Chapter 3: Saint ari

A week had passed since the entrance ceremony.During that time, various incidents occurred at the academy, such as strange organizations infiltrating and occasional monster attacks, but somehow, I was having a smooth academy life.Since the Regressor mostly handled major incidents on her own, I hadn’t really been in any danger.Living at the academy, I sometimes ran into the Regressor.She would smile with her eyes or stare at me endlessly, making me feel burdened.Each time, I desperately pretended not to notice her.

Today, I left the dormitory earlier than usual.This was because there was somewhere I needed to stop by before attending class.The place I headed to was the academy branch of the church, which served the gods.Those who were quick to hear the news had arrived even before me, waiting for someone.Most students who enrolled under the church’s name lived here.As they received different levels of support, it was much larger and had superior facilities compared to the ordinary dormitory I lived in.It even had a ‘mass long-distance teleportation magic circle’ installed, which showed just how much money had been poured into it.

“Oh? Over there…!”

At that moment, someone pointed towards the church’s branch.Instantly, a holy light leaked from inside the building, and someone walked out.Numerous attendants followed closely beside her, as if protecting her.Just like escorting a high-ranking person.The surroundings quickly fell silent, enveloped in stillness.

‘Just by her appearance, the atmosphere was overwhelmed.’

Her hair was pure white and beautiful, indistinguishable between white and silver.Everyone tried to take her in, but whether it was due to her breathtaking beauty or the overwhelming ‘divine power’ emanating from her, they couldn’t even meet her gaze.It was only natural.She was the most sacred being among the church members favored by the gods.Her divine power was also on a completely different level from other clerics.

The Holy Maiden.The highest authority of the church, known by that name.Standing at the pinnacle of a faction called the church, she had finally set foot in the academy.The Holy Maiden offered a slight smile towards the gathered people, then left the area with her attendants.No one dared to speak to her, let alone make proper eye contact.Watching the Holy Maiden from a slight distance, I saw that she hadn’t changed from the previous regression, and I once again organized what I needed to do.

Two major anomalies would occur at the academy today.One was the Holy Maiden’s arrival at the academy.The other was that one of the ‘holy relics’ she brought from the church would be stolen by someone.And that ‘someone’ who would steal that holy relic today was me.

****

“Hehe, the air at the academy is truly clear.”

“” “……” “”

“Oh dear, is no one going to answer me?”

“” “……” “”

“How lonely… Hehe, Yulia. Am I being ostracized?”

“……Holy Maiden, I’ve told you many times that smiling like that isn’t appropriate.”

The Holy Maiden merely smiled, pretending not to hear.The woman called Yulia sighed deeply in response.

“Oh my, do you have something on your mind? Haven’t you heard that sighing chases away good fortune?”

‘Whose fault is this, anyway…!’

Yulia barely swallowed the words that had risen to her throat and handed a book she was holding to the Holy Maiden.

“What is this?”

“It’s the academy rules. You must familiarize yourself with them.”

“……”

The Holy Maiden took the book with a strange expression.Yulia, who had spent a long time with her, knew well what the Holy Maiden was hiding behind that expression.

“Holy Maiden.”

“Hehe… Thank you, Yulia. Thanks to you, I think I know what I need to do.”

“……I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I hope you won’t do it.”

“Hehehe.”

‘Please, just…!’

Despite Yulia’s earnest pleas, the Holy Maiden avoided answering, only laughing unpleasantly.Yulia felt her head starting to ache.It was always like this.Even before coming to the academy, she would constantly try to cause trouble at the church, watching the clerics who came to clean up with an unpleasant laugh.This was not a demeanor befitting the Holy Maiden, who was essentially the face of the church.Nevertheless, the reason her horrifying antics weren’t known outside the church was that she was just as good at covering up her messes as she was at making them.Whether it was covering up traces with immense divine power or destroying the scene of the incident so thoroughly that no traces remained… she somehow managed to get away with such incredibly crude methods.Of course, a long tail eventually gets caught.Yulia and some cardinals had, to some extent, inferred whose doing it was from the immense residual divine power left at the scenes.……No, in fact, most who noticed were certain that the Holy Maiden was the culprit.Since beings with that level of divine power were quite rare, it was easy to figure out using the process of elimination.However, who would dare accuse the Holy Maiden…Especially the face of the church, who possessed the most divine power among all past Holy Maidens, as the culprit?For the sake of the church’s reputation, everyone had no choice but to pretend not to know.But this was the academy, not the church.If she were to get caught doing the same things here as she did at the Papal Palace……

‘No!’

For the sake of the church’s reputation, she could no longer just stand by and watch her.

“Holy Maiden.”

Yulia gently grasped the Holy Maiden’s arm and spoke.In response, she smiled slightly, as if to say ‘don’t worry’.

“Hehe, I’ll look closely at the academy rules, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Sister Arie.”

“Oh my…?”

“This isn’t the church, it’s the academy… For the sake of your reputation, you mustn’t cause trouble. Understand?”

“……”

Yulia spoke firmly, staring directly at her.The Holy Maiden ‘Arie’ paused for a moment, seemingly flustered, but then lightly chuckled and said,

“Oh dear, if my dear sister says so, then I suppose I have no choice. I’ll behave quietly for a while.”

Having said that, Arie carefully tucked the book containing the academy rules into her embrace.Yulia, who had been watching her closely, noticed several magical tools hidden within her embrace for a brief moment.She thought that she truly couldn’t let her guard down, but if she tried to confiscate those as well, it would only create resentment, and she had no idea what Arie might do starting tomorrow, so she decided not to bring up the magical tools.Arie, noticing Yulia’s gaze on the magical tools, grinned unpleasantly, but Yulia forced a wry smile and pretended not to notice, averting her eyes.

Yulia was always worried about Arie, who was unpredictable.That’s why she volunteered to accompany Arie, who had strongly insisted on enrolling in the academy.Since she couldn’t leave Arie, who was like family, alone, she promised herself to stay by her side as much as possible, as she was both the Holy Maiden and her own sister.Above all, Yulia believed that Arie was a good-hearted child… and still a virtuous woman.Although Arie sometimes put her in awkward situations with mischievous pranks… and very occasionally, Yulia wondered if a demon had possessed her…What foolish demon would possess a Holy Maiden?Yulia simply believed it was a minor deviation by the Holy Maiden, tired of church life.

“Hehe, Academy… I’m finally here…!”

“……”

“Oh, right. By the way, no one needs to follow me as an escort anymore, except for Yulia.”

“B-but…!!!”

“Anyway, even if all of you combine your strength, I’m stronger. I also brought some holy relics to use in case of emergency, so you don’t need to worry. More importantly… I’d prefer my enjoyable academy life not to be disturbed. Hehehe…”

‘Please… it must just be a deviation.’

Yulia sighed deeply, looking at the black cross necklace dangling from Arie’s neck.

****

To talk a bit about the Holy Maiden, first of all, even though her personality is a bit mischievous, she is a virtuous woman befitting the name ‘Holy Maiden’.If her heart hadn’t been good to begin with, those beings called gods wouldn’t have chosen her as the Holy Maiden.Her mischievous personality is also due to her pure, if you will, dream… If you get to know Holy Maiden Arie well, you can accept her eccentricities as mere playful antics.However, the Regressor, around the second regression, disliked the Holy Maiden quite a bit.The reason for this was the Holy Maiden’s actions during the Regressor’s first regression, which was before she had ever died and gained the power of regression.It was the darkest regression, and the one where the Regressor fell into despair the fastest.The Holy Maiden was very deeply involved in this.When the magic circle of destruction was fully activated and the continent was being engulfed in death.What brought down the Regressor and the Hero, who had been fighting a long resistance, was not only destruction but also the interference of another third faction.And the one leading this third faction was none other than ‘Fallen Holy Maiden Arie’.The faction led by the Fallen Holy Maiden, wielding unknown power, attacked indiscriminately, whether it was the demonic beasts of destruction or the forces resisting destruction, and both sides suffered heavy blows.However, unlike the endlessly pouring forth demonic beasts of destruction, the Regressor’s forces, with limited replenishment of personnel, gradually weakened.Although they eventually succeeded in defeating the Holy Maiden, the Regressor’s and Hero’s forces, weakened to their limit, ultimately could not overcome destruction and were swept away, annihilated.Thus, the Regressor, having gained the power of regression with her first death, was given another chance.In the second regression, she planned to assassinate the Holy Maiden and resented her greatly.However, in no subsequent regression did the Holy Maiden ever fall, and she always aided the Regressor until her death.Since then, the Regressor merely avoided the Holy Maiden a little, no longer resenting her and seemingly lowering her guard.Here, one of the Regressor’s major flaws can be seen.The Regressor doesn’t really think about why the Holy Maiden didn’t fall, nor does she try to find out more.She only cares about the outcome: that the Holy Maiden doesn’t fall.Does she not realize that neglecting human relationships means missing out on too much?That’s why I had no choice but to step in.Since the second regression, I have always been the one to remove the cause of the Holy Maiden’s fall.A certain item she possessed.The church mistook it for a holy relic and entrusted it to the Holy Maiden, but in reality, it’s a very dangerous item that slowly corrupts humans.In the first regression, the ‘Black Cross Necklace’, the holy relic the Holy Maiden always wore around her neck.Its contained energy was faint and similar to divine power, so it was understandable that the church would be mistaken.However, it was truly an item from the ‘Tomb’.