episode_0068

“Oppa, are you busy on the presentation day?”

“Presentation day?”

I mentally recalled the day our group’s class was scheduled. There were still a few weeks left, but nothing particularly memorable stood out between now and then.

“No, I don’t have any plans.”

There haven’t been any significant events yet, and given that I’m currently moving around with a large party of heroes, it’s much more comfortable to stay in a position where I can monitor everyone under my control.

“Hmm…”

“Seeing you hesitate like that, I guess there really isn’t anything. Well, I figured as much.”

Chris’s oddly dismissive tone irritated me, but I quietly waited for her next words.

“There’s a place you absolutely have to come with me to. Let me make this clear—this time, even if you refuse, it’s mandatory attendance.”

“You’re being pretty forceful.”

“Because it’s that important. Please understand.”

“What if, by some chance, I say no? Don’t tell me I don’t even have a choice?”

“Yeah. Just this once, I really need you to come. That’s why I’m asking like this.”

“From what I know, when you make a request, the one asking is supposed to show sincerity, right? You’re just demanding it outright?”

“If there’s anything we can do for you, we’ll do it… but let’s be honest, none of it would be useful to you, right? Don’t tell me you’re suddenly awakening to worldly desires now? If that’s the case, I’d be happy to indulge you.”

“Forget it. No matter what you say, you always…”

If Chris is going this far, it must be something incredibly important. As she said, they’d do anything to fulfill my wishes. But knowing the future as I do, there’s nothing I could possibly enjoy.

Money? Women? Those things will vanish without a trace in at most five years.

Who would I even live such a decadent life for? Chris knows that, which is why she made that self-deprecating remark.

“One last question. Are you willing to risk destroying the relationship we have now over this?”

“Yeah. If we don’t address this clearly now, no matter how much time passes, things will stay the same.”

“There won’t be a second chance. Just the fact that I’m even entertaining this should be enough for you, right?”

I don’t give Chris emotions, but I also don’t resent her. Chris isn’t bound by me—she makes her own decisions.

And the cooperation between me and the hero party only happens when the world is in grave danger.

Unlike previous loops where we couldn’t trust each other and were trapped in our own stubbornness.

And without hesitation, Chris answered immediately.

“I already told you, Oppa.”

“Fine. If you’re going that far. What is it?”

“It’s—”

After hearing what Chris said, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you serious?”

“If I weren’t serious, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Right. You’ve never been one to lie. Then, are you out of your mind?”

Unless Chris had suddenly lost her mind, her proposal was absurd beyond belief.

“So, is it possible?”

“Y-Yes, it is.”

———-

After Chris made that proposal, the relationship between us remained surprisingly unchanged.

Even when I tried to subtly pry, Chris would only say she’d tell me when the time came and began speaking even less than before.

Of course, I couldn’t just sit idle either. I busied myself with the group assignment, filling in the gaps, searching for additional witnesses, and running around frantically. After class, we’d gather in the student council room for daily training sessions with the ever-changing hero party members or private lessons with the president. Then, back at home, I’d review the day’s shortcomings and any overlooked details while planning ahead.

And so, those ambiguous days of silence passed until finally, the day of the Mass Studies presentation arrived.

“Next group, please proceed.”

“U-Um, our group is here to advocate for fundamental social reform in this empire—”

“Not worth listening to. Next group.”

That made it the fifth group to fail. I blankly watched the students shuffling out. No matter how much the empire outwardly preached equality and opportunity, it was still a class-based society. Sure, human rights awareness existed in this world, and things would change eventually, but at the very least, that kind of topic shouldn’t have been presented in the heart of the academy.

“Last group, Cecilia Rastal and four others. Proceed.”

“Yes.”

Cecilia, seated a few rows ahead of me, abruptly stood and confidently strode forward. Unlike the previous presenters, she showed no hesitation. Then again, who would dare challenge her presentation?

The students—no, even the professors—watched her with eager anticipation. This was Cecilia Rastal, the daughter of Count Rastal and the certain future Saintess. No matter what topic she presented on, a storm would follow for those involved.

After reaching the front, Cecilia spun around to face everyone.

“Then, I, Cecilia Rastal, will begin the presentation on behalf of the other four members: Dave Nemo, Cheryl Lizel, Eric Grave, and Christine Grave. Our group’s topic is… the corruption of the church’s high-ranking priests and the misuse of demonic ruins.”

“——”

The classroom instantly froze over.

“Did I hear wrong, Miss Rastal? What did you just say?”

“You heard correctly, Professor. Our group intends to present on the corruption stemming from the excessive power of the church’s high-ranking priests and the resulting misuse and exploitation of demonic ruins.”

What’s going on?

I wasn’t the only one confused. Dave, sitting next to me, leaned in and whispered.

“What’s happening, Young Master Grave? Our presentation was only supposed to cover the priests’ corruption—”

“I don’t know.”

Before anyone else could speak, Cecilia began.

“As a candidate for the next Saintess, I focused on the structure that drives the massive institution of the church. Alongside the imperial family, the church shares influence over the empire’s people and should set an example, yet—”

From then on, it was Cecilia’s solo show. She had solid evidence from the start, and having witnessed all sorts of corruption in the previous world herself, testifying about it was nothing.

A flawless, logical presentation with irrefutable evidence. Everyone except me was drawn in, leaning forward to focus on her words.

“—Please take a look at this photo. It was successfully captured by Dave, Eric, and Cheryl. At first glance, you might not notice, but… ta-da!”

With a flick of her hand, the image changed.

“If you observe the mana flow here, you can clearly see Priest Gillis accepting a bribe. A third-rank priest taking bribes—doesn’t that sound absurd?”

“I’ve secretly recorded the ledgers of this demonic ruin’s operations. Do you recognize any of these names?”

“This is a recorded video of the tragedies inside the ruins. I won’t describe what happened here, as it’s still too early to reveal everything.”

Until the very end, Cecilia was relentless and flawless.

“That concludes our presentation. Personally, I had no idea the church had fallen this far until I investigated… Honestly, I resent myself for being so blind. How could I call myself a Saintess or savior when I didn’t even know about this?”

“Miss Cecilia? Good work. You may return to your seat—”

“No! I can’t do that. The reason I chose this topic wasn’t just to expose the church’s corruption. It wasn’t to chastise myself for my inadequacies as a Saintess, either.”

Cecilia spread her arms wide, as if delivering a sermon.

“I am formally requesting a large-scale inspection of the church by the empire and the academy.”

Ah. So that’s what this was.

“An inspection? Miss Cecilia, do you realize what you’re saying? For a Saintess to directly call for an inspection of the church—this isn’t something that can be dismissed as a joke or an overzealous sense of justice. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Of course. In fact, it would be problematic if it were anything less. The church as it is now… if we don’t do this, it’ll collapse from within. It needs cleaning.”

“Cleaning?”

“So it can be of more use to everyone. Right now, it’s filled with people who can’t even provide faith or proper healing. If priests and inquisitors are just strutting around, flaunting their meager divine power…”

Cecilia’s eyes met mine. In that brief moment, her lips moved quickly.

“I’ll… help… you.”

No, I don’t need that kind of help.

“It’d be better if it just disappeared.”

I really don’t need it.