A Villainess Should Be Strong

The Spirit Tree's direct creation. That was the Spirit King. There would be only one king existing in a period of time. After meeting their doom, a new king would be born.

'Heine' was one of the kings. He didn't know who the former king was, nor did he want to know.

He was an existence created solely for the sake of filling in the throne. Spirits were born using the power of the Spirit Tree. However, the kings had a different magic supply. They were born with abundant power, and contained traces of the Spirit Tree's life itself.

They had a special power, and that was to communicate with the Spirit Tree and receive information from it.

Heine never doubted his existence. He instinctively knew his purpose and managed to fulfill it well. From time to time, he would be called by the Spirit Tree. Apart from those calls and some trivial matters concerning the spirits' livelihood, he had freedom.

Thus, Heine amassed power and traveled across his country. Wherever he went, there was nothing but spirits. Some trespassers would occasionally come and cause trouble, but he quickly dealt with them.

The spirits didn't particularly like outsiders. Most of them never stepped outside of the land, and the outsiders had never came here for a good purpose, so the impression was bad. Some spirits were particularly rebellious and liked to travel. They would leave the land without telling anyone, and didn't come back.

In the end, the spirits thought that they met their end and refused to connect with the outer world even more. Heine was neutral in regards to this matter, but he sided with the spirits just a little bit.

That day, the sun was a little harsh. As if it was angry, it burned with all its might and scorched the lands its rays touched. The Spirit Land was usually chilly even in summers, but that day was different. A lot of spirits felt hot and hid in a shaded area.

Suddenly, he sensed an unknown presence. He became wary and started preparing his magic. He tracked the other side's position and approached while hiding.

It was a woman with blazing crimson hair and amber eyes. She wore clothes that was befitting of a magician and held a wand.

"I wonder why you are spying on me?" She did not look over to his position and just casually said, still walking to who knows where.

Heine did not know why, but he felt like she wasn't hostile. Instead of throwing her out like the others, he dispersed his magic and showed himself. In order to see through his magic, she would have to be very strong. At least on par with him. He took an interest.

"This is the Spirit's Land. Trespassers are common, so I am wary to all of the unknown presences, including you. State your intention,"

"Ao! I was just passing through~ I was bored and walked without a destination, who knows how I ended up here?" Her voice was very playful. She seemed like a very carefree person. Someone who didn't care about the world they all lived in, but someone who had her own world to care about.

"...The Spirit's Land has a barrier. You are telling me you passed through without noticing?"

"Mhm? People say I am very strong, so maybe the barrier was too weak?" She nonchalantly said.

"Such blasphemy- You dare!"

"*chuckle* I'm just kidding. It must be my sister's magic. She has a Unique Magic that deals with seals and barriers, your land's barrier must've been canceled by her protection. See?" She took out a talisman out of nowhere.

Indeed, the talisman contained traces of unknown magic and seemed to repel the barriers.

"Even so, that only further increases the reason on why I can't trust you. Would you please withdraw peacefully?"

"Ehh? No hospitality?? At the very least, we should introduce ourselves! I am Minerva Eire. People call me the Crimson Witch," She extended her hand.

"..I am Heine, the Spirit King." Heine reluctantly introduced himself for courtesy's sake.

"Nice to meet you, Heine. I've finished the 'passing through' activity. I'll go away for today, because I know your rules have to be obeyed.. Come and see me sometimes, I'm very bored. I live in the Astral Plains, on top of the highest peak." Minerva grinned. Her eyes seemed to contain traces of sadness and longing, but it quickly dissipated.

"I've never been outside."

"Hm? Is that so? Then come outside for me, will you? I'll return now, see you! You must visit!"

Minerva opened a space rift. In the other side was a simple wooden house. It looked very cozy. Spirits didn't like houses and usually lived alongside nature, so the house looked particularly amazing to him. She waved and smiled at him and went over to the other side, ending their chance encounter.

His days went on like usual, and the thought of seeing the woman constantly came up.

He was enticed with the thought of going outside, truthfully.

"Astral Plains... Maybe I should see the outside world for a bit."

Those simple words marked the start of a fateful encounter, which would then turn into a normal thing for them.

Just like that, a friendship was formed after back and forth visits, travels, encounters, and incidents. Their friendship was special. One was a carefree, yet overpowered human. The other was also overpowered, but he was restricted by the Spirit King title.

People would've never guessed that a friendship between a Witch and the Fae King could exist.

Over the years, they influenced each other and ended up like siblings. They would bicker, quarrel, and fight. After that, they would make up and continue like usual. Luckily, the two had a long lifetime due to their powers, and was nowhere close to death.

They even picked up a disciple along the way, who later ended up being the Beast King Gazelle.

Minerva opened the world for Heine. Heine's personality gradually morphed from that of a strict and unbending one into a more playful one.

She made him saw everything clearly. The outside world was not that scary compared to what the spirits imagined. There were good people like Minerva, Gazelle, and their acquaintances.

But of course, there would also be bad people. Particularly Minerva's race, the humans. Heine soon learned that most of the trespassers were humans who wanted to have a bite on the abundant resources.

He was enraged and wanted to fight, but was soon calmed down. Minerva and all of her acquaintances talked him into officially making the Spirit's Land a country to prevent further trespassing. He thought about it and soon agreed.

Sylvania, the Spirit's Country was formed with the help of the Beast Kingdom, Minerva and her friends, and Heine's own power.

Minerva, to him, was sometimes annoying. But she was an important friend that helped him develop. Grow out of his shell.

Then, that day came.

The Spirit Tree called him for an audience. It told him nothing but the location of a Dukedom in Alynthi, the Humans' Kingdom.

He was rather confused by this, but thought that something must've happened and rushed over there.

He didn't find anything strange besides the unnaturally strong people he met along the way. The Clareste Dukedom was never a prominent household on the outside, but it was actually very strong on the inside, he thought.

Then, he suddenly sensed an unnatural mana disturbance.

It was coming from a maid. Her magic was foul and had an unpleasant stench to him, who was sensitive towards magic. It was coming from the Black Magic.

The maid stood beside an unsuspecting woman, who was stroking a baby's cheek with care. It seemed like she was the baby's mother.

The maid persuaded the woman to have a tea time in order to let the baby peacefully rest, and soon left.

Heine thought that the maid must've had some unpleasant connections that threatened the spirits, and that was the reason why the Spirit Tree contacted him.

However, he soon found the baby to be a bit weird.

The baby looked like she was conscious of everything. Thus, he peeked into his mind, an idea that even he thought was stupid.

Upon hearing the thoughts, he was dumbfounded.

They conversed. And went through some things together.

It was shocking.

But somehow, he accepted everything. He guided and taught the girl, and there was one special occasion.

She said that she was a villainess, based on a dream.

He thought that it was stupid for her to decide it based on a dream and shrugged it off.

That same day, he had a dream.

That he was a reincarnated person.

With a 'role' to play.