A Beginner’s Guide to Being a Scoundrel

Chapter 146

Chapter 146

The one who introduced himself as Desia was a boy of sixteen this year, someone who had only just shed the traces of boyishness. Still, a childish impulsiveness lingered within his light green eyes.

Desia fixed both eyes on Petra while wearing an almost burdensome expression of seriousness, brushing his blue hair back.

“If it were with you, then I would endure any hardship……”

The words that flowed out with a syrupy voice failed to reach their end. His master, Duke Genedin, brought his thick palm crashing down hard on his disciple’s head.

At the loud impact that drew the attention of the entire banquet hall in an instant, the priest of the Kingdom of Narmachi watching beside them clicked his tongue with the same expression.

“You idiotic disciple! Have you already forgotten that the young lady of Leipzig present here is the fiancée of His Highness Leios?!”

At the scolding that naturally had to erupt, I nodded with an expression of “That’s right.” However, Desia clutched the back of his throbbing head, pulled a tearful face, and protested against those words.

“Isn’t an engagement a relationship that can be broken at any time! Instead of supporting your disciple’s heart, you only scold me like this—this is truly disappointing!”

“You woman-crazed lecher! I warned you again and again to be careful in this place!”

The two of them argued with fire in their eyes, as if they had forgotten that this was a banquet hall. When I let out a slight cough, Duke Genedin realized his disgrace and gave a small sigh, his face faintly reddening.

“My disciple is foolish and has made a spectacle of himself. I beg you, please, for my sake, grant us your broad generosity just this once.”

As he bowed his head deeply and ground his teeth, it seemed that once this gathering ended and they returned, Desia would not be seeing his master’s face for the remaining two days.

‘Desia. That guy always lost his mind when he saw a beauty.’

One forgotten setting came to mind. Desia, with his frivolous personality and love for pleasure. Berdin, the disciple of Duke Edwin, was his complete opposite.

Cynical about everything, the owner of a desolate sensibility. He alone showed a sense of rivalry toward Desia, with whom he had bickered since long ago, yet judging by his current expression, he had one eye squeezed shut, wearing a face that said he was dying of embarrassment.

“…….”

When our gazes met, he instead slightly lowered his head. At that, I stroked my chin and fell into brief contemplation.

Desia’s sudden proposal was an insult and a slight toward me, who was engaged to her. Moreover, wasn’t this a public hall? Murmurs were already rippling from behind my back.

Looking at Duke Genedin’s face, he seemed eager to leave the place as quickly as possible. That was only natural—if I were to change my attitude, the one who would be put in a difficult position would be him, Desia’s master.

‘Then…….’

Of course, I had no intention of overlooking this situation. An opponent who committed rudeness. If I were to tighten the noose with that alone, they would be unable to escape me.

However, before I could open my mouth, Petra stepped forward first.

“That’s an interesting thing to say. However.”

She let her hair flutter as she looked down at them with her vivid pink eyes.

“Do you truly believe you stand on equal footing with me?”

It was a voice cold enough to be cutting. Her clear eyes soon narrowed, and with a sneer at the corner of her lips, she continued.

“If you wish to ask me out, shouldn’t you at least possess conditions better than the fiancé standing beside me right now?”

The Third Imperial Prince of the Ribera Empire.

A disciple of the Sword Saint.

The youngest Sword Master in the Empire.

If one wished to court her, shouldn’t they at least bring this much to the table?

They were words so brimming with confidence that even I felt awkward. Yet I soon realized that this was not merely a warning to Desia before her, but to everyone present here.

As we moved about meeting others, approaches toward her had come in knowingly or unknowingly. Most of the time, I stepped in to deflect or cut them off, but she must have felt a sense of responsibility regarding that.

‘Still, she didn’t have to deliberately tank her reputation like this.’

But when I glanced around, the atmosphere suggested otherwise.

Most of those we had passed nodded slightly, agreeing that it was only natural, while some were instead sending her even greater favor, admiring her confident attitude.

“Do you understand?”

With that meaning—know your place—Petra finished speaking.

If someone said something like that to my face, even I would probably be hurt. So when I glanced toward Desia, who had been hanging his head low under the repeated verbal blows, he gave a large nod once and then lifted his head again.

“In other words, you’re telling me to come back after becoming a Sword Master!”

“…….”

Petra wore an expression as if she had lost all words.

She must never have imagined that someone could be dense enough to respond like that to words she had deliberately chosen. Thus, she sighed and looked at me.

“I think I’ll rest for a bit. My head hurts.”

Conversation was something one had with a counterpart capable of communication.

A situation like this, where the wheel simply kept turning in place, did not suit her temperament of disliking frustration. Thus, rather than continuing the exchange, Petra chose to avoid it.

From Desia’s side came a regretful voice telling her to rest well. At that, I turned my gaze toward the two dukes.

“Both of your disciples should be entering the Academy next year, shouldn’t they.”

“…Ahem, indeed.”

“That’s right. As of now, they are aiming for Bayern Academy.”

“In that case, I suppose I will become their senior next year. Since we’re all gathered like this, would it be acceptable if I spent a little time with the disciples and offered them some advice?”

“There would be nothing more we could ask for if you did so. Isn’t that right, Duke Edwin?”

“Indeed, Duke Genedin.”

The two dukes nodded fervently at my words. Though there had been a brief happening earlier, they saw no reason to stop me when I volunteered to spend some time interacting with their disciples, and instead willingly pushed their disciples forward.

And so, the boisterous conversation with the two dukes came to an end here. At the ambiguous conclusion, those who had been watching with keen interest expressed their disappointment, but I had no intention of creating any further topics of discussion.

“Alright, then, shall we move as well.”

At my suggestion that we take a short walk, the two of them gave small nods and followed behind. If it were others, they might have asked this and that, but one was the owner of a dried-up, twisted sensibility that viewed the world with cynicism, while the other had no brain to speak of and merely moved his feet as told.

Heroes, or those of a similar ilk, were all without exception self-willed fellows.

These two as well were ones who would soon be chosen by the goddess.

Though they would come to their senses after their country fell, until then their warped personalities would plunge many people—including the protagonist—into trouble.

Crunch.

Muscles twitched over my clenched fist.

Of course, I had no intention of merely watching it unfold.

Berdin followed behind Leios with his mouth tightly shut.

The way his longtime ill-fated friend Desia at his side was staring holes into the back of Leios’s head made it seem as though he was deeply pondering how he might surpass him.

‘Pathetic.’

Letting out a sigh inwardly, he turned his gaze to his surroundings.

It was a well-manicured garden. Coming from a small country, he could not hide his admiration at how this garden, cultivated for nothing more than a single banquet hall, was more splendid and larger than anything within their own royal palace.

For a small country to grow, it inevitably had to lean on the power of a great one.

That was something his master had reiterated time and again since long ago. He himself agreed with it. But he had never imagined it would turn out like this.

Berdin’s gaze, which had been admiring the garden, ultimately returned to Leios’s back.

Blond hair shining brilliantly even amid the darkness. His distinct features were so refined that even another man could not help but admire them. Thinking of the young lady of Leipzig beside him, he felt they truly made a fitting pair.

And yet, that imperial prince had for some reason shown goodwill toward them. The conversation with their masters had proceeded in a positive direction, and if things continued like this, it would surely become a great opportunity.

‘But that idiot…….’

Unable to control his own feelings, he had ruined all of it.

What kind of madness was it to confess that he had fallen at first sight?

That was the worst possible action to take while countless eyes were watching.

It was fortunate that he had let it slide; had things gone wrong, it could have twisted relations between the two nations. Most likely, once this gathering ended and they returned, he would be half-dead and unseen until next year’s Academy entrance exam.

“This should be enough.”

Leios soon stopped at a secluded corner of the garden.

Wondering what kind of conversation he wished to have to come all the way out here, Berdin could only let out a sigh upon seeing the three wooden swords dropped before them.

“As a senior, this is all I can give to my juniors.”

‘Ah…….’

This was retaliation in the form of a spar.

Berdin could not help but resent the ill-fated friend standing blankly beside him. Having only just reached mid-level Sword Expert, how were they supposed to fight against a disciple of the Sword Saint, a powerhouse who had become a Sword Master at the youngest age?

“It’s a spar in the form of instruction, so don’t worry too much. I won’t use mana, and I’ll adjust my skill to be similar. If you manage to touch me even once here, I’ll teach you one form of the Sword Saint’s sword.”

“Is that true?”

At those words, Desia’s eyes widened as he swiftly picked up a wooden sword. Sighing at that simple behavior, Berdin chose not to grab his own sword yet and instead asked first.

“I heard that fighting within the territory is prohibited during the gathering. It may be fine for Your Highness, but for us……”

“You’re right. However, what’s prohibited is indiscriminate fighting, not an instructional spar.”

It was sophistry, but Berdin understood it to mean that if no one made an issue of it, it wouldn’t become an issue.

‘Is this rather an opportunity?’

Prince Leios had said he would teach the Sword Saint’s sword if they touched him, but there was no way that would happen.

Still, if he displayed all of his strength here and left a solid impression, there might be a chance to maintain a good relationship later on.

“Then…….”

The three wooden swords were leveled at one another. Leios told the two of them, without any need for restraint, to come at him together with everything they had.

And exactly ten minutes later.

“…Huff.”

Berdin, drenched in sweat to the point that his entire body was soaked, planted his wooden sword into the ground and knelt, leaning on it as if it were a cane.

Then, drawing in ragged breaths, he lifted his heavy head and looked with trembling eyes at Leios, who stood perfectly fine before him, exactly as he had ten minutes earlier, without having shed a single drop of sweat.

‘What kind of monster is that.’

As for Desia, he had taken a heavy blow to the back of the head and was sprawled on the ground, unconscious. Seeing his limbs twitching and convulsing, he must have been hit in a bad spot. It looked like he would have trouble getting up for a while.

“Is that the end.”

A light provocation came his way. At that, Berdin sighed, forced strength into his legs that felt rooted to the ground, and stood up.

“…I’ll go.”

If he couldn’t manage it with skill, then he would show something else—diligence, courage, those kinds of things. Just as he was about to take up his sword again, a small presence was felt at the end of the secluded path.

“…….”

Leios, it seemed, had sensed it first and was already looking that way. Soon, someone emerged from between the garden hedges, and Berdin could not help but open his mouth.

A girl in a crimson dress that emitted a gentle glow walked slowly toward them. Jet-black hair and eyes that seemed to contain the darkness of night itself. In that fathomless abyss, he felt his mind being stolen away.

A fairy.

A fairy had appeared.

Perhaps because his heart began pounding beyond his control, he even dropped the sword he was holding and turned his whole body toward her.

And before she could even open her mouth, he confessed his feelings.

“I, I fell in love at first sight.”

“…These bastards.”

The fact that Leios’s face, which had been showing delight at Alice’s sudden appearance, twisted once again was simply a bonus.