—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Does the Saintess always have this much work?”
“It’s Saint Sabrina’s Day, so it’s unavoidable.”
A festival commemorating the first Saintess meant a busy schedule for the current one.
It was a traditional event where the current Saintess, inheriting the will of the first Saintess, bestowed blessings upon the world.
Essentially, it was a big party, but it was also one of the most important events for the Saintess.
Numerous dignitaries and guests would be attending. Things would calm down after the festival, though. The last incident of the second semester occurred near the end…
“I would never want to be the Saintess, even in my next life.”
“Don’t say such terrible things.”
An alcoholic delinquent Saintess?
Who would want that?
I briefly considered hitting Jericho on the back of the head but decided against it.
“Stop talking nonsense and get back to work. We have a deadline.”
“…I know, I know.”
Jericho, his face pale, returned to his paperwork. The others were also diligently working.
They were adapting well to the workload.
I turned around, satisfied. It was time for me to attend to my own duties.
“I’m going out. Keep working.”
“Yes, sir… have a safe trip…”
“See you later~”
With the employees’ farewells echoing behind me, I left the office, filled with the furniture I had crafted.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“My, my… what a festive atmosphere.”
The elderly Continental History professor’s sudden remark at the end of the lecture brought the students’ attention back to him.
Whenever he deviated from his usual monotonous lecture, it usually meant he had something interesting to say.
I, observing from the back of the room, welcomed the change of pace.
It was a brief respite from the boredom.
“It’s always like this around this time of year. Seeing the students preparing for Saint Sabrina’s Day, the falling leaves, the gentle breeze… it makes me realize that another year is coming to an end…”
The professor’s voice was filled with wistful nostalgia as he gazed out the window. The students followed his gaze.
Their focus was always sharp when it wasn’t directed at the lecture.
“I wonder how many more festivals I’ll be able to witness at this academy. I hope it will be a peaceful and joyous celebration while the Saintess is with us. That concludes today’s lecture.”
The professor, sensing the students’ lack of focus, dismissed the class early. With the festival just two days away, no one could concentrate.
Some students were even skipping class to help with the preparations.
“I can’t wait for the festival!”
Milia beamed at Karina.
Karina replied in a slightly excited tone,
“I’m a bit nervous, since it’s my first festival.”
“W-What are you all doing for the festival…?”
“Elisa, are you alright?”
“Huh?”
Elisa initiating a conversation? That was unusual.
I seriously considered the possibility that she had a fever and was delirious. There was no other explanation for her sudden sociability.
I placed my hand on her forehead.
Her temperature was normal.
“Ah, um…”
“Johann, what’s wrong?”
“Elisa asked a question that… she wouldn’t normally ask.”
“Really?”
Milia tilted her head, a gesture of undeniable cuteness.
Karina chuckled, she found Milia endearing. While technically older than Milia, she acted more like a younger sister.
“I-It’s nothing… I-I just wanted to… celebrate the festival…”
“My apologies. I was mistaken.”
Our Elisa was simply trying to be sociable and make plans with her friends. I apologized to Elisa, who was fidgeting and stealing glances at me.
“N-No, it’s alright… It happens…”
Elisa waved her hands dismissively, her generous nature readily forgiving my mistake.
“…So Karina will be attending events throughout the festival?”
“Yes, that’s the plan. The Saintess has to be present at all the major events.”
“That sounds tiring…”
“Hee hee, but it’s my duty as the Saintess. I have to do it, even if it’s tiring.”
“Let me know if it gets too much. I’ll disguise Milia and send her as your replacement.”
“So I get to be the Saintess? That sounds fun!”
Milia’s eyes sparkled at my joke.
Karina, lacking in confidence, found the duties of the Saintess burdensome, but if Milia were the Saintess…
A Dullahan Saintess was an anomaly, but she might actually do a good job.
She was a bit of a goofball, but she was also diligent, kind, intelligent, and incredibly sociable. She might be surprisingly effective.
It was just a pointless thought, though.
“Yawn… Is class over?”
“Yes. Here, wipe your mouth.”
So she had been sleeping. I handed Viola a handkerchief. She thanked me, her face slightly flushed, and wiped the drool from her mouth.
“I’ll wash this and return it to you.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, I’ll wash it.”
I chuckled, watching Viola quickly stuff the handkerchief into her pocket.
She was embarrassed about the drool.
Despite her usual boisterous personality, she had her moments of shyness.
It was quite endearing.
“Alright, give it back to me later.”
“I’ll make sure to wash it first.”
There was no need to emphasize the washing part. I looked at Viola, who had a bandage on her nose.
Everyone seemed to be blushing today.
“Johann, Johann, I think I have something on my face too.”
“You don’t.”
“Look closely.”
Milia pointed at her cheek. I didn’t see anything.
At her insistence, I examined her face closely, but there was nothing there.
Sigh.
She loved seeking attention. I pretended to wipe her cheek with my thumb and stepped back.
“There. All gone.”
“Thank you!”
“You two are always so close.”
Martina, with her usual gentle smile, approached us.
She also seemed to be affected by the pre-festival excitement, her demeanor more energetic than usual.
The vibrancy of youth…
…It made me feel old.
“Is the Magic department ready for the festival?”
“We’re working hard towards the Philia Award.”
The Philia Award.
A popularity award given to the department with the best performance during the festival.
Philia, Sabrina’s handmaiden, was a legendary figure known for her artistic talents.
Among the players, however, she was known for the… unusual items she left behind and was often portrayed as a comedic figure.
Speaking of which, Philia’s relic should be somewhere in the Theology department.
Should I retrieve it before the festival?
It was more of a gag item, but its effects were… potent.
It could be incredibly effective in emergencies.
I didn’t want to use it, though. It was only useful in desperate situations or when creating chaos was advantageous.
…I would set aside the Philia relic for now.
I turned my gaze back to the children, who were chatting with Karina.
The five of them, always together, were excitedly discussing the festival.
If I were a student, not a knight escort, would I be among them?
The thought of me, in this state, wearing a school uniform was… disturbing.
How old was I?
Well, physically, I was the same age as them.
But my appearance made it hard to believe.
“Johann? Johann?”
Had I been lost in thought for too long? I looked up at the sound of Karina’s voice.
She smiled gently and asked,
“Should we head to the next class?”
“Is it that time already?”
Lectures felt endless, but breaks were always too short.
I grasped the handles of the wheelchair, which I no longer called Patrasche, and it rolled back smoothly.
The others picked up their bags and stood up.
As always, we surrounded Karina and headed towards the next lecture hall.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Karina, there’s somewhere I need to stop by.”
As the sun began to set, I spoke to Karina, who was about to return to Yeomyeong-gwan after her last class.
She tilted her head, then nodded.
“Where?”
“The basement.”
“The basement?”
“Yes.”
I had decided to retrieve Philia’s relic.
It was just a small flute, easy to find, and it was tucked away in a corner of the basement, so no one would notice it missing.
“You’re not planning anything… strange, are you…?”
“Do I ever?”
“Yes. Frequently.”
“…Anyway, it’s something you’ll find interesting.”
I pushed the wheelchair towards a secluded corner of the academy.
While we still attracted some stares, our destination wasn’t particularly noteworthy.
Just a storage room in the basement.
Normally, I would need a key or access through a secret passage, but I was resourceful.
I could just pick the lock or break the door and repair it later.
I descended into the basement and stopped in front of the storage room door.
“This is it.”
“This room?”
Karina seemed surprised that I had brought her to a storage room.
“Wait here.”
I examined the keyhole.
Should I just break it? No, that would be too noisy…
I found a piece of scrap metal nearby and used my skill to transform it into a long, thin, L-shaped rod.
I inserted it into the keyhole.
Lockpicking in a fantasy world.
I had never done it before, but I trusted my A-ranked Dexterity.
Fortunately, my trust wasn’t misplaced, and the lock clicked open.
…Good.
No one was following us.
“I’m just retrieving something.”
“I-Isn’t that stealing?”
“These are just discarded junk. Look at the doorknob. It’s covered in rust.”
I pointed at the doorknob.
It was completely brown, untouched for a long time.
No one had been here in years. It was just a place to dump unwanted items.
Had it been like this for fifty years?
That’s what it was like in the original story. A forgotten room.
“But still…”
“We need this item. Don’t worry about it.”
“What?”
I picked up an old box from the corner of the room, just like in the original story.
The box, about two handspans long, was worn, but the contents were intact.
“What’s in the box?”
“Philia’s relic. A flute she often played.”
“What? How did such an item end up here…? It should be designated a sacred relic.”
“It’s a bit of a… troublesome item. It was probably forgotten and discarded.”
“Troublesome…?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m retrieving it.”
“How did you know it was here?”
“Philia appeared in my dream and told me she wanted me to have it.”
I couldn’t tell her that I knew because I had obtained it in the game, so I made up an excuse.
“A dream…”
Karina looked at me with suspicion, but I maintained a straight face.
“It’s not unusual for Johann to know strange things, so I’ll let it slide. But you should ask for permission before taking things like this. Understood?”
“I know. I just didn’t want anyone to know I had it.”
The church might confiscate it, claiming it was a sacred relic. Or they might subject it to a lengthy examination, preventing me from using it when I needed it.
That wouldn’t do.
“Hmm…”
I carefully opened the box.
The contents were in perfect condition.
It wasn’t the type of item that would break easily.
“Let’s go back.”
“…Yes.”
I had what I needed. Time to prepare for the festival.
A very… enjoyable festival.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Your Text Here]
