[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Proficient Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
Fast Casting Lvl 12
Mana Sense Lvl 13
Fire Element Magic:
Ignite Lvl 17
Point Explosion Lvl 2
Wind Element Magic:
Wind Blade Lvl 16
Spirit-type Magic:
Spiritual Resonance Lvl 13
Spiritual Understanding Lvl 13
Spirit Manifestation Lvl 4
Resonance Level: 3
Spiritual Efficiency: Good
Innate Skills:
Blessing of Fire Fortune (Temporary Immunity to Fire)
Explosion (Low-level Explosion)
Increased Ability of Fire-Type Magic
Resonance Level: 1
Spiritual Efficiency: Average
Innate Skills:
Water Lioness' Blessing (Temporary Immunity to Flames)
Manifestation of a Water Source (Intermediate Water Magic)
Increased Ability of Water-Type Magic
Resonance Level: 1
Spiritual Efficiency: Very Bad
Innate Skills:
Storm's Blessing (Periodically Neutralizes Damage)
Updraft (Intermediate Wind Magic)
Increased Ability of Wind-Type Magic
Spirit Slot: Empty>
(New!) Beginner Celestial Magic can now be learned!
Celestial Magic:
Expression of Celestial-Type Magic Power Lvl 1
Property Transformation Lvl 0
Death Immunity Lvl 0
Time Prison Lvl 0
Short-Distance Spatial Movement Lvl 0
Forced Collection Lvl 0
Expression of Visual Hallucinations Lvl 0
Dazzle Lvl 0 ]
[Ohh!]
The next day, as the spirits went around while carrying the materials needed for building the cabin behind me, I sat down at the campfire and tried to manifest red magic power. Merilda, who had been manifested, sat next to the campfire and waved her feet in the air while exclaiming in wonder.
Unlike normal magic, the feeling of it in my body was much heavier. A small amount of celestial magic power, which was much more difficult to handle, began to float around the tip of my finger.
Celestial magic was considered to be the most difficult of all fields in magic, and there was not much research behind it.
Simply put, as it specialized in the twisting and breaking of the provinces and laws of the world, it mainly dealt with time and spatial-related magic… It was said to even be possible to use it as a means to forcibly distort or deceive another person's perception.
If you could use advanced Celestial magic, you could control other's minds or even travel large distances with spatial movement… There were all sorts of incredible types of magic available, which would make one wonder how it was even possible.
Saying it like that sounded amazing, but… the penalty for using it was just as strong. First of all, Celestial magic power wasn't very efficient to use. Because the level of research into it was small, it was inevitable that one would have to go through much trial and error to become accustomed to it. Not only that, but I'd also heard it put quite a strain on one's body.
In the first place, Celestial Magic wasn't even considered a usable skill in
[Just looking at it, it seems quite difficult to handle~ Can you control the flow of the magic power?]
"I'm not sure… I'll have to try it first."
I sat down next to the campfire, carefully looking through Glockt's posthumous work, 'Introduction to Celestial Magic.'
After looking through the book, Beginner Celestial Magic was unlocked.
"..."
I'd heard a lot about all sorts of hidden growth factors within the game, but I had never even thought that there would actually be a way for a player to learn Celestial Magic.
It was impossible to imagine that such a method was hidden in Glockt's tomb on the West Coast.
The western coast of Acken Island held barely any meaning within the storyline. In fact, the small gap in the cliffside where it was hidden was barely noticeable even from up close. Without Lucy, no one would have ever imagined that such a place existed.
"It's more important to realize the principles than repeatedly practicing it. Magic is a science where theory and senses coexist, but… Celestial Magic feels a bit more focused on the theoretical aspect."
As I was sitting cross-legged on a tree stump as I read through the book, Lucy suddenly appeared, sitting down in my lap as if it was all too natural.
Buried in my lap, munching on her jerky, she began to express Celestial magic power in her own hands.
Even though she didn't put much effort into expressing it, what seemed to be a decent amount of Celestial magic power began to float in the air.
Paat!
As Lucy clenched her first, all sorts of junk, various hunting tools, materials used for traps, and construction materials that had been scattered all around began to gather at the center of the magic power.
Forced Collection twisted the flow of space to move an enemy's position at will. Among all the Celestial-type magics, it was one of the most difficult ones to use.
"Of course, the feeling of expressing Celestial magic power itself also requires much repeated practice."
"Lucy, it seems you have also gone through quite a bit of repetitive training."
"I… I just did it a couple times and it worked."
Of course.
I ended up trying to express Celestial Magic a few more times.
It was obviously a type of magic that would need to be mastered over a long period of time, but it was difficult to even make any sort of immediate progress.
After all, wasn't Celestial Magic a field that still had many unexplained aspects?
Even just having a student able to use Celestial Magic was enough to make the faculty members loll their tongue out in awe. If I were lucky, I could even get specific teachings from a professor that took interest in me.
Lucy was the type that used magic through her talent and senses, so it wouldn't be easy for me to learn by watching her. It would be better to get help from a professor that had already taught many students. There was no particular correlation with having talent in magic and having the ability to teach it.
Suddenly remembering Professor Glast, who had left the world, I started to feel sad in multiple ways. After all, there wasn't anyone better than him when it came to teaching Celestial Magic.
"First, I should start by taking in this entire book."
Reading through Glockt's introductory book, I was completely blown away. It was certainly an incredible book that showed an extraordinary understanding of Celestial Magic. It was also quite digestible.
That wasn't to say that it wasn't complicated. But as long as I clenched my teeth and turned the gears in my head to the max, at the very least I would gain something from it.
However, in my experience, no matter how complicated the contents of the book might be, as long as I continued to read it over ten or twenty times, I was bound to become proficient in it to some extent.
Similar to when you first read a university textbook or a law book, you might not understand much. But the more you pushed through and read through it, the more you would begin to understand.
Since it was a case where theory was more important than senses… for the time being, after I finished all my work I'd focus on reading the book before bed.
I definitely couldn't waste such a precious source of the power known as Celestial Magic.
"Yaaaaaawmmnn~"
Suddenly, Lucy began to get tired as she uttered a loud yawn and looked at me.
Buried in my lap, she began to twist her body, curling up into a ball as she swallowed her saliva.
I continued to flip through the pages of the book with one hand as I stroked Lucy's head with the other. At that point, it was all too natural.
However, as if Lucy were surprised by something, she would needlessly move her body around and look up at me once in a while, her eyes wide. She would then curl back up into my chest, only to wake up again.
"What's wrong?"
Asking Lucy that, her face suddenly started to blush as our faces were quite close together. She suddenly shook her head.
As if she were saying it was nothing, she began to bury herself in my arms again. She continued to curl up in a ball as she tried to find the most comfortable position she could.
[This is… an issue. Sigh…]
Merilda, who sat down next to me, swept her hair off to the side.
***
"And… There's another girl…"
It was a long-awaited weekend.
I had enough food built up and no immediate maintenance to take care of, so I spent most of my time until late in the night reading through the Celestial Magic Book.
Ziggs showed up at my camp with a large bag.
Looking at Merilda, who sat next to me looking through books on art, his complexion started to turn pale.
"Oh, Ziggs. What's wrong?"
"Uhm, Ed. I can't help but think it's rather cocky of you, but… Would it be fine if I say my piece bluntly…? This is all just… I mean, the desires and aspirations of a male are good, but… Shouldn't you also be thinking about being able to handle it all? Isn't this too much already…?! At this rate, it's impossible to predict just what kind of hell will unfold…?"
"..."
I glared daggers at Ziggs as I then cut off the magic power that was being used to manifest Merilda.
In an instant, Merilda's body began to become translucent as she turned into the wind, disappearing.
[Uh-Huh?! I was still in the middle of reading an interesting section…!]
Merilda then completely disappeared as the book she had been reading sadly rolled on the floor.
"…I'm sorry. I didn't realize she was a spirit. I… I jumped to conclusions hastily on my own… I'm really sorry. These days… It seems that it's become a habit for me to think of things that way…"
Ziggs had already seen Merilda the last time we dueled. However, it seemed that he randomly spoke what was on his mind, since he was caught off guard and overwhelmed by what he was seeing. I guess that could happen.
Currently, Merilda's manifested form minimized the usage of magic power as much as possible. However, it also seemed to have a significant effect on her appearance. Still, even doing just that much puts a heavy burden on my magic power.
Still, as long as I constantly practiced manifesting her, it would train my spiritual resonance and also raise my understanding with Merilda. Though, it was obviously still a bit inconvenient to do in my daily life.
It was the same as wearing sandbags on your body when training. However, I had to be able to handle at least that much to be able to effectively use Merilda in a real battle.
After not doing anything for a moment, magic energy suddenly began to erupt in the air again as a strong gale blew.
Fwooosh!
And from the middle of it, Merilda popped up in the form of a human. This time, she had manifested not from my own magic power, but rather through Lucy's, which was like an infinite spring.
Lucy and Yennekar's resonance levels were on a completely different scale when compared to regular people. I didn't know about her complete form as a massive wolf, but at least in the form of a human, they could manifest her with the utmost magic power efficiency—as if they were only breathing. Lucy, who was sleeping in my arms, didn't even react at all.
Of course, in that form her combat ability was a lot weaker. But since Merilda's goal was to just read her books, that wasn't an issue.
[Seriously… If you are going to release me, at least give me a warning….!]
Merilda then angrily picked up her book as she continued to flip through the pages she was reading.
Ziggs looked over at her as he quietly shook his head. Before I even realized it, the entirety of my camp had started to become quite noisy. Though, that level of commotion wasn't a big deal.
"Anyway, Ed… Here are the monster ecology books I've been holding onto. I've also got some discarded books that Elka asked me to bring. She said you can use them as you like."
"Oh, thanks. I'll organize them later, so for now you can just toss them in my cabin."
"Actually, they've already been organized. Maybe because Elka is a librarian through and through, she couldn't sit still upon seeing all the books sprawled around. So, she already went through and organized them by subject."
Ziggs had brought over five or six bundles of books. They seemed to have been grouped up and divided by their topics.
Books that had been kept in the student library for a long time, or ones that were frequently borrowed, tended to wear down or get damaged.
If that happened, they ordered new books to replace them. And the old books that were difficult to keep any longer were discarded. Many of them were missing some pages or the covers were damaged.
When I had asked her if she could gather those books and give them to me, Elka quickly agreed and nodded her head. I was quite thankful to her.
Since I only borrowed books because it was a waste of money to go and buy them, it was a great harvest.
"That looks quite heavy, so thanks for bringing them all the way here."
"Don't worry about it. Even if I didn't have to bring these books, I would have run over here carrying something else anyway. These days it seems that simply jogging isn't enough to be considered exercise for me."
Ziggs quickly threw the piles of books into the cabin as he wiped off his sweat, sitting across from me at the campfire.
The first thing he did was look over at Lucy, who was sleeping in my lap. She gently exhaled as she occasionally rubbed her cheeks against my body. I was quite impressed to see that the entire time, she was still holding onto her witch hat and making sure it didn't fall off.
"Actually, besides coming to deliver the books, I came because there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"…Did you know that I joined the student council?"
The hand that was flipping through the book suddenly stopped. Maybe he was already expecting what I would say from my reaction, but Ziggs continued to speak.
"Did you know that both the second years and third years look quite favorably upon the cabinet that is being led by Tanya Rothstaylor? Even though I'm already busy taking classes, still…"
"Alright. There's not any particular force that is opposing Tanya, and I've also heard she's doing a good job wielding the immense power that comes with the student council."
"I'm already at my wits end, but… Tanya… No, the student council president seems to trust me quite a bit."
That couldn't be helped. Ziggs Eiffelstein was the only one that had trusted his instincts and stood by Tanya's side when the entire world turned against her.
Those that helped you in a crisis were the ones you needed to keep close. As Tanya was slowly starting to wield more and more power as the student council president, she was also starting to carefully choose the people around her that she could trust and entrust work to.
In
It seemed the trajectory of the storyline was beginning to deviate little by little.
"So, she gave me orders. With things becoming like this, she thought it would be good for you to also take a seat on the Student Council. So, she had asked me to come and hear your thoughts."
"Is it really okay for her to fill the seats of her cabinet like this?"
"She's not just half-assing it. It seems that right now, Student Council President Tanya has the most trust in you, Ed. At this point, she would probably agree to anything that you say. I'm not joking."
Since Tanya had a certain degree of freedom when it came to picking members of her cabinet, it was likely that she was just choosing people based on her preferences. In the process, it seemed that my name had come up.
"The members of the student council are already quite distinguished. The student council president is a first year student, which is a first in Silvenia's history. But there are still quite a lot of upperclassmen that are members of the student council. The head secretary is the current third year, Kurell. And the top executive committee member is the top student among all the fourth years, Daike Elpelan."
Ziggs shook his hand in the air a few times before putting more pieces of wood into the campfire, continuing to speak.
"The famous teacher's assistant in the third year, Anise, is also being recruited. And the top student in the first year's magic department, Joseph Whitefeld, who's also a researcher at Togg Magic Power Society, is about to be accepted as well. His sibling, fourth year student Dorothy Whitefeld, has already been accepted. So, one could say that with the Whitefeld siblings joining, quite an elite cabinet is being made."
The appointment of members could be predicted to some extent.
Anise Haylan would probably turn down the offer because she wouldn't be able to lose her position as a teacher's assistant because of tuition issues. Joseph was also more interested in money than the credit and preferential treatment that came with being a student council member. So, he would probably decline as well.
Regardless, the fact that the members of the student council were much more distinguished than I had originally thought was something I couldn't deny.
Even the fact that the leader of them all was Tanya Rothstaylor… It was all a strange reality to me.
"The student council president was unable to leave her office in Obel Hall due to her busy schedule. That's why I had come to ask you, as a member of the student council."
"You're going through quite a lot, Ziggs."
"Doing this much is nothing. So, are you going to reject the offer after all?"
Ziggs already knew my answer when he asked the question.
I was already living a life where I had to divide the day into hours just to get by. Even though it wasn't as much as before, I was still quite busy.
To train my production skills, I kept up with my camp life. I made sure to go to all my classes, I visited Assistant Professor Cleoh's lab to work as a scholarship student, and I even had my own personal training to do.
After Elementalism and Magic Engineering, my next goal was to train in Celestial Magic… Taking on the position of a student council member would have been too much of a burden for me to handle.
"I think the student council president will be quite disappointed to hear that. Well, I already knew you weren't a person who could be acquired so easily."
"By the way, are you talking politely to Tanya?"
"Yeah, well… Everyone does that. It's a bit awkward since it's the first time the student council president is a first year, but you still have to acknowledge her power and ranking."
Ziggs lit the campfire using the poker as he continued to casually speak.
"Anyway, your sister's authority is increasing day by day. Since you're her family, you must be quite proud of her. Though… I don't know why, but it seems so strange."
"Strange? What's so strange?"
"Just… It felt like this entire situation was set up by someone. The current student council president seems to be doing quite a good job at keeping up the momentum, but I still have a gut feeling that there is something going on behind the scenes…"
Ziggs was a boy that was born with an incredible intuition.
It was to the point that his intuition was so terrifyingly accurate, he would prioritize it before any circumstantial evidence.
After hearing him talk, I was unable to think of anything else besides another girl.
Commercial District, Elte Company's Silvenia Branch. A girl sitting alone in her private office, writing with her quill. Her soft gaze seemed to be engraved in my mind again.
Only she knew the size of the picture she was drawing.
"Well, even though I have a gut feeling, it's not like I can do anything about it."
Ziggs then roughly tossed a stick into the campfire.
"Anyway, for the time being I've become quite busy. According to the academic calendar, it's nearly time for the joint combat practice. Also, the Holy Father from the Holy City is supposed to visit Silvenia sometime this week. He's supposedly coming to baptize a few representative students and give a speech… It seems things are going to get quite busy."
What Ziggs was saying were clues. It gave me a rough idea of just how far along we'd progressed in the storyline.
Though, with the storyline starting to go awry, the future knowledge I held was starting to differ from reality little by little.
Still, the overall flow was still there, so it was possible to guess what would happen in the future to some extent.
Joint Combat Practice.
An annual event and practical class where the first years competed against the second, and the third years competed against the fourth.
The protagonist's party was in the second year. That meant they would be facing off against first year students.
"Because the battle practice this time isn't a random duel, but instead through a means of challenging another… Me, Taylee, and even Clevius have been receiving quite a lot of challenges. Well, we only have to bite off as much as we can chew, but still… Since it's the first time I've had underclassmen, I felt strangely motivated and ended up accepting them all."
"I guess you also have that side of you."
"I'm also the type to lend a shoulder, you know. I've heard that there weren't any students that were assigned Class A this time, so there is a competition to see who can enter Class A first… They must think that the easiest means to do so would be defeating me, who is a second year Class A student."
That was not a particularly good method. Ziggs Eiffelstein was probably one of the strongest and most experienced students in the second year's Class A.
If it weren't for Lucy Mayreel, who was considered a league of her own, he would most likely have been considered the top student of the magic department. Going up to him and challenging him wasn't a smart move… Well, I still couldn't help but acknowledge the bravado that came with their youth.
If he continued to fight everyone until the very end, even though it was Ziggs, he would still become exhausted. However… that was not going to happen.
Act 3, Chapter 5. The second Joint Combat Practice. The last large-scale event before the final battle of Act 3, 'Lucy Subjugation.'
An event that the protagonist generation would take on as newfound upperclassmen… the ending of it wasn't great.
The top student of the first-year alchemy department, Claude, would ultimately lose in the final duel. Desperate and unable to overcome his pride, he drank the forbidden potion 'The Evil God's Blood'… and thus, another massive incident would take place.
That was the history that I knew. However, with the way things had become, there was no way that it would be exactly the same. At that point, I wasn't even going to expect it to be similar. Even though the major flow of the storyline was still similar, there were clearly divergences taking place here and there.
Since the flow had already been twisted so much, I'd just have to wait and see what happened.
Whether things were going in the way that I knew, or a completely different direction… Either way, it was out of my hands.
The flow of history was slowly turning its direction into unknown territory.
***
"Whoooa…"
Early the next morning, Yennekar had rushed out of Dex Hall and ran straight to Ed's camp. She couldn't help but marvel at the cleanly built cabin.
It was opposite Ed's cabin, with the campfire between them.
Originally, it was expected to take two weeks to finish construction. However, the spirits did their best to finish it within a week.
It was already filled with Yennekar's personal belongings, and even simple furniture. At that point, she could go ahead and apply to leave Dex Hall.
[This worthless Mugg… Worthless… Worthless Mugg… Worth… Less…]
However, the scene taking place near the cabin could be called horrific.
Dozens of low-ranking spirits were lying on the floor with dying expressions. Only when they saw the sun start to rise little by little in the eastern sky, alongside the damp early morning air, did they realize that they had stayed up working all night long.
"E-Everyone… I didn't know you would work so hard on it… I told you to take it easy…!"
Lying on the floor with several other spirits around him, Mugg spoke in a bright voice.
[No, in the first place, Mr. Takan… No, nevermind… We have just… reached enlightenment… Please… enjoy… a happy life in the camp… If you can just do that… then… that will be enough.]
One by one, the spirits began to cancel their manifestation as they disappeared.
Even though it was only their manifestation being temporarily canceled, seeing it overlap with the rising sunlight made it look like they were leaving for Heaven.
Yennekar held on tightly to her oak wand as she held her tears back, saying farewell to them.
"Everyone… Thanks… Really, thank you so much…!!"
To an outsider, this looked like a final farewell.
After that brief farewell, Yennekar sat by the campfire in the center of the camp as she clenched her fists.
It was the long-awaited weekend. A good day to spend the entire day at the camp.
She was planning to look at the finished cabin and move some other small pieces of luggage inside… But before doing that, she first thought of making breakfast.
She was already excited, hoping to see Ed's face when he woke up and stepped outside to a nice bowl of stew.
"…Living together…"
Yennekar sat on a tree stump that was covered in the morning dew… She suddenly said such a phrase.
Even though those words had already left her mouth, she began to kick the dirt floor and swing her oak wand in the air, extremely embarrassed.
It wasn't time to completely move in yet, so it was just a regular weekend they were spending together. Still, for some reason it felt like a dream to her as her face turned red.
She then said it again. 'Living together, living together.' As she continued to say those words, she repeatedly punched the air for quite some time.
Then, the moment she thought, Let's not just stay like this, let's do something.
Ed's cabin door swung open.
Did Ed come out? Surprised, Yennekar ruffled her skirt as she turned towards the noise. Lucy was standing there with a blank expression on her face.
"..."
Her wrinkled clothes, the drool marks around her lips, and the bed hair that stuck out randomly here and there.
After making eye contact for a moment, Lucy stood still while keeping her blank expression…before suddenly putting both hands on her waist with a wide grin on her face.
Lucy then slammed the door shut, stretched rather cutely, before flying away from the camp.
Yennekar sat there alone… She sat there next to the campfire, frozen like a rock, with her mouth wide open.
She couldn't say anything. So, for a long time, she sat there with a blank expression on her face.
-x-X-x-
"Greetings Saint Clarice. I'm the head maid, Bell Maya, who will be taking care of getting you dressed today."
It was quite rare for Bell Maya to take care of such hands-on work personally.
Although she had proven her capability even when she had been a Senior Maid, ever since she had become the Head Maid, she'd been forced to spend most of her time on management-related tasks.
There weren't many students that held such a high status that the already quite busy Bell Maya would have to personally take care of them. That was because, no matter how many aristocratic and high-status people were staying in Ophelis Hall, there was still only one Head Maid.
Even under normal circumstances, the saint herself would have only been taken care of by a senior maid with proven skills. The head maid herself wouldn't normally take care of such a task.
However, today was a special day. That was why Bell Maya had to personally take action.
"I guess it's time already."
"I'll help you with your hair."
The Saint Clarice that was staying in a private room on the top floor of Ophelis Hall was a fake.
According to the wishes of the saint herself, who had to prepare for any possible unexpected schemes against her if she wanted to attend school freely, a stand-in had been prepared using all sorts of magic to cover her identity up.
And today was the day that the Holy Father was coming to visit.
Both the Holy Father Eldane and his closest aide, the Archbishop Verdio.
He was the one at the top of the Telos Religious Group, and someone Saint Clarice truly admired.
A mere stand-in couldn't be used on the day those two came to visit. That was because it was a day that Saint Clarice herself needed to personally go and meet with them.
Of course, Eldane and Verdio probably already knew of her stand-in, but it wouldn't be polite to use a stand-in when two people of such status came to visit her personally.
That was why Kylie Eckner—a powerless aristocrat from a small country on the outskirts—had to disappear from the world for the time being.
It was time to hide the stand-in and instead bring out the real Saint Clarice.
"Thank you."
The girl standing in front of a glamorous vanity table gave a bright smile as she got dressed.
The only people that knew that she was secretly attending school with a stand-in were Headmaster Obel, the three deans, and Bell Maya, who personally managed her living environment.
Since today was the day that the real saint, not the stand-in, was showing up… If the work was entrusted to a senior maid like usual, they might have realized something was strange.
That was why Bell Maya, who knew the truth about the saint's identity, came to help her get dressed herself.
However, Bell felt it was a worthless thing to worry about.
Kylie Eckner was a cute girl with brown hair that acted somewhat immature. She was curious about everything and showed interest in even the smallest things. But now, that girl was nowhere to be seen…
Instead, sitting in front of the mirror was the red-eyed saint with cool white hair flowing down her back.
Even the smallest of actions, like her gentle smile and graceful gestures, were steeped in a nobility on a different level when compared to the girl that acted as her stand-in.
Looking at the sharp differences in their personalities, she really wondered if they were the same person.
Saint Clarice was a girl that had received the reverence of the believers of the Telos Religious Group her entire life.
Even with the appearance of Kylie, who acted immature the moment the burden on her shoulders was slightly eased, she was engulfed in an elegance that suited her the moment she sat down on the throne of a saint again.
When Bell remembered Kylie's sparkling eyes and constant clapping at every moment, it was strange enough that she couldn't help but second guess if they were really the same person.
"Miss Bell."
"Yes, Saint?"
As she swept aside her clean and shiny white hair, Bell cautiously responded.
"Today was the day of the Joint Combat Practice, right?"
"Yes. Coincidentally, it has become difficult for you to participate, as it overlaps with the Holy Father's visit."
"..."
Clarice lowered her eyes for a brief moment, showing her disappointment.
Lately, she hadn't had much time to interact with the upperclassmen because her hands were already full just taking care of her required coursework.
In actuality, she wasn't all that interested in meeting the other grade levels. She just wanted to meet a second year, Adele Cerise.
She thought that the joint combat practice would be the perfect opportunity to do so. However, since the timing wasn't favorable, Clarice had to drop out of the practical class.
As the saint, she didn't have a choice but to visit with the Holy Father. It was a force majeure.
In reality, the joint combat practice wasn't all that important.
There were many reasons the highly prestigious and busy Holy Father and Archbishop were personally visiting.
Clarice considered that a special inspection might be taking place. Since they were two people that were highly interested in every single one of the Saint's movements, it was clear they wanted to check on whether or not she was doing well at school, the environment was good, and if there was any sort of danger.
Though, honestly speaking, she wasn't entirely confident.
What was the school's environment like? There had been various incidents that had taken place before and after Clarice had entered the school.
Last year, a student had taken over the Student Center when she nearly summoned an ultimate dark spirit. There was also the professor that was caught trying to escape after stealing an important treasure from the school.
Then, after Clarice entered the school, there was a battle that the top students personally fought in that resulted in a section of the dormitory being destroyed. There was also the excommunicated aristocrat that had gotten caught up in a murder case… Things had been really hectic.
Still, since Clarice wasn't personally involved in any of it, it would be hard to say that it was dangerous for her. Still, with all the gossip going around, it wasn't exactly great, either.
Also, Clarice had already made a promise to the Archbishop Verdio when she left the Holy Father Building.
While attending school as Kylie Eckner, if there ever came a moment when someone found out about her true identity or she revealed it to the public herself, she would have to give up on her school life.
Since she had forced her way into being enrolled at Silvenia, she didn't have a choice but to accept that condition.
"..."
The past few months of her school life had been a dream-like moment of freedom for Clarice.
There were certainly times that were difficult or scary, but it was surely different from the life she lived while doing nothing but praying at the top of the Holy Father Building.
Clarice didn't want to go back to such a life yet. For that reason… She needed to make sure that the Holy Father's visit went smoothly.
Rather than putting on a show of bravado, now was the time to lie down quietly. Her desire to participate in the Joint Combat Practice was boiling over, but she endured it. The opportunity to meet with Adele would surely come again.
"I think it'll be fine for you to act more comfortably, Saint Clarice."
"Oh, can you really tell that I'm nervous?"
Bell noticed the tips of Clarice's long eyelashes trembling, so she tried to calm her down.
"Thinking of the fact that I'm going to meet with the Holy Father and the Archbishop after such a long time, I'm quite happy. I want to give a good impression and prove that I am doing well while studying here. So, I guess I started to get worried for no reason."
"You seem to be enjoying your school life."
"Yes. I want to stay in Silvenia until the day I graduate. But since I think that… it's making me rather nervous."
Bell had no way to relieve her of her nervousness. If she continued to talk about the topic, Clarice would only start to feel down. So, all she could do was hope that Clarice would find a way to take care of it herself and put her mind at ease.
As Bell brushed her beautiful hair with a comb, she kept her mouth shut. When someone was extremely stressed, the way to relieve them always differed.
Clarice also started to notice Bell's emotions and she quietly dropped the subject.
As she continued to get dressed, Clarice prayed that nothing out of the ordinary would take place.
There weren't any significant variables that could ruin things. After all, the difference in appearance between Kylie and Saint Clarice was huge. It would be hard for anyone to notice them easily, but…
"..."
Suddenly a person began to appear in Clarice's mind.
Perhaps the only variable within this school. The only student that knew the true identity of Saint Clarice.
An upperclassman two years above her that was currently living alone, out in his cabin in the forest. Ed.
Though, he really wasn't all that big of an issue. Just looking at him, he looked like the type that was good at keeping secrets.
He had noticed the identity of the Saint before anyone else, yet it seemed that he still hadn't revealed it to anyone. If rumors of the saint's true identity had begun to circulate because of him, she was certain that it would spread throughout the school in an instant.
Yet… Clarice still felt a bit anxious.
The man that was like her teacher, Archbishop Verdio, was a master at reading others' minds. She had no idea how he did it, but there were many times where he saw through other's thoughts and saw what they kept hidden inside.
However, it didn't work against Clarice… It was probably some sort of sacred magic, and there was not a single piece of sacred magic was able to be used on the Saint.
It probably wasn't going to happen, but if Ed happened to run into Archbishop Verdio, that could be a major issue. The fact that there was someone that already knew the true identity of the saint would end up being revealed.
Why did I only realize this now…?!
Of course, it was unlikely to even think that Ed, who lived in the forest, and Archbishop Verdio of the Holy Father Building would end up meeting face to face. Yet, there was still a small possibility. And that was something that she couldn't help but worry about.
Now that it was on her mind, she was starting to get even more nervous. During their visit, they would converse with the students, hold a baptism ceremony, and even give speeches… She started to become anxious over the fact that, when they were doing all of that… What if they ended up meeting Ed?
As she thought about it, Clarice's fingers started to tremble slightly. Should she let him know in advance? At the very least, doing something would make her feel a bit more at ease.
If she was just able to tell Ed about the situation and ask him to stay as far away from the religious ceremonies as possible, she could rest easy for the time being.
But until she could do so, she wouldn't be able to stay calm. She was so nervous that her eyelids began to tremble. If everything ended up being revealed because of that small mistake, her enjoyable school life would come to an end.
"..."
Seeing Clarice act like that, Bell Maya let out a deep sigh.
She seemed to be even more nervous than she thought. Since she was the Saint, she thought that she would just greet the Holy Father and Archbishop casually. But it seemed like that wasn't the case.
Of course, Bell was wrong. The reason Clarice was so nervous was for a much more substantial reason.
"Then… I'll make you a cup of tea to help calm you down."
"No, it's okay… But… I do have a request. Can you please get ready to head out?"
Clarice let out a sigh as she spoke to Bell with a flushed face.
"Ed. Ed Rothstaylor. I think I'll have to see him to help calm down…"
"…Pardon?"
What name did she just say?
Bell swallowed a gasp for a brief moment.
In an instant, a diagram made up of human relationships started to unfold in Bell's head. There wasn't much space to squeeze in anyone else. And there didn't seem to be anything good about it getting even more complicated.
"Ed… I want to meet him right now… As soon as possible…"
"But… the time…"
"Isn't the Holy Father coming to visit in the afternoon? There's still quite a bit of time left this morning, so there's plenty of time to do so…"
Bell didn't know the reason herself, but she didn't want Ed and the Saint to meet. Of course, that didn't mean there was a way for Bell to stop it from happening.
"A-Alright then…"
Bell began to sweat profusely, so unlike her usual self, as she answered her.
***
The Holy City was described as a palace on wheels by the people. What they were talking about was the Holy Father's carriage.
The Holy Father's carriage was always accompanied by tremendous escorts and had five to six rooms inside. It was like a house with wheels that moved together.
If it weren't for the Holy City's magicians, who stayed up all night casting weight lightening magic on it, it wouldn't have been possible to pull it along with even dozens of horses.
It was so grand that they needed to calculate the width of Mexes Bridge, which they would use to cross over into Acken Island. It was a bridge that was used for the transport of items to be distributed by the Elte Company. Looking at the escorts riding their horses on both the front and back ends of the carriage, it really gave the illusion that an army was on the move.
In the Holy Father's grand carriage, there were two men sitting side by side in the topmost seat.
One was the Holy Father Eldane, who wore a grand robe and had sharp and bright eyes that shone.
The other was Archbishop Verdio, who was neatly dressed in a perfectly sized robe and carrying a handful of papers.
Both of them were devout believers that had devoted their entire lives to the Telos Religious Group. They acted as elders that were highly respected by all clergymen of the Holy Father Building.
Since it consumed an enormous amount of manpower and resources when they traveled, they spent most of their time in the Holy Father Building, choosing to not travel long distances.
"It's a lot farther away than I thought. If we didn't have plans already set at Count Berche's estate, realistically it would have been quite difficult to come such a far place just to check on the Saint's situation."
"Yes. I'm really glad that the route matched up well."
Hearing the words from Archbishop Verdio, the Holy Father lightly responded. He looked out the window at a view of the plains. Far away, he could see a bridge stretching out over the sea coming into view. If they were to keep up the pace, they would be able to arrive in an hour or two.
"Anyway, I'm glad that the collaboration with Count Berche went well. Having established our authority sufficiently on this trip, it seems that we will be able to continue to draw funds until the next reconstruction date of the Holy Father Building."
"Is that so…?"
The reason the stubborn Holy Father had to travel all the way to another lord's land was… Ultimately, for business.
He had lived his entire life in complete dedication and obedience to the pure will of the Telos Religious Group. He lived his life, always judging the will of the god up in the sky, but he was still only a human that crawled on the ground.
If you wanted to survive in the world, you couldn't escape from your interests. The same was true for the Holy Father Building.
Looking out of the window at a scenery of the plains, the Holy Father Eldane was lost in his thoughts.
Suddenly, he remembered the days he cultivated his faith alone in the small monastery in the Lamelin Mountain Range. Even though he was always starving, it was also a time where he listened the closest to God's voice.
For how long had he been maintaining his faith through business? If you wanted to gain strength and build authority, it was impossible to achieve it for free.
No matter how noble a believer may be, they could never live a full life without the use of money. In the end, everyone was bound by the logic of power and money. The same was true even for the Holy Father, who reigned over the Holy City. He couldn't continue living without compromising that much.
At some point in time, the Holy Emperor reached a level that could shake hands with the Imperial Family. But as generations passed and the Holy Father Building grew, the scope of the compromise he made also widened… Of course, that applied to those that held the central power, but at some point, he even had to go out and personally visit the Earls that held immense influence. Even if their estates were located all the way in the outskirts.
Count Berche was a man that gave more donations than any other noble family, so he couldn't be ignored. In a way, he acted as a devout believer, so there wasn't a particular need to feel remorseful about visiting him… Still, he couldn't hide his upset.
"Holy Father, I was told today they are having the Joint Combat Practice."
"I know, Verdio. I just saw it in the documents."
Archbishop Verdio, who was watching over him, was also a devout believer.
He was much more open to compromises and was more realistic than to the Holy Father, who only listened to the voice of God and abandoned reality.
He probably rose to the position of Archbishop because he did a good job and controlled everything.
Devotion was like wings made of wax. If you flew too high, they would melt in the sunlight and disappear.
The higher your status was and the closer you came to seeing the truth in faith, the dearer you would hold it in your heart—to the point of wearing it out.
Eldane saw him pray with him every day, showing their devoted faith to their god Telos, but he couldn't help but occasionally stick his tongue out at Verdio's rational side.
Was he a man that could even sell the Holy Father Building if necessary?
He was a man with a temperament closer to a merchant than that of a clergyman.
As a clergyman, you couldn't easily control or suppress him. In the end, if you want to control him and have him in the palm of your hands, you would first have to master the logic of money and power.
He was a strange man. Still, Eldane didn't say anything particular about it.
He no longer had a choice but to accept the accusations that he was now an accomplice to him.
Because in the end, the Holy Emperor City was very much indebted to Verdio's resourcefulness.
In the distance, Mexes Bridge started to come closer.
***
"No one challenged me…"
Yennekar let out a sigh as she sat down at the wooden table in the Student Center. Sitting across from her, sipping my drink, I replied that I knew that would be the case.
Some time had passed, and now it was the day of the Joint Combat Practice.
It was an annual event where the first years went up against the second years, and the third years went up against the fourth years. The results of the matches were events that were reflected in your grades. However, each year the rules changed slightly depending on the professor in charge.
Last year, it was through one-on-one matchups. This year, it was through challenges. That meant you could personally challenge the opponent you wanted to.
Since there weren't any first year students in Class A yet, supposedly the competition to get into Class A is going to be quite intense this year. That was why everyone wanted to fight against the strongest opponents possible. So, to cater to that mindset, the matches this year would be conducted through challenging one another.
However, there were two problems.
That might be the case between the first and second years, but the third and fourth years really didn't have that level of fighting spirit.
So, for a student that was really strong, there wouldn't be anyone willing to challenge them. In the end, they would duel against the surplus of students that didn't challenge anyone. For a student that was so strong that no one wanted to challenge them in the first place, it was all too boring.
A prime example of that was the top third year student, Yennekar Palerover.
"I won't even know who my opponent will be until it's already time for the match…"
"Is there someone you personally want to go up against?"
"Hm… How should I respond to that? Won't it come across as being arrogant…?"
It looked like she was rather shy about challenging someone else. That was very much a Yennekar-like reaction.
The student center was crowded with students that had come to check things out. Yennekar and I left the crowd as we waited for the people at the tables around us to leave.
Looking at things as they were now, it seemed there wasn't anyone challenging me, either. Surprisingly, even among the third years I was recognized as being quite strong.
In fact, there weren't many talented people in the third year, anyway. The protagonist's generation was one year below us. The year that was considered to have many talented students, who filled the night sky like stars. Compared to them, the kids in my grade seemed pathetic.
Even in last year's joint combat practice… Aside from Yennekar, no one won a round against the protagonist's generation. There weren't even any signs of them being vexed about it. It all felt like the outcome was already decided beforehand.
In such a grade level, it wouldn't be strange to say that I had already entered the ranks as one of the strongest third years. Spending my time sleeping less and practicing more, the results were starting to slowly shine.
"Ed… You're reading the book Lucy gave you again…"
Suddenly, Yennekar looked at the book in my hand with her cheeks puffed out. I didn't want to unnecessarily reveal the contents of the book to others, so I quickly covered the cover with my hand.
Whenever I had free time, I was constantly reading the book on Celestial Magic, practicing using the magic power, and repeatedly training myself to get used to it.
Knowing how to use Celestial Magic would be a massive advantage. Even Professors had a difficult time using Celestial Magic. So, with such an opportunity available to me, it would be ridiculous to not take advantage of it.
However, no matter how much description and commentary there was written by a master of Celestial Magic, there were many parts that were difficult to understand. It seemed that I would still need to do quite a bit more training.
"Because it's a very important book. For the time being, I think I'll only be reading through this."
In any case, I had to continue waiting until all the students checked who their opponents would be. The school's faculty would arrange the matches and tell us when our duels would occur.
Since it would be a waste of time to just sit idly, I read my book. Yennekar continued to stare at me with her face laying against the table. I wondered what I did to make her expression so grumpy.
After a few minutes, she took in a deep breath, her cheeks still puffed up, and spoke.
"What are you going to do for dinner tonight? I forgot to check what ingredients you had left in the camp storage… Do you remember, Ed?"
"Well… I think we have enough… I also bought some of the leftover meat from Loraïl Hall's cafeteria, so we can use that. Should I just grill it with some salt…?"
"Ah, then I'll go and ask Clara for some leftover herbs. If we add it in while we cook it, it will become much softer and more fragrant."
"Oh… That's definitely worth a try…"
Even though today was just a regular day for us… If someone that didn't know we lived together overheard us, the conversation we were having might have sounded a bit strange.
The fact that Yennekar now lived next to me at camp had only just started to finally sink in. I swallowed a sigh of relief as I continued to read my book.
Once classes finished, we packed up our bags and headed back to the North Forest together. We cooked and ate together, talked about all the work [?] that needed to be done as we sat around the campfire at night, and when it was time to sleep, we each went to our own cabins. Saying 'see you tomorrow', we would both go off to bed.
"By the way… About Lucy…"
"Lucy?"
"Yeah… You know, how she often comes to the camp…"
Yennekar still had her face laying on the wooden table as she kicked her feet in the air. She then put her chin on her hand as she grunted.
"Don't you care, Ed…?"
"Even if I did, what could I even do? Would I even be able to stop her by using force? I feel more comfortable when I think of her as a natural disaster."
"That's… true, but… Lucy lives in Ophelis Hall. If she keeps coming to the camp like this, won't she get in trouble with the maids?"
Were the Ophelis Hall maids the only faculty members within the school that could control Lucy? Suddenly, I heard a strong voice.
As Yennekar was complaining, shaking her feet in the air, suddenly murmuring could be heard from the center of the Student Center.
And then, suddenly, the crowd split apart as the murmuring subsided in an instant.
"Pave the way!"
"The Saint is coming! Make way!"
Silvenia Academy was extremely reluctant to let outside escorts enter campus grounds.
That was because there were many different children of high-status or that came from influential families in Silvenia. If each and every one of them were granted permission, the internal facilities of the campus wouldn't work properly. Therefore, unless there was a special reason and it was permitted by the school, personal escorts were not allowed to be used.
However, there are only two people within the school that transcended those rules. One was Princess Penia Elias Kroel, who lived in the royal residence with guards protecting her. The other was Saint Clarice, who lived in the largest room on the top floor of Ophelis Hall.
"Wow…"
It seemed to be Yennekar's first time seeing Saint Clarice. Well, they were in different school years… There wouldn't have been many opportunities for them to interact.
An elegance that naturally overwhelmed the crowd. White hair, flowing down her body in a neat fashion. Red eyes that sent a chill down your spine.
She was a girl that always appeared in front of the public wearing a holy robe made of the finest lace, protected by the holiest of divine protections. So, seeing her wear a school uniform was a strange sight.
Since she's also a student, she must have come to check the list of battles for the Joint Combat Training. Gathering the attention of everyone, she made her way across the empty lot in front of the Student Center.
I sat quietly at a wooden table off in the corner as I watched her pass by. She was quite far away, so I could barely even see her.
Compared to when she was Kylie, there was a huge difference in her elegant and dignified appearance.
"..."
I was going to keep a close eye on everything that took place during the Joint Combat Practice.
I wanted to check just how much longer the original storyline that I knew would continue, and to determine from what point it would start moving into a different direction. I needed to check just how the storyline was being twisted so that I could make preparations to deal with the next big incident.
First off, something different from what I had expected was already taking place.
As far as I knew, Saint Clarice shouldn't have been able to participate in the Joint Combat Practice. That was because the Holy Father's visit overlapped with it, and meeting with him was a higher priority for her.
However, seeing her come all the way over to check the list of matches for the Joint Combat Practice… Did that mean the Saint was also going to participate in the practical training?
If that was the case, then had the Holy Father's visit been delayed? If such a change did happen, why?
Then, as I was turning the gears in my head to figure out why such a situation was taking place…
"Uh…. Uhm…"
Suddenly, Yennekar raised her head from the table as she made a bewildered sound.
Clarice, who had everyone's attention, wasn't walking to the front door of the Student Center.
She looked back and forth before looking straight at me. She then started to walk firmly in my direction. The eyes of the students around us started to glare daggers at me.
Saint Clarice didn't become close to anyone while she was at school. That was because, with her esteemed status, she was already exposed to all sorts of dangers.
Yet, that same person had now come all the way over to sit in the seat right across from me. Her graceful appearance was still prevalent in the small set of her actions.
"Hello, Ed."
Her clear and beautiful voice traveled across the murmurs of the crowd. What the heck was going on? Everyone was completely bewildered that the Saint had come over to greet me as if we were close.
Unfortunately, I also had no idea what she was doing. First of all, I was at least able to figure out that the person sitting in front of me right now wasn't the fake. She was the real Clarice… But why on earth did she come all the way over here to greet me?
"Originally, I was going to write you a letter. However, I wanted to meet with you quickly, so I came in person."
She naturally dropped such a bombshell of a remark, but I couldn't help but wonder what the heck she was talking about. Only silent clamors were heard throughout the crowd.
Meanwhile, Clarice continued to smile softly and elegantly.
"Shall we talk?"
"..."
While trying to control my expression as much as possible, I closed my book and set it aside on the table.
-x-X-x-
'Romantic Adele'.
The actions she took in
The Nosy Elvira Boss Fight.
She smiled while watching the duel between Taylee and Elvira as a bystander.
Glasskan Subjugation.
Even though she was trapped in the education district due to Velosper's barrier magic, she had the audacity to continue on and play on her lute in a carefree manner.
Exploring the Alchemy Department's Society.
After the incident, she sat on top of the statue of an herbalist in front of the Alchemy Department's Society, singing a song.
Glast Subjugation.
At Taylee's request, she joined his party to rescue Ayla and fought with all her might while using supporting magic.
Student Council President Election.
Hidden in the crowd, she quietly watched the election taking place.
And then…
From Act 3, Chapter 5, the second Joint Combat Practice, she started to have a bigger role in the storyline due to her connection with Saint Clarice.
As the Archbishop Verdio revealed her past, we learned that her past was much darker than you might expect.
After that… The Romantic Adele was killed off by the Archbishop.
The player only found out after the Joint Combat Practice came to an end.
After defeating several first year students, who rush in one after another—including both top students, Joseph and Wade—the top student of the alchemy department, Claude, finally came out.
After he was also defeated, unable to overcome his anger he drank a reagent considered taboo, the 'Evil God's Blood', and became corrupted. The player then had to defeat Claude, who was now able to use all sorts of dark magic after receiving the magic power of the Evil God Mebula.
Once Claude—who was running rampant—was finally defeated, you were able to leave the arena.
Only then, when the episode ended, would the player learn of Adele's death.
To help immerse the player in the next episode, the episode ended with that shocking reveal. When the player heard news of Adele's death, they would be shocked and feel inclined to rush straight into the next storyline.
Then from there, it was Act 3's final chapter. The final event before Lucy's Subjugation.
A story between Saint Clarice, who was full of distrust, and the Telos Religious Group, who wanted to punish her. The connecting bridge that led to it was none other than the Joint Combat Practice.
Of course, that was the storyline that 'I know of'.
Unfortunately, the world had already started to go awry.
***
"Unfortunately, I'm in a spot where I can't spend a lot of time with you, but it would be nice if we could at least talk for a bit. At least, that's how I feel now."
Clarice gave an eloquent smile. I could feel the gazes from the handful of guards that were following behind her and the students that were looking on quietly further behind them.
Clarice was someone that always seemed to have a rather aloof appearance. It was the first time anyone had ever seen her approach someone on her own to talk with them.
It looked like Clarice had already finished her preparations to meet with the Holy Father, seeing as she was perfectly dressed up. Looking at her sitting there with my own two eyes, it was still hard to believe that the childish Kylie and Saint Clarice were the same person.
"It's… A great honor, Saint."
I responded to Clarice's words as naturally as I could while trying to keep my facial expression calm.
Clarice sat neatly as she smiled brightly. She then glanced over towards Yennekar. Sitting next to me, Yennekar started to giggle as she hiccupped. She then quickly bowed her head.
"M-My name is Yennekar Palerover… Saint… It's such an honor to see you… this close…"
Her voice was drenched with nervousness, cracking as she spoke. But given that it was the Saint of the Telos Religious Group that she was greeting, it made sense.
Back in the sacred Holy Father Building… She was considered to have received the most love from their God Telos, and she was also the most noble and holiest of Telos' servants.
So, regardless of the fact that Yennekar grew up in the countryside, there was still no way she wouldn't know the majesty of the Telos Religious Group. Nearly a third of the entire population of the Kroel Empire were members of the Telos Religious Group.
And the idol of that Religious Group was now right in front of her. There was no way that a girl like Yennekar wouldn't be nervous.
"B-But… I heard… that you, the Saint… are supposed to m-meet… the Holy Father today, so…"
Yennekar couldn't finish her sentence… She seemed to have bit her tongue as she started to shake her head around.
Then, with a tear in her eyes, she turned towards me as if asking to be rescued. I finished off what Yennekar was trying to ask.
"We heard that the Holy Father and the Archbishop are supposed to visit soon. Is it okay for you to come here like this?"
"As you can see, I have already finished getting ready. And the Holy Father is supposed to personally visit Trix Hall, right? So, while I was heading there, I happened to pass by the Student Center."
After speaking, she smiled once more.
Looking at Clarice as she was now, she was definitely pure white. Whether it be her hair color, skin color, or attitude towards people.
She was certainly someone that was filled with a pure white color. It was to the extent that anyone would wonder if it was truly possible. However, because she appeared so pure, the parts of her that weren't were rather suspicious.
And because of her pure white background, her bright red eyes stood out even more intensely. And the red bow hairpin stood out quite a bit in her white hair.
She was also wearing a scarlet-colored school uniform overcoat and a dark blue skirt, both of which didn't cover up her pure white glow.
"Saying that it's all a coincidence…?"
"Since now they are announcing the matchups for the Joint Combat Practice, I figured that you would be here, Ed."
In short, she was saying 'I came here to meet you.'
With those words, shock began to spread through the crowd. Even though they didn't show it on the outside, I definitely felt it.
I wiped my face as I thought of the best way to respond to the situation. I then spoke.
"It's an honor."
"Is there any reason for you to feel so honored, Ed?"
A benevolent smile after every word she spoke. Probably because she was a Saint from the Holy Father Building, the attitude she held for the followers was ingrained in her body.
"It's been a while since you've seen the Holy Father, so you must be a little nervous."
"That is true."
The first thing I did was completely change the topic.
Thinking of the times I had come into contact with Saint Clarice, the time she had suddenly come to my camp last winter and scolded me was the only thing I could think of. Even so, that was dealt with without any loose ends, and there was a good reason to send her back.
So why did she suddenly come to see me at such an important time?
The first thing I needed to do was determine that reason.
"The Holy Father is a very sharp and wise person. And Archbishop Verdio, who accompanies him, is a rather intelligent person… Almost to the point that I wonder if he is able to read another's mind."
"I see. They seem to be quite amazing people. But it seems that your horseman has been tapping his foot on the ground for quite a while now. Perhaps you don't have the time for this?"
"Hmm. Regardless, don't you think the fact that Verdio might have the ability to read another's mind is rather interesting? It must be a form of Sacred Magic, don't you think…?"
"Perhaps. Though, it would be difficult to know much about Sacred Magic without being directly involved with the Religious Group… But at this time, you should probably…"
"That's true. In fact, it would be difficult for any outsider to know details about the principles of Sacred Magic. Archbishop Verdio's ability to read through another's heart… It really is such a mystery…"
...
Strangely… The conversation wasn't making any sense…!
It might be intentional, but it felt like Saint Clarice kept leading the topic to focus solely on Archbishop Verdio. She might also be conscious of all the ears that were surrounding us, listening in as well.
To catch my breath for a moment, I took a sip of my drink, which was placed on the wooden table.
Then, after apologizing to Clarice as I asked her to take a brief break, I took a deep breath.
I then looked right back at her.
I didn't realize it from afar, but up close I had a strange feeling that she was nervous. I guess Clarice was feeling a bit rushed after all.
Seeing her continue bringing up Verdio's ability, her intentions also started to make sense.
I was someone that knew of the fact that Saint Clarice was actually Kylie. So, if I were to run into Verdio, the Religious Group would find out that I knew the true identity of the Saint.
From Saint Clarice's position, as she needed to hide her true identity to attend school, it wasn't a pleasant situation. She must have wanted to meet with me quickly to tell me that.
However, it wasn't something that she could have someone else tell me.
"Please go find Ed Rothstaylor and tell him he must never meet with Archbishop Verdio." If she were to make such a request, anyone would think that was extremely suspicious.
Only an idiot wouldn't be able to figure out that Ed Rothstaylor might have discovered the Saint's true identity. There would be no point if her close aide were to discover that truth.
However, there also wasn't enough time to send a wax-sealed letter. So, since it was on her way, she decided to meet with me in person.
Now, she was trying to convey her message as quietly as possible in a roundabout way, praying that I'd figure out what she was trying to say.
After thinking about it, I was finally starting to organize all my thoughts. Ultimately, that was probably what Saint Clarice wanted to hear the most from me.
"If you're saying that much… Then Archbishop Verdio is truly an amazing person. Of course, a ruined person like me, with low status, would never have the chance to meet with them in my life."
"…I–Is that so…?"
Clarice raised her eyebrows slightly, as if asking for confirmation.
I responded with a bit more confidence.
"Yes. Either way, since I'm participating in the Joint Combat Practice, I'm already quite busy. Also, the difference in our status is too large. It would be difficult for me to even participate in the Holy Father's visiting ceremony. So, there's probably no chance that I will personally end up meeting Archbishop Verdio."
"..."
"…Not a chance."
After saying all of that, Saint Clarice's face started to lighten up.
As if she could feel that the message had finally clicked between the two of us, she started to relax her shoulders and did her best to stop the corners of her lips from rising.
No matter what others might say, that girl's true nature was that of the immature girl, Kylie Eckner.
Even though her circumstances forced her to become the holiest girl in the entire world, true nature started to show itself when she was happy.
Of course, she was also a veteran at controlling her emotions. She lived her entire life practicing self-restraint, after all.
"E-Excuse me… Saint."
Of course, her actions also had a major blind spot. The fact that there are so many eyes watching her every action.
The only thought on her mind was that she was coming to see me personally, to take care of the incident as fast as possible. However, from a third person point of view, all of her actions were extremely unusual for her.
So, it was not surprising that a question would come out of Yennekar's mouth.
"So… You came all the way here… just to see Ed…?"
Clarice had been trembling in fear over the idea that I might end up attending the Religious Group's event or meet with Verdio.
And only after that major fear of hers was relieved did she finally begin to finally open her eyes and look objectively at the situation.
"Uh… So… Th-That's… Right…?"
After taking care of the urgent issue, she now started to see another issue that she would need to resolve. And that was the people around her that were watching.
The students that had come to the Student Center and waited around to check on the matchups had all been watching quietly. Even though they pretended to be uninterested, secretly all their attention was focused on us.
It was an obviously uncomfortable situation, so it needed to be taken care of as naturally as possible…
"You were so nervous about meeting the Holy Father… so you came all the way here in a carriage to meet with Ed…"
"N-No, that's not it."
Seeing her come straight here from such a faraway place… No matter how you looked at it, it looked like we had a special relationship.
Clarice's flustered expression was as rare as gold from the heavens. That was because, for the Saint that was supposed to always be benevolent and dignified, making a scene was prohibited.
From Kylie's position, as someone that didn't have such a heavy weight on her shoulder, that may not be the case. But from Clarice's position, as someone who had been living as the Saint since she was a child, she didn't show such an appearance easily.
If she was able to maintain her composure and calm herself down as Saint Clarice, not Kylie Eckner, then she could control the situation and not cause a scene—no matter how strange the situation was.
Once she steeled her heart, she was like an impenetrable castle of iron.
However, if she did have a weak point, it would be none other than getting tangled up with a man.
In the belfry of the Holy Father Building that she lived in, from the entrance all the way down the hallways, it was an area restricted to men. Even the Holy Father didn't step foot in such a sacred area. The guards that watched the perimeter of the entrance would even have to go through an ablution if they stepped foot on the boundary line.
That meant that, unless it was time to go outside and show herself, she never had the chance to come in contact with a man. Especially when it came to a guy around her age.
Wasn't that the Clarice that only knew the relationship between a man and women from the third-rate romance novels that Adele had secretly brought her?
The Saint, who was completely cut off from a man and woman relationship, had no skills when it came to being able to deal with such a situation with a boy around her age. In other words, she was no different from a young girl that couldn't help but blush from handholding. Someone far from being capable of handling such a situation.
"No, That's… Uhm…?"
Unfortunately for her, such a reaction only added flames to the misunderstanding.
In the eyes of others, since she barely had any contact with me in the first place, there was no reason for her to ride a carriage and strategically set her path to come and meet me when she is already so busy.
It was something that she had done quickly, planning on coming up with an explanation later on, but it was also something that couldn't easily be explained. Even more so if her face was just going to turn bright red in embarrassment like that.
"So… About that… Uhm…? I-I'm… Also a person…? So, of course… I get nervous…? That's why…"
Anyone would think that she was trying to make up some lie. However, since everyone in the area were just regular people, they couldn't recklessly talk over her.
"S-So… That's why… I just… Uhm… I wanted to meet someone… and then, when I thought of who I wanted to meet… The only face… I saw was…"
"No, so, what I'm trying to say is… That… It's just because I'm nervous…? I just wanted to see him… or something…? How should I say it… Just, as a person…?"
She seemed to have realized that the more she opened her mouth, the stranger it sounded. That was why she had stopped talking and started to read the air around her.
Although no one was saying anything, the students that had been watching seemed to be at a loss for words.
No one had ever seen Saint Clarice, who was always elegant and proper, blush so much and tremble like that.
As a result, Saint Clarice ended up making the worst possible decision she could have.
She ran away.
"Oh my… Look at the time…! The Holy Father will be arriving soon…!!"
She covered her face as she ran away to the carriage.
The horseman, who was already getting impatient by the passing of time, quickly swung his whip as he made the luxurious carriage go forward.
"..."
"..."
At the place where the Saint had quickly run away like lightning, all that remained was silence.
Gazes of astonishment poured down like bullets. And the person sitting in the center of all of it was none other than me.
I wiped my face with both hands as I lowered my head.
***
The Joint Combat Practice took place in two of the three buildings that made up the Student Center.
The first and second years would have their duels in Nail Hall. The third and fourth years would have their duels in Glockt Hall. Because of that, the two groups didn't mix with each other.
Of course, the buildings were still right next to each other. If you needed to go between them, you could get there quickly. You would have to be a complete idiot to get lost, and there wasn't a particular reason for people to do so. Still, I was planning to finish my fight quickly and go next door to see how the situation played out.
"Whew…"
Leaving behind the explosive actions of the Saint, I quickly escaped from the scene.
The first thing I needed to do was say goodbye to Yennekar. That was because, in Glockt Hall, the two of us were in different dueling arenas.
Yennekar was in the seventh arena, which was the furthest inside. Meanwhile, I was in the third arena.
"??? ??????"
Still not understanding what the Saint was talking about or why she reacted that way, Yennekar's face was frozen, question marks flying up in the air. I really hoped it didn't interfere with her match. Though, I was sure she would quickly overwhelm every student that faced her.
"Whew…"
It was worthwhile to push my way through the students waiting around outside and make my way inside the building.
Most of the students that didn't have a match right away were waiting on the terrace. When I entered the hallway, everything was quiet.
Yennekar was horrifically bad with directions. Afraid that Yennekar might not find her arena, I made sure she got there safely before I headed to the third arena on my own.
As I walked in, I looked at the match timetable. The opponent automatically assigned to me… It was Kordek. Among the fourth years, he was in the Combat Department and considered one of the most talented students there. A savage-like warrior that used axes and other blunt weapons.
"Hmm… It will be disadvantageous for me if I'm dragged into close combat."
The corridor leading to the dueling arena. A place where, aside from a couple of passing students, it was completely empty.
The sound of footsteps on the arena's floor. I slowly walked forward… Suddenly, I was looking at a student wearing a wide and roundish skirt, sitting off in the corner of the Arena.
"♪ ♫ ♪"
"..."
It was a complete surprise.
Adele was there, sitting on the floor playing the lute.
In the first place, she was someone that would travel with the wind and show up in a flash. She was famous, since no one had any idea of where and when she would appear. Why was sitting there, playing the lute in a place that no one ever went? Of course, I knew the reason. Still, seeing her in person like that, I couldn't help but be surprised.
"What are you doing here…? This is Glockt Hall. If you're a second year student, you should head on over to Nail Hall."
"Oh. It's nice to see you again, Ed."
With a bright smile and fluttering flower petals flying around her head, Adele continued to pluck the strings.
"It's a surprise to see our fates align like this. They say that one's fate is as unpredictable as the wind, yet we seem to meet each other quite often."
I shook my head at Adele's smiling face. There was a degree to being free.
"Aren't you going to participate in the Joint Combat Practice?"
"Naturally, I'm going to. I should slowly get going. My match isn't until a little bit later."
Adele continued to smile as she stood up from her seat. She then dusted off her clothes.
"The timing is perfect. If can just slowly head out now~"
After speaking, she quietly walked past me towards the exit.
As she continued to pass by… I just stood there silently.
"..."
The moment she passed me, all of my accumulated thoughts had suddenly burst out, flooding my mind all at once.
That's right.
After the Joint Combat Practice ended, Adele Cerise would be killed by Archbishop Verdio.
I knew that for a fact.
However, the problem was… I didn't know the full story.
All the knowledge I gained while playing
Right now, that same point of view would probably be to show me that swordsman taking on all the challenges from his underclassmen. Now that we'd reached the end of the middle part of ACT 3, he should be strong enough to hold a rank among the top second years, also called the generation of shining stars.
And from Taylee's point of view… the details of Adele's death weren't exactly known.
That was because the Joint Combat Practice and the Holy Father's visit to Silvenia happened at the same time. And in the middle of it all, Adele's murder would take place.
The information that I was able to get from the protagonist's point of view… It was that the situation was all caused by a scheme created by Verdio. Though, the only information I had was that he didn't let Adele run away after stealing the secrets of the Religious Group, so he punished her with death.
That would be the switch that ignited Saint Clarice's wrath, and also the start of her fully digging into the corruption committed by high-ranking clerics of the Telos Religious Group.
The Saint of Distrust, Clarice.
The image of the Saint covered in blood, looking up at the starry sky between the burning trees of Right Mountain… Right now, it felt like that switch was right in front of me.
The situation then returned to the present.
Adele walked down the hallway, heading towards the exit. Perhaps that would be the last image of Adele while she was alive.
Knowing that she would die, would it be the right decision to just ignore her and let her go out there to face her fate?
The first thing that came to mind was one's morals. The question of whether it was right to leave a man alive without their limbs.
In the past, I would have started weighing the effects of her life with the original storyline. However, after Act 1 and Act 2, the storyline had already become twisted—to the point that it was no longer in my control. And by twisting it even more, I even ended up putting Tanya in the position of Student Council President with my own two hands.
It didn't make any sense to worry about the storyline anymore. Now, it was just a matter of morals.
However, I didn't know the exact details of her death… So, would she even listen to me if I said anything? If I told her that she would die if she didn't stay here for now, would she even agree?
Without any evidence, I would be saying that the holy Religious Group's highest-ranking clerics were trying to kill an innocent little girl… Who in the world would trust such a statement?
However, if the person I told that to was also a devout believer of the religion, then I'd only be eaten alive and credited as a conspiracy theorist.
What suddenly came to my mind was the old professor that had died under an old tree under the moonlit night.
Of course, that was completely different from Professor Glast's death. Back then, I was weak and not someone that could be trusted.
But what about with Adele? There was still a chance to avoid her death if I put in the effort… So, was it my duty as a human being to save her from death as best as I could? If that was the case, then I'd have to take action immediately.
Then, in the moment when I was falling into such deep anguish…
"Hey."
Suddenly, words came out of my mouth. I looked straight ahead as only my voice came out.
Adele, who was walking outside, looked back with a smile.
"Yes, Ed?"
"You will die soon."
Without even a moment to rest, I ended up saying such a thing.
'What are you saying?'
'I'm going to die? What kind of horse shit is that?'
'You're quite the joker.'
No matter how she responded to me, I decided that I would explain it to her in a way that made sense.
"I know."
Adele, who still had a smile on her face, gave a brief response as she continued to head through the exit.
And with that… A long silence lingered in the hallways of Glockt Hall.