Ch.110Liberation – 1

After Rosaria was chosen as the Saint in place of Aria, not only was the external chaos resolved, but the turmoil within the Academy was also being settled at a remarkably fast pace.

To the people of this world, the Saint wasn’t merely a means to drive away demons but the embodiment of human hope itself. Thanks to this, public opinion formed that if a Saint had emerged, it was worth believing in her at least once more.

With this symbol of hope staying at the Academy, comforting students and supervising the reconstruction of buildings, the anxious nobles and students quickly regained stability and were able to return to the Academy.

The fact that there were no casualties due to the swift response also played a significant role. If anyone, whether student or professor, had died, it would not have been easy to recover the atmosphere even with the Saint present.

As for Roxanna, well, the revelation that the entire Astriere family was created by succubi to invade the human world meant she wasn’t even counted among the human casualties.

The resumption of classes from today, Monday, was largely due to this sentiment—that with the Saint protecting the Academy, everything would be fine.

“Nngh…”

Though it seems the person being revered as the Saint doesn’t quite share that view.

After pretending to be the Saint all day and finally getting a moment’s rest, Rosaria collapsed face-down on the bed with a strange noise. Finding it difficult to lie on her stomach due to her chest, she turned to her side and looked at me.

Her gaze urged me to speak to her quickly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.”

“You were doing well, though? You have a talent for that sort of thing. I almost thought you were a real Saint.”

“Tch. I am a real Saint. I’m just gritting my teeth and pretending to be good at it. If I showed even the slightest hint of annoyance, so many people would be shocked. Ah, this is exactly why I didn’t want to play the role of a real Saint!”

Rosaria buried her face in the bed and thrashed about in frustration.

She didn’t seem to realize that the very fact she was thinking about others—enduring inconvenience and desperately acting as the Saint to avoid disappointing people—was itself a kind and considerate action.

Rosaria continued to whine in a childish voice. She complained that her facial muscles were cramping from smiling too much, or that her throat was giving out from talking too much, and so on.

When I told her that a Saint’s body wouldn’t be injured so easily, she became sulky for a moment, then looked up with a pouting expression and spread her arms.

“Why are you spreading your arms?”

“You know why. Do I really have to say it out loud?”

Her arms waved up and down impatiently. Her chest, pressed against the bed on her side, jiggled along with the movement. When I embraced her body and lifted her up, Rosaria eagerly hugged me back. Our bodies pressed tightly together.

Rosaria exhaled a deep sigh.

“Ahh… this feels nice.”

“Does it? I don’t really feel anything special.”

“It’s about the feeling, you know. The feeling. When I’m like this with you, I get this incredibly comfortable sensation? I told you before. I understand why Priscilla wants to cling to you.”

Using such an example didn’t really help me understand.

I could comprehend Priscilla’s case since she was in such a mentally unstable state, and Laura still retained sensations from the time of regression even if she had no memories, but Rosaria wasn’t like this at first.

It was more like she started clinging to me at some point. There was no way I could understand her intentions or reasons.

“Wait a minute. Mira, you really don’t feel anything? A pretty woman with a great body is clinging and rubbing against you, and you truly don’t have any thoughts? Your body doesn’t react at all?”

“You’re saying that about yourself? How shameless.”

“So what? It’s the truth. If I weren’t pretty with a good figure, no one would say such things about me, right?”

Rosaria smiled nonchalantly and wiggled her hips. As I sat on the edge of the bed as she wanted, Rosaria sat facing me, pressing close on my thighs.

Her slender thighs stretched out on either side, wrapping around my waist. I could feel her ankles and calves crossing near my tailbone, tightly squeezing my waist. She was clearly positioning herself deliberately.

But as if that wasn’t enough, Rosaria grabbed my wrists and pulled them under her armpits, pressing my forearms tight.

“This is a strange position.”

“I know it’s strange. Still no reaction? Really?”

“Well, I do think it’s a suggestive position.”

“…Fine. Let’s drop it. Just you wait. I’ll make you react to me even if I have to do it out of sheer stubbornness.”

Finally giving up, Rosaria buried her face in my neck and inhaled. Of course, I do think it’s suggestive, but personal desires can be suppressed if one tries hard enough.

Though perhaps the fact that I can suppress such urges in this situation might mean I’m not normal.

“It would feel so good to kiss right now… with tongues and everything…”

Rosaria muttered with her face still buried in my neck, loud enough for me to hear. Apparently, she hadn’t given up yet. It was fortunate that only the two of us were in the club room, with Priscilla and Laura attending lectures.

If someone saw us, it would be easy to misunderstand.

“Mira! Saint! We’re ba—”

Just like that.

I inwardly sighed as I looked at Leona, who had frozen mid-greeting after entering at the perfect timing, and Aria, who had peeked her head in from behind to see what was happening and also froze.

The two remained frozen for a while until Leona, who recovered first, finally spoke.

“Um… Mira. I don’t mean to interfere in other people’s relationships, but… she’s the Saint. So, shouldn’t she, um, p-preserve her… p-purity? If she were to lose her powers because of this—”

“I’m still pure, you know?”

“S-still…?”

Leona, who had just managed to speak, froze again. Rosaria, having said her piece with annoyance, went back to burying her face in my neck and rubbing her cheek against it.

Come to think of it, the goddess seemed to consider kissing as still being pure. If kissing a man would have stolen her power, she wouldn’t have been chosen as the Saint in the first place.

After all, Rosaria was the one who suddenly kissed me when we first met, telling me not to throw myself away.

“It’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of, so you can come in.”

“Ah… um… e-excuse us…”

The two entered hesitantly, like they were visiting the club room for the first time, and even after entering, they sat huddled on the farthest sofa, constantly glancing in our direction.

Only after confirming that Rosaria’s nun habit wasn’t hiked up and that the zipper of my uniform pants wasn’t down did their expressions become somewhat more relaxed.

However, Aria, who was especially timid, still wasn’t at ease.

“How was the atmosphere in class?”

“Similar to the theory classes. Everyone was excited about the Saint staying here, and the professor said they were too nervous to teach properly, so they told us to study on our own.”

Fortunately, it seemed there would never be any excavation of the past. Seeing that the good deeds she had performed here were still having an effect, the corners of Rosaria’s mouth curled up in a smirk.

“The atmosphere wasn’t too opposed to the creation of a new religion either. Especially with the news that the Pope received divine punishment.”

The story of how the Pope, who had hurled unspeakable insults at Rosaria, and the high priests who had committed all sorts of evil deeds backed by power, had received divine punishment spread throughout the continent in no time.

The nature of the divine punishment was particularly mythical. All the Pope and high priests gathered there had reversed several decades of time in just a few minutes, returning to newborns.

And that wasn’t the end—from newborns, time accelerated again by several decades, returning them to their original ages.

The divine punishment received by the Pope and the corrupt priests was to repeat this cycle infinitely. What was just a few minutes to our eyes was decades of time for the minds trapped within.

Even now, the Pope and high priests were locked in a corner of an underground prison, repeating decades of time between being elderly and newborn every few minutes.

“Until their minds die, right?”

“That’s right. I never intended to let them live anyway.”

Forever, until their minds, unable to withstand the passage of time, died before their bodies.

“Oh, by the way, Mira. The theory professor asked me to ask you something. Whether you’ll be attending classes from now on or not. They said the grading system would have to be different depending on whether you’re present or not.”

Aria suddenly spoke up. Come to think of it, I needed to consider that as well.

“I heard from Leona that you and Leona can maintain the top and second positions even if you don’t attend any classes for all three years, if you want?”

“Really?!”

Rosaria’s eyes widened as she asked. I nodded.

“That’s right. The professor said that if we could defeat Mahrvat together, the Academy’s curriculum would be completely meaningless for us. They said they’d allow early graduation or whatever we wanted.”

“Well, saying ‘together’ is a bit much. Cutting off the wings, attacking the reverse scale to kill it—you did all of that yourself, Mira.”

“I didn’t do it alone. It was possible because you helped me with the holy sword, Leona.”

“…When you put it that way, it’s a bit embarrassing.”

Brunhild blushed and fidgeted, placing her hands between her thighs. Rosaria gave me a “see what I mean” look.

“I’m not sure about the classes. I was planning to contact home first.”

“The Crait family? Can’t you just decide for yourself?”

“Ah, there are some circumstances.”

The reason I enrolled here in the first place was because my family treated me as too fragile, and I wanted to prove them wrong. It was also to gain three years of freedom while I was at it.

If my family realizes I’m fine and stops being overprotective, I won’t need to worry about them anymore. I could also bring Beatrice, who was quite upset about being separated from me.

“What circumstances?”

“Well—”

—Knock knock.

My words were cut off by a knock at the door. Since club members wouldn’t knock in the first place, it wasn’t Priscilla or Laura. I put Rosaria down on the bed and approached the door.

“I hope you’ve been well, Young Master.”

“Beatrice?”

When I opened the door, there was Beatrice, bowing politely. I asked in surprise:

“…How did you get here?”

“A problem has arisen that only you can solve, Young Master. Despite knowing it’s rude, I had no choice but to come see you. I sincerely apologize.”

“Alright. What’s the matter?”

For Beatrice, who has both the ability and authority to handle most issues on her own, to say that only I can solve this problem—it must truly be no ordinary matter.

After excusing myself and saying I’d be back shortly, I headed to a secluded spot. Only after Beatrice had cast sound-blocking magic around us did she carefully begin to speak.

“It concerns the succubus you made a maid, Young Master.”

“Yustera? What about her? Did she cause some trouble?”

“It seems she’s in heat, sir.”

“What?”