Chapter: 112
The private room available for students at the academy, to be used for personal reasons.
Inside it, Avery was staring at her own two hands.
Being tangled up with the Evil God wasn’t something to take lightly.
Countries and churches across the continent, once plagued by the Evil God, are extremely averse to anything related to him.
As a noble Young Lady, Avery had been warned about this numerous times throughout her education.
So she knew all too well what could be the fate of someone connected to the Evil God.
Her sins weren’t something she could bear alone.
If Lucy Alrn were to expose her ties with the Evil God to the Church, they would seize her immediately.
They’d extract the truth from her by various means, and then they would put her head on the executioner’s block.
The issue was that the story wouldn’t end there.
The repercussions of Avery’s sins would extend to her entire family.
With the daughter of a noble family touched by the Evil God, the other members would become suspects and would face thorough investigations by both the Church and the nation.
Of course, Avery’s family would be completely innocent.
This was entirely the foolish Avery’s doing.
But would the Church and the state believe that?
Wouldn’t they fabricate non-existent crimes to punish them as a lesson?
Even if, in the end, the family’s innocence was established, Avery’s family would have lost their past glory.
Why did I do such terrible things?
Why did I grab a magical tool associated with the Evil God as if I were possessed?
Even if I hated Lucy Alrn, there were countless ways to deal with her without resorting to this.
Why did I blindly trust the words of that black-cloaked figure?
Why did I let myself be swayed by his claim that I would never get caught?
Did I really think that it was enough just to harm Lucy Alrn, regardless of what happened to others?
Why.
Avery was now filled with regret, but that didn’t make the magical tool she had just held disappear.
No matter what excuses she made, the fact remained that she had used the Evil God’s magical tool and had been caught in the act by someone else.
Even if nothing happened for now, the moment Lucy Alrn voiced her concerns to the Church, every scenario Avery had imagined would become reality.
Just as Lucy Alrn said.
She was like a fish caught in a fishing net or an animal trapped by its leash.
The only thing Avery could do now was rely on Lucy Alrn’s mercy.
“Pathetic Young Lady♡”
At the sound of her own title being called, Avery slowly raised her head.
Lucy Alrn, sitting across with her legs crossed, wore her usual smug expression.
That infuriating smile.
Her playful eyes.
So, it was impossible to guess what she was thinking.
However, knowing Lucy Alrn’s history, it was clear that whatever would come out of that mouth wouldn’t be gentle.
Perhaps all of this might ultimately be meaningless.
Lucy Alrn could just be planning to toy with Avery before tossing her to the Church.
In fact, that seemed highly likely.
And then she’d probably laugh at the despair etched on Avery’s face.
Avery knew Lucy Alrn well enough to know she was capable of such an act.
“Even if you’re a pathetic pig, do you know what your current situation is?♡”
“…Yes.”
“Let’s hear you make a sound.”
It was humiliating and insulting, but Avery had no choice.
Knowing what would unfold the moment Lucy Alrn snapped her fingers, she had essentially become Lucy Alrn’s slave.
“Snort.”
As Avery’s lips trembled, making pig sounds, Lucy burst out laughing.
Her fits of laughter and applause made Avery’s face heat up, but Lucy couldn’t care less.
After filling the private room with laughter for a while, Lucy finally calmed down and wiped the tears in her eyes, moving her lips again.
“Puhaha♡ Pathetic Young Lady♡ Are you stupid?♡ I didn’t mean for you to imitate a pig, I wanted you to explain your value instead.”
Being called a pig seemed to have clouded her mind to the point she’d become one, and Avery squeezed her skirt with both hands.
“Aha, I like it!♡”
Rising from her seat, Lucy walked over, her tiny feet making noises that filled the room.
Then, looking down at Avery, she whispered.
“I’ll let you live for now. But you do know, right? I’m a very fickle person? Just like our pathetic pig Young Lady’s fiery temper.”
Avery wasn’t a genius.
But that didn’t mean she was completely stupid, either.
If her brain were insufficient, it would’ve been impossible to even qualify for the academy.
So Avery understood all too well what the laughter ringing in her ears meant.
From this moment on, she needed to become the tool that fulfilled Lucy Alrn’s desires.
She needed to become something that executed her intentions without needing to be told.
Otherwise, Lucy Alrn would light-footedly head to the Church to cut her life short.
If the person in front of her were an ordinary individual, Avery might’ve tried to stand her ground.
She might have shouted whether that person could bear the weight of a life being snuffed out.
However, the one threatening her right now was Lucy Alrn.
A madwoman who would do anything for her own amusement, disregarding anyone else’s feelings.
“Got it?♡ Huh?♡ Answer me, you pathetic pig!♡ You can’t even manage a snort?♡”
“No! No! I understand. I’ll do everything. Everything.”
So please, just let me live.
If it’s something you want me to do, I’ll do it all.
Just please, protect my life. Protect my family’s legacy.
Despite Avery pleading such, Lucy Alrn simply smiled.
*
Watching the trembling pathetic Young Lady in fear, my mind was in a whirlwind.
Though I intended to threaten her and actually went through with it, I didn’t expect her to be this scared.
Thinking about it rationally, it’s quite obvious.
A little brat who hasn’t been able to eat meat since killing an Orc couldn’t possibly carry the weight of a single life and a noble family.
I was the one wondering if I might risk my life by refusing Visi’s request.
Had Avery puffed out her chest and said something like, “Go ahead, report me,” it would have been a difficult situation.
What a relief.
Avery is such a coward.
Thanks to that, my threats are working perfectly now.
From now on, my reputation should improve, right?
With Joy and Arthur vouching for me, and even Avery, who leads various Young Ladies, would likely say good things about me.
Although misunderstandings created by the Mesugaki skill might still persist, any unjust rumors should nearly disappear.
That’s not the only advantage of keeping Avery under my thumb.
I’ll ensure that she remains linked with Nakrad moving forward.
Actually, I’ll make her keep that link.
Then, it’ll be easier to keep a close eye on the next trouble Nakrad stirs up.
If she just carries out these two tasks well, I won’t need to threaten Avery anymore.
Seeing how terrified she is now, it seems like she’ll manage things well on her own without me needing to lift a finger.
‘Well then, let me take my leave.’
“I’ll be off now, pathetic Young Lady. I hope you slither around like a pig, okay?”
“Y-Yes! Understood!”
Leaving Avery, who was brimming with eagerness, I stepped out of the personal room and made my way straight to the cafeteria.
I haven’t eaten anything since last night, and my stomach is hurting from hunger.
I have no idea what today’s menu is, but I plan to order something delicious and dive straight into my bed in the dorm.
After all the struggles I had yesterday, I deserve a break from training today.
Feeling dead tired, I’m sure I’ll get a good night’s sleep.
*
Four days after the midterm exams had finished.
Arthur moved toward the academy’s plaza early in the morning.
Usually, he would get up at this time for a light workout, but today was an exception.
Today was the day he’d see the fruits of his efforts over the past two months since entering Soul Academy.
It was the day for the announcement of midterm exam results.
Though he had never doubted his grades since childhood, today was different.
His heart was definitely racing as he went to check the rankings.
The reason was clear.
While there hadn’t been anyone capable of surpassing him before, now that was no longer the case.
Someone had pulled him down from his highest spot.
Among the stars illuminating the continent, there emerged one that surely shone the brightest.
That someone was Lucy Alrn.
“Prince.”
“Oh, Clumsy Young Lady. Are you on your way to check your grades too?”
On his way to the plaza, Arthur bumped into Joy, whom he had recently taken to calling by her nickname.
“Yes. I wanted to check before starting my stamina training.”
At first, Joy was irked by being called Clumsy Young Lady, but nowadays, it seemed she had gotten used to it, showing minimal reaction.
Before long, she might respond casually as if it were just her name.
Hmm. How boring.
It was more fun when she used to get all irritated.
I wonder if Lucy Alrn might come up with another fun nickname.
“So, Joy, how confident are you about this exam?”
“Of course. I might even score higher than you, Prince.”
“Ha! That’s quite the funny joke.”
“I’m being serious.”
Joy said that with a straight face, but Arthur only laughed.
Because there’s no way she could outscore him.
Arthur didn’t underestimate Joy’s intellect.
She surely possessed a high level of intelligence and didn’t settle for her talent, continually striving for improvement.
She was someone whose skills could rival his.
Despite this acknowledgment, Arthur couldn’t help but dismiss her potential to surpass him.
That ignorance stemmed from one of her glaring flaws.
Joy always made a blunder at pivotal moments.
Although it’s been more than ten years since Arthur got to know Joy, she has tripped over her own feet more times than he could count during crucial times.
He had never seen her avoid falling or messing up.
Would today be any different?
Arthur did not believe that.
Even not too long ago, during their last study session, Joy had made a silly mistake.
“By the way, Prince, are you confident you’ll grab that first place again?”
“I’d love to say, yes, but it’s hard to be sure.”
The only one Arthur considered a potential challenger was Lucy Alrn.
And she had spent the entire semester living detached from studies.
While it was unclear how much effort she’d put in behind the scenes, if considering her common sense, it’d be hard for her to achieve solid results.
Still, Arthur was unable to relax.
Geniuses have a knack for shattering common sense without the slightest effort.
“Will Lucy Alrn again prove her talent and arrogance this time?”
While part of him hoped for Lucy to trip, another part wished for her to shine once more.
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