Since When Did You Have The Illusion That You Don’t Have Magical Powers?! - CH 9

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Gilliam Anderson, son of Marquess of Spencer

My presence remains a tumour in class. Casey seems to be whispering something behind my back, but it’s not particularly harmful, so I let it go. I’m still all alone, but I’m not in trouble at the moment, so that’s good. It’s different from the student life I’m aiming for, but anyway, the food is good and the life with three meals and a bed is comfortable.

Moreover, I was thinking that I was lucky to be enrolled in this academy, because I don’t have to worry about food, clothing and shelter. The Duke of Bloomfield, who is my sponsor, gives me an allowance every month under the guise of a preparation allowance or money to buy school supplies.

The amount of allowance I receive is roughly two silver coins. This is enough for a young couple renting a room in the downtown area in the royal capital to live on for half a month. No matter how much notebooks and ink you buy, you can’t spend it all. How on earth can I spend it in this dormitory life where I don’t have to buy food and don’t have to pay rent? Moreover, I have a uniform, so I don’t even need clothes unless there is a serious event. I was adamant that I didn’t want it because I wouldn’t use it, but it seems that people around me will think that they’re stingy nobles if they don’t give it to me. Furthermore, since I am an academy student supported by the Duke, I need to lead an academy life that is appropriate for that. Being a noble is tough.

My room is in the 4th dormitory building, which is the smallest and farthest from the school building and mainly houses students from low-ranking families, but I was advised to move to the dormitory for high-ranking nobles. However, I had no complaints at all, so I refused, saying that I could change rooms at the beginning of the school year. Incidentally, my ex-brother Veritas is firmly in the high-ranking nobility dormitory.

I had no support from my parents, but my living environment has changed remarkably since I became a scholarship student with the backing of the Duke. But that doesn’t mean I intend to live in luxury. Sapphiras originally lived like a marginal noble, and in my previous life I was an adventurer from a commoner’s background. In other words, I don’t know how to be extravagant. I have no choice but to save the silver coins I received and return them to the Duke’s family after graduation.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Sapphiras. You’re very late.”

By the way, why is this guy here?

In the dimly lit walkway to the dormitories, I glare with narrowed eyes at the man in front of me.

I was going to have dinner with Percival and then go back to my room, take a hot bath and relax. The men stood in the passageway, blocking my way, disturbing my precious free time.

Isn’t it bad manners to block the passageway in the first place.

“We were interrupted the other day, we can have a nice chat if it’s here right? If you want, we can move to a quieter place where no one goes.”

“Haa…….”

This man has been waiting here with his friends for me to leave Percival and be alone. It’s a praiseworthy effort, but if I had returned to my room with a transfer, these guys would have been waiting for me in this dark and cold corridor all the time, where I was never going to come. What, if I’d known that, I would have transferred back. It’s a shame.

“If you come back to me obediently, I’ll forgive you for your rudeness the other day. I’m sure you don’t want to be treated badly either.”

Gilliam, my ex-fiancé, triumphantly says something I don’t understand at all. Behind him are four male students who are his cronies. They are lined up in a row, grinning and smiling in a terribly vulgar way. It’s a bad taste that makes it hard to believe he is a nobleman. They probably intend to intimidate me into submission by sheer force of numbers. He must be desperate not to lose his convenient toy.

“No, I don’t need Anderson sama’s forgiveness. If you’ll excuse me.”

It was ridiculous to deal with him, so I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm with great force. Hey, you’re hurting me.

“Since when did you become able to talk to me with such an arrogant attitude?”

Even if you ask me when, I can only say from the beginning. In the first place, if I had remembered my previous life earlier, I wouldn’t be engaged to a man like you.

“Unfortunately, I was recently disowned by the Perfectio family. So I’m no longer related to Anderson sama.”

“What?”

“I’m a commoner now.”

I tried to shake off Gilliam’s hand that grabbed my arm, but it was persistent and I couldn’t get it off. Even if I shake or swing it, it’s still clinging to me like an ivy. I’ve had enough, can you please let go. My patience is about to run out, though.

“……Commoner, eh?”

Gilliam smiles even uglier. Wow, you look terrible. It’s not something you see very often.

“I see, that means you, a commoner, can’t go against me. I’m going to teach that thoroughly into that body of yours, come.”

“Ha? I’m not going. I want to go back to my room now, so can you let go of my hand?”

My arm was pulled strongly, so naturally I pulled it back. It’s obvious that it won’t be a problem if I am taken. There would be no way I would ever go there. He must have been irritated by my attitude. Gilliam once again looked like he was possessed by a demonic beast.

“Are you going to disobey me!”

This man has always been like that. If Sapphiras resists even the slightest, he threatens and commits violence. Where the hell is this thug from?

To begin with, he didn’t even question how I, a commoner, can attend an academy that is for nobles. Come to think of it, Gilliam was a stupid man who wouldn’t even consider such a thing. Did my ex-father really think it would be to Perfectio’s advantage to marry me to such a man? No matter how I think about it, I can only see a future where this man causes problems.

It’s about time. I’ve dealt with him enough. Even the insensitive Gilliam must have sensed something if I use magic to end the wasted time. He gave a startled look and hastily let go of the arm that he was holding.

Oh, what a pity. I was going to blow it away with magic if you didn’t let go.

“Sapphiras.”

I turned around to see Percival coming towards me.

“You forgot your notebook,” he said.

“Notebook?”

What? I’d forgotten my notebook?

Without even looking at Gilliam and his cronies standing in front of me, I was handed a notebook with plop. But this isn’t mine.

“That’s right, the tart that Sapphiras received from His Excellency Duke Bloomfield the other day was very delicious.”

I tilted my head to the story of the tarts that started abruptly while matching the conversation.

“Ah, I hear it’s both Miss Aurora and His Excellency the Duke’s favourite tart.”

“Sapphirus was quite well liked by His Excellency the Duke of Bloomfield. I didn’t think he’d send a 4 horse carriage to pick you up.””

“Ah, he offered to send me home in his carriage as well, but I felt sorry and declined.”“Bloomfield……?”

Gilliam only had a dubious look on his face, but his cronies and others are already pale. Their family ranks are either viscounts or barons.

I see, so that’s the strategy.

It seems that your son has behaved unpleasantly towards the academy student supported by our duke. What is going on with your family’s education? If the duke were to send even one letter of protest, they would be in serious trouble. If they thought, in a short-sighted way, that you can toy with me if I had become a commoner, they’re no longer noblemen, but the same as a scoundrel.

“Ah, Anderson senpai1? Sapphiras has lost the Perfectio family name, but he has now received the full patronage of the Duke of Bloomfield. Didn’t you know?”

He replies in a tone as if he has just realised that he was there.

“He seems to have a great appreciation of Sapphiras’s talents and takes a great deal of interest in him. After all, Miss Steinfeld, whom His Excellency the Duke loves so much that it would not hurt to see her in his eyes, directly recommended him as a scholarship student.  Even during the scholarship qualification examination, one of His Excellency the Duke’s direct subordinates was there to observe, so you can see how high his expectations are.”

Information is important for the nobility. If you can’t collect accurate information and judge the situation correctly, it’s not just nobles who fall into unexpected pitfalls.

Having heard this much, even the stupid Gilliam seems to have finally understood the situation. Sapphiras was no longer the coldly treated 2nd son of an Earl whose family was lower than his own, nor was he a commoner who had been kicked out of his home and had no backing. He is recognised by the academy and is an excellent student with the backing of the Duke.

“Well, you don’t have magic, why!”

“Why? Because Sapphiras is an excellent magician, you know. Didn’t you know that, Anderson senpai?”

When Percival said so, Gilliam choked on his words.

“Enough, let’s go.”

Gilliam said, and left quickly with his cronies. I then send him off with awakened eyes.

Nevertheless, it’s Percival. He barely let me speak and drove that Gilliam away.

“Thank you, Percival. You saved me again.”

I heard Gilliam was heading for the 4th dormitory block. I thought it would be something like this.

That naïve person needs to know exactly what is happening around him. Besides, you don’t have to use magic on a guy like that.”

I gave Percival a look of respect when he said that with an extremely serious face. If I had continued the conversation with Gilliam like that, at the very least, I would have probably told him straight out that he’s an idiot. Because if he’s about to hit me, I can do something about it with magic.

If I can’t beat him with force, I’ll immediately try to do it with magic, which is no different from Gilliam trying to get me to do what he says with violence. Thinking that it’s not good to solve everything with magic, I changed my mind just a little bit. Just a little bit.

先輩: a senior at work or school; superior; elder; older graduate; progenito