NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
“Phew… [Thought Enhancement].”
My mind cleared up, and the speed of my thoughts were enhanced. Alright, this should work.
“[Multi-Task Activation]: [Divine Demon Barrier], [Body Enhancement], [Martial Arts Mimicry Trace], [Martial Arts Puppetry].”
First, I set up the most potent barrier I could use within my current capabilities, ensuring it wouldn’t harm the surroundings. I couldn’t have my room in ruins.
Within the barrier, I activated Body Enhancement to maximize my physical capabilities and used [Mimicry Magic] to make my body move automatically. I then created five entities with abilities superior to my own.
These entities immediately sprung to life and attacked me. I used the barrier’s magic to allow my body to move on autopilot, effortlessly parrying the attacks of the high-spec puppets. I also didn’t miss the chance to kick one of them when it exposed itself.
However, there were still five of them.
One puppet, holding a wooden sword, swung it from behind. I used the barrier magic to block the attack and, simultaneously, swung my arm toward the puppet’s face.
Shoo— BOOM!
My fist sent the puppet’s head flying, creating a gust of wind that rattled the barrier.
Phew… My body was warming up nicely.
“Alright! I can keep going—”
“Jin-sama, it’s time to stop the magic,” a voice interrupted.
The door to the room opened, and I turned toward the voice. There stood my beloved maid, Mea, looking exasperated.
“Uh… Mea, how long have I been practicing?”
“Approximately six hours.”
“Wow… I’ve been at it for quite a while. Is it bad if I keep going?”
“Of course it is. Jin-sama, you’re fifteen years old, and you still can’t manage your own time?”
Mea hit me where it hurt, but her understanding of me was something I cherished. Wasn’t I weird for feeling this way?
No, it wasn’t weird! (It’s abnormal.)
“From now on, I’ll have to attend school…”
“But Mea will be with me, right? So, it’s okay.”
I smiled, and Mea’s lips twitched upward ever so slightly. She was exceptionally beautiful, but… I couldn’t shake this bad feeling.
“Hey, Mea, don’t you have to tell me anything el—”
“You have an entrance exam to prepare for.”
“That’s important, right!?” I exclaimed. “Is that today?”
“Yes, it is. That’s why I came here early.”
“Thank you so much, Mea-sama! I’m extremely grateful!”
I rushed to take a bath to wash off the sweat.
“…You’re as busy as ever, but still adorable,” Mea murmured, her gaze soft and affectionate.
Unaware of Mea’s loving expression, I continued my hurried preparations.
It has been seven years since I went to the Spirit Forest.
One major change during that time was my appearance. My once chubby and cute face had become more chiseled and, if I do say so myself, I turned into quite the handsome young man. It was as if I had transformed into an otherworldly beauty I had never seen in my previous life.
I had also grown quite tall, exceeding 175 centimeters at the age of 15, and I still felt like I had another 10 centimeters left in me. My physique had reached the level known as “lean muscle,” and my abs were rock-solid.
Honestly, it made me quite happy. I might not know what I looked like in my previous life, but I couldn’t have been this blessed in terms of appearance. Whenever I joined a party, countless lovely young ladies would flock to me, ignoring other young lords. Of course, this led to the envy of every other man, and I ended up being banned from parties.
Pretty harsh, right? I didn’t do anything wrong, just because I was more popular with women than their own sons. Oh, you’re curious about the rumors? My reputation remained as the “Sword Art Prodigy Dropout” but was accompanied by new titles like “The Weakling Protected by Women” and “The Scumbag Who Uses His Power to Seduce Heiresses.” I guess gaining popularity only fueled these rumors.
Of course, with my family not taking any action to dispel these rumors, they stuck and became part of my identity. Gossip is a scary thing, you know. Even baseless claims become truth if everyone believes them. Starting with negative favorability… being a villainous noble sure is tough. But, well, I don’t really care.
Other changes included the addition of three more pseudo-magic organs, making me the only person in the world with a total of five magic organs. I stored magic power in all of them, surpassing the magic power of an ordinary human, or at least that’s what the spirits I contracted with told me.
Over these seven years, I diligently acquired various types of magic, not just spirit magic but also gravity magic, mimicry magic, divine magic, and more. I did it all to ensure a peaceful life with Mea.
Once the main story of “Brilliant Proof” began, I decided that I would eventually leave home and live with Mea. I hadn’t talked to her about this yet, but I planned to when the time was right. Until she accepted it, I would remain in a state of anxiety.
So, before I graduate from the academy, I want to become strong enough to handle an entire country single-handedly. That way, I can deal with the pursuit from my family or even crush them if necessary.
I’m quite serious about planning for my future. However, I noticed Mea looking at me with a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering what you were thinking about. You’re always so outspoken, saying things like, ‘I’ll never ride a carriage because it hurts my rear!’ even though you’re a noble.”
“There’s no need to go that far, is there? Besides, it really does hurt. …I was actually thinking about my life at the academy from now on.”
In the main story of “Brilliant Proof,” my role is still that of the villain. Well, it’s my fault for not making any improvements.
In the original story, Jin, who was consumed by jealousy because the protagonist possessed an incredibly handsome face, overwhelming power, and charisma that captured the hearts of all his classmates, challenged the protagonist to a duel using his family’s influence. In the end, Jin lost easily, but he didn’t give up and tried various methods to assassinate the protagonist. However, he ultimately met his fate at the hands of the protagonist and the heroine.
The duel between Jin and the protagonist was an absolute no-win scenario for Jin, so it was often called the “tutorial” among fans. Well, in the game, Jin was inexplicably ugly, so I could understand why he felt such intense envy toward the protagonist, who had both good looks and extraordinary swordsmanship.
But I’m not interested in the protagonist or anyone else in the story for that matter. I plan to quietly live as an NPC. Being expelled for causing a major incident could have been considered as an option, but that would make Mea sad. Plus, I can’t become an adventurer without graduating from the academy.
“I’ve already talked as if you’re guaranteed to get in, but are you confident you’ll pass the entrance exam?”
Even as Mea asked me this, she was already smiling confidently, as if she knew the result.
“Of course. Something like that… It’s no problem at all.”
The real problem comes after this, but I decided not to mention it.
Hi, I hope ya’ll missed our jin-sama.