Reborn as the Fated Villain

Damien lazily sat in the car with his eyes closed. He felt his body rapidly trying to repair his wrecked mana circuits. The pain was intense, but he managed to control his expression. Imryll was still sleeping in the front seat, but Fay had woken up. She kept shooting Damien glances for an unknown reason. Could she tell how much pain he was in despite his facade? Or maybe his sleeping face was just too handsome?

As the car passed through the streets, many residents stopped to stare at both the magnificent metal carriage and the tired knights that flanked the sides of the carriage.

One kid on the street pointed to the carriage and asked, "Mom, why is there water coming from the wheels?"

A tired woman carrying a bundle of laundry on her back didn't even bother looking and just replied, "Don't be silly. Water doesn't come from carriage wheels."

"But Mom! There is water coming out of the wheels and onto the street!" The mother let out a tired sigh. "Freddie, please, stop being loud, okay? Mom's already under enough stress without your constant talking." The boy just lowered his hand and looked dejected at the floor.

The elves guarding the car just shot the boy a weary smile and continued their escort toward the palace in the distance.

***

A knocking could be heard. "Come in," a powerful voice responded.

A butler soon entered the room and bowed. "My king, Princess Emilia is requesting an urgent audience."

Edward Greentail looked up from his paperwork with a surprised face. "My precious daughter needs to see me? Send her in right away!"

The butler just shook his head at his master's obvious favoritism. Prince August would be denied an audience without a second thought, but Princess Emilia could come whenever she pleased. He stood to the side and allowed a fidgety girl to enter the office.

"Father, there's a big problem."

The king looked at his adorable daughter and chuckled in his heart. "Which noble is pestering you for marriage now? I will beat them up personally!" he said before laughing at his own joke.

"Um, no, Father, it's a bit more serious." The king's playful mood vanished. What could be more serious than some bastard noble trying to pursue his lovely daughter?

"Do tell," he said, and Emilia obliged.

"I received some news that a person knew Luna Runes."

The king's face lit up. This was a big opportunity. "Where is this person?"

"That's the issue I wanted to talk to Father about. I had my knights escorting him at here this morning. However, the envoy was attacked on the way to the city."

The king tensed up. "What was the outcome?"

"The situation is rather complicated." Emilia said while fidgeting with her dress. She seemed very distressed and worried she would be scolded.

Edward put on a friendly face and said in a calm tone, "Emilia, my dear, I could never be mad with you. Tell Dad what happened."

Emilia let out a deep sigh and explained, "Father, Captain Beldroth suspects that the man who knows the luna runes is a vampire, likely a noble one as well. Beldroth mentioned that the vampire could fly and destroyed over a hundred ghouls and a necromancer by himself with just waves of his hands."

Edward's calm face instantly changed to one of confusion. "There's a vampire within our borders? A vampire hasn't been spotted in the human world for over three hundred years. Is Beldroth sure the man is a vampire?"

Emilia nodded. "Very sure."

"So, where is this vampire right now?"

Emilia's nervous expression reappeared. "He's about to arrive at the palace. Father, he also mentioned that he would collect payment, as he felt my escort was a neglect of his safety."

Edward just leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Vampires are savage creatures that live in the mountains. They only know murder and lust. The main reason we never tried to be diplomatic with them is that they have nothing to offer. They only have magical knowledge regarding Blood magic, and they don't export any goods other than dead bodies. Although I must show him some respect since he's royalty. While I'm sure we would survive an invasion from the vampires, it would be a brutal war.

"All right, I will meet this vampire when he arrives. You should come as well since this is your mess," Edward said in a calm tone, and Emilia nodded in agreement.

***

Edward sat on a comfortable sofa in a meeting room. He decided against using the throne room as that would be inappropriate when meeting with other royals. No royal would accept being looked down upon by another ruler. Therefore, this meeting room was chosen for the first-ever diplomatic meeting between a king and a vampire.

The room was surrounded by high-grade guards that were extremely loyal to the crown. Usually, they guarded the royal family members from within the shadows, but this time they stood as silent sentries along the walls.

King Edward was rather nervous; he had read the records of Kazimir Nightshade, who was a monstrous being. It took three kingdoms and a team of A-grade mages to kill him. Edward didn't know the backstory of this vampire, but he was interested in meeting one.

Call it bias, but he predicted a human with fangs and claws would walk through the door, snarling at him and looking at his daughter with a gaze of lust. Then, the vampire would either attack them or demand blood slaves as payment.

Edward had rather low expectations of this meeting as a diplomatic meeting had never been held between a kingdom and the vampires from the Kazimir Mountains.

Emilia nervously tugged at her dress beside Edward as they waited. Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room.

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The two exchanged a look. Edward coughed into his hand, before sitting straight and nodded to the two guards standing either side of the doors. They bowed toward him before slowly opening the door.

A vampire who barely fit through the doorframe walked into the room with measured steps. Adorning a perfectly tailored wine-red suit, he carried an imposing presence. His short, messy white hair fell over blood-red eyes, and his face, deathly pale, was striking against his chiseled jawline.

What surprised Edward most was the vampire's demeanor. He continued into the room with a calm, orderly grace. His face relaxed and almost indifferent, contrary to the hostility or lust Edward had anticipated.

Following closely behind him was a young woman with straight black hair, ocean-blue eyes, and a white dress. Her bearing was noble, her movements practiced and calculated, clearly the result of extensive training. In contrast, the vampire moved with natural ease, as if he were born to glide rather than walk.

The vampire, with a grace that seemed almost effortless, seated himself across from Edward, his penetrating gaze causing Edward to tense.

What a formidable aura. Edward thought as he swallowed. Only the Emperor of Oshal, a dual A-grade mage, has ever made me feel this powerless. How strong must this vampire be to exert such pressure?

"King Edward Greentail and First Princess Emilia Silvermoon," the man began in a voice smooth as a calm breeze, "It's a pleasure to meet you. As the outsider, I will handle introductions first. I am Damien Nightshade, the third in line to the vampire throne."

Both Edward and Emilia were taken aback. Damien, with his dignified demeanor, was unlike any noble they had encountered, yet he was the same race as those mountain creatures. His detached tone suggested an aloofness to the mundane affairs of mortals, which only deepened their surprise at his true nature.

Edward quickly composed himself and greeted Damien with a courteous nod. "Welcome to Kassinki, Third Prince of the Nightshade bloodline. Please excuse us, but encounters with vampires are rare here, so any cultural differences should be overlooked," he said, offering a warm smile. "I understand you're here regarding a concern about my daughter's oversight of your safety?"

Damien glanced at Emilia, whose cheeks reddened under his scrutiny. In his ever-calm voice, he stated, "Indeed. As compensation for being attacked en route, the failure of the guards provided to defend me, and the fact that I had to save the knight captain, I would be pleased to take Princess Emilia's hand in marriage."

What?

The room froze as everyone processed what had just been demanded.

Edward's initial impulse was to explode with rage, but he restrained himself. He could never consent to such a proposal, especially not to a vampire, regardless of Damien's seemingly better temperament than most. "That would be highly inconvenient, Sir Nightshade," Edward replied, maintaining a diplomatic smile. "I could consider any request but that."

At this, Damien's composed demeanor shifted slightly, his smile fading into a frown. "King Edward, while I am a reasonable man, I must insist on receiving something of equal value, or I expect my marriage proposal to be honored."

Despite feeling overwhelmed by Damien's intense gaze, Edward held his ground. "Although I respect your status both as a mage and a royal, I cannot agree to your proposal for my daughter's hand. You would have to answer many questions first. As the third prince, what is your political influence in the Kazimir Mountains? And what brings you to the human realm?"

Damien tapped his chin thoughtfully before responding, "My rank in Kazimir is irrelevant, as the vampires have no intention of trading with humans, even if I ascended to the throne. I find them to be crude and simple-minded, so I left in search of a more enlightened existence. As for my purpose here? It's to teach magic."

Edward frowned hearing that the vampires were still the same even after hundreds of years. Hold on, he's here to teach? But the vampires only know Blood magic. What could he possibly teach? Wait, didn't Emilia mention Luna Runes?

"I know many things," Damien said with a mysterious smirk as if he read his mind. "In fact, I would argue I know everything there is to know about magic."

Edward scoffed. "A rather bold claim."

"One I can prove."

Damien stood up and began walking toward Emilia.

Edward gave him a confused glance, but his eyes widened in horror. "Guards, stop him!"

Ten of the sentinels rushed toward Damien with daggers. They all had B-grades in various dagger and assassination arts. The area around Damien shuddered and warped for a second as a dense field of Psychic mana appeared.

The guards all met an invisible barrier that was impossible to get through. They tried to move, but their bodies just stayed in place. They all felt Psychic mana take control of their clothes and start to invade their mana circuits; their own mana quickly defended against the attack, but this Damien was seemingly unfazed by the resistance, his mana easily pressing forward.

"This will only take a moment." Damien said calmly.

Edward watched in horror as Damien placed his hand on Emilia's head and closed his eyes.

His daughter let out a slight yelp and clutched her head in pain. After a few seconds, Damien opened his eyes, removed his hand, and went back to his seat, completely ignoring the guard's miserable attempts to hurt him.

"What did you—" Edward screamed at him but was quickly cut off by Emilia suddenly exclaiming.

"Oh my god, he gave me Luna enlightenment!" Her excitement was extreme, and she was jumping up and down with joy. "Father, I know how to get to the B-grade in Luna magic now!"

Edward was baffled. What had just occurred?

Emilia suddenly ran up to Damien and bowed to him. "Please become my master!"

Edward quickly interjected, "Wait, what happened? Why?"

Emilia turned around to face her father. "Dad, he used telepathy to show me the endless expanse of space, the cycles of the moon, how the sun used the moon as its messenger during the night. He even showed me the runes of B-grade spells and how to learn them! All in just a few seconds!"

Edward just sat there in a daze. Since when was enlightenment so easy to pass on? How does he even have enlightenment for Luna magic?

"Guards, stop! Damien is an honored guest." Edward shamelessly proclaimed.

I need to tie this man down to the kingdom somehow. Someone with this level of magical knowledge cannot be let go of so easily! He took a sideways glance at Emilia, and although she seemed excited, he still refused to accept a marriage agreement. There had to be another way.

Suddenly, the girl that sat next to Damien, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up. "Master, weren't we planning to head to Oshal soon? How can we stay here with this princess?"

Damien grinned at Fay and nodded. "If a marriage is impossible, I have little reason to stay here. Oshal offered me a much better deal."

This is bad, I need to keep him here!

"Oh, what was the deal?" Edward asked cautiously.

"They offered me the position of duke," Damien said without a trace of deceit on his face.

Edward carefully considered the offer. Giving an outsider the position of Duke was no small matter. It gave him villages, land, and, most importantly, the right to have a private military force.

He had some wasteland to the north with only a small farming village that was currently without a duke; there was also a castle on an island in the middle of a lake in that territory. It has been abandoned for a long time but was likely still usable with some repairs.

With a slow nod, he said, "I can also offer you the position of duke here in Kassinki, on the condition you see Oshal as your enemy." The land was practically worthless as it bordered the Kazimir Mountains and was frequently plundered by vampires for blood slaves. The land was unusable for farming, and there were no discovered mines in the area.

Emilia then said, "Damien if you become a Duke can you become my teacher too?"

Fay interjected again, "Master, if we live so far away, how can we travel here to teach her? Also, considering we nearly died on the way here, without guards, we would be helpless! I never knew Kassinki was so dangerous compared to Oshal."

Damien nodded in agreement with Fay's words. "I'm still shaken by the whole thing."

Emilia was still on a high from the enlightenment and could think of nothing else than making Damien her teacher. She had been stuck in her magical studies for too long, and she finally saw some light at the end of the tunnel. If he was indeed to die while traveling to teach her, it would be too tragic.

She hesitantly said, "I could give you the car…and some guards."

Damien stood up and clapped his hands. "It's a deal!"

"Uh?! Oh…" Emilia turned to her father, "Is this fine, Father?"

King Edward sighed. He could already tell this vampire was going to be a headache to deal with moving forward.