Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Coming Out - (Complete)
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Upon closer reflection, it didn't make sense that all these changes had been spurred solely by Sophia's transformation.
During the Full Moon Festival, Elise had seated all the priests in the premium seats. Afterward, she even came to personally return my handkerchief.
Even in the inter-departmental exchange match, Elise had shown up in that bizarre attire and clashed with Sophia at full force.
Just from that, Elise's actions already diverged somewhat from the original story.
But still, how could anyone have predicted this?
'The identity of the burnout girl... was a saintess candidate.'
It was enough to drive anyone mad.
The very first confessor I'd brushed off as insignificant turned out to be the academy's saintess.
Of course, there hadn't been zero clues.
The day the burnout girl visited the chapel for the second time was the day of the theology department's end-of-month evaluation. That was when Elise had been publicly reprimanded by Archbishop Balua.
It was I who had told the wandering Elise to do as she wished.
In other words...
'We're screwed.'
Sophia, who was supposed to be the righteous sword saint, had become a brawler, and Elise, who should have been the benevolent saintess, had turned into a thrill-seeker.
I had unwittingly corrupted two of the story's major characters.
The aftermath this would unleash was beyond imagination.
I was in the midst of trying to wrap my head around the situation when...
-Kieeeek!
Boom!
The charging holy barrier crushed the chimeras into minced meat.
It was a mechanical slaughter. Elise's holy barrier ground the chimeras up like they had been tossed into a blender.
Yet the saintess candidate who had carried out this merciless massacre was lifting the corners of her mouth in delight. Even that expression was utterly unlike the original Elise.
"Hoo..."
Soon after, with the chimeras mostly cleared, Elise turned her head.
"...Did it surprise you after all?"
"..."
"It's not something to be that flustered about, is it?"
No, it absolutely was that shocking.
As I pondered how to respond...
Rumble...
The Predator devouring the Ivory Tower shuddered violently once.
Debris rained down from the tower, but Elise raised her holy barrier to deftly block it.
"...The situation doesn't look good. You were here saving the passersby, weren't you, Priest? As expected, you have such a deep well of altruism."
Only then did I snap out of it.
This was the climax of Act 2.
In this moment where the boss Predator was trying to swallow the Twin Towers whole, Elise was a precious relief pitcher.
Even if that Elise happened to be going commando.
'Damn it, who could've seen this coming...'
I felt utterly wronged, to the point of insanity.
But what was done was done—spilled water.
For now, I had to make the best choice possible.
Still slumped on the ground, I said to Elise,
"Saintess Candidate."
"Call me Sister."
"...Sister."
"Yes! What is it?"
Elise clasped her fingers together and beamed like she'd been waiting for it, which was still intimidating.
I managed my expression as best I could and broached the topic.
"Right now, a massive monster has been summoned into the Twin Towers."
"Yes. I'm seeing it right now."
"Magic department students are trapped inside the towers."
"Hmm... Yeah, it does look that way."
I then explained how the otherworldly being summoned by the white-masked figure—the Predator—was trying to devour the entire Twin Towers.
Of course, to avoid unnecessary suspicion, I skipped any mention of the Shadows. I only gave a brief description of the white mask's appearance.
"...Hmm. From what you're saying, Priest, that white woman is the culprit behind it all."
"Yes. We can't wait for the faculty or guards. We have to save the magic department students trapped in the Twin Towers. I've already sent Sophia from the knight department ahead, so we should join her and..."
"...'Sophia from the knight department'?"
"..."
My words caught in my throat for a moment.
The atmosphere around the saintess candidate before me had flipped in an instant.
"...Hmm."
Elise smiled.
Her eyes weren't smiling.
"I see. So that mongrel was by your side, was she? On a night like this? In the picturesque lower village? I wonder what for."
Her tone was affectionate, but her voice was utterly icy.
As I'd seen during the inter-departmental exchange, Elise and Sophia had an extremely poor relationship for some reason.
Well, Sophia was the type to ambush and knock out even those approaching her kindly. With her bad blood toward most academy cadets, it was no surprise she clashed with Elise too.
There might have been some incident between them I didn't know about.
But now wasn't the time for personal grudges.
"Sister, the situation is urgent."
At my desperate plea, Elise's pout softened, and she let out a deep sigh.
"Working with that mongrel? I'd rather die... But if you're in a bind, Priest, then I suppose I have no choice."
Elise fiddled ostentatiously with her earring, then turned to gaze at the empty air.
"Miss Helena, you're there, right?"
"Yes, Miss."
A black-haired maid appeared from somewhere.
Given how she popped out of nowhere, she had to be one of Ophelia Hall's maids. In the game, they were classified as rogue-like classes.
But...
'Why that look in her eyes?'
The black-haired maid's gaze toward me brimmed with open disdain.
"Will you guard this place, Miss Helena? If any faculty or guards come to resolve the situation, guide them toward the Twin Towers."
"And you, Miss...?"
"I have to go to the tower."
Elise smiled brightly and tilted her head slightly.
"I'm a saintess, after all."
"...Yes, Miss."
The maid Helena nodded reluctantly, and Elise turned to look at me.
She then crouched down and extended her hand.
"Priest, shall we go?"
"...Yes."
As I took Elise's hand, I desperately averted my eyes to avoid peeking inside her clerical robes.
Seemingly pleased by the sight, Elise's eyes curved into joyful crescents.
"You can look if you want."
"..."
'I created a monster.'
I realized anew.
*
Sophia darted through the alleys this way and that.
-Kieeeek!
Half-finished monstrosities blocked the paths, but they were no match for her. She didn't even need to draw the Ink Sword. Her left hand alone sufficed to repel them.
Thus, Sophia finally arrived near the Twin Towers.
"...So these are the Twin Towers."
The Twin Towers consisted of two interlocking spires. The pristine white one on the verge of collapse was the Ivory Tower. The spiraling gray one was the Ashen Tower.
After a brief moment of thought, Sophia drew the Ink Sword and sliced open the entrance to the Ashen Tower. She could have just opened the door, but time was of the essence.
'It's a request from Priest.'
Above all, hadn't he promised to praise her over and over?
This was no longer a trivial fight.
No need to hold back her strength.
It was reason enough for Sophia to go all out.
—Kaboom!
The Ashen Tower's outer wall was cleanly severed by the Ink Sword.
The moment Sophia stepped inside, multiple stinging glares pierced her.
"Uh..."
In the central hall inside were magic department cadets trembling in fear. Their eyes were fixed on the crimson-haired woman who had burst through the wall.
It was Sophia.
"...Hm."
Sophia pondered for a moment.
Priest had clearly told her to rally these magic department cadets and have them fight the monsters.
That role fell to her.
However, there were two things Leo had overlooked.
"Hello...?"
One was that Sophia's social skills were rock bottom.
And the other was that her face was extremely well-known to the Ashen Tower cadets.
In the worst possible way.
"I-I know that woman! The knight department's mad dog who took down Lady Izolde!"
"Th-that bitch is behind all this! Has to be!"
"R-right! She killed the Kreuz lady during the Full Moon Festival too!"
Once the accusations started, they snowballed.
In no time, most of the magic department cadets were glaring at Sophia with hostility.
It was the usual treatment. As the traitor's daughter who had lived her whole life under that shadow, Sophia was used to it.
But...
'...Not now.'
If things stayed like this, she couldn't complete her master's assignment.
Her master's disappointed face flashed before her eyes, twisting Sophia's expression.
'I need to find some way.'
As she agonized, one idea crossed Sophia's mind.
There was a method, after all.
The one she'd always used in the knight department.
—Step, step.
Sophia descended from the rubble.
Her footsteps led straight to the cadet who had just called her the knight department's mad dog.
"Wh-what do you want! Stay back!"
"Block her!"
A few cadets tried to bar her path, but Sophia lightly leaped over them all.
Her leg strength clearly transcended human limits. Amid the confusion, she was already standing before the cadet.
"Aaaah! Stay away!"
The cadet recoiled in fright, but his back hit the cold wall.
Sophia seized the cadet's arm.
And snapped it with minimal force.
Crack.
"Gaaaaahhh!"
The cadet, whose elbow had bent in an unnatural direction, rolled on the ground shrieking.
"...Magic nerds sure are dramatic."
It hadn't even hurt when my arm broke.
With that thought, she scanned the surroundings.
The magic department cadets stared at Sophia—who had appeared out of nowhere and broken their classmate's arm—as if she were a ghost.
The hostile glares from moments ago were gone, replaced by faces pale with terror.
'As expected...'
Just as her master said.
The nobility of victory without drawing her sword.
Overwhelming force alone held sway.
"...So."
Sophia pointed at the cadet with the broken arm and continued.
"Any complaints?"
No one answered Sophia's question.
In truth, she hadn't asked expecting a reply.
"Then shut up and follow my lead."
"..."
A chilling silence settled over the first floor of the Ashen Tower.