Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 320

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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 320

207. I’m Curious About My Score

Victory goes to Count Dormant.

However, it was actually closer to defeat than victory.

Practice swords breaking frequently is common.

Even without infusing mana, it can happen depending on the condition of the practice sword.

Because of cases like this, there are often disputes about the outcome of sparring matches.

Taking this into account, Count Dormant’s spine was chilling.

‘I would have died if this were real combat.’

Even though it was a practice sword, the wound on his armor was quite deep. He couldn’t even tell when it had been inflicted.

What if it had been a real sword?

What if mana had been infused?

‘I can’t even say “sparring is sparring” against a student.’

Thanks to this, Count Dormant could only manage an awkward smile even at the victory declaration.

Professor Esteranza was equally flustered.

He had won, but his armor had already been damaged before that.

So whose victory was it?

“Count Dormant won, but his armor got damaged before that. So isn’t it actually Dane’s victory?”

“Still, his sword broke.”

“If a General Knight’s armor gets damaged before the sword breaks, that’s the end of it.”

Since they weren’t the only ones feeling something was strange, Professor Esteranza found himself in a difficult situation.

‘This is something I never imagined.’

He had been caught off guard once again.

Following the previous puppet incident.

This time, he had naturally, very naturally expected Count Dormant, a General Knight-level fighter, to win…

What the hell is that fellow?

‘Damn it, this is…’

It was a series of embarrassing moments.

Especially since he had created a situation where he ‘humiliated’ someone who was a General Knight of the Imperial Second Knight Order.

A situation where he could neither do this nor that.

But then someone spoke up.

“Count Dormant, if you hadn’t held back, the match would have ended much earlier.”

It was Dane.

Dane, who had maintained a calm expression, suddenly continued with a genuinely admiring face.

“It seemed like… you wanted to prolong this match.”

Count Dormant’s heart sank for a moment.

No.

That couldn’t be.

He had wanted to end it quickly to prove his overwhelming strength.

And that against ‘merely’ a student.

“…”

“Thanks to your consideration, it became a good learning opportunity for me. Thank you.”

But regardless of the reason…

“As expected, Count Dormant was holding back.”

“That fellow Dane is truly impressive.”

“If Dane requires just a little holding back, we’d need a lot more consideration, right?”

The direction of the murmuring from the observers changed.

From harboring doubts about him to ‘as expected, we knew it.’

This was a perfect opportunity.

“Ha, haha. That’s right. Dane Sogress. It would have been a shame to end the sparring match like that. You’re correct.”

Of course, Count Dormant couldn’t completely hide his awkward smile.

But that alone was sufficient.

Count Dormant took the opportunity to praise Dane as well.

“To inflict wounds on two parts of the armor, impressive. Regarding the entrance exam opportunity, I’ll convey it through Professor Esteranza soon.”

A moment of cold sweat.

Dane had lost but hadn’t really lost, and Count Dormant had won but hadn’t really won.

‘He saved my face.’

Contrary to Professor Esteranza’s intentions, Count Dormant actually developed greater fondness for Dane.

Despite possessing incredible skill, instead of openly flaunting it, he had preserved the dignity of himself as a General Knight.

As the person involved, there was no way he couldn’t know.

‘Are his judgment and skill really at the level of a student?’

Count Dormant suddenly thought.

Would such a fellow really be satisfied with ‘merely’ the ‘level’ of the Imperial Second Knight Order?

Perhaps the Imperial Direct Guard, whose selection criteria were still not clearly known, would be different.

“Um, Senior.”

Benatio, who had been watching this situation, approached Leila and quietly asked.

“From what I can see, it seems like Senior Dane actually won…”

“You saw correctly. That’s right. Dane won.”

Leila answered in a lowered voice.

While that was the truth, it wasn’t something good for others to overhear.

Leila had accurately grasped Dane’s intention.

He said he’d do well, and to think he came up with this method.

“He ‘lost’ in the sparring match but actually won, while also preserving Count Dormant’s dignity.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Yes. It’s impressive. Setting aside his swordsmanship skills, how does he know such worldly wisdom?”

What Leila found truly remarkable about Dane was not just his skills but his situational awareness.

“Come to think of it, he was extraordinary even when I first met him at age seven.”

Leila recalled when she first met Dane.

How amazing it was when he taught her swordsmanship and how to handle mana.

His brotherly appearance had made her feel strange.

“What am I thinking about all of a sudden?”

Anyway, the conclusion worked out well for both sides.

Except for Professor Esteranza.

Just one person.

There was no justification to give Dane a bad score…

“Professor Esteranza, shouldn’t you have placed such a student toward the back if possible?”

Even a reprimand from the Imperial Second Knight Order’s General Knight.

And now the students who had noticed the obviously felt intention.

Especially the upperclassmen’s expressions were ominous.

Naturally, they couldn’t do anything to him immediately, but—

It was predictable that Professor Esteranza’s influence would gradually decline.

Anyone could see that his obsession with Dane Sogress was unprofessorial and would make him lose credibility.

‘Damn it… somehow I need to get that cursed bastard…’

It was the moment Professor Esteranza looked at Dane while burning with hostility.

‘What… is this?’

The moment their eyes met.

Professor Esteranza’s body stiffened.

As if…

Like prey standing before a beast.

‘Wh-what is this.’

Of course, that sensation lasted only a brief moment.

An instantaneous feeling that made him wonder if it was real.

That’s what made it so vivid.

It was also unbelievable.

‘I… was overwhelmed by Dane Sogress?’

By a mere undergraduate?

Crushed by his presence?

Professor Esteranza’s body trembled.

Count Dormant finished the first test cleanly.

The results afterward were simple.

Excluding me, no student had managed to scratch the armor.

“Well then, this concludes the first test.”

Count Dormant was still looking down at his armor, which remained intact except for two scratches.

“Count Dormant, thank you for your hard work.”

“Professor. Thanks to you, it was an interesting experience.”

A peculiar tone, and Professor Esteranza’s flustered reaction.

Well, it’s not my concern.

Whatever Professor Esteranza does, I just need to do what I have to do.

I have no intention of falling for his schemes.

And Count Dormant seemed to have withdrawn his interest from Professor Esteranza.

“Student Dane Sogress?”

He approached me and extended his hand for a handshake.

“It was good sparring.”

Then he whispered.

“Honestly, it was quite surprising.”

I was quite surprised too.

Since I deliberately saved his face, the fact that he’s saying this means he acknowledges what just happened.

“To think you’d overwhelm me with swordsmanship, not even spear techniques.”

At this point, it wouldn’t be polite to be modest.

“I seem to have unintentionally deceived you.”

“Deceived? Even if you hadn’t deceived me, I wouldn’t have believed it anyway. After all, being overwhelmed by an undergraduate is impossible.”

But seeing how he lowered his voice, saving his face was the right choice.

“Actually, I would have been surprised even if you had overwhelmed me with spear techniques… In any case, you exceed what I’ve heard.”

Count Dormant grinned and patted my shoulder.

“You seem to be at a level where admission should be guaranteed, not just given a chance for the entrance exam.”

“You flatter me.”

“Flatter? If the Empire’s procedures were less complicated… you’d already be the youngest knight.”

His additional comment made me feel rather strange.

“If it were wartime, you would have been recruited for sure.”

Wartime.

A period when they don’t discriminate against people.

They become more lenient about age too.

Especially when war drags on.

For men, around fifteen, when their bodies were almost fully grown, they were often dragged to the battlefield.

“Rather than giving you a chance for the entrance exam, it would be better to write you a formal recommendation letter. If that’s alright, would that work? Considering your father Count Sogress, I’m a bit hesitant to write a recommendation letter.”

I politely declined.

“I’m grateful for your words, but I’m still only a second-year undergraduate, and I haven’t discussed my career path specifically with my father, so it’s something I need to think about.”

Fortunately, Count Dormant understood.

“Right. That makes sense. It’s natural. I thought that might be the case too. After all, you’re from the Sogress County. Your family’s knight order would be more important.”

By the way, once you join the Imperial Knight Order, you belong to the Imperial Knight Order until death.

Even if you retire like Professor Keltas, your background follows you.

That’s why choosing a knight order requires great caution.

Once you join the Imperial Knight Order, you can’t join other knight orders.

Like our family’s knight order, for instance.

“Of course, it’s quite regrettable. If you came to the Second Knight Order, surpassing the First Knight Order wouldn’t be just a dream.”

Count Dormant clicked his tongue.

As if genuinely disappointed.

“This is my first time being rejected, but I think this might also be the first and last time I don’t feel bad about being rejected.”

Count Dormant grinned as he said this.

“I hear you frequently visit the Imperial Palace. How about visiting the Office of the Imperial Second Knight Order after getting the Head Butler’s permission?”

“I’ll gratefully visit.”

“Good. I look forward to it. The Captain will be very pleased to see you too. Though he won’t give up as easily as I do.”

Then I’ll have to think about it.

Still, this brief but intense encounter with Count Dormant seems to have created a good connection.

I’m curious about how he’ll report this when he returns.

“And I’d like to have a proper match with you once more. Preferably… using mana.”

I’ll have to decline that.

It would be difficult to let him save face then.

I’m already dealing with enough troublesome matters, and if I formally defeat a commanding knight of the Imperial Second Knight Order…

“Professor Esteranza, would it be alright to conclude with this?”

Count Dormant turned his head toward Professor Esteranza and asked. Professor Esteranza was muttering with a displeased expression.

“Yes, let’s do that. Thank you for your hard work. I’ll see you at tomorrow’s second test.”

It was when Professor Esteranza was turning around.

“Professor, I’m curious about my score.”

I called out to him, and Professor Esteranza froze stiffly like someone hit by an arrow from behind.

“…”

And Count Dormant chimed in from the side.

“Since he made two scratches on the armor, it should naturally be the highest score, shouldn’t it?”

His smile toward me seemed like he was returning a favor.

Finally, a squeezed voice flowed from Professor Esteranza’s mouth.

“…Perfect score. Dane Sogress.”

Of course it should be a perfect score.

Shouldn’t it?

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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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