I’m Telling You, I’m Not The Villain! – Chapter 10

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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Eilly’s sister’s illness, it was definitely one he recognized. How did he know?

“…….”

Because he’d seen it countless times in the game.

[Purple Rot]

That was the name of her sister’s affliction.

In the game’s lore, it was described as a difficult-to-cure disease that slowly drained the life force of those infected.

“Hmm….”

That was probably why she had been dying. In the early to mid-game, there was an event where an unknown plague spread through a village.

That plague was this Purple Rot, the symptoms, as seen in Eilly’s sister, included parts of the skin turning purple. And it drove the infected to a slow, agonizing death.

“Is Martin here?”

Fortunately, he knew the specific cure for this disease very well. After all, he had played through the plague event multiple times.

“Master Arnold…?!”

“W-What brings you here?!”

Leaving Eilly’s house, he went to the back of the mansion where he often trained with Martin. It seemed the guards were already training there.

“Are you here to train today…?”

At his appearance, the guards’ faces were filled with such panic that it was hard to tell whether the sweat on their foreheads was from training or from nervousness.

“No, I have something to discuss with Martin.”

He answered their question in the negative and looked for the former knight who was now helping him train.

“Master Arnold, you called for me?”

Martin’s calm voice came from out of sight.

“Martin. I have a question.”

Turning his gaze, Martin, who seemed to be instructing the guards, appeared with a steady gait.

“Yes, what is it? Do you need a sparring partner today?”

Martin seemed to vaguely guess his purpose, but Arnold shook his head.

“No, it’s a little different this time. Do you have any spare swords here? A real steel sword, not a wooden practice one.”

“Hmm? You mean a real weapon?”

Martin was momentarily puzzled by the request for a sword, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Well… if you mean something capable of taking a life, we have plenty of spare weapons, but -”

After a brief moment of contemplation, he unbuckled the sword at his hip with a look of trust.

“I can’t let Master Arnold use something lying around. I’ll lend you my sword.”

Bowing his head, Martin respectfully offered his sword with a flawless, courteous gesture.

“Hmm? Are you sure?”

From the game’s lore and the common knowledge he had gained while living here, a knight’s own sword was considered an extension of themselves, something to be cherished and used with care.

Lending one’s sword was only allowed for someone truly trustworthy.

And yet, Martin offered his sword so readily after only a moment’s hesitation…

“Yes, if it were any other riffraff, I wouldn’t even consider it… but I have witnessed Master Arnold’s skills with my own eyes and trust you enough to lend it to you.”

“No… It’s an honor for me to have someone of your skill use my sword, Master Arnold.”

For some reason, he had an unusually high level of trust in Arnold.

“Is that so? Then….”

Well, he hadn’t coerced him into it, and Martin had offered it willingly… it should be fine, right?

Click –

He took the sword Martin offered, sheathed it, and briefly ran his hand along it.

“…….”

The weighty feeling in his hand… above all, the feeling of gripping the hilt was different.

It was probably a special sword, custom-made at a skilled blacksmith’s workshop.

“Thank you. I’ll return it after I’m done.”

“Yes.”

He felt that if he couldn’t even hunt a single monster with this sword, he would be sullying not only his own pride but also that of its creator.

This meant that even at a glance, Martin’s sword appeared to be of high quality.

“By the way, if I may ask, why do you suddenly need a sword?”

After handing over his sword, Martin asked about his purpose with innocent curiosity.

“I need to do some hunting to save someone -”

He answered the question with a sheepish smile.

◇ ◇ ◇

“If I remember correctly, it should be around here.”

Leaving the village, he arrived at a rugged mountain area known for frequent monster appearances.

However, it was also a shortcut to other regions, so merchants who valued time often traveled through it despite the risks.

“Hmm, this is going to take longer than I thought.”

He had come here because the monster he was looking for appeared in this area.

The monster’s name was Lamia—

a half-human, half-snake creature.

Why was he looking for a Lamia?

Because Lamias had a strong resistance to poison.

Uniquely, according to the lore, their blood itself acted as a high-quality antidote, and the blood of a few stronger individuals was so potent that it was used as a top-grade medicinal ingredient in the human world.

Also, the key ingredient for the Purple Rot cure was the blood of a high-ranking Lamia. Therefore, his target today wasn’t an ordinary Lamia but a strong one.

“Oh? What’s this -”

However, unlike other monsters, Lamias were as intelligent as humans and much larger, making them more challenging opponents than Dire Wolves.

The original story depicted them as monsters that killed beginners, aka Noob Stompers.

“Hmm…. I smell something faintly… like something burned.”

While he was lost in thought, he came across a place that caught his eye.

“It looks like traces of a battle….”

Several corpses lay scattered on the mountain path, charred black. Judging by their attire, they didn’t seem like good people.

Looking closer, he could see the bodies of Dire Wolves as well.

“This is….”

It appeared to be evidence of a battle that had taken place only a few hours ago.

Aside from the numerous human and monster corpses, a wide area bore scorch marks as if it had been burned.

Based on the original game, this indicated a considerably high level.

Now that he thought about it, there were some Lamias among the special variants that could use magic.

“Found it.”

While thinking about Lamias, he looked around and suddenly spotted what appeared to be their tracks.

“Hmm….”

Winding tracks branching out in several directions, as if a large group had passed through.

“This should work.”

Focusing on the ground where the Lamias seemed to have passed, he cast a spell.

“Tracking -”

The tracking spell he had used before, a spell that indicated a target’s location by following their traces.

“Got it.”

He started running in the direction indicated by the magic.

“… There it is.”

Soon, at the end of the path the magic had shown him, he found the entrance to a cave at the bottom of a large cliff.

“Hiss….”

“……….”

And in front of it, two Lamias stood guard like gatekeepers.

“Is that their lair?”

A strange mixture of excitement and tension filled him as he saw the unfamiliar race for the first time in this world.

Lamias had a habit of settling in large caves, carving them out in specific ways and living in groups.

They also had a survival strategy of storing food and resources within their caves to survive the winter without having to leave.

It was similar to the behavior of snakes in his previous world.

“What should I do?”

Anyway, that wasn’t the important part.

Lamias who established a lair usually chose the strongest individual as their leader to rule over them. So, there would be a particularly powerful Lamia inside that cave.

Considering there was a dungeon in the game where only Lamias appeared, he figured it would probably be at the deepest part.

“Hmm….”

He hid behind a tree and started formulating various plans in his head.

First, a frontal assault.

Literally forcing his way through with brute strength.

The other option was negotiation. Instead of a frontal assault, he could try to communicate and make a deal.

Lamias were intelligent beings, so it might be possible to reason with them.

Of course, he had brought weapons with the intention of fighting, but he wasn’t a battle maniac. He wanted to avoid fighting if possible.

“Ahem, hey.”

Therefore, he chose negotiation.

“Huh, who’s there…!”

Even if they weren’t friendly towards humans, if they could understand each other, he could resolve this through words-

“A human? You haven’t come for revenge, have you?!”

Before he could finish his thought, the Lamias, upon recognizing him, lunged at him with eyes filled with hatred.

“He must be with those bandits, kill him!”

They shouted incomprehensible words and brandished their weapons, making it clear that there was no room for conversation.

“Ugh…?”

“We have nothing to give you!”

“Are you alone? Foolish!”

However.

Clang -!

“Huh?”

“…?!”

The fact that they attacked first… meant there was no room for negotiation.

Whoosh!

“Magic?!”

“How can you cast it instantly without chanting….!!”

So, it meant he could go all out and force his way through, right?

………

Boom -!

A deafening roar accompanied a massive explosion at the cave entrance.

“?! W-What was that!!”

“An attack…!”

Startled by the sudden attack, the Lamias looked towards the entrance.

“Hmm.”

A man stood there.

“That’s a human, isn’t it?”

“But… our guards were defeated?!”

The young man had easily subdued the two large gatekeepers and stepped into their territory.

“So, this is the Lamia’s lair, huh.”

He seemed as relaxed as if he had just passed a guard dog, but

“Tsk….”

“Where did that human come from….”

To the Lamias, he looked like a demon straight out of hell.

“You know, the Queen annihilated a group of bandits earlier…. Could he be one of their reinforcements?”

“Th-That would explain… that fierce look in his eyes….”

The Lamias vaguely guessed his identity.

“Bring the Queen! A human has come seeking revenge!!”

They alerted their kin to the current situation and prepared for battle.

“You!”

Whoosh –

One of them raised a giant greatsword and approached the man, but… at that moment, something incredible happened.

“Huh?! He disappeared -”

The man vanished from before their eyes in the blink of an eye.

Slash -!

“Oh…?”

But then he reappeared behind the Lamia, slicing its abdomen.

“…!”

“Just now… -”

One of them fell in an instant, as if a gust of wind had swept through.

“…….”

He silently wiped the blood off his sword and looked at his next opponent.

“Ugh….”

“Tsk, what kind of human is he….!”

“We need reinforcements!”

Three Lamias stood before him, each at a different position and a considerable distance apart.

“… Hmm”

The young man wore a meaningful expression as if gauging the distance, then disappeared once again.

Whoosh –

“He’s gone!”

One of them cried out in alarm, a situation similar to before.

Slash –

Slash –

Slash –!

But by the time they realized it, it was already too late… They couldn’t even last a few seconds before being cut down by his blade.

“You!”

Thud –

“B-Block him!”

Clang –

Arnold’s sword cut through the Lamia forces like a whirlwind, falling like autumn leaves.

“Where did he go? He disappeared again…!”

“He’s… over th- Kyaah!”

Like a natural disaster, he was unstoppable, and any attempts to stop him only resulted in more casualties.

“Ugh…. Shoot him with arrows!”

“Alright…!”

The Lamias decided to shoot Arnold with arrows.

“Uh….”

Focusing intently on their target’s movements, they drew their bows.

“Hah!”

They released their arrows, aiming for the moment Arnold paused.

Whoosh –

The arrows flew swiftly, splitting the air –

Clack.

But the arrowheads couldn’t even graze their target’s clothes.

“Huh…?”

“Did he… catch the arrows mid-flight…?”

He had caught them with an astounding reaction speed.

“Hmph….”

Realizing there were archers after the attack, Arnold glared at them with sharp eyes.

“Hii…!”

Meeting his piercing gaze, as if ready to tear them apart, the archers’ faces contorted in fear, like children who had seen a monster.

Crackle… –

Arnold extended his hand towards the Lamia who had shot the arrow, and

Boom! Crackle —!

Without a word, he unleashed a massive lightning spell.

“Wai-”

Boom –

Although the Lamia archers registered it mentally, the spell hit them before their bodies could react, too fast for them to evade.

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The Lamia’s cave was larger than he expected. It felt like he had shrunk to the size of an ant, exploring their nest.

Their territory was vast, intricate, and carved in various ways.

“How deep did they dig this?”

He headed towards the deepest part, defeating countless Lamias along the way.

“There he is, get him!”

Slash-

“Kugh..”

They weren’t particularly strong, but he seemed to have defeated quite a few. Still, there weren’t any strong ones that would be suitable for ingredients.

“Q-Queen -!”

How many of them had he cut down on his way down?

“Hmm?”

He paused at the desperate cry of “Queen.”

And then –

Whoosh —

A bolt from the blue… or rather, a bolt of fire from the closed ceiling.

“Ugh?”

“Ooh…. You dodged that? You’re quite skilled for a human!”

A haughty, arrogant voice echoed in his ears.

“Haahahahaha! The struggling prey is always the most fun! Now dance for your life!”

Turning his gaze, he saw a red Lamia with a wicked smile, covering her mouth with one hand.

“You are -”

“I won’t reveal my noble name to a human. Just know… that I am the Queen who will deliver your judgment!”

She glared at him with the tone of a wicked royal.

“…….”

Compared to the ones he had faced so far, she had a larger build and a stronger presence.

Also, considering she used magic, she must be a high-ranking Lamia. Perhaps he could obtain the medicinal ingredients from someone of her level.

“Yes, you seem suitable.”

If he remembered correctly, a Lamia that used magic should be at least level 20…

“Insolent fool! Feel the power of your Queen!”

As he readied himself with anticipation, the Queen furrowed her brow and began channeling magic into a large staff.

“I will burn you to ashes! Goddess of the Sun, may your fiery kiss melt the ignorant… Grant me the flames of creation – Fire Breath!”

The Queen chanted with narrowed eyes, and as the incantation ended, a fiery blaze erupted from the tip of her staff like a judgmental flame.

“……!!”

The Queen’s fire magic instantly filled his vision.

“Haahahahaha! How do you like that?! Weak human!”

He was reminded of the value of magic.

“My magic will be your last memory!”

Depending on how it was used, it could improve the quality of life… but sometimes, it could also be the most powerful weapon, a supernatural concept.

“Wahahahaha! You must be nothing but dust by now?!”

Experiencing it firsthand, he realized just how dangerous magic could be.

“Serves you right for trespassing! Repent for your sins in hell…… huh?”

However.

“… Huu.”

“Eh…?”

Weak.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

So weak.

“W-W-What?! Not a single scratch?!”

“My magic?!”

Seeing him standing there completely unharmed, the Lamia Queen’s face was filled with shock.

“Ugh! In that case…!”

He was glad he had learned barrier magic.

“Goddess of Fire! You are the merciless tyrant who burns all things and the primordial flame! Your mercilessness is an indiscriminate disaster that blankets the heavens – Fire Tornado!”

The Queen unleashed another spell, and it was definitely a denser, stronger flame than before.

“Burn!”

A powerful fire vortex rushed towards him like a crimson storm.

“…….”

His vision was once again dyed crimson.

“Haahaha! Now you must be dead! This is my most powerful magic!”

Confident of her victory this time, she grinned triumphantly.

“No human can withstand this… What?!”

But the result was the same.

“Is it over?”

The Lamia Queen’s magic couldn’t even scratch the barrier magic he had cast, let alone break through it.

“N-N-No…. Lies!! You withstood this too?! Why? How!! Aren’t humans weak to fire?!”

Truly bewildered, she looked at him as if she had seen a ghost.

“Ugh….! Then!”

Her face contorted in anger, she began chanting another spell, determined to kill him somehow.

“Burn the surroundings, may the magic of fire steal life until nothing remains, taking everything away! – Fire Ground!”

With another incantation, this time, flames began to erupt around him, not from the tip of her staff.

Whoosh –

Whoosh -!

A huge ring of fire rose, as if to trap him in a sea of flames, filling the large cave.

“Hmm….”

The cool cave was instantly transformed into a sea of fire. He was surrounded by flames, without a single gap.

“Haha! This time for sure!”

The red Lamia, laughing wickedly once again, straightened her tail, enlarging her body and rising upwards.

“How do you like it~! I know humans need more oxygen than Lamias to breathe!”

He thought her subsequent words showed a clever strategy. Suffocating the opponent to death. Slow but sure.

This was… deep inside a cave.

Naturally, due to the nature of fire, which burned using oxygen as fuel, the air in this enclosed space would quickly disappear with a fire of this magnitude.

That meant he would soon… be unable to breathe.

Click –

He had to take decisive action this time.

“Hmph! What can you do with such a small sword?!”

As he lowered his sword to touch the ground, the Queen scoffed, looking down on him.

“…….”

Screech….

But to crush that expression, he slowly began to move his sword.

Crackle….

He turned, scraping the tip of the blade against the ground, and

Clang -!

As he swung his sword forcefully, drawing a circle,

!!!

Sparks flew from the ground, and a powerful gust of wind, a massive gale, swept through the surroundings.

“Ugggggggggg -!”

The Queen made a strange noise as she was caught in the strong wind.

Whirrrrrr –

…… –

The wind quickly died down, but the Lamia’s magic had already been extinguished by the gale created by his sword swing.

Clang -!

“Nothing left, is there?”

With the air cooled once more, he pointed his sword at her face and asked in a relaxed tone.

“… Hic?!”

The self-proclaimed Queen let out a pathetic hiccup, and her arrogant gaze turned into that of a frightened child, trembling in fear.

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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.