TDK

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Chapter 4 Part 1

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Chapter 4 – The Former Demon King, Awakening To Ancient Magic

“Somebody bring me a wooden sword! A mock battle between me and Xellos will now take place”

“Yes. Then allow me”

“Yuuki, you will stay there to watch the battle between me and Xellos”

“……Yes”

“I’ll have the servants prevent anyone from coming here. So that no one in the mansion sees the ‘Ancient Magic’. Would that suffice, Kachel-dono?”

“This Kachel can’t help but admire Baron-sama’s thoughtfulness”

Thus, Father and nii-sama are to hold a mock battle in front of me.

Preparations were finished, Father and nii-sama are now facing each other with their weapons in hand.

Father is holding a thick wooden sword with both hands.

Xellos nii-sama, on the other hand, is holding his wooden sword one-handed.

“I’ll be the one to judge who is the winner!”

Standing between them, the tutor, Kachel, exclaimed.

“If either one of you admits defeat or drops your sword, you lose. Is that all right?”

“Mmm…Yes, that’s fine”   “I have no objection here, Sensei”

“Well then, let’s begin!!”

“Here I come, Father!!”

It was Xellos nii-sama who had made the first move.

As he drew something like a figure in the air with his finger, he also started muttering some sort of incantation.

“‘Achieve! I am ────────────’”

“Wonderful, Xellos-sama!”

Xellos nii-sama’s chanting is inaudible to me. It’s unlike any other words I’ve ever heard.

“Activate ── ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’!!”

Xellos nii-sama kicked the ground and started running.

“── He’s fast!”

I couldn’t help but blurt out.

Nii-sama’s physical ability has improved dramatically.

He immediately closed the gap between him and Father in a split second and swung down his sword with his one hand.

*CLANK*

Father managed to receive nii-sama’s sword with his two-handed sword.

…No, he can’t stop the blow and is being pushed back.

Father, who is two heads taller and about twice as big as Xellos nii-sama, is being overpowered.

I’ve never seen magic with this much power, even in my previous life.

With ordinary magic, the best you can do is have your strength increased by a couple of notches. And yet, currently, nii-sama’s strength and instantaneous power are probably many times greater than before.

…It’s terrifying. So this is the power of ‘Ancient Magic’.

“Xellos. So this is the result of what you have learned, huh?”

“Yes. With ‘Ancient Magic’, I can fight Father on equal footing!”

“This truly is quite a feat!”

Father grits his teeth and pushes back Xellos nii-sama’s sword.

For a moment, nii-sama stepped back then jumped back in just as father was regaining his posture. 

Again, Xellos nii-sama closed the gap and swung his wooden sword.

In terms of speed and strength, Xellos nii-sama is the superior one. But, Father was able to fight back, probably due to his years of combat experience.

Now I understand why ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ is managing ‘Ancient Magic’.

It’s too powerful and scary to spread to the public.

The spell nii-sama chanted was peculiarly pronounced, with systematic breathing in between each word. It’s probably a language that is exclusive to ‘Ancient Magic’.

Unless you could decipher that, ‘Ancient Magic’ cannot be used.

There’s no way such a strange spell can be chanted without being taught. Even I can’t do it.

So that’s why the ‘Magic Guild’ can control who gets to pass it on.

“How was it, Yuuki! This is what I can do! Do you realize it even just a little bit!?” 

Xellos-nii sama shouted.

“It’s a power you can’t even understand. I’ll use this power to become a high-ranking mage in the magic guild. And then I will raise the Grossalia family to the same status as high-ranking nobles!!”

“This is the power of ‘Ancient Magic’. It’s a power beyond your imagination!”

Next thing I knew, the tutor, Kachel, was looking at me.

“The power to fight on equal footing with a veteran such as Baron-sama. With this in hand, Xellos-sama will rise to the top of nobility! Sooner or later, you won’t even be able to speak to me or Xellos-sama! You can see the differences in our status, can’t you!?”

“Yeah”

I paid no attention to his words.

…This is the first time I’ve seen ‘Ancient Magic’ up close…and I must say, it’s terrifying.

I don’t understand the theory behind the magic at all, to begin with. Just a moment ago, I did my best to memorize the movements of nii-sama’s finger.

Nii-sama used his finger to draw such a crest.

Like this and that…then with the chanting, too….

*BA-DUMP*

My heart pounded.

My limbs became hot. It felt like strength was starting to well up from deep within my body.

── What’s this?

It is as if I had returned to be the ‘Immortal Mage, Lord of Nosferatu’, Dean Nosferatu…from my previous life.

Power and energy seem to be overflowing in my body ──?

What is this? What is this power!?

“I’m sorry, Father, Xellos-nii sama! I’m not feeling well, so I’m going to have to excuse myself now!!”

“…Eh?”   “Are you okay? Yuuki!?”

Both Xellos nii-sama and Father called out.

But I don’t have time to answer them.

I started to move my legs with all my might to get away from the three of them. To somewhere out of people’s sight.

“Wait a second, Yuuki! You have to see my abilities!!”

“Why are you coming after me…Xellos nii-sama”

Moreover, he was still in the state of the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ magic.

I can’t get caught…not right now ──

I increased my running speed.

“── Eh? I can’t keep up!? Why!?”

Nii-sama’s voice faded away.

I turned at the corner of the mansion and entered the backyard.

I then kicked the ground with all my might.

“Hey!? Yuuki!?”

Xellos chased after his younger brother around the corner of the building.

Without pause, he entered the backyard of the detached building. But ──

“…He’s not here”

His younger brother, Yuuki was nowhere to be seen.

“This must be a lie. Why can’t I catch up to him even with my ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’. I can’t believe Yuuki is that much stronger than me…”

“What’s the matter, Xellos-sama?”

As Xellos turned around, he saw his private tutor, Kachel.

“Yuuki is not here. I couldn’t catch up to him…. Could it be that Yuuki was using ‘Ancient Magic’ as well?”

“That’s impossible”

The tutor, Kachel, shook his head.

“To use ‘Ancient Magic’, it requires a specific set of steps as well as the use of internal magic power. It cannot be used by those who have not been taught of it”

“But!!”

“Xellos-sama has only just been able to use the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’, and was probably not able to control it well. Under normal circumstances, you would have overwhelmed Baron-sama in a bout”

“…Sensei”

“Come on, let’s go back to Baron-sama. The goal of showing off your abilities to Yuuki-dono has been achieved. This is enough for today”

“Yes”

Xellos walked off towards the front yard of the mansion.

“But…sometimes…I feel like I’m no match for Yuuki…I just do”

“Let’s have a chat later. That illegitimate child and other matters won’t be a problem. Like I’ve always said, you have the ability”

With that, Xellos left the backyard with Kachel.

“…That was a close call”

I was looking over the backyard from a room.

After running to the backyard, I flew straight up to the second floor, opened the window, and hid inside the room.

My ‘Flight’ skill is still incomplete. Normally, I shouldn’t be able to fly up to the second floor.

The reason I was able to fly that high up to the second floor is because of the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ magic.

Power surged from deep within my body, and it was as if I had returned to the heyday of my previous life.

Thinking that it’s bad, I decided to run away.

“I never thought that ‘Ancient Magic’ could be activated by simply drawing a crest with blood…”

I looked at the palm of my hand.

There was the crest I had drawn with my ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’.

I subconsciously drew it when I saw the mock battle between Father and Xellos nii-sama earlier.

It was a habit I had when I was the ‘Lone Demon King’ in my previous life. Back then, whenever I had something that I wanted to write down right away, I’d cut my fingertips and write it in blood on the palm of my hand or on parchment.

Lyle once said, ‘That’s why they call you a vampire’, while laughing.

“I need to do some more research on ‘Ancient Magic’”

After saying that, I looked at the occupant in the room.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I must have scared you, Martha”

“You jumped in while I was changing and that’s all you have to say?”

Inside the room, the maid was staring at me.

In her underwear. She hugged her halfway undressed maid uniform.

Perhaps it was because she was changing, her usually tied up chestnut-color hair was fluttering and swaying.

“Do you know how surprised I was when the window suddenly opened?”

“…I’m really sorry”

“But I was relieved when I found out that it was Yuuki-sama”

“Wait what? Why do you feel relieved that it was me?”

She puffed out her cheeks after I said that.

Her name is Martha. She’s 15 years old and is 2 years older than me. She’s my personal maid

Her mother had worked for the Baron household, so Martha used to always tag along with her mother to the mansion. To me and Lumia, she is our childhood friend. Martha’s mother is now unwell and works at home doing handicrafts. So to replace her, Martha now works for the Baron household as a maid in training.

“I feel relieved. After all, I, Martha, have pledged her allegiance to Yuuki-sama”

Martha stared at me as she covered her body with the maid uniform which she held in her hands.

“Yuuki-sama told Baron-sama to employ me in the place of my mother when she had to resign from household services at the Baron household. If Yuuki-sama hadn’t said that, mother and I might have been wondering on the streets now”

“…Well, that was before Kachel came”

The Baron household was not as strict as it is now.

“The only person who would take care of me was your mother. Besides that, Martha, you had to take care of me in the detached building, so I thought I was the one who was causing trouble to you”

“That’s not true. Yuuki-sama has visited my mother many times”

“That’s because I feel uncomfortable staying in this mansion all the time, and I don’t know anyone else”

“But every time Yuuki-sama does so, my mother’s health has gotten better”

“That’s just a coincidence”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah”

“Even so…my loyalty belongs to Yuuki-sama”

You sure are stubborn, Martha.

Humans are like that, aren’t they?

“For the umpteenth time, I don’t think of you as a servant”

“You always say that, don’t you? That I’m your partner living together in this mansion”

“Yes, that’s what I had said before”

With me being constantly stared at by nii-sama and the private tutor.

And Martha, who lives alone with her sick mother.

It’s not that easy to live in this Baron household.

“Okay…if you say so, Yuuki-sama”

“In the first place, Martha”

“What is it? Yuuki-sama”

“Aren’t you surprised that I came in through the window on the second floor?”

“Martha is well aware of how amazing Yuuki-sama truly is”

“Is that so?”

“I used to be a crybaby but you protected me well. You would use magic to ward off bugs or cool my burnt hands. And every time you would say, ‘Oh no! Please keep this a secret’, so I keep getting more and more secrets. At this point, there’s nothing to be surprised at anymore”

“I’m sorry about that”

“This time it’s going to be the same, ‘Oh no! Please keep this a secret’. Is that correct?”

“Yeah. By all means”

“Noted”

“I’m sorry”

“By the way, Yuuki-sama. It’s a bit late to say this now, but what are your thoughts after seeing me changing clothes?”

“I know very well that Martha is pretty”

“Thank you very much. In return, I will wash your hair as a token of my gratitude”

“I just washed it the other day, so it’s okay”

“No ー it ー is ー not ー okay”

“…All right”

“Good”

“Well then, I’m going back to my room now. Bring me some tea later”

“Yes. I’ll come over after I finish changing my clothes”

With that, Martha bowed.

I decided to head back to my room.

Some time later.

As I was sipping the tea that Martha had brewed for me, Father came into the room.

“Yuuki, you’ll be staying at an inn in town while Her Royal Highness is here. Martha and a few others will accompany you. However, you are not allowed to return to the mansion until Her Royal Highness has left”

said Father, avoiding my gaze.

“The truth is you don’t have to do that. You also don’t need to seclude yourself in your room. But…when it comes to the instructions of the private tutor dispatched from the ‘Magic Guild’…it’s inevitable”

“I don’t mind. Father”

I was the one who said I could leave the mansion. Besides, it’s not bad to relax at an inn once in a while.

I won’t need to look at the tutor, Kachel’s face.

“Martha is coming with me, right? In that case, I don’t mind”

“…I’m sorry. Yuuki”

Without warning.

Father stretched out his arms and hugged me.

“I’m just an upstart after all, and probably not cut out to be a nobleman. I’m useless. I never thought I’d have to put my own son through such a shameful experience…”

“Father. Martha is watching”

“I’m not”

said Martha, as she turned her back to us.

“Please continue. Baron-sama, Yuuki-sama”

“…She got me”

It’s so embarrassing to be hugged by Father in front of Martha.

I originally thought it was my job to comfort children. 

In my previous life, I used to comfort the crybabies Lyle and Alice like this.

But now it doesn’t feel bad to be comforted by someone else either.

In my previous life, I didn’t know who my parents were.

But now I have Father, my little sister, Lumia, Xellos nii-sama, and Martha.

For that reason alone, it was probably a good thing to be a human.

“Thank you very much, Father”

“I will not inconvenience you any further. Martha, please take good care of Yuuki for me”

“Those words alone are enough. Father”

“Please leave Yuuki-sama to me. Baron-sama”

I slipped out of Father’s arms and bowed. Behind me, Martha followed suit and bowed, too.

I stayed that way until Father left the room.

Why? That’s because I didn’t know what kind of face that a human child would make at such a moment like this. 

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Chapter 3 Part 3

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“Her Royal Highness?” 

“Yeah, don’t you know, Yuuki?”

Xellos nii-sama peered at my face

“Her Royal Highness is going to be a trainee in the ‘Magic Guild’”

“Understood”

I nodded.

“‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ is a place where high-ranking nobles attend. That’s why the royal family also learns magic there as trainees. In other words, Her Royal Highness has already decided to become a trainee there to learn magic. So you mean as someone who is representing on the guild’s behalf, she is coming here to check on Xellos nii-sama’s abilities, right?”

“T-That’s amazing. You’re very perceptive, Yuuki”

“I’ve heard Xellos nii-sama and Kachel-sensei talked about it many times”

This matter was previously discussed so many times ever since tutor Kachel arrived at the mansion.

‘As a result of my guidance, Xellos-sama will be studying ‘Ancient Magic’ in Lindbel Magic Guild at the royal capital. It’s not a place for Yuuki-kun though’.

“But Her Royal Highness went out of her way to come here? To the territory of a Baron?”

“It was worth writing all of those recommendation letters. Of course, if you didn’t have as much magic power as Xellos-sama, it would have been a waste of time even if I did make all that effort”

said Kachel while snorting.

“The Magic Guild is a place that manages and maintains ‘Ancient Magic’. A high level of magic aptitude is required to become a trainee there. The 8th princess, Iris Restia-sama, has a very high aptitude for magic and is already a member of the guild. That’s why she’s been chosen to be in charge of the examination this time”

“This is indeed a very rare occurrence”

“I suppose that just go to show how much of Xellos-sama’s abilities are being evaluated”

Having said that, the tutor, Kachel, looked at me.

He then took a sideways glance at Father and cleared his throat—

“On the day Her Royal Highness arrives here, I’d like Yuuki-dono to remain inside the mansion”

“Eh?”

“The illegitimate child cannot be seen by Her Royal Highness. I want you to close the curtains and conceal yourself without making any noise and don’t leave the detached building” 

“Sensei!?” 

“Kachel-dono!? Are you serious!?”

“Please be quiet, Baron-sama!”

The tutor, Kachel, patted Xellos nii-sama on the back.

“Come on. Xellos-sama, please tell this to Yuuki-dono as well”

“M-Me?”

“How can you master magic if you can’t even get your illegitimate younger brother to listen to you!? Or do you want to introduce Yuuki-dono to Her Royal Highness? This younger brother of yours who is also an illegitimate child? Are you treating this illegitimate child as an equal? Does Xellos-sama really want to get the cold shoulder from the other people in the guild’s educational institution too!!?”

“……Uh”

Xellos nii-sama started to come forward.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Xellos nii-sama face to face like this.

Nii-sama has blond hair and blue eyes. He got his hair from Father and the eyes from the first wife.

He looked a lot like Father.

That’s why I can’t come to hate Xellos nii-sama.

“Yuuki…do not appear before Her Royal Highness”

“Yes. Xellos nii-sama”

“Her Royal Highness is a person of royal blood in this country. As an illegitimate child…you’re not permitted to appear in front of her. You…you…”

“Xellos-sama”

Suddenly, the tutor, Kachel, tapped Xellos nii-sama on the shoulder.

“How can you show your dignity as an older brother by speaking in such a manner?”

“……Sensei”

“Say it clearly. What do you think of Yuuki-dono, go on!”

“……Yuuki”

Xellos nii-sama seemed to hesitate for a bit, then looked straight at me.

“You, the child of an unknown woman, was made by Father while he was out on the battlefield. Such a person could never be seen by Her Royal Highness. Listen, you are absolutely not allowed to leave your room on that day! Do you hear me!?”

“Sure, I’d be happy to comply”

“……Eh?”

“As I said, I’d be happy to comply” 

Why would I want to meet a princess?

I was once called the Demon King, albeit it was a mistake.

Dean Nosferatu was feared (unilaterally) as the ‘Immortal Mage, Lord of Nosferatu’. I’d want to keep as much distance as possible from anything related to royalty.

After all, they were quick to hand over the adventurers coins and tell them to subdue the Demon King.

A self-proclaimed Hero also came to me in my previous life.

She was starving, so I fed her a meal and told her I was harmless, and she understood.

After that, she worked hard and became a guard for ‘Fila Village’. Incidentally, she was Lyle’s grandmother.

At any rate, things like royal families and princesses are an interminably annoying existence.

I don’t want to get involved with them even after I’ve reincarnated.

“Rest assured, Xellos nii-sama. I will never appear before Her Royal Highness. As nii-sama said, I will close the curtains and make sure that I’m not seen”

“If you’re still worried, I’ll stay at an inn in town on that day. That way, I definitely won’t be in the sight of Her Royal Highness. With Father’s permission, I’d be happy to travel somewhere far away, too…”, I continued.

“……Yuuki”

Eh? Father…why are you wiping your eyes?

“……I’m sorry. To think that I…I had made you say that”

“Father?”

“I wonder if I had made a mistake? In order to join the ranks of the high-ranking nobles, I have cornered my child to this extent. I…”

“……Yuuki. You…”

Xellos nii-sama clenched his fists and glared at me.

“I only told you not to show your face during the examination. But going to town or going on a trip…is that sarcasm!? Are you protesting on my examination, Yuuki!?”

“I don’t mean that”

In fact, I’m rooting for you, nii-sama.

I’ve longed for it in my previous life. An older family member.

So I don’t want to be misunderstood. Let’s get things straight here.

“I’m just not interested in the ‘Magic Guild’ or Her Royal Highness”

“Wha-!?”

“I’m content with just being able to live with the Baron’s family. I don’t want to push it to meet Her Royal Highness. I just want to live within my own means”

“………”

“As a princess, she would have learned etiquette that even Father doesn’t know of. I don’t want to become a disgrace to the family when interacting with such a person. We’d be a laughing stock to the other nobles”

“………grr”

“If possible, I’d like to go to a public school. I want to learn more about human society by learning and interacting with the general populace. Honestly, I don’t really care about things like ‘Ancient Magic’. With the destruction of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’, it shows that power alone can’t solve anything”

“………grrrr”

“In short, I really don’t think that there’s any value in me meeting the Princess. So there you have it, my response to Father, Xellos nii-sama, and Kachel-sensei. I pray that nii-sama can join the guild and learn ‘Ancient Magic’”

It’s not sarcasm or anything that I want to hide when the princess comes, I do mean it when I say I don’t want to meet the princess.

Of course, I don’t want to interfere with Xellos nii-sama either. He’s a very important family member after all.

If I said that much, I’m sure nii-sama would understand—

“D-Don’t make fun of meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”

“Xellos nii-sama!?”

“Pushing it!? Beyond one’s means!? Becoming a laughing stock to the other nobles!? Are you saying that I’m overdoing things!? Joining the ‘Magic Guild’ is beyond my ability, is that what you’re saying!!?”

“How did you end up with this argument, Xellos nii-sama!!”

“You should be grateful just by being able to stay in this mansion! You illegitimate child! You’re the child that Father made while he was out on the battlefield!! And yet, how dare you look down on me!!”

“Stop it, Xellos!!”

“Father!?”

“Yuuki didn’t mean to belittle you! Cool your head, Xellos!!”

“In that case…Father. Please give me the chance to show Yuuki my abilities!!”

“Your abilities?”

“Father should know how strong I’ve become. Please let me prove the power of ‘Ancient Magic’ that was taught to me by Kachel-sensei to Yuuki!!”

“……Hmm”

“Baron-sama. I have the same opinion, too. Please grant Xellos-sama permission”

The private tutor, Kachel, stepped forward. He was glaring at me with a side glance.

“Yuuki-dono probably doesn’t know the value of ‘Ancient Magic’. Therefore, I think it’s necessary to drive into him the power of ‘Ancient Magic’ so that he wouldn’t be disrespectful in aristocratic society in the future”

“Please. Father!!”

“I understand. Let’s find out just how strong Xellos is”

Father looked up and nodded.

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Chapter 3 Part 2

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On my way to the library in the main building, I saw tutor Kachel.

Kachel noticed me. As if annoyed, he immediately averted his gaze from me and proceeded to walk away. 

“I’ve been expecting you. Yuuki-sama”

The butler, Neil, was waiting for me in front of the library.

Neil has served the family for a long time, and it also seems that he had fought alongside Father on the battlefield with their swords.

He wears his silver-rimmed glasses and half of his hair is white, but he’s still good-looking like a warrior.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. This way, please”

“Was Kachel-sensei here just now?”

“What the private tutor does is none of my concern”

With a blunt answer, the butler, Neil, opened the library door.

As I entered the library, I saw a built-in bookshelf.

There are only a few books on it.

These books are valuable, and the Baron Grossalia family aren’t that wealthy.

“What kind of books are you looking for, Yuuki-sama?”

“Books about the history of this country…aah, this is it”

“You can read that!?”

“Sort of, I think”

“The spine of the book only has the words, ‘Kingdom’s History’, on it but it was written in the old writing style…and you can read that? That’s amazing, Yuuki-sama”

“May I borrow a chair to get that book?”

If it’s a history book, surely there would be a record of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ in it as well.

Maybe it would also tell me something about ‘Fila Village’ and what happened to Lyle and Alice.

After I got on a chair, I reached for the door of the bookshelf and started pulling on the handles.  

“…It won’t open”

The bookshelf door doesn’t budge at all.

This is weird.

I got permission from Father and I’m sure the butler, Neil, knows that, too.

“Um, I can’t open it”

“I’ve unlocked the bookshelf”

“But it won’t open?”

“I’ve unlocked the bookshelf. That’s all I can say”

The butler, Neil, looked away.

I followed his gaze and saw a small piece of metal plate stuck under the bookshelf.

The door wouldn’t open because it’s in the way.

I got off the chair and brought my face closer to the metal plate to inspect it.

The surface of the metal plate is smooth, and there are characters engraved on it. It won’t come off even when I try to scratch it with my fingers.

This is a magic tool used to lock the door.

“Well, this is all I can do, so I’ll be off then. Please call me when you’ve finished reading.

The butler, Neil, left the library.

No use complaining to Neil about it.

He must be thinking that if he goes against the tutor, Kachel, then he will put the Baron family in a bad position.

Humans are truly troublesome. Especially nobles.

Even if I read these books, there’s no demerit to tutor Kachel.

Why does he have to go through all this trouble and use a magic tool just to get in my way? I don’t really understand humans.

It can’t be helped. It’s been a while since I’ve tried to dispel a magic spell. 

“‘Magical Blood’ Erosion, [Mistel Blood — Hacking]”

I cut my finger with a dagger.

The blood-soaked finger is then pressed directly against the magic tool.

I was born with blood that is rich in magic power, and the blood that flows out is also connected to me through my magic power, like an extension of my body.

Therefore, I can interfere with magic by letting my blood seep into it.

In my previous life, when Lyle’s daughter, Alice, contracted the ‘Death Crest Disease’, I gave her my blood. |TL Note: Changed ‘Death Disease’ to ‘Death Crest Disease’, this change will be made to all the previously posted chapters, too|

While my blood was flowing throughout Alice, she was connected to me by magic for some time.

That’s why I was able to eliminate all the pathogens of the ‘Death Crest Disease’ inside of her with the power of ‘Purification’.

This time, it’s the same principle as when I purify Alice.

Let my blood seep into the magic tool and then modify the magic.

All I have to do now is to analyze the magic and destroy it or stop the flow of magic that powers it.

“——Breaking into the exterior of the magic. Continue erosion to the magic”

Internals of the magic——Analysis Complete.

Confirmation of adhesion magic on the bookshelf door. Interference to magic supply begins.

Confirming the usage of magic has stopped——Successful.

*BAM*

The metal plate that was stuck to the door of the bookshelf came off.

“I’ll put this back later”

‘That’s amazing. Master!’

A voice came from outside the window.

I looked closer and saw a black bat hanging from a tree in the courtyard.

“Oh, you’re here. Dick”

‘Yes, Master. I’m here to report that there are no abnormalities in the mountains so far’

“Sorry, but I’ll be busy reading now”

‘All right! At any rate, that was amazing, Master! I’ve never seen magic that cancels out other magic before!’

“It’s a boring trick. Dick”

Even if I could use such a technique, I still couldn’t beat the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

‘…Master. Someone is coming!’

“Got it”

I opened the bookshelf and took out the book.

It’s impossible to reattach the ‘now normal’ metal plate to the bookshelf door again, so let’s just let it lean against the bookshelf.

“Excuse me, Yuuki-sama. I’ve brought you some tea”

“I’ll have to say no to that tea. After all, I don’t want to get the book dirty”

“Is that so…”

The butler, Neil, is looking at the bookshelf.

…T-This is bad. Why is the magic tool upside down?

I was in a hurry when I put it back. I wonder if Neil is suspicious of it.

“Even the private tutor makes mistakes too, huh?”

“Aren’t you concerned with what the private tutor does?”

“I’m talking to myself. I just thought that Kachel-sensei also seemed to be in a hurry”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m just talking to myself here…but back then when I was on the battlefield, I received a similar talisman with the same seal that was stuck to the bookshelf there. It took three mages to remove it, so there shouldn’t be anyone here who can break such a seal. I guess Kachel-sensei had made some sort of mistake”

“Neil-san, do you mean that Kachel-sensei harassed me?”

“It was a slip of the tongue”

The butler, Neil, coughed to clear his throat. 

“There’s no way Baron-sama would hire someone who did such a trivial thing, right?”

“Kachel-sensei is a member of the ‘Magic Guild’. Supposedly, he wouldn’t be harassing a child now, would he?”

“…The actions of the private tutor are none of my concern”

*Rattle Rattle Rattle Rattle*

…There was the sound of someone running off in a hurry.

“Then I’ll continue reading. Neil-san, please return to your duties”

“Thank you for your kind offer. Yuuki-sama”

Neil left the library.

Let’s start reading in earnest now.

—An Hour Later—

“…Haa”

I closed the book.

So in conclusion, the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ was destroyed.

I’m truly at a loss for words. 

The ‘Ancient Artifacts’ they excavated were scattered. In other words, they’re gone.

“What were you doing, humans”

This isn’t funny.

I really wonder what they were doing. Both the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ and the humans.

The ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ in my previous life, was a powerful magic organization.

They called the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’ that they found, a ‘Sanctuary’. They also used the excavated ‘Ancient Magic’ and ‘Ancient Artifacts’ there as weapons and sent capable people to the hearts of other countries.

Bishops, Priests, and Holy Knights.

In every country and province, they were involved in politics.

Not even the Kings of the countries could oppose them.

However…after my death as ‘Dean Nosferatu’ in my previous life, and after having caused so much trouble to the human world, they were destroyed.

“…Compared to the ‘Immortal Mage, Lord of Nosferatu’, aren’t you causing more trouble to the humans…O ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’”

According to the history book, after my death, there was a war among humans.

It was originally a territorial dispute between small countries, but the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ intervened.

At the time, there was a power struggle within the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’, and it was divided into several factions.

Each faction started to favor the Kings of these countries and got them on their side.

The countries that had ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ on their side, started to launch a full-scale war.

They seemed to think that it would be an easy victory if they had ‘Ancient Magic’ and ‘Ancient Artifacts’.

However, when they actually fought, the ‘Ancient Artifacts’ were useless.

The causes of it were unknown.

They didn’t know if it couldn’t be activated or if it wasn’t working.

The countries that started the war with the backing of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ in mind could not back off and resulted in a very complicated war.

After the war ended, people’s resentments were directed towards the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

With all the forces against them, ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ was destroyed.

Most of the ‘Ancient Artifacts’ they had, went missing, too.

“I thought that people in this era will replicate the ‘Ancient Artifacts’ and live life comfortably.”

Like the items that bring out hot water when you turn on the faucet, or the blankets that keep you warm when you go to bed, and so on.

In the end, that didn’t happen.

So the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ was destroyed while they excavated the Holy Sword and other artifacts? That sounds ridiculous.

I didn’t find anything on ‘Fila Village’.

The history book ends with the destruction of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ and the creation of the peaceful ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ afterward. |TL Note: Changed ‘Rindobell’ to ‘Lindbel’, this change will be made to all the previously posted chapters, too|

The ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ was organized to properly educate mages, and to ensure that ‘Ancient Magic’ is managed by responsible hands, so that people do not make the same mistakes as the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

“So far this is all that I know”

The only way to know more would be to go to the royal capital.

After all, there’s a large library in the royal capital, and research historians, too.

Let’s go there someday and find something on ‘Fila Village’. I want to know what happened to Lyle and the others.

I put the book back on the bookshelf and rang the bell on the desk. The butler, Neil, came over not too long after.

After we left the library, Neil locked the door. I thanked him and went back to the detached building.

Back in my room, I was thinking about what I am going to do.

There are two paths that I can take.

One is to leave the mansion and enroll in a public school.

I can’t take over the Grossalia family. 

So, I’ll enroll in a public school in the royal capital to first learn the common sense of this world. After that, I can become an adventurer and make a living. This is one of the paths that I thought of.

The reason for this is that adventurers don’t need to have their background be known to others.

If I move from town to town every few years, I’ll probably be able to lie about my age, too.

Another path is to leave the mansion and search for ‘Fila Village’.

The war broke out soon after my death. If I can find Alice’s descendants, I might be able to get some answers.

“……Or perhaps both?”

On second thought, I didn’t have to take only one path.

I could just look for information on ‘Fila Village’ while casually going to school. 

That’s it! It has been decided then. Let’s discuss it with Father later.

As I was thinking about it——

“Congratulations! Xellos-sama!!”

I heard voices and looked out the window. There, I saw Father, Xellos nii-sama, and Kachel in the courtyard.

A carriage is parked outside the gate. A red box-like carriage. It’s the mail coach.

I see. So today was the day for the mail coach to come.

Mail coaches are the country’s most important lines of communication. They carry letters and packages from town to town.

It seems that a letter was delivered to Xellos nii-sama.

Aside from Kachel-sensei who is laughing loudly, both Father and Xellos nii-sama have a big smile on their face, too.

“Ooh, Yuuki. Join us. Honorable news has reached Xellos”

“…Y-Yeah. I wish Yuuki could hear the news, too”

Father beckons me. Xellos nii-sama has a slight subtle expression on his face.

I headed for the front door and walked out to them.

“Listen, Yuuki-dono. You should be proud of having such an incredible brother! My student, Xellos-sama, has received wonderful news from the ‘Magic Guild’!”

Kachel-sensei was in the best mood I’ve ever seen him in.

He held Xellos nii-sama’s hand and looked at me with a smile on his face.

“Yuuki, you also heard of the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ too, right?”

Father explained on those two’s behalf.

Father looks happy. So that means….

“Could it be that nii-sama became a trainee at the ‘Magic Guild’?”

“That’s not it, Yuuki”

Nii-sama held out his chest proudly.

“The 8th Princess, Her Royal Highness, Iris Restia, has decided to see my abilities!!” 

Xellos nii-sama exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.

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Chapter 3 Part 1

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Chapter 3 – The Former Demon King, Begins His Behind The Scenes Operations

The next morning.

After returning to the detached building, I took a quick nap and then headed out through the window of my room again.

A short time later, I returned to the mansion with the rabbit meat.

Going through the main gate of the mansion, it looked like I had just returned from a hunt.

But of course, the prey was hunted at night and I had the bats watch over it.

“What’re you doing there, Yuuki-dono!!”

The moment I walked through the gate, I heard someone call out to me.

Kachel Mieghem, dressed in a gray robe was looking at me.

That’s what I had expected.

“I see you’ve gone out. Can you tell this Kachel where you were and what you were doing?”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m in charge of Xellos-sama’s education. I am obligated to maintain an appropriate environment within the Baron’s household for him. If you have done anything wrong, I must report it to Baron-sama”

“……I was hunting”

I showed him the ‘Large Rabbit’ on my back.

“I went to check the trap that I had set up in the mountains behind the mansion and found out it had caught something, so I brought it back. I’m going to have my maid in the detached building to cook it”

“Why would you do that?”

“There’s not much meat to eat in the detached building. I thought I’d treat me and my maid with it”

“Oh, how selfish of you, illegitimate child!”

The tutor, Kachel, looked up at the sky and exclaimed.

“An illegitimate child is no better than a servant. If the servant managed to hunt down prey, it’s common sense to present them to Baron-sama, right!? But to use it to curry favor with the other servants…I can’t believe it!” 

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to deal with the meat now”

I ignored Kachel and started to walk away.

“Please wait, Yuuki-dono!!”

“What’s going on? I thought I heard Kachel-sensei’s voice…?” 

Father came from the courtyard.

Short blonde hair and a muscular body. He had a wooden training sword in his hand.

My Father, Baron Georg Grossalia.

“Ooh, if it isn’t Yuuki? Where have you been!?”

“I went hunting in the mountains”

“Please listen to me, Georg-sama. Yuuki-dono is planning to keep all the prey to himself”

Kachel interrupted me and told Father.

“This is Baron Grossalia’s household. If a servant has hunted prey, it’s natural to present them to Georg-sama, master of the household, but to keep them to oneself, this Kachel has nothing more to say!!”

“If Yuuki has hunted it, then the prey belongs to Yuuki, right?”

Father laid down his wooden sword and stroked my head with his big hand.

“Even so, two ‘Large Rabbits’, huh? Hmm, you’ve set traps, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Father”

“Isn’t that amazing! When I was a child, all I could do was swing a wooden sword! I’ve heard that ‘Large Rabbit’ are extremely wary, thus very difficult to catch. But…to have successfully hunted it down and what’s more, there’s even two of it, well…I must say, that’s quite a feat! You’re very talented, Yuuki!”

“Thank you very much. Father”

Father won his peerage due to his distinguished service in the war.

That’s why he never misses his morning practice.

I also like seeing him practice hard, him sweating all over his body as he continues to swing his wooden sword. |Editor’s Note: MC says no homo fast!|

In my previous life, I didn’t have anyone to call as my father.

“But don’t be reckless. There are powerful monsters in the mountains, too. If you are going there alone, you can only go to the foot of the mountains. If you get hurt, we’ll all be worried about you”

“That’s no good! Baron Georg-sama!!”

cried Kachel.

“How can you praise an illegitimate child’s selfish behavior instead of reprimanding it! Is that the right way to be a nobleman!?”

“Don’t be so stubborn, Kachel-sensei”

Father scratched his head as if he was troubled.

“My son was successful in his hunt. What’s wrong with praising him for that?”

“Baron-sama seems to have forgotten the terms and conditions for hiring me”

Kachel sneered and looked at both me and my father.

I know what this guy is going to say.

For three years now, Kachel has been using these words to silence anyone in the household.

“I’ll do my best to make sure that the legitimate son, Xellos-sama, becomes a trainee at the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’. In return, Baron-sama would not object to my methods. Wasn’t that a condition for hiring me?”

“……I-I know. But……”

“The mage training institute of ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ is a place where members of the royal families and high-ranking nobles also attend. Even though Xellos-sama is aiming to be in the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’, what are you going to do if the Baron’s family can’t even abide by the discipline? A legitimate child always stands above the illegitimate child. Baron-sama does not need to speak to the illegitimate child more than necessary. I told you that’s the rule in aristocracy”

“I know…I know…, but Yuuki has a great talent!”

Again, Father stroked my hair though bitterly this time.

“Isn’t it a parent’s duty to nurture their children’s talents?”

“Very well. Then I’ll return to the royal capital. This Kachel has done everything in his power to get Xellos-sama into the ‘Magic Guild’, but it seems to be in vain”

“W-Wait a minute! This and that are a different story!”

“If you become a trainee in the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’, you’ll often meet children from the high-ranking nobles. I thought the Baron’s family name would rise when those children and Xellos-sama get to know each other, but it’s a shame, really. If the head of the family, Baron Georg-sama, continues to be this way, at this rate……”

“…………” 

“This is for you, Father”

I held out the ‘Large Rabbit’ to Father.

“In return, will you listen to my request?”

“O-Oh. Do tell me!”

“I’d like to request permission to enter the library in the main building”

“The library?”

“Yes. As Kachel-sensei said, I lack understanding of the rules in this country and of my own standing in society. So, to not offend nii-sama and Kachel-sensei, I want to learn about the system and the history of this country”

“……Amazing. You’re thinking that far ahead, huh……”

I’m sorry, Father. This whole situation was all according to my plan.

I knew that if I brought back prey from a hunt, Kachel would surely complain about it.

That’s why I boldly entered through the main gate while carrying the ‘Large Rabbit’.

Tutor Kachel knows that Father trains with his sword in the courtyard every morning.

If I do anything right then and there, Kachel-sensei would make a fuss so that Father could hear him. 

This person has always been like this. After three years of doing the same thing over and over again, I’d at least remembered that pattern of his.

So I decided to take advantage of it and gain access to the library.

Why? You might ask. By going through the books in the library, I’ll be able to find out what has happened to the world since my death in my previous life.

“Again, as Kachel-sensei said, I need to know my own standing in society. For that reason, I want to make up for the knowledge which I lack. Please, Father, give me the right to read the books”

“Of course! It’s great that Yuuki want to do some self-study”

“…………”

“Yuuki said he wants to understand his standing. Is this against the rules of the aristocracy? Kachel-sensei”

“N-No. Not a problem at all!”

With that, the tutor Kachel went back to the mansion.

Father let out a small sigh.

“Forgive me, Yuuki”

“No, I don’t mind”

I understand that Father is trying to protect the Grossalia Family, and I can’t get in the way of that.

“Regarding the library, I’ll tell the butler, Neil, about it. So feel free to use it”

“Thank you very much, Father”

After doing a quick bow, I headed towards the main building.

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Chapter 2 Part 2

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On my way back from the dining hall in the annex, I spot Rumia practicing her magic outside the window.

It will soon be nightfall, a lantern can be seen glowing near Rumia’s feet.

Father is standing next to her. It seems that Father is overseeing Rumia as she begins to chant magic.

“…‘O, bearers of light’—”

“……Hmmmm”, Father nodded.

From where I stood, I could only see his back.

“‘O, light, respond to my voice’—‘Light Sphere’!!”

A ball of light about the size of a pebble formed on Rumia’s palm.

Father began clapping his hands due to this feat. Wide back, thick limbs, short trimmed blond hair.

That’s my Father, Georg Grossalia.

“Isn’t that amazing, Rumia! When did you become able to chant correctly!?”

“…T-That I can’t say. Only that I’ve practiced”

“It is good to be enthusiastic. You were really amazing!”

“……There is someone else who is much more amazing than me…Father…”

Rumia has succeeded casting her magic a few times since then. But looks like the tongue twister chanting is still hard for her.

After that, Father invoked the magic to show an example.

It’s the same ‘Light Sphere’ magic, but with about the size of a person’s head.

Just like the common magic back in my era. Neither developing nor declining.

After confirmation, I returned to my room.

“……Has it really been 200 years since my death?”

I was sitting on a chair in my room, recalling the words of tutor Kachel.

Kachel said it has been 220 years since the discovery of Ancient Magic and Artifacts by the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

The previous me, Dean Nosferatu, died 20 years after the discovery of Ancient Magic and Artifacts.

In other words, it is now 200 years after I had died.

……200 years, huh? Lyle and Alice…aren’t around anymore, too….

It can’t be helped.

Back then, I had no choice but to reincarnate.

But still, it doesn’t feel like 200 years have passed.

I thought it was a much shorter time because the common grammar used for magic has not changed.

The name of the country has changed, but the social system hasn’t changed much from the past.

The ‘Ancient Magic’ is still a secret technique that can only be used by a select few, and those who can use it are at the top of society.

That’s why tutor Kachel, who can use ‘Ancient Magic’, is very arrogant, and nii-sama is aiming for the ‘Magic Guild’, too.

The only difference from 200 years ago is that no one talks about the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ anymore.

“……I wonder what happened in these past 200 years”

I will have to look into it, and find out what the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ had done, and what happened to them after my death.

Meeting them again is not what I desire. But if they became a taboo existence and disappeared from the public eye, I will need to find out why.

…If my memory serves me right, there is a room in the main building that stores books. And if I search there, I might be able to find out something about it.

But then again…as an illegitimate child, I have no right to enter the main building.

Let’s come up with a plan.

“And to do that, I need to put my skills to the test”

Also, I want to eat some meat.

The dinner I had with my maid, Martha, there were barely any meat dishes in it.

It can’t be helped. After all, our meals were left-overs of meals from the main building.

In addition to experimenting with magic, I will go hunting for meat myself.

At midnight, I decided to slip out of the mansion as planned.

Baron Grossalia’s mansion is enclosed by tall fences, and there are guards patrolling around the courtyard.

However, I know their patrol routes. So it’s not that hard to slip out of the mansion.

Before heading out, let’s check my current skills.

‘Yuuki Grossalia’

Age: 13   Race: Human

Stamina: D   Strength: E   Agility: D   Magic: C   Dexterity: D   Skill: None

I usually disguise myself with this status so that my true identity won’t be revealed.

I heard that when we enter the school, our status will be checked in a ceremony. This is just a precaution.

The real status is as follows.

‘Yuuki Nosferatu’

Age: 13   Race: Unknown

Stamina: B   Strength: B   Agility: A   Magic: S   Dexterity: B

Skill: Flight. Magical Blood. Stealth. Ice Magic. Servant Creation. Multi-Species Linguistics. Erosion. Purification.

With these skills, it should be good enough.

“—‘Flight’”

I kicked open the window of my room on the second floor and flew out.

Gently, my body floats.

As if I was weightless, my body glided through the air and flew straight off the mansion’s premise.

This is nothing. I am just using my magic power to temporarily remove my weight.

With this body, floating like this is the limit, I guess. Still, it feels nice to be a human.

“Good”

I landed on a tree branch just outside the premise.

Kicking the branch again, I flew up.

The guards didn’t notice at all. That’s because I activated my ‘Stealth’ skill.

“…I’ll have to return by morning”

I pick up the pace.

A few minutes later, I reached the nearby mountains behind the mansion.

This is where monsters could appear. Father and Xellos nii-sama usually hunt and do some magic training here.

This is perfect. Let’s turn this uninhabited mountaintop into testing grounds for my magic.

I jumped from tree to tree as I headed for the mountaintop.

‘I’ve been expecting you, master’, my bat servant greeted me just as I arrived.

“Thank you for the greeting. Now, let’s do some experiments with magic. Please show me where I can find prey to practice on”

‘Before that, may I? Master’

“What is it?”

‘May I have your name, please?’

“It’s Yuuki. What about you?”

‘I don’t have a name. Master can give me a name’

 “How about Dick?”

‘Thank you very much. That’s a good name’

“It’s the name of an old acquaintance’s father. He asked me to look after Lyle on his deathbed”

‘Isn’t master still young?’

“I was talking to myself. Forget about it. More importantly, where’s the prey?”

‘I’ll guide you. I’ve marked it before master arrived’

“I’m counting on you”

I headed towards the marked prey with Dick as my guide.

After a while, a rabbit can be seen at the base of a tree.

It has golden body hair with horns protruding out of its head. A ‘Large Rabbit’. Let’s hunt it.

I’d like to feed my maid, Martha, some meat every once in a while.

‘The Large Rabbit is a wary beast’

“I know. It has a fairly powerful horn and strong hind legs for kicking”

‘As expected of master. Knowledgeable’

“It’s just general knowledge. Besides, I won’t be fighting it up close and personal. Instead, didn’t I told you just now, I am going to experiment with magic”

‘It will notice flames by the light and wind by the sound, won’t it?’

“My specialty is ice magic”

In my previous life, my motto was to keep a low profile.

If I use flashy magic, people would be wary of me.

“Ice magic doesn’t produce any sound, light and air tremors. It’s perfect for sneak attacks and trapping”

I put my hand on the trunk of a tree.

“‘Rapid Freezing’—‘Freezing Net’”

Ice threads started to appear from my fingertips.

It travels down the trunk and extends to the base of the tree.

‘—-!?’

In an instant, the ice threads entwine the Large Rabbit’s legs.

‘Kyuu—!!?’

Noticing the abnormality, the Large Rabbit starts to run.

But right in front of it is a net of ice.

My magic had created an ice barrier around it.

‘—u!! —uu!!’

The ‘Large Rabbit’ started rampaging, but it got stuck at the base of the tree.

The ice threads have completely entwined its body. No matter how hard it tries, it can’t move.

“I’m sorry”

I got down to the ground and stabbed the Large Rabbit.

Let’s hang it to drain the blood.

‘A-Amazing, master! That magic, even I won’t be able to escape!’

“It’s a simple magic”

‘That’s not true. There wasn’t any sound or light! Your prey won’t even notice! It’s the most powerful magic for survival in the mountains!’

“Even so, it’s still no match against ‘Ancient Magic’”

Ordinary magic is activated through chanting incantations and using internal magic power to activate it.

That’s why it takes time for the magic to activate. Once activated, it can’t be used till some time has passed.

My ice magic has been simplified as much as possible, but it still can’t be used continuously.

But ‘Ancient Magic’ is different. It consumes less magic power, and it’s also good for continuous use.

In my previous life, I’ve seen the priests of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’, wipe out a group of bandits with ‘Ancient Magic’.

The priests kept firing a barrage of flames until all the bandits were annihilated. And even when the enemy surrendered, they did not stop.

That was one of the reasons why I thought I’m not a match for the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

After all, their ‘Ancient Magic’ truly specializes in combat.

“If I could use more powerful magic in my previous life, maybe Lyle wouldn’t have had to kill me, too…”

The ‘Ancient Magic’ of this era is managed by the ‘Magic Guild’.

As far I’m concerned, judging from the tutor Kachel who is a member of the guild…it’s not an organization I’d want to get too close to.

‘Master. My fellow bats have found another ‘Large Rabbit’’

Dick suddenly announces.

“You have allies?”

‘When I told them about master, all of them wanted to serve you’

The moment Dick said that, a black shadow appeared in the sky.

Looking up, I saw a large swarm of bats flying around.

There are about 40 or 50 of them. This is amazing.

‘I wanted everyone to understand how amazing master is’

The bat, Dick, spread its wings proudly.

‘My fellow bats know these mountains well. Please think of this mountain as master’s territory’

“That’s very helpful. You’re a good servant, Dick”

‘I am honored to accept such a praise, master’

I stroked Dick’s head with my fingertip as it got onto my shoulder.

If the bats led by Dick are on our side, I could get all sorts of information.

This is a good opportunity. I will use this mountain as my base of operations.

“Pick a few liaisons for me. Tell me if there are any monsters they can’t handle, or when a hostile intruder comes. I will wield my power in return for their service to me”

‘Thank you very much for your kindness’

As soon as Dick bowed, the bats in the sky squeaked in unison.

“Now then, show me where the next ‘Large Rabbit’ is”

‘Yes, master! This way’

Together with the bat, Dick, I kicked a branch and headed for my next prey.

I finished checking my skills.

Flight. Magical Blood. Stealth. Ice Magic. Servant Creation. Multi-Species Linguistics. Everything works.

I will make full use of these skills and do my best to continue pretending to be human in this life.

“Let’s hunt a few more monsters before returning to the mansion. With a plan, too”

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Chapter 2 Part 1

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Chapter 2 – The Former Demon King, Confirming The Skills From His Previous Life

Yuuki Grossalia, the second son of the baron Grossalia Family.

That’s my name now.

It has been three years since I regained my memories, and I have finally adapted myself to both the memories of my previous life and my current memories.

I’m Dean Nosferatu, the ‘Immortal Mage, Lord of Nosferatu’, and Yuuki Grossalia, the second son of the Grossalia Family.

And now, I’ve come to accept either memory calmly.

“Even so…I wonder what that voice was back then”

I remembered the moment before I was reincarnated.

Getting stabbed by Lyle was part of my plan. And so, I have been thinking about the events that followed after I was killed.

I gave some of my blood to a bat familiar in advance so that it could adapt to my magic.

After getting stabbed by Lyle, I was supposed to transfer my soul into the bat’s body.

But…it failed miserably.

It was the first time I used that magic, and it was also the first time I died. I guess that’s why it was inevitable to have failed as well.

After the soul transfer magic had failed, I heard that voice.

‘…Do you wish to reincarnate?’ said the voice, and then I lost consciousness.

The next thing I knew, I was reincarnated as a human.

Who reincarnated me?

…I don’t know. At the moment, there’s no way to find that out.

“I wonder how long has it been since then”

I sat down on a chair in my room.

There’s a desk, a chair, and a bed in my room. On the desk is a book on noble etiquette. Hanging on the wall is the wooden sword I use for sword practice.

When I stand in front of the mirror, my current figure is reflected on it.

Black hair, black eyes. The looks…well, not bad, I guess.

I don’t look very strong, but that’s to be expected at the age of thirteen.

My height is a little taller compared to the children of the same age group.

This is the current me, the second son of the Grossalia Family, Yuuki Grossalia.

This place is the family’s territory. It’s a long distance from the Royal Capital as it is located in the countryside.

There are three children in the Grossalia Family.

The legitimate children, Xellos nii-sama and the little sister, Rumia. And then there’s me, Yuuki.

I’m not a descendant from the first wife. In other words, I’m an illegitimate child.

My Father is the Baron Georg Grossalia. His first wife, Teremia-sama, died shortly after giving birth to Rumia. Neither I nor Rumia can remember her face. The rest of the people in this mansion are just servants.

……Oh, there’s one more person, but he doesn’t fall within that category.

Anyway, I’m an illegitimate child. I, who is not a child of the first wife, have no right to inherit the Grossalia Family.

Therefore, I’ll have to decide my own future soon.

Do I leave the house and enroll into a school somewhere? Or, do I become an adventurer?

“Hmm…but before that, I should learn more about humans”

Dean Nosferatu tried to blend into the human world and failed.

Before he took up residence in the old castle, he was ostracized as a monster, and after he took up residence in the old castle, he helped the villagers of the ‘Fila Village’ as their guardian deity. That’s what had happened.

I wasn’t a human in my previous life.

In the truest sense, the current me isn’t really a human either.

Even now that I’ve been reincarnated, I still have the skills from my previous life. The blood as well, is still ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ that contains a large amount of magic power.

After I get past puberty, I probably won’t age as well.

Eventually, I’ll deviate further away from what is defined as being a human.

That’s why I will try to master the art of ‘being a human’ in this life.

I will study what it means to be a human while I’m still a child. When I stop growing and aging, I will use the results of my research to somehow blend in with the humans.

“Let’s use magic for that purpose. In order to know the humans and blend in with them”

‘Kii Kii’

Before I knew it, I heard a cry from outside the window.

It’s a bat.

“Did you come from the mountains?”

‘……Kii’

The bat didn’t fly away even after I opened the window and called out to it.

For a long time, bats are always attracted to me.

That’s why I got the ‘Vampire King, Vampire Lord’ nickname.

“Good timing. Would you be willing to accompany me on my magic experiments?”

‘Kii?’

“Hold on a minute”

I cut my fingertips with a dagger.

Then, I held out my blood-tinged fingers to the bat.

“This is my blood. It’s called ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ and it contains a large amount of magic power. Drink this and you will become my underling, but in return, you will gain wisdom and power. So, what will you do?”

‘…Kii’

The bat stuck out its tongue and licked the blood on my finger.

The wound on my finger will disappear soon.

Because the ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ has both healing and purification abilities, so it’s perfect for sterilization, too.

‘…Nice to meet you, master’

said the bat.

Other than me, anyone else should only be able to hear, ‘Kii Kii’.

‘I’m grateful for receiving this amazing power. Thanks to master’s blood, we are now able to communicate like this. It’s truly convenient, so please accept my regards’

It’s a success. Even after I’ve reincarnated, my ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ is still effective.

Just as in my previous life, it is possible to create servants by giving them my blood.

However, they cannot become my servant without giving me their consent, nor do I have complete control over my servants. It is just something like ‘I will give you some magic power, but in return, please help me out’.

Even so, people were still wary of me in my previous life. Even though I don’t suck blood, I was still called a vampire.

“I’ve just awakened to my power, too. So I’ll be counting on you”

I patted the bat’s head.

“This may be a bit of a sudden, but do you know of any places where I could experiment with magic?”

‘I think the mountains behind this mansion would be good. It is also the place where I live’

I nodded at the bat resting on my shoulder.

‘But you need to be careful, because there are monsters lurking in the shadows of the mountains’

“What kind of monsters are they?”

‘They’re the Dark Bears, Guinea Owls, and Large Rabbits’

“In that case, I can handle it just fine”

‘You’re amazing, master! If I encountered a monster, I’d have flown away!’

“I’ll be there at night. You’ll have to guide me then”

‘Yes, I’ll be waiting for you, master!’

With that said, the bat flew away.

I was able to confirm that I could use the skills from my previous life.

Let’s do a full-scale experiment after I reach the mountains behind the mansion at night.

While I was thinking about that—‘Knock-knock’, there was the sound of someone knocking on the door.

“Yuuki nii-sama. This is Rumia. Are you there?”

From the other side of the door came the voice of my little sister, Rumia.

“Rumia has come to see nii-sama. Can you open the door, Yuuki nii-sama?”

Seems like Rumia has sneaked into this building again.

There are two buildings on the grounds of Grossalia Family’s mansion.

One is the main building where Father, Xellos nii-sama, and my little sister, Rumia live in.

The other building that is detached from the main building is the one that I live in.

The detached building is a small two-story building, and the only people here are me and my maid, Martha.

It’s connected to the main building through a connecting corridor, but I’ve been told not to show my face there.

“Xellos nii-sama told you not to come here, didn’t he? Rumia”

“I think it’s only natural for the little sister to come and see her brother”

The door was opened, and a blonde girl appeared.

She is a petite girl with big, cherry blossom eyes.

This is my little sister Rumia. She will be ten years old this year.

“It’s time for dinner, so I’ve come to call Yuuki nii-sama in behalf of Martha”

said Rumia, fiddling with her fingers.

“I wish to talk to nii-sama on the way to the dining hall”

“About my current situation?”

“Yes, that’s right”

“I woke up this morning and had my breakfast. After reading the books to get into public school, Father tried to teach me swordsmanship, but Xellos nii-sama took that from me. After lunch, I swung a wooden sword alone. And that brings us to now”

“I think nii-sama should be more considerate of a girl’s feelings”

“Why are you angry?”

“I’m not angry”

“Well anyway, let’s go halfway together. Rumia”

I took Rumia’s hand.

“Yes. Nii-sama!”

Rumia immediately broke into a smile.

Geez, I don’t understand humans after all….

The Baron’s buildings are old. The severed Grossalia Family was taken over by Father, who made a name for himself in the war. Since the territory is not even that rich, the mansion couldn’t be rebuilt, and is being occupied as it is.

This is in the north of the Royal Capital, and it’s extremely cold during the winter.

The specialties here are fruits and furs. So far, there’s no unsavory characters showing up here.

The inhabitants of this mansion are Father, Xellos nii-sama, me, Rumia, and the rest are the servants, and my maid, Martha.

There’s also one more person who is a magic instructor.

The guards guarding the mansion commute in from the nearby villages. There are always a few stationed guards, so the mansion is surprisingly lively. Though, the detached building is rather deserted.

“There’s a lot of cold drafts here in the detached building. Nii-sama”

“I wonder if there’s some kind of magic that can help”

“It would be nice to have a magic item like that”

“Maybe the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ where nii-sama is aiming for has it”

Our brother, Xellos Grossalia, is aiming to become a trainee in the Royal Capital’s magic guild.

The ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ is a huge organization that combines the institute of magic education and research.

It seems that one can learn the powerful ‘Ancient Magic’ by becoming a guild trainee there.

The guild includes high ranking nobles such as the Duke and Marquis, as well as the royal family.

For this reason, it is a status symbol for the nobles to have their children join the magic guild.

That’s why the Grossalia Family hired a private tutor and is trying to get nii-sama into the magic guild.

I’m interested in it as well…but honestly, I don’t want to get involved.

Because when I think of the ‘Ancient Magic’, I would only be reminded of the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

But still…how many years have passed since my previous life…?

I don’t think it has been a mere ten or twenty years.

Since my reincarnation, the names of the countries, royal families or nobles that I had learned, there were none of them that I knew of. It has been thirteen years since I became a human, but I’ve never even heard of the name ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’.

Is that how long time has passed?

I really wonder what happened to the world after my first death.

“—Yuuki nii-sama, are you listening?”

“Sorry. I wasn’t listening. What were you saying?”

“It’s the usual revision. I’ll read to nii-sama what I had learned today, so please listen”

Rumia begins to hum a verse from a poem.

This poem existed in my era as well. It is used to learn the pronunciation needed for chanting  magic.

“……so, how was it? Nii-sama”

“The name that came up first, its pronunciation was weird. And the last phrase was too fast. I faintly remember the original, are you trying to deceive me?”

“……Uuuu. I wasn’t even exposed by Father…”

“Rumia, your pronunciation often stutters. You should try to slow down and be aware of your tongue movement”

“‘Roiii’, like this?”

“Try taking longer breaths”

“I’ll give it a try, nii-sama”

This reminds me of my previous life.

Back then, I used to teach the children in the village with their studies.

They used to come to the old castle where I lived every morning.

The room where I died wasn’t a Throne Room or anything, it was just a classroom. In that classroom, I was the teacher for the village for about 120 years.

Come to think of it, before I even knew it, the literacy rate in ‘Fila Village’ had reached 100%, and travelers from the Royal Capital were surprised by that as well.

After I was reincarnated, I was taught by butlers and maids.

The only child within the Grossalia Family that has a private tutor is Xellos nii-sama, the legitimate child.

As for me, I’m already glad that I could learn the knowledge of this era, so I don’t have any complaints at all….

…Rumia whined to me, ‘I can’t keep up with my studies’.

Inadvertently as I comfort her, it has become a habit.

I have told Rumia to keep it a secret. And since nobody has said anything about it yet, it seems that they’ve yet to find out that I have been teaching her magic and her typical studies at the moment.

“—‘those who control the flame’  ‘O, the great bearers of light’— What do nii-sama think?”

“Your pronunciation is getting better. You can ask Father for advice later. You might soon be able to proceed to magic activation”

“…I want nii-sama to see Rumia, too”

“I told you not to tell anyone about me, didn’t I?”

“Then, next time. Nii-sama. Next time…”

“We’re running out of time. Rumia”

Before we knew it, we found ourselves on the first floor of the detached building.

Straight ahead is the dining hall. Turn left, and there will be the connecting corridor leading to the main building.

“I’m going to the dining hall in this building. Rumia’s destination will be the dining hall in the main building”

I let go of Rumia’s hand.

“Go on, get going. Father and Xellos nii-sama are waiting for you”

“Rumia wants to have a meal with nii-sama”

Rumia puffed out her cheeks.

“Why can’t nii-sama join us as well?”

“I can’t eat over there. You know that”

“Father said he doesn’t mind if nii-sama wants to!”

Did Father say that to Rumia?

That’s sly.

Father should understand that I can’t go to the main building with that man around.

“Let’s go together. Nii-sama will be going to school sometime this year, right?”

“I haven’t decided what to do yet”

“Nii-sama is excellent, so it shouldn’t be a problem getting into any school. For sure!”

Rumia grasped my hands tightly with her small hands.

“Nii-sama’s teaching method is easier to understand than anybody else’s. If it’s nii-sama, I think nii-sama can even receive a certified full proficiency in magic from the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’!”

“You have overestimated me too much”

“I don’t think so!”

“That’s because Rumia hasn’t had a private tutor yet. Rumia will change her mind when she gets a proper tutor in a couple of years”

“I will never change my mind”

Rumia looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Nii-sama is all Rumia needs. Something like a private tutor, I don’t need it!”

“You’re being too loud”

“……Let’s eat together, Yuuki nii-sama”

“Rumia”

“I’m sure nii-sama will someday become a great man beyond the reach of Rumia. So for now, I want to be with nii-sama as much as possible. Please…”

“Don’t be selfish. Rumia ojou-sama”

A voice came from the main building.

As we looked towards where the voice came from, there stood a man with ash gray hair.

Standing right behind him is a blond boy, that’s our brother, Xellos.

“One should know their place, that is important for those who are involved in magic. The first wife’s child, Rumia ojou-sama, and the illegitimate child, Yuuki-dono, are not allowed to sit together at the same dining table”

The ash gray-haired man looked at me as he said that.

The man’s name is Kachel Mieghem.

He’s the private tutor hired by Father to get Xellos nii-sama into the ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’.

“I’ll say it over and over again. An illegitimate child should feel lucky just to be in this mansion”

said the tutor Kachel.

I don’t like his tone, but what he said is right.

I’m the child Father had with a local woman when he went to war.

That’s why I’m not a legitimate child, but an illegitimate child. I’m just lucky to have been taken into this mansion.

I think Father is overall a pretty good guy for a nobleman.

In the middle of a war, an ordinary nobleman would have left behind the child that they had after inadvertently having fallen in love with a local woman.

Even more so when the woman passed away and only sent a will stating, “Please take care of this child”.

But still, Father took me in.

Everyone in the family accepted me with no issue as well.

However, the situation changed three years ago when the tutor Kachel arrived.

“Yuuki-dono…no, Yuuki-kun, you may not know this, but people have a certain status that they are born with”

“I know”

“Oh? Let us hear it”

“The highest-ranking species are humans. Next is the demi-human such as Elves. Monsters that have intelligence are the lowest such as Lich, Vampires, etc.”

“Then what is the ranking in a noble’s household?”

“Father is the highest rank, the head of the family. Next is the first wife, Teremia-sama. Then, Xellos nii-sama, Rumia-sama, the legitimate children…and below that is me, the illegitimate child, Yuuki Grossalia”

“You’re wrong about one thing. You have no right to claim the family name of Grossalia”

“I apologize”

“Kachel-sensei!!”

“Yes? Rumia ojou-sama”

“Please correct your statement! Yuuki nii-sama is Rumia’s nii-sama and a member of the Grossalia Family!!”

“Is that so? Xellos-sama”

……Don’t ask nii-sama. You know you’re an adult.

“I’ve taught you what it’s like to be a legitimate child of nobility, haven’t I? Have you forgotten about that?”

“……An illegitimate child is no different than commoners”

Xellos nii-sama turned his gaze away from me and Rumia.

“Nobles are not allowed to dine with commoners. I, as the one above, have to be aware of my nobility”

“What did your older brother say? Rumia-sama”

“……nii-sama”

“Why don’t you go to the dining hall? Rumia”

I pushed Rumia on the back.

“I’m not too keen on eating at the main building either. So I will eat with my maid, Martha, in the annex”

“……I understand. Yuuki nii-sama”

Rumia nodded with teary eyes.

The status system, huh? As usual, humans like that kind of thing, don’t they?

“May I ask you a question, Kachel-sensei?”

I turned to the tutor Kachel and asked.

“How many years has it been since the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ once discovered Ancient Magic and Artifacts within the Holy Grounds—or rather, the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’?”

“Don’t speak the name ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ lightly. That’s a taboo!”

Tutor Kachel exclaimed.

“However, I will answer your question. This year marks 220 years since the discovery of the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’. It is a mercy to answer your question. Otherwise, you will probably be asking anybody this insensitive question”

With that, Kachel walked away.

“……The ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ is a taboo?”

That kind of organization?

The organization that found the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’ and obtained a large number of relics…?

Really, that’s how much time has passed….

In my previous life, I died 20 years after the ‘Sanctuary Church, Elysium Temple’ discovered the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’.

In other words, currently, it has been 200 years since my death.

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Chapter 1 – Memories Of The Previous Life

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Dean Nosferatu.

He’s the ‘Immortal Mage’ who lived for two hundred years, and the ‘Vampire King’ who uses blood as a medium for magic.

He is also known as ‘The lone Demon King who lives deep in the mountains’.

No one knows when the mage was born.

All is known of him is that he lives in an ancient castle on the frontier and continues to study magic in secret.

As the name ‘Immortal Mage’ implies, he remained young even after two hundred years.

It is said that he has monsters as his underlings that secretly scout the world, too.

The enigmatic ‘Immortal Mage’ Dean.

In spite of being called that, my time has now finally coming to an end.

“I’m impressed you’ve made it this far, Lyle Carmine”

I said to the one who came in through the door.

This place is my, Dean Nosferatu’s castle and here’s the innermost chamber.

It’s a large stone room with a carpet on the floor.

“…………So here you are. The Demon King…Dean Nosferatu”

The person who came in can be described as a young man, too.

He appears to be in his mid-twenties and is clutching a sword with both hands.

He is wearing a cloth suit and leather armor. His hair is scraggly, and his stubble is growing out.

Perhaps he has not slept for a long time. His eyes are sunken, with dark circles around them.

He is too shabby to be called the Hero.

The only respectable thing is the Holy Sword he holds in his hand.

But there’s no doubt that he came here with resolve.

I’ll have to respond accordingly.

“Follower of the ‘Sanctuary Church’. You’re trembling. And yet, you call yourself a Hero?”

“…………”

“You don’t even know how to hold a sword properly and you also seem to be nervous. Even so, do you really think you can kill this ‘Lone Demon King’ Dean Nosferatu?”

“…………”

“Come, Lyle Carmine, the Hero! This Dean Nosferatu will deal with you with all his might!”

“…………Da-”

“What’s wrong!? Are you chickening out!? And yet, you still call yourself a Hero!!”

“…………Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da!”

*Bam!*

“Damn ittttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Lyle slammed the Holy Sword on the floor and shouted.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn ittttttt!!!!!! What is this farce!!”

“It’s a farce”

“Damn it, my Lord!! Why do I have to kill you!!”

“Don’t cry, you idiot. Just quickly pick up the sword and stick to the scenario, Lyle”

“…………My Lord”

“I thought we’ve made up our minds? In order to convince the ‘Sanctuary Church’ that you, the village chief, will kill Dean Nosferatu known as ‘The Immortal Mage’, ‘The Vampire King’ and ‘The Lone Demon King’” |Note: The Author labelled above the words ‘Sanctuary Church’ as Elysium Temple so both are interchangeable|

“What’s with the ‘Vampire King’! You never sucked blood, not even once!”

“Beats me”

After all, I’ve never called myself a ‘Vampire’ in the first place.

But I’m certainly a different creature from humans.

I don’t know when I was born.

The next thing I know, I’m already wandering the world in this form.

The reason I don’t age is because I have an ability to absorb the magic power permeating throughout the world.

My blood has magic power hundreds of times greater than that of humans.

Because it circulates around inside my body, I don’t age or get sick. Therefore, this is an innate ability that even I couldn’t do anything about it.

The reason they called me a ‘Vampire’ is because I used my own blood as research material for magic.

My blood has massive amount of magic power, so it is the perfect catalyst for my research on magic.

I came to this land a hundred and fifty years ago.

For the previous fifty years, I had been a wanderer, treated as a monster and chased by people.

Honestly, I don’t even want to remember it.

I consider finding this old castle on the frontier to be the greatest blessing I’ve ever had in my life.

From then on, it was a peaceful life.

On the mountain where the old castle was located, there were easygoing people who accepted me as a normal part of their lives.

Before I knew it, I had become the village’s guardian deity and quietly continued my research on magic.

I thought that such a life would go on forever, however….

Everything changed when a plague broke out—.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, my Lord!”

Lyle clenched his fists and burst into tears.

“You are the guardian deity of our village, our ageless parent, our family, our Lord and our teacher! You didn’t even perform any evil acts, so why do you have to die!!”

“As I said, stop crying and don’t shout. Aren’t you’re a village chief and the parent of a child?”

“If only the ‘Death Crest Disease’ hadn’t spread, none of this would have happened! You were only protecting the village, but those people from the ‘Sanctuary Church’………!!”

Jeez.

Lyle has always been a crybaby.

The ‘Death Crest Disease’ is a disease that began to spread a year ago.

When infected, black crests would appear on both arms, causing high fever and even death.

It seems that thousands of people had died in the Royal Capital.

The ‘Sanctuary Church’, a religious group in this country seems to be having a hard time dealing with it, too.

They preached that repentance of sin would cure the disease and instructed the patients to purify their bodies with Holy Water.

Even so, the death toll did not diminish, to the point where there’s not enough land in the Royal Capital to bury the dead.

Despite that, the ‘Sanctuary Church’ wasn’t criticized.

They did their best, so neither the people nor I have anything to complain about.

The problem is that not a single person died in our village.

In this ‘Fila Village’, I’ve taken thorough measures.

First of all, as soon as I heard the rumor of the ‘Death Crest Disease’, I’d quarantine all those suspected of being infected with the disease in this castle.

I knew from the past experience that epidemics are often airborne.

For example, even if it was a slight fever, I’d separate them from the others, and continued to take care of them until their fever went down.

I couldn’t catch a human disease, so it was the best way to take care of them.

The villagers were given filters made of the air-purifying ‘Ranimaru’s grass’ to cover their mouths.

Of course, I also made sure that they wash their hands and rinse their mouths thoroughly.

As a result, only five people in the village were infected, and no one died.

Only Alice—Lyle’s daughter, who had the most severe symptoms of all, had to be treated with my blood, but she is making good progress and is now well and has returned to the village.

However, the village attracted the attention of the ‘Sanctuary Church’ as not even a single person died.

The priests of the ‘Sanctuary Church’ summoned the village chief, Lyle and questioned him.

“How come no one died in your village?”, he asked.

They knew who I was.

And being the monster, I am just the right thing for them to lay the blame on.

So they said,

The ‘Immortal Mage’, Dean Nosferatu, may be responsible for the spread of the ‘Death Crest Disease’.

The reason why no one died in the ‘Fila Village’ is because the ‘Immortal Mage’ used his evil magic to turn the villagers into his underlings.

Then the ‘Sanctuary Church’ ordered the villagers of ‘Fila Village’.

‘If you are not made the servants of evil magic, kill Dean Nosferatu with this Holy Sword. This will prove that ‘Fila Village’ is innocent’, they said.

With the approval of the royal family.

They handed over a deed that if I’m killed, ‘Fila Village’ will become innocent.

To made sure of that, they sent their ‘Holy Knights’ to the village.

So that when Lyle fails to kill me, they would punish the villagers.

As a result, the village chief, Lyle came to kill me.

“Why me—why me! Why do I have to kill my Lord!! Even though you are our most beloved family member!!!!!!!!!”

“You know what, Lyle”

“What am I supposed to tell my daughter, Alice…she won’t even listen to me when she said she’d be your wife…”

“Because that child is still young. When she gets older, you’ll have to find her a human partner”

“Please, my Lord. Just run away…. As for the ‘Sanctuary Church’, we’ll try to cover it up. Beyond this old castle is the mountains. Those guys from the ‘Sanctuary Church’ can’t chase you that far. If they come after you, we’ll hold them off even if we have to fight, so…!”

“Do you even know what kind of organization the ‘Sanctuary Church’ is?”

“…………”

See? All quiet now.

The ‘Sanctuary Church’ is a powerful fighting organization that monopolizes ‘Ancient Magic’ and ‘Ancient Artifacts’.

They use what they found in the place known as the Holy Grounds to encroach on the royal families and nobles of various countries.

Even Lyle should know what would happen to make an enemy of them.

“If you let me go, all of you will be the ones to be hunted. Even the surrounding villages and towns will become the enemies of ‘Fila Village’”

“…Ugh”

“That’s enough. Give up and kill me, Lyle Carmine”

Time is running out.

I hear footsteps approaching. It’s probably the Holy Knights.

Because this is a small castle, so I guess there’s also a limit to how much time the people in the village can buy.

*Bam!*

The door of the room was slammed open, and the Holy Knights of the ‘Sanctuary Church’ barged in.

“The ‘Lone Demon King’, Dean Nosferatu!!” “We, the ‘Holy Knights’, will hammer you down!”

“—Wh-!?”

In response to the Holy Knight’s voice, Lyle held up the Holy Sword.

—Now’s the time.

“Foolish Holy Knights, do you think that you can defeat this Dean Nosferatu! For starters, I’m going to give this villager a bloodbath!!”

I jumped into the air.

Seeing that, Lyle was surprised.

And I fell on top of Lyle.

—Just as my heart hit the tip of the sword—

And then—

“—This hurts more than I expected”

Lyle’s holy sword has certainly pierced my chest.

That’s good.

“……‘My Lord’…you”

“…Don’t cry, you idiot”

Well, it wasn’t a bad life.

I never had children, but I did have a family of sorts.

Though I failed in the end.

Failing to live in hiding, being spotted by a huge organization, and being cornered helplessly….

But that’s okay. I think this is good enough.

“…Listen, after having me go through this much trouble, don’t mess this up, understand?”

“…U, uaa”

Lyle nodded silently at my instruction. Good.

I pushed Lyle’s shoulder and backed away from him.

“……As expected of the Hero”

I said.

At that moment, blood gushed out of my mouth.

It hurts. Really.

After all, I’m not an immortal just because I don’t age.

I will bleed if I’m stabbed with a sword, and if I’m fatally wounded…I will die.

My consciousness fades away…as my vision…becomes blurry.

I can’t get a good look at the blood-soaked Lyle and his holy sword.

Even so, I signaled him with my eyes. Without using any words, I convey to him.

…Lyle. You still have things to do, don’t you? So don’t just be in a daze.

Get ready. Take a breath and shout. Now.

“…Well, the evil mage Dean Nosferatu has been killed by the village chief, Lyle Carmine of ‘Fila Village’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

—You have done well, Lyle.

This is as far as I go. I’ll leave the rest to you.

I will do what I need to do next….

(…Deploying magic. Freeing the soul from the body…)

I activated the magic I had prepared.

I knew this would happen, so I had a plan in place to deal with it afterwards.

There’s a bat…by the window.

I’ll now separate my soul from this body and transfer it into a bat familiar.

And by doing so, I can continue to live on in the bat…but—

Suddenly—I lost my strength.

…This is bad. I’m losing consciousness faster than I thought….

I need to…use…the soul transfer magic.

………Did it fail?

Guess it can’t be helped…huh.

I’ve failed a lot. I really did.

I should have gotten to know the humans better before all this happened.

Maybe that way, I wouldn’t have to involve the peace of Lyle and the others, too.

If there’s a next time, I’m going to study humans properly, and try to live like one—

“—Do you wish to reincarnate?”

A voice called out.

“You——have met the requirements for the reincarnation”

“——Thus, reincarnation is possible”

“Do you wish to reincarnate——in this world again?”

(…If possible)

I replied unconsciously.

“I’ve confirmed your consent”

The voice slowly fades away.

No, it’s my consciousness that’s fading away.

‘You will be reincarnated as a human’

And at the end of that voice, I lost consciousness—

“…see you”

I don’t know if I uttered those last words myself, or if it was just a thought,

It was like Lyle just nodded at it, or maybe it was just the way I felt,

Even now, I still don’t know.

That’s what I remembered on my 10th birthday.

Three years have passed since I regained the memories of my previous life. Currently, I’m thirteen years old.

I was reincarnated as the second son of a Baron family and continue to live on as it is.

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