Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Time Bomb
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"...Are you serious?"
Elnor asked in a bewildered tone, but the man who had prompted that reaction from her just nodded casually, as if it were nothing.
"Of course. It's already been agreed upon between the Holy Kingdom and Elpante."
Elnor scanned the document handed to her, her face full of confusion.
At the very bottom, there it was—Atalante's signature.
'The Chancellor wouldn't agree to something this insane.'
As that thought crossed her mind, a voice came from across the desk.
"Is there a problem?"
Klein Garrison. The combat priest from the Holy Kingdom, wearing a nameplate that read as much, said with a beaming smile.
A combat priest with purple epaulets possessed power and authority equivalent to a platoon leader among the Empire's regular knights.
He was far too high-ranking to be merely the head of a delegation.
So it was only natural that the topic he brought up felt all the more bewildering.
"The Saintess is going to do something like that? This is too—"
Inhumane.
It was hard to believe a religious organization had proposed it first.
"Student Council President."
His tone was impeccably polite.
But beneath it lurked a sinister aura, thick with malice.
"This is something the Saintess 'volunteered' for herself. Isn't it?"
"..."
Who in the world would volunteer for something like this?
It was far more convincing to think she'd been 'ordered' to volunteer.
Suddenly, Dawood's words from before flashed through her mind.
'The Holy Kingdom will probably make some outrageous demand. I don't know the details, but from their Pope on down, it's full of crazy bastards.'
When she'd first heard it, she'd thought it was blasphemous.
It sounded like he was treating the continent's largest religious organization like villains.
But now, faced with it directly, she wondered if it was true.
No one but madmen could demand something like this.
"..."
"Student Council President? This is already decided, so please—"
"Yes."
Elnor, who had closed her eyes and recalled Dawood's words, slammed her seal down on the document and handed it back as the man urged her.
The other man, who had been preparing to threaten her if she refused, looked flustered instead.
"What are you doing? I've handled it just as you wished."
"...Thank you."
The combat priest eyed her up and down suspiciously, tilted his head, and left the student council office.
Even though they were the ones who had requested it, he seemed surprised it had gone through so easily. Elnor chuckled and rose from her seat.
The exams were about to start. As Student Council President, she had to oversee them, so she needed to head to the testing grounds quickly.
"..."
Her mind replayed the scene from moments ago.
It was an utterly bizarre proposal. Her usual self never would have accepted it.
Probably.
'Pass that for me. No matter what they ask.'
If someone hadn't said that, she would have.
'That way, I can cause trouble without any guilt.'
Elnor smirked again, picking up her sword.
That man was definitely scheming something again.
Even knowing the Holy Kingdom would pull something at Elpante.
In that case.
What she had to do was.
-Because we're connected. We're family.
"..."
That thought made her pause mid-motion.
"...If you go that far, how can I not follow?"
What a sly man.
Family, family.
That had to be it.
Yeah.
She wasn't entirely sure, but it was the only thing that came to mind.
'...I should make some preparations on my end too.'
As she thought that, her eyes met Beatrix's as the latter entered the inner office.
"What, heading out to supervise the exams?"
"Yeah."
As they passed each other, Elnor suddenly turned back as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. Beatrix."
"Huh? What?"
"Where's a good place to get rings made?"
"Rings? What kind?"
"...The kind a man and woman exchange as a token of promise."
Beatrix, who had been carrying documents, tripped and fell flat.
●
Yuria Grayhauncher's yesterday had been pure hell.
'Why didn't he come today?'
It was the first thought that hit her when she woke up that morning and realized no one was beside her.
Strange. He had come every morning to spar with swords.
'...He must have been busy.'
That was the most logical explanation. He wasn't isolated like her somewhere; he had his own life.
Especially if the Chancellor herself was managing him directly.
"..."
She knew full well that was the rational way to think.
But if human hearts were so easily controlled, no one in the world would ever worry.
'...What if he wasn't busy?'
Ominous thoughts crept in unbidden, taking sticky root in her heart.
'What if he's just sick of me?'
Her hands stopped while washing clothes in the nearby stream.
Even in the summer chill of the valley water, her reflection stared back clearly.
A shabby woman was there.
A pitiful figure worlds apart from the glamorous, sparkling academy students occasionally visible through her window.
"..."
Her eyes drooped at the corners. A gloomy expression spread across her face like gathering clouds.
Once the negative spiral started, it wouldn't stop.
'...He's definitely sick of me.'
She'd lunge at anyone who got too close without warning, couldn't speak properly, and lived like a savage every day. Why would anyone want to stay near her?
Yeah. That had to be it.
"..."
But even as she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't fully let go of a faint hope.
Maybe, just maybe.
He might come tomorrow morning.
"..."
But.
The next day, he still didn't appear.
'...See?'
Sick of her, just like that.
To someone worthless like Yuria Grayhauncher, it meant there was no more business.
"..."
She hadn't expected friendship from the start.
She knew it would end like this. Why had she been so excited like an idiot?
She'd be alone until she died.
And realizing that.
"...U."
Tears like beads rolled down her cheeks.
"U, uu, huuuk..."
The curse of severance prevented proper words.
But choked sobs escaped her gritted teeth anyway.
It hurt.
Her heart ached more than she could bear.
She wanted to talk to someone, even trivial chatter. She'd been isolated so long.
If it was going to hurt this much, he shouldn't have come at all.
How cruel to give and then take away.
If she'd never known that feeling from the start, maybe.
But so suddenly.
Coming out of nowhere, carving a place in her heart, then vanishing just like that.
'...I'll be good.'
Mumbled vows spilled from her lips, to no one in particular.
'I won't be a bother. I'll do anything you ask.'
She didn't even know what she was saying.
Just fragmented phrases floating in her mind amid endless sobs.
'Come back, just once more.'
Next time, she wouldn't let go.
Please.
Someone, help.
-Yeah.
A cackling voice echoed in her head then.
-You called first, didn't you?
Chillingly ominous.
Yuria froze, her crying halting for a moment.
'...What was that?'
Something had changed about her.
She felt it clearly from that voice.
But she didn't know what.
As she pondered.
"...What are you doing?"
The question from beside her made Yuria jolt and twist around.
"Why are you crying? Did something happen while I was gone?"
And there he was.
The masked man, speaking as if it were nothing.
"-...-!!!"
She burst into even louder wails than before.
Though for a slightly different reason.
●
In truth, bringing Yuria to the midterms involved tremendous risks.
For one, no one was allowed within three steps of her, and as the one who 'stole and fled' with the Holy Kingdom's national treasure, taking her to a midterm event where the Saintess and Holy Kingdom figures were almost certainly involved would spark friction no matter what.
That's why I hadn't even told Atalante, who would do anything I asked. She'd oppose it for sure. That's how dangerous it was.
"..."
Still, there was a reason I had to bring this girl.
Chapter 2's strategy hinged mostly on lifting the curse of severance on her.
How quickly that happened pretty much decided if you'd clear the chapter.
The time limit was barely five days from today.
'And...'
If I could get her to make contact with the Saintess even once before Chapter 2 fully started.
It would drastically lower the overall difficulty.
'Grayhauncher sisters.'
The 'scapegoat' sisters artificially created under the Pope's lead. Humans forcibly altered to produce immense holy power at the cost of all other abilities.
The Holy Kingdom treasure she had was originally meant for the Saintess.
Her stealing and fleeing was tied to that.
'...Anyway, I have to make sure the Saintess and Yuria connect at least once.'
And the only timing was the midterms.
The Saintess would always be surrounded by Holy Kingdom people befitting her fame, and the one time that loosened was now.
If my memory was right.
Probably, as long as my worst-case variable didn't pop up.
"..."
Low probability, but.
If that variable emerged, Chapter 2's difficulty would skyrocket.
I'd have to handle Yuria completely differently.
Without it, the plan was solid.
[ Skill: Fatal Charm activates! ]
[ Target 'Yuria Grayhauncher''s affection rises sharply! ]
[ Affection stage advances from 'Interest Stage 1' to 'Interest Stage 2'! ]
[ New receivable reward added! ]
"..."
Coming to see her, my expectations went off the rails immediately.
I scan the floating window with my eyes, sweating bullets inside.
No, unlike Elnor where I clearly messed up somehow last time. I have no idea how this happened with her.
"...Yeah. Go ahead, blow your nose. Hmph."
I hang a cloth on a wooden stick and push it toward her. If I went to wipe it myself, she'd slash me right there.
"So. Nothing really happened. You just missed me and cried?"
"..."
Yuria nodded silently.
Vigorous enough to make whooshing sounds.
"...Yesterday I was busy with other stuff, couldn't come. No special reason."
"..."
She wiped her tears with the cloth scrap and sniffled again.
Her eyes seemed to ask, 'Really?'
"Really."
"..."
Only then did Yuria stop sniffling. She blew her nose with a puff into the cloth and took a deep breath, finally calming down.
What kind of kid goes this far over one day without a visit?
I get she's been alone so long loneliness drives her mad, but.
"..."
Sorry to ask right in front of a kid like this, but.
Time's tight.
Exams start tomorrow.
"...I need to ask a favor—"
[I'll do it!]
The massive holy power letters block my words.
She's probably shouting it as loud as she can.
[Anything, anything! Just give it to me!]
The desperation makes even me panic.
No.
Was she always this type?
She was always a bit timid, anxious about others' eyes, scared of connections breaking.
But now.
It looks like she's terrified I'll abandon her.
"...It involves going outside. You okay with that?"
[Yes!]
Even an 'external event' that should terrify her, she accepts without hesitation.
Something's definitely off.
My next words were to calm her down a bit.
"No, don't push yourself. I can take someone else—"
The moment I said it.
A chill slithers up my spine.
My sentence isn't even finished, but her eyes lose their light.
[...Am I, starting to disgust you now?]
I'm keeping a safe distance now. Over four steps.
[Could you, tell me, why? I-I'll do anything—]
And yet.
[ Crisis detected. ]
[ Judged as direct threat to life. ]
[ Skill: Desperate Situation applied at EX rank. ]
Only one situation makes this pop up out of nowhere.
Seeing the thick 'white' aura billowing from her 'sword' confirms it.
Normally, curse-related items all emit 'black'.
Her sword that creates the curse of severance is the same. When she wields it seriously, it should spew black aura.
But only one case spews white.
'...Demon.'
As I said before, where and how a demon fragment seeps in is nearly pure random.
Into people or objects.
And there's a case where a 'demon fragment' seeps into the Holy Kingdom's national treasure.
White demon fragment.
The demon known for the strongest 'obsession' among all.
And due to some damned 'condition' triggering, Yuria awakens as its 'vessel'.
'...Fuck.'
This narrows clear methods to extremes.
In game runs, when this route twisted, people often advised resetting.
Why?
'Vessels that awaken receive influence from that demon.'
Look at Elnor—she's influenced once awakened as a vessel.
Hers only shows as boosted physicals for now, but more effects come.
The problem: white demon vessel influence spreads fast and strong.
[Why won't you answer?]
[ Target 'Yuria Grayhauncher''s affection changes! ]
[ Affection stage advances from 'Interest Stage 2' to 'Interest Stage 3'! ]
[ New receivable reward added! ]
Fatal Charm didn't trigger. I did nothing to her.
Yet her affection surges out of nowhere. No reason.
That's the white demon's obsession curse. It makes the target throw everything at you endlessly.
Emotions, reason, all.
Until they fully possess you.
Using any 'twisted means', until then.
I watch her stumble toward me, eyes unsteady.
Normally, she'd avoid entering anyone's space. Knowing she might hurt them.
But now.
Her pupils are dilated. Not acting rationally, clearly.
If I hadn't backed off, she'd have crossed three steps into my space.
The curse of severance still works, of course. Over three steps close, she'll swing at me.
That is.
[...Why are you trying to leave me?]
[ Target 'Yuria Grayhauncher''s affection changes! ]
[ Affection stage advances from 'Interest Stage 3' to 'Interest Stage 4'! ]
[ New receivable reward added! ]
This woman who slices anything entering three steps.
Will now do anything to get 'close' to me.
Psychologically or physically.
'Ah.'
As I said, Chapter 2 clear's prerequisite is lifting her severance curse in five days.
That means.
I have to.
Within five days from now.
Lift the curse on this time bomb.
For real.
'...What a shitshow.'
It really was.
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