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

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Liliana, daughter of a Viscount, Aurora’s lady-in-waiting (previously unnamed)

Clawis Garcia, beastman

Rivera Hernández, beastman

I’m sure the reason I’m added to this team is to be an escort. Nobles from another country and a daughter of a duke from my own country. Moreover, Aurora is the second prince’s fiancée. Certainly, I can eliminate the magical beast prepared by the academy even if I’m napping. In the first place, if it’s not a calamity class dragon like Insania Metus, there’s no way it can bother me.

“Sapphiras, don’t worry about it, just talk as usual. We’re in the same team. If you’re always careful, we won’t be able to communicate quickly in an emergency. You can call us Clawis and Rivera if you like.”

“Then I’ll take you up on that without reservations, Clawis.”

“Ah, and Sapphiras, please take care of me.”

With these words, Clawis held out his right hand. I shook his hand without hesitation.

The beastmen who have been assigned to the same team do not seem to be bad guys. I’m sure I’ll get on well with them.

We spread out the map once again and discuss which route we will take to reach our destination.

There are several routes through the forest. You can take any of them. The task is completed when we reach the end point, the encampment and spend the night there, by defeating or avoiding the magical beasts.

I haven’t done this since I became Sapphiras, but with my knowledge, I’m good at outdoor cooking (probably), but there’s no way an ordinary nobleman’s son would be able to do that. So, the school has done the preparations for the encampment and all we have to do is sleep in the luxurious tents specially designed for us. What a carefree camp. Even so, it would be a hardship for the students who have never slept outside.

Now, as for the task, I don’t know how often we will encounter the pseudo magical beasts. Looking at the map, it looks like we should be able to get through the forest in a few hours if nothing goes wrong.

“I think we should decide on roles……Rivera and I are good with swords, so is it ok if we play the vanguard?”

“Yes, I’ll be in charge of the rear guard. You can also leave the protection of Miss Aurora and Miss Liliana to me. You two can be in the vanguard and wield your swords to your heart’s content.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“……fuun, you beastmen are so arrogant.”

I suddenly stopped moving at the extremely rude words that jumped into my ears. Aurora immediately took out her fan and hid her mouth.

Today, she is not wearing a dress, but clothes and long boots like when she goes riding, but even with such an appearance, she is still holding a fan, isn’t she? I am secretly impressed.

Looking back like a broken weathervane and there stood the Earl’s son, Martin Collins, who looked a little too extravagant.

“You1…….”

Rivera got heated up. I understand how you feel, but I wonder if he’s a little too short-tempered, just like what happened earlier.

I moved quickly in front of Rivera and turned to face Martin, who had just said something so stupid. We can’t let them, who are state guests, cause problems. Besides, it’s this guy in front of me who is rude. If things go wrong, it will become an international matter. As the son of a noble, you don’t even know that. Well then, you’re a pseudo noble, aren’t you?

“Hmph, a member of the human race, you talk big.”

I have a big personality too, so I reply with exactly the same words. I also imitated his obnoxious mannerisms, with my chin clenched and the attitude of making the other person feel like a complete idiot. Know what you look like to others.

“Na!”

Martin’s face turned bright red and his eyebrows raised as he replied to me in the same tone of voice.

“It pisses you off, doesn’t it? Your words and your attitude make people uncomfortable. You’re an academy student, you should know your place.”

“You’re one to speak! You’re a disgrace, you’ve been disowned and you’re now a commoner! You’ve been placed at the academy out of pity, and you talk big! Shut up, commoner!”

“It’s not a pity, it’s a scholarship.”

I will not listen to such children’s provocations. Besides, I was a commoner in my previous life, so no matter how many times I’m called a commoner, it doesn’t hurt or itch. Rather, long live commoners. In the first place, when I was a noble, I didn’t have a good experience.

“Hmph, a commoner like you is more suited to befriending filthy beastmen.”

Wow, there it is. Cheap electoral thinking. The lower the class, the more they say things like this. What’s with this guy’s noble upbringing? I have a lot to say, but the aura of anger coming from behind is getting dangerous. It’s time to shut the fool up, or there could be a pool of blood here.

“You’re really stupid. If you don’t want to be expelled, don’t open your mouth any more.”

“Wha, what!”

“I mean, it’s an open secret. Well, if you don’t know that secret, then your family’s standing is just that much. Even so, it’s the dignity of an aristocrat to read the atmosphere around you and behave in a manner appropriate to the occasion, even if you don’t know.

“Ha! Because you, who’s a disgrace and don’t have any friends! It’s fitting that you’re familiar with beastmen.”

Martin, who still hasn’t grasped the situation, bites back. He must have been spoiled growing up.

“I told you. Don’t open your mouth any more. I mean, I’m telling you that if you rant any more nonsense, you might lose your lineage.”

I say this and smile at him. He must have finally sensed something in my words.

Martin noticed Aurora covering her mouth with her fan for the first time since he came here. And from the icy gaze she is directing at him, it seems that he has finally guessed that these beastmen were people in a respectable position. It is too late to realise. Is it safe to let someone with such a weak sense of danger participate in any kind of exercise?

Martin, whose face turned blue, slunk away without apology. I just hope that the Earl’s family will not fall into ruin during his time.

“I apologise for any discomfort this may have caused you.”

Aurora bends at the waist and bows deeply.

“Miss Aurora, raise your head. We don’t care.”

Clawis is smiling calmly, as if he really doesn’t care, but Rivera is probably still unable to let his reservations drop. He remains reluctant. I’m sorry, but I don’t want you to think that that guy is the average of the human race.

“We should get going. We’re completely late.”

In order to change the mood, I tried my best to lightly urge the four of them. I noticed that most of the students had already left and the square was empty. It is a bad start, but there’s no point in worrying about that guy.

I thought I could create a good atmosphere, but Martin made it somewhat awkward.

Clawis and Rivera are walking at the front of the group, but Rivera’s rejection of us is just too much. I’m sure there were others besides Martin who would have said such nonsense.

Aurora is trying to soften the mood by talking to him, but Rivera is being stubborn, even if Clawis is not. Well, I know how you feel, but what are you going going to do if you let your master take care of you?

“…… Sorry to interrupt, but it looks like it’s about to appear.”

Just as I was wondering what it is, the school’s pseudo magical beasts appeared at a very good time. These guys can read the atmosphere much better than Martin.

Several wolf-shaped pseudo magical beasts jump out in front of us. These were made by casting magic on decoys. Since they are essentially wood, they are much weaker than real magical beasts.

Clawis and Rivera draw their swords, and I stand behind Aurora and Liliana, ready to release my magic at any moment. It would be quicker if I defeat them, but that would make the exercise pointless.

I thought there was nothing to worry about, and the two in the vanguard easily took out the magical beast. That’s quite some sword skills. I’m going to stick to defence and leave the attacking to the two vanguards.

In such a state, as we proceeded through the forest with magical beasts that seemed to be the student’s exercises for a while, there was something unpleasant in the air. The atmosphere is clearly different from that of the pseudo magical beasts.

”What, what is that……?”

Rivera stops and stares into the darkness of the forest.

These beastmen have better senses than us. They must have noticed something disturbing lurking in the darkness. When I light up the area with my magic, Miss Liliana gasps. Aurora, as expected, hid her agitation beautifully.

What was there was a large serpentine magical beast. Several of them had a body as thick as a tree trunk. For a student’s exercise, it’s a magical beast that’s too much to handle.

“……This doesn’t seem to be a pseudo magical beast, though. Miss Aurora, did you hear anything?”

He asked, wondering if it was some kind of preparation, and Aurora shook her head.

“No, I didn’t hear anything, Clawis sama, Rivera sama, please calm down.”

“No, but……”

“Please leave this to Sapphiras sama.”

Reluctantly, they follow Aurora’s instructions. Well, my appearance is a bit weak, so I guess they are doubtful whether they can really trust me with it. In contrast, Aurora’s total trust in me is unbelievable. I guess it’s because she’s seen my magical skills a lot. I’m honestly happy because I’ve been treated like a fake before.

Now, watch me. In my previous life and now, I’m not very good with weapons at all, but my magic is super special. Let’s meet Aurora’s expectations brilliantly.

Besides, these snakes are no match for me. While it made a hissing sound and raised it’s head like a sickle to attack us, it’s prey, I cut off the head of the snake with a swing of my arm. While avoiding the tails of writhing snakes in their final struggle, I continued to swing my arms left and right, and all the beast snakes there turned into headless corpses and rolled over. Although it’s only this big, it looks like it will make a lot of fine shoes and belts. The wind blade cut off the head without damaging the body, so it should sell for a good price.

“……what, what was that?”

Clawis mutters, dumbfounded. Well, I didn’t do any chanting or anything. You wouldn’t understand what happened at first glance.

“Nfufu, it’s my magic. How is it, are you surprised?”

I laugh, and Clawis and Rivera look as if they’ve seen something unexpected.There are many people who are deceived because I’m a handsome boy if I keep silent, but inside me, I’m a nice person. Aurora is so used to this that she has no particular reaction to it.

“Nevertheless, something is strange. Miss Aurora, for the time being, shouldn’t we go back to the starting point and report this to the teachers?”

“Yes, that would be better.”

We’re fine, but if the rest of the teams come across something like this, it’ll be a disaster. It’s fine all the snakes here are all there is, but if by any chance there’s even a single beast snake like that wandering around the forest, we should stop the exercise and evacuate all the students. That’s not a magical beast that a 1st year student can deal with.

It was when I was about to move out with everyone else. I heard voices arguing from within the forest.

melon: finally some action! 

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貴様 (kisama): a rude way of saying ‘you’.