Joint Training, Part 8
Yurisia looked up at the sky as the rain gradually began to let up.
"The rain... has stopped?"
It was a good thing. The disappearance of the Behemoth was something to rejoice over, not to mourn.
"What are the chances that it dissipated naturally?"
Zenia bit her lower lip.
"The Behemoth is... well, it's true that the mortality rate for newborn magic beasts of that scale isn't low."
When such a massive amount of dark energy enveloped a newborn creature, it wasn't unusual for the beast to collapse and vanish shortly after birth.
"But it's been quite some time since the storm began. If it were before its body had fully materialized, maybe, but once the form is established, it doesn't just collapse on its own."
The rain had stopped. The fluctuations in mana had vanished, and peace had returned to the mountain.
Stepping onto the muddy ground where soil and water had mixed, the princess and the other instructors strode up the mountain.
"Are you using tracking magic?"
"Yes. There is a location where... a massive amount of dark energy is concentrated. There are no signs of interference or disruption."
"A silver lining, then."
The likelihood of the Behemoth naturally dissipating was extremely low. And the probability that Claire and Wade, who were left on the mountain, had defeated it was even lower.
Thinking of this, Yurisia ground her teeth once more.
"Ugh..."
At Yurisia's fury, the retinue assisting her trembled in fear.
Though she was a young princess just of age to enter the Academy, the pressure she exuded was formidable.
"I will hold them accountable for this crime. To give a false report in such an urgent situation..."
The princess, who had descended the mountain in relief, had only realized after a significant amount of time had passed that Claire and Wade had not yet returned.
"...What are the chances that they are still alive?"
"Well. Thinking realistically... it's probably best to assume there are none..."
It wasn't that Zenia didn't grieve their deaths.
It was just that her instincts as a mage constantly whipped her to speak only the truth, and not to offer hope where the probability was virtually zero.
Eliminating the impossible one by one, the most likely hypothesis was that the entity who had summoned the Behemoth to this mountain had retrieved it.
"So they achieved their goal..."
The princess shuddered at Katarin's sheer malice.
Was pride really so important that they had to deploy a Behemoth just to kill a single student like Wade?
And why did the girl beside him—the innocent Claire—have to die?
"No matter how much I think about it, that's the only logical conclusion."
Zenia continued, biting her lip.
"The terrorists—likely a beast tamer—must have released the Behemoth on the mountain right before its birth. Perhaps the target was those two from the very beginning."
"Indeed... Even if Wade and Claire had been corrupted by the dark energy on the spot and tried to kill me... they wouldn't have been able to scratch a single hair on my head."
"Exactly. It's far too clumsy to be an attempt on the princess or the disciple of the Mage Tower Master."
"They wanted me to kill those two with my own hands. How utterly cruel..."
Yet, the princess thought it would have been better if Wade and Claire had simply acted according to the enemy's design.
If they had, she wouldn't have lost them.
She felt a pang of resentment toward their sheer willpower—their ironclad conviction that refused to choose slaughter even while suppressed by the Behemoth.
"Why did you run..."
If they had only surrendered to that rage, everything could have been resolved without anyone dying.
Even so, she had no intention of giving up.
This was not the first time she had experienced the death of a companion.
Even if the chances of survival were slim, she could not stop until she had confirmed their bodies.
"...?"
The princess felt a sudden sense of incongruity.
Footsteps. One, no, two more.
Not the vibrations of those walking alongside her, but footsteps descending from above.
And those footsteps resembled the two she knew so well, to a degree she dared not believe.
"They are ahead! Follow me, those who can!"
The princess surged forward, practically flying up the mountain. The others could not hide their bewilderment, but they quickly followed her up the slope.
And a moment later, the princess saw them.
Wade and Claire. The young man and woman were trudging down the mountain with heavy, exhausted steps.
"You... you are alive!"
A bright smile spread across the princess's face.
Though the two were covered in rainwater and dirt, the princess did not hesitate to throw her arms around Wade and Claire, pulling them into a tight embrace.
"Thank goodness..."
Her rigid armor pressed against their clothes, smudging them with dirt.
"What happened? What of the Behemoth? It was surely summoned near here."
"Ah, that magic beast."
Wade offered a relaxed smile. Giving Claire a subtle glance, he stepped forward to explain the situation.
"Miss Claire here has converted to a Dark Priestess. The beast has been defeated."
The princess's face, which had been bright with joy just a moment ago, gradually darkened.
"A Dark... Priestess?"
For she knew exactly how terrible and dreadful such a thing was.
The situation had concluded. I lay on a comfortable bed in the infirmary, enjoying a leisurely rest.
"I-I kept you waiting, didn't I? I'm here!"
Claire was sweating. It seemed the questions directed at her had been quite sharp.
"Good job."
"I did everything you told me to do, Wade!"
I thought asking about her well-being should come first, but right now, praise seemed to be the priority.
"They must have asked for the name of the demon you converted to. What did you say?"
"T-that he does not wish to reveal himself!"
"Good. They probably asked about that demon's values. What did you tell them?"
"That it's similar to ordinary love, and that it has nothing to do with, you know, indiscriminate slaughter or anything like that!"
I nodded slowly.
Strictly speaking, to the Academy instructors, Claire becoming a Dark Priestess was likely a far more concerning event than her dying.
From the moment one became a priestess, it was safe to say the individual known as 'Claire' ceased to exist. Whatever thoughts or values she held before no longer mattered.
She was now serving 'someone' who belonged to the dark, possessing overflowing dark energy. My joy would become her joy, and my desires would become her desires.
It was not a matter to be taken lightly. If Claire had become a Dark Priestess without a compelling reason, the Academy would have expelled her without hesitation.
However, she looked remarkably normal. Furthermore, the Academy needed to take responsibility for this incident.
A terrorist attack had occurred. A Behemoth had appeared.
Regardless of the process, this was a clear failure on the Academy's part. They could not expel Claire simply because she had been caught up in the incident and turned into a Dark Priestess.
"And just like you said... there was this flashing golden light."
"A lie detector."
The Academy must have been deeply conflicted.
If, by some chance, the terrorist had forced Claire to become a Dark Priestess in exchange for her life, it would be no different from harboring an enemy within their walls.
"Did they ask who the culprit was?"
"I said I didn't know! Just like you told me, I answered everything truthfully!"
She was incredibly loyal. Like a puppy eagerly obeying its master's command, she waited for my praise with a blissful face.
"Good job. Thank you so much."
"N-no need to thank me! You said... I serve you, right? From the way it sounds, it feels like you're basically my god or something!"
Come to think of it, she had accepted my proposal without even knowing who I was or what she was supposed to worship.
"By any chance... are you not human? Do you have horns hidden in your hair?"
"No, I'm human. Definitely human."
Claire raised her hand hesitantly, looking puzzled.
"Re... ally?"
She reached toward my head, but startled by her own boldness, she quickly pulled her hand back.
"You can touch it."
"R-really?"
Claire placed her trembling hand on my head. After lightly rummaging through my hair and confirming there were indeed no horns, she gasped in surprise.
"You really are human!"
"In the first place, demons don't necessarily have to have horns. Even if they did, if they created an avatar in this world, they wouldn't have to display them. Regardless of all that, I am human."
"I see. Yes, I'll believe you!"
She smiled brightly.
"Then, um... what should I do? Should I pray or something?"
"No need."
Strictly speaking, a believer's prayer was indeed beneficial to the recipient. Simply demonstrating reverence elevated the status of the entity being served.
However, I doubted the prayers of a single person would be of much help. Moreover, it would be disastrous if it were revealed that the source of the dark energy capable of creating a Dark Priestess was me.
"Just live happily here at the Academy."
I probably wouldn't be able to use my planned 'method for utilizing Claire.' Now that she had become a Dark Priestess, those who were fastidious about dark energy would shun her, no matter how warmly she smiled.
But it wasn't as if I had any specific orders for her right now anyway. Until the moment I truly needed her, it was enough for her to simply live a loyal and happy life.
"Understood! I'll definitely do that!"
Taking my words deep into her heart, Claire nodded with a lively rhythm.
Her smile was radiant.