Chapter 220 – Lucia (3)

Ŕëád̀​ ̈òǹ ̀K̃àt̂R̈​é​àd́​ìǹ​ǵĈáf̃ë​

Academy.

An educational institution for underage supernaturals.

Unless there’s an exception, all supernaturals are required to attend the academy.

Even delinquents who’ve committed crimes are given the chance to enroll, as long as they haven’t committed serious offenses.

So, it was only natural that ‘Lucia’, an ordinary girl, would enroll in the academy.

An orphan who lost her parents to a monster invasion.

Raised in an orphanage run by the church.

A supernatural who awakened her abilities at a young age.

…That was the fabricated backstory.

Lucille—no, Lucia—repeated the details of her new identity in her mind.

She had already memorized it thoroughly, but she checked again to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. 

At least while living as Lucia, this information would be her past. 

Even though it was all fabricated, she didn’t take it lightly. 

‘Lucia. I am Lucia.’

After going over the details several times, Lucia quietly raised her head. The principal’s speech was still ongoing.

How many minutes has it been?

The entrance ceremony had started a while ago, but the principal showed no signs of wrapping up.

Lucia listened with one ear and let the other drift as she observed the new students.

Among this crowd of students.

There was the new ‘Chosen One’.

The new hero who would succeed Yoo-seong.

Who could it be? What kind of person were they? Would they resemble Yoo-seong? Or would they be the complete opposite?

Thanks to the oracle from the Four Seasons, she knew the ‘Chosen One’ had enrolled in the academy. But she wouldn’t know who it was until she met them face-to-face. 

If their eyes met, she would instinctively recognize them. The problem was that she had to make eye contact with every single one of these new students.

In the past, she could’ve found them with a single blessing. Lucia suddenly missed the power she had lost. 

She didn’t regret her choice—she would make the same decision even if she went back—but she couldn’t help feeling a pang of longing from time to time.

“Huh?”

Lucia tilted her head as a certain figure caught her eye.

That black hair… somehow, it reminded her of Yoo-seong.

Well, it’s strange to say someone resembles him just by the back of their head.

But still, there was something about it. It felt like him.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. Then, another figure caught her eye. 

A girl with blue hair. A deep indigo, like the depths of the ocean. She was small and petite. 

Lucia tilted her head again, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. 

There was something familiar about the girl. Was it her hair? 

Suddenly, Iris came to mind. She had been just as beautiful, with that same shade of blue.

‘Sigh…’

Thinking about it made her a little gloomy.

Since returning to the world, Lucia had tried not to dwell on the past.

Especially when it came to the comrades who had left before her.

How had Michael and Iris felt when she made that choice? She had only said goodbye to Yoo-seong. It was selfish of her. 

At the time, she hadn’t known she would return. She wanted to spend her final moments alone with Yoo-seong. She had left letters for the other two, but… was that really enough?

‘And…’

She was also concerned about Yoo-seong and Iris’s relationship. In truth, by choosing to sacrifice herself, she had already accepted their bond. 

But human emotions are fickle. If the two of them had truly ended up together… she might have been a little jealous. 

She probably would’ve buried her face in a pillow and kicked her legs in frustration.

But now, all those worries were pointless. Iris was gone. 

The lively, refreshing girl like the ocean had already left their side. Everything had become the past, and they were living in the present. 

Yes, now wasn’t the time to agonize over impractical thoughts. It was time to remember why she had enrolled in the academy.

‘To find the Chosen One somewhere in the academy…’

To guide the next-generation hero, whether ‘he’ or ‘she’, down the right path.

As someone who was once a saintess.

Lucia slapped her cheeks a couple of times to steel herself.

Slap, slap. 

The sound echoed cheerfully. It was good to psych herself up, but she realized she had hit herself a bit too hard. 

Lucia grimaced. Her cheeks were burning. They were red and hot, shaped like her handprints.

Ouch, that hurts… I really don’t like pain. Why do we even have the sense of pain? It’s completely unnecessary for survival. 

Quickly, she activated her immortality—no, Lucia doesn’t know anything about immortality. Super Regeneration. Yes, Lucia is a super regenerator~

She healed the throbbing pain in her cheeks with her regeneration. As the pain quickly subsided, Lucia let out a deep sigh.

It’s a bit frustrating that I can’t block pain.

In the past… sigh, let’s stop talking about the past.

I need to accept that I’m no longer the blessed saintess.

Right now, I’m not Saintess Lucille, but Lucia, a student at the academy.

◈

She found them.

Ironically, she found them on the very first day of school, making all her worries seem pointless.

Perhaps this was also thanks to the guidance of the Four Seasons.

Lucia was assigned to Class 1-A, and in the same class was the person she had been searching for.

Hair like obsidian and eyes like the sky.

The Chosen One, Eugene.

The new sword of the Four Seasons.

The hero of the new generation.

When their eyes first met, Lucia was left speechless. His gaze was captivating, pulling her in. Her heart sank in a way that surprised even herself. 

At first, she couldn’t understand why she felt this way, but soon she realized the reason.

‘He resembles him.’

His blue eyes were strikingly similar to Yoo-seong’s.

His appearance didn’t remind her much of Yoo-seong otherwise.

But those eyes… they were exactly like his.

‘It’s been 150 years since that day…’

She had been too afraid to ask until now.

But if Yoo-seong and Iris had truly ended up together.

And if they had descendants…

‘From the gods’ perspective, choosing Yoo-seong’s descendant wouldn’t be a bad choice, given their potential.’

…But that’s just too cruel.

You knew about my relationship with Yoo-seong.

Yet you chose his descendant as the hero.

And even told me to watch over them?

She felt like sighing but held it in. It was still just speculation. 

Maybe it’s just the eyes that resemble him. Looking again, his black hair also seemed similar… but black hair isn’t exactly rare. 

Yes, I’m overthinking this. I was just thinking about Yoo-seong and Iris, and now I’m connecting everything to them.

‘Ah.’

Just as she was convincing herself and organizing her thoughts, Lucia was left speechless again.

The moment she saw the girl with blue hair, she was even more startled than before.

A face that looked too young to be enrolled in the academy. A small stature and petite build. Chubby cheeks. Heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one red. 

If Eugene only resembled Yoo-seong in his eyes, this girl was the opposite—she resembled Iris in every way except her eyes. 

Her beautiful friend. Even her left eye, the only feature that didn’t resemble Alice, looked exactly like Yoo-seong’s.

The blue-haired girl entered the classroom, looking around nervously. She fidgeted with her fingers for a moment before shuffling over to an empty seat. Lucia covered her face with her hands. 

Their personalities were completely different… but there was no doubt they were related.

If Eugene was a suspicion, this girl was confirmation. A descendant. There was no doubt she was Iris’s descendant. 

There was no other way to explain how much she looked like her. And if she was Iris’ descendant, that meant…

“…”

I never thought I’d face the truth I’ve been avoiding in this way.

The familiar figures I saw during the entrance ceremony were those kids.

Lucia finally couldn’t hold back and let out a sigh mixed with lament.

◈

Whether they’re descendants of my comrades or not.

What I need to do doesn’t change.

Lucia didn’t enroll in the academy under a new identity just because she wanted to attend.

Of course, I can’t say I didn’t have any expectations. Institutions similar to the academy have existed in the past, and I’ve harbored a vague longing for them.

But the reason she became ‘Lucia’ instead of ‘Lucille’ and entered the academy was far from fulfilling that longing. She became a student at the academy with a solemn resolve.

She remembers.

The day they crossed into the demon realm under Amon’s guidance.

The King of Devil Gods who stood in their way.

Even though they all fought together, they couldn’t win.

Even after paying such a high price, it was a draw.

Even though Iris and Michael died young due to the battle.

Bael is still alive and well, silently watching from beyond the dimensions.

If Bael rises again.

If he decides to break his silence and intervene in the world.

Humanity, as it is now, cannot handle the King of Devil Gods.

There is no one who resembles a god.

No one who has reached the pinnacle of humanity.

No blessed saintess.

In this situation, can Yoo-seong alone defeat Bael?

She believes in Yoo-seong.

She believes, but the truth is the truth.

Lucia isn’t foolish enough to ignore reality.

That’s why a new Chosen One is absolutely necessary.

To replace the heroes who have already left and the saintess who has lost her power.

To prevent the worst future that may come someday.

“Hello.”

That’s why Lucia calmed her trembling heart and approached Eugene.

Blue eyes looked at her.

Eyes resembling Yoo-seong’s looked at her.

From a distance, I thought only his hair and eye color resembled Yoo-seong.

But up close, even the shape of his eyes seemed similar.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

I want to know more about you.

Swallowing the rest of her words, Lucia smiled brightly.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Lucia hates pain.

Well, who likes pain?

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
NTR is a major driving force in stocks…