I Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

Losing my magic at a time like this was one of the worst things that ever happened to me.

I frantically waved my arms around, thinking my physical gestures were the problem.

All the while, the three masked bandits stared at me.

"Wait... Is he trying to use magic?"

"He is."

They all burst into laughter, dropping their swords simultaneously.

One of them fell to the ground, laughing hysterically.

Needless to say, the embarrassment I felt in that moment was indescribable.

"But he's a noble..." One of the men blurted out. He was shorter than the rest, but seemed to be laughing the most. "How can a noble not have magic?"

"He's so adorable."

Their laughter persisted for a while until the men finally picked their swords back up.

"Just give us your gold and we'll be on our way. For making us laugh, we'll spare your life."

I had no idea why my magic affinity had suddenly vanished, but I figured it had something to do with my reincarnation as Rin Stormborn.

Until I knew exactly what was wrong with me, I wasn't going to let any low blood disrespect a noble son of House Stormborn.

One thing they didn't know, was that I didn't need magic to win a fight.

"So, which one of you is ready to die first?" I asked coldly.

Immediately, their smiles vanished from their faces.

One of the masked men stepped forward. He was larger than the rest, and the leader of the trio.

"You seem to be confused, Stormborn."

Wait, how did he know who I was?

"Don't look so surprised. Anyone who's anyone knows the bastard son of Thane Stormborn."

"Bastard?" I retorted, "I'm no bastard. I'm the true son of House Stormborn."

"Sure... And my mother is the Queen of Viridale."

The men laughed again. Afterward, the leader of the masked men spoke.

"Anyone who's anyone on this continent has heard about the great beauty of Reina Stormborn."

"Anyone who's anyone must have slept with her," The short one added.

Another round of laughter rippled through the air.

At that point, I definitely had enough.

"Don't speak about my mother that way," I ordered.

The short one gave me a quizzical look, like I had committed some sort of treason.

"We don't care about your family drama, kid," he said. "We just want your gold."

The leader of the trio walked straight to me, until his face was right in front of mine.

"Here's the thing, Stormborn. We are the Trident, the most-feared bandits in all Viridale. If you don't give us your gold right now, we can just take you hostage until your father comes looking for you."

His tone grew more menacing as he continued.

"So how about you just give us what we want, and we'll be on our merry way."

I had enough gold alright, but I'd made up my mind not to give them a dime. I couldn't let any of these lowlifes insult my mother and get away with it.

So, I fought.

I charged headfirst for the leader of the trio, grabbing him by the waist. The intention was to push him to the ground, take his sword, and fight off the remaining bandits.

Unfortunately, this new body was way weaker than I expected, and my plan failed woefully.

The masked bandit grabbed me up with one arm and tossed my fragile body back. I fell backwards, slamming my elbows on the dirt.

Then he pulled out his sword and placed the pointy end on my chest.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson, Stormborn."

Behind me, I heard whispers of a magic spell.

"Elemental Release: Fireball"

A small fireball flew above me, headed for the leader of the bandits. He immediately ducked, and the fireball slammed straight into the shortest of the trio.

The short bandit clenched his chest and let out a painful shriek, then fell to the ground.

I briefly turned around to find the wielder who cast the magic spell, and it turned out to be the driver of the carriage. The trio had knocked him unconscious earlier but he had recovered just in time to save me.

"Fireball!"

Another ball of flame headed for the leader, and he evaded it once again.

"Master Rin, are you alright?" My driver asked, extending his right arm to lift me up.

I held onto him, but soon after, I heard the sharp whistle of an arrow fly past.

When I looked up again, I saw an arrow buried in my driver's neck. He collapsed to the floor, bleeding out.

I crawled to him and held him up to assess the injury. The arrow had lodged itself in his throat, and the chances of survival were very slim.

With my magic, I could have healed him quickly. But now, I had to watch him die for no reason.

Within minutes, he choked on his own blood.

It was not the first time I had seen a close one fall, but something about watching an innocent man lose his life always drove me to anger.

I rose to my feet, overwhelmed with a new drive. A burning desire to crush my enemies where they stood.

My heart began to pump, and I was filled with a new strength. Slowly, I stretched my arm towards the bandits.

In a fit of rage, I yelled out a powerful mage-level spell.

"Light Affinity: Apollo's Fury"

Just like before, nothing happened.

I'd thought an emotional outburst was the key to unlocking my magic, but once again, I was wrong.

My rage suddenly turned back to fear.

The leader of the masked bandits, previously frightened by my outburst, now regained his courage. Sword in hand, he charged at me once again, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

I glanced around for something to defend myself with, but eventually I settled for a long straight piece of wood

For a while, I used it effectively to block the swings of the masked bandit, then, without warning, my stick was cut through.

I had nothing to defend myself with!

Seconds later, the bandit sliced right through my chest with his sword.

I fell to my knees, staring at the deep gash on my chest, which began to bleed profusely.

It was a life-threatening injury.

And there was nothing I could do to save myself.

The leader of the masked bandits approached me a final time, and with one last swing of his sword, cut me down.

Everything faded to black.

Just like that, I died again.

As my soul drifted into the afterlife, I was wracked with strong pangs of regret.

I had been given another chance at life by being reincarnated into the past, but I wasted it because of my pride.

Perhaps, I don't deserve to live.

But I'm glad I got to see Reina again.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for the quiet silence of the afterlife. This time I expected nothing.

But then... A loud voice suddenly boomed in my ears.

"Wake up, Drey Belford!"