Chapter 11 So Many New Faces at the Hidden Base
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Today at noon, I was having a picnic with Alexia and the others in the Lily Garden.
Alexia wore her Divine Artifact, the [Goddess Hermes’s Golden Axe], around her neck—a relic too brilliant to forget. I kept thinking about it long after, so to distract myself I joined Gōbu-kun and the guys on a midnight “Let’s-Make-More-Friends” hunting mission.
Except… we ran into something unexpected. At the spring where Alexia was supposed to meet that dangerously alluring blonde elf queen, Karentisia Efyldis, I met her instead—as a little girl. And just now, during our bandit-hunt-slash-friend-expansion operation, we found another one: the future Saint Lala Eushuria Melektorc, also in her childhood form. I ended up carrying her back to my hidden base.
In a few days, my older brother, Saghir, will arrive with his fiancée. Considering how events from Alexia’s “routes” keep happening to me instead of her, I can already sense some dramatic turbulence coming.
”Brother’s lover… wasn’t she supposed to be that villainess character?” I murmured.
”What was that, Shin-sama?” Lala asked sweetly.
”Ah, nothing, Lala-chan. How’s your leg? I could heal it completely with recovery magic if you’d like…”
She shook her head, smiling faintly. “No, that won’t do~desuwa¹. Please carry me a little longer, Shin-sama~desuwa.”
So here I am, piggybacking her through the tunnels because she suddenly said, ‘My foot hurts, Shin-sama. Would you carry me princess-style?’ Sorry, Lala-chan, but the only girl I carry that way is Alexia. This is as far as I go. And besides… calling it ‘Lala-chan Land’ while she’s on my back? Yeah, let’s not. I’m trying to be a respectable villain here.
Right now, I’m using part of the gold I found among my hidden treasures to build a small private base—a secret hideout the size of a modest village. No one knows about it, not even Alexia or Father. My plan is to eventually make places like this across Alysphere, turning them into orphanages for children left behind by the wars.
Someday, when I’m grown, I’ll wander between these sanctuaries under new names, living quietly so Alexia never has to chop my head off. A perfect slow life plan.
Alexia and Layla are getting along well lately. They keep whispering my name while debating their ‘positions’—maybe they’re starting a sport or something? Without me, of course.
Anyway, we’re on our way to the Ancient City of Reincarnation now. Through the western ruins of Regain Kingdom, you pass several hidden passages before emerging into this strange, wondrous place—one of many remnants of the old civilizations scattered across Alysphere.
And this one, the base I’ve led Lala-chan and the others to, is one of those ruins. Thanks to my past-life knowledge of the game, I managed to claim it long before Alexia or any of the so-called heroes could.
The last door creaked open—giii, gakon!—and a new world unfolded before us.
”Wow! It’s so beautiful!” someone gasped.
The displaced children of the Lax Empire, once marked as missing nobles, stared wide-eyed at my hidden base. No wonder—they were surrounded by a sea of clouds, endless grasslands, and sunlight so peaceful it could make anyone dream of growing old here in quiet bliss. This place, the Ancient City of Reincarnation, was my masterpiece.
In the game ‘Maidens × Cross-Dressing,’ this was a hidden zone unlocked only by clearing secret routes. Now it was real, and all of it was mine.
Someday, Alexia will fall in love with Layla, and when I disappear from her story, I’ll leave her everything—except one last place. She’ll need sanctuaries like these to face the chaos ahead.
That’s why I have to raise her future allies well—to make sure Alexia can keep smiling, no matter what comes.
After all, she’s my favorite heroine.
”Shin-sama wanted to show us a miracle, didn’t you?” Lala-chan whispered, gazing around with sparkling eyes. “What a divine place this is…”
She used the word “divine” perfectly, impressive for a six-year-old. But then, so am I—a six-year-old villainous heir with an adult’s memories. The Lax Empire raised its prodigies through something closer to brainwashing than education. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it.
”Lala-chan. Everyone. You can live here freely from now on,” I told them. “My friends will expand the facilities, guard the area, and… let’s say, ‘collect’ supplies from the less deserving.”
”In such a wonderful place… do we get to spend eternity under the Blessing of Lifelong Devotion with you, Shin-sama?” she asked.
”Ah, not quite. When you grow up, you should choose your own path. This place will be my retirement paradise someday.”
She blinked. “Forever with Shin-sama… forever with Shin-kun… we’ll always follow you, Shin-kun!”
”Hey now,” I sighed, smiling despite myself. “You’ve got to decide your own future, okay?”
The children once abandoned by the Lax Empire now gleamed with life, crowding around me and chanting my name. “Shin-kun! Shin-kun!” Their eyes sparkled with new purpose.
Lala-chan moved among them, gazing into each child’s eyes as if confirming something sacred.
”…Shin-sama. We have decided~desuwa.”
”Decided? Oh, to live here? You don’t have to ask. When things settle down, I’ll use the Seyfried family’s influence to help you return to Lax Empire if you wish.”
”No need~desuwa! That rotten empire can rot for all I care~desuwa!”
”Rot for all we care~desuwa!!!” the children echoed, perfectly in sync.
”Pfft—why are you all harmonizing like a choir?” I laughed. “You’ll make me choke on my own breath!”
”We’ll begin anew from here. From nothing, no… from—”
They all started shouting at once. The noise drowned itself in pure enthusiasm. Lala-chan raised her arms toward me, sunlight streaming down to crown her in gold. For a moment, she looked like an angel straight out of one of those old anime finales—though her pink hair made her look more like the older sister character.
”…from now!!!”
”Okay, stop, stop! You’re ruining my perfect cinematic moment!” I groaned.
Then, from somewhere unseen, Rin-goon! Rin-goon! Bells began to toll. Lala-chan’s eyes welled up as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Maybe Meryu was playing with the alarm system again?
Still, what exactly was everyone so moved about? My favorite dramatic scene was being demolished before my eyes. My brain’s vibrating here, people!
”Shin-sama…” Lala-chan whispered.
”Yes?”
”We’ve decided to start a new faith. You will be our founder. We shall call it the Religion of Shin~desuwa. And I will be your exclusive saint~desuwa.”
”Yeah, no thanks. Hard pass. And what even is ‘Shin-kyō’? Is it… edible?”
Maybe they were planning a brewery instead. Ambitious, sure, but they’re six. Lax Empire’s kids always did overachieve.
”It’s not edible~desuwa. But we will spread your teachings—about treating all people equally and nurturing them until the end.”
”We’ll spread them~desuwa!!!” the crowd cried.
”I—uh—what teachings? I didn’t teach you anything!” I panicked. Their eyes gleamed with blinding devotion. Terrifying. “Help, Alexia! You’re my only sanity left!”
”So, uh, yeah,” I said weakly. “Just don’t overdo it, okay? You’re all free now. Live happy lives—”
”Yes! We shall purge those who oppose Shin-sama~desuwa!”
”Purge them~desuwa!!!”
”…Moderation, people. Moderation.”
”Yes, my Shin-sama!” Lala declared, eyes shining like a true zealot.
And so, on a sweltering August night, a strange new religion called Shin-kyō was born.
* * *
At my mansion later that week, I introduced a few new faces. “Anyway, please take care of these kids for a while—Meryu-chan, and these three: Red, Blue, and Yellow. They used to serve Alexia before… let’s say, a career change.”
”Nice to meet you, big sisters,” the trio chorused politely.
”Impressive manners,” I said, smiling. “That’s noble upbringing for you.”
”…Where did you even find this many kids?” someone muttered. “There are thousands.”
”Let us go, you little demon!” the three former maids shouted from the corner, still in shock.
Meryu had gotten stuck halfway into a hollow tree connected to the fairy realm when we met. She called it destiny. After she picked a fight about a stolen festival, I disciplined her—just a gentle tap!—and she passed out. When she wouldn’t wake, I gave her some of my mystery mushroom potion. She woke up all smiles, called me ‘Master,’ and voilà—maid acquired!
As for the three sisters? They tried to rob the Fire Dragon’s Nest—my treasury. Naturally, I ‘educated’ them. And before you ask—no, not that kind of ‘education.’ I’m a proper young lord, thank you very much. They were just noisy, so I confiscated their maid outfits and gave a few symbolic spanks up on the mountain. Three days later, after a few friendship ‘sessions’ with my crew, they looked a bit… dazed. I gave them another potion, and now they’re lively again! See? I’m merciful.
When I asked Alexia about them, she said they’d been fired after disappearing. So now they’re here, reemployed under me. Benevolent employer, that’s me.
”Anyway,” I announced, stretching, “the hideout’s thriving. We’ve got a real community now—and friends I can actually be myself with. Thanks, everyone!”
”Yes, Shin-sama!” the children shouted in unison, Lala leading the chant as they knelt and prayed toward me.
Across the hall, Meryu tugged my sleeve. “Master… Meryu wants her fairy festival back.”
Her eyes shimmered. The ex-maid sisters, still defiant, shouted, “Let us out of here, you brat!”
”Don’t worry,” I said softly, half-smiling. “You’ll come around. Eventually.”
More allies, more noise, more accidental legends. Maybe that’s okay. The future’s uncertain—there’s Alexia, her divine axe, and the small matter of fate itself—but the world feels a little less lonely now.
”Let’s keep being kind to Alexia,” I muttered. “And make sure she never has to chop off my head.”
The next big event looms: forced admission to Alys Magic Academy, just five months away. I can already see the flag—the true rift between Alexia and me. Before that happens, I’ll need two things every reincarnated protagonist has: [Appraisal] and [Teleportation Magic].
Time to prepare for the next chapter of chaos.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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