Birdsong filtered through the window, heralding the dawn. “…I suppose it’s time to put her back.” I carefully lifted Shadowmancer, who had dozed off on my bed, and placed her gently on the spot of floor where she had fainted. Then I sat on the bed she had just occupied and barked at her. “Hey! How long are you going to lie there!?” She shot up from the floor, startled. Her eyes, locking onto me, narrowed as she realized she’d collapsed on the cold wood. She clenched her teeth. “Why the glare? Do you have a problem?” “Then go make breakfast.” “And if you bring me another pathetic meal like yesterday… just take your sister and get out.” “What? You don’t want to? Shall I have your sister join our household, then? I’ll make her my mistress.” At the mention of her sister, Shadowmancer’s composure shattered. Tears welled in her eyes and began to stream down her face. To her, that girl was both her most precious person and her greatest weakness. “I… I’ll be right back… Please get ready…” As she fled the room in tears, the system window materialized before me. [Acquired Scapegoat Karma: 1pt! (Insincere Remarks)] ‘…What’s this message? Is it explaining the context of the evil deed?’ I glanced at the system window for a moment before nodding to myself and muttering, “Well, it’s not like I meant a word of it.” Shadowmancer’s younger sister was the key to her future cure. How could I ever treat her so horribly? Still, I had to keep up the pretense, making Shadowmancer believe I coveted the girl, all to make her hate me. After rising from the bed, I settled at the dining table. Soon, Shadowmancer returned with a tray bearing coffee and sandwiches. I stared down at the meal, saying nothing. Shadowmancer’s jaw tensed; she must have been bracing for me to ruin it again. But I was simply waiting, checking to see if my ‘False Scapegoat’s Intuition’ would trigger. The passive skill, which warned me of one serious threat to my life per day, remained silent. It seemed my breakfast wasn’t poisoned. “…Fine. I’m tired of nitpicking.” I picked up the coffee, my expression one of weary resignation. I’d thought it for a while now, but Shadowmancer was a phenomenal cook. The aroma of this coffee alone would put the royal baristas to shame. “Why is this so bitter?” Of course, I could never admit it was delicious. I had a role to play. “Honestly… there’s nothing to like about this.” “I will do my best to please you, master,” she said, her voice flat. “Then stop standing there and give me the academy invitation. There’s something I want to show you.” At my apathetic command, Shadowmancer produced an elegant invitation from her sleeve. Hero's Scion, firstborn son of the noble house of the Hero. We invite you to Academy of the First Light, the pride of the Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Empire and the foremost academy on the continent. Please grace our halls and become the starlight that shines upon us all. “See that? They want me to be their starlight.” I snorted after reading the text, then crumpled the invitation into a ball and tossed it at her. “I’m in a different league from you, an orphan who only got in because of my father’s letter of recommendation.” “So, you’ll take good care of me at the academy, won’t you? Shadowmancer?” “Yes, but Young Master… you should know…” “The rule that all students are equal? Don’t be absurd. That’s for barons and margraves. I am one of the few dukes in the Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Empire, the direct descendant of the Hero’s line.” “So don’t waste my time with such nonsense. If any commoner bastards give you trouble about the rules, you will deal with them. Understood?” “Now then, it’s time to leave. The heir of the great Hero’s family can’t be late on the first day.” With that, I deliberately rose from my seat, leaving more than half the coffee and sandwich untouched. I desperately wanted to finish the meal, having eaten poorly the day before, but this was one more small cruelty to earn her hatred. “Master, the carriage is ready.” “Good morning, Master Scion! We will convey you safely to your destination in the finest carriage we have prepared!” As I stepped out of the dormitory, a magnificent golden carriage bearing the family crest awaited. “Oh, you’re even more handsome than the rumors! My goodness… I think I’ve fallen in love at first sight…!” “Yes! If you have a moment… perhaps…” I was studying the carriage, about to step inside, when a woman materialized out of the crowd and threw her arms around me. ‘So obvious, this one.’ My reputation as a lecher was infamous. Of course, as the first son of a family even the Imperial line dared not cross, I was still revered despite my sordid name. Someone had clearly sent this beauty to seduce me. Unfortunately for them, with my life on the line, I had no time for such games. “Pahaha! One can see right through such a vulgar creature, can’t they?” I chuckled, then wrapped an arm around Shadowmancer’s waist, pulling her flush against me. “Besides,” I muttered coldly, “though you are both of a similarly lowly status, I already have a more useful one by my side.” Shadowmancer stiffened in my grip, her teeth gritted as she fought to contain a surge of killing intent. “…And I happen to be a little busy right now.” At my frigid tone, the woman’s face went pale. She scrambled back and vanished into the crowd. “Shadowmancer, we’ll get in the carriage together.” “I… I can ride on horseback…” “We are riding in the carriage together, Shadowmancer.” I smiled and guided her inside, then paused to throw a final word to the woman, who was still standing there, stunned. “You. I’ll remember your face.” “Yes, yes! Thank you!” It was common knowledge that for the heir of the Hero's Lineage family to ‘remember your face’ was a promise to spend the night together. That was likely why the woman beamed with triumph, while Shadowmancer struggled to conceal her utter disgust. [Acquired Scapegoat Karma: 1pt! (Avoided Honey Trap)] ‘In truth, I recognized her from the blacklist I’d committed to memory.’ She was likely a courtesan hired from a brothel with ties to the criminal underworld. I would have to write to my father later and inform him about it. “I’m worried the Young Master’s arm will grow numb. Please, remove it from my waist.” Once inside, I had sat beside Shadowmancer instead of opposite her, keeping my arm firmly around her. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Hm, you’re right, this is a bit awkward. Then… this should be fine, right?” Ignoring her plea, I moved my hand from her waist to her thigh. “Y-Young Master… please… don’t do this…” Shadowmancer squeezed her eyes shut, and fresh tears began to fall. “Well, that’s a shame.” I finally released her and moved to the seat across from her. Gazing out the window, I subtly wiped a trickle of blood from my lips and muttered to myself. ‘This never gets any easier, no matter how many times I do it.’ Unless Shadowmancer was asleep, this was the only way I could infuse my life force into her. Not only was it several times more draining than when she slept, but it also forced me to play the part of a vile predator. Still, if it meant extending Shadowmancer’s life, I was willing to be seen as a monster. “I’m going to take a nap. Keep quiet, Shadowmancer.” I tried to close my eyes for a moment, to rest before we arrived, but the memory of the woman sitting opposite me, a woman who wanted me dead, made it impossible. Giving up on sleep, I kept my eyes closed and focused on the False Scapegoat points I had earned through my sacrifice. [Accumulated Scapegoat Karma: 100 pts] ‘Oh, that’s quite a lot.’ It hadn’t even been a full day since my regression, yet I’d already amassed 100 points. The constant stream of villainous acts was certainly efficient. “Store,” I whispered, and a window opened in my mind’s eye. ‘Let’s see… stat distribution… item store… and a skill store, too? There’s a lot here.’ Just as the prophecy had described, the system allowed me to spend my points on tangible benefits. I wanted to examine everything in detail, but with Shadowmancer watching, it was too risky. I’d have to investigate later, in the privacy of my dorm room. “Mmm… mmm… Shadowmancer… hold still… hehe…” Having made my decision, I feigned sleep for the rest of the journey, calling out her name in a lecherous drawl. The bloodlust radiating from her intensified, but so did my accumulated False Scapegoat points. I’d have to use this tactic more often. “Young Master, please wake up.” “Shadowmancer… hehe… that’s a good posture… hold it right there…” “Young Master, please…” “…Huh? What is it? What’s the problem?” I had been deep in my act when Shadowmancer began to shake my shoulder. I rubbed my eyes roughly and sat up. Shadowmancer let out a weary sigh. “We’ve arrived at the academy. We need to get off.” “Already? These carriages are faster than I remember…” Stretching, I glanced out the window and saw Academy of the First Light spread out before me. It was strange, seeing the academy standing proud and whole again. In my previous life, it had been reduced to rubble during the Demon Sovereign’s assault. –Hero's Scion, firstborn son of the ducal house of Hero's Lineage, family of the Hero, has arrived! “Did you hear that, Shadowmancer? I haven’t even set foot on campus, and they already know who I am.” “I believe they saw the family crest on the carriage.” “You have no tact. Sometimes, you’re just supposed to agree.” I shot her a deliberately cruel look, then muttered to myself as I checked my ever-increasing point total. ‘All students are equal, and yet this farce remains. Equality here is just a pretense.’ The academy rules explicitly stated that all were to be treated the same, so why did this tradition of announcing the arrival of high-ranking nobles persist? This was a place of learning, not a banquet hall. The Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Empire was rotting from the inside out, consumed by such customs and corruption. Though I had been the one to help destroy it in the previous timeline, it was clear that its fall was inevitable, even without the Demon Sovereign’s help or my own. So, my mission was clear. Defeat the Demon Sovereign, ensure the heroines survive, and, if I could, clean up some of the Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Sun-Blessed Empire’s rot. After that, I would likely no longer be in this world. It wasn’t an impossible task, not with my knowledge from the prophecy and my past life. The heroines, however, remained the biggest problem. False Scapegoat’s Intuition: [A powerful killing intent is felt nearby!] “…Heh, speak of the devil.” I took a slow breath, reciting the famous line my ancestor was so fond of in the Ancestor's Chronicle. This wasn’t just any killing intent. This was a wave of malice so potent that even I could feel it without the system’s warning. Apparently, the main heroines were all furious.

Chapter 3: His Necessary Cruelty