He stood there in silence, unable to find the right words.
This had to be Marquis Domitius, Edsel's father and the current head of the Domitius household. His presence alone was heavy enough to make the air feel suffocating. But why was he this furious?
"Answer me, you worthless son. I sent you to the academy to improve yourself, yet you return after losing to your own fiancée, Fiora. And that was not enough. After your defeat, you even attempted to attack her. Do you have any idea how much shame you have brought upon this family?"
Edsel felt a chill run down his spine.
Those words confirmed it.
According to the game [Heroes of Light], this was the moment after he lost to Fiora. This was the incident that pushed everything forward. Edwin defeated him, took Fiora's side, and from that humiliation began Edsel's descent into darkness.
This was the starting point of his villain arc.
To think that the original Edsel would begin walking the path of evil over a woman felt ridiculous to him.
"Answer me!"
"I am sorry, Father."
He lowered his head respectfully, forcing himself to remain calm. Apologizing was the safest choice. After all, he had not committed any of those actions himself. He had expected to reincarnate at the beginning of the game, not in the middle of the chaos. For now, it was better to endure this and think of a plan later.
Marquis Domitius stared at him with clear disappointment.
"If only you were more like that child, Edwin Perrin."
Edsel's eyes widened for a brief moment when his father compared him to someone else.
So this was what the original Edsel meant at the end when he spoke about having everything stolen from him. The praise, the recognition, the glory. All of it was handed to Edwin Perrin while he was left behind as nothing more than a stepping stone.
It seemed he had been Reincarnated to become a prop in the hero's story, a necessary obstacle to make the so called savior shine brighter.
How pathetic.
If the world had already decided his role, then he would simply rewrite it for his own benefit.
Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded inside his head. It felt as if something was drilling straight into his skull. At the same time, a metallic sound echoed inside his mind.
Ding.
A cold voice followed.
[Synchronization complete.]
[Character assimilation: 100%.]
Edsel froze.
A translucent screen flickered into existence before his eyes, glowing with a deep and unnatural purple light. It hovered silently in his field of vision, unaffected by distance or angle, as though it were embedded directly into his sight.
His breathing slowed.
'Do not tell me…'
═════ SYSTEM INITIALIZATION ═════
◇ Subject: Edsel Domitius
◇ Species: Human
◇ Title: Fated Villain
◇ Rank: Awakened Mage
◈ Corruption Index: 3%
◈ Death Mana Accumulation: 0%
⚠ Reason:
[Dark Mana detected within human vessel.]
[Survival probability without intervention: 0.03%.]
A slow smile almost formed on his lips. So he finally had a system and his title was already Fated Villain.
His gaze lingered on the warning.
Dark mana detected within his body? Interesting. That meant the original Edsel was never clean to begin with. There had always been something festering beneath the surface.
What caught his attention more was the survival probability.
0.03 percent.
That number was almost laughable.
In the non canon endings of the game, Edsel died repeatedly. Sometimes at the hands of side characters. Sometimes executed by heroines. Sometimes crushed directly by the hero himself. He had always been doomed.
'Things are going to be different."
He did not intend to avoid death out of fear, After all this all mess was something he voluntarily agreed to do although he still didn't understand how he was reincarnated. He would avoid all death flags, so he could grow strong enough to devour everything that once crushed him.
More words appeared beneath the interface.
[SKILLS — Publicly Recognized]
Frost Bind — Low
Glacial Lance — Low
◈ Frost Bind Description: A battlefield suppression skill that freezes enemy movement, slows mana circulation, and slightly restricts aura flow.
◈Glacial Lance Description: An offensive skill that condenses ice into a high penetration projectile with minimal mana consumption.
He remembered these.
When he played as Edwin, these were the skills Edsel used during their fights at the Academy. They were powerful in theory, but poorly controlled. That must be why their rank was low.The original owner lacked mastery.
Another section unfolded.
[AUTHORITIES]
Authority Slot One — Locked
Authority Slot Two — Locked
Authority Slot Three — Locked
Active Fragment:
◈ Gluttony Principle — Absorption (Dormant)
◈ Authority of Gluttony — Absorption Description: The ability to absorb death mana and convert it into usable Dark mana within the vessel's body.
Edsel's eyes darkened.
Authority.
That was different from ordinary skills. Skills could be learned, trained, and replicated. Authority sounded absolute and Conceptual. Something that stood above normal magic.
If he could absorb death mana…
The system window suddenly vanished.
The room returned to normal, and in front of him stood his father, still glaring with open anger.
"Tomorrow, Fiora will be visiting this estate. I invited her personally. You will speak with her and apologize properly. Do not tarnish the Domitius family name any further, Edsel. If you fail again, you can forget about your allowance."
"Yes, Father."
Jasper shot him one final glare before turning and leaving the room. The heavy sound of the door closing echoed through the chamber.
The remaining maids stood frozen in place, their heads lowered as if they were afraid to even breathe too loudly.
They were trembling.
So the original Edsel must have treated them poorly.
One maid with brown hair and faint freckles hesitantly stepped forward.
"Y-Young Master, shall we help you wash up?"
Edsel observed her quietly. He did not understand why they looked so frightened, but it did not concern him.
"You."
She flinched.
"Y-Yes?"
"What is your name?"
She blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting the question.
"It is M-Mia, Young Master."
Mia.
The name meant nothing to him. It was not one he remembered from the game, though it was not as if he knew every detail of Edsel Domitius's household.
He turned toward the window and exhaled slowly.
"So I will be meeting one of the heroines tomorrow."
The maids exchanged confused glances.
Edsel had already made his decision. Before Fiora arrived at the estate, he needed to understand his current limits. He would train. He would test his skills. He would measure exactly how far he stood from the so called hero.
"Mia. Take me to the training hall."
She hesitated for a second.
"O-Of course, Young Master."