episode_0070

When telling a moral story, having a contrasting example made it more impactful.

When teaching the lesson of ‘do not become like this when you grow up,’ Lavien knew this fact well.

However, even if he wanted to use a contrasting example, he had to bring something suitable for the situation.

Even if you attach an 8x scope to a bow, it may look cool, but it won’t help with accuracy.

In that sense, the listener, Lycia, the saint, was in a position that Lavien could quickly draw conclusions about.

A religious figure, and a high position. It was a brief description that seemed excessive, but it wasn’t wrong.

From the perspective of ordinary people, knowing just this much was not a big problem.

In Lavien’s memory, there was one such person. Although not from the present life, he was confident that it would be a good example.

A religious figure, who had risen to a high position. Moreover, he had enough qualifications to be a contrasting example.

Lavien, who used all sorts of materials for moral lessons conducted through words, naturally mentioned this figure in the religious world.

“Well, it seems like it’s about time for me to go back.”

“Uh… Yeah. Let’s meet at the university later.”

The story that deeply impressed Lycia was passed on to a friend she had become close with at Alpen.

“Next, come in.”

“Hello, Lady Saint.”

“…Uh, nice to meet you.”

The person happened to stand in front of Amelie.

The saint, who used a subtle way of showing interest as the other person, had a smile frozen on her face.

However, she could naturally continue the conversation by suggesting to sit down, which was a fitting appearance for the most intelligent human of this era.

It was not surprising that the princess knew about her abilities.

If it were Lycia, it might be unknown, but for someone of the princess’s position, not knowing would be rather strange.

But as soon as she saw his face, one thought came to her mind: why does he look so much like Lycia?

What’s going on? Is there a trend in the empire that I don’t know about?

Amelie finally became confused after being hit with a mental attack twice.

*****

How is the current world constructed?

If asked like this, nine times out of ten, the answer would be that it is made up of two axes: secular and religious.

And the head of the religious world, the Pope, suffered from chronic delusional disorder.

It was a symptom that manifested every time a new person was elected to the position of the Pope. To dismiss it as mere delusion, it seemed too complicated to be cured, as it was based somewhat on reality.

The secular leader, the Emperor, had paranoia due to his family history.

It was a nasty habit to believe that everyone around him harbored malice. Similarly, some of those suspicions often turned out to be true, so he had to give up on a cure.

With their symptoms and stories so similar, they were truly a duo of souls.

Despite the bitter reality that the world depended on these two people, the fact that could be derived from here was this.

Heine was likely influenced by the Emperor’s paranoia. No, Amelie was almost certain of it.

According to the common sense of the world she knew, people like the Emperor usually used various means to resolve their paranoia.

And from the position of a princess, there were endless means she could use.

In cases where you don’t know what someone might do, it was more challenging than openly becoming a gangster in academia while believing in the privilege of exemption.

It felt like holding a sacred bud that could burst at any moment and embracing it without knowing when it would burst.

The princess’s intentions could be roughly estimated.

At a time when the Pope and the Emperor were sharply at odds, what other reason could there be for visiting the university? It wasn’t just for the pure purpose of studying.

He must have come to strike a blow to the Pope in any way possible.

If one enrolls with such a purpose in mind, it not only disrupts the education of other students but also goes against the purpose of an institution like a university that opens its doors to those seeking knowledge.

However, it was not fair to reject someone without any evaluation.

Exceptions existed everywhere, so a judgment had to be made.

“I will now ask you a few questions. Please answer honestly without feeling burdened.”

“Understood.”

Even if one knew that thoughts could be read, a person’s thoughts were not something they could control at will.

Even if self-hypnosis was momentarily possible, the issue remained. Overcoming every moment encountered at university with self-hypnosis for several years was nearly impossible.

Whether Heine knew this well or not, he did not deliberately divert his thoughts. Thanks to that, he saved himself some trouble.

“What is the reason you applied to this university?”

“Well, that is-”

No matter how grandiose the plan he harbored in his heart, he couldn’t bring himself to voice it.

Heine listed a mundane but safe academic plan. Of course, his actual thoughts were different.

And as expected, things were as expected. The goal was just as he anticipated.

To draw the university’s clergy to his side. To make allies among the students who would grow into scholars.

At the same time, the reason for having such thoughts could also be understood.

It was none other than the Emperor’s command. His shadow loomed long over Heine’s life.

Heine seemed to have inherited his father’s paranoia and lived his whole life in doubt.

He was frustrated that he had managed to make friends who were difficult to call friends but couldn’t figure out their true intentions. He feared that the Emperor might do something to him for no reason, and he was anxious that the Crown Prince might do something foolish.

Could this attitude be corrected? He couldn’t find such a possibility yet.

But wouldn’t it be better to attend university and find out the truth for himself?

“Did anything happen on the way today?”

“No, the public safety in the vicinity seems to be good.”

According to what he had heard from Lycia earlier, they had stayed together in Alpen.

The first thing that came to mind was whether Lycia had passed the exam. Was it because they had built some rapport while traveling together? They seemed to handle even the most humiliating social interactions well.

And next was Lavenn, wasn’t it?

Lycia’s guardian. He appeared in his memory.

The Princess seemed to be slightly changing her thoughts after seeing him.

‘…It’s ambiguous.’

He had not completely healed the paranoia inherited from his father. People couldn’t change overnight.

But he showed a possibility of changing a little.

Amelie fell into thought for a moment. His skills were outstanding, and he had a taste for teaching.

It was all about the Princess’s inner thoughts, but at least there was room for improvement.

Having confirmed that, all he had to do was fulfill his role.

Guiding these wandering children was what a saint should do.

*****

The fruit vendor in front of the gate of Bollogna University looked different from what he had imagined.

The sight of parents gathered at the door sending their children for interviews was not visible. This was because applicants usually arrived at the university alone.

The reason was obvious, as I could confirm with the apple in my hand.

If bought in Alpen, it could have been solved with a few coins, but the price had jumped several times over, reaching a silver coin. And with the influence of the war, if it rose further here, it only went up, there was no going down.

Ordinary families could not afford this, only nobles with estates or successful merchants could indulge in such luxuries.

And in cases like this, it was better to focus on nurturing the successor with the household’s know-how rather than going as far as attending university.

When you really thought about it, the situation with Licia was rather unique.

But it wasn’t an easy task to send a young girl who had just entered her mid-teens on a month-long journey alone, especially when the round trip alone took a month.

It wouldn’t take too long anyway.

Arriving earlier than scheduled, partly due to the fact that people hadn’t crowded in yet, the lack of knowledgeable literati capable of reading and writing played a significant role.

So, instead of returning to the lodging, I chose to wait in front.

Since I wasn’t alone in coming this far, I wasn’t bored. During the wait, I could just chatter about whether I would pass or not.

“It’s about time for her to come out.”

“Well then, let’s go see.”

After spending some time like that, a few of the princess’s attendants who had followed me to the university rose from the chair next to the counter.

At the same time, I straightened up from leaning against the wall and walked forward.

Sure enough, in the distance, Licia and Heine were coming out of the university.

The girl looked around for a moment, then briskly approached with the princess in tow as soon as our eyes met.

Arriving in front of me like that, Licia looked silently into my eyes for a moment.

What should I say at this moment? Words turned into sentences in my mouth, only to be broken down again.

I didn’t ask if she had failed. Licia wasn’t that kind of person.

So whatever I was going to say, it could only mean the beginning of a farewell.

I knew that a day like this would come eventually.

Every parting in this era carried with it the possibility that it might be the last.

That’s why those who remained prayed, and those who took to the road relied on faith.

I knew what I had to do at this moment.

It wasn’t about putting that eternal possibility of parting on my lips like the others of this era did.

Instead, it was about hoping for the future and promising to meet again someday.

In such moments, one must not be melancholic.

“…I passed.”

“Good, well done.”

The girl, after briefly bowing her head in thought, raised it again with a bright smile on her face.