Chapter 12

The Japanese Magic Empire. Among the upper class, there exist mages who protect people from monsters and are regarded as nobles. This class system is absolute. This is because physical attacks are ineffective against mid-level and higher monsters, as they are accompanied by magic resistance. They can only be defeated by magical attacks. Therefore, commoners cannot rebel. It is a worldview where a lower class overthrowing a higher class is impossible.

In the noble district of the imperial capital, there is a luxurious mansion in a prime location, a short distance from the imperial palace where the emperor resides.

It is a splendid and luxurious mansion, with Western-style architecture and a vast estate. The garden is spacious, with a fountain and well-pruned plants, making it suitable for hosting grand parties with many guests. The mansion itself exudes a sense of history, having been there for generations.

This mansion was home to one of the top mages in the imperial capital, the user of fire magic, Katsuri Awaguni.

Katsuri is nine years old, with fiery red hair and a face that resembles a beast. Despite his handsome features, he has a violent temperament. Even as a child, his twisted personality is evident, and anyone who sees him would feel sorry for him.

The carpet is plush, the ceiling adorned with a small chandelier, and the furniture, including sofas, tables, and chests, is all high-end. Each piece alone is worth several years' salary for a commoner.

Katsuri's clothing, of course, is a custom-made brand, costing over several hundred thousand yen per piece.

"Master, it's time to depart for the dungeon."

"Yeah, I'll go soon. Get everything ready. Oh, the enemies are weak to fire, right?"

"Yes, Master. We have confirmed that it is a newly created dungeon with only three floors."

"Then that's good."

The butler bowed deeply and addressed him. Despite being a child, Katsuri responded with an attitude as arrogant as an adult.

"Understood," the butler said, and as he left the room, Katsuri snorted.

"Being called 'Master' still gives me the creeps, no matter how many times I hear it."

Looking out the window at the expansive garden, he laughed joyfully. Seeing the gardeners working hard, sweating as they pruned the plants, he felt a sense of superiority and showed a twisted smile.

"Who would have thought I'd be reincarnated into the world of 'The Night of Magic'? This is amazing. And to be such a good minor character."

Katsuri's inner self was not that of a child but the soul of a man who had died in another world.

"I was in a hurry to make it to the summer Comiket, but I slipped and died. But to be reincarnated as such a good minor character..."

The man was originally a young adult. He died while rushing up a high-speed escalator to make it to the summer Comiket.

"Really, that old man should have caught me. It's the duty of those standing on the left side."

He slipped while running up the escalator. But in such situations, it's normal for those standing on the left to catch the person. Katsuri thought this.

Escalators are for ascending. Those who stand idly by, not ascending, should at least catch someone who is falling. Since they were obstructing the person running up, Katsuri felt nothing but frustration and even hatred towards the old man who didn't catch him.

As intense pain shot through his body, he died with nothing but resentment. He had intended to buy a doujinshi of 'The Night of Magic' drawn by a famous artist at this Comiket. Apart from that, he was a freelancer, so there were no particular issues to worry about regarding his future.

"Well, it's fine. This is 'The Night of Magic,' and I'm the genius fire user, the eldest son and heir of the Awaguni Duke's family."

He chuckled. Initially, he thought he was born as the eldest son of a wealthy family.

In his previous life, his family was poor, and he couldn't go to university. His teachers said it was due to his lack of academic ability, but he knew that if you had money, you could get into some university. His parents often said they wouldn't let him go to university because he skipped school and was lazy. They should have been honest and said it was because they were poor.

This time, he was reincarnated into a wealthy family. At first, he thought it was a different world, but he realized it was just a slightly different Japan. However, that didn't matter. What was important was being wealthy. He was overjoyed to have maids and butlers, and the ability to get anything he wanted, which he never had in his previous life.

Until he turned five. When he turned five, he was surprised. His father demonstrated magic, and he realized the meaning of his name.

He was the genius fire user from 'The Night of Magic,' the eldest son of the Awaguni Duke's family, known for his prowess as a fire user. He was said to be a genius, with an A-rank in magic without even trying.

Of course, as a genius fire user and the heir of a duke's family, he was a template character. He would antagonize the protagonist upon entering school and end up being defeated. He would be reduced to a pitiful character, stripped of his position as the heir, and occasionally appear to be defeated by enemy organizations infiltrating the academy or by encountering a horde of monsters. He was a minor character destined to be defeated.

But Katsuri knew the potential of this defeated character. The author had mentioned in an interview that if he had put in a proper effort, he could have had power close to the protagonist.

"I was reincarnated as a minor character. But a minor character with high potential. I am Katsuri Awaguni."

He was lucky. If he could become like the protagonist by putting in effort, then he would do just that. It was a common plot in stories he had seen in his previous life. If you were reincarnated as an antagonist, you could surpass the protagonist by utilizing your potential. With money, power, and talent, the protagonist would be no match if he played it right.

Katsuri, a big fan of 'The Night of Magic,' knew the entire story, the enemy organization, and the setting. He considered himself a god-like existence. The game version was said to destroy the original, as it was a mishmash of elements from other popular games, so he never touched it.

It was said to be made for gamers, with added grind elements, but the magic was all arbitrary. Spells like 'Fire Arrow I' didn't exist in the original. What's with the 'I'? The attributes and summoning were all copied from other games, making it popular among gamers but a no-go for original fans.

But the game version didn't matter. He was in the novel, and he was a character brimming with talent. He awakened to 'Mana' at the age of seven, as in the original, but he had been training diligently and was already at C-rank at nine. If he continued with physical and magical training, he could defeat the protagonist.

However, he didn't intend to follow the template of a minor character becoming a hero. He had no intention of being a well-behaved character.

In the original, Katsuri was a violent person who easily hit others and used magic on servants out of frustration. This led to his position as the heir being taken by his younger brother, who later became the protagonist's companion. He planned to follow this part of the original.

It was a classic "serves you right" scenario.

Katsuri's downfall began when he antagonized the protagonist upon entering school. The protagonist was originally the heir of the duke's family but was exiled for not awakening to 'Mana.' He was then picked up by a witch and discovered to have the 'Void' attribute, training before entering the academy, a classic protagonist story.

Following the template, Katsuri would mock the exiled, supposedly incompetent heir and challenge him to a duel. The situation was crucial.

When he mocked the protagonist, the former fiancée of a marquis's family would protect him. Angered by Katsuri's further mockery, the protagonist would declare that she was stronger and challenge him to a duel.

He remembered the dialogue.

"If I win, you'll become my obedient pet," he would say to the girl. Of course, the girl would accept, and the duel would begin. Katsuri would be beaten up, marking the start of his downfall. It would be a perfect "serves you right" moment.

"But what if I win? Hehehehe."

The girl was proud and had a high sense of pride. If Katsuri won, she wouldn't complain about being treated like a pet. This excited Katsuri. He could play out the scenes from the light novels. He would make her sit on her knees and command her to stick out her tongue. He loved the look of humiliation on a proud woman's face, especially a proud female knight.

He knew the protagonist's weaknesses from the novel. With effort, he could surely defeat him. The protagonist wouldn't expect Katsuri to know his weaknesses. With the right strategy, he might be able to defeat him in one blow. He looked forward to everyone's reactions.

He would steal the heroines from the harem-indifferent protagonist. How exciting. He would take over other events and steal the heroines. He could push the enemies he didn't get along with onto the protagonist.

This was the true value of being reincarnated as a minor character. Though it was still in the future, Katsuri smiled, looking forward to it.

He was a big fan of the original, but if he was in this world, he wanted to be the protagonist. He wanted to be a hero with great power. In his previous life, this was impossible, and even as a fan of the original, he was nothing compared to this.

"Master, the car is ready."

The butler opened the door and informed him.

"Understood. I'll be there soon."

He had never acted so arrogantly in his previous life. He smiled, thinking it was good to be reincarnated.

To head to the dungeon, he boarded a limousine equipped with magical armor, elegantly crossing his legs. Several other cars, carrying his guard adventurers, followed behind.

"What kind of dungeon is it?"

'The Night of Magic' has a dungeon as its setting, but the novel didn't provide detailed information. It was more of a school fantasy, and while there were a few volumes about dungeon exploration, the floors were not described in detail.

This was actually his first time exploring a dungeon. Although he planned to clear it through combat, he was a bit anxious.

"Yes, Master. It's a dungeon of the undead. The monsters are all weak to fire, so it should be suitable for your first battle."

The butler knew this child was a powerful mage, but he chose an easy dungeon to avoid any unexpected issues.

"The magic stones are cheap, and the materials from the undead are scarce, but..."

"That's fine. I have more money than I can count."

Katsuri waved his hand, not caring. After all, he was from a duke's family, with more money than he could ever need.

"Also, the eldest daughter of the Teisei Marquis's family is said to be training in this dungeon."

"Marquis's family? ... Who is the eldest daughter of the Teisei family?"

"Teisei Yami-sama."

"Yami? Huh? That gloomy seaweed head? Ha, there's no description, but to be working here... Haha, that's funny."

He recognized Yami's name. At this time, she should be staying with a branch family and being bullied. Katsuri didn't like her character. She was dark and creepy, a stalker with an annoying way of speaking. He had often wondered why the author included such a character on the forums and laughed when she was cut from the anime.

"If I see her, I might tease her a bit. Hehehe."

Katsuri dismissed her from his mind, thinking it wasn't worth worrying about.