I was Reincarnated as the Youngest Child of a Villainous Noble Family Who Controls the Kingdom from Behind the Scenes

In the cave, it wasn't just Earthworms.

There were Gigant Worms, Hell Worms, and all sorts of worms swarming around.

These guys have made this place their nest and occasionally feed on the monsters from the training grounds above.@@novelbin@@

Honestly, monsters of this level can be dealt with in a single strike.

Especially the Hell Worm, which even third-year students struggle against. Seeing me effortlessly take it down has left Galeo in disbelief.

"W-what the hell, first-year! Where did you get that sword?"

"Does it matter? Just so you know, this sword's power changes based on the wielder's strength."

"No way... Is this the power of the Balfont family...?"

Galeo's face turned pale, and he was on the verge of losing his confidence.

It's pitiful, but that's just how Sailrand Academy—and the world—works.

Even within the academy, students from commoners to nobles gather, and the difference in strength is laid bare.

And once you leave the academy, even stronger opponents await.

It's not uncommon for someone who was considered strong in the academy to become just an average person—or even less—once they join the mage or knight orders.

Galeo is the son of a baron, so he must have some pride.

"Haa... haa..."

"Lilysha, you've gotten a bit better at walking, huh?"

"Ugh..."

Speaking of pride, Lilysha probably has more of it.

A young lady from one of the two great noble families being afraid of the dark? That's something her pride would never allow.

That's why she's trying to overcome it.

Good. You need to get over your fear of the dark.

If you don't grow stronger, there's no point in this conquest.

If this were some RPG where a character becomes the ultimate final boss under certain conditions, I'd be the type to deliberately make them stronger.

"Dammit! How far does this cave go!?"

"Looks like we've arrived."

Just as Galeo was cursing, we reached a particularly large cavern.

There, coiled up, was a giant worm.

The moment we encountered it, I felt as if my entire body was being crushed.

Without a doubt, that thing was the reason the cave had expanded to this size, and all the other worms were bowing to it.

Normally, worms don't form packs like Killer Wolves.

Worms, which don't have the concept of a pack leader, usually act alone.

But that Emperor Worm has overcome such instincts and reigns supreme at the top.

It's the king of worms, a creature that once devoured even high-ranking dragons and destroyed mid-sized cities.

If something like that got close to the academy, it could spell disaster.

"W-what the hell is that...?"

"Galeo-senpai, go call the student council or the teachers. That thing is way beyond our level."

"Don't be stupid! You're staying behind!?"

"We don't have time for this pointless argument. Lilysha, you run too."

My hands were trembling, but I was smiling.

Since my reincarnation, have I ever encountered such a big shot?

This might be the first time, excluding the Balfont family.

Perhaps because of the waves of energy surging through my body, I completely overwhelmed Galeo and Lilysha.

If you're going to cower at something like this, just run. I silently conveyed that.

"Ahh... ah..."

"Lilysha, run with Galeo-senpai. You should be able to move in the dark to some extent now."

"I-I will too."

"Don't make me say it twice."

Honestly, I didn't expect such a big shot to be here.

I gripped my demon sword and approached the Emperor Worm.

The Emperor Worm didn't have eyes, but I could feel it clearly recognizing me.

"Hyrulululu...!"

"Hey, you must be bored dealing with all these small fries, right? How about you fight me?"

This guy is like the king of the underground.

If it really started rampaging, the nation would have to deploy its military forces.

Though, of course, the king would probably avoid that choice.

Most likely, either Vaid-nii-san or Mirei-nee-chan would be sent to deal with it.

Yeah, not me.

Even for the Balfont family, facing a monster of this level while still in school is a first for me.

In other words, if I can kill this thing, I'll be on the path to becoming the strongest in Balfont family history.

"Let's start the underground strongest showdown! If I beat you, I'll be the strongest in the Balfont family... no, in all of humanity!"

As I leaped, the worm charged at me.

The Emperor Worm crashed into the ground, creating a circular hole.

For this guy, the walls of the earth are no obstacle.

"Too fast... where's it coming from?"

"Hyrulululu!"

"Guhah!"

The left wall exploded, and I took a direct hit from the side.

I barely avoided being eaten, but the damn impact sent me flying.

Then the Emperor Worm burrowed back into the ground and disappeared.

"Galeo-senpai, we should...!"

"Lilysha! It's frustrating, but we need to retreat!"

Galeo finally managed to get Lilysha to run. That's good.

If it were a lower-level opponent, I would've fought alongside them.

But this guy is on a whole different level.

Even Vaid-nii-san and Mirei-nee-chan didn't face monsters of this level until after graduating.

Gillium was just playing king of the hill in the academy, so he's not even worth mentioning.

Those who are satisfied with petty factions like the Deniro group probably can't even imagine facing something like this.

"Hyrulu!"

"Tch!"

I dodged the Emperor Worm's charge and positioned myself above it.

I slashed at it with my demon sword, but against this massive body, it wasn't a fatal wound.

Plus, since it's a higher-level creature, I can't just slash it and send it to the void.

"Hyrulululu! Hyru!"

This guy can bend its body and make sharp turns with ease.

Just when I thought I'd dodged it, it turned its head toward me and charged without slowing down.

I blocked with my demon sword, but I was still slammed into the ground.

"Gah! Size really is a weapon, huh...! Shadow Servant!"

To counter the Emperor Worm's relentless attacks, I created a shadow clone to use as a shield.

The moment the Emperor Worm collided with the clone, it vanished instantly.

Maintaining a Shadow Servant for long is difficult, and in the midst of such a fierce assault, it's even harder.

"Good grief, even clones aren't free, you know."

The Emperor Worm burrowed back into the ground.

It's tough to land a precise hit on something that moves so fast and freely through the earth.

I'm using magic to fight, but this guy is just rampaging with its sheer size.

In other words, there's a significant difference in our biological specs.

Normally, humans shouldn't even think about challenging something like this.

Being trampled and devoured is just the natural order of things.

"...But if I win here, the Emperor's reputation will be ruined, huh? Alright! Let's fight to the death!"

I'm going to risk my life to conquer this thing.

This is the battle I've been waiting for, a worthy opponent to defeat.