Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 222
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Reincarnated as a Legendary Talent Genius of a Noble Family Episode 222
150. Since We’ve Come This Far
It was a strange request, but my answer remained the same.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
The Baroness asked back with a flustered voice.
“Without even hearing the reason? I’m not asking you to lose, I’m asking you to win…”
“Whatever the reason, it would be inappropriate for the family of my potential opponent to come and make a ‘request.'”
“…”
“Also, listening to such talk would be equally inappropriate.”
It wasn’t like his mother suddenly came asking me to lose to her son.
Asking me to properly defeat him so he wouldn’t become arrogant was certainly strange.
But whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.
“You’re different, truly. My eyes weren’t wrong.”
The Baroness’s voice held conviction.
“I once wielded a sword too.”
“You were a warrior.”
“Yes. A quite promising one at that. But that was as far as it went. My family wanted me to go to another family for the peace and development of our house, rather than wielding a sword and going to the battlefield.”
Words tinged with slight regret.
“So I put down my sword when I came to the Akeius Marquis Family, but I’m confident my eye for talent remains sharp. In that sense, my son Conwell… is no match for Dane.”
I was a little surprised.
Not just that she saw it, but that she acknowledged it.
And she was the person in question’s mother at that.
“That’s why I’m asking. Not to lose, but to properly win. Don’t go easy on him.”
The Baroness let out a sigh.
“The skill gap is so obvious to see.”
“…”
“You’re right. This really shouldn’t be happening. The moment someone finds out I came here, regardless of my intentions, it could be misunderstood.”
I nodded.
I understood the Baroness’s feelings.
But this was an unacceptable situation.
“So it would be best if you left discreetly now. Whatever the reason.”
Considering the heart of a mother, I showed minimal consideration.
Instead of immediately calling security to drag the Baroness out.
“…”
The Baroness sighed again and accepted.
“I’ve caused trouble. I’m sorry. But… I’d be grateful if you could think of it as just a mother’s heart caring for her child.”
A mother’s heart.
Was it the heart hoping her arrogant son would learn a lesson?
Even so, it didn’t matter.
“I’ll win anyway. Without going easy. No matter how Conwell comes at me. That’s what competition is about.”
I left those words and showed courtesy to the Baroness.
“Please return safely.”
“…I hope we’ll have a chance to talk again sometime.”
The Baroness also nodded and left the alley.
My mood felt slightly strange.
Conwell.
From his earlier muttering, he said he had a reason he absolutely had to win.
But his mother had already anticipated Conwell’s defeat and came to ask me to properly defeat him.
I pondered for a moment, then thinking of my own mother, I called out to the Baroness.
“Mother.”
The Baroness stopped walking and looked back at me.
It wasn’t a gaze filled with expectation.
“I think I can tell you one thing. I always face my opponents with sincerity.”
“…Thank you.”
“This doesn’t mean I’ll do as you requested. However, this is my way of life that won’t change going forward.”
The Baroness nodded as if she understood and finally left.
This should put her mind somewhat at ease.
Since she didn’t come with impure intentions, and since she came with a mother’s heart… this much should be fine.
“But still, arrogance.”
That fellow talked as if he had already beaten Leila, as if he would naturally face me in the finals.
What could such a fellow be hoping for?
“That doesn’t matter anyway.”
What’s important is that I win.
And before meeting me, that fellow would have to get past Leila first.
It probably won’t be easy.
Depending on how Leila performs…
He might not even dream of reaching the finals.
The second day of the Danter Cup, when the semifinals and finals were held.
Even more people than during the preliminaries filled the area around the stadium, chanting the names of the contestants they were supporting.
“…Little Brother.”
“You don’t need to be nervous. I’m here, aren’t I?”
And Leila was now in the contestant waiting room with her Little Brother Delward, trying to calm her nerves.
“Where’s Father?”
“He’s coming to watch. But he said he’ll be in the general seats, not the VIP section. With Mother.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He said if he’s in the VIP section and catches your eye, you might get nervous.”
“…”
That was true.
Her opponent was Conwell Akeius, the previous tournament’s winner.
Leila wasn’t confident.
Whether she could actually win.
“Leila. Conwell probably isn’t even thinking about you right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“And everyone else thinks the same way. They’re looking toward the finals, not at you.”
Leila became dejected at Delward’s words.
“What you’re saying by coming here is…”
“That’s exactly why there’s a higher chance, Leila.”
“Huh?”
“He’ll try to finish as quickly as possible. He’s probably anxious. Dane’s performance has been more incredible than expected.”
Delward offered a sharp analysis.
“Dane dropped a championship candidate with a single sword strike in the preliminaries, and finished all his main tournament matches within a minute.”
“Ah…”
“From Conwell’s perspective, it’s an emergency. He’s facing a three-peat, but suddenly this strange fellow pops up to interfere with his victory.”
Delward grinned.
“You use that anxiety against him.”
Using anxiety against him.
Certainly, that seemed like a plausible approach.
There’s nothing easier to handle than an anxious opponent.
“Conwell usually aims for the right side. Remember that. Since he’s left-handed, block that area well. He pretends otherwise, but he generally has that tendency. It’ll be even more so when he gets anxious.”
“Right side. I’ll remember.”
“And also….”
Leila earnestly absorbed Delward’s continuing analysis.
Meanwhile, she also recalled Dane’s words.
The advice that there should be no hesitation in attacks.
This was advice Dane could give because he had rolled through battlefields in his previous life. Unlike sparring, in real combat, one mistake in judgment leads to death.
Trusting my own senses.
For this, Leila had fought against the illusions Dane summoned and sparred with Dane countless times.
“You’ve been practicing hard all this time, haven’t you? You can do it.”
“…Right.”
Leila steeled her resolve.
“Well then, let’s go watch Dane’s match.”
“Yeah.”
And Leila was able to see it.
Ransel Perion.
A senior in the Swordsmanship Department and now the most promising talent in the department since Conrad disappeared.
That Ransel—
“Winner, Dane Sogress!”
Was defeated in an instant.
Dane had shown no mercy whatsoever.
“D-did you just see that?”
“The swords… exchanged about five or six times?”
“Looked like four times to me?”
“That’s impossible… No matter how much of a genius boy he is, can there really be such a skill gap?”
A total of five attacks.
That decided Dane’s victory.
Without allowing even a single counterattack.
Ransel must have prepared thoroughly as he blocked the first three attacks, but he couldn’t block the following two slashes and thrust.
In the end, he took one wound on his shoulder and one on his thigh before dropping his sword.
“This is the semifinals? How does it end so quickly and overwhelmingly?”
“Look, see the organizers’ expressions? They’re completely flustered.”
“They wouldn’t have expected it to end this quickly.”
While priests rushed onto the match stage to provide healing, there was one person showing a completely different reaction from the others.
‘….’
It was Conwell.
His hands were drenched in sweat.
His tightly clenched fists wouldn’t open, and cold sweat trickled down his back.
‘Can I… win?’
Facing it directly, it was beyond imagination.
When Dane had previously defeated Huri, he had only scoffed.
He considered Huri no longer his match anyway.
It was the same when he won the first and second matches of the main tournament.
He heard it was an overwhelming victory, but he thought comparing those guys to himself was meaningless.
But—
Now it’s different.
Seeing it directly with his own eyes, he seemed to understand.
Of those five total attacks, it was hard to guarantee he could block three or more like Ransel did.
“What the hell is that guy….”
14 years old.
An Academy freshman.
There were only rumors, but no matter how much of a genius, he thought he wouldn’t be his match.
But now, his thoughts are different.
‘This isn’t the time for this.’
Conwell sharply turned his head to focus on Dane.
Dane, who descended from the stage calmly without any change in expression, showed no signs of fatigue at all.
And Conwell’s gaze remained fixed on Dane, unable to look away.
Even though his own match was scheduled to unfold shortly.
“Leila, do you see? Really. That guy doesn’t even have you on his mind.”
“….”
Leila was mulling over Dane’s performance when she looked up at those words.
“It really is true….”
“So, you can do it. You’re more than capable.”
At Delward’s encouragement, Leila steeled her resolve.
Conwell’s gaze still not turning toward her.
Leila made a vow.
That gaze would soon be fixed on her.
Squeeze.
Strength entered Leila’s hand gripping her sword hilt.
Delward’s hand overlapped on top of it.
“You can do it.”
“…Yeah. Well then.”
Leila slowly rose to her feet.
“Semifinal Match 2! Following the Boys and Girls Division, aiming for victory in two divisions, Leila Termion of Duke Termion House!”
“Woooooooooo!”
“Termion! Termion!”
“Her opponent is aiming for his second consecutive tournament victory, Conwell Akeius of the Akeius Marquis Family!”
“Akeius! Akeius! Akeius!”
And the cheers could be heard.
Finally, it was time to go.
Leila briefly closed her eyes and recalled all her training and growth up to now.
It began when she met Dane.
Seven years old.
Count Sogress’ garden.
The advice Dane gave when she met him while secretly practicing swordsmanship that wouldn’t improve.
That started her rapid growth.
‘…So I’m going to win.’
Then she learned how to handle mana.
This too was thanks to Dane.
And Leila finally achieved victory in the Danter Cup Boys and Girls Division at age 13.
“I’ve come this far.”
Leila finally opened her eyes while muttering.
“I have to beat Dane, so I can’t lose here.”
Leila had a goal after this.
To beat Dane at least once.
In fair and square competition.
“I’ll be back.”
“Yeah. Come back safely.”
Leila finally stepped onto the stage, leaving Delward behind.
At that moment, tremendous cheers poured out.
Since Conwell had also stepped onto the stage at the same time, those cheers wouldn’t naturally be directed entirely at her.
But this time would be different.
She would make those cheers entirely her own.
Leila looked at Conwell.
He was still looking elsewhere, not at her.
Shing.
Even while drawing her sword, she could feel that, but rather than anger, Leila felt it was more like an opportunity.
Having drawn her sword to face him, Leila deliberately spoke up.
“I look forward to a good match.”
“….”
Conwell glanced at Leila briefly at those words, then spoke as if she wasn’t worth his attention.
“I’ll end this quickly. Leila Termion.”
As expected.
Leila curled up the corners of her mouth slightly.
And the moment the match began.
Clang!
Leila calmly blocked Conwell’s sword as it rushed toward her.
Clang, claaang!
Two sword strikes came to nothing, but Conwell stepped back briefly before swinging his sword again and pressing forward.
However-
Thwang! Clang!
Leila blocked the following two sword strikes with surprising skill.
Conwell’s pupils shook.
This couldn’t be right.
According to his calculations, he should have been able to overwhelm her with force and finish it…
Why wasn’t she being pushed back?
‘Termion, I don’t have time to play around with the likes of you!’
With his heart gradually becoming more urgent, Conwell swung his sword again, thrusting and pressuring Leila.
But each time, Leila calmly raised her sword to block and push back, showing no signs of being overwhelmed.
“Oh, is this truly the young lady of Termion?”
“She’s worthy of reaching the semifinals!”
“Indeed, she’s the Duke’s daughter!”
Amid the people’s cheers, just as Conwell’s impatience was growing-
Claaang!
Leila deflected Conwell’s sword as his movements became larger, and simultaneously-
Slash!
She cut very shallowly across his side.
A single counterattack.
With that alone, she had inflicted a wound.
“Th-this crazy…”
Conwell staggered back in confusion.
Seeing this, Leila finally took an attacking stance and said.
“Here I come.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Osman Zakir
Leila, win! Beat this guy’s arrogant ass!
Seriously. He really wasn’t taking her seriously at all at first, and he also isn’t that good. He let his past two victories get to his head and it dulled his skill (he probably didn’t train much either).