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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“So you were just hanging out in your room?”
I nodded emphatically at Lucia, who was staring at me with her arms crossed.
I had explained that there was a strange misunderstanding, but her expression wasn’t very bright.
More importantly, the revived Saint Lucia, who was currently the focus of attention in the newspapers, had chosen our hotel as her very first destination.
It was an action worthy of making the front page of a newspaper, but unfortunately, only we knew about it.
“Why are you two together then?”
It was a very May-like question, asking why they were together when I told them to protect Lucia.
As we felt like we were being pushed back, I linked Lucia and Ares together without hesitation.
However, Lucia responded with a saint-like composure.
“I talked a bit with Ares about the mark of Helios on the back of his hand. From the cathedral’s perspective, he’s someone chosen by God.”
It wasn’t wrong.
Even Eris, the gatekeeper of Yggdrasil, had come looking for him, indirectly letting us know how precious that mark was.
And thanks to that, Ares had obtained the position of honorary paladin despite his young age.
Of course, it wasn’t something he could actually do anything with; it was simply a title given to him.
Ares didn’t refuse either.
Although it was a hollow title that didn’t allow him to exercise voting rights or power like other paladins, the support itself was abundant.
Moreover, for Ares, who had many questions about the mark, it was as if he had gained a backer who would investigate and research his power on his behalf.
“So did you come to say goodbye?”
When I asked on behalf of May, who grumbled that her attack had failed, Lucia nodded slightly.
“Yes, I heard you’re leaving Batian tomorrow. I wanted to at least say goodbye.”
“You must be very busy preparing for your saint inauguration ceremony.”
When I mentioned the upcoming inauguration ceremony, Lucia touched her forehead as if she already had a headache.
“Don’t even mention it. This time, the Archbishop’s position has weakened because he was brainwashed by Mikaela, so the bishops and paladins below him are heavily engaged in checks and power struggles.”
“Haha……”
Perhaps because he had indirectly experienced it, Ares smiled awkwardly while scratching the back of his head.
I thought it had become peaceful after finishing the job, but as expected, when one thing ends, there’s always something else.
“Well, it’s okay. I learned a lot from this incident, so I’m confident I won’t be shaken by the fights of some old people.”
Lucia clenched her fists and made a vow.
No one could say that she was a perfect saint.
In fact, she was still lacking.
Even if she had gone through a lot and grown, the position of a saint wasn’t one that could be held so easily.
Nevertheless, this incident would definitely help Lucia.
Even if the darkness and deep despair she experienced while imprisoned in the basement struck again, she would endure and overcome it by recalling the memories of that day.
“I’m sure you can do it.”
I didn’t really believe in God, but I wished for the blessing of the God she loved to be upon her path ahead.
Lucia stared at me intently.
Perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, May stepped in front of me to block that gaze.
“Hey, don’t create a weird mood. Just try giving a farewell kiss or something.”
May threatened Lucia while clenching her fists.
The saint smiled and shook her head.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I have time for that. The position of a saint may seem leisurely if you don’t engage in external activities, but that’s not actually the case.”
Lucia slowly prepared to leave, and Ares assisted her.
Although it was brief, there was a sense of urgency that they couldn’t allocate any more time.
“Then I’ll get going… Thank you so much, May.”
“I never thought I’d make a saint friend.”
The two, who had been playfully pushing each other until just now, exchanged farewells with a short hug.
After saying goodbye to May, Lucia slowly approached me.
“Having my first love overlap with my friend… It’s not good for my image, right?”
I pondered what I should say when Lucia suddenly brought it up, but she didn’t want a separate answer from me.
“I have a lot to do, and a saint is a being who loves God wholeheartedly. I’ll fold up these feelings and put them away.”
She lightly tapped my chest with her fist.
“Because you allowed me to keep good memories in my heart.”
She bid farewell with a faint smile.
“May, I can’t cry, right?”
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I had never felt a sense of belonging to Aios Academy.
In any case, I had transferred in my 3rd year, and this place wasn’t one where I had particularly good memories.
Nevertheless, perhaps because I had suffered through various incidents in Batian, the silhouette of the academy building I saw from the carriage made me feel at ease.
The guards at the main gate waved their hands brightly.
I got off the carriage, feeling a stable sense of returning home even though it wasn’t my hometown.
Lastly, the professors gathered the students and told them to write and submit a report on what they felt during the field trip, but Diana and I naturally got out of it.
Diana was a 5th-year student in the first place, and I officially couldn’t go on the field trip.
May and Rin glared at me, saying it was unfair, but I ignored them and headed straight to the dormitory.
“Then rest up.”
“Yeah, you worked hard too, sis.”
Diana also went towards the 5th-year dormitory building, and I planned to do some simple stretching and take a shower before going to bed since my body felt stiff from riding in the carriage.
But in the dormitory that should have been empty, quite a few students were wandering around, seemingly the students who had returned from the field trip to the Plateau.
“Tana and Eve must be back too.”
I thought about going to say hello, but I didn’t feel like going to the girls’ floor carelessly because of the kids who had come to my room last time.
‘Ah, whatever, I can see them tomorrow.’
Since there were no lectures on the rest day, I would run into them at least once.
“Hmm?”
As I headed straight to my room, I noticed the strange gazes of the male students who were sparsely present.
I wondered why, but then I suddenly remembered what the principal had told me.
‘Come to think of it, he said there was a lot of talk among the male students because the girls often came to find me.’
Feeling sorry, I inwardly apologized as I went to my room, and there was a note attached to the door.
“What’s this now?”
I tore it off and went inside the room to read it, but it didn’t take long.
It was a very simple word.
[I’ll kill you.]
“What the heck?”
I thought it was a bit much to send a threatening letter.
If you were in my position, you’d understand how much of a headache this situation is.
Anyway, I crumpled up the note, which was clearly filled with resentment from someone I didn’t know, threw it in the trash can, and as originally planned, I lay down on the bed after stretching and showering.
“Yeah, home is the best after all.”
It wasn’t my actual home, and in fact, I didn’t even consider it home, but I just said it for the sake of the flow.
Isn’t the atmosphere important?
I fell asleep briefly and woke up to find it had gotten dark outside.
I opened the window that I had locked in case Sen broke in and savored the slightly humid night air.
As I left the room thinking of buying some dinner in the city, I heard the sound of something like a bundle of papers falling with a thud.
“What’s this?”
They were letters that were pushed by the opening door.
Judging from the different colors of the paper and the handwriting, it seemed that quite a few students had left them.
There were letters, but there were also papers that were immediately visible like warning notices.
[I’ll kill you, Daniel McLean.]
[I curse you. May all your hair fall out and you die.]
[I’ll say it just once. Don’t approach Senior Seria.]
[You have a lot of girls, you bastard! Don’t touch Senior Seria!]
“…… What kind of nonsense is this again? Seria, a 4th-year? The one who stayed at the academy with me?”
I frowned and picked up the papers, and I felt gazes from here and there.
They were from the boys in other rooms, and when our eyes met, they were startled and immediately slammed their doors shut.
Just as I thought these guys had done this without being able to say it to my face…
A cold gaze pierced my back.
I involuntarily turned my eyes, and the owner of this gaze wasn’t avoiding me but was blankly staring at me.
“Rin?”
Rin, who couldn’t enter the boys’ floor, was clearly looking at me from the stairs leading to the girls’ floor.
“Ah, I need to sleep more.”
I felt strangely creeped out, so I opened the door again and went back inside.
This kid is usually fine, but when she gets off track like this, she becomes weird.
“But lately, she’s been good at controlling her strength……”
“Is that true?”
“Eek! What the!”
As I entered the room, Rin was waiting for me in front of the door.
She approached me slowly with an atmosphere similar to when the end had come before.
“I asked if it’s true that you agreed to date when everyone went on the field trip.”
It was even scarier that she spoke in short, choppy sentences.
No, more importantly, how was she in my room when she was just in the hallway?
Rin, who had come close enough for our noses to touch, emitted dark energy from her chest, and I hurriedly shook my head.
“Of course not!”
At my answer, Rin slightly lowered her head and took a deep breath.
Her expression was hidden by her long hair, but she quickly raised her face.
And there stood the usual Rin with a bright smile.
“Right? I had a strange misunderstanding for nothing. Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go eat.”
“Yeah, I’m not hungry.”
Because I just got heartburn because of you.
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