Path of villains 1, p.1
Path Of Villains 1, page 1
PATH
OF
VILLAINS
BOOK ONE
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omis sions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
This is a work of fiction. Sim- ilarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
PATH OF VILLAINS – BOOK ONE
First edition. September 20, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 ROBERT KING
Written by ROBERT KING
Contents
Chapter 1: Reincarnated as a Villainous Scumbag
Chapter 2: Betrayed by a Comrade
Chapter 3: The Incompetent Protagonist
Chapter 4: The Villains' Fate
Chapter 5: The Devious Scheme
Chapter 6: Stolen Items
Chapter 7: The Enchanting Eyes
Chapter 8: The Cursed Opponent
Chapter 9: The Detested Captain (NTR Heroine’s Perspective)
Chapter 10: The True Nature of the Unaware Protagonist
Chapter 11: The True Intentions of the Skill Junkie
Chapter 12: The Saintess's Betrayed Feelings
Chapter 13: The Imminent Expulsion Event
Chapter 14: The Banished Villain
Chapter 15: The Villain Embraces Their Role
Chapter 16: The Villain Who Got Serious
Chapter 17: The Villain Steals the Main Heroine
Chapter 18: The Villain Takes the Heroine Home
Chapter 19: The Villains’ Shopping
Chapter 20: The Fairy Who Brings Good Fortune
Chapter 21: The Left Behind – Sucks to Be the Others
Chapter 22: The Changed Childhood Friend
Chapter 23: The Hero's Miscalculation
Chapter 24: The Patron I Actually Stole
Chapter 25: The Grudge Between the Villain and the King
Chapter 26: The Villain is Invited to the Castle
Chapter 27: The Villain Receives a Request from the King
Chapter 28: The Prelude to Ruin
Chapter 29: Departures for Each
Chapter 30: The Villain Fears the Demon Race
Chapter 31: The Villain's Resolve and Courage
Chapter 32: The Villain vs The Fateful Demon Warrior
Chapter 33: The Villain's Resolve and Buffs
Chapter 34: The Comeback – Reunion with Companions
Chapter 35: The Villain Becomes a Hero
Chapter 36: The Bond with the Holy Sword
Chapter 37: Forming the Villains' Party
Chapter 38: Encounter with the Protagonist
Chapter 39: The Struggle for the Holy Sword
Chapter 40: The Protagonist's First "Zama"
Chapter 41: The Villain Becomes a Hero?
Chapter 42: The Mysterious Trainer and the Sudden Grim News
Chapter 43: The Crisis of My Favorite Child
Chapter 44: The Battle with the Giant Turtle
Chapter 45: The Villain Who Commands Respect
Chapter 46: The Samurai Girl I Support
Chapter 47: The Day I Surpass the Protagonist
Chapter 48: The Ruiner of Stories – "Deus Ex Machina"
Chapter 49: An Unexpected Reunion
Chapter 50: The Tower of Lada
Chapter 51: The Villain and the Heroes from Another Country
Chapter 52: The Circumstances of the New Comrade
Chapter 53: The Tumultuous Strategy Meeting
Chapter 54: Alliances and New Troubles
Chapter 55: The Villainous Queen
Chapter 56: The Witch of Debuffs
Chapter 57: The Creepy Giggle’s Joining
Chapter 58: The Siege of the Tower of Lada
Chapter 59: The Villains and the Great Tree Bell
Chapter 60: A Brief Respite and Discussion
Chapter 1: Reincarnated as a Villainous Scumbag
"You're kidding me! What the hell is going on!?"
When I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, I saw someone else staring back at me.
The face was clearly not Japanese, yet I could still control my expressions with ease. I had long golden hair, piercing blue eyes, and the refined features of a handsome man. Not to mention, my body was tall, lean, and muscular, like a model's.
It was a physique I could only dream of having.
But without a doubt, it was still me.
Could this be... one of those Isekai reincarnation things?
In my previous life, I was a 35-year-old single salaryman in Japan, overworked and exhausted. By the way, I was still a virgin, so if this were the kind of world where virgins could use magic, I’d probably become a fairy by now.
...Just kidding.
But seriously, I can't remember why or how I ended up reincarnated into another world. I do remember passing out after days of overtime work. Maybe I died from overwork? Damn that black company! I hope my parents sue them.
Well, whatever.
For now...
I took another long look at my reflection.
"There's no doubt about it. This guy... he's Alfred Westen!"
Alfred was a character in a light novel series I had borrowed from my junior colleague, Sasaki, back in my previous life. The novel had originally been a web novel before being published as a book.
The title was: The Enchanter Betrayed by His Lover: Realizing He Was the Strongest After Being Exiled—Those Who Betrayed Him Faced Gruesome Retribution but He Didn't Care.
The author was Tanaka Daichi.
And the story? Well, the title pretty much gave it away. It's about a protagonist whose lover betrays him, gets exiled, but then goes on to become incredibly powerful and unstoppable. Alfred was one of the villains who gets what's coming to him in a big "serve-you-right" moment.
I vaguely remember that after Alfred, who was the party leader, exiled the protagonist, everything went downhill for him. His momentum slowed after the buffs from the protagonist’s enchantments wore off, leading to a series of failures and humiliations. Eventually, he falls into darkness, challenges the protagonist, only to be easily defeated, and finally gets executed in front of a crowd.
"Are you serious...? I’ve been reincarnated into another world. No, wait... why the hell is it Tanaka's world? Of all the worlds, his?"
I wasn’t upset about the reincarnation itself—it was that I ended up in the world written by Tanaka.
And who could blame me?
Tanaka Daichi is notorious for his lazy, plot-convenient writing with gaping holes in logic. At least, that’s the bias I had developed toward his work.
After all, his novel was a popular series that was getting a manga adaptation and even an anime in the future. Surely someone along the chain of editors and higher-ups would have noticed and pointed out the issues.
Still, his entire story felt like nothing more than a stage set for the protagonist. The plot holes, the ridiculously convenient outcomes, the nonsensical progression of the narrative—it was all too much.
In my previous life, I commuted to work every day by train.
It was on one of those mornings that I ran into Sasaki, a junior colleague of mine.
He was 25 years old and always high-energy, a stark contrast to my constantly exhausted self.
"Yo, Senpai! Early morning grind, huh?"
"Yeah... Sasaki, you’re always so full of energy. I envy your youth."
"Eh, no point in getting down about it. When things get tough, I just escape reality!"
By the way, Sasaki had light-brown hair and a bit of a flashy vibe, but deep down, he was a good guy.
"Escape reality, huh? That sounds nice."
"How about this, Senpai? I highly recommend it!"
Sasaki shoved his smartphone in front of me. On the screen was a web novel—none other than Tanaka Daichi's series.
"A web novel, huh? Never really read one. Is it any good?"
"Yeah, the story moves quickly, and you can just shut your brain off and enjoy it. Perfect for the commute!"
"Shut your brain off? You're not supposed to analyze or get absorbed in the plot? You’re telling me this novel takes you to some sort of zen state?"
"Something like that. Nothing sticks with you after reading it. That’s what’s great! The story has no depressing moments for the protagonist—just straight-up catharsis after the beginning."
"Why does it feel like you're offering me some shady drug?"
"No, no, it’s legit! It's even getting a manga and an anime adaptation soon, so you know it's popular! But the web version is the only one that’s finished, so I’d start there if I were you!"
And so I started reading it every day on the train.
But honestly...
Even as someone unfamiliar with Isekai tropes, I found the plot holes endless. And now here I was, reincarnated as one of the villains.
To make things worse, this Alfred guy looked exactly like his appearance in the manga adaptation.
"Damn... and I didn't even get reincarnated as a baby. I’m already a full-grown adult. Plus, I don’t have any memories of being Alfred... Wait!"
Suddenly, a flood of memories washed over me—Alfred’s memories.
I see... so I’m supposed to rely on these memories and pretend to be him, huh?
Great. Just my luck.
And what memories they were. This guy was all about womanizing and never once took swordsmanship training seriously. He relied solely on t he protagonist’s enchantments. No wonder he fell from grace after exiling him.
But hold on...
"Wait a minute... it looks like I haven’t seduced the protagonist’s childhood friend yet. Maybe there’s still time to change things."
If I’ve done anything disrespectful to the protagonist already, I’ll get down on my hands and knees to apologize.
After all, this world, despite its medieval fantasy setting, borrows heavily from Japanese culture for no good reason. As expected from Tanaka. I’ll have to avoid the protagonist’s expulsion event at all costs and rewrite Alfred’s tragic fate.
With that in mind, I stepped away from the mirror and checked the calendar on the wall.
“January 10th, Year 150 of the Isekai Calendar?”
There it is. A plot hole, right off the bat.
What the hell is an "Isekai Calendar"? From my perspective as a reincarnator—and from the readers’—this might be another world, but it’s supposed to be this world’s reality. At least call it something like the "Planet Calendar" or "Continent Calendar." Come on, Tanaka! This isn’t even a reincarnation story; it’s supposed to be about getting exiled!
"Anyway... if I remember correctly, the betrayal and exile happen in the year 151. That gives me a whole year to course-correct."
With that in mind, I changed clothes and left the room.
"Ah... Al-Alfred-sama, good morning."
A timid voice greets me. It belonged to a young boy with black hair, holding a mop. He had a pure, innocent face and seemed nervous.
This was Rogue Sirius, the protagonist of the story. At 16, he was already a skilled enchanter.
"Good morning, Rogue. I’m sorry to always have you doing the chores."
At my words, Rogue tilted his head in confusion, a look of fear crossing his face.
And no wonder.
In the original story, Alfred constantly belittled and bullied Rogue, never once speaking kindly to him.
Calling him "Rogue" and using polite language? That was completely out of character for Alfred.
Normally, he’d be shouting something like, "Rogue, you lazy piece of trash! What are you doing standing around?!"
"Th-Thank you..."
"Really, I appreciate all your hard work. See you around."
"Huh...?"
Rogue stared at me, completely bewildered.
I don’t blame him. Nothing had happened to justify my sudden change in attitude.
But this is just the beginning.
I need to build trust with Rogue.
I have to break the chain of events that leads to his exile. And the only way to do that is by proving how important and invaluable he is.
That’s the key to avoiding Alfred’s tragic fate.
Chapter 2: Betrayed by a Comrade
Alfred Westen.
A 17-year-old swordsman, or Saber, by profession.
Currently, he leads the renowned adventurer party representing the Rumirio Kingdom, The Holy Sword of Heroes, as its young captain.
The Holy Sword of Heroes is a group-based clan with a total of 30 members, and Alfred is widely expected to become the next hero.
Indeed, with his powerful unique skill, God's Acceleration (God Axel), and his natural charisma and leadership, he seemed to be the perfect candidate for such a role.
But all of that was only possible thanks to Rogue, the Enchanter.
Rogue's unique skill, Grant, allowed him to permanently enhance the abilities and equipment of the entire party. Not only that, but he could lend skill experience points to his allies, even enabling them to evolve their unique abilities.
However, once Rogue was expelled and their contract was broken, all of these benefits were stripped away, and the skill experience points he had shared were reclaimed by him.
Thus, a year after Rogue’s exile, the party lost all the abilities and skill experience points he had granted, leading to their downfall.
Meanwhile, Rogue, having absorbed all those points, rapidly rose in strength, becoming the most powerful existence.
You might be wondering, why didn’t Rogue explain all of this to Alfred and his party before empowering them?
If he had, surely, they would have valued him more, rather than bullying and eventually exiling him, right?
Yeah, I think the same.
When I entered the dining hall, most of the core members had already gathered and were seated.
However, only the senior members were allowed to dine with me, the leader.
As the leader of a large clan, The Holy Sword of Heroes, maintaining rank and social decorum was necessary.
I could understand that having been a corporate slave in my past life.
"You're late, Alf. We almost started without you," boomed a voice.
The one who greeted me first was a massive man clad in heavy, menacing armor.
This was Gaizen Simon, the sub-leader of the party. A 24-year-old tank, specializing in defense.
He always wore a demon-faced helmet, never revealing his true face. If I recall correctly, he's married and has a wife and young daughter back in his hometown.
"Good morning, Alf," a soft voice chimed in.
The speaker was a small, childlike girl.
Pearl Fillisin, age 10.
She’s a sorcerer, typically wearing a wide-brimmed, pointed hat and a cloak, looking every bit the witch.
With short chestnut hair and big green eyes, she was a beautiful young girl. According to her backstory, she's a war orphan. Alfred found her when she was 8, and ever since, she’s adored him like an older brother.
"Good morning, Alfred," came another voice, much more reserved.
This was Shannon Flem, 15 years old.
A talented young priest, admired by everyone around her. She’s dressed in flowing, pure white robes.
Her long, light blue hair and stunning azure eyes complemented her snow-white skin. She was not only beautiful but had an incredible figure to boot.
Shannon also happens to be Rogue's childhood friend, but in the original story, she's destined to be stolen away by Alfred.
Right.
The three senior members here are the ones who will meet their tragic end with Alfred after Rogue’s expulsion. They’re the ones who will get their comeuppance, their “Zama” moment.
And yes, they look just like they did in the manga adaptation.
"Good morning, everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting," I said, taking my seat.
They all looked at me strangely.
“What’s up, Alf? Usually, you’d brush us off with an ‘Oh, shut up!’ or something,” Gaizen asked, curious.
By the way, his helmet had a clever mechanism that allowed him to open just the mouth section, so he could eat without taking the whole thing off.
“…It’s nothing. Let’s eat,” I said, hoping to avoid suspicion.
“Before that, Alfred,” Shannon interrupted coldly, “shouldn’t we offer a prayer to God?”
Shannon was always cold towards Alfred. Before she was taken by him, she often neglected and mistreated Rogue, which was why she harbored some dissatisfaction toward Alfred.
That icy attitude of hers only added to Alfred’s desire to take her away.
“Of course, Shannon. Let’s all pray together,” I replied.
“Really, Alf? Normally, you’d laugh it off and say, ‘There’s no such thing as God! Hahaha!’” Pearl chimed in, surprised.
Ugh, Alfred really is the worst.
I forced a smile in Pearl's direction.
“For a priest, faith is a source of magic power. We can’t rely on Rogue’s enchantments forever, can we?”
“What do you mean by that?” Shannon’s sharp eyes narrowed. “Are you saying Rogue is no longer necessary...”
“No! That’s not what I meant, Shannon! Please, let’s not jump to conclusions. Let’s eat first!”
Flustered, I quickly tried to smooth things over. Shannon muttered, “Very well, then...” and began her prayer, folding her hands. The rest of us followed suit.
Close call. I almost triggered my own expulsion flag right there.
Just changing my tone, a little made them suspicious. Alfred must have been a real piece of work before I got here.
As soon as we finished eating, Gaizen spoke up.
“So, are you really bringing Rogue on the quest three days from now?”
“Huh? Three days… Oh yeah, the one about the Demon Lord’s lieutenant hiding in the ancient ruins, right?”
I searched Alfred's memory for the details.
