Chapter 371

– You have fulfilled Regina Erenbert’s clear conditions.

– Regina Erenbert is in love with you.

– Current number of women in love with you: 2. Fame: 1479.

– Your unique trait, Lust, has been activated, greatly increasing your heroism.

* * *

I still felt a bit dazed.

I had proposed in a game world, something I hadn’t even done in real life.

And the recipient was none other than…

The unapproachable student council president, Regina.

‘I never imagined this would happen when I first fell into this world.’

Honestly, I thought she was someone difficult to approach.

She was always icy and hard to read.

But I was wrong.

That was just her after she had been corrupted by Max.

The more I learned about her in this timeline, where she had avoided that fate, the more I realized what a good person she was.

I couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

And those feelings had culminated in this outcome.

Fortunately, it wasn’t just a one-sided feeling.

We had a genuine connection.

Even without the relationship window’s notification, I was certain of that.

I wasn’t so insensitive that I couldn’t recognize her feelings after all the reactions she had shown me.

That’s why,

This choice was the right one.

Not just because I had fulfilled her clear conditions,

But because I had finally said the words she had been waiting to hear.

I felt a sense of fulfillment, as if I had finally atoned for Max’s past sins.

“Your Grace, we’re ready to depart.”

Dolph, my attendant, interrupted my thoughts.

It was hard to get used to the new title, since I was so accustomed to being called “Young Master.”

“Thank you, Dolph.”

“But…”

“What is it?”

“You seem… happy today.”

I guess it was showing on my face.

My heart felt lighter.

“Many things have worked out well.”

I replied with a light smile.

“That’s wonderful to hear…”

Before Dolph could finish his sentence, someone appeared.

It was Regina.

She was dressed in her usual stylish attire.

“Oh, Duchess, you’re here!”

Dolph bowed deeply.

Duchess.

It wasn’t a wrong title.

She would officially become a duchess in a few months.

Regina nodded slightly in acknowledgment and then looked at me.

“Did you say goodbye to the empress?”

“Of course.”

I replied, recalling our encounter this morning.

The empress had been surprisingly calm.

It was hard to believe that she was the same person who had confessed her feelings for me.

But I soon realized,

That she wasn’t in a hurry to pursue a relationship with me.

She was aware of her position as the emperor.

As long as she was on the throne, it was impossible for her to have a romantic relationship with me, a mere subject.

She knew that.

So she was patiently waiting for the right time.

But…

Would that time ever come?

‘…Well, you never know.’

If she only had a few months left to live, she might act impulsively.

Like abdicating and running away with me…

No, no, I shouldn’t think about that now.

It was giving me a headache.

I had enough to worry about with the task at hand.

“Then we’re all set.”

Regina took my hand.

“We can depart.”

“Yes.”

I smiled.

Dolph hurriedly opened the carriage door.

We were finally going back.

To lepheria Academy, my home away from home.

But I wasn’t alone.

I was with her.

My fiancée, my partner.

“It’s been a long journey. Let’s go back. To the academy.”

“Yes.”

A soft smile appeared on her lips.

It was a precious smile that warmed my heart.

And so, we set off for the academy.

* * *

The Heavenly Lord had summoned his executives.

It was an unprecedented event.

It had never happened before in the history of Red Rain.

It meant that the situation was dire.

“This is a mess. What happened in the empire?”

A man dressed in priestly robes, which seemed out of place in a dark organization, clicked his tongue.

His name was Elden.

As his attire suggested, he was a priest, and a high-ranking one at that. He was a bishop.

That’s why his nickname in the organization was Bishop.

No one would have guessed that this kind and gentle-looking man was an executive of Red Rain.

“I apologize. I have no excuses… But didn’t things go wrong in the Holy City as well, Bishop?”

The messenger retorted, his face grim.

His words were sharp.

But Bishop Elden just chuckled.

“Hmph, what could I have done when the Saint herself intervened? I did my job by retreating without getting caught. And I’ve maintained my connection with the Pope.”

As he had said, his role was to instigate the Pope’s faction and weaken the Saint’s faction.

His attempt had failed because the Saint had intervened too quickly, but it wasn’t a complete loss.

The Pope’s faction was still resentful, even though they had been suppressed by the Saint.

If he could instigate them again at the right time, they would be able to hinder the Saint’s faction.

“Ugh, but even the empire’s power has been weakened…”

“What are you talking about? The empress personally declared Red Rain as an enemy of the empire.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Someone intervened.

It was a young man with an ordinary appearance.

But this young man was Armin, the organization’s second-in-command.

He was also Max’s junior at the academy.

He was one of the people Max was most wary of.

His nickname in the organization was Hero.

His ancestor had been a hero who had saved the world alongside the Saint and the Great Sage.

But he had been falsely accused of trying to violate the Saint and executed.

He had become a forgotten hero, his name tarnished and his family disgraced.

That’s why Armin harbored a deep hatred and desire for revenge against the Saint.

The Heavenly Lord had told him,

That his ancestor had been falsely accused.

And that his family had been unjustly punished and fallen from grace.

So Armin was sharpening his blade.

The blade of revenge against the Saint.

He didn’t care about the resurrection of the Dark God.

He had joined Red Rain solely to kill the Saint.

“We’re all on the same side. What’s the point of arguing about something that’s already happened?”

“I agree.”

Professor Lapit adjusted his glasses and added.

His nickname was, of course, Professor.

“Yawn, I hate it when it’s noisy.”

A girl with an indifferent expression yawned next to him.

It was Riviera, the witch, who was also Max’s close friend.

At that moment,

The messenger’s expression hardened, and Armin’s eyes flickered with a strange light.

They both seemed to have negative feelings towards the witch.

But Riviera didn’t seem to care.

She wiped away a tear that had escaped from her eye as she yawned.

“Ma… *sniff*”

The messenger was about to say something, but he stopped abruptly.

He had met Riviera’s icy gaze.

He suddenly remembered the time he had almost been killed by her after making a careless remark.

Armin spoke instead.

“It’s fine to fail. But we cannot tolerate anything that harms the organization.”

It was a message directed at Riviera.

But she wasn’t someone who would just stay silent.

“Who decides that?”

“Decides what?”

“Who decides what harms the organization? It’s not you, Hero.”

“…”

The atmosphere froze.

Everyone knew,

That if anyone here clashed seriously, this meeting would end in disaster.

Everyone here was a monster.

“Haha, that’s an interesting statement, Witch.”

Armin chuckled.

But his eyes weren’t smiling.

The tension was palpable.

And then, someone intervened.

“Interesting? It’s not wrong, is it? Only the Heavenly Lord can make that judgment. Am I mistaken?”

It was Natasha, the dark elf, her face hidden under a deep hood.

She was a monster who was said to be the best swordsman in the organization.

Even Armin, the second-in-command, couldn’t help but click his tongue when she sided with Riviera.

“That’s…”

“I’m always on Dark’s side. Because I love her.”

A thin, sickly man covered in bandages interjected.

It was Hound, the worst poison master in the world, who could concoct any poison imaginable.

The poison that had killed the late emperor of the empire had been his creation.

And his nickname in the organization was…

“Shut up, Bandages. Before I rip your mouth apart.”

It was simply Bandages.

He was also the executive Natasha hated the most.

Because he kept hitting on her.

“Oh, when will you realize my love for you?”

Natasha’s eyebrow twitched.

Riviera placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

“Ignore the trash.”

“What? You’re calling me trash? You little brat with no femininity!”

“No, no. She’s quite popular at the academy, you know.”

Professor Lapit defended Riviera.

It was true.

She had received countless confessions from boys who had a thing for cute girls.

“N-No way!”

Hound gasped in shock.

The atmosphere lightened.

Armin chuckled wryly and sat down.

But the messenger was still glaring at Riviera.

It was then that,

*Everyone, enter.*

A deep, booming voice echoed through the room.

Everyone recognized it as the Heavenly Lord’s voice.

The door opened automatically, as if on cue.

Everyone stood up and entered the room.

* * *

“I will give you my orders. For the next six months, all plans are suspended. Everyone, lie low and wait for the right time.”

It was an unexpected order.

They couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Huh…?”

The messenger’s eyes widened.

“Isn’t that too passive, Heavenly Lord?”

Hound asked, confused.

“Do we really have that much time?”

Natasha frowned.

But the Heavenly Lord remained unfazed.

“There’s been a variable. And when there’s a variable, plans must be adjusted. We will wait for the world’s meaningless vigilance, fueled by the empress’s actions, to fade away. We will move after that.”

“I see… A wise decision, Heavenly Lord.”

Armin smiled and agreed.

“Indeed, reckless action is not always the answer. Sometimes, a well-timed pause is the key to success. I understand your intentions, Heavenly Lord.”

Professor Lapit also agreed.

But it didn’t really matter if they agreed or disagreed.

The Heavenly Lord’s decision was absolute.

“Six months, huh? That means I’ll graduate, Heavenly Lord.”

Riviera said.

It meant that she wouldn’t be able to stay undercover as a student anymore.

Of course, she had already achieved her original goal of finding the lost blood magic in the academy’s secret library, so there was no reason for her to stay undercover.

“I know, Witch.”

“So?”

“I have a special mission for you.”

“What is it?”

“Do whatever it takes. Stay by Max Celtrine’s side even after you graduate.”

“Hmm.”

Riviera tilted her head in confusion.

On the other hand,

“Cough!”

Professor Lapit coughed in surprise.

It was an absurd order.

To stay by Max’s side even after they graduated, when they wouldn’t even be classmates anymore?

Was he telling her to become his girlfriend or something?

…That was unacceptable.

“Why?”

Riviera asked, her eyes filled with confusion.

And then…

“Stay by his side and kill him when the time is right. That’s all.”

The Heavenly Lord’s answer made Riviera’s face harden.