I Became the Academy’s Female Delinquent Chapter 52. The Pursuit of Truth

“My name is Dane Adorencia.”

“I am Woden Alfodr, the headmaster of the Main Academy.”

Dane and Woden shook hands.

‘This old man is extraordinary. It’s like facing Lord Forseti… or perhaps even more so…’

Dane scrutinized Woden, who appeared to be a white-haired old man, with sharp eyes.

A robust old man wearing an eyepatch on one eye. His senses screamed:

He is definitely not an ordinary person.

“Dane of the Einherjar Knights, the Three Blades. I have heard much about you. I also heard that you made considerable contributions in the recent Niflheim-Ginnungagap expedition.”

“I didn’t expect my name to be known as far as Midgard.”

Even if Dane was a somewhat well-known figure within the Knights, how could the headmaster of an academy in Midgard know the details of the expedition so well?

With a question in mind, Dane sat down.

Woden stroked his beard once and looked out the window.

Just then, the Bifrost leading to Asgard briefly appeared and disappeared in the sky.

“I have many eyes and ears to see and hear. I tend to keep an eye on how the world is turning.”

Huginn and Muninn fluttered their black feathers and flew to sit on Woden’s shoulders.

“…I see. Then, what brings you to me? I am-”

“Don’t be impatient. It’s not like your sister is going to disappear somewhere.”

Dane clenched his fist tightly at Woden’s calm demeanor.

“I acknowledge your extreme devotion to watching over your sister, even to the point of unauthorized intrusion into the academy, but that doesn’t mean I can let an intruder go, does it?”

“Th-that’s…”

Woden chuckled at Dane’s inability to speak.

“To think that she was expelled from your family despite having such a caring brother… This old man finds it hard to believe.”

“Expelled from the family! That can never-”

Dane had no choice but to shut his mouth, recalling what had happened to Elsie.

“You must have heard something about your sister from Forseti.”

“How do you know even that?”

Woden tapped his temple with his finger.

“Didn’t I say I’m an old man with many eyes and ears to see and hear? Besides, I’m in the position of the headmaster of the academy. Looking after students entangled in complicated family affairs is something I’ve done to the point of being sick of it.”

“So, you called me here because of Elsie after all?”

Woden slowly nodded at Dane’s question.

Complicated family affairs. There were too many things entangled with the child named Elsie to simply package it up like that.

“Rather than stories about this old man who has disappeared into the backwaters of history, I have much to say about your sister, Elsie Adorencia.”

“I’m listening.”

There was no reason not to listen if it was about Elsie.

“How much do you know about souls?”

“…Souls?”

Souls are unique and one-of-a-kind throughout all worlds.

It is proof of existence, like an immutable concept that can never be replaced.

“I don’t know what the cause is. Is it because of Nidhogg’s venom that the child drank? It’s hard for this old man to think that way. Anyway…”

Dane could not understand what Woden was trying to say because he was omitting the key points.

“It’s true that Elsie miraculously survived after drinking that venom of the poison dragon, but what does that have to do with souls?”

“What if she wasn’t revived, but replaced? No, it’s not appropriate to say replaced. Since perfectly identical souls have merged into one, it’s not a replacement, but… a unification.”

Elsie miraculously survived after drinking poison that would surely lead to death.

Although she lost her memories, it could be said to be a cheap price considering the effects of the poison.

But if that miraculous survival was thanks to the unification with a soul that came from somewhere in another dimension…

Dane’s head spun.

“That can’t be! The same soul cannot exist in this world, and souls cannot merge!”

That was the providence of the world. It was an immutable law.

“You’re right. Every being in this world lives with its own soul. And although they may be temporarily mixed, they can never be merged into one.”

“Th-then why are you making such ridiculous speculations…”

“It’s not speculation. It’s a conviction. Didn’t I say? Every being in this world has its own soul. But what if it’s not from this world?”

Parallel world.

That’s how Woden explained it.

“It’s just a guess, but the possibility is very high.”

Woden’s guess was a shock to Dane himself.

At the moment Elsie drank the poison and was dying, quite by chance. As if by a miracle, the soul of a parallel world Elsie crossed over through the unstable dimensional rift created by the Bifrost.

Different souls can never be merged, but if they are two perfectly identical souls that came from outside the laws of this world, the story is different.

Life slowly fading after drinking poison.

Or perhaps the soul of Elsie, who may have already met the death of her body, was naturally mixed with the soul of another Elsie.

And that became an opportunity to rekindle the flame of life once again.

The unique potential of the soul.

With the increase in the total amount, Elsie was revived with mixed memories.

That would explain the unification of souls that Woden had confirmed when he investigated Elsie with Hlidskjalf.

Dane, having heard Woden’s guess, but a story close to conviction, hung his head like a desperate man.

Woden quietly closed his eyes at Dane’s appearance.

“Then Elsie now…”

“Is not the Elsie you know… is that what you want to say?”

Elsie’s soul is definitely still there.

She will live on as one with the soul of Elsie who came from a parallel world.

‘And yet this Einherjar cannot accept it…’

Woden looked at Dane, who was covering his face with his hands, with pitiful eyes.

But Dane nicely denied such thoughts of Woden.

“That can’t be! Elsie is Elsie. That fact does not change.”

A strong will flickered in Dane’s blue eyes, which he raised.

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

A soul from another world.

Race, gender, appearance.

Perhaps nothing matches Elsie here, but that being whose soul was the same.

“If that soul, which accidentally crossed over from another world, became one with Elsie here… what happened to the original vessel that contained that soul?”

Is he even worried about Elsie from a parallel world who has no connection to him?

‘Just because the souls are the same… madness. Young Einherjar.’

Woden quietly closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

As always, miracles come at a price.

The fate of the vessel from which the soul has left is obvious.

“That child knows best, wouldn’t you say?”

*

“Hoo-et-?!”

“Hoo-et? Ahahaha.”

Thrud giggled at Elsie’s strange sneeze.

Elsie, recalling the faint memory of rolling on the floor to prevent the worst-case scenario of her clothes burning, looked up at the sky.

The inter-class match ended vaguely with an untimely fire, and she was on her way home.

As she stood there wistfully with a melancholic look in her eyes, the moment she was hit by the water cannon replayed in her mind.

“…Achoo!”

“Are you catching a cold?”

Doyun, who was looking down at Elsie with concern, took off his blazer and handed it to Elsie.

Elsie unconsciously took Doyun’s large blazer and shivered.

“R-really? Nah, no way…”

‘A cold from getting hit by a little water cannon, come on…’

But her body was originally frail.

Elsie, whose immune system was not very trustworthy, thought about going home and soaking in a warm bath.

Swish-

Elsie put on Doyun’s blazer with a languid face.

It was warm and cozy, and she felt her body melting a little.

“Elsie! I’ll give you my blazer too.”

Thrud, who was quietly watching, took off her blazer and put it on Elsie.

“No… it’s heavy…”

Elsie shook her head at Thrud’s wink.

“By the way, the academy must be preparing for the Unified Martial Arts Tournament soon, since they’re having an inter-class match as part of the class.”

“Didn’t they say it was postponed because they had to investigate some terrorist circumstances?”

Elsie tilted her head and asked Doyun.

“I don’t know how long it will be postponed, but… the academy will still be able to select representative members internally, so they’re probably trying to prepare in advance.”

“Hmm.”

‘Representative selection, huh…’

In any case, there is only one winner.

Even if they participate as members of the same academy, they are all competitors in the end.

Elsie began to recall the most threatening people one by one.

‘Most of them were Valkyries after all… Thrud, Randgrid… I’m glad Reginleif is a teacher.’

There are currently five confirmed Valkyries in the Main Academy.

Thrud, Randgrid, and Reginleif, who were raid bosses.

And Eir, who was a non-hostile NPC, and Radgrid, who was in charge of Randgrid’s gimmick.

Among them, Thrud and Randgrid were qualified to participate in the Unified Martial Arts Tournament.

‘Considering the possibility that there are Valkyries in other world academies as well… it won’t be easy.’

Ölrún, Göndul, Geirahöð, Hervör Alvitr, Göll, Skeggjöld, etc…

Elsie’s expression hardened as she recalled the formidable named Valkyries, including the raid bosses.

‘And the biggest variable is still…’

Elsie glanced up at Doyun’s profile.

Clear features, short black hair, bright brown eyes.

He, who had a look that made her feel longing, was the variable that Elsie had been paying attention to.

The three treasured swords he wielded.

Balmung, Gram, and Notung were all weapons that contained tremendous power.

In particular, Notung was the treasured sword with the worst compatibility with Elsie.

Depending on the situation, he could be a much more troublesome opponent than the other Valkyries.

Doyun’s neck began to turn red from Elsie’s gaze, which was intensely looking at him.

‘What is it? Is there something on my face? Does the blazer smell?’

“Wh… what’s wrong?”

“…I’ve been thinking about you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m getting a little nervous after all.”

‘What does that even mean!’

She has him in her transparent blue eyes and says something incomprehensible.

Doyun’s heart beat fast.

‘Notung, which boasted the greatest cutting power in the Aesir Saga… is dangerous after all.’

Elsie, with a serious face, lowered her head.

Thrud, who was quietly glancing at the two, smiled and patted Elsie’s head.

*

Crash!

The man who had dumped the contents of the cabinet trampled on the household goods rolling on the floor.

“Damn it! Where did you hide it!”

Svik, who had broken into Elsie’s empty house, was rummaging through the entire house.

Before the letter from the mistress of Adorencia, Herja, and the poison bottle fell into Dane’s hands, he had to dispose of at least that, but it was nowhere to be seen.

He had to dispose of the two items that were critical evidence of Elsie’s attempted poisoning, no matter what the cost.

‘There’s no way she would have foolishly disposed of such evidence. It must be in the house, it must be…’

Smash!

Svik’s eyes flashed with annoyance as he smashed the glass bottle rolling on the floor.

“If it comes to this, before it’s too late…”

Now that Dane was not around, it was as good as the last chance.

Svik, who had no time to think about the aftermath, raised his magic power and went outside.