit of rage, and they managed to repel Bryunas.

She was, in a way, a key character for the hero. In the game, Golsh-san was already dead by that point, so something must have happened before the original story began. Whether it was a sudden death or caused by a demon—it was never stated, so no one knew.

“C-Could it be…!?”

Golsh-san, who had been reading the letter I gave him, shouted in surprise and rushed over to Sasha, locking eyes with her. Sasha tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion, but upon seeing her face, Golsh-san’s eyes widened even more in shock.

“Y-You’re… Are you the once-promising adventurer, Sasha…?”

Father had said he wrote about me and the healing magic related to me in the letter. He probably also mentioned Sasha, who had accompanied us. It made sense—showing Sasha, whose wounds had clearly been healed, was the best proof possible.

“Yes, that’s right. There was a time when I was called that.”

Sasha puffed out her chest a little, smiling as if somewhat pleased.

Hey, don’t act too childish. 

That was what I was thinking, but Golsh-san’s gaze quickly moved to Sasha’s arms and eyes.

“No way… So it’s really true…”

Golsh-san then turned his eyes to me briefly, before shifting his attention to Aifi.

Understanding what he meant, I gave a slow nod.

“I came here because I might be able to treat Aifi. Also, I want to heal a select few trusted, capable people under your command, Golsh-san, and strengthen our forces.”

I wasn’t going to heal everyone. I was only planning to heal the bare minimum of people, the ones we needed right now, who either wouldn’t speak of it or didn’t hold positions that would bring attention if they were seen on the frontlines. 

Because I didn’t know when or where the demons might catch wind of it and target me. This wasn’t the time for retaliation yet.

Aifi, upon hearing my words, widened her eyes in surprise. Golsh-san showed her the letter I had given him earlier. She skimmed through it quietly, extracting the key points, then looked back at me.

Her expression was…Complicated. Like she knew she shouldn’t hope, but couldn’t stop herself from hoping. In this world, many people believe they were not allowed to hope or expect anything. After all, the demons would come to steal such things away.

That was probably why Aifi wore such a conflicted look.

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