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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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It had been a week since I caught the presumed culprits.
News arrived that an expedition was being organized to exterminate the Halphas Cult.
Perhaps the fact that Karina had almost been assassinated had sparked the Kalon Church leaders’ anger, as they declared war on the Halphas Cult with swift efficiency, gathering holy knights and volunteer soldiers.
It was a sudden declaration of war, but no country stopped them.
After all, there were hardly any countries on this continent that didn’t believe in the Kalon Church.
If they didn’t want to be branded as heretics, they had to bow down obediently.
Of course, the Halphas Cult showed no response to the declaration of war sent worldwide.
It was only natural.
If they were the type to fight fair and square, they wouldn’t have attempted an ambush in the first place.
They were probably preparing to flee by now, right?
…Or perhaps they were thinking of countermeasures.
They might have wanted this situation from the beginning.
“…It’s not something for me to worry about.”
My goal right now was to safely arrive at Kalon Academy with Karina.
No matter what, I had to keep Karina alive.
Karina was a character whose very existence formed the central axis of the main story, so if something happened to her… The academy and everything else would be thrown into great chaos.
…Also, we were close enough to be called friends on a personal level.
Anyway, as long as there was no way to return, I had to at least prevent a bad ending from occurring.
I barely survived on the deserted island, so I didn’t want to reach a hopeless conclusion where the world was destroyed.
“Johann, Johann!”
“…What?”
“Look at this!”
Millia spun around in front of me with her arms spread wide.
The priest robe, which had the same design as Karina’s, fluttered naturally.
Millia seemed to really like her new clothes.
“It suits you well.”
“Right? Right? Hehe.”
“Don’t spin too much. If you get dizzy and fall…”
And you fell over right as I said it.
I slipped my hand under Millia’s armpit and lifted her up.
Maybe because of her small stature, she wasn’t that heavy.
Naturally, she was even smaller than the petite Karina.
Her height, her figure… Although she wasn’t frail.
“Try to be as careful as possible. Even though the band around your neck is holding your head in place, if you move violently, your head might fall off.”
The band I had made with great care using expensive materials bought from the market might work, but it was uncertain what would happen if she moved violently, so it was better for her to stay still as much as possible.
I had made extras just in case…
“Okay!”
“Don’t just answer with words.”
It felt like taking care of a young sibling.
If I had a real younger sister, would it feel like this?
I lightly patted Millia’s head and got up from my seat.
The escort preparations should be finished soon, so it was about time to get moving.
“Millia. Did you pack your things?”
“Yep! Books to read, snacks, clothes, towels…”
“Did you put them in the bag?”
“Yep!”
“Good job. Now take your bag and come to my room right away.”
“Okay!”
Millia left the room as noisily as she had entered.
Phew.
She suddenly barged in, so I thought something had happened, but she just came to show off her new clothes.
A smile naturally formed on my face.
Then I should prepare too.
I got up from the bed, grabbed a towel, and headed to the washroom.
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“Renny. I have something to ask.”
“Hmm? Go ahead…”
Renny, who was eating a sandwich next to me, swallowed the contents of her mouth with gusto and looked at me as if asking what I wanted to ask.
I tapped my upper right lip with my finger.
At my gesture, Renny swiped the piece of ham stuck to the corner of her mouth with her finger, sucked on her finger, and wiped her mouth and finger with a handkerchief.
Usually, doing that would smudge makeup and require reapplying.
However, Renny didn’t seem to wear makeup.
“What do you want to ask?”
“Why don’t they call the professor here instead? Wouldn’t it be faster to summon him than to go?”
Isn’t it faster for a mere professor to come rather than the noble saint?
“The remains of Lady Sabrina are at the academy. It seems that without a holy relic of that level, it would be difficult to break the curse on Lady Karina’s body.”
“Sabrina?”
“Ah, you wouldn’t know. It’s the name of the first saint who founded the academy. Kalon Academy was established by her with the intention of preparing for calamities. It’s a tradition for saints to hone their devotion and cultivate themselves as saints at Kalon Academy, so she was originally scheduled to enroll there. But…”
“Ah, that was the setting.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
It was a quite plausible answer, considering it wouldn’t be possible to fast travel by clicking on an icon on the map like in a game.
If my memory serves me right, it’s a holy relic that protects the academy, so it can’t easily be moved.
Well, the higher-ups should have thought of that.
…Right?
“By the way, Johann, do you know how to ride a horse?”
…Ah.
I didn’t have time to learn horseback riding because I was making Millia’s band and crafting various things with the items bought from the market.
I thought I could just ride crudely, but…
“…I’ll figure it out as I ride.”
“No, that won’t do. Then I’ll teach you how to ride, so come here for a bit.”
“I want to learn too!”
“You’ll be riding in the carriage anyway to attend to Lady Karina…”
“But I want to try riding a horse too…”
“Alright, alright. You come too.”
Renny, who had taken a horse to a secluded spot, gave me and Millia an intensive horseback riding lecture.
Thanks to the lecture that was easier to understand than expected, I was able to learn the basics of horseback riding to some extent.
…The actual practice would be different, though.
“…You’ll have to learn the rest with your body on the way to the academy.”
“Okay!”
“Thanks.”
“…It’s something I should do, so there’s no need to thank me.”
It was quite refreshing to see her scratching her cheek and averting her gaze at my answer.
It was the first time I found Renny cute.
She usually showed a straightforward and blunt side, even when we were on the deserted island.
As I stared intently at that sight, Renny’s sharp gaze turned towards me.
“Why are you staring like that?”
Her voice was curt. But her saying it while she was blushing made it seem like she was embarrassed.
“Renny, are you feeling unwell?”
“What are you suddenly talking about? It’s not like that.”
“Let’s head back soon. We’ll be departing soon.”
“Yeah. Let’s go back quickly…”
With Millia, who was grinning, between us, we rejoined the soldiers who were busy with departure preparations.
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“It feels like we just left the other day, but it’s already been a month.”
“You’re right. Time flies.”
I handed a cup of water to Renny, who was sitting next to me.
Renny, who was chewing on jerky and basking by the fire, took the cup from me and gulped down the water inside.
Water droplets flowed down her jawline and dripped onto her lap.
“It was fun playing with the horses!”
“But don’t give them anything other than carrots, okay? You know they can’t eat meat.”
“They ate it well, though?”
“They might eat it, but it’s not good for their bodies.”
“Okay!”
“Alright, alright. Thanks for listening well…”
Renny patted Millia’s head with a chuckle.
Millia seemed to enjoy Renny’s touch, as she moved her head and rubbed against Renny’s hand.
The sight, resembling a puppy, brought a satisfied smile to my face as well.
I rolled my eyes and scanned the surroundings, noticing that the other soldiers were also smiling contentedly at Millia’s behavior, finding it quite adorable.
Some of them were even blushing.
Could it be…?
Hmm.
I can’t imagine her being in a relationship at all.
“Johann, why are you staring like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Whenever you say that, there’s always something!”
“Just take it as something like that.”
I roughly patted Millia’s head, trying to dodge the question, and got up from my seat to stretch.
Having finished the meal, it was time to inspect the condition of the carriage.
The craftsman-made carriage had a lot to learn from in terms of structure and design, so whenever I had free time, I would go and examine it.
I wished I could disassemble it, but that was not possible, which was a pity.
If I could directly disassemble it and understand the structure, it would be a bit easier to craft or repair carriages using my skill.
“…Should I just disassemble it a little?”
I looked at the five carriages lined up to hide which one the saint was riding in.
Even if one of them disappeared… No, I shouldn’t give in to temptation.
As I was lost in thought while looking at the carriages, I suddenly heard a sound.
“…Who is it?”
At the sound of something rustling in the bushes, I came to my senses and turned my head.
Since the soldiers were keeping a tight guard, the possibility of a suspicious person being nearby was almost non-existent, but it still made me nervous-
“…Goblin?”
A green monster with a height barely reaching the waist.
It was the goblin that frequently appeared as an early-stage mob in the game.
I scratched my chin at the strange encounter.
Why was there a goblin here?
The goblin also seemed to have belatedly noticed my presence and stared at me.
The goblin glared at me with eyes full of bloodlust.
It was a very brief confrontation.
“Die! Human!”
Damn it, what the hell is this?
Did the guards fall asleep?
Whoever it was, they needed to get beaten up.
Before the goblin, who was rushing towards me with a scream, could approach, I activated a skill.
“Crafting.”
I created a small pillar by raising the earth under the goblin’s feet.
With that simple utilization, the goblin, who had been hit in a vital spot, collapsed while foaming at the mouth.
I sharpened my senses and surveyed the surroundings.
For now, I could only see one, but I couldn’t deny the possibility of there being more.
Goblins were creatures that lived in groups.
“…Did it accidentally break through the security perimeter and come here?”
Just as I came to that conclusion after the surroundings remained quiet for quite some time, it happened.
“It’s an attack! Everyone, grab your weapons and fight back!”
Damn it.
Just when I thought we could arrive peacefully.
I kicked the ground and ran towards the place where I had left my shovel.
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prepare for battle