The Reason I Have To Be A Villain

[Renée’s POV]

The irritation that had been subtly hovering over the fact that Horaisha had surprised me disappeared completely, and I felt sorry.

Why did that fall on Horaisha’s head……!

Despite the rudeness, I covered the head of Horaisha, which had collided with the book, with my hand. Then she laughs.

“Omo, it’s not to that extent, Miss Renée. It didn’t hurt.”

But you definitely said Ouch. You said ouch for sure.

However, if the person concerned acts exceptionally when he or she says it is okay, it will make him or her uncomfortable. I apologized one last time and picked up the fallen book.

” ‘Magic History’, ‘The Inside and Out of Magic’ .…. Are you really interested? These are all books related to magic.”

Horaisha asked while looking at the books I had piled up. I was embarrassed for some reason, so I laughed awkwardly.

“That’s because I don’t know the properties of magic…….”

“Huhu. ‘You are the wizard’s younger brother, but you don’t even know the magical properties? Go read a book,’ did Mr Reden say that?”

I was thinking about how to explain it in a less embarrassing way, but Horaisha spoke exactly as if she were there.

Surprised for the third time, I opened my eyes wide without even denying it.

“Exact…….ly. Wah, if you have worked for Reden for a long time, I guess you can expect that. Something like what Reden would have said under any circumstances.”

“It’s similar, but…….”

Horaisha was speechless. Then I look down and look at the book.

“Of course, these books are great, but there is one book I want to recommend. What do you think?”

“Yes?”

“With the one book I recommend, studying magic will be over in no time.”

“Ah……”

Whether it was one book or ten books, I couldn’t say that I dozed off all the same. Instead, I smiled awkwardly, and Horaisha smile at me with a face like she knew everything.

I always feel it, but this person acts like she knows everything.

See even now.

You seem to have noticed which words I swallowed.

Anyway, if she, a wizard, recommends an effective book for studying magic, there is no reason to refuse.

It’s not sincere to refuse. I seem to be getting help from Horaisha, so this kind of kindness…….

“Then, would you please.”

“All right, first of all.”

Huh?

However, as if to stay longer, she sat down in front of me and started talking.

Unknowingly, I sat down in front of her, and Horaisha, instead of continuing the previous conversation, waggled her finger out of nowhere.

After a while, something like light powder, like very fine particles, settled in some form on Horaisha’s beautiful hand.

As I stared at the beautiful scene, lost for words, a particle of light that formed a rugged square fell onto Horaisha’s hand.

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What a book it was. It also had a thick chain wrapped around it.

At first glance, the book looked dangerous, but on the other hand, Horaisha had a bright expression on her face.

“It looks like this, but it’s a very kind book. How detailed it was written.”

No, excuse me.

“Isn’t that a taboo book?”

“Why do you think so?”

“It’s wrapped in a chain.  It seems like you shouldn’t read or touch it openly? I think it’ll be a disaster if you touch it……?”

I carefully expressed my opinion, but Horaisha did not even pretend to listen.

Is it my illusion that Reden looks superimposed on her?

In the end, I gave up on getting a satisfactory answer from her and took a look at the book.

Horaisha placed a book on the table between her and me, as if inviting me to take a look.

An old, rather thick book, wrapped in a black chain.

I was able to ask her a question only after trying to get the words taboo book out of my head.

“Something I can read… right? I don’t think I can even open it because the chain is wrapped around it.”

If you break the chain and read the book, you will be cursed or something like that.

“Actually…”

As I was having some ominous thoughts, Horaisha put on a puzzled expression. Thanks to this, the ominous aura became stronger.

“If a person who is not good at handling magic reads it, they will be cursed.”

Yes?

“Actually, it’s a book that Miss Renée shouldn’t read. You have high magic resistance, but the curse is another story.”

It’s written in runes anyway, so it’s evident that you can’t read it, Horaisha murmured softly.

“So I’ll give you a quick overview of what’s written in this book.”

Unlike Horaisha, who simply spoke as if nothing had happened, I was speechless.

What is this woman saying now?

Curse? Cur-se?*

TL/N: Renée’s like enunciating each syllable.

Did you recommend that dangerous thing to me just now?

It was shocking to the extent that I couldn’t care less that what I had inadvertently thought came true.

‘No, Renée. She told you before you read it. Calm down. Calm down…’

I barely managed to hold back my anger and nodded my head.

Anyway, isn’t that what you’re trying to explain yourself. I was willing to listen.

Oddly enough, the books made me sleepy. Even if it’s not a novel, it was still strange that I, who loved to read novels, fell asleep while reading it, but… …

‘I don’t know what I’m seeing, but I’m sure I won’t fall asleep while listening.’

But why do you help me by not just recommending a book roughly, but even explaining it?

As I looked suspiciously at Horaisha, Horaisha smiled and explained, as if she had noticed the meaning of my gaze.

“You’re Anastasia’s friend. Anastasia is also my friend, so I want to help you without compensation.”

Anastasia’s friend… 

A few days ago, His Majesty called Aiden and me friends, and even now, I’m still very curious.

Do the two of us look like friends?

Apart from that, are we worthy of being called friends?

Am I still a friend?

“Now, where should I start explaining? As you’re the younger sister of a genius wizard, you probably know very basic things…”

As Horaisha began to explain, the mind, which had been lost in other thoughts for a moment, came to its senses. Blinking my eyes several times, I corrected my blurred focus and looked at her, and I narrowed my eyes.

“You may have completely forgotten about it for some reason, so I’ll explain the basics first.”

Before I could answer anything, Horaisha tapped the chain book with her index finger.

“There are invisible floating things around us. It’s called Mana. It’s called differently in each world, but it doesn’t matter, so let’s move on.”

World?

Did she mean to say country but misspoke?

I couldn’t open my mouth because the timing wasn’t right to ask. I just watched Horaisha move her fingertips along the chain.

“Moreover, there are those who can feel mana, handle it, and store it entirely within their own power. That’s what it is.”

“Wizard?”

“That’s right. You’re smart.”

I was just saying the obvious, but Horaisha exaggerated it. Normally, I might have thought that she was making fun of me, and I would have been offended.

‘But… ‘

Didn’t you just say something, like you’re dealing with a very young child?

Above all, I didn’t feel bad because it didn’t contain hostility. Horaisha nodded silently and continued as if she had waited.

“When the first wizard appeared, non-magic humans were in awe. Because it was the wizard who could go against reason.”

“Reason…”

“Yes. From starting a fire, making rain, calling storms, and even creating earthquakes. A wizard can do it even if it takes time as long as they have mana. Ordinary human beings have never even imagined it, so they can only see it as going against reason. Miss Renée, do you think so, too?”

“Certainly… … . I’ve never had the grandiose idea of ​​them going against reason, but… There’s a prejudice that wizards can do everything. You can use magic to do everything?”

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After my words, Horaisha tapped the chain again.

“But there are things that even such a wizard cannot go against.”

No matter how many times I listened to it, her voice was light and refreshing like a feather.

At the same time, more silence came to the royal library, which had been quiet.

As if time had stopped.

Startled, I looked out the huge window. Just then, I saw a bird fly away and perch on a branch.

‘It’s an illusion. I thought time really stopped…… .’

Rubbing the goosebumps on my cheek, I asked without taking my eyes off the window.

“What is it?”

“It’s an attribute, Miss Renée.”

Attribute?

I didn’t know that word would pop out here, so I turned my fixed gaze.

The purple eyes and my gaze met. It felt like something was flowing inside her eyes.

I was fascinated involuntarily and stared at it blankly, and Horaisha slowly closed her eyes and then opened them.

“Every magic has its own nature. Let’s call it an attribute. It’s not a particularly difficult word.”

It wasn’t until she said something that I suddenly came to my senses.

Right, you were studying magic, right? I coughed in vain because I was ashamed of the fact that I staring at a distraction.

“Well, I don’t know what an attribute is. For example?”

“There are four typical and basic properties. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Fire, water, earth, and wind.”

Uhh… … It seems like I’ve heard of it, and it seems like I haven’t… …

I frowned silently. Horaisha, on the other hand, only laughed.

“Anyway, yes. I understand roughly. What the attributes are. But what about the fact that a wizard can’t go against it?”

“Do you remember earlier when I said that the amount of mana can change depending on the efforts of the wizard?”

“Yes, because you just said it.”

“As I said briefly, but the effort to increase the amount of mana is not something that can be called effort. Decades of time are poured into it, and sometimes it goes to the brink of death.”

She says unpleasant things very well with a fresh expression and tone. Slightly fed up, I stuck out my tongue.

“To the point of death. Do I have to increase the amount of mana by doing that?”

“Well, the more magic you have, the more magic you can deploy. These days, if the amount of mana is low, it is said that one abandons their dream of becoming a wizard in the first place. Anyway, that’s not what I want to say.”

Horaisha shook her head.

“It is possible to increase the amount of mana that is determined by nature by making an effort equal to that of death, but the attribute is not. That means wizards can’t go against their attributes.”

“I don’t understand…….”

“Well, let’s take a child as an example.”

Horisha gestured. Then something rose next to the chain book.

Even if you rub your eyes, it’s the size of your palm… …

It was a white snowman.

It is not a snowman with two eyes combined, but a snowman that is more detailed like a doll.

‘This… Is it an attribute of snow, no, or is it a ice attribute? More than that, why a snowman…’

The question did not last long. The snowman moved.

When the snowman moved, my heart seemed to drop in surprise, but fortunately I didn’t scream.

If I shouted one more time, I might have been kicked out of the library.

I kept my mouth shut to keep my screams from coming out and watched what the snowman was doing.

It’s all white snow, so I can’t tell, but maybe a snowman with long hair was wielding a long stick.

Horaisha opened her mouth.

“This kid wants to be a wizard.”

“Uh……? Uh, I see. Wa.”

“But it can’t cover all four basic attributes that I mentioned earlier. The wave of magical energy that child has accumulated in its body does not match the attributes.”

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I looked at the snowman instead of looking at Horaisha. The snowman was still wielding a long stick.

“Once an attribute can’t be dealt with, even if you make the effort I’ve told you about, you can never deal with them. The amount of mana, more commonly said can be increased by making an effort right up to the point of death.”

A snowman wielding a stick dropped the stick.

It dropped it and covered its face with both hands.

It was in despair.

“If you can’t handle any of the attributes, you can’t do it even after dying. Do you understand what I mean now?”

“……Yes.”

Pitter-patter,  the snowman collapsed, melted, and disappeared.

Somehow, my heart felt very, very bad at that.