I Became the Academy’s Time-Limited Genius – Chapter 15

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: Silverriver

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“somehow…”

I spoke before Ruberic could. He was talented, but his silver tongue was particularly noteworthy. He had used his eloquence to sway students and gain power.

It was better for me to control the conversation.

“You look displeased.”

I simultaneously adjusted my aura using mana. By stimulating and transforming the mana flowing through my body, I could project a menacing aura.

A technique I’d somehow mastered without any practice.

Ruberic flinched at my aura, but he spoke resolutely.

“Displeased? I haven’t felt any such emotion.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Perhaps my face was contorted from the sparring, leading to a misunderstanding.”

It was Ruberic, after all. I couldn’t help but admire his skillful deflection.

I was from a Dukedom, he was from an Earldom. While Iliad Academy didn’t officially recognize social status, it couldn’t interfere with matters outside the academy.

In other words, if I applied pressure, Ruberic had no means of resisting.

Not that I could apply pressure.

“Then your staring must have a purpose.”

“….”

“Don’t try to claim you were staring for no reason.”

“Of course, I have a reason.”

“What is it?”

He hesitated before answering. I deliberately gave him time to think, to let him stew.

The eldest son of the Philasia Dukedom. But the only support I received from my family was elixirs. That was the agreement with my father, the Duke.

So I had to act as if I had the upper hand, to project an image of power.

To prevent this observant fellow from realizing the truth. To make him think I had numerous advantages.

When he continued to hesitate, I let out a small chuckle.

“Heh.”

“…?”

“Just kidding. Anyone can stare, right? Agnes?”

“Huh? Yes.”

Agnes flinched at being addressed and gave a hesitant reply. Why was she so nervous?

“If you have nothing else, we’ll be going.”

I posed the question casually, but Ruberic didn’t respond.

“Oh, and drop the formalities. We’re fellow students. What’s with all the respect? Within Iliad, everyone is equal. You, Agnes, everyone here.”

I subtly provoked him as I walked away. Iliad Academy treated everyone equally.

But everyone knew that rule didn’t apply to me.

As we neared the exit, a voice called out from behind,

“There’s something I wanted to ask.”

At Ruberic’s call, I turned to face him. He must have racked his brain to find a way to stop me. Exactly what I wanted.

“Speak.”

“Why did you enter the academy?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t have?”

Ruberic shook his head.

“No, I’m just curious why you suddenly decided to enroll, after never showing your face in public. I’d like to know the reason.”

“A pointless question.”

He clamped his mouth shut at my dismissive tone. That should have bruised his ego nicely.

“My health wasn’t good.”

“…Is that all?”

“Do I need another reason besides being sick? There’s no reason more important than that.”

“So you entered the academy now because…”

“Because my health has mostly recovered, of course. I’m still not completely well, but it doesn’t hinder my studies.”

A blatant lie. My body was still frail. I could attend the academy, but only because I constantly consumed elixirs.

My current lifespan was 264 days. If it dropped below 200 again, my condition would deteriorate rapidly. Increased stats didn’t alleviate the pain.

“I believe I’ve answered your question.”

The reason I was bluffing. I wanted him to make a pact with the demons as soon as possible. Judging by the look in his eyes, his resentment and inferiority had already shifted towards me. They were originally directed at the protagonist, but my enrollment must have exacerbated them.

Then I would provoke him further, accelerating his pact with the demons. In the original story, he made the pact during the Spring Festival, driven by his inferiority complex while the other students enjoyed the festivities.

The damage he caused… Not just to the citizens, but also to the academy’s reputation. It weakened the bonds between students.

So if he was going to explode, it was better for it to happen within the academy. It was bound to happen anyway.

Preventing him from becoming a boss, stopping his pact with the demons? If that were possible, I would have done it already. How could I prevent something that wasn’t even described in the novel?

All I could do was prepare for the inevitable. I turned and left the training grounds with Agnes, without looking back.

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“Damn him!”

Ruberic returned to his dormitory and punched the wall. The Trea Dormitory was built to withstand even mana-enhanced blows, so it remained undamaged.

Ruberic knew this and punched it anyway.

“That bastard ruined all my plans!”

He gritted his teeth. His plans for Iliad Academy had been thwarted. This was the second time this had happened to him.

The first time had also involved Deron.

He had gone to the ball hoping to make connections and gain influence, but Deron’s appearance had overshadowed him. He had eventually succeeded after Deron disappeared from social circles, but Ruberic loathed having his plans ruined.

“Calm down? That bastard Deron again! He’s ruined my plans twice!”

A figure appeared before Ruberic. Red, muscular skin, a handsome face twisted by something sinister.

What people called a demon. What he called Dante.

“What do you plan to do this time, Dante?”

“You mean like last time?”

Dante smiled sinisterly. Ruberic hesitated. After his first plan failed, he had made a pact with the demon. Connections were crucial for gaining his father, Earl Caius’s, favor, and Deron had completely blocked his path.

Dante, now residing within him, had worsened Deron’s condition, causing him to withdraw from social circles. No one had noticed.

Even Dante claimed to not know the specifics of Deron’s illness. He had simply aggravated it subtly, ensuring it remained undetected.

Now Deron had reappeared, and Dante was suggesting they kill him. It was a completely different level of intervention compared to simply worsening his illness.

Even Ruberic, who had made a pact with a demon, couldn’t help but hesitate. No matter how much he hated Deron, he was still the eldest son of the Philasia Dukedom.

He worried about the repercussions of killing him.

As if sensing his hesitation, Dante whispered, like a devil tempting him,

“What?”

A small, square object materialized in the air. The fingernail-sized fragment attached itself to Ruberic’s finger and vanished without a trace.

“Hmm…”

Ruberic still hesitated.

Dante, growing impatient, whispered,

One of humanity’s primal desires. Jealousy towards a rival for a potential mate. The desire for a more desirable partner.

Dante had struck a nerve.

“Fine.”

Ruberic succumbed to Dante’s whispers.

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Erina ran frantically. Deron was heading this way. His aura was so powerful she could feel it even from outside the training grounds.

“I need to tell Adele.”

The commoner girl who shared a room with her in the Trea Dormitory. One of the two who had defeated an instructor, along with Deron.

From the moment they met at the testing grounds, Adele had shown open hostility towards Deron, badmouthing him whenever he wasn’t around.

When asked why, she had simply called him trash. Nothing more, nothing less. Any other description would be too good for him.

Agnes claimed he was kinder than he seemed, but Erina didn’t believe it. The rumors she’d heard and Adele’s constant negativity had clouded her judgment.

And now, she had just witnessed him threatening Ruberic in the training grounds.

It was more than enough to confirm her suspicions.

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