Ch.151151. Return

“…I don’t understand what you’re suddenly talking about, Your Excellency.”

Elnore spoke with a still murderous atmosphere.

Indeed, it’s natural to find it difficult to understand when someone abruptly drops the word “war.” It’s only natural to think it’s nonsense.

“…”

But.

It’s true.

To be precise, it’s not because of Elnore herself, but because of the entity she harbors—just like before.

“Both Chancellor Atalante and the Chief of the Tribal Union seem to have done their best to conceal the facts.”

Sullivan immediately continued in an even voice.

“Human ears and eyes exist everywhere. News that traces of demons were found at both Elphante and the Crucible of Struggle during the periods you were there is already an open secret. Enough that it could spread everywhere if handled carelessly.”

“…”

Elnore raised her eyes slightly at those words.

“…Did you say demons, Your Excellency?”

“Demons, Lady Tristan.”

Wait a minute.

Going further than that seems dangerous?

Revealing that what Elnore harbors is a fragment of a demon could be a major variable in my plans. It should be safe to reveal that after at least 5 chapters.

So as I was about to open my mouth to stop him.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister glances at me and winks from an angle Elnore can’t see.

As if to reassure me that he won’t say more than that.

“…”

I narrow my eyes as I look at Sullivan.

One thing is certain.

This person really “knows well” about me.

As if he had truly been with me for a long time before.

“…I know nothing about entities related to demons, Your Excellency.”

When Elnore spoke in a rigid voice, Sullivan shrugged and replied.

“Whether you’re truly involved with that side or not is, honestly, not the important fact. Rather, the problem is the ‘incident’ triggered because of it.”

It’s a simple story.

Every time demons reveal themselves, they bring disasters large enough to send ripples throughout the entire continent.

Even the Eljya incident, which the Empire’s strongest forces, the Guardians, risked their lives to contain early, is recorded as the Empire’s worst incident where several cities were reduced to ashes in a single night.

So it’s obvious that the mere fact that demonic powers have begun to appear in the material world would plunge the entire continent into chaos.

“Few rulers would welcome that fact. The balance of the continent is currently being maintained very precariously. It’s not far-fetched to say that if one side decides to, they could immediately invade another for their interests.”

Undoubtedly, if public sentiment becomes unsettled and falls into confusion, many such ‘opportunities’ will arise.

Even those who had no intention of doing so might change their minds if a perfect opportunity presents itself before them.

In other words. Truly.

The threat of “war” Sullivan speaks of is not fantasy but reality.

“This is where what I mentioned earlier comes in.”

If the entire continent is thrown into turmoil by fear of demons, the solution is also simple.

The only beings that can balance against those demons must also reveal themselves.

The human who, throughout history, uniquely fought battles against “all demons” and achieved a stalemate.

“…Hero selection.”

As Faynol said with a bitter smile, Sullivan nodded.

“Originally, heroes aren’t selected but destined. No matter who claims to be a hero, that authority isn’t recognized by oneself.”

The holy sword of the first hero, kept in the Holy Empire.

Only those recognized by that object are acknowledged as true heroes by everyone.

“But now… we’ll need to create such a person forcibly. Even if they aren’t recognized by the holy sword, at least someone who can be claimed to be strong enough to stand against demons.”

“…What do you mean by creating forcibly?”

Elnore responded in a cold voice.

“To be recognized as a hero, one must show themselves wielding the holy sword. Otherwise, the public won’t believe it.”

“They must grasp it forcibly if necessary. If we need to show them using it.”

Elnore’s mouth fell open.

For someone who rarely shows emotion, this was an extremely intense reaction, but it’s warranted.

The risk when someone not recognized by the holy sword touches it is simple and intuitive.

‘…They die.’

They lose their life.

Their body shatters as the price for approaching a power they cannot handle.

In other words, the Prime Minister is now…

“…Rather than thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives being lost, wouldn’t it be better to present a well-crafted, elaborate deception?”

He’s talking about creating a “sacrificial lamb” to prevent war.

“…The Empire’s leadership has already agreed to this. That’s why I can’t help but blame you, Lady Tristan.”

Sullivan glared at Elnore with his golden eyes gleaming.

“Because it all happened because of you.”

A heavy silence descended around them.

And in between.

I was touching the Soul Linker in my chest again.

Within this academy, there is already someone chosen as a “hero candidate.”

Someone who will definitely be drafted if there is a “hero selection.”

“…”

I clench my teeth until they bleed.

This is why I removed the Soul Linker.

Because that’s the only thing that would provoke Calivan, who dismissed it even when I turned into something like a demon.

His only remaining blood relative.

‘…They’re saying they might use him as a sacrifice.’

It’s something I could never endure.

“…”

The only fortunate thing is that he’s not currently at Elphante but staying at the Crucible of Struggle.

I need to keep him as far away as possible to delay the starting point of the main quest, and to have enough time to prepare so that such a thing doesn’t happen—

< System Message >

[An event related to target ‘Elia’ will be generated soon!]

“…”

System. Please.

Read the room.

●

“Elphaaaaaante!”

Elia jumped off the train, spreading her arms wide as she shouted.

“Why are you so excited? It hasn’t been that long since you left.”

The response to her words was gruff.

But Elia spun around without changing her smiling expression.

Because after spending several weeks together, she knew from experience.

This person always speaks harshly, but when you get down to it, she’s actually a very nice person.

She was also surprisingly sensitive.

“I missed the teacher! It feels like I haven’t seen him for almost a month!”

“…Can’t you say such things more quietly? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Oh, didn’t you miss the teacher too, Riru?”

“As if.”

When Riru Garda snorted and said that, Elia tilted her head and shifted her gaze.

There was a box that Riru was carefully holding in her arms.

“Isn’t that a gift for the teacher? You’ve been holding it so preciously the entire way here.”

When Elia pointed at the package Riru was holding, she blushed and quickly hid it behind her back.

“G-g-gift? What! Do I look like someone who would prepare such things?!”

“…”

Wow.

She’s really easy to read.

Elia approached Riru with a mischievous face.

There’s only one case when this person reacts this way.

Whenever anything related to the teacher comes up, Riru acts like a boy caught having a crush on a girl.

‘…That wasn’t a required choice, it was mandatory.’

Of course, there had been conflicts between her friends and Riru before, and various frictions because they thought she was just another person fawning over the teacher.

But after being captured by Chief Kasa Garda and going through hell-like training, a comrade-like feeling had long since sprouted between Riru and her.

“…It’s not a gift or anything.”

While thinking about this, Riru answered gruffly. She even hid the package she was holding behind her back.

Huh. She’s much more stubborn than usual.

Normally, if she coaxed her like this, she would always give in somehow.

‘…Is she similar to Yuria in that aspect?’

Both of them boast narrow human relationships without a single same-age friend of the same gender.

If you push them with friendship attacks, they tend to give in.

So, here…

“Yap.”

Elia quickly went behind Riru and reached for the package.

Though the movement was light, the speed was astonishing. She had always excelled in close combat, so most people would be helplessly caught off guard.

“Eck.”

Elia was pushed back.

Because Riru had strongly pushed her forehead.

‘…What the heck, really.’

Elia pouted her lips with an expression of unfairness.

Having felt it several times during friendly matches with Riru under Kasa, Riru clearly possessed a strange ability.

As if.

She responds as if she can see a few seconds into the “future.”

Even just now, it was definitely a movement that couldn’t have been anticipated, yet she responded as if there was something inside her body helping her.

‘…Both she and I really came with ridiculous abilities.’

Come to think of it.

The ability that she “opened” under Kasa is even more extreme.

Elia stroked the eyepatch she was wearing over her right eye and gave a bitter smile.

It’s not that she injured her eye. It’s just that.

Looking around without the eyepatch gives her too much of a headache.

Because there’s too much “information” to process.

While thinking about this, Riru, with a reddened face, trembled her fist and said:

“Know your limits! I’ll really hit you hard!”

“…”

She’s such a good person.

Even after all this, she doesn’t say anything harsh and only threatens to hit.

Is this really the same person who used to throw punches first at the slightest provocation?

“…So people’s personalities can change like this when they fall in love.”

“Why do you keep trying to link me with that guy…!”

“I didn’t say a word about Riru liking anyone?”

“…!”

Elia stuck out her tongue and backed away from Riru, who was on the verge of steaming from her ears.

‘…Ah, really.’

Elia chuckled inwardly.

In fact, she wouldn’t have been able to make such jokes before.

She would have been anxious just at the thought of another woman approaching the teacher.

After obtaining this “eye,” the world looks a bit different.

In many ways.

“Then, even though it’s late, shall we go see the teacher first!”

She said energetically while stroking the eyepatch on her right eye.

Whatever the case, it’s clear that she became a completely different person after being trained by Kasa at the Crucible of Struggle.

So, at the very least, shouldn’t she quickly show Darwood what has changed?

But such plans were clearly facing difficulties from the start.

“…He’s with the Prime Minister?”

When Elia asked that, Lady Ophelia, sitting in the supervisor’s office, answered in a drawling voice.

“Yeees~ That’s what they say~ I was wondering where he’d been all day, and it seems he’s been held up there~”

Wait, what business does someone like the Prime Minister have at the academy in the first place?

And why is Darwood being held up there?

As Elia was thinking this, Riru also scratched her head with a troubled expression.

“…Can’t be helped. If he’s in such a meeting, we’ll have to find him later—”

“No, we can’t do that.”

When Elia cut off the sentence with a strong tone, Riru’s eyes widened.

“…What?”

“I have a very strong… ‘intuition.’ I feel like the teacher really needs me right now.”

“…”

What kind of feeling is that?

She talked about how Riru’s personality had changed, but this girl has changed just as much.

She’s still as outgoing and sociable as before.

But in certain aspects, she’s become a bit… “stubborn.”

It feels like she’s developed areas where she absolutely won’t compromise.

You could say she definitely carries out what she thinks needs to be done.

Just look at her next sentence.

“Let’s barge in!”

“…”

Riru pressed her temples against the ringing pain in her head.

It was clear that Elia had become a different person through Authority’s training.

‘…Is she crazy or what?’

Seeing her casually spout such insane words.