NOVEL WEB Chapter 1
Prologue
“What, looking good.”
With a fierce yet charming gaze, jet-black eyes, and skin glowing with vitality. The reflection of myself in the mirror is quite handsome, even on a second look.
At this level, I could rival my ‘original self’.
I’m tall, and even at 16, my long legs surpass those of most adults. Plus, I have a solid build.
Ah, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a narcissist.
Sure, this body is mine, but it’s not really me. It’s inappropriate to call it that.
“Young Master, everything is ready as you ordered. We can depart now…”
“I was just about to leave. Don’t rush and just open the door.”
⎯⎯Creeeak.
The large door opens. Light floods in, revealing the servants lined up in front. They all bow respectfully.
These orderly folks are all my servants.
““Have a safe trip, Young Master.””
There were many of them, but their voices rang out simultaneously. Yes, this is what a successful duke’s son’s send-off should look like.
“Alright.”
I stepped out with a slight smile.
The third son of the Duke’s family, Schugenharz Troa Vargan.
The villain of this story.
It’s been a week since I’ve possessed his body.
“Now, shall we go kidnap the heroine?”
I will live life on my own terms.
Chapter 1
“Please give me your daughter.”
“Y-Yes?”
Ah, that could lead to misunderstandings. Let me rephrase.
“Please sell me your daughter.”
“W-What do you mean…?”
The woman greeting me, her head wrapped in a dirt-stained cloth, wore an expression of embarrassment. Even though I told her everything about my status and the current situation when I walked through the door, this is how she reacts. Typical commoners, slow on the uptake.
“I’ll give you fifty gold.”
“F-Fifty…!”
She covers her mouth in shock with her rough hands. It’s likely she’s never seen or heard of such an amount in her life.
Upon hearing the exact figure, her eyes darted around as excitement began to set in. After a moment, she cleared her throat and looked at me with a serious expression. That’s the gaze of a negotiator, not a mother.
“Um… if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask why you want to take my daughter?”
Not too much trouble? That’s quite presumptuous. After all, what you really want is a sufficient sum of money, isn’t it? Looking at her, it seems she’s asking so that if my reason is significant, she can raise the price. To put that sentence in simpler terms:
⎯Um, I apologize for asking, but wouldn’t the amount proposed by the esteemed Schugenharz Duke’s family be a bit low…?
“Isn’t the amount proposed by the Schugenharz Duke’s Family a bit lacking…?”
Yeah, desire is a wonderful thing. When a newbie exchanges things, their desires tend to show. You may not seem to have the talent of a negotiator, but let me personally fulfill that desire of yours this time.
“I’ll give you 100 gold.”
“…!!”
“Now, let me say this one last time.”
I deliver it like a notification, as if it were really the final opportunity.
“Sell your daughter to me.”
And just like that, the deal was struck.
*
Clatter.
Even though I had set things up sufficiently with magic, this is how it turned out. I had high expectations for what was said to be the best-performing wagon, but coming from an era of smooth roads, this wagon felt uncomfortable.
The scenery flew past. I could see a straight road. They tried to make it smooth in their own way, but it couldn’t compare to asphalt. It seems the road itself is the problem, not the wagon.
“……”
I notice a woman sitting in front of me, her body completely hunched over.
Her eyes are downcast, staring at the floor, and her small fists are trembling, possibly due to the vibrations of the wagon.
She looked too pretty for an ordinary farmer’s daughter at her age. As if it had been deliberately set up that way.
“Do you think I’m going to roast and eat you?”
When I asked the trembling girl, she looked so surprised as if she hadn’t expected a question at all. She’s definitely got nerves smaller than a bean.
“Don’t worry. I’m not a pervert who enjoys human flesh, nor do I care to understand that kind of taste. Are you still nervous after all that?”
“……”
“I’m not hearing an answer. Are you planning to ignore the words of your new master from now on? I thought your gall was just bean-sized, but it turns out you threw it out of the window?”
“N-No! … I-I’m sorry.”
The flustered girl bowed her head and apologized. Her whole body was shaking lightly; perhaps she was holding back tears or clearly scared.
“You’re a bothersome one. I’ll say it only once, so listen well.”
I casually spat it out.
“From today on, you will be my personal servant. That’s because I bought you from your mother for a hefty sum of 100 gold. So I won’t be listening to your objections regarding that.”
“…Yes.”
The girl nodded slightly.
“Your job will be to assist me and carry out the assignments I give you. They won’t be easy tasks, mind you, but they’ll be far more valuable than what you’ve been doing until now.”
Since she had been exploited for labor by the person called her mother, it could be said that working under me would be beneficial for her in the future.
“The assignments I give you will be a new world you’ve never experienced before. Hmm… well, it’s nothing to hide, so I’ll just say it outright. How much do you know about magic?”
“M-Magic…?”
“Oh, forget it. Just don’t answer. For you, magic is something so mysterious that it’s hard to even think about, right? But magic isn’t that far away. Look.”
⎯⎯Snap!
With a flick of my fingers, a small fireball formed in the air, radiating warmth. Its size may be small, but it is detailed and dense fire.
“F-Fire…!”
“Oh come on, stop being so surprised.”
When she opened her eyes wide in genuine amazement, I extinguished the flame and continued speaking.
“What you just saw is a very basic thing learned when a noble is able to run on two legs. It might be astonishing for a commoner like you, but for us, it’s nothing special.”
“It might be surprising for a commoner like you, but it isn’t for us,” I said.
I smiled. Now we’re getting to the point.
“You will learn magic.”
“Wh-What?!”
…But that’s not all.
To be precise, you must learn magic. For this world, for the Academia. And yes, that’s one reason, but most importantly, for me.
“How can someone like me…?”
“Tsk tsk. It seems you’re suffering from low self-esteem, possibly due to your commoner status. Why belittle your own value? Like your mother, you lack the qualities of a negotiator.”
You don’t need to worry about such useless things. After all, you…
“You are a mad genius.”
“A mad genius…?!”
“That’s right, not just any genius, but a mad genius!”
She looks bewildered, as if she’s lost her mind.
“When I say ‘mad,’ I don’t mean you’ve gone crazy; it’s an emphasis that you’ve surpassed the typical genius. You have that kind of talent.”
Right now, both of us are 16. Compared to me, who has received elite education since childhood, her late start in magic might seem explosive, but even in those bad conditions, her talent will overwhelm everyone at the Academia.
“So don’t worry unnecessarily. Just trust and follow me.”
In this novel called ‘I’ve Possessed a Supporting Character in an Academia Story?!’, I, the important character and heroine, Alicia, discovered my talent by a pilgrim who happened to stop at the church and enrolled in the Academia, showing unbelievable genius.
But the problem remains: she will become my significant obstacle in the future.
Therefore, I resolved to make her my ally before she blocks my path and acted immediately. The result is the situation we are in now.
⎯⎯I turned the important character and heroine, ‘Alicia,’ into my ‘exclusive servant.’
Is my action dirty? If you have money and status, you should use them. Not using it would be foolish, right? I’m a duke and a villain, after all. Besides, it’s a perfect timing before that talent even shows itself. How could I let a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity go?
“Any more questions?”
“…….”
“No response again.”
“Ah, um… I, I do have something!”
As I pressed her, she finally revealed the hidden thoughts she’d been holding back. The items inside were a collection of trinkets that I couldn’t understand why she valued so much.
“…What about your mother?”
“It seems your mother, who has mistreated you so far, doesn’t want to see you succeed with the money she sold you for. Well, that’s fine. If you want, we can take all her properties in a very dirty and pathetic way….”
“That’s not it!”
She shouted urgently, her first proper expression laced with strength. This piqued my interest.
“…Really? Interrupting me like that is frustrating, but right now, I’d rather hear what you have to say, so I’ll forgive you generously.”
So, what is it then?
“My, my mother is….”
Her big eyes well up with tears.
“My mother is a lonely person with no family other than me. …Since I’ve been sold, she’ll spend her remaining life in a sad place with no one… Ah?!”
I knocked on her forehead a few times, almost as if tapping it.
I did this because I couldn’t understand what nonsensical rambling she was going on about.
It was an action driven by my lack of understanding.
She looked at me with eyes full of questions about my behavior.
“Ah, I just thought something was off with what I bought today, so I was checking it. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“…??”
Her hands were wrapped around the part I hit, surrounded by a cloud of question marks.
Sorry, but I have those question marks too.
So strange. Very strange.
When I checked (?), it didn’t seem to be a problem, but here I am, mumbling nonsensically. …Oh, could it be?
Having caught on just a bit, I let out a long sigh.
“Could it be that you’re genuinely worried about your mother?”
“…Yes.”
“Unbelievable.”
It really is unbelievable.
I knew enough about Alicia’s personality. After all, she was the heroine with the most screen time in the novels I read. Her psychology was expressed in detail.
But I never expected her to be this much of a goofball.
Talking to her in person felt refreshing.
“You’ve been sold to your mother. Have you forgotten that?”
“…I know.”
“Knowing that, and still acting like this… it seems ‘crazy’ refers more to your head than talent.”
“…….”
She spoke cautiously, bowing her head very politely.
“…May this lowly daughter dare to ask the revered Duke’s heir for a favor?”
“What if I say no?”
“…If you say that, I won’t show any more rudeness.”
Oh ho, look at that.
“Speak up. I don’t really feel like it, but I’ll forgive your rudeness.”
“Thank you… for your vast generosity like the sea….”
“No need for flowery words. Get to the point.”
“…Yes.”
She lifted her head. In her tear-filled eyes, a firm resolve began to appear.
“Please, let me visit my mother… Even if it’s just once a year, please allow me. If you do, I’ll comply with any request you have.”
Any request.
She said she would comply with any request. It’s crucial to double-check.
“You clearly just said… you’d follow any request? There’s not a shred of falsehood in your statement, is there?”
Well, I could always kill her if needed.
“There is no falsehood. If you grant my request, I will carry out any command.”
“Really…?”
A smile inadvertently crept onto my face. Things were about to get much easier.
“…!”
Suddenly, I moved closer to her.
Our faces were mere inches apart, I could feel her faint breath.
“…….”
Then, I took off the thin gloves I was wearing and grabbed her chin, pulling her towards me. I could feel her throat moving under my hand.
Our lips were almost touching.
Honestly, it was hard to believe she was the farmer’s daughter with such smooth skin.
Her cheeks felt hot.
Was she startled by my sudden action?
I brushed past her lips and reached her pale ear.
Then I whispered softly.
“I accept your proposal.”
⎯⎯Clunk.
The wagon stopped.
We arrived at the Grand Mansion where I lived.
The door of the wagon opened at the hands of a servant who came out to greet us, and as I rose into the sunlight, I looked back at Alicia, who was still seated.
“Come on. This will be your home from now on.”
Now then, tell me, Alicia.
In the future, did I kill you, or save you?