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 - 55

055 – Each Person’s Feelings

The rumors of the second Calamity incident spread across the world in an instant.

Thanks in part to the exceptional students who were present, there were numerous injuries, but no fatalities.

From my knowledge of the original story, even though demons didn’t participate, this was still a tremendous achievement.

The main contributor was none other than Cecil Antwerp, without a doubt.

She had declared that she was speaking on behalf of Headmaster Gills’ words with an instantaneous judgment, but surprisingly, she wasn’t called out afterwards.

It was quite surprising, but I knew she was an unconventional person, so I understood.

Nevertheless, outwardly, the instructions were attributed to Headmaster Gills. While Cecil was relieved, I was the one who felt the greatest weight lifted from my chest.

It seemed Chloe had played a significant role in teleportation magic.

However, she apparently suggested the possibility of nearby monsters or the outbreak of war to persuade them, but the delicate balance of it all was probably due to Cecil’s quick thinking.

And after that, my father had been worrying about me constantly. He kept asking if there were any sore spots or injuries.

After confirming my safety, he said he needed to train himself again. I thought he was already strong enough, but apparently he used to be even more remarkable.

I don’t know much about those details, so someday I’ll try to get all the information out of him.

And Eva was truly delighted.

She was in such a good mood that her laughter echoed throughout the school for days. That section is the intermediate student’s building, so I can’t confirm the truth, but nothing has been said about the loan.

On the other hand, Milch Sensei seemed dissatisfied. She expressed that she felt inadequate for not attacking the demons due to fear of casualties.

She said that her past self would have torn the demons to shreds on the spot.

But… I think things turned out alright. Milch Sensei has changed too, I suppose.

Unfortunately, a shocking fact was discovered.

Teleportation magic originally requires a mark.

This applied not only to demons but also to the first Calamity where there must have been collaborators.

This was never revealed in the original story.

And traces of this were found even in the Noble Sword Mage Cup.

With representatives from various countries present, it was natural to question who the enemies were. Even allied nations couldn’t be trusted, leading to the possibility of entering the worst world imaginable.

And Beefa, who introduced himself as one of the Seven Calamities, whispered to me…

He was trying to prevent the catastrophe.

It seemed to be going well.

But it felt like I was being choked by that darkness…

“Weiss, is that all you want?”

“Yeah, just the fruit is fine.”

The day after we won the championship, the matches between intermediate and advanced students were canceled as a precaution.

Already a week has passed since that day.

Noble’s Academy had a three-day break, then resumed on the fourth day.

There was also talk of bringing in specialists for strategic magic in the future.

This pattern was not present in the original story.

Noble’s campus is already overflowing with smiles.

Considering it’s a world inhabited by dangerous creatures like monsters, perhaps it’s natural, but everyone has a strong adaptability.

In fact, everyone became motivated.

Next time, for sure, I’ll do it…

The one who was the most downcast was surprisingly Lillith.

She wasn’t chosen as a member of the tournament, and because of that, she felt she was a burden during the Calamity.

However, Lillith’ primary role is as a maid. I think she’s been doing her best, but it seems she’s still not satisfied.

In that case, as her master, I need to show her a good example.

“Of course… Let’s eat. Lillith, you should eat too. What we can do now is develop the strength to handle whatever comes next. Don’t you think so?”

Lillith looked down, then looked straight into my eyes.

“Um… What did Beefa, the demon, say to you?”

“…You noticed?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, his words had frozen me in place.

Others had asked me what he had said, but I brushed it off as my imagination.

Even Milch Sensei had asked.

It was…

“――Do you find joy in possessing another person’s body?”

Even thinking back now, I don’t understand the meaning.

I had never met him before, nor had we ever spoken.

But why did he say such a confident thing to me?

… I don’t understand.

“… Cynthia, I don’t want to lie to you. That’s why I can’t tell you… at least not now…”

I felt sorry. Even though she had done so much for me, I couldn’t tell her the truth.

In the difficult world of Nobles, there’s a point of divergence where someone’s death is inevitable.

If I talk about the future, it might trigger something.

No… maybe I’m just scared.

Scared that she might not believe me, scared of being rejected…

But Cynthia smiled.

“It’s not the right time yet, I suppose. I’m relieved. If you feel that way, I’ll be waiting anytime.”

Ah… she really is a wonderful heroine, even more than I deserve.

“… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’m back!”

Then, Lillith placed two plates of white rice and fried chicken on the table with a thud.

There’s also a lot of salad and plenty of additional fruit.

… Isn’t this a bit too much?

“We’re just getting started, right? If demons come next time, let’s take care of them together!”

“Yeah… that’s right. Let’s eat.”

Lillith was right. We’re the junior students, and the story is just beginning.

If I stumble in the prologue, I won’t be able to clear the game.

“And both Weiss and Cynthia did amazing! Winning the tournament and overcoming the Calamity!”

“Yes, that’s right. Especially Weiss, ranking first among the junior students and achieving the highest points in this tournament. Your battles this time have already become legendary.”

As Cynthia said, my name was becoming known across different countries.

While the previous bad reputation might not completely disappear, thanks to that, threats like the attack on the mansion might decrease.

We won the tournament that no one else could win, and even received prizes.

We overcame the Calamity.

Looking at the results, we had the highest score.

The training camp is about to start soon.

Laughter, tears, and hardship, that’s how it was described.

I never thought I’d actually experience it, but now I’m looking forward to it a little.

It’s been a while since there was a dropout.

I need to gather my determination too.

“Speaking of which, the prize for winning is great. I wanted it too…”

“Next year, Lillith, let’s participate together.”

“Yes!”

The award ceremony was cut short, but we received our prizes properly later.

And it was the same as the screenshot posted on the bulletin board.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Seriously?”

I touched the sword at my right hip.

It was an ancient magical artifact that changed its form according to the nature of magic. That was the prize for winning.

We each got one. I don’t know what Alan and the others received, but in a sense, the complexity has increased.

It might be a bit too rewarding for a student tournament, but that’s the charm of Nobles Oblige.

Well, as long as I’m strong, it’s fine.

From now on, we’ll be in good hands――[Eternal Dual Sword – A magical sword that combines the powers of darkness and light].

It greatly amplifies the effects of the servant’s attribute magic. Its magic consumption is significantly lower.

▽

“Haah, fuu… Haah!”

“Whoa, Alan! I won’t miss an opening like that!”

After the tournament, no matter how much I swung my sword, Duke dodged every attack.

Even though he’d upgraded his physical strength, he had become unbelievably strong.

Now, he was even launching long-range attacks.

His stamina is greater than mine, and ah… I still have a long way to go!

“Haah!”

“Good, Alan! You’ve got a keen edge!”

Then, I heard a familiar gentle voice from behind.

“I thought this was the training room again. You two should eat something already.”

It was Shari. She held two large bento boxes in her hands.

The cafeteria at Noble’s Academy is free, and they offer a wide variety of options. They’ll even make you a bento if you ask.

Which means…

“No way… Food!? Is this a miracle!? Shari, are you a goddess!?”

Duke stopped and looked distracted.

I seized that opportunity.

“Now! Hyah――Gotcha, one hit!”

I landed a hit right on his forehead, but Duke didn’t even flinch.

“Slipping away…”

“It’s a serious match, you know.”

“Yeah, right. But let’s eat! I’m starving!”

“Ah, yeah. – Thanks, Shari.”

I stopped my sword and approached Shari, expressing my gratitude.

“Sure, sure, but at least take a shower first… Oh, you’re already eating.”

“Delicious… this fried chicken is so good…”

After the second Calamity, I was frustrated with my own weakness.

When the last fireball was launched, Weiss was the first to rush forward.

He found the opening, disrupted the spell, and saved many lives.

Rumors had it that Cecil was on good terms with Weiss and had prepared a teleportation spell in case anything happened.

… I’m useless.

I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything. I was only thinking about myself.

Eva Senpai and Milch Sensei made moves that were impossible to believe.

Duran’s Michael had movements that made me think I couldn’t win against him alone.

… I need to get stronger.

“Allen, if you don’t eat quickly, Duke will eat your portion.”

“Huh? Ah, y-y-y-you’re right! What are you doing!?”

“Just one piece of fried chicken! Got it!?”

“I don’t want to! You always end up eating everything that way!”

“Since it’s free, you can just go get more later!”

“Then go get it yourself!”

But I wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

After finishing their meals, Shari and Duke――

“We need to get stronger.”

“That’s right… I was the only one who lost in the tournament, and I felt like a burden.”

They were thinking the same thing.

Ah, I need to work harder…

If I stop now, I won’t be able to catch up to Weiss.

“All right! ――Duke, Shari. Will you both spar with me at the same time?”

“Huh? You’re seriously underestimating us, aren’t you!?”

“Yeah, that’s going too far… Wait, could it be… you’re planning to use your ability gift?”

Until now, I had been worrying too much about the side effects.

That’s why I couldn’t fully control it at crucial times.

But that’s going to change now.

I’ll start looking more towards the future.

Even if it means making sacrifices.

“Yeah. My body might not move for a few days afterward… But I have no choice but to keep pushing myself beyond my limits. I’ve realized that if I don’t practice using abilities other than my own, I won’t be able to use them effectively in real situations.”

“… Right, understood. So that means you’ll be able to face my enhanced body power. I’m looking forward to that.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard. If you sense anything unusual, don’t use it.”

“I got it.”

My ability gift allows me to mimic the abilities of others.

But the drawbacks are quite significant.

After using it, depending on the amount of magic, my body might become immobile, and if I push too far, I might lose consciousness.

And I don’t even know how long it’ll take for me to recover, not even I can predict that.

There’s a time limit for using abilities, and a cooldown time for reuse.

Furthermore, to be able to mimic abilities, I have to fulfill several conditions.

After defeating the dragon, I slept for over a week.

I had kept it a secret from Weiss and everyone else, except for Headmaster Gils.

I didn’t want to show my weakness, and as Shari said, my ability wasn’t something to be proud of.

And there’s something else I haven’t told them yet.

About the… second stage of my ability…

… One day, I’ll have to tell them.

“Then, should we practice combining my enhanced body power with Shari’s magic enhancement and Cynthia’s ice magic?”

“Oh, that sounds great! We appreciate it too!”

“Got it. But I won’t lose.”

After that, Duke looked at us with a happy expression.

“By the way, what kind of ancient magical artifact did everyone get? Mine is amazing!”

“I’m not telling you, Duke.”

“I still want to keep mine a secret.”

“Ugh, no fair! Well, it’s still something to look forward to.”

――I will protect everyone.