Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 594

"Ah, Lord Johan. I've seen him from a distance when I went to the royal capital before, but I've never spoken to him directly."

"Is that so? By the way, could you tell me what impression you had of him at that time?"

"Impression, huh? Let me think..."

Amon crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and began to groan as he tried to recall.

The character who appears as a romance target in the game  and is considered the strongest in terms of physical abilities in the game is none other than *Johan Bestia*. He was one of the things I was curious about in the Beast Kingdom of Zveira.

According to the memories I regained through the "Memory" and what Valeri recalled, Elba Grandork was the final  boss in Johan Bestia's route in the game. Originally, Elba was supposed to be defeated over a decade later by a group led by Marrone and Johan. However, since I unintentionally defeated Elba, I wonder if this has caused any changes in Johan himself or in Zveira as a whole. Or perhaps changes are yet to come.

With the intention of investigating this, I had decided to enter the territory of the Foxkin.

In the game, Johan was an overwhelmingly powerful character due to his high physical attack power and speed. If he were to become an obstacle in my path in the future, it wouldn't be hard to imagine him being as formidable as Elba, if not more so. It would be great if I could become close to him while he's still young, but if that's not possible, I at least want to find his weaknesses or countermeasures.

"From what I saw briefly..."

Amon slowly opened his eyes.

"He seemed calm even when standing in front of people, so I got the impression that he was quiet and dignified."

"Quiet and dignified, huh?"

In the game, Johan was more of a cute, mischievous character, I think. But maybe he was different when he was young. Or perhaps Elba's influence caused a significant change in his personality.

"But why do you ask?"

"Ah, well. I thought I'd eventually meet him, so I wanted to gather as much information about him as possible. You know what they say, 'Seeing is believing.' So, I thought your opinion, having seen Johan up close, would be the most valuable."

"Is that so? But I only saw him from a distance, so I don't think my impression will be of much help. Oh, but..."

Amon suddenly seemed to remember something and placed a hand on his mouth.

"But...?"

"Well, Lord Gyobu, who's coming to the territory soon, often speaks with Lord Sekmetos, so he probably knows a lot about Lord Johan. Why don't you ask him about it then?"

"That's a good idea. That might be the best approach."

I'll be meeting Gyobu Yatanuki, the chieftain of the Tanuki clan, for the first time soon. It wouldn't be strange to bring it up as a topic of conversation then. If I say I'm curious about what the prince, who's the same age as me, is like, it shouldn't raise any suspicions.

"By the way, Lidd. I have a favor to ask of you, if that's alright."

"Huh? Sure, what is it?"

Amon scratched his cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Well, there's a Fox tribe warrior who wants to serve as an officer in the Baldia Knights—or rather, serve Lord Liner. He's quite insistent about it."

"He wants to serve Father?"

I couldn't help but furrow my brow.

There's no shortage of people who want to serve the Baldia family. With the territory undergoing remarkable development and our victory in the Battle of Hazama Fortress, we've gained even more attention. As a result, not only from the empire but also from across the continent, many young people aiming for success have been visiting the territory, hoping to serve the Baldia family.

For the Baldia family, which lost many knights in the Battle of Hazama Fortress, the influx of officer candidates is both a blessing and a challenge. However, it seems that spies and agents from both within and outside the empire are also trying to infiltrate the Baldia family during this time. When we conduct thorough background checks, we find quite a few suspicious individuals.

Before I took over the post-war affairs from Father, this was one of the tasks that took up a lot of my time.

"By the way, why does this warrior want to serve Baldia instead of you, Amon?"

When I asked with suspicion, Amon slowly began to explain.

According to him, the Fox tribe warrior's name is *Slei Rezner*, and he was originally the leader of Gareth Grandork's personal guard, the *Umamawari*. The Umamawari are elite warriors who handle everything from personal care to protection for their lord. Being the leader of such a group, his skills must be exceptional.

It's common knowledge that Gareth was defeated in the Battle of Hazama Fortress thanks to the efforts of Father and Amon. At that time, Slei stood before Father as Gareth's   servant but was defeated. Unable to protect his lord, Slei offered his own head, but Father apparently refused.

After the Battle of Hazama Fortress, Slei was said to be in a state of shock for a while, having survived despite failing to protect his lord. However, after witnessing the reforms that Amon and I were implementing, he came to the conclusion that *his life should be dedicated to Lord Liner, who had spared him*. And so, he approached Amon through Barbarossa and Karaba, expressing his desire to serve the Baldia family as an officer.

"...That's the gist of it. It seems he was deeply impressed by Lord Riner in many ways."

"I see."

It's like a man falling for another man—what you might call *admiration*. Thinking that Father's character has won someone over like this is a bit embarrassing but also very gratifying.

If Slei was the leader of the Umamawari, there's no doubt he's an exceptional talent. The fact that he stood before Father, crossed blades with him, and survived is already astonishing. Father is surprisingly kind and gentle to his family, but as the Margrave, he shows no mercy to his enemies. Yet, even after Slei offered his head in defeat, Father refused. That must mean Father saw him as a person of both character and skill.

Right now, Baldia is short on manpower, so honestly, we need talented individuals regardless of their race. Moreover, having experience as a former leader means he has what you might call managerial experience in my previous life's terms. I'd like to hire him on the spot, but given the background check issue, this isn't something I can decide on my own.

I crossed my arms and pondered, then nodded. "Alright, I understand. Let's call Slei Rezner to the mansion in the garrison for an interview with me, Amon, Dynas, and Capella. If the background check turns out fine, I'll write a letter of recommendation to Father for a final interview. How does that sound?"

"Of course. I'm sure Slei will be delighted. Ah, this takes a load off my shoulders."

Amon smiled brightly, looking genuinely relieved. I wonder if he's hiding something about Slei.

"Uh, Amon. What do you mean by 'a load off your shoulders'?"

"Ah, well. When Slei came to me with his request, he was quiet but had this intense aura about him. He said he'd wait at the entrance until I heard him out, and he sat there in seiza the whole time."

"Wow..."

Amon scratched his cheek and laughed with relief.

Still, sitting in seiza style  at the entrance? He sounds like a character straight out of a period drama from my previous life.

With that thought in mind, I continued discussing the matter with Amon.

By the way, a few days later, I met with Slei for the interview, and my initial impression wasn't wrong. Capella and Amon's background check came back clean, and Dynas sparred with him to gauge his abilities, giving him a solid endorsement.

In the end, Slei Rezner set off for Baldia,  with my letter of recommendation to meet Father.