Chapter 61
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61
Voltimir Territory, home of the Spirit Academy.
Alfheim Hall, Room 1001.
Three girls stood before the office of Isley, the Head Professor of the Spiritology Department.
“Huu, huu.”
Kiriel caught her breath, staring intently at the nameplate on the door.
“……”
Beside her, her two aides, Lina and Silphy, wore troubled expressions.
The reason the three had come to the professor's office was to raise a suspicion that was both utterly absurd and potentially a grave insult to Isley.
‘A conspiracy theory that the entire Union, starting with Isley, has fallen into Roen's clutches and is being manipulated at his whim.’
Kiriel had come all the way to Professor Isley's office to hunt for clues, while the other two had tagged along to prevent a potential catastrophe.
“You can do this, Kiriel.”
She steeled herself, muttering her own name in the third person.
Just as the determined Kiriel was about to knock on the door with a trembling hand…
Clack—.
The office door swung open, and a familiar, bespectacled man with deer-like eyes appeared.
“Kyaa!”
Kiriel jumped back like a startled cat before scrambling back to her original spot.
Isley, who had opened the door, offered Kiriel a faint smile.
“Hehe, what a refreshing reaction.”
He beckoned the three students to enter.
“I sensed someone was outside, and it turned out to be my dear students. Please, come in.”
“Ye-Yes!”
The three hesitantly stepped into Isley's office.
It was a warm room with a wooden interior. Verdant vines coiled around walls where the wood grain seemed to pulse with life, and bright light streamed in through a large, round window. Bookshelves and display cabinets were neatly arranged with various tomes and artifacts essential for Spiritology.
“Please, have a seat.”
At Isley's invitation, the three sat on an old sofa placed before an antique wooden table. After they had been seated for a moment, a teapot and cups floated over, setting themselves down.
Pourrr—.
“Whoa.”
While the three girls stared, mesmerized by the teapot tilting on its own in mid-air, Isley spoke.
“So, what brings you to my office? Miss Kiriel, Miss Lina, Miss Silphy.”
“Ah, well…”
Kiriel hesitated, unable to get straight to the point. She had made it all the way here, but the words wouldn't come. How could she ask a professor to his face if he was being played by Roen?
She fiddled with the warm teacup in her hands before finally mustering the courage to speak.
“Um… Professor, what do you think of Roen!”
“?”
At Kiriel's sudden outburst, Lina, Silphy, and Professor Isley all tilted their heads in confusion.
“Hmm. What do I think of Mr. Roen, you ask?”
Professor Isley pondered for a moment. He moved to sit at his desk and began to speak in a calm voice.
“Right now, I consider him a rather diligent student. His grades have improved significantly, and I also heard about what happened during the recent territory battle. He did something quite commendable.”
“……”
“And during the practical exam, when a dangerous situation arose, he and Miss Freya saved several students. Although his current reputation isn't the best, if he continues on this path, the day will come when that notoriety fades.”
It was a textbook, flawless answer, but it wasn't the one Kiriel was looking for.
“But why are you asking me this? Could it be that you have an interest in Mr. Roen? What a wonderful age to be. Hehe.”
As Isley made his strange assumption with a pleased smile, Kiriel's face crumpled into a scowl.
“No, it's not what you're thinking, Professor. It's closer to animosity, actually.”
“Animosity? And why is that?”
Kiriel's ears drooped as she answered.
“…The rumors about him are bad. And there's everything he's done until now.”
At that, Isley spoke in a firm voice.
“Miss Kiriel, it's not good to dislike a classmate based solely on rumors. Of course, after looking into it myself, I did find that some of the rumors about Mr. Roen were true—but people can change for the better, can they not?”
“That doesn't make the wrongs he committed in the past disappear.”
“You are correct. However, I, at least, have no authority to condemn or judge his past. And if he has indeed turned over a new leaf, then as an educator, it is something to be celebrated. That is all.”
Adjusts—.
Isley adjusted his glasses and let out a small sigh.
“Well… in any case, I believe I have a good idea of why you've come to my office, Miss Kiriel. Miss Lina, Miss Silphy.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Please stay by Miss Kiriel's side and help her with her studies so she doesn't entertain any more strange delusions.”
Isley delivered the perfect prescription, as if he had seen right through Kiriel's motives.
Kiriel shot up from her seat in denial.
“S-Strange delusions! It's not like that! And you don't even know exactly why I came here, Professor. Please don't just jump to conclusions.”
“Hmm…”
Isley paused for a moment before speaking.
“Could it be that you came here with suspicions that I'm being blackmailed by Roen into raising his grades? Or perhaps that some of the Union's professors are cooperating with him, and that his appointment as Student Council President is also part of his scheme? Was that not it? You couldn't bring yourself to ask me directly, so you metaphorically asked what I thought of Mr. Roen. If my guess is wrong, I will apologize to you, Miss Kiriel.”
“…Uh.”
Isley had pinpointed the exact truth as if he had peered directly into her mind. Kiriel wanted to deny it immediately, but having been hit right on the mark, she froze on the spot.
Seeing her reaction, Isley snorted.
“Hehe, your reaction tells me I was correct. In any case, nothing you've imagined is happening, so you may focus on your studies with peace of mind.”
“……”
“Ah, although there is one small point of curiosity regarding Mr. Roen's election as Student Council President.”
“Ah!”
Life suddenly returned to Kiriel's wilting eyes.
“Wh-What is it!”
Kiriel asked urgently, but Isley simply gave a mysterious smile and refused to elaborate.
“This is as much as I can tell you. Please find out the details for yourself.”
The next day.
Throughout the Spiritology lecture, I was subjected to Kiriel's piercing gaze from start to finish.
Kiriel would glare at me, tear at her hair, or mutter something under her breath while scribbling frantically in her notebook.
“…Just what trick did you use? Was it the Chairman?”
“?”
I tilted my head, listening to Kiriel's muttering.
“No… he's just a figurehead. It has to be someone with actual power. Then maybe Freya? It's definitely strange that he specifically appointed her as Vice President. And they were on the same team during the practical exam. It can't be a coincidence… This is definitely a conspiracy.”
“……”
From the sound of it, she definitely wasn't taking notes on the lecture.
“Not studying?”
“…You despicable bastard.”
Kiriel glanced at me for a moment before sinking back into her delusions.
‘A severe case.’
She wouldn't listen to anything more I had to say. Not that she would have been studying anyway; in the original story, Kiriel's written exam scores almost never improved.
All I had to do was get a higher score than Kiriel, as we'd agreed, and claim my one wish.
Ignoring the muttering Kiriel beside me, I finished the Spiritology lecture and headed straight for the Mabeast Purification Club that Elena had invited me to join.
Seintea Territory.
The Cathedral District.
“Hmm, this seems to be the place.”
I arrived at the Mabeast Purification Club room with Garfield.
The building, adorned with soaring spires and magnificent stained-glass windows, was truly a sight to behold; it looked more like a cathedral than a club room.
‘A world of difference from the Alchemy Club.’
It felt almost unfair to compare it to the Alchemy Club, which was just a renovated, abandoned mana stone warehouse.
I looked up at the building and remarked, “…It's bigger than I thought.”
“When was the last time you visited?”
“No, this is my first time.”
I'd only ever seen it in the game.
“?”
As I opened the door and entered with a puzzled Garfield, Elena greeted me with a bright smile.
“Ah, you're here, Roen. And… Garfield, you're here too?”
“Ahem, that is how it turned out. I, too, wish to join the club.”
“Wonderful. Our doors are open to everyone. You just need to pass a simple test.”
Flutters—.
Elena handed Garfield a test paper along with a club application form.
“The Mabeast Purification Club is fundamentally a club where we learn about various monsters, mabeasts, and demons. We study their ecologies and habits in order to subjugate and exorcise them. However, many people apply to join for the sake of networking rather than the club's actual purpose, so we've had to implement a test.”
Elena's words were spot on. The Mabeast Purification Club's purpose was to exorcise or eliminate mabeasts based on specialized information.
‘In the game, I often stopped by here to raise the club's subjugation level.’
The Mabeast Purification Club offered various buffs depending on its level. For example:
Buffs like those were incredibly useful when grinding for items or materials.
But I knew that many students applied not for the club's original purpose, but for the fringe benefits. It was because of students who applied just to form a connection with Elena, or even just to see her face. The Holy Knight, Jimmy, whom I took the practical exam with, was probably one of them.
Anyway, the entrance test existed to prevent situations like this, and I'd heard it was quite difficult.
My thoughts concluded, I asked Elena, “Do I not have to take the test?”
“No, you already proved your abilities during the practical exam, Roen. Still, you can take it if you'd like.”
From what was generally known, the club entrance test had three levels: the Basic level, which approved you as a regular member, and the Intermediate and Advanced tests, which could grant you a position as a team leader or administrator.
Regular members had restrictions like mandatory attendance, but administrators were free from such obligations. I decided to aim for that.
I held out my hand to Elena and said, “Let me have one. The hardest one you've got, if you don't mind.”