Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Training
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As befitting a place where all the elite of the continent gathered, the three academies were always bustling with people coming and going.
Thanks to that, the relay village at the entrance to the Golden Triangle was perpetually noisy and lively.
Even the high-end inn where the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom was staying couldn't escape the clamor of daily life around it.
“...”
The Saintess, Lucien, let out a sigh as she rose from the bed.
Her gold-and-white hair slid smoothly over her pure white robes.
As she sighed, a cloud of cigarette smoke billowed into the air.
A Saintess and cigarettes—it would be a combination that would make devout believers flip their lids and charge in—but she paid it no mind and pulled out a fresh one.
“Could you close the window, please?”
“Yes? Oh, am I bothering you?”
The 'boy' sitting by the window turned his head at her words.
He was a man who looked barely into his late teens, clad head to toe in full armor.
“Sorry about that. I was just watching the people. This city is so vibrant; it lifts the spirits.”
“The sound is fine, but the light coming in is a bit distracting.”
“Do modern Saintesses get bothered by light these days?”
“It's just my personal habit. I've spent most of my life in dark chapels.”
“Don't dive into such grim topics all of a sudden. Makes me want to smack you.”
“...You're nominally my guard knight, at least. Watch your words.”
It was an incredibly irreverent tone for addressing the continent's Saintess, but Lucien showed no particular reaction beyond that.
Considering this man's personality, he was someone who wouldn't do such a thing even if he came back from the dead.
“You're not even scared anymore. You were tense when we first met.”
“I'd sooner believe the Pope is a saintly gentleman than believe you'd hit a woman, Balcasus.”
The boy chuckled as he closed the window.
“It's just hitting me how close we've gotten.”
“Is that so.”
“Yeah. For a devil worshiper and a Saintess, we're awfully casual with each other.”
Lucien looked up at him.
“...”
The moment she did, an oppressive pressure squeezed her entire body, making her grit her teeth.
The room was dim now that the window—the only source of light—was closed, so she couldn't see the boy's expression.
But that twisted 'form' was crystal clear.
Incomprehensible, repulsive, loathsome, horrific.
It didn't show under the light, but the moment darkness fell, this boy inevitably revealed his 'true nature.'
A monster, indescribably warped, steeped in eons of time.
Even she, one of the church's top wielders of holy power, could do no more than stay conscious in his presence without being subdued.
“...Don't worry about it.”
She gave a wry smile at the sight.
“Humans holding my leash might be worse than you lot, after all.”
In truth, that was the case.
Ever since receiving the 'collar' of being the Saintess from the Holy Kingdom, Lucien had never once regretted tying herself to these people.
Devil worshipers in human skin were far better than the real devils.
“Appreciate that.”
The boy smirked and yawned before asking back.
“But you're cooperating with us for your own goals too, right? What was it again? Someone you're looking for?”
“Yes.”
Lucien nodded slightly.
“...Someone precious to me is at Elpante.”
She continued in a voice laced with firm resolve.
“I have something I must do for them, no matter what.”
“I see. Someone precious, huh.”
The boy nodded at her words.
A faint glint flickered in the darkness several times.
“I had things like that once too.”
What followed was the voice of one buried in memories of the past.
At the same time, a rotten aura began overflowing from the boy's body.
Impurity flooded out.
Lucien involuntarily drew in a breath.
Just being near it made her feel like her body was shattering to pieces.
“...”
“There was a time like that. Like the humans out that window—full of life, laughing, chattering, loving one another. A time when I embraced ordinary people like that with all my heart.”
His exhales, thick with the aura of the dead, spread through the air in heavy clouds.
The poison mixed in made her head spin.
It seeped out.
The resentful spirits of the dead, the thirst of the perished, oozed like sticky soot clinging to the floor, crawling up slowly.
And over it all.
A lonely voice overlaid.
“...Where the hell is my kingdom now, the one that was like that.”
“...Ah, guh...!”
“Whoops, my bad.”
The boy chuckled.
At the same moment, the aura pouring from him vanished in an instant. Lucien collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
Sweat poured from her like rain.
'Died... the capital...!'
She, the Saintess, had felt the brink of death just from facing him as he released a mere fraction of his presence.
This boy was a monster of that 'caliber.'
“Sorry. You okay?”
“...Do I look okay...!”
“Hmm, my sincere apologies. I sometimes forget how fragile humans are. Gets away from me when we're having a serious talk.”
“...Weren't you the one who just scolded me for bringing up dark topics?”
“Hey, I said sorry, didn't I?”
Scratching his head, the boy stood and flung the window open again.
As sunlight flooded in, his face reverted to human form.
A bright, handsome face broke into a cheerful smile, only for another jab to fly at him.
“You just closed it at my request.”
“Quit nagging. Bask in the sunlight and say a prayer or something. Considering your usual behavior, you need to live up to the Saintess title more.”
“...”
“How about I join you? I might know some prayers better than you do.”
“...”
At Lucien's narrowed eyes—such a suggestion utterly unbefitting a devil worshiper—Balcasus chuckled and changed the subject.
“Anyway, I have my own business to settle inside that academy, just like you.”
The boy gazed at the building in the distance. The Imperial Academy Elpante.
A place brimming with life force—perfect for achieving his 'goal.'
“Until then, let's get along, shall we? Got it?”
“...”
Lucien gave another wry smile.
If even one person knew this, the entire continent would erupt in chaos.
A devil worshiper and the Saintess collaborating on something.
“...Yes.”
But.
“Let's do our best, Balcasus.”
That was all she said.
●
「My dear son.
Summer's almost here. I hear summers there are especially hot, so I'm sending some cooling stones and a few fruits from the territory for your health. Share them with your friends.
.
.
.
Around this time, Elpante always holds an event for observing the visitors sent from families' main estates, but unfortunately, harvest season is coming up, so I can't come myself.
Instead, I'll send Herman the steward, so take him along for the official events. Ask him for anything you need.
The territory is peaceful, so no worries. You've always been sharp, so we're not too concerned.
That's all.
P.S.
If you have any close female classmates, bring one home during break and introduce her. This father wants to see his grandchildren's faces someday, you know?
From Armin Campbell. 」
“...”
He folded the letter with a sour expression, crunching on a grape.
Nothing beats local grapes. Top quality.
But not even that could lift his gloom right now.
'Close female classmate, huh.'
Knowing Father's personality, it's probably a joke.
Still, a few names came to mind.
Elnor or Eliya, say.
But taking either home for break? Well.
“...”
He didn't even want to imagine it. That would be a catastrophe of epic proportions.
The problem was, given his current situation, it was unlikely to end with just those two.
'Save humanity, they said.'
He sighed, recalling the 'task' Atlante had asked of him recently.
Seduce all the devil vessel candidates, every last one.
Or something like that.
“...”
He clutched his throbbing head.
The Headmistress had called it a 'request,' but from his position, it was practically compulsory.
If entanglement with devil-possessed vessels was inevitable, leading them to obsess over him, then he had no choice but to turn their favor toward him somehow to survive.
Sorry, Father.
That promise to stay out of the spotlight from the start? Looks like it'll be hard to keep from here on out too.
'...Not sure.'
Overthinking never helped anyway.
Better to tackle things one at a time, starting with what's right in front of him.
[Gift-Related Character Alert]
♥ Elnor Erinarije la Tristan
[ Affection Stage 1 ]
[ Exclusive Quest 'Heir to the Precept' has been generated! ]
[ D-7 until Exclusive Quest event triggers ]
▼ Gideon Gailsterd la Tristan
[ Curiosity Stage 1 ]
[ Exclusive Quest 'Heir to the Precept' has been generated! ]
[ D-7 until Exclusive Quest event triggers ]
Start with this, at least.
[ Main Quest ]〖 Chapter 2 – The Boy King of the Forgotten Kingdom 〗
[ Related event incoming soon! ]
And this one's lined up next.
'...In a week, definitely.'
As the letter mentioned, around this time, Elpante always held a certain event.
The visitor observation classes with people sent from family estates.
Harmless by name, but in a place teeming with elites, such events twisted into something else entirely.
To avoid showing weakness. Elites especially couldn't afford to be looked down on.
These days, it had grown so big that even people who had no business being there sometimes showed up.
And if Elnor's and Gideon's exclusive quests triggered at the same time? Well.
It was obvious how it'd play out.
'...Time to meet the man.'
Gideon Gailsterd la Tristan.
Someone he'd never have a chance to contact otherwise.
In the main scenario, he mostly appeared as a corpse already.
“...”
No, that didn't mean Elnor would cut his throat or anything.
She disliked him, sure, but not to the point of patricide.
Their relationship was just complicated, that was all.
Gideon had cold-shouldered Elnor since she was young due to 'circumstances,' and she'd grown to dislike him in turn.
Things had completely soured around a specific incident involving Elnor's 'mother.'
But this man's mental breakdown—leading to his awakening as the Gray Devil's vessel—always started with Gideon's death in every route. So they weren't total strangers.
He sighed as all that info flooded back.
Yeah, he got it.
'The key thing is...'
If he crossed paths with this man, there was something he absolutely had to 'extract.'
It'd be a huge help against the Chapter 2 main antagonist, the 'Boy King.'
“...”
Might be disrespectful to think that way against the Empire's strongest knight, but no choice.
He was in a precarious spot where he could get dragged into something fatal any moment if he just let time pass peacefully.
Especially from Chapter 2 onward.
'The Enlightened.'
The devil worshipers' executives, the main villains of the scenario.
They appeared in earnest from Chapter 2. The Boy King was one of them.
Guys who treated essence-swallowing purifiers like 'chumps' in terms of combat power.
“...”
Not that the boss fight was designed to be beaten head-on anyway.
Especially considering what the Boy King was.
'Anyway, that's that.'
To progress that, he needed to handle Gideon's event first, right in front of him.
If he got what he wanted properly, things would smooth out a lot.
'He's classified as a villain, sure.'
Character setup and scenario portrayal lined up somewhat.
But considering his backstory, he couldn't be treated purely as one.
Which meant.
'No clue how strong Fatal Charm will kick in.'
His gift worked stronger the more extreme the target's disposition. Someone ambiguous like Gideon? Hard to predict the level.
'So, here's the thing...'
He had a plan.
A way to score points and extract something useful without relying on Fatal Charm.
But to pull it off, he needed to level something up himself.
[Status Info]
「Dawood Campbell」
Strength: F
Agility: F
Endurance: F
Luck: F
Influence: F
[Mastery Info]
[ Trait: Tristan-style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: Basic ]
[ Current Proficiency: 58% ]
[ The sword style of the Tristan Ducal House, famed for swordsmanship. ]
[ ■ Can produce consistent power regardless of weapon. ]
[ Trait: Breathing Technique – Bucho ] [ Grade: Basic ]
[ Current Proficiency: 67% ]
[ ■ A breathing method that dramatically boosts physical endurance and stamina with long-term training. Pairs especially well with Tristan-style Swordsmanship. ]
This needed training.
The only direct line to Gideon in his plan was 'swordsmanship.'
No need to act like a prodigy. Just show decent proficiency with Tristan-style Swordsmanship.
Problem was doing it without the Desperate Situation skill. Stats and traits needed to be at a certain level.
'...Gotta find a way.'
Fortunately, he had plenty of reliable people around for this.
●
“You want me to teach you swordsmanship?”
Elnor blinked wide-eyed, repeating his words.
It was after class, on the way out of the classroom when he'd brought it up.
'...How long is she planning to sit in on freshman classes?'
The moment Elnor had recovered from all injuries, her first move was crashing his lectures.
Even as Student Council President, shouldn't she head back to her proper year by now?
Wasn't she worried about the stares?
“Yeah. Nothing like that.”
“...”
“I doubt I'll stop even after you graduate. Don't worry about it.”
She wasn't President just for show.
Elnor nodded at that.
She lifted her chin and puffed out her chest, like she was proudly declaring 'ahem.'
Her face remained expressionless, though.
“...”
But that's abuse of authority.
Why say it so proudly?
“Anyway, I'd like to request some swordsmanship guidance.”
“But didn't you say you were aiming for the Divinity Faculty? Specialized classes start soon; you sure about investing time in this?”
“I need quick results in a short time, so it won't take long. And you're the most reliable person for it, Elnor.”
Say what you will, she was the first choice for this.
Most familiar, and her skills were beyond doubt.
Above all, no better teacher for the 'Tristan swordsmanship' he wanted to learn.
When he asked again, Elnor blinked and stared at him for a moment.
Then she suddenly turned her back to him.
“...What is it?”
“No, just feeling good about it. You relying on me and all.”
“You're happy, but why show me your back?”
“Hm. Practiced a happy face for times like this. Wait and see.”
“...”
After fussing for a while, Elnor finally turned around.
Her eyebrows were just a tad furrowed from usual.
“...How's this?”
“...”
So, will you teach me swordsmanship or not?
Answer already.
“Oh? Having an interesting chat, I see.”
A voice chimed in from the side out of nowhere, and Elnor's demeanor turned hostile.
“...This doesn't concern you. Step back.”
“Hehe, how can you say that when it's Teacher wanting sword lessons?”
Eliya grinned as she replied, and Elnor's brows furrowed even more menacingly.
“...Dawood asked me. Not you. This has nothing to do with—”
“Hey, but I've done part-time instructing before entering the academy? You've never taught anyone else, right, Duchess?”
“...”
Even amid the hostility, she couldn't lie and just clamped her mouth shut—her personality was as steadfast as ever.
She was innocently stubborn in the weirdest ways.
He chuckled and addressed Eliya too.
“Then come and learn together. Honestly, Elnor's better than you anyway.”
Which was true.
A clear skill gap still existed between them. She'd learn plenty under Elnor's guidance.
Scenario-wise, Eliya's growth was essential anyway. Good opportunity, really.
“...”
Eliya pouted at his words, while Elnor's expression softened.
“Hm, is that so?”
But then Eliya smirked, like something occurred to her.
“Then I'm the 'solo' instructor, and we're 'joint' students?”
Elnor's mood darkened again.
“...”
Don't fall for such childish bait. Please.
“...Just instruct too, then.”
He sighed, and Elnor's face relaxed again.
But Eliya smirked at that.
Like she'd hooked what she wanted.
“Oh, really? Then it's a competition?”
“What?”
“Between me and the Duchess, who teaches Teacher better.”
“...”
How did it turn into that?
As he narrowed his eyes, Eliya continued.
“The better one gets to 'regularly' guide Teacher from now on, right? Sounds good?”
“...”
What are you even saying?
He hadn't said a word.
“...Ha.”
Elnor let out a hollow laugh, brushing back her hair.
“Big talk for a fledgling freshman. You challenging me?”
“Hey, but I doubt the Duchess is that great at teaching?”
“You prepared to back that up?”
No.
Listen to me.
Hey.
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