Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 46

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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 46

 

 

 

21. What Are You?

 

 

The Student Cafeteria was surprisingly quite different from the formal dining meals that Leila and I used to have at our family homes.

Most of the food was served in a single bowl containing everything.

I didn’t particularly feel any aversion to it.

Rather, this was more efficient.

It didn’t take up much space by dividing food into multiple bowls, and it was convenient to handle.

In my previous life when I was in the military, stew cooked by mixing everything together was actually the staple food.

Looking around roughly, meal times were tight, and if all those many people at the Imperial Academy tried to eat the way they did at their family homes, even spreading dining tables across the entire Academy grounds wouldn’t be enough.

“Oh, this is pretty good.”

It wasn’t as good as what I ate at home, but I’m not particularly picky about food. The years I lived in my previous life were longer than my current life, after all.

Rather, I’m the type who just needs to fill my stomach with any food, even if it tastes bad.

Except for tarts.

So I was eating well without much hesitation as soon as I received it, but Leila was strangely just sitting still.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“….”

Leila wasn’t even thinking about picking up her utensils and was just staring at her food tray.

I was about to ask more since it seemed strange, when Leila finally answered.

“…I’m thinking about how to eat this, so wait a moment.”

I burst out laughing.

For me, eating and sleeping in conditions worse than this was daily life in my previous life, so it didn’t matter, but it wasn’t the same for Leila.

So her attempt to adapt without showing it looked quite admirable.

“The taste is good.”

Fortunately, Leila adapted quickly.

It was just that all the food was put together, but the taste itself was good.

“The formality is a bit lacking, but it’s surprisingly comfortable, isn’t it?”

“You adapt quickly. Good.”

It seems Leila isn’t the type of noble Young Lady who acts completely fastidious and haughty.

“By the way, there are so many people. Does everyone gather here during lunch time?”

“I heard they also buy simple snacks, or have sandwiches and such over there in the plaza?”

There really are a lot of people.

Is this what it feels like to be swarming?

In the midst of all this, students who look more experienced, or rather, seem to be in higher grades, often finish their meals in less than 5 minutes after sitting down and hurriedly leave.

They say it gets harder to study as you go up in grades, and that seems to be exactly right.

“Will we become like that too?”

“Well, I don’t think you will, Dane?”

“Huh?”

“You’re good at it.”

I chuckled at those words.

“Even being good at something requires effort.”

Of course I have talent, but that doesn’t mean I just laze around relying only on that talent.

“Did you hear that story? About that fellow called Kentner who spins the roulette against freshmen, apparently he got properly cleaned out this time?”

“Really? Hasn’t that guy been doing that since his second year? I heard it was some kind of assignment?”

Then I heard an interesting conversation.

Leila also stopped eating and looked at me, then turned her ear toward them.

“It could be that, or it could be for making money. Anyway, so he got properly cleaned out by a freshman, right?”

“Cleaned out? By a freshman?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Apparently he hit everything he threw.”

It seems like they’re talking about me.

“Dane, isn’t that about you?”

“I think so.”

The fellows continued their conversation while getting their food.

“But get this, that guy is Dane Sogress. This year’s freshman valedictorian. Self-designed major admission!”

“The valedictorian is definitely different.”

“I’m envious, so envious.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“It seems the rumor has spread?”

“Right. You were already famous anyway.”

As long as I carry the name Sogress, it feels natural in a way.

Of course, I didn’t expect to become famous for dagger throwing.

Anyway, we finished our meal like that and left the dining hall. Instead of warm sunlight, a slightly cloudy sky greeted us.

“Dane, what’s your next class? Mine is Introduction to Swordsmanship!”

“I have a liberal arts lecture.”

“Good. Then let’s look at the treasure map together after we’re done! Come straight to the garden! Whoever finishes first will come and wait!”

The Garden of Mist.

Now that I think about it, I feel sorry.

But I couldn’t bring myself to tell the truth, so I parted with Leila like that and headed to Demert Hall.

The place where liberal arts lectures are mainly held.

Looking at the nameplate in front of the building, it says it’s one of the first buildings built when the Academy was established.

The liberal arts lecture I was going to attend was ‘History of the Empire’, one of the required liberal arts courses.

Since I had already been educated by the Head Butler before coming here and knew most of the content, I wasn’t too worried.

So I entered the lecture hall and sat down at a window seat that happened to be empty, when I heard a voice next to me.

“Dane, can I sit next to you?”

It was Ernest Dylan.

“You’re taking the same lecture too.”

“Yeah. It’s a lecture that freshmen have to take. I looked around to see if you were here….”

Contrary to how excited he was chattering in the Garden of Mist earlier, the fellow was very hesitant as he asked me.

“Can I sit next to you…?”

“Do you need permission for something like that?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that….”

What a curious fellow.

Anyway, Ernest sat down next to me with a big smile.

“By the way, Dane. How’s your body feeling?”

“Hmm. I don’t think I feel anything particularly strange. Just slightly different?”

“What’s different?”

“It’s a bit complicated to explain, I’ll tell you in detail later. Oh, right. There was something I was going to tell you.”

Just as I was about to bring up the Academy Treasure Map I had won as the first prize in dagger throwing.

“What, are you Ernest?”

There was a sound coming from behind.

So just as I was about to turn my head, I made eye contact with Ernest for a moment.

He was afraid.

His pupils were shaking, his lips were tightly closed, his fists were clenched, and his body was trembling.

What could it be.

Just like a soldier suffering from trauma.

“Well, well! It really is! Ernest! Look who we have here?”

In the midst of this, the group that approached consisted of five people.

The largest one among them placed his hand on Ernest’s shoulder. Ernest was startled and turned around.

“B, Bron. H, hello.”

“What, you got admitted? Geez, you should have told me! I got admitted this time too!”

Are they friends?

It doesn’t look normal though.

“Hey kid, how did you get in? I thought you couldn’t come to the Academy. Haha. Just kidding, just kidding. I still vividly remember how you used to tremble and shake whenever I said anything, don’t I?”

Ernest’s expression was growing darker by the moment.

Is he simply a bad friend?

Or perhaps…

“If I had known this would happen, I would have gone to the entrance ceremony, wouldn’t I? I didn’t go because I thought it would be boring.”

As expected.

“This works out perfectly. I was just thinking the store looked far and bothersome anyway. Let’s talk slowly later, and since we met, go to the store and buy some sandwiches.”

“…”

“What, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I, I’m with a friend right now… so it might be a bit difficult right now…”

“A frieeeend? You have a frieeeend?”

Watching him drag out his words, if it were the old days, I probably would have cut his tongue.

The fellow called Bron looked at me and tilted his head.

“You’re Ernest’s friend? A freshman?”

I quietly stared at him without giving any answer.

Then Bron snickered.

“Look at this bastard. Not answering? You’re from a different department? What department are you from? I’m from the Swordsmanship Department. You know? Swordsmanship Department. Are you in the same department as Ernest by any chance?”

I don’t know what family house he’s from, but his thuggish behavior reminded me of the street ruffians I’d seen countless times on the battlefield.

For reference, I specialized in correcting such fellows.

There were many who got thoroughly beaten after coming to the battlefield and acting like they were something special just because they threw some punches in back alleys.

It was while I was quietly pondering that moment.

“Alright everyone, let’s prepare for the lecture. Everyone return to your seats.”

The door opened and the Professor entered. Bron, who had been approaching me, clicked his tongue regretfully and turned his head toward Ernest.

“Let’s meet after the lecture ends, Ernest? I’m so glad to see you, we have a lot to talk about.”

When he slapped his back, Ernest’s upper body tilted forward with a thud.

“Ack!”

“You bastard, stop being dramatic.”

And as those fellows left, Ernest was clearly trembling with fear.

“Are you okay?”

“D, Dane… S, sorry… because of me for no reason…”

“What kind of fellows are they? It seems like you knew them before.”

Ernest answered as if squeezing it out.

“When I was back home… fellows from other families who used to bully me…”

I think I roughly understand what kind of situation this is.

Neighborhood friends, that’s what it is.

Of course, they don’t look like friends.

“The Academy is so big and has so many departments that I thought I wouldn’t run into them… I guess my expectations were too high. Sorry, Dane. Just because I sat next to you, now you too…”

“No, it doesn’t matter.”

I added calmly.

“I’m going with you later.”

“G, going together? Where?”

“Those fellows said to meet later, didn’t they?”

“No! I, I can go alone!”

“Then what’s going to happen?”

“…”

Seeing that there’s no answer, it seems what I’m expecting is correct.

“If you’re looked down upon, you’ll continue to suffer.”

“That may be true, but…”

“Then handle it yourself. Well, that’s fine with me. I can just go straight to the dormitory and rest.”

I turned my head away from Ernest and looked toward the Professor.

“The lecture is starting.”

 

 

The Academy was a land of adventure for Ernest, but at the same time, it was also an escape route.

An escape route from trauma.

Perhaps it was even a refuge.

Regional noble families frequently have emotional exchanges with other noble families from childhood.

The exchanges between family heads naturally became exchanges between their children, and in that process, the hierarchy among the children was determined according to the status and reputation of the family heads.

In Ernest’s case, since the Dylan Family wasn’t particularly famous for anything other than exploration, he naturally had to accept a low position in the hierarchy.

Ernest endured the vicious bullying from children of other noble families and ultimately chose to enter the Academy.

But who could have known?

That the fellows from other families who had been tormenting him would also be admitted together, matching the minimum admission age.

Especially having Bron among them was the worst.

“Hey, but who’s that guy with Ernest? Did that bastard actually have a ‘friend’ other than us?”

“Don’t know. He got admitted too, might be someone he luckily befriended.”

Bron Sauer chewed his chewing gum and glared at the back of Ernest’s head. The silver-haired fellow next to him was quite annoying, but it didn’t really matter.

“Later, let’s educate that bastard about the store locations. So he can buy things right away when told.”

Bron smiled with a fishy grin.

Having a subordinate he could call and order around anytime was a very good thing.

The Sauer Count House.

As the heir of the Sauer Family, which had built quite a powerful influence even in the Western Region, something like the Dylan Baron Family was an existence he could step on anytime.

“But that Termion Young Lady didn’t come here, right?”

“Seems like it. She must be taking other liberal arts courses.”

Bron clicked his tongue as if it was a pity.

Leila Termion.

She was said to be so beautiful and wonderful.

She had already become a topic of conversation not only among the seniors but also among the freshmen.

‘I will claim her.’

Bron had high ambitions for success.

He couldn’t stay buried in the countryside of the Western Region forever. Since he came to the Academy, he would build connections in the Capital.

And Bron planned to claim the trophy called Leila Termion as the pinnacle of those connections.

A success story of a regional noble male.

Doesn’t that sound plausible?

“Today is orientation, so we’ll wrap up here. Since it’s the first day of school, I hope everyone has a good time.”

Since it was orientation, the lecture didn’t continue for long. Bron immediately stood up from his seat. There wouldn’t be another lecture, so he was thinking of taking that fellow for a slow walk.

Right, the Garden of Mist would be good, wouldn’t it? It’s always foggy there when the weather is cloudy, and they say no one comes when it’s foggy.

It was when he had thought that far.

“Huh, Bron?”

One of the group called Bron and pointed to the lecture hall door. That Ernest fellow was slipping out. Together with that silver-haired fellow.

“What, is he running away?”

Bron snickered.

Even so, he’s still in the palm of his hand.

It doesn’t matter if I miss it.

Since I’m attending the Academy anyway, I’ll run into them somehow.

There’s no escaping it now.

“Let’s go. Let’s see how far this goes.”

Is this what it feels like to chase prey caught in a trap? Bron left the lecture hall with his group and followed Ernest.

The silver-haired fellow next to him was strangely irritating, but it didn’t matter.

The more the merrier. If he’s that guy’s friend, he’s probably similar anyway, so wouldn’t it be convenient to have one more subordinate?

“But where are they going?”

How long had they been following?

The people around them gradually decreased, and before they knew it, they had entered the garden area.

Bron let out a chuckle.

They’re walking right into it themselves.

I was thinking of coming here anyway.

“Hey, stop right there. You have nowhere to go anyway.”

At Bron’s shout, the two people stopped and turned to face him.

Bron smirked. Ernest was still trembling. The guy next to him looked calm, but he’d be the same soon enough.

“Hey, what are you trying to do? I just want to have a little chat.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to think so.”

Dane pointed at Ernest and asked Bron.

“Are you really his friend?”

“Haha. Of course. We’re friends. Very close friends. I’ve known him longer than you have. Right, Ernest?”

Ernest didn’t answer Bron’s question, and Bron’s eyebrows twitched.

“Ernest, answer me.”

“…”

“Are you crazy?”

Dane chuckled.

“See, you’re not friends.”

Bron switched targets.

“What the hell are you? Why are you butting in and causing trouble? Hey, do you want to die?”

Dane looked at Bron quietly and asked.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What?”

Dane’s cold voice echoed.

“What gives you the right to butt into a promise that was made first?”

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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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