Chapter 190: The Test (2)
Chapter 190: The Test (2)
Following Elisha’s little panic incident.
I had carefully shared the news with the other women, worried they might get startled and start chirping in protest as well… but surprisingly, they all accepted it quite easily.
Their reasoning was that since they were already bound to me anyway, it didn't really matter if there were four of them or five.
For my part, I had been worried that even if they didn't show it outwardly like Elisha, they might be struggling internally… but it seemed that for people accustomed to polygamy and slavery, they had already prepared themselves for this long ago.
Anyway, for that reason, I spent my days lounging around, occasionally receiving reports on how things were going, signing a few documents, and flirting with the women as they took turns visiting me….
After enjoying life without a single thought for the first time in a while, my mana circuits, which had been flickering intermittently, finally returned to normal.
In other words, it was time to be discharged.
“It’s a bit of a shame, Senior Fay.”
“Mhm. It really is. Time alone like this is surprisingly precious. …But that doesn’t mean you should go getting hurt again just to come back here, okay? I’ll really cry next time, you hear me?”
“I’ll keep that in mind. It would be a tragedy if I had something like this right in front of me and couldn't touch it.”
I draped my arm over Fay’s shoulder as we stood side by side. I reached in a bit deep—deep enough for my hand to brush against her ample chest.
Squeeze, squeeze.
“Ngh… Junior, you’re so mischievous.”
Fay merely puffed out her cheeks slightly but didn't push me away. Instead, she leaned her body against mine, her head hanging low.
Looking down, I could see the corners of her mouth twitching; she didn't seem to hate it.
I spent a moment playing by poking her puffed-out cheeks. After one last check to make sure I hadn't left anything behind, I walked out of the treatment room with Fay tucked under my arm.
Click.
“Good morning, Brother. Unfortunately, I wasn't granted permission to visit, so I’m only just seeing your face today. I am glad to see you have recovered safely… Hup!”
I ran straight into Helena, who cut herself off mid-sentence, clamping a hand over her own mouth.
Her bright blonde hair, tied in a single braid, swayed gently. Her equally sparkling golden eyes darted frantically between Fay and me.
What was it? I had already taken my hand off her breast, knowing I couldn't exactly do that out in the open.
Wondering what was wrong, I took a look at how Fay and I must appear right now.
Her head was bowed low. Her eyes were hidden behind her long bangs. Her lips were trembling. Her body was leaning into mine as if she were being carried.
Hmm. To anyone watching, we looked like we had just finished an intense bout of lovemaking. I understood the reaction.
…But there was no need to make a fuss. Since the duel, everyone knew that Fay and I were close.
I offered a casual smile and a greeting as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
“Priestess Helena. Thank you for your concern. Thanks to you, I was able to recover quickly.”
“M-Me too! Thank you… I heard the Church of the Righteous Light provided the emergency treatment. Thanks to that, Junior was able to recover without any major lingering effects.”
Fay managed to deliver a proper thank-you, though she stammered a bit. Feeling a strange sense of pride, I reached out and ruffled her messy hair.
“Ngh… Stop it! I’m the senior here…!”
Fay’s head swayed helplessly under my touch. Perhaps that sight snapped Helena out of it.
Blushing slightly, Helena cleared her throat and continued.
“Ahem. It was only natural. Are you not the one chosen by our Lord, Brother? Even the Cardinal said it was an honor and was quite pleased.”
“Hearing you say that makes me grateful, but it’s also a bit of a burden.”
“Brother Yandel, you are worthy of it, so please do not feel burdened. …In fact, you have received a far more brilliant blessing than before, have you not?”
Helena closed her eyes briefly while making the Sign of the Cross toward me.
Had she felt that my Trait: Sun God's Blessing had risen to rank A+?
As if her earlier shock had never happened, her praying figure was the picture of reverence.
I awkwardly mimicked the Sign of the Cross in return before tilting my head curiously.
“By the way, Priestess Helena, what brings you here? It looks like you were waiting for me to come out. Do you have business with me?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. First… please take this.”
After glancing around to check our surroundings, Helena pulled a neatly folded pile of clothes from her Subspace Pocket and handed them over.
“What’s this?”
“The nun’s habits you requested the other day. I’ve prepared them all. …Just in case, you’re not going to tell me you need one more, are you?”
“Ahaha… well, you see….”
“Hehe. I figured as much, so I actually prepared an extra one! This should be enough, right?”
Helena added another set of nun’s habits to the pile with a playful "Ta-da!"
I quickly stashed them into my Inventory and took Helena’s hands in mine.
“You really didn't have to… As expected, Priestess Helena, you are truly thoughtful.”
“I’m not happy being praised for something like this. It goes without saying, but this matter is….”
“A secret, right? Of course, I’ll keep it. In exchange, it’s a secret for you too, Priestess?”
“Yes. Anyway, these hands….”
“Oops. I guess I was a bit distracted.”
When I let go of her hands, Helena immediately pulled them back as if embarrassed and clasped them in front of her chest.
Her figure, hidden beneath the loose nun’s habit, was slightly revealed as her hands pressed against her chest.
“…Junior?”
I immediately shifted my gaze at the sound of Fay’s suspicious voice.
“Ahem. Anyway, thank you. To think you came all this way just to bring these to me.”
“I had other things to do as well, so don't worry about it. More importantly, I have something serious to discuss.”
“I knew something was up. Please, tell me.”
“The truth is, perhaps frightened by the recent exploits of Brother Yandel and Professor Iona, the cultists are abandoning their branches and fleeing somewhere.”
“What? Fleeing? The cultists?”
All cultists are, by definition, fanatics. They hide for the sake of their "Great Work," but they don't run just because they've been discovered.
Because guarding the branch is a mission bestowed by their god.
Unless they receive an Oracle directly or an order based on an Oracle received by the Main Chapter, they never abandon a branch.
Why would they run when they don't fear death and view it as martyrdom?
However, the flip side of that meant that if they had a clear order, they could abandon a branch at any time.
Just like right now.
“Yes. Surprisingly, it is true. There were several branches we were monitoring after identifying their locations… but I received word that they were all emptied overnight.”
“I see.”
“So, um….”
Helena hesitated for a moment before continuing with a very sorrowful expression.
“It seems the cultist subjugation we promised during the summer vacation will be a bit difficult. I am sorry….”
“…….”
Uh, well.
So. Is she really this sorry because we can't go bash some cultist heads right now?
It’s true that I’m heavily favored by the Righteous Light, but being treated like one of them feels a bit… off.
I gave Helena a reassuring pat on the shoulder with an awkward smile.
“It’s alright. These things happen. Since it’s turned out like this, shall we change our plans a little?”
“Change them?”
“Yes. I’ve been wanting to visit the Main Chapter of the Church of Light anyway… would that be alright?”
“Gasp! Of course! Naturally, it’s fine! The Lord will surely welcome your visit, Brother Yandel!”
Helena’s face brightened instantly, and she beamed.
Yeah. I had to visit at least once anyway.
No matter how I looked at it, the Righteous Light seemed intent on making me an Apostle, but I had no intention of doing that.
Once you become a God’s Apostle, you’re forced to live by their doctrines, whether you like it or not. The Righteous Light is a relatively free-spirited god, but rules are still rules.
Most importantly, my traits are optimized for a mage, but becoming an official Apostle would force me to become a priest.
My mana would be converted into Holy Power, essentially throwing my entire build into the trash.
Naturally, I had to refuse.
That was why I was going to the Main Chapter. I planned to make a deal with the deity: make Helena the Apostle and leave me alone.
Regardless, once I revealed my ultimate goal of subjugating all the Evil Gods, the deity might be disappointed, but they wouldn't try to hold me back.
…Given how the deity acted last time, they might be surprisingly flighty, though.
The Righteous Light is a generous god, after all.
Unaware of my inner thoughts, a joyful Helena bowed her head.
“Thank you for understanding. Then, as we discussed before, let us meet at the Academy’s main gate on the third day of vacation.”
“Ah, about that… the group might be a bit large. Is that okay?”
“I told you we would send the Church’s finest carriage, so do not worry.”
“Aha? That’s a relief. I’ll prepare with that in mind, then.”
There was a suitable dungeon along the route, so I figured I’d clear it if I could, pretending I’d stumbled upon it by chance.
I nodded to myself, harboring those secret thoughts.
After that, I walked with Helena for a bit, chatting about recent events at the Academy, before we parted ways at the Central Plaza.
Helena headed to her dormitory. I took Fay with me toward Iona’s personal training room.
Just like the Class A students, professors each have their own personal training rooms. I’d heard the facilities were much better….
Probably because they were designed to withstand Intermediate Magic, considering most professors were Intermediate Magicians.
As soon as my body was fully healed, there was something I wanted to check first, so I had already asked Iona to borrow her training room.
“Is this it?”
“I think so, Junior.”
We arrived at a building after navigating a somewhat complicated path. I lightly knocked on the door, which bore a nameplate reading Iona Francesca, and it opened immediately.
Creeeeak.
Inside the space surrounded by pure white tiles, those who had been waiting for us greeted us warmly.
“Master! I’ve been waiting!”
“Yandel. You’re really all right now, aren't you?”
“Welcome! Welcome! Hello to you too, Student Fay!”
After greeting Carla, Elisha, and Iona with light hugs in turn, I stood in the center of the training room.
“Alright, shall we give it a go?”
I had to test whether I had truly reached the level of an Intermediate Magician.
This had been bothering me the entire time I was lying in that bed.