episode_0150

The candidates handpicked by Luciella were, surprisingly, mostly those with sound judgment.

Of course, given that they were people who had stubbornly followed her even after being beaten to the brink of death, they must have harbored their own brand of ruthlessness. Still, it was remarkable that none of them had deep ties to the underworld.

Whether they liked it or not, those living in the slums were easily exposed to environments where crime—or something akin to it—was just within reach.

That’s why I had planned to use Chris’s influence to smooth over any petty crimes or minor offenses, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

“What criteria did you even use to pick these people?”

“I chose those who seemed sincere.”

“…Sure.”

It made me wonder if Luciella’s selection as the Hero had truly been just a coincidence.

But there was no time to dwell on that now. I turned my attention to the pile of resumes stacked before me. Thanks to Luciella’s introductions, I had already conducted what could loosely be called interviews with all of them.

“What’s the plan now?”

“We’ll start them off with light tasks. There’s no shortage of places to put them to work, and House Graive has agreed to vouch for them. Surely no idiot would be foolish enough to stir trouble under those circumstances. Besides, my parents will be back soon.”

Even if someone had somehow managed to deceive even Luciella’s judgment, attempting any schemes while only Chris and I were around wouldn’t go unnoticed by our parents.

“Not to mention, the newspaper preparations aren’t quite finished yet. We still need to check for typos and ensure nothing problematic gets printed before distributing it.”

“So, we’re not doing anything at the moment?”

“That’s not entirely accurate. There are other preparations to be made—drafting speeches, setting a good example for the other students while we’re at it.”

“Understood. Are we parting ways here, then?”

“—Huh? I was actually planning to study together from now on.”

“No. I know exactly what kind of rumors would spread if I stayed with you. For the others’ sake, it’s better if I study alone. Besides, Eric as you are now has no need to force himself to study with me.”

“Fair point.”

Originally, Luciella and I would’ve spent our after-school hours scouring every corner to find suitable candidates. But since she had done it all herself, my schedule was now wide open.

I had considered studying together as I’d suggested, but studying alone wouldn’t help much—I was already well-prepared for this exam thanks to tutoring from top students.

“If anything, I’d recommend training your body instead. There’s no downside to physical conditioning—especially for someone like you, a prophet.”

“Uh… I’ll pass.”

Given Luciella’s standards, just imagining what kind of training she had in mind was terrifying.

“Is that so? Fine, then.”

Fortunately, Luciella didn’t press further. With a slight nod, she turned and walked away. Watching her stiff back as she left, I couldn’t help but sigh.

A Hero shouldn’t carry herself like that. She’ll have to act in front of people—sometimes bending, sometimes flattering. Of course, it was my job to minimize those situations as much as possible.

Not that Luciella’s blunt demeanor was entirely unfavorable.

Watching her calmly present the severed head of a demon legion commander in front of those who still doubted her qualifications as a Hero was, admittedly, impressive even to me. There was a certain appeal to her quiet, unyielding image.

But thinking about this now was pointless. Luciella’s true rise would only begin after she drew the Holy Sword and was officially proclaimed the Hero. For now, my priority wasn’t how to support her—it was crafting an impeccable speech for the ballroom.

Lost in thought, I wandered mindlessly—until I collided head-on with someone right in front of me.

“Ack!”

“—Ugh.”

“Sorry! I was distracted and—huh?”

There was no mistaking that face. Even though our encounter had been brief, the memory of her remained the most vivid in my mind.

Tap—

The moment our eyes met, the girl I had just bumped into swiftly turned her back and bolted.

“Damn it!”

Without hesitating, I gave chase—after the girl, after the Demon King in the guise of a child. She looked slightly younger than I remembered and wore the Academy’s uniform, but there was no way I was mistaken.

Why was she here? Why was she dressed as a student? The questions piled up, but answering them would come later—after catching her.

“Huff… huff… ugh…”

I ran wildly after her, but the gap between us steadily widened. At this rate, I regretted not taking Luciella’s physical training seriously sooner.

Of all times, this had to happen before I could even get my hands on a decent artifact.

Still, I couldn’t just let her slip away now.

The one saving grace was that she, too, didn’t seem to be using any artifacts or enhancement spells—just barely keeping ahead of me. If I pushed a little harder, I could catch her.

“Haah… haah… haah…”

It wasn’t until we left the Academy’s buildings and entered the forest on its outskirts that I realized something was wrong.

“Hm.”

The Academy’s forest was normally restricted to students—reserved for practical exercises or gathering materials.

Unlike the main buildings, protected by near-impeccable magic, this forest was essentially a patch of untamed wilderness transplanted onto Academy grounds.

No sane student would willingly enter, and there had to be barrier spells restricting access—yet here I was, deep inside without noticing.

And the reason I could enter so easily?

It was likely thanks to the girl still running ahead of me.

A mage of her caliber could effortlessly bypass a simple forest barrier.

Too distracted to realize the setup, I had just walked right into it.

“Haah… haah… I’m screwed.”

If this forest was used for training, then right now—with no protection—I was nothing but fresh meat for the monsters lurking within.

Sure, stronger students could handle it, but I was a different story.

“Dammit!”

But it wasn’t too late to turn back. A student resembling the Demon King? Curious as I was, that curiosity wasn’t worth dying over.

Just knowing that someone like her existed was valuable intel. The rest could be discussed with others later.

Having made up my mind, I spun around without hesitation—only for the girl to stop.

As if she had been waiting for me.

“Huh?”

Testing the waters, I slowed my pace instead of running. A gamble—if she resumed fleeing now, I wouldn’t have the stamina to chase her again.

But as I predicted, the girl who had been sprinting ahead gradually slowed—then stopped altogether.

She was luring me. Obviously.

Not that I was naive enough to fall for it.

No matter how valuable the information, it meant nothing if I couldn’t relay it. Yet instead of running, she now turned and began walking toward me.

“Wha—?”

This time, I was the one trying to widen the distance. Though I’d chased her recklessly into the forest, now that she approached, an indescribable fear gripped me.

Think about it—why would someone who looked like the Demon King bother lingering around like this?

And if this girl was connected to her, did I really believe she lacked the power to kill me?

Even if I ran now, could I truly shake her off?

She had effortlessly matched my pace while being chased. At this point, exhausted as I was, escaping the forest alive would be a miracle.

Tap.

Overwhelmed by thoughts, I stood frozen like an idiot—until her finger poked my arm.

The moment she touched me, a deafening roar erupted from the depths of the forest—as if cued.

_GROOOAAAR—_

No doubt, they had just noticed fresh, defenseless prey stumbling into their domain.

Poke. Poke.

The girl continued tapping my arm—as if reminding me:

There’s no turning back now.