Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Summer Vacation (1)
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Sophia's wish to head out for summer vacation didn't come true right away.
That was hardly surprising. The aftermath of the incident during the dungeon exploration exercise had been massive.
"...An assassins' guild got involved in a sacred external activity of Erebos?"
Dean Cornelius was livid, and all the instructors from the Knight Faculty in charge of the exercise were slapped with disciplinary action.
Above all, the victim of the attack was none other than Sophia Aquilova. Looming behind her as her patron was First Princess Ciris Leisander herself.
"Investigate immediately. Drag the one who hired that guild before Her Highness!"
Under the dean's orders, a full investigation kicked off.
Since all the assassins involved had turned up dead, unmasking the mastermind wasn't going to be easy.
For a while, Sophia got tossed around left and right under the pretext of investigative hearings.
"...Looks like protest letters have been pouring in."
The other students swept up in the incident—Sophia's teammates included—were all children of noble houses. It was only natural that their parents flew into a rage and bombarded the academy with angry missives.
The gist of those protest letters could be summed up like this:
- 'Ever since that traitor's bloodline slunk in, the academy hasn't had a moment's peace. Expel her immediately.'
It was an absurd situation.
Sophia, the actual victim, was being treated like the culprit, drawing all the fire.
When I heard about it, I could only lament the injustice...
"Are you okay, Sophia? Don't you feel wronged?"
"Not really?"
Sophia just tilted her head cutely, as if it was no big deal, while shoveling down the meal I'd prepared for her.
Of course, her face showed clear signs of fatigue. But that seemed more from being repeatedly summoned by investigators for statements than from the malice swirling around her.
"I'm used to it anyway. Everyone hates me. But since I didn't do anything wrong this time, it'll be fine."
With that, she clasped her hand firmly over mine.
"As long as you understand, Master, that's enough for me."
"...Mm."
It seemed she'd developed a severe case of dependency, unlike the original Sophia...
'Well, she got the abyssal magic core, so that's that.'
Sophia was safe, and she'd obtained the abyssal magic core just like in the original. That core was an item that boosted the Ink Sword's output. Even now, its tail end was fused to the sword, exuding an ominous aura. With this alone, we could take on even the act 3 bosses.
The controversy surrounding Sophia finally died down some, and the academy entered summer break a week later.
In the meantime, the academy's investigative team had deciphered a cipher found on the leader of the attackers and pinned down the culprit.
Count Raimund Kreuz. The father, grieving his lost daughter, had sought revenge on Sophia.
Naturally, Count Raimund had no choice but to attend the hearing personally arranged by the royals.
With House Kreuz—one of the kingdom's pillars—on the brink of collapse, the entire political world watched the scandal's unfolding with bated breath.
And the one who'd set all these changes in motion, Sophia Veronica Aquilova herself... was...
"Waa...! The sea!"
gazing at the ocean in delight.
"The water stretches on forever! It's nothing like a lake!"
"Well, yeah."
"Whoa! Salty! So salty! No need for extra salt!"
"...Hey, you can't drink that."
I even had to stop Sophia from guzzling seawater like a fish—nay, a puppy—finally in its element.
While the academy was still abuzz, Sophia and I had slipped away from Erebos and headed to the coast.
Our destination was the resort town of Bellus. It was more like a mid-sized fishing village than a fancy getaway, but Sophia was beaming all the same as she took in the endless sea beyond the horizon.
"Ahaha! It's cold!"
Watching her splash in the sand like a kid, I couldn't help but smile.
There was that beach episode in the original where she got excited over the sea, too.
'She's a tough cookie, but Sophia's still Sophia.'
Whatever the case, catching a glimpse of that original side of her brought a touch of relief.
At least I hadn't completely ruined her.
"They say the cod dishes here are famous. Want to try some?"
"Sure!"
In truth, the ever-hearty eater Sophia seemed even more thrilled by the seafood from that sea than the sea itself.
She tore through the market, devouring every dish made from the local catch. Seafood was pricey back in Erebos, but here in the source, it didn't hit the wallet quite so hard.
Plus, the market was way livelier than usual the day we arrived.
"Master, they say the Holy Festival starts today!"
Having chatted with a merchant, Sophia pointed at the festival banners.
The Holy Festival. The grandest religious celebration across the entire kingdom.
But the moment I heard that, I froze.
The Holy Festival was one of the events in the original's act 3. It marked when Archbishop Balua began laying the groundwork for his scheme through Elise in earnest.
'If things go as in the original, this is when Elise first starts doubting the Church.'
That's when the first hints drop about Archbishop Balua plotting something shady.
That said, we were in a remote northern fishing village far from Erebos, so no need to worry right now.
It was Elise's personal event, after all. She'd have to handle it on her own.
"Oh? Looks like a parade over there!"
As I mulled that over, the town square grew noisy.
Seemed like a procession for the Holy Festival.
But something was off about the front of the line. A Church carriage, emblazoned with the cathedral district's crest.
"What's that about?"
"*Sniff sniff*."
As I tilted my head, Sophia sniffed the air and hardened her expression.
Her nose was more reliable than any detector.
"...Sophia, what's wrong?"
"Familiar smell."
"What kind?"
"Citrus."
A chill ran down my spine at her words.
—Clunk.
The carriage's double doors swung open next, and a woman in shortened vestments stepped out.
What more was there to say?
"...Elise?"
Saintess Candidate Elise Aurora de Lua.
The girl who should be questioning the archbishop back at the academy had shown up here.
What fresh twist was this?
Before I could even process it, Elise spotted me from the carriage and waved cheerfully. Sophia growled like a guard dog, baring her teeth.
But the real shocker was the people behind Elise. Knights in black armor and gray cloaks, broadswords slung across their backs.
'...Holy See Knights?'
They were Holy See knights in name, but really just private soldiers obeying Archbishop Balua's every whim.
"...Why are they here?"
In other words, they were one of act 3's signature villain factions in Throne of the Academy.
Every year, Erebos Royal Academy put on a lavish Holy Festival event.
Especially since last year, with a Saintess Candidate enrolled, the Church had ramped up its involvement even more.
This year, despite the scandals, they'd planned an even bigger spectacle.
Or so they'd planned.
"Elise, what on earth is this about?"
Archbishop Balua asked, his cheek twitching.
His voice brimmed with fury. In the past, Elise would shrink at the mere sound of it. Not anymore. Now she met his gaze squarely.
"I'm thinking of going on vacation. I want to see the sea."
Elise was refusing to join the Holy Festival, insisting on heading to a seaside village instead.
Not insisting— she'd already set it in motion. The backpack she clutched was stuffed with clothes.
"...The Holy Festival is five days away. You experienced it last year; you know that."
Balua swallowed his rage as best he could and pressed on.
"Even now, the cathedral priests are toiling day and night to prepare. For you, their figurehead, to shirk your duty..."
"It's just an event, isn't it? Do I really have an obligation to take part?"
Elise cut him off.
For months now, she'd held this attitude.
Cold and curt, utterly divorced from the flawless Elise of before.
It was such a radical shift, one might think her soul had been swapped.
"...Elise, that Saintess Candidate title of yours... won't protect you forever."
"Is that so?"
Even faced with Balua's wrath, Elise just smiled brightly.
"At least it's holding up for now."
"..."
"Well then, shall we get going, Helena?"
Dismissing the archbishop entirely, Elise stood, grabbed the hesitant maid Helena, and left Ophelia Hall.
With the Holy Festival just five days out, the Saintess Candidate meant to lead the parade had vanished.
The blow to the cathedral's prestige would be immense.
Archbishop Balua felt a pounding headache, like a nail driven into his temple.
"Aaaargh!"
Crash!
Unable to contain his fury, Balua hurled a nearby fixture.
The head maid rushed in, startled, but he didn't stop. Only when his dorm room was a total wreck did Balua slump into a chair, panting.
"Head Maid."
"...Yes."
"Summon the Knight Commander at once."
Once his rage had vented, a cold calm settled over him.
Archbishop Balua issued the order in an icy tone. Soon, Holy See Knight Commander Gregorius arrived and knelt on one knee.
Gregorius and his knights belonged to the local Holy See, but they'd been won over by Balua's grand vision and now served as his limbs.
"...Elise, that girl... she's gone and left."
"What are your orders?"
"We can't let her slip away."
It was a plan two decades in the making.
It couldn't fail.
"Select the elite and have them accompany her under the guise of an escort."
"As you command."
"And on the last day of the Holy Festival, bring her back by force if necessary."
Gregorius's eyes widened at Balua's words.
By force if needed.
In other words, kidnap her.
"You mean..."
"Yes. We can't delay any longer. Before that girl Elise falls apart completely... we end it."
He had no choice but to accelerate the plan.
The ritual through the perfect vessel, Elise Aurora de Lua.
The return of the divine.
More precisely, the return of the divine power.
The ladder to the heavens, to bestow upon the foolish masses.