How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain

108 – Acceleration (12)

A huge altar had already been prepared in the middle of the academy square. Torches lit with holy oil flickered constantly around the area.

Priests carrying long boxes on their backs walked up the altar in unison. Then he carefully placed the box on the platform in the middle of the altar.

The box was like a well-made work of art. A whole old sandalwood tree was dug out and a cover was woven on top, making it extremely sturdy.

The image of an angel blowing a trumpet was engraved on every corner, and the edges were entirely covered with rose vines and palm leaves.

The eagle symbol in the center of the box sparkled in the sunlight. The eagle was also a symbol of the main god. If the saint was the representative of the goddess, the warrior was the guide of the main god.

Once the priests who had put down the box cleared the way, this time the saint climbed her steps. Even those small steps were full of solemnity.

Eventually, the saint reached the front of the box and took out a key made of brass from her bosom. She then put the box in the lock of the chain around it. When the saint touched her key and imbued it with her divine power, her strong chains lost their strength and fell apart.

The priests opened the cover of the box and filed down the altar. As the saint turned her body, the eyes of all the people gathered there focused on her.

After the saint looked at the crowd once, she finally opened her mouth.

“Nice to meet you, everyone from St. Clifford’s Academy. Christina, faithful servant of the Goddess, offers greetings.”

It was the moment when the saint of this generation made her first public appearance. Those who had been mulling over the sound, looking forward to the sound, let out small exclamations in various places. The murmur spread like a wave.

The tone sounded quite high and loud, perhaps because he had intentionally made up his voice for the speech.

The saint patiently waited for her excommunication to subside. And when her surroundings became quiet again, she continued her speech as if nothing had happened. She gave a simple greeting, the friendship between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, and various rhetoric about the Academy.

And soon the main topic that people were most looking forward to was brought out.

“…The long peace has ended. An era of chaos has arrived once again. The evil shadow is spreading its insidious hand everywhere.”

The saint stopped speaking once and looked around her. I’m not sure if she meant it, but the point where she stopped speaking is quite odd. Anxiety began to sprout among the people gathered in the square.

“But the gods are still watching over us. And they brought me here.”

Only when such public chaos was about to explode did the saint open her mouth again.

“They spoke. They guided by the light of the stars. They whispered through dreams…! Your sun will be waiting for you in the Promised Land! Go there and greet the one you deserve!”

The saint instantly controlled the atmosphere of her audience. The anxiety disappeared as if it never existed in the first place. Her place was filled with her warm desire and sense of resonance.

“I, Christina, will wait! For spring to thaw the winter! For the midnight torch! For my sun! For the one who will uproot evil and bring light to this land! Those who are courageous! Anyone, come out and raise the holy sword! !”

No sooner had the saint finished speaking than a thunderous roar covered the entire square. The air vibrated with cries that bordered on madness. After finishing her speech, the saint sat down on her chair prepared on her altar.

It was my first time seeing the saint in person. However, she clearly felt her extraordinary political power. In that short moment, she captivated countless people with just a few words.

I felt like I was peeking into the side of someone who tried to overthrow the kingdom with the warrior behind him.

To be honest, she is someone I really don’t want to have as an enemy. Falling in love is still a long time away, but once Eugene becomes a warrior, the saintess will help him and pioneer her future.

And as of now, it seems quite likely that I will become an obstacle for them…

“This is Barant’s Destain! Please give this body a chance!”

“Little light! Come forward quickly!”

While I was lost in thought, the Holy Sword Ceremony had already begun. As a handsome male student walked up the altar and waved his hand, shouts bordering on screams came from all directions.

Opportunities were given from the upper grades and worked down in order of grades. If you come forward and ask for an opportunity, the priest will formally accept it.

However, it felt like the ceremony was not very grand compared to the name. Climb the altar and have a light conversation with the saint. Next, pick up the holy sword. And unless the person is suitable, the holy sword will not move at all, so it ends there.

This procedure is repeated over and over again until the owner appears.

There were quite a few people who predicted that it would end poorly, but in any case, the person chosen has already been decided. And as a first-year student, there was still quite a bit of time left before it was time for him to get his turn.

Those coming down from the altar had a variety of expressions. Most people just waved their hands in relief, but some looked very angry.

On the other hand, there were some who showed their ugly side by asking for a few more opportunities and then being dragged out by the priests. Her familiar voice brought back her memory, and she was the girl who declared that she would create a harem of handsome men.

“This is Mineta from Pyrrol. I will abstain.”

“That too must be courage!”

However, not everyone readily accepted the opportunity. International students in the Holy Kingdom basically did not take turns, and other than that, approximately one in three refused the opportunity to hold the holy sword.

In a way, it is natural. It is not easy for people who are petit bourgeois and find it difficult to plan their own future to support the great cause.

And no one laughed at them or ignored them. Everyone here understood that burden. The priests also only responded with encouragement.

“It’s Novius! Please…!”

“This is Jaliye’s Aston…”

“This is Cortia. Abstaining…”

Countless people had already climbed up and down the altar, but the owner of the holy sword still had not appeared. Even when the sun set and the moon rose, the ritual continued. The saintess was still silently standing there.

Sometimes, he only performed all activities by infusing himself with divine power.

“This is Claudia from Acelus. I abstain.”

“hehehehe!”

Time passed quickly and before we knew it, it was the first graders’ turn. In the same grade, they were ranked according to grades, so students in A were given the opportunity.

After everyone took their turn by going up to the altar or abstaining, it was finally Class C’s turn. Aldera in front of me was called out, so it was finally my turn next. Even though I knew that I would not be chosen as a hero, my heart was pounding slightly.

Of course, Aldera returned to his seat without any harvest, and now people’s eyes were focused on me.

“This is Edwin from Reed. Gi…”

-Jump up!

Just as I was about to spit out the words. Almost as soon as the first syllable was finished, the saint suddenly stood up.

There was a brief murmur at the sudden action, but the saint soon sat back down as if nothing had happened. The eyes that were briefly focused on the altar turned back to me.

“…Please give me a chance to raise my sword.”

“Please come forward!”

At first, I was just going to abstain, but her sudden behavior gave me an opportunity to vent to her thoughts. Actually, I’m a bit curious about the Holy Sword. If I recall from her memory, it seems like it wasn’t just a sword. If you don’t do it now, you will never have the chance to see it up close.

Since I also had to convey my thanks to the saint for the last time, I decided to tie the two things together.

I stood under the altar. When I decided to climb it myself, the height was greater than I expected. I walked up the stairs and was soon able to see the view above.

I saw a box placed in the center of the altar, and a saintess sitting on a chair next to it, staring at it. A faint blue light emanated from the veil that covered her face.

“Edwin of Reed meets the Saint.”

“Nice to meet you, Prince Edwin. This is my first time seeing you like this.”

The saint slightly bowed her head and received my greeting. There was a bit of fatigue in her voice.

“That’s right. It’s a bit late, but I’d like to say thank you now. Reid will forever remember the grace bestowed upon her by the saint.”

When I expressed my gratitude for her last indulgence, the saint waved her hand.

“It’s done. It’s not that much of a favor. Think of it as a reward for your hard work. I was surprised earlier because I thought she was going to abstain.”

“It’s true that I was planning to abstain. How could an ordinary person like me be able to hold a holy sword? I just wanted to use her position to express my gratitude to the saint.”

“What…”

As the saint tried to speak, she closed her mouth again. An awkward silence began to fall, and I turned and headed toward the box containing the holy sword. Anyway, since I’m on the altar, I have to at least pretend to raise a sword.

Inside the box was a thick layer of soft cloth. What was lying on top of it was a tree branch. A twig as thick as a thumb and as long as an adult’s forearm.

There was a green leaf hanging at the end. It looks as fresh as if it had just been picked. It was a tree branch that seemed light enough to be lifted with one finger, but if that were the case, there would be no reason for people to fail until now.

I saw the sights and expressed my gratitude to the saint, so there was nothing left to do here. I quickly stretched out my hand and lifted the holy sword, but the tree branch did not move, as if it was completely natural.

Without hesitation, I turned behind her and bowed my head to the saint. And I took a step towards the stairs, but at that moment, I heard a voice grabbing me from behind.

“…Wait a minute.”

“…Why are you doing that?”

“Prince Edwin. Is it true that you have raised a sword?”

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“…? That’s right. I’m sure I’m not a warrior. Then…”

“…Again.”

“…Yes?”

“Listen again. Come on.”

The saint urged me again. I could even sense some embarrassment in that voice. Is there anything I omitted during the procedure? It’s not that difficult to just listen to it one more time.

I turned and approached the box containing the holy sword. And this time, he moved away from her body so that the saint could see clearly, and raised his sword clearly. The tree branch still did not move.

I headed up the stairs again, and since I had just said hello, I didn’t really talk to the saint again. I noticed a few people booing, as if they thought I was asking for another chance in an ugly way.

The saint also no longer held me.

***

‘What… What is this… ‘

“This is Janrik. I meet you, the saint.”

Christina’s mind was a mess. After Edwin, several people walked up and down the altar, but none of them could capture it properly.

“This is Gabald. I want to meet the saint…”

I endured the fatigue and waited for that moment. My heart full of expectations was shattered, and the person I had no doubts about had already disappeared.

“Laev’s mouth…”

The tangled thread had no intention of untangling. If not him, then who… ?

“This is Eugene. I meet the saint.”

A clear and pure voice woke Christina up. The person in front of her was a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes.

He bowed and walked towards the box. Then he lowered his upper body and extended his arms into it. That moment felt like an eternity.

Finally, the boy raised his outstretched arm again. But his hands were not empty. The tree branch, which was like a mountain, was held so lightly in his hand. Surprise and joy coexisted on the boy’s face.

“Huh…?”

That trend was passed on to the public. Someone muttered softly after seeing something in the boy’s hand.

“I heard it…I heard it…”

The ripples became high waves and began to swirl. The murmur gradually got worse and became an unintelligible echo.

“I was chosen…!”

“The Holy Sword…! Then…?”

Christina looked under her altar. The expressions on the faces of those looking up at her were surprisingly colorful. There were some who showed particularly striking reactions.

A silver-haired female student on the verge of shedding tears of emotion, a red-haired female student with a fresh expression but blushing cheeks, an orange-haired female student flippantly jumping in her seat, etc.

Christina turned her head again. I saw a brown-haired female student with a slightly surprised look on her cold face, her mouth open as if she was being ridiculous, and a familiar pale green female student on the other hand.

And at the end of it all, she was a male student with black hair and gray eyes with a sour expression.

-Quaaang!

A fleeting moment. Pillars of light began pouring down from the sky. The light enveloped the blonde boy like a soft veil. What he was holding in his hand was no longer just a twig. It was God’s will that transformed the light as it was.

The blond boy’s expression of joy has now changed to confidence. As he raised his sword hand high, loud cheers poured out from those around him. Those close to him chanted his name endlessly.

-Waaa!

-Eugene! Eugene… !

Christina continued to lose her senses, but at that moment, a thought passed through her head.

The day I dreamed of a dark horse.

The day Sister Rosanna came to visit.

The meaning contained in just one sentence that I couldn’t solve for the whole day.

Christina then remembered Erich’s last dream.

‘… Distracted… Starlight… ?’

“Saint…!”

When he turned his gaze, there was a blonde boy looking at him. His face was full of bright smiles.

Christina managed to get her mind back together and stood up from her seat. She said the gods had already made their decision and she, too, had some work left to do.

Christina took her steps and approached her boy. The stray starlight still lingered in her mind.

Christina saluted him with all her courtesy.

“I was waiting for you, warrior.”