Chapter 15: Stone and Swearing: An Unexpected Reaction

Knock, knock…

I cautiously knocked on the director’s office door.

Currently, I was visiting the hospital where the academy’s strongest teacher was hospitalized.

Teacher Pest, who is hospitalized, is an extraordinary person.

Not only his mana manipulation skills, but also his overall mana capacity and strength were truly top-tier, rivaling even the Headmaster.

But, for such a teacher to lose consciousness…

It must have been a tremendous mental shock.

But is it possible to suddenly experience such a mental shock while eating?

I was a bit puzzled, but I ignored it and entered the director’s office.

As soon as I entered, I saw a beautiful woman with green hair and green eyes sitting with her legs crossed on a chair.

Ah, I’ve met her once before regarding Cynthia’s medicine issue.

What medicine was it? I don’t remember.

Well, it’s not our first meeting.

The woman put down the coffee she was drinking and greeted me.

“Hello, Hero.”

“Ah, hello.”

Business cards with “Avery Netra, Director of Avery General Hospital” piled up on the desk.

Is her name Avery? Ms. Avery was staring intently at me.

Ah, I should state my business since she’s busy.

I straightened up and asked Ms. Avery,

“Is the teacher doing alright?”

Ms. Avery sighed deeply.

…As expected, he’s not in good condition.

It’s been three days since the teacher suddenly went berserk at the restaurant. He must have been trying to attack only himself even after losing so much blood…

There’s no way he would hate himself the most, right?

It could have been really dangerous if the inquisitor hadn’t come…

Sigh…

I still remember the feeling of not being able to say anything when the inquisitor came.

Overwhelmed by the pressure of absolute death and another powerful presence confronting each other, I succumbed to fear.

How am I supposed to face the Demon King like this…?

This was the second time I hated my incompetent self so much.

That overwhelming power etched in my mind made me despair.

Perhaps noticing my concern for the teacher, Ms. Avery, renowned as a master of healing magic, shook her head and said,

“His condition is stable, but whenever he tries to touch his mask or gloves, he grips his hands tightly and won’t let go…”

Huh.

It’s like him, but I didn’t expect him to do that even unconsciously.

Come to think of it, Selina’s sister was also injured, right?

“How is the Inquisitor?”

“Strangely, she has no injuries, but whenever anyone tries to touch her, she tries to grab her sword…”

It seems certain that the teacher used his left hand before he fainted.

Or there’s no way she would be unharmed after being cut by such a powerful-looking blood blade…

“…Can I visit him now?”

Ms. Avery mumbled with a hesitant expression.

Her clothes were slightly disheveled and covered in dust.

“…Well, you can, but I don’t recommend it.”

Hmm? Why is she acting like that?

Anyway, I didn’t come all the way to the director’s office just to hear this.

I carefully took out a transparent container from my pocket.

“And I want to talk about this, too.”

“…!”

Ms. Avery widened her eyes and focused all her attention on the container.

Well, what this container holds is Teacher Pest’s blood.

Perhaps there was still magic power left, as the blood was thrashing around, trying to break the container.

Ugh…I’m glad I asked Freesia and Cynthia for help…

The barrier created by the academy’s top and second-best students, and the massive amount of magic power I poured in, was already tattered.

Ms. Avery, who had been staring intently at the container, said “Ah” and then spoke.

“The Great Mage coughed up blood from a great shock.”

As expected of a doctor, she knew the content that was written in a single line in the academy’s history book.

Ms. Avery quietly recited the remaining passage.

“…When the Great Mage shed the executioner, blades of blood scattered in all directions and executed punishment. The sinner’s crime was simply their existence.”

I carefully added to Ms. Avery,

“It’s probably related, right?”

“Yes, Hero! Now I’m beginning to understand the passage from the ancient text that was only difficult to understand!”

I didn’t expect to meet this person so often until then…

A man and a woman tossing and turning in the intensive care unit beds.

Most people would blush upon hearing this, but that wasn’t the case.

In the first place, as a Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom, I don’t have time for romance.

And this is also an interrogation.

Sigh…

At least for me, interrogation is a process done only when absolutely necessary.

If they send someone to me, it’s usually because they are a truly dangerous and violent heretic.

Summary execution is the most effective.

Still, the fact that I’m conducting the interrogation meant there was room for leniency and a very high chance of survival.

This man didn’t show any aggressive behavior after neutralizing me at the end, so a special interrogation was prepared to determine that he wasn’t a heretic, using my authority.

This interrogation is very simple. Just pour holy water made by the Saintess on his head and see if it turns to ash or not.

However, the interrogation wasn’t progressing.

“If you just take off your mask, everything will be resolved, so let go of my hand!”

I pleaded, almost screaming, from the strange man’s chest.

At first, it was a simple act of trying to take off his mask.

Not knowing he would move so dynamically unconsciously, I lightly reached out and was caught.

‘What?’

Damn…I still remember the stupid sound I made then.

So I tried to trip him and take off his mask, but instead, he twisted and we both fell on the bed.

Even though this body was judged to have S- rank strength, I’m being pushed back…

The only person who overpowered me was during a duel with the Pope when I was a trainee knight, and now this is the second time.

Moreover, with pure strength, not even divine power…

Ah, right, divine power. There was that.

“Ouch!”

Squeeze.

The hand holding mine squeezed even harder.

Did he sense me raising my divine power? But then he would have to have divine power…?

As I was frozen in surprise, a pleasant baritone voice echoed through the intensive care unit.

…Right below me.

“Damn it, will you get off me?”

…?

“You can swear?”

My intention was pure curiosity.

He seemed like a quiet heretic, but he could swear.

But it seemed like I wasn’t the only one who was flustered.

The man, flustered, touched the mouth part of his mask and said,

“…Could I swear?”

“Heretic, you seem to have lost your mind.”

The man stopped talking and stared intently at me.

Why is he suddenly looking at me like that…? It’s unpleasant.

I frowned as much as possible to express my displeasure.

Then the man sighed and said,

“But no matter how I think about it, don’t you think our speech patterns are too similar?”

“Not at all?”

There’s no way an academy teacher and a paladin would have the same speech pattern, right?

At most, it would be similar to an old professor or a paladin.

“It’s more comfortable for me if you just speak casually like you did just now.”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about, I always speak calmly.”

As if saying, “Ah, that’s right,” the man crossed his arms.

It’ll be hard to react quickly with that posture…?

That’s right..!!

!

Now,

This man,

is off guard!

Honestly, I didn’t care about the interrogation anymore; I wanted to see the face he was so desperately trying to hide.

Is he unexpectedly delicate? Is that why he wants to hide it?

…As a Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom, I don’t want to be rude because of this curiosity, but I’m so curious I’m going crazy. What should I do?

I carefully strengthened my right hand by mixing magic power and divine power.

Magic power is for defying the world, and divine power is for asking the world for favors.

Therefore, if the flow of magic power and the flow of divine power are mixed, it becomes as if there’s no reinforcement at all.

Of course, I haven’t seen any other living being besides myself who can handle both magic power and divine power.

After mastering magic power, I even defeated the Pope. In this reinforced state, I should be able to surpass this person’s strength, right?

I slowly placed my hand, which I had been lowering, on the man’s shoulder.

Flinch.

Unlike his demeanor so far, the man was flustered even though I just put my hand on his shoulder.

I’ll be suspected if I don’t explain myself…

I spoke, trying to hide my awkwardness as much as possible.

“There’s some dust.”

Pat, pat…

After carefully dusting his shoulder a bit…

Flash!

I grabbed his mask at a speed I couldn’t even perceive.

Almost simultaneously, the man raised his hand to stop me, but my speed was the fastest in the empire.

“This…damn it..!”

“Haaa!!!”

With all my might, which I had never used before, I threw the mask.

Pop!

Thud, thud, thud.

This sound…did I finally succeed?

Judging from the direction I just moved my arm, it should have flown to the right!

As I quickly moved my gaze to the right, I saw,

The mask,

lying there.

“Yes!!!”

For the first time in my life, I vulgarly clenched my fist, put it on my waist, and cheered.

I finally saw his bare face…!

I just cheered.

I was so excited.

Just before I knelt, a beautiful, melodious voice, which I had never heard before, came from the front.

To see the voice that was as warm and kind as spring, like the voice of the Creator God, I turned around…

“F*ck! Turn around quickly!”

Thud!

He threw a stone at me and cursed.

…?