310 Mysterious

An exam wasn't the same as a real-life fight.

It was a lesson I’d had hammered into me more times than I could count, and I’d finally come to understand it. Every challenge demanded a certain level of mental flexibility. I was sure Cecil understood that much at least.

People liked to say that defeat and failure were the building blocks of growth, but that was just empty sentiment unless the person in question was actually conscious of it. You had to look forward and actually put in the effort, or it was all just talk.

But Cecil had been putting in the work—both in the moments I’d witnessed and those I hadn’t. Even though she'd only lost once, that single defeat must have been a massive deal for her.

"Don't worry, Fansent," she said. "I've got a secret trump card of my own."

"Is it... a Gift?"

"Hehe, that's a secret."

"What? Come on, tell me."

"No way. I'm not going to just do everything you say all the time. Besides, a little mystery is a good thing, don't you think?"

With a quiet smile, Cecil turned away to go talk to Tura and the others.

Hmph. I guess she had a point. Knowing every little spoiler ahead of time takes the fun out of things. Besides, it wasn't like I didn't have a few tricks of my own left up my sleeve.

"—Haah, haah."

"Hey, Luna."

"Y-Yes?!"

I called out to Luna, who was currently lurking in the shadows. Her hair was as messy and unrefined as ever. I caught Cynthia’s eye, and she offered a small smile and a nod of permission. I’d actually cleared this with her in advance, mostly because the girl’s hair was definitely going to get in the way.

"Put this on."

"Eh? Th-This... wait, is this for me?"

"It’s a hairclip. I’ve coated it in mana. I’d hate for your combat performance to slip just because your bangs were blocking your vision."

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【Afterword】

Sorry for the short chapter... ( ;∀;)

I want to keep the word count as high as possible during the exam arc, so I’m currently debating whether to keep up the daily updates or switch to every other day to give you more content per post!

I Reincarnated as a Lazy and Evil Noble, and After I Destroyed the Scenario, I Became the Strongest with Extraordinary Magic Power

Release Date: March 29, 2024 (Tuesday) (Planned for both print and digital)

【Amazon Link & Illustrations】 https://twitter.com/Kikuchikaisei/status/1755186344601804896