...
The smile on Greg's face froze instantly, the corners of his mouth twitching so slightly it was almost imperceptible.
He raised a hand to press his forehead, letting out a long sigh:
“Sigh... I truly appreciate now how prejudice in people's minds is an unshakeable mountain...”
It seemed that unless he produced undeniable hard evidence, his suspicious Instructor with her strange train of thought wouldn't believe him for the life of her.
Greg wiped the smile from his face, adjusting his posture slightly to look more serious:
“Alright, jokes aside. To be serious, I was indeed chosen in advance as a representative. The reason is the Undead incident that caused such a stir a while back. You've probably heard about it, right?”
Alice nodded reflexively, a flicker of understanding flashing through her ice-purple eyes.
That event had caused quite a stir within the academy, as it involved high-tier undead creatures appearing near the city and causing significant panic.
She remembered the incident had ultimately been resolved single-handedly by a student, but as for who it specifically was... busy with her own research and dodging Greg, she hadn't paid close attention.
“The person who single-handedly resolved that incident was me.” Greg casually pointed at himself with his thumb.
“You...?!”
Alice's eyes rounded instantly, her small mouth opening slightly in shock to reveal a peek of her white teeth.
She stared blankly at Greg, as though seeing him for the first time.
The student who single-handedly defeated the Undead Knight was Greg Sass?
The guy right in front of her, who couldn't even write his own paper on basic stable mana configurations over the past year without having her do it for him?
Though still finding it hard to believe, Alice figured Greg couldn't possibly be lying about this. If he hadn't resolved it, she could expose his lie simply by asking anyone right now.
“How... how on earth did you do it...?” she murmured absentmindedly.
This completely overturned her deep-seated perception of Greg.
“Nothing in this world is absolutely impossible, especially when you don't truly know someone.”
Greg interrupted Alice's absentminded murmuring. He raised his chin slightly, casting his gaze toward the noisy crowd in the distance as if reminiscing.
“In the past, due to some... well, rather complex reasons, I had no choice but to hide my true strength and talent, deliberately acting... mediocre.”
He paused, giving Alice a moment to process the information before turning his head back. His gaze rested once more on her small face filled with shock and doubt, a confident arch curving his lips.
“But now, things are different. I don't feel there's any need to keep hiding it anymore.”
He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance, and watched Alice's pupils contract abruptly as he spoke word by word:
“So I'm laying all my cards on the table. Alice-chan, the truth is... I am a genius through and through!”
Hiding his strength? Deliberately feigning incompetence?
Alice's confused brain began to turn with difficulty, like rusty gears.
Her reason told her this was ridiculous, but emotionally, a faint voice was whispering: Is it... really not completely impossible?
After all, he was the eldest son of the House of Sass.
How could a direct descendant of such a deeply established, ancient noble family genuinely know nothing about magic and be a total useless waste?
Perhaps he really had chosen to hide himself for some exceptionally important reasons?
Greg carefully observed the shifting expressions on Alice's face, knowing his words were taking effect.
After all, she was his chosen academic workhorse, so correcting his image in her mind first was absolutely essential.
Alice looked up at Greg, who was two heads taller than her. “Then... what you said earlier about being designated in advance as an exchange representative, was that true as well?”
Greg nodded. “Of course! I, Greg, never lie! I really was selected in advance as one of the second-year student representatives, which means you get to go with me this time!”
“!”
This news struck like a thunderbolt, slamming hard into Alice's heart, which had been brimming with despair.
If what Greg said was true, didn't that mean she finally had a chance to escape her current predicament where every step was a struggle?
The massive shock and near-unreal hope made Alice's petite body tremble uncontrollably with excitement.
In her eyes, the former suspicion and cold distance were being replaced by a complex light blending shock, intense joy, and disbelief.
She even had to gently bite her lower lip to hold back the gasp that nearly burst from her mouth.
Greg watched her reaction with great satisfaction.
Her fear of me has completely vanished, replaced by expectation.
That's more like it. When the time comes, she'll obediently follow my arrangements.
“Ahem.”
He shifted the topic at the right moment, casually scanning the surrounding Instructors who were already happily chatting with their respective new disciples, asking in a conversational tone:
“By the way, Alice-chan, you came here today to participate in the freshman mentor selection, right? Which student did you pick up? Won't you introduce them to your Senior Brother here? So I can get to know in advance this future workhorse—oh, no, I mean Junior Brother or Junior Sister.”
Alice was still immersed in the massive impact of information and the joy of her dreams coming true, looking a little dazed.
Hearing Greg's question, she blinked reflexively, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings before she gradually snapped out of it.
Right, her main business here today was to meet the commoner freshman assigned to her.
She opened her mouth slightly, just about to describe them to Greg based on the name and general traits she had seen on the bulletin board.
However, just as her red lips parted before emitting a single sound—
A pleasant yet cold female voice, laced with a hint of disgust, broke in abruptly between them, shattering the brief and delicate atmosphere:
“Disgusting... Greg, why are you standing with my Instructor?”
That voice...
The relaxed smile on Greg's face froze instantly.
He turned his head sharply.
Catching his eye first was long hair gleaming with a dim, grayish luster like winter morning mist, flowing with a cold sheen under the light of the training ground.
Next was a familiar face, exquisite as a doll, currently displaying undisguised displeasure and deep vigilance.
“Your Instructor?!”
Greg froze, his brain stalling for a moment.
He looked at the familiar aversion directed at him in the gray-haired girl's eyes, then whipped his head toward the petite Instructor Alice beside him, who was still dazed with excitement and had not fully grasped the situation.
An utterly absurd thought struck his mind like lightning, forcing the words out of his mouth in disbelief:
“Holy crap! Little Gray, are you my Junior Sister?!”
Almost the instant his words fell, a cold notification chime rang out without warning directly inside his mind:
[Redemption of the Villainous Noble: Phase Three (Unlocked)]
[Task Requirements: Please clear the third layer of the dungeon before the end of Act Three.]
Rate on N.U.
