Transmigration and Death
Twenty years ago, I had transmigrated into an extra in the novel 'Palette's Flower'. I was Dullahan Franz, the weakest mage in the academy.
The Franz Count family, which had produced a large number of excellent knights, viewed him as a disgrace to the family and showed him no interest whatsoever.
And realizing all that at the time, I naturally...
"Getting the short end of the stick? I can just do whatever I want without worrying about what others think?"
But despite that, because it's a prestigious knight family, money was overflowing, so even if he was a disgrace, he wouldn't run out of money.
In other words, I could do whatever I wanted, play and eat, all by myself. Isn't that the ultimate cheat?
"Why bother learning magic? In the original story, no matter how hard you try, the maximum is 3 circles... Just drop it."
Thinking that, I soon organized the content of the original story I knew, and began thinking about what to do from now on...
"Yeah, let's just do nothing!"
So, I spent time doing nothing, muttering words that weren't like 'the best plan is to have no plan'.
Suddenly, before I could figure out the hidden species ability of the Dullahan.
"Does he have... a species ability?"
The [Species Ability] was a kind of power similar to an authority existing in the novel I had transmigrated into, and the peculiar thing was that these abilities were created by imitating specific animals.
So, readers who figured this out suggested that the specific names of the authorities in the novel be called [Species Abilities], and the author approved it and it was created.
"Anyway... so Dullahan also has an ability... Let's check it out."
So, I went to the magic shop that the protagonist loved, bought the device to determine the [Species Ability], and used it.
The true identity of his [Species Ability] that I confirmed was...
[Honeybee Species: When your sincere physical attack reaches the opponent, the opponent receives irreparably devastating damage.]
"What the... I had such a scam ability?!"
However, after seeing it, as I was filled with joy, I continued to check the sentence, and the expression soaked in joy became rotten and tattered at some point.
"...Are you kidding me right now?"
It was because the unbelievable side effect of this ability was written below.
[However, such damage is also applied to the user themselves.]
In other words, I could bring down any enemy with a sincere fist, but if I threw that punch, I would hurt myself too.
Appropriately named the Honeybee Species, it was an ability that sacrificed oneself in exchange for delivering a powerful attack.
"Where the hell am I supposed to use an ability like this... What's the point if I get hurt too?"
And after confirming my own [Species Ability], I realized why the Dullahan before transmigration stubbornly insisted on only magic with no talent.
"That's it... No matter how good swordsmanship is, if you only inflict physical damage, you get hurt too... It must have been an unavoidable choice."
From that day on, I felt pity for the Dullahan of the past, and swore that I would never use this power for eternity, and actually lived that way.
By hiding my own power, despite being a knight family, those who chose magic and received the worst grades started to look down on me.
"That guy... is Dullahan Franz, called the disgrace of the famous Franz family?"
"Shh, what if they hear? He's still the family's eldest son. Is it okay to mock him like this?"
"You too? You got the title of family's disgrace for nothing? I heard that this guy is basically abandoned even in the family."
"What? So that's what it was? I was being too cautious."
'They're all listening, you bastards.'
So, I often heard people passing by say something like 'How did this guy even get in here?'
Of course, because this place, Palette Academy, was the best in the empire, to enter you had to overcome an enormous competition rate.
'That's right, this Dullahan guy was skilled enough to pass the competition rate without putting in effort... And not in magic, but in swordsmanship.'
In this light, this Dullahan had truly lived a tragic life.
'Even though he had talent... Ironically, because he got one wrong ability, he ended up like this.'
Actually, the first thing I saw when I woke up in Dullahan's body for the first time was an empty sleeping pill bottle, so I could tell how much he had suffered.
"...Poor guy."
I wonder if my transmigration into Dullahan's body was also due to that background. At least in this life, he didn't seem to want to continue living anymore...
So, leaving behind the soul of Dullahan who had disappeared, I lived in this world as Dullahan.
Despite living alone in this world for about 20 years since that day, there was no one around me.
Ah, of course, there were no friends, but there was exactly one. However, he was... quite a busy person, so there was little time to meet.
So, one day, an ordinary day like usual, shocking news spread across the empire.
"Lord Karl, the hero, and his companions have been defeated by the Demon God!!"
It was the protagonist of [Palette's Flower], Karl, and his companions of the heroines who were defeated by the Demon God.
The fact that the empire's top power was defeated meant that there was no longer anyone who could stop the Demon God.
Then, people who had been praised as heroes just a few days ago started to tear them apart and blame them.
"Those guys who couldn't even clean up the threats to the empire became heroes?"
Just like the academy classmates who criticized me when I first entered the academy.
"...Ugh, what a shitty world. Nothing has changed."
I was, in fact, the person who suffered the most from the hero party, precisely the heroines, while attending the academy.
"With such a mindset, do you intend to proudly attend this academy representing the empire?"
The princess Alice, who told me to leave the academy right away, saying I should pay the proper test fee, proper tuition, and proper registration fee.
"Ugh, you look miserable beyond belief. Your sword is a waste."
In the sword duel with me, she mercilessly priced me out unreasonably and looked at me with contempt, calling me pathetic.
"You, you are not a person of this world. How can you take someone else's body so boldly and live like that?!"
The saint Livien, who acted coquettishly and spoiled me, but ranted at me while the others were with Karl, all had the worst relationships with me.
"You bastards... Even if I think about it again, it's fucking shit? What wrong did I do that you ranted at me?"
"...Sorry."
While I was cursing at them in the pub while recalling the past, I glanced at the man who bowed his head and seemed about to cry to me.
"No, what sin do you have? They're all bastards, what did you do wrong? Karl."
He was, in this life, my only friend and the hero who transmigrated into this world, Karl.
I, who knew he was a transmigrator, had been friendly with him from the beginning, discussing his future together.
Karl was the only one who could talk openly about the original story and relied on me. Of course, the heroines next to him ranted...
In conclusion, this guy was a pretty good guy. It was just that the women attached to him were the problem...
Anyway, the reason Karl came to me now was about the Demon God.
"So, you're saying he's a hopeless guy?"
"Yeah, no matter how strong the attack, it regenerates instantly. On the other hand, we get tired instantly..."
Karl's strength, even looking at the whole world, was so immense that he could boast of being the strongest. The women next to him were the same.
"Regeneration ability... It's really difficult if there's no countermeasure."
"Now, what should I do? Soon, the Demon God's army will invade the empire... Why am I so pathetic!!"
After Karl's group was defeated, the empire stripped them of their hero title and forced them into retirement.
On top of that, they received massive public criticism from the empire's citizens, so finally Karl completely broke down.
And the Dullahan, watching such a close friend, didn't like this situation either.
"With the Demon God's army trying to destroy the empire... and the empire's top power unable to stop it, it's really bleak."
With those words, the door of the pub opened, and beautiful women entered one by one.
"Isn't that... the companions of the heroes?"
"Even though they couldn't defeat the Demon God... now they're coming to drink? Really pathetic."
They couldn't hear the scathing words from them, but the heroines ignored them and entered the private room where Karl and I were sitting.
"Hey, long time no see, you bitches?"
"...Now even you have become someone who ignores us..."
"..."
"..."
After hearing my words, Alice, the princess, responded with a detached expression, Dia with her whole body trembling in silence, and Livien, the saint, starting to cry at the same time as my words.
Confirming that they had taken their seats, I soon fell into despair and looked at them without looking, approached Karl who was bowing his head, and patted his shoulder.
"...Dullahan?"
"Considering that, it was an effort. You don't need to listen to the words of those who only blame without making any effort like you."
While comforting him, I slowly got up from my seat and headed towards the door.
"You... where are you going suddenly?"
And at that time, Alice, who saw my movement and asked me with a questioning voice, I shifted my gaze to her and muttered softly.
"Where am I going... I'm going to clean up the shit. Ah, there's a note I left for Karl under my seat, so check it well."
With that said, I headed to the plain where the Demon God was, and finally died together with the Demon God after a fierce battle.
It must have been... that way...
Back to the present, looking at the Demon God in maid clothes serving me soup, I thought.
'Why did it turn out like this?'