099 A Day in the Life of Weiss Fansent

“Right, today I think I’ll go with the Lindria Region bath salts.”

I was in the bath of my private room at Nobless Academy.

While narrower than the communal bathhouse, it still boasted a tub large enough for three people to squeeze in comfortably. There wasn't a modern water heater, per se; instead, the system functioned by taking pumped water and heating it via pre-constructed Heat Magic.

What really made me happy, though, was that this world actually contained people who knew how to appreciate a good soak—rare as they might be. Bath salts were a precious luxury in this world, crafted by those very connoisseurs. I watched as the fine powder spilled into the tub, turning the transparent water into a milky white.

A pleasant citrus scent wafted up. I stepped in, starting with my toes, and slowly sank in up to my shoulders. Beyond just soothing muscle aches and back pain, this world’s baths actually facilitated mana recovery. In terms of pure sensation, it felt as good as a professional massage.

The restorative effects seeped deep into my body.

“Phew...”

Pseudo-Demons were becoming more active across the globe, and sighting reports were flooding in. The second Calamity was drawing near. For all I knew, it could even start today. The thought alone was enough to make my heart skip a beat.

Unlike the Original Story, however, these members of the Demon Race were people I didn't recognize. At this point, most of the plot of Noblesse Oblige had spiraled into territory I could no longer predict.

And yet—

“I’m actually having fun, aren’t I...?”

I thought back to the battle on the uninhabited island. Cecil had broken out of her shell. Cynthia had used her sheer intellect to force a stalemate for air superiority. Duke was stronger than he’d ever been in the Original Story. Shari had far exceeded my wildest expectations. And Allen? That guy just never gave up.

Of course, everyone else was getting stronger, too. It was even fun to see myself growing day by day. How strong could I get? What kind of future was waiting for me?

It might have been imprudent given the circumstances, but I couldn't suppress the mixture of anxiety and excitement swirling in my chest. Still, no matter how much I agonized over it, my mission remained the same.

I had to get stronger. Overwhelmingly so.

“I should probably buy a dozen boxes of these bath salts, though.”

Well, I suppose a little Sloth every now and then isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Once my routine morning bath was over, I noticed a Messenger Bird had arrived at the window. It was an owl-like creature, one of the House Fansent’s personal carriers trained by Zebis.

“Kuruu.”

“I know, I know. I’ll get you some food.”

I kept in contact with the estate periodically. I wanted to stay informed about our business ventures or any subtle shifts in world affairs. I’d asked them to report even the smallest details to me, but...

“A hangnail on Father’s right foot...?”

I definitely didn't need to know that, I thought, though I still sent back a request for them to buy him some foot-care tools.

The report that followed was more pertinent: the number of thugs in Traba Town had decreased, and public security was better than ever. Normally, that would be a cause for celebration, but I couldn't shake my anxiety.

Pseudo-Demons were like a mandatory virus that only targeted the wicked. In the Original Story, after the Calamity, the Demon Race increased the number of Pseudo-Demons as if they were striking the human world with lightning. There was no way to stop it because it happened simultaneously all over the world. Telling villains to "be careful" was an exercise in futility.

I sent a reply asking them to keep the information coming for the time being.

With that finished, it was time for breakfast. My rank at the Academy was on the verge of hitting B-rank. To be precise, I was currently C+. For a lowerclassman, this was apparently an unprecedented achievement, but to me, it felt far too slow.

Still, the rank had plenty of perks. For instance—

Knock, knock, knock.

If I placed an order the day before, my food would be delivered at the perfect time in the morning.

“...Man, this fruit is delicious.”

I didn't have to make my own bed, and the school replenished my consumables whenever I ran low. They’d even send flowers for family anniversaries or arrange a carriage to town if I needed one. Then again, most of the students at Nobless were nobles. I wasn't sure if they actually appreciated these things or just took them for granted, but I was more than satisfied.

After breakfast, it was usually time for class, but today was a holiday. I spent the morning performing my routine magic training in my room. It was mostly a repetition of the basics. When practicing Chantless Magic, I was essentially just visualizing a spell formula in my head. However, I’d found that I couldn't truly memorize a formula unless I actually performed it with my hands. It was a lot like studying for a written exam.

I was also looking into expanding my elemental attributes for combat. I’d avoided using extra elements before because if you handled them poorly, your mana consumption just spiked for no reason, making it a net negative. But I’d grown stronger. Given my current mana capacity, it should have been fine to start branchng out.

Currently, I could use Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth.

In my opinion, the Fire magic Teacher Milk used had incredible destructive power. The downside, of course, was that it guzzled mana faster than anything else. With Water, I could keep consumption low by utilizing moisture in the air, but it lacked punch unless I could transmute it like Cynthia’s ice. Wind was solid—versatile, with a great Balance between power and cost. That left Earth. It gave me a terrain advantage, but its applications were often too situational.

Every element had its pros and cons. I figured it was best to test them in practical application one by one. Though, I’d already decided which one to start with.

Once my basic magic training was done, I headed to the Training Room to swing my sword. I didn't do anything fancy. I just drilled the movements until they were etched into my muscle memory, allowing me to react without thinking.

After noon, I’d either eat a bento I’d prepared or grab the daily special at the cafeteria. Then it was back to training until evening, followed by a trip to the communal bath. A giant tub was just good for the soul.

“Look, it’s Weiss of the Way of the Bath.”

“Hey, did you guys actually wash yourselves properly?”

“...Let’s go back and wash again.”

Once I returned to my room, it was time for academic study. If I had a book I wanted to read, I did it then. My brain seemed most relaxed at that hour, making it easier to absorb information. Today, I studied the history of the war between the Gindean Tribe and the Riaun Tribe. There was a lot to be learned from historical texts.

Sure, some of it was completely useless trivia, but that was just life at Nobless.

I usually ate dinner with Cynthia and Lilith. They told me their days looked a lot like mine.

“They’re giving out extra fried chicken today... nice.”

“I think I shall have the Paspasta.”

“I’m going with the Curry Ramen!”

The bizarre names unique to Nobless always made me chuckle. The cafeteria was always rowdy at dinner. Allen’s group and Cecil’s group usually ate with the same familiar faces.

“Big sister, are you reaaady yet?”

“I’m thinking! Just wait a second. Hmm, the Fried Popol looks good, too...”

Even the upperclassmen were there. One thing that surprised me most about Nobless was that even after the uninhabited island exam, no one seemed to hold any bitter grudges over the results.

After dinner, the cafeteria remained lively. There was a designated Free Room, but most people just used the dining hall as a hangout. If a teacher caught us, we’d get chewed out, but I guess the thrill of nearly getting caught was part of the fun.

“And that’s checkmate.”

“...I lost again.”

“Fufufu. But you’ve gotten much stronger, Fansent-kun.”

For the record, I still hadn't managed to beat Cecil at Battle Universe. And since Cynthia was always sitting right next to me, watching my every move, I had to keep telling myself it’s okay, everything is fine.

When the night finally wound down, I’d go back to my room to sleep or finish whatever book I was reading. If I was feeling frustrated with an exam or my swordsmanship, I’d occasionally head back to the Training Room. However, Teacher Milk had hammered into me that resting the body was just as important as training it.

Especially since next week was the day of the "reward."

To be honest, it was the kind of reward that made me think I might have been better off losing, but it was undoubtedly going to be a plus for my growth. Good grief, Nobless really was just one exhausting event after another.

And finally—

“Debi, time for bed.”

“Debibi!”

Lately, I’d been summoning Debi whenever I was in my room. It wasn't just because I wanted a pet. Olynn had taught me that if I got used to keeping a summon active during daily life, the mana cost during actual combat would be minimized. That was why he always had that squirrel with him. That guy was always thinking three steps ahead.

So, naturally, when I went to sleep, Debi was there too.

“Debibi! Debibi!”

“Stop wagging your tail. Just go turn off the light quietly.”

“Debi!”

“It’s cold tonight, so get over here.”

“Debi♪”

Well, I guess I don't totally hate fluffy things.

---

[Author's Note] Part Four ended up being about 70,000 characters. I thought about keeping it going, but the Uninhabited Island Battle Royale took up more space than expected, so I’ve decided to wrap up Part Four here!

This chapter focused on daily life at Nobless Magic Academy, which I think provided a nice sense of closure (^^)/ We got to see upperclassmen like Sierra and Tayunoa, a brief appearance by Teacher Coco, and how much everyone has grown.

Part Five will begin with the "four people" meeting up. I haven't delved too deeply into the "Demon Race" plot yet, but I plan to tackle that in Part Five (I feel like I say that every time, sorry!). I don't have an interlude planned, so we’ll jump straight into the next arc. Even though the "Part" is changing, I hope you continue to enjoy the story with a fresh perspective.

Also, regarding the physical book release, I’m working hard on the revisions. I’m excited for the day everyone can see the official illustrations for Weiss and the gang (please buy it when it drops!!).

As always, thank you for your supportive comments, likes, and reviews! I’ll do my best to keep things exciting, so please keep supporting the series (^^)/

One last request! If you haven't already, please head back to the top of the page to follow the story and leave a ☆☆☆ rating! If you're feeling inspired, I'd love to read your reviews as well!

To my readers: Thank you, as always! Even the shortest comments make my day (^^)/