Chapter: 477
With just a week left until the midterms, the sounds of lessons had vanished from the various classrooms of the Soul Academy.
The professors, well aware of the punishing content of the exam, chose to give the students some breathing room. Of course, some professors continued with their lessons, indifferent to students’ screams, but most were keenly aware of the students’ needs.
After all, the students stepping into the Academy today would hold significant power in the future.
Normally, during this time, I would have been locked away in Joy’s room, studying—half by choice, half by force.
Joy, who usually devoted all her time to me even during regular classes, would definitely not let me be completely free during this period.
Just recently, I had even felt my intelligence rising and was willing to throw myself into the study hell.
But now, things had changed. It had become clear that Luca, that troublemaker, was throwing my future and life into the mix as stakes—how could I even think about studying?
[It seems possible to overturn the situation.]
‘Right. Either way, we have Paybi with us.’
Paybi’s influence is significant, especially in matters related to the evil god; it would likely exceed that of any king.
If she were to claim that something was happening inside the Academy, even the factions led by the first or second queens would have no choice but to listen, which would severely twist the plans set by Luca.
[The problem is that the opponent’s plan is likely quite advanced.]
‘True. I found out too late.’
But I didn’t think it would collapse so easily. Paybi and I had taken actions that Luca couldn’t simply overlook.
If we were still in the preparatory stage, he might have delayed, but now that things were already underway, Luca would start to make desperate moves the moment things began to get ambiguous.
[The best option is to press before those desperate moves come into play. Sigh. Faction struggles are quite bothersome.]
Even the head of the Academy can’t act freely in this reality.
It might be possible to use Paybi or my connections to disrupt the scenario, but carrying out a radically bold move that derails the plan altogether would be impossible.
Damn it. I want to summon my secret weapon, Benedict! If he storms in with the knight order, we could smash the minions of the evil god into bits!
But Benedict had said he was going to chat with someone from the Alrn family, and since then, I haven’t been able to reach him!
Last year, he would check in daily, but now it’s barely once a week!
Last time, I could see a hint of fatigue on that monster’s face, so it’s clear that chatting with the Alrn family isn’t an easy thing.
…But I know that if I were truly desperate and asked for help, he would drop everything to come.
Because that’s just the kind of person he is. He would do anything for his daughter.
Knowing that, I couldn’t add unnecessary pressure to Benedict.
While having him around would be convenient, it’s not like I couldn’t carry on without him.
It would be nice to see the look on Luca’s face after being demolished, but that’s about it.
[What to do then?]
‘I guess I’ll let them do things their way for now.’
At this point, if I moved alone, no significant change would occur.
Therefore, it’s better to allow them to proceed with their plans instead of irritating them.
With just a week left until the midterms, I doubt spending another week will lead to a dramatic change. However, the week I have is entirely different.
‘First, I’ll let the people around me know. After that, I need to rush into action.’
*
“So, playing around with the idiot is coming to an end, huh?”
Joy, hearing the news from Lucy, paused momentarily in thought.
Professor Luca, the one who has brought so many achievements to the Academy over the past few years, is supposedly getting involved with the followers of the Void?
“Hmmm. That guy…”
But Arthur, who was beside Joy, seemed rather unfazed.
“Poor Prince. Do you know anything about that perverted idiot?”
“During the bet we made last year, I had a feeling that the incident was related to Luca,” he replied.
While there were various circumstances that raised doubts, everything had quieted down since then, leading Arthur to not delve any deeper into the matter.
Lucy raised her brow slightly and then smiled lightly at Arthur’s plight.
“How surprising. I thought poor prince was just the one getting played like a fool.”
“You’re right about that. I was only hesitant to proceed because I didn’t want to poke a hornet’s nest.”
Pulling back and crossing his arms, Arthur let out a self-deprecating sigh, lamenting what his status as a quasi-illegitimate child could accomplish.
“In the end, what you’re trying to tell us is to prepare but not to move first, right?”
“Heh, as expected from a sly prince, you catch on quickly.”
Lucy’s laughter made the gazes of others feel subtle yet awkward.
Are we really just something that needs to be protected?
Can’t they trust us at all?
Everyone harbored those thoughts but kept them to themselves to avoid adding to Lucy’s burden.
“Alone again?”
In the sudden silence, Frey’s voice pierced through.
“That’s wrong.”
Others shot Frey disapproving looks for his lack of tact, but he couldn’t care less.
“You’re having all this fun on your own.”
“Stupid swordsman. It’s not like I’m going to suffer in your place!”
“Let’s go together. I’ll stay next to Lucy.”
“Hmm. Well, I don’t mind.”
“It’s fine!? What do you mean it’s fine?!”
“What do you mean, it’s fine?!”
The unexpectedness of Lucy’s response made everyone incredulous, and then they stepped back nervously upon seeing her vacant eyes.
She stifled a giggle, covering her mouth slightly with her palm before shifting her gaze back to Frey.
“Isn’t the fun truly on this side? This shabby little academy is packed with morons who believe in the void.”
The people gathered here understood what Lucy was hinting at.
If she truly cared for them like babies in strollers, she wouldn’t leave them behind; she would take them along.
She trusts them, which is why she’s leaving them behind in this uncertain place.
“If the stupid swordsman is so scared he wants to cry and run away, I might take you along. What will you do?”
“…Hmm. Fine. I’ll stay here.”
As Frey reluctantly stepped back, Lucy laughed, finding his glaringly obedient nature amusing as she took her leave.
The ones left behind stared at the closed door, each lost in their thoughts.
“Well then, I’ll let Cecil know. Even if it’s not in detail, I should prepare so my brother’s faction can act.”
Arthur’s words seemed to trigger something, as Joy chimed in eagerly afterwards.
“In that case, I’ll advise the young ladies to stay alert. After the kidnapping incident, it wouldn’t be too strange to do so.”
“Then I’ll inform the church about potential issues. Given the events at the start of the semester, everyone is a bit on edge, so a swift response would be beneficial.”
“Saintess. I hope this doesn’t come off as rude, but I won’t tell all the clergy.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll only share it with trustworthy folks.”
Arthur still appeared concerned, but Paybi offered him a warm smile in response to his worried gaze.
If it had been the old Paybi, she might have found it unpleasant, but not anymore.
Having seen that not everyone under the patronage of the god possesses warmth, she understood Arthur’s concerns weren’t entirely unfounded.
That was why she could nod confidently.
Paybi could see those who held the warmth of the god.
While they all shared their stories, Frey suddenly jumped to his feet.
“Frey, where are you going?”
“To train.”
“…Train?”
“No matter what comes my way, it’s some training to cut it down. This time, I’ll be the one to hit before Lucy does.”
*
Phew. I’m glad that excuse worked out. It would have been a huge hassle if Frey had clung to me. His sheer stupidity can actually be beneficial at times.
[Can I ask what you’re planning to prepare?]
‘It’s not a big deal. I can’t do anything grand like I did in the Burrow territories, right?’
If I were to perform a miracle, I could—hitting up Count Artea for prayer and blessings would do the trick to get everything I desire.
If worse comes to worst, I could tell that perverted apostle to create jewelry just for Count Artea.
But the reason I’m avoiding those thoughts comes down to two main points.
First, it’s too conspicuous.
It’s not enough that I’m already attracting attention with my jewelry; imagine trying to pull off a miracle now—surely the church of the god will be watching me closely.
In my position, being known as an apostle of the god would be more bothersome than anything.
Another reason is that if I pull off a miracle, Luca will undoubtedly be thrilled.
Think about it. Something utterly impossible for someone like me would somehow occur under Luca’s orchestrated scenario.
Then, Luca would die with a smile, believing he created ‘me’ as a masterpiece.
That cannot happen. It cannot go down like that.
That troublemaker’s end must be a total letdown.
I’ve suffered way too much at Luca’s hands! I won’t let it go easily!
Though it’s just unilateral resentment from behind a monitor! I still can’t bear to see that guy smiling as he departs!
‘I plan to call the person who is both the most loved and hated by Luca.’
[…Is it the person you mentioned provoking Luca?]
‘Yep.’
This individual was someone who was with Luca while he lived as an adventurer before becoming a professor at the Academy.
He was someone who caused immense despair for Luca purely through his talent.
A current Sword Saint.
In the original game’s story, he was supposed to play a significant role for Frey.
‘What do you think the feeling of a dumb rock must be like when seeing a star shining in the sky? How amusing would their expression be when they encounter a brighter star?’
Just imagining it brings a grin to my face.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
