Chapter 56 : The Journey Back to the Academy

The next morning, Seria and I boarded a carriage to return to the academy.

We could have stayed for another day or two, but we decided to head back early to avoid interfering with resolving the incident involving the broken mana stone.

While I didn’t care much, the imperial family seemed reluctant to let Seria leave so soon.

However, there wasn’t much choice—her departure had been ordered by the Empress, and Seria had agreed to it.

As for me, I’d done everything I needed to here, so the timing of our return didn’t matter.

There was still one of the imperial family’s three secrets left to uncover, but I decided to save that for my next visit.

“Not like that’s something I absolutely have to deal with, anyway.”

The dark knowledge amassed by Lubetia’s ancestors wasn’t like the random occurrences of demon seeds or apocalyptic events.

It only emerged under very specific conditions—and those conditions involved Seria. Since I’d been sticking close to her every day, I felt no concern.

“Though… it kind of feels like I’m setting some kind of flag here… Nah, there’s no way.”

And so, Seria and I began our journey back to the academy.

The carriage we boarded this time was different from the previous one, but the ride was equally smooth, so there was no discomfort. That said, the peacefulness was limited to the inside of the carriage—outside, things were chaotic as ever.

“Execution… execution…”

“And just how do you plan to execute him?”

“Damn it… That level of skill at her age… Princess Seria…”

Unlike the last carriage, this one wasn’t soundproof at all. Honestly, I’d rather endure a bumpier ride if it meant the soundproofing was better.

What can I say? The image seemed to have improved, but the pressure had only gotten worse compared to when they used to openly antagonize me. Feeling awkward, I pulled the curtains over the windows, just like last time.

“He’s drawn the curtains.”

“Well, if he’s someone even His Majesty acknowledges, I suppose we should, too.”

“Yeah… that’s probably the right thing to do…”

It got quieter, but the heavy atmosphere seeped in, making me even more conscious of it.

Seriously, we’re not doing anything! Please don’t get the wrong idea!

Thinking it might be fueling their imagination, I reopened the curtains so they could see inside again.

“Is there even a point to us guarding her?”

“Not really. It seems like Her Highness has gotten much stronger herself.”

Listening to their chatter, I gathered that the incident involving the subjugation of the demons had spread through the knights’ ranks.

It seemed Seria’s skills were now somewhat recognized as well.

“They probably just sent us along for appearances… Even the captain didn’t come today.”

“True.”

“But still, having someone by Her Highness’s side is hard to tolerate.”

“And what if you can’t tolerate it? You want to challenge them to a duel?”

“Well, not that far, but…”

“We’re just bystanders here. Whoever stands by Her Highness is none of our business.”

“Ah… Her Highness… Please be happy…”

This is driving me nuts. Sure, her skills are recognized now, but the recognition doesn’t extend to me. I’m stuck in this awkward middle ground.

Not that I’d ever get that kind of recognition from these people anyway. Even the Emperor’s approval seemed reluctant, as though he granted it begrudgingly rather than out of genuine acceptance.

If I made even a single mistake, they’d undoubtedly pounce on it and hold it over me forever. Just imagining it was exhausting.

And so, the uncomfortable journey continued until the carriage stopped, like before, a short distance away from the busy streets. We had to retrieve the clothes we’d left behind last time.

After disembarking, we headed into the bustling district—this time, without an escort.

“Guess that’s because Seria’s strength is known now,” I thought.

The knights likely realized that whether they were present or not wouldn’t make a difference if anything dangerous occurred.

Technically, they should have followed anyway just for the sake of appearances. It wasn’t like they didn’t want to; in fact, most of them probably wanted to stick close to her. But…

“Protection? It’s unnecessary. Just let them go alone. Don’t interfere,” their captain had apparently said.

He seemed to be one of the few who were on my side.

“Damn it, what if we follow them secretly…”

“Forget it. They’d notice immediately.”

“Why am I so weak…”

“Let’s start training as soon as we’re back.”

Though they were elites, the rampant power inflation of this world reduced them to mere spectators.

Thanks to that, Seria and I could enjoy a relatively peaceful date (?).

“Since we’re here, shall we have lunch before heading back?”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

After planning our next steps after retrieving the clothes, we arrived at the shop before I even realized it.

As Seria and I opened the shop door and stepped inside, something felt off. The bell hanging on the door didn’t make a sound.

“Hm…? Oh! Oh, welcome!”

Normally, when the door opened, the bell would jingle loudly, signaling someone’s arrival. But this time, it was eerily silent. Even though the bell visibly shook and clanged against itself, there was no sound at all.

“Ah, it must be because of that,” I thought, suddenly recalling the Mark of the Serpent engraved on my body.

One of its abilities was to erase certain sound effects, and apparently, door-opening noises were included in its scope. I’d never really paid much attention to this power, nor had I deeply investigated it, but its range seemed broader than I initially thought.

“I must’ve been distracted and didn’t hear the door. My apologies,” the shop attendant said awkwardly.

Thanks to my ability, I ended up inconveniencing the poor worker for no reason. This skill was more trouble than it was worth—and it didn’t even have an on/off switch!

“How did you do that?” Seria asked, clearly noticing the oddity.

I hesitated, unsure how to explain, and decided to talk about it once we were outside.

After retrieving the clothes and leaving the shop, I gave Seria a brief explanation. Her expression quickly turned incredulous.

“You’re telling me you gained an ability that… erases random sounds?”

“Yeah, like footsteps or door creaks.”

“And what exactly is that useful for?”

“Beats me.”

Seria clearly understood. At a certain level of skill, auditory cues like footsteps became irrelevant anyway, as most experts relied on sensory perception or magical detection.

In other words, an ability that erased sound effects was completely meaningless in practice. That’s why I’d all but ignored its existence—until now.

“I didn’t expect it to erase these kinds of sounds, though,” I added.

“So, does it mute things like applause, too?” she asked.

“Nope, that works.”

I clapped my hands, and a crisp sound echoed in the air. Seeing this, Seria chuckled.

“What a weird ability. How’d you even end up with something like that?”

“Trust me, it wasn’t by choice.”

Random draws never seemed to go the way I wanted them to.

As the conversation wound down and we prepared to head for lunch, I noticed some unusual commotion nearby. Curious, I glanced in that direction. Seria, apparently having picked up on something, began giggling softly.

“Looks like Lilith is hard at work,” she said.

“Oh, is it Lilith?”

“Yes, the magic signature is definitely hers,” Seria confirmed with a knowing smile.

The ability to distinguish magic signatures in such a bustling crowd—of course, Seria was capable of that.

If Lilith was indeed at work here, there was no way we were skipping this.

Seria seemed just as eager.

We pushed our way through the crowd and made our way deeper into the commotion. Eventually, we came upon a makeshift stage where two figures stood.

One was an elderly man who appeared to be a priest, and the other was Lilith.

Clad in a nun’s habit and standing quietly, she looked the part of an ideal saintess—almost like she had stepped out of a painting. Of course, the illusion shattered as soon as she opened her mouth, but at this moment, she genuinely seemed like a holy figure.

“…And so, the Divine has always prepared a path for salvation. Never lose hope. Now, let us receive the blessing of the saintess,” the priest concluded, stepping back to make way for Lilith.

With an air of solemnity, Lilith stepped forward and began channeling her divine power.

The holy energy spread outward in waves, enveloping the crowd before drawing back to her. It wasn’t the most efficient way to use divine energy, but it seemed she was prioritizing spectacle over practicality.

The gathered power formed into an orb, which then shot up into the sky. As it exploded above, it scattered like snowflakes, fluttering down in a dazzling display.

“Oh, how beautiful…”

“Praise be to the Divine…”

“It never ceases to amaze me. Such holy power…”

The crowd murmured in awe, clearly moved by the display. One person even muttered something about having seen it multiple times, suggesting this wasn’t the first time Lilith had performed this act.

It seemed she had been working hard in her own way.

As we watched the scene, Seria spoke up.

“…It’s pretty.”

“It is.”

“Is magic like this your style, Rudion?”

“Magic doesn’t have ‘styles.’”

Magic is about efficiency, after all. While there’s nothing wrong with adding a touch of flair, that only applies in specific situations. In a real fight, where’s the value in making something look pretty?

When I shared my thoughts, Seria laughed softly.

“I agree completely.”

She had given me exactly the answer I wanted.

Still, I couldn’t deny that the magic before us was beautiful, so I continued watching. Then, suddenly…

“…Huh?”

“Oh, Lilith is looking this way,” Seria pointed out.

“Wait, what?”

Our eyes met, and Lilith visibly flinched.

“She looks embarrassed,” Seria added, clearly amused.

Lilith’s face froze, her expression completely out of place compared to the serene and saintly demeanor she had maintained moments ago. Her sudden shift was so jarring that even the crowd began to notice something was wrong.

“Saintess! Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong!”

“Your face is red! You might have a fever. Someone, call the medical team immediately!”

“I said I’m fine!”

The priest assisting her was in a panic, fumbling to assess the situation, while Lilith struggled to maintain her composure.

Meanwhile, Seria was grinning from ear to ear, not even bothering to hide her amusement.
“Should we go tease her?” she asked mischievously.

“You’re terrible.”

“So? Are you going or not?”

“Of course, we’re going.”

There’s no way I’d pass up the chance to tease a friend caught off guard during one of their dramatic acts.

With matching devilish grins, Seria and I made our way to the backstage area where Lilith had retreated.