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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Episode 149: Apology

The day after the ranking battle. Sitting in my usual window seat in the classroom, I pondered the gazes aimed at me from around.

(Terror and awe. And then… admiration? Why?)

Most people seemed to harbor feelings of fear and dread because of yesterday’s incident with Ride, while there were a few who wore expressions of admiration.

(Well, as long as they don’t get weirdly involved, I can just ignore them.)

The students in Class S were all odd in their own ways, so as long as they didn’t come at me with troublesome antics, I wouldn’t need to care.

“El.”

“Hmm?”

“That over there…”

Fiera lightly tugged at my sleeve as if she had spotted something, so I turned my gaze in the direction she was looking.

“Is that… Ride?”

The person entering the classroom was apparently Ride, but he looked significantly haggard compared to yesterday, lacking the confidence and vitality he usually had.

(He looks terrible. Did he not sleep?)

His hair, usually well-groomed, was quite messy, and dark circles under his eyes hinted at a lack of sleep.

“He must have really taken what Lewis said to heart.”

“Yeah. But it can’t be helped. There’s no way an ordinary student could handle El’s killing intent and the moment of death.”

“That’s true. I’m more surprised he even showed up to school.”

“Right. Normally, he’d be holed up in his room.”

The two of them watched Ride while discussing, but for me, my interest in him had completely faded by yesterday. Whether he was weak or holed up in his room was of no concern, so I quickly tried to push him out of my mind.

However…

“El. He’s looking over here.”

“Yeah, he is.”

As they said, Ride stared at us, his eyes devoid of spirit, and slumped down into his seat with a weary look.

“What’s going on?”

“Who knows? I have no idea.”

“What about you, Fiera?”

“Probably… he wants to talk to El.”

“To me?”

“Yeah. But I think he’s still gathering his mental fortitude. He should approach you eventually.”

“I see.”

Fiera was more sensitive to changes in people’s emotions than I was, so it was usually better to get this kind of information from her.

(If it becomes a hassle, I can always crush it again.)

I pondered what to do for a while, but I decided that if he tried to cause any trouble, I could just crush it even harder than before. For now, I would leave Ride be until he contacted me.

After that, Lime entered the classroom as usual, explained today’s agenda, and began distributing papers to each student.

“The papers I just handed out are the class schedules you all submitted a few days ago. Make sure to check them for mistakes.”

I quickly skimmed through the paper in my hand, noting that the classes were organized as I had chosen. According to this schedule, there would be more free time than class time, allowing me to spend my time doing what I liked.

“And! I’ll be posting the results of the ranking battle I worked on late into the night! Everyone, please check it out!”

Lime said this and stuck a large sheet of paper on the blackboard, showing the rankings for battle types and support types from first to tenth.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

[Combat Rankings]

1st Place: Ride Holstein (Swordsmanship)

2nd Place: Fiera Kirisbein (Martial Arts)

3rd Place: Iris Pestelrose (Magic)

4th Place: Shuvina (Archery)

5th Place: Melt (Magic)

6th Place: Sonia Scarlet (Magic)

7th Place: Gazelle (Spear Art)

8th Place: Silpha Marder (Magic)

9th Place: Kamael Albaney (Dagger Art)

10th Place: Lewis Valentine (Magic)

[Support Rankings]

1st Place: Sephiria Ishtalica (Healing)

2nd Place: Quina Samantha (Enhancement)

3rd Place: Leo Norma (Enhancement)

4th Place: Hail Misera (Healing)

5th Place: Vermieu (Healing)

6th Place: Krista Lithium (Enhancement)

7th Place: Ordo (Enhancement)

8th Place: Kash Tesaro (Enhancement)

9th Place: Shasha (Healing)

10th Place: Odo (Healing)

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

The ranking results from the battle were as stated here, and as promised, I secured tenth place while Ride obtained first place, as Fiera had relinquished her position to him.

And naturally, the top rank in the support category went to the Saintess, Sephiria, given her holy magic techniques and magic capacity.

(Fiera and Sephiria’s enrollment changed the line-up slightly from usual, but the rest are all familiar faces.)

Normally, Fiera wouldn’t have enrolled, and Sephiria would be joining next year, but their presence this year resulted in a couple of changes in the S-class roster. However, it didn’t bother me enough to distract my attention from Lime.

“This is everyone’s initial ranking! It’s decided based on the victories and skills shown in yesterday’s ranking battle, so if you have feelings about your rank, you can challenge in another ranking battle! If you win there, your rank will go up, so for those aiming higher, do your best! Now, let’s keep up the hard work today!”

Afterward, Lime proceeded to detail the classes starting next week and the welcome party for new students taking place tomorrow, providing clarity on what was ahead.

“Lewis Valentine. Do you have a moment?”

As I was about to leave after finishing all that was planned for today, to my surprise, Ride came over and spoke to me.

“What’s up?”

“I want to talk to you, but not here…”

Ride said this and glanced weakly at Fiera and the others, looking conflicted about how to express himself.

“El. Go ahead.”

“…Alright. Are you guys heading back first?”

“We’ll wait for you.”

“Okay. Then I’ll return once we’re finished talking. Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

As I parted from Fiera and the others and exited the classroom, I could feel the bewildered gazes of those around me, worried that a problem might flare up again. However, both Ride and I ignored those looks as we left the classroom.

After walking for a bit, we entered an empty classroom, and I sat down, crossed my legs, and faced Ride, who was standing before me.

“So, what’s this about? What do you want to say?”

“That is… well…”

Ride appeared to still be gathering his courage to speak, fidgeting and moving his mouth without properly articulating.

“Ugh. If you’ve got something to say, just spill it. It’s disgusting to see a man dilly-dally like this.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

If a beautiful girl like Fiera or Iris had reacted this way, someone might be interested, but a 190cm, muscular guy doing it was honestly just off-putting.

“…Huff. Lewis Valentine. I’m sorry for yesterday.”

After a while, as if he finally found his resolve, Ride looked me straight in the eye and gave his apology.

“Yesterday’s matter?”

It seemed Ride wanted to talk about what happened in yesterday’s ranking battle, but I intentionally pretended not to know, observing his reactions.

“Yeah, about how I mocked your parents, and how I took out my frustrations on you. No, there’s more. I’ve belittled you and disregarded everything about you up till now. I apologize for all of it.”

“Hmm. What’s triggered this change of heart? Or is it some sort of strategy?”

“Well, it’s understandable for you to be suspicious. But this apology comes from my true feelings. There’s no strategy or ulterior motive.”

After returning to the dorm yesterday, I mulled over everything alone and felt ashamed of my actions. You had done nothing wrong, yet I targeted you, and even insulted your parents.

If I were to witness my own parents being insulted in the same way, I would have acted the same. It was an unforgivable act, a truly foolish behavior.”

Each word he spoke carried a sense of genuine apology, making it clear that this was Ride’s true heart.

“I see. I understand how you feel about me and my parents. But what do you think about yourself?”

“I can only feel shame regarding that as well. As Fiera said, I was weak. It was I who was arrogant and lazy.

I’ve been intoxicated by the powers of the magic sword passed down through my family. The power of that sword belongs to the sword and not me. It is only after I can wield that power effectively that I can truly say it becomes my own.”

“Truly, I’m sorry.”

“I’ll accept your apology. But tell me, what made you decide to apologize?”

To be honest, the matter of yesterday was already a closed chapter for me, and Ride’s apology was of no concern.

What intrigued me more was the course of events that led a prideful person, one who held the title of Sword Saint and was strict with himself and others, to apologize to me.

“When I faced you, I finally grasped the difference in our abilities.

You’re not someone who hasn’t put in the effort; you’ve been working hard all this time. In fact, you’ve been striving to the point of exerting yourself to the edge of death.

That’s why your strength must be unparalleled, not just within this academy, but probably throughout the entire empire. It makes sense that someone of your caliber would find boredom in being at the academy.

Plus, I realized this just by watching you. You continue to train tirelessly on your own. Your movements are highly refined, like a blade constantly being honed. I simply found admiration for someone like you.”

Ride smiled as he said this, his face appearing calm as if some burden had been lifted, which seemed to reflect his true feelings.

“I understand now. As I mentioned earlier, I will accept your apology. However, don’t expect any further involvement from me.”

“That’s fine. I apologized, but I don’t intend to get too deeply involved with you, nor do I plan to seek your guidance. I’ll put in my own efforts and work to become stronger.”

“I see. If the conversation is done, I’ll be heading back now.”

“Yeah. Sorry for taking up your time.”

Standing up from my chair and placing my hand on the door, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten to convey before leaving the classroom, glancing back over my shoulder at Ride.

“If you’re part of a duke’s family, be careful with your words and actions. With just one phrase or action of yours, you can create enemies or allies. If you’re going to act in ways befitting your status, don’t forget that yourself. And afterwards, apologize to Fiera and the others as well. They were angrier than I was.”

“…Thank you.”

With that, I finally exited the classroom, but the last words Ride spoke were lost to me, though I didn’t really care.

After that, I reunited with Fiera and the others waiting in the S-class classroom and returned to my room in the dorm.

Tomorrow would be the welcome party for the new students, and it would finally be the moment I’d come face to face with the protagonist.

The welcome party would serve as a great opportunity to see just how much this world had changed from the past, as well as a chance to contemplate my future moves.

“I’m looking forward to what tomorrow holds!”

I went to bed earlier than usual, just a bit excited for the welcome party the next day.

 

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