Chapter Two: Let’s Hit a Child with Magic!

It’s already been two weeks since I reincarnated as Klaus.

I’ve been diligently working toward becoming the charisma of evil, but dark clouds are already gathering.

“I threw the chef in the dungeon to spread my infamy, but somehow it ended up boosting my popularity among the townsfolk… What rotten luck!”

At this rate, I’ll never reach my ultimate goal of becoming the final boss.

I have to change this trajectory, no matter what!

So, I started thinking.

To commit evil deeds effectively, I first need to understand the state of the Renford territory I govern. I’ve got a rough idea from Klaus’s memories and my two weeks of administrative experience, but… nothing beats firsthand investigation!

“Alright, let’s get ready!”

For an inspection, it’s probably best to conceal my identity.

I equipped a hooded cloak and a sword for self-defense so no one would recognize me as the lord.

Checking my reflection in the mirror, I thought, Well, well, equipping a sword really amps up the fantasy vibe!

It felt great. Once again, I was struck by the reality of being reincarnated into a game world.

Since that first day, I’ve been diligently training in swordsmanship and magic, so I should be able to handle any trouble in town without issue.

With preparations complete, I left the mansion in high spirits.

Upon arriving in town, the bustle immediately hit my ears.

The commercial district was lined with various shops, with people going about their shopping.

It was a perfectly ordinary market scene.

However, compared to the lively bustle of the capital’s castle town, the energy here was noticeably subdued.

There were no shops for entertainment, only those selling daily necessities.

The people here are likely scraping by, barely surviving day to day.

“This is the state of my territory, huh…”

I muttered, struck by a sense of gravity.

And if the capital of the territory is like this, it’s highly likely that other regions are in even worse shape.

Struggling to get by, many must harbor deep resentment toward their ruler—namely, me, the lord.

Realizing this, I nodded in satisfaction.

“Yes, yes, this is a great trend! To be the charisma of evil, being hated by the masses is exactly what I need!”

When Oliver told me my popularity was rising, I was at a loss, but that must have been wildly exaggerated.

If I keep piling up evil deeds, I should have no trouble tanking my reputation!

Satisfied that I’d seen enough, I turned to head back—when suddenly:

“Stop, you little brat! Don’t steal my goods!”

Looking toward the voice, I saw a scruffy boy running with some fruit in hand, chased by a well-dressed man who looked like a merchant. It seemed a theft had occurred.

As the scene drew the crowd’s attention, the man managed to catch the boy and forcefully reclaimed the fruit.

“Ha, ha, finally caught you, you little punk!”

“Ugh…”

The captured boy, tears welling in his eyes, clung to the man.

“P-Please forgive me. Without that food, my sisters living on the outskirts of town won’t have anything to eat…”

“Huh?! Don’t mess with me! Do you know how much these are worth?! These are high-end fruits meant for the lord himself—something you couldn’t afford even with a month’s earnings! If you’re just hungry, go eat some weeds!”

Shouting, the merchant kicked the boy.

The surrounding crowd began to murmur.

“A thief from the slums? Seems like there’ve been a lot of them lately.”

“What are the guards doing? They need to crack down on this!”

“But saying his family doesn’t have enough food is pretty sad. Did the merchant really have to use violence…?”

“He’s a rich merchant, isn’t he? Couldn’t he spare a little?”

While some expressed disgust toward the thief, others sympathized with the boy’s plight.

The latter group seemed larger, casting skeptical glances at the merchant for his violence.

But it felt more like they were eager to vent their frustrations at a wealthy merchant.

Their daily grievances must be piling up.

“…No choice, then.”

Sighing, I removed my hood and approached the two.

Seeing me, the crowd stirred again.

“Is that… the lord?! Why’s he here?!”

“He’s approaching the kid—what’s he going to do?”

“There’s talk he’s become more lenient lately… Could he be planning to personally help the child?!”

Ignoring their words, I stopped in front of the boy.

“Lord…”

The boy looked up at me with pleading eyes.

I quietly asked myself:

Now, if I were a saintly noble, I’d scold the boy, make him reflect, and teach him how to survive going forward.

That’s undoubtedly the role of a lord governing a territory, and it would boost my popularity.

But then, I grinned wickedly.

No, that’s not it!

What I’m aiming for isn’t sainthood but the charisma of evil! Protecting a merchant who brings me luxury goods over a poor child is the fitting choice!

This is a golden opportunity to ruin my reputation. I can’t let it slip!

In front of the watching crowd, I reached out to the boy.

“L-Lord…!”

Misinterpreting my gesture, the boy’s face lit up with joy, reaching for my hand.

But just before our hands touched, I declared:

“What are you misunderstanding? A wretch like you has no place in my territory.”

“…Huh?”

“«Wind Prison»”

“Wha—? Wait, please forgive me—arghhh!”

The moment I cast the spell, a five-meter-tall prison of wind formed around the boy.

Inside, fierce winds raged, tossing him around in all directions.

It’s a non-lethal spell, so he won’t die.

Killing a kid would leave a bad taste, after all.

“Eek!”

“No way! Using magic like that on a child?!”

“Sure, stealing’s wrong, but this is too much…”

The townsfolk screamed in unison at the sight.

“Got a problem?”

As I shot a sharp glare at the crowd, they instantly fell silent.

Seeing fear in their eyes, I continued with satisfaction.

“I won’t forgive such acts in the territory I govern. Make sure you never forget that.”

Hell yeah, nailed it!

Showing no mercy to a child and using the punishment to intimidate the townsfolk—what a villainous move!

This has to be worth at least 100 charisma points, right?

Keeping a serious expression while inwardly rejoicing, I heard footsteps rushing toward me.

“Hey, what’s all this commotion?! …Lord?!”

The source of the footsteps was the town guards, who looked shocked upon seeing me.

Perfect timing. I gave them orders.

“There’s a criminal trapped in that prison. It should dispel in about five minutes. Handle the rest.”

“What does that mean, sir?”

“If you don’t understand, ask the onlookers. I’m done here.”

With that, I left the scene.

This time, my reputation is sure to take a nosedive.

Laughing heartily—“Hahaha!”—I skipped back to the mansion.

◇◆◇

After Klaus returned to the mansion, the crowd continued staring at the still-raging wind prison, voicing their thoughts.

Most were criticisms of the lord.

The punishment for the boy was deemed disproportionate to the crime, far too harsh.

And the sharp glare he’d directed at those sympathizing with the boy was more than enough to shatter their trust in him.

“Hey, the wind’s dying down!”

As the crowd began to conclude that rumors of the lord’s leniency were mere lies, the wind prison’s duration finally ended.

Praying for the boy’s safety, they watched the scene unfold.

But—

“Huh?”

“What the…?”

Everyone who saw the figure emerge from the prison was utterly baffled.

Not because the boy was miraculously unharmed, but because—

Emerging from the prison was, unbelievably, a bearded middle-aged man (unconscious).

The townsfolk were speechless, unable to comprehend.

Then, one of the guards shouted in shock.

“Could this be… ‘White Shadow Garou,’ a key member of the criminal organization «Crimson»?!”

As attention turned to him, the guard continued.

“«Crimson» was a notorious crime syndicate that plagued the territory until a few months ago, when they seemed to vanish from the public eye. So why is he here… and disguised as a child, based on what you all said—?!”

At that moment, Klaus’s words flashed through the guard’s mind.

He’d clearly said he’d captured a criminal and left the rest to them.

And then there was the rumor about the red dragon liver incident.

There could only be one conclusion!

“No way—!”

This wasn’t just a simple theft—it might be part of something bigger.

With that realization, the guard immediately sprang into action.

◇◆◇

A few days later, as I walked through the mansion, I overheard the servants gossiping.

Apparently, the criminal organization «Crimson», which had been plaguing the territory, had been completely dismantled, and they were celebrating.

“Hm, a criminal organization… For someone aiming to be the charisma of evil, taking such a group under my wing could be useful. Maybe even training special operatives to form a covert maid squad would be fun—”

Wait, speaking of crime, I remembered the theft incident from the other day.

That event must have gloriously tanked my reputation.

To check on things, I left the mansion and headed to town.

“““Thank you, Lord!”””

The moment I arrived, I was greeted with overwhelming gratitude.

Utterly confused, one of the guards I’d left to handle the aftermath stepped forward.

“Thanks to your orders, Lord, we successfully dismantled «Crimson».”

What’s he talking about?

I have no idea what’s going on.

“The boy you captured was actually a «Crimson» executive disguised as a child using an illusion tool. You saw through it all and handled it perfectly—truly impressive!”

Okay, what is he even saying? Is this déjà vu?

“«Crimson» was using their child disguise to gain sympathy while committing thefts, testing the effectiveness of their illusion tools. They were planning a major crime soon, but thanks to you seeing through the illusion and exposing their true form with magic, we got information from the executive and apprehended them all. Thank you so much!”

As the guard bowed, a townsfolk stepped forward.

“Lately, thefts have been rampant in the market, but with «Crimson» gone, that should stop! When I heard you saw through the fake red dragon liver, I doubted it, but now I’m ashamed of myself! You even caught the merchant who sold «Crimson» the illusion tools! You’re an amazing lord, and I’ll follow you forever!”

Wait, what? The same merchant as before is behind this?

He definitely needs to be executed…

Another townsfolk stepped up.

“I was there and heard your words clearly. You declared that ‘a wretch like you’—meaning «Crimson»’s executive—has no place in the territory, and that ‘such acts,’ harming the townsfolk, would never be forgiven. Such nobility! Thanks to you, we can live in peace! Thank you!”

Ugh, this is bad.

The sheer volume of information is making my head spin.

But oblivious to my state, they—

“““Lord! Lord! Lord! Lord!”””

—somehow united in a chant of my name.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

All I wanted was to spread some infamy!!

How did it come to this?!