I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Who Gets Killed Midway Through the Story but It Looks Like I’ll Be Executed as a Traitor if I Try to Do Good Deeds

13 Rex’s Prayer

However, I couldn’t come up with a starting point. If I suddenly brought up the concept of good and evil, it would only lead to backlash. At worst, I might be reported to my father as a troublemaker, and that would be the end of me. That’s why I need to tread carefully. But I still have to correct the original story’s trajectory. It’s a tough challenge.

“I won’t rush, but I won’t delay either. It’s difficult, but I have to survive. I need to do it with all my might.”

I reaffirmed my determination. Yet, I still couldn’t think of a method.

After agonizing for several days, a chance came from an unexpected direction. My sister came to talk to me.

“Brother, I heard you presented a sword to your sister. Can I get a staff too, Mary?”

Mary, with her upward gaze, has an adorable doll-like quality. Although we share the same black hair and eyes, our impressions are completely different. Her bobbed hair, high-pitched voice, and short stature all contribute to her cuteness. She’s only a year younger than me, but she has a childish air about her.

Even this adorable Mary is a villain in “Destiny Blood.”

As for the staff, if it’s possible to create a sword, I might be able to make one too. But I’m not sure if it’ll work out.

“It’s not easy to make a staff right away. Swords and staffs are different, after all.”

“I’ll wait if you try your best, Brother.”

Mary doesn’t say “you’re not good enough” even when I’m not doing well, which shows her good upbringing. She’s someone who can be easily influenced, which is why she became a villain in the original story. But if I can guide her, she might be able to change her ways.

“Thanks. By the way, why do you call me ‘Brother’ when there are two brothers?”

“? Brother is just Brother, that’s all.”

What does she mean? It’s not like we’re not related by blood. If that were the case, our father wouldn’t treat us as family members. The possibility of her being my sister is low, judging from my brother’s attitude.

“I don’t understand, but it seems I’m the only one you call Brother.”

“That’s right. You’re the only Brother to Mary.”

I don’t understand the situation, and it’s better not to dig too deep. It’s strange that she doesn’t treat her brother as a brother. There might be a hidden landmine, and it’s better to be cautious. I might get useful information from Mary, but I’m hesitant to ask her. The risk of being disliked is too high. Maybe it’s better to ask her directly in the end. I’ll gather information on my own for now.

“Alright, I’ll prepare the staff. You can wait for a while. It might take a day or two.”

“Got it. I’ll wait, Brother.”

Mary accepts my words sincerely and leaves. If I can succeed in making the staff, we might be able to get along better. From there, I want to guide her towards a better direction. I don’t want to see her treat people outside of the magic users like trash, like in the original story.

So, I started thinking about how to make the staff. Since the roles of swords and staffs are clearly different, I’ll consider that.

“The difference between swords and staffs is simple. You don’t directly hit with it, and magic power flows through it easily.”

The role of the staff is to make it easier to activate magic. If I intervene unnecessarily, it might have the opposite effect. There’s a limit to the number of staffs I can experiment with, and I need to gather some hypotheses.

“I wish I had a way to enhance magic. I’ll ask Phyllis about it.”

So, I decided to ask Phyllis during class. How can I use dark magic to enhance the staff?

“…Answer. The key is how to utilize the invasion of dark magic. For example, if you let the magic power flow through the staff, you might be able to change the properties of the magic.”

“Thanks, Phyllis. I’ll try it out right away.”

I experimented with it, but the result was that the properties of the magic power changed, and it didn’t exactly get stronger. Besides, if I change the properties of my magic power, Mary would have to learn multiple types of magic. The magic she uses with the staff and the magic she uses without it.

“It’s still difficult. Enhancing Mary’s magic is the priority, after all.”

In the end, I got stuck, and for several days, I was stuck in the same place. Phyllis’s method seemed to be effective for enhancing one’s own strength. She’s experimenting with the staff I made, trying out various things. But the problem lies with Mary.

As I was grumbling, Aria and Wes arrived.

“Rex-sama, we’ve prepared tea and baked goods. Would you like to take a break?”

“Yes, Master. You must be tired. Why don’t we take a break with us?”

“Ah, that’s a relief. Let’s have some tea, then.”

I must have worried them, and the situation isn’t exactly good. Taking a short break might be important. So, I took a tea break with the maids.

The tea Aria prepared was more delicious than the one from my previous life. Maybe the brewing method is different. I’m sure I heard something about it in my previous life.

“Hmm. Tea is better when you mix it with air, isn’t it? Wait, that’s it! Air!”

There’s magic power in the air, too. I remember reading about it in the original story, and Phyllis explained it in class. If I can use dark magic to invade that magic power and contain it within the staff, I might be able to enhance the magic.

“Aria, Wes, I’ve got it!”

“Did you think of something, sir? Congratulations, Rex-sama!”

“Ah, thank you very much, Master.”

The situation where I can’t even say a sincere thank you is quite embarrassing. Still, it seems that my emotions have gotten through to Aria and Wes, which makes me happy.

Anyway, after the break, I started experimenting with incorporating magic from the air into my own magic. It was surprisingly easy to accomplish.

“I’ve successfully interfered with the magic in the air. Now, all I need to do is infuse the same magic into the staff.”

After a few failures, I finally managed to complete the staff that day. As a precaution, I had Filis test it the next day, and it worked out well. So, I decided to give the staff to Mary. The design was a slender staff about the length of two palm widths, with a dahlia flower carved at the base.

With the preparations complete, I called out to Mary, and she opened the door with a delighted expression. She probably had a hunch that it was finished.

“Mary, this is the staff I’ve made for you. Its name is Seven Luminaries (Overlimit). Please accept it.”

I had infused it with the prayer that it would surpass even the five attributes (Pentagiga). Since Mary originally had three attributes – water, earth, and wind – in the original story, I didn’t know if it would work, but that was okay. My feelings were mine alone to know. Why did I pray for Mary, the villain, to become stronger? It was simple. I wanted to prove that we could become a precious family.

“Thank you, Brother!”

Mary jumped into my arms, and just that made me happy. From now on, we could become even closer and head towards the same future. I truly believed that.

“It’s great that you’re so happy, Mary. I’m glad I worked hard for it.”

“I’ll treasure it, Brother.”

As she said, Mary carefully held the staff, Seven Luminaries (Overlimit). I hoped that this staff would weave a bond between us.

“By the way, Mary, can you use magic?”

“Not yet, Brother.”

Despite that, she had asked for the staff. It was cute, like a child. That’s why the possibilities for our future were endless.

“Then, I’ll teach you magic. Get ready, and let’s have fun!”

I would definitely create a proper relationship with Camilla and Mary, who was right in front of me. And I would head towards an ideal future.

Teaching Mary magic was the first step towards that. I would definitely make it happen.