I Became an Outcast in the Academy

7. Proof (3)

“… Candidate for disciple?”

From the mouth of a person who is talking face to face for the first time in his life, words that are truly the first of their kind flow out.

Candidate for disciple? Who’s whose? Could it be that you mean Ellie?

At Duke Orphea’s words, I reflexively looked at Ellie standing on the other side of her, but she just looked at all this with a blank face and did not say hello to the Duke. No.

And the duke also didn’t bother to pretend to know Eli.

Because Duke Orphega’s eyes were focused only on me.

“This is so… Every time I see this amazing sight, I wonder if I have lived too long. To drive people like this just because they have become stronger than before, nothing else. Or is this just a trend among cadets these days?”

“… Oh, no. “Duke.”

“Then what on earth is that thing I just saw? “Is this a play planned in secret to surprise me?”

Even though the Duke of Orphea said this in a clearly sarcastic tone, the student council president could not respond properly, only with cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

No, even if I had prepared a perfect excuse for this situation, I wouldn’t have dared to say it.

Duchies of Orphega.

In the past, it was the most humble family among the four major ducal families of the empire, but today it boasts the highest prestige.

And Duke Orphega was the main character who raised the status of his family so much with only a sword.

It is said that the student council president is the descendant of Count Ornstein, but he was not at a level where he could dare to compare.

As the student council president stood there unable to decide what to do, Berdel, who was next to him, quickly stepped forward.

“That’s not it, Duke! Until a few months ago, that guy named Xian clearly had inferior skills than he does now… !”

“It’s noisy. He’s a spoiled brat. Did your father teach you to interrupt while other people are talking?”

Berdel cringed at the sound of Duke Orphega’s low, but at the same time cold, voice.

“But… The face somehow looks familiar. “What was your father’s name?”

“My name is Berdel Ornstein! And my father is Gerard Ornstein, the current head of the Ornstein count family-“

“Ah, he was a blood relative of the Count Ornstein family. It seems that I have quite a connection with Count Ornstein. “After the father, I have a connection with the child in some way.”

When Duke Orphega lets out a low laugh as if he is actually having fun, Berdel’s face brightens.

“Is that so? “Ho, if you don’t mind, would you mind if I ask the Duke what your relationship is with my father?”

“It’s not difficult to tell. “Me and your father are kind of classmates who went to the small Lutra together.”

“Ah, you said that too! In that case, the Duke can be said to be a close friend of my father-“

“And that guy, Gerard, was just like you now, spouting all kinds of nonsense about me. “There was even a rumor that I gained my talent by selling my soul to the devil.”

“…..”

In an instant, Verdel’s complexion turned pale. Looking at that scene, I felt a little relieved.

“Anyway, what the father and son do is exactly the same. At this point, it seems somewhat comical. Things like scum always see something they don’t understand and talk about it being black magic or hex. “Just like you are now.”

The student council president opened his mouth to answer Duke Orphega’s words, even while he was sweating profusely.

“… I admit that I was quite impatient with junior Xian. But I think I just did what I had to do.”

“What should you do? “What is that?”

He answers Duke Orphea’s question.

“This is an explanation.”

“Explanation?”

“Regardless of the circumstances, Lutra transferred part of the investigative authority for this case to me. Even if I didn’t have the authority to investigate, as the student council president, I had a duty to reassure other cadets. “During the process, I simply requested an explanation for the questionable aspects of junior Xian.”

Hearing those words, Duke Orphega looks at the student council president as if it were indeed funny.

“It’s an explanation… That’s pretty funny. To me, what happened just now didn’t seem like an explanation, but rather a scene that seemed to put pressure on that poet and drive him somewhere.”

“Well, that’s…” “

The student council president, who was answering without hesitation, ended up keeping his mouth shut.

Even though I thought about it, I felt like I had nothing to say to the duke’s words.

“Well, even if he was telling the whole truth, you wouldn’t have believed his explanation.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means that this guy named Xian is essentially the same type of person as me. Didn’t I tell you earlier? “This guy is the same as me.”

At those words, everyone in the room, including the student council president, blinked their eyes.

Because I couldn’t understand what the duke meant by saying that.

“I’m not sure yet… Xian That guy must be a genius. “Maybe he is a genius whose talent is comparable to mine.”

The Duke of Orphega turns his head and looks at me.

It was as if his eyes could see right through a person’s inner thoughts.

“Geniuses are people who are originally outside the understanding of ordinary people. This means that a person cannot be judged by the standards commonly called common sense. And criminals do not understand such geniuses, are afraid of them, and eventually begin to persecute them. Just like Ornstein’s baby did just a moment ago.”

When Duke Orphega mentions him once again, Berdel’s face turns pale.

“A remarkable improvement in skills in just a month or so? It is possible. Is your skill increasing to a level different from before? That too is possible. Because this is something that not only I, but Ellie over there has experienced countless times. “In essence, a genius is a monster whose skills grow significantly overnight.”

The Duke of Orphega looks at me with a chuckle, wondering what is so funny.

“B-but that guy, Xian, improved his skills greatly overnight! “If that guy was really a genius like the Duke said, he would have distinguished himself long ago!”

“Maybe he was hiding his skills. Or maybe she finally felt the need to be sincere.”

“Oh, this is sophistry! “What the Duke said is just a guess, and there is no evidence anywhere!”

Berdel desperately tried to refute Duke Orphega’s words and somehow refute his words.

‘Is that guy really crazy?’

To me, that guy only looked like a suicidal person who wanted to die as soon as possible.

In this world, there are people you can touch and people you won’t touch. Even if you don’t have anything in your head, what is the reason why Orpheus continues to stand against the Duke to the end?

‘Ah, now that I think about it, from that guy’s perspective, I guess it’s worth it.’

In any case, Berdel was a person who was out of favor with Duke Orphega.

But if that wasn’t enough, if he were accused of trying to frame and slander me while the duke was watching, his life would fall into complete ruin.

In other words, there is only one way for him to survive at this point.

It means that there is nowhere for Orphea, who is protecting me in any way, other than to prove that what the Duke said is wrong.

“It’s sophistry, but it’s definitely not wrong. Just as you were talking freely to Xian just now, I also tried to say whatever came into my head. “There is no evidence to support what I say, so even if you tell me sophistry, I have nothing to say.”

I expected Duke Orphega to immediately attack Verdel, but surprisingly, the Duke obediently nodded to what he said.

“But since there is no evidence for each other, I think there is only one way to determine who is right and who is wrong. “Isn’t that right?”

“… “Do you mind if I ask what that method is, Duke?”

When the student council president cautiously asks if he has sensed some strange energy, the Duke quickly opens his mouth, saying that he had been waiting for those words.

“Duel.”

“… Yes?”

“I will have a fight between Xian and that brat of the Count Ornstein family. And depending on the outcome of the duel, I plan to put forward a very simple rule that the loser will follow the winner’s words. “Well, isn’t that really fair?”

I ended up laughing at Duke Orphega’s extremely shameless words.

‘You look like a snake-like person. ‘Did you intend to do this from the beginning?’

I thought it was strange that they overly listened to my side, which I had no idea about, and that they promoted me as a genius or something, but it seemed like the real purpose of the operation was to test my skills in this way in the first place.

“Are you somehow dissatisfied with my proposal, Xian? If you are not satisfied with my proposal, feel free to disagree. “I will try to accept that offer if possible.”

The Duke of Orphea pretends to be very generous, but he never says anything about withdrawing his offer until the end.

But even from my perspective, the duke’s suggestion wasn’t that bad, so I shrugged my shoulders.

“No, I have no particular complaints about the Duke’s proposal, but… “I want to add at least one condition.”

“Conditions? What?”

I gesture with my chin at Berdel, who is looking puzzled, and slightly twitch the corner of his mouth.

“I don’t think it would be possible to fully prove my skills by defeating someone like that. So wouldn’t it be okay to add one more person to the duel already?”

As I said that, I pointed my finger at Marcus Deal, Verdel’s best friend and the person who was happily spreading rumors about me along with this bastard.

“Did you hear me well? It’s a hassle to deal with two small fry separately, so attack them all at once. If you’re feeling scared, it’s okay to invite a few more friends. Huh?”

If a fight has to be fought, I think it is much better to do it economically.