What If the Strongest Villain from the Original Story Became the Protagonist's Ally?

With Nana, I arrived in front of the treasure vault. Before us was a magnificent safe.

“Inside this big box, treasures are packed full. Can you open it? Nana.”

“…Probably doable.”

Nana, who had been staring intently around the safe, suddenly took out something like a wire from her pocket.

“Are you going to open it with that?”

When I asked, she nodded.

“It’s true that the safe in front of us has a lock. I know it might be openable with that… but—”

Is that really okay, former assassin? I’d thought she’d open it with something more magical, but this was a truly primitive method.

Even so, she approached the safe without concern and tried to unlock it while making rattle rattle sounds.

Honestly, I didn’t think a safe could be opened with just a wire like that. This was different from my room’s door.

While I waited without much expectation—click.

The lock came undone with a sound.

“No way…!?”

Nana had easily unlocked the safe.

This girl’s talent was genuine. If we ever ran into money troubles or found ourselves on the streets, her career path was decided.

Nana and I could become the great thieves of the century.

“V-sign. This much is easy.”

“You’re seriously amazing, Nana. As expected! Good girl, good girl.”

I patted the head of Nana, who had come running over asking to be praised. Looking at the door that opened, the inside was filled with overflowing treasures.

“Hehehe… with this much, we’d never have to worry about living expenses…”

“Papa has a scary face.”

“Oops. Sorry, sorry. I involuntarily became greedy.”

If I stole all these treasures, how many people’s grudges would I buy? Iris would probably really kill me.

“I understand the feeling. I want it all too.”

“As expected of my daughter… you understand well.”

Whether that feeling came from being a former assassin or orphan, or whether she was really growing up watching her father’s back.

If it was the latter, I’d seriously get punched by Iris. I’d prefer to believe it was Nana’s free will.

“However… searching for our target treasure among all this will be tough.”

“It’s supposedly at the very back.”

“Yeah. Let’s try going to the back for now.”

First we’d search, and if it seemed impossible, we’d go home. Strategic withdrawal was also one option.

▼△▼

I cooperated with Nana to search for the target artifact. According to Iris’s story, the treasure I sought existed at the very back of the treasure vault.

Ignoring the mountain-like treasures surrounding us, we proceeded down a single path. Then, after a while, there was another door with a lock.

Completely a “dangerous items stored beyond this point” situation. That thing I sought was definitely beyond this door.

“Nana.”

“Roger.”

Nana gave the same reply I’d given to Iris before.

Once again, with something like a small wire stick, she went fiddle fiddle fiddle—click. At an impossible speed, the treasure vault’s other door opened.

Going further ahead… a single box sat alone on a shelf.

“!?”

Right after seeing it, Nana stepped back behind me.

Her body was trembling. Even from this distance, she seemed to sense the ominous aura that artifact emitted.

I placed my hand on her head and said.

“As expected, it was here. That’s the artifact I’m after.”

“That is? It gives off a really bad feeling…”

“Because there’s a super strong monster sealed inside. If the current Nana fought it, you’d die instantly.”

“Can Papa win?”

“Naturally.”

Even the output Yuguram could produce at this point would be sufficient to defeat it. After all, no opponent existed in the story that Yuguram couldn’t defeat.

With Nana behind me, I approached the box.

It was a black box. I couldn’t see anything inside. When I touched and lifted it, inside the box was the expected sphere.

A completely dark sphere with no patterns or anything. I’d expected a somewhat blackish crystal ball, but it was blacker than I’d imagined.

“This is…”

“Yeah. The thing that might be stolen by bandits in the future. A monster that even Iris couldn’t defeat is sealed inside. If something like this were used in the middle of town, it would be a disaster, right?”

Actually, in the original story, this was used and many casualties resulted. I’d even thought “What a development! Too cruel!” when I saw it.

The town also suffered devastating damage, and there was no reason to leave it here. The others probably wouldn’t come to check on this anyway.

I put the black orb into my storage artifact.

“That’s good. It’s safe now, Nana.”

“Mm. I couldn’t stop shaking.”

“Being able to sense that is proof you’re excellent. Nana is amazing.”

I patted her head while retracing our path. Now… with this, I’d recovered the artifact that would cause problems in the scenario.

What remained were the large numbers of monsters coming from outside and the bandits rampaging within the royal capital… but even with original story knowledge, I had little information about both.

By the time the event occurred in the original, everything was already complete. Since I could only read the timing, I had no choice but to make moves while guessing from there.

Especially the latter bandits. The former monsters were almost unpredictable, so if I was going to stop them, it would definitely be the bandits.

I thought quietly while returning to my room.