Reincarnated as the Hated Villainous Prince, I Thought I Could Live Freely in This Life, but Unconsciously Acted Like a Saint ~Trying to Create an Evil Kingdom, but for Some Reason I'm Highly Respected by Everyone~ - Chapter 5

“Hou…?”

The men had the air of small-time thugs, but their demeanor changed when it came to battle.

Clutching the daggers they had apparently hidden, they cast wary glances in my direction.

“Prince Esmeralda… Shall I assist you?”

Seemingly recovered from the spell, Mirua, now standing beside me, offered her support.

…Right.

While I’m not against leaving everything to subordinates, as befits a villain, it seems wiser to prioritize earning the elf’s favor.

I’d like to experience a “romantic life” in this one, something I hardly enjoyed in my previous life.

“No, it’s fine. Leave this to me.”

“Understood. I wish you luck in battle.”

After Mirua bowed respectfully, I nodded back and drew my sword, taking a fighting stance.

“Hehehe… Hahahaha…”

“So you want to fight? The infamous weak fifth prince?”

It seems that the Fifth Prince’s bad reputation has even reached these ugly men.

They sneered with contempt, confident of victory.

“Hey, Prince. I have heard about it, you know? You couldn’t even beat a goblin, you had to be saved by the princess, right?”

“Goblins are something even novice adventurers can defeat. Don’t think you can do anything to us just because you have some noble blood.”

“How dare you speak ill of Prince Esmeralda?”

Mirua was the first to react with indignation, though I held her back with my right arm.

…Though it was before my memories returned, I remember fleeing from a goblin.

This was probably during a demonstration of my strength to the populace.

A mere goblin should have been no match for the real ‘Esmeralda’. Regardless of my low level, my stats were high.

But the goblin I fought was unusually strong.

Without proper weapons and armor to fight it… I had no choice but to retreat.

Looking back, I think that goblin was unnaturally strengthened by Princess Yurisia.

Right after I involuntarily retreated, Yurisia seized the opportunity to leap forward.

And by coincidence… she had received a National Treasure-level sword before the event.

The scenario was too perfect.

Probably, the in-game Prince Esmeralda got tired of such petty bloodline disputes and became mentally unstable.

But…

If I’m shaken by such old stories, I wouldn’t even qualify to be called a villain.

Always calm and collected, no matter what the time, that’s my ideal villain.

“Well then, shall we end this idle chat? Gentlemen.”

I taunted the men with a smile.

“Come at me. It’s a rare chance for you commoners to fool around with a prince, isn’t it?”

“Huh…?”

Perhaps they found my answer amusing.

Their expressions twisted as they crouched slightly and replied defiantly.

“Fine. If you say so, we’ll play with you, weakest prince!”

Immediately, the two men charged at us.

-Fast.

They seem to be part of an organization, their movements are too coordinated.

Or rather, I feel like I’ve seen this kind of movement somewhere before…?

Clink.

I parried the man’s descending blade with my own sword.

“Oho…?”

Lighter than I thought.

Maybe my overall stats have improved after defeating Sword Emperor Mirua. I don’t know.

“What the…?”

“Don’t falter! Keep attacking relentlessly!”

They were surprised that their attack was easily blocked, but it was far too weak.

Compared to Mirua, their movements were noticeably slower, making it easy to defend. I effortlessly parried all the sword blows they threw at me.

And I definitely remember that kind of movement.

The game from my past life was a very well-made VR game, so there’s no doubt about it.

“You… are from the army of the kingdom. The Third Division, to be exact.”

“What…?!”

“If it’s the Third Division, then you must be closely related to Yurisia-neesama. Heh, seems like there’s more to it, huh?”

“You…!”

Whether I hit the mark or not, the men showed blatant agitation.

I see, their filthy appearance must be a disguise. Indeed, with their current appearance, it wouldn’t seem like they affiliated with the kingdom that was harassing an elf.

“Heh. Judging by that reaction, I’m not far off the mark, am I?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! How can you be so sure?”

“Kukukuku. There’s no need for you to know.”

With a meaningful smile and a relaxed demeanor, I had nailed it.

-Perfect.

For a villainous prince, this was an ideal situation.

“Prince Esmeralda…”

Behind me, as always, Mirua stared at me with her hands clasped together.

Even though she’s on the battlefield, it’s really frightening how completely off-guard this woman is.