Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Apostle of Sacrifice - Leteia
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***
In the classroom.
“When it comes to handling mana, the principles you grasp through your traits are important, but if you understand mana on a deeper level, you can manifest it more naturally and powerfully...”
It was now afternoon lecture time, well past lunch. Kalli's clear voice echoed through the classroom.
During the Introduction to Mana Studies lecture. I was listening intently.
“...”
While taking notes on the more important parts, I suddenly found myself looking at Kalli. She usually spoke from the lectern, but sometimes she would walk around the classroom, her voice reaching me from up close.
Standing at the lectern now, Kalli seemed calmer than I'd expected. Her demeanor was less frosty than in previous lectures, to the point where I could feel the other cadets breathing more easily.
‘Could it be that she hasn't heard the rumors about me?’
The rumor I heard from David this morning—if it was spreading that much, I thought Kalli must have heard it too, but seeing her now, it didn't seem so.
Whenever our eyes happened to meet. The look she gave me was virtually unchanged from before.
Our eyes met.
"..."
Suddenly, Kalli's gaze met mine. I flinched for no reason, then lowered my eyes as if to focus on my notes.
After that, time passed quickly.
It went by calmly and without incident, which was a relief, but it also made me feel like I had been overly conscious of her.
‘Then again, no matter what rumors are flying around. I'm just a single cadet.’
It was laughable to think Kalli would react to every little thing about me.
“You all worked hard listening to today's lecture. That's all for today.”
At Kalli's calm voice signaling the end, the cadets bowed their heads almost in unison, showing their respect for the lecture.
I, too, did the same.
As the cadets began to leave one by one, their expressions were noticeably lighter, which put me at ease.
“I don't know... Instructor Kalli's lecture felt really relaxed today.”
“Yeah, it did.”
“Han Cheon-seong. You must be a bit dazed since things went so smoothly today, huh?”
David asked with a smirk, and I laughed along, but honestly, he was right.
With nothing happening. It was just comfortable.
“You look like you were hoping something would happen to me.”
“Not at all~ As if.”
Watching David's playful banter, I slowly got to my feet. Still, I had a reason to approach Kalli today.
‘I'm supposed to meet Karite on Saturday, but.’
For the time being, I planned to put my personal training aside and focus on the first episode, "The Condition of the Sacrifice."
To do that, I needed to talk to Kalli in advance about the training we had scheduled.
“David. You go on ahead for now.”
“What? Got something to do?”
“Just some personal business.”
“Oh yeah? Well, I'm heading out then.”
Seeing David off as he coolly left, I walked over to Kalli, who was organizing her teaching materials at the lectern.
*Step.*
I'd felt it during training yesterday, but my mind was quite a mess.
The moment I gripped my spear, my thoughts would clear, but that was only temporary. Throughout today's lecture, my mind was plagued by various thoughts.
—The Condition of the Sacrifice.
Thinking of the Apostle Leteia, I kept trying to devise a solution.
A life was on the line. I couldn't just stop because I didn't know the answer. I had to think harder, to find a way.
I needed to be more proactive, to find information, to try harder.
At the very least, I had to do everything in my power.
*Step.*
And so, I reached Kalli.
“Instructor Kalli.”
“...Oh. Cadet Han Cheon-seong. What is it?”
Seeing Kalli look up from her materials at my voice, I carefully began to speak.
“It's just... would you happen to have some time later?”
“Time? If this is about training, we're scheduled for tomorrow. Do you want to train today?”
“That's not it. I'd like to speak with you about a personal matter.”
“A personal matter...”
“Yes. If possible, I'd be grateful if you could spare a moment.”
I asked politely.
I didn't know whether she had heard the rumors about me or not. But even setting that aside, I needed to make the best possible impression on Kalli.
As I watched her, feeling a little tense.
Kalli gave a calm nod.
“Alright, I understand. I don't know what it's about, but if you're asking so seriously, Cadet Han Cheon-seong... Let me just finish tidying this up, and we can go.”
“Yes.”
I waited a short while for Kalli to finish organizing.
Then, I was able to leave with her.
…
I briefly glanced at the golden tassel on the nameplate that read 'Kalli Ishtar'.
*Click.*
Kalli opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.
“Come right in.”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
As I carefully stepped inside, I saw a rather stylish interior, though it wasn't particularly spacious.
True to Kalli's love for the color red in the story, the various pieces of furniture and decor in the private room were also red. It seemed to be the place where she handled her duties as an instructor.
A desk, a bookshelf, and so on. My gaze fell upon the stacks of document files piled high on the desk, and I found it fascinating.
“Have a seat on the sofa. I'll make some tea.”
“...Thank you.”
“It's nothing.”
As Kalli left with a faint smile to prepare the tea, I sat down on the bright red sofa and unslung the spear from my back.
I set the spear aside and calmly collected my breath.
So far, the atmosphere wasn't bad. Kalli didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
Training tomorrow was important, but first, I needed to ask about Leteia.
You never know, after all.
*Clink.*
Soon, Kalli returned with teacups on a tray, a faint smile on her lips.
“I only drink black tea, so... is that alright with you?”
“Yes. I like black tea, too.”
“That's a relief, then.”
She offered me a cup, and I accepted it carefully.
I took a moment to appreciate the subtle aroma of the tea before Kalli tilted her own cup and asked directly.
“So, what was this personal matter you wanted to discuss? You seemed quite serious.”
“...You might find this sudden, but I thought you might know, Instructor.”
“Something I would know?”
“Yes. It's about the Apostles."
I was cautious as I brought it up.
—Apostles.
Monsters classified as special-grade threats, primarily faced by officers on the battlefield defending the Empire's borders.
They were so dangerous that anyone other than those officers who encountered an Apostle was considered dead, one hundred times out of a hundred.
“...”
At my words, Kalli paused for a moment and looked at me with curiosity.
“Apostles, huh. Right. It's natural to be curious. Go ahead and ask.”
As Kalli answered nonchalantly, I went straight to the point.
"The Apostle of Sacrifice... Do you happen to know anything about it?”
In the story, there were almost no scenes that mentioned Leteia in detail.
“...The Apostle of Sacrifice?”
“Yes. I understand the Apostle's epithet is ‘Sacrifice’.”
“Hold on.... Let me think for a moment. Nothing comes to mind immediately.”
As Kalli spoke, narrowing her eyes, I slowly nodded.
My expectations were low.
It would be best if I could find a clue about Leteia. Even if Kalli said she didn't know... that in itself would be a gain of sorts.
In the story, the fact that Karite had fallen victim to Leteia was an unrevealed truth.
If Kalli also said she didn't know, I could assume it was a time before Leteia had made any other moves.
Simply 'guessing' and 'being certain' of it might seem similar, but they were fundamentally different.
“......”
For a moment, Kalli's eyes gleamed, and I grew tense.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Before I answer, may I know why you suddenly brought this up?”
As Kalli asked with a serious expression, I was inwardly stunned.
‘Does she have a clue about Leteia?’
I was sure she would say she didn't know, but her expression now suggested otherwise.
Nevertheless, I gave the answer I had prepared.
“Before enrolling in the academy, I read about the Apostles in a certain text. About the destructive record left by the Apostle of Sacrifice.”
“Before enrolling in the academy...”
“Yes. I believe you know a certain amount about me, Instructor Kalli, but as I have no family, I had to wander from place to place. And I happened to see it by chance. Just how dangerous the Apostles are. Through that text.”
As I spoke, I was extremely tense, trying to make my words sound natural.
Everything I said was, for the most part, true.
From the fact that I have no family in this world, to the text—it was one of the clues about Leteia mentioned in the original story.
It was the same text Leonhardt would later stumble upon, but I already knew about it. I didn't know where the text was, but the information itself was solid.
“I don't know where you saw such a text, but the Apostle of Sacrifice does indeed exist. The text you encountered, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, was likely a record left by some officer about the Apostles.”
“Do you perhaps know more details, Instructor Kalli?”
“I know a fair bit. Because I've faced the Apostle of Sacrifice myself."
At this unexpected information, I blinked without thinking.
‘Kalli has faced it?’
No way...
‘Is that even possible?’
In the story, when Leonhardt was searching for clues about the Apostle of Sacrifice, Leteia, he naturally sought Kalli's advice.
After all, she was a veteran officer who had stood on the battlefield for years, a pillar of the Empire.
But in the story, it's mentioned in passing that Kalli couldn't provide much help, and the plot moves on.
...But now, Kalli was showing me a completely different attitude.
“I think it's a good thing that you're taking such an interest in the Apostles, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. It's an admirable attitude for a cadet who dreams of becoming an officer. However, this might take a while. Is that alright?”
As a smiling Kalli spoke gently, I nodded in a daze.
“Yes. That's fine. If you could tell me in detail, it would be a great help to me.”
Even as I answered, a chill ran down my spine.
—Grand Royal Academy.
‘This world…’
Even before I came to exist in this world.
Hadn't it already gone astray long ago?