Let's start the villain rescue route. “I leveled up.” - Chapter 1 Reincarnated as a villainious NobleMan

I opened my eyelids.

In my still-blurry vision, an unfamiliar scene unfolded.

What caught my eye was a pure white ceiling I had no memory of.

It looked as if the Milky Way itself flowed from one end to the other, its golden stars gently streaming.

I observed this for a good minute or so and then, bewildered, I sat up.

A voice was thrown at me, somewhat diagonally from the front. It was a woman’s voice.

“…Oh, good morning, Nefarious-sama. It seems you were unusually sound asleep this morning. It’s been a while since I last saw Nefarious-sama oversleep.”

Turning my gaze, I saw a woman, unfamiliar in appearance, exchanging the flowers in a vase placed near the wall.

While her attire resembled a maid outfit I’d seen in TV and manga, there was absolutely no information about her or her surroundings available.

“Ha-ha,” she chuckled with a smile. But, naturally, I had a question to ask.

“…Who are you?”

“Eh?”

The woman’s movements came to an abrupt halt.

“N-Nefarious, sama? Are you joking, right?”

“Well… you seem to know me, but I have no clue who you are…”

“Could it be…? Nefarious-sama, did you happen to forget?”

“Forget what?”

“Yes! You are the son of the Arium Baron’s household, Nefarious Terra Arium-sama!”

“Nefarious… Terra… Arium!?!”

Upon hearing that name, a brief moment of pain shot through my mind. Then, I understood what the woman was saying.

As soon as I understood, I realized that even my own face had turned pale.

“Th-that… No way. I mean, me? Of all people… did I reincarnate as Nefarious!?”

I mumbled like a groan.

The maid didn’t seem to understand my words, but I couldn’t be bothered with that now.

There were more pressing matters at hand.

Nefarious Terra Arium.

If my memory served me right, that was the name of a character from a certain game.

He lost his father. His mother and sister were enslaved, and yet, he took action to save his family, only to have his most beloved two people killed before his very eyes. A tragic villain.

Despairing at the cruelty of humanity, Nefarious harbored exceptional anger and eventually became one of the right-hand men of the Demon King, blocking the path of the protagonist.

That’s what Nefarious is like in the game, Cry.StrayLife.

“Ne… Nefarious-sama? Please, Nefarious-sama! Pull yourself together! I should probably consult with my master…”

“Master? My, Nefarious’s father?”

I muttered, and the maid’s words elicited a reaction. The maid’s eyes widened happily.

“Do you… remember your master!? Do you remember Lord Albert Terra Arium?”

“Well… I see. That’s right. If I’m inside the house as Nefarious, that means my father is still alive, doesn’t it…”

I didn’t understand the reason. There was no evidence. But I was undeniably inside the game I had played, and it seemed like I had been reincarnated into the timeline just before the main story began.

By the time the main story began, Nefarious’s father should have already died.

“I’m sorry. I had a weird dream, and my memories got mixed up. I remember everything now.”

“Eh? I-is that so?”

“Yeah. As proof, my mother’s name is Caroline Terra Arium, right? And my sister, Marie—…”

I was interrupted midway through saying that name.

“Big brother? It seems like the maid is making a fuss about something. Is something wrong?”

“Marie! Hi there, good morning. You’re as cute as ever today.”

With those words, I got out of bed. I approached my dearest sister who was peering from near the door, and I gently ran my fingers through her soft, white hair.

“Big brother!? What’s gotten into you so suddenly… You’re full of energy even in the morning…”

Marie protested as I embraced her tightly.

But when she wrapped her arms around my back and hugged me back, it was clear that Marie was quite the sis-con herself.

“Sorry. You’re just so cute, Marie, that I couldn’t help but hug you. Is that okay with you? Being embraced and petted by your big brother?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I was just a bit surprised. Hehe.”

With her right in front of me, I could hear her laughter.

However, to maintain the facade of a capable guy, I deliberately continued to pretend that I hadn’t noticed and kept stroking her head.

My… no, Nefarious’s sister, Marie.

Her full name is Marigold Terra Arium.

She’s a mob character that hardly appears in the game, but she shows up as a hallucination with white hair and blue eyes in front of Nefarious after he’s defeated by the protagonist.

She dies in the middle of the main story. Therefore, she only appears once.

In her one appearance, I, who was playing the game at the time, was drawn to her appearance. I fell in love with her pure and tender love for her brother.

The game itself was horrible. On message boards, it was heavily criticized:

“What the heck is Cry.StrayLife? The person who wrote the scenario is trash. It’s done. The production team that adopted it enjoys being masochistic.”

And reviews on online shopping sites were in shambles, with only two stars:

“Overall, the scenario is too dark.”

“The heroines die without warning.”

“Despite that, the difficulty level is high.”

“Even when you clear it, it’s a bad ending!”

I shared the same feelings. I had always been afflicted by a mild case of chuunibyou and tended to empathize more with the villains.

So, even though I liked Nefarious’s character in the game, I never thought I’d be reincarnated into it.

Honestly, thinking about the tragedies that were about to befall me and my family in this world makes me feel like I’m about to vomit.

If Marie weren’t here, I’d definitely be retching in my room.

“Hey, big brother.”

As I was lost in thought, Marie called out to me. I snapped back to reality.

“What is it?”

“Don’t you think we should go to the dining room soon? Mother and father will worry. Besides, it’s getting hot.”

“Ahaha. Sorry, sorry. When I see Marie’s face, I can’t help but think that I have to do my best.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean just that.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Anyway, you should go ahead to the dining room. I’ll get dressed quickly and follow you. See you later, Marie.”

Saying that, I saw Marie off and then eagerly took off my pajamas.

I put on the unfamiliar casual clothes that differed greatly from modern attire, preparing myself for something like a resolution.

That’s right. I have to do my best. If I don’t, my family, including myself, will inevitably face a gruesome end in the future.

Only I, who knows about it, might be able to change the worst possible future.

Don’t chicken out before you even try.

Once I was reincarnated in this other world, I had no way to escape.

If I avert my eyes from reality, I’d still face a tragic fate. Therefore, there’s no choice but to give it my all, right!?

“I’m not just a helpless observer player in front of the screen anymore. I’ll carve my own destiny with my own hands – the protagonist, Nefarious!”

I clenched my fist and finished changing clothes before leaving the room. At that moment…

In front of me, a familiar screen appeared.

“System has linked. Individual name: Nefarious Terra Alrium, granting protection.”