I Am The Game's Villain

"Yes…" Eric nodded with a conflicted expression before looking carefully around us. "And we are not the only ones…"

"What?"

Now…I was even more confused.

The situation was getting out of hand.

Milleia's Event was hard already and I didn't want anything else hindering that.

"We are not the only ones?" Milleia tilted her head.

"Yes…" Eric said as he grabbed his left arm—which was charred black…

Someone managed to injure Eric that much?

"A-Are you okay?" Milleia asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Eric waved his hand. "I just want to get the Golden Grass and get out of this forest."

"Why do you want the Golden Grass," I asked him. I was really curious why the hell he was looking for that. I wasn't even aware of that even if I played the game. I couldn't even guess his reason.

"I don't need to tell you that," Eric closed the conversation.

Tch.

"As for me…I am looking the Golden Grass for my fami-"

"Your mother?" Eric cut off Milleia.

"O-Oh! Yes…my mother is seriously sick and only the Golden Grass can save her…" Milleia said in a sad tone.

Wait.

How did Eric know that it was for Milleia's mother?

"How did you know it was for her mother?" I asked what was on my mind.

"Hm?" Eric was caught off guard by my question but he still replied. "I know when it comes to family."

That's not an answer!

This guy!

Don't tell me that he is really the reincarnated one who sent me that letter? 

He doesn't recognize me with that mask so maybe I could get some answer out of him?

"Who are the others? Who is looking for the Golden Grass except you and us?" I asked him.

"..." Eric clenched his fists at my question. 

Did I wake up with a terrible memory of him getting beaten up?

"Who are the others?" I stepped forward and asked again in a more strong tone.

"S-Sir Nyrel…"

Eric stared at me and clicked his tongue. "Knights of the Arvatra Empire."

"!"

I was dumbfounded at his answer.

"The Arvatra Empire…?" Milleia was confused. "They are our allies so why did they attack us?"

Indeed, we were allied with them. We did fight them in the previous Holy War but after that peace was formed between the rulers of the Celesta Kingdom and the Arvatra Empire.

I don't understand.

Why are they also looking for the Golden Grass?

Was there a scenario like that among the numerous in the Game? I wasn't sure about that. I did Milleia's Event several times but in none of them I met the Knights of the Arvatra Empire.

No, first, why the hell are they looking for the Golden Grass even though it is widely known as a mere legend?

"Why did they attack you, Lord Eric?" Milleia asked.

I was also curious about that. They were from the Arvatra Empire and were in the territory of the Celesta Kingdom. They wouldn't be that stupid to attack without a reason someone from here? Even less Eric who was the son of the Duke Scarlett. I don't even want to imagine the reaction of that old man if he learned about that…

"They asked me where I was going and I ignored them. Then they asked me about the Golden Grass and I said that I didn't know but that guy attacked me out of nowhere…"

"Did he know who you are?" I asked in my turn.

"Yeah…probably…" Eric's answer really surprised me. 

So they knew it was Eric and dared to attack him? 

What the hell?

Wait.

Something was bothering me.

Eric reached this far because he clearly had an idea about the emplacement of the Golden Grass?

I knew somewhat thanks to the Game so I took the lead with Milleia behind me…then Eric is really a reincarnator?

"Where are you going?" I frowned when I saw Eric walking away.

"Isn't that obvious?" Eric scoffed. "Finding the Golden Grass."

I rolled my eyes at him. "What? You have a map inside your brain?"

"And you? You got there because you both had an idea, right?" Eric retorted.

He was really getting on my nerves.

[<Because he took the lead on you?>]

'No one can take the lead over me.'

[What about Layla in the race?]

'I wasn't giving my all.'

I could have won if I had taken this race seriously—maybe.

"We only know…that it is deep inside the forest, Lord Eric," Milleia slumped her shoulders. She wasn't showing it but I could tell that she was really nervous and anxious as time passed. Her mother was dying and she only had it for a few days.

"You don't know?" Eric's tongue slipped inadvertently.

Huh?

Don't tell me…

I stepped and approached him. "You…you know where we can find the Golden Grass…?"

"!" Milleia opened her eyes wide and looked at Eric expectantly.

Eric's mouth opened and closed before he sighed. "Yeah…I know." Then he glanced at Milleia and shrugged. "We can go there together, if you want." 

"Of course, we are going there TOGETHER," I nodded and patted Eric's shoulders. "Thanks man."

"You are annoying…" Eric didn't seem pleased by my sudden act of friendliness.

Suddenly Milleia grasped Eric's hands. "T-Thanks! T-Thank you very much! Thank you very much, Lord Eric!!"

"Y-Yeah…" Eric averted his eyes.

As expected, even he couldn't resist Milleia's unique charm. She wasn't the Cover Heroine for nothing.

Thus we started to travel together. It was annoying to support Eric's presence but I ignored the annoyance for the sake of getting done Milleia's event. 

Hmm.

I should speak to Eric alone.

I'm convinced he is a reincarnator and probably the one who sent me that message in front of my room's door. That guy was living in the room right across mine! He sure has guts!

But then was he someone I knew? Since he knew my full name…

….

….

….

"It's here." Eric's voice rang.

After another hour of walking, we reached a small hill. 

Yeah…it's this place…I saw it in the Game.

The hill was grassless. Only sand and rubbles were covering it. Nothing like Golden Grass seemed to be in our vision but it was normal.

"Lord Eric? Where are the Golden Grasses?" Milleia asked and unconsciously her fingernails pierced her palm.

Eric pointed at the summit of the hill. "Up there."

"Up there?"

"Yeah," I nodded instead of Eric and started climbing. "We should do it faster just in case, the guys who had beaten black and blue, 'Lord' Eric, heir of the Duke Scarlett, come back."

"Who are you anyway?" Eric followed after me and seemed to have lost patience with me. 

"It should be my question." I said and helped Milleia to climb.

"Thanks."

"You appeared suddenly and you are looking for the Golden Grass for some hidden reason," I said because I was honestly curious about his reason. 

My memories about Eric were rather blurry as I prevented him from robbing any Heroines quickly so he didn't appear often in all my runs.

"..." Eric kept silent for a while before looking at Milleia again! 

I hope you ain't trying to hit on her, Eric.

Milleia has Raphiel's bloodline and Jayden is an Apostle. Only they could beat the Final Boss.

"It's for my sister, Rubina." Eric finally said his reason but-

"..."

I stopped my steps at his words.

Rubina…

Rubina Scarlett.

Ruby?

That name…

I heard it before.

In the Third Game.

She is…

"!"

A Sub-Heroine of the Third Game!

I covered my masked mouth in realization.

How did I forget her…

I didn't see her since I barely played the Third Game but I should have remembered her!

She is Eric Scarlett's younger sister and will become a First Year student during the Third Year Game. 

No.

More importantly she is a Sub-Heroine of the Third Game.

But why does Eric need the Golden Grass?

Is she sick?

But she appears in the Third Game so she must not have anything serious, right?

The Golden Grass is used only for extremely incurably sickness…

"I-Is she alright?" Milleia asked, showing worry for Eric's sister.

Eric nodded seriously at Milleia. "I…I need the Golden Grass to save her…save her from that curse…and from her upcoming flight…"

Curse? Upcoming flight?

I don't understand a damn about his words.

I should really talk to him between reincarnators.

"I..hope you will be able to heal your sister, Lord Eric!" Milleia reassured Eric in her way.

Eric was surprised at first but then he smiled. "Thanks."

Yeah, he was definitely not the Eric, I have known from the Game. He wouldn't speak to a commoner and even less about his family to a stranger. He even thanked her!

….

After reaching the summit, we could finally see below us something like a chasm. 

"Follow me." Eric said and crouched down to slide down the slope. 

"I will be behind. Go ahead." I said to Milleia.

"U-Um…" But Milleia kept shifting her gaze between the chasm and me.

Ah.

In the game, Jayden helped her, if I remember.

Without choices, I took a step forward and made sure to nail my foot on the rocky slope. Then I reached out my other hand to Milleia.

Milleia smiled brightly at me. "Thanks!"