Volume 1 Chapter 1 The Great Villain Of The World Recovers His Past Life Memories
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I don't believe in fate.
But, I, Kou Tenhou, did have a meeting that changed me.
It came one day in the form of a girl with silver hair.
"I've decided to take in my best friend's child."
My father brought her home on a spring afternoon.
We live in the northern part of the continent, in the Aika Country.
My father is a general in this country.
"She is the child of the Ryuu family, who passed away a few days ago. Since she has no relatives, I've decided to take her in. She is 13 years old, one year younger than you, Tenho."
That was what my father said.
He spoke loudly while stroking his long beard.
Behind my father stood the girl with silver hair.
She seemed to shrink back, scared of his loud voice.
She was a mysterious child.
I felt like I had met her somewhere before.
...That can't be true.
A girl with silver hair and reddish eyes is someone you wouldn't forget after meeting once.
It should be our first meeting, but...
"What's wrong, Tenhou? Don't you want to greet her?"
"Y-yes, Father."
I quickly straightened my posture.
"I am Kou Tenhou, the second son of the family. If my father has decided, then you are now part of my family. Nice to meet you. Um..."
"...Y-yes. I..."
The girl looked down and quietly said something.
I couldn't catch her voice, so I looked up at my father.
Then, my father said,
"This girl's name is Ryuu Seirei."
"Okay. I understand."
I clasped my hand (Kyōshu) to my father and Seirei.
Kyōshu is a greeting used in this country where you place your hands together.
"Nice to meet you. Seirei."
"......"
The silver-haired girl――Seirei――doesn't respond.
Wearing a blue robe, she looks down with her hand on her chest.
She was beautiful. She seemed a little younger than me.
The light coming through the window made her silver hair shine.
With reddish eyes, she was staring at me.
My father is one of the generals who protects this country. So, he has many subordinates.
He has a big body, messy hair, and a beard, which makes him look scary, but he is very kind. He is trusted by his subordinates.
Because of that, I guess he decided to take in his best friend's child.
"...I'm... Seirei."
After a while, the girl... Seirei answered while hiding behind my father.
Yeah. It's her first time in a new home, so she must be nervous.
She came to our house away from her real parents, so there must be a reason for that.
I hope we can get along well.
"Um... um..."
Seirei stepped forward as if she had made up her mind.
"...I will be in your care."
Then, she deeply bowed her head towards me.
"I will try not to be a bother. Please, take care of me."
"Likewise, I look forward to it."
"...Yes."
Seirei let out a sigh, looking relieved.
But her expression was still stiff.
She tried to smile but looked down and then hid behind my father again.
She really was a beautiful girl.
When she grows up, she will be a stunning beauty.
I wonder if her stiff expression is because she's nervous, or... maybe she just has a hard time smiling.
So, wasn't there a beautiful girl who never smiled somewhere?
A long time ago... I feel like I saw her somewhere.
She had silver hair and reddish eyes──the beautiful girl who never smiled.
──The beautiful girl with silver hair and reddish eyes.
──The grown-up version of Seirei.
──The beauty who would bring down a nation.
...What's going on?
My head hurts.
"What's wrong, Tenhou?"
"N-Nothing at all."
I can't let my father see me acting strange.
As the second son of the Kou family, I have to behave properly.
Besides, I can't make Seirei anxious.
She will be living in this house as part of the family.
If I show her something weird, she might get worried.
Right now, Seirei is nervous, but I think she will fit in soon.
I'm kind of like a noble, but it's not too formal.
My father is friendly, and my mother is kind. My older brother can be a bit too serious, but I think he will be nice to Seirei.
In this house, Seirei should be able to live comfortably.
──No, that's not it.
──A different fate awaits Kou Tenhou and Ryuu Seirei.
...It's happening again.
What is this? This headache.
Strange memories are surfacing from deep inside.
──Ryuu Seirei is a beauty who will be remembered in history.
──With her beauty, she captivates the king (国王) and leads the country astray.
──Truly a beauty who brings down nations.
──Together with the great villain Kou Tenhou, she will cause the fall of the Aika Country and be executed by heroes.
──That is Ryuu Seirei.
"...Hey, Tenhou? Your face is really pale."
I realized that my father was peering into my face.
I quickly shook my head and said,
"I'm fine. I'm not hurt at all."
"That's good. Anyway, make sure to get along with Seirei."
"Yes, Father."
I properly clasped my hands together.
Seirei was looking at me with a worried expression.
Then my father and Seirei headed to my mother's room.
I returned to my room and... before I knew it, I had collapsed onto my bed.
My body wasn't moving well.
I felt like I was about to remember something important.
Something really crucial that would determine my fate from now on.
That was──
"...Isn't this the world of the Chinese-style fantasy simulation RPG 'History of Swordmaster'!?"
I jumped up and blurted out those words.
'History of Swordmaster' (abbreviated as HOS) is a simulation RPG set in a Chinese-style world.
The game takes place in the great Aika Country and the various forces surrounding it.
──Aika Country, the great nation that controls most of the continent.
──But Aika Country has lost its divine mandate due to a foolish king and the treacherous minister, Kou Tenhou.
──Rise up, countless heroes!
──Defeat the evil minister and establish a new nation!
The game's catchphrase was something like that.
The player's goal is to gather and train allies and then attack the capital of Aika Country.
And to defeat the great villain, Kou Tenhou, who is in the royal palace.
Aika Country began to decline because a foolish king ascended to the throne.
The cause was that Seirei entered the king's harem.
The new king became obsessed with Ryuu Seirei and started neglecting his duties.
Kou Tenhou, an official, took advantage of the king's affection for his sister to seize power for himself.
Because of this, the country fell into great chaos.
Rebellions broke out everywhere, and northern tribes repeatedly invaded.
To save the people, the protagonist stands up, and the game "History of Swordmaster" begins.
The player's goal is to travel across the continent and gather allies.
They obtain weapons and armor, and even martial arts books to strengthen themselves and their companions.
The ultimate goal is to attack the capital of the country and defeat the great villain, Kou Tenhou.
"History of Swordmaster" was a popular game. I was also hooked on playing it.
The difficulty was high, but it was fun.
I enjoyed leveling up my favorite characters and racing across the continent, losing track of time while playing.
As I got used to it, I started to expand my territory with weaker characters and aimed for quick clears.
How to rebuild the Aika Country... or, on the contrary, destroy it and build a new country.
I feel like I was always thinking about that.
...Finally, I remembered.
Meeting Seirei seems to have helped me regain my memories from my past life.
There were quite a few events in the game where Ryuu Seirei appeared.
The beautiful woman with silver hair and red eyes manipulated the king and executed those who opposed her.
That was definitely the grown-up version of Seirei.
...But since this is the world of the game, it means I have been reincarnated.
I lived in Japan in my previous life.
That's for sure. I remember it clearly.
...When did I die again?
My parents, who had abandoned me for so long, didn't come back, and I realized I couldn't continue my education... so I ran away from home...
And then...
...I can't remember.
No, forget about my past life. The problem is this world. First, I need to check my current situation.
In this life, my name is Kou Tenhou.
I am the second son of General Kou Eishin from the country of Aika.
I am 14 years old.
I live in the northern part of the capital, Hokurin.
...No doubt about it.
I have been reincarnated as the great villain from "History of Swordmaster."
I remember Kou Tenhou well.
The heroes in the game always talked about him.
For example――
'You, the traitor Kou Tenhou!! Do you even realize how much you have made the people suffer with your power!!'
'Gather, soldiers! The heavens have granted us our fate! Now is the time to slay our arch-enemy, Kou Tenhou, and take the world for ourselves!!'
'Your sister, Ryū Seirei, has shared her fate with the king. Yet you still cling to your life. Traitor Kou Tenhou!! Then let me take your head!!"
"(Uwaaaaaaaah!!)."
I roll over on the bed.
I stifled my scream by pressing the blanket against my face.
This is bad. Really bad!
If this continues, I will be killed as the great villain!
In the game, Seirei... I think she became the queen.
And Kou Tenhou, as her brother, was abusing her power.
It was normal for him to promote those He liked.
He moved the army without permission and attacked towns and villages that opposed him.
His reckless behavior filled the country with fear.
Meanwhile, Seirei used her beauty and skills to charm the king.
The cruel personality of Seirei does not hear the voices of people's resentment.
On the contrary, she seems to enjoy watching people suffer.
Eventually, Kou Tenhou begins to oppress those who oppose him.
As a result, Aika Country starts to collapse.
This is the prologue of "History of Swordmaster."
Gathered at the signal of "Destroy the great villain, Kou Tenhou!" the heroes expand their forces and eventually march towards the capital, Hokurin.
...So, what happens next?
I'm pretty sure there are 3 different endings.
If the heroes capture Hokurin and seize the King of Aika country――
'The King of Aika country and Seirei were defeated by the heroes.
Captured Kou Tenhou was punished to Ushizaki no Kei (where his arms are tied to two oxen, which are then driven in opposite directions, tearing the person apart) in the city.'
What if they only defeat the King of Aika's troops without capturing the capital?
'The King of Aika country committed suicide. However, the beautiful woman, Seirei, went missing.
The great villain, Kou Tenhou, was hanged in the public square.
People felt the change of the era as they threw stones at the traitor.'
...I'm sure there was a bad ending where the heroes lose.
In that case, what happens to Kou Tenhou?
'The foreighn northern tribes finally invaded the Aika country.
People trembled at the signs of a new chaos.
The King of Aika country and Seirei were taken to the north, while Kou Tenhou's body lay in the street, run over by a carriage.'
"(Aaaaaaaaaah!?)."
I remembered. I completely remembered.
Kou Tenhou dies.
Moreover, it's a choice between being torn apart by oxen, hanged and stoned, or becoming a run-over corpse in the street.
No... but, something feels off.
The Kou family isn't really obsessed with power.
There's no way my father would let his best friend's child, Seirei, enter the palace.
My father has a scary face and a loud voice. He has a beard, and if you met him on a dark street, a child would probably cry. On the battlefield, he fights like a demon.
He's not a bad person. I can't imagine him allowing his best friend's child to enter the palace.
My older brother is 3 years older than me, at 18. His name is Kairyou.
He respects our father and is training to be the successor.
He's a serious person, so he wouldn't see Seirei as a nuisance.
My mother――Gyokushi――wouldn't do that either.
A kind mother like her would never offer Seirei to someone else.
So... is it me?
Will my personality twist, and will I start using Seirei for my own gain?
Or... is something going to happen that makes it necessary?
"...This is bad. If this keeps up, I'll be killed."
I have to find a way to prevent Seirei from entering the palace.
The deadline is... until the current King of Aika country dies and the Prince ascends the throne.
When the Prince takes the throne, Seirei will already be in the palace.
I'm sure the Prince ascended when he was 28.
Right now, the Prince is 18, so that's ten years from now. In other words, it's ten years before the game starts.
In these ten years, my fate will be decided.
Anyway, I have to make sure Seirei doesn't enter the palace.
Even if, by some chance, she does end up there... I have to make sure my personality doesn't twist.
To do that――
"Alright, I'll take good care of Seirei."
Seirei has just lost her family. That might make her cruel.
If that's the case, then I'll take care of her thoroughly.
I'll raise her to be a good girl who doesn't hurt others.
All that's left is... to secure a way to escape in case of an emergency.
The character Kou Tenhou in the game is one of the weakest classes.
Kou Tenhou only fights once. It's during the final battle.
After saying some brave lines, he makes a desperate attack on the heroes (eiyuu).
Of course, being the weakest, his attack misses.
After that, he gets counterattacked by the player with a 90% chance and is taken out in one hit.
Then it's straight to the ending.
Kou Tenhou is weak because he has no inner force――what you call 'ki energy (nairyoku).'
In "The History of Swordmaster," 'ki' and attributes are very important for strategy.
Attributes show compatibility.
There are 5 attributes: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Also, depending on the attribute, you can or cannot use certain weapons.
But Kou Tenhou has no attributes.
'Ki' is like magical power.
It's used to strengthen the body and weapons. You need a certain amount of 'ki' to use strong weapons and techniques.
Yet, Kou Tenhou's 'ki' is 0.
His role is to be defeated pathetically in the final battle, so he's set up to ensure the player can win. It's terrible.
"...It's true, I don't have 'ki' right now."
I've looked into this many times since I was little.
But I have no ''ki''――no inner force. Even though I'm the child of a general.
For 14 years since I was born, I've been told by my father's subordinates, "Even if you're the second son, it's a problem if a Kou family child can't use 'ki'." Honestly, it was tough.
The reason the game version of Kou Tenhou became a great villain might be because of that complex.
...Alright. I have to somehow gain 'ki'.
In "History of Swordmaster," there's an item called a martial arts book.
By obtaining it, I can increase my martial strength, intelligence, and 'ki'.
First, let's get that, and then I'll learn 'Escape Martial Arts.'
"...The plan is set. Let's go with this."
One. Take care of Seirei, who has become family.
Two. Get a martial arts book to increase my 'ki'.
Three. Learn escape martial arts.
With this, I should be able to avoid the 'Kou Tenhou Destruction End.'
I don't want to become a great villain, nor do I want to die.
I'll live without seeking power.
If possible, I'd like to become a small local official and just get by until the chaos ends.
I can't lose to the fate of destruction.
This is my second life. I'll find a way to get through it.
I secretly made that resolution.
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