The end of the month had come.
Due to certain problems secretly caused by me, the welcome party for new students had been delayed until now.
I was in my room changing into my uniform.
While putting on my tie, someone knocked on the door. I told them to enter since I knew who it was.
"Razel-kun, are you ready?"
It was Lily.
After the Squall incident, we were interrogated by many knights.
They let us go because we said the culprit was a guy dressed in black, that is, Licht.
It's sad that I have to use my secret identity to save my ass.
After they left us alone, I gave Amy and Leila a list with names of possible high-ranking executives in the organization.
They would spend some time finding out if they were and then kill them.
After that day, I decided several things.
I'm not going to wait for certain events to happen so the characters can solve them.
I'm going to eliminate them at the root.
The biggest evidence that what I say is true is in what I did last week: I eliminated an important bishop of the church of the three gods.
And not just any bishop; with my own hands I finished off the one who would become the bearer of the sin of lust.
In the game, he was an important figure among those who would declare Lily a saint, but then he would become her enemy.
I don't care much about events anymore, so now I'll act on my own.
For that reason, I apologize to the capture targets, but I took Lily as my girlfriend.
I have no idea how it happened; it just happened.
She's pretty and very pleasant company.
She accepted the idea of being my lover when I have a legal wife, which means she supports my secret harem.
Right now, she was hugging me.
"If you hug me, I can't put my tie on properly."
"I just wanted to, is that wrong?"
I'm not into sentimental things, so I don't know what to do or say, so I'll just act embarrassed like in romantic comedies.
I lowered my head; she seemed to think I'm shy.
That's partly true, but I also have no idea how to be sentimental.
"Done."
Now that I was ready, I took Lily's hand and we headed to the party hall.
That's where the welcome party would be held.
There are no events today, so it will be a quiet day.
◇◇◇
At a window of the academy's tallest buildings, a young man was looking at the capital.
He was tall, his hair styled rebelliously with hair gel to give it a spiky look.
His hair was a mix between blue and brown, giving a strange warm color; his eyes were hazel green.
He was in his final year, one of the extra capture targets.
His name was Serge Seburg, and he was one of the biggest problems in the game.
Like Cid, his route came with an event that interfered with the story.
This guy was the ringleader during the commoners' rebellion.
An ongoing event alongside the holy war and the struggle for the crown.
The door was knocked on, and a boy entered.
"Come in."
"Boss, I bring news."
A pleasant-faced boy with blonde hair entered.
"What do you have for me today, Gunter?"
He was Serge's right-hand man during the academy and even after graduation.
Gunter told him everything he knew.
The topics were about new students, things outside the academy, and even things only the palace should know.
Serge has a conflict with nobles.
Years ago, his younger sister was killed by one.
He doesn't remember his face, only his very luxurious clothes.
His adoptive father is from an important knight house that works as a merchant.
In fact, the reason for adopting him was that despite being the son of a mistress, he was very smart.
His expression is serious all the time because he hates the dark side of the nobility.
He dreams of creating a country where the oppressed have more rights than the oppressors.
Where the sword of justice cuts down those who enjoy hurting others.
For that reason, Serge hated being a noble; he only agreed to go with his father to avenge his sister.
"I see, nothing really important."
His friend gave him the latest news, but Serge showed disinterest.
"If that's all you have to say, thank you. You can go to the first-year party if you like."
Before Gunter turned around, he remembered something.
"That's right, I had forgotten about this big scandal!"
"Scandal?"
Serge asked curiously. Gunter told him.
"You see, this happened recently..."
◇
I walked with Lily directly to the party hall.
Our hands were together; we would let go before we arrived.
It would be very annoying if they discovered our relationship.
Before reaching the door.
"That's enough!"
I heard some strange shouts.
"I can't take it anymore!"
When we entered, for some reason a strange familiar scene was occurring.
In the middle of the hall, there were the five capture targets and the villainess.
Cid was near the door, clenching his fists. I approached to ask him what was happening here.
"Hey, what's this scandal?"
Without turning to look at me, he said.
"That stupid half-brother of mine crossed the line!"
"What do you mean?"
I asked curiously. Cid replied.
"Elize was with His Highness offering him a drink, but he refused. After a while, she asked if he wanted something to eat, and he also refused. But a few seconds ago, she asked him to grant her hand for a dance; that's what started this."
"What?"
Are you telling me a fight started over something stupid?
"Elize, I can't stand you anymore!"
"... But Your Highness, I was just trying to—"
"Silence!!"
The prince shouted at the villainess... I feel weird; it's like having déjà vu.
"I know what you're trying to do, horrendous woman; that's why I can't stand it anymore!"
Huh? What did he say?
"For that reason. Everyone will find out what kind of woman you are!"
From my place, I watched as the villainess's—Elize's eyes widened like saucers.
"Your Highness, you don't mean—!"
The prince smiled strangely.
"That's right."
"Everyone, listen."
Silence filled the hall.
Even the teachers themselves were confused.
"This woman, who is supposed to be my fiancée, is actually a greedy witch!"
... Witch?
"Your Highness, I beg you, please don't—"
"She is only with me for one single reason!"
"... Your Highness, I beg you, don't say it."
Elize's eyes showed she was about to cry at any moment while clutching the prince's shirt.
"She desires the benefits of the imperial family! Do you know why?"
"... Your Highness, please—"
The prince's mouth formed a crescent moon while Elize's red eyes became even redder from her tears.
"It's simple. Her family fell into ruin!"
Elize's face was covered in tears.
Meanwhile, I knew nothing of this.
I looked at Cid to verify that what he was saying was true.
He nodded slightly; he knew.
But, this was never part of the game!?
The Rosenberg Household was prosperous in the game and was only destroyed in the villainess's ending.
Wait...
The villainess's ending...
Don't tell me this is!
"Just as you hear it! One of our seven ducal houses is actually a house in ruins with a gigantic debt!"
"Please... don't continue..."
"The worst of all is that the person responsible for all of this was her father! The former duke bankrupted his duchy, and as part of the debt they have, the family had to hand over almost all their territory and move to the capital to prevent them from escaping like their other relatives!"
"Your Highness... I beg you..."
What did he say!
This is something that never came out in the game, much less on the forums.
Could it be that the reality of this world and the game is taking another form?
"That's why I didn't approach the prince."
Lily said something.
"What do you mean?"
I asked very curiously. And she replied.
"Sometimes he invited me to tea parties or to go out for a walk with him. I did it once, but after that I never wanted to get close to him again."
Huh?
The heroine didn't want to hang out with the charming prince.
But right now, this guy wasn't charming at all.
"We went downtown; he behaved strangely. He treated the girls at the café we went to as if they were vulgar women. In front of me, he started flirting with a girl. And he even asked a pregnant woman if he could do it with her. It was very unpleasant; every time he sent me a letter for a party, I rejected it under the excuse of having too much homework."
Hey, Lily... what you're saying is really terrifying!
The main capture target!
The man who will become the white knight!
But above all. The one who will be the next emperor is actually a loutish idiot!
No, this is definitely not like in the game.
"For that reason, everyone, that's why I can't stand having this woman! This money-sucking parasite by my side!"
I watched Elize, who finally began to cry.
"Your Highness, you're wrong... you're wrong... I—"
"Wrong about what, horrendous woman!"
His tone was very aggressive; this guy wasn't sane.
"Are you going to deny that you and your vile mother don't want to pay off your debt? It's for that reason you want to stick by my side! You only care about money like a gold digger!"
Elize looked like a child while mucus ran from her nose.
"... You're wrong, Your Highness... I and my mother don't want that... I really want to be by your side..."
Elize spoke like a little girl apologizing for breaking a valuable vase.
"I don't know what's worse? That you want to deny the truth or that you defend your greedy mother?"
"I beg you... don't speak that way about my mother. You don't know what she and I went through..."
"Don't make me laugh. A gold digger is and always will be one! That's why your father abandoned you. Because you're both horrendous inside and out!"
Elize lowered her head so no one would see her cry.
A large amount of fluid fell to the floor while she clutched her shirt.
The prince roughly removed her hands, and Elize fell to the ground.
"Your Highness... what have I done to you to be treated like this? Did I do something wrong? I'll change that, but please, retract your words. I won't bother you anymore if you wish."
Elize grabbed the prince's pants with one hand while trying to stand up.
"You're right. Apologize like the horrendous woman you are from the ground, hahaha!"
"Your Highness... I'm sorry. Whatever I did, I apologize. But... stop, please. Stop insulting my mother and my house. You can insult me all you want, but not my family."
Now she looked almost like a dog while trying to cling to the prince, but he gave her a light kick to push her back.
Cid couldn't take it anymore and came out to defend Elize.
"Stop this idiocy once and for all, Regulux! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"
"Shut up, false prince!"
The third prince silenced his brother. This is no longer part of the game.
This is something bordering on the unbelievable!
"This is between this horrendous woman and me! An impostor like you has no right to interfere with the third candidate for succession!"
Cid stopped instantly, bit his lip, and looked down.
The influence of the third prince over the fourth is so great that he can't do anything.
"Elize, the best way to make me happy and for me to retract my words is simple."
The prince's tone was dark and something only a bastard would say.
"Kneel down, apologize for being a horrible woman, and then break off our engagement. Only then will I retract my words."
The lines and events are different, but without a doubt, this is the villainess's ending.
But that ending was supposed to happen at the graduation party when they finished the academy.
Elize stared intently at the prince; a trace of darkness showed in her eyes.
At that moment, she turned her head; our eyes met.
Seeing her face covered in tears and pain, a certain memory came to my mind at that instant.
"I'll be looking forward to Saturday, Razel!"
That girl who got happy over a simple invitation had grown up and become a beautiful young woman.
Her beautiful face showed what she looked like in the game's ending.
The face of the end of a wrong life.
If she hadn't bothered the protagonist, none of this would have happened.
But Lily told me that this girl never bothered her. She gave her advice to support her.
For that reason, I no longer understand anything.
This is supposed to be the world of that Otome game.
The characters are the same.
The events should circulate normally, but then.
What is this murderous rage I feel?
I watched as her mouth moved to say words that, even if I knew how to read lips, I would have understood.
"Razel... you came at last."
Elize knelt down to make a dogeza pose.
"I..."
Her head slowly lowered.
"Elize of the Rosenberg Household..."
"I apologize... for being a horrible woman who ruins His Highness Regulux's life."
She said that with a tone of sadness and pain.
I couldn't take it anymore and approached a table.
"For that reason... I want to..."
Before she could finish saying her lines, a plate flew at high speed towards the prince.
Lambert stopped it.
But it wasn't just one; almost all the plates flew directly at the prince, but they were stopped.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Lambert addressed the one who threw the plates.
That is, me.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to kill a despicable fly, but I failed."
Everyone's gaze, including hers, turned to me.
"... Razel."
Lambert from his position interrogated me.
"Fly? Are you mocking us? It's obvious you were aiming at the prince; I could feel your bloodlust for a while, but I didn't imagine it was you."
Oh, really?
"Is that so? Anyway, if that's the case, I'm guilty. But you can't deny me that, because that big piece of shit only speaks trash that comes out of his grotesque mouth."
"... Are you insane?"
Said Lambert. In response to that, I thought for a moment.
I'm a guardian in the shadows.
For some reason, I woke up in this world.
A very dangerous world where the capture targets and the protagonist had to save it.
But that same protagonist mentioned that she didn't want to be with the prince.
At the same time, the villainess was being intimidated and despised by her fiancé.
As a guardian in the shadows, there's only one thing to do.
Beat the hell out of this damned piece of shit!
To hell with the future white knight and the new emperor!
I'm going to be the one who eliminates the four demon kings so that Lily doesn't have to get close to these guys!
I'll become so strong that I'll be the only one called the demon king!
"Of course. After all, that stupid guy you call a prince dares to bother my childhood friend."
Elize's—Eli's eyes began to regain their sparkle when I said that.
"Are you insane? That's the third crown prince you're disrespecting. The execution of your family and yours is imminent!"
"Not if another member of the imperial family backs me up."
Cid approached me.
"I, the fourth prince, support whatever this guy says. After all, it's the truth coming from his mouth."
Suddenly, the other three also started talking.
"Prince Cid, His Highness Regulux did it because he couldn't stand this woman anymore; don't meddle in his affairs."
Said Oscar.
"That's right; no man likes a woman clinging to him like an insect."
Added Bellange.
"Leaving that aside, who are you to meddle with His Highness?"
Jake stated very arrogantly.
"..."
My goal was to live these two years as a background character in the shadows and help as much as I could to save the world, but...
These guys are truly imbeciles.
The kind of popular guys who don't recognize they've done anything wrong.
The type I hate the most.
"I already said it, bunch of useless idiots. Besides being idiots, you're deaf. I'm her childhood friend, and I'll defend her from idiots like you."
Goodbye, my life as a background character at the academy.
"I won't tolerate any more disrespect to His Highness."
Lambert became serious.
He looked at me with murderous intent; if Amy were here, this guy's head would already be rolling on the floor.
"I came up with something better than fighting here."
Said the bastard prince.
"Let's have a duel, and not just any duel, a tournament."
That... is exactly as it happened in the game.
"The five of us against you two. The winner can wish for anything from the loser. We'll go one by one; does that sound good?"
Even the fighting method is identical.
I don't understand it. What he's doing isn't normal, but his lines are.
"Fine by me."
I accepted, but Cid...
"I agree. Regulux, I'll make you regret it."
It seems... I no longer need to observe him; he won't become the bearer of the capital sin.
... I hope?
"Good. The duel will be next week. Since a holiday is approaching and there are no classes all week, it will be the perfect scenario to prepare."
I stared at him intently. Our eyes met firmly.
"With that said, let's go, boys."
The bastard prince turned around and left with his dogs.
Lambert sent a murderous glance my way.
Truly, the worst enemy to face is him.
Lily ran to help Eli stand up.
Our eyes looked at each other intently.
She just said.
"Why do you show up now?"
The truth is, I don't know what to answer you.
But, we must prepare for next week. And hit those idiots really hard.
◇◇◇
The night in the capital was bustling.
Many people were strolling or shopping.
Their lives were peaceful.
At a chicken skewer stall, someone was eating.
That person wore a hooded cloak to hide their face.
They bought several wings.
While eating one of them as if it were the most delicious thing in the world, they said something revealing.
"I wonder... in this world, are there reincarnators?"
The figure walked as if they were one of the inhabitants of this world, but they weren't.
With each passing minute, they vanished.
No one knew who they were, much less their goal.
_________________________________
Reincarnated in an Otome Game as the Ugly Background Character Volume 1 end.
Introduction arc completed.