Ch.187Second Year (1)

Empire of Minerva had settled all incidents, and time flowed quickly without any further troubles, just like before. However, things became a bit noisy due to Arwen Elidia’s mention of “someone who promised a future.”

“Someone who promised a future” implied a fiancé, suggesting someone around their twenties. But this speculation was quietly buried after a while.

If Arwen had been human, it might have been different, but she was an elf, a race known for longevity. For elves, several decades were considered “just a moment.”

Moreover, with her additional explanation that they had met long ago, age speculation became completely uncertain again. All that remained was returning to Helium to enjoy sweet dates with Cecilly Drat Isillia Vin.

Marie Housen Reckyless also returned to her mansion for the academy’s reopening. Cecilly had once again suggested that Marie come along to Helium, but she flatly refused.

Though tempted, Marie said she would visit when formally invited in the future. It was just like her—possessive of me yet surprisingly considerate.

So I spent the remaining time enjoying intimate dates with Cecilly in Helium and writing for the next volume, until the day before the academy reopened arrived.

Cecilly sent me back to the mansion, saying we would meet at the academy. I showed my affection with a final kiss.

I offered to teleport her directly to the academy, but she politely declined. This time, I planned to go to the academy with Adelia Cross.

“How is it? Does it look good?”

Back to the present. I was facing Adelia Cross, who would become my knight escort.

Leather pants that fully revealed her well-toned legs, a white shirt, and a vest over it.

She had rolled up her sleeves slightly, giving off the image of a free-spirited adventurer. Compared to how she used to dress carelessly as an assistant instructor, the difference was obvious.

“Yes. It looks really good on you. Sister Adel, you have such a nice figure that anything would look good on you.”

“Really? Thanks for the compliment. I do have a good figure.”

Adelia placed her hands on her hips and preened confidently at my compliment. I couldn’t help but smile at her self-assured demeanor, which I’d seen many times before.

From now on, she would be my knight escort, so she needed to dress neatly like this. Iron armor was uncomfortable and not allowed in the academy.

Real swords were permitted, but she wouldn’t need to use one unless my life was in danger.

“Do you know how you should conduct yourself at the academy?”

“Of course. Except during classes, I should always be by your side unless you prefer otherwise. However, I need your permission to go elsewhere, and otherwise I should stay in the knight quarters.”

“You know well.”

“I’ve attended the academy longer than you. This much is easy.”

Knight escorts weren’t mandatory but could accompany nobles if desired. Seeing that Rina Urmi Christine and Marie Housen Reckyless didn’t have escorts showed it was optional.

The academy was known for better security than other areas, and students up to second year focused intensely on studies. There was little concern about straying.

For this reason, few people brought knight escorts, though they weren’t completely absent, so we might attract some glances.

“Our cutie was appointed as a recommended student, right? Does that mean you’ll become an assistant right away?”

“Yes.”

As Adelia mentioned, though I was a second-year, I had been appointed as a recommended student and would assist Professor Elena Heavensinger.

I recently learned that even martial students take “liberal arts” classes from second year. For martial students, first year is merely an adaptation period.

Also, while martial students are divided into knights and mages with different curricula, they all take history as a common subject.

However, they learn differently from literature students, so classes are divided by time slots. I would simply follow the professor and serve as her assistant.

“I don’t know about martial assistants, but I’m not sure about literature assistants.”

“It’s nothing special. You just handle the professor’s errands or help with discussions.”

“Have you seen other assistants besides yourself?”

“Hmm…”

Come to think of it, I’d never seen assistants for Professor Elena Heavensinger, though she had an aide like Cindy Skywalker. This contrasted sharply with other history professors who had two or three assistants.

Even though history wasn’t a popular subject, there should have been at least one or two assistants, but I’d never met any. I wondered what circumstances led to this.

After pondering for a while, I shrugged. I didn’t mind being alone since I enjoyed history and was confident in the subject.

“No, I haven’t. I visited the professor’s office frequently but never met any.”

“Really? Hmm… well, it doesn’t matter. Are you keeping your hair like that?”

While staying in Helium, Lady Mora had “kindly” filled me with divine power. As a result, my hair, which had grown to my wings, now reached down to my waist, which horrified me.

I strongly protested that it shouldn’t grow that long, but my complaints fell on deaf ears. To make matters worse, it would grow back even if cut.

Because of this, every morning after washing up, Cecilly and I would affectionately brush each other’s hair. It was a fresh experience, so not entirely unpleasant.

But it was terribly annoying to maintain. The thought of having to manage this cursed hair by myself already gave me a headache.

“Probably. It grows back even if I cut it.”

“You’re not sick, are you? Have you been to a temple?”

Adelia asked with concerned eyes, not knowing the situation. I thought I could at least tell her it was a blessing from Lady Mora.

After gauging her reaction, I smiled bitterly and confessed.

“Well… actually, this started happening after I visited a temple.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“When I was staying in Helium, I briefly visited a temple. This started happening afterward.”

As I explained, stronger curiosity appeared in Adelia’s clear sky-blue eyes.

Of course, it’s hard to understand how visiting a temple could make one’s hair grow longer. Temples are usually places for clergy or patients.

However, I learned something while visiting the temples of Luminus and Mora—they were extremely human-like. Especially Mora, who was more playful and energetic than Luminus.

“Come to think of it, doesn’t Helium worship Lady Mora rather than Lord Luminus?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know why, but Lady Mora must like you. That happens sometimes. Gods occasionally bestow certain traits on followers they favor—like making their hair grow longer, increasing their height, or making them smell like flowers.”

“Does Lord Luminus do that too?”

I knew this was true for Mora since I was the subject, but I wondered if Luminus did the same.

“Yes. Since you like history, you know what flower Lord Luminus likes, right?”

“He likes lilacs.”

“That’s right. If a follower smells like lilacs, it means they’re favored by Lord Luminus. That’s why many offer lilacs as tributes, and why Luminus followers often wear lilac perfume.”

“That’s interesting…”

As soon as I heard this, I startled and quickly sniffed my arm. If Luminus liked lilacs, then Mora liked peaches.

So I wondered if I smelled like peaches. The thought suddenly occurred to me.

Since Cecilly smelled like peaches, there was no guarantee I wouldn’t as well.

But since I wasn’t sweating, it was hard to tell what I smelled like. Cecilly and Marie had just said they liked my scent without specifying what it was.

“Sniff. Sniff sniff.”

“…What are you doing?”

As I buried my nose in various parts of my body to smell myself, Adelia asked in a dubious voice. I answered as if it were nothing unusual.

“I’m just curious if I smell like peaches. Lady Mora likes peaches, you know. Since my hair has grown longer, I thought my body scent might have changed too.”

“…Really?”

Adelia responded a beat late to my explanation. Though her sky-blue eyes showed no change, she licked her lips as if wanting to say something.

She then appeared to contemplate for a while before seemingly making up her mind and squeezing her eyes shut. Surely she wasn’t going to smell me herself…

“M-maybe you could ask Princess Marie Housen Reckyless?”

…It wasn’t such an outlandish suggestion. I momentarily felt tempted but strictly maintained boundaries.

“Ah. That would work. Thanks.”

“N-no need to thank me. It’s… simple.”

Though she tried to smile, she couldn’t hide her bitterness as her lips quivered. Somehow I had created an awkward situation that seemed like I was tempting her, which made me uncomfortable too.

I needed a topic to lighten the mood. Fortunately, I had something appropriate to transition to naturally.

“Oh right. Take this.”

“This is…”

“A summoning stone. I’ll usually come to your quarters directly, but I thought you should have this just in case.”

I handed Adelia a blue stone about the size of a child’s fist. If I needed her, the stone would glow blue.

Adelia stared at the summoning stone in her palm before gripping it tightly. Then she wrapped it with her other hand and held it to her chest.

Her determination not to lose it was evident. She probably still kept the handkerchief I had given her.

I’m not sure if she was aware of it herself—that her pure feelings for me were unconsciously showing.

Adelia was experiencing an intense unrequited love.

“I’m counting on you from now on, Lady Knight.”

The eventful first year had passed.

“…Yes.”

And the second year, which would be even more eventful, was beginning.

*****

Everyone must know about the incident where Luminus praised Issac Dukar Mayshall, leading the Papal Kingdom of Sabre to begin recognizing him as a saint.

Until then, he had only introduced the concept of the “Seven Deadly Sins,” opening a new path in theology, but now the situation had changed completely.

Issac’s achievements were beyond imagination, to the extent that even Luminus personally acknowledged them. No matter how coincidental, his merits couldn’t be denied.

Because of this, the Papal Kingdom of Sabre began actively searching for Issac, even sending a Cardinal on a pilgrimage.

That Cardinal’s name was Kate Louise Angelica.

Born with naturally powerful divine power, she became a Cardinal at the young age of 19 and, being skilled in combat, also served as Grand Inquisitor.

As time passed, at the beautiful age of 20, she was…

CRACK!!

…smashing the skull of a demon worshipper hiding in the city’s underground.

“H-hiiieek…! M-monster!”

“Monster?”

When the demon worshipper in a dark robe spoke in a trembling voice, the woman tilted her head.

Though darkness filled the underground space, her emerald eyes shone brightly.

Despite blood splattering from just having crushed the demon worshipper’s head with a blunt mace, her exquisite beauty couldn’t be hidden. Rather, the blood enhanced her image as a powerful warrior.

SQUELCH-

As she slowly raised the mace that had shattered the skull, sticky blood and flesh dripped down.

After retrieving her mace, the woman quietly observed the trembling demon worshipper before speaking.

“Monsters can be saved. But not demons. For demons…”

“D-don’t come! P-please…!”

Regardless of the demon worshipper’s pleas, the woman smiled cheerfully, raised her mace high, and said in a monotone voice:

“Only divine punishment.”

CRACK!!

With another powerful strike of her mace, the demon worshipper’s head burst open like a smashed watermelon.

Blood, flesh, and sticky brain matter splattered on her face, but the woman didn’t even blink.

“How dare mere demon worshippers.”

THUD-THUD-THUD-

She muttered this while giving her mace a good shake. Various filth, including blood, splattered on the floor.

Without even thinking of wiping her face, she surveyed the corpses of demon worshippers strewn about. Every one of them was missing their head.

It was cruelty without a trace of mercy, but these were demon worshippers—people who had tried to summon demons by sacrificing living humans.

Naturally, the victims were from this area. After receiving too many missing person reports recently, an investigation revealed demon worshippers had infiltrated.

‘If left unchecked, this would have caused even greater harm.’

She shifted her gaze to the altar where the demon worshippers had been sacrificing victims. Piles of victims’ bones were already stacked near the altar.

Human sacrifice was a forbidden taboo that gained power at the cost of life force. Once sacrificed, the victim immediately became nothing but bare bones.

‘Lord Luminus, please grant these souls peace…’

After mourning the victims she couldn’t save, the woman turned away as if there was nothing more to see. The rest would be cleaned up by those who followed.

As she exited the altar room, she met people who were already cleaning up. Her eyes met with a woman who was giving instructions.

“Ah, Cardinal Kate! Have you finished everything?”

“Yes. How are things on your end?”

“We’ve contacted the church. They’ll dispatch clergy soon.”

Satisfied with the answer, the woman, Cardinal Kate, nodded. Recently, demon worshippers had become more active, requiring more hands.

The reason, she heard, was that they were making desperate moves now that they’d been exposed. Xenon had lit the fuse, but this was actually better.

Although victims would increase sharply in the short term, not discovering them at all would have been worse. Before the Biography of Xenon, people didn’t even know demon worshippers existed.

Demon worshippers had been operating underground for that long, and some even had high-ranking nobles as collaborators.

“I understand. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Yes. May I ask where you’re headed next?”

“I plan to go to the Empire of Minerva first. We need to find Xenon as soon as possible. I’d like to go to Alfheim, but since the Queen is busy, I’ll continue my pilgrimage for now.”

“Hmm… do you really think you can find him?”

The female follower expressed doubt. Though Xenon had reportedly received help from clergy to heal his right hand, they couldn’t pinpoint exactly who had helped him.

There were many clergy on pilgrimage like Kate in this world, and many who performed good deeds. The Papal Kingdom of Sabre had been momentarily intrigued by the news but quickly gave up due to insufficient clues.

As a result, they had sent Kate on a pilgrimage to search for Xenon through trial and error.

Followers had asked Luminus for hints, but the oracle they received was frustratingly vague.

“Lord Luminus must have given such an oracle because he wants us to search. Though gods may speak ambiguously, they never give false oracles when sincere devotion and offerings are made.”

“Even so…”

“It is our duty to understand the god’s intentions, sister. You must not doubt.”

Kate spoke in a gentle yet firm voice, expressing her strong faith in Luminus.

The female follower flinched momentarily before bowing and apologizing. She knew the consequences of saying the wrong thing.

“I apologize. I misspoke. Please forgive me.”

“Stand up, sister. Occasional doubt is necessary for trust to deepen.”

Kate placed her hand on the follower’s shoulder, speaking with infinitely merciful voice rather than like a blind fanatic.

The problem was that her hand, like her mace, was stained with blood. Naturally, the blood transferred to the follower’s shoulder, staining her pure white nun’s habit red.

Anticipating this, the follower inwardly grimaced. Blood was difficult to wash out, so she would need to use divine power to clean it.

“…Thank you for your advice. Before you leave, Cardinal Kate.”

“Yes. Speak, sister.”

“May I ask why you chose to go on pilgrimage to find Xenon of your own accord?”

Kate had embarked on the pilgrimage of her own volition, not by order of the Papal Kingdom of Sabre. She had even made a direct request to the papal office.

This wasn’t widely known to the public, but those closely connected to the church were roughly aware of it. They just didn’t know the reason.

In response, Kate smiled beautifully and revealed her reason.

“Sister, as you know, Xenon has saved this world from crisis. Even Lord Luminus personally expressed gratitude.”

“I know that.”

“Achievement equals divine power. If he wishes, he could possess divine power that would make even the Pope seem insignificant.”

“I suppose so.”

“I have embarked on this pilgrimage to receive Xenon’s seed.”

“…Pardon?”

What did she mean? While the female follower widened her eyes in confusion, Kate gently caressed her lower abdomen.

And despite her warm smile, she began making statements that sounded somewhat fanatical.

“I rose to this position through Lord Luminus’s blessing. A country girl with nothing, possessing immense divine power… this can only be described as a blessing. I have essentially received grace.”

“Y-yes, but…”

“To repay this grace, I will receive the seed of one who possesses strong divine power. The child born between us will surely possess divine power far stronger than mine or its father’s. If that child grows up to become clergy, nothing would be more helpful to Lord Luminus. This is how I intend to repay Lord Luminus’s grace.”

At this point, let me remind you that her rank is Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor.

It’s a position impossible without considerable faith and divine power. Her thinking was no less fanatical than that of zealots.

The female follower was dumbfounded by these words, but a practical issue suddenly occurred to her.

“What if Xenon is a woman?”

“It doesn’t matter. I can beseech Lord Luminus to change either me or Xenon into a man. Since it has happened before, there won’t be a problem.”

“…”

Now she understood why the oracle had been so vague.