Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Episode 42
I felt like I'd spent half the semester in the infirmary, but finally, discharge day arrived.
“Phew…”
My body still tingled a bit, probably due to the lingering demonic energy, but I could move around fine.
“Ah, Master!”
“Hey Noah. Glad to see you’re well. Are Warrior types naturally more robust?”
“I heard, Master. You saved Marie, right?”
“No need to thank me.”
“To just snatch my chance for glory like that…Master truly is Master.”
“…?”
What was that? A compliment? An insult? Judging by her beaming smile, I couldn't tell.
Time for [Contemplation]…
“Did you know? Master, you have an interesting habit.”
“…”
Eleanor suddenly appeared beside me and covered my eyes with her hands.
Even though only my vision was blocked, I felt like I couldn't breathe.
“Your eyes look different when you’re suspicious of someone.”
Noah’s learning ability was remarkable.
Was it because she was the protagonist? Even in the game, her growth was rapid.
But I never thought she’d pick up on people's habits like that.
Frankly, it was scary.
“Just asking, but were you suspicious of me just now?”
“No…”
“Hmm?”
I couldn’t see Eleanor’s expression through the darkness, and I broke out in a cold sweat.
“I knew it! I was trusting you, Master.”
“Uh, yeah… I’m sorry for stealing your chance to shine.”
No, really.
I truly felt sorry about that.
I knew what kind of mental struggles Eleanor faced and what path she needed to take as the protagonist.
So, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Eleanor grew stronger as she gained more attention.
Truly a fitting power source for an attention seeker.
…Conversely, it also meant she struggled to exert her full power without the attention of others.
“Well, if you say so, I can’t argue. It wasn’t really your fault, anyway.”
“…Come to think of it, you’re right. This wasn’t really my fault, was it?”
“But it still felt a bit off that you used me like a pawn.”
“Now that you mention it, I guess it was my fault.”
Let’s just say it was my fault for using her based on my gamer instincts.
“Just kidding.”
“…”
I wasn’t going to respond.
If I reacted to that “just kidding,” Eleanor’s attitude would flip in an instant. I knew her too well.
“Actually, I was feeling a bit powerless, that’s why I said that.”
“…”
“Master, why aren’t you answering?”
Her tone was chilling.
The way she demanded a response was incredibly unnerving. What had I created?
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Still, Master got hurt, the Saintess got hurt, Baekyang, Marie, Lucia, and the Fist King…well, he wasn't hurt, but still. I wanted to do something, but I'm just so weak.”
“Don’t worry about it. No one starts out strong.”
“Except maybe the people in the Headmaster's office?”
“Let’s make an exception for that.”
That unfairness couldn't be helped.
They weren’t even human, after all.
“And Noah, if it weren’t for that blow you landed on the Death King, we wouldn’t even be standing here talking.”
“That was thanks to everyone’s help. I can’t do anything alone.”
“Why do you think you have to do it alone?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake.
This was still only Chapter 2 of the main story. It was the stage where Eleanor was still desperately trying to stand on her own.
“…Anyway, we help each other. I’ll need your help someday, too.”
“Do you really need my help, Master?”
Fortunately, I had a ready answer to this question.
“Yes, there will be things only you can do.”
I wasn't just saying that to be nice.
There were definitely things only she, the protagonist, could accomplish.
“For example?”
Honestly, I didn't expect her to ask…
It was still too early to tell her about her Key.
The [Key of Understanding] was powerful, but it came with a heavy burden.
Even now, unaware of her own Key, she had dealt a critical blow to the [Death King].
There was no way Eleanor, with her power level between Rank R and SR, could handle the Key’s true power.
“…Like when we need to divert people’s attention?”
“That’s…! True, only I can do that.”
Honestly, anyone could do that, not just Eleanor.
But if that's what she believed, wasn't it a good thing?
Let’s just bury this topic here. It was for the best.
“Speaking of which…”
I smoothly changed the subject.
“You changed the subject awfully fast.”
“…”
Apparently, it wasn’t that smooth.
Strange. I thought it was perfect.
“Uh, hmm. Anyway, how are Arietta and the others? You were in the same room, weren’t you?”
“Right…”
Eleanor frowned and tapped her temple with her index finger, as if organizing her thoughts.
“First, Baekyang is still hospitalized. She hurt her back protecting me. I’m planning to bring her some ice cream later.”
That’s Eleanor for you.
Assuming Baekyang liked ice cream was pure prejudice.
“Lucia had minor injuries and was discharged before me. Since she helped me, I should get her some fresh fish later, right?”
“Aside from Baekyang, I don’t think she’d appreciate that.”
Knowing how hard Lucia worked to maintain her intellectual image, Eleanor’s prejudice brought tears to my eyes.
“And the Saintess…”
Finally, it was Arietta’s turn, the most important person.
Tia said her condition was serious. She didn’t elaborate, but it was clear she hadn’t been discharged yet.
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“She was moved to a different room alone.”
Was there a reason for her to be in a different room? I thought they would all be together.
It made sense.
If there were other patients near someone tainted by demonic energy, it would surely affect them negatively.
That's why I assumed they were all in the same room.
“Oh, and about Marie…”
“It’s okay, I already talked to her.”
“…When?”
“Right after I woke up last time. So, about six days ago?”
“Is that so? That’s strange. Marie told me that was the first time she visited me.”
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air.
“Maybe I was mistaken.”
“Master, with your good memory, made a mistake? That's funny.”
Eleanor occasionally hit the nail on the head like this.
Seeing how well she remembered details about others, maybe her memory was even better than mine.
“Master, I just remembered something, I need to go. I want to see Marie.”
“O-Okay.”
“Oh, and I think the Saintess will be fine.”
“Huh?”
As if she’d suddenly remembered, Eleanor brought up Arietta again.
“I might be wrong, but…hmm…I saw someone who seemed very skilled visit her.”
“A doctor?”
“I don’t know? Maybe a cleric.”
“What’s your criteria for ‘skilled’?”
“…A feeling?”
“Right, a feeling.”
Eleanor, despite her appearance, is royalty. Or rather, had been royalty.
Anyway, the fact that she was being so vague meant it was someone she knew from her time as a princess.
“This is a secret, okay? It’ll be embarrassing if I’m wrong, so only Master can know.”
“Alright, I’ll keep it to myself.”
“A secret between us…it feels like a secret organization, how exciting.”
“Such consistent enthusiasm.”
With those words, Eleanor left, as energetic as ever.
The way she vaguely hinted about Arietta was undoubtedly her way of being considerate.
It was obvious who Eleanor meant by "someone skilled."
“Has the Pope arrived already?”
The previous Saintess, the current Pope, and the holder of the [Key of the Evangelist].
Lucia Domine.
It seemed she had already arrived at Scientia.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The person who visited Arietta’s isolated room was an elderly woman with an eyepatch covering one eye.
“My goodness…”
The elderly woman, with a wrinkled face, looked down at Arietta disapprovingly.
Arietta’s condition was far from good.
She was practically the embodiment of pure divine power.
Because of this, she was highly resistant to demonic energy and magic, but conversely, when she was affected, the damage was far greater than others.
Normally, this wouldn't happen.
“To use up all your divine power…were you that eager to die?”
Unless her very being became empty…
Arietta was special. She couldn’t harbor any other energy source besides divine power.
If she were an ordinary cleric, mana would have filled the void left by the depleted divine power.
But she couldn't do that.
That's why she was more susceptible to the invasive nature of demonic energy.
“P…Pope…?”
Arietta mumbled, her eyes fluttering open at the scolding.
“Yes, Arietta. You’re always lying in bed like this whenever I see you, aren’t you?”
“Ah…”
“I’m not telling you to get up, so stay put.”
[Pope] Lucia put a cigarette in her mouth and grumbled.
As if accustomed to this, she stroked Arietta’s head.
Arietta exhaled evenly and didn't resist the touch.
“I thought sending you somewhere peaceful would be enough, but God keeps giving you trials.”
“Haha…”
Lucia worried about Arietta like a parent. It was only natural.
She, having been a Saintess herself, understood the weight of the title better than anyone.
The stronger the power one held, the deeper one's faith, the greater the trials the Saintess faced. Lucia was no exception. She became Pope after overcoming countless hardships, adversities, and sacrifices.
She hadn't wanted it, but the position of Pope was her final destination.
‘But this child…’
Lucia touched the eyepatch covering her missing eye, careful not to let Arietta notice. She had lost an eye as the price for the power she wielded.
What about Arietta?
‘One eye and two. Even with simple calculations, her path will be twice as difficult as mine.’
But Lucia knew all too well that it wasn't that simple.
It wasn't just a matter of one eye.
Unlike her, Arietta had lost the light in both of her eyes.
The one who preached the light couldn't see the light.
“If you’re already like this, how will you endure in the future?”
“I couldn’t help it…”
“Arietta, lies are useless in front of me. Do you think I don't know you? Relying on another’s pain to justify your lies is not a good habit.”
She, too, was the same. The Saintess was a being forced to push their limits.
God's eyes were utterly objective.
It was precisely because of such a disposition that one could become a Saintess.
‘If anything, it’ll be more, not less.’
Lucia sighed and began to chant a divine spell.
Her voice, like a lullaby, caused Arietta’s eyelids to flutter closed.
“Someday, you’ll have to bear this burden yourself.”
Lucia murmured, placing her index finger on Arietta’s forehead.
“…Open.”
The demonic energy that was consuming Arietta belonged to the [Death King].
Imbued with the Key's power, it constantly tormented her, preventing her divine power from returning.
If she could accept even mana, it would have diluted the demonic energy, but Arietta was too pure, for better or worse.
That’s probably why the [Death King]’s demonic energy hadn't weakened.
“Wings of pure white.”
Then, to drive out that demonic energy, an equal power from a Key would be needed.
“Ugh…”
Lucia, having used the Key’s power, covered her mouth and knelt.
Crimson blood flowed from between her fingers.
“Poor thing.”
Lucia murmured, still kneeling, as if in prayer.
“I wished things would be different for you.”
The [Key of the Evangelist], passed down through generations of Popes, contained immense divine power.
“If only you, who can accept divine power more densely than anyone…”
Divine power wasn't always a benevolent force.
There was no power without a price. Too brilliant a light could blind.
The [Key of the Evangelist] killed its owner as the price for its immense divine power.
“Perhaps you might be able to withstand this power…”
The robes of every Pope had crimson sleeves.
To wipe away the blood.
They couldn't show weakness in the Church, which was supposed to provide hope.
At the same time, it meant that none of the previous Popes had been able to withstand the Key's power.
“May you grow before I die.”
Arietta was still immature.
Both as a Saintess and as a human. But such things were often resolved with time.
So, Lucia’s role as an adult was to wait for Arietta.
“I’ll try my best to live a long life, too.”
She was the owner of the Key, the Saintess, and the Pope.
[KP The Waiting Saintess]
Lucia Domine
Her identity was closer to Saintess than Pope.
Nevertheless, for the sake of the still immature Arietta, she had to remain as Pope.