chapter 10
“Wah ha ha ha!”
Laughter is really loud.
At that level, even if you hide in the woods, your location will be exposed.
He would have hoped for that in the first place, but he couldn’t help but get a headache listening to her laugh.
“Prince of Oz. I think I have shown you quite a bit of respect.”
The leading department took a rather polite response. Except for the first time he surrounded me and threatened me, he didn’t do anything.
So now, it’s understandable that Olivia is holding up a vicious looking mace.
Because it was me who disregarded her respect.
“So, I hope you don’t embarrass us beyond this.”
The distance is too close to believe in [The Ruler of Mana] and fight.
Furthermore, there are some leaders who do not pursue Eleanor and remain.
If I tried to fight, with my current skills, I would be beaten for nothing.
There is no reason to fight in the first place.
Haven’t you achieved your goal anyway?
Eleanor should be enjoying a fun tag game by now.
“Okay, I’ll follow you.”
I raised both hands and sent a surrender intention, but Olivia and the leaders did not lower their vigilance.
Are you still wary of me? Did you disable [Contemplation] as well?
If so, there is nothing you can do about it. I have no choice but to use the universal cheat key here.
“If you still don’t believe me, swear on mana… … .”
“… … It’s okay if you say that.”
The leaders, who had been fiddling with their weapons a while ago, let out a sigh of relief and lowered their hands.
Oath of Mana, on earth how good is the effect?
It is frightening now that I can earn this much trust.
“The Prince of Oz… … . I don’t know what you’re up to, but I hope you show respect to the people you meet in the future.”
“yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
There is that person in the leadership team.
It was the leading team, mostly filled with paladins and priests.
If so, it’s obvious who’s sitting on top of that head.
[Saint of Hope] Arietta Domine will be there.
“… … I don’t care if you treat me, a sophomore, because you have the status, but if you show that kind of attitude to the saintess, we can’t be sure either.”
It is an outright threat.
Well, it’s a natural thing.
The reason they were in <Skientia> in the first place was to protect one saintess.
“Rather than that, were you a sophomore?”
“Then did you think you were in the leadership team when the semester hadn’t even started yet?”
“no… … .”
In fact, I just didn’t think much of it.
[Saint of Hope] I remember Arietta Domine as being in her first year.
So, I thought that the [Light Shields] that correspond to the saintess’s escort would be the same.
“Well? Wait, then the Saint of Hope is also a sophomore?”
“No, he failed a semester because he missed the attendance.”
“Ah, that, yes.”
The atmosphere got a bit grim.
Was the lack of attendance days because she was usually busy? No, that’s odd too.
If she had something to be busy with, there was no reason why the [Shields of Light] wouldn’t follow suit.
Aren’t they the saintess’ escorts?
“But you guys… … .”
“The saintess.”
“… … .”
“The number of attendance days was insufficient. Do you know? Prince of Oz. It was because I didn’t have enough days to attend.”
“uh… … .”
There must be something you shouldn’t ask. But if you say it so blatantly, you can’t know it.
Arrieta, the saintess of hope, may have had a bad brain.
“I understand.”
“Did you really understand?”
“Okay, have you forgotten who I am?”
“… … I will believe you.”
You’re telling me to be careful not to touch the saintess’ painful wounds, right?
I don’t want to offend her by mentioning sexual things in front of her.
“Then let’s go. I will return it if possible before class begins.”
“yes.”
Perhaps it was because they brought up the oath of mana, the leaders guided me with a much lighter step.
He doesn’t seem to think that I’m going to run away.
I have no intention of running away anyway, so it doesn’t matter, but something is leaking.
“Then, let’s go in.”
The place guided by the leaders was unexpectedly a church. There was a church in the place where the guidance department should be.
I don’t know why the leadership department became a church.
Looking sideways at the leaders, including Olivia, they were very calm. It is said that it has not been a day or two that this state has come.
Isn’t this an abuse of power… … ?
I sent a look mixed with such doubts, but what came back was expressionless.
“Come in.”
I felt a strange sense of incongruity as I stepped into the church halfway as though my back was being pushed.
I don’t feel particularly bad or uncomfortable.
Rather, it suddenly feels comfortable as if lying on a warm blanket.
So, is this divine power?
Come to think of it, I saw and felt Mana, but it was the first time I faced divine power.
“Prince of Oz? What’s wrong?”
“No, go in.”
As I paused at the unfamiliar sensation, Olivia urged me on.
Why are you trying so hard to let me into the church?
You guys are looking into this right?
“I think so.”
Olivia pointed to one door and said.
I knew it without even having to say it. All the divine power I had been feeling from earlier was leaking from the inside of that door. It means that all of them are divine powers that came from one person.
The wooden door snapped open and Olivia ushered me inside.
As soon as I opened the door and entered, I felt the faint scent of fresh apple mint.
In the middle of the space, there was a large president’s chair that didn’t match the background.
“welcome.”
A girl’s voice could be heard, perhaps hidden by the chairman’s chair. It’s a voice that makes you feel comfortable just listening to it.
Whirik.
The girl sitting in the chair turned her body in an instant.
“oh… … .”
rotated a little too much.
She turned back in the direction she was looking. It was visible for a while, but [Contemplation] did not miss it.
[SSR Saint of Hope]
Arietta Domine
As expected, there was [Saint of Hope] Arietta Domine, the best healer character in the game.
“Saint, you have passed away too.”
“Ah, thank you. Olivia.”
Olivia returned the chairman’s chair to face me as if nothing was wrong.
In contrast to mine, the pure white hair that seemed to have lost its color stood out.
The next thing he saw was his gently closed eyes.
It’s kind of a cozy impression, but I couldn’t see it as good as it was.
because she is blind
That’s why even though it possesses such powerful divine power, it needs to be protected by someone.
In the game, depending on the character’s rank, there are also figures with their eyes open, but that too was out of focus.
He has the divine power to attach even severed limbs, but he cannot fix his own eyes.
A saint who shows people the light of hope, but she can’t see anything.
“nice to see you. Saint of Hope, Arietta Domine. My name is Oz Quo Vadis. It is an honor to meet you like this.”
“first… … ?”
“… … ?”
I heard a sound that sounded like a sigh for a moment, and I raised my head, which I had lowered to greet, but there was no change in Arrieta’s expression.
did i hear it wrong?
“… … .”
No, I didn’t hear that wrong.
Arrieta’s expression hasn’t changed, but the leaders are blatantly glaring at me.
I don’t know what it is, but it seems certain that I made a mistake.
“Ah, that, over there Oz… … Why did you come to the leadership team?”
“I came here as a witness after making a small fuss at the undergraduate school. It’s unfortunate.”
“… … Prince Oz, along with a strange-looking female student, destroyed the statue of the head of the academy, so he was immediately arrested as a red-handed criminal.”
“Yeah?”
Olivia, who was still openly hostile towards me, was interfering uselessly next to me.
At those words, Arrieta was speechless in an instant.
An awkward silence began to flow. what should i say?
If I carelessly tease my snout like before, won’t I fall behind the leaders who are glaring at me?
while I was thinking so much.
“Miss Olivia, I caught Miss Noah, who ran away.”
“… … Yes, she too.”
A savior has appeared to overcome this situation. Actually, I’m not sure if he’s a savior or just another troll.
After a while, Eleanor, whom I had let loose to run away, was dragged tied to a rope. What the hell did he do to get tied up with a rope?
She had an expression that seemed to be a waste for some reason, but considering the time, she couldn’t hold on for long.
He is incompetent in many ways.
“Heh… … . I’ll see you like this. Holy Maiden.”
“Uh… … . Oh yes, how are you?”
Arrieta started to break into a cold sweat at Eleanor’s confident attitude.
Well, I think it would be embarrassing to see me acting like that on a subject that has been caught. What on earth makes you so proud?
“Well, first of all, I’ll start confessing to both of you… … .”
Arrieta said in a hesitant manner, as if there was something bothering her.
“Confession? what to do teacher? I think it will be interesting.”
“… … I’m not sure where the hell the fun factor is.”
The sacrament of confession conducted by the saintess is special. It’s happened a few times in the game already.
In the confession that begins under the rules set by her, it seems that even if you can remain silent, you cannot tell a lie.
And I seemed to know why.
Looking at the arms of the leaders right below my neck, it made sense that I couldn’t lie.
This is a structure that cannot lie in a different sense.
“Then, first, Oz… … I will ask you a question.”
“… … Yes.”
“Why did you try to destroy the statue of the head of the academy?”
“There is a mistake. I didn’t damage the statue. I screwed up the window.”
The words that came out of my mouth naturally gave me goosebumps for a moment.
It wasn’t because of the threat of the leader.
I really couldn’t lie.
It was impossible to deftly turn the words around.
I felt the most terrifying sense of incongruity I had ever felt, as if I had to speak only the truth.
“Why the hell did you do that? Ho, did you see a ghost in the window?”
“Are you afraid of ghosts?”
“Oh no… … What?!”
Arrieta suddenly lowered her head.
When a saintess lies, she feels physical pain beyond guilt.
You must be afraid of ghosts.
“Hey, can’t you just answer the questions I ask?”
“Prince of Oz. Don’t bother the saintess. As you can see, the saintess is a very fragile person.”
“yes… … .”
Arrieta bows her head again at Olivia’s cheeky murder.
It seems very embarrassing.
“So, can you tell me why you did that?”
“When I saw Noah trying to destroy the statue of the head of the academy, I thought I should stop him, so I acted that way.”
“Then, Oz-sama didn’t do anything wrong? I’m glad that my eyes for seeing people aren’t wrong. Whoops.”
“… … .”
what is that? Is it black humor?
How should I respond to the sightless woman using words like ‘eyes to see people’?
should i laugh No, but what if it’s a mistake? Am I the only one who is weird?
Fortunately, Arrieta turned her head before she could react. The subject of interrogation has changed.
“then… … .”
“I am Noah.”
“Yes, then why did Noah try to destroy the statue of the head of the academy?”
“Haven’t you?”
“uh… … ?”
Arrieta looks at us alternately with a blank expression.
I guess I never imagined that each other’s words would diverge so perfectly.
To be honest, I’m not even crazy.
can you lie?
“I did not try to destroy the statue. It just happened to have those scratches in the process of demolishing and erecting a new statue!”
“Ah yes… … . understood.”
Arrieta’s adaptability was beyond imagination. I think I already understand what kind of person Eleanor is.
Her questions were directed away from me and towards Eleanor alone.
It was already halfway close to the sermon.
“Lady. For that matter too, Prince Oz and Miss Noah over there seemed to be up to something.”
“is that so?”
Olivia struck again in the middle. I don’t feel any better yet. quite hostile.
“Could you tell me what the two of you are up to?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“We will spread our name by making this academy a mess.”
I told the truth and Eleanor lied.
I’m afraid that this nonsense is not a lie to her. What a grand ambition.
After all, wouldn’t Eleanor be closer to the villain side than the main character?
“… … It seems that the person to be interrogated has been completely determined.”
Of course, the target was Eleanor, not me.
* * *
“Pi, I’m tired… … .”
After the interrogation, Eleanor and I got out of the lead room.
It was over before class really started. The problem is that even if you sprint over the distance, you will be late.
Anyway, it’s not a lie, so I can’t get angry.
Do you want me to know how to go back? He dragged him into the middle of the forest, but he didn’t even take him back.
“Perception is certain. Let’s just relax.”
“Then, how about deciding how this will appear? I like colorful things.”
“… … Sometimes I envy your positive side.”
“As expected, I am the one who lives the envy of others.”
It’s amazing that you can be so positive even after being dragged by the leading team from the first day of the semester.
If it were me, I would be hesitant to even open the classroom door for fear of what kind of rumors might be spreading.
“Saintess, was she a pretty person?”
“yes? that’s right… … .”
As we were trudging through the woods in silence, Eleanor spoke to us.
Well, as a seed of interest, she couldn’t be happy with the current situation where she doesn’t say anything.
would like to talk about something
“It felt like flour would come out if I touched my hair.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
Wouldn’t it be better to say that it looks like pure white marble?
“Come to think of it, the saintess is also in the same first year as us, so is it okay not to take classes?”
“I listened to it last year, so the orientation probably doesn’t matter. I don’t think there will be much to see in the first place.”
As Olivia said, if the number of days of attendance was insufficient, it would be enough to make up for the missing number of days.
If you got a failing grade, it wouldn’t matter if you just took that subject.
It is also questionable whether he had any intention of graduating in the first place.
“By the way… … . Actually, I know I shouldn’t say this, but I wonder what the color of her eyes was.”
“It’s mint color.”
It was a bright turquoise color that reminded me of summer.
“… … ?”
Eleanor stopped abruptly and began to ponder with her index fingers resting on either side of her temples.
It seems to be a question of how I know the color of Arrieta’s eyes. Eleanor, who had been thinking about it for a long time, asked curiously.
“Did you know each other?”
“… … Well.”
Even if I explained it anyway, I wouldn’t be able to understand it, so I decided to evade it.
She didn’t seem to be interested in it either.
“Isn’t it strange, then? She is a saintess who is no different from the incarnation of divine power, but can’t her own eyes be repaired?”
Eleanor tilted her head and then said something strange.
“Arie… … . No, the reason the saintess became blind was because of her holy power.”
“Divine power?”
“Because too bright light blinds the eyes.”
“Such a metaphor. I don’t hate it because it feels like something stimulates my inner darkness.”
“… … I hate it because whenever I hear that from you, my teeth tremble and goosebumps rise.”
momentary silence.
After that, Eleanor continued talking as if nothing had happened.
“More than that, Master knows about the saintess.”
“… … It is.”
I just have to know
Because Arrieta was the trigger that introduced me to <Broken Sky>, a game for dogs and pigs.
she was my favorite
“But it seemed like it wasn’t meant to be.”
I tried to screw around 3 million won, but it didn’t come out.
It’s like f*cking probability manipulation.
* * *
A Holy Knight belonging to the [Light Shield] escort unit directly under the saintess.
Olivia Blue didn’t like Oz from the first moment she saw it.
He was a being with the typical arrogance of those who reign above him.
He had such eyes.
Still, she showed respect to Oz. Because the saint she serves, Arietta, wanted that.
She is the <Shield of Light>, the escort of the [Saint of Hope] Arietta.
He is the one who has always watched her closely.
That’s why he knew better than anyone else that she was weaker than he thought, that she was just a kind and vulnerable girl.
Yes, Arrieta was like a little sister to her.
“dare… … .”
And there was an existence that Arrieta always talked about.
It was about Oz Quo Vadis, who was from the same monastery as himself.
Arrieta, who had been waiting for the day to meet him again, was to the point of giving up promotion to the second year right away because of rumors that Oz would be enrolled in <Skientia>.
-nice to see you. Saint of Hope, Arietta Domine. My name is Oz Quo Vadis. It’s an honor to meet you like this.
However, Oz betrayed that expectation. He drew a clear line between the two and expressed his intention of refusal.
That was not forgiven. If Arrieta hadn’t been there, he would have immediately swung his mace and smashed his head.
“Saint… … .”
“It’s okay, Olivia. If you think about it, it makes sense. Remembering things as a child… … . Awesome!”
After Oz and Eleanor flirted away, Arrieta slumped over her desk.
On the outside, she was just saying she was tired, but I could see how heartbroken she was.
“… … I will go out for a while.”
“yes.”
Quickly——!
Olivia gritted her teeth and went back to find Oz.
As Arrieta said, I knew that there was nothing I could do about it, but I couldn’t accept it.
at least one word. Yes, even a single word is good, so I wanted to pour criticism.
“It felt like flour would come out if I touched my hair.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
When I found Oz before long, I saw him flirting with a girl next to him called Noah.
Olivia, who was watching this, grabbed the mace.
“By the way… … . Actually, I know I shouldn’t say this, but I wonder what the color of her eyes was.”
“It’s mint color.”
However, the moment he heard that, the grip on the mace was drained of strength again.
It was information that he would not have known if he had truly forgotten Arrieta.
Yes, at least he was saying that he hadn’t forgotten Arrieta.
‘Then why… … .’
why did you draw the line While Olivia had such doubts, Oz muttered with a faint expression.
“But it seemed like it wasn’t meant to be.”
Olivia shuddered and immediately dropped her mace.
It was only then that I could understand the meaning of what he said.
Oz is now being chased by <Spellage>, the kingdom of magic.
The moment she escapes <Skientia>, she is in a dangerous state, not knowing when she will be exposed to the threat of assassination again.
And Arrieta isn’t heartless enough to let it go.
They will probably try to protect Oz by all means, and if so, there will be a huge rift between the Church and <Spellage>.
“Is it so… … .”
He didn’t want to involve Arrieta.
Olivia turned around with that conclusion.
What a cruel twist of fate. Olivia had sympathy for the situation of the two, who could not be connected in the end.