The Loathsome Scapegoat C3

Chapter 3

Hypocrisy.

Who could possibly deny that this was hypocrisy?

To interfere in matters that had nothing to do with you out of some vague sense of justice—or, worse, shallow pity.

Justice carried out without even the briefest moment of reflection, without asking “Will this actually help?” was nothing more than violence.

A sin.

And this fool, who had committed that sin over and over again, was still adding to his own karma even today.

Returning to the past brought him no joy.

The shock of waking up ten years earlier had faded after only a few days.

Even the faint relief of living again with a clear mind hadn’t lasted.

The man standing before him wore the same gentle smile.

Not a trace of anger crossed his face despite Terren’s barbed words.

Terren squeezed his eyes shut against the pounding in his head before opening them again.

His second life was already a failure.

The moment he looked at that damned Delua, rage still surged through him.

Will anything really change like this?

His reason insisted otherwise.

But instinctive revulsion couldn’t be overcome so easily.

“Stop with the pathetic act.”

Terren spoke quietly.

He was talking recklessly.

And yet…

He was exercising every ounce of restraint he had.

A shabby boy unable to use dark magic, with nothing more than a dagger hidden beneath his clothes, stood reflected in the blue eyes of the blond student.

“Terren, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Eyes filled with pity.

Terren Meyer barely suppressed the urge to vomit.

It had been a long time since he’d felt this burning fury—

This overwhelming impulse to kill the man standing before him.

“Your Highness, it seems your brain isn’t even useful as decoration.”

A mocking smile curled across Terren’s lips.

“I believed that, no matter how foolish you were, you’d at least understand the Deluan language I was speaking.”

“…How rude.”

Leopold’s brows knitted together ever so slightly.

Brushing a hand through his neatly styled blond hair, he met Terren’s gaze.

“I understand why you’re upset. I also know how difficult your circumstances have been.”

That lofty attitude.

As though the entire world existed beneath him.

Back then…

What had Terren said in situations like this during his previous life?

The sixteen-year-old Terren had been emotional.

He doubted his reaction had been much different.

If anything…

He had probably been even more unreasonable.

Even so, the Terren of his previous life had never once managed to wound Leopold.

To Leopold…

Terren Meyer had simply been a pitiful commoner worthy of sympathy.

“That still doesn’t justify your disrespect.”

Terren had to endure it.

If he wanted to save the Kingdom of Delua…

If he wanted to save Prince Delua…

He had to stop.

He had to accept Leopold’s goodwill.

Before his lord truly began weaving his conspiracy, he needed to warn Leopold.

The most valuable thing Terren Meyer possessed was his mind.

He had spent every waking moment over the past several days thinking.

And this…

This was the conclusion he’d reached.

No.

That wasn’t true.

There wasn’t a single way to save that horrible Delua.

None.

Absolutely none.

And yet…

This was the only plan Terren could think of.

…Was it really the only one?

Delua…

Was rotten.

Corrupt beyond repair.

The students strolling across luxurious silk carpets would never notice.

The tragic fate awaiting Leopold Delua existed for one reason alone.

Because he was the prince of this kingdom.

Dark magic already existed.

And it was powerful.

Powerful enough to defeat anyone.

Terren swallowed a curse.

Without bothering to hide the laughter escaping him, he sneered.

“Honestly…

Your Highness is nothing more than a fool.”

“…I don’t think there’s any point continuing this conversation.”

“Terren.”

“When the day comes that you understand what I’ve said, I hope you’ll apologize.”

“I’ll offer you one warning.”

“Your narrow vision, your arrogance, and that ridiculous superiority complex you cling to so dearly…”

“They’re going to bring disaster upon you.”

The smile disappeared from Leopold’s face.

In its place stood nothing but the First Prince of the Kingdom of Delua.

Cold.

Dignified.

His icy eyes narrowed.

“I’m warning you.”

“That’s enough.”

“If you say another word…”

“I won’t protect you anymore.”

A strange exhilaration welled up inside Terren.

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen that expression.

He was certain of it.

A fleeting memory pierced his mind like an icy needle before vanishing again.

Back then…

Terren Meyer had been far more foolish.

Leopold had been a saint who forgave ignorant commoners with endless generosity.

Perhaps Leopold hadn’t truly become angry with Terren until after the war began.

To think…

He had managed to provoke that anger three years earlier.

His head burned.

A small, rational voice desperately told him to stop.

But he couldn’t.

He hated Leopold.

He had hated him his entire life.

And among every version of Leopold…

The arrogant sixteen-year-old prince was the worst.

Terren bit down so hard on his gums that blood filled his mouth.

“Protect me?”

“What exactly does your protection amount to?”

“Picking fights with professors out of childish defiance?”

“Gathering your followers and talking about the poor commoner until you only make my situation worse?”

To be fair…

The only reason Terren could still stand here unharmed was because of the Crown Prince’s generosity.

After all…

In the Kingdom of Delua, nobles didn’t even consider commoners to be human.

To them…

A lowborn pest with filthy blood, a stinking body, and intelligence beneath that of a monkey was wandering freely through the Royal Academy.

“Your Highness…”

“What exactly do you want?”

“Is the sense of moral superiority you gain from your hypocrisy your only goal?”

“If my words still sound like nothing more than the buzzing of an insect to you…”

The prince was kind.

If he weren’t…

Terren never would have wanted to save him.

The man he found most revolting in the world was, paradoxically, righteous.

Perhaps it wasn’t even a contradiction.

Because that disgust stemmed from Leopold’s very sense of justice.

“You deserve to die.”

“You disgusting Leopold.”

Leopold silently studied him.

Beneath his composed exterior, Terren could clearly see the confusion and anger he was struggling to suppress.

Things were steadily spiraling out of control.

But strangely…

That alone made Terren feel satisfied.

“Terren.”

Leopold’s blue eyes gleamed.

He took one step forward.

“…Do you mean that?”

Terren slowly pulled the corner of his mouth into a sneer.

“Or do you think I don’t, Your Highness?”

At that moment…

Terren came up with a new way to save Leopold.

There was no longer any reason—

Nor any justification—

For standing on Leopold’s side.

It was a stroke of brilliance born entirely from his inability to endure Delua any longer.

Terren’s days continued exactly as before.

He attended classes alone.

Ate meals alone.

When lessons ended, he locked himself away in either the library or his dormitory to read books and finish assignments.

Just as always…

The professors refused to acknowledge his excellent grades.

And every student who crossed paths with him left behind another insult.

Terren’s roommate—

Student Council Vice President Lloyd van Acker.

A close friend of Leopold’s.

A pitiful soul forced by the First Prince himself to share a room with Terren.

And, as always…

He hated Terren Meyer with every fiber of his being.

The Terren of his previous life had only been sixteen.

No matter how shameless he was, he still knew how to read the room.

He had avoided Lloyd whenever possible.

He hid in the library until late at night before quietly slipping back into the dormitory, making barely a sound as he climbed into bed.

It had been ridiculous.

In truth…

The ever-generous Leopold Delua could have solved all of these problems effortlessly.

Books were piled high across the desk in Terren’s dorm room.

Within that tiny one-person space, he spun his quill between his fingers while copying complicated magical formulas.

Advanced Magic Studies.

Collection of Magical Formulae.

Principles of Magic.

Books covering advanced subjects that ordinary students would likely never study.

In his previous life, Terren had been an exceptional dark mage.

After the war, he had also become a highly capable administrator.

But more than either of those…

Terren had been Delua’s greatest magical researcher.

The reason he’d managed to begin learning dark magic at sixteen…

Was because he had always possessed a deep fascination with magic as an academic discipline.

The essence of magic was mana.

An invisible force capable of producing supernatural power.

The study of controlling that force was known as magic.

Dark magic, meanwhile, manipulated mana through bloodshed and murderous intent to unleash overwhelming, asymmetric power.

To obtain great power…

One had to learn dark magic.

Terren agreed with that conclusion.

Even so…

This was still a peaceful time.

For now, he wanted to learn as much as he could about modifying and applying ordinary magic.

The scratching of his quill filled the dorm room.

At some point, Lloyd returned.

Fortunately, he immediately climbed into bed and buried himself beneath his blanket.

Some time later…

A solid object suddenly flew toward Terren’s face.

Startled, he ducked.

A wooden practice sword.

Lloyd growled,

“Will you quit that damned scratching already?”

Terren picked up the practice sword and tossed it back onto Lloyd’s bed.

In the past, Lloyd would’ve frozen in disbelief at such insolence.

“How dare he.”

That typical noble arrogance was gone.

He’d simply gotten used to it.

“If you don’t like it, leave.”

“You really resort to swinging a sword before using words?”

“So this is the intelligence expected of a young noble.”

Lloyd sprang to his feet.

Without hesitation, he swung the wooden sword into Terren’s head.

Terren failed to dodge.

The blow split his scalp open, and blood trickled down his face.

Even then…

Terren only smirked.

“Go ahead and kill me, Young Lord.”

“Do you really think your righteous friend will just stand by and watch?”