Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

11 – Utterly Ridiculous *Edited*

“..What is the meaning of this, Chairperson..?”

“First, I apologize for interfering in your duel of honor, Student Jennison.”

*Crack-*

“..Forget that. I asked what is the meaning of this..!”

An uncontrollable wave of murderous energy erupted from me.

I saw some flinch, sensing it,

while professors raged at the perceived disrespect towards the Chairperson.

Of course, some students, unable to stomach the situation,

were also voicing their anger at me…

“How dare you speak to the Chairperson like that!!”

*Thwack!!*

I silenced them by sending hand axes and daggers

slamming into the ground beside their faces and at their feet.

Those who possessed even a shred of sense grasped my meaning and quickly backed down, tails between their legs.

I could meet the director’s gaze once more, and speak.

“Do not fret. This duel is your victory.”

“….”

“Had I not intervened, Cadet Leon would surely be dead.”

“That is not the problem.

Why did you save that whelp?”

Even in the face of my killing intent, she maintained

her unchanging, impassive mask,

but the expression she wore then…

it was unlike any I had seen before.

“Could preventing the death of a cadet

from my academy truly be a problem?”

A bitter smile. The face I saw was undoubtedly a bitter smile.

A smile that said she, too, wished she hadn’t.

It was absurd.

She could not be unaware that a duel of honor sanctioned bloodshed,

that even commoners within this empire knew of it and treated it as spectacle.

Think again.

There would be no reason to obstruct a duel of honor for such a trivial thing.

This was a contest concerning honor, more valuable than life itself amongst nobles.

To rashly interfere in such a contest, to disrupt the duel,

meant, quite literally, to court death.

‘No matter how I think, there is no reason for the director to step in…’

It wasn’t as if duels of honor

had never occurred at the academy before.

On the contrary, being one of the places where nobles gathered most frequently, they were all the more rampant.

And each time, the director had never once

intervened to stop them.

“But why this time? Why go to such lengths yourself?”

“….”

And specifically now, just as he was about to kill Leon, of all people.

And so, suffused with killing intent, I accelerated my thoughts for a moment,

until a single idea flashed through my mind.

“Director…”

“Yes?”

“How much support did the Benil family offer you to do this?”

“….”

Whether she felt the sting of truth, she offered no reply.

The Academy, peculiar as it was,

was not an Imperial institution, but one founded by a private individual.

A private entity, meaning.

Thus, it operated solely on student tuition, devoid of Imperial support,

leaving the Academy in a perpetual state akin to a merchant guild hemorrhaging funds.

Consequently, the Academy

found itself obligated to institute a particular system.

In exchange for patronage from noble houses,

certain benefits were extended to their scions,

a veiled form of bribery, a patronage system in truth.

If this were the case, then Leon Benil’s rescue became somewhat understandable.

The current Director held a clear distaste for such arrangements,

hindering professors from overtly favoring students…

However, should the Benil family’s contribution be substantial enough, such concessions became possible.

‘Or, perhaps, the Director

is simply compromised…’

Anyone else, maybe.

But not *her*.

Even if compromised,

she would simply eliminate the threat.

Why bother offering preferential treatment with such fanfare?

True to her title as the Empire’s Ninth Circle Mage, she could simply silence them, discreetly, permanently.

“If you harbor suspicions…

I must implore you to cease your inquiries here.”

“I refuse.”

“Pardon?”

“That *cur* insulted my mother.”

Finishing his statement, he conjured the handaxe and dagger once more, imbuing them again.

“Dispel.”

If it was a magical artifact that penetrates spells,

even her Ninth Circle shield

would undoubtedly be breached.

No matter that she was a

Ninth Circle Mage, against magic itself,

she would be powerless.

With that thought, he advanced slowly.

Besides, she was already…

It was likely she wouldn’t attack me.

Just moments ago, she’d declared she intervened to save her Academy student.

I was also that Academy student, so,

attacking me at this moment

would only eliminate the very justification for her presence.

Especially in front of so many eyes.

“…That is certainly, not a matter for me to meddle in.”

“If you understand, then even now—”

“However, I too cannot simply retreat…”

She had already, imperceptibly,

dissipated all the magic she’d arrayed around me,

and, dusting off the dirt clinging to her robes, fixed her gaze on me once more.

“I propose a suggestion, Student Jenison.”

“…?”

“I will open the Academy’s Vault of Treasures to you.”

In that instant, everyone’s jaw dropped, save for mine.

To open the Academy’s Vault,

where all the treasures are amassed, for merely a student—

everyone here knew how absurd such a thing was.

Amidst the astonishment gripping everyone,

my response, piercing through the sudden quiet, was…

“Don’t speak nonsense.”

A crystal clear, unambiguous refusal.

The wretch who had insulted none other than my mother

stood before me, and she wanted me to accept some trinket and call it even?

I was well aware my words were inappropriate,

but this above all else

was something I absolutely could not concede.

I unleashed them, countless blades.

Quite literally dozens of blades hurtled towards Leon, hidden behind her back.

Tidi-ding—

Tidididing—

However, what echoed was

a series of impacts, not the sound of tearing flesh,

no sound of the blades rending human skin.

“…What are you doing?”

“You will not accept my proposition?”

“I said I would refuse… did I not?!”

Even after that, my hands continued to

She conjured something and flung it haphazardly at Leon,

but surprisingly, she deflected everything.

Even the daggers and hand axes all imbued with Dispel.

*Ting—*

*Tid-ing—*

“It wouldn’t be a bad condition, even for a student.”

“It *is* a bad condition, very, very bad.”

“…If you insist so strongly, there’s nothing I can do.”

Saying that, she drew forth the magic from her body.

It seemed more about showing off her power

than actually suppressing me.

As if she didn’t really want to fight me.

“I can only offer you my deepest apologies.”

“..Bullshit.”

“I will administer proper punishment to that student.”

Proper punishment?

He was going to die here anyway.

What proper punishment could there be for such a wretch,

that she would act like this?

In any case, the wretch was the eldest son of the Venil family.

Once this duel of honor was over,

I couldn’t personally take revenge.

If I did, I would no longer be facing just Leon Venil, but the entire Venil family.

No family would stand idly by

when their heir suffered humiliation

at the hands of a commoner.

‘If only that b*stard were a b*stard…’

None of this would have happened.

The entire family wouldn’t rush to protect

some mere illegitimate child.

And the Director wouldn’t be so blatant

in protecting him either.

“Haa…”

The situation felt like it was becoming

more and more tangled,

and a sigh escaped from my lips involuntarily.

Taking that opportunity, the Director tried to persuade me once more.

While dispelling the barrier

formed of incredibly dense mana.

“Student Jennison, won’t you reconsider…?!”

“Now.”

Yes, the chance was now, or never.

When that ridiculous barrier of mana

vanished.

When the noble Headmaster, who thought he could stop me anytime, was off guard.

I had to sever that b*stard’s windpipe now.

If I couldn’t cut it off here,

there would surely be no more chances.

‘The people around me, even now,

probably know that

I’ve changed…and if that happens…!!’

It was obvious that there would be no more

fools rushing at me so easily.

For a mere commoner to be a nuisance, wagering a duel of honor as he did was far too risky an action.

It was an act of risking one’s life just to

eliminate a minor annoyance.

That prick, well, he took me too lightly,

I suppose…

But at least I wouldn’t get opportunities like this so often from now on.

“So…now, I have to kill that b*stard, no matter wha—”

“I apologize.”

*Bang*

‘…He wasn’t off guard…?’

Fucking hell.

Some are born without a sliver of talent

and end up like this.

*Sizzle*

With those silent complaints, my vision went dark.

*

“Headmaster, are you alright?”

“Yes, please send everyone to the infirmary.”

“Even… Cadet Jennison, sir?”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“That boy, wasn’t he the student who dared

to act that way against you?!”

Just say the word and I’ll…!!

The plump male professor had probably been planning to take advantage of this moment to curry favor with the Headmaster,

but, unfortunately, the Headmaster didn’t listen to the rest of his words.

“That cadet is also to be left untouched.”

“N-No… no?!”

“I don’t repeat myself.

I’ll be going in now.”

It wasn’t the reaction I’d anticipated.

I was sure he would, any moment,

tear into him.

He was never one to suffer impudence, after all.

“Well… if the Chairman says so…”

“Let’s not touch him for now.”

“As long as we don’t openly antagonize him…”

They just thought it was a whim.

Magicians were fickle by nature.

It was their way, always defying

expectations.

I assumed this would be no different.

“…Are you listening? I kept my end of the bargain.”

[…!]

“…It’s fine… to meet… and talk.”

They didn’t hear the voice, so softly

whispered.

They simply believed what they wanted to.