episode_0279

“So, the two people on the altar right now are? Aside from Lala, the other person is that girl named Rizi from the Auguste family?”

“Yeah. Oh, by the way, in the original, Rizi was originally involved in the palace attack incident and didn’t appear in the main story until I intervened and saved her, after which she joined the pharmacy department…”

“I know who she is too. You mentioned it in your strategy guide.”

“Oh, right. Anyway, so Rizi got involved in Lala’s witch test as a side character and now they’re both in the 4th week of the test. In my opinion, it’s almost like they’re about to become witches.

So, in my view, unlike the original, there will be two people playing the role of a witch, right? Even if Lala is not considered a heroine in the original, if you know how to persuade Rizi, you can bring her along.”

“I don’t want to deviate from the strategy for no reason.”

“The world itself is already deviating from the strategy, so why not add some good variables?”

“That’s true. But as we walked towards the altar together, Gyutmyeojoshaegwi suddenly looked up and asked me.

“Wait. So, if I understand correctly, Rizi is also sitting naked on the altar just like Lala, right?”

“Yeah. They’re in the middle of the witch test, so it’s natural.”

“…Then I’ll stop here. We need to gather and talk about something, so go call Ethan for me.”

“…Huh?”

Why is he suddenly acting like this when we could just go together and talk?

Could it be that he’s feeling guilty about seeing Rizi naked for no reason?

“Hey, Gyutmye.”

“…”

“They’re in the middle of the test, so even if we go right up to them, they might not notice. It’s not like it’s wearing out just by looking, so there’s no need to worry so much.”

“Whether they know or not isn’t really important. Even if Lala is a witch, Rizi probably wouldn’t want to show herself to me.”

“Well, that’s true, but is it really that important? And Ethan and Prince Antonio have already seen them. Of course, we agreed not to talk about it outside. And during the test, if you want to be protected by others, it’s an unavoidable choice.”

“Still, I want to stick to my principles.”

“Principles? What principles?”

“I won’t do anything I can’t take responsibility for in this world.”

“Huh?”

I tilted my head in confusion as Gyutmyeojoshaegwi briefly explained the principles he was following in this world.

“In simple terms, it’s like this. Since I’ll leave this world once I defeat the Demon King, I don’t want to get involved deeply with the existing heroines.”

“Oh, so you won’t mess around?”

“Do you have to put it that way?”

“You always call me ‘Lil’Galchan,’ so…”

“That’s because it was your gallery nickname. …Anyway, the expression may be like that, but what you said is correct.”

It seemed like he was not going to form relationships with heroines he already had a high affinity with. Having this thought in mind, it was inevitable.

As always, as Luminoir Academy was originally a game, scenes could be progressed in the middle of the story. The overall structure of the CG was similar, but the background changed slightly depending on the location, adding to the fun of collecting them.

At this point, the three people (Serista, Serena, Seraphine) who had almost reached the highest level of affinity in my observation, Gyutmyeojoshaegwi could easily take them to bed whenever he wanted.

Honestly, if I were a man, even if I were to go back, I would want to be with the characters in the game at least once. Looking at it from this perspective, his patience was truly remarkable.

“So, with such a stubborn personality, how did you play the original? Were you more into harem or pure love?”

“Well, if I had to choose, I prefer pure love over harem, but when it comes to games, it’s natural not to pay attention just because it’s a game, right? But now that it’s become reality and characters like Serista and Sirena are living and breathing next to me, I can’t afford to be irresponsible.”

“Well, I understand. We weren’t close in our past lives, so I have no say in your decisions.”

If I were in a situation where I had to go back to reality like him, I might have made a similar decision. It was a bit of a conscience prick to have turned the virgins of this world into non-virgins and then disappeared back to the original world.

Of course, if I had possessed the protagonist, like him, I wouldn’t have considered the option of returning to reality. There was no reason to escape from the beloved game world.

“So, if you’re not going to the altar, just go back there and bring Colt Kyung and Prince Antonio with you. If you tell them to defend with Kahram, it should be fine.”

“Colt Kyung? Are you talking about the orange-haired girl who was next to Antonio earlier?”

“Yes. Oh, by the way, her name is Natalie.”

“…How twisted is the story? Why is Natalie appearing in Part 2? You’re not planning to help me with my conquest, are you?”

“This is all because of the process where you sent me to the Witch’s Forest forcibly?! If you had gone to the Witch’s Forest from the beginning, I wouldn’t have to go through this trouble…!”

“Fine, I get it. Let’s leave it at that.”

…I’m getting annoyed for some reason. Twisting the story like a map and then forgiving me as if it’s my fault.

“Oh, right. And we should also think about the position of you and me fighting as partners during the meeting, right? Because of the excuse you brought up, we spent half of the summer vacation in the Witch’s Forest…”

“…It’s a bit late to say this, but I think we don’t need to do that anymore.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

“Serista suddenly awakened as a saint. Now that you don’t need to inherit the power of the saint from me, there’s no need to fight as partners and synchronize our breathing, right?”

“…What?”

Wait, what kind of nonsense is this again?

***

The hero party returned from the northeast Great Plains. And we, who had been helping two witches in the Witch’s Forest.

Among them, excluding Colt Kyung, Prince Antonio, and Kahram, the rest of the members gathered around a table to continue the ‘Saint’s Meeting’ from before.

“…So, Hero, are you saying that Serista has truly become a saint?”

“Yes, Blackwood Master.”

“Can you take responsibility for that statement? Of course, if Serista has become a saint, I am happy, but considering the actions you have taken towards Relise so far, I am a little hesitant to believe it.”

“When we experienced the territory battle in the Great Plains, I witnessed Serista Saint using the power of the Sanctuary of Light, Edan Master. In addition, Serista’s abilities and overflowing holiness have been active in the northeast several times, and as a princess, I have seen it clearly, so my eyes are the evidence.”

“Hmm…”

Seraphine’s confident words made Edan realize that he had no choice but to believe in her, even though he couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility that she was deceiving herself.

And Agnes, with a lingering look of doubt, clearly needed further explanation beyond just staying silent, so it was only natural that both of them needed to understand.

“Well, it’s natural to have doubts. Just a month ago, the real saint was…Lilith. Serista, could you show us the ability you used at the Territory War one more time?”

“Yes, yes! Hero!”

Following Edan’s request, Serista stood up to use the Sanctuary of Light. Gathering the holy light in her hands, she lowered her posture and enveloped the surrounding ground with a sacred boundary of light.

-Ah!

“Is she really a saint…?”

“…Was it real?”

Even those who had never seen the saint’s abilities before couldn’t help but murmur quietly at the light that Edan and Agnes were witnessing.

And now, both of them must have realized. Serista had truly attained the qualifications of a saint.

“It seems that the awakening as a saint is indeed true, Saint Serista. Congratulations, Saint.”

And that statement implied that I no longer needed to maintain the power of the saint.

“Yes, Lilith. It’s all thanks to Lilith.”

“No, it’s thanks to the efforts of Saint Serista. Surely, Goddess Aurelia also believed that Saint Serista was more suited for the position of a saint.”

“But if it wasn’t for Lilith, I wouldn’t have easily accepted that I could become a saint.”

“…What?”

What’s this sudden talk about?

“In fact, it was thanks to Lilith’s words that I came to believe that I could become a saint.”

“What did I say…?”

“When you mentioned that you would pass on your qualifications as a saint to me, I was happy but also filled with anxiety. I wondered if I truly had the qualifications of a saint. I thought I might be punished for acting against the teachings of the Goddess.”

“….”

“But even in the midst of that, you and the hero continued to reassure me that I had the qualifications of a saint, and I learned that being a saint is not something others bestow upon you, but something you embody by thinking of yourself as a saint and acting accordingly without hesitation. That mindset was what I needed to possess as a saint.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. And during the meeting before leaving for the Great Plains, you also mentioned that you would grant me the power of a saint once all this is over. That part probably solidified my resolve the most. Since I am destined to become a saint, there is no need for me to be afraid of being bound by the fake status of a saint I currently hold. Believing that my abilities are no different from those of a saint, I eventually gained the ability to wield the powers of a saint.”

“Uh…um….”

Well, I’m glad she became a saint because of me. But why do I feel a strange sense of unease, like trying to give a Nintendo Switch Lite to my nephew instead of traditional New Year’s money, only to see him show up with a Nintendo Switch from his parents.