Chapter 189
“It’s quite the irony that the personnel who came for the conversation just vanished. Has the student council of Rikeion fallen behind with this generational shift compared to the past?”
The student council president of Academia, Rheincarven, muttered softly.
His cold gaze didn’t appear to regard his opponent lightly, yet it also didn’t carry any softness of consideration.
Upon hearing this, Rikeion’s student council president, Rheincarven, flinched and soon narrowed his eyes.
Disregarding Rikeion was not something he could let slide, no matter the apology.
“I don’t particularly want to hear from Academia, which has recently been the talk of the town.”
“It was only because it was Academia that things were contained to this extent. You’ve surely received enough reports regarding the circumstances of the End of First Semester exams and the festival, haven’t you?”
During the End of First Semester exam season, the archbishop Zagan had stormed into the first-years’ examination grounds.
She ended up getting some bishops she brought along captured, and the casualties for Academia were limited to a few fatalities and injuries.
Even during the festival, there were the deaths of two top-tier bishops and three bishops of lower rank. They managed to capture one bishop alive.
However… dozens of students met their demise due to the festival, and even professors had to suffer losses.
This was indeed a significant loss, and wasn’t it true that the followers of the Goddess Church had emerged from within Academia unimpeded?
What kind of audacity did one have to boast about that?
Edina spat out her words with a somewhat aggressive tone.
“Isn’t it a problem caused by Academia’s soft policies to begin with? What shame is there in having the followers of the Goddess Church swarming in a sacred place of learning?”
“…Are you suggesting that Rikeion’s circumstances are different?”
As soon as the Goddess Church was brought up, Rheincarven felt a bit softened.
Thanks to that, Edina, riding on her momentum, proudly stated that they were different from Academia.
“Rikeion not only helps the students grow but also guides them to cultivate proper ideals. We are not like Academia, which has forgotten its founding principles in the excessive pursuit of individual freedom and equality.”
“Proudly proclaiming ideological reform through dictatorship and oppression, I see.”
“Ideological reform…! Please refrain from speaking. It’s just basic measures to prevent the absurd infiltration of the Goddess Church’s influence, unlike Academia.”
Bargan, who had been listening to the conversation, somewhat agreed with Edina’s opinion.
Straying from the novel and applying it to the real world, both Academia and Rikeion could be described as institutions training soldiers.
It’s quite significant for an organization that needs to fight against foes to unify its ideology.
The truly frightening thing is the internal enemy rather than the external one.
Countless nations and organizations have crumbled for failing to monitor their internal affairs. Thus, Edina’s viewpoint held merit. It is common to prioritize needed ideological indoctrination and repression over simply nurturing students under the guise of freedom and equality.
Edina’s opinion makes sense. It’s more common to instill necessary ideologies and suppress minds rather than promote freedom and equality while nurturing students.
…However, unfortunately, the Goddess Church requires a different perspective.
“Don’t underestimate their faith. They are the kind that would sacrifice even death to achieve their goals.”
Rheincarven pointed out that their ideology wouldn’t change with just an hour of daily education and noted the difficulty of discernment due to their ‘blessings.’
They move as a group, supplementing each other’s weaknesses with various blessings that leave no traces detectable by magic.
“Edina. Even if Rikeion puts so much effort into ideological education, thinking the situation is different may be an illusion.”
“……”
Academia also instills education and values regarding Altife.
However, once they reach a certain level, they are left alone because searching for the benefactors of the Goddess Church is that difficult and inefficient.
They are everywhere.
Blending in naturally without drawing attention.
That’s the truly frightening aspect of the Goddess Church.
“……I’ll take your advice.”
Edina turned her head, seemingly reluctant. It was hard to confidently claim that she was completely innocent, even in her own thoughts.
Then, by chance, she glanced at Vargan, and Rheincarven introduced him to Edina.
“This is Vargan, the third son of the Schugenhartz family. He came as the representative of the first-year students.”
“I know. With how much he looks like his siblings, how could I not?”
After all, it was Rikeion’s Chancellor who designated him.
She had heard of the antics he has pulled off until now. He seemed to engage in all sorts of ridiculous acts… but that wasn’t the point right now.
Edina withdrew her gaze from Vargan.
In the current moment, she couldn’t help but be interested in others more than him.
‘Why haven’t they arrived yet…? Surely Gaba isn’t off doing something foolish as well…?’
Edina was starting to get anxious internally.
Vargan read the expression on Edina’s face. He tried his best to hide it, but for someone skilled at observing others’ actions and emotions, it was all too clear.
‘Rikeion’s unparalleled genius and star, Arha… right?’
In the original work, Arha was the Rikeion student who monopolized the spotlight before Alicia garnered attention from the church.
Like Alicia, she was of commoner descent and awakened her magical talents later.
However, aside from that, she was vastly different from Alicia.
It’s not just that she started learning magic about three years earlier.
Personality and thinking.
The two fundamental mechanisms that drive human behavior are entirely different.
In fact… Vargan was considering Arha as a backup plan if Alicia couldn’t overcome her trauma and ended up useless.
Compared to Alicia, who needed to be taught from square one, Arha had already achieved high accomplishments at that time, saving time in the process.
However, Arha was always a second choice, never to be the best option.
As brilliant as Arha was, he preferred not to covet her.
…Why?
Well, the current situation would explain that sufficiently.
“I can’t wait any longer.”
Edina abruptly stood up while examining the flow of time with her mana.
With a determined look in her eyes, she turned to the muscle-bound gentleman, Jeraman.
“The professors will be here soon. We can’t delay any longer.”
“I can’t afford to waste time.”
“Then I’ll go. If the President gives the order, I’ll bring the troublemakers right away.”
“No, Jeraman.”
Edina shook her head.
With her fists clenched, she stated defiantly, “I’ll go too.”
*
“Hey, Alicia. Let’s fight! I’ve really wanted to battle you!”
‘Arha is saying something weird again.’
Gaba, the male vice representative, had come to fetch Arha at Edina’s command. The moment he spotted Arha, he couldn’t help but sigh.
That genius must be caught in another bizarre whim. Talent is one thing, but her peculiarities are something I just can’t adapt to.
Resigned, Gaba shook his head and approached Arha.
“Arha, this isn’t the time. The President must be really upset. If we don’t hurry back, that anger will splash over to me…”
Gaba tried to finish his sentence but suddenly stopped in his tracks.
‘Oh my god!’
He thought he might choke.
She had eyes like a clear lake and hair as brilliant as the Milky Way. With flawless skin and perfectly arranged features, she was a sight to behold.
He had seen countless women in his life, but there was no one as beautiful as her…!
Gaba caught sight of Alicia, who was flustered by Arha, and cleared his throat awkwardly.
Looks like I need to use this situation created by Arha.
– Don’t put a beautiful woman in a difficult position, Arha.
In an instant, Gaba stepped between Arha and Alicia.
His mana circuit activated like a motor, instantly unleashing his mana and enhancing his physical body.
“What’s going on…? I’m not interested in you,” Arha said dismissively, and Gaba replied in a low voice.
“I can’t just stand by and let this innocent lady be sacrificed to satisfy your curiosity.”
“I don’t really get it… but are you saying you’re going to stop me?”
“If that’s the way to help this poor lady.”
Arha’s tone also shifted, almost as if they were about to engage in combat.
Gaba stood firm against Arha’s challenge. While Arha was undoubtedly an elite genius of Rikeion, Gaba had a wealth of combat experience and skills that could keep up.
As the tension between the two escalated, Alicia, who was caught in the middle, hurriedly stepped in.
“Wait, just a moment…! First, both of you calm down and let’s talk… Ah!”
“Shh. You don’t need to say anything. I’ll protect you.”
Gaba silenced Alicia by placing a finger over her lips, careful not to apply too much pressure so as not to hurt the beautiful lady.
Arterion frowned at Gaba’s sudden action.
Just as he was about to intervene, a massive figure appeared, grabbing Alicia’s hand and retreating backward.
– Crash!
The mystery figure smashed down a gigantic hammer.
Gaba bore the impact with his arm shielding the Protector.
After subtly checking that Alicia had avoided danger, he turned to face the front.
“…Ugh, Vice President. Wasn’t a student from another school almost hurt? What’s going on!?”
“You’re the one who was about to lay hands on another school’s student, and you have the nerve to say that?”
“Don’t twist my words! I was just trying to protect a lady…!”
With all his might, Gaba pushed the hammer away.
Jeraman, the vice president, hoisted the hammer onto his shoulder, and Gaba took a fighting stance, exhaling deeply.
She had placed her shoulder against him, and Gaba took a martial arts stance while exhaling.
Arha, who was a step ahead, tried to sneak sideways but was caught red-handed by Edina, who wore an openly furious expression.
With no way to escape, Arha brazenly stepped forward.
“So, I told you, why do you keep making me the representative? I absolutely hate being bothered.”
“When you said you were curious about the Academia, that was one thing, but now you’re playing dumb? You agreed to follow along quietly this time.”
“Did I? I don’t remember that.”
Arha pretended to search her memory, nodding her head with an expression of complete ignorance.
Edina’s golden eyebrows twitched, and blue mana began to rise.
Arha smiled, thinking the situation was becoming amusing.
“Are you going to fight me, President? That would be nice. But unfortunately, I’ll have to postpone my fight with Alicia for a little later…”
Suddenly, Arha realized that what she was seeing was an illusion.
It was subtle enough that only someone with her natural talent for magic could detect it.
‘Curse magic? When did that happen…?’
Arha grasped the core of the spell and quickly found an answer.
It was quite a complex and solid spell, but not one that couldn’t be broken.
As she shattered the spell, the illusions shattered like glass, leading to the appearance of a man with black hair.
“Keheh!”
He swung his fist wrapped in a Protector’s aura.
Arha received a powerful blow to the cheek that turned her head and knocked her down.
The black-haired man looked at his fist with a satisfied expression, saying, “Not bad at all in terms of quality.”
Arha’s brilliant brain quickly analyzed the moment that had just occurred.
She had been hit by curse magic.
The curse magic created an illusion that was hardly different from reality.
The only difference was the presence of the black-haired man.
‘Wait, I didn’t even have time to react and was cursed? Could it be…?’
Do I know him?
No, I’ve never seen that face before. Since he was dressed in Academia attire, it was highly likely that I was seeing him for the first time.
Does he know something about me?
But even if that were the case, having that level of ‘understanding’ would not be enough to cast curse magic with such effectiveness.
‘This is the difference in skill between the caster and me. It’s purely a matter of different understanding and ability.’
Is there really that much difference in skill…?
Could a mere student, not a hero or a professor, possess such a disparity?
The punch from just now, even with my reflex magic activated, still caused significant impact. This wasn’t some mediocre achievement.
“Young Master…!”
Alicia called the man with black hair ‘Young Master.’
‘Young Master?’
Ah, I know.
When I heard about Alicia, I also got information about the man she has a master-servant relationship with.
His name was definitely…
“……Schugenharz Troa Vargan.”
Arha stood up and faced Vargan, her lips curling into a long smile.
Vargan looked down at her and spoke.
“How dare you speak someone’s name so carelessly, you lowly wench.”
He had an incredibly domineering demeanor.
“Just because your status is lowly doesn’t mean your behavior should be crass. Yet here you are, looking like this as a representative of the first-year students; it’s quite telling of Rikeion’s standards.”
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