Terminally-Ill Genius Dark Knight - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

I see a girl with auburn hair and clear eyes in front of me.

 

My insight glows, and I bring up her status window.

__________________

[Basic Info].

Name: Eleanor de Rivalin

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Race: Human

Primary Element: Wind

Achievements: -.

[Traits].

Affirmations: [Genius in computation] / [Genius in acting].

Neutral: -.

Negative: [Secretive] / [Vanity] / [Pride]]

[Stats].

Physique: 5

MP: 7

Luck: 9

Willpower: 7

Charm: 21

[Skills].

Passive Skills: [Colossus Eye].

Active Skills: -.

__________________

“Yes, it’s me, the noblewoman from the lowly merchant family you ignored. Eleanor de Rivalin. I never thought I’d see you again.”

The tone was blunt and prickly.

Part of me wants to apologize and clear up the misunderstanding right now.

Nox’s past behavior struck a nerve with Eleanor.

‘Eleanor is from a merchant family in the Inner Lunatic setting. She’s also the only daughter of a nobleman. She is obsessed with appearances and always strives to be aristocratic.’

Her middle name, ‘De’, was also given to her by her father, who is now dead. Clarkson bought it with his money.

Here in the Inner Lunatic, it was not uncommon for a fallen noble to sell his family name and become a commoner.

As such, Eleanor’s biggest backstory right now is her own past.

Her hatred of House Rivalin, her commoner past, to be precise.

It’s something that runs deep within her.

To a man like him, Nox is…….

-A lowlife like you is a noble, can you get the hell out of here?

-How pathetic. Money buys a family name. You think it buys history?

-You stupid bitch. Get lost.

Naturally, he did something stupid.

It’s so typical of Nox that I don’t even know what to say. Because that’s exactly what he was.

I didn’t do it, and I’m mad as hell, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

I can’t make it right.

Nox needs to be closer to pure evil. As the final boss of Part 1, it’s up to me to play the villain he’s been assigned in the scenario.

For now, I’ll just have to stick with the attitude Nox has taken in the past.

“So what am I supposed to do, demand recognition?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not asking for anything from the scumbag youngest son of House Reinhafer, am I?”

“…Good.”

I sounded as much like an asshole as I could, and then I got slapped.

I shouldn’t have messed with her.

The slap hit me where it hurts the most, so there’s nothing to say. I’ve been living like an asshole lately, so I guess I’m feeling it even more.

I glanced over at her with a dumbfounded expression.

She stiffened for a moment, then smirked.

“I don’t know how you ended up at Eldain, but I’ll pray that you don’t end up being one of the names on that great list.”

Her sincerity is obviously questionable.

“Hagiya, no one can believe that a wretch like Nox got into Elidane on his own merit.”

Nine times out of ten, you’d think he’d cheat.

As for the twins, well, they seem to think they’ve been politically abandoned by Theo. I know it’s just a publicity stunt, but I can’t help but be annoyed.

I worked my ass off for that!

My hellish running with Rona flashes before my eyes, helping me to get into the role of the asshole.

“I don’t want your lowly begging.”

“Whatever, then.”

With that, Eleanor disappeared with her squire and maid.

Ha… damn.

Was I too good of an actor? Worry creeps up on me.

‘With the death of Clarkson, the head of House Rivalin, and no other heir, the title is already in Eleanor’s hands.

‘Although House Reinhafer is a prestigious ducal family in the Arkheim Empire… it’s a bit of a burden to antagonize House Rivalin, who are the great godfathers.’

Naturally, the power of the Rivalin family cannot be ignored.

They control almost all of the continent’s black market, and the size of the market itself.

Even Theo doesn’t take them lightly, as they’ve been able to skirt sanctions as a monopoly and continue to expand their holdings.

The Reinhafers have plenty of money to burn, though…….

‘New blood on the block compared to House Rivalin.’

After all, if you don’t look good to him, you’ll have a very short leash…….

Something like that.

But what can you do?

The old Nox was an asshole.

My personal impression of her is that she’s a very unfortunate unit.

I liked her quite a bit, regardless of her current situation, because she was a character who was trying to push herself to the limit every moment to overcome her trauma.

I recruited her often.

Of course, if she was one of the members of the Order that would kill me in the future, that would be a different story… but whatever.

I think Eleanor is a pretty great character.

If she didn’t interfere with the main story, I’d have her in my pocket somehow.

But it’s a futile assumption.

She’s destined to blossom her talents and kill me, along with the main character we’ll meet in the future.

As her status says, she accumulates vast wealth, helps the protagonist with her acting skills, and finally kills me.

Technically, I kill Nox… because that’s who I am, and I don’t even feel the need to correct myself.

“Is… is Nox okay?”

Talia asks with concern as she watches from the sidelines.

Zitri rolls her eyes, trying to figure out what’s going on.

I reply nonchalantly.

“We should get in. It’s getting late.”

I know there’s a deep question in their eyes.

Perhaps both Talia and Zitri were disappointed.

To Talia, who aspires to be a knight, and to Zitri, who is now a commoner, I must seem aristocratic and arrogant.

I decided to ignore it.

I won’t be able to afford such luxuries from now on, anyway.

What matters now is an event new to the Eldain Academy this year.

It’s right here…….

-All prospective Elidane Academy students currently waiting outside, please come inside to the auditorium for the ‘entrance ceremony’.

-A reminder. All prospective students currently waiting outside, please report to…….

‘It’s finally happening.’

I was sure in that moment.

Inner Lunatic.

That the first main episode, ‘The Entrance Examination’, had begun.

* * *

As I made my way to the auditorium, I was greeted by a huge crowd of cadets, just like I had seen in the game.

Not only that, but there were bright red banners and golden sashes, as the colors of the Ackheim Empire are red and gold.

I shifted my gaze a bit and took in my surroundings.

There’s a slightly elevated podium, with all the trappings of a speech.

Just like in the game.

Next, I start looking at the cadets.

Zitri wasn’t technically a cadet, so she couldn’t come with me.

Instead, I decided to go to the dormitory where I would be assigned, organize my things, and get ready.

By the way, Zitri will also learn to be a maid at the academy.

While she won’t have to study much in the way of housekeeping, she will learn basic magic, math, and other foundational knowledge.

This is the Academy’s way of supporting you, as it is necessary for you to properly care for the lords and ladies you will be serving.

I hope no one will bully her for being a fallen noble.

Though if they do, I’ll be there to kick their asses.

Anyway. There were many children of pretentious families in the neighborhood.

Eldain Academy was said to be the finest educational institution on the continent.

If that’s the case, it’s no wonder.

On the other side of the seating were the commoners. The atmosphere is somewhat intimidating, as opposed to the carefree nobles who seem to know each other.

They seem to think they don’t belong there.

If not, they’re probably thinking about what if they’re hated by the nobles and retaliated against.

Well, they may be now, but they’ll soon realize it.

That in Eldain, merit is all that matters.

Being a noble doesn’t make you more talented.

Being a commoner doesn’t make you better.

Talent is both fair and unfair.

So, within Eldain, at least, there is no such thing as a noble or a commoner. {1}

All I can do is use [Insight] to poke around in other people’s status windows.

It’ll help me to identify useful jade stones and organize the people I can recruit.

‘So everyone is pretty good at what they do. I wonder if Eldain is different.’

But it’s clear that Eldain has the best talent of all.

The most prominent are the supporting characters, who, along with the protagonist, become the main characters of the story. {2}

For example, the Empress Penelope von Archheim, Eleanor de Rivalin, Echidna, Beatrice, Leone, Paracelsus, and the others we met earlier.

We’ll be talking about them a lot more later, so let’s spare them for now. For now, let’s focus on the situation at hand.

Whatever it is. Because if you don’t get into Eldain, it’ll all end here.

“Woof, woof, woof… Hello!”

(umul-umul)

At that moment, before the cadets knew it, a small girl appeared on the dais with a tremendous amount of magic power.

Blue eyes and near-white platinum hair. And clad in cloth armor.

She was beautiful, but she was a child, and it was possible that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Moreover, she naturally forgot the sweets on the dais……….

It was a scene that probably didn’t look very pleasant in the eyes of the high-nosed aristocrats.

Thanks to this, a loud voice spreads from under the podium.

-Who is that kid?

-Where are the professors? Shouldn’t we get her out of here?

-What is this, an entrance ceremony for the sacred Eldain Academy?

The aristocrats thought they were being ignored, so they said such things…….

In truth, I was the one who wanted to silence them.

‘That person is a monster who shouldn’t be judged by appearances!’

I stood as far away from them as possible.

Up ahead, the girl from earlier was smirking.

A girl who looked to be about ten years old.

One thing I can guarantee you is that you shouldn’t talk about her.

She is one of the greatest mages in the world and a revered member of the Four Sages.

I used [Insight] to check Noah von Trinity’s status window.

__________________

[Basic Info]

Name: Noah von Trinity

Gender: Female

Age: ???

Race: ???

Primary Element: Water

Achievements: [Solis] / [Dean of Eldain Academy] / [Four Sages]

[Traits]

Positive: [Mana-sensitive genius] / [Fluffy].

Neutral: -None.

Negative: [Complex] / [Childish] / [Congenitally Cute] / [Lazy]]

[Stats].

Physique: 21

MP: 26

Luck: 8

Willpower: 22

Charm: 10

[Skills].

Passive Skills: [Sea of Mana] / [Supreme Ruler’s Awe] …

Active Skills: [Waterball] / [Cold Beam] / [Blizzard] …

__________________

Even though her Physique is not insignificant, her MP is insane, as is her name, the Four Sages. A whopping 26… ….

This one is so obvious that it doesn’t even make sense.

‘So monsters are indeed monsters.’

I nodded, taking a moment to organize my worldview.

Inner Lunatic was notorious for the fact that as your stats increased over time, they became harder to raise.

Noah’s presence here in the Inner Lunatic was unique, as characters with stats above 20 were considered monsters, and those above 25 were called mythical beings.

But that’s not the only thing I notice about her.

“Greetings, my name is Noah von Trinity. I’m the new Dean of Eldain Academy!”

-……?

-……??

Because Noah is also the dean of Elidane Academy.

So I’m inevitably going to have to watch her closely.

Noah finished the lollipop in her hand and smiled broadly.

“Nice to see you again!”

‘…Luckily, it seems to be okay for now.’

I let out a short breath and examined her expression.

The reason is simple.

According to the official setup, the word ‘small’ was her seizure button, and I needed to be as careful as possible.

Also, Noah is a character who can be relentless when she’s angry, so it’s important to keep that in mind. If you don’t want your existence to be erased from this world.

Well, anyways.

The moment I saw her, I began to realize that the main story had finally begun. A chorus of voices filled the hall.

-She’s the new dean…?

-Really? No way….

-She’s just a kid!

-There’s no way the Noah I know is that kid…!

Actually, I can understand the cadets’ reaction.

Not many people know Noah’s face now.

Moreover, a child….

It’s hard to believe.

To be honest, it seems like the game company put her in just for characterization… but there was a reason for that, too.

She had previously participated in the slaughter of the Ninth Hierarchy Demon on the Night of Slaughter. Along with Knight Celsus and Theo von Reinhafer.

In the process, she used much of her power to become a child. In the story, she was transformed into that size during the use of a time-reversal spell.

That’s why many people don’t recognize her face.

It’s not a world where photos are widespread.

“What? Aren’t you all applauding me? I’m the dean now, and you dismissed me as tiny…!”

She says it deliberately, with her hands on her hips.

My head feels sticky again.

Noah von Trinity had an odd way of speaking, an infantile regression in both size and tone.

She was barely over a hundred years old, and I didn’t like it.

Imagine if your grandmother’s speech ended with… did you? {3}

Would that be intolerable.

“No! I find your maturity attractive!”

There was a loud voice over the commotion.

It’s an extra, but I think it’s great.

So that’s how you handle yourself.

That’s the kind of person I’d like to have in my party if I ever get the chance.

I memorized the face of the shouting cadet and paid attention to Noah’s reaction.

“Hehe. Whatever.”

Noah’s expression softened and she stared at the group of prospective cadets gathered below.

If you’re asking why the word ‘prospective’ is attached to this, I have quite a bit to say about that.

It’s also the answer to why I’ve been so troubled since the first day of school.

Noah, whether she realizes it or not, sounds excited.

“I really, really, really, really don’t like to be bothered, so I’m going to keep this short, so listen carefully and don’t ask any questions, and from now on, you’re going to take the entrance exam for Eldain Academy!”

With that, the hall suddenly erupted into an uproar.

Why?

It’s pretty simple.

There was no such thing as an entrance exam in the first place.

So why the sudden change?

“Because I’m the new dean, and I’ve noticed that many of your seniors are slackers… who think they’re nobles… and who bully commoners… yay!”

So much for talent.

A frosty look crossed Noah’s face for a moment, then faded. She smiled again, an innocent smile, and gestured toward the cadets.

“So.”

Noah paused, gesturing lightly.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

With that, an immense amount of magic power flowed out of her body.

It then expanded, filling the room in an instant.

‘Huge.’

Even I, who had a magic stat of 10 and a [Mana Sensitization Genius], could not breathe.

The others were almost out of breath.

“I’m going to organize a special test this time to weed out such trash. Of course, even if you die here, I won’t even know?”

Suddenly, Noah’s mood changed, and her voice sounded eerily cold. It’s a far cry from the smiling, joking person she was just moments ago.

With that, Noah clapped her outstretched hands together.

At that moment, the auditorium went dark.

“Well, everyone. I’ll see you all alive!”

With that, he spun his body around.

Oh, shit. It was a good life.

A bunch of guys with that look on their faces.

I felt my body float away. When the flash of blue light ended, I was standing on an island surrounded by water.

And with it, a giant shout overhead.

“You bloodless bastards, get up right now! How dare you think of sleeping in front of the instructor! You must have swollen brains!”

But no one woke up at the sound of the instructor’s voice.

All of them were just drifting like wakame seaweed.

Luckily, I managed to stand without falling down.

I was dazed for a moment, but quickly regained my senses.

I let out a sigh and stood up.

I didn’t forget to cross my arms over my eyes.

And now I’m Nox… Nox….

I repeat to myself, ignoring the overwhelming feeling.

“Hmm?”

A muscular, balding man stood in front of me.

An instructor unit known to users as Takoyaki, a cool name.

It was Vernon.

I thought.

I’m pretty sure he used to be a rich blonde too…….

Poor guy.

For some reason, I felt a surge of pity for him.

“What is it? Gray hair, why are you looking at me with pitying eyes?”

Ah, I’m caught.

I stopped myself from imagining what it was like to have head without it.

I steady my gaze and say.

“It’s nothing.”

“You bastard… why are you frowning now?”

Vernon asked abruptly.

I couldn’t answer right then and there. I couldn’t say that Vernon’s head glistened in the sunlight and dazzled me.

I wished his hair well and quickly changed the subject.

“Tell me about the entrance exam, please.”

{1} Anybody else just finish Demon Prince at the Academy, had me tearing up at the end fr

{2} Sidekick also works here

{3} All of her sentences end with 했쬬 haessjjyo which doesn’t really work with English Syntax, LMK if you know a similar colloquialism

inb4 I get all of Noah’s pronouns backwards