Chapter 333: Book 25(3)
Chapter 333: Book 25(3)
I had wasted an entire day due to an unexpected bout of Divine Fever, but that didn't mean my daily routine had been thrown into disarray.
On the contrary, Luminous had been incredibly apologetic, promising to be more careful in the future while showering me with an abundance of Divine Power.
Thanks to that, I felt completely refreshed, a stark contrast to the previous day when I felt like I was dying. Fatigue was non-existent; in fact, I was so energetic that others began to worry.
Regardless, the first thing I had to do after returning to my routine was visit Elena’s laboratory.
I intended to continue attending the Academy, but I didn't have the slightest desire to do so if it meant causing trouble for those around me.
So, if Elena said it was too difficult to keep me on, I would step down from my position as a teaching assistant, no matter how much I might regret it.
It would be far better to return to being a regular student and attend her lectures than to cause her trouble by remaining her assistant.
"Not at all. Why would I do that?"
However, Elena’s reaction was one of utter incomprehension. Her lime-green eyes behind her glasses were filled with bewilderment.
It wasn't just Elena; Cindy, who had been quietly reading a book beside her, wore the same expression. Her eyes were still sunken and hollow, but they clearly held the same question.
Looking at their reactions, I spoke in a hesitant voice.
"I might cause trouble for you all. Besides, you might even be threatened by demon worshippers..."
"Let them come. I’ve been wanting to catch one myself and do some research."
Elena answered with supreme confidence, and Cindy nodded in agreement. I stared at them, dumbfounded for a moment, before letting out a short laugh.
Now that I thought about it, the President had mentioned it before. Elena and Cindy were former explorers who had traveled all over the world.
They likely possessed enough martial prowess to protect themselves, so it wasn't something I needed to worry about.
"Besides, I can't let an opportunity like this slip away. The professor who taught history to Xenon? I can already hear my reputation skyrocketing."
"Was that your original goal?"
"About half of it. The other half is because it’s hard to find labor as good as you. Leona is joining as an assistant soon, but the more the merrier, right?"
"With you around, organizing papers and data is no problem..."
Elena and Cindy each stated their own desires. Cindy, in particular, had been writing various papers ever since I taught her my composition methods.
By helping them, I was essentially living the life of a graduate student. When it came to history, I still had much to learn from them.
"I understand how you feel. So, I should just continue my duties as a TA?"
"That’s up to you. If you say you’re leaving, how could we stop you? Just make sure to tell us what happens in the future before you go."
"I told you, it’s not like that."
"Then tell us about some erased history or an event of similar caliber. Like that elven mythology that was recently reinterpreted."
I gave a bitter smile at her half-joke. Elena glanced at my face and let out a faint chuckle.
Looking at her now, it wasn't that she didn't care; she just didn't want to let a big fish get away. The chance to legally work Xenon like a dog didn't come often.
In any case, it was settled that I would continue my TA position. Only one thing remained: introducing my guards.
Since I planned to bring Adelia and Kate with me to classes from now on, they needed to get acquainted beforehand.
"I am Adelia Cross, a faithful servant of Young Master Isaac. I look forward to working with you."
Adelia went first. She wasn't wearing a maid uniform but rather practical clothing that was easy to move in.
The maid uniform suited her, but with her physique, she looked good in anything. If the maid uniform was a mix of sexy and cute, her current attire made her look gallant.
"Adelia Cross... You were originally a TA in the Martial Studies Department, weren't you? I’ve heard of you. They said you and a student named Nicole were the most promising talents."
Elena said, pushing up her slightly slipping glasses. It seemed Adelia’s reputation wasn't limited to the Martial Studies Department.
The same went for Nicole. If even a professor in the Literature Department, which was far removed from martial arts, knew about them, then practically the entire Academy must know.
Hearing her words, Adelia responded with her characteristic husky voice and a humble demeanor.
"You flatter me. Nicole was a much better student than I was."
"Hmm... I see. I look forward to working with you. And..."
Elena’s gaze shifted to the side. Standing there was Kate, dressed in her white nun’s habit, wearing a gentle smile.
"Are you Cardinal Kate?"
"Yes. I am Kate Louise Angelica, servant to Lord Luminous and Lord Isaac."
"I’ve heard much of your fame. Not only did you drive out the fallen cardinal, but there are rumors you might be the next Pope..."
"That worm was driven out by Lord Isaac, not me. I merely acted according to his will."
As expected, Kate was utterly merciless toward anyone associated with demons. Her tone was perfectly polite, but her words were chilling.
Even Elena looked a bit taken aback by Kate’s unexpectedly harsh language. Cindy just blinked her hollow eyes.
Regardless, Kate continued with a saintly smile.
"Furthermore, I have no intention of becoming Pope. I bear the duty of bringing the hammer down upon the evil that defiles this world and protecting Lord Isaac as he spreads the light."
"Ah... I see. Right. I understand. My name is Elena Heavensinger. I am the professor in charge of History here at Halo Academy."
"I'm Cindy Skywalker... I look forward to working with you..."
Following Elena, Cindy introduced herself in her usual exhausted tone. Her voice alone made her sound incredibly tired.
Perhaps concerned by her voice and general state, Kate stared at Cindy for a moment before slowly walking toward her.
Cindy just blinked as Kate approached, doing nothing but staring back with a puzzled expression.
"Did you say your name was Cindy?"
"Yeees..."
"Could you hold out your hand for a moment?"
"My hand?"
"Yes."
At the sudden request, Cindy looked at Kate with questioning eyes. Kate silently waited for her consent.
Eventually, Cindy cautiously held out her hand. Though her beauty was somewhat faded due to extreme sleep deprivation, her hand was white and delicate.
Once the hand was extended, Kate reached out and gently placed her own palm over Cindy's.
Just as a subtle atmosphere was about to form between the two beautiful overlapping hands, something happened.
Shaaaa—
A golden shimmer began to radiate from Kate’s hand, transferring into Cindy’s. It then slowly flowed up her arm and enveloped her entire body.
I had seen this phenomenon several times before, so I wasn't surprised, but it seemed to be Cindy’s first time, as her eyes widened in shock.
The same went for Elena, who was watching. Her lime-green eyes went round with surprise.
Sssss—
The golden light that had been swirling around Cindy’s body for a while began to fade. Naturally, the next step was to check if anything had changed.
And I could see the difference immediately. First, the dark circles that were Cindy’s trademark had completely vanished.
The color returned to her fatigue-stricken face, and her skin looked much firmer than before. Looking only at her appearance, it was definitely Cindy, yet she felt like a completely different person.
"Your physical condition was quite ruined due to sleep deprivation. Do you have trouble sleeping at night?"
Kate, who had restored Cindy’s condition in an instant, asked with a beaming smile. Cindy met her gaze with a dazed expression.
"Uh... yes. For some reason, I'm scared of the dark..."
The flustered Cindy spoke in her usual slurred manner. It seemed that even if her mind was cleared, a speech habit she'd had for years was difficult to fix.
Well, if even deep-seated habits are hard to change, how much harder must a way of speaking be? I felt somewhat relieved that her unique trait hadn't disappeared.
"And you react sensitively to even light noises."
"Yeees..."
"Hmm... It seems to be a stress-related illness acquired during your explorations with Ms. Elena. I can only improve your condition; for this specific field, it would be better to visit Lady Mora."
So she wasn't just buried in papers and data every day; she simply couldn't sleep. I had overlooked the fact that post-traumatic stress doesn't just affect soldiers like my father.
If I had shown even a little interest, I could have fixed this sooner. I felt like I had overlooked it because I only thought of her as a colleague with a unique personality.
"...How do you feel now?"
"I feel like I could fly. Like I could stay up for days and be perfectly fine."
At Elena’s cautious question, Cindy looked at her hands with a bright smile. Just losing the dark circles made her look like a different person.
The comment about staying up for days didn't sound great, but I suppose it meant she felt that good.
Elena looked at her with a complicated expression before speaking in an admiring tone.
"Even visiting the temple didn't help much... I guess a Cardinal really is different."
"This is nothing. If you wish for more, you can simply ask Lord Isaac."
"Ask Isaac? Were you a priest?"
"Excuse me?"
Why was she suddenly pointing at me? I’m someone who only knows how to receive power, not use it.
While both Elena and I were bewildered, Kate spoke with a world-warm smile.
"Lord Isaac is the one who spreads light upon this world. Ms. Elena might not know, but there are already people who have received light from Lord Isaac. Not only Lady Mari, his fiancée, but also the Princess of Helium, and finally, the guard knight here, Adelia."
"..."
Ah, right.
This woman, despite being by my side all this time, had zero social skills.
To be precise, her focus was so strangely skewed that she couldn't distinguish between what should and shouldn't be said.
"So, if you two wish, he can give you a seed—"
"That's enough."
I hurriedly covered Kate’s mouth. I had finally managed to make a good impression; it would be meaningless if she ruined it all now.
But then I realized my mistake—I had covered her mouth with my own hand.
I looked at Kate, fearing the worst...
"Sniff. Sniff. Haa..."
"..."
"Lord Isaac’s scent... Ah. I shouldn't be doing this..."
She was sniffing my hand of her own accord, her face rapidly turning red. Her eyes had that glazed look, as if she were drugged.
I let out a deep sigh at Kate, who was difficult to manage in so many ways, and slowly pulled my hand away.
"L-Lord Isaac? I'm sorry, but..."
"...I'll wait here until you get back, so go quickly."
"T-Thank you."
And so, Kate rushed out of the lab with a frantic expression. She was probably going back to her quarters to have some 'alone time.'
If just holding hands made her go into heat like Cecile during her estrus, I wondered how much longer it would take now that I'd covered her mouth. That was my thought.
"She's... a unique person."
To break the awkward atmosphere, Elena phrased it as nicely as she could. Cindy, regardless, was busy checking her own physical condition.
Adelia... just stood there as if she were used to it. Instead, she seemed embarrassed herself, coughing and waiting with a solemn expression.
Naturally, the shame was mine to bear. I covered my face with one hand and spoke with total sincerity.
"Thank you for putting it that way... Please forget everything Ms. Kate just said."
"Don't worry. I may not look it, but I'm a married woman."
"Pardon?"
This was news to me. When I looked at her with a shocked expression, Elena tilted her head and asked back.
"Did I not tell you? When I go back to Albenheim occasionally, it's to see my husband. I do some research while I'm at it, too."
"This is the first I've heard of it."
"Really? Well, now you know."
"..."
Fortunately, I had a feeling my activities as a History TA would continue smoothly.