The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

---

The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 364: Reflection Meeting

◇◇◇

“Ha ha. It’s unbearable.”

With Fiera knocked out by the blast and Lavienne sleeping soundly with a satisfied grin as if basking in the afterglow of victory, I couldn’t help but let that thought escape. It was only natural.

Because, while I knew Fiera and the others were growing stronger every day, their progress far exceeded my expectations. Watching such a joyful and happy fight made it impossible for me to hold back my feelings.

Seriously, I was so envious and on the verge of jealousy, not to mention regretting that I couldn’t stand there today.

“Lord Lewis, you seem to be having fun.”

“Of course. Witnessing a battle like that right in front of you is bound to excite anyone. Well, it might be a feeling that Sephiria, being the healing type, finds hard to relate to, though.”

“Perhaps so.”

Sephiria stumbled over her words, maybe because she couldn’t relate, or perhaps because she tried to think about it but couldn’t grasp it.

Well, everyone has different feelings about these things. After all, my experiences with life and death are vastly different from those of the Saintess Sephiria, who was taught to prioritize helping others. So, it’s natural for her to struggle to understand the thrill of fighting for one’s life.

“For now, let’s go retrieve those two. I’ll fix the training ground, so Sephiria, please work with Iris and the others to treat the two who fell to the ground.”

“Understood.”

“I think Iris and the others are probably tired too, but it wouldn’t be possible for Sephiria to retrieve two people alone, so lend a hand, would you?”

“No problem! Thank you for your consideration.”

“Thanks. Now, let’s get moving.”

We quickly got to work, retrieving Fiera and Lavienne and repairing the training ground.

By the way, Sonia mentioned that the broken barrier will take time to fix, but it’s designed to absorb natural magic and self-repair over time, so it seems fine to leave it as is for now.

Afterward, Fiera and Lavienne were meticulously healed by Sephiria’s magic, ensuring they bore no injuries, and then we moved to a different location to rest until they woke up.

A few hours later.

The beast girl Fiera appeared to recover quickly, and when dinnertime rolled around, she woke up, got out of bed, and headed to the dining hall with us.

“Delicious!”

“My empty stomach is finally feeling full!”

That time, perhaps having expended a considerable amount of energy during the match, Fiera and Shuvina ate even more than usual, causing the kitchen staff and servants to scurry around, bringing back and forth food from the kitchen, which was quite pitiful.

“Ha ha. You both eat as if it feels great!”

“Fufu. Even though we’ve been here for about a week now, I had no idea Fiera and Shuvina were such big eaters. I guess they were holding back until now.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry if I made you hold back. From now on, feel free to eat as much as you like!”

Fortunately, Sonia’s parents didn’t frown at their hearty appetites; instead, they smiled warmly and engaged them in conversation about what they wanted next and what their favorites were, seemingly unconcerned.

There were times when I thought about stopping them or adding more food from storage, but I didn’t want to reveal the storage due to the hassle, so I was grateful that Sonia’s parents accepted Fiera and the others’ large appetites.

Afterward, I greeted Sonia’s father, Gil, and Iris and the women, including Linda, chatted. Unlike during the day, we spent a relaxed time together until it got late in the evening, at which point we dispersed, took baths, and quickly fell asleep that day.

“Good moooorning~!”

The next day around noon.

Finally waking up, Lavienne entered the room where we had gathered, looking a bit pale, perhaps due to oversleeping, and, still feeling a bit sluggish, she collapsed onto an empty sofa, sprawling her limbs and letting out a big sigh.

“If you still feel sluggish, you could have stayed in the room, you know?”

“Hmm. That could have worked, but being alone was kind of boring. I thought I’d use detection magic to get your attention, and when I found everyone gathered, I figured I’d join in the fun.”

“Alright. We’re going to hold the reflection meeting about yesterday, so you can listen in.”

“Got it!”

“Okay then. Let’s hold yesterday’s reflection meeting.”

I arranged chairs and sofas in a circle, locking eyes with Fiera and the others, who looked at me with serious expressions.

In truth, I hadn’t had anything in particular to do until just moments ago, when I’d asked Sonia’s father to let me read the materials left by the first sage, Igar. However, when Fiera and the others came to my room, they immediately asked for advice on yesterday’s duel.

While it was a bit of a hassle for me, I felt their eyes were filled with regret and ambition, and the atmosphere made it clear they wouldn’t just back down, so I reluctantly decided to accompany them for the reflection meeting.

“Alright, let’s go in order of combat. First up is Miria.”

“Yes!”

“In your case, there’s not really a clear area that needs improvement. However, if I had to point out something, it’s that you lack experience, so from now on, try to gain more combat experience against Fiera and Lavienne. Just make sure not to use poison then. Of course, it’s not because it’s dangerous, but if you rely on poison alone, you won’t have the means to defeat someone like Lavienne, who is resistant to poison. First, focus on honing your skills.”

“Understood.”

Well, considering Miria started out as just a maid and has come this far, she definitely deserves admiration. As for the poison, her lack of success was just a case of bad match-up this time, so it’s not necessary to dwell on it too much.

“Next up is Iris. In your case, you were a bit careless in the middle and didn’t handle the situation well when Lavienne closed the distance. It was great that you caught her off guard and trapped her in a water cage—your technique was fantastic. However, after that, being a bit too careless by trying to finish things with a water spear was not a good move. Instead of trying to recreate a spear, it would have been better to manipulate the cage with magic and turn it into a stake.”

“Right. I might have been a bit too relaxed at that point.”

“During battle, you’re most relaxed when you’re about to unleash your finishing move, so be cautious of that. Also, becoming unable to act when the distance closes is a fatal weakness for a magician. I’m not saying you have to master close-combat techniques, but at least develop some means to escape that scenario. For example, turning your body to mist or setting traps beforehand—given your magic manipulation ability, you should be able to do that.”

“Understood.”

Regarding Iris, she had the potential to trap Lavienne using a new technique, but she made the crucial mistake of choice at the most important moment, so her future experiences will be key.

However, her magic manipulation ability that her father created for her is remarkable, so she should definitely work on figuring out how to escape the situation when the distance closes instead of immediately conceding defeat.

“Next is Shuvina. Overall, you did fine, and I have no specific pointers to give you. From start to finish, you maintained control of the fight well and were able to think and battle on your own. You’re well beyond the level where I need to point out how to fight. Choosing a spear as your weapon with spirit possession was likely because it allowed for ranged attacks through spirit magic, to deal with close combat as well, right?”

“Exactly. Well, in the end, I still lost without being able to respond.”

“Well, that can’t be helped. After all, your main weapon is a bow; your experience in close combat pales in comparison to Lavienne. Still, your flexible thinking wasn’t bad, and just as I mentioned to Iris, not just relying on ranged attacks was definitely a good call. Continue to think for yourself and explore your combat style in the same way.”

“Understood.”

“What about Dōna?”

“Dōna wasn’t bad either. Keep helping Shuvina like you did yesterday.”

“Got it~!!”

As I said that, I lightly patted Dōna’s head, who was perched on my shoulder, replenishing her magic power, and she smiled happily.

Well, as for Shuvina, as I said before, she’s already at a stage where she must explore her combat style on her own, rather than rely on me for teaching.

In fact, I didn’t even know she had acquired spirit possession myself, and besides, Shuvina should be more knowledgeable about spirits than I am, so moving forward, they both must cut their own path together.

The first step they took, choosing a combat style of ranged spirit magic against Lavienne and close combat with a spear, was a good call, but their execution still needed refinement, and it was ineffective against the super-elite Lavienne.

Sure, I could teach her spear techniques, but I also have my own training to focus on, so I can’t spare that much time. This means that the techniques I could teach would be quite limited.

Partial knowledge might cause her to become complacent and misjudge situations, which can be dangerous, so imparting deficient knowledge isn’t wise.

Nevertheless, there is someone with the necessary skills who might be willing to teach spear techniques, but it’s quite difficult to meet her due to distance. Plus, considering her personality, I am a bit hesitant about how Shuvina would fit in with her.

Well, I’ll think about that when I have more time.

“And Sonia. Your strategy was not bad either. You recognized Lavienne’s weaknesses from the previous battle and created an area that blocked the light to seal them off, which was good. However, when unexpected circumstances arose, your judgment was a bit slow. It was good that you attempted to use gravity magic to bind Lavienne’s movements, but once you saw she continued moving still, you should’ve quickly considered the cause and employed another tactic. Moreover, clinging to increasing the weight of gravity magic without adapting is just mindless. And mindlessness in battle directly leads to death. You need to broaden your perspective and thinking.”

“That’s true. Perhaps I was too rigid due to my anxiety at that moment. I’ll be more careful moving forward.”

“Yeah. This is also related, but while I appreciate that you imitated my and Fiera’s and Shuvina’s movements, that rigid mindset was a bit confining.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mentioned it before, right? Broaden your perspective and thinking. At that moment, you sequentially imitated my, Shuvina’s, and Fiera’s battle styles. That’s not bad, but if you think wider, imitating multiple individuals means you can incorporate someone else’s techniques as well.”

“…Oh.”

“Did you realize? Simply put, in an extreme example, you could move quickly like Fiera while shooting arrows accurately like Shuvina. Of course, this is a rather extreme example, and moving like a beast girl like Fiera is inherently difficult, but if we substitute the base with me, there’s a chance you could manage it.”

“Indeed, that’s correct.”

Essentially, even if Sonia tried to imitate, the fundamental physical capabilities of Fiera and Sonia differ immensely, which makes it tough to replicate speed and race-specific instincts.

However, since my combat style uses not just magic but also various weapons, if she bases it on me and incorporates Fiera’s strength and Shuvina’s archery, that might lead to the creation of a new combat style that only Sonia could achieve.

Imitation alone won’t let you surpass the original; however, incorporating other elements opens the possibility of transcending it, and it can even serve as the catalyst for creating a new original.

“I’ll make sure to observe everyone more closely from now on.”

“Well, good luck. And finally, Fiera.”

“Yeah?”

“You have nothing specific to improve. Think for yourself and move forward.”

“Okay. Understood.”

Though my words seemed casual, Fiera nodded seriously and didn’t pursue any further questions.

“Just as I said to Shuvina, you and Shuvina are now at a stage where you’re exploring your unique fighting styles on your own. So, like yesterday, keep thinking for yourself and develop your own way of fighting.”

“Thanks.”

Like Shuvina, Fiera has already gained considerable experience, and she is in a stage where she must learn her way of fighting independently.

So while I could teach her techniques and stuff, for her fundamental combat style, she needs to think, learn, and find what suits her.

And because it’s something she must personally experience and embody, saying more could potentially stifle her growth.

“Well then, that wraps up the reflection meeting.”

While we touched on numerous points and improvement areas, ultimately, the paths they choose and the conclusions they reach rest in their hands, and I won’t say more.

After that, I concluded the meeting with that statement and turned my gaze back to the materials I had been reading while Fiera and the others commenced their own reflective discussions.