Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Sickbed Visit (2)
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A few more days passed since I ended up confined to this hospital room.
There hadn't been any dramatic changes in the meantime. Elise visited me nearly every day, sitting by the window with a smile playing on her face, spending time before heading back.
It was nothing but inconvenient for me, but since she seemed at ease, I decided to just endure it.
On the fifth day like that, someone came to see me.
"Priest Leo, I don't even know how to express my gratitude for stepping up in this incident."
It was Cornelius, the dean of Erebos Royal Academy.
In fact, in Throne of the Academy, he only appeared in the opening narration at the start of the game and had no real significance, so I didn't know much about what kind of person he was.
But from what I heard, Cornelius seemed to have quite an attachment to the academy.
"Rallying the students, holding off the Church's mad dogs, and even taking down an archbishop clad in divine power—you're the top hero who calmed this whole crisis. If not for Priest Leo, who knows what catastrophe might have struck. Haha, I don't even want to think about it."
"Uh... that's too much praise."
I gave Cornelius an awkward look as I replied.
In Act 2, the Predator summoning incident, I could sneakily toss the role to Elise and slip away. But in this Act 3 Archangel incident, I had to step up front and lead everyone. As a result, my presence was firmly imprinted in the minds of the original major characters.
Seeing even the dean himself come to personally thank me, it was a blessing that summer break had arrived and the students had all returned to their families.
"So, as a token of appreciation for your hard work, I'd like to offer some reward. Anything you want, within reason."
"I... I didn't do anything. It'd be better to reward the cadets who fought so hard instead of me."
In truth, I had only added a spoonful to the pot.
Even without me, the Archangel would have been defeated somehow. If anything, since I'd twisted the original plot because of my involvement, I even felt a bit guilty.
But Cornelius seemed to interpret my refusal differently.
"Haha. To have such outstanding ability and yet be so humble... In all my years, you're the first noble soul I've met like this."
"...Outstanding ability?"
"I've heard all about it from Professor Everett of the Gray Tower. In the rooftop battle, you cornered Knight Commander Gregorius, and you had a life-or-death showdown with the archbishop."
"...Life-or-death... showdown...?"
Apparently, from what happened that day fighting Balua, it wasn't just Sophia and Elise—it included me too.
Of course, from Everett's perspective, since I went to support Isolde, she probably assumed I was just giving orders from the back.
That woman firmly believes I'm some brilliant mage.
"I didn't do anything. It was all the result of Sophia and Elise."
"Haha. Your humility is truly remarkable."
It's not humility.
Seeing my expression sour, Cornelius changed the subject.
"Ahem. First off, there's something I need to inform Priest Leo about. The Church has decided to withdraw from Erebos Academy, except for essential personnel. So, you could say you're now the only officially recognized priest at this academy."
"Hmm..."
Well, that was part of the original plot anyway, so it didn't bother me much.
However...
"In that vein, as dean, I'd like to offer you the position of guiding professor for the Divine Studies Department..."
"No thanks."
"Even honorary professor..."
"I don't want that either."
What kind of nonsense is a worthless priest who can't even store divine power in his body becoming a professor?
Do the people at this academy just wear their eyes for decoration?
I refused a bit irritably, and Cornelius adjusted his glasses with an admiring look.
"Ho... I see. To shun worldly honors and walk solely the path of seeking enlightenment... Truly noble."
"That's not it."
"Haha. I understand completely. There's a saying about hiding your light under a bushel."
The misunderstanding only deepened the more I tried to explain.
In the end, I gave up. Then Cornelius cautiously gauged my reaction before speaking.
"In that case, you'll have to convey your refusal for Chiron’s request to become an instructor in the Knight Studies Department."
They'd made an offer from there too, apparently.
I nodded wearily, and Cornelius stood from his seat.
"It seems I've taken up too much of your time. I'm truly sorry. In any case, Erebos doesn't forget favors or grudges. I'll have the maids from Ophelia Hall deliver the rewards for this incident to the chapel."
"Yeah, yeah. Just handle it however."
I wished he'd just leave already.
After Cornelius departed, I sighed and lay back on the bed.
"Haa..."
How the hell did I end up right in the eye of the original story's storm?
Is it normal for doing one confession to lead to all this?
I was going insane.
'Acts 1 through 4 are all academy-internal stuff, so I can deal with it... but Act 5 is on a kingdom scale...'
When that time comes, regular folks get swept away like fallen leaves. All the extras die off—that's extras for you. Yeah, guys like me.
Even Act 4 at the academy isn't safe.
In Act 4, the kingdom's shadowy organization, Shadow, summons their ultimate form to drag Erebos into ruin.
In the end, that means a total war against all of Shadow's members, including the Act 1 ringleader Young Lang and the Act 2 masked figure White Face.
At minimum, five enemies on Gregorius's level.
And there's even Nemesis, the ultimate form and Act 4 final boss, who wipes out Shadow the moment it's summoned. It'll be as tough or tougher than this Act 3, that's for sure.
'...Can I even survive?'
As I let out a sigh full of worries,
The door to the hospital room creaked open quietly.
It had to be Elise.
But when I looked up, a woman with pink hair stood before me.
"Pleased to meet you. Might I have a moment to talk?"
"Ah..."
If Dean Cornelius had just been a cup of coffee, this woman was the T.O.P.
The last person I wanted to see right now.
First Princess Ciris Anastasia Leisander.
A regressor stood before me.
*
"How's your body feeling, Priest? I heard from Tris it was quite a serious injury."
Ciris approached and sat by my bed. Snap. Her fan folded, revealing lips as pink as her hair. A graceful smile adorned her soft mouth.
"I... I greet Your Highness..."
"Rest easy. I'm just visiting the sick. No need to strain yourself."
"...Hmm."
I tried to hastily sit up, but Ciris raised a hand to stop me.
"...How has Her Highness come to such a humble place."
"It's only proper to greet the hero who saved the academy. More than that... I wanted to apologize too."
Ciris gazed at me intently. Her amethyst eyes sparkled.
"That day in the chapel, I'm sorry for hiding my identity. It was a bit tricky to reveal who I was."
"Ah."
She must be talking about that day's confession.
Of course, the moment Elise told me a princess had visited the academy, I'd figured it out instantly.
"I understand. You must have had some grand purpose."
"Even faced with a sinner who committed patricide, that's your reaction? How intriguing."
Ciris's eyes curved slightly. She was smiling, but the pupils deep in her gaze were coldly still.
"The sin I confessed that day was something so blasphemous no human could speak it."
"..."
"Could it be, Priest, that you knew who I was and still absolved me?"
Ciris's tone held no emotion whatsoever.
It was obvious she was testing me.
'I need to avoid getting tangled up as much as possible.'
Truth be told, this pink-haired regressor terrified me more than the original villains. Ciris was the one existence beyond my攻略 guide.
I couldn't draw her attention. Nor could I become a negative factor.
After a moment's thought, I spoke.
"I'm just a country priest. I know nothing of the world's affairs."
"Hmm..."
"But once someone enters the confessional, be they princess or beggar, they're just a penitent to me. No matter what sin they confess, it's my duty to keep it secret and hear them out."
Using the ethics of my priestly role as a shield, Ciris seemed quite satisfied with the answer, tapping her lips with the tip of her fan.
"A man who keeps his mouth shut is attractive. He's trustworthy."
"You're too kind."
"I suppose I can chalk up resolving the cathedral incident to the 'luck' of a priest ignorant of the world."
"..."
As my expression stiffened, Ciris closed her eyes gently, probing no further.
"First, on behalf of the royal family, allow me to express our gratitude. It was an incident at the royal academy, so it was my duty to resolve it, but you've done us a great favor, Priest."
Ciris opened her eyes and continued.
"That's enough thanks. The real reason I came to see you is something else."
"What is it?"
"Sophia Aquilova—you know her? I hear she's staying and eating at the chapel you run."
"That's..."
How was I supposed to explain a priest living under one roof with a young girl?
But Ciris didn't seem to care, folding her fan.
"To help that child's talent fully bloom, my guard knight, Lady Beatrice, has agreed to train her."
"That's..."
"Yes. Swordsmanship lessons. Lady Beatrice said Sophia Aquilova has talent surpassing her own."
That figures.
Beatrice was the knight closest to Sword Saint right now, but by the late game, Sophia becomes the true Sword Saint.
"...Hmm."
I wasn't particularly surprised.
Sophia training under Beatrice was in the original too. It was originally an interlude event between Acts 4 and 5, but it seemed it would happen sooner now.
Either way, that event powered Sophia up massively, so sooner was better. I could even welcome it.
"She's a bit reckless, but she has a good heart. I'll leave her in your care."
"Yes. I'll let Tris know."
Ciris unfolded her fan again and prepared to stand.
I inwardly sighed in relief.
This should have passed relatively safely.
But just as I thought that, Ciris pulled a golden vial from her bosom and placed it on the table.
"A gift from the royal family."
"..."
It was a very familiar vial.
The one that had been on the offering box when I first met Ciris after the full moon festival.
Tear of the Sun...
An item from the original that you could only get once per playthrough, granting permanent stat boosts.
And now it was right in front of me.
'...There were multiples of these?'
I'd thought it was a unique treasure, only one in existence since you could only get one per run.
They could've sprinkled a few around in the original, for crying out loud.
As I glared at the vial with such resentment, Ciris smiled faintly and explained.
"Tear of the Sun. A royal elixir. It's a reward for resolving this incident. And a bribe to ask for your continued goodwill."
Handing out something this precious again.
Is the royal vault a magic pot?
Though I resented Ciris's spending habits in the original, it wasn't bad to receive it.
This time, I could give it to Elise. Or Isolde would work too.
As I reached to pocket the vial with such thoughts,
"Drink it now."
Ciris's low voice halted my hand.
"...Pardon?"
"I said drink it now, in front of my eyes."
Ciris narrowed her eyes with a smile. That smile felt oddly chilling.
"Tris told me. That Sophia Aquilova has the energy of a Tear of the Sun inside her."
"..."
"I respect your selflessness, Priest, but giving away a gift bestowed by a princess is blasphemous in its own way."
Ciris tapped the vial in my hand with her fan.
"This time, empty it in front of me. All of it, no leftovers."
It was the princess's command.
There was no right of refusal.