Chapter: 157
The main story of Soul Academy is divided into three major branches.
First off, there’s the storyline related to the Evil God who is currently trying to mess me up.
Long ago, the hero party, including Grandpa, managed to seal the Evil God, but such seals are not eternal.
This story, based on that premise, underlies the grand narrative of Soul Academy.
If I fail to kick the Evil God’s butt in time, game over pops up!
No matter what concept I adopt or which route I take, if I want to see the end of the game, I need to take down the Evil God.
I reckon that’s what the Shoddy God expects from me too.
Just look at how he overreacts compared to that petty Evil God; he seems to be harboring a lot of ill will.
Well, from the perspective of numerous gods, they can’t really have a nice view of a group that betrayed them and monopolized their power, right?
Another storyline revolves around the corrupted Jushin Church.
Take Phoebe for example; there are definitely a lot of dirtbags over there that can’t be called clean. If I dig deeper, it’ll be a parade of ugliness.
And lastly, the main story is linked to the kingdom where Soul Academy resides.
It’s a tale based on the chaos over who gets to hold the royal power, with the current kingdom’s First Prince as the final boss.
The one closest to the next crown.
Rene Soladin.
Yes, that guy whom Lucy just labeled as a gloomy loner prince in the document I read earlier.
So right now, I’m apparently throwing shade at the final boss without even realizing it.
Back in the day, Lucy was a madwoman who spouted that he was a smelly livestock pig right in front of the king.
I wonder if Lucy held her tongue when facing the First Prince?
Not a chance!
She must have bombarded him with all sorts of insults!
Haaah. Being a person already easy to hate, I now have to kick things off at max hostility.
I’m seriously gonna puke.
For now, the academy’s tutorial isn’t over, so I won’t run into him, but when I reach the second year, I’ll definitely cross paths with him.
Ugh. It’s already hard enough having to bolt away whenever I see Cecil around the academy, and if Rene is added into the mix…
That’s horrifying. Seriously.
[Young Lady.]
‘What is it, Grandpa?’
[I’m sorry.]
‘Huh?’
[Anyway, I did wrong. I’ve committed so many sins without caring for your feelings. Can you please forgive my karma?]
At first, I thought Grandpa was shocked by my completely different state, but as I listened, it became obvious he was openly mocking me.
So, he found my diary filled with my embarrassing moments and was laughing while reading it.
What a man who wasted his age.
If it wasn’t for that mental world thing, I’d be doubting if this guy was even a hero.
‘Do you think I’d be like that now?’
But Grandpa, no matter what, I don’t have any damage from this, right? After all, it wasn’t me who did those things.
Seeing Grandpa’s playful jokes continue, I kept a calm demeanor, and he eventually cleared his throat and continued.
<…Well, that’s true. People change.>
‘But if you keep tormenting me, I might just revert back to that time.’
[Ha ha. I’ll be careful then.]
But honestly, it’s amazing how Lucy has managed to survive this long!
With all the mischief she’s caused, you’d think even a countess would end up at the guillotine!
Considering most of the mess Lucy made was cleaned up by Benedict, it seems linked to him, but I’m curious.
I wonder if Alsatine knows this too.
‘Hey, Alsatine…’
“Oi, Information Peddler. Let’s drop that and ask something else. What kind of person is our dumb dad?”
He handled the king’s insults, the prince’s insults, and even cleaned up the church ruckus.
Normal people can’t do such things, right?
So, what the heck is Benedict up to?
“…You don’t know Lord Benedict Allen?”
When I asked Alsatine this, he looked at me with a shocked expression.
As if saying how could the daughter of the Allen family not know that.
Yeah, I get that it’s quite abnormal. But you know.
‘Why should I need to know that?’
“Why do I need to know about the nonsense my dumb dad pulled?”
Let’s think common sense for a second.
A person capable of erasing the king and prince insults from memory isn’t likely to remember their father!
When I presented my impenetrable Lucy shield, Alsatine seemed both astonished and reluctantly came to understand, gazing at the void with a pitying expression.
What’s with that reaction?
Why are you responding like that?
[Looks like Benedict is pitiful…]
‘Why are you getting involved in this too, Grandpa?!’
[Even if he’s a fool, he must have cared for his daughter. And to hear back, “What he does is none of my business?”]
Reflecting on Grandpa’s words, I realize there’s nobody quite like this idiot.
Some people, no matter how trashy they are, would desperately run around to save their daughter. But this daughter just goes, “Whatever my dad does, what’s it to me?”
But I’m not Lucy!
I’m just a poor victim possessed by that little brat of a mode creator because of that Mesugaki!
How could I know about Benedict?!
He’s a character that’s never appeared in the game!
I desperately tried to prove I’m not trash, but it was all in vain.
This was merely a hollow scream I couldn’t release to anyone else.
[Remember this, even now. Benedict seems to have suffered immensely for you, so shouldn't you at least acknowledge that?]
‘…Okay.’
Grandpa’s words were quite reasonable, leaving me with nothing but a nod in response.
I feel wronged. I’ve done nothing wrong!
“Lord Benedict Allen is a hero for the country.”
Alsatine began reciting Benedict’s deeds as if it were a matter of course.
He single-handedly repelled a dragon that invaded the royal fortress.
When an S-rank dungeon arose, he led his family’s knights to conquer it.
And when disputes with foreign countries arose, he halted it just by name alone.
There were more achievements that Lord Benedict accomplished in his prime.
[I thought he was strong, but he’s a different caliber monster.]
Hearing the word “monster” from Grandpa, who was once among the heroes that saved the world, shows how legendary Benedict truly is.
I listened to him in admiration but couldn’t help thinking different thoughts inside.
All those accomplishments Benedict gained were originally things other characters should’ve done.
Like the dragon slaying feat; that was meant to be the current royal knight commander’s glory. It was a setting to showcase the kingdom’s strongest power.
And the S-rank dungeon conquest was the same.
This wasn’t an achievement of just one family; it was merely solved through the church’s cooperation to increase its influence within the kingdom.
Other accomplishments had the same.
Achievements originally meant for others to bear shifted over to him, growing into grander feats that inflicted many more damages.
Thus, it made perfect sense that Lucy’s neck was still attached to her body.
Yes, while his accomplishments are indeed notable, the sheer might of Benedict and his family was overwhelmingly intimidating.
Known for being a doting father, who would dare condemn Lucy Allen in front of him?
How could a small count family challenge a periphery count family that could stand against them alone?
I always suspected the Allen family was strong, but I never thought they were this formidable?!
“Thanks to Lord Benedict Allen, the Young Lady can remain safe.”
‘Understood.’
“Do you seriously think I wouldn’t understand that, Information Peddler? Don’t underestimate my intellect by comparing it to you!”
“…I’m relieved to hear you understand.”
But if so many things have changed, the main story must have been affected in some way too…
I haven’t explored beyond the Allen family and academy yet, but there must be several uncertainties I never expected out there.
Even having Bishop Johan of the Allen family existing was a storyline that didn’t exist in the game.
If this had been just a game, it would simply be about a little Mesugaki character appearing, causing all this chaos.
It seems like there will be more instances when my game knowledge becomes useless in the future, which is disheartening.
When that day arrives, I guess I’ll just have to cry out for Grandpa to solve it.
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
‘Yes…’
“Alright, Information Peddler. When are you bringing that item you promised? There’s a limit to tolerating your incompetence, Shoddy Information Peddler.”
Not long ago, after Phoebe realized her truth, I asked Alsatine to bring me one item.
“Are you referring to the Silence Scroll?”
The Silence Scroll. A scroll made by the church that serves the God of Tranquility, Harpo, with the following effect.
It prevents conversations happening inside a room from leaking outside.
In simple terms, it creates a secret space for confidential discussions.
The conversations Phoebe and I need to have could lead to significant issues if overheard by others, so we can’t just talk anywhere, right?
So, I plan to bring Phoebe to my room, and once we’re inside, I’ll use the Silence Scroll to create a closed setting.
Even in the presence of highly concerning topics, I’ll ensure no problems arise.
“I was planning to give it to you anyway.”
Alsatine quickly took out the scroll from his pocket and held it up before me.
Quick! I expected it could take longer since it’s such a popular item among high society.
Indeed, he is remarkably skilled at procuring such items.
‘Thank you, Alsatine.’
“Humph. Not bad for a Shoddy idiot.”
“Thank you, Young Lady Allen.”
Now, shall I head to have a chat with Phoebe?
I wonder if I can pull it off.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.