Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a young noble named Leone.
He was the third son of the Viscount of Frontera, a fair ruler loved by his people.
But this favorability aroused the malicious jealousy of the other nobles, for no one loved them and their small… ahem. Anyway, they came up with a scheme to punish the good Viscount, and that was to target his weakness.
And that weakness was his third son, Leone, whom he doted on greatly.
The nobles cordially invited all the young noblemen and noblewomen of the kingdom to a hunting trip where they could mingle together.
And during that hunting trip, the handsome young noble, Leone, apparently seduced the princess. Needless to say, the King was absolutely furious.
Unfortunately for Leone, the King believed in a certain ancient royal principle of 'I don't care, I'm the King.'
Thus, instead of listening to explanations, evidence, witnesses, or basic logic, His Majesty chose a far more efficient solution.
Exile.
Beheading Leone would greatly upset his father, but keeping him alive in prison would cost taxes that the King didn't want to part with. The King, in his infinite wisdom, decided to solve this problem by exiling the young man and making him someone else's problem.
"You will be sent to the Borderlands."
Upon hearing his decree, all the nobles who hated Leone's father smirked, while the Viscount bit his lip in anger and frustration.
"Father! You're too merciful to this scoundrel!" protested the princess before storming off in a huff.
The Borderlands was an unclaimed stretch of land at the southern edge of the Kingdom of Britannia. It was famous for three things… Well, four actually. But let's just talk about the top three for now.
Monsters.
Barbarians.
And being the resting place of nobles who had annoyed the King too much. There, they could die quietly without bothering the King further.
To be more specific, a no-cost prison where nobles could only live their last days in regret and despair from being abandoned by their own kingdom.
"Your task is to cultivate the Borderlands and make it profitable for the kingdom," the King said coldly. "You are to use every means necessary to achieve this. No matter what it is. Do I make myself clear?"
"You mean to say I have to use my good looks, charming personality, overflowing charisma, and drop-dead gorgeous body to thrive in the place where you're sending me to die?" Leone scoffed. "Very well, Your Majesty. Challenge accepted!"
The corner of the King's lips twitched. But after remembering that no one had survived the Borderlands, he decided to be merciful and turned a blind eye to the young man's futile attempt to make himself look good in front of the entire circle of nobility.
Well, they did think the situation looked good. Not because they agreed with Leone's self-praise, but because they were quite satisfied that justice—or at least entertainment—had been served.
"Any other final words?" the King asked.
Leone shifted his eyes from the King to the noble families who had come to watch him fall from grace.
He looked at their faces one by one, memorizing each ugly feature. At last, he stared at the third princess. An annoying sneer hung on the b*tch's lips, making Leone want to spank her so badly.
Everyone waited for the young man's last words as four royal guards grabbed his arms and legs. They were ready to escort him out of the castle, as soon as he finished saying his final words.
After all, what kind of story would this be if the main character didn't get the final say?
"Listen carefully." Leone lifted his chin and pointed dramatically at the nobles. Apparently, exile came with complimentary confidence and the right to go apesh*t on insufferable assh*les.
Of course, he made sure to give them the middle finger while he was at it!
"Today, I may be leaving as a disgraced noble… but mark my words! One day, I shall return!"
The nobles exchanged glances. How many times had they heard this line throughout the years? They had lost count since the King had the bad habit of exiling anyone who got on his nerves.
Nearly every former noble had made similar bold declarations. To be fair, some of them had returned. Just… not alive. Sometimes, not even intact.
"I shall return with power! With wealth! With an army so vast that the ground will tremble beneath my footsteps!"
Leone hadn't gathered an army yet, so the ground understandably didn't tremble. But the contrast between his boasts and, well, reality elicited laughs from the King and nobles. To their pleasure, Leone wasn't done yet.
"And when that day comes…" Leone declared as his cloak inexplicably fluttered despite the complete absence of wind. If you looked closely, he was two-hundred percent cooler than most third-rate villains.
"Those who mocked me today will kneel! Beg! And cry when they realize their greatest mistake was underestimating me, Leone Frontera!"
The nobles continued to drown out his words with their mocking laughter.
The third princess laughed so hard that she almost unlocked a new skill, Lock Jaw.
"Escort him out," the King said, waving his hand. "Before he declares himself the Demon King or whatever."
As Leone was carried away, he threw his head back to look at the other nobles one last time.
"Laugh while you can!" Leone shouted. "Because destiny is on my side! Um! The author as well, for what he's worth!"
(A/N: Damn, son. What did I do to you?)
(E/N: What about me?)
As the young and handsome noble was dragged away by the royal guards, his bravery and dignity left a lasting impression on younger nobles who didn't know better.
He might be labeled a third-rate villain, but he at least had the looks to back it up.
He was the Hero no one needed, but one we deserved.
Truly, the perfect starting point for a legend.
… Or a very short obituary.
Either way, the Borderlands was about to get a new resident.
And unfortunately for everyone involved… sending Leone there would very quickly prove to be the biggest, and dumbest mistake the Kingdom of Britannia had ever made.