Reincarnated As A First Rate Villain: I Don't Know How To Play My Role

Five days had passed since Lucien's first official training under Knight Rex. Five long, grueling days.

Each morning began before sunrise and ended just as the last rays of daylight disappeared behind the Velebrandt estate's high stone walls. Aura fundamentals, technique drills, physical training that left his arms trembling and legs sore, followed by sparring matches so intense that even a breath felt like fire. At first, it had felt impossible—his body aching, his muscles unfamiliar with their own strength. But little by little, Lucien adapted.

Now, the weight of his wooden sword felt natural again. His footwork, once clumsy due to his growth spurt, had regained fluidity. His control over his aura had improved as well—he had finally begun tapping into the deeper reserves buried within him, though it still drained him quickly when pushed too far.

Today, however, was different.

Today was the seventh day of the week—the day Aldric had designated for "real combat experience."

Lucien walked in silence beside Knight Rex, both of them making their way through the polished stone corridor leading toward the mansion's southern training annex. This part of the estate was restricted, reserved only for elite knights and specialized operations. The air grew colder the deeper they went, the light dimmer, and Lucien's nerves became increasingly difficult to ignore.

He clenched his hands, trying to stop them from shaking. No matter how much he told himself he was ready, no matter how many times he replayed his sword forms in his head, something about this felt different.

This was no sparring match. This was no training dummy. Today, he would face something entirely inhuman. A beast.

Lucien broke the silence with a voice slightly quieter than usual. "Sir Rex…"

Knight Rex didn't look back. "Hm?"

"…What kind of monster is it?" Lucien asked, eyes straight ahead.

There was a pause before Rex replied, his tone steady. "It's a newly discovered species. One of our forward scouts at the western frontlines captured it last week. They encountered a small group, but only one was contained and brought back. The rest… were killed on sight."

Lucien's brows furrowed. "So it's not even in the bestiary archives yet?"

"No." Rex finally glanced over his shoulder. "You'll be the first one to fight it."

That realization made Lucien's heart pound harder.

"The Grand Duke thought it'd be a perfect test," Rex continued. "The beast's physical stats were evaluated—close to your current level, though slightly more agile. No confirmed magical abilities. A perfect balance between danger and challenge."

Lucien fell silent. He had studied countless monsters over the years—ogres, wyverns, scaled boars, man-eating plants, and more. He had memorized their weak points, behavior patterns, and typical habitats. But none of that mattered now.

This was something new.

Something undocumented.

Lucien's mind began to race. Where are its vitals? Is it vulnerable to blunt or sharp force? Does it have a shell, fur, scales? Is it fast or brutish? His thoughts swirled as he ran through scenarios, imagining every possible mistake he could make.

Seeing the tension build in his young master's eyes, Rex spoke again. His voice was calm—reassuring, but firm.

"Don't overthink it, Lucien."

Lucien looked up.

"We'll all be there, watching. Myself and five other knights will monitor the battle from the perimeter. If at any point you're in danger, we'll intervene."

Lucien gave a weak laugh. "You sure you'll be fast enough?"

"I've trained you for years, haven't I?" Rex said with a faint smirk. "We're more than capable of handling one beast. So relax. It's training—not execution."

Lucien gave a reluctant nod, but his chest was still tight. "I know. It's just… this is my first time fighting something that isn't human."

"That's why it's important," Rex said. "This won't be the last. It's best you experience it in a controlled environment—where you're not alone."

The two continued walking. The golden sconces lining the hallway flickered as they passed, casting long shadows behind them. Eventually, the corridor opened up into a high-ceilinged chamber—half-arena, half-training field. The ground was made of reinforced mana-tempered stone, and the walls were lined with observation alcoves behind reinforced glass. There were mages stationed on the upper balcony, as well as three armored knights standing at attention.

In the center of the room was a large metal gate.

Behind it, something shifted. Something growled.

Lucien stopped walking. His feet felt heavy.

Knight Rex placed a hand on his shoulder. "Focus on what you've learned. Watch how it moves. And most importantly. Adapt."

Lucien nodded. His expression was tight, serious—but the fear in his eyes was fading, replaced by resolve.

____________________________________

As the cold stone corridor beneath the Velebrandt mansion stretched deeper than Lucien ever remembered walking. Familiar sconces cast a steady golden glow on the walls, and the distant hum of mana-powered ventilation gently echoed with their footsteps. Lucien walked silently beside Knight Rex, their boots tapping rhythmically across the polished floor.

They had passed their usual training chamber long ago.

Lucien glanced behind them, then back to Rex. He parted his lips to speak but, as though anticipating the question, Rex spoke first.

"We're not using your usual training ground today."

Lucien blinked. "We're not?"

"No," Rex replied without looking back. "For today's beast sparring, we'll be using a different facility—one better suited for this kind of combat."

Lucien's brows rose slightly in surprise. Though he had trained almost daily in their usual arena-sized chamber, he had always assumed that was the best the mansion had to offer. "Another facility?" he repeated, tilting his head in curiosity. "What kind of place is it?"

Rex let out a low hum. "It's a sealed underground field. Reinforced, reinforced again, and then sealed with magic. Designed specifically for live-beast combat. The environment is… more conducive."

"Conducive how?" Lucien asked, genuinely intrigued now. "Does it have special enchantments?"

"Something like that," Rex said. "What makes this chamber ideal is the presence of Limtus."

Lucien stopped walking for half a step, his brows furrowing. "Limtus?"

It wasn't a term he recognized. He had read many books—glossaries on monsters, tomes about mana flow, studies on aura theory—yet the word rang no bells in his memory. "I've never heard of it," he admitted.

Knight Rex offered a knowing glance, as if he had expected the confusion. "I didn't think you would. It's not something you'll find in ordinary books."

Lucien's curiosity only deepened. "Then what is it? A rare artifact? Some kind of herb?"

"Neither," Rex answered. "Limtus is… difficult to define. It's a naturally occurring phenomenon—an essence, a residue, or some would say, a catalyst. When it saturates a space, it thickens the ambient aura. Makes it denser. Stronger. Sharper."

Lucien frowned slightly. "So it's like mana-rich areas for mages?"

"Exactly," Rex nodded. "Just like a mage might meditate in a glade filled with rare mana-blooming herbs to enhance their magic affinity, an aura-user can train within a Limtus-rich environment to refine and expand their aura capacity."

Lucien's eyes lit with interest, but he quickly narrowed them in suspicion. "If it's so valuable… why haven't I heard of it? Why isn't everyone using this stuff?"

Rex exhaled through his nose. "Because it's rare. Incredibly rare. Most nobles don't even know it exists. Only a few places in the Empire are confirmed to contain natural traces of Limtus—and even fewer can afford to isolate and harness it. Your father… is one of the very few who possess a controlled chamber enriched by it."

That caught Lucien off guard. "Father owns one?"

Rex gave a brief nod. "Yes. I only know this because the Grand Duke himself trained in that chamber in his youth. He mentioned it to me once, in passing. I've never seen the Limtus itself… I only know of its effects."

Lucien slowed slightly as they walked, his mind racing. The existence of something like Limtus had never once appeared in all the books he had so meticulously read. That was rare. Worrisomely so.

"What does it look like?" he asked softly. "Is it a mineral? A fog? A plant? A pool of aura?"

Rex gave a dry chuckle. "I told you, I've never seen it. I've only ever felt its effects. You'd have to ask the Grand Duke when he returns from the western front."

Lucien sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Convenient," he muttered. "Everything important always seems to be hidden behind some wall of secrecy."

"You're not wrong," Rex said with surprising agreement. "But knowledge like that often comes with danger. If everyone knew about Limtus, you'd have assassins breaking into noble vaults to steal a fragment of it. Best it stays quiet."

Lucien let out a long breath and nodded. "I'll ask Father when he returns. Add it to the list of mysteries I need solved."

They walked on in silence for a moment, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging between them. The further they traveled, the colder the air became—not uncomfortably so, but dense with a quiet pressure, like walking into a temple or ancient ruin. The stone underfoot darkened in color, taking on a muted bluish hue, and Lucien began to feel… heavier. Not physically, but somewhere deeper—in his chest, in his arms, in the way his thoughts slowed just enough to notice the quiet hum of aura in the walls.

Knight Rex didn't comment. He simply stepped forward, toward a large iron door etched with protective glyphs and imperial sigils.

"We're here," he said. "Beyond this door… you'll face your first real monster."

Lucien stared at the door, silent.

A small flicker of nervousness stirred in his chest—but so too did anticipation.

He clenched his fists lightly. Whatever lay beyond this door, he would face it head-on.