Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

13 – Stranger *Revised*

Barely awake, having just woken up in my dorm, I sensed a presence in my room.

And it was the presence of a complete novice, one who couldn’t even hide their aura.

‘…Could I really have missed this?’

I, who had always lived by reading the auras of countless people,

always killing someone?

Even if I’d neglected my training for a while after birth,

this was seriously concerning…?

‘Let’s catch that thing first, then think.’

Luckily, the intruder didn’t seem to have noticed me yet, and though I didn’t know why she’d let me get behind her, I unhesitatingly went to thrust a dagger into her neck.

“Hweh?!”

A familiar face and an equally familiar voice struck my ears.

It was Ella.

Fortunately, I was able to stop before the dagger pierced her skin, and not a single drop of blood emerged from Ella’s neck.

“Y-you scared me! Master!”

“Sorry… I thought you were an intruder…”

“Even so, how can you just try to stab someone in the neck without even looking to see who it is?!”

And so, on top of waking up earlier than usual, I was forced to endure Ella’s torrential scolding.

…No, when you think about it, isn’t the problem that she entered my room without permission?

“But Ella, how did you get in here… I definitely locked the door…”

“With a key?”

“…Where did you get the key…”

“The Headmaster gave it to me after I explained the situation!”

“What did you say…?”

Ella had certainly accompanied me as a servant when I came to the Academy.

Therefore, even though she wasn’t a student, she still possessed the right to enter the Academy, but all of the Academy’s dormitories

were divided into male and female dormitories.

And an intruder of the opposite s*x is a violation of school rules.

That strict Headmaster allowed her to enter the dormitory of the opposite s*x?

“I just said there was no one to take care of Master, and she gave me the key! She seems like a good person!”

“….”

…No, that couldn’t be.

Anyone else maybe, but not the Headmaster.

The person who adhered most strictly to the rules within this entire Academy was none other than her.

“Ella, you’re a servant of the Duke’s family…”

“Not anymore!”

“…What I mean is, leaving your job as you please inconveniences the Duke’s family…”

“…That’s…”

“And in the first place, I told you to come find me only after you had secured another job and a certain amount of capital…”

“I already looked into all that, you know? I’m quite the charmer, even if I say so myself. I’m a popular worker at the shops around here!”

“…Is that so?”

“And the Duke’s family was already aware that I intended to leave from the moment Master left…”

“…Why?”

“Because we’re family!”

…Family.

Why does such a trifling word stir my heart so?

I was always alone, always lonely.

However much I tried to ignore it, this was undeniably the truth.

No matter which life I searched through, I had no family.

Forget friendships, I was lucky to avoid betrayal.

I lost my faith in people,

and long ago forgot how to relate to them.

So I pushed them away, and pushed them away again.

I refused, with every fiber of my being, to share my life with anyone.

No matter how close I became to someone, they never understood me, and I gradually stopped expecting them to.

I thought this heart would never change.

But why is this life…

What is so special about it,

that there’s someone who tries so hard for me?

“Young Master…?”

After I’d remained silent for quite some time, Ella leaned in, her face filled with concern, and called out to me.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

How could such a fragile, small child worry about someone?

Especially when she doesn’t even know what kind of person I am.

Leaving our long-awaited reunion for later,

I slowly left my room, as I had to attend class today.

*

Meanwhile, the academy’s next Archmage,

Isabella, could only think of one man.

Reinhardt’s good-for-nothing, the fool…

The man who was recently driven out of his house and disappeared for fifty days before reappearing.

A man who, if he only had a little talent, even just the basics, people would see differently.

She was thinking of Jennison.

The rumors of his duel yesterday had spread throughout the entire academy.

Some said that even if he was a fool, he was still in Class A.

Others boasted they could have won if they were in his position.

The common opinion was that Jennison’s martial prowess had improved remarkably.

No one had expected him to beat Leon, after all.

And then there was that magic circle at the end…

No one would have ever thought to apply a tracing spell like that.

Normally, tracing magic is used to follow a specific characteristic.

It’s not meant to add homing capabilities to a weapon.

Of course, it wasn’t that no one had considered such a method, but…

Imbuing spells onto weapons was something only artificers amongst alchemists could do,

and it had long been decided that it was far more efficient to make different magical implements for combat than such things…

“How could he know about that…?”

It was the first time I’d seen him actually use *it* in a fight.

The more I wondered what he’d been doing for those fifty days,

*thump*, the back door opened and he walked in.

Black hair, black eyes.

And even with the dark circles beneath his eyes,

his natural features made him look more worn than sinister.

Jennison had arrived.

All eyes were on him, and

the whispers about him grew louder.

Professor Vector, in charge of magic studies, cautioned him about his tardiness, and with an apology, he took the seat at the very back.

Well, even if he hadn’t, there wouldn’t be many with the guts to approach him first.

And so, throughout the lesson, Isabella watched his profile, before returning her attention to the magic class.

As soon as class ended, she approached him.

Why did you leave the family?

What did you do for those fifty days?

What was that force you displayed yesterday?

There were more questions than she thought, so

she needed a moment to gather her thoughts for a little order.

“Can you tell me why you left the family?”

She decided to ask what she was most curious about first.

The Duke’s family hadn’t actively stopped his behavior; what could have happened for them to cast him out now?

What sort of act would warrant such a response from the ducal family?

After a pause, as though he were pondering his answer, he stared directly at her face and then passed by.

‘Was I… ignored? By me?’

Slightly annoyed, she blocked his path and asked again.

“…Don’t ignore me. Answer me, please…?”

“Ah…”

He uttered an exclamation as if only now noticing her, and then opened his mouth.

“…Were you there?”

He looked as though he had no further interest in her.

*

‘…What’s this, why is he talking to me all of a sudden…how flustered.’

He had never spoken to me first until now…

I don’t know why he would talk to me at this timing, but there wasn’t much time left now.

My money was starting to run out, so I had to find a new source.

‘…It’s probably nothing? Seeing how he hasn’t spoken yet.’

Looking down at her, he stared up at her with an expression to end the conversation.

“Then I will take my leave.”

“…Brother.”

Looking towards where the voice calling me “Oppa” originated, stood Aria, for reasons I couldn’t fathom.

Oppa… Oppa.

A strange wave of sentiment washed over me.

It had been nearly seven years since Aria last addressed me by that title.

‘…Better if I just don’t fit in here.’

To the outside world, I was the disgraced second son, banished from the Duke’s household, and she, the Duke’s precious youngest.

I wasn’t sure how the public would perceive this encounter, but it was obvious that Aria wouldn’t receive favorable commentary.

The Duke would already be watching with burning eyes…

No need to cause Aria any unnecessary trouble.

‘…Honestly, it’s just awkward now.’

“…Oppa.”

“Move.”

“…”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said, move.”

“…Oppa, let’s talk for a moment…”

“I have nothing to say to the likes of you.”

“…”

Aria’s expression was marred with hurt at my words,

but for me, only a slight pang of guilt arose,

I felt no particular emotion towards her.

‘…Well, seven years isn’t exactly a short time.’

We used to get along so well, laughing and joking,

but that was no longer possible.

My outburst would have made it clear to everyone in the vicinity that I was no longer a part of the Reinhardt family.

The family wouldn’t be pleased with her associating with an outsider, either…

And I, too, no longer held any desire to be a part of that family.

Because that man might as well have killed my mother.

‘…Aria will be alright… They’ve already been apart for seven years.’

She was a sensible child to begin with, so she’ll manage on her own.

Even if she didn’t want to, the family would make it so.

Maintaining my distorted expression,

I exited using the front door instead of the back where she stood.

In the classroom, only the silent breaths of the watching students could be heard,

and from then on, the rumors about me only grew worse.