episode_0023

Time flew by quickly, and it was the day of the exam.

The Messiah Viscount greeted me with a nervous expression.

It seemed like he thought I wouldn’t pass.

“You won’t say you ran out of time now, will you?”

“Of course not.”

I studied hard.

It wasn’t easy, of course.

Even the basic subjects were not a walk in the park.

Math, history, language – those parts were easier than I thought.

All I had to do was memorize.

But…

“Political science and imperial studies were a bit challenging.”

Were they difficult because they were for nobles?

Even the basic subjects included political science and imperial studies.

Fortunately, they weren’t too difficult, but still.

“Well, let’s proceed with the exam now. I will be the proctor.”

The Viscount himself would be the proctor.

Honestly, I was taken aback.

Was being a Viscount such a trivial title?

Just before the exam began like that.

I locked eyes with Asia.

“Please show the results of your hard work.”

With her expression, Asia conveyed words of encouragement to me.

Hearing her support, I remembered Asia’s efforts all this time.

To avoid being caught by the Viscount, Asia would come to me in the dead of night.

Sometimes, even half-asleep, she would help me study.

Such efforts from Asia existed.

So, I couldn’t afford to fail the exam.

I am a grateful black-haired girl.

And so, Asia left the room, leaving only the Viscount and me.

The exam began with just the two of us left in the room.

***

Trinia Kingdom, located in the center of the continent.

Trinia Kingdom had two major characteristics.

Elves and the World Tree.

The kingdom guarding the World Tree in the center of the continent was Trinia Kingdom, founded by the elves.

A group visited the Trinia Kingdom.

This was an unusual occurrence.

Trinia Kingdom was known for rejecting outsiders.

Elven elder, Eltani.

She looked young on the outside, but she was an elf over five hundred years old.

She spoke to the visitor of Trinia Kingdom.

“Long time no see.”

“Sorry for coming out of the blue.”

The visitor apologized to Eltani.

The visitor’s identity was a saint.

“I came here on a pilgrimage.”

“Hmm… I see.”

The reason Trinia Kingdom, known for rejecting outsiders, accepted the saint.

It was simple.

Connections.

Eltani had adventured with a former saint over two hundred years ago.

More precisely, the demon king who invaded two hundred years ago.

Eltani was a member of the party that defeated the demon king.

So, she naturally connected with the current saint, Leti.

“By the way, what kind of person is this hero you’re looking for?”

Despite rejecting outsiders, Eltani was not ignorant of information.

She was aware of the news that they were looking for a hero.

So, she asked the saint about the hero.

But…

“To be honest, I haven’t found them yet.”

“What…?”

Eltani made a surprised expression.

They hadn’t found the hero.

But soon, her expression calmed down.

“I see. So that’s why you suddenly went on a pilgrimage.”

Nodding in understanding, Eltani said.

The saint cautiously asked.

“Could you help me?”

Eltani quickly understood what the saint was asking for help with.

“Looking for the hero, right?”

“Yes…”

“Haha…”

Eltani suddenly laughed.

The saint asked, “Why are you suddenly laughing?”

“Sorry. It just reminded me of the past.”

“The past?”

“Yeah. I suddenly remembered the old saint.”

In Eltani’s eyes, reminiscence and warmth were evident as she recalled the former saint.

“You’re asking for help in finding the hero…”

“Yes!”

“In that case, you don’t need my help, so don’t worry.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Eltani brought up an old story.

But the story was one that the saint found hard to believe.

The story of Eltenia went like this.

The former Saint.

She also said that she couldn’t find a hero until a year before the Demon King invaded.

Saint Leti couldn’t believe this.

“Is that really true?”

“Why would I lie? Oh, but this should be kept a secret…”

Eltenia told Leti a secret.

The former Saint had been receiving visions from Lea consistently.

Visions to find a hero.

But because the visions were so vague, the former Saint often gossiped about Lea, whom she worshipped.

“Haha, the former Saint was so funny back then. Gossiping every day, getting scolded by divine punishment. It was like a comedy!”

“…So, that happened. But what does that have to do with not worrying?”

“It has everything to do with it. Fate seems to work that way.”

Eltenia said seriously.

“The former hero was a mercenary. A strong person. Didn’t need separate training…”

“A mercenary… I’ve heard of that before. The former hero was a mercenary.”

“He wasn’t weak enough to need training as a hero. So maybe that’s why the search was delayed. The visions became more ambiguous as well.”

Eltenia muttered, “Lea must have known about this.”

“Then is it possible that the current hero’s vision is also vague because he is strong?”

“Maybe? It’s not certain.”

“…Then it’s a problem.”

The Saint’s expression darkened.

A strong hero who didn’t need training was actually an advantage for the Saint.

But-.

“You know. I have to meet the hero as soon as possible.”

Regardless of that, the Saint wanted to meet the hero as soon as possible.

There was a reason for that.

Eltenia’s expression also darkened slightly.

“Right… that’s true.”

And then Eltenia said something that seemed to comfort the Saint.

“Even if what I say is true, you might meet him first by chance. Fate doesn’t usually work that way, right?”

“I hope so…”

As the Saint was about to get up.

She received Lea’s vision once again.

And upon hearing that vision, the Saint’s expression crumpled.

The following vision from Lea.

Its meaning was very brief.

“He, he has already passed the hero…!!!”

The Saint’s sudden cry in a crisis-like situation.

Eltenia smiled softly at that.

“Haha, Lea is still the same.”

***

The Messiah Viscount was currently in a state of confusion.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes.”

The modern scholar who was in charge of grading.

He informed the Messiah Viscount of Arthur’s perfect score on the exam.

Full marks.

He couldn’t believe it.

“Did I grade it incorrectly… No, I’m sorry.”

The modern scholar had a personality bordering on obsessive-compulsive disorder.

He couldn’t forgive such mistakes.

Realizing this fact, the Messiah Viscount apologized obediently.

“Modern scholar… Is it really so easy to get everything right in basic studies?”

“Well, yes.”

For some reason, the Viscount felt relieved at the scholar’s words.

‘Right. That guy wasn’t that great.’

For some reason, it made him feel bad if that guy was good.

The Messiah Viscount himself didn’t know the reason.

The reason the Messiah Viscount felt bad about Arthur’s exam results.

It was because the talk of a talented suitor meant that there was a high probability that he would officially become the suitor.

The fear of losing his daughter to an outsider.

That was why the Messiah Viscount instinctively felt bad.

But then, the modern scholar’s words made the Messiah Viscount feel bad again.

“It’s easy for scholars like me.”

Scholars like me.

That statement implied that it was difficult for non-scholars.

“…Why is that?”

“Indeed, the difficulty itself is said to be easy, but it’s hard to get a perfect score from the start. After all, isn’t it all about the basics? Most people can’t remember the details.”

“Is that so….”

The fiancé candidate is also smart.

That was information worth being happy about.

But why?

The Messiah Viscount analyzed the reason for his bad mood.

Before long, he realized the reason.

‘Is it fear….’

The Messiah Viscount recalled Arthur and Asia’s relationship.

Fiancé candidate.

There was a high possibility that she would become his fiancée someday.

In fact, if Asia agreed, it would happen soon.

‘Asia’s marriage….’

The Messiah Viscount imagined Arthur and Asia getting married.

He was surprised beyond words.

It was because he thought it wouldn’t be so bad without realizing it.

The Messiah Viscount quickly shook his head.

‘I must be crazy.’

To think it would be okay to give away his precious daughter.

A precious daughter is such a…

‘If it wasn’t a strategic marriage, but a man brought by Asia….’

He might have agreed immediately.

No… he might not have.

‘I don’t even know my own heart….’

A confused mind.

He’s a good guy, but he doesn’t want to give her away.

Even if Asia agrees, something feels wrong.

As his mind became more complicated, the Messiah Viscount stopped thinking about it.

“Um, Viscount…?”

Startled by the sound calling him, the Messiah Viscount woke up from his thoughts.

To cover up his embarrassment, he cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Ahem! Modern Jajak, you did well.”

“Yes? Yes. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes, I’ll be very grateful for this.”

As Modern Jajak left, the Messiah Viscount was left alone in the drawing room.

He cleared his mind and began preparing for the next exam.

Of course, before that.

“Who’s there?”

He called for the butler Charles waiting outside the drawing room.

“You called, sir.”

“Please bring Asia to the drawing room.”

In a month’s time.

The Messiah Viscount wanted to hear if Asia’s feelings had changed during this time.