218: Pure Evil

Chapter Eight begins!!!

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The protagonist of Noblesse Oblige was Allen.

He was the central figure of a classic hero’s journey that everyone yearned for—a commoner who rose from nothing after losing his home and family. He enrolled in an aristocratic Academy, a feat considered absolutely impossible, and encountered various allies and enemies along the way.

In contrast to him, there was Weiss Fancent.

In the Original Story, he was a disgustingly cunning villain. He interfered with Allen at every turn, using cowardly methods to steal his points. It all started because he was a sore loser who couldn't handle being beaten by Allen in the entrance exam duel. In the end, after a pathetic defeat, he was killed by the Demon King.

As far as being the story's antagonist went, he didn't even come close to balancing the scales. Weiss was just a small-fry crook; he was far too weak to be Allen's true foil. The Demon King was more like a natural disaster, and the Demon Race were literally beings from another dimension.

However, an overwhelming evil did exist in Noblesse.

Someone cowardly, cunning, strong, wise, and a total piece of trash. That guy would clash with Allen head-on, standing in his way like an insurmountable wall. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that his presence was what made the Original Story so entertaining.

I want to beat this guy someday. I want to kill him. I want to see him groveling in the dirt.

That was likely what every player thought while going through the game. But things didn't go that easily in Noblesse. In a game that boasted an infinite number of branching episodes, there were plenty of paths where you couldn't just trample over your enemies. You were forced to drink from the bitter cup of defeat over and over again. That was the fundamental Noblesse experience.

And that man’s name was—

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"Why are you doing something like that!?"

I heard a shout echoing through the courtyard of the Academy, despite it being our first day back. It was a familiar voice—the voice of an idiot with his sense of justice on full display.

"Weiss."

"Ah, Allen."

"What’s going on? There are a lot of first-years around today, aren't there?"

Cynthia and Lilith were walking beside me. As usual, their beauty was only becoming more refined. The Noblesse school uniforms really emphasized the girl's thighs, making me instinctively want to reach out and touch them. Wait, get a grip, me.

Explaining the situation with the Four Dragons to Cynthia had been a massive ordeal. I’d been terrified she’d be furious, but it seemed she actually understood how much I’d struggled. Though, to be fair, she still lectured me repeatedly.

She mentioned that her Medical Magic was coming along well.

"I think I’ve finally managed to stand shoulder to shoulder with you," she’d said with an air of confidence. It was the first time she had ever said something like that, so I was actually looking forward to seeing her progress.

I walked toward the source of the shouting. I didn't even need to push through the crowd; as soon as people noticed me, they scrambled out of the way. At the center of the clearing, a group of incredibly irritating guys were lined up.

"Do you really believe that everyone should be equal?"

"Of course I do!!!" Allen barked.

Shari and Duke were nowhere to be seen. Thank god—if they were here, things would’ve turned into an even bigger headache.

So you've finally shown up, I muttered to myself.

The man was tall, blonde, and looked quite refreshing at first glance. Eva Avery might be the Strongest, but it was no exaggeration to say that this guy was the most wicked. He was an absolute outlier. His appearance was much later than it had been in the Original Story, but that didn't matter now.

And standing beside him was the woman with the Slave Crest on her neck, Priscilla—

—Neil.

This guy was the symbolic evil of Noblesse.

"It is only natural to distinguish between humans and slaves," Neil said smoothly. "More importantly, is that any way to speak to a senior?"

Heh. Well, things just got a whole lot more interesting.