Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Midterm Exam (3)
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While Roel was in the middle of her match, up in the highest seats of the spectator stands...
Pure white hair.
An elegant bearing.
Beauty as if sculpted by the gods themselves.
A woman with a truly holy presence.
"Ortelra Cardentis."
The one called the "Blind Saintess" by the people took her seat.
In this world, the Church's influence was powerful even without the kingdom's backing.
This was because blessings—direct "powers"—were spread across the world, and the scale of faith was the Church's strength.
Even a king of a nation would pay the price for blasphemy if he dared deny the gods.
The Church's position was not something to be trifled with.
"Who is that?"
"Which one do you mean?"
"The woman."
Such was the Saintess of this world.
To put it simply, she was in a position where she could achieve anything she desired.
In response to Ortelra's question, her guard knight, Sir Beston, answered.
"Her name is Roel. She started in 5th Grade but is now training in 1st Grade Class."
"I see..."
"Did you notice something unusual?"
Ortelra opened her closed eyes. Her gray pupils, devoid of light, stared at the arena.
True to her moniker, those eyes could no longer see the world.
"Yes, just a little... something mixed in."
If asked how she could "perceive" the world in such a state, the answer would inevitably be her blessing.
Ortelra, known to receive the gods' love more than anyone, must possess a powerful blessing.
Of course, few in the Church even knew what her blessing was. It was a closely guarded secret, and even Beston, her guard, could only speculate it related to her sight.
She probably saw a world completely different from everyone else's.
Beston followed the Saintess's gaze to the golden-haired girl.
A strength unbelievable for a mere cadet.
Watching the No. 1 contender get utterly crushed was shocking.
"Sir Beston, arrange for me to meet her."
"Understood."
"As soon as possible."
"You can meet her right away."
Ortelra began stomping her feet lightly.
Was it anticipation or anxiety?
Beston, unskilled at reading expressions, had no way to know.
"Demon, did you see that just now?"
Roel, having come down from the arena, was heading to the spectator stands.
With the tournament format, there was quite a bit of time before the next round.
Thanks to that, everyone who had finished their matches could rest adequately.
...Though for Roel, the match hadn't required much rest.
"Demon! Are you listening?"
Chattering nonstop without a break.
Excited as if oblivious to how it was burning me up inside.
"I think I'm stronger than I expected."
Indeed, Roel had grown far beyond what I'd imagined.
The repeated brushes with death had probably fueled her growth immensely.
Should I thank those demons for it...? A strange feeling settled in.
"I can kind of see myself becoming the Hero now. Of course... I'm still a long way off."
Confidence shone through.
A look she hadn't had when we first started talking.
"...Maybe she'll really be okay now."
Roel had changed.
For the better, not worse.
She wouldn't break no matter what she faced now.
Even if she fell a thousand times, she'd dust herself off and stand again.
Like a typical protagonist.
"Since you're helping me, Demon, I want to show you that I succeed."
Would these conversations end soon?
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
"Let's just watch the matches. It's starting again."
I changed the subject awkwardly.
"Oh, it really is. They're fixing it quick..."
The one entering the arena this time was a familiar face.
Black hair. Short stature. Her signature arrogant posture.
Sera flicked her hair back and drew her sword.
Her opponent was...
"Ah! She's really up against that guy?"
The man who had picked a fight with Sera before the midterms began.
His name was... Tailly, I think.
"Coincidence, right?"
"Who knows."
I shifted my view slightly to glance at Cigarette.
She watched the arena expressionlessly, her face unreadable.
Cigarette wouldn't be unaware of the cadets' situations.
She must have known about those two's conflict long ago. Was this match really random?
"What kind of lottery is that..."
No way.
Draws were a flat-out lie.
Roel's opponent being No. 1 wasn't coincidence either. This bracket was clearly rigged on purpose.
Of course, since it was an exam at heart, it wasn't wrong...
Maybe to avoid backlash from the losing students.
"Can Sera win?"
Roel spoke with a mix of worry.
Sera would throw a fit if she heard, but surprisingly, Roel's concern was valid.
"Bad matchup."
Sera's blessing was speed.
Tailly's was "Prediction."
No matter how fast, you can't catch someone who reads the future.
A tough opponent for Sera.
That was a month ago, though.
"I forfeit."
The moment the match started, Tailly forfeited.
"Hmph."
Sera turned and left the arena.
A victory without even crossing swords.
The spectator stands buzzed.
A reaction born of total confusion. It was over the instant it began, after all.
"Winner, Sera."
It wasn't just Roel who had grown from that recent raid.
Sera had reached a level beyond the other cadets as well.
Seeing just a few seconds into the future wasn't enough to beat her.
"...Did he see a future of defeat?"
"Probably."
Still, forfeiting immediately was unexpected.
The other spectators might not know, but the cadets should realize it was a test.
...What kind of future did he see?
"Hmm, a bit disappointing. I was looking forward to it as much as I was worried."
"Who are you worrying about?"
Sera stood behind Roel, who was muttering to herself, having arrived unnoticed.
"Oh, you got back quick."
Sera sat naturally beside Roel and crossed her legs.
Looking displeased. She seemed quite disappointed by Tailly's forfeit.
The next match was underway in the arena.
Laila versus some nameless mage.
Spells rained down brilliantly from all sides, but Laila advanced calmly, countering steadily.
Finally, she held her sword to the mage's throat, securing victory.
A stable win.
"Laila's gotten stronger too."
By now, the others in the stands must have realized it too.
The top spot in these midterms would definitely go to one of these three.
Which made Roel's "next match" an event everyone awaited.
"...I won't go easy."
"Same here."
Roel was first up.
Sera was right after.
So their next opponents were none other than each other.
The spectator stands were packed, making it stuffy.
With time to kill before her next match, Roel stopped watching and stepped outside for a bit.
"...Gonna have to fight Sera, huh."
It wouldn't be her first duel with Sera.
A bizarre fight from before the semester even started, where they'd both beaten each other.
Roel respected Sera as a friend.
Even if she could be mean sometimes, there was much to learn from her.
So facing her as an opponent wasn't exactly welcome.
"Alright! Let's do our best."
She steeled herself and clenched her fist.
This wasn't something she could avoid just because she didn't like it.
She'd said no holding back, so Roel had to go all out too.
Having a chance to clash seriously was definitely a good thing.
"Time to head back. Sera's probably waiting."
She'd gotten enough fresh air.
Sera might seem tough, but she hated being lonely.
Laila would be there, but she'd probably be asleep.
'Guess I should keep her company.'
She stretched her arms out.
Fixed her clothes and headed back to the stands.
"...Who are you?"
Then, someone blocked Roel's path.
A tall man in a pristine white uniform.
Instinctive wariness surged.
Having crossed the line of death multiple times, Roel had developed a knack for gauging opponents' strength.
To her eyes, this man was ridiculously strong.
Maybe even more than the demons she'd fought recently.
"No need to be so guarded. I'm from the Church."
The man bowed in greeting.
"I'm Sir Beston, the Saintess's guard knight."
"S-Saintess?"
"Yes. She wishes to meet you."
The sudden name froze her mind for a moment.
Huh. Saintess. The Saintess.
The Saintess wants to see me...?
Why...?
Her stalled thoughts struggled to turn.
The weight of the name was too much for calm refusal.
"Let's go. She's waiting now."
Beston led the way.
Dazed, Roel hesitated but followed.
If the waiting person was really the Saintess, refusing wasn't an option.
"This way."
They arrived at the Academy's VIP lounge.
All her doubts during the walk proved unfounded; a holy aura seeped through the door, sending shivers down her spine.
"Go on in."
She opened the door.
A woman sat on a luxurious sofa, quietly sipping tea.
Pure white, pure white.
Sunlight pouring through the window haloed her like a divine glow.
Roel realized.
This was what it meant to be loved by the gods.
The title of Saintess wasn't given lightly; even her slightest gestures shone radiantly.
Clink.
She set down her teacup.
Saintess Ortelra stared at Roel with her distant eyes.
"Hello, future Hero. And..."
No.
Looking again, the Saintess wasn't staring at Roel.
"...should I call you Demon?"