Chapter: 456
At first, I thought the Perverted Apostle had bribed Karia or something.
I mean, who would blurt out things like that right after seeing someone’s face?
But Karia’s expression was serious the whole time.
“I’m not joking. I’m seriously asking if it’s possible.”
“Why do you need my accessory? Do you want to spread the news about how cute I am? Auntie, my cuteness doesn’t require you to waste your life suffering.”
“I said I’m not joking!”
“Hey, old maid. Don’t frown like that. If those wrinkles get worse, no real weirdo is going to take you.”
“Ugh!”
When Karia raised her voice, Jack behind her cracked a smile.
Looks like Karia had quite a bit built up inside her.
But Jack, if you keep that grin up, you’ll end up getting a harsher punishment from Karia later.
That person is not someone who can be misunderstood just because they hide their expression.
Are you sure you’re okay with that?
“Employer. I’ll just explain, so stay still. Got it?”
When I nodded, Karia sighed and continued.
“You know the Followers of the Void are still active, right?”
“Of course I know! I dealt with those losers instead of an incompetent, old maid like you—what do you think?”
“Just nod or shake your head, choose one. Anyway, finding all the Followers of the Void is hard. Their abilities are specialized for this kind of stuff.”
Karia was right. The treachery of the Followers of the Void is among the best even among the Followers of Evil God.
Just think about what happened before school started.
Not just me, but even Phoebe couldn’t sense they were hiding underground.
If they decide to hide, finding them isn’t an easy task.
“I’ll try to set up informants in the Academy and build a net, but even that has limitations.”
In the end, the countermeasures we can take are just that—countermeasures.
We can’t solve the fundamental issues, and we remain in the position of being dragged around at any moment.
Understanding what Karia was thinking, I nodded, but there was still one big doubt.
“But hey, old maid. What does this have to do with my painting?”
Really, what does my accessory have to do with it? I tilted my head, and Karia let out a sigh that was almost cute.
“Employer, you know the accessory with your face on it is imbued with Divinity, right?”
“I’ve heard of it. I mean, how pretty I must be…”
“Just nod your head!”
Pouting, I nodded, and Karia smiled in satisfaction and continued.
“You might not realize it since you’re the subject, but that Divinity is more impressive than you think. It’s strong enough to repel Evil God’s authority. Maid, you saw it too.”
“Yes, I did.”
Erin nodded and recounted the scene she witnessed. When Karia brought the accessory close, the authority of Evil God stepped back.
I had heard that the accessory with my painting contained Divinity. However, I never thought it could repel the authority of Evil God.
How much effort did the followers of the Crow Goddess put into making that happen?
“So, what I’m saying is that if we spread the accessory with your picture, we could block their invasion.”
If I think through the confusion, Karia’s theory actually makes sense.
Just like how Adri felt uncomfortable staying in the street because of my accessory, if we fill the Academy with these accessories, the Divinity would automatically repel the authority of Evil God.
Moreover, if each of us has an accessory, it would definitely help prevent Evil God’s infiltration.
“What do you think? Sounds good, right?”
“I get your delusions, but this plan seems full of holes, kinda like your skin, you know?”
Despite the plan sounding plausible, there were a few glaring issues.
The first is how to supply the accessories for the entire Academy.
With supplies of the accessories the Arts Church makes being practically unavailable,
I could probably manage to gift a few to my friends if I hounded the Perverted Apostle, but spreading them across the entire Academy would surely take quite some time.
And one more thing.
Even if I somehow manage to acquire that many accessories, I can’t expect everyone in the Academy to carry mine.
The first-year students who don’t know me might be fine, but what about those sick of my various wrongdoings? They definitely wouldn’t welcome any accessory with my painting on it.
“It won’t be done in one go. It’s about spreading it slowly.”
“Like the wrinkles on your face?”
“…Anyway, can you ask that Prete guy for a favor?”
“Sure, that’s no problem. Convincing that perverted dude is easy. Just stomp on his face a little, and he’ll be thankful, licking his tongue, you know?”
I don’t think persuading the Perverted Apostle will be difficult.
I bet that if I strike a pose to match his whims, he’ll happily bring the accessories.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. I’ll also think of various countermeasures to deal with the followers’ infiltration.”
As I finished the conversation with Karia and was about to step out of the room, her low, menacing voice came through the door.
Looks like she noticed Jack laughing quietly behind her.
What can I say, Jack? You created this disaster. Just bear with it. If you hang on, you might gain something.
Maybe.
“Lucy.”
As I was going down the stairs, the Sloppy Fox on my shoulder suddenly spoke up.
“I have a plan to help you with that.”
“From you?”
“Yes. While the professors might not know, I can influence the minds of the students with my powers.”
What kind of madness is this? I shot a piercing glare, questioning its sanity, but the Sloppy Fox seemed excited.
“I don’t expect a big reward. Just that perverted guy from the Arts Church’s painting and the leash you handed me would suffice…”
I turned my ears away from the nonsense the Sloppy Fox was spewing and spotted a man in Karia’s shop corner, heading toward him.
“Hey, you scruffy-looking guy.”
“…Are you talking to me?”
The man who used to show his fierce side when we first met now had an exceedingly polite demeanor toward me.
He knows that aside from my personal power, I could still crush him by force, so he’s naturally cautious.
“Just hold this.”
Grabbing the Sloppy Fox by the scruff, I shoved it toward the man.
“…Huh?”
“I said hold it. You can’t understand that? You’re dumber than you look?”
“I understand! No, I mean, I’ll do it!”
“Kihiiing!”
Watching the Sloppy Fox wriggle in the man’s arms made me snicker uncontrollably.
Being held by an ugly man, who is leagues away from beauty—it must be the greatest humiliation for a Sloppy Fox, right?
You’ll have to pay for your nonsense, Sloppy Fox!
*
“I hear you just came back from a Dungeon Strategy. Ducal Young Lady Partlan, how was the outside dungeon?”
“It wasn’t exactly easy. Unlike the Academy Dungeon…”
After finishing the dungeon strategy, Joy attended a gathering with several noble young ladies back at the Academy.
Honestly, it wasn’t something she was looking forward to.
Even before entering the Academy, Joy had felt uncomfortable in gatherings with noble young ladies.
Now, she just wanted to train her magic or chat with her friends, or better yet, be with Lucy.
Yet, for Joy to be quietly among the noble young ladies was part of the role of a Ducal Young Lady.
While she gets teased as a fool when she’s with her friends, she stands elegant and composed as the Ducal Young Lady outside.
With her strong sense of responsibility, Joy had no intention of running away from her duties.
“We’ll also have to venture into the outside dungeon someday. It seems frightening.”
“Don’t worry, everyone. If you can use what you learned at the Academy properly, there will be no problem at all.”
“Truly, Ducal Young Lady Partlan.”
“How impressive!”
“Excuse me, Ducal Young Lady. Can I go into the dungeon with you later?”
“Wow! That’s a wonderful idea!”
“If the Young Lady is with us, we’d feel much safer!”
“With the magical prowess of Ducal Young Lady Partlan, who’s praised by the Academy professors, we can solve any dungeon in no time!”
Even surrounded by a flurry of compliments, Joy didn’t feel particularly happy.
She knew that about half of their compliments were flattery, and most of the remaining were jealousy rather than genuine praise.
She’d rather receive mocking comments from Allen… no, rather from Lucy. At least Lucy’s barbs lacked sarcasm.
As she was trying to kill time and thought of leaving, Joy tilted her head, spotting people waiting outside the social gathering’s outskirts.
“Those people must be the new entrants this time?”
“That’s right, Ducal Young Lady.”
The newly inducted young ladies to the social scene were mostly familiar to Joy.
Having frequently participated in social gatherings, she remembered the faces and names of most noble young ladies well.
However, a few among them were even more familiar.
For example, the Kent Family’s young lady caught her eye.
Kent Young Lady, who is Frey Kent’s younger sister and close to Lucy, was looking at Joy with an eagerness, as if she wanted to rush over right away.
She seemed to be trying hard to hold back her excitement, but her vibrancy was impossible to miss.
Umm. If I leave her alone like that, she’ll surely attract jealousy from the other young ladies.
I should tell her separately later, but I am skeptical if she’ll understand what I mean.
Hmm? Wait.
Isn’t that figure beside Kent Young Lady different from what I remember?
Something feels off?
I sense a similar aura to what I felt in the dungeon.
Is it just my imagination?
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