Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired – Chapter 8

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Mages.

Wielders of mana, manipulators of reality, workers of miracles.

They were the reason striving mediocrities yearned for talent.

The academy was a sanctuary for those gifted with such talent. And among them, a girl stood out, unmatched in her mastery of elemental magic.

A disciple of the Tower Master, the eldest daughter of House Luniere, a family renowned for its mages.

Her hair, an unnatural blue due to her magically enhanced mana capacity, framed her face.

She wore a white robe that reached her ankles.

Standing at an average height of 167cm, her figure was well-proportioned.

Isabella von Luniere was in a foul mood.

It was because of him. Her former fiancé, the academy’s most notorious scoundrel, the disgrace of House Reinhardt.

Well, now that he’d left the family, he could no longer be called their disgrace.

Jenison.

She, Jenison, Aria, and Allen had been childhood friends. She knew their engagement had been arranged for the sake of their families and future prospects. It was a loveless arrangement, agreed upon without their consent.

But Isabella had been pleased with the engagement.

Because she loved Allen.

She’d seen the engagement as an opportunity to strengthen her family’s ties with another of the four great houses, a chance to be with Allen without the embarrassment of a confession.

If only her fiancé had been Allen, and not his younger brother, Jenison.

‘Sigh…’

She’d disliked Jenison from the start. Unlike his strong and capable brother, Allen, he was frail. And unlike his intelligent sister, Aria, he seemed unremarkable.

He was a defective product, a failed attempt to combine the best qualities of his siblings.

And he was her fiancé?

She was the eldest daughter, responsible for upholding her family’s honor and legacy. Her husband needed to possess strength and prestige.

Why had Jenison, and not Allen, the eldest son, been chosen?

‘…I can’t stand the sight of him…’

Despite his constant disruptions at the academy, he’d avoided punishment, shielded by his family name.

Isabella despised him for it. She loathed those who abused their power and evaded responsibility.

She didn’t care if she received complaints for ignoring him. She was stronger than him. If he tried to threaten her for her disrespect, she’d crush him.

She continued to ignore him, convinced their relationship would never change.

Until he stopped showing up at the academy.

‘He hasn’t been around lately.’

They were in the same class, so she couldn’t avoid him completely. But she hadn’t seen him in a while, longer than ever before.

She assumed he’d finally left the academy. There was no other explanation for his prolonged absence.

‘He’s finally gone…!’

Then, one day, she received a letter. It stated that Jenison had left House Reinhardt, and therefore, their engagement was dissolved.

The Duke expressed his regret and offered compensation.

‘…Left the family?’

It was so unlike him that her curiosity was piqued. She investigated and discovered he was still at the academy.

She asked a professor, who told her he’d transferred to the commoner dorms and, for some reason, was refusing to attend classes. He’d be held back a year if his absence continued.

The news that she might never have to see him again was welcome, but she wondered what he was up to.

Mages, by nature, were driven to explore the unknown.

‘I don’t need to seek him out… but I’ll ask if I see him.’

Thinking that, she entered the training grounds for her daily magic practice.

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Bright and dazzling.

Those were the sensations that washed over me as I opened the door to my dorm room. Sensations I hadn’t felt in a long time.

My room was filled with the remnants of my efforts. Traces of my practice with life magic and basic spells. Magic circles of various shapes. Scorch marks and cracks from failed experiments. And stains on the floor from the sweat I’d shed during my physical training.

My body, too, bore the marks of my efforts. Cuts, scrapes, calluses. My once-smooth hands were now scarred.

‘Well, I’ve been neglecting my training.’

I blamed my past self, the one who’d planned to live a life of leisure simply because he was born into the Duke’s household.

I started packing, thinking about what I needed to do first.

‘Attendance… I need to attend class… And my clothes are fine, I guess.’

The academy encouraged uniforms, but they weren’t mandatory, as long as your attire wasn’t disruptive.

My clothes were the same ones I’d worn when I left the family mansion, so there was no need to change. But…

“Clean.”

I couldn’t attend class covered in sweat and unidentifiable fluids. I cast a simple cleaning spell, and the grime vanished.

‘Life magic is so convenient…’

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Clean and presentable. A boy with black hair and black eyes.

‘I look delicate, but my body is covered in scars… It doesn’t quite fit.’

Still, it was one of the most handsome faces I’d had in all my lives. Perhaps it was the Duke and Sariel’s superior genes?

‘…Though I don’t want to look like the Duke…’

I shook off the thought and headed out, finally stepping onto the academy grounds after 50 days.

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“Hey… isn’t that Jenison?”

“Ugh… I thought that punk was expelled…”

“This class is going to be a nightmare again.”

“No, I heard he was disowned.”

“What? So he’s a commoner now?”

As expected, the moment I entered the classroom, whispers and murmurs erupted.

I ignored them and headed for the back corner, taking a seat.

Their reaction was underwhelming. I’d expected the news of my commoner status to have spread.

Relieved that no projectiles were thrown my way, I slumped over my desk. No one sat next to me, and the whispers grew louder.

Is he really a commoner now?

So we don’t have to worry about the Duke’s retaliation?

Various threats reached my ears, but I remained motionless. I had a pretty good idea why they resented me.

Thwack—

A wad of paper hit the back of my head and fell to the floor. I was momentarily stunned by the sheer cliché of it all.

I turned around and saw a group of students snickering. I recognized the blond-haired, tanned boy who looked like he’d steal your girlfriend without a second thought.

Leon Benil, the eldest son of House Benil. Not a particularly prominent family, but they were Earls, as I recalled.

“Heh heh heh…”

‘Why is his laugh so irritating?’

I wanted to punch him in the jaw, but I was a commoner now, and he was the eldest son of an Earl. Attacking him would be unthinkable.

‘This is surprisingly tame. I can handle this.’

I endured the barrage of paper balls throughout the class. I ignored the bumps and trips in the hallway. When I returned from the restroom, my textbooks were gone, and my desk was covered in insults and obscenities.

I didn’t react, and my tormentors, disappointed by my lack of response, gradually lost interest. By the end of the day, only a handful remained.

‘Phew… that’s over for today…’

After my last class, I went to the restroom and returned to gather my belongings. But my desk was occupied.

“Oh? Heh, we’ve been caught.”

“I told you we should have left earlier.”

“I almost finished…”

It was them again. Leon Benil and his lackeys.

Leon sat at my desk, while the others scribbled on its surface.

‘How long is it going to take to clean this…?’

I sighed, thinking about fetching a towel. I headed for the back door, when…

“Hey, you.”

I turned around instinctively.

A fist slammed into my face.

Wham—

Crash!

My class was comprised of students from relatively wealthy families, most of whom received substantial support from their parents. No parent wanted their child to be bullied.

What was I talking about?

I was talking about the fist that had just sent me flying, my body rolling across the floor three times.

“A mere commoner… Do you have a problem?”

I wanted to retort, Wouldn’t I have a problem?, but I had to remember my place. He was a noble, the son of a high-ranking Earl, and I was a commoner.

The consequences of defying a noble were severe. I swallowed my anger and forced a smile.

“What are you talking about? I have no problem whatsoever.”

“…Then what was that sigh about?”

“I was simply overwhelmed by your generosity in decorating my desk.”

Leon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You… Are you really the same arrogant Jenison?”

“…”

“Hah… You were just a fool relying on your family name.”

“…”

“I hate people like you. Good-for-nothing punks who flaunt their family’s prestige.”

“…”

“Where’s that arrogant attitude now?”

I wanted to ask if he wasn’t doing the same thing, relying on his family name to bully me. But I knew it would be pointless.

I forced another smile, suppressing my rage.

“I apologize. I was going through a rebellious phase… I hope you’ll forgive me if I offended you.”

I adopted a subservient tone, hoping to defuse the situation.

He sneered.

“…Offended me…?”

“…”

“Yes, you offended me. You were the most arrogant, despite being a talentless fool.”

“…”

“I’ve always found you repulsive.”

…So he was bullying me simply because he found me repulsive, even though I’d never personally wronged him?

‘What a hypocrite.’

I decided he wasn’t worth my time. I bowed my head and turned to leave, when…

“Do you think you can just dismiss your actions as a youthful indiscretion?”

“…Haha, how could I—”

“Your deceased mother must have taught you well. Typical commoner upbringing, I suppose.”

That was it.

I lunged at him, grabbing him by the collar.

“What the fuck did you say, you bastard?”

The curse slipped out without hesitation.

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