episode_0051

“Hngh….Ugh, hngh…”

The cathedral’s VIP room was decorated in a refined and sophisticated style.

On the velvet-covered bed, a girl was lying face down, shedding tears.

“Why, why? Why does everyone have to go this far…”

Her eyes were swollen red from crying for so long.

She was such a mess that she could barely see. If others saw her, they would be horrified and call a healer.

But this was nothing.

She hadn’t eaten properly for days and had been wailing in grief. If her eyes were only swollen, it was a good sign.

“Are they all crazy…?”

Why had she, the代理人 of the goddess, come to this?

The reason was none other than the disastrous failure of her continental tour.

“Why are they so eager to kill each other!!”

In the meantime, the Saintess Joan Ayendeena traveled around the continent, advocating for peace and harmony.

Starting with the Kram Empire, she went to the Hispania Empire, the Navre Kingdom, the Elaine Kingdom, and so on.

Wherever her feet reached, she passionately called for an end to this war filled with madness.

She had never given a speech in her life, but she did her best.

She poured out her mental shock and heartache from seeing the suffering people.

But–

–What are you talking about?

–I came because they said the Saintess was giving a speech, but I just wasted my time.

–Is she out of her mind? The Helvetian and Elaine pigs are coming at us with guns, and we’re supposed to uphold morality?

–I understand that she’s religious, but she should at least make a coherent argument.

Surprisingly, no one paid attention. Rather, they often mocked, criticized, or were disgusted.

Despite her sincere appeals, people did not sympathize but regarded her as a naive child who did not know the world.

Of course, considering the international situation, it was not an incomprehensible reaction. National feelings were so intense that annihilation warfare was being seriously discussed.

There was no way that values such as peace and mercy would work on people steamed in nationalism/statism/absolutism/totalitarianism.

–Ah, no one is responding. They’re just insulting me, what should I do…?

–S, Saintess-nim. Please step back. It’s dangerous to stay here.

However, that was the background. It did not mean that Joan, who was just past her teens, could understand and accept it.

From her point of view, she was only saying religiously and morally correct things, but she was suffering from insults like ignorant fool and airhead.

“…I want to give up everything.”

Failure can only be overcome once or twice, but Joan’s spirit, who had been cursed at in every country she visited, had long been tattered.

No matter how hard she tried, nothing changed, so why bother?

The kindness and hope she had originally held in her heart had disappeared without a trace. Only fatigue and despair were consuming her inside.

“Should I leave the Order?”

For the first time in her life, she even thought about giving up the Order.

She felt that even if she stayed here, she would not be of any help to the world.

Should she hand over the positions of Saintess and Holy Emperor to someone else and live in seclusion in some rural village?

[Hey, are you listening? Can you talk now?]

It was the first time in a long time that she heard the goddess’s oracle.

It was while Joan was half-heartedly immersed in such worries.

‘…Goddess-nim?’

[Yes, it’s me. I don’t think the oracle I gave you last time was properly delivered, so I contacted you again.]

Was it about finding a professor named Raemis at the academy?

She carried out that order properly. She even received direct instruction from him for a short period of time.

She learned some useful knowledge, but it was useless in finding Ishmael, so she thought she had misinterpreted the oracle.

[You still haven’t caught that Ishmael guy?]

‘I’m sorry. There are too few clues…’

[I already told you the answer! I even told you where he lives and what he’s doing, so why are you missing him?!]

The goddess was frustrated and vented her anger, then finally got to the point.

[Listen carefully. Go back to the academy and find and secure a 교관 named Raemis. That guy is–]

Unfortunately, this time the oracle was not fully delivered either.

It couldn’t be helped since she wasted time getting angry when she was already short on divine power.

Still, this time she was able to accurately understand the goddess’s purpose and intention.

“Secure. Are you saying to catch that person and bring them here?”

What was she supposed to do with a perfectly normal person?

She had already confirmed that the person would not be helpful in arresting Ishmael. Did he have any hidden information?

She was momentarily doubtful.

The Saintess’s bright mind was soon able to derive the answer that the goddess wanted to convey.

“…Could it be. That person?”

Why was the talented person directly appointed by the goddess not useful in arresting an international ideological criminal?

A logic that clearly explained the contradiction came to mind.

There was even a considerable possibility. If you recall the level and tendency of Raemis’s remarks during class.

“K, Knight Order! Someone call the Holy Knights!”

The Saintess hurriedly got up and shouted as she ran outside. If that was true, she had to hurry.

It would take quite some time to get from here to the academy in the Elaine Kingdom.

* * * * *

“A meeting request? Suddenly?”

“Yes. They came all the way to the academy’s main gate and are begging to meet the 교관-nim. What should we do?”

“…Let them in for now. I have some free time today, so I’ll meet them.”

While I was returning home after finishing my afternoon class, I suddenly had a visitor.

I was puzzled by the news that the Saintess, who was said to be in the southern part of the Navre Kingdom, had come, but I accepted the meeting.

I didn’t know what it was, but she probably came because she had something to worry about. I was once a teacher, so I thought it would be okay to give her some advice.

“It’s been a while, Saintess-nim.”

“…..Yes. It’s been a while.”

But what is this?

The Saintess’s expression, which I met in the garden near the entrance, did not look like someone who was worried.

Rather, she seemed troubled and had received some kind of mental shock.

“교관-nim. I have a few questions I’d like to ask you. Would it be rude if I asked?”

“Feel free to ask.”

The Saintess let out a deep sigh, took out a small notebook from her arms, opened it, and checked the contents.

“I heard that 교관-nim graduated from Henderland University in the Macau Kingdom in the Far East. Is it true that you then did personal research before moving to the Elaine Kingdom?”

“Yes.”

That was probably the setting for my fake identity as a 교관.

Since almost no one knew what countries were on the opposite side of the continent, I made it up appropriately.

“That’s strange. The missionaries who have been to the East say that there is no country with that name. No, it seems that there is no university system there in the first place.”

“That’s…”

I trailed off, not expecting her to investigate and press me like this. The Saintess continued to press me.

“I wonder how you even got here, but I’ll skip that. There are many ways to get on a merchant ship or cross the snowy plains of the Artium Empire. It’s dangerous, but not impossible.”

The Saintess approached me. Then the escort knights behind her also approached and tried to surround me.

“But 교관-nim’s name and appearance are also strange. Your skin color and appearance are similar to those people, but your name is in this style. It doesn’t suit you at all.”

“I, I was baptized and changed my name. Don’t they give you a baptismal name when you ask the church for conversion?”

“If that were the case, you would have received a common name like Justiana, Marit, or Patia! There is no saint named Raemis in the world!”

I tried to make a clumsy excuse, but it was immediately seen through.

The name you receive through baptism comes from a saint or a name in the scriptures, but it didn’t work because the other person was the Saintess of the Order.

Damn it. I keep making mistakes because it’s an unexpected situation. There’s no way this nonsense would work.

“The contents up to this point were confirmed through investigation on the way here. After finding out, I became curious.”

“……”

“Why did 교관-nim fabricate his career? Why did he change his name, and what was his purpose in entering the academy? If his personal information is so fabricated and full of lies, who is his original identity?

I couldn’t figure it out, so I was racking my brains… but I happened to find a clue.”

The Saintess pointed to the 교원 증 with her finger. More precisely, the name Raemis (laemis) written on it.

“The letters that make up that name. If you change the arrangement slightly, you can also read it like this. Ishmael (ismael). The name of the most famous writer and criminal in the world.”

She closed the notebook. Then, with tears in her reddened eyes, she looked at me.

“It may be a simple coincidence… but honestly, with so much circumstantial evidence, I don’t think so. So please confess honestly, 교관-nim.

Are you, Ishmael?”

Eyes full of conviction.

Regardless of my answer, I gave up the idea of refuting her gaze, which had already realized everything.

Okay. If you’ve worked so hard to find out, it’s only right to tell you what the answer is.

“Keuheuhe, heuhaha, euhehehehe!!”

I laughed. I laughed like crazy. I was impressed by my student who had found out so much and cornered me.

Then, with a bright smile, I answered.

“Yes. I am Ishmael.”