Ch.341It’s Dangerous Outside (1)

The demon worshipper who nearly ambushed me was immediately apprehended and dragged to the temple. There’s a law stating that demon worshippers must be transported to the temple as soon as their identity is discovered.

That’s why the people conducting the arrest were holy knights. Since Kate had completely subdued him, he probably wouldn’t make extreme choices like self-destruction. Still, caution is essential.

Normally, immediate execution would be the principle, but this time was an exception.

I thought he was an unusual character, considering how he used magic within the Academy and how perfectly he concealed his killing intent until he approached me.

Above all, he was sent to assassinate me. There’s a high possibility that he’s quite trusted among the demon worshippers.

Of course, they might have sent him as a test, knowing it wouldn’t work. They must have heard that Kate was guarding me.

But judging by how he paralyzed the heart of a passerby, he’s definitely skilled. If it weren’t for the arrow that flew in midway, I would have been in great danger.

So the demon worshipper was dragged to the temple, and I was immediately escorted back to the dormitory, surrounded by Academy security guards including my escorts.

Since the demon worshipper used magic within the Academy and, moreover, attempted to take my life, there will inevitably be talk.

“So that’s why you haven’t gone outside until now?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve been ordering things through someone other than sister Adelia?”

“Yes.”

Three days have passed since then, and I haven’t taken a single step outside the dormitory.

Originally, I should have gone out for my teaching assistant duties and Elena’s research, but after being directly threatened by a demon worshipper, my thinking changed.

Outside the blanket—no, outside the house is dangerous. Attacks by demon worshippers aren’t distant tales but problems that can occur anywhere, anytime.

The thought that “I’ll be safe inside the Academy~” was thrown in the trash bin at the time of the incident. My mere existence can harm innocent people.

“You made a good decision. So, are you going to give up on graduating from the Academy?”

Marie, who came to visit me at the dormitory since I hadn’t been coming out of my room, asked.

She should originally be attending class, but since she’s my fiancée, her attendance is recognized even if she doesn’t go.

Moreover, after such an incident, there’s no lack of justification.

“No. I need to graduate from the Academy. This happened because I wasn’t careful enough, so I just need to be more cautious.”

“Then why aren’t you leaving the dormitory?”

“For peace of mind.”

“… …”

Marie looked at me with a subtle expression after my answer. It’s the expression of someone who wants to say something but can’t find the words.

But I’m sincere. Such an incident happened just three days ago, so I’m cautious about even going outside.

To be honest, an arrow could have been shot at me the moment I stepped outside the dormitory. Of course, the possibility is extremely low, but there’s always a “what if.”

So, I plan to stay inside the dormitory for the time being. As Marie just mentioned, if I ask the guard in the corridor, they’ll bring all meals and necessities.

Of course, I won’t stay in the dormitory forever. I plan to go out again once the Academy strengthens its security.

Until then, I’ll only meet people who come to visit the dormitory. By now, the news must have spread, so many people will probably visit soon.

“Still, it’s a relief. Honestly, I was too anxious. I wondered if you hadn’t realized what kind of person you are yet.”

“I was aware. But I thought demon worshippers were too distant a story.”

I made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse. You could say I was stupid or complacent.

But the root cause was the deeply ingrained notions from my previous life. Moreover, the capital of the Empire of Minerva, especially the Academy, is considered to have very good security.

So I couldn’t help but think that I’d be fine if I was just a little careful. Especially since nothing had happened for a week after returning to the Academy.

You might curse me for being stupid, for only realizing this now. I’m willing to accept that.

I knew from various news that demon worshippers were bastards. But since they had never bitten me, I kept quiet about it.

Demon worshippers are bastards, and they’re bastards who would do anything to bite my neck.

Not only did they target my neck, but they also nearly killed an innocent person. This alone made me clearly recognize what kind of beings demon worshippers are.

I don’t know what circumstances led them to join the demon worshippers, but they’re unforgivable people regardless.

However, there’s one thing that bothers me. The words the demon worshipper uttered just before attempting suicide.

‘The Father of All Things is a bit concerning, but…’

Let’s skip over that. What’s important now is how to return to daily life.

Such an unfortunate incident occurred at Halo Academy, which is famous for its thorough security, so what would happen to the prestige of the Empire of Minerva?

Even without reading the newspapers, I can roughly picture it. Surely, from the Academy’s principal to the higher-ups, they’re all being criticized.

It might be somewhat unfair from their perspective, but that’s politics. Once you provide a pretext, people target you from all directions.

Of course, since Marie has been announced as my fiancée, they will still stand firm without wavering. I don’t have plans to leave the empire anyway.

‘It would be different if Cecilly and Arwen came.’

I thought while putting a cookie baked by Adelia into my mouth. Cecilly and Arwen. Unlike Marie, these two are unofficial lovers.

There were more women besides them, but I excluded them as exceptions since there’s no need to “announce” them openly like those two.

Especially as Arwen indirectly informed me about the “gift,” these two are planning to reveal it soon for the reason of “repaying a debt.”

‘When will that be?’

I expected Cecilly to announce it soon, if not Arwen, but she’s surprisingly quiet. But not announcing it is also a method.

Even if it’s discovered later without an announcement, everyone will understand and move on. Thanks to the Biography of Xenon, the demon race was saved, and Cecilly will ascend as the next monarch.

From the beginning, Helium expressed infinite gratitude towards me at the national level. Moreover, Cecilly dropped the bomb during her speech that she was Xenon’s woman.

With that one speech, the perception that Cecilly is Xenon’s woman would be ingrained, so it should be fine for us to date openly. I’ve already laid out hints in various places, so those who should know, know.

‘As for Arwen…’

Then, when will Arwen reveal the identity of the “gift”? I’m quite curious about this.

Given the strong elven communism, I’ve roughly guessed what kind of gift it is, but you never know until it’s opened.

I won’t go outside until the Academy strengthens its security, but if she gives me the gift, I’m thinking of going to Alfheim.

“So when do you plan to go outside? A week? Or a month?”

“At least a week. The Academy would also want me to stay put, right? By the way, how’s Rina these days? She must have quite a headache too.”

“She hasn’t been coming to class. She’s probably busy with meetings right now.”

“Hmm…”

I nodded. Such an unfortunate incident happened within her country, so Rina must be having a hard time too.

I feel even more sorry that people around me are suffering due to my misjudgment and complacency.

While promising myself that such a thing will never happen again, I brought up a different topic.

This time, it wasn’t for Marie, but for Adelia, who had subdued the demon worshipper three days ago.

“Sister Adel.”

“Yes. What is it?”

Adelia responded formally, probably because Marie was present. She’s always my reliable shield.

This incident made me realize: Adelia is a shield that can block external attacks at any time.

But what if that shield breaks or becomes unusable? I’ll prevent such a thing from happening, but human affairs are unpredictable.

“You once said, right? That it would be good for me to learn not just simple self-defense, but how to handle small weapons.”

So even if the shield breaks, I should have the power to resist minimally.

If I die, others will not just be sad but despair, so I should at least build the strength to “survive” threats.

Even if both my hands are cut off, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is my life.

Above all, if I just survive, I can restore everything through divine power. According to Luminus, even regression is possible for a short time.

“So, can you teach me starting today?”

“…It will be very difficult.”

“Better than getting hurt or dying.”

Adelia stared at my eyes, which were filled with determination. I also met her sky-blue eyes, which were full of gravity.

I don’t expect to learn the weapon techniques passed down in the family. It’s a bit late for me to learn, and what I’m learning is not combat but self-defense.

Father would be busy with official duties, so it seems better to learn from Adelia for now.

“Then I’ll ask the baron first and get permission. That’s the principle.”

“Alright. That’s fine.”

Father will surely give permission. There’s no way my spineless father would refuse when his youngest son wants to train in martial arts.

We can quickly communicate through the teleport set up in the dormitory. I might be able to receive teachings starting today.

After that, I wrote a letter in elegant cursive and sent it directly to the mansion. And the returning answer was…

“The baron says he’ll come personally.”

“…What?”

Father is coming personally. I widened my eyes in surprise at the unexpected reply.

Adelia also seemed quite taken aback as she handed me the letter and answered hesitantly.

“He said if you’re going to learn, it’s better to learn properly.”

“What about you? Doesn’t he trust you?”

“I’m not sure. The letter only says he’ll come personally…”

“… …”

I hope he’s not just making excuses because he doesn’t want to work.

*****

The news that Issac was ambushed by a demon worshipper spread around the world in an instant.

It’s only natural for there to be an uproar when Issac was nearly attacked. Especially, as Issac predicted, the Empire of Minerva had to face a great ordeal.

The Halo Academy, built by enticing craftsmen from the Kingdom of Teres with money, had exposed its vulnerability to the world.

In such a situation, the person currently in the most difficult position was…

“Damn it. These bastards…”

Arwen, who missed her timing to make an announcement because of the demon worshipper.

She had planned to announce it today, but it inevitably fizzled out when the demon worshipper attacked Issac.

When she first heard the news, she was worried that something might have happened to Issac, but after hearing that he was safe, she felt relief and irritation simultaneously.

“I want to show him quickly…”

She looked at the “gift” carefully placed in the box with a slightly gloomy face.

She felt embarrassed to wear it and show it to him, but at the same time, she was excited.

How would Issac react? Just imagining it made her heart flutter and her lips curl.

“…This won’t do.”

At this rate, she’ll miss the timing again. Even if she gets criticized, she needs to announce it within a week at the very least.

With that, she made a decision and quietly closed the box containing the gift.

Knock- Knock-

Then, after checking that there was no one around, she tapped the crystal ball placed on the desk with her finger.

The identity of the crystal ball is none other than a communication crystal. Naturally, it’s an item used for communication.

For an elf, especially someone of Arwen’s position, she could call through telepathy, but if the distance is too far, it’s difficult even for her.

That’s why she uses the power of the communication crystal to contact someone at a distant location.

“Ah. Ah. Can you hear me?”

[Yes, I can hear you, Your Majesty. What’s the matter?]

When Arwen spoke, a seductive woman’s voice flowed from the communication crystal. If Issac heard it, it would be a familiar, even intimate voice.

Then, after checking again that there was no one around, Arwen cleared her throat with a cough.

Her face visibly reddened, and her ears twitched up and down aimlessly, clearly indicating her emotions.

“I… I’ve made a decision, so I’m contacting you.”

[Oh my. Finally? But the timing now…]

“I know that too. But if I keep postponing, it doesn’t seem right…”

[Hmm… Alright. So, what do you want to ask today?]

The woman on the other side of the crystal asked with an interested voice. Arwen paused for a moment after hearing her question.

Usually, she’s a woman who bothers her in a negative sense, but for this matter, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and ask for help.

The woman on the crystal is far ahead of herself, who knows nothing about relationships between men and women. Moreover, she has had relations with the man she desires multiple times.

“T-Tell me what Issac likes… and what kind of acts he enjoys.”

[Hmm~ That’s easy. I’ll tell you later with the others, so please wait a bit.]

“I-I’ll be waiting.”

Click-

With those words, the crystal turned off. Arwen stared blankly at the crystal that had lost its light and then exhaled a long breath.

“…The recipient of the gift should be happy.”

She can neatly set aside her pride for that.