Super-dreadnought Villainess – SS 02

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Side Story – For whom

　

　

In his room, Mithos stares at the sword given to him by his father.

　

As the eldest son and only child of the Duke of Astoria, he grew up with and studied alongside Lunaria, the current head of the foremost Duke Household. They learned everything together—academics, magic arts, swordsmanship, martial arts—and Mithos believes his father rigorously trained him in all of these areas so that he could live up to the life of a knight.

Regarding magic studies, he learned alongside Lunaria, the young lady of the Solfege family. The learning environment was incredibly favorable. Honestly, he believes he excels over other noble sons in knowledge, martial arts, and various other areas. He feels compelled to put his knowledge to good use.

He had considered waiting to inherit the family headship until something happened to his father, who was the current head of the family.

When he asked Falitus about his succession, he replied, ‘For me, it happened suddenly one day. There was no time to prepare myself mentally.’ Alicia, meanwhile, said, ‘I never intended to take the headship from Father or Mother. It’s just… well, I passed the test set by Grandfather. That’s all,’ with a scheming smile.

He thought each family had its own peculiarities, or rather, varied greatly… but Lunaria was completely different from the other two.

Her father and brother had been ensnared by her stepmother and stepsister. Though the family’s long-time servants remained, she found herself utterly alone. There was no point in relying on people who wouldn’t change back, but even so, Lunaria endured to the absolute limit. As a result of her perseverance, the Duke’s family was on the verge of being taken over. After inheriting the title, she dealt with them with terrifying speed. The eyes of his childhood friend, who had received congratulations from his father, Alicia, and Falitus, were no longer those of a young lady.

Then, shortly after she inherited the title, during a meeting, he learned of the tragedy that had befallen the original “Lunaria”.

Had she been driven to such extremes? Did she trust and cherish those people so deeply? Even though she was cornered, she believed in the possibility and took a gamble, but the result was a crushing defeat. What befell her when she chose death was, in a sense, a ‘miracle’.

The “her” that exists now entered Lunaria, erased her own death, and with masterful skill, exacted thorough revenge against her family.

While some nobles whispered that Lunaria had changed, a simple remark like, “Seeing her brother and father change so much, even she must have had enough,” was enough to quickly diminish the rumors until they faded away. The matter seemed settled with the understanding that, as a family head, Lunaria could no longer think and act as she had when she was merely a young lady.

　

“I…”

　

He wanted to help, but didn’t know how. While he hesitated, his childhood friend chose to commit suicide, and he was unable to help her. That’s the only fact that remains. Yet, a miracle occurred that prevented anyone from noticing this truth. The current Lunaria, who now exists as the “Head of the Duke of Solfege family,” is almost the same as the Lunaria of the past.

He came upon a scene in which Saint Manna was shouting “Villainess”, “Evildoer”, and “Wicked Woman”. Yet, when he shot her a cold stare, for some reason, she turned pale, flinched, and ran away. When he reported it to Lunaria just to be sure, she simply said, ‘That girl has taken a liking to you, Mithos. So she probably didn’t want to give you a bad impression. It’s a little late, though. But he had no desire to be involved with a young lady who flirts shamelessly, throws herself at men, and acts indecently everywhere she goes.

Rather than be favored by such a creature and stand beside her, he wants power. As the head of one of the Four Great Duke Families, he wants the strength to protect what truly matters next time.

He clenched his hands tightly and took a deep breath.

　

“… Okay.”

　

With determination, he walked toward the knight order’s training grounds. At this hour, his father, the commander, would likely be there, as would some members who were still practicing. If they were present, they could serve as witnesses.

He had resolved to take the emblem, the ‘Black Rose’, from his father, the current head. Even if he asked for it, that father of his would never give it up. The right to inherit this rose was purely a matter of strength. It would test whether he possessed the strength to protect everything. Unless he surpassed the current head in heart, skill, and body, the succession would not pass to him.

Mithos’ father, Daniel, was the commander of the Royal Knights and is said to be the greatest in history. Taking the Black Rose from his father is no easy task, but without it, Mithos would forever remain on the sidelines. He refused to accept that situation.

　

“(I know it’s a childish desire, but still…)”

　

Stepping into the courtyard, he headed toward the training grounds. Familiar knights and trainees raised their hands or bowed their heads in greeting. Returning their gestures, he walked straight toward Daniel.

　

“What’s this? Unusually early. Did the academy classes end already?”

“That’s true. However, Father, I have something I wish to request of you, which is why I came now.”

“Hmm?”

　

His eyes narrowed sharply, and simultaneously, the air grew thick and heavy, causing cold sweat to bead on Mithos’ forehead.

　

“What do you want, my son?”

“The Black Rose.”

　

Mithos’ voice carried clearly, causing a murmur among the members.

Daniel was also the active Knight Commander. Even though it was difficult, he managed to find time between studying with the new family head, the Duchess of Solfege, to go on monster extermination missions with her. Of course, he is also in charge of training. But why now, when he was nowhere near retirement age? Suspicious glances turned toward Mithos.

　

“If I’m powerless, I can’t protect.”

“What?”

“What’s precious.”

“Is that… Her Excellency the Duchess of Solfege?”

“That too.”

“…… you fool.”

“…… Huh?”

　

A faint spark flew through the air, and both men’s gazes grew sharper.

　

“‘Protect’ her? …That’s precisely why you’re no good.”

　

Daniel, who had been sitting until then, stood up slowly and pointed the tip of his practice wooden sword at Mithos.

　

“Protect? Absurd. She is the one who protects us. What delusion do you harbor?”

“… You’re the one who doesn’t understand a damn thing, you shitty old man!”

　

He deflected the pointed wooden sword with the sheathed sword at his waist and pointed its tip straight at his father’s nose, just as his father had done to him.

　

“You! If you’re going to talk like that, why didn’t you help Lunaria when she was being driven that far into a corner!”

“Because it was the late Duchess’ last will, her final wish.”

“Even when she was pushed to the brink of a suicide attempt?! Even when people around her called her the ‘abandoned heir’?!”

　

Gritting his teeth, he took a step closer and moved the tip of his sword from his father’s nose to his throat. But still, Daniel didn’t flinch.

　

“That’s right. The former Duchess of Solfege said, ‘That child will rise again. Therefore, you must not assist her.’ We were merely honoring his final wish.”

“I don’t give a damn about that. I’m going to help her.”

　

He spoke clearly, carefully dividing each word so that everyone around him could hear, as if for his father. His eyes showed no hesitation, and the corners of Daniel’s mouth quirked up. “Go ahead and try if you can,” he said with a snort, and as if nothing had happened, he effortlessly turned the tip of the sword that Mithos was pointing at in a different direction, threw away the wooden sword, and took his beloved greatsword from one of his attendants.

　

“Then, see that will through to the end. When you uphold your resolve to that point, and it is recognized as strength, Black Rose will choose you as its master. However…”

　

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air, accompanied by a slight shockwave that grazed Mithos’ cheek.

　

“…… Don’t underestimate me, boy.”

　

No “start” signal was needed.

Mithos swung his sword wide and struck with all his might. At the same time, Daniel blocked the blow with his blade. Despite being blocked, Mithos was amazed by the strength of the impact. However, he swung his sword around with ease and struck it to the side. He dodged the blow that would have split his torso in half if he had taken it, and put some distance between them.

He clicked his tongue, drew his sword from its sheath, and readied the one-handed stance.

They are each proficient with different types of swords. Daniel specializes in a greatsword, and Mithos specializes in a one-handed sword. The reason for this differs from person to person. Mithos wants to use a lot of moves to defeat his opponent without giving them a chance to counterattack, while Daniel aims to defeat the opponent with a “one-hit kill”.

Mithos concentrated and created a small shield on the back of his left hand using mana. He couldn’t imagine defeating his father without it.

　

“Your resolve is admirable. But tell me, would that person truly want to be protected?”

　

With a taunting question that seemed to dismiss Mithos’ thoughts, he closed the distance in a single stride, planted his feet, and launched a sweeping sword strike from below. Rather than blocking it with his shield, Mithos parried the blow, narrowly evading as he channeled mana into his sword and struck back at the greatsword.

Gaga! The dull clang of metal clashing against metal was heard, and the force of the impact was felt directly in the palm of his hand as he gripped the handle.

　

“Ugh…!”

“Is that all the weight you can muster?! Is that all it takes to shake your resolve?”

　

From the right, the left, below, scooping upward diagonally—he parried the relentless slashes that changed direction repeatedly, sometimes deflecting them, sometimes casting instant healing magic on his hands that tingled with each shock. Along with the impacts, minor scrapes and cuts multiplied, too numerous to ignore. He processed them in parallel with minimal magic, erasing them as he went.

　

“Shut… the hell… up! Don’t lump me in with muscular idiots like you! Your sword technique is sloppy!”

“That’s irrelevant! Stop moving!”

“If I don’t move, I’ll get killed, you idiot old man!”

　

The fierce exchange of slashes while yelling at each other sent cold sweat down the backs of the surrounding members. They were shouting at the top of their lungs, simultaneously unleashing slashes, striking at every opportunity, and even inflicting wounds with their magical blades, and although the damage was minimal on both sides, it steadily accumulated.

Thanks to the healing magic he was casting, Mithos had the advantage in terms of pain reduction and avoiding minor injuries. However, performing that magic was slowly draining his mana. Once they were both exhausted and Daniel landed a single, all-out strike on Mithos, it would undoubtedly deal devastating damage, leaving Mithos on the brink of death.

　

“The strength you claim to uphold! To me, it seems like nothing but self-righteousness! Put yourself in the shoes of those you claim to protect!”

“I will return those exact words to you, my foolish son! Then I ask you! Who begged you to protect them? Did Her Excellency, the Duchess of Solfege, ask you to?”

“No one asked me!”

“Then why the hell did you spout nonsense about protecting the Duchess of Solfege!!”

　

A powerful kick landed in Mithos’ stomach. He heard a creaking sound inside his body. He was hit with a shock and pain that felt like his internal organs were being torn apart. At the same time, he was overcome with nausea.

Even though Mithos trained, Daniel had more muscle mass than him, and the impact of a blow using his weight and mana would have been considerable.

His body, slightly lighter than his father’s, was blown away with force and slammed into the wall of the training grounds. He managed to avoid a fatal blow by concentrating his mana.

Coughing loudly, he forced his trembling body to raise his upper body and staggered to his feet. The fighting spirit in Mithos’ eyes had not yet disappeared.

　

“………………… Then, who should she… rely on?”

“…… What?”

“… Lunaria… that girl… couldn’t ask anyone for advice. Not you, Not Alicia, Not Lord Falitus… Cough… she… couldn’t rely on anyone…”

　

He staggered, yet walked straight toward Daniel. Then, he looked him straight in the eye, took a deep breath, and readied his sword.

　

“…Ah… aahh… ouch… I guess… that’s the result of enduring it… all on her own…”

　

He cast a healing spell, easily mending the wound. It was only a temporary fix, but better than nothing.

　

“What about trusting each other… supporting one another…?! …You can’t even do that… yet you talk big!!!”

　

He roared and, without even swinging his sword, concentrated mana mainly on his forehead, strengthening it, and with a powerful recoil, he headbutted his opponent.

　

“Gah …huh …!? …y, you……!”

“Who said we’d settle this with swords? Tell me!”

　

Ignoring the murmuring of the members, he poured mana into the hand that was deploying the shield, strengthening his body. Of course, into his fist.

He lowered his sword and saw his father’s gaze in that direction for a moment, but he didn’t pause. He drew his foot back, lowered his center of gravity, and delivered a powerful blow to his father’s cheek.

Feeling the dull impact, he reeled back. Instantly swept his leg, knocking him down, drove his knee into his chest, and thrust his sword right up to his neck.

　

“…!? …Y-… you…! Gh…! …Shit…! Gah…h……!”

“Simply watching over others as instructed, merely wielding power, is that strength?! Father, I ask you!”

　

The pain from being kicked by Daniel should still be lingering, but Mithos stared straight ahead and questioned.

　

“If accepting someone who wants to show weakness is not strength… then is wielding power alone strength? Watching over someone, no different from abandoning them, all for the sake of a last wish. Is that strength??”

　

As the elders, neither Daniel nor Falitus had abandoned Lunaria. The will of the late Duchess, who remained there, was simply too strong. Precisely because she believed in her daughter, they had left behind the words, ‘You must not help her.’

However, only those who had been told knew this, and from an outsider’s perspective, it might look like ‘the other duchies had given up on this heiress’. In fact, Mithos knew that such rumors were spreading at the academy, so he stepped in to quell them. He knew he’d be accused of meddling.

He wanted to at least improve the environment around his precious childhood friend so that no one would point fingers at her back. The same was true for Alicia.

He now understood the late Duchess’s will and its meaning. Indeed, Lunaria had risen from her knees and grown strong enough to face the future.

It’s only hindsight, but shouldn’t there have been at least one person there for her at times like that, even if only to be close by? No matter what others say, stick by your allies, and if they go astray, even if you have to slap them or drag them back in the right direction, you should bring them back. Isn’t that also strength?

Strength isn’t just about wielding force, but also about protecting the heart and, on top of that, protecting the people and those around you.

That is what Mithos believes strength to be. He swore never to bend this conviction—that he could not bend it. On that day, when Lunaria returned and confided in them.

Therefore.

　

“I won’t recognize that as strength. If it’s just about wielding power…”

　

Sparks flew, and the rose tattoo on Daniel’s hand scattered.

　

“Even animals can do it, can’t they?…… Father…… No, the former Duke of Astoria.”

　

Gigi, a bud sprouted on the back of Mithos’ hands. It slowly opened to reveal an unmistakable Black Rose.

The Black Rose, the proof of the head of the Astoria family.

Mithos’ determined gaze remained unwavering as he stared straight at Daniel, whose eyes were wide with shock.

　

“Then I will use my strength as a human to reach out and protect everything I can. You have trained me to do so.”

“…… You’re all talk now, aren’t you……… You fool!”

“Ugh… Huh?!”

　

The atmosphere was looking good, but Daniel used his abdominal muscles to the fullest, and without caring that the sword thrust into the side of his neck was cutting his skin, he got up with all his might and headbutted Mithos as if to return the favor.

Gachi! Another satisfying sound rang out. Looking down at his son, who had reflexively jumped off of him and was now clutching his forehead in pain, Daniel decided to return the favor. Without mercy, he delivered another kick to the abdomen. Rubbing his back and waist where he’d been slammed, he let out a heavy sigh.

　

“Ah……… fine, fine. No matter what anyone says, as long as the rose acknowledges you, you’re the head of the family.… I guess the type of strength changes too, huh… ow, ow, ow…”

　

Enhanced by magic, they punched and kicked each other, even headbutting. Before they knew it, they were both badly battered and injured. What’s more, Daniel’s beloved greatsword had a faint crack in it from Mithos’ relentless blows.

　

“…Are you… trying to… kill me…? you… bastard… Also, brick head…….”

“You’re a brick head, too. And if I wanted to kill you, I’d have severed your head from your torso. Consider this me going easy on you… Ah… that was a merciless headbutt you gave me…….”

“… you would know! What… good… is… holding… back…”

　

Though the succession rite ended after taking the second blow, Mithos could not stand and answered weakly.

The members rushed over in a panic. Upon checking Mithos’ condition, they turned pale.

　

“Commander! Your son has multiple fractures! Ah, but His Excellency the Duke will be the Commander, so… ah… Huh!”

　

It was pitiful to see the members on the verge of tears, alternately looking at Mithos—who had just become Duke—and Daniel—already the ‘former Duke’, but the situation had to be explained.

As they flustered about what had happened, a shadow suddenly fell over Mithos. After confirming who it was, the members hastily straightened their backs and stood at attention.

　

“Your Excellency, Duchess Solfège!”

“It’s fine. Just act normal. More importantly, both of you… covered in wounds, I see. Is Mithos still alive!”

“Y, yes, I am…”

“I came to speak with Duke Astoria, but… this… did you just perform the succession ceremony…?”

“… Yes. Just now… Ouch…”

“Well… I see. You two are both in such a state. You’ll need a Full Heal spell, won’t you?”

“Thank you…”

“… Sorry, but I’ll ask you for the same, Duchess Solfege.”

　

With a laugh, Lunaria cast healing magic on the two, who lacked their usual vigor. She carefully repaired their wounds, then meticulously reconnected their nervous systems last, taking care to prevent any pain.

　

“Why all of a sudden…”

“No idea. Ask that fool sprawled over there.”

“However, I would like to ask His Excellency the former Duke to remain in command of the Knights for a little while longer. Both Mithos and I still have to finish our studies at the academy.”

　

“Ufufu,” With a soft chuckle, Lunaria spoke as Mithos, finally rising, staggered toward her.

The wounds were healed perfectly, but the lost stamina hadn’t been restored, so a little rest would be necessary.

　

“I shall take my leave. Please rest a while, both of you.”

　

With a bow, Lunaria departed. Two knights hurried after her, both to attend to her and to see her off.

As he watched her leave, Mithos gazed once more at the rose resting in his hand.

　

“Do your best. …Though late, I offer my congratulations…to the new Duke of Astoria.”

　

His father performed a knightly salute and bowed deeply. So this is what succession feels like, Mithos thought vaguely. Everyone experiences it differently, truly.

However, becoming head of the house didn’t solve all his problems. Taking a deep breath, he resolved himself anew—the real work was just beginning.

　

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