Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 624

"Oh, it's not just a precaution in case Rid loses. If my child and the Baldia family are connected, the impact on the surroundings would be minimal, right? Shouldn't we always prepare for the worst-case scenario?"

"Well, I guess that makes some sense..."

Even if I were to lose to Johan, marrying a child of Rafa, a fox tribe , might reduce the political fallout.

As I hesitated, Tis's voice boomed, "Wait a minute!"

"If we're preparing for the worst-case scenario, then Amon , who will be my husband, should be the next Beast King. And our child should marry the child of Rid-sama and Fara-sama. Right, Amon-sama?"

"Y-yes, that's right."

Amon nodded hesitantly under Tis's intense gaze.

However, Rafa chuckled. "Oh my, you're a foster daughter, but still a daughter of the Baldia family. It wouldn't look good, would it?"

"Uh..."

As Tis faltered, Tink shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "Normally, that would be the case, but if we assume the worst has happened and we want to minimize the impact, it's a different story. Even though the Baldia and Grandork families are already connected, becoming closer to Rafa-sama might invite unnecessary speculation."

"Oh my, you have a point."

"No, no. It's all for the sake of the Baldia and Grandork families."

As Rafa and Tink exchanged glances, Citri raised her hand. "Um... if we're talking about the worst-case scenario, if I marry Johan-sama and he becomes the next Beast King, the political impact would be minimal."

For some reason, Rafa, Tis, Tink, and Citri exchanged glances, creating an unusual atmosphere. Watching them, Dynas smirked.

"That's great, Rid-sama. Even if you lose to Johan, it seems they'll make up for it."

"No, that's not the point."

I shook my head in exasperation, then turned a serious gaze back to him.

"First of all, I don't plan to lose."

As soon as I said that, the door to the guest room burst open.

"Good job, Rid!"

"Whoa?!"

Startled by the sudden loud noise, I turned around to see Johan standing there with a broad smile.

Next to him, the dragon warriors guarding the door looked confused.

"J-Johan-sama. Even though you're a prince, this is the guest room. Please refrain from entering like this."

"Haha, don't worry about the details. My engagement to Citri has been announced. That means Rid and I are now relatives, albeit distant ones. Given our similar ages and the fact that we're friends, there's no need to stand on ceremony."

"N-no, but..."

Johan answered confidently, but the dragon warriors and everyone in the room were perplexed.

Tis, the foster daughter of the Baldia family, is engaged to Amon.

And Citri, Amon's sister, is engaged to Johan, so they are indeed distant relatives.

But for the warriors tasked with guarding the guests, any breach of etiquette is a serious concern.

Ignoring the warriors' discomfort, Johan quickly approached me.

"This means that a child with both my and Rid's blood will be born in the future. I'm looking forward to it."

"...What are you talking about now?"

I glanced at the flustered warriors and the wary Tink, signaling with a nod that I wasn't concerned about their behavior, then sighed and shrugged.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to beat you, Johan. If I do, that whole idea goes out the window."

I narrowed my eyes as I said this, and he looked puzzled before bursting into laughter.

"True, you're right. But I'm strong, you know."

Johan grinned confidently, but Citri stepped forward and confronted him.

"Rid-sama defeated Elba Grandork, who was renowned as the strongest among the foxkin. I understand you're confident, Johan-sama, but from the moment you entered, you've been quite rude. If you aim to be the future Beast King, you should at least maintain some basic decorum."

"O-okay. I'll be careful."

"Yes, please do."

Johan, taken aback by Citri's scolding, nodded hesitantly. She smiled and added, "And..."

"As your fiancée, I will continue to point out such things in the future. Is that alright?"

"Y-yes."

Johan nodded under the overwhelming pressure of Citri's smile.

When did she become so bold and confident?

But her demeanor and the atmosphere she exudes feel familiar somehow.

As I pondered this while watching their exchange, it suddenly hit me.

Ah, I see.

Citri's angry tone is just like Fara's and Mother's.

It seems her time with the Baldia family has had a significant impact on her.

In fact, given her talents in both martial and literary arts, it might be more accurate to say she's 'blossoming.'

Johan's flustered state must be quite rare, as even the dragon warriors near him looked stunned.

"Then, once again, I look forward to working with you, Johan-sama."

"Ah. But really, Citri, you're amazing. That pressure reminded me of Mother."

"Oh, really? That's a compliment. Thank you."

Citri smiled and bowed, while Johan scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed.

Then, he slowly turned his gaze to me and said, "Now then..."

"Rid, I want to ask you something. How did you beat Elba? From what I've heard, some say you defeated him alone, while others say it was a group effort. What really happened?"

Johan's playful demeanor suddenly turned serious.

His eyes were earnest, with a cold, calculating glint reminiscent of Sekhmet.

Everyone in the room felt the shift in atmosphere, and the air grew tense and heavy.

Taking a subtle deep breath, I smiled and narrowed my eyes.

"Both are true, and both are wrong."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

To Johan's puzzled expression, I briefly explained the situation at the time.

Back then, we couldn't afford to lose, but the difference in military strength made a direct confrontation impossible.

So, we decided on a desperate gamble: a surprise attack.

The surprise attack succeeded, and my unit reached Elva's main camp.

There, we fought with all our might. Of course, I only shared what I could.

"...And that's how it was. In the chaos of the battlefield, there were moments when I faced Elba alone, and moments when I faced him with Capella and the other knights. But one thing's for sure: I didn't defeat Elba alone. It was a victory we achieved together."

"I see. In that case, I still have a good chance of winning."

Johan nodded in understanding, then smirked.

Citri raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, smiling. "Johan-sama?"

But Johan just shrugged and shook his head, still smiling.

"Don't look so scary, Citri. If Rid had defeated Elba alone, even I would have to admit my chances are low. But if it was a group effort, then I have a good chance of winning in a one-on-one fight with Rid."

"W-well..."

As Citri hesitated, Johan turned to me.

"That's how it is, right, Rid?"

"Sure, you could see it that way."

The final showdown with Elba was close to a one-on-one fight, but I couldn't have won without everyone's help.

And the 'power' I drew out during that battle is something I can't use again, nor do I intend to.

The price for using that power is a severe risk of shortening my lifespan, and using it requires Memory's cooperation. But he's made it clear: "If you use this power again, Rid, you might die. Never use it again, and I won't help you either."

Unless the Baldia family faces destruction again, that is.

"But, Johan-sama, isn't it unfair that only you have a rough idea of rid-sama's strength?"

Tis suddenly spoke up.

As everyone turned to her, Amon gently asked, "What do you mean?"

"With all due respect, Rid-sama's strength is widely known due to the battle at the Narrow Fortress. Of course, the information needs to be verified, but it's possible to prepare countermeasures. However, we have no way of knowing how strong Johan-sama is."

"I see. That's a fair point."

Johan pondered for a moment, then smiled broadly. "Alright, I have a good idea."

"Let me show you my strength."

"Huh?"

Everyone was stunned by the sudden proposal, but Johan ignored them and looked at someone behind me.

"You seem like a good match."

"Who are you talking about?"

I tilted my head and turned around to see a woman surrounded by empty bottles, still drinking despite having consumed most of the alcohol in the guest room.

Noticing the attention, she chuckled and took a sip from her glass. "Oh, sorry. I was too focused on the drink. What's this about?"

"Rafa Grandork, the eldest daughter of the Grandork family and said to be the second strongest among the fox tribe  after Elba. How about a little demonstration of my strength with you as my opponent?"

"What?!"

The room erupted in shock, but Rafa just smirked. "Oh, this sounds interesting."