Chapter 231: You’ve Really Gone and Pissed Me Off

“There are countless books on the history of slavery, but the answer regarding Slave Crests is always the same. There is only one way to break the brainwashing.”

We were in the library of the Noblesse Magic Academy. I was currently buried under a mountain of literature, desperately looking for a loophole. Cynthia was right there beside me, helping out. Despite her grueling schedule of studying healing magic late into the night, she always managed to carve out time for me. She’s way too good for this world, honestly.

“It’s the same over here,” I muttered. “The only way to break the brand is for the person who engraved it to die.”

“...It is utterly unforgivable.”

Cynthia, who usually kept her emotions locked behind a mask of cool composure, was white-knuckling the book in her hands. The source of her fury was an incident that had occurred in the academy’s public baths.

‘Hey, look... isn’t that Priscilla-senpai?’ ‘Wow... that’s intense.’ ‘...Well, she is a slave, after all.’

The baths were shared across all three grades. Although the men and women were separated, Cynthia had happened to cross paths with Priscilla in the steam.

That was when she’d seen the state of Priscilla’s skin. There were fresh blue bruises, nasty abrasions, and scars that looked like they would never fade. According to Cecil’s investigation, Priscilla had actually started out as Neil’s maid. Now, she was a slave—forced onto the front lines of dangerous combat zones as a "combat unit."

In Neil’s twisted worldview, she was just one of those "necessary sacrifices."

Watching Cynthia tremble with rage, a part of me remained unnervingly calm. I couldn’t find it in myself to hate Neil with the pure, righteous fury he deserved. Why? Because the garbage coming out of his mouth was almost identical to what the "old me" used to say—the version of me that had clashed with Allen.

God, I really was a piece of work, wasn't I? But even so, I refuse to be lumped in with a guy like him.

Cynthia told me she had tried to speak to Priscilla.

“She wouldn't give me a straight answer, but the wound on her cheek was fresh. It was clearly made by a sharp blade. I can... I can tell.”

Through her obsessive research into healing, Cynthia had developed a terrifyingly sharp Dark Eye. She could tell exactly how a wound was inflicted and the precise method needed to mend it.

“Could we ask Teacher Coco to treat her?” I asked.

“No. I offered to heal her on the spot, but she refused. She told me it was meaningless.”

“Meaningless? How?”

“When I touched her, I could see the traces of previous healing magic. Healing only works by accelerating the body’s natural self-recovery. Priscilla’s body has been wounded and healed so many times that it’s lost its responsiveness. The magic barely takes anymore. She’s covered in old, overlapping scars.”

“I see...”

“The other day, I saw Neil hitting her,” Cynthia continued, her voice trembling. “I cannot forgive this. Even if it’s just hypocrisy on my part, I want to save her. I don’t care what you think of me for it, Weiss.”

She threw the words at me as if she were peering directly into my conflicted heart. This was the true heroine of Noblesse Oblige for you—strong-willed and overflowing with a sense of justice, just like Allen. Unlike me, she didn't sit around calculating risks. If someone was suffering in front of her, she moved.

It was a quality I simply didn’t possess.

Weiss... am I actually just the worst?

Suddenly, a voice shattered my self-reflection.

“Weiss!”

Shari came charging toward us, her face pale. I had never seen her this panicked before. My stomach did a slow roll.

“What happened?”

“Lilith! She submitted a notice of voluntary withdrawal this morning!”

“...Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Just come on! Cynthia, you too!”

My brain stalled. We followed Shari out of the library, sprinting through the courtyard toward the Academy office. But halfway there, a familiar voice called out.

“Weiss.”

It was Neil. Priscilla stood at his side, as silent as a shadow. A cold chill ran down my spine.

“What do you want?” I spat.

“I’ve made up my mind. I want you as my subordinate.”

I wanted to ignore him and keep running, but the smug, greasy smirk on his face stopped me cold. I didn't give him an answer; I just tried to push past.

“At your core, you and I are the same,” he called after me. “Because of that, I’ve decided I don’t care what methods I have to use to get you. I’ll be waiting for a favorable reply.”

He wore a smile that made my skin crawl. I understood the reason for it seconds later. I saw Lilith walking down the hallway, her head bowed in sorrow. The moment she spotted us, her eyes went wide with shock, and she bolted.

“Lilith!”

Shari argued that we should prioritize the Academy office to stop the paperwork, so I left that to Cynthia and chased after Lilith. But she was fast. Too fast.

That bastard... what did he do to her?!

I funneled mana into my Dark Eye, locking onto Lilith’s signature, and sprinted at full power. I called her name again, but she only moved faster, leaping across the courtyard and heading toward City Area B.

That was the final straw. My patience snapped.

I used a One-Hit Kill to pin her down, followed immediately by an Unnatural wall to cut off her escape. Lilith slammed into the invisible barrier, nearly breaking her nose, and collapsed into a heap, sobbing.

I walked up to her, but her eyes were so swollen from crying she could barely look at me.

“I’m sorry... Lord Weiss...”

I had never seen her like this. Not once.

“What is the meaning of this? I heard you submitted a dropout notice.”

“If I stay... I’ll only cause trouble for you, Lord Weiss...”

Neil’s face flashed through my mind. I shook off the dark thoughts and pressed her.

“What did Neil do to you?”

“...I can’t say.”

“Just tell me!”

“I can’t!”

“Lilith, even my patience has a limit!”

“............”

She went stone-silent. She wouldn't move, wouldn't look at me, and no matter how much I yelled, she wouldn't speak another word. Eventually, feeling like I was the one abandoning her, I turned away.

“...Fine. Have it your way.”

A short distance away, I spotted Cynthia and Shari heading toward me.

“Weiss, Lilith is—”

“What’s the status on the office side?” I interrupted, looking at Cynthia.

“The request for voluntary withdrawal is real. However, it hasn’t been processed yet. The Headmaster is away on an expedition and won't return for a week. If she doesn’t withdraw the notice by the time he gets back, her expulsion will be official.”

“...Dammit.”

“Weiss, what is going on?” Shari asked, looking between us. “What happened? What did Lilith say?”

“...Nothing. She said absolutely nothing.”

“But why? This makes no sense!”

“Cynthia, look after Lilith for me,” I said.

“I will.”

“Shari, sorry for the trouble. I’ll make this up to you.”

I turned to leave.

“Where are you going, Weiss?!”

“To see a piece of trash.”

---

I marched back to the courtyard. There he was, sitting on a bench with a look of supreme elegance, as if he hadn't just ruined someone’s life. My blood felt like it was literally boiling in my veins.

“Did you receive my message?” he asked.

That was it. The final thread of my restraint snapped. Before I knew it, my Dual Sword was in my hand. Driven by pure, unadulterated emotion, I swung the blade down at his head.

But someone caught it.

“Get out of the way, Priscilla! Do you want to die?!”

“If you intend to harm Lord Neil, you must go through me,” she said, her voice a hollow shell.

I had been a fool to think, even for a second, that Neil was anything less than pure evil. He had done something to Lilith.

Neil spoke from behind his human shield. “Do you know the old saying? ‘To shoot the general, first shoot the horse.’ I’ve researched you, Weiss. I’ve looked into everything. I realized that you were the biggest obstacle in my path. I may look down on people, but I never undervalue talent. Weiss Fancent, I am certain that with you at my side, my dream will become a reality.”

“Shut up! I don’t give a damn about your dreams! What did you do to Lilith?!”

“I didn't do anything to her. Not technically.”

I activated my Magic Eye and slashed again, but Priscilla blocked me once more. A sword swung in blind rage loses its edge—Teacher Milk’s lessons echoed in my head, but I couldn't calm down.

And for some reason, my Magic Eye wasn't working. No, that wasn't it. I couldn't read Priscilla’s thoughts. I couldn't see her next move.

“It will not work on me,” she stated.

How? Magic? No... she was closing off her consciousness entirely. My Magic Eye doesn't actually see the future; it senses mana flow and combines it with the power of darkness to predict movement. But Priscilla was intentionally shutting her mind down. She was a living corpse.

Wait... the Slave Crest. She wasn't moving by her own will. That was why I couldn't read her.

“Weiss Fancent. In the past, you were known as The Degenerate Noble. Your past deeds, your treatment of slaves—it was all quite gruesome. And Lilith Scarlet... I knew she had a colorful history, but the reality was beyond my wildest imagination.”

Neil smiled, looking genuinely delighted. That was it. He was blackmailing her.

But that was impossible. Because—

“You idiot. That won't work. There’s no proof of—”

“I know,” Neil interrupted. “I know you erased every single trace. Honestly, I was impressed. How much money did you spend? How many favors did you call in? There are only vague rumors left. No matter how deep I dug or how many connections I used, I couldn't find a single shred of physical evidence. Especially regarding Lilith Scarlet—she’s a legend in the underworld, and yet there isn't a single smoking gun. I’ve never been so frustrated.”

Since I’d arrived in this world, I had been obsessed with covering my tracks. I knew the students at Noblesse weren't idiots. I had anticipated that someone would eventually try to dig up dirt. With the help of Zebis and my father, I had spent a fortune and a massive amount of effort to scrub our histories clean.

“But rumors and the human heart are two different things,” Neil continued. “Lilith Scarlet places absolute trust in you. She knows that even if there’s only a one-percent chance of an oversight, your position would be compromised. You could be disgraced. You could be expelled. It was a gamble on my part, but she loves and respects you far too much. She’s kind—too kind, really. It was that kindness that allowed me to win this little game of chicken.”

“...You’re a moron. If you just admitted you have no evidence, there’s no way Lilith would actually be expelled.”

“That’s not true. I know how people like her work. Killers are always haunted by remorse. She could endure any amount of pain if it were for her own sake—she’d probably lose her limbs or give her life for you without a second thought. She’s a magnificent maid. Truly respectable. But because it’s for your sake, she becomes paralyzed by even the slightest doubt. No matter how many times you tell her it’s fine, she won't believe it.”

He was right. There was no evidence, but Lilith was so terrified of being the cause of my downfall that she had cracked.

This was the absolute evil of Noblesse Magic Academy. Cowardly, cunning, and willing to use any means necessary: Neil Albert.

“But don’t worry, this isn't my end goal. Even if Lilith drops out, that doesn’t get me you. So, I have a proposal.”

“...What is it?”

“During the next joint exam, if you can beat Priscilla and me, I’ll drop the matter. But if we win, you enter my service. You’re confident, aren't you? Surely you believe you can win.”

He watched me with eyes that seemed to see through everything. I knew there was no guarantee he’d keep his word. He was exactly the type to move the goalposts the moment he lost. This "match" was likely just a formality for a victory he’d already rigged.

“My, that sounds like a proposal I’d like to join.”

I spun around. Eva Avery was sitting on the opposite bench, looking as elegant and unbothered as ever.

“Eva... what are you doing?”

“Neil, I’ve decided to accept that invitation you gave me before. On the condition that you can actually defeat Weiss-kun.”

Neil barked a laugh. “Hah! And what’s the catch?”

“In exchange, if you lose, you will honor your word. If you try to back out for any reason... I will personally see to it that House Albert is crushed.”

She said it so flatly that anyone who knew her realized it wasn't a threat—it was a statement of fact. Neil’s smile faltered. He had clearly intended to win regardless of the outcome, but Eva had just spiked his escape route.

“...Fine. But Eva, if we win, you’re really coming over to my side?”

“I don’t lie. And of course, I’ll help you drag Weiss-kun along by force. Right, Weiss?”

Eva looked at me. It was a golden opportunity, but I knew her well enough to know she wasn't doing this out of the goodness of her heart. She had set the stage; now she was telling me to finish it.

Well, fine by me. I was going to get Lilith back with my own two hands anyway.

“I don’t mind,” I said, my voice cold. “There’s no way in hell I’m losing to a piece of trash like him.”

In the Original Story, Neil and Priscilla were monsters. Allen had clashed with them, but he’d never actually surpassed them in pure combat. He’d only won by exposing their crimes and using his political connections to force a desperate victory. In terms of a straight-up fight, Allen had never beaten them.

But I would. I’d just have to do what I always did: break the script.

Neil did one more thing to push me over the edge. Without a word or a hint of provocation, he backhanded Priscilla across the face with enough force to send her spinning. She spat blood onto the pavement, but her expression didn't even flicker.

“This is what happens to losers,” Neil said. “Remember that, Weiss Fancent.”

A cold, dark fury bubbled up from the pit of my stomach—a rage unlike anything I had ever felt.

I realized something then. A while ago, I’d told myself that if Lilith dropped out, maybe it was for the best. If it helped me avoid my "ruin," or if she just wasn't cut out for this life, I could accept it.

But I was wrong.

Lilith was irreplaceable. Avoiding ruin didn't mean a damn thing if she wasn't there to be happy with me.

Neil Albert. You’ve officially pissed me off. I’m going to make sure you regret ever breathing the same air as her.