Chapter: 127
I had to take some time to convince Phoebe why looting isn’t actually a bad thing during our field study.
After all, we’re supposed to act as a party; I can’t just force someone to do something they don’t agree with, right?
If it were someone like Visi or Avery, they’d probably yell, “Who cares about your thoughts?!” But Phoebe isn’t like that.
I definitely didn’t want to end up on her bad side by doing something unnecessary.
“So, it’s a necessary evil to improve the students’ practical skills, is that it?”
‘Exactly!’
“Geez, pathetic saint, you’re a bit slow to catch on. Didn’t we just keep saying that?”
Since the number and strength of the monsters in the forest are limited, it’s pretty tough for the Academy to give students the kinds of practical experiences they want.
That’s why they create some chaos among students to encourage more real-world experience.
Sure, we might look like villains at this moment, but if we just stand by and do nothing, we’d actually be causing more trouble for the other students.
When both Joy and I explained this, Phoebe finally nodded in understanding.
“I’m sorry, Young Lady Alrn. I didn’t think that far.”
‘That’s alright.’
“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting anything from a pathetic saint, to begin with.”
The unnecessary jab at the end made Phoebe’s eyebrow twitch, but I suppose that can’t be helped.
“But, Lucy, are we doing nothing right now? Are we taking a break?”
‘No…’
“No, there’s something else we need to do.”
A veteran never wastes a moment of downtime on useless things.
I already had a plan in mind about what to do at this moment.
‘We’re going to…’
“We’re going to meet the master of this place.”
If I want to clear the quest given by that pathetic god, I need to see that guy’s face at least once.
“The master of the forest? Why?”
‘Their blessing is immensely useful.’
“Yeah, that silly fox’s blessing is pretty helpful.”
*
Just like when Lucy Alrn led the dungeon exploration, she now took charge in this forest as well.
Her command was as smooth as that of a hunter who had lived in these woods for decades, so none of her party members doubted her.
We were making our way deeper into the forest when Lucy suddenly stopped, looked up through the leaves, and let her arms drop.
“Shall we take a short break?”
At those words, all of Lucy’s party members blinked in surprise.
Everyone here had previously explored dungeons alongside her.
They all knew how much Lucy loved to push through without rest.
It was curious that she suggested a break when no one was worn out!
“You’re not Lucy, right?”
Not sharing in the joy of her suggestion, the others just exchanged doubtful glances, when Frey finally spoke up.
“Huh? Pathetic knight, what nonsense are you spouting?”
“Lucy would never suggest a break. She only does that when someone’s about to collapse. She wouldn’t say it during a moment of calm like this.”
Joy and Phoebe, who had experienced the exhaustion Lucy could inflict, unconsciously nodded at Frey’s words.
Who would suggest a break when no one has passed out? It just didn’t make sense.
Seeing their reactions, a heavy sigh escaped Lucy, clear irritation coating her tone as she replied.
“Fine. If that’s what you hope for, I’ll make you crawl on the ground…”
“Yay! A break! I love breaks! Let’s take a break fast!”
“Actually, I also enjoy breaks.”
“M-Me too!”
Just as a crisis was about to emerge from the awkward tension, Joy anxiously shouted out, and Frey and Phoebe followed suit.
Lucy looked at the three alternately, seemingly dissatisfied, but she said nothing more.
“Step aside, pathetic losers.”
Instead, she started pulling out various items from her spatial pouch.
Had she perhaps learned how to set up camp from the Alrn family’s knight order?
Watching Lucy’s adeptness as she prepared for a rest, Phoebe couldn’t help but admire her.
Just like when they previously ventured into the dungeon together, Young Lady Alrn sure was impressively prepared.
She was so competent that it was surprising for her age.
Could this be the influence of Armedi’s love?
Since that dungeon dive, Phoebe had consistently thought of Lucy.
After experiencing those intense emotions for the first time, the things she missed seeing back then began to surface as time passed and her anger cooled.
Typically, those who disrespect a god either don’t believe in them or worship another god.
Since Armedi is the master of all gods except the evil ones, no one can slander Armedi unless they’re worshiping an evil god.
So if someone disrespects Armedi, it’s usually the former case.
That’s how Phoebe felt—if the target of the disrespect were an ordinary person, she’d think it’s unfortunate and move on.
How could anyone not pity someone who outright denies the existence of a god, believing they are right?
However, Lucy’s case was different.
She must definitely know that gods exist.
She had heard the voice of the gods countless times.
Finding Ruel’s mace, breaking Agran’s curse twice—those must’ve all been divine revelations.
There was no way Lucy could deny Armedi’s existence.
If I took a look at the opposite side, how could someone aware of a great being in the sky utter a word that disrespects that being?
Why would they so freely move their lips when they must be terrified of the wrath of an all-knowing and all-powerful presence?
Phoebe had her own reasoning.
She felt that Lucy had such certainty that this wouldn’t provoke the god’s wrath.
Phoebe often played tricks on Joy under the pretense of lectures.
Knowing that Joy didn’t get genuinely angry easily allowed her to tease her with ease.
Phoebe thought that Lucy must feel the same way.
She had the confidence that her disrespect wouldn’t shatter Armedi’s generosity, allowing her to boldly utter insults.
How could a mere human gauge Armedi’s generosity?
Could they truly measure the patience of a god who doesn’t easily reach out?
Phoebe already knew the answer to that.
It was because Lucy was an apostle of Armedi.
Since the moment Phoebe learned about Lucy’s identity from the evil god’s apostle, she had been mulling over it ever since.
And the conclusion of her tormenting thoughts was always the same.
No matter how much she tried to deny it,
No matter how much she hoped otherwise while searching for reasons,
It was too clear that Lucy was loved by Armedi and was close to Him.
At this point, Phoebe was half acknowledging it.
So whenever she had the chance, she always observed Lucy’s actions.
She was curious about what aspects of Lucy had captured Armedi’s attention.
Each time, what she witnessed was different, but those actions could all be summarized in one word.
Lucy was competent.
Be it studying, fighting, or exploring dungeons, she displayed overwhelming prowess, evoking an image of an exceptionally skilled commander.
That’s right.
Aside from her fierce words and actions, Lucy Alrn lacked nothing.
It wasn’t a question of what aspect caught Armedi’s eye.
Every single part of her was incredible enough to grasp His attention.
It was hard to believe that this person had once been called a troublemaker.
A normal person couldn’t change that much in just a year.
Even if Young Lady Alrn truly possesses great talent, there’s no way someone who had done nothing for 15 years could become the continent’s greatest noble in just one year.
Clearly, something in her transformation had to do with Armedi’s blessing.
Having reached that conclusion, Phoebe decided to focus on Lucy’s past rather than her present.
If her change began with her selection as an apostle of Armedi, then there must be a reason why she caught Armedi’s eye beforehand.
‘The Young Lady Alrn wasn’t like this back in the day.’
Joy, who frequently mingled in high society, often said that the old Lucy was an entirely different person.
While her rough nature remained the same, everything else about her was evidently different.
‘The Young Lady Alrn of the social scene was truly a frightening figure.’
Hearing about the past Lucy, who was akin to a porcupine monster, shooting thorns everywhere, Phoebe could only express her horror the more Joy talked.
If what Joy said was all true, it was surprising she was still alive.
‘If it weren’t for the reputation of Benedict Alrn, it would’ve been a major disaster by now.’
Seeing Joy laugh about it made Phoebe ponder.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t spot a reason why the old Lucy would garner Armedi’s attention.
She wasn’t good-natured,
didn’t perform acts of kindness,
didn’t possess exceptional abilities,
nor was she devout in her faith.
No matter how much she considered it, it seemed impossible for the old Lucy to draw Armedi’s interest.
The only commonality between the past Lucy and the present was one thing.
‘Pathetic Wolf♡ You think it’s that easy to take me on?♡ Hah! Pathetic!♡ Weakling!♡ Useless piece of trash!♡ Male dropout!♡’
Her tone.
No matter who the target was, she would blatantly disregard them, provoking anger while putting on nice words.
The words that a noble lady would normally utter seemed absurdly crude.
Could it be?
It was an irreverent thought, but what if…
What if Armedi actually liked such a tone?
Would He appreciate seeing her mock and belittle others?
According to what she learned in the Bible, that couldn’t possibly be true, but Phoebe had recently started to doubt the Bible’s words.
After all, if an apostle of Armedi, who supposedly never existed and couldn’t exist, stood right before her, then perhaps many of those biblical scriptures could also be wrong.
So, to win Armedi’s attention, maybe… I just have to say something pathetic… or lowly…
No, that’s not right.
There’s no way Armedi would condone such words.
That’s right.
There must be another aspect of this that I’m unaware of.
Struggling to regain her focus, Phoebe slapped her cheeks and let out a long breath.
Now I’m losing myself in irreverent thoughts.
I’m really quite foolish.
Just like Young Lady Alrn said.
At that moment, a sound rustled from the bushes nearby, catching Phoebe’s attention.
What is it? It doesn’t seem like either of the others has moved.
Unconsciously, she turned her head and spotted a white fox peeking out from the bushes.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
