Chapter: 112
The personal rooms that the students of the Academy can use for personal reasons.
Inside, Avery was staring at her own two hands.
The issue of being entangled with the Evil God was by no means a trivial matter.
Countries and churches across the continent that once suffered from the Evil God’s wrath despised anything related to Him.
Avery, as an aristocratic young lady, had heard warnings about it countless times while receiving her education.
Thus, she knew all too well how the fate of someone associated with the Evil God would turn out.
Her sins were not something she could shoulder alone.
If Lucy Allen reports her entanglement with the Evil God to the Jushin Church, the church would immediately apprehend her.
They would extract the truth from her by any means, and afterward, they’d probably place Avery’s head on the execution stand.
The problem was that the situation wouldn’t just end there.
The impact of Avery’s sins would extend to her family.
Since the daughter of a noble family was stained by the Evil God, the family members would also draw suspicion and be thoroughly investigated by the church and state.
Of course, Avery’s family was innocent.
This was an act committed solely by the foolish Avery.
But would the church and state believe that?
Wouldn’t they fabricate sins to punish them as a warning?
Even if her family’s innocence is proven in the end, Avery’s family would surely lose their past glory.
Why did I do something like this?
Why did I grasp a magical tool associated with the Evil God as if possessed by something?
No matter how much I hated Lucy Allen, there were so many ways to punish her.
Why did I blindly trust the words of that man?
Why did I flutter my ears to the claim that I would never be caught?
Did I think that it was enough to harm Lucy Allen, regardless of what happened to others?
Why?
Avery regretted it now, but that didn’t erase the fact that the magical tool she had just held was gone.
No matter what excuses she made, the fact remained that she used the Evil God’s magical tool and had even been caught by someone else.
Even if nothing happened, the moment Lucy Allen voices this to the church, many things she had imagined would become a reality.
It was as Lucy Allen said.
She was like a fish caught on a fishing line, or an animal trapped by a leash.
What Avery could do now was to rely on Lucy Allen’s mercy.
“Sloppy Pig♡”
Avery gently raised her head at the sound calling her.
Sitting across from her with crossed legs was Lucy Allen, her face as usual.
That annoying smile.
That playful look in her eyes.
So it was impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Only from knowing Lucy Allen’s past did Avery expect that what would come out of that mouth wouldn’t be mild.
Maybe all of this was meaningless.
Lucy Allen might just be toying with Avery for fun before handing her over to the church.
No, the chances of that were high.
And then, she would probably laugh seeing Avery’s despair-stricken face.
The Lucy Allen Avery knew was capable of that.
“Even if you’re a sloppy pig, do you know your current situation?♡”
“…Yes.”
“Let out a crying sound.”
It was shameful and insulting, but Avery had no choices.
Knowing what would happen the moment Lucy Allen snapped her fingers, she was practically Lucy Allen’s slave.
“Oink.”
As Avery let out a pig sound, her lips trembling, Lucy Allen burst into laughter.
Avery’s face turned red at the booming laughter and clapping, but Lucy didn’t care about that.
After filling the personal room with laughter for a long time, Lucy finally calmed down, wiped the tears from her eyes, and moved her lips.
“Puahah♡ Sloppy Pig♡ Are you stupid?♡ I didn’t mean you should mimic a pig when I asked for a crying sound!♡ That was asking you to explain your value.”
Being called a pig had turned her head into a pig, it seemed, and Avery grasped her skirt tightly with both hands.
“Ahaha♡ I like it♡ It’s great♡”
Standing up, Lucy filled the room with the sound of her petite feet moving as she walked over to Avery.
Then, looking down at Avery, she spoke in a whisper.
“I’ll let you live for now. But you know? I’m a very fickle person, just like our sloppy pig young lady’s fiery temperament.”
Avery was not a genius.
But that didn’t mean she was a complete fool.
If her mind was lacking, it wouldn’t have been possible for her to pass the academy.
Therefore, Avery understood all too well the meaning of the laughter ringing in her ears.
From this moment on, she had to become the tool that Lucy Allen wanted.
She had to be an object that executed her intentions without needing to be told.
Otherwise, Lucy Allen would lightheartedly visit the church and take Avery’s life.
If the person in front of her were just an ordinary person, Avery might have dared to challenge.
Would they be able to bear the fact that someone’s life was extinguished?
That the history of a family was wiped out?
However, the person threatening her was Lucy Allen.
A madwoman who wouldn’t care about anyone’s feelings and would do anything for her own enjoyment.
“Got it?♡ Huh?♡ Answer me♡ Sloppy Pig♡ Can’t even oink?♡”
“No! No! I understand! I’ll do everything! Everything!”
So please let me live.
Whatever you order, I’ll do it all.
Please spare my life. Spare my family’s existence.
Even as Avery begged her, Lucy just smiled.
*
Watching the trembling sloppy young lady frightened out of her wits, her head was messy.
I meant to threaten her, and I did, but I never expected her to be this scared.
Common sense tells me that there’s no way a kid who couldn’t eat meat for a while after killing an orc could bear the weight of one person and a family.
I, who was toying with my life, couldn’t even outright reject Bisi’s request.
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness Avery is a coward.
Thanks to that, my threat went as planned.
From now on, my reputation should improve a little, right?
Joy and Arthur will set the record straight about the various rumors about me, and now Avery, who’s in a position to lead several young ladies, will only say good things about me.
The misunderstandings arising from the distortion of the Mesugaki Skill cannot be helped, but the unjust rumors should mostly disappear.
The benefits of having Avery under me don’t end there.
I will let Avery remain linked with Nakrad from now on.
No, I’ll make sure she stays linked.
Then it will be easier to mess with whatever tricks Nakrad plays next.
As long as these two tasks are executed well, I won’t need to threaten Avery.
Seeing her scared like this, it seems she will do well without me having to warn her.
‘Well then, I’m off.’
“Then I’ll be going. Sloppy Young Lady. I hope you know how to crawl, like a pig.”
“Y-Yes! Understood!”
Leaving behind a determined Avery, I headed straight for the dining hall.
I hadn’t eaten anything since last night, and my stomach ached from hunger.
I don’t know what today’s menu is, but I’ll order something delicious and dive headfirst into bed at the dorm.
Since I had a hard day yesterday, I’ll skip training for today and rest comfortably.
I’m so tired I can barely keep my wits about me, so I’ll definitely be able to sleep soundly.
*
Four days after the midterms ended.
Arthur moved towards the academy’s plaza early in the morning.
Normally, he would lightly train to wake up at this hour, but today was an exception.
Today was the day when the result of his efforts over the past two months since entering the Soul Academy would finally be revealed.
The announcement of the midterm exam results.
Arthur, who had never doubted his grades since childhood, felt different today.
His heart was certainly racing as he went to check the rankings.
The reason was clear.
There hadn’t been anyone intelligent enough to surpass him until now, but not anymore.
The one who had pulled him down from the top position.
She was surely the brightest star among the many stars existing on the continent.
Lucy Allen.
“Prince.”
“Oh, foolish young lady. Are you on your way to check your grades too?”
Arthur coincidentally ran into Joy on his way to the plaza and used the nickname that had been sticking with him lately to address her.
“Yes. I’m checking before I start my physical training.”
Joy had initially freaked out at being called the foolish young lady, but she seemed familiar with it now, her reaction subdued.
At this rate, she might only respond as if it was just her name.
Hmm. That’s boring.
It was more entertaining when she got annoyed at first.
I wonder if Lucy Allen will come up with another fun nickname.
“How about it, Joy? Do you have confidence in this exam?”
“Of course. I might even be higher than you, Prince.”
“Haha, that’s a funny joke.”
“It’s the truth, though.”
Although Joy was serious, Arthur just laughed.
Because there was no way Joy could score higher than him.
Arthur didn’t underestimate Joy’s intellect.
She clearly possessed high intelligence and was a superhuman who repeatedly worked hard without settling for her talents.
Someone who could rival Arthur in skill.
Despite thinking this, Arthur still underestimated Joy.
Joy always made crucial mistakes at decisive moments.
Over ten years since Arthur got to know Joy, she had always tripped over her own feet at critical times.
He had never seen a moment when that wasn’t the case.
Would it really be any different this time?
Arthur didn’t think so.
Not long ago, during their study session, she had made a foolish blunder, after all.
“Prince, do you have confidence in claiming the first place?”
“Of course. I would like to say that, but I can’t be certain.”
The only person Arthur thought could surpass him was Lucy Allen.
And she had spent this entire semester living away from her studies.
He didn’t know how hard she had worked behind the scenes, but thinking about it sensibly, she shouldn’t be able to achieve a proper score.
However, Arthur couldn’t relax.
Because geniuses are those kinds of individuals who can easily break through common sense.
“I wonder if Lucy Allen will prove her talents and arrogance once again?”
Arthur found himself hoping for Lucy to fail while also wishing that she would once again illuminate the world with her brilliance.
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