I Reincarnated as a Cringeworthy Villainous Noble, but Got Obsessed With Magic

Episode 13: Travel companions are fine, but don’t make me your travel companion.

 

“Today is finally the day of enrollment. It’s quite a momentous occasion, isn’t it?”

 

The seasons have passed, and it’s been half a year since I was defeated by Nova. Spring has arrived, and it’s finally time for the enrollment ceremony. While it might have felt long, the time I spent honing my skills was relatively short, and if I were to be greedy, I would have wanted a bit more preparation time.

 

However, I believe that the year I spent inhabiting Xenon-kun has been a very valuable time.

 

Despite being a villain, I do feel a bit guilty about doing something bad. There were circumstances beyond Xenon-kun’s control as well… Well, his character was already pretty rotten, so I can’t really give him much credit.

 

Now, let’s refocus and talk about the enrollment ceremony.

 

My father will be coming to the ceremony.

 

In fact, he has to come; otherwise, our status as nobility would be ridiculed.

 

While the Royal Academy promotes equality among all students, there is still an atmosphere of aristocracy within its walls.

 

There are several students who flaunt their noble status behind the teachers’ backs, so it’s safe to say that aristocratic values are deeply rooted here.

 

By the way, the original Xenon-kun was one of those who flaunted their status.

 

So, it’s natural for him to get involved with the protagonist, who comes from a commoner background.

 

In the original story, the protagonist is ridiculed for being a commoner but eventually gains acceptance through their actions. However, my protagonist is stuck in a never-ending loop of being a pathetic, insignificant character throughout the story.

 

I’m surprised I watched it all the way to the end, too.

 

It was oddly popular, though…

 

There’s no saving anyone in that world.

 

Unfortunately, my enrollment timing is different from the original story.

 

Naturally, I’ll have fewer opportunities to interact with others. On that note, I can’t help but feel grateful to Nova for that.

 

“Young master, the carriage is ready. Please board.”

 

“Ah, I’m coming.”

 

The elderly butler, who has served the Lestinata family for many years, called out to me. It’s about a four-hour carriage ride from the house to the academy.

 

Originally, this town is quite close to the capital.

 

Some students even take several weeks to reach the academy.

 

Conveniently, the protagonist hails from a village near the capital. I haven’t been to the capital since I took over his body.

 

I’m also excited about this new beginning in this unfamiliar place.

 

…Riding in this uncomfortable carriage for a long time is unpleasant. They’ve supposedly tuned it for nobility, but it’s still quite bumpy. Is there no way to improve this?

 

I let out a sigh of frustration as I board the carriage, enduring the tedious journey. The exterior is adorned with conspicuous golden decorations, and there are hints of gold throughout the interior. The seats are made from the luxurious materials of some high-class magical beast, but they’re bright red.

 

Honestly, riding in such a carriage is embarrassing. But as a noble, I have to symbolize our family’s wealth. The Lestinata family is well-known, after all, and I can’t afford to be underestimated.

 

“Very well, we shall depart.”

 

“Ah, I’m counting on you to take me to the academy.”

 

“Of course, sir.”

 

The coachman is also the elderly butler.

 

He’s an incredibly capable butler who can maintain the carriage and even drive it. Oh, by the way, Celestia and Ray are staying behind. They judged that I don’t need a bodyguard, and considering the time gap between the enrollment ceremony and actual enrollment, Celestia isn’t going with me yet.

 

Celestia was quite comical and amusing when she found out she was being left behind. I hope she’ll behave a bit more mature, but… it’s definitely impossible. Absolutely.

 

“I’ll take a little nap.”

 

The journey is long until we arrive.

 

I closed my eyes in the rattling carriage.

 

☆☆☆

 

“Hn.”

 

Seems like I managed to get some sleep, albeit briefly. However, the position of the sun hasn’t changed much. I probably slept for about two hours. Well, it’s better than barely waking up in time and attending the enrollment ceremony half-asleep.

 

I yawned and, while looking out of the carriage window at the scenery along the road, I noticed a boy running in a hurry, just as frantic as me.

 

“Hmm? That uniform…”

 

I squinted my eyes, and the boy was wearing the Royal Academy’s uniform. Could it be the enrollment ceremony? Even if he ran his hardest from here, it would take more than ten hours… Is he using some kind of magic? The boy’s pace is abnormally fast, but he still can’t beat a carriage. He probably won’t make it to the enrollment ceremony in time.

 

And most likely, he’s from a commoner background. He’ll definitely receive cold glares even if he makes it to the ceremony late.

 

“Sigh… There’s no helping it, I guess. Lucas! Stop the carriage!”

 

“Yes? Understood.”

 

Leaning out of the window, I called out to the elderly butler.

 

The elderly butler, Lucas, stopped the carriage as I instructed.

 

I moved a little ahead of the boy and got off the carriage, waiting for him.

 

“Ha… Ha… Ha… This is bad… This is really bad… I won’t make it! Being late for the enrollment ceremony is bad, right? Especially for a commoner like me, they’ll look at me with cold eyes… Well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.”

 

…I thought I heard some strange words, but it must have been my imagination.

 

Anyway, this boy, he seems somewhat familiar… Oh well, never mind that.

 

“Hey, you there, stop.”

 

“Huh? What? I’m in a hurry—Oh, noble-sama!? Sorry! Sorry for being cheeky!”

 

The boy, who had been running intently, stopped when I called out to him, and he began apologizing profusely, bowing repeatedly. Upon closer inspection, this young man had blond hair, blue eyes, and an aura of fragility about him. In simpler terms, he seemed like the kind of guy who might attract older people.

 

“Calm down. Judging by that uniform, you’re an incoming student at the Royal Academy too, right?”

 

“Yes, I am, but… Well, I feel like my life is ruined because I might be late.”

 

“There’s a saying that goes, “One needs traveling companions in a journey, and the world needs compassion in people’s hearts.” We’ll be spending our time at the same academy from now on. It wouldn’t be right for classmates to be late. You should ride with me in my carriage.”

 

“Uh…”

 

My words left the boy flabbergasted.

 

Oops, maybe I overdid it. He doesn’t seem accustomed to nobility. Well, in reality, he’s probably around my age, and he’s likely one of the beneficiaries of the early enrollment system that witch chose. It would be a shame if one of the few students my age ended up being late.

 

I can’t really call it a noble act. It’s just my old habits from my humble background, quietly expressing that missing a chance to be friend with someone of the same age would be painful even after possessing Xenon.

 

“Hey.”

 

I called out to the frozen boy, and he suddenly sparkled with hope.

 

“Is it okay?! I thought my life was over! The villagers from my countryside have pooled together money for my tuition and all! If I’m late and get expelled, they’ll kill me!”

 

“I get it, I get it! Calm down. We don’t have all that much time to spare. Get in the carriage.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Though he seems quite pitiful, well, if there are circumstances like that, it’s not unreasonable for him to complain. …But still, there’s a strange sense of déjà vu.

 

It really feels like I’ve seen him somewhere before.

 

“Oh, my name is Yuno!”

 

…Wait a minute, isn’t this guy the main character?