The Evil Noble Desires A Beautiful Demise - Could It Be That You're Stuck In A Loop? - Episode 20

It had been a few days since the entrance ceremony or the day of the duel.

Since then, Endens has become quieter and stopped bothering me. Instead, another person has started getting involved.

“Oh, isn’t that Salifa? My workshop is finally finished. Would you like to come see it?”

“……Okay.”

The one who spoke to me was the special student, Krig Dant. He is the son of the Dant Company, which deals in the sale of magical tools worldwide, and is known as a genius magical tool craftsman. He possesses high abilities as an earth attribute magician and excels in combat as a rear guard with a broad perspective.

“Oh, is that so? That’s wonderful. If you don’t mind, it would be even more delightful to see your beautiful magic.”

“……If it’s just a little, I don’t mind.”

“Is that true!? Then let’s hurry. Time is limited.”

I watch the small back ahead of me, looking so happy.

I never thought I could become friends with Krig.

In the game, Krig was the kind of person you wouldn’t want to get involved with, coming off as a haughty and selfish rich kid. However, separate from that personality, he had an extraordinary passion and immense talent for magic and magical tool creation, and his crafted magical tools were highly regarded. Moreover, he would treat those he recognized in his areas of interest favorably.

Apparently, he watched the duel between me and Endens and was impressed by the magic I used. The next day, he barged in and passionately talked about it.

“Alright, we’ve arrived. This is my workshop!”

What we arrived at was the prime location of this city.

There, a workshop of considerable size had been built. As expected of the wealthy.

“Come in, come in. There’s something I want you to see.”

“……Excuse me for intruding.”

Surprisingly, the inside was tidy and well-organized. A few servants bowed their heads to greet us.

“This is my personal development room. You’re the first one to enter besides me.”

I’m scared because Craig’s favorability is unusually high.

Well, I’m looking forward to it since I’m interested in magical tools.

When I stepped inside, it was a cluttered space filled with all sorts of unfamiliar objects scattered haphazardly. Despite being quite a spacious room, it felt oppressive. I guess even the servants aren’t allowed in here.

“These are the magical tools I’m currently developing! They’re precious items that haven’t been released to the world yet, you know?”

“…Huh, is that really okay?”

“Of course, you’ll be fine. You wouldn’t misuse it, right?”

Hehe, Krig is laughing mischievously.

“Come on, Salifa, feel free to look around. And could you let me know if there’s anything that catches your eye?”

Something that caught your attention?

I wonder, am I being tested or something?

For now, I pick up various items and take a look. As I do, Krig explains what each one is used for. There are serious magical tools that can detect magical wavelengths, as well as more down-to-earth magical tools that can keep bathwater at the right temperature. I want this one.

There are various magical tools, and each one is intriguing. The fact that he made all of these by himself makes it easy to see why he’s considered a genius.

I looked around the room, and there were many things that caught my attention. As I was wondering which one was the most interesting, my eyes were drawn to the small parts scattered on the desk.

“……Can I look at this too?”

“…Hehe, of course.”

Since I got permission, I’ll give it a try.

It’s a very small screw-like part. It has fine spiral grooves. I picked up and compared it with the other scattered screws, and their shapes seemed to match perfectly. To think they could mass-produce something so intricate. And this is…

“…What if I try channeling my magic?”

“Ah, I don’t mind.”

Holding one screw in each hand, I channeled magic into them. The flow of magic, conductivity, capacity—everything matched perfectly. What is this? Can something like this really be made?

“……Isn’t this amazing?”

Saying that, Krig burst into loud laughter.

“Ahh hah hah hah!! Just as expected! Just as expected, Salifa! Just as I predicted!!”

It seems like you liked it.

“Ah, interesting! Normally, people would just look at the invention and wouldn’t pay any attention to such parts. Moreover, even if they found them, they wouldn’t realize their significance.”

Krig picked up the screw and looked at it happily.

“Furthermore, to even flow magic and discern the characteristics of this part. You wouldn’t notice it unless you practiced detailed magic control regularly. Yes, the magic I saw from you back then was delicate, rational, efficient, and yet beautiful.”

You’re praising me way too much.

This is probably thanks to Zebras, the magic teacher.

“Come on, now show me your beautiful magic! And let’s have a great conversation about it!”

It seems like I’m going to be late getting home today.

But sometimes, this kind of thing is fun too.

“Oh, isn’t that Salifa? If you don’t mind, how about a match after this?”

“……I don’t mind.”

The day after having a great time with Craig.

The one who called out to me at the academy was the special scholarship student, Kirisia Colbert. She is a distinguished princess of the Colbert Duchy, and her combat prowess, utilizing her innate superhuman strength, is nothing short of extraordinary. Additionally, she is referred to as a “knight princess” because she has been granted the title of knight.

“Oh my! That makes me so happy! I’ll be waiting for you at Training Ground No. 3, okay?”

“…I’ll head over right away.”

She was also friendly after the duel.

The Olbraim Empire of Endens and the Colbert Duchy of Kirisia have been hostile towards each other for a long time, and it seems that Kirisia has grown up being constantly compared to Endens. “That was refreshing!!” she laughed heartily.

In the game, she had the air of a tsundere noble lady, and she was quite popular among those who liked that sort of character. However, I remember that she was difficult to handle because she didn’t have much sense of cooperation. She had a somewhat battle-crazy temperament and was eager to become stronger. I heard that she thought I would make a good sparring partner after seeing me in a duel.

When I arrived at the training ground, it seemed that Kirisia was already prepared. Holding a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left, she looked formidable. The sword and shield she was carrying were quite large, giving off an intimidating presence. It seemed like she wouldn’t be able to move with all that armor and those weapons, but she had a cool expression on her face. Truly, her strength was remarkable.

“……Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Not a problem! Now, let’s get started!”

With words, they come charging in.

Given that it can achieve such speed with that weight, it’s nothing short of a threat. The training grounds have a similar system to the duel arena, though not as advanced, but it will still hurt.

Avoid the charge and aim for the gaps in the armor.

However, it was thwarted as if they had seen it coming.

“……Meteor Sword”

“Diamond Armor!”

Martial arts techniques are deflected.

Hmm, last time the match was decided by a combo technique, but it seems they’ve come prepared this time. I’ll keep my distance a bit.

“This time, I will definitely make them use magic…!!”

Saying that, they charged in again.

Well, it’s not like I can’t use magic or anything, but when you put it that way, I start to think maybe I shouldn’t use it yet.

“Heavy Sword!”

A martial technique with exceptional destructive power, enhanced by the force of a charge.

What was unleashed from Kirisia’s monstrous strength had the power to crush enemies in a single blow. Well, it was a wide swing with a large opening, so it could be avoided.

“……〈Falling Star〉”

After the opponent’s martial arts technique is unleashed, we strike with our own martial arts technique.

“Ugh, ugh…”

The buzzer signaling the end of the match rang, and the contest was decided.

This time, the rule was that if you landed a valid strike, you win, so this is the end.

“Ugh… I’ve lost again… And I couldn’t even make her use her magic…”

“…It was better than before.”

I call out to Kirisia, who looks regretful.

“Ho ho ho! Of course! Next, I’ll show you a strike!”

You bounce back quickly.

But well, that’s probably one of her virtues.

“It’s surprising to think that someone my age has mastered both top-tier magic and swordsmanship! And how fortunate I am to have met someone like Salifa!!”

When my swordsmanship is praised, it feels like Firai is being praised too, and it makes me happy. I wonder if she’s doing well.

“By training with you, I will be able to reach even greater heights! I look forward to working with you in the future, okay?”

With a fierce grin, Kirisia looks over here.

It seems like it will be a good stimulus for me too.