Chapter 25
Chapter 25
The research began.
Contrary to the impression he gave at first, Professor Georg carried out his role as a teacher quite well, and I absorbed his knowledge and advice while pouring the budget straight into the project.
Day 1.
After squeezing my brain dry, by the time I returned to the dormitory I fell asleep as if half unconscious.
And the next day.
I woke up earlier than usual.
It wasn’t because I was a diligent person.
“Ah, I don’t want to go out.”
My head throbbed.
The fatigue that hadn’t fully faded still lingered.
But before today’s classes start, I have to go be interrogated by the chairman, Olga Hermod.
No, if anything I should be the one receiving an apology.
If she had believed me when I said there might be a traitor in Class F, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.
On top of that, she was the one who failed to notice the Cult’s sinister intentions and allowed him into the Cradle.
With those complaints in mind, I visited the chairman’s office.
As always, Olga Hermod greeted me with a stiff expression.
“You look tired.”
“I’ve been devoting myself to my studies.”
“Then should I expect good grades next semester?”
I simply shrugged.
This much was enough for a greeting.
“Let’s get to the point. You called me here because of the recent incident, didn’t you?”
If the incident had happened outside it would be one thing, but this time it occurred inside the Cradle.
The scale was small and the number of victims was low, but terrorism was still terrorism.
Olga Hermod politely placed a cup of coffee in front of me.
Seeing someone of her age doing this made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Of course, depending on how things go from here, her age won’t matter to me at all.
Just try yelling at me and I’ll show you what real yelling looks like.
“Yes. But before we begin, an apology comes first. I sincerely apologize for the concern caused by the management failure that led to this incident, Student Johan.”
It was an appropriate response.
I could raise my voice and explode with anger, but Olga Hermod also has circumstances she cannot avoid.
The Cradle had been broken from the start.
The existing security system was practically useless, and now the gaps were being filled with people instead.
The strange situation was that Olga Hermod alone was overseeing this vast academy.
It was unreasonable from the beginning.
“I understand.”
Until a proper security system is completed, she must protect the entire Cradle by herself.
The current situation existed purely because of the reputation of a great archmage and her goodwill.
The archmage standing before me already deserved to be called a monster simply for completely blocking outside enemies.
“It would have been nice if you had listened to me a little more carefully.”
So I only offered a small complaint.
If she had taken me seriously when I said the Under Chain was targeting me, none of this would have happened.
“That accusation is a little unfair. I did not ignore your words at that time.”
“…?”
What was this? Was she making excuses now? She apologized for everything earlier but not for this?
Was she really trying to start a heated argument with me?
“After hearing your words, I arranged for protection around you and prepared minimal countermeasures. However…”
Olga Hermod narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
“For someone who said they were anxious, you’ve been sticking very close to that student lately…”
She meant Yuna.
Not long after I vented my concerns to Olga Hermod, I discovered Yuna’s true identity and started speaking casually with her.
“And in the end, the spies from Under Chain turned out to be Melana and Jeff.”
“….”
I never told Olga Hermod about those two.
At the time I had too many things going on and was busy confirming Yuna’s identity.
I thought again about how my actions must have looked.
“…Let’s pretend that conversation never happened.”
Damn it. I suddenly felt like throwing up.
Objectively speaking, my actions really did look no different from a teenage boy bullying a girl he liked.
“What conversation are you referring to?”
Her considerate response made it hurt even more.
“Then let’s move on to the main topic. Could you explain in detail what happened that night?”
I explained everything that had happened.
The contents were the same as what I had told Lobelia.
Melana using chains and Jeff helping her.
The structure of the story matched well enough.
Only the order and perspective were slightly different.
After listening to my long lie, Olga Hermod set down her teacup and crossed her arms.
I managed to deceive Lobelia, but could I deceive a great archmage as well?
No, I shouldn’t think like that.
As long as Ariel and I keep our mouths shut, everyone else can only make guesses anyway.
“I understand. So that is why Student Ariel approached you…”
“Excuse me?”
Something felt strange.
Wasn’t her perspective a little off?
“I understand that the boiling blood of youth can be difficult to control, but please be careful not to wound the hearts of delicate students.”
“What are you talking about?”
Are you insane?
“No, it’s nothing yet. Given the situation… I simply hope that it doesn’t become a problem. But if it develops into a love triangle, someone may be deeply hurt…”
“Are you actually crazy?”
“Ahem… I misspoke.”
“Good grief.”
Seriously, good grief.
What on earth is this crazy old woman thinking?
Is she really determined to turn this into some page from youthful romance?
“…If the conversation is over, may I leave?”
“Ah, I seem to have kept you too long. You may go.”
If I continued talking with this person, my sanity might start deteriorating.
Of all people to pair me up with, why does she choose the most dangerous ones?
It was truly terrifying.
“And I will try to ensure that something like this does not happen again. Please enjoy your student life.”
“….”
Even so, the feeling wasn’t entirely bad.
Perhaps… no, certainly.
Olga Hermod might be the only person in the Cradle who still sees these worn-out students as children who need protection.
Class time.
I slept.
It’s a common occurrence.
How often have I ever properly attended class?
I had poured all my energy into making the medicine that could cure Ariel’s illness, so I was too tired to do anything else.
When I woke up after a deep sleep, Yuna was standing in front of me.
“Yuna, what time is it?”
“School just ended.”
“Ah, perfect timing. Thanks for waking me.”
“Then will you become my disciple?”
“If the position of your disciple is that cheap, I’ll pass.”
“Then… um… what should I say to persuade you?”
Persuade me with what?
It means I’m not doing it.
I stood up and stretched lightly.
Sleeping from the first period all the way through lunch had taken a toll.
My arms were numb and my back hurt.
By the way, I slept openly for that long and nobody bothered me.
Maybe it’s because the words noble and Class F together make people reluctant to interfere.
I feel a little guilty, so next time I should pretend to doze instead of sleeping openly.
“Let’s see… maybe it’s about time I went to check.”
“Where are you going today? The alchemy workshop again for experiments?”
“You really do know everything about my daily life.”
“Hehe! It’s basic knowledge.”
Basic knowledge for a stalker?
Expecting common sense from Yuna was my mistake.
“Today I’m going to see the Cult. More precisely, I want to personally watch that bastard leave the Cradle.”
Because of him, I still can’t sleep peacefully at night.
I have no idea what he’s thinking, so I can’t relax.
He’s a potential threat.
And the kind that’s hard to predict.
“You’re incredibly paranoid!”
“It’s not paranoia. It’s normal human reasoning.”
Who wouldn’t feel uneasy knowing a terrorist lives nearby?
At the very least, I won’t sleep peacefully until I hear that he’s gone.
“But Johan, isn’t there something you should do first?”
“Me? I don’t really have schedules.”
“You need to eat!”
“…That’s true.”
Only after Yuna pointed it out did I realize I was hungry.
Well, I did skip lunch and go straight to sleep.
“Then should we watch from a café near the main gate while we eat something?”
“Let’s do it!”
Yuna smiled brightly.
But why are you trying to eat with me? That’s kind of burdensome.
The place I chose was a café on the second floor of a building overlooking the main gate.
I sat by the window, looking down toward the entrance.
Yuna, who acted like she wanted to eat together, disappeared halfway through.
What’s this?
Why does it annoy me?
When she said she’d come along it was irritating, but now that she disappeared it feels like I got stood up.
While I waited in a sour mood for the Cult to leave—
“You don’t look well.”
“…Damn.”
The Cult sat down across from me.
Damn it. My behavior had been predicted.
From that brief meeting and conversation, it seemed the Cult had already understood what kind of person I was.
I came here to watch him leave, but now I’m stuck arguing with him again.
“Didn’t our conversation end last time?”
“Can’t we have a light chat? This time I came to deliver a request… no, a warning.”
“….”
Whatever he says, I have no intention of listening.
Besides, I have no plans to leave the Cradle until graduation, so his warning means nothing.
“You know I came here as a psychological counselor this time, right?”
“Yes. Because of that nonsense, I ended up in this miserable situation.”
If he hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have interfered with Ariel’s illness and spent my days and nights conducting experiments.
Thanks to him, I feel like dying even now.
No matter how much I sleep, my head aches from thinking too much.
“Has your stay been extended?”
“If that were the case, there would be no need for me to warn you personally.”
The Cult smiled brightly.
This bastard said he came to warn me, yet he’s smiling?
“Anyway, I tried quite hard. Even though I had my own goals, I had to consider the influence of high society, so I did my best with the counseling.”
“Did you actually cure some of those lunatics?”
“That’s already too late. Not unless I perform a miracle. Still, perhaps my words provided them with a small amount of comfort.”
The Cult could probably perform a complete cure if he wanted, but he meant he stayed within reasonable limits.
If his words are true, some people probably did find comfort.
After all, the Cult is a prophet blessed by God.
“So the chairman seems to think the invitation was successful.”
Inviting the Cult to counsel the students had shown results.
What would Olga Hermod, a proper adult who cares about students, think?
“It seems she plans to invite other famous figures as well. I’m worried that someone like a lunatic from Ex Machina might slip in.”
“This is insane.”
The problem isn’t just that terrorists from outside might infiltrate.
The opposite can also happen.
Those deeply tied to the main story.
People at the center of storms.
If such figures enter the Cradle, the storms surrounding them might enter as well.
Right now, the many terrorist organizations aren’t attacking the Cradle because of cost and benefit.
They have more to lose than gain.
But in this world there are people who pursue revenge without caring about bystanders or consequences.
And in an age of war, such people are everywhere.
“Well then, it seems your friend is looking for you, so I’ll take my leave, Mr. Johan. I hope next time we can talk under better circumstances.”
“….”
I said nothing.
Even so, the Cult smiled brightly, left the café, and approached Dietrich standing near the main gate.
The moment their eyes met, they both grinned like mischievous children.
“…Even someone like that has a friend.”
Then why don’t I?
Later, after returning to the marquis’s residence, Cult Ereticus first reviewed the list of people who would come as his successor.
The people Olga Hermod had contacted.
Those being watched by the Imperial family.
Among them were suspicious individuals and people with many enemies.
After reviewing and investigating them all, the Cult discovered the outsider who would enter the Cradle as his successor.
The moment he saw the name, he almost burst out laughing.
“Brother. What are you looking at?”
“Hm? Ah, Helena. Is it alright for you to walk around today?”
“Yes. I’m feeling better today.”
Cult, who had been reading the documents, smiled as the girl peeked into his room.
The daughter the Marquis of Ereticus had tried to save at any cost.
Cult had saved her mysterious fever through a miracle of God and gained the backing of the Ereticus family in return.
“May I see?”
“Of course, Helena.”
She was a lovely child.
Even Cult thought so.
He lifted Helena onto his lap.
Her snow-white hair fluttered like his own as she smiled brightly like sunlight.
Anyone seeing them might mistake them for real siblings.
“What is this?”
“Well… you know I recently visited the Cradle, right? I was reviewing what happened there.”
Cult explained to Helena who the person in the document was in a way she could understand.
“Saint… Tillys? What does saint mean?”
“Well… it’s a term full of religious meaning, so it’s difficult to explain. But the reason this person is called a saint is a little different from the dictionary definition.”
Inside, Cult sneered.
A saint? How ridiculous.
The woman named Tillys does not follow any religion, nor has she done anything worthy of being called a saint.
She wandered through slums doing volunteer work, but nothing extraordinary.
The reason she is called a saint comes down to a single fact.
“She is the only High Elf left in this world.”
Simply because she possesses the race and appearance that suit the title.
Later.
A woman wearing a wide robe and hood entered the Cradle.
People passing by frowned at the suspicious sight and watched her cautiously.
But it did not take long for their perception to change.
“Ah!”
Someone unconsciously gasped when the woman pushed back her hood.
Shimmering silver hair.
Fresh green eyes.
And pointed ears.
The gentle smile on her lips made those who saw it smile back without realizing.
“So this is the Cradle.”
The visitor to the Cradle.
Saint Tillys clasped her hands together and looked around in admiration.
“To think there is a place so full of the energy of spirits!”
The eye of the storm had entered the Cradle.