I’m Telling You, I’m Not The Villain! – Chapter 15

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 

“Is that true?!”

The head of the Grain family shot up from his seat before he could even finish speaking.

“It is.”

As he calmly affirmed, he saw resentment clouding the man’s eyes.

“Ugh… I knew something was wrong with the harvests for the past few years…!”

His expression was grim, as if he was about to burst with indignation.

“Oh… Ahem, I apologize. I got a little carried away….”

But then, he made eye contact with Arnold, who was calmly observing him, and—

—tried to control his anger with a cough.

“It’s alright. I would also be furious if I discovered that a serious problem affecting my family’s livelihood was not due to natural causes, but due to someone else’s machinations.”

Arnold expressed his understanding of his feelings.

“You’re truly compassionate. The rumors I’ve heard… No, please forget what I just said.”

He looked at Arnold with a slightly lighter tone, then suddenly stopped himself mid-sentence.

“…….”

He was probably about to say something about his perception of Arnold Stenman. He seemed momentarily taken aback by the sight of someone known for being cruel and ruthless comforting others.

“…….”

Honestly, he was getting used to such reactions.

“The more I think about it, the angrier I get….”

The head of the family clenched his fists and looked up with hatred in his eyes.

He was so enraged because he had heard the truth from Arnold. The Grain family had been facing a crisis due to years of crop failure. However, the cause was actually due to the sabotage carried by one particular group.

“Those disgusting ‘demons’….”

The true culprits behind the poor harvests were the Demon King’s army. As the story progressed in the game, it was revealed that the demons had been carrying out various acts of sabotage to cripple the human kingdom.

One of their schemes was to contaminate the fields owned by the Grain family, who possessed the largest farmland in the kingdom, thereby disrupting crop production.

This was the reason for the Grain family’s continuous decline.

“Therefore, I have a proposal for you, Philip.”

That was why he had requested a meeting with the head of the family, intending to help them escape this path to ruin.

“What is it?!”

Philip looked at him with a mixture of desperation and vengefulness at his solemn words.

Judging by the veins still bulging on his forehead, his resentment towards them was immense.

“I will launch a surprise attack on the Demon King’s agents late at night.”

“I will defeat them, protect your land from their schemes, and ensure that this never happens again.”

“Excuse me…?!!”

Philip’s eyes widened in surprise at his confident declaration.

“You alone, Sir Arnold? Wouldn’t it be better to strengthen our defenses or dispatch a scouting party to subdue them?”

He suggested a more realistic approach with a mixture of expectation and doubt.

“That would arouse suspicion. Mobilizing a large force is certainly conspicuous, and the demons, noticing this, would only cease their activities temporarily or become more cunning.”

“Therefore, we must seize the opportunity with minimal personnel and eradicate them all at once, like pulling weeds from their roots.”

He countered with unwavering confidence, without a hint of hesitation or doubt.

“……….”

The head of the Grain family, Philip, seemed convinced by his boldness, and

—remained silent for a while, lost in thought.

“You make a valid point. However, can you do it alone? I’ll at least assign some high-quality mercenaries to assist you.”

After a moment, he stroked his beard and promised support, but

“It’s alright.”

Arnold declined his offer.

“I believe I can handle it alone.”

He promised the head of the family victory.

◇ ◇ ◇

Late one night,

in a secluded forest on the outskirts of the estate,

it was midnight, with a full moon hanging high in the sky.

Hoo – Hoo –

The only sound in the quiet forest was the hooting of an owl.

But then.

Rustle –
Swish –

“Is everyone here?”

As the owl hooted six times, several figures emerged from the void like shadows, silently.

“It seems so, Rael.”

The assembled figures, like a single mass of darkness, wore black robes that concealed their identities, and the insignia of the ‘Demon King’s Army’ was engraved on their backs.

“We weren’t followed?”

““No.””

They were elite agents, specially selected from the Demon King’s army.

“Hmm, but something feels… lacking.”

“Rael?”

The leader of the group, Rael, had two large horns protruding from her head.

“Indeed… We’re missing some people.”

This was because she was a high-ranking demon.

“Hey, one squad is missing.”

The ranks of demons could usually be distinguished by their appearance. Ordinary demons had no distinguishing features other than their red eyes.

However, higher-ranking demons grew horns. The size and shape of the horns further determined their rank.

Usually, simply possessing horns meant they were elites capable of commanding dozens, or even up to a hundred, subordinates.

“Where are the seven agents, including Squad Leader Berlo?”

Rael, with her sharp senses, immediately noticed the missing squad.

“Now that you mention it….”

“Rael, do you think they were discovered by the humans and couldn’t come?”

The demons began to murmur about their missing comrades, but

“Silence, everyone. We don’t know for sure, but according to regulations, we’ll consider them eliminated. We’ll start the mission briefing with the current personnel.”

Rael calmly took control and made a cold judgment.

““Yes…!””

“Alright, as you all know, our mission is to wither the Grain family’s crops, the largest farmland in the kingdom, with drought.

The reason we’ve gathered here is to check our individual progress and performance once a week.”

The demons, reassured by her leadership, quietly listened to their commander’s words –

“Our goal is to contaminate the land with these special fertilizers and spread them like a plague. Now… let’s have the progress reports in order.”

“Squad 1, all going smoothly.”

“Squad 2 is -”

They reported to Rael one by one, maintaining order and discipline.

…

“Hmm, I have a general understanding now. Good work, everyone.”

Just as she finished hearing the progress reports from all her subordinates,

Rustle –

She sensed a sudden presence in the bushes.

“Rael.”

“Berlo, you’re late.”

“I apologize. It took some time to evade the surveillance, which seems to have tightened recently.”

The squad Rael had just mentioned emerged from the bushes.

“You weren’t followed, were you?”

“No, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

They knelt before her upon arrival and gave a vague answer to her question.

“Shouldn’t be? I told you to be thorough.”

“I apologize.”

The agents bowed their heads deeply, seeking forgiveness for their apparent failure.

“There they are -!!”

Just then… guards burst into their gathering place, accompanied by bright lights.

“Hmm, Berlo. It seems there are problems after all.”

“Ugh… I’m so sorry.”

The Demon King’s army had been discovered with all their agents gathered.

“What, who are you all?!”

One of the guards was stunned by their sheer number.

“Ugh… There are too many! One of us needs to go back and report this emergency!”

There were at least sixty demons here. However, there were only four guards who had followed them. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered.

“Chris, you’re the fastest, go! The three of us will try to hold them back!”

The guards, prepared to sacrifice themselves, decided to entrust everything to one of their members.

“Chris? Chris!!”

However, for some reason, one of them remained silent and stood still, despite his comrades’ urgent calls.

“Chris?! Snap out of it! This isn’t a game…!”

When the guard who gave the order finally turned to him—

“Oh?!”

—he cried out in shock upon seeing Chris’s condition.

“G-Guh….”

Chris, who had been fine just a moment ago, was now bleeding profusely from his neck.

“Kugh…!”

Chris’s body went limp, like a puppet with its strings cut, and—

Thud –
Thump…!

—as his knees hit the ground, his head and body separated cleanly with a dull thud.

“Chris!!”

“What happened?!”

The other guards cried out his name in horror.

“Do you have time to be distracted by him?”

Rael, still in command of the agents, calmly provoked them amidst the chaotic and inexplicable situation.

“Ugh…! What did you… huh?”

A female guard, filled with rage, stared at Rael and was shocked once again.

“Hee~ I like that voice.”

Rael was holding a curved sword,

and strangely…

“Why? Is something the matter~?”

…it was stained with ‘blood.’

“…Huh-”

Her comrade had died in the blink of an eye, and

“Hehe.”

the enemy’s weapon was covered in blood, even though she hadn’t moved from her spot.

“……!!”

She realized what had happened, even though it was only for a brief moment.

“U-Ugh!! What are you?!”

“D-Demons?! Such monsters existed?!”

“You’re joking, right?! Right?!”

The guards, immediately grasping the situation, began to tremble in fear.

The conclusion they reached was truly horrifying.

Despite being several meters away,

the enemy had approached and slain their comrade at a speed that ordinary humans couldn’t even perceive.

“Kugh…!! Who are you?!”

It was absurd, but that was the only conclusion they could draw from what they had witnessed.

“Shall I tell you something interesting?”

“Since this will be your last moment, remember it well.”

As if answering with actions, Rael removed her robe, revealing her true form.

“…!”

She wore revealing clothing and had crimson eyes that glowed like a crescent moon.

“My kin call me ‘Rael of the Flash.’”

“Because I’m too fast, you see?”

An eerie presence emanated from her, almost the embodiment of fear itself.

“Wha- -”

The female guard, who had been glaring at Rael, blinked in disbelief.

“…?! She’s gone…!”

But in that brief moment,

Rael disappeared from her sight.

“Behind you.”

“?!”

She quickly turned around at the mocking voice.

Slash –
Swoosh –

“Huh?!”

As she turned her head, her remaining two comrades were also cut down.

“W-What…?”

In that split second, Rael had not only moved behind her but also slain the other two guards.

“…!!!”

Left alone in an instant due to Rael’s lightning-fast movements,

“Waaaaah -?!”

she collapsed to the ground, losing all her fighting spirit in fear.

“Giving up already? Well, you were no match for me anyway.”

“But don’t worry, it’ll be painless.”

Rael prepared to deliver the final blow, eliminating all witnesses.

“Ugh…!!”

Overcome with fear, the guard squeezed her eyes shut and curled up like a child.

Swish -!!

An incredibly fast speed –

“……”
However.
“Huh…?”

The guard felt a sense of bewilderment. She had felt something like a gust of wind, but there was no pain. No strange sensation either.

“Huh?”

Just as she wondered if she had died mercifully, as the enemy had said,

Thud… Thud…

“!!”

The guard slowly opened her eyes and screamed silently.

“Ugh?!”

Because a boy, smaller than herself, was easily blocking the attack that was too fast for her to even perceive.

“Who are you…!”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Ooh… Interesting…!”

Rael was inwardly surprised. Because she, known as the Flash,

whose speed was said to surpass even the Four Heavenly Kings,

had been matched in speed.

This was… the first time she had experienced such a thing.

Clang-!

“Hmph…!”

A black-haired boy stood before her, blocking her path,

his eyes sharp like a predator’s, and a sinister aura emanating from him.

“Amusing.”

She felt a sense of pressure as if facing a black wolf.

“I commend you for blocking my attack.”

“My kin call me Rael of the Flash. And you?”

Rael finally took a proper stance, preparing to attack seriously.

“Exchanging names, are we? Fine, Arnold Stenman.”

Rael repeated his name, it had been a while since she had a fight this exciting.

“Curious why I told you my name? Because you’ll be closing your eyes right here, right after hearing it.”

“Blocking that attack was good, but in the end, you’ve only added one more witness I have to eliminate.”

“Nothing more, nothing less.”

Rael lightly taunted Arnold.

“Hmm…!”

Unlike when she was cutting down the small fry, she kicked off the ground with explosive force, shattering the earth beneath her feet, and swung her sword at him.

‘A strike with all my might… No one in the human world can match this speed!’

She was half-convinced of her victory with this all-out attack, already imagining cleanly slicing his throat in the next moment.

Clang -!

However.

‘There shouldn’t be… anyone…?’

What Rael had envisioned never happened.

“What…?!”

She hadn’t underestimated him or held back. She had unleashed her strongest attack from the very beginning to end the fight instantly.

“Really? Fascinating.”

“I said I didn’t intend to leave any witnesses either.”

Arnold easily deflected Rael’s attack.

“Huh? What just happened…?”

That was how it appeared from their perspective.

“Did he… just block Rael’s attack? That brat?”

“No way… It must have been luck….”

The others, who were watching, only saw sparks fly as metal clashed, as if they had just blinked.

“Ugh…!”

A chill ran down Rael’s spine, instinctively, she quickly distanced herself from him.

“Haa….”

She slowly caught her breath, and

“Hmm!”

—lunged at him once again.

Clang -!
But
Clang -!
the next attack,
Clang -!!
and the one after that,
Clang, clang -!
and the one after that, were all blocked.
“Ugh! No way!”

She tried attacking different parts of his body, thinking she might have been too predictable by only aiming for his neck, but

Clang – Clang – Clang –

Neck, waist, abdomen, thigh, calf, ankle….

“What are you…!”

“This can’t be happening?!”

Arnold reacted effortlessly to every attack, no matter where she aimed.

“Hmm.”

And every time he easily blocked her sword, he uttered a single word—

“Slow.”

—which was the ultimate humiliation for her.

“Ugh…!”

Finally enraged, Rael’s composure broke for the first time, and she tried to attack Arnold again, but

“And -”

Slash!

“Your defense is sloppy.”

“Pfft…!”

Unlike her initial confidence, she allowed the first hit to land.

“Kgh… Kuh…”

Rael’s momentum was instantly broken after being cut, her previous rage nowhere to be seen.

“Rael?!”

“Did I just see that?!”

Her subordinates began to despair.

“Amazing… I don’t know what happened, but… amazing…!”

On the other hand, the guard who had been unable to do anything but watch her comrade die could only gasp in admiration.

“Ugh… Huu…”

Although Rael had avoided a fatal blow, she was in critical condition due to the deep gash in her side.

“To think there’s a human like this…”

She gritted her teeth in frustration, spitting out the metallic taste filling her mouth.

“My turn.”

But without giving her time to recover, Arnold gripped his sword with both hands.

“U-Ugh!”

Rael focused on his movements, her eyes wide, trying her best to defend.

Clang -! Clang -!

His swordsmanship was swifter and heavier than the attacks of the so-called elite agent leader of the Demon King’s army.

Clang -!

“Agh!”

Their leader seemed to struggle just parrying the incoming blade.

Slash-

Her defense wasn’t perfect.

One cut for every parry, varying in size, but Rael’s life force continued to dwindle under Arnold’s relentless assault.

Swoosh -!!

“Uwah!!”

So this was what explosive speed felt like.

Rael’s body was tattered, like a sausage sliced on a cutting board.

“Haa, haa…”

“Is that all?”

Unlike Rael’s humiliating state, Arnold remained calm and composed.

“Ugh, I won’t forgive you…!!”

Her initial composure was gone; Rael hadn’t been able to smile since Arnold’s arrival.

“Hmm…”

She gathered her magic power and stopped the bleeding. She wasn’t talented in healing magic, so stopping the bleeding was all she could do.

“I never thought I’d have to use this against a mere human child.”

She focused her mind, trying to maintain her breathing.

“…!”

She unleashed all her power.

“Limit Break!!”

Rael used a physical enhancement magic.

It allowed her to temporarily exert transcendental power, exceeding her limits, but it was a double-edged sword, as it came at the cost of a significant portion of her life force.

“This is no longer about sabotage!”

“For the future of the demon race, I must erase you from existence right here, right now.”

An immense aura shook the surrounding forest. The trees and grass rustled violently as if a fierce wind was blowing.

Clang -!!

Her next attack was on a different level.

“…!!”

For the first time, Arnold lost his composure and frowned.

“Haha!”

Seeing Arnold’s reaction, Rael, seeing a chance for the first time, pressed her attack relentlessly.

Clang – Clang -! Clang, clang-!!

“How do you like that!”

She poured all her remaining energy into her attacks.

Clang -! Clank -! Kang -!!

“You can’t do anything!”

An all-out war, staking everything she had.

“…….”

However –

“……?”

Her laughter didn’t last long.

It was true that she had pushed him back with Limit Break.

“…”

“……?!”

But that was it.

“Impossible?!”

The fight had become even, not advantageous for her.

“You’ve certainly become stronger.”

As if to prove it, Arnold had only lost his relaxed demeanor.

“Hu… Hu…!”

She still couldn’t land a single hit, let alone injure him.

“But you’re too focused on offense. You’re full of openings!”

Clang -!

In fact, her focus on all-out attack had made her defense even sloppier than before.

“Huh?!”

Arnold seized the opportunity and attacked sharply.

Clang –

“…!!”

Rael lost her balance, unable to withstand the force of his precise attack. For a brief moment, she was completely vulnerable.

Swoosh –!!!

At that moment, he drew a wide arc with his sword and cut down the high-ranking demon.

Thump -! Thud —-

Rael tumbled across the ground like a dog hit by a carriage.

“K… Kugh…!”

Arnold’s final attack was definitely fatal.

“Ugh…”

Despite that, Rael, being a high-ranking demon, tried to get up, squeezing out her last bit of strength.

“…!”

But… she couldn’t even stand on her feet.

“Ugh? My… my…!!”

Because –

“My feet…!!”

Where her ankles should have been, there was only empty space.

“Losing your lower body is a death sentence for someone whose only strength was speed.”

“Gasp…?!”

Unlike Rael’s pathetic state, Arnold still exuded an overwhelming presence.

“D-Don’t come near me…! You monster…!!”

Rael, her initial dignity gone, scrambled across the ground, trying to get away from him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it painless.”

“…!!”

She hadn’t expected this at all.

“P-P-.”
The last words she always heard when cutting down the weak –

“P-P-Please, no —!!!!!”
She would utter them herself, as the weak one.

Slash –

◇ ◇ ◇

“…….”

He realized something he hadn’t known before.

“I… I think I’ve done something terrible.”

He hadn’t realized it, but… perhaps he had little qualm about taking a life.

In his previous life, he had been uncomfortable even harming wild animals.

But now, he could take the lives of not only monsters, but also intelligent beings who were practically human, differing only in race and appearance. And his tolerance for gore had definitely increased….

Come to think of it, he hadn’t felt any resistance to killing monsters from the very beginning.

“…….”

Why was that? He was aware that this was reality, and yet, he felt little burden in harming others.

“I’ll think about that later.”

Anyway, Rael was a formidable opponent. Even though her level varied depending on when you encountered her in the game, she was definitely a character on par with a mid-to-late game boss.

As proof, this was probably the most focused he had been during his time in this world….

As he had said many times before, Arnold Stenman was exceptionally talented. Even when attacked, the attacks seemed slow, and his body moved instinctively.

“Rael was defeated?!”

Now then.

“What do we do?!”

“Shouldn’t we run?!”

“W-We should help her, like we said!”

“But if we interfere… Hii?!”

All that remained were Rael’s subordinates, the remaining agents.

“Ugh…! Everyone, retreat!”

“We have to report this to headquarters immediately!”

“There’s someone we need to be wary of in the human kingdom!”

As expected… as soon as Rael fell, they scattered like flies, trying to escape on their own.

“Hmm….”

But he had anticipated this and prepared a countermeasure.

“Ugh!!”

The agents desperately tried to flee.

Thud -!

“Ouch?!”

Thud –

“Ugh…!!”

Crash -!

“Agh?!”

But they crashed into the air as if hitting a wall and fell to the ground.

“All captured.”

How did he do it?

Simply put, he had enhanced his barrier magic.

“Agh… Ugh…”

He had created invisible walls to divide the space and prevent them from escaping, and combined it with other elemental magic to stun and paralyze them for an extended period upon contact.

“I almost lost them.”
It seemed he had made the right decision to meticulously set up the barrier whenever he had a moment during the fight.
“Ugh… A-Amazing….”

Now then –

“Hey.”

“Yes…?!”

Now that everything was settled –

“Are you alright?”

—should he head back?

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 

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.