Stealing Heroines’ Affections Is My Job as the Villain

The Sword City of Gladius.

It was one of the four vassal states of the Fortress Nation of Duranzia and a popular destination for Duranzia's noble families.

It had been 85 years since the first feudal lord, Marquis Oldred, took charge.

However, most of the work in shaping the city was done by his first son, Cedric Kupertine Bluesteel.

Marquis Cedric was the second-generation feudal lord of Gladius, and also the reason the city had been able to preserve and grow its history, culture, and technology up to the present day.

Gladius City, including its extensions like the knightdoms of Swordfort and Bladehelm, was known as the western frontier city of Duranzia, right by the Red Desert.

It was a diverse and welcoming place for many races, serving as neutral ground for demi-humans, beastpeople, and especially dwarves.

Over the past 85 years, the legendary strength of the Gladius army was largely thanks to the dwarves.

Their deep knowledge of Magical Engineering allowed them to produce exceptional equipment. The weapons and armor they crafted with their advanced techniques were far superior to ordinary goods.

So, just like in other vassal states of Duranzia, the dwarves were a crucial part of Gladius's strength.

━ ━ ━ ━

[In the Bluesteel Manor…]

Marquis Cedric sat in his ornate wooden chair at the center of his grand hall, leaning forward with his arms on his lap and a slightly worried look on his usually bold face. His immediate and extended family, along with other nobles from Gladius City whom he was close with, were gathered around him.

"What's got Lord Cedric so troubled?"

"Haha, I'm sure it's nothing too serious. Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about that look on your face, my friend."

"He's usually the one telling us to keep our heads high as high-ranking nobles so the commoners don't have anything to gossip about."

"Yes, yes. That too!"

It was unusual to see the great Marquis Cedric so worried.

What could be making him sweat like this?

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"I-, I received a letter from God Vritra. He says he'll be coming here with Princess Luciana to check if it's a suitable site for their honeymoon."

Marquis Cedric said, pulling a kerchief from his breast pocket to wipe the excess sweat off his forehead.

… Phew

He still couldn't believe he was saying this.

At least now, Marquis Cedric wasn't alone in bearing the weight of this "terrible news."

The other nobles looked as if they were in agony.

Just the thought of the dark prince coming to Gladius City made them feel sick with fear and anxiety. Some were already thinking about how to hide their daughters, while others were planning to disown them temporarily and reclaim them after Prince Vritra finished his visit.

"How could you let this happen, Lord Cedric?!"

"Oh no, no, no! I'm not ready for this unexpected bad news. I need to hide my daughter in one of the nearby knightdoms, or maybe I'll send her back to Grimbarrow City!"

"We should hide our wives too!"

"Especially Lord Cedric! Isn't his wife considered the most beautiful woman in all of Gladius? Even with her age, people still say so."

"Is God Vritra really so idle?"

"I agree. Isn't a honeymoon just about spending time with your wife? Why does it have to be such a big deal that they need to travel?"

"It must be the strange customs of the Asuras."

"Witchcraft, I tell you…"

The nobles were all debating their safety and the safety of their daughters. But more than anything, Marquis Cedric knew that the person truly in danger… was himself.

『How did I end up in this situation──?!』

The man screamed in his head.

『Ugh, me and my big mouth. A few months ago, during the meeting, I was the biggest critic of the Bloodgarden Family and said some really disrespectful things to God Vritra.

『Sure, I was scared of his power, but I thought our political advantage would protect us, especially since harming me would ruin his chances of forming an alliance with Duranzia.

『But now… that useless Prince Lumis failed to deliver, and I'm left completely exposed. If I do anything that angers God Vritra in the slightest, I don't think my family or I will be spared by that… that monster!』

More than anything, Marquis Cedric wished he could take back his words, but it was useless now.

『I'm done for…』

Since receiving the letter yesterday morning, he hadn't been able to rest or even enjoy his wife's soft touch at night. The letter wasn't hostile; it was formal and filled with strange symbols (emoticons) that, oddly enough, he found somewhat cute and endearing.

But that was what frightened him…

He wondered if these symbols were a hidden threat or maybe even a bunch of swear words he couldn't imagine.

『Is it too late to consider dropping my title…?』

Cedric sighed deeply, feeling as though he would faint.

"I'm finished…"

His head drooped, and he held it tightly in his hands, trying to stop the tears from streaming down his pale cheeks.

━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━

[In the skies above Duranzia]

"Amazing~~!"

"Look at the view. It's absolutely stunning!"

"Wow, I never thought the world could look so breathtaking from way up here. This magic airship is incredible."

Ghislaine, Luciana, and Esmeralda were all leaning over one side of the large airship with their eyes fixed on the stunning landscape of endless green fields, mountains, and cities stretched out below.

Whenever they spotted something they liked, they would wiggle their hips from side to side in sync.

… Oooooo~

… Ahhhhhhhhh~~

They would occasionally make cute noises that caught Prince Vritra's attention, and right when he glanced their way, they'd start swaying their hips again.

It was almost as if they were trying to tempt him…

With their plump butts of course.

However, Vritra was currently focused on other matters.

『This magic airship is headed to the Sword City of Gladius. I plan to stay there for a while and take care of a few things that are important to the plot before making my way to Kaalen Tower City.

『If I go straight to Kaalen Tower, I could trigger some political landmines and miss out on several advantages. A perfect example is that arrogant Cedric, who had the nerve to speak to me like I was some worthless peasant.

『HAH! How foolish. I'm sure those spoiled nobles are already panicking about my arrival.』

In the end, everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Vritra would say his main issue was with the system and his encounter with the next heroine.

[Ding! Rosemarie and Sadim spent the entire night talking after he saved her. They held each other close, and Rosemarie's feelings for him deepened. The heroine's affection for the hero has gone up by 15 points!]

[Sadim brought food and medicine to help Rosemarie take care of the children at the orphanage. This act of kindness made her affection for him grow by 40 points!]

[The two spent a peaceful night by the fire, talking and gazing at the stars. Rosemarie's affection increased by 10 points!]

[Rosemarie is being pursued by hunting knights.]

[Arcellion nearly killed Rosemarie!]

[Sadim rushed to Rosemarie's aid once again, and her feelings for him grew even stronger!]

(+15 More)

…

He had received plenty of similar messages, even when he was sleeping in bed or having sex with either of his three favorite women.

What bothered him most about these heroes and their fated heroines was how the system loved to notify him about every little romantic moment between the fated couples.

It was like the frustrating equivalent of a crowd going wild over the hero and heroine of a Romcom holding hands for the first time after 30 episodes.

『Tch, devious work I tell you…!』

The most frustrating part was that he couldn't access their profiles until he'd seen them in person.

So, not only did he have no useful information about the heroine he was supposed to steal, he also had no idea what direction the next part of the story would take.

Basically, it was another situation where the system knew everything, but its omniscience was limited by either distance or possibly by some higher power.

Vritra clasped his hands behind his back and sighed, clearly impatient.

『This fucking sucks…』

Indeed… this was the honeymoon that could destroy Gladius City in the blink of an eye.