The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 2 - Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32 

The Ex–Demon Lord and the Excellency Award 

To get us through the situation, I relied on the knowledge passed to me from my former subordinates. There was a handful of them who had claimed to come from another world, and they saved our butts in this situation. For that, I was grateful.

…Those from another world were from a country called “Ja-pan.”

Weren’t there other countries in their world? To make things stranger, they spoke only of the knowledge of their own nation and never mentioned any others. I didn’t have much interest in other worlds at the time, which is why I didn’t bother asking, but…

Now looking back on it, I thought it odd. If I ever have a chance to meet someone from there, I might just ask them more about their world.

That, however, was for another time.

After we’d managed to turn the destruction at the hands of Class A into an advantage, we approached the end of the sixth day of the school festival. Our booths were to be dismantled on this day. In a sense, you could say the festival was over.

When that was done, a school-wide announcement ordered all students to wait on standby. From this point on, each of the booth’s sales would be calculated to determine the top-scoring class…the recipient of the Excellency Award.

It was apparently time for results to be tallied. Another announcement directed us to gather in the assembly hall, and we set off with our hopes and fears.

The mass of students were cramped up inside, waiting in anticipation for our headmaster, Count Golde, to speak onstage. There was a satisfied smile on his wrinkled face.

“Congratulations for making it through. For the past six days, I’m sure that you’ve all experienced an array of hardships that will become assets in your future. I hope you will not forget what this festival and the preparations leading up to it have cultivated,” he blabbed, going through the motions of delivering the usual preamble as an instructor.

“Well! Without further ado, let us reveal the class to receive the Excellency Award! There isn’t anything tangible that you win! But your name will be carved into our school’s history to be passed down into antiquity!”

There was no actual prize, but rather an award of honor. There are times and circumstances where that’s better. With the prestige to back up this school, it had promise to offer a higher standing once we moved into society.

And the class to receive that honor was—

“Year 1, Class C! The latest to strike a new record for the most sales in school history and the winners of this year’s Excellency Award!”

Our classmates broke into an excited frenzy.

“All riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!” 

“Hmph. We gave everything we had. Of course.”

“Twists and turns along the way, but…Sylphy’s idea was our ace in the hole!”

Sylphy scratched her cheek in embarrassment as everyone directed their beams at her. She had been the target of criticism only a short while ago, but now she was being extoled as the class hero. I had made sure our saving throw was Sylphy’s suggestion. As a result, she was the one who rescued everyone in their darkest hour…and protected this school—the place where she now belonged.

That had meant being the man behind the curtain, but I didn’t regret it in the least. Instead, my heart was filled with relief.

…Geez. A pain until the very end. 

“Well, that about concludes our assembly. The school festival is essentially over…but we still have the Sword King Battle Tournament tomorrow. Please enjoy the festivities until the very end.”

And with this, the students exited the assembly hall.

It was here that, with Sylphy and her followers in tow, Ireena headed toward them—Class A.

“We’re the winners! Well, go on and grovel like you promised!”

“Ngh…!” The students of Class A gritted through their teeth at Ireena.

Before I knew what was going on, the rest of our classmates had surrounded the group, shooting looks that could kill. It was clear they held a grudge about their sabotage, eager for a chance to relieve them from their anger.

At the same time, the students of Class A directed all responsibility to their representative—the class leader and his followers. Everyone else excused themselves, insisting that they had nothing to do with it and quickly scampering off. Now alone and helpless, the core group glowered at Ireena and our class for a moment before breaking out into defiant smiles.

“I don’t remember making that promise,” he sneered, lying through his teeth without remorse.

Well, it was just about as much as Ireena and everyone else had anticipated, but it didn’t mean they’d accept it.

“What?! You think we’ll just let you get away that easily?!”

“Ireena’s right! On your knees, now!”

“You cheaters tried to totally sabotage us!”

Even under the deluge of booing, the class leader and his followers shrugged with indifference. “I don’t see why you’re all getting so upset. Sabotage? What slander. We would never play dirty. Unless…you have evidence? To prove us guilty of any wrongdoing, that is.”

We could only fall silent. They had moved cleverly without leaving a single shred of evidence to get them. I had to hand it to them. That was pretty amazing.

“Well. If you’ll excuse us, I believe we’re done here.”

They turned away to leave, but before they could get away from the scene…

A woman approached us. The headmaster’s private secretary.

“You’re free to go, but if you leave, you’ll be expelled from the academy,” she called out, glasses glinting against the light.

The group swiveled in shock to face her.

“E-expelled?! What do you mean?!”

“Exactly that. You cannot possibly say you have no clue? You’ve broken the school rules. I know you were all warned not to abuse your family connections, which you did with no remorse.”

“Y-you can’t prove that—”

“As for proof, we have plenty. Did you think children could pull the wool over the eyes of adults? …And even if we had no evidence, you still would have no choice but to obey us. I know you understand who is on higher ground, don’t you?”

Her smile rich with sadism made the boys of Class A break into a cold sweat.

“I mean, of course, we know about the discord between the two classes. Upon reporting this incident of unfairness to the headmaster…he was hooting and hollering at your ability to score the second-highest sales in academy history—even if you did cheat. We’ll overlook everything if you prostrate yourselves before Class C. Otherwise, you will be removed from the academy. That is our verdict.”

With cold eyes, the secretary presented them with their options: “Grovel or have your personal records stained. The choice is yours.”

“N-ngh…!” Starting with the class leader, each member of the group gave a look of anguish.

“Dammiiiiiiit! ” roared their leader, falling to his knees…and pressing his hands and forehead against the floor.

Following suit, his coconspirators fell into place, crawling on the ground in apology for torturing us with their foul methods.

Witnessing this scene seemed to satisfy my classmates.

“Heh! Serves you right!”

“Hee-hee-hee…! The eldest son of a count groveling…! I’ll never forget this for as long as I live…!”

“Ho-ho-ho-ho! I’ll be sleeping good tonight!”

At the spectacle before them, commoner and noble alike chuckled. I guess these boys from Class A deserved our gratitude for bringing them all together.

“…Just you wait, Ard Meteor…!”

For some reason, the class leader turned his full animosity on me. I couldn’t keep track of each and every person who hated me, which is why I decided to pay it no mind.

And thus, our dispute drew to a close.

Afterward, Ireena, Sylphy, Ginny, and I returned home to the dorms, and as had been decided beforehand, we threw a little after-party. We all gathered around the table, each with a glass of wine in hand.

“Well, let’s toast to celebrate our victory… Cheers.”

“““Cheers!”””

At my toast, everyone clinked glasses in a satisfying clank and downed their drink in a single gulp. Wow, post-victory wine was delicious. Afterward, we chatted as we all snacked to our hearts’ content, opened up a new bottle, and did whatever we pleased—which apparently was to praise me.

“Ah… We would have lost if it wasn’t for you.”

“True! That’s my Ard for you! A class hero!”

“I’m delighted by your adulations. But…this victory wasn’t my doing. We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s participation. It’s about a month in coming, but I would like to thank you three for all your efforts.” I offered my appreciation with a smile.

Sylphy looked straight at me and spoke up, her face flushed pink. “H-hey, Ard. I misunderstood you. I thought you were the reincarnation of the Demon Lord…but I guess I was wrong. After all, you’re really kind, really dependable…a-and cool!”

…Sylphy. You’re saying the Demon Lord was unkind, undependable, and uncool? I’m going to clock you if you don’t watch it. 

I wasn’t happy to receive this compliment at all.

As for Sylphy, she didn’t seem to have the faintest clue about my feelings as her face turned redder. “I really caused you a lot of trouble this time around. I’m always making the situation worse…but you back me up without complaint.”

“As classmates, that’s only natural. It’s nothing to be worked up over, Sylphy.”

If this were the past, I would have said something like Damn idiot, you’re such a pain in the ass and given her a good whooping. But if I did that now, I would admit that I was the Demon Lord, so I decided to stiffly endure it and act with graciousness.

Her eyes cast downward as she hung her head in apology. “I took away your achievements at the end… I’m really sorry. But…thanks to you, I’ve avoided losing something precious.”

As she continued to blush, her lips trembled as she took a deep breath.

“Th-thank you, Ard Meteor!” she shouted bashfully before turning her head away as if unable to look at me anymore. “I-I’m going to the bathroom!”

She sprinted out of the room.

“…Oh, she’s got it bad. Well, I suppose I don’t see any problem with that,” Ginny murmured as she eyed the door.

“Got it bad? What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Ireena.

“Exactly what you think it does. Miss Sylphy is in love with Ard.”

“Wha—?!” Ireena bumbled, lips pursed and eyes wide.

…In love with me?

No. Please don’t. I don’t even want to imagine it. 

“Hmm. I can’t say I particularly like Miss Sylphy…but she might do well in the harem. She has a little-sister quality about her. And that’s exactly the type of girl that’s missing from the girls that I’ve scouted,” Ginny mumbled to herself, then looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“I’m certain she will confess soon! To prepare, you should think about how to answer!”

“Ah, no… Ha-ha… Give me a break…”

I’d never laughed with so much pain in my life.

“…I’m back.”

Having finished her business, Sylphy returned to the room.

“W-w-w-w-welcome back! Wow, that was fast!”

“…Yeah.”

As if bothered by her conversation with Ginny, Ireena had begun acting strangely.

Well, speaking of strange… There was something off about Sylphy, too. Or maybe I was also being led astray by this conversation.

Hmm. I can feel Sylphy stealing glances my way…

…If it turned out she really was in love with me, I wouldn’t be able to answer those feelings. I just didn’t have it in me.

And when she confesses? If that moment did come, it would be the time to tell all. To confess my sins and reveal how unqualified I was to receive her affections.

…I couldn’t help but wish that it would never come.

I was just like Elrado, who couldn’t face Ginny.

I wanted to avert my eyes from this matter alone.