At my words, the Aldrick Stonewall in front of me widened his eyes.
The uniform covering his massive frame swayed slightly, as if emphasizing the rippling of his muscles. Elliot Valius, standing next to him, also tightened the corners of his thin lips, his sharp blue hair resting on his shoulders as he furrowed his brow.
The noise of the training ground, which had been filled with commotion until just moments ago—
Was instantly swallowed by a freezing silence.
”The hell you starin’ at? You don’t know who I am?” Aldrick muttered, his voice a low, rumbling sound of displeasure.
His gaze pierced through me, like a bird of prey marking its target. I could see the flames of anger flickering deep within his pupils.
Of course I know him.
Aldrick Stonewall.
In the game, he is the reliable aide to the protagonist, Prince Liam, and the “wall” that puts his body on the line at the front lines. Elliot Valius, standing beside him, is also famous as the sharp mind who supports the Prince.
Both of them are celebrities, known by everyone at this Royal Magic Academy for their popularity and skill. Their mere presence together here is enough to draw the concentrated gaze of all the surrounding students.
But for me, having been on leave since enrollment, pretending not to know them is the most natural choice in this situation. …Or so I thought, but this reaction—
Did I pick the wrong option?
Damn it.
If this were the game, I could just reload from a save point….
—Well, whatever, I’ll just stick to “I don’t know.”
”Ah, I don’t. It would be helpful if you could introduce yourself?” I said, maintaining a neutral tone.
The moment I said that, a blue vein popped out clearly on Aldrick’s temple, and his thick fist clenched tight.
The veins stood out; his anger was visually palpable.
It was a raw, murderous intent, as if he were about to strike me down at any moment.
(Eh? Scary, why is he snapping!?)
I cowered on the inside.
However, my thoroughly trained facial muscles kept my agitation perfectly hidden.
I could feel my heartbeat quickening, but my facial muscles didn’t twitch.
I managed to maintain my poker face.
”You piece of shit, I’ll kill you.”
The words, heavy with murderous intent like a low growl, echoed right nearby.
The pressure radiating from Aldrick’s body made my skin crawl.
(Why!? I just didn’t know your name! Plus, this is an Academy!?)
Don’t go spouting off about killing people all of a sudden.
As I was inwardly confused, Elliot calmly placed a hand on Aldrick’s shoulder.
The gesture was like someone soothing a rampaging beast.
The strained atmosphere that had filled the training ground softened slightly.
”Wait, Aldrick. It is a provocation. Pray, do not succumb to it,” Elliot advised.
I hadn’t intended to provoke him, but I was saved.
Elliot turned toward me, and his sharp blue eyes behind his glasses stared at me as if piercing the weak point of his prey.
His gaze released a cold pressure, different from Aldrick’s wildness. That calm stare seemed to be trying to peer into the depths of my soul.
”Xenos Grimlock. Aldrick here is formally challenging you to a Duel. I trust you shall accept?” Elliot inquired.
…I was not saved.
No, the situation had worsened.
I felt an unpleasant sound rattle in the back of my throat. My stomach felt heavy and weighed down.
A Duel is out of the question.
I want to expand my influence quietly while keeping my trump card, “Magic Seal,” hidden.
I want to avoid showing off my ability here and being viewed as a threat by the Princes.
More than anything, the big man in front of me, Aldrick, is genuinely strong even without physical enhancement from Mana. I can’t guarantee I’d win if we actually fought.
So, I answered immediately.
”I must decline. There is no reason for us to engage in combat.”
At my answer, Aldrick flew into a rage.
His massive body shook as if it were vibrating the ground, and the surrounding students let out small shrieks. The air in the training ground tightened instantly.
Murmurs and whispers spread among the students.
”What did you say, you bastard! Have you lost your nerve, you coward!!” Aldrick bellowed.
The shout rang through the training ground.
Aldrick’s eyes looked bloodshot, appearing almost red.
(Because I’m scared of you…. You’re huge, your muscles are ridiculous. And besides, fighting here is a stupid strategy—so just give up and go home already)
My heart was in complete turmoil, but my expression remained strictly calm.
Surely, a cold, calculating mind would appear to be dwelling behind my eyes.
”No matter what you say, I will not Duel.”
When I refused again, Elliot tried to provoke me with clever words this time.
His voice was gentle, but a sharp blade was hidden in his words. I felt on my skin how the students’ gazes changed into a mix of curiosity and contempt.
”You, a nobleman, have been insulted this much in public. That is reason enough for a Duel. If you refuse this, you will be called a ‘loser’ by every student in the Academy… is that really acceptable to you?” Elliot challenged.
Elliot chose words that would gouge at my pride.
His gaze was sharp, as if searching my inner thoughts.
The original Xenos would have been enraged and accepted the Duel here. And that is their aim. They want to provoke me and search for what I’m hiding. They are cornering me into a Duel.
If I refuse here, I’m a loser.
”Yes, that is perfectly acceptable,” I replied.
I answered immediately, without a moment’s hesitation.
With a cool, determined look on my face—
I retreated from the Duel without a second thought.
A character clearly set up as a strong player had come at me with ‘loser-baiting.’
If that’s the case, the only choice was to “ignore the bait and run.”
If one were a reincarnator, no one would choose to “take the bait and Duel” here.
I have no intention of changing my original policy of “acting in a way that doesn’t make me a threat to the enemy faction” just for the sake of my own petty pride.
I’ve started to enjoy the idea of playing as the final boss of this game world. I don’t want to retire this early in the story. My plan has only just begun.
It seems they were taken aback by my answer, as expected.
Aldrick’s anger even seemed to cool for a moment. A look of confusion floated on his face. I felt Elliot’s sharp eyes take on a slight tinge of disdain as well.
Their expectations were thrown off, and they were at a loss for words.
The one who broke that silence was Prince Liam, who had been waiting behind them.
His voice rang out, softening the strained atmosphere.
There was a hint of exasperation in his tone as well.
”Hold, Aldrick, Elliot. He has stated his refusal. We shall have no further unnecessary disputes here.” Prince Liam ordered.
The Prince intervened, and the group withdrew their weapons and left the training ground.
As their footsteps faded, the strings of tension that had been pulled taut slowly loosened. I was saved. Now, I should be able to avoid getting caught up in unnecessary trouble for a while.
The gazes of the students remaining in the training ground felt even colder when they looked at me.
Contempt, scorn, and derision were clearly visible there.
Multiple gazes, as if looking at filth, pierced into me.
In particular, the gaze of my fiancée, Cecilia, stabbed into my back painfully. Her eyes were a mix of disappointment and anger.
(Well, this part can’t be helped—the plan comes first. Besides…)
I smirked inwardly.
So that no one would notice, I lifted the corners of my lips just slightly.
”Coward,” “Loser,” “Craven.”
Call me whatever you want.
If I’m thought of as just a man who is strong and plays fair, the enemy will come to crush me with everything they have.
But if I’m thought of as a coward whose thoughts are unknown, they won’t be able to lay a hand on me carelessly. Fear and contempt, at times, become a better armor than strength.
That night, back at the mansion, I received a report from Ashraf.
This guy is good at covert operations, so I had him gather information (spying on the Princes). The result—
The true aim of today’s commotion was revealed.
The moonlight poured in through the window, faintly illuminating the office.
Ashraf’s face was, as usual, an inorganic thing that defied reading his emotions. His black attire seemed to melt into the darkness.
”Prince Liam and his associates appear to have held suspicions regarding the Grimlock family,” Ashraf reported.
Ashraf reported without changing his expression.
His voice lacked intonation, as if being read by a machine.
Apparently, they were suspicious of the fact that I killed my brother Leon in a duel.
Originally, it was impossible for me, with zero Mana, to have won, they thought.
They wondered if brother Leon was actually alive, if I was just a figurehead master, or if there was something going on behind the scenes.
Today’s commotion was a test of that.
As expected, my actions were being monitored.
”It was the right choice not to accept the Duel,” I noted.
If I had accepted the Duel, there would have been a danger of my “Magic Seal” ability being exposed.
If that happened, they would view me as a threat and devote themselves to expanding their influence and strengthening themselves. Just like the Prince Liam and his group in the game—
The label of “coward” became the ultimate defensive measure for me.
—Exactly as planned.
”Your foresight is impeccable, Xenos-sama,” Ashraf replied with a bow.
Ashraf offered his usual respectful flattery.
However, his voice had no emotion, and it sounded suspicious to the core.
His presence, which seemed to melt into the shadows, sent a faint shiver down my spine.
While lightly brushing off the demon’s words, I let my thoughts wander to my future Academy life and the Rebellion plan proceeding under the surface.
Quietly, but surely—
My ambition was enveloped in the darkness of the night, secretly growing within it.
Summary:
Xenos confronts Aldrick and Elliot at the Royal Magic Academy, successfully using a coward’s persona to avoid a potentially revealing duel. He maneuvers through the social pressure of being called a loser, realizing it serves as an effective shield against further scrutiny from Prince Liam. Ashraf confirms that the confrontation was a test of Xenos’s true power following his brother’s suspicious death. Xenos remains committed to his long-term rebellion plan while his reputation continues to deteriorate.
Trivia:
- Xenos purposely avoided the duel to prevent his Magic Seal ability from being exposed.
- Prince Liam and his inner circle are actively monitoring Xenos because they don’t believe a mana-less person could have killed his own brother.
- The term “loser” is intentionally embraced by Xenos as a defensive layer to discourage direct enemy interference.
- Ashraf acts as a spy for Xenos, utilizing his ability to move through shadows.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ The original Japanese text uses “えっ? こわっ” to convey a sudden, sharp, and visceral feeling of fear and bewilderment, which is localized here to maintain the protagonist’s inner, unrefined panic.