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 - 77

Chapter 77 – Calm Before the Storm

“Well, with the impressive clearance of the rank test, and in addition, Weiss also achieved victory in the adventurer competition!”

Duke Mineral muttered, throwing furtive glances my way.

I’m not happy. Definitely not happy.

“Weiss-sama, congratulations once again!”

“Weiss, congratulations!”

Lillith and Cynthia on either side of me had beaming smiles directed at me.

In a certain bar, though it wasn’t alcohol, just juice.

It wasn’t about age; it was more about the fact that there were a lot of us.

The interior of the bar was moderately spacious, and we had reserved a large table.

It was rectangular and made of wood, quite big.

Looking around, there were no kids like us.

At the table were, aside from Cynthia and Lillith, Karta, Olin, and Cecil.

Alan, Shari, Duke, and for some reason, Nell, who I fought against in the semifinals.

In total, we were 10 people. We might end up celebrating too much…

Everyone had a drink in their right hand. It was fizzy but not alcoholic, a drink like ginger ale with the sweetness and bitterness of Bruno’s specialty.

Raising their right hands, Mineral shouted, “Noblesse!” This was the toast among students.

His voice carried well at times like this. Well, it suited him.

“Devi.”

By the way, Devi was here too. He was drinking juice, and from his expression, he seemed to find it delicious.

Can he get nourishment from things other than magical power?

There were a lot of fruits on the table. Of course, that wasn’t all; dishes kept being brought in one after another.

The tantalizing aroma tickled the nostrils. It seemed that countries with a lot of adventurers had delicious food. It meant that a lot of them looked forward to eating.

“Please enjoy the Bruno Potage. And this is Bruno Fish and Bruno Steak.”

The server brought the town’s specialty dishes.

While health might come first in Noblesse, in this country, filling your stomach was paramount.

So, they were huge.

“Wow, it looks delicious! I really like meat.”

“It does look tasty. But I wonder if we can finish all of it.”

Energetic Olin and composed Cecil.

Beside them, Karta was nibbling on a piece of fruit.

This trio might have a nice balance even in normal times.

“Duke, that meat’s mine!”

“Fuah, aifaa? [Huh?]”

“Come on, you two, have some manners.”

On the other hand, Duke and Alan were the same as always.

Shari always has it tough…

“How much did they order?”

“That’s incredible… I’m envious.”

“Don’t get involved with them. They’re from the Noblesse Academy.”

“Seriously? Those famous people?”

The adults around us were amazed. Not just at the amount of food but probably at the cost too.

Most of us were nobles. Sorry, but we’re not concerned about prices.

This wasn’t a jab or anything, just a matter of birth circumstances.

On the other hand, Nell seemed a bit strange.

“…Um, maybe I’ll pass on this, Nell.”

“Huh? You don’t like it?”

“W-well, it’s not that! It’s just that… Nell’s, um, like that! Maybe I’ll just have the soup!?”

Come to think of it, even though she’s strong, her appearance isn’t that neat.

When he ordered, she stuck her hand in his pocket, maybe checking his coins.

Seriously.

“We’re treating you. Eat without worry.”

“…Huh? But there’s so much!?”

“Don’t worry, the ones here aren’t concerned about money.”

Cynthia, who noticed my exchange with Nell, gently handed her a plate of steak.

“Here you go, it’s fine.”

“…Well then, I’ll enjoy it without restraint… Thank you!”

He started devouring it greedily. He’s like a stray cat.

But looking at his profile, I feel like he resembles someone.

Most adventurers seek a fortune overnight.

In that sense, us nobles becoming adventurers is different.

Maybe that’s the case for Nell. But with this strength, her rank should rise sooner or later.

“Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi!”

Nell, who was tearing up while devouring the steak, looked a little amusing.

“Hey, don’t choke.”

Seems like I was smiling without realizing it, and Mineral caught onto that quickly.

“Oh, Weiss is smiling! Everyone, look!”

“True, it’s rare.”

“Is that so? Weiss, don’t you smile much?”

Shari and Alan turned their attention to me as well.

Seriously, all of them are having such a good time…

…Well, I guess it’s fine once in a while.

Feasting without thinking about impending disaster wasn’t a bad idea.

“Devi, devi-bi.”

Surprisingly, or not, Devi had transformed the dark sword into a knife and was devouring the steak with aristocratic manners.

He even had a dark napkin tucked into his chest.

Hm, he doesn’t look bad, quite neat actually. I’ll give him that compliment.

And then, we continued to eat, not to the extent of exhausting the restaurant’s ingredients, but enough to pile up plates.

Most of it was Nell, who was now tearfully claiming she wouldn’t be able to enjoy such a lavish meal anymore.

… What kind of life did he lead?

The sun had completely set, and it was time to part ways.

Since we were staying in different inns, we said our goodbyes in front of the restaurant.

Tomorrow, Alan and the others were heading to a different country.

Cecil, Olin, and Karta were as well.

My own business was settled, but it wouldn’t hurt to train in another country.

As we parted, Olin came over to Devi and gave his cheek a gentle poke.

He still had that somewhat boyish expression.

Even though he hadn’t had any alcohol, why was his face so red?

“It seems you’re getting along with Devi-chan.”

“Yeah, thanks to you, Olin, he’s been quite active.”

“Ehehe, that’s good.”

“De… Devi…”

Devi had become drowsy after eating and seemed to be dozing off, so I returned him to the darkness.

My heart was calmer than usual.

Within the Noblesse Academy, we were all rivals, but now things were different.

Maybe that’s why I felt at ease.

However, Noblesse Oblige always strikes at the moment of relief.

Just like the catastrophe during the Sword Demon Cup.

And then…

“Damn, this is bad. Emergency assembly! Emergency assembly has been ordered!”

At that moment, a lone adventurer was running while shouting.

The surroundings became agitated.

Upon closer look, there were numerous soldiers.

… What in the world was happening?

“Weiss, what’s an emergency assembly?”

“…An emergency assembly is a term used among adventurers. To put it simply, it means ‘everyone who’s free, gather here.'”

It wasn’t unreasonable for Cynthia, a noble, not to know.

While it’s common in the adventurer’s language, it’s rarely used. I remembered it mainly thanks to the original work.

Because it’s only used in really… dire situations.

Of course, there are individuals who will move unconditionally at times like this.

Alan and Olin were chasing after the source of commotion.

“Weiss-sama, what should we do?”

“Well, we’ll at least listen. If it’s a bothersome issue, we can back out.”

After conveying this to Lillith, we all headed for the Adventurer’s Guild.

The area around the adventurers was already crowded.

Though they were blocking my way, they parted when they noticed me.

“Hey, it’s the winner, Weiss!”

“Yeah, he came!”

… What was going on?

Inside, there were the same examiners I saw earlier, along with numerous adventurers I hadn’t seen before.

Most were ranks C or B, but it seemed that a few A-ranked adventurers were also present.

S-rank adventurers like Milch Sensei or Eva are among the world’s best, so they’re rarely seen.

The formal identification method is the adventurer card, but I used magic to judge.

And then the examiner who had tested us stepped forward and began speaking.

“Today, the Giant Dungeon in the west… has collapsed.”

The collapse of a dungeon means that magical energy overflowed or for some reason, the dungeon walls were removed without being conquered.

And what happens then?

The monsters inside the dungeon overflow to the outside. But strangely, they don’t establish territories outside.

They move on to the next dungeon, causing a great migration of monsters.

This is known as the “Stampede.”

However, it doesn’t mean their aggressiveness disappears.

If a town is in their path, they’ll destroy it, and it can even lead to the collapse of a country.

“Based on the predicted path, it seems it will pass through the western part of a city, through a residential area.”

Since Bruno is a large country, it sprawls wide. They’ve extended walls and new areas where commoners live.

This time, houses around that area will be gone.

The west is where the poorer people are supposed to live.

For those houses to be gone, in this world, it’s practically like dying.

No one helps each other here. If personal assets are gone, the only choice is to become a slave, losing their jobs too.

“…That’s just…”

The one who reacted the most was Allen.

His hometown had collapsed due to the Stampede, and he lost his family.

I knew that.

But…

“Of all places, it’s the Giant Dungeon?”

“Weiss-sama, do you know about this?”

“Yeah, it’s the worst kind of dungeon. The monsters there are all huge creatures from various species.”

“…That’s just…”

And I remembered.

One of the substantial side stories, rivaling the main plot, was about this.

However, the main setting is definitely a country further ahead.

There are many strong people there who protect the country together with their comrades.

However, in the game, it was written that several countries suffered fatal collapses.

It’s just one line in the text, but it’s most likely this Bruno country.

In the original work, if you clear this side story, you’re treated as a hero who saved the country.

Nothing is mentioned about the countries that were sacrificed.

On our way here, families who reluctantly tried to leave were walking.

None of them seemed well-off. They probably lived along the monster’s path.

Of course, there were many young children too.

“This is an emergency assembly. Of course, Bruno’s soldiers are also involved. The mission is not to conquer. It’s to divert their path as much as possible. A reasonable reward is promised. Please, lend us your strength.”

The examiner who was in charge of us, bowed his head. These examiner adventurers are unlike regular adventurers; they don’t easily move to other countries.

This must be like their hometown.

However, even at its most optimistic, it’s a dangerous mission.

Not to the level of a catastrophe, but considering that Milch Sensei and the others aren’t here, it might be even more dangerous.

From what I saw at the Adventurer’s Tournament, Allen and I should be close to the top here.

Which means…

“What should we do? Isn’t this dangerous?”

“I-I don’t know. Life is precious, but the reward… and then…”

Naturally, the adventurers turned their gazes to us.

It’s only natural. They want to decide whether or not we’ll participate.

No one wants to bet on a losing horse. No matter how much money they want, their lives are precious.

However, I knew that there are a few who would answer without hesitation…

“We’ll do it. – I’ll fight.”

“Me too.”

Allen was the first to raise his voice, followed by Olin.

With that, Duke and Shari joined as a matter of course.

Cecil was looking at me. She understood the difference in strength, so she remained composed.

I don’t care about Bruno in the slightest. Honestly, whether this country collapses or the commoners become slaves, it’s none of my concern.

But…

I recalled my father’s letter that said, “Make the Fancent family name known.”

I like my father. I want to grant his wishes as much as possible.

Winning the Adventurer’s Tournament at the youngest age, conquering dungeons, and now turning back a Stampede – if I do that, there will be no greater achievement.

…It’s a fitting conclusion.

“Lillith, Cynthia, let’s make a slight detour.”

When I called them, the two of them let go of their nervous expressions and smiled.

Cecil noticed that and smiled in the same way.

“I’ll join too. But I have a condition. I won’t follow orders from the higher-ups. If I’m free to act, then count me in.”

“O-Of course! I’m grateful!”

With my words, they seemed to have resolved themselves and raised their hands.

“Cecil Antwerp, I’m joining too.”

“Karta Violet, count me in as well.”

“Nell too! Nell is joining!”

Cecil’s group followed suit, and other adventurers began stepping forward too.

But this is a fight for their lives.

We don’t have reliable instructors.

However, our opponents are monsters; there’s no need to hold back.

I’ve also acquired new magic.

Before the catastrophe, let’s call this a rehearsal.