episode_0009

Philip and Edgar.

An intriguing name that gives off a vibe similar to Dumb and Dumber, making one wonder who the creator might be.

“Don’t you think so, Philip?”

“I feel the same way, Edgar.”

The owners of these names were none other than those two.

Names bestowed upon them directly by the original fans every time they appeared.

In most cases, fans of the original work would only come up with separate names for characters who either possessed a protagonist-level presence or were widely disliked.

In this case, Philip and Edgar fell squarely into the latter category.

This was due to their constant provocation of the protagonist whenever they appeared, taking advantage of their seniority over him.

Of course, given the nature of the genre, they always received their just deserts from the protagonist, but for fans deeply immersed in the novel, their appearances were far from pleasant.

And I could empathize entirely, considering my current situation; they were thoroughly irritating characters to me as well.

It hadn’t always been this way.

In the original, Ryan Trice not only had a good relationship with them but was almost at a best friend level with them.

They drank together in an academy where alcohol was prohibited.

They even skipped classes together for seven consecutive hours.

They were the academy’s troublemakers who enjoyed mischief together.

In the original work, Ryan Trice should have been included in all of that until now.

“I’m leaving here today.”

“What? Where did that suddenly come from…”

I had merely taken over Ryan’s body.

I was the first to escape from there under the name of Ryan Trice, and our relationship ended there, so there was no need to discuss what happened afterward.

“Once again, that jerk is ignoring us, isn’t he?”

“Well, he’s talking as if he’s being ignored by all the students.”

They saw me as a cowardly traitor who had fled, while I tried to avoid any connection with them to shed the image of a good-for-nothing.

That was the current state of affairs between me and those guys—our relationship was like glass, knowing that it would shatter upon contact.

“Rian Trice. Don’t ignore me, answer.”

“···.”

“Ugh, this guy’s at it again.”

I tried my best to ignore the situation to prevent the glass from shattering, but that troublesome brat was fixated on nothing but branding me a ‘traitor,’ whether the glass broke or not.

Failing to elicit a response from me, Edgar’s gaze naturally shifted to Alice, who was sitting beside me.

“Alice Arkstra, what are you doing?”

“Well, I don’t know why trouble seems to find me out of the blue, but what’s going on?”

“Why are you sitting next to this idiot?”

“Oh my, am I sitting next to this person? If there was another place to sit, I would have. That’s more accurate.”

As always, Alice effortlessly proved that she had no connection to me with her flexible speech. She seemed so typically herself, swiftly withdrawing her foot if there was any chance of getting caught up in unnecessary commotion.

‘······I won’t comfort her again.’

Of course, to anyone watching, it must have seemed absurd for me to have just comforted Alice by my side moments ago, only to act this way now.

I’ve made up my mind not to listen to her anymore.

As I firmly resolved within myself, Edgar’s gaze was once again directed at me.

“Is that so? Then I don’t need to be interested in you.”

“···.”

“Rian Trice. How long are you going to keep ignoring me like this?”

“That cowardly little punk.”

“Is it really so difficult for you to accept my proposal? My proposal to settle things like a man, once and for all.”

Edgar spat at me as if he couldn’t understand at all, staring at me. In truth, this had been an ongoing story for quite some time.

Unable to swallow his pride, Edgar had challenged me to a duel.

But until now, I had remained indifferent even to that.

The reason was simple.

I, who had yet to shed the image of being a coward, thought there was nothing to gain from getting involved in such rumors.

If I had accepted the proposal, perhaps I wouldn’t have heard such remarks regardless of the outcome.

People truly never change.

Now, I fight and argue with the troublemaker I used to play with.

“Rian Trice” will never change.

That’s why I couldn’t accept it.

Because up until now, I was someone who thought that anything could change if I worked hard enough.

“Anyway, he’s a coward. His only advantage is having a pretty little sister.”

“That’s right, Edgar. Did you see him this morning? His sister was running down the hallway crying?”

“Hah. I can’t believe I missed that good show.”

“What are you guys even talking about?”

“What do you mean? We’re just saying that the guy sitting next to you has only one advantage, a pretty little sister.”

“Edgar Tristan.”

But now, it wasn’t like that anymore.

I wasn’t the kind of person who cared enough about my image to endure such insults in front of me.

– …It’s been a year at most.

More precisely, I was someone who didn’t need to care.

“I’ll accept your challenge. Let’s duel right now.”

“…What are you doing? Draw your sword and come at me.”

With those words, I grasped the practice sword that had always been more of an ornament.

***

An afternoon class where students were sparring as usual.

The sudden new wind blowing during this otherwise typical afternoon class inflated the bored students’ anticipation.

“Who do you think will win?”

“Why are you asking? Obviously, it’s going to be Edgar. Even though they’re both troublemakers, the other guy doesn’t have anyone to spar with, so how could that loser win?”

Students debated eagerly over who would emerge victorious.

And as she quietly observed these students, Alice muttered under her breath.

“…Why is that guy suddenly interested in sparring.”

Alice, who knew better than anyone how much Rian despised being gossiped about, made that remark.

To break free from his loser image.

She knew very well that Rian had gone to great lengths, even obtaining her information, just to shake off his loser image.

“For someone like that to suddenly want to spar…”

Being the person she was, the current situation was even more bewildering to her.

Certainly! Here is the translated text:

Of course, Edgar had been the one to cross the line first.

The statement I heard earlier was a surprising one, even for someone immune to personal attacks and ridicule like her.

Who on earth would bring up their younger sister’s story in front of their older brother with such a level of intensity?

It was fortunate that only those present heard it.

If it had been a public statement, it would have been worthy of severe punishment.

“Elise Arkstra. You’re here.”

“······Your Highness.”

As I watched the two slowly preparing for the duel, Princess Labilaa had already approached.

“May I sit next to you?”

“······Of course.”

After asking if she could sit next to her, Labilaa took her seat as soon as she received her answer.

“Who do you think will win?”

“Well, I’ve never seen that person fight before, so I really don’t know who will win.”

“Hmm. Elise Arkstra, who supposedly knows everything, doesn’t know. This duel will be truly interesting.”

As expected, the princess already knew what kind of person she was.

“······Your Highness, you’re too kind.”

“Kind? I made my judgment based on what I saw and heard myself.”

“······I see.”

She made Princess Labilaa uncomfortable.

More accurately, she felt inferior.

Inferiority.

A word that was simply unbearable for someone with a stronger sense of pride than anyone else.

But she quickly acknowledged that word.

Talent and effort.

The difference between the two was clear.

The effort of an ordinary person can bring them into the top 10 percent.

The effort of a genius can elevate them to a level where their genius is not apparent.

The difference between Elise and Labilaa felt like this.

‘······Come to think of it, earlier, that person comforted me for some reason.’

Because she knew this difference better than anyone, Lian Trice’s comfort from earlier struck a chord with her.

Perhaps under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have just laughed it off.

Now, she was being comforted by someone who had been making meaningless efforts to shed their incompetent image.

“Thank you. However, the girl from earlier was different. Whether it was because she had just lost in the duel with the princess or not, she genuinely accepted Lian Trice’s comfort. That’s why she responded to Edgar, a person who would never have reacted to her image under normal circumstances, with his words.”

‘…It might not be that person who has changed, but rather myself.’

It was a sudden thought that came to her. In an attempt to dispel this thought, which seemed to make her face flush for no reason, she asked the princess in return this time.

“Who do you think will win, Your Highness?”

“Are you asking me a question about your supposed lack of ability to judge people better than I can?”

“Well, Your Highness, all the academy students must know that you are better at judging people than I am.”

“Elise, you’re really flattering me. My ability is not that exceptional.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“…But, nevertheless, I suppose I can try to predict to some extent.”

After taking a deep breath, Labilaa, shining brighter than anyone else, spoke, her sapphire gemstone sparkling.

“Lian Trice.”

“…”

“For some reason, I feel like Lian Trice will be the winner of that duel.”

She wanted to ask what evidence there was, but Elise didn’t ask. A look filled with certainty. Although she verbally stated she wasn’t sure, the princess’s eyes, already convinced of who would win, made her stay silent.