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Chapter 29.
Steal the Trainees (1)
“Hmm, well, this is unexpected.”
Ruin looked at the people sitting in the lecture hall, his arms crossed.
“I thought the First Prince would come, but instead a special-admission student shows up. And just when I thought one more person had joined right before the lecture, it turns out it was the Princess?”
At Ruin’s stiff words, the Princess made a sulky face.
“Seems you don’t like it.”
Of course he didn’t like it.
“Setting aside the fact that His Highness the Prince didn’t come to class, why are you here, Your Highness?”
This wasn’t the kind of class you should be attending—what you needed was a healing studies course.
But at the anger-laced question, the Princess clicked her tongue and turned her head away.
‘I got baited.’
She had heard that the First Prince applied, so she came thinking there might be something to it.
She glanced sideways at the red-haired commoner boy who had come in his stead.
‘To think it wouldn’t be the First Prince, but a special-admission student.’
‘…That’s the look on your face. Are you an idiot?’
Ruin looked at the Princess as if dumbfounded.
“So then, setting aside Your Highness, Owen. Why did you come?”
Owen flinched. Ruin’s gaze was sharp. He was definitely one of the students who had been on the rooftop when Gasky was given a thorough lesson.
“Come to think of it, you were in the Goldmoon class for Demon Hunting Studies. Even though you’re a commoner.”
“…Th-that is.”
Ruin’s eyes grew fierce.
“Did you think that even if it was a class on the verge of cancellation, it wouldn’t be shut down if it had the First Prince’s name attached? That’s impersonation.”
At the word impersonation, Owen lifted his head in a panic.
“No! Actually… His Highness told me to attend this class!”
“Huh?”
What kind of nonsense was this?
But Owen bit his lip. Seeing that, Princess Karin let out an annoyed sigh.
“This kid got marked. By the First Prince.”
“Marked?”
“He messed up on entrance ceremony day and has been getting bullied by the First Prince ever since. He’s forced to take Demon Hunting Studies even though it’s not his class, and most of his other classes get canceled on the First Prince’s side, so the only ones he can attend are minor courses.”
As if agreeing, Owen lowered his head.
“He probably thought this class too was just another way to mess with Professor Ruins……”
“Mess?”
“There are lots of professors who want to teach the First Prince. He must’ve thought you’d be startled by His Highness’s name and rush to prepare the lesson thoroughly this time as well.”
Not at all. Not one bit. Less interest than mold growing on bread.
“No one looks more pathetic than the host of a party no one attends. He probably sent me to disappoint you.”
No? I’m actually very grateful he didn’t come. Well, it is suitably underhanded for a noble.
To begin with, the First Prince was affiliated with Redmoon, which supported Charlie, so Ruin hadn’t paid him any attention.
‘I figured as much.’
“Still, you could’ve just not come. Why did you? Were you that afraid of the First Prince?”
At Ruin’s reproachful expression, Owen clenched his lips tightly.
“Actually, I wanted to attend Professor Ruins’s class.”
“What?”
“That boldness of threatening people to stab the person next to them on the rooftop… For the first time, I felt like I could respect someone.”
…Are these guys really perverts?
Well, if they’re that kind of pervert, it’s not so bad.
“More than that, I fell for the way you broke Her Highness’s magic. So I obediently followed the Prince’s words. If that didn’t get the class canceled, then I could listen to more of Professor Ruins’s lectures.”
Even though it should’ve been upsetting to hear someone say they liked having their magic broken, the Princess unexpectedly comforted Owen.
“You’ve suffered a lot because of my wretched sibling. I’ll apologize in his stead.”
Ruin looked at the Princess in surprise.
So she did have a kind-hearted side?
“Then why, as a special-admission student, haven’t you awakened your ability? It’s your fault for not awakening it.”
At that, Ruin looked at the Princess with disgust.
Sensing the gaze, the Princess slightly raised her pretty eyebrows.
“That’s a rather rude face.”
“What’s rude is Your Highness’s filthy way of speaking.”
“…What?!”
At the blunt remark, the Princess could only gape, while Owen was horrified—but Ruin’s eyes were downright vicious.
‘Enough. Just come to my healing studies class, you damned Princess.’
“Are you not interested in healing studies?”
“I already have a class I’m taking.”
At the cold, knife-sharp reply, Ruin clicked his tongue.
‘She thinks I’m lying?’
She had no intention of abandoning her healing studies professor. Considering her motive for suggesting to ‘drive out the professor,’ she was unexpectedly loyal to her target.
‘How do I lure her over?’
Well, he could roughly guess the situation with Owen’s harassment.
“Owen. Your ability overlaps with the First Prince’s, doesn’t it?”
At those words, Owen looked at him strangely.
“…Have I ever told you about my ability?”
“!”
Damn it. He’d shown off how much he knew in front of a special-admission student.
Ruin deflected and snapped back.
“Do you think a professor slacks off so much that he doesn’t even look at students’ academic records?”
“Ah…! Ah! I see! I’m sorry!”
To think a Wayne would pay attention even to a commoner like him.
Owen looked extremely surprised, but the Princess narrowed her beautiful brow.
‘No. That’s information you could never know through a professor’s authority.’
The First Prince’s ability was ‘Absolute Regeneration.’
Owen’s ability was ‘Increased Recovery.’
But she knew.
‘On paper it’s ‘Increased Recovery,’ but in reality it’s closer to ‘Regeneration.’’
There was no way he’d been marked by the First Prince for nothing.
‘That guy can’t tolerate even a slightly similar ability to his own.’
Sure enough, Owen spoke.
“Well… Even if they’re similar, mine just speeds up recovery. I was judged to have the lowest-grade talent. It’s completely different from His Highness the First Prince’s incredible ability. I only became a special-admission student because I did well on the written exam……”
“No. Your ability is ‘Super Regeneration.’”
“…What?”
This time even the Princess looked flustered. ‘Super Regeneration’ was an extremely rare ability that could go all the way up to special grade!
“…That can’t be ‘Super Regeneration’! If it were, his face would be in better shape!”
She pointed at the scars on Owen’s face. They were obviously marks from being beaten by the First Prince’s group.
But Ruin sighed.
“No. It is ‘Super Regeneration.’”
Haven’s special-admission students were personally selected by the Hero. There was no way that Hero would misjudge talent.
‘He’s a beast. I don’t know what Owen’s ability is, but he must’ve picked him by instinct alone. That’s what makes him scary.’
And Owen getting a low-grade judgment? Ruin could see it clearly with the ‘Shadow King’s Vision.’
【Super Regeneration】
Normally, he would’ve only known the ability itself.
But the trait of ‘Ruins Wayne’ helped.
Yes. This trait that popped out the moment he saw a ‘talented’ student……
【Everyone but Me, Die】
An embodiment of jealousy. Studies everything about the target to tear them down, deriving strengths and weaknesses. While in a jealous state, focus and growth speed increase fourfold.
…The trait was pretty messed up.
But anyway, it was a good trait.
Because—
Name: Owen
Ability: 【Super Regeneration】 (Maximum: Special Grade)
Strength: Near-immortal regeneration
Weakness: Unawakened
He could see even the ability’s rank and potential.
Well, it was good for him, but what kind of personality was this, anyway?
‘More importantly, why am I jealous of students…….’
Anyway, this trait was extremely useful, both as a professor and as a moth to the flame.
‘I haven’t checked the First Prince’s ability yet, but it’s probably the same—or one of them is a superior version.’
Ruin curled his lips in disdain.
‘So that’s why he was blocking Owen’s awakening.’
And the professors weren’t nurturing him either.
‘Wasn’t Calon in charge of developing students’ abilities?’
The reason Owen couldn’t use his ability was simple. It was the black thread wrapped around his shoulders and neck.
【Erase】
Also known as an eraser. That was what was suppressing Owen’s ability. Of course, since it was magic too, Ruin could see it all with the ‘Shadow King’s Vision.
But precisely because he could see it, it was unpleasant.
‘Owen. A student who entered as a special-admission student but failed because he couldn’t even use magic.’
That’s right. This was deliberately ruining a talent that should have been awakened.
Of course, what happened to some Union student had nothing to do with him.
But—
‘At this rate, he’s just going to end up as cannon fodder.’
It’s the old power-holders who press the button for war, and it’s always the young, powerless, and inexperienced kids who become the bullets on the battlefield. That’s why Ruin sighed.
“Come closer.”
“Yes?”
Ruin raised one hand. The hand traced a gentle arc, fluttering lightly like a butterfly.
The moment it stopped in midair, invisible misfortune settled into his hand.
【Misfortune Injection】
A brutal power that contrasted sharply with its butterfly-like lightness.
Ruin roughly tore at the black thread.
Crunch!
The black thread, which seemed impossible to tear, was ripped apart violently. He had injected misfortune into the opposing power, causing the ability to disappear.
The misfortune that should’ve come to Ruin instead was stored in his wrist. The existing marking there darkened further.
The Ginseng Supervisor seemed displeased.
“Don’t even look at that. You almost collapsed last time when you touched it.”
‘No. Last time it was just because I tried to analyze it.’
…Hmm?
Then what happens if, instead of analysis, I pull it out with ‘3-Minute Copy’?
‘The headmaster’s magic turned into ‘Fire Arrow.’’
Then what about the sealed misfortune? If I pull this out, what kind of magic does it become?
Curiosity sparked, and Ruin’s finger lightly touched the marking.
The Ginseng Supervisor panicked.
“Hey! You’re going to collapse again if you—!”
But nothing happened.
The Ginseng Supervisor complained that he’d die of stress because of Ruin and lay sprawled over a flowerpot, but Ruin himself felt disappointed.
‘Hmm. Guess I really can’t use it?’
If he could, it’d be incredible.
‘Well, can’t be helped. ‘Misfortune’ is a power even the Demon Kings couldn’t analyze.’
So, just as he grabbed the podium to open his textbook, something astonishing happened.
Bang!
“!!”
“Eek!”
The solid steel podium was shattered in an instant.
【Ruin】
Owen collapsed in shock, and the Princess’s pupils shook violently, but Ruin looked at his own hand with interest.
‘Oh. It ‘destroys’ whatever my hand touches.’
Even the fact that it became magic with the same name as his own (Ruin) was amusing. The stronger the misfortune contained, the stronger the power would likely be.
For Ruin, who had more stealth skills than offensive ones, it was a valuable spell.
And—
“You again! You keep using power that isn’t mine……!”
Judging by his supervisor’s reaction, it didn’t seem like an unusable spell.
That wasn’t all.
Flash!
“Uh, uh?”
Perhaps because the force suppressing Owen’s power was gone, light shone from the wounds on his cheeks, and they began to heal rapidly. The Princess jumped to her feet in shock.
“Just now! What did you do?!”
But Ruin played dumb.
“I treated Owen. His energy was weakened.”
“What? Energy?”
“Do you think that makes sense? You can’t seriously explain that—!”
At that, Ruin stepped close to the Princess’s face, fox-like.
“Then, Your Highness the Princess, would you like to transfer to my healing studies class?”
“W-what are you saying?”
