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

56 The Protagonist’s Power

I’ve decided to get along with Julia. That’s why it’s better if she becomes stronger. She needs to be able to protect herself and overcome difficulties.

If she becomes strong, she might gain the ability to kill me. But that’s irrelevant. I want to get along with Julia, and for that, I need to guide her properly. It’ll be beneficial for both of us.

I’m happy to see the protagonist getting stronger. As long as the safety of those close to me is ensured, that’s all the better. Julia can be of use to me, and at the same time, she’ll gain the power to protect people like Stell.

So, I’ll go see how Julia is doing. Right now, she’s training with her sword.

“Julia, how’s your magical power adjustment going?”

“I think it’s going well. With this, I should be able to protect Rex-sama.”

I’m happy and grateful, but Rex’s character won’t allow it. If I keep putting on an act like this, I might eventually lose sight of my true feelings.

I’m only acting like this because I don’t want to be executed as a traitor. And also to ensure the safety of those close to me. That’s why, at least for now, I can’t stop acting.

Maybe someday, when I can reveal my true feelings and live a peaceful life with everyone, that’ll be great. But for now, it’s impossible.

“What do you think? I’m not weak enough to be protected.”

“That’s not true. I want to be of use to you. Do you have any advice?”

When it comes to non-attribute magic, there’s a lot of information from the original story. It’s simple, but the magic efficiency is good. If we use the same amount of magic, we can usually win against most magic.

That means magic operation becomes crucial. How do we use it against the enemy? How do we converge our magic? In other words, if we can operate our magic skillfully, we can become stronger.

The basic idea is to converge our magic and strike. We can change the density and speed, so we need to find a way to do that.

“Can you move your magic in a circular motion on the palm of your hand?”

“I’ll give it a try. This is tough, though…”

I can move it lightly, but I can’t get it to form a circle. If I could do that, I could apply it in various ways. Well, it’s not something I can master overnight. I’ll have to watch and learn slowly.

“Watch this. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Having a model to follow makes all the difference. So, I’ll show off my magic control. My magic draws a circle and changes its size at the same time. If I can do that, even Phyllis would praise me.

“Wow, Rex-sama! You’re so skilled despite how difficult it is!”

“Your magic is close to pure magical power. The precision of your control and the amount of magic you have make all the difference. What I just did was to train your control precision.”

“I get it. I’ll work hard. By the way, how do I increase my magical power?”

“Basically, you just need to keep using it. But if you exceed your limits, it’ll have the opposite effect. It’s crucial to find that balance. For now, let someone else observe you.”

Overdoing muscle training can lead to muscle collapse. It’s similar to that. Well, there aren’t many people who can push their limits that far, but Julia might be able to. As the protagonist, she’s a hard worker.

“That’s right. So, I’ll practice with Lana-sama or Millra-sensei.”

“Millra can at least see magical power. So, it’s okay.”

“Rex-sama, show me some magic! I want to know how strong I need to be!”

“It’s not possible here. Let’s move to a place where we won’t affect anyone else.”

I move to a place without any bystanders. If I use dark magic in a place with people, it might affect Julia. The compatibility between non-attribute magic and dark magic is bad, like the relationship between “paper” and “rock” in rock-paper-scissors.

If there’s a huge difference in magical power, it might be possible to neutralize it. But I want to verify that first. If I get hurt, no one will gain anything.

So, I concentrate my dark magic and unleash my blade. I cut through the metal in front of me, causing a massive explosion.

As expected, it’s incredibly powerful. That’s why it’s hard to use in a team fight. It’s normal to end up affecting allies.

“Watch this. This is my technique, Dark Blade.”

“It’s… Rex-sama’s technique is amazing! I’ll work hard to be able to help you!”

I feel like I’ve seen her determination in her eyes. My power is overwhelming, even if I say so myself. Seeing that, she can work hard to rely on me. She’s an amazing person. Compared to me, she’s clearly…

I want to keep working hard so I won’t lose to her brilliance. I want to be worthy of being important to her.

And so, Julia continued her training. I also continued to research the fusion of dark magic and sword techniques. It’s still far from complete, but I’ve seen a glimmer of hope.

When I meet Julia again, she runs up to me with a smile.

“Ah, Rex-sama! I’ve finally mastered making my magic circular!”

“Indeed, you’ve done it. So, can you concentrate your magic now?”

“I think so… like this?”

This is the basics of the protagonist’s technique, Brave Blade. She concentrates her magic and slashes with her sword. It’s a simple technique, but it’s been effective against many enemies in the original story.

“Try slashing with it. Let’s set up a target.”

I use my magic to create a wall in front of Julia, with an iron armor behind it. When Julia uses Brave Blade, both the wall and the armor are blown away.

“This is… my power…”

“It’s a simple technique. But it’s everything to you. Well, you can change its form, but…”

“So, I need to increase my magical power. Ah, that’s why we talked about magical power earlier, right?”

She’s perceptive. Well, it’s basic, but increasing magical power allows you to do more things. That’s true for any attribute of magic.

But especially for non-attribute magic, the impact is huge. Since you can only use simple techniques, it’s hard to do complex things.

“That’s right. The amount of magical power directly affects its power.”

“Next, I need to improve my concentration. So, control precision is crucial!”

“Exactly. Your ability is simple, but that’s why its power is high. Don’t neglect your training!”

“Of course not! Rex-sama is incredibly strong. I won’t rest until I catch up to you!”

When I saw his eyes, I felt a sense of crisis. I sensed his determination. I didn’t want to be forced to do something I didn’t want to do, and it would be pointless anyway.

“Wait. Take a proper rest. This isn’t about being kind. It’s essential for efficiency. Don’t you understand? If you overuse your magic, it won’t increase.”

“Ah, you said so, Rex-sama. But…”

“Resting isn’t laziness. It’s necessary for efficient training. Phyllis and Erena would say the same thing.”

I knew that excessive training would have a negative effect, and that’s why rest was necessary. I didn’t want Julia to live a life without joy or purpose. As someone who couldn’t do anything, I had to nail it down.

“I understand. It’s for Rex-sama’s sake.”

“That’s good. Don’t think about hiding and pushing yourself too hard.”

Julia nodded. I’ll keep an eye on her for now. If she overexerts herself, it won’t be good in many ways.

I should keep a close eye on Julia for the future as well.