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

Chapter 24: Arrogance and Its Irritation

Surprisingly, living with my older brother was quite easy. We hardly interfered with each other. Although my older brother seemed like he wanted to meddle, he probably sensed my tendency to be reserved, so he rarely initiated conversations beyond necessary matters.

When I did initiate a conversation to not seem rude, he would respond with such joy. My older brother was originally portrayed as a good-natured character, but I wondered if he had ever paid this much attention to me. This was another difference from the original.

Speaking of differences from the original, there was also this silver-haired girl, Patricia Ermynard. She had such a strong and unique character that it wouldn’t be strange for her to be a named character, but in both the original anime and the official guidebook, Patricia’s name was never mentioned.

“What’s up? Something on your mind?”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

“What’s wrong? You want to hear what I’m talking about?”

“What were you talking about?”

“It’s just something that’s been going trendy around town.”

“Just drop it, please.”

“Alright.”

While I continued to engage with Patricia, who repeated her strange actions while maintaining her expressionless demeanor, I contemplated. I wanted to think of this as a similar parallel world to the original, but my knowledge from the original world, which should have been helpful, was ironically hindering my actions.

“What are you guys talking about?”

“I was trying to pick him up.”

“Seriously!? I want to do it too!!!”

“But he just gave uninterested replies. It was boring.”

As we conversed, Yuno joined us, and the surroundings became notably more chaotic. In general, the three of us tended to stick together. Perhaps because we stood out too much on the first day or because we revealed our early enrollment status (Yuno and Patricia casually revealed too) we were being observed from a distance. I didn’t mind, but that was only my perspective.

I don’t particularly have any complaints, but that’s just about me.

Yuno and Patricia, who missed the chance to make friends, are different. It’s like sacrificing their future for my sake.

However, they both asked, ‘Do you want to be friends with those who make fun of your friend?’ This question almost made me blush, but I managed to conceal it since the original Xenon’s face was typically expressionless.

Two weeks had passed since that moment. While attending classes, we had been deepening our friendship. The first month after enrollment was a period where we decided what we wanted to study through orientations and trial lessons. Since it wasn’t official coursework, no credits were given during this time. It was similar to the course registration period at a university.

“I was listening, but I never thought of it as someone hitting on me.”

“Oh, come on! It sounded interesting!”

“I can’t imagine anyone bold enough to hit on me.”

“They exist!! Right here!!”

“Go look up the definition of ‘hitting on’ and then come back.”

I couldn’t help but smile at Yuno, who pretended to slump dramatically. If this was a Manzai (stand-up comedy), I played the straight man, then Yuno played the fool. And Patricia… also played the fool. The effort required for playing the straight man is no joke!!

Well, it’s going smoothly. Being a student wasn’t so bad, was it?

“Xenon, the class for magical pharmacology is about to start.”

“Oh, is it that time already? Let’s go, Yuno, Patricia.”

“Yes, boss!”
　
☆☆☆
In the class of Magical Pharmacology, I took note as a middle-aged man, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, stepped up to the podium.

“Thank you all for participating in this introductory class on Magical Pharmacology. I am Professor Calvin Nelmi, responsible for teaching this subject. Well, let’s skip the formalities. Let’s get right into the practical lesson. First, everyone should have their own workstation prepared, I assume.”

As he spoke, he gestured towards the small workstations, each equipped with glass bottles and three types of herbs.

“On your station, you will find the ingredients for creating a Minor Potion. Fear not; it’s quite easy as long as you have the magical power. There are instructions on your station as well. So, without further ado, let’s start! Take it easy, and you’ll be fine! Once you’ve made the potion, show it to me. I’ll provide feedback and some tips. This introductory class is meant to convey the joy of studying Magical Pharmacology. Please, take your time and enjoy.”

With that, Professor Calvin concluded his introduction with a warm smile.

“Hey, he seems like a nice guy!” Yuno exclaimed excitedly.

However, as Patricia and I exchanged a glance, I couldn’t help but think differently.

“He looks like a sly old fox,” I remarked.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Yuno asked.

“Look at those eyes glittering with ambition. He might be hiding it behind his expressions, but magical power doesn’t lie. He’s trying to find talented students early and recruit them,” I explained.

Magical Pharmacology had several subfields, each taught by a different professor. Calvin seemed to be eager to identify talented students quickly and make a good impression on them, which would elevate his status among the faculty.

It was all about internal hierarchy.

Patricia added further clarification, “It’s just a Minor Potion, but it’s not to be underestimated. The maker’s talent becomes evident in even the simplest Minor Potions. Yes, it’s easy to make, precisely why it’s easy to spot a talented alchemist through it.”

“Teachers like him might not be the majority, but it’s essential to develop the sense to read between the lines, Yuno.”

“Yes…”

“You’re too trusting. But you should learn to be more skeptical; otherwise, you might go down the wrong path.”

Yuno nodded firmly. His somewhat guilty expression indicated he was aware of it. I had been stern, but it was necessary. I couldn’t tolerate anyone deceiving my friends, so I hoped Yuno could navigate the world without needing my intervention.

“Now, let’s quickly finish making these potions and focus on magical training.”

Carefully, I packed the three types of herbs into the bottle: healing herb, mana herb, and flavor herb. Healing herb and mana herb had strong, distinctive tastes and couldn’t be consumed directly by humans. Mixing them with flavor herb would extract the flavors and create a potion. However, that was the basic process.

But I wanted to try something more.

While the mechanism wasn’t something I’d done before, I believed it was possible if the principles were similar. I cast magic on the herbs in the bottle.

“[Disassemble][Extract][Mix]”

I broke down the herbs into their components, extracted each component, and mixed them.

“[Construct]”

I created a small bottle and a filtering cloth, then filtered the mixed liquid.

“Done.”

The potion I made had a vibrant green color, which indicated the potency. I had thoroughly extracted the herb’s components, so the potion’s effects would be quite strong.

“I’ll go submit it.”

“You finished already!? That was fast!”

“It looks incredibly concentrated.”

Ignoring the feeling that I shouldn’t be hearing some of those comments, I proceeded to hand over the potion to Professor Calvin.

“Hmm? Finished already? Show it to me,” Professor Calvin said, taking the potion and donning his glasses. His expression turned serious as he examined it.

“Did you really make this in a matter of minutes?” Professor Calvin asked.

“Yeah. There was no mention of ‘no magic allowed.’ I used three spells: [Disassemble], [Extract], and [Mix]. I also created another bottle and a filter cloth with [Construct] to complete the process.”

“Hmm… You’ve created a potion with an extraordinarily high purity. Well, you can go now. It seems you don’t need this introductory class.”

Professor Calvin decided that there was no need for further feedback and suggested that I leave. I, who had anticipated a more extended discussion, was somewhat taken aback.

“What’s the matter?” Professor Calvin asked, noticing my unease.

“It’s nothing,” I replied.

“Should I tell you what you’re thinking? My research lab isn’t suitable for you. I’m not looking for polished talents; I seek uncut gems. You shine too brightly. The impact of your brilliance on my research students is immeasurable.”

I felt exposed. My own arrogance and thoughtlessness had been transparent. I was ashamed of my reckless comments, realizing how ill-considered they had been.

At the same time, Professor Calvin added, “Also, this potion isn’t suitable for sale. Its purity and potency are dangerously high. It could be toxic if used carelessly. Next time, I’d like you to make a standard potion.”

I had learned a valuable lesson: I wouldn’t let arrogance get the better of me again. (´・ω・｀).

ーーーーー
Author Note:

It was the episode where Xenon tightened his focus and resolved to improve. (´・ω・｀)(´・ω・｀)(´・ω・｀)(´・ω・｀)(´・ω・｀)