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

Chapter 163: Application

“Hmm. This is an interesting sight.”

While watching Iris and the others through the water created by my magic, I sank deeper into my chair, recalling the earlier events.

“Looks like Sharueina made it in time. As expected of her.”

I had asked Sharueina, who was nearby, to handle information about Iris’s location and the cleanup with an application of wind magic, and I couldn’t help but praise her for doing such a good job.

“Still, Iris is completely different from her past life. In her previous life, she never hated people to this extent, nor did she ever provoke others to make the first move.”

If it were the Iris from her past life, she would have been more virtuous, likely trying to persuade others not to do bad things with her words in such a situation, though not as extreme as Shudo.

“Being kind-hearted sounds nice, but in the end, she was just a princess who relied on the protagonist for help instead of solving her problems herself. Yet this time, she resolved things on her own… what on earth is this difference?”

I still couldn’t tell if her actions were dictated by external forces, but since I had been possessed in the past, that possibility was definitely there.

“So, could it be that her current self is the real Iris? …No, that’s not it. Something must have changed in her way of thinking between her past and this life.”

Thinking back on my past with Iris, during the first loop, my bullying had made her mentally unstable and gloomy, while during the second loop, she had initially been kind, even though she ultimately led me to my death.

I didn’t know much about the third loop since I hadn’t interacted with her much, but I assumed it was not all that different from the second.

“That means, basically, the Iris from the second and third loops is the raw version, and the added changes led to the evolution seen in the endings of the first and second loops, as well as this one.”

I understood why she changed in the endings of the first and second loops, but this time, it wasn’t as if I had done anything; in fact, I was trying to avoid interaction like in her previous life.

However, in reality, Iris actively tried to engage with me, and just recalling her words earlier sent a chill down my spine.

“Ugh. So, is Iris the same as Fiera and the others? I thought the possibility was pretty low, but… this has turned into a hassle.”

Having used wind magic to eavesdrop on Iris’s conversation, I had certainly heard her express how gross she felt about anyone touching her other than me.

“That was genuinely scary. It was as intense as when Sonia casually made her stalker comment.”

I wasn’t clear on when Iris started to develop feelings for me, but thinking back, it was highly likely it began when she expressed her desire to meet Fiera.

“At that time, I was so disinterested that I didn’t notice, but reflecting on it now, it must have been something like that. Well, even so, I don’t intend to act on it.”

My liking for Iris was rooted in the memories of the first and second loops, and from then on, my feelings towards her turned into fear, ultimately leading to indifference.

So even if Iris liked me now, I wouldn’t reciprocate her feelings, and that goes for Fiera and the others as well.

“More importantly, where has Shudo been?”

There had been a similar incident during the welcoming party in the past, and rumors were circulating about a commoner youth clashing with a noble from another country around this time.

“…Ah, looks like he didn’t make it in time.”

Using my mirror butterfly to scan the surroundings, I spotted Shudo just about to turn a corner some distance away, and apparently, Iris had handled things too swiftly for him to arrive.

“Well, there’s still more events to come. I guess keeping an eye on things will suffice for now.”

Since having more information was always better, I decided to keep watching Shudo’s actions and Iris’s movements, stretching as I stood up from my chair.

“Alright, time to take care of my own affairs.”

Having already set my next plans, I exited the room and headed towards the academy to meet the person I was looking for.

Once inside the academy, I climbed the stairs to the top floor and paused in front of an ornately decorated door at the very end of the hallway.

“Is she in there?”

“…Please, come in.”

After knocking and waiting a moment, I heard a woman’s voice from inside, confirming the person I sought was there before opening the door and stepping in.

“Oh, you finally made it.”

“Good to see you again, Headmaster.”

The person I came to see was Mejina, the highest authority of the academy, with whom I had talked during the welcoming party.

“I thought you had forgotten our promise.”

“Of course not. I made a point to stand out just to meet you; there’s no way I wouldn’t come.”

“Hehe. You’re quite the smooth talker. Well then, have a seat.”

I took a seat on the sofa in the center of the headmaster’s office, and Mejina placed two cups of tea on the table before sitting across from me.

“So? Should I start with your business?”

“Jumping straight to the main topic, huh?”

“Hehe. I don’t believe in wasting time. I like to get straight to the point and then have some casual chat with the spare time.”

“Haha. I’m on board with that.”

“I figured you’d understand. So, tell me again, you do have something to discuss, right? Otherwise, you couldn’t have scored those suspiciously perfect numbers during the entrance exam.”

“That’s right.”

It seemed Mejina had noticed that I intentionally aimed for repeating numbers on my entrance exam to pique her interest.

“What is it that you desire?”

“To keep it brief: the first request is for me to be exempted from attending classes as a special case.”

“Classes? I believe you haven’t attended any besides the required ones, right? Isn’t that sufficient?”

“I’d like to drop even those required ones. Of course, I’m not saying I want to advance without taking the exams. I will take the exams, but I want to be allowed to skip the classes leading up to them using your authority.”

“Hmm. It’s doable but might attract some comments from others. Also, can you really achieve passing scores without attending? The S-class exam is quite challenging, you know?”

“No problem at all. I couldn’t care less about what others think, and I’m confident in my scores.”

Having attended this academy multiple times in my past life, I already possessed all the knowledge meant to be taught, so honestly speaking, it felt like a waste of time.

“Well, since you’re the type to aim for high scores, I can see it being true. Alright then, I’ll convey to the other teachers that you’re exempt from attending even the required classes as a special case. But you will attend practical classes, right? Since there will be group activities and dungeon practice in the latter half of the course.”

“Understood. Now for the second request: please grant me permission to freely enter the dungeon on academy premises.”

“Into the dungeon?”

“Yes, actually, I’m also active as an adventurer.”

As I placed my guild card on the table, Mejina picked it up, checking if it was real.

“I see. So you’re an SS-rank adventurer.”

“Yes.”

“Very well. Your skills seem satisfactory, so I will allow you to enter the dungeon. I’ll ensure you can start going in from tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

Gaining permission to freely traverse the academy’s dungeon would contribute greatly to my growth, and if I could obtain rare items, I could become even stronger.

“And lastly, could you engage in a magic duel with me someday?”

“A duel? With you and me?”

“Yes.”

“……Hehehehe.”

When I asked her for a magical contest, Mejina looked down and started to laugh joyfully, and the moment she lifted her head, an intense magical pressure began to crush my body.

I pushed against that magical force with my own and observed how she would react.

“Hehe. A duel with me… I wonder when was the last time someone said that to me. Hehehe… this is truly amusing.”

“So, what do you say?”

“Sure. When the time comes, I’ll entertain you. But not just yet. You’re still lacking. You must master more magic before we can face off.”

“I’m fine with that, as long as you’re willing to duel me.”

Perhaps pleased with my answer, Mejina relaxed her magical pressure and leaned closer, gently stroking my throat and jaw with her delicate fingers.

“I truly like you. If you win against me, shall we get married?”

“I’ll politely decline that offer.”

“Hmm. So, you’re saying you don’t like an older lady like me? Or is it because you find me strong that puts you off?”

“Neither. I’m simply not interested in things like romance or marriage.”

“For someone your age, it’s rare to be so enlightened. I’m liking you more and more. What if I win, you become mine?”

“That means the headmaster would be around me anyway, right?”

“Hehe. That’s true.”

I couldn’t tell how serious she was, but after staring at me for a while, Mejina settled back onto the sofa.

“Well then, we’ll decide what happens after the duel when that time comes. For now, do you have anything else to discuss?”

“That’s it for my end.”

“Got it. Then now it’s my turn to ask questions. I want to know a lot about you, so please answer me properly.”

From then on, Mejina’s questioning about my family, school life, and the experiences I’ve had continued without pause until her curiosity was satisfied.

 

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