Leave Me Alone Already – A Noisy Day at the Academy
The days at Arcadia Academy were always bustling. Maybe it was because they were all full of youthful vigor, but the only time things quieted down was during classes. Excluding class hours, it wasn't exactly an environment where you could relax comfortably.
...Once my body's fully recovered, hitting 5th Circle should be a breeze.
Of course, my body was almost completely healed already, so it probably wouldn't even take a week. Speaking of which, 5th Circle...
In magic, circles represented a mage's level. 1st to 3rd Circle were seen as novice mages. From 4th Circle onward, you were acknowledged as a proper mage. And from 5th Circle, you were undeniably recognized as a true powerhouse.
Even in theory classes, the benchmark for Arcadia Academy's magic department professors was 5th Circle.
It's progressing way faster than expected—almost scary.
It was all thanks to the Seal of Original Sin, a trait I barely understood myself. All I knew was that it absorbed demons and granted power. It made me a little uneasy, but there was no denying it was fueling my rapid growth.
Knock knock.
I was munching on the apple Yuria had peeled for me, lost in thought, when an unfamiliar knock came from the door.
Not Yuria or Belloa—they barge in without knocking now that they're used to it.
The professors were the next likeliest suspects. Wait, were they here about my grades or classes?
"You can come in."
I swallowed my bite of apple and spoke slowly, enunciating clearly.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing a blinding figure in white robes. They reminded me of a modern doctor's coat—a symbol of a priest from the Holy Church.
"...Who might you be?"
"I'm Thomas, serving as an inquisitor for the Holy Church's heresy division."
"Ah."
Fuck.
I'd half-expected this. Demon-related incidents were major events that even made the imperial family tense. And the one who resolved it? Just a single first-year student from the academy. It was a bit late, but sending someone from the church was only natural.
"But... didn't the academy already handle this with you?"
What puzzled me was this. Hinisila Prihen had assured me she'd take care of everything, so I should focus on resting. Yet here was an inquisitor showing up way later? It didn't add up, no matter how I thought about it.
Of course, I was the one getting intimidated here.
"...That's correct. However, a few higher-ups in the church had some doubts, so they sent me."
The man's eyes were utterly steadfast, as if he believed the church leadership's judgments were absolutely infallible. It could be admirable if aimed at justice, but blindly following wasn't necessarily justice.
If Hinisila knew, she wouldn't have let them send someone to me.
In other words, despite the matter being settled, someone high up in the church had dispatched an inquisitor here without informing the academy.
Not just any priest—an inquisitor, no less.
This... whoever it was, if things went south, we were really fucked.
"I'll ask you some questions."
"...Questions?"
"Yes. Answer truthfully under the Lord's gaze."
This guy's fucking insane. An inquisitor acting this rudely?
Guess it's true—half the Holy Church bastards are just assholes.
They had too much power, sure, but there were limits. Showing up at the academy and pulling this shit was unacceptable.
"First, did you personally subjugate one of the 92 Demons?"
"...Yes."
"And that demon was the Dying Knight?"
"That's also true."
These were facts already public to the church. Probably warming up with easy questions before the real ones.
"Then... have you ever received a stigmata or a divine revelation?"
Stigmata and divine revelation—miracles granted directly by God. Revelations were miracles allowed only to saintesses, heroes, and the pope. Stigmata was God's grace for those who devoted their lives to the church and its doctrines.
But asking about this meant...
"No."
"...Then, have you ever learned holy magic?"
"Not formally."
Thomas's eyes darkened to gray. Not the answer he wanted, huh?
"So... you're completely uninvolved with demons in that incident?"
A dangerous question. One wrong word, and he might attack me right now, claiming a holy trial. Though if he had any brains, he wouldn't.
"Uninvolved."
".........Then."
"Yes?"
"A human with no ties to demons or any divine grace subjugated a demon?"
".........Yeah?"
What the fuck? Something's off. I'd answered without a single lie, yet that tone? Classic zealot behavior.
"That's impossible."
"........."
"Unless you prepared something in advance."
In that instant, an invisible, overwhelming pressure crushed down on me like massive weight.
Talent: Heavenly Martial Body resists holy power
Talent: Manifestation of Miracles resists holy power
I'd anticipated it, but this guy's completely nuts. Coming to the guy who caught the demon for him and pulling this crap?
"You're crossing the line."
"...No. We can't believe it. Come with us to the church. We'll conduct a proper interrogation."
These motherfuckers. Think I don't know interrogations involve pulling nails? Threatening with interrogation was illegal, but a zealot like this? And an inquisitor, not some random priest? Totally possible.
"There's a limit to my patience."
The holy power that Manifestation of Miracles had absorbed and the Seal of Original Sin had resisted now coiled around my entire body in an instant. Since it couldn't be absorbed into me, it had lingered nearby—and now, temporarily, I could wield it.
"You think this is possible without stigmata or revelation?"
"...This is fucking ridiculous."
"Lying to an inquisitor will bring punishment you can't escape."
As his eyes gleamed sharply, the pressure intensified. Instinctively, I moved to counter with magic—
That's when the door, perfectly timed despite being closed, swung open.
"...What is the meaning of this?"
Her voice alone subdued the room's tension with overwhelming dignity. At the same time, the holy power pressing on me and Thomas fizzled out in an instant.
A miracle suppressing another miracle. Only three were permitted this: the pope, the hero, and the saintess. And standing before us was the one among them renowned for her boundless compassion—Yuria.
"S-Saintess! It's not— This one lied during the inquisit—"
"Enough. I didn't permit you to speak."
The pope was the church's head. So what were the saintess and hero?
Apostles who received God's revelation. In other words, proxies of God on earth, established to fulfill His will.
No matter how much an inquisitor, to him, she was no different from the pope.
"...I was under the impression the church had closed this matter."
Yuria glanced my way, her expression softening. Probably checking my condition and confirming if her words rang true. I nodded firmly, furrowing my brow extra for effect.
No, really—it hurt.
"...It has been closed, but some were curious, so they sent me."
"So you moved an inquisitor without the pope's permission."
"...Th-that's not—"
"Name them."
Yuria's eyes were ice-cold, the complete opposite of her usual warmth. A regal authority, like a true queen, shone through.
"...Cardinal Arwen and Lady Shire."
"Hoo..."
Yuria grimaced, her pretty face twisting so severely it almost looked mangled for a moment. She brushed back her hair and spoke slowly.
"Leave."
"B-but this one—"
"Enough. Leave. I'll handle this."
"............Understood."
Thomas nodded reluctantly and slowly exited the room.
"...I'm sorry. It seems the church acted on their own."
"No... I figured someone might show up."
This had effectively made it hard for the church to mess with me carelessly. Knowing the saintess backed me meant they'd have to follow procedure next time. Not bad at all—and on top of that, it felt like I'd incurred a debt to Yuria.
"...I'll apologize on their behalf."
"No, it's fine."
"They'll send someone properly from the church later."
Yuria continued naturally, sitting beside my bed. Then she started peeling the half-eaten apple again.
Wait, she wasn't just gonna say sorry and leave?
"Are you feeling okay? Your body?"
"I'm good. But you don't have to peel more apples..."
"No, I see there's still some left."
"I was eating it when that guy showed up..."
"...Thomas. Got it. Then I'll peel more for you. Eat slowly—there's plenty."
Yuria showed me the plate of apples beside her. At least three more...
Please, no more. I'm stuffed for real.