Fourth Year

A number of flame pillars engulfed the father’s flames and blazed stronger.
Just how high level a technique it was to overwrite other people’s magic to make it your own, was something that he himself knew quite well.
If it was just using magic then anybody could do it, but overwriting the control of the magic was proof that your skill exceeded the other’s.
Despite the fact that it was a difficult magic even at the best of times, this was a magic used by somebody famed for being the most talented.
Everybody watched the scene in stunned silence.

“――――We don’t even need to fight… is it. I surrender, Origa.”

His beautiful features curved into what could be taken as sincere smile, a sneer, or a wry smile, and the present clan head of the Ruzil raised his hand.

“At this moment, I transfer the seat of the current clan leader to you. It was my complete defeat.”

The higher-ups of the clan that had served as the witnesses bowed deeply, and pledged their allegiance to the wise new clan leader of the Ruzil.
The roaring flame pillars swayed violently, reflected in the daughter’s emotionless eyes.

And thus, the naturally talented Origa Emelda Ruzil, despite being only ten years of age, became the head of the clan.

…*

…*

I finally did it! I gave it my all!
I won the seat of clan head six years earlier than in the novel.
With this, I’ve succeeded in shortening Gilford-sama’s unfortunate childhood as much as possible.
Aahh, what a long road it’s been.
While keeping malicious hands from attacking Gil-sama, I’ve been training every, single, day, staying indoors like a shut-in for an entire four years!
Finally, in this clan-, no, in this country, I’ve risen to the top as the number one fire magician.

“Origa-sama. What will you do with the former clan head?”

…And so without even time to savour the fruition of my hard work, I was forced to deal with the duties of the clan head.
I couldn’t help but feel gloomy about what my future held, but it wouldn’t have been exaggerating to say that this was what I had desperately lived for these last four years.

Normally, a fallen clan head would be consigned to death on the spot to preserve the meritocracy.
This tradition wasn’t something that could be changed even by the order of the new clan head.
countless, countless people had been sacrificed to this tradition, down to my generation.
Even if I tried to force my way with power, now that I’d used all my power a few moments ago, even I couldn’t win against my entire clan.
However, this time alone, things were fortunate.

“I will have Otousama live. ―――As the husband of my mother the princess, in order to demonstrate our allegiance to the throne, we cannot harm him.”

I just would slowly consider his treatment later on.

“More importantly,” I started.

Overlooking the people who had started to become noisy, I acted like I was glaring at somebody who wasn’t there.
Forcefully moving my throat that had become dry from the tension, as the clan head, as the 【Princess of the Inferno】, I gave my first order.

“There is somebody else that we must be rid of. ――Bring Oniisama here.”

…*

Having been brought here by men, Oniisama looked troubled as he was made to kneel.
However, despite being scared by the higher-ups lined up nearby, Oniisama looked my body up and down, before giving a sigh as though relieved.
Although only a few members of the clan were allowed to watch the scene unfold, everybody knew that I had challenged Otousama to a duel in the Rite of Succession.
However, no matter how praised I was for being a genius, I was still only ten.
An age where if I left the mansion and went to town, I would be nothing more than a child to be protected.
My body was small, my strength was weak, and with my build being terrifyingly fragile, I was a child to be protected.
To Oniisama who had been brought up normally until he had been brought to the clan, I’m sure that impression was even stronger.

“Congratulations on your Rite of succession.”

“Thank you. The reason I had you come here was to inform you of what we will be doing with you.”

Even the first words of congratulation that Oniisama had ever given me didn’t move my heart.
It only deepened the feelings of guilt for what I was about to do.
Those green eyes that I could feel love from now wavered in turmoil. It took everything I had not to look away.

“We have waited plenty long enough. It would have been fine had you even a little talent for fire. However, you were so weak… that we cannot allow you the name Ruzil.”

It’s been four years since Oniisama had been brought here.
I singlemindedly improved my skills, and finally the preparations are complete.
That weakness is sin, and that something that must be removed is something that was common sense of the clan.
Because of that, during succession ceremonies, the new head would kill the fallen head as a show of power.
It wasn’t an abuse due to hatred for the former head, but simply tradition.
If it was just a ceremony about removing the weak and showing one’s strength, then instead of killing Otousama―――――

“Because of that, we will brand you so that you can never call yourself a Ruzil again, and then we will banish you.”

Although the wide-eyed Gil-sama was kneeling less than five steps away, he felt much too far.
Today, right this very moment, our paths decisively parted.
My chest felt unbearably restless, but this too was according to the events of the novels.
In the novels, Gil-sama had his life targeted by 【Origa】, but because of the help of a friend, things ended with just being banished and disowned.
In the end, it’s ended up with me choosing to banish him myself, but that’s as far as the changes go.
No matter how 【I】 feel, no matter what methods I use, as long as Oniisama is the protagonist, this is something that will surely happen.

“Origa-sama. Is this not too light a measure? We are a clan that respects magic. Just being weak is in itself a sin.”

“…Oniisama was not somebody born and raised in the Ruzil. He is nothing more than a normal, incompetent child, born from a superior seed. Acknowledging him as a member of our clan would besmirch the honour of our ancestors.”

How somebody is raised in their infancy has an enormous influence on them; this is something that all magicians know.
If I declare that Oniisama’s talent as a magician never budded because he had been raised by a n.o.body with no contact with magic, everyone should a.s.sent.
Executing somebody who didn’t even know the ‘ma’ in ‘magic’ as a member of the important Ruzil family was the same as acknowledging that he was a magician.
Once I tried lamenting about how shameful it was, n.o.body else raised any further objections.

After after if there were any other objections, and scanning the surroundings, I had Oniisama held down by the men, and ordered them to gag him.
Oniisama was held face-up against the ground, unable to even resist. Kneeling down next to him, I slowly undid his collar.
Drawing an ancient character in the air that meant ‘severing connections’, it burned red and turned into a brand.

“Let your heart―――no, let your soul be branded with this mark.”
『So that your body burns, and burns, until not even the garbage remains――』

A scene I had once seen flashed through my mind.
My voice, my face, my flame flickered in distant memories.

I don’t, want to do this.

I wasn’t thinking about the consequences. This emotion just rose through my body.
So that I could deny the future that would one day come to me, quickly so that n.o.body would see, I modified the brand,
―――and seared the emblem at my fingertips into his skin.

“――――-!!-―――-!!!”

The sound of sizzling skin, and Oniisama’s mute screams.
Although the scream of pain, the smell of burning, and the sensation of branding him all served to point out just how cruel I was, I couldn’t avert my eyes.
After all, this was a sin that I had committed.

「――――-gah, ―――…」

I continued to push my finger down on his convulsing body―――when I checked to make sure that the brand was on properly, the surroundings had grown silent.
Everybody here confirmed that Gilford Ruzil was forever disowned from the Clan of Fire.
There was no longer any reason for anybody to give a glance to the boy who had fainted from pain.
There was no longer any reason to kill somebody like this, nor was there any value in dirtying their hands.

“…Keika, send donation money to the knights training school. Once Oniisama awakens, send him on his way after preparing him the necessary equipment.”

“And what is to be done of his surname?”

“Write his mother’s surname on the application. Tell him as well that from now on he is to use that name.”

Around the time that Oniisama was being carried out by some youths, people who hadn’t been present at the ceremony rushed in to give their congratulations.
As though drunk on power, and as though unable to understand what had happened, satisfied looking people surrounded me and gave their congratulations one by one.
Not a single person raised a complaint about my actions.
Not a single person looked towards the one who was burnt.
Although it was such an abnormal scene, not a single person noticed the abnormality.
Everything about this was terrifying.
I told my maid Keika that I would be returning to my room, so I would be leaving the cleanup to her, and Keika nodded with elation in her eyes.
From today onwards, she was the close aide of the clan head.
Seemingly moved by this, she congratulated me and declared her loyalty to me.
However, I didn’t listen to a single word.
At the moment I just wanted to be alone.
I didn’t want to see anyone else.
As though running away from the crushing pressure, I turned around and returned to the mansion.

My footsteps ringing out, I returned to my room by myself.
My steps were sound, and anybody looking in would see that I looked just as always.

With this, I had finished everything that needed to be done.
Gil-sama is going to meet some friends, choose his own path, and then gain power.
This was the tale of the ‘protagonist"[hero] who removed himself from a bloodstained destiny, defeated all evil, and founded a kingdom that brought joy to everyone.
This was not something that ‘I"[the villain] ought to take part in.
From now on, until the moment that I appeared onstage again, my life would just be a side story.
――――――A story of cruelty upon cruelty.

When I gripped the doork.n.o.b to the mansion, for some reason my hands were trembling and I couldn’t draw out any power from them.
During training, we used an anti-fire magic film to protect from fireb.a.l.l.s, so this was the first time burning somebody with my magic.
That it stank that much,
That he’d scream that much,
That the touch was that raw,
That it burnt that fast,
That humans were that fragile,
was something I hadn’t thought.

I’ll probably attack countless people with this magic.
Somebody’s family, somebody’s lover, somebody’s friend,
I’ll burn them, and burn them, and burn them.
The only thing I can use is fire magic――――just like Gil-sama once said, it’ll only give birth to hatred, and won’t be able to save a single person.

What appeared in my mind was a scene that I had once read over and over again.
A witch who stood alone upon a burnt field and thousands of corpses―――――【Origa Emelda Ruzil】.

I did as I wished, and got my results.
These were the results that I had wished for myself.
However, no matter how long I waited, the shaking wouldn’t stop.

…*

…*

A character with an ego had resisted things just a little, and created just a tiny distortion.
This gave birth to emotions that should never have been born, and allowed those who should have disappeared to survive.
This denied somebody the future they should have had, and was a guide to re-doing the past.

The characters had begun to move away from the arranged story, and groped for a new path.
And thus, the ‘fate"[story] determined by G.o.d had been warped.

Tl note: So anyway, this is the story of why you shouldn’t reincarnate bed-ridden lolis with no love or social contact. As villains in their favourites novels at least.