episode_0096

“Everyone calm down and run to the back door!”

Amid the chaos caused by the monster’s swooping in, a red-haired boy shouted.

At the sound of his voice, which had the power to draw attention, the panicked students came to their senses one by one and ran towards the back door as he had said.

Soon he took out his sword and ran into the middle of the group of monsters and started to fend them off.

Just like the main character of a story. He looked brave though.

Unfortunately, it didn’t catch my eye.

“Iris. Are you okay?”

That’s probably because of the first friend I made, right in front of me.

“Thank you..”

When I took Lily’s outstretched hand, I felt her warmth spreading through me.

Soon after she confirmed that I was safe, she began to look around with cool eyes.

“You’re kidding.”

“Huh?”

Lily let out a short sigh and then pointed towards the podium where the chairman was.

I moved my gaze along her fingers.

“….Huh?”

Numerous subjects, and even the chairman.

He was watching the students as if he was carefully observing something with the eyes of an eagle.

“It’s a test. It’s probably to gauge the students’ abilities.”

“…Then these monsters…”

“I guess you’re welcome.”

After hearing Lily’s words, I looked around.

In contrast to the dire situation where menacing monsters suddenly appeared as she had said, not a single student was injured.

As Lily, who had grasped the situation, sat back down quietly and waited, the red-haired boy and several other notable students slowly began to clear out the monsters.

Not long after that.

Clap-clap-clap-

The sound of applause from many people filled the space.

“This year is really a jackpot. Who would have thought that things would end this easily?”

“They said there were a lot of promising students, and it really is. There’s no comparison with last year’s students.”

“Haha. Seniors, you should relax a bit.”

From the podium, I could hear several instructors talking.

While the students were confused and couldn’t figure out what was going on, the chairman stepped forward again and spoke.

“Thank you to all the new students for your hard work.”

As soon as the chairman waved his hand, the monsters scattered around him turned into smoke and dispersed into the air.

Soon, the students began to realize, one by one, that they had been welcomed. Some of them even complained that the prank was too much.

In such a heated atmosphere, the chairman calmly calmed them down.

“Everyone. Why did you come to Regis Academy?”

The students showed various reactions to the chairman’s words.

“Some people may come here to develop their own strengths. Some may come here hoping to be successful. Some may even be students who were forced to come here. It’s all very diverse.”

The chairman looked at the students’ reactions one by one.

“But in our academy. We have only one purpose.”

Soon he continued speaking with a serious expression.

“Raising you guys properly. That’s the only thing.”

“To do that, the new students will have various experiences while staying at the academy. They are all a stepping stone for your growth, so I hope you overcome them all with a strong will.”

“Okay, once again. Welcome to Regis Academy. That’s the end of the speech.”

After finishing his speech, he leisurely left the auditorium, which had become extremely quiet.

After a while, the students came to their senses and started clapping, one by one, with blank expressions.

A situation that is clearly different from the previous one where complaints were expressed.

“I don’t know what it is, but I’m touched..”

“Looking back, it doesn’t seem like it was such a bad experience…”

“This might be a bit… exciting..!”

In an atmosphere that ends so warmly.

I was relieved that no one was hurt.

Now that I think about it, Lily was the only one who understood this situation properly.

“That’s great Lil….”

But I turned my head in Lily’s direction.

The chair she had been sitting on was completely empty.

Where did you go in the meantime?

From the very beginning, I knew she was a welcome girl. She was truly a mysterious girl.

But now that we’re friends, I guess we’ll be able to talk more often in the future?

I looked up at the sky with a shallow smile.

“Goddess.”

I think my academy life will be much more enjoyable than I expected.

* * *

Since that incident.

I’ve been going crazy at the academy.

Time really flies.

“It’s already been a month..”

I muttered while rolling around in bed.

Then, Annie, the girl with brown hair who was assigned to the same room as me, answered with a bright smile.

“That’s right. Time flies, doesn’t it?”

“Annie is right.”

One month.

In the meantime, a lot of things have happened.

After the class assignment, there was a huge amount of training starting from the first day.

Tough training that will make you sweat.

And then there are the horrendous tests that are repeated every week. They are all grueling processes.

My classmates all had a look of bewilderment on their faces.

I was just having fun.

Well, of course.

I’ve never really had a single friend. I’ve only lived in the church.

Compared to that, everything at the Academy was just interesting.

I’m sorry, Archbishop, but…

Honestly, the cathedral was so boring.

It was so much fun meeting so many people and working together.

While I was looking back on past memories.

Annie ran to my bed, lay down next to me and started talking.

“Listen, Iris. I told you that Robin hasn’t been paying any attention to me lately?!”

“Oh my.”

Did you say that love stories are the most interesting?

I perked up my ears at Annie’s words.

I listened to her story until the end.

A boy named Robin.

Annie, who said she was his childhood friend and had grown up with him since they were young, said she had feelings for him.

Now that I think about it, I met him recently.

A calm personality with distinctive red hair.

When I first met him, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

That’s because I felt the power of the goddess from him.

It was only after I looked into Robin out of curiosity that I was able to figure out that he had the same unique ability as I did.

There was a rumor going around that a unique ability user was going to enroll in the academy. That person was Robin.

Unique ability.

A special power granted by the goddess.

As it is a power bestowed by the Goddess, those with divine powers higher than that of a high-ranking priest, including myself, can find out what kind of abilities a person possesses simply by making contact with them.

In my case, it’s the power of healing.

Any wound has the power to heal, as long as it doesn’t kill you.

Of course, the bigger the wound, the more my energy drains. But still, if I can save someone, I can do it with a happy heart, so it’s okay.

Robin’s strength is his unyielding will.

The ability to summon the strength to fight without giving up, no matter what the situation.

I really thought it was an ability that a warrior somewhere would have.

But the warrior was different.

“…Lily.”

I tried calling her name softly.

When I first found out she was a warrior, I was really shocked.

The first friend I made after entering the academy

I always wanted to look at her. I wanted to talk to her more.

I haven’t had much contact with her since then.

Every time I made eye contact with her, my heart would race with joy.

Feelings that are clearly different from those felt by other people.

…Actually.

I know what this feeling is.

Yeah. I’ve known that for a long time.

What kind of person am I?

At first I thought it was fate.

Well, Lily was a warrior.

And I’m ashamed to say… I was a saint.

The warrior and the saint. The two of us are inseparable.

An absolute relationship that cannot be missed in order to defeat the Demon King.

I’m sure I’ll be spending a lot of time with Lily in the future.

At first, I just felt good about it.

But as time went by, I gradually came to realize the reality.

I will probably never show these feelings.

Of course, this feeling was an act of great betrayal to the Goddess, the Archbishop, and the many priests who believed in me.

Besides, Lily probably won’t accept this feeling either.

Because they are so far removed from ordinary people.

….Still, I think I can be satisfied with the fact that I can continue to be by her side from now on.

While I was trying to console my bitter heart.

Annie, who was looking at me from the side with her cheeks puffed out, said.

“Iris. Are you listening to me?”

“Oh? Sorry, Annie.. What were you talking about?”

“Iris too…what are you thinking so deeply about?”

I wanted to beat around the bush, but I’m not good at lying.

In the end, I had no choice but to distort the truth.

“I was thinking about you, warrior.”

“Ah. Are you talking about Lily?”

Did Annie know that too?

Well, that might be true.

The hottest person in this academy is none other than Lily, so how could she not know?

“Oh right, now that I think about it!”

Something occurred to her. Annie clapped her hands together.

“Why, Annie?”

She looked at me with her eyes wide open and said:

“Robin and Lily are having an official duel this weekend?!”

“…..Huh?”

What the hell does this mean?