I Have been Reincarnated As a Lazy, Arrogant Noble, but When I Destroyed The Scenario Through Effort, I Became The Most Powerful With Extraordinary Magical Power - 43

Chapter 43 – Battle Universe

The Catastrophe, a historical event that occurred over hundreds of years ago, led to a disaster of immense proportions. The casualties numbered in the thousands, with even more missing.

Naturally, the ones responsible for this calamity were the demons led by the Demon Lord.

In most fictional works, demon lords usually lazily reside in their demon lord castles, indulging in idleness without clear purpose.

But not in Noblesse Oblige.

Demons live in a separate dimension of another world and suddenly appear in this world.

The reason for their attacks on humans remains unknown at this point.

However, I know. They seek out young, talented humans.

Their purposes vary, from food, slaves, research materials, to playthings and more.

Some demons become stronger by consuming humans, their tastes and preferences differing among them.

However, only the Demon Lord is different. They are born supremely powerful and desire nothing.

They act purely for amusement. For that reason alone, they kill, capture, and devour us.

And this is like the prologue of Noblesse Oblige.

We players fight against the Demon Lord to resist, and that’s the main story.

The origin traces back to the founding of institutions like the Noblesse Magic Academy and schools in other countries after the Catastrophe.

The original purpose was to strengthen and nurture talented individuals to prevent the same tragedy from occurring again. However, over time, these ideals faded and each institution developed its own ideologies.

What I’m concerned about is the Second Catastrophe, an event that might occur in the future.

But this is quite troublesome, as we don’t know when it will happen. It’s essentially random.

An unexpected event begins, and there’s no shortage of other annoying things.

In terms of game progress, it’s like a challenging gateway, requiring significant skill and luck to repel the demons.

It might have taken me over a week to clear this part in the original. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen a game over.

And this is even faster than average.

Many couldn’t clear this event and had to quit the game.

I have to clear it in one go. A no-continue hard mode.

You could say this sadistic game has turned into an even more sadistic ultra-hard mode.

But I won’t give up.

I will absolutely conquer it.

“… A popular fruit shop in the capital?”

This is the Ostrava Royal Library, a five-hour carriage ride from the Fancent territory.

I’ve exhausted the archives of the estate, but there’s very little literature about demons.

I can’t even remember everything, and there are countless unknown settings.

This world is a game but also reality. There may be hidden settings I’m unaware of, so I’ve come here in search of answers.

If I could have just one wish granted, I’d want the “Noblesse Oblige Complete Strategy Guide.” No… maybe I should have it for a different character, not Weiss.

If I had the choice… Well, I can’t really choose that, can I?

And speaking of which…

“… Melon Cream is popular?”

While attempting to research demons, I found unrelated books mixed among the history shelves.

And they’re all about fruits.

“Oh, the Bilan Street market. It’s quite close from here…”

It seems like new shops have been popping up lately.

All this information wasn’t present when I played the game. Is this another alteration?

…Damn it, my fingers won’t stop turning the pages.

“The eldest son of the Fancent family is unexpectedly quite girly.”

“Huh?”

I look up as someone suddenly addresses me. It’s a woman wearing glasses.

As I thought, is she really following the original story?

We’ve crossed paths a few times at the academy, but this is the first proper conversation we’ve had.

Slender limbs, long black hair, and while not particularly tall… she has an appealing figure.

“… Fruits and sweets are full of sugar, you know. I need it since my brain gets quite a workout.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Well, I like it too.”

“Well, I haven’t used it as much as you do though――Cecil Antwerp.”

“Oh my, to be called that by the top-ranked underclassman, Fancent-kun, is quite an honor.”

“Heh, you say that a lot.”

This person was Duke’s partner in the tag tournament.

She’s a fellow underclassman, not particularly skilled in magic or combat. If anything, below average.

But she’s a genius.

Consistently ranked first in theoretical studies. Wasn’t her IQ over 200?

In the original story, she plays a strategic role for Alan in the final stages, but it’s not a given that she becomes an ally.

In Noblesse Oblige, there are branching points where you have to actively secure characters as allies.

Sometimes, if one side stands, the other may fall, and I haven’t fully grasped all the details.

Making her an ally is SS-class in terms of difficulty.

Is it equivalent to defeating Eva Avery? Well, I don’t really know…

“So, what are you up to?”

“Just researching. Anything else interesting in the library?”

“Well, perhaps. That was a pretty pointless question.”

“Then let me ask you in return, what are you doing?”

“Killing time. I’ve pretty much scoured through all the books in the Royal Library, so it feels like my second playthrough now.”

If it were anyone else but Cecil, this would just be humor. But with her, she’s likely being entirely serious.

The library’s collection exceeds 100,000 volumes.

Well, it’s probably all stored in her head.

Of course, I also want to know about the past Catastrophe and the demons.

“So, Cecil, why did you approach me?”

“Just felt like it. I thought it was unusual to see someone else looking for books.”

“I see.”

I was looking at the history shelves.

She’s probably interested in the same topic.

I take a book from the shelf and hand it to Cecil.

“Here you go.”

She receives it with a slightly surprised expression.

“… How did you know?”

“You’re a famous person, so I figured it out.”

Smart people like her can sometimes be clueless about themselves.

Well, it’s a common trope.

“I see.”

“Well, I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

“Aren’t you more famous, Fancent-kun?”

“Well, not in a good way.”

For some reason, she finds this amusing and chuckles.

Our first contact seems to be going well.

“Hey, want to have a match? I was just killing time.”

“… Can you?”

“I might not look it, but I’m strong. Well, I’m not sure if I’m as strong as you.”

“Oh really? Fine, let’s do it.”

She maintains a poker face, but I know she’s secretly pleased.

This Royal Library isn’t just about books; there are also games.

From playsets for young children to complex card games for adults.

We moved to the third floor. Watching her from behind, I notice her steps becoming lighter.

Her poker face suggests otherwise, but it seems her heart is dancing.

On the contrary, I’m quite nervous.

This situation is something I’ve desired desperately.

While Cecil approaching me was unexpected, I had hoped she’d be here.

If she weren’t, I would’ve planned to visit for a few days, but meeting her on the first day is lucky.

I have to win against her.

The Second Catastrophe, an event from the future, is extremely difficult.

And originally, Cecil wasn’t present during that time.

I can’t recall the exact reason, but she’s either back at her family home or occupied with something else. She probably wouldn’t even choose to fight.

She’s not heartless, but she lacks interest in others.

I somehow managed to persuade Cecil to become my ally and aimed to conquer and clear the Catastrophe.

I believed it was worth revealing everything to Cecil.

On the bulletin board, I had seen her compared to Noblesse’s Zhuge Kongming or Takenaka Hanbei several times.

Whether Cecil is present or absent in the later stages makes a huge difference in difficulty.

If there’s a chance to recruit her as an ally from the beginning, there’s no reason not to.

For this day, or rather, ever since coming to this world, I had been practicing Zebes and Battle Universe.

I’ve practiced it to the point of straining my arm, just like in the original story.

I sit at the porch table, bathed in sunlight streaming through the window.

It’s warm and quite comfortable.

But my heart blazes far from peaceful.

To win. And to be acknowledged by her.

That’s the sole condition for making the genius, Cecil Antwerp, my ally.

With practiced hands, she opens the box and takes out the pieces one by one.

Great figures from the past strike intricate poses.

Each one has its role, wielding weapons and armor.

Next to Cecil is the book I handed her earlier, “History of Battle Universe.”

This game is a fusion of chess, shogi, and Go.

She quietly sets up the pieces, a slight upward curve on her cheeks. She must be delighted.

Cecil is the strongest player of this game in the world.

While a mini-game in Noblesse Oblige, this one game is so well-crafted that it could be a million-seller on its own.

People of all ages, from children to adults, can enjoy “Battle Universe.”

And many players have attempted to recruit Cecil as an ally.

But everyone gives up. I’ve heard some couldn’t win even after playing for 1000 hours.

I couldn’t win in the original story either.

But this time is different.

I’m sitting here with the intention to win.

And I’ve prepared accordingly.

“What about the rule for placing pieces?”

“Mutual agreement is fine. In return, if I win, you have to agree to something.”

“… Are you really saying that?”

“Yeah, to the world champion, Cecil.”

“Hehe, that’s amusing. But what’s in it for me if I win?”

“That’s something you’ll have to think about.”

“Hmm, interesting condition. Well, then, I’ll accept it.”

… It’s good to have her commitment on record.

Normally, one wouldn’t agree to something like this.

But Cecil is different. She has an overwhelming confidence, a strong pride.

Now all that’s left is to win, which is the biggest challenge.

“I’ll go second.”

“Then I’ll take you up on that.”

Being the starting player is advantageous in this game.

For her, it’s just a pastime, but for me, it’s a life-or-death battle.

I’m going to win, without a doubt.

And Cecil, I’ll make you my ally.

Of course, in a fair competition.

“Well then, Fancent-kun, please take care of me.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, Cecil-san.”

Of course, don’t forget to bow before the match.

This is an official rule of the Battle Universe.