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 - 82.0

Interlude: The Lone Strongest

“What’s this all about?”

At the Noblesse Magic Academy, during a team battle examination.

Four people who were supposed to be my comrades surrounded me.

Darkness was no issue, but I had used too much magic power.

“Sorry, Milch, you’re… too strong.”

“That’s right, without you, everyone would be happier.”

“Here, you’ll have to drop out…”

“…Then die.”

I was foolish to expect anything from Noblesse.

This world is messed up. I don’t need comrades.

I’ll survive on my own.

“You guys, get her!”

The enemies multiplied, one after another.

You guys really can’t do anything without ganging up.

“…Hmph.”

I turned my back on Noblesse Academy, a place I would probably never see again.

“Milch Abista, your points have dropped to zero. You’re expelled.”

Those fools who mistakenly believed they were strong by sticking together.

Cowards who couldn’t fight properly.

Every one of them is rotten.

I can survive on my own.

“Are you Beary?”

“What’s it to you, kid?”

Bounty heads were as common as dirt. I became an adventurer because the procedures were simplified, and it suited me, with fewer annoying formalities.

Maybe I should have done this from the beginning.

Monster extermination is easy. No need to hold back, no need to be told what to do. I just completed missions.

Before I knew it, my rank was steadily rising.

There were some troublemakers, but I could silence them all with my strength.

But…

“Hmph.”

No matter how many monsters I exterminate, how much gold I earn, my heart remained empty.

One day, I had to form a party, which was a pain in the neck.

When you become a high-ranking adventurer, there are missions you’re forced to accept.

That’s when I met *him* for the first time.

“Nice to meet you. You’re Milch Abista, the A-rank, right? I’m Novell, this time we’re worki–”

“No need for introductions. Let’s just finish this quickly.”

A harmless smile, a frail body, silky black hair like a woman’s. I didn’t like anything about him.

Guys like him take actions that make them look like good people. They probably consider helping others more honorable than anything else.

And above all, they love to be in groups.

“Hehe, you’re as interesting as they say.”

Our mission was to conquer a dungeon with a few other adventurers.

When we reached the entrance, there were many adventurers there.

I usually felt terrible in such situations, but this time, I was a bit excited.

Because a high-ranking adventurer who you rarely see was supposed to lead us.

I’ll show him how much I can do.

But then, for some reason, Novell stepped forward.

…What’s this?

“Alright, we’re all here. I’m Novell, an S-rank adventurer. Nice to meet y–”

S-rank? Is this guy for real?

Well, it seems he’s nothing special after all.

Maybe it’s time for adventurers to go out of fashion.

As I thought that, we entered the dungeon.

Everything was too easy.

Except for the boss…

“GYAAAATSU!”

“Monstrosity!”

The boss on the bottom floor was a monster that looked like the gods had made a mistake.

Its attacks, launched from limbs resembling those of a dragon, were stronger and faster than any other creature, and its self-repair ability was tremendous. Adventurers were just dying.

Escape was impossible. We couldn’t break the walls, and there was no way out.

Death.

But Novell never gave up.

“We can win, we absolutely can. Don’t give up!”

“How are we supposed to win?”

“It’s because it has excellent self-repair due to having magic. It’s not infinite.”

“Based on what?”

“I have no basis. But believe in me.”

Believe… that’s laughable.

That’s a word traitors use.

“…Shut up.”

I ignored Novell’s words and ran. In the moment when self-repair was not allowed, at a speed that would not allow resurrection, I just had to exterminate it.

And I cut it up repeatedly.

But the monster revived, caught up to me, and I felt a magical attack shatter my heart. Strangely, I was unscathed.

When I turned around in a panic, Novell had taken the blow to protect me.

The attack had taken his right arm.

“…Damn, get away from me!”

“GYAAAAATSU!”

…What a fool.

“Why did you save me? Because I’m a girl?”

“No. It’s to win. You can’t beat it if you’re not in one piece.”

“Hmph, and you lost your right arm as a result?”

“Yeah, it’s a small price.”

…There’s too much blood flowing from his right arm.

Don’t die, idiot.

“Even if we win, you’ll die.”

“Maybe. But you’ll live.”

“Haha, do you like me?”

“No. You’re strong. If you’re strong, you can save many people. Here it comes!”

… Good people.

And I sliced through the magic aimed at Novell.

“Not bad.”

“Shut up. But before you die, I’ll grant your wish… How do we fight this?”

“If we speed up its recovery rate, its magic should run out quickly. You and I take turns attacking. The remaining folks will help too. Milch, you’re the most important here.”

“Hmph.”

Without prioritizing the healing of my right arm, I moved forward… I guess.

“Then follow me, S-rank! Don’t lag behind!”

“Hey, who are you talking to?”

Novell continued swinging his sword with his remaining left arm. We took turns with me and cut down the monster.

His movements were undoubtedly fast.

Equal to or even better than mine. Considering that, losing his right arm should have been a significant loss. Yet, not a single complaint.

I’ll acknowledge that determination.

“S-rank… You’re quite impressive!”

And then…

“Dungeon conquered…”

Covered in blood, we were brought outside.

“We did it! We survived!”

“Pant… We did it!”

There were only a few adventurers left, among them, of course, was Novell and me.

But Novell was bleeding. Those who could use healing magic were dead.

However, he gathered the remaining magic power and burned his own right arm with fire magic.

It certainly stopped the bleeding, but it must have been excruciatingly painful.

And yet, he didn’t even grimace or utter a word.

Well, this is what an S-rank is, I guess.

“You did well. It was as you said.”

“Yeah, I was just guessing.”

“…Huh? Guessing?”

“You wouldn’t understand anyway. It was my first time fighting that guy.”

His way of saying it made me unintentionally burst into laughter.

He’s an interesting guy.

“You’re laughing too much…”

“What are you going to do about your right arm?”

“I’ll have a skilled healer mend the wound, but resurrection is out of the question, I’m afraid.”

“Aren’t you sad?”

“Of course, I am. But if it’s a choice between living or dying, it’s a small price. And besides, if I saved a good woman, my right arm would be happy too.”

“…Hah, you idiot.”

And then I left the scene.

But…

“Novell, if you ever need me, call. I’ll even be your right arm replacement.”

I left those words behind.

But I regretted it immediately.

“Why did you call me?”

“I told you to call me. We need help with monster extermination.”

“Are you an idiot? It’s only been three days since that dungeon.”

“But there are people suffering. What can we do?”

“…You’ve changed.”

From then on, I started acting together with Novell.

And indeed, he was an endlessly good person.

He helped people, punished evil, and completed missions.

He was foolish and kind-hearted, but in a true sense, he was more lonely than I was.

“Do you have a family?”

“Yeah, they died a long time ago. Don’t get it twisted. It wasn’t monsters; it was an epidemic.”

“I see.”

“What about you?”

“I have a family. But I haven’t gone back in a long time. No, I don’t want to go back.”

During the camping in the dangerous forest, for some reason, my heart felt calmer when I was with him.

So, maybe that’s why I said words I would never say otherwise.

“…My best friend died because of me.”

“What do you mean?”

A past I didn’t want to remember. But for some reason, I wanted Novell to hear it.

“I…”

“Hey, it’s dangerous!”

“It’s fine, Milch… you’re really timid, aren’t you?”

I was born into a noble family.

I had a reasonably comfortable and happy family.

I had a younger sister, and I often played with my best friend, Mia.

“What should we do?”

“This honey is so delicious—woah!?”

Mia dropped a beehive, and we ran away.

We found a safe spot, then burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, that didn’t work.”

“I thought as much…”

“Your words came true, Milch. We should be more careful from now on.”

“But it was fun.”

“Me too. School is starting soon, and we won’t be able to play as much.”

“Ah, I wish Mia and I were in the same school.”

Mia and I went to different schools.

But on our days off, we always played together.

One day, Mia seemed strange.

Her cheeks were red, as if she had been punched…

“What’s wrong, Mia?”

“It’s nothing, see you later.”

After that, there were days when I couldn’t meet Mia.

And then I saw something unbelievable.

When I tried to go to Mia’s house, I heard a scream.

By the side of the road, the girls who were bothering Mia were there.

“Don’t get cocky, Mia.”

“Yeah, seriously, she’s got some attitude.”

Those people were well-known nobles in the local area, and they were intimidating. Mia was being bullied.

I was scared, so scared that I did the unthinkable and ran away.

But summoning my courage, I told Mia’s parents about it later. They said they would do something, and I felt relieved.

After that, I had a few chances to meet Mia, but there were no bruises on her face anymore.

Ah, thank goodness…

“…Mia is dead?”

But Mia was dead. She had fallen from a cliff considered dangerous in the local area.

She hadn’t been pushed; there was a suicide note.

In it were the names of those who had bullied her, as Mia’s parents told me.

But those bullies were never brought to justice.

Mia’s parents tried their best, but it turned out they had been bullying Mia behind the scenes.

I realized this too late; nothing had been resolved.

…It was my fault.

If only I had been more responsible.

If only I had been there for Mia…

I enrolled in the Noblesse Magic Academy because I wanted to become stronger.

Flocking together is what weak people do. Like those who killed Mia.

I wanted to prove that I could become strong on my own.

But… was I wrong?

“I see.”

I told Novell everything.

Everything I had never told my family.

“In the end, I abandoned my best friend. I killed her. And Mia never asked for my help. Because I was weak.”

“No, that’s not it. Mia didn’t want to worry you. That’s why she didn’t say anything. It’s not your fault, Milch. You’re not to blame.”

“That’s not true. I… I killed Mia.”

“No, don’t blame yourself.”

“What do you know? What do you—”

Novell hugged me.

With his one strong arm, he held me with incredible strength.

“Don’t blame yourself.”

Ah… why is it that when I’m with him, when I’m with Novell, my heart becomes so calm…

“Becoming a knight?”

“Yeah, I don’t hate being an adventurer, but you know there’s a massive war happening in the west, right? That’s… my hometown. If you become S-rank, you can join without any conditions. It’s a rare opportunity. I’m going to become a knight.”

Before I knew it, I had become an S-rank adventurer like Novell.

But Novell, despite having lost his right arm, received knighthood to protect his hometown and serve his country.

Becoming S-rank is easier for adventurers than becoming knights. You get a decent status and money without working for someone else.

But he was willing to give it all up.

“…Then I’m coming with you.”

“No, this is my problem. I’m going to protect my hometown. Milch, you—”

“I’m your right arm, aren’t I?”

And so, we became knights.

We weren’t in the same unit as Novell, but despite having only one arm, he achieved remarkable feats.

I was no slouch either. In fact, I might have been more successful on the battlefield than him.

But it wasn’t for my sake. It was to end this war as soon as possible.

“Captain Milch, listen to this. Mr. Novell bullies me.”

“Hey, hey, Rimuru, that’s not true.”

“Haha, Novell’s a bad guy, you know.”

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by people, or rather, I was laughing with the people around Novell.

Although we were in different units, we often gathered in large groups to share drinks and play cards.

“Come on, Captain Milch, let’s drink.”

“Mei, you’re drinking too much.”

“Captain Milch, let’s have a drink with us!”

Those days, to be honest, were enjoyable.

Leaning on others, protecting and being protected, spending time with someone—it became normal.

On our days off, I often met with Novell.

We would vent our frustrations, eat, and share drinks.

Novell liked people. He often talked about everyone.

He’d happily talk about how one of his subordinates loved books or how another one was notorious for oversleeping.

And then, one evening, on a day when the war was almost over.

“Milch, when the war ends, would you consider living with me?”

“Haha, that’s an interesting joke.”

“No, I’m serious. Every time I hear about your accomplishments, I get scared… scared of losing you.”

In our usual tavern, he said such a thing.

With an uncharacteristic expression, he looked at me.

“What’s so good about me?”

“Everything.”

“That’s an interesting joke.”

“No, I mean it.”

Novell’s eyes were beautiful. They were straight and always forward-looking.

“…There’s no other woman as unladylike as me.”

“Haha, Milch Avitas, there’s no one as wonderful as you. You’re strong, beautiful, and pure at heart.”

“You have peculiar taste.”

“Is that so? But I’m a good man too, right?”

“…I’ll think about it. It’s a conversation for after the next war ends.”

The answer was already decided, but I didn’t want to say it now.

I might have been scared.

So, the conversation continued about what we would do after the war ended.

Novell wanted to become a teacher.

“Why again?”

“Well, I found that I enjoy teaching new recruits, and I thought I might be good at it. Maybe I’ll become a swordsmanship teacher for the kids.”

“Well, you certainly seem suited for it.”

“No, Milch, you are too. You have an amazing reputation among your subordinates.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m serious. There’s no one as reliable as you.”

“Hah.”

I laughed genuinely. It made me happy to be acknowledged like this.

And to hear such words from him.

But after that day, Novell and I never exchanged words again.

“What did you say?”

“It’s just…”

“What did you say, now!?”

I grabbed the messenger by his collar and erupted in anger.

My rage was uncontrollable.

“Someone in Novell’s squad betrayed us, and the entire operation was compromised. I just received word that they’ve all been killed.”

“Betrayed… and killed?”

It couldn’t be, it couldn’t be true. I didn’t believe it.

I drew my sword.

“Captain Milch! Where are you going!?”

“I’m going to help. There’s no way he’s dead.”

“You can’t! There are plenty of enemy soldiers! Doing that will—”

“Shut up. Do you want me to kill you?”

And so, I went after Novell’s squad alone.

The plan was to capture the remaining enemy soldiers holed up in the forest.

As I approached the forest, there were… a large number of enemy soldiers.

I stealthily approached them under the cover of darkness.

“Phew, it’s a good night.”

“Yeah, they’re idiots to fall for—wait! Who are you?”

“Huh? Who—guaaahhh!”

I forced my way in, and there… on the ground, there were numerous bodies.

“Mi-Milch!?”

“…You’re the traitor…”

Among the enemy soldiers, disguised was Rimuru, who had been a member of Novell’s squad.

Despite Novell talking about him happily and treating him kindly, this guy…

And among the fallen bodies were Mei, who had adored me, and the others from Novell’s squad.

Among them was the body of the man with no right arm.

“…Novell.”

He never knew doubt. He believed in his comrades.

More than anyone else, he believed in justice.

“Att…ack! It’s just one person! Surround her with everyone!”

“—Die.”

And I, I gouged out the traitor’s eyes, tore out his tongue, cut off his fingers, and inflicted as much pain as possible before killing him.

It seems he wanted money. Just that.

The world is rotten. Rotten. Rotten.

“Milch, your actions without authorization are not acceptable. But you are a valuable asset. I understand your feelings so much it hurts. However…”

“I’ll accept any punishment. But no matter what, I’ll end this war.”

And so, I became one of the individuals who could end this war.

Novell managed to protect his beloved homeland.

However, my heart didn’t return to how it used to be.

Afterward, I retired from being a knight. I still held the title of an adventurer, but I had no motivation to do anything.

Indulging in laziness, the money I once had had disappeared without me noticing.

Maybe I wanted to die.

During such times, I received a message from Zebis, with whom I had clashed several times during the war.

He wanted me to train the eldest son of the Vansent family, Weiss.

Hah, I knew the rumors.

A notorious noble family. Trash, trash, trash.

It might suit me well.

But at that moment, I remembered Novell’s words.

“Teaching something to kids seems fun, right?”

Hmph.

Well, fine. I’m running out of money anyway.

I’ll at least get enough to buy some drinks.

And if he turns out to be a real piece of trash, it wouldn’t hurt to kill him and take his money.

If the rumors were true anyway…

“My name is Weiss Vansent. Nice to meet you, Teacher Milch.”

However, unlike what I had imagined, Weiss, the eldest son of the Vansent family, was polite.

His demeanor, for some reason, reminded me of Novell when I first met him…

A dedicated personality, one that continued to work hard.

Their faces looked nothing alike, but for some reason, I was reminded.

But this guy… he’s too good.

In war, sometimes that can be a weakness.

Weiss… I don’t want you to die.

“Take the initiative. Value it above all else. Weiss, don’t trust your comrades too much. On the battlefield, the word ‘cowardice’ can sometimes be a compliment.”

“Huh? Y-Yes! Understood!”

And before I knew it, I had started to enjoy training Weiss.

In these meaningless days, color began to return to my life.

Novell… Are you watching?

What you wanted to do isn’t so bad after all.

Thanks to you, I can smile.