episode_0081

Lately, something strange had been going on around me.

“Hey, Chris. If you’re free today—”

“Sorry, Oppa. I’m a little busy with something today. I’ll make sure to see you later, though.”

“My apologies, Eric. The church has been unusually noisy lately. It’ll take some time to sort things out.”

Cecilia and Chris. These two were blatantly avoiding me. They probably thought their excuses sounded plausible, but I’d known them far longer than just a day or two. Unlike Elia and Luciella, who acted as usual, these two seemed uncomfortable even engaging in long conversations with me.

They frequently skipped after-school meetings, sending substitutes in their place, and even in group projects nearing their deadlines, they went out of their way to exclude me. As a result, our teammates, Dave and Cheryl, had to work several times harder.

“Research done… I’m taking a break.”

“Good work, Miss Cheryl.”

“Then I’ll be going too.”

“Thank you as well, Senior Dave. With how busy we’ve been—”

“No, it’s fine! Who am I to complain about the work you two are handling? Haha. Please, do as you see fit.”

Ah, so this is the terror of authority. Despite knowing full well they were in the wrong, Dave just smiled amiably and bowed his head. Even if the research was technically in its final stages, how to compile it was another matter entirely. Meanwhile, the two most capable members were halfway to desertion, leaving only Cheryl and me—and Cheryl couldn’t exactly ask me, a fellow high-ranking noble, to help out.

Of course, I was more than willing to help if asked, and I even dropped subtle hints to that effect. But every time, Cheryl miraculously intercepted me.

“I’ll handle it. Eric doesn’t need to worry…”

Cheryl, for her part, seemed perfectly happy working on the team project alone with Dave, throwing herself into it with enthusiasm. But even so, there were clear limits.

Still, it wasn’t urgent enough for me to forcibly intervene, so I decided to observe the situation. I made sure to firmly remind them that if things got too difficult, they shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help—since dragging it out would only hurt everyone.

“Ugh…”

But now that it had come to this, I had nothing to do. I’d already told everyone I was a prophet, so I couldn’t act recklessly. Yet staying idle didn’t sit well with my temperament.

It felt like finding a perfect strategy guide for a game but being unable to play it. Either way, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I considered coaxing the student council president into doing something, but whether she’d actually taken my advice to heart or not, she’d suddenly turned into a model student, diligently clearing her backlog of work.

“Hm? Oh! Perfect timing. If you’re free, could you help me sort through these piled-up documents—”

“No, thank you. You’re always working so hard. Keep it up!”

In the end, there was only one person left for me to turn to. It was a little embarrassing, but I couldn’t think of a better solution at the moment.

“So, you’ve come to me?”

“I need your help.”

At first, I’d considered asking Cheryl, who had wide connections within the academy, to leverage her information network. But I quickly dismissed the idea. No matter how many informants she had, there was no telling what kind of information they might dig up. If, by any chance, those two were up to something strange—or if they were acting on future knowledge and got caught—the fallout would be far worse than just being avoided.

“To think you’d come back to me in less than a month. Weren’t you the first to disappear from that meeting?”

“I… have no excuse.”

It was obvious she was teasing me, but I bowed my head to Elia.

Back then, I’d thought I’d said all I needed to say. If I’d stayed any longer, I might’ve blurted out things I shouldn’t have, so I’d left in a hurry. But looking back now, it was quite rude. No matter how much I’d been through, acting the same way would make me no better.

“Raise your head. If you keep that up, even I’ll feel awkward.”

Snap—

Seizing the moment, I quickly lifted my head to look at Elia, then bowed deeply at the waist this time.

“So? What brings you to me?”

“Well, it’s just…”

I briefly explained my current situation: Chris and Cecilia were outright avoiding me, Luciella had vanished without a trace, and my reputation at the academy hadn’t improved much.

“In other words, the only person around you who’s convenient to boss around is me?”

“Uh… summarized like that, yeah.”

“How shameless you’ve become. It’s hard to believe you’re the same person from first semester.”

“People grow. I’ve just gained a little confidence now.”

“It would’ve been nice if that overflowing confidence had let you confront those two directly.”

“Ugh…”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried. But those two were already steps ahead of me, and after dodging a few conversations, they’d smoothly avoided meeting me altogether.

“I did my best, you know. If you don’t want to help, just say so.”

Given how the other two were acting, there was no guarantee Elia would be any different. But she laughed heartily, as if amused by my thoughts.

“Hahaha! Just kidding. I’m joking. As if I’d ever refuse your request. So, what do you need from me?”

“Well… it’s just… um…”

Now that the opportunity was here, I hesitated. Was asking Elia for help really the right move? In my mind, the risk ranking placed her far above the others. That twisted sense of noblesse oblige was one thing, but the bigger problem was that she was in a position to act on it.

What I was doing now might be like calling in a tiger to catch a wolf. But if those wolves were already inside my house, I had no choice.

“Keep an eye on them for me.”

“Keep an eye on them? What do you mean?”

“Just… watch them closely. I can’t explain in detail.”

“In what sense? Sincerely? Or because you feel you have to?”

“Both.”

I didn’t know what Cecilia and Chris were up to, but if Elia acted recklessly and disrupted the prophecy, it’d be a headache. Most of my knowledge was based on the original story’s events, after all.

“If they try anything strange or get too carried away, stop them.”

“Hmm… for that, there’s someone more suitable than me. Haven’t you gone to Luciella?”

“She doesn’t have the power to stop them.”

“Lacks power? That’s an interesting joke.”

“The power I’m talking about isn’t that kind. What’s needed to stop them now isn’t a blade but justification and authority. And the words of a girl who hasn’t even pulled the holy sword yet… can be ignored without consequence.”

“So you think they’d go that far? Just because they’re not telling you anything?”

“Those two would never—”

I cut myself off, taking a sharp breath.

“Hm?”

“I’m just worried. If they’re suddenly acting like this.”

That was close. I’d nearly slipped up and said something that would’ve tightened not just Chris’s leash but Elia’s as well. They’d never defy me? Without knowing about the first iteration of the world, that kind of arrogance would be unthinkable. And Elia wasn’t foolish enough to miss that subtle inconsistency.

“I see. But what’s in it for me—for the Empire? I don’t know what those two are thinking, but it’s hard to imagine they’d endanger the world. Isn’t this just your excessive overprotectiveness? They’ve heard the prophecy too, so they won’t act recklessly.”

Easy for her to say. At a glance, she seemed rational and devout, but once fixated, she’d charge ahead without regard for consequences—just like Cecilia, who acted first and thought later, and Chris, who preferred following others rather than taking the lead. If those two were working together, trouble was inevitable.

Moreover, the conversation I’d had with Cecilia before that day’s meeting still weighed on my mind.

Fairchild.

I’d thought that name wouldn’t come up for months, maybe half a year, but Cecilia’s ability to act exceeded expectations. Had she already met him?

If those two were moving to prevent that incident in advance… I had no choice but to rely on Elia even more.

“I’ll give you information to keep the church in check while gaining the people’s support. It’ll help in your imperial succession.”

“Well, the throne is as good as mine already, so I don’t need that… but the first two do sound interesting.”

As she said this, Elia bowed her head deeply. Because of that, I couldn’t see her expression or guess what she was thinking.

If I had known, I would never have said those words.