<600 – Delicious Linked Quest (24)>
Jonnas sensed the sacred area soaring high into the sky and the magnificent realm of the gods cast over the academy.
‘Divine Incarnation!’
A divine being with such powerful strength cannot exert their power on the ground without passing through the fabric of the world in this special way known as incarnation.
When the realm of one of the 24 major divine beings swept through the ground without restraint, Jonnas immediately realized.
‘The principal has permitted the divine incarnation!’
As long as it’s fun, who cares?
The crazy principal whose own interest is the highest priority.
Evil Dragon Omoshiroi couldn’t resist.
‘If that principal were to see the lady die, she would just pretend not to see and confine the saintesses to the Great Prison.’
It’s up to him.
Only he could save the lady.
[Veil of Peace]
[Lullaby of Peace]
The instructors who were already positioned in the academy grounds where the divine being descended felt their bodies transform back from being disguised as wooden benches or fainting in the trees the moment the barrier spread.
If he approached recklessly, Jonnas would face the same fate, and if he forced his way through, he would drag other instructors along looking for the entrance to the divine realm as a tail.
‘No one knows what’s happening inside. I must go in alone.’
Jonnas’s calculations were right.
With the divine presence vanished and the saintesses collapsed, it was easy to deduce how the instructors would perceive this scene.
The Dark Princess had killed the saintesses of the Divine Alliance.
The reason was irrelevant.
He must capture that monstrous child immediately.
“Reap. I leave the lady to you.”
“Jonnas? Why do you suddenly look like that? Like someone about to part ways.”
“Forgive me, my insufficient butler could think of no other way.”
Jonnas launched a blow.
It struck Oknodie, who blinked up at him with clear, untainted eyes.
A pure smile, drawn like an innocent child showing unconditional love from parent to child.
As if to put an end to that trust, Jonnas’s strike landed a powerful blow on Oknodie.
“?!”
There was no mana shield.
No acceleration moving the afterimages.
Not even an attempt to avoid by moving clones.
Because Jonnas wouldn’t attack.
Because there was no reason to be wary of Jonnas.
Thus, the lady simply fell victim to the attack.
“W-Why…?”
Confusion.
Chaos.
Injustice.
Sadness.
Feeling a deeper sadness than the lady in the swirling mix of emotions, Jonnas once again launched his strike with a cold face.
The lady didn’t even resist this time and collapsed under the blow.
“Reap. I’m sorry to you too.”
“Just one arm, please.”
Jonnas’s attack broke Reap’s right arm.
Reap calmly fell, wrapping around Oknodie without even screaming.
Immediately after, a multitude of instructors burst onto the scene.
“Oh my, goodness.”
“How much immense power must have collided for such traces to remain?”
“The protective magic circle engraved across the entire academy ground has been torn. This could have affected the protective spells of the Great Prison!”
“Wait a second. This crack is from the [Comprehensive Dungeon Theme Park]. If a door opens to a facility…”
“Oh. Capturing escape monsters…”
The instructors, lost in despair, suddenly sensed something strange.
“Why is a shadow suddenly looming?”
“I wish it would rain if I feel like crying…”
While the instructors hoped for rain, the shadow looming over them had a distinct shape.
“That shadow is strange.”
The shadow resembling a muscular male posing as if showing off his brawn.
As the massive shadow gradually decreased in size, the instructors looked up at the sky in disbelief.
“That looks familiar, doesn’t it?”
“Gasp! It’s Professor Plato!”
“Holy moly.”
“Run!”
“If we get crushed, it’s instant death!!”
Before the instructors could rush towards nearby cover, a statue made from metal harder than steel landed on the ground, two beats faster.
In the shockwave that followed, the instructors lifted into the air were swept away along with nearby cover.
Tu-quack-quack-quack!
Leaving behind the scattered instructors like trash, a building collapsed, releasing a thick cloud of smoke.
“Hoo-hoot-hoo-hoo! Weaklings, unable to even advance to rank and just scrape points as instructors, aren’t gaining any skills! Can’t even withstand a small meteor dive with the force of a small meteorite collision!”
“…”
Plato scorned the pitiful state of the instructors unable to even respond.
The thick smoke was rapidly cleared, revealing the area where the sacred realm manifested.
“You’ve chosen quite the showy entrance.”
“When the academy is finally under attack, how can I not be excited? So, who triggered the manifestation of the sacred realm, and what happened here…”
Plato’s words paused.
His gaze fell upon the collapsed saintesses, Oknodie, and Reap.
Lastly, looking back at Jonnas, the playful and lighthearted demeanor vanished from Plato’s face.
“…What is going on? Why are the student Oknodie, Temporary Professor Reap, and the visiting saintesses from the academy all lying together?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Did the gods declare heresy on that child?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Why do you speak in such frustrating tones! Who among us does not know that you remain in the academy as a professor to protect that child? Do you not know how the life of someone who has been declared a heretic crumbles into ruins?”
Jonnas shook his head.
“I can’t answer that.”
“If you won’t speak, I must find out for myself.”
A bright blue aura of mana flickered in Plato’s eyes.
Jonnas realized.
That Plato had just discovered the preparations he had made beforehand.
“Why does everyone have signs of having been attacked by you, including Oknodie, the maid, and the saintesses?”
“…”
“Even if you were declared heresy, the thick metal aura should be detectable. Could it be that you altered the signs to protect Oknodie?”
“……”
“Have you ever seen such a foolish friend? A mere third-year, effectively just a two-year student, achieving the feat of repelling a god, and you believe this superhuman kid would be let off easily in Gift Academy?”
Jonnas pressed his arms together.
“The lady was only used by me.”
“What?”
“I drew the saintesses to the academy to repel them. Thus, the foundation reduced its enemies, and the lady’s status within the academy became more unstable. Such strength leaves no room for camaraderie, leading to isolation. Ultimately, she will have no choice but to return to the foundation.”
“Stop speaking what’s not in your heart! Even now, if you tell the truth, it’s not too late. If you claim that the saintesses caused a bloodbath trying to prevent the founding of the Saintess Alliance with the help of professors, sufficient explanation exists that could quell matters.”
Jonnas shook his head against Plato’s compromise.
“If I don’t comply willingly, I will resist until you have no choice but to arrest me. Do you wish for me to act like that?”
Jonnas’s [Metal Manipulation] caused Plato’s statue-like body to twitch slightly.
Plato realized that their compatibility was the worst and that things would become incredibly difficult if a fight broke out.
“It’s too late now. Professors from the Empire are arriving. Don’t blame anyone but yourself for your choices.”
Plato placed restraint cuffs on Jonnas’s hands.
*
“Jonnas…?”
Forcibly murmuring, he opened his eyes.
He should have felt relief since the familiar lab ceiling didn’t appear, but the reality of no one staying by him brought sadness.
What was that?
Had he been dreaming?
As he rose, Arcadia, who had come to visit, dashed over and hugged him tightly.
“Di! Are you okay? Are you awake?”
“Sister Arcadia… what about the others?”
“It’s all over now. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore. You’re safe here.”
“What about Reap? What about Jonnas?”
“Di…”
Arcadia’s face fell as if she were struck by the shocking confession of a wife telling a husband that the daughter they raised for 20 years is not their child.
“Professor Jonnas is imprisoned in the Great Prison, and Temporary Professor Reap is being interrogated in the investigation room.”
“Jonnas and Reap? Why?”
“Don’t you remember? It’s understandable. Such terrible things happened…”
Arcadia spoke with a sorrow that seemed personal.
“The rumors are already spreading. The saintesses were lured by two professors into a trap for you to be declared [Heresy], causing a bloody situation due to the insane saintesses trying to take actions to prevent the establishment of the Saintess Alliance, and you barely survived. Thanks to that, it is said you were not declared a heretic.”
What the heck…?
None of that happened.
That wasn’t it.
The saintesses were trying to block the establishment ceremony…
He was about to discipline them again…
Then Jonnas appeared.
Suddenly, he started hitting me…?
“Stop worrying about the traitors of the foundation.”
“Jonnas betrayed me…?
That can’t be true.
My loyalty is 100.
*An act of betrayal doesn’t even make sense in the first place.”
With strong rejection came clarity to his mind.
“Did you just say [Heresy]?”
“Don’t worry. The professors who were present clearly confirmed that the charges against you for heresy were unjust, so you weren’t declared a heretic.”
“That’s it!”
Now things finally made sense.
What is the most powerful attack technique used by high-ranking clergy?
The sacred realm?
The descent of the deity being served?
No.
A technique that imposes a permanent penalty on one person.
The curse that results in the loss of benefits related to that deity’s authority at any time or place, invoked in the name of the deity.
[Heresy] is indeed the most powerful attack technique.
This curse can inflict severe harm not only to the cursed party but also to those nearby, and given that one can lean on other powerful entities to withstand the wrath of the deity, its risk sharply increases.
If I truly faced [Heresy], there wouldn’t just be one or two professors who wanted to kill me right away, right?
‘Good thing I didn’t fight with a standard build!’
The God of Peace Tranqilo didn’t even have the leisure to unleash [Heresy].
Saintesses and gods were frantically toyed with, unable to do anything but defend.
No one else had the time to know this fact.
Thinking like this, the truth began to emerge.
Jonnas was perhaps worried I might actually get declared [Heresy], thus he enveloped me in his path.
To avoid being scrutinized by the academy people, he pretended to be the main culprit of the incident.
He defeated the saintesses before they could declare [Heresy], deceiving everyone into thinking all the bad was his doing.
Yeah, the loyalty of 100 wasn’t broken.
This was a protective event that occurred precisely because the loyalty was at 100!
“Jonnas isn’t bad!”
“Di, how can you say that…! After experiencing such a thing, you still…”
Just as I managed to comprehend the incident with relief, I felt Arcadia suddenly hug me again.
Her shoulders absorbed her tears, which flowed as if a frustrated baby splashed water with its roots.
Why is she crying like that?
“Sister, don’t cry. Have some fruit!”
While I fed the fruit Arcadia brought me to calm her down, Ishtar peeked in through the window and looked baffled at the scene.
“What kind of flow allows the one who needs care to end up taking care of the person coming to care for them?”
