Ch.325Changed Life (1)

It’s like leaving a fish with a cat. It means entrusting something important to someone who can’t be trusted. That’s the situation I’m in right now.

The bigger problem is that the fish is none other than me. What’s worse, I can’t get rid of the cat and must keep it close by.

Perhaps I can take comfort in having a dog to keep the cat in check, standing guard beside me. The dog hasn’t left my side for a moment and continues to escort me to the end.

The cat also doesn’t constantly eye the fish unless in specific situations. Since it knows I’m like human catnip, it should avoid physical contact as much as possible.

By now everyone probably understands that the cat is Kate, the fish is me, and finally, the dog is Adelia.

Knights from each country are temporarily protecting me until escort arrangements are finalized. Though temporary, there’s virtually no one as reliable and appropriate as Kate.

Though her position is Grand Inquisitor, it’s not excessive since I’m the one being protected, and she’s the greatest enemy of demon worshippers.

Additionally, the Church of Luminus maintains a globally neutral position, so there won’t be any political entanglements.

Sabre? After the Cardinal Bark incident, they declared a holy war and are extremely busy. They’re still actively purging demon worshippers.

Anyway, no one is more suitable as an escort knight than Kate. When I informed other acquaintances of this fact, they were surprised but all understood.

So what remains is departing for the academy. I’ve already informed the academy that I’m coming, so they should have made some preparations.

“Pleased to meet you all. I am Gartz Balack, assigned to assist Issac.”

Before that, I didn’t forget to introduce my faithful AS… no, the escort knight dispatched from Helium, Gartz.

He originally served as Cecilly’s escort knight, but was assigned to me after the typewriter gift.

Strictly speaking, he should be considered the leader of the escort team dispatched from Helium. I’ll be receiving Helium-related news through him from now on.

I greeted Gartz whom I had summoned and introduced him to my companions.

“Gartz will teleport us to the academy. I could ask Sister Cecilly, but there’s a matter of pride, you know?”

Adelia remained indifferent since I had informed her beforehand, but Kate was different.

She gazed steadily at Gartz, then bowed her head with her characteristic gentle smile.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Kate Louise Angelica. I am a faithful servant of Luminus. It’s an honor to meet a child of Mora.”

Almost all demons worship Mora. And Gartz is one of them.

Religion can be a sensitive matter, but greeting someone like Kate did causes no problems.

Moreover, Kate didn’t mention her rank as Cardinal or Grand Inquisitor. It was an unspoken indication that he could be at ease with her.

“So you’re Cardinal Kate. I’ve certainly heard of your reputation.”

“You flatter me. I’m still far inferior compared to Issac.”

“That’s hard to deny. Still, I’m relieved that our benefactor has gained such a strong shield.”

With those words, Gartz began preparing the teleport. While one person might be manageable, transporting two or more requires some time.

Cecilly doesn’t need this preparation. She can move multiple people with a simple spell regardless of their number.

This isn’t because Gartz lacks skill, but because she is unbelievably powerful. Besides, Gartz excels more in martial arts than magic.

I quietly watched Gartz as he prepared, then glanced to the side. Kate was waiting with her usual serene expression.

“Kate.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“How did you view demons before? I mean, before the publication of Biography of Xenon.”

I asked out of sudden curiosity. Sabre has a history of massacring demons.

That incident made them extremely wary of fanaticism, but they still treated demons as devils.

Though such views have faded considerably now, I wondered if Kate had shared a similar perspective.

Kate blinked her blue eyes at my question, then responded with a gentle smile.

“I didn’t pay attention to them.”

“You didn’t pay attention?”

“Yes. I only follow the revelations of Luminus. If anyone harms Him, I will bring down the hammer, regardless of who they are.”

I’m not sure if I should call her narrow-minded or open-minded in a different sense.

Still, if it’s typical of Kate, then it’s truly a Kate-like answer. I let out a small chuckle.

“All preparations are complete.”

The preparations for heading to the academy were finished. As soon as I heard Gartz’s words, I turned my gaze.

I won’t say I hope nothing happens. To say such a thing now would show a complete lack of reality awareness.

Instead, I hope that what I’m worried about doesn’t occur. I don’t mind troublesome incidents, but I hate seeing people around me get hurt.

‘Please.’

If not happiness, at least let peace continue.

*****

Let me correct myself. I’ll add “not burdensome” to the list.

I couldn’t help but gape at the spectacle—or rather, non-spectacle—unfolding before me.

The place we were teleported to was the academy’s main gate. I stood there staring at the entrance.

“…They’re giving us quite the welcome.”

As Adelia’s incredulous reaction suggested, a sight that made me doubt my eyes was unfolding beyond the main gate.

People were crowded on both sides of a single path, with knights physically forming a corridor instead of ropes.

The one fortunate thing was that there was no red carpet. However, the fact remained that I had to walk through there.

‘Even Leort and Rina didn’t have this much.’

Recalling the entrance ceremony, while people gathered for Rina and Leort, they didn’t set up such an elaborate display.

Why roll out such a reception for me when they should be protecting their own royalty first? Of course, I understand that my prestige isn’t limited to the Empire of Minerva.

Too excessive, you say? What if someone, especially a demon worshipper, exploited a gap and harmed me?

Thinking about it that way made it somewhat understandable, but it’s still too burdensome. And I have to walk through there.

“…Gartz?”

“I’m sorry, but as you know, magic use is strictly prohibited within the academy except in specific areas.”

When I quietly called out to Gartz, he only delivered bad news. Come to think of it, I recall such regulations existed.

This means I have no choice but to walk that path. I had given the academy advance notice to avoid surprising them, but this was the result.

‘Next time, I’ll just come secretly.’

While my red hair makes me stand out unavoidably, there’s no need for such a “welcome.”

I should inquire later if teleportation to the dormitory is possible.

After Gartz departed, only Adelia and Kate remained by my side. I must pass through that place with them.

I let out a deep sigh as I looked at the people gathered on both sides of the path formed by knights.

“…I feel queasy.”

“Says the person who announced his identity?”

“That’s different from this.”

There’s a saying: if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. I can’t reach the dormitory without passing through there.

So let’s just close our eyes once and go through. I took several deep breaths to calm my pounding heart.

“Phew… Kate.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you feel burdened or anything like that?”

“Not at all?”

“…”

I sometimes wish I could peek inside Kate’s head. Her mind is surely filled only with Luminus.

I laughed dejectedly, then looked at the academy gate and slowly began walking.

As I said earlier, just once. If I close my eyes and pass through there just once, there shouldn’t be any problems afterward.

“Is that really him?”

“I’m telling you. Red hair and golden eyes. He’s obviously Xenon.”

“It really is him.”

“Is he a prophet or someone from the future? He himself said he wasn’t Xenon.”

“Who would believe that? If there was a book predicting future events, would you dismiss it all as coincidence? As rumored, the gods must have placed restrictions on him. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

I too once thought that way. As soon as I started walking down the path specially created by the academy, various comments reached my ears.

Just hearing them makes me blush with embarrassment, making it difficult to properly hold my head up.

I wonder how celebrities in my previous life managed to shake off this pressure when walking the red carpet. I can truly understand why panic disorders occur.

“He’s handsome and has a good physique. Someone like him is Xenon… I wish he would hug me just once.”

“Stop it. His fiancée is none other than Princess Marie. Would he be interested in you?”

“I heard he’s also close with Princess Cecilly and Crown Princess Rina. Many people have seen them together.”

“He might unexpectedly be quite the ladies’ man?”

Stories about me keep reaching my ears whether I want to hear them or not. It’s nothing for academy gossip to spread through rumors.

The problem is that while I don’t know about Rina, Cecilly being my lover is undeniably true.

Though it hasn’t been officially announced yet, troublesome matters will arise soon.

Moreover, with Arwen’s confession-like confession planned, I can predict how I’ll be evaluated.

As someone said, as an unexpectedly promiscuous womanizer. The future is crystal clear.

“The brown-haired woman beside him. Is she the one…?”

“The illegitimate child of the Teres royal family?”

“The reason he slapped Princess Hyria’s cheek was because of her, right?”

“Shh! Be quiet. What if we offend them?”

It seems rumors about Adelia have also spread widely. This was an expected reaction from the moment I slapped Hyria’s cheek.

Glancing to the side, I saw Adelia walking silently with a stoic expression. Her knight-like, measured gait was very impressive.

However, her slightly tense expression suggested she was focusing on protecting me rather than caring about reactions.

“And that person…”

“Is that Cardinal Kate? She certainly looks like it…”

“Is she also serving as an escort?”

“I’ve heard something about that. That Cardinal Kate is the most suitable person.”

Finally, reactions about Kate. Since the news of Kate becoming my escort hadn’t spread yet, everyone was busy making their own guesses.

I kept looking straight ahead while listening to the comments reaching my ears in real-time. But here, a question arises.

‘Where does this path lead?’

My original plan was this: before being assigned a new dormitory, I wanted to meet the academy’s principal first.

Through conversation with him, I intended to consider my future academy schedule. But I’m not sure where this path leads.

Halo Academy is quite large, as the empire has invested heavily in it. There’s even a bustling area within the academy, along with many facilities.

The fortunate thing is that the distance between dormitories and lecture halls is short. However, department buildings are quite far from the dormitories.

And the administrative building where the principal stays is terribly far from the main gate. I’m concerned that this path might lead all the way there.

“Xenon! Xenon!”

“Hey! Catch that guy!!”

Crash!

While I was just walking along, a commotion suddenly reached my ears.

Simultaneously, Adelia extended her arm toward me in a protective gesture.

Looking toward the source of the commotion, a somewhat embarrassing scene came into view.

A strange man was being restrained by knights, struggling on the ground.

With so many people around, it’s inevitable that gaps would appear. This man seems to have broken through but was immediately restrained.

“I just want to talk to you once!”

“Take him away quickly!”

“I’ve been reading Biography of Xenon since it was first published! Please, just once…!!”

I don’t know how he managed to break through, but the man continued pleading with me even as he was being dragged away by knights.

Looking closer, I could see he was carefully holding a book in his arms, which I could easily guess was Biography of Xenon.

I silently watched him being pitifully dragged away, then quietly asked Kate.

“Kate. Can you intuitively tell who is a demon worshipper?”

“Of course. Demon worshippers possess an indescribable filth. Unless they’re exceptions like Cardinal Bark, I can sense their vile evil.”

“And from that person?”

“I sense nothing at all.”

Then it’s fine. I called out to the knights dragging the man away.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Could you bring that person here for a moment?”

The knights looked puzzled at my request. When I nodded to indicate it was okay, they showed signs of hesitation.

If something were to happen, it would be their responsibility, yet they couldn’t ignore my words either.

But I have two reliable escorts. Especially Kate, who personally testified that he’s not a demon worshipper.

And I’m not a fool. I plan to keep some distance as a precaution.

“It’s fine, bring him here. I’ll keep my distance.”

“…Understood.”

Eventually, the knights brought the man before me. I hadn’t noticed when he was being dragged away, but up close, he had a surprisingly normal appearance.

He seemed to be in his early to mid-twenties. His skin was pleasantly tanned, suggesting he had spent time under the harsh sun.

Finally, the book he was carefully holding. Before the man could speak, I pointed to the book and asked.

“Is that book, by any chance, Biography of Xenon?”

“Yes, yes?”

The man opened his eyes wide and asked back with a surprised expression. It seems he’s nervous now that he’s face to face with me.

“I asked if that book is Biography of Xenon.”

“Yes, yes! It is!”

“Was there a need to rush at me so recklessly? You could have put your life in danger.”

This is not an exaggeration; the man’s life was truly in danger. He could have been labeled a dangerous element and disappeared without a trace.

But the man, seemingly unconcerned about that, exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

Though he stammered due to nervousness, it wasn’t to a disturbing degree.

“O-Of course! B-Biography of Xenon is w-worth it!”

“Is that all?”

“Yes!! I learned to read because of this book, and furthermore, it allowed me to experience the wider world!”

“Perhaps your profession is…”

“I’m an adventurer!”

So he’s an adventurer. Now that I look closer, I can see small scars on his face.

I’ve heard that the number of adventure-related professions increased because of Biography of Xenon, and this person seems to be one such case.

“Biography of Xenon must have been quite different from reality…”

“Even if it’s different, it doesn’t matter! It’s the driving force of my life!”

As I confirmed these responses one by one, I realized that this person is a fan in the truest sense.

I shook my head at his recklessness, then spoke with a gentle smile.

“Still, it was dangerous. Please don’t do this again. Understood?”

“I’ll keep that in mind!”

“And please give me the book.”

“Yes! Of course… What?”

When I asked for the book, the man’s bright and energetic expression turned to one of confusion. Seeing his face, I repeated.

“Please give me the book. Since you brought it, I assume you wanted an autograph?”

“Uh… that’s not it.”

“Then why?”

“I brought it to show you how much I love Biography of Xenon. I’ve memorized the entire content of Volume 1.”

The man scratched his head and smiled like a boy. He was more extraordinary than I thought.

Regardless, he’s still my fan, so I silently held out my hand. Seeming to understand my intention, he hesitated before finally handing over the book.

Its condition was terrible from being read so much. It was worn in many places and had fingerprints all over it.

I turned to the first page of the book and took out the magic pen my father had given me from my pocket.

Scribble- Scribble-

After elegantly moving my hand to sign it, I handed it back to the man. He received the book with a dazed expression.

“Please continue reading it a lot. Thank you.”

After a simple greeting, I moved on. I could hear the man shouting in an emotional voice from behind, but I let it pass lightly.

“I thought you didn’t like getting attention?”

Adelia, who had been watching the whole process, blurted out. To this, I shrugged my shoulders and joked.

“I like getting attention from fans. They’re people who read my book.”

“You’re good with words.”

“Would you like an autograph too, sister?”

“No thanks. I already have something better.”

We continued walking forward while exchanging such casual conversation.

I later found out that the man who received the autograph was quite a famous adventurer. That explains how he broke through the knights.

“You shone brightly today as well. Excellent.”

“If you want one too, Kate, just say so. I’ll give it to you anytime.”

“You mean your seed?”

“…”

“I’m joking.”

It doesn’t seem like a joke.